Chapter 617: Ripple Effects
Northern cocked his head slightly. "There's more to the story?"
"Yes, there is."
Northern sat upright, straightening his back and watching patiently, giving Eisha time to talk without revealing any anticipating emotion. His features were deadpan.
"There's a certain event surrounding your birth that we found out later... and buried."
Northern's brows furrowed a bit. 'This is it... it's a bit foggy because I could not see all that was happening, but it has to do with that strange being that killed everyone...' Northern was positive about it.
Eisha continued, "You are a royalty. A prince of Reimgard... I know it's difficult to believe..." Eisha happened to look at Northern as she spoke, with a doleful expression drying up her face.
But her expression froze there and started to shatter. She blinked, with the next words frozen on her tongue.
After a few beats, she asked, her voice shaking, "You knew?"
'Damn me... I'd fail at acting.' Northern thought that he would do his best and act surprised.
He had widened his eyes, with no words, and thought he did it well.
'How did she see through that...'
Northern scratched the back of his head and chuckled.
"Well, I kind of met my birth mother in the dark continent. The empire of Luinngard."
Eisha felt strength leave her body.
"What?!"
She didn't even know how or that she had screamed.
A frown creased on her beautiful, thick brows immediately.
"And you didn't think to tell me that?"
Northern bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, I missed the timing. I was thinking of the best time to do so."
Eisha's tone rang out with so much tension and authority that Northern's response came out without being conceived in his thoughts.
It was almost instinctive. The voice of her tone demanded it, and he just naturally gave in to the demand.
That had been how Eisha was in the family. He and Shin, none of them could dare say otherwise when she was pissed.
Even now, nothing about that part had changed. Somehow, it made Northern glad. Some things still remain the same after all.
Eisha sighed, exhaling away the anger.
"I guess it's fine. I understand it would have been very difficult to tell us about it. You are only sixteen after all."
She folded her arms and closed her eyes for a few seconds before finally exhaling, and it all dissipated even on her facial expression.
"Alright. So how was she?"
Northern shrugged his head, "She's fine... she's beautiful, white hair and blue eyes like mine. She told me that I am the Emperor of Reimgard's bastard. And people are trying to kill me."
Eisha's expression folded darkly.
"She's right. There were dead people we found in the forest and there was a trace of something, a dark entity, very dangerous. From the traces it left behind on the wound of the corpses, not even Shin and I would have stood a chance. And you might not know it, but I am a Sage."
Northern smiled. "I didn't before, but I do now. I can see it."
Then Northern suddenly squinted his eyes as he realized something, "Wait. Why did it sound like you were boasting just now?"
Eisha shrugged and looked away stylishly, "I wonder why?"
"Mother, it's wrong to brag."
"Huh? Coming from you when you walk around literally announcing that you are strong with all that coldness emanating from you. I am an elf, a royal elf. Besides the fact that I have an explicit healing ability because of the nature of my attribute, I have a talent ability that is able to manipulate flames. It's nothing like those fire-kind abilities you surfacers have. As you know, as one closer to the truth of soul force, the power we wield is undiluted."
Northern grinned.
"Yeah, sure. But I am strong enough to make your kind lay beneath me with just my gravity finger, and trust me, I'm not even using 0.5 percent of my power when I use a gravity finger." Eisha watched him with a pleasant look on her face. Then she said,
"I am proud of you. To be able to become a Sage in two years of awakening. It's impossible, it has never been done. I'm sure, you'll become more in the future..."
Her tone now dove low.
"Which is why we also can afford to just stay the same."
Northern looked at her with a worried expression, "What do you mean?" He asked.
She raised her head as she spoke. "Shin and I are going to go on a journey. He might have not told you, but he is someone that deserves to die a hundred times. But he is the man I have fallen in love with and the father of my two kids. I have a cruel responsibility to suffer his fate. The least we can do is correct his past mistakes, if possible..."
Northern frowned. "To what end? The past is the past. I think that journey is pointless." He disagreed.
"It's not pointless. Your father has to pay for his sins one way or the other, which is why we will find everyone he has given a cruel fate and try to make things better one way or the
other."
Northern shook his head, his displeasure and disappointment evident in his bleak expression. "It's useless. This is just inviting more trouble to come dine with you..."
Eisha shrugged. "Still, it's something we must do, whether to make ourselves feel better or to make them feel better. It must be done. And through it, I'm sure your father and I will find
purpose anew."
Northern understood that there was nothing he could do to stop them.
After all, he was not going to ask everyone to return to the countryside and live the life
they've all been living before.
Things had changed, and many things could not go the same way.
The event of the dark continent had caused a massive ripple effect in everyone's life.
Now, the future was all dependent on that ripple effect.
Northern sighed and opened his mouth, almost hesitating. But he spoke.
"Alright then. If that is what you two would like to do, then I will accept it. Protect yourselves
and be fine. But there's one last thing I'd like you to do for me."
Eisha smiled, "I know... you want to know about my origin, don't you?"
Northern looked at her and nodded his head.
"That's right."
"There's little I know. I was brought to the surface when I was only seven. I've lived over a
hundred years since then."
"A hundred?" Northern was shocked. His mother is over a hundred years old. She's that old?!
"Don't freak out in your head. Living over a hundred for an elf like me is nothing out of the ordinary, and I am not old by any means. We are just a species that have really long lifespans. Almost immortal, but we are not immortal.
"I remember little from my home world. But sometimes, I feel like it is just like this place, the terrains, the atmosphere, although the edifices are different, but the air and land, and trees feel just the same. Like a carbon copy of each other."
"I see..."
"I'm sorry, I'm not of help to you."
"It's fine. You were of plenty help." Northern said with a smile.
Eisha then brought out a wooly cloth, extending it and placing it on Northern's hand.
"This is the apparel that you were wrapped with as a child."
She gave him a crimson metallic badge. It had the insignia of what looked like a lion head to
Northern on it.
"I suppose this is what proves your identity as a prince of Reimgard."
Northern looked at the badge and clenched it tightly in his hands. Then he looked at her with a
warm look in his eyes.
"Thank you, mother."