Chapter 42: Problems

First, he wasn't sure how to answer, he didn't know what he was doing, after all; but wait, isn't that a perfect answer?

"I don't' know."

"…"

No, it wasn't; far, far from it. Now her gaze was giving him the urge to lie alongside the captive and burrow into the ground like an ostrich. However, he endured.

"I'm, helping him." He said, or rather thought. Maha severed the connection and looked around: at the beasts, at the tree, at the man, and back into the Xin's eyes.

"You are doing right." She said and walked to him. Xin was surprised a bit, but then glad and relieved. With a helper, it surely will go easier.

"Explain what happened prior to my arrival."

"Ah, yes."

Xin briefly told everything to her, gladly the communication with light is much faster than with words, so Maha was well informed by the time Mo Guang has returned. She even gave the boy several pieces of advice on what to do.

"Oh, so your Master decided to join."

The wolf did not seem much surprised. Thinking about it now, they are probably monitoring them. Well, expected.

"Will you be helping the investigation?"

He asked, completely ignoring Xin now. Well… also expected. Heavier objects have stronger attraction force, that what Xin once heard on one of the rare lessons he didn't sleep through; that means Maha's heavier, ha-ha. Not so "ha-ha" when you know that it's the matter not of weight but of importance.

"Yes, I will be taking the lead." She said, in a more offensive way than she thought.

"First, give him that armor." Her glance went from the shiny iron and leather in the wolf's paws to the poor man on the ground.

"He should dress by himself."

The wolf tilted his head.

"It can be done; however, he doesn't show much cooperation."

The poor man still was as scared as before, even more, if that even possible. Xin wasn't sure he hasn't lost his mind yet. How can a man be so much of a "not man", where is he getting all these tears from?

"It is not a problem."

Maha walked toward the man, and each her step, though almost completely silent, was like a sword piercing his body; he resembled a leaf on a windy day. She stopped half a meter from him, frowned and said:

"Make him look at me."

"Will be done."

The wolf took the man by his head and in one swift move lifted his entire body. The poor creature's face was all dirty of grass and mud.

"Please, I…"

Before he could say anything Maha's eyes shone with yellow, and the voice stopped, the half-open mouth froze. His eyes went round the sockets and his body went limp.

"Put the armor on."

She said and he really did. Mo Guang released his grip and both he and Xin started looking at the man. He seemed drowsy, but even so, he was following the order. First tight leather boots, then the breastplate, then the belt...

He couldn't get his hand through the bracer at first, and Xin saw it as a hope - maybe the armor is too small for him – but then the man found how to unlock it, and it suited his hand perfectly when he locked it once more. Xin felt disappointed; he glanced at Maha and felt a slight shock.

It was the first time he saw her smiling since their meeting when she tricked Ying Zheng. Is that real? He blinked several times and the smile completely vanished. Must be an illusion, he convinced himself and turned back to the man. He was already in the full uniform.

"It fits him." Declared the wolf, and neither Maha nor Xin could disagree with that statement.

"Yes, it does." Said the girl in a red dress and turned around.

"Let's go to the crime scene." She said abruptly and walked toward the left. Wait, she knows where it happened? Xin though for a bit. Birds, green monkeys... Could it be? He ran after her.

"Ah, what? Ag!" The man meanwhile started getting conscious. But before he could start screaming the gag entered his mouth.

"Let's." Said Mo Guang, and his eyes blinked with blue.

…

…

…

Xin was silently following Maha along the path of grass and hills; he knew the wolf was close behind them so he did not dare to communicate with her. Meanwhile, the guess turned out to be right. He stepped into something wet, looked down and saw a pool of blood. Then he lifted his head toward trees. Many branches were broken, fur on some, feathers on others.

It was the place they passed yesterday.

"What happened to the corpses?" Asked Maha.

"Taken care of, both beasts and humans." Said Mo Guang and dropped the man down. Honestly, at this point, Xin wasn't sure whether he was tormenting him on purpose or just treating as a sack of potato.

"Where are they?"

"The birds and the monkey buried, humans were… eaten. The order to stop it passed only today, you see." He seemed slightly embarrassed.

"Yes, I see." Maha nodded.

"Bring their weapon, all of it."

"It will take some time." He scratched his chin. "Can't promise all, it was delivered to the main supply center and may have been melted already."

"At least three pieces, it will be enough."

"Three can do."

Once the figure of the wolf disappeared, Maha turned to Xin and for a second yellow shine blinded him.

"You did well." Appeared in his mind.

"I did?" If he didn't know her character, he would suspect she's mocking him. So far his performance was offensively bad in comparison to what she was doing.

"I have read his memories."

"What?"

"Using light on any living being one can see his memories. The captive is innocent. However, if he was taken when they wanted to give him armor, it would have been impossible. The emperor of Mo would have given him false memories. In a way, you saved him."

"But, why haven't you told?"

"I can't." Her eyes slightly twitched.

"Revealing their lie will be harmful to our relationship. It is already, but they do not know it still. The only solution is to prove his innocence without proving them liars."

Xin suddenly felt very tired. It's getting too hard, really.

"Who were the killers, then?"

"It is obvious." Maha lifted her palm and turned her fingers around. A substitute for changing the direction of look.

"They killed each other. There are several possible reasons, but the fact is undoubtful. I could prove it if I could see the corpses, but they will probably find a reason not to show them to us. And if we actually see them, we will break their narrative, so it can't be done that way."

"…"

It is… really tiring.

Xin pointed with his big finger over the shoulder at the man.

"What should we do?"

"I have to think."

"…"

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