Chapter 82

The black knight felt worn out in every sense—physically, mentally, and magically. The colossal shadow tree he made had consumed a substantial portion of his mana, and the weight of lives lost in his presence weighed heavily on him. "Don't you dare move," he warned Karin, guiding her to a safe spot. "You don't have to tell me; I know I'll die if I try." Karin, shot back.

Leaving Karin, the black knight returned to the rest of the group, i.e. Xain and his friends. "Does anyone know where Amara went?" he asked, directing the question to Xain, Zee, Larkin, and Ercale. The group, excluding Ercale, exchanged glances. Larkin offered, "I think she teleported away when that dragon did... whatever the hell that attack was." The black knight nodded, letting out a sigh. "I hope she isn't going around causing more chaos," he remarked.

Xain reassured him, shaking his head. "Don't worry; she's not just some maniac who goes around killing innocent people. She just wants to capture them," he added, gesturing toward Larkin and Zee.

The black knight facepalmed, or rather helmetpalmed in his case. "Goddess, I forgot about that! She also wants to kill you. You do know that, right?" he pointed at Xain, who looked genuinely confused. "Me specifically?" Xain asked, seeking clarification. The black knight nodded affirmatively. "Yes, you specifically. Though she didn't really tell me why she wants to kill you so badly, but she without a shadow of a doubt wants to kill you," he explained.

Xain turned to Zee and Larkin, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Um, can either of you tell me why she wants to kill me?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice. Both Zee and Larkin exchanged glances, recollecting the incidents when Xain had punched Amara in the face during their initial encounter and later punched her in the abdomen a few hours ago. In unison, they nodded and replied, "Pride, most definitely pride." Xain deflated, realizing the reason behind Amara's vendetta. "Great, I somehow became the primary target of someone who wants to capture you two," he lamented, and Zee and Larkin chuckled in empathetic pity.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Knight?" Mari's voice called out, drawing the attention of the black knight and the others. "Oh yeah, your name's Mari, right? What is it?" the black knight responded. Mari, with a sad expression, asked, "Where are you taking my mommy?" The black knight and the rest suddenly realized they still had to explain that to Mari.

"I'm taking her to be cured," the black knight replied, prompting surprised reactions from everyone, including Mari. "What do you mean?" Mari questioned, voicing the collective confusion of those present. "You know the bad lady Eirisse? She put your mother under a spell that needs to be broken, or else she will put herself and everyone around her at risk," the black knight explained, clarifying the situation. Everyone, aside from Mari, looked confused by his words.

"Can I come with? I don't have anyone other than my mommy here," Mari asked, her eyes pleading. Unable to resist her adorable appeal, the black knight relented, saying, "Sure, why not?" Mari cheered, excited by the prospect of joining them.

While Mari felt elated about accompanying her mother, Xain approached the black knight with a whispered inquiry, "Can she actually be cured?" The black knight shook his head, stating, "No." Seeking further explanation, Xain pressed, "Can you clarify why?" The black knight cast a glance at Karin before responding, "Because there is nothing to cure. She's just a horrible person. Being Eirisse's thrall had nothing to do with it."

"So you're just lying to her?" Xain questioned, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What else do you want me to do? Break the poor girl's mind by telling her the harsh truth—that her mother willingly participated in something as heinous as letting her be eaten?" the black knight retorted. Xain relented, understanding the delicate balance of truth and protection. Even as an orphan, he recognized that unveiling the full extent of Mari's mother's betrayal at such a young age could be emotionally devastating.

The black knight then saw Victoria walking up to him, having a pretty good guess about what she wanted to discuss. "Before you ask," he began, "because of the earthquakes, shockwaves, and tremors caused by Amara and Mr. Supreme Officer of Triton over there, a lot of the underground was damaged. It was on the verge of collapse if I didn't spread the roots of the shadow tree."

However, Victoria waved off the explanation, stating, "I don't care about that. Just tell me, how long is that tree going to stay up?" The black knight, scratching the back of his helmet, replied, "I weaved it into place so that even if I ran out of mana, it would stay up. After you remove the rubble and debris and fix or reinforce the underground, I'll be sure to unweave it."

Victoria dismissed his suggestion. "No, no, no, mister. You keep that tree weaved where it is because I just found myself a new tourist attraction," she declared. The black knight looked flabbergasted. "Are you sure?" he asked. Victoria nodded rapidly. "Yeah, I'm sure. I need coin, stat!" The black knight shrugged. "Okay then, I guess I can also leave early because of that, so it's no skin off my back."

"Uh, Victoria, can we talk?" Larkin asked. Victoria turned her attention to him, but not without directing a remark to the black knight first. "Don't forget to take him with you," she said, pointing at Lennix. The black knight nodded. "I won't. I made an oath, after all," he muttered to himself, steeling himself for whatever this conversation between him and Lennix was going to be.