Argument

"So in other words, you want to free them from their Hari."

Lyrica gradually tilt her head up and faced the Reyna. Amaya had her right hand rubbing her forehead, seemingly troubled.

'Why is she making that face?'

Shortly afterward, Amaya glanced at Lyrica and saw the worried expression on her face.

"Ah, sorry," She uttered, following a short exhale. "I just realized my desperation made me forget the thing I was trying to protect, but now I remember, thank you."

"It's nothing..." Lyrica replied.

"So you want to give the people of Kruule freedom, right? Then Reilaea shall lend you a helping hand."

A smile of relief chased the worried expression on Lyrica's face away.

"Thank you!"

"So then, how are we going to help these people who can't say no to king Uruk's orders? You know there's no way to reach Uruk without confronting his soldiers to death."

An important question was raised by Aran.

"By the way, Beastmen have a very sharp memory." Aran rests his elbow onto the couch's arm and leaned his cheek onto his hand, avoiding eye contact with Lyrica. "Are you sure about making a promise to that little girl? That you're gonna tell her we're heading out to Kruule to cause bloodshed?"

"I am true to my word," Lyrica uttered. "When I said I'm going to tell her the secret, I will tell her. And besides, who said there will be bloodshed?"

"Are you an idiot?" Aran argued. "What do you expect between two forces collapsing with one another with the only difference that the other party is engaging in the battle against their will?"

"I expect that there's not gonna be any casualties–"

Thud-thud!

Aran stood up all of a sudden and interrupted Lyrica's speech. He then came face-to-face with the girl who's just a little shorter than him.

"You want to go in a fight not expecting to draw blood on the ground. How delusional can you get, woman?" He coldly said.

"Let me just clarify that we're not going there to fight," Unfazed, Lyrica pressed her index finger onto Aran's chest. "We are going there to save the people and the heroes. You hear me?"

Lyrica started pressing her finger onto Aran continuously.

"We. Are. Going. To. Save. Them!"

It's clear that Lyrica already made up her mind, she's not going to listen to anyone's arguments anymore. But so does Aran. Lyrica's idea may be novel, but it's also unrealistic. Aran will not let his people suffer because of some delusional girl who had no idea how the real world works.

"Ina..."

"Yes, my son?"

Aran called for his mother, Amaya, to tell her that Lyrica's argument is not doable. However, he wound up seeing the gleeful grin of Amaya as if she's on cloud nine.

"What's with that weird grin, Ina?"

"Ah, I just feel ecstatic to see you're getting along with someone else other than me and Kael."

"And it's a girl, no less." Kael added as he nodded in approval along with the Reyna."

'They see our argument as though we are getting along? Are they actually okay in the head?' Lyrica thought to herself in confusion.

"What part of the argument drove you two to that conclusion?!"

Lyrica slowly backed off and sat back on his couch. From there, she wordlessly watch the Prinsepe explaining in detail what Lyrica wanted and how unrealistic it is.

"Will you just listen to me first?"

"No matter how many times you try to argue about your stupid Idea, there's no way in hell I'm letting our–"

"Aran, my son..."

Glance...

Just like what happened to Lyrica earlier, Aran failed to finish his sentence. And that's because of his mother's call and her cold gaze that although he couldn't see her from the corner of his eyes, he could feel it as well as what it's trying to tell him.

"It seems that Lyrica here had something to say earlier until you interrupted her," She said calmly. "I wouldn't want our soldiers to shed blood either, but we have to listen to her completely or we'll just keep running in circles here. Do you understand?"

"R-Right..."

Those last few words and her gaze that is as cold as ice sent shivers down Aran's spine.

'Scary! Reyna Amaya is scary! How can she beam such a graceful smile while staring at her son as if she'd jump on him and claw his face out if he dares say another word?' Lyrica mumbled in her thoughts while looking away from everyone.

"Now then..."

Lyrica's body shook up the instant Amaya spoke, knowing she's about to call her.

"Lyrica..."

"Y-Yes, Mahal na Reyna."

Lyrica slowly panned her view towards the Reyna. And from the corner of her eyes, she could see that Amaya's cold stare finally disappeared. She reverted to the first impression Lyrica had on her–an elegant and beautiful goddess.

"You have something to say, didn't you? Feel free to speak."

It took a short moment, but Lyrica eventually regained composure and stated, "I'll go straight to the point. There's a loophole in the curse that Uruk put on everyone."

"A loophole?"

From what Lyrica can remember, for whatever reason, the curse that's supposed to kill anyone who even thinks for a second that they'll retaliate against Uruk, is no longer as lethal as it was three years ago.

It is still dangerous if one doesn't know what kind of actions, words, or thoughts would trigger the sumpa. But as long as they are careful, the danger can be bypassed.

"And? Do you have proof of what you're selling us?" Aran questioned in a condescending tone.

"Yesterday, I killed a high commander stationed in the town of Takkot..."

She was planning to confront the high commander after they leave Takkot for the capital city of Kruule and meet Uruk. However, at the time, her ankle hasn't fully recovered yet and she doesn't have time to strengthen up. But as if the goddess Mousai graced her with luck, there was a wither beehive near the town.

It is said that the wither bee's honey can heal almost anything. An opportunity presents itself over Lyrica, and she did not hesitate to take it. It allowed her to fully recover as well as helping herself power up by killing the wither bees. But this is all possible because a certain group of knights was able to fearlessly bypass the curse and buy her time.

"They burned the Kalesa that was supposed to be used for me as a ride to the capital the day before yesterday. And thanks to that, I got time to power up and heal."

"And we're supposed to believe that story of yours?"

Again, just as Aran said those words, Amaya's cold stare started creeping on him from behind. Out of fear, he tried to rephrase himself.

"I-Is there any other way to prove this loophole?"

"Lady Lyrica was fighting a group of assassins sent to kill her when I introduced myself."

Continuing his interjection, Kael stated that the assassins that are supposed to assassinate Lyrica are the ones that eventually let them escape from Kruule.

"If the curse is as lethal as it was when the Hari first put them on the people, that assassin would have died for giving up on their mission. But he didn't."

"You heard him," Lyrica commented beside Kael.

Aran looked at Kael with bewilderedness. Kael has been Aran's attendant and companion ever since they were young, Kael had never betrayed the loyalty he has towards the Prinsepe once in his life. That is why he did not expect Kael to help Lyrica with her proof.

"Looks like even Kael knows about it, too." Said the Alkalde who's seating on his personal chair. "I think that's enough said."

"I think so, too." Amaya followed suit before facing Aran beside her. "What about you, my son?"

Aran tried to keep his mouth shut, but with his mother sticking her face next to him, he eventually gave up.

"Fine, you win." A sigh of defeat left Aran.

"Now that's settled, I have a question for you, Lyrica."

"Yes?"

Kael told everyone that a battle between Uruk and the hero who turned into an Anino took place and left Kabba in ruins. And Uruk won using his dark magic. Then, Uruk put a curse on everyone to make them hate him.

Now a question rose in Amaya's head.

"What do you think Uruk is?"

"Huh?"

Lyrica never heard such a confusing question before, but then she remembered the ones in Kabba who claimed to have survived because Uruk apparently saved them. And then, she remembered the very thing she said.

"It's almost as if you guys are talking about a completely different person."

The words that Lyrica blurted out loud left the others confused, though not the Reyna who is quick to understand things.

"So in conclusion, either king Uruk is an Anino himself or he is possessed by another one."

"Possessed you say?"

"Yes," Amaya replied without a second thought. "Because if he is still himself who tried to at least save some of his people during the fight, why else would he want to make people hate him?"

From Reyna Amaya's knowledge, a sane individual that's using a dormant Anino's power means the Anino inside them is born but not completely.

"An Anino grows and becomes strong enough to take over from an individual's accumulated negative emotions."

To put it simply, an Anino in its incubation stage can only grow through the host's own negative emotions. That is unless a completely born Anino takes over another host and uses them to continue feeding itself off of others' negative emotions.

"So that means the Hari is possessed by an Anino?"

"Considering the information we have, I'd say yes." Again, Amaya responded to Lyrica as if she already encountered the same situation before. "Although it's still an assumption, it'd be best to take precautions early."

Shortly after that, Amaya stood up and faced the mayor sitting on his chair. She then requested the mayor to send a message to a certain party of adventurers.

"Tell them, we need their help immediately."

"Masusunod, Mahal na Reyna."

Without further ado, the mayor immediately took his exit. Their conversation left Lyrica wondering, 'Adventurers, huh... I wonder what kind of people those are.'

"Now then! We have determined our objectives." Said Amaya.

Their objective is to save the heroes and the people of Kruule.

"And we have also determined who our enemy is."

The enemy—the king of Kruule—Uruk, or at least the Anino that possessed him.

"As for how we're going to get our objectives done..." Amaya glanced at Lyrica. "I assume you already have a plan for that, Lyrica."

Kael and Aran both looked into Lyrica, though for different reasons.

"Do you have a plan, Lady Lyrica?"

"Wait, are we going to follow this girl and her plan?"

Lyrica exhaled. "Yes."