Chapter 276 Death
A brief silence came over the ancestral grounds when Daneel held out this plant.
At the same time, three different changes in expression occurred.
The old man's face turned livid, and it seemed like he was tempted to leap forward and snatch the plant from Daneel's hand to crush it.
Sister Xuan's eyebrows raised as if she was impressed, and a small smile spread across her face.
As for the Matron who had incarnated into Molan's body, she smiled kindly before walking towards Daneel and taking the plant in her hand.
Holding it, she closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.
Those glowing white eyes now had an additional emotion inside them.
Rage.
Suppressing it for the moment, she smiled sweetly at Daneel. Yet, strangely, for some reason, this made him uncomfortable.
"Good job, dear. I won't ask who you are or what inheritance you received, but you're wasting your time in the Central Continent. If you wish to learn the true nature of magic, come to any of the Big Four. Tell them that the Matron sent you. Sister Xuan will give you something that you can use to identify yourself. And as a thank you, let me heal your wounds."
Just as Daneel was about to deny and say that he was fine, the Matron held out her hand, making him become surrounded by the same light which Molan had stepped into to turn into how she was now.
Involuntarily, Daneel floated up into the air as a content feeling swept over him.
Like a mother's embrace, he felt more comfortable than he ever had in his life. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the feeling.
Sadly, it was all over in a moment. Landing on the ground, he was shocked to realize that his body no longer hurt and that the tingling had stopped.
[Host has been healed by an extraneous force. Ceasing recovery technique.]
As he marveled at this miracle and looked at his hands, the matron walked over to the old man who was now shivering with fear.
With each step, the rage which she had suppressed before seemed to be growing more and more.
"You dare to use demonic plants which ruin our land forever? How can you have the guts to do so knowing that you would be hunted to the ends of the continent if you were found out?"
It seemed that the old man knew that his time was up, as he stood up from his kneeling position and laughed manically.
"It's because you are foolish to think about the future when there will not be one. The Church cannot be stopped, and when they come, Angaria will bleed and die. When that time came, I wanted to go over to the other side after breaking through to a Champion so that I can have more authority. Why do you think I was fighting with Ashahell in the first place? Do you really think he just found me in that place after I had killed those 10,000 people? You fool, both of us had the same plan! He helped me, but betrayed me and fed me to the Council after sealing my mouth. If I hadn't managed to get away with this chamber and the seeds, I would have died already. Corruption has seeped so deeply into each of the Big Four that it doesn't matter even if they realize it now. Angaria will fall. Anyone who believes otherwise is just being wishful."
Hearing these words, Daneel became shocked.
Clearly, the old man was talking about the invasion that would come soon.
The Big Four were actually corrupted? This caused fear in Daneel, who had always assumed that the Big Four were like a solid shield that would play a major part in defending the continent.
Yet, if they were only a shield whose foundations had been weakened due to the rust that was corruption, they might collapse the moment the Church invaded.
Of course, he had to take whatever the old man said with a grain of salt. Yet, he still felt inclined to believe him as he saw in the old man's eyes the hopelessness that came with the knowledge that death would come soon.
It seemed that the mention of that name and the deed of killing 10,000 people had actually made the matron pause, as she had pondered for a bit before continuing on her way towards the old man.
"If what you say is true, testify in front of the Council. I will ensure your safety."
This only made the old man's laugh even more grating on the ears of everyone present, as it reached a new pitch in which was mixed emotions of anguish and pain.
"There's no chance of that. The moment I appear in front of Council, the restriction he placed will trigger and I will die. You know there is no way to stop that. Just kill me. All my life, all I wanted was power. For power, I was ready to do anything and everything. Curse my luck for being born in the same time as that man, who is a thousand times more ruthless than me but still adored by millions. He will betray the continent. If you fools continue to trust him, you will only be led to ruin. End it."
From Daneel's position, he saw a quiver in the Matron's back as the old man mentioned the word "ruthlessness".
It almost seemed as if it had invoked some memory in her which had actually made a Champion level powerhouse feel fear.
Who was this Ashahell? And did he really kill 10,000 people in a pursuit for power?
Daneel had no idea, but he committed this knowledge to his mind.
As if she was in no mood to respond, the matron only nodded before plunging her hand into the old man's chest.
It seemed that she was holding something inside, as she looked into his eyes and let his body lean onto hers.
Yet, Daneel could actually see that she was whispering something in his ears.
He, in turn, widened his eyes and gave an answer before glancing at Daneel who was staring at them with a perturbed expression on his face.
As a cold smile spread across the old man's face again, he said, "Like I promised to that idiotic king, my death will result in the death of the Black Raven Kingdom. I don't know who you are, but I guess you came here to stop me from intervening in that fight. Regretfully for you, it won't matter, because no one from here on will be able to fulfill the second requirement for becoming the King. Goodbye, kid. You have potential, but you're just unlucky to be born in this time. Do it."
The last words were said to the Matron, who seemed to squeeze something and pull it out.
As the old man's body collapsed to the ground, Daneel realized that it was actually his heart in her hands which was still beating.
Her hand was covered with blood, but she did not seem to care. Strangely, instead of discarding the organ, she took out a trinket from an inner pocket that enlarged into a purse that seemed to be made of a metallic material.
Putting the heart into it, she sealed it before throwing it at Sister Xuan and washing her hands using conjured water.
"Xuan, give this young man a token. And don't take what this geezer said to heart. It was just the ramblings of someone close to death. "
Next, she looked at Daneel again who was still standing and wondering about what the old man meant when he said that no one would be able to fulfill the second requirement.
"Remember, young man, once you enter the big four, you will not be allowed to meddle in the matters of the Central Continent anymore. Xuan will tell you the details. Farewell, for now."
Leaving these words, the woman's body collapsed to the ground and the hair which had been floating till now fell down, indicating that the incarnation was over.
Hurrying to this woman's side, the first woman who spoken arrogantly before took out a vial from her dress and dropped a few drops of liquid into her mouth.
Turning around and looking at Daneel, she said something which shocked him but made him nod hurriedly.
"I guess you would like to go out to watch your friend's fight, King Daneel? If so, follow me."