Chapter 12

 The men have nearly finished unloading all of the contents of the carriage into the food storage of the orphanage. Frianne tried her best to be silent and not raise the question, but it concerned the mental well-being of Alana, so she asked anyway.

“Mister Rowell, if I may, why did you ask those questions?”

“Two reasons.” Rowell, the merchant in charge of the group, answered swiftly. “Firstly, it is to find out if she is related to the woman I have once met. And secondly, to confirm my suspicions about her.” He continued.

“You think she may be the daughter of the woman? And suspicions?” Frianne blurted out what she couldn’t understand.

“I’m sure you have heard of the Vulupis hunting incident years ago, yes?”

The Vulupis are of the beast-kin race with ears that look like foxes at the side of their heads and pointed backwards with two bushy tails. Alana and her parents are of this race.

“Yes. Where dozens of Vulupis men, women, and children disappeared. Then one day, their corpses were found scattered in the forest northwest of here.” Frianne bit her lip as she spoke those words, confirming if it was the right event that Rowell was talking about.

“Yes, it is exactly that. There was a Vulupis woman I met who was looking for the culprit together with another person. The woman came to me seeking for information about said culprit. But all I could find was that the culprit may be hiding here in Heom or in the next city down south in the Gusam Empire.”

Rowell paused for a moment, thinking of something. After a while, he opened his mouth once again.

“After they started their investigation here in Heom, I got into contact with them about three times. After that, I never heard of them again. I thought that they have found the culprit but news of it never reached my ears. Then I wondered if they decided to settle down and start a family. Maybe because of their failure to track the culprit or some other incident. Then, I saw the child who is a Vulupis and looked like a younger version of the woman. That confirmed one of my suspicions.”

“That is your second reason for asking? The suspicions you had of her?” Frianne asked him about his second reason for asking.

Rowell nodded his head. He had surmised that the two Vulupis he had contact with in the past settled down and had a child.

“But that gives rise to another question. How did she end up here?

“Miss Esia brought her in about three years ago. She said she found her wandering the forest with a bloody dress.”

“Strange. What was miss Esia doing there as well? It can’t be that she was picking herbs or berries.”

“Of course not. There are multiple houses in the outskirts of the city. Elderly folks are the usual residents there. Esi- Ms. Esia often delivers things to them.”

“... Alright. Still strange, but alright.” Not convinced, Rowell left it at that.

“Mister Rowell, we’ve finished unloading everything.” One of Rowell’s men came and informed him.

“Alright. We’ll head to the inn and leave tomorrow.” With a ‘yes’ from the man, Rowell turned towards Frianne and also bid his farewell to her. “Mrs. Frianne, if it is possible, I would like to talk matters about Alana again with you and with Ms. Esia.”

“Yes, I would love to. I shall inform of this to Ms. Esia.” With a final farewell, Rowell left the orphanage grounds and deeper into the city.

Frianne entered the orphanage once again but heard a knock from the front door once more. As she hurried her steps and opened the door, it was another carriage and another man looking for Esia.

“We were sent by Lord Osar Morfot to deliver these goods. Are you Ms. Esia?” The man spoke.

Surprised, a few strands of hair from Frianne’s head started curling as it starts to be dishevelled.

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The night has fallen and the people of the orphanage are fast asleep except for Frianne, who stayed behind. She stood by the door and Aniem was in front of her, outside of the building.

“Are you sure I can stay here?” Aniem asked Frianne, seeking for a confirmation.

“I tried asking Esia earlier, but there was no response. Even the food I left out for her hasn’t been touched.” Frianne answered Aniem with a downcast expression.

“Alright. I’ll bring our things tomorrow.”

“Okay.” They ended their conversation with a kiss to the lips and a goodbye.

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The streets have become more silent all because of the previous incident. Taverns are still open but only a few are out and about, especially now that snow is continually falling. Added to that are soldiers, city guards, and some hunters roaming the streets patrolling every nook and cranny of the dark alleys. It’s quite peaceful now with no disturbances.

But it’s all different when compared to a dark space with only a single light source. In the middle of that light source was a table and a naked man bound to it with his limbs restrained. His eyes were half opened, his lips dry and cracking while mumbling something, and his body thinned as if he became a breathing corpse. From that space, one can hear the tacking and tapping of footsteps growing ever so slightly. The sound reverberated, deafening even. Metal clanging and the squeaking when a door or gate is opened echoed as well. And now, a woman stands before the man on the table.

“Hello, Mr. Illar. Are you doing fine today?” The voice of a woman echoed around the space.

Illar stared straight into the light source without batting an eye on the woman beside him. She grabbed a knife and sliced the wrist of Illar, letting the blood drop into a basin. He did not react at all and just continued mumbling what he was mumbling earlier. The woman quickly grabbed a bottle and poured a small amount onto the wound but nothing happens. A reaction occurred only after about seven minutes and only at that time was the wound slowly closing. The skin was pulled to the centre and moulded together as if it was clay. One can see the skin even boiling if one takes a closer look, as if it was melting and being fused into one. After about two minutes did the reaction stop. The wound has completely disappeared, not even leaving a scar. But the woman only sighed.

“Seven minutes and twenty-two seconds. More or less the same amount as the previous trials.” She wrote her collected data down on a paper while looking slightly disappointed. “Maybe it’s time for you to retire as my assistant.”

The woman walked to another table just a few steps away from Illar’s as she called his attention. Illar only glanced for a bit and reverted back to gazing on the bright source of light above him. The woman frowned and complained about his weak reaction, if it can even be called one. After sighing, she directed her full attention to the corpse of Abram.

There were plants about half a metre high growing out of the corpse. The stem was slightly barky with reddish lenticles. Its leaves were venous and serrated in shape and along its branches are what looks to be flower buds. The roots are starting to crawl out of the body, but the rest of it followed the path of the veins and arteries. Abram’s body was bulging and a course texture, but those were actually the roots of the plant growing inside those canals and spaces where the veins and arteries lie. His whole body became a plant vase. Strangely enough, both the odour and colour of the corpse has not changed. It didn’t smell foul at all nor was there any discolouration.

“It’s growing quite well. Fresh corpses really are best as seedbeds for these Evealora plants. But...” She glanced over at Illar and back to the plants. “How about a live body?”

She stood there, contemplating with one arm supporting her bust and the other clasping her chin with her index finger and thumb. She broke her pose and finally decided.

“Congratulations, Illar!” She clapped and brought her palms together while slowly walking over to Illar’s table. “Your body will be the first ever living seedbed for Evealora growth.”

Evealora plants are believed to grow only in highly dense zones of mana. Normal people would feel nauseous when exposed to too much mana for a certain time. The feeling is similar to that of being in a desert under the blazing sun. So being exposed to a high mana concentration zone could kill a normal person. Thus, magicians are normally sent out to collect these Evealora plants.

“You really are the best assistant I could ask for. You used your own body for testing drugs and medications, you called over an eager assistant who wants to learn more about botany, and now willing to wholeheartedly devote your life into nurturing an Evealora all for the sake of research.” The woman continued.

She was glad and frolicking about, sometimes gazing and touching the leaves of the Evealora growing from Abram’s corpse.

“I will return for you. I will bring this seedbed to where the others are.” She carefully lifted the corpse from the table and into her arms, princess carrying the seedbed.

As she exited the room and into a corridor, there were noises echoing. Screams and cries, a mix of sounds and incomprehensible noises reverberated. As the woman passed by rooms with sealed wooden doors, large thuds and bangs came from the other side of the door.

“Let me out!”

“Help!”

“Esia, please forgive me! I won’t do anything like that anymore!”

One of them called out Esia’s name while frantically banging the door.

“Esia?” The woman questioned and faced the door where the question came from.

The door had a small opening at the top, enough for adult eyes to peek from. A man is behind the door stuttering as he speaks and begs to be brought out. He confessed the crime he has done and swears to never repeat the act, but was ignored.

“I’m not Esia. I look like her because it’s convenient. The real Esia died years ago.” The woman, ‘Esia’, spoke indifferently and walked away.

The man repeatedly apologised and banged the door, hoping it would collapse.

‘Esia’ reached a certain opening in the corridor and there was a sign beside it that says Evealora. She walked inside and was quite elated, humming a song as she strolled in the area. Stones that gave of light lined the walls, illuminating the scene. Corpses with Evealora growing from it with all shapes and sizes lined up along with the lights. In front of the Evealoras were smaller signs with texts written on it

Species: Centaur (Beast-kin)
Age (of corpse): 3 years
Mana Concentration Level: 710
Time before Sprouting: 43 days
Days to Maturity: 78 days
Bloom Cycle: 305g/ 48 days

Species: Sutcere (Human)
Age: 1 year 3 months
Mana Concentration: 98
Time before Sprouting: 70 days
Days to Maturity: 105 days
Bloom Cycle: 110g/ 32 days

Species: Dryad (Demi-Human/ Devil)
Age: 7 years
Mana Concentration: 1844
Time before Sprouting: 51 days
Days to Maturity: 74 days
Bloom Cycle: 266g/ 31 days

Species: Elf (Demi-Human/ Beast-kin)
Age: 2 days
Mana Concentration: 827
Time before Sprouting: 12 days
Days to Maturity: 33 days
Bloom Cycle: 210g/ 49 days

These are just a few of the tens or even hundreds of seedbeds and corpses that line the hallway that reaches an even larger room filled with Evealoras. ‘Esia’ gazed happily at the growth of the plants and the different kinds of seedbeds. She reached a space with an empty spot. That spot was reserved for Abram and even had the sign ready.

Species: Idelan (Human)
Age: 0 days
Mana Concentration: 71
Time before Sprouting: 15 days
Days to Maturity: 48 days
Bloom Cycle: ---g/ --- days

She laid the seedbed down and fixed its position, trying to figure out which is the best spot to highlight with the limited lights. After she finished, ‘Esia’ went back to the room with tables at the centre, where Illar is bound to one of them. Illar had completely and thoroughly broken down, mentally and physically. He says nothing else than his soft mumbling. Even if he is bruised, sliced, or pierced, he lets nothing out but a light grunt and continued with his mumbles.

“Mr. Illar, I’m back. It’s time to switch jobs from assistant to care taker. I’m going to spread the seeds inside you now.” ‘Esia’ made multiple incisions in his legs, arms, and torso. After cutting, she placed seeds inside those incisions and quickly poured the liquid she used earlier over the wounds. Once it closed up, ‘Esia’ lifted Illar and transferred him to the nursery, where all the other seedbeds are placed.

Since Mr. Illar is a special case, I have to make a separate section for him and for future experiments.

‘Esia’ made a mental note to herself. She set aside Illar’s body and wandered around the area. She admired the growth and appearances of the Evealoras as each are different depending on the concentration of mana relative to the race and the race itself. She was in a daze, gazing at the plants and its flowers in elation and as she switches view to another plant, she noticed two figures standing in the aisle.

One had a large build with two horns shaped like a ram, long hair that reached his lower back, and a reptilian snout with a beard and bird-like eyes. The other figure was much smaller and slender with three horns protruding from the forehead that looked like it was being stretched backwards, cross-pattern eyes, two pairs of wings, and lower legs that looked like that of a needle. They were familiar people.

“Lady Eiulj, the Foiyram child has been brought to his cell and in deep slumber still.” Gaman spoke as he knelt together with Teiyninya, or Aldia.

“Good. Everything went somewhat well. Although the city was alarmed, it gave me the opportunity to leave the orphanage indiscreetly.” Eiulj, who had the face of Esia, nodded. She nodded then suddenly glared at Gaman.

“Altafaigaman.” Eiulj spoke in a low, reverberating tone. It was enough to make the two in front of her shudder and break into cold sweat. “We shall talk later about my instructions to you and your failure to comply.”

Altafaigaman, or Gaman, opened his mouth slowly, wanting to give out his reason, but was interrupted immediately by a calm and sweet voice. It may even sound like a child excited to receive a new toy.

“Now, lead me to the child.” Eiulj commanded Altafaigaman and Teiyninya to lead her to where her new toy was placed.

“Yes!” The two responded in a strong voice in unison.

Once they arrived at the cell, Eiulj opened the door and found a sleeping Foiyam child. She shook the child gently, waking him up from his slumber. He moaned and stretched slightly as he tries to recognise the person in front of him. 

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” The child screamed at the top of his lungs, crawling backwards until his body touched the wall. Even after squeezing himself against the wall, he had not stopped screaming.

“Good evening, Veyrr.” Eiulj greeted him in a gentle manner as she smiled sweetly at the trembling and panicking child.