Tales of Revenants

Chapter 71 – Former Self

The noble undead knight gets off and scrupulously escorted Alisa to dismount on the horse they were riding.

Eris wouldn't help but seize her sword. Tetra herself calms her perplexity before she misunderstands his appearance.

"It's been a long time, Iser..." Tetra switched herself into her sentimental attitude.

It seems Tetra knew Alisa's servant when he was still alive. The undead knight didn't budge an inch nor greet her in return. He simply bowed to show respect against her position as a Heavenly Hero.

Laken saw him take a glimpse of the sword and scabbard near the bookshelves on the wall.

Now that he thinks about it, Tetra has a pretty eccentric-looking collection of swords for some reason. He didn't pay attention further beyond what would they be.

The undead knight Iser couldn't act nor utter a word without a direct order from the necromancer, which is Alisa. It's a bounded contract to serve the caster eternally through thick and thin until the last drop of their very lives.

On the other hand, Luciella can feel a strong amount of condensed dark magic coming from the undead knight.

She determined the dark magic he possesses isn't something that brings malice, but it only shows a fervent resolution to protect his master.

The undead knight steps his right foot behind the other as he places his right palm onto his chest, he bowed down like the noble knight he is, "I'm a summon undead serving lady Alisa."

"What's the meaning of this Alisa?" Laken demanded an answer.

"You said you wanted to learn about the Dark Entity, that's why I summoned my strongest servant, Iser," Alisa speaks what Laken asked for.

On the other hand, Eris was greatly shaken to hear her talking without seeing her physically. She slightly feels dread and agitated, after all, she can't handle spiritual beings that much such as ghost and alike.

"Before it gets messy, Eris, they have a comrade in the form of a banshee. I don't know where her material form was left, but she's in our presence right now." Tetra cleared up any kind of misunderstand Eris might have in her mind.

She instantly stood and bowed down just like the undead knight, "I'm Eris Mithienye, the commander of valkyries under the direct order of the queen."

"I'm Alisa. The vampire is Eirisse while the mechanoid would be Xenon. Obviously, the one you're stalking is Laken and beside him is Luciella." Alisa just introduces the whole party as she deemed it essentially needed despite them hiding their identities.

"H-How did you know?!" Eris was quite disturbed that Alisa even knew she was tailing Laken around in the town.

"Doesn't matter anymore, we are here to discuss the Dark Entity. Why don't we start about the constant attack that happened in Eagleborn?" Alisa instigated the conversation which will gradually unfold the truth behind the riddle.

Eris commenced her report after she finished her cup of coffee, "Well... it started a week ago. According to the witness, some shady cult entered the city and offers a great bargain to the townsfolks."

Eirisee fixed the bridge of her glasses as things got pretty tense, "What could be the exchange?"

"The cultists said they'd give those who join the alliance a special pass in the Falconthorn; the pass they were talking about are only doled out to the husbands of any valkyries living in the capital," Eris replied to the exact answer she needed to formulate a deduction.

"I see..." Eirisse was on a deep contemplation.

"The Archreverie prides on equality and accept anyone no matter their race. Though it's impossible to get a special pass because each of it has the direct address of the valkyrie who owns the husband, so it's totally unlikely to get one," Eris expounded.

"But people still got attracted and accepted to join their cult right?" Laken guesses.

It was a random opinion, Eris flicked her fingers and said, "You got it right. They still joined anyways and after they returned the next day, they were acting weird showing symptoms of vomiting and epiphora." Eris recounted what the other valkyries described.

"How can such a terrible thing happen..." Luciella felt pity for those who got deceived by the evildoers.

"And then what proceeded?" Xenon inquired but everyone pretty understands what would ensue.

Before Eris answers his question, Tetra revealed a three-dimensional mirage made out of photon just like how Xenon reanimates the image of the world map. Instead what manifested on the illusion of light was the recounting of the past events.

It's a type of advanced technomagic arsenal that clearly records the landscape in a three-dimension view.

It's revealed that one of the townsfolk who got swindled into joining their cult the day after their sighted appearance in the town shows unusual symptoms.

The price they paid was heavier than gold, explicitly their very souls were deprived of their mortal form as seen from the atrocious occurrence they have seen from Tetra's technomagic device.

The men began to writhe in anger. They also have extreme epiphora as they apparently crawl from the ground producing inaudible sounds.

They disrupt the peace of the town so the valkyries needed to apprehend them, but suddenly they began to sing aloud some ancient scripts which cause their body to deteriorate faster than a blink of an eye.

After they toned down, Luciella covered her mouth and let her grimace conspicuously be shown when she saw how the Nightbeasts crawl out of the bodies of those victims.

She literally just witnessed the Nightbeast coming out of their innards like the parasite they are.

Laken discerns it's becoming too much of bloodshed for Luciella. He grabbed a gold coin from his pocket and threw it at Tetra's head with a bullseye.

The manifestation of photon decelerated deactivating the replays of the event. It was so palpable and surreal Luciella held her guts about to throw up from what she just saw.

Even Eris can't believe such things have happened. She may have heard the reports from her fellow valkyries but she can't comprehend that such atrocity exists.

She thought a balakhian soldier becoming an entity is the worst, it turns out it was just the tip of the iceberg of an enigma.

"I'm sorry if I suddenly made you watch it, but I want you all to realize the world has gone to such a point. Just a deadly reminder, this is not just happening in Archreverie, it's happening across the world." Tetra conveyed the truth beyond.

After Laken pats Luciella to calm her down, he interjected upon what Tetra just imparted, "It doesn't answer what are the Dark Entities, and why does a person can turn into such being."

Things have gotten to the peak, Tetra would gladly explain it in the form of moving images as she did seconds ago, though she lets Alisa tell for her comrades.

"I should have told this when we were at the inn, so I'll reveal to you what I discovered when my demonic ascension to become a Demon Lord was nearing its time..." Alisa wanted to carry the duty herself, but she knew things have to be done together.

There are no secrets left unknown, yet they really don't know since it's a secret. It's a complete contradiction in nature. Alisa thinks its the time to reveal what she learned during the day she was destined to be the queen of darkness.

The decision to selfishly carry the burden was her mistake, and while Laken was busy finding the way towards the light, it was the time she succumbed to eternal darkness.

Fate won't let it be the end for her. Laken forged a new path towards not the light, but the brighter tomorrow he can offer.

"The Dark Entities... and Nightbeasts... aren't monsters of the night... they are..." Alisa faltered.

"It can't be..." Luciella got the gist of what she was indicating.

She shakes her head and placed her palms on her mouth rejecting the truth that would surely change their perception towards the world they grew up.

The blind ignorance of the world and even Heavenly Heroes culminated a looming terror upon the unknown. They all believed that these atrocious beasts are purely the manifestation of darkness, and they were also wrong all along.

"They are also the inhabitants of this world. The Dark Entity you guys fought on the Frostsiege Valley is a reindeer that died from the extreme cold... and all those Dark Entities... are former living creatures as well." Alisa told what she had hidden from the past.

Denial, refusal, and rejection filled their soul and mind. Laken seizes Alisa's right arm to confront her head-on. As if she was ready and waiting to be scolded by him.

Though instead of reprimanding her, Laken caresses her head to tell her it's fine. After all, he also shares the same secret. He wasn't a bit surprised by what she just confessed, because he further grasps the revelation behind.

"I'm planning to tell you guys at the right time. Bad thing Alisa also knew it eh?" Laken showed his straight-up smile while he tousles his hair. Eris was once again captivated by his charm.

"You knew...?" Alisa muttered under the influence of his warmth.

"What she just said is the fact. I won't tell how I uncovered the natures of Nightbeasts nor how I know their nature, but I'm sure the undead knight beside you knows something about them, isn't it?" Laken lifted the weight of the burden upon her heart.

The undead knight bows down as he isn't allowed to speak, "I give you permission my loyal servant." Alisa gave her command for him to join the conversation.

He stood as a gallant knight in shining armor. The intimidation he gives off was marred due to the girlish atmosphere of the room. Nevertheless, he still stood with pride and dignity as a knight.

"It is my honor lady Alisa. I am Iser Constantine... a previous Dark Entity." The rest of them except for Alisa, Laken, and Tetra were bewildered.

The rainfall poured much stronger accompanied by thunders, and the mystery Iser shall unfold will surely find the reason to change the course of the wheel of destiny.