Chapter 35 - The Path of Knowledge

Date: 27 Innestres, 13,134 RD...

Eight years had passed. The Dominions, especially in the Kingdom of Tamasi, continued to live their days in peace. They worked, lived, and enjoyed their lives as before, never revealing the quiet pressure of Uanamangura's existence among them.

"Since your son has been classified under the status of 'Uanamangura', it will be impossible for him to attend the standard learning process alongside other children," said the counselor of Petaures, the most prestigious school in the Kingdom of Tamasi.

The counselor, a man named Solas, was elderly, his hair gray on the sides and bald on top, glasses perched on his nose, dressed in a dark suit befitting his station. In his office sat Igorus, his wife Kaeda, and their eight-year-old son, Voidanos, discussing the boy's academic future. Voidanos, with his slightly long brown hair and chestnut eyes, quietly watched the conversation unfold, though it was closer to a debate about him than a discussion.

"Our son is polite and well-mannered. His favorite hobby is reading at the library next to your school. Why can't he learn like any other child?" asked Kaeda, her voice edged with irritation.

"Mrs. Friola, as I've explained, his title affects the learning environment. The other children would be frightened and distracted knowing that Uanamangura is sitting among them. I would advise you to consider a more suitable learning arrangement for your son," replied the counselor.

"That's unfair. I care about my child, not about those cowardly children who only think of their own comfort. My son is perfectly normal," said Kaeda, her frustration growing sharper.

"Dear, there's no need to get upset. We'll find a way, and we'll take the counselor's suggestion into account... won't we?" said Igorus, glancing nervously at his wife, whose temper could rival a bull charging at the color red.

"Y-Yes, of course. In fact, the method I'll recommend should bear far better results. Your son will also have fewer distractions," said the counselor, rubbing his hands together awkwardly.

"Hmph! As if my son were some kind of monster. Look at him, how sweet he is," said Kaeda, cupping Voidanos' cheek affectionately. The boy smiled innocently in return.

"I understand a mother's love for her child very well. But—"

"Are you going to tell us the method now?" interrupted Igorus.

"Ah, yes, forgive me. I suggest your son receive private tutoring at home. I assume he has his own room?" asked the counselor.

"Of course he does! He's my son. He deserves the whole world!" Kaeda declared proudly.

"Excellent. Ahem. In fact, the tutor is ready to meet you right now. He's in the room next door, waiting for you. Oh, I nearly forgot, do you both agree to this form of education for your son?" asked Solas.

"I have no objection. Actually, it seems like the best option. It might be harder for him to make friends this way, but there's little we can do. I just want him to feel at ease with his tutor. What do you think, love?" said Igorus, looking directly into Kaeda's eyes.

"Very well then. I surrender," she replied with a sigh.

"Perfect. The tutor is waiting for you," said the counselor as he rose from his chair and guided the Friola family toward the office where Voidanos' new tutor awaited.

The counselor knocked three times on the tutor's door.

"Yes, you may come in," came the voice from the other side.

The counselor opened the door to reveal the tutor's office. The man sat behind a desk cluttered with parchment, candles, and quills. His long, slightly wavy brown hair framed a calm face with bright green eyes. He wore a white shirt tucked neatly into brown trousers. The room was lined with bookshelves, each packed with tomes and dotted with flower pots that filled the air with a pleasant scent.

"The Friola family. Please, make yourselves comfortable," said the tutor, gesturing toward the sofa in front of his desk.

"I'll leave you to your conversation. If you need anything, I'll be in the next room," said the counselor as he quietly excused himself.

"Thank you, Solas," the tutor replied.

Igorus, Kaeda, and their son, Voidanos, settled onto the sofa facing the tutor.

"First of all, it's an honor to have before me the general of our army, Lord Igorus Friola. Your achievements are truly remarkable," said the tutor with a warm smile.

"Thank you for your kind words, and for agreeing to be our son's personal tutor," Igorus said, glancing fondly at the boy beside him.

"I believe Solas has already explained why your son will be following a more... specialized form of education," said the tutor, his eyes moving from one parent to the other.

"I was against it at first," Kaeda admitted, "because it'll be difficult for him to form social bonds under such circumstances, not to mention how easily others might judge him."

"Mrs. Friola, an entirely fair concern," said the tutor. "Indeed, your son's reputation could draw more attention than is good for him. But don't worry. I'll spare him from that burden."

"Tutor Magees?" Igorus asked, reading the nameplate on the desk.

"Aodhan Magees. You may call me Aodhan from now on," the tutor replied.

"I've heard that surname before," Igorus murmured.

"Eoran Magees, my father. He was one of the martyrs in the war against the hybrids," Aodhan said softly.

"Ah, yes, Captain Magees. I can't believe you're his son," Igorus said, a note of surprise in his voice.

"My path was always meant to be academic," Aodhan continued. "My father had other plans for me, but I wasn't suited for battle. It's hard for parents to understand a child's ambitions when they differ from their own." He smiled at Voidanos as he spoke.

"We only want what's best for our son," Kaeda said. "So we hope you'll help him as much as you can."

"I'm one of the most decorated tutors in this kingdom," Aodhan said with a grin, gesturing toward the walls covered with framed awards and certificates. "My career speaks for itself. Ahem... Though it does sound like I'm bragging, doesn't it? Hahaha. Voidanos, that's your name, right?" he asked playfully.

"V–O–I–D–A–N–O–S," the boy said cheerfully, pronouncing each letter aloud while forming them with his fingers. As he did, glowing letters materialized in the air before fading one by one. The tutor blinked in surprise at the sight.

"Wow! He seems calm and remarkably gifted. Of course, the parents shape the child, and clearly, you've done divine work. Hahaha, get it? Divine? Because we're divine beings?" he said, emphasizing his joke.

"I'll have you hanged in the square," Igorus muttered, unamused.

"Right, right, bad joke," Aodhan chuckled nervously. "Anyway, I promise your son will love every moment of our lessons. He'll become a true prodigy and learn to harness his imagination beyond anything you can imagine." He looked at Voidanos with genuine admiration as a faint spark of curiosity gleamed in the boy's eyes.

Eight years earlier, in the hidden laboratory chamber beneath the royal palace of the angels...

"This room is so beautiful and mysterious, hahaha!" said Eliael, overflowing with irrepressible joy. Unlike the first time he had entered, when the sight of this place had filled him with fear and confusion, now the mere thought of working here, of deepening his knowledge, gave him a sense of purpose that burned like ambition itself.

"This is where Lazrael conducts his experiments and oversees Bakabali's incubation process, together with Glauk," explained Tarnael, who was accompanying his younger brother through the laboratory. Glauk stood silently near Bakabal's containment tube, his arms crossed, his expression as rigid as stone.

"I can't believe I'll be his partner!" Eliael exclaimed, almost bouncing with excitement.

"He should be arriving soon," Tarnael said, glancing toward the large sealed door at the end of the room.

"Lazrael?" Eliael asked eagerly.

"I believe you've met Glauk before?" Tarnael asked as they approached the silent figure beside the incubation vessel.

"I've only seen him once, the first time I came here. H–Hello," said Eliael nervously, unsettled by Glauk's cold and wordless demeanor.

Glauk gave no reply, merely glancing sideways at him with dead calm eyes.

"I–I wonder why he never speaks," Eliael whispered.

"Who knows? As long as he does his job, who cares?" Tarnael replied dryly.

The heavy door creaked open. From the shadows stepped Lazrael, his entire body smeared with blood, his face wearing a look that could kill at a glance.

"Looks like you've been enjoying yourself a bit too much," Tarnael remarked with a cynical smile.

"L–Lazrael?" Eliael's eyes widened in disbelief. Panic crept up his throat at the horrifying sight before him. Lazrael's cold stare met his as the door shut behind him with a deep metallic echo. He walked toward them slowly, wiping his bloodstained hands and licking them clean.

"So this is my new partner, eh?" Lazrael said darkly.

"Lazrael isn't exactly the polite servant you're used to, Eliael," Tarnael noted.

"W–Why is he covered in blood? Who did he kill?" Eliael asked, his voice trembling beyond control.

"You'll get used to it," Tarnael said indifferently. Lazrael's eyes narrowed.

"Tell me, Your Majesty," he said, "you didn't happen to burn my toys,, did you?"

"They're behind Bakabali, as always. No one touches your toys," Tarnael answered calmly.

"Toys?" Eliael repeated, confused.

"Yes, toys," Lazrael murmured, crouching down and pressing a stone tile on the floor. With a low rumble, a massive stone door beneath Bakabali's containment tube began to open, releasing a cloud of dust and a nauseating stench that grew stronger with each passing second.

"Ugh! What is that smell?" Eliael exclaimed, covering his nose with his cloak.

"Let's call it, our 'Playground'," Lazrael said.

Below the chamber lay a hill, a mountain of corpses. Thousands of dead bodies, organs, and bones were piled grotesquely beneath the tube. The sight struck Eliael like a nightmare made flesh. His body trembled; his vision blurred. His senses faltered one by one, overtaken by an overwhelming wave of revulsion and fear.

"They're all still here," Lazrael said, his voice calm, almost serene.

"I told you no one touches your toys," Tarnael replied, glancing at Glauk. "He's done an excellent job keeping them safe, hasn't he?"

"Who are they? Why are there so many?" Eliael stammered, his voice cracking.

Lazrael snapped his fingers, and the stone gate began to close again. At the peak of the corpse pile, just before the opening sealed shut, Eliael saw the faint image of a girl, dressed in a dark jacket, her red hair glinting under the dim light.

"Eliael, welcome to the path of knowledge," Tarnael said, placing a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder.

"The path of knowledge? This is madness! There were so many dead down th—"

"Would you like to join them?" Lazrael interrupted, his gaze predatory and cold.

Eliael froze. The weight of that stare sent an indescribable terror coursing through him.

"Don't worry, Lazrael is only joking," Tarnael said casually. "He's in a foul mood today. Normally, it's his job to explain what you'll be doing here, but since he's not feeling particularly talkative, and Glauk doesn't speak at all, I'll tell you myself. Your duty is simple: you'll calculate Bakabali's growth rate."

"Bakabali's growth?" Eliael repeated cautiously.

"Yes. It's the most important task in our entire kingdom, no, in the entire world. Everything depends on your calculations and on finding ways to accelerate the process. It's the most vital mission of all, brother," Tarnael said solemnly.

"So... I'll be working solely on Bakabali?" Eliael asked, a spark of confidence forming in his tone.

"This has always been your dream, hasn't it? Bakabali was your hero since you were a child. Isn't this what you've always wanted, to help the hero and destroy evil? I believe you're more than capable of doing it," Tarnael said encouragingly.

"Y–Yes, I can do it!" Eliael replied, brimming with motivation.

"And as for what Lazrael and Glauk are doing, don't worry about that. They'll be working alongside you, indirectly," Tarnael added, patting his brother's shoulder affectionately before walking away, his figure fading into the green light emitted by Bakabali's containment tube.

"I see... I'm looking forward to working with you," Eliael said to Glauk, though the latter only stared back in silence.

Tarnael approached Lazrael and stopped beside him, not meeting his gaze.

"I told you before, you're not to leave the laboratory. I don't know what trick you used to escape me so easily, but I have an idea why you did it. I can guess your plans," Tarnael said coldly, his voice low and dangerous. Lazrael's eyes widened slightly, startled by the statement.

"I'll allow you to leave my dominion on one condition," Tarnael continued, his tone sharp as steel. "There's something I'm curious about, and you're going to help me achieve it."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Lazrael replied, bowing his blood-stained head in feigned humility...