Chapter 40: Don’t Call me Amphy Again!

Airelina Frembell

Estoff and Duke Dragunov have been drinking their cold glasses of beer while sitting uncomfortably on the sofa while I got busy licking the red bean paste on my fish pancake on the corner. Geez, there’s no time that Estoff is not drinking, totally! That’s not very leader-like!

The humid atmosphere of this office makes the afternoon hot enough for tension! I wanted to scold him but I guess I could let it slide. He just sacrificed his name for Amphy and my sake. Even if the Dragonoid Rights Bill is to be passed and make his love Elumina free, Estoff wouldn’t be able to live a normal life anymore. What’s more is that one of our enemies, Rudolf Azregon is now a Pentagram Knight. The odds are now in Kyle’s favor.

But I never knew that it would become so totally worse.

Amphy silently open the wooden door. He’s not showing his emotions right now. His new hairstyle makes it hard to read his eyes. But I noticed that he is clenching his hand so hard that it looks like it’s in the verge of squeezing out his own blood vessels on his palms.

“Look how these witty devils enjoy their free time.” Amphy muttered.

“Don’t get so full of yourself, boy!” Estoff made a joking smirk. “Just because you changed hairstyles and got your biceps buffed doesn’t mean that you’re a better scum than us.” Then he guzzled a mouthful of his beer.

“Yes.” Amphy quaked with anger more than before. “You three are the most demonic scums that I’ve ever met. Maybe more evil than that lunatic general.”

Is Amphy pertaining to us? There are only four of us in this room right now. Duke Dragunov and I maintained our silence. Estoff dropped his glass of beer in the table and then raised his voice. “I don’t like what’s coming out from your mouth, kid!” He said. Good thing Estoff is not drunk yet. He could’ve pointed his sword to Amphy if he was.

“I don’t like what’s coming from three of you, either.” Amphy made a smart-aleck smile. “I know all of your sins. ALL OF YOU!!!”

I’ve never seen Amphy so angry before. His brown eyes are filled with hatred, as if he wanted to destroy everyone here in this very room. I slowly stepped forward to calm her down. “Amphy…please calm down.”

As my hand was about to reach his, he immediately swiped it away. “Don’t you dare touch me, ALERIA TURNER!!!”

A-Aleria Turner… How did he know that name!? This…This is impossible! Did Rudolf….Damn that human! He poisoned my Amphy’s mind!

“I know each and every one of your ridiculous secrets.” Amphy looked at Estoff with disgust. “You Estoff… You’re so hungry with Elumina’s pussy that you never thought about sparing the lives of the innocent, are you? You used a lot of people! Blaming the government for the destruction of Vanilla City in order to get the dragonoid’s trust…Is it all true?”

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There was a strong silence. Estoff bowed down and hesitated to answer at first, but then he made an honest answer.

“…Yes… I need to trigger all the dragonoid’s hatred to humans since they are scared. I should set an example for them…and I succeeded. Without the Crimson Dragonfly Incident, there will be no revolution. There will be no Arcadia.” Estoff made a long pause.  “Blood sacrifices are needed to achieve the everlasting freedom.”

Amphy shooked his head and disagreed. “You only think about Elumina. That’s all to it, Estoff. You will sell everyone just to have Elumina free. You’ll walk on a mountain of innocent corpses just to reach her hand.”

Estoff didn’t answer anymore, making Amphy win this argument so easily. Then he turned to me with the same killing gaze. “And you, disgusting lizard…is your love to me a big fat lie too? Just what you did to Zac Schneider?”

“I-I…” My throat acted like it was dry, unable to give a proper answer. I held my aching chest. It hurts so much when the man you love most remove all their trust in you.

“Feeling bad now, huh?” Amphere made a sarcastic laugh. “You should’ve felt guilty a long time ago, before you killed Zac, your first lover.”

“T-That’s not true!” I shouted out from the depths of my heart. “That’s totally not true, Amphy-“

“DON’T CALL ME AMPHY AGAIN!!!”

Tears fell down from my eyes. My heart aches more as each second goes. I can’t breathe. I feel like my chest has been drilled by a thick jackhammer. Amphere’s hatred…is beyond my imagination. I was planning to reveal everything to him once it’s all over, but…

“Airelina…” Amphere hid his left eye with his palm and made a painful laugh. “I thought you were in the good side…but it seems that your hands are the dirtiest of all.”

I fell down on my knees. Fish pancakes scattered on the floor. My mouth opened but no words came out. My mind is completely blank, as a clean slate. My eyes became blurry and it slowly became dark. I can’t breathe. Help. I…can’t…  I’m dying…

I was so helpless that I closed my eyes and hollered on his feet. I wanted forgiveness from the man I truly loved. But it seems that my sins are too much to be forgiven. He forcefully kicked me out from his feet.

“I can’t believe it.” Amphere said. “I should’ve believed everyone from the start. You all are just cold blooded terrorists.”

Amphere slowly walked out of the room with anger on his heart and soul.

There was a long silence. I tried to cry out loud, but voices refused to come out. I stayed in my position, letting go all of my tears until my eyes dry out.

Estoff proceeded to finish his beer. Duke Dragunov bowed in silence.

After a few minutes when I recovered my strength, I finally stood up.

“Where are you going, Airelina?” Estoff asked.

“To Amphy. I’ll try to talk to him.”

“It’s useless… It’s all over... Did you see his hatred towards us?” Estoff replied. When I turned to him, it happens that he was shuddering out of terror. I can see it as he acts cool even though the ice tubes on his beer collide with the glass. “The Dragonoid Rights Bill will be nothing if Amphere turns away from us. Without him, there will be no peaceful process. The only way left for us is through asperity. We shall wage war to overthrow the empire.”

I was completely silent. Estoff is totally right about this. We shall make another ocean of blood, how hard it would be. This is our only way to freedom.

“Airelina… I really hate to say this…but…” Estoff continued. “Amphere… Amphere Harrison has to die… He already knows a lot.”

Filled with resolve in my heart, I wiped out all the residual tears left in my face. Then I looked at the leader of Arcadia with loyalty and confidence.

“I’ll do it.” I said.

Estoff and the duke are totally silent about my answer. Knowing that they weren’t clear about what they just heard, I repeated.

“I’ll kill Amphere Harrison with my own hands.”