Chương 97: Chapter XXV Verse II — The Reunion of the Maids

Gaius approached Galan.

"So what are we going to do now?" Galan's mindcast brushed against the boy's thoughts, finding a cold, hard resolve to help him set the world right by any means necessary. Sorry, Noctavia, Galan thought, but this kid has too much potential.

"You relax with the others. I'm going to check on Aurelia. After that, we head to my village."

"Understood." Gaius nodded. They walked to the campfire.

"Hey, Galan! Congrats!" Aelia cheered.

"Aw, thanks. By the way, where's my pork soup?" She handed him a bowl.

"Here!"

"Great. Have fun, y'all." He walked off.

"Can't you stay for a while?" Flavia asked.

"We can hang out after we get back," Galan said over his shoulder.

"I don't want to keep Lucilla waiting."

"At the very least, he is concerned over the condition of the two young maids." Tiberius noted to the group.

"Yeah…" Noctavia contemplated.

"I guess he's not as bad as I thought." She turned to Marybelle.

"Anyway, where were we?" As they continued their conversation, Galan finished the soup just as he reached the carriage, storing the bowl in his divine vault. Ahead, Lucilla was sitting on the steps.

"Galan," she said.

"What's up? How is she?"

"She's calm now," Lucilla said, looking over her shoulder.

"But I'm still worried."

"Move," Galan said, gesturing to the carriage door as he used his mindcast.

"And go get something to eat. You're hungry." She exited the carriage before bowing.

"Please take care of her."

"Don't worry," he smiled.

"I'll make sure she becomes a better person after she wakes up."

"Then I'll leave her to you." She ran off just as Galan entered the carriage.

"Now, Cu," he whispered, touching the woman's feverish forehead.

"Let's see if this experimental therapy method is worth anything." He sent his mindcast into her dreams, pulling her into a constructed memory of the monastery where she was raised. Meanwhile, Lucilla sat by the fire, her eyes fixed on Gaius. He stared at the ground, his expression a mask of calm she couldn't understand. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Hey, Lucilla, here's your bowl," Aelia said, handing her some soup.

"Oh, thank you." She turned to Gaius.

"Is something wrong?" He gave her a polite, cold smile that held none of his former awkward warmth.

"No, Lucilla. Everything's fine." He looked back at the ground. Noticing that something was wrong, Lucilla spoke towards his mentors.

"What is happening with him?"

"We were discussing ways of helping Galan without harming others," Noctavia said wearily.

"And I didn't like that idea," Gaius said, not looking up.

"Because it's pointless." He gestured to Lucius, Tranio, and Tiberius, who were laughing together near the ridge.

"Look at them. When the fighting started, they didn't waste time negotiating. They just killed the bad guys. Got the job done."

"Gaius… they were our guards," Lucilla pleaded.

"They were," he agreed.

"And they were also the same filth that kept the slaves imprisoned. If they were removed years ago, they wouldn't have been able to stop me from freeing them." He smiled, a chilling, distant expression.

"And now… That finally came true, and the people in the vineyard can now walk away from that prison and find a new place to belong."

"But they're still people," she whispered.

"People or not, you don't hurt the innocent and get to live as if it never happened," he said.

"The justice system is built by the same kind of men who ruled that place. A fact Marybelle, Noctavia, and I are fully aware of." Lucilla looked at Marybelle, who sighed and spoke her mind.

"He's right. The world is cruel to those without power." She recalled being cheated by a wealthy merchant and how the magistrate had laughed them out of his office when she tried to find justice.

"But," she looked up, her eyes pleading, "I refuse to believe that merciless killing is the solution. You understand, right?"

"I… don't know," Lucilla whispered, staring into her soup. Is this correct? Would his idea really create a better world?

"You better hurry up and eat." Aelia grinned from across the fire.

"It's gonna get cold."

"Oh, right." Slowly, Lucilla brought the spoon to her lips. The soup was rich and savory, a rustic warmth that flooded her senses. For a fleeting second, the taste brought her back to the great hearth of the noble and his men—a time of known safety, a warmth bought with unpaid servitude that she always knew was wrong, but it was warm nonetheless. Now, sitting in the cold forest among their killers, the bowl of soup reminded her of the consequences of benefiting from immorality.

Flavia sat in a relaxed sprawl as she ate her soup, right between Gaius and Noctavia, her divine staff resting across her lap. She didn't look up as she stopped eating and spoke, her voice quiet but carrying a clear intent over the crackling fire.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's right to enact revenge on humans who had nothing to do with my tragedy… but then I remember what Galan told me: evil hides beneath the mundane. If we don't help those who seek protection by eliminating the source of harm…" She stared towards the others.

"Then who are we to beg for a savior to save us?" They offered no reply, except for Gaius, who nodded grimly, and Aelia, who giggled to herself. They sat in silence, pondering the legitimacy of her ideals. After a few minutes, Galan's mind-voice echoed in their heads.

"Guys, come here and pick a horse. We're leaving." He then spoke to Lucilla alone.

"Lucilla, I need you to comfort Aurelia. She's crying."

"What happened?"

"She's just feeling the full weight of her past. Your presence here would help her feel better."

"Coming." Lucilla found Galan sitting on the coachman's seat.

"Get in," he said while nodding toward the carriage. Lucilla heard Aurelia's quiet sobs when she approached and opened the door. Aurelia sat inside, her hair a mess, her eyes red.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

"It's okay," Lucilla said, taking a seat across from her.

"Galan told me what you went through in your dream. It must've been difficult." Before Aurelia could reply, Galan's voice came from outside.

"We're moving now."