“Well, that was interesting. So, Rose, mind explaining why my ward considers you an evil entity?”
Asura faltered.
“What?”
“That ward was against evil, even with a shard inside of her she shouldn’t have reacted like that.”
Asura dropped his blade from Salthos’ neck and aimed it at me with a look of suspicion.
The rank 10 walked over.
“Rose, I will ask a few questions, you must answer them honestly. If you do not, then we will kill you.”
I was paralyzed by the barrier, so I knew there was no way out. Especially with Sloth still dormant from my evolution.
“Very well.”
“What is your real name?”
“Rose Hood.”
He nodded.
“Are you an evil entity.”
“Yes.”
The confirmation caused them to back up, but the rank 10 simply nodded.
“What is your species?”
“I am a mature arcane dragon.”
“LIAR!”
Climond yelled, but the rank 10 nodded again with a look of confusion. Upon seeing his nod, even Climond looked confused.
“How are you registered as an evil entity if you are a dragon?”
“Because I am also the Core Lie, Innocence.”
This caused even the rank 10, who was passive and calm thus far, to leap back and ready his weapon. He nodded, and I sat up, the paralysis faded.
“So, are you going to kill me now?”
Asura looked at me before sheathing his weapon. The others looked at him in confusion.
“How many?”
“Over what range?”
“This meeting.”
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“There were 12 separate occasions.”
“Very well. Let’s continue this meeting then.”
Climond yelled.
“12 separate occasions for what?”
Asura smiled.
“To kill us before we realized what was happening.”
_
The S ranks had calmed down, but all the support I had before was now gone. I sat on a rock nearby as Climond drove the nail deeper.
“I said this before, as we thought she was a dragon, but now I am sure of it. We cannot have a shard of the evil god as an S rank.”
Then Asura raised his hand.
“Rose.”
I looked over with a light blush. I felt exposed to their judging faces.
“What was that odd sense I got the first time I saw you meditate?”
“What do you mean?”
“That sense. I don’t know what it was, but it was... right.”
“I know what you are talking about. My meditations were to try to get that more out.”
“Could you show it again? I think that sense that I felt is the only reason I’m letting you live. Maybe it would help them understand why I still somewhat trust you.”
“Maybe.”
I reached into myself and knew they felt the immense evil that I emanated. Then I found my core. It was half clean, so I cleaned off a bit more, then I opened the film. The powerful rightness that I felt made me lose my breath, but I covered it again so the dirt wouldn’t coalesce.
I opened my eyes and saw their eyes widened. Asura was smiling.
“That’s what I was referring to. Rose, do you know what that was?”
“No... All I know is that it comes from my core. When meditating I found that my core was covered in what looked like dirt, so I cleaned it off slowly, when you were watching me, Asura, that’s when I first opened the film that blocks that... rightness.”
“I see, so there are things that even the shards of the evil god don’t know.”
“I actually lack most of my memories, so the other shards may know more about it, but I think that my core being like that explains why I feel wrong when I feel my evil presence.”
“Though that was stronger than last time.”
“Of course, I was cleaning my core when Salthos showed up.”
“How long would you say it will take for you to finish?”
“Two more days, I was planning on asking Sloth if I could clean hers when she wakes up.”
“I see, well, I say we wait two days and see what happens then.”
Climond surprisingly nodded,
“I agree, but what do we do in the meantime.”
“Hide her nature, I know that we don’t normally conceal evil, but whatever that is... no evil can produce that. That’s why I didn’t even consider for a second that she was a shard.”
Then Zelethar voiced a question that I had asked before.
“Then could it be possible that the evil god wasn’t always evil?”
_
I spent the two days on the highest rock, cleaning my core as best as I could, Asura watched over me and the S ranks visited the capital and relaxed. They made an excuse that due to my quick ascension they made a secondary trial that I had to complete before they decided.
At the end of the two days, they all went back, and my memories had returned. I understand now. It was all a lie.
Salthos was the first to show up, so I gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder to show I had no bad blood. His eyes widened and he checked his ward but was confused to find no issues. Asura also showed shock.
I removed the film but concealed it. I would show them when all of them had shown up.
Slowly they showed up and sat in their seats.
Climond was the first to speak.
“Salthos, why do you look so shocked.”
“She tapped my shoulder, but my barrier was fine.”
This caused them shock. But rank 10 started anyways.
“Alright, Core Lie Innocence.”
“That’s not what I’m called.”
“All right, Rose.”
“Not what I meant.”
The rank 10 realized something was off, as I didn’t tell a lie.
“Then what are you?”
“You were right Zelethar.”
They looked at me with confused expressions. So, I introduced myself.
“My name is Rose Hood, but you can call me the Core Truth Purity.”