Supreme Magus

Chapter 4505: Humiliating Secret (Part 1)

"I didn’t tell you about her because I didn’t know about what she had done either." Lotho sighed. "Nobody outside her direct bloodline knew. For what it’s worth, I already had her tell me everything she knew about the Dead King, and it was worth nothing.

"She left when Meln moved out of his hideout and has no idea where he went. Even if she shared her intel the moment she came back to Garlen, it would have already been too late.

"As for your second question, the answer is the reason for my call. There is something wrong with this Fae and her child. Something terribly wrong that not even the regenerative powers of my race can fix.

"Her clan members asked for my help because they had no other choice, and I’m calling you for the same reason. I’ve already visited the Fae. I used every spell and bloodline ability at my disposal, yet nothing worked.

"I even called some of the best Healers among my kind, Fae whose greed and reputation I could trust. The prognosis is always the same. Kill the child and save the mother.

"No one wants to do that, though, especially the pregnant Fae. So, here I am, Lith Verhen, asking for your help. What do you say?"

"That I have questions." The hatred Lith felt for his disowned brother and his offspring didn’t cloud his mind one bit. "What do you mean, whose greed you can trust? And why didn’t you just kill them both if you deem them a threat?

"I know you Fae only believe in the law of the jungle, and going to such lengths to help a member of your bloodline who already betrayed your trust it’s not like you. I want the full story, Lotho, or I’m ending this call."

The Treant’s amber eyes narrowed in annoyance for a heartbeat before they relaxed to a neutral expression. Fae were pragmatic creatures. Lotho knew to be cornered and that anger would solve nothing.

Rather than wasting time he didn’t have, he dropped the mask.

"You’re right, Verhen. Under any other circumstance, her bloodline would have already put her down without a second thought. She was pardoned under the condition that she would grant her family access to the power of a Divine Beast, and the deal is most likely off.

"Without it, no Fae bloodline would show her any mercy. Yet this is different. We have no idea what has gone wrong with the woman and her child. Maybe it’s the Dead King’s accursed bloodline’s fault, or maybe we are the problem.

"Maybe we Fae are a dead evolutionary branch and unsuitable to wield the power of a Divine Beast. If this second scenario turns out to be true, it would mean there’s no hope for us.

"That even if one of my kind became a Guardian, Fae wouldn’t be able to become a Divine Plant, a Blossomed Being, or whatever the offspring of the plant Guardian would be called.

"We’d have to start over from our plant folk brethren and try to understand what’s gone wrong with Fae and in what new direction we need to move. This is why we have yet to kill mother and baby.

"Also, it’s the reason I needed greedy, reliable Fae. I offered them the power of the Vurdalak in exchange for their silence and help, and they accepted. Alas, they didn’t fare any better than me.

"No progress has been made, and our understanding of the illness is nil. This is the full story, Verhen. I’m holding nothing back. I swear it upon my Root."

It was a plant folk’s most sacred vow, so Lith was inclined to believe the Treant, but that was it.

"What about my reward?" Lith asked. "Assuming I can do something about this, you Fae are the only ones that benefit from my success."

"Don’t be coy with me, Verhen!" Lotho snarled. "Your reward is the unique opportunity to study your hated brother’s bloodline. The baby is still a Vurdalak, and there’s no telling how much you can learn from him.

"He’d be a willing patient, and you’d have all the time you need to use any diagnostic equipment at your disposal. If you agree to help us, you get to study both an Upyr and a Vurdalak, Verhen.

"You can learn first-hand what makes them tick and look for any weak point that might help you in killing Meln and disposing of his forces. Moreover, even if you can’t help us or deliver us the worst news possible, that knowledge would still stay with you.

"We Fae might lose the woman, the child, and discover we are a fallen race, but you would get your prize and our humiliating secret with you. I’d say this is more than enough payment. Take it or leave it."

’He’s right. This is an incredible bargain for me.’ Lith’s expression betrayed none of his thoughts, his face fixed in a stone mask. ’Yet just because I can do it, it doesn’t mean that I should.

’The best line of action for me is to go there, learn everything I can about Meln and his Divine Beast thralls, and claim there’s nothing I can do about it. The idea of helping someone who sided with him, even out of pure convenience, and his child makes me want to puke.’

’How can you say that, Lith?’ Solus echoed in his mind. ’I can understand your spite for Meln. You know I hate him just as much as you. I can also understand your unwillingness to help the Fae. Yet the child is innocent.

’He didn’t choose the circumstances under which he was conceived nor his parents. Can you really turn your back on him like that?’

Lith mulled over the question long enough to have many telepathic conversations with her.

’Darn, this was the wrong day to decide to let go of the past and give people a chance.’ He inwardly sighed.

"I’m willing to give you a hand, Lotho." Lith said, and his sincerity made Solus proud. "Though I have one condition."

"Name it." The Treant sighed, hoping it wouldn’t be anything too outrageous.

"I’m not coming alone." Lith replied. "I don’t trust you or the Fae not to kill me to keep your shameful secret, especially if I succeed in saving the baby. My existence would become a problem for your kind, and in their home, I’d be easy prey."

"I can’t argue with that." Lotho nodded. "Getting rid of you as soon as you’ve outlived your usefulness is exactly what a Fae bloodline would do. The little Vurdalak would make your Tiamat bloodline redundant to us."

"I know." Lith said. "Hence, I’m bringing one more person with me, and I’m telling everyone I trust where I’m going. This is not up for debate. Refuse my condition and our deal is off."

"Right now, I’m so desperate I wouldn’t say no even if you brought along an entire army." Lotho’s sincerity was a pleasant surprise. "To prove my good faith, I’m giving you the coordinates of the Fae’s secret hideout.

"You can reach it with your means and at your convenience, so you can verify it’s not a trap. I’m already there. Call me when you arrive, and I’ll come to you. Lotho out."