The Arcadia System

Chapter 178 – The House Drateel(2)

The history between humans and morrites was not one of joy. It was filled with such grimness that at its peak, the two races vowed to commit genocide on a continental level. 

The number of small "wars" that had occurred between both races was uncountable. The two races simply couldn't live in harmony. 

The humans were full of greed and envy towards the morrites, while the morrites themselves were too unstable to cohabitate with any race. 

So, no matter the method Vaddon Drateel used, Reve had to commend him for bagging a beautiful witch. 

It was just that….

"Someone…..no, something, killed your mother, isn't it?" told Reve. 

He didn't need any answer. He was so sure about that. 

As he saw the comprehensive look on Lord Gawyne's face, Reve continued, "It couldn't have been the nobles. Xoris had gotten rid of its discrimination against morrites a long time ago……at least on the surface level."

"There was also a little possibility that it might have been someone else. Morrites are powerful. They are artificial forces of nature that could even be compared to the elves of the present day. They are also hermits, having little to no connection with the outside world. So, I find hard to believe that your mother's death had a human factor."

Thinking this through, Reve focused on the little detail that had been bothering him since he saw the twins at the ball.

He pieced the grand puzzle together, "Your mother died naturally….or at least it wasn't a living entity that took her life. You know that, don't you?"

"What are you getting at?" scoffed Lord Gawyne. 

Inside, he was a bit enthralled by Reve's analysis. Not a single person had come this close to figuring out the truth about his parents. For Kimon to near the truth, it speaks highly of his magia and this terrified him of what else he could discover.

Reve continued, "As I have said countless times, I saw your children. They hold the beauty of morrites. Pale skin, Anti-social character, high magic prowess, good physical stats. However, I also noticed something irregular. You see, on your children's hair, there are a few grey strands."

Watching Lord Gawyne tremble, Reve smiled, "The color of grey is never a good omen. I honestly didn't think much of it until I looked at them again a few minutes ago. I saw something that interested me."

Facing the direction of the twins, Reve manipulated a twig, using it to pull the grey strands on the twin's hair. The strands had tripled in number. It was already seeming to clash visibly with the other normal strands.

Anyone with a brain could tell that this was abnormal. 

"Your mother was sick, wasn't she?" quietly asked Reve.

His question stung Lord Gawyne as the latter's mind went back tens of years ago. 

He could see himself listening to his mother's lullaby at the perfect time when the night was at its most glorious. There he was, in the body of a young boy, smiling….

Suddenly, his mother coughed violently. She held on to his bed frames and brought out a piece of cloth to wipe the blood that came out of her mouth. 

A few strands of her hair flew away from her head and entered his mouth. He looked at it…..they were deathly grey.

……

  Present time. 

Lord Gawyne's eyes became moist and heavy. He scrunched up and bellowed, "She was sick. She was damned sick and nothing in this world could save her. Her eventual death led my foolish father to a state of denial. He abandoned me and attempted to fill up the void in his heart with a fallacy, a deluded concept of resurrection."

Reve sighed, "That makes me wonder. What magical disease was it?"

"You don't know," curiously asked Lord Gawyne. 

Up till now, Kimon had provided a perfect retelling of his story. So, it came as a shock that Kimon was not aware of the magical disease.

"There are many magical diseases that have the same symptoms like conversion of hair color," offered Reve. 

It wasn't that he didn't know the exact magical disease. It was more of him not wanting to force himself to guess incorrectly. 

So, Lord Gawyne, who was unconsciously cajoled into spilling his lonely past, helped him, "The Curse of Nimiel!"

The moment Reve heard this, the whites in his eyes widened, "The Curse of Nimiel! Oh, how tragic? I would have never guessed this fate on a witch. Not a single living being deserves to be the host of this ravenous magical disease."

His mind processed every information he had in his head concerning the House Drateel, "So, that is how it is? Your family line has been forever stained. What a sad life?"

The Curse of Nimiel…..

It was the most dangerous magical disease in all of Arcadia. Stated to appear randomly, it latches onto talented Arcadians, usually those with good energy affinity, and consumes their energy until they become a walking bag of bones.

What made it exceedingly dangerous was the fact that the survival rate of this disease was almost non-existence. Once one had it, it would terrorize that person's entire existence till the person died due to lack of energy. 

As for the symptoms, they quite correlated with the irregularities of the twins, but they were even much worse than that. 

"Oh, Xoris' bottom. Your children! Somehow, this magical disease skipped you, but it must have been down to your children through a hidden genetic trait," revealed Reve. 

The Drateel twins were cursed by this magical disease. In essence, their time on Arcadia was already been counted. 

A single drop of tears rolled down Lord Gawyne's cheek as he clenched his fists. 

Of all people to be harassed by this magical disease, why his children. Those pure children shouldn't have to receive the same suffering as his mother did. 

He had already been through hell watching his mother descend more and more into madness due to the magical disease. He didn't want to watch his children go down the same path. 

He understood that he wouldn't be the same without his children as they were all he had.