Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: Dark Elf Arc

Chapter 66

"Word travels fast indeed," Vaculus said. "You are correct. Several days ago, Valen found several humans wandering through the forest. Among them was none other than Sylvia de Floresca."

"The Witch of Arcadia?!"

"What is she doing here?!"

"Why did Valen lead her here?!"

Almost from the moment he mentioned Sylvia, the elders all exploded with a combination of outrage and fear. This was sadly understandable. Everyone in this room had fought during the human's rebellion. They knew of the unimaginable power that Sylvia wielded. He was sure each of them remembered how their capital cities had been reduced to nothing more than a crater by the overwhelming power of her Spiritual Evocation.

"Calm yourselves." Vaculus raised a hand and gestured for everyone to settle down. "Sylvia has not come here to initiate hostilities. She has come seeking asylum."

His words invoked another round of shouts.

"Asylum?! Her?! What could she possibly want Asylum for?!"

"It's probably a trick!"

"Hmph! Whatever the reasons for her asylum are, I say we send her back. We have no reason to help that woman."

Six of the seven elders immediately expressed their dissatisfaction and desire to kick Sylvia out of the Sacred Forest. Only the grand elder remained silent. Among all the people present, he was the only person who remained calm.

"If you've come to inform us of her presence, then I assume you have already come to a decision?" asked the grand elder.

"You are correct, Lord Pertelum." Vaculus nodded. "For the time being, I have decided to grant her amnesty in our kingdom."

Before the six elders could explode, Lord Pertelum spoke again. "Given your own feelings toward sorceresses, you would not do something like this without a good reason. May we know of it?"

"You may." Vaculus nodded. "My daughter was among those who Valen discovered and brought to Fas Sheras. It turns out Sylvia de Floresca rescued my daughter and has looked after her for all these years." A stunned silence fell over to elders. Vaculus looked at them one by one. "While I am the king of Fas Sheras, I am also a father. If I were to turn this woman and her group away after she returned my daughter to me, it would make me seem ungrateful."

Everyone appeared shocked, even Lord Pertelum, whose eyes had grown wide and round. However, he recovered far more quickly than the others.

"If Sylvia de Floresca has been looking after your daughter for all this time, then it would indeed be wise to keep her here for now," he said. "Gratefulness aside, just knowing that she has been near your daughter for all these years is cause to be wary. There's no telling what kind of disinformation she has been filling Lady Elincia's head with."

Vaculus knew that Lord Pertelum was trying to subtly cast doubt on Sylvia's good intentions. While a part of him did indeed feel similarly, he knew from listening to Elincia talk earlier today that, whatever Sylvia's reasons had been for taking the girl in, it didn't change the fact that his daughter had lived a good life thanks to the sorceress. At this moment, he was willing to give Sylvia the benefit of the doubt.

"I wished to inform everyone of their presence because they will be staying within the palace for an indeterminable amount of time," Vaculus continued. "If you see them, I would ask that you be polite. Aside from Sylvia, there are two other sorceresses among their group. There are also three humans, and three half-elves."

"Half-elves?!" This time, even Lord Pertelum could not keep his calm as he stood to his feet. "You let half-elves enter Fas Sheras?!"

"What choice did I have?" Vaculus spread his arms out. "Not only were they a part of Sylvia's entourage, my daughter has accepted one of them as her life partner."