Chapter 11: Cruel epiphany

“THE END IS NEAR!” a scary voice almost made Astora jump. It turned out to belong to an old man who tried to grab the girl’ shoulder. Looking closely at him, the man seemed to be made with only skin and bones, wearing barely anything. “The death star that fell from the heavens is a sign.”

Grabbing the old man’s hand before he could touch Astora, Alan calmly reasoned. “Calm down sir! Please don’t scare the lady here with your superstition!”

“The Dark Lord will come back and exact his vengeance upon us all. THE END IS NEAR!” the old man continued to repeat his lines, ignoring Alan.

“Old man, are you a worshipper of the Dark Lord?” asked Alan with a serious tone. His grip strengthened, slightly hurt the poor old fool.

Seeing the commotion, a woman wearing a farmer’s costume rushed out of her home and grabbed the old man while begging for forgiveness. “I apologize for my father. Please forgive him, sir knight! He is just a crazy geezer who doesn’t know what he is talking about. I assure you he is not involved in any sort of cult. Please forgive him!” The woman turned to the confused Astora. “Please have mercy!”

“Alan, I don’t know what is going on but he is just an old man and he didn’t do anything to me. Can we just let this pass?” Astora asked, putting her hand on Alan’s.

“…If you say so, lady Astora.” Alan released the old man.

“Thank you sir! Thank you milady!” the woman quickly dragged the old geezer back to her home and closed the door. Everyone else around who has been watching the scene also resumed their task normally but their expressions said otherwise. Up until now, Astora has assumed that the Crimson Legion was revered as some sorts of protectors of the people since they were treated so well by everyone she met so far. However, it was not respect she saw on the faces of those same people of the town but fear. The people, they were afraid of the knights. Perhaps not to the point of being oppressed by them but there was indeed something going on here.

Alas, feeling the uneasiness filling the air, the two moved on toward their original destination. On the way, no words were exchanged. Alan didn’t try to explain the situation nor did he speak badly of the people. Astora also didn’t want to ask too many questions. She felt that asking too much would only make Alan angry at this point. It was best to keep this awkward situation as silent as possible.

Arriving at the mayor’s estate, which was actually a slightly bigger house compared to the inn located at the far end of the town passing the central square, the two knocked on the decrepit door. For someone being in charge of this peaceful and prosperous town, the mayor sure lived in a rather modest home. The door opened and a thin man in poor cloth who looked like he barely ate anything recently showed his face. Instead of greeting his guests immediately, the supposed owner of the house looked around first like he was afraid of something. Only when he finished, did the man finally address the two.

“Yes? What can I help you with?” the thin man asked.

“Mr. Geralt, it’s me, Alan Sinclair from the Crimson Legion. We spoke this morning about the situation of a lost girl we found in the outskirts of the town. Since she has recovered, I decided to bring her here.” Alan said.

“Ah yes, my apologies. I am so forgetful these days. Please come in!” the man opened the door fully and let the two walk in before immediately closing it. His suspicious behaviors did not escape the attention of both the knight and the girl however.

While waiting for the mayor to bring out some tea, Astora sat down while looking around the house. Not only did the curtains stop almost all the light from coming in, making it so dark in most parts of the house, the house itself, or rather its furniture was even more strange. Strange artefacts were displayed all over every inch of the estate. From demonic looking statues to pieces of armor or broken weapons, all kind of things could be found here. But they didn’t look like precious artefacts but rather trashes people threw away. It was as if Astora was visiting not a museum but a bazar of odd things.

“Ehem…Alan…is this….how do I say…normal to have these kind of decorations in your home?

“Nope…definitely not.” Alan spoke with a serious voice.

“Here come the tea!” the mayor brought out a kettle on a plate with three small cups, in which two were slightly cracked on the rim. “I am sorry. I didn’t have the time to buy the new cups. I hope you don’t mind.” Geralt gave out a forced smile.

“We don’t mind.” Alan swiftly answered. “So about the girl….”

“Ah yes, of course. There is no problem with that matter. I will issue a permit and allow her to stay as a temporary resident. And since the Crimson Legion has already paid a generous amount beforehand, I will make sure she is in good hands until we find her family.” The mayor grinned.

“Already paid?” Astora turned to Alan.

“It is nothing, miss Astora. It is part of our duties to protect the people. Besides, the Angelic Faith is generous in their help. You shouldn’t refuse and make this awkward.” Alan spoke.

“I…I don’t know what to say…And I know I said this a lot but…thank you!” Astora bowed her head.

“Money aside, I think it is better for the girl to stay in the inn for the mean time. At least until we receive more instructions from the captain.” Geralt said. “Do you know when he is coming back?”

“I frankly cannot say. But it should be two or three more days.” Replied Alan.

“I see. Can’t be helped then.” The mayor sighed in relief. It almost seemed as if he was happy to hear the captain of the knights would only come back in a few days.

“That aside, I see that you have quite a collection. So many items with…a special vibe about them.” Said Alan.

“Aha.” Rejoice the mayor. “I see that you are a man of culture as well.” The mayor suddenly started to talk like a child talking about his toys with excitement. “They are ancient artefacts I purchased from all corners of the world. They are extremely rare with some items are even one of a kind. I bet you never saw someone with a large collection such as mine.”

“Oh..I…certainly don’t know anyone with such….unique hobby.” Alan was slightly taken back by the mayor’s enthusiasm. “But so many of them here, how do you even have enough money to purchase all of them?”

“ *sigh* you can see it right, the state of my home?” the mayor suddenly switched to a depressing tone. “I used all my savings to buy them of course. But it doesn’t matter. The feeling of holding something that has crossed the barrier of time, that survived hundreds or even thousands of years before ending up in my possession, can you understand it? They said my collection is worthless. But that is only because they are jealous of what I have.” The mayor slammed the table. Then he realized what he has done. “Oh sorry…getting a bit excited there. Now if there is nothing else, would you please leave? I am expecting another guest to come soon.”

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Ah it should be him.” The mayor said after hearing the knock on his creaky door. “Coming! Sir Alan, if you excuse me.”

Feeling that they have overstayed their welcome, Alan and Astora decided to take their leave. On their way out, the two passed by a man in hood. The man only greeted them with a nod before rushing in the house in a fishy manner. While his vestment made it difficult to see his face, Astora did manage to spot some kind of tattoo on the back on his right hand in the shape of a grim bird: the crow. But at the time, the girl didn’t think too much of it, merely assuming it was just any common tattoo.

“Alan, the mayor is a bit…odd, don’t you agree?” said the girl.

“He sure is.” Alan threw a few glances back at the mayor’s house. The door was now shut in but he could feel the stares of the residents inside watching him. ‘That man has a crown tattoo….Coincide? No way. But if it is the case, why does he want with the mayor?’ Alan fell in deep thoughts.

Seeing the knight so engrossed in his thoughts, Astora called out. “Alan?”

“Mrs. Astora, can I ask you to go back to the inn by yourself? Or you can go around town by yourself if you wish to, as long as you promise to stay in the vicinity.” Said Alan.

“Why? Are you going somewhere?”

“Just some thing I am curious about. It is nothing of your concern. Oh and take this!” Alan handed over a small pouch with the image of a red cross on it. “If it isn’t too much of a favor to ask, may I ask you to deliver this to the innkeeper along with a message? Don’t worry, it is very short.”

“I don’t mind. What is the message you want to send?”

“A crow is here. Simple right?” smiled Alan. “Off you go!” The man pushed the girl gently.

“Okay okay. I am going.”

* * *

Meanwhile, behind the curtains of the mayor’s home, a pair of eyes was watching Alan and Astora’s every move, watching closely until they made a turn at the intersection, outside the line of sight.

“Are they gone?” asked the mayor worriedly.

“Yes, they are. You should have told warned me if you have a damn crusader in your home. And now I hear there is a whole platoon just near the town? Have you not been my client for so long, I would assume that this was a trap set by you.” the hooded man angrily scolded the weakly mayor.

“I didn’t know about them either. But I think you don’t have to worry. From what I heard, they are here to investigate the falling star that fell down near the town a few days ago. It has nothing to do with us.”

“You think?” the hooded man mocked. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with! I don’t want to stay in this town more than I should. Do you have the money?”

“Yes right here.” The mayor brought out a bag containing a dozen solid golden ingots. “This is all I can gather this time….”

“What kind of thing did you sell this time to get this amount of gold? ….Don’t tell me you went to the loan-sharks?” said the hooded man as he checked the bag. “I believe we are missing two ingots here. But considering our long partnership, I will take it.” The man pulled out a talisman from his sleeve. “”. The heavy large bag of gold disappeared into nothingness.

“You better make sure the item you bring this time is worth that amount of gold. You had no idea what I had to do to get them.” Grunted the mayor.

“I am not the one who is obsessed with the antique. Last time I remember, you were the one who begged me to find them for you.” the tattooed man retorted. “And don’t you worry, the item this time is really special. If you didn’t pay for the expedition beforehand, I wouldn’t sell our findings to you. But we keep our promise. Without trust, it is difficult to do business these days. You know what I mean, right?”

“Yeah yeah. So what is it? How old is it? Does it date since the Renaissance? Or the Mad King?“ Geralt couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“Hohoho! No, it is much older than that.” The hooded man grinned.

“No…it can’t be…the Great War? Is it an artefact from the Great War?” the mayor jumped up, almost screamed in frenzy.

“I wasn’t sure when I dug it up but our expert has examined the thing very carefully. It is indeed an artefact from the Great War. Now, I don’t need to remind you how dangerous it is for us to bring it in the town. And I hope you are not stupid enough to display it in plain sight either.”

“No no no of course not. I wouldn’t want the crusaders bashing my precious collection. I will put it in the basement, along with the other precious items.”

“Alright then, I will tell the boys to deliver it to you in one hour. Make sure that there is no crusader here this time!” Standing up, he walked toward the door in a hurry. “Oh and one more thing, it is quite a dangerous thing so we put a seal around it so it doesn’t go berserk. Two of our boys paid dearly for that. Make sure not to remove the seal and it should make a fine ornament.”

“Of course. Of course. You don’t have to worry.” The mayor grinned manically. He simply couldn’t stop his cheerful shaking. An artefact dated since the Great War, if it was indeed genuine, the thing could be a freaking treasure, the best of his collection so far. And that would be in his hand in just a moment. “hahahahaha!” he laughed loudly.

Exiting the decrepit house, the hooded man exhaled a long breath. The mayor has been his customer for a few years now but he still couldn’t stomach that fetish of his. Still, compared to others he saw in his line of business, it was considered quite tamed. It didn’t matter how weird the guy was. Business was business. Checking his corners, the hooded man quickly disappeared from sight, unaware that he has caught the attention of a knight who has been waiting outside for quite a while.

“So it is really one of you. Perfect!” Alan showed a devious smile in the shadows.

* * *

After coming back to the inn, Astora was greeted by the big kind-looking innkeeper. Following what was asked of her, the girl handed over the pouch and passed on Alan’s mysterious message. The innkeeper only thanked her for her effort and told her to go visit the town more if she wished so since there was still bit of time before dinner would be served. He then asked someone else to take over his place and disappeared behind the curtain.

Without anywhere to go, Astora decided to go back to town. Despite all these distractions, she did not forget why she was here: to find out more about her father and his current whereabouts. Apparently, he was a great man so his name must be easily recognizable. The first person she encountered the moment she arrived in this world seemed also to know about him but for some reasons decided not to share it with her. Whatever that reason might be, it was best to be careful and not going around asking blindly. But without asking anyone, how was she supposed to find more about him? The answer was simple: asking a dumb person. But who?

As she wandered aimlessly around town, the girl found herself back to the street from earlier. It was there that the incident with that weird old man took place. The moment she entered the street, Astora noticed the stares of the people around her, despite their efforts to not show it. It seemed that the news about a strange girl who was the victim of an attack ended up circulating around town without her noticing. Moreover, she was seen to be quite intimate with a member of the Crimson Legion, making her even more hard to approach.

It didn’t seem like she would get much from these people, especially after the commotion earlier. Disappointed with her lack of progress, Astora wanted to move on to another district. Maybe she would get her luck there. But it didn’t take long for her mind to change. As she passed by a familiar place, Astora spotted the old man from earlier sitting on a rocking chair in the backyard of the house of the woman from earlier. Compared to before, he was in a much calmer state but was still mumbling strange words she could not hear clearly from her position.

Upon noticing someone looking at her house in a suspicious manner, the woman came out, only to see the young lady she saw earlier.

“You again? What are you doing here?” the woman asked.

“Oh sorry! I was looking for the old man, your father I presume?” said Astora. The girl felt this would be a waste of time but it was a better alternative than doing nothing.

“What do you want with him? I told you that he is not related to any sort of heretics or cults. He is just senile. It is normal for someone at his age.” The woman explained.

“No no no I am not suspecting him of anything. I just want to talk to him, if it is okay with you.” Then Astora remembered what the old man said before. “I want to ask him about the falling star the other day. He seems to have seen it with his own eyes and I would like to listen to his side of the story. I promise that it has nothing to do with what he said earlier. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“…..Okay. But I frankly don’t know what he can tell you. His mind is not really….sane anymore you know. He used to be a Keeper of the Circle but one day, he just went crazy and so they sent him back to his birth town, here. To be honest, his children have already left the town many years ago. But my father was a friend of his so I decided to take care of him in his children’ stead. Poor old fool, God knows how many years he has left.” The woman disclosed.

“A Keeper?” asked Astora.

“Yeah. I don’t know much since I am just a farmer but basically they are the ones who handle some sort of archive of knowledge, like a library of some sort but so big an entire town would even fit in it. That kind of thing.”

“I see. Thank you for your answer! Can I talk to him now?” said Astora.

“Alright then, if you are so willing. But don’t push him to hear, you hear. He is too old already. I will be right in the front if you need me.” The woman said and departed after leading Astora to the back of her home.

“The sins we committed….the innocent lives we sacrificed…..the injustice...” The old man mumbled continuously as his body shivered lightly.

“Uhmmm sir?” Astora approached the old man and faced him. “Can I ask you something?” If this man was indeed a Keeper as described by the woman, then he could possibly know more than he looked. Plus, the cryptic things he was saying, Astora felt there was more than just gibberish spoken by a madman.

The man stopped dead silent. He lifted his head and watched the girl who looked uneasy by his stare. Then he spoke astutely in a quiet tone. “What can I do for you, child?”

Astora might be young but she didn’t really see herself that young to be called a child. But she guessed that for compared to an old man like him, she was still seen as a child. Ignoring what he called her, the girl asked. “What were you talking about earlier? The falling star and some Dark Lord? And sins?”

“Child, tell me, what do you think about the current state of the world?” the wise man asked.

“Hum…..” Astora couldn’t give an answer given she just arrived to this world a few days ago. “It is…peaceful I guess.” She made a guess. She passed through quite a few streets but didn’t hear a single word about any major event or war so it could be highly possible that nothing worth mentioning took place recently, making her guess a logical one.

“I suppose it can appear that way….” The old man spoke in a somber tone. “What is peace but a suspension of war? We with limited lifespan can only see the world through our common eyes that would one day return to ashes. To us, the future and the past stops at our birth and our death. To us, there was peace. But those who dwelled into the hidden truth of the universe will never see peace. All they see is a chain of conflicts, one after another, never ending. But despite that, they never yielded to despair. They persisted, even until now, to protect our world from the conflict outside. Those are the guardians, the Pillars of our world.

But just how many are aware of their struggle? I too was among the blessed ignorant fools until I caught a glimpse of that darkness. Unlike them, I succumbed too quickly. They did not do those things by themselves either. Many have sacrificed more than one could imagine, but their accomplishment would never be revealed to the world. The sins that were committed, who could shoulder their burdens any longer?”

Astora could not fully understand the meaning behind the words of the wise old man. But she knew that he was running away from his despair, after all these years. But in the end, it caught up to him.

“Thank you for listening to my confession! I was afraid that I couldn’t let these feelings go before I died. Perhaps it was fate that brought you to me.” The old man thanked Astora for listening to him. “I remember that you have a question for me, don’t you? Ask away! This old man will do his best to answer.”

“I am looking for someone. He is apparently a great man but I only know his name and nothing else.” Said Astora.

“Is it now? If it is someone famous, I must have known about him. What is his name, child?”

“Alastor, that is his name.”

“What? How do you know that name?” the old man opened his eyes big and grabbed the girl, stunned by the mention of this peculiar name.

“I…I can’t say. Please, if you know something about him, please tell me!” the girl pled.

Releasing his grasp, the old man gave a deep breath. For once, he never thought he would hear that name again, especially not from a mere child. After finally calming down, the old man spoke. “In all my years, there is only one person I know by that name: Dark Lord Alastor.”

“What?” Astora uttered in shock.

“The person behind the Third Calamity and the one who almost destroyed the world of Valhalla, that is Dark Lord Alastor.”

“Impossible! There is no way that he is an evil man!!!” Astora denied. “he is…he is….”

“Evil is relative. History is written by the winners, after all.”

“What do you mean?”

“He almost destroyed the world, if not for the interventions of the heroes who led the world’s army against him. It was the most brutal conflict and also the shortest in our history. It lasted for only a day but took more a third of the world population in that short time. When you read the history recalled by the witnesses, it was unthinkable to think that we would actually win. A miracle they said it was. In the end, the Dark Lord perished at the hands of the heroes and was marked as the evilest and the most dangerous individual in history. Everything related to him were sought out. Like a witch hunt, his followers were killed until there were none left.”

“No….No…No this…this must be a mistake. Alastor can’t be a villain…it must be a different one.” Astora refused to accept the words she heard. There was just no way it was possible.

“I highly doubt it. The name Alastor is considered a forbidden word by the Angelic Faith. No one would be so foolish to have their name the same as the most dangerous villain in history. No one without a death wish anyway.” The sage explained.

“But…but…” Astora collapsed on her knees. This reality was something she did not expect, not even in her worst nightmare. Her own father, the evilest man?

“Tell me, child! Why do you want to know about the Dark Lord?” asked the old man.

“I….I want to look for him.”

“This is a surprise…Someone actually wants to find the Dark Lord. Why would you want to do such a thing?”

“I….”

“it is fine. You don’t have to tell me. We all have our secrets.”

“Do you…happen to know where he is buried? I would like to confirm it with my own eyes.” Asked the girl.

“Do you think anyone would make a grave for the world’s most hated man?” Seeing the depressing girl, the old man could only pity her. He knew naught why she wanted to look for Alastor’s grave but even then, there was something weird about her question. “Even if there is, I doubt it is still intact anyway. Everything happened so long ago they already became legends. Not many people today would even believe in the legends of the Dark Lord. Little did they know, they were almost wiped out by a single man.”

“Long ago? Legend? What are you mean?” Astora asked in confusion. Her honest reaction made the old man starting to question the sanity of this girl in front of him. But he promised her that he would answer her question. And he would.

“Child….the legends of Alastor dates since the time of the Dark Age. More than a thousands years have passed since then…”