Chapter 22: Negotiations and New Truths

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"Save the nation..."


Dallel nodded, his head still aimed at the ground.


"By killing our father?!"


"You don't know what he did!"


Dallel yelled. For as long as both me and Royce had known him, neither of us heard him yell like that. Even Doleaira was shaken by that.


"Dallel, what did the former king do."


"Attempt to summon a demon king."


Everyone froze. A demon king. Wouldn't that destroy the entire country?


"You'd need way to many sacrifices to do that. There's no way he could've done it."


"El- King Elren, please remember the time that the messenger came to tell everyone the king was killed by me."


He blanched.


"The moonlight festival."


"The moonlight festival?"


"Once every hundred years, the moon is in perfect alignment with the sun to shine the most light on the capital. All elves gather in the capital for a massive festival."


"In other words..."


"It's the perfect time for a demonic summoning."


"Father, he tried to use the whole kingdom as sacrifices?"


"Yes..."


Something didn't work though.


"Why didn't you tell anyone?"


"The contr-"


"Don't lie, I saw the contract, it didn't mention that you couldn't explain, only that you'd take the blame."


"I..."


"You wanted everyone to remember him as a good king, didn't you."


"Yes, I only discovered it due to the contract. It led me to a hidden passageway that led to a massive ritual circle. Father was in the middle, speaking dark magic. I could sense the evil halfway through the passage."


"Why would he do that?"


"I... I don't know."


"Something doesn't feel right."


"Rose?"


"Dallel, without invoking magic, could you tell me exactly what the king said?"


"I can."


He began speaking the words. Everyone was confused except me. It was then that I understood the weight of sin that Dallel kept hidden.


"Dallel, you have no idea what that meant."


"Wait, was he inn-"


"No. It was far worse than you thought. Please tell me you destroyed the circle."


"Of course, I did."


"Thank goodness. He wasn't summoning a Demon king."


"Then what-"


"He was summoning a shard of evil."


They all looked at me confused. No one except scholars knew what a shard of evil is, so I shouldn't be surprised.


"Have you ever heard the legend of the evil god?"


"Of course, she was killed, however."


"Gods don't die."

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