Standing behind the man, Officer Edmus gripped his bowstring tightly and, glaring at him with clenched teeth, growled:
— Why am I an Eltvian?
— You little freak… Because you were born there!
— You do realize I could kill you right now and not face a single consequence, right?
At those words, the fat man tensed up, his bravado melting away. He became much more compliant.
— You're Eltvian because, when you were a child, you were taken from Eltvia to Yussia.
— Why? — Edmus's voice wavered ever so slightly.
— Your father… he was a top-tier Grolf. One of the world's most powerful fighters, mastering magic that even surpassed both positive and negative types.
Edmus tightened the string with practiced precision and stepped forward to stand directly in front of the man.
— I only have to think about it… and your neck will snap. So no tricks. A fighter, you say? Magic that breaks all limits? Fascinating. And what about my mother?
— Not as renowned as your father, but once considered one of the strongest women in the nation. When we encountered her… if she hadn't been weakened after childbirth and trauma, we would've never managed to subdue her.
— Hm. Did you kill her?
— Of course not. We wiped her memory—after knocking her out with a sleep cannon—and stole you away.
— So because of you people, I grew up without parents… completely alone!? — Edmus drew the string so tight it looked like it could snap; Zeruks struggled to breathe.
— I'm sorry… but we were just slaves to the government…
— Fine. I've learned something new. One more question—where are my mother and father now?
— Your father… he's probably off at war, as always. And your mother, I believe, is still in Eltvia. Somewhere in the elite districts. The government's trying to compensate for what it did.
Edmus scoffed and clenched his jaw.
— How very noble of them…
Edmus stood in front of Zeruks, pulled the string a bit tighter, and, in one swift, merciless motion—slit his throat. The man didn't even get a chance to speak. Edmus stared down at him, utterly devoid of emotion.
"Filth like you deserves to die. You steal children from their mothers. I will never—ever—regret this."
Quick and silent, Edmus vanished from the scene of the murder. When he arrived home, he undressed and collapsed onto his bed. Anger still burned in his chest as he stared at the ceiling.
— Eltvia. Yussia. I'll deal with you both. But first, the country that sells its own children—my so-called homeland.
Edmus rose from his bed the next morning and headed toward the school. But as he walked, the atmosphere around him felt off—heavy, tense. He stopped.
Then something strange caught his eye: a bird. From her own nest, she was tossing her eggs into another's.
In nature, this wasn't unusual—Edmus knew that. But still, something in his chest tightened.
He looked down at his feet and thought:
"Mother… Father… I will find you. No matter what it takes. Even if I have to kill every soldier in Eltvia and Yussia—I will find you."
He resumed his walk. Soon, he spotted Fira with her friend. Approaching them, he took Fira by the hand.
— Hey! Edmus, what do you think you're doing?! — Fira snapped, clearly irritated.
— Come with me. I need to speak with you and Guko. And to find Guko—I need you.
Still stunned by Edmus's boldness, Fira followed. She was confused. Why had he suddenly become so serious… so confident… and so rude?
Twenty minutes later, they found Guko. Edmus shook his hand with a sly smirk:
— Weikh, come out. I know you're watching us—you're needed here too.
Weikh, as if teleporting, appeared right between them and sat on the ground, resting his chin on his hands.
— So… you finally figured it out? — Weikh grinned, clearly enjoying himself.
— Yeah! You're one of Yussia's secret officers. You're incredibly strong, smart, and you know about me. That means you had access to classified info. From my talk with Zeruks, I realized officers have that kind of knowledge. And you're in hiding.
— You're… mostly right. But not quite. I'm not a secret officer. Not even an officer. I'm a former soldier—a lieutenant of Yussia. But Yussia… wasn't exactly righteous. That's why I want revenge on the government.
— Shut up, both of you! Why the hell should I listen to this nonsense?! If you don't explain yourselves now, I'm leaving! — Fira looked furious.
— Apologies. Weikh, right? Edmus, can you explain who he is and why he's here with us? — Guko, as usual, sounded unsure, but serious.
— He's my teacher. Weikh taught me acid magic and how to fight without weapons. He's a genius. And, most importantly—he'll get us into Eltvia. — Edmus smiled at Weikh, and the two exchanged a knowing look.
— You know, she's quite pretty. And your friend… I sense true power in him—nearly rivaling yours, Edmus. Guko, what's your lineage? — Weikh asked with piercing confidence.
— What's he talking about, Guko? You're not from Yussia? — Edmus stared, shocked.
— No, Edmus… I'm a Revlux… — Guko looked ashamed his secret was out.
— A Revlux, huh? Not as powerful as the Grolfs, but definitely above common folk. Anyone could tell just by looking at you: average height, pointed teeth, dyed black hair with blue peeking through… and that quiet, simmering rage.
— Yes, sir… Seems you're quite sharp, Weikh.
— This is insane. A Grolf, a Revlux, a former Yussian lieutenant… and me! — Fira exclaimed, clearly unhappy with her role.
— Don't worry, sweetheart. You may not have a legendary lineage, but there's power inside you. I don't know what kind yet—but it's there. What matters is this: tonight, I'll lead you all to the transfer point. Together, we set out for Eltvia! — Weikh spoke as if failure didn't exist.
— We now have a goal—to destroy the ruling powers. Of Yussia. Of Eltvia. Why and how—I'll explain later. For now, wait till evening. Weikh will lead us out.
— Edmus, do you actually have a plan? Or are we just trusting some old man here? — Fira asked, glancing down at Weikh.
— Fira, this "old man" is so powerful, I couldn't even touch him if I tried.
— Fine… If you say so, I'll trust him.
They went their separate ways. But Fira, using her sensory magic, tracked down Guko. She blocked his path and asked with her usual intensity:
— Revlux? Never heard of it. I know about the Grolfs, but you… who even are you?
— Well… Revluxes are mostly citizens of a country separate from Yussia or Eltvia. During the Great War, we were nearly wiped out. But my father was high-ranking. He made it out.
Our trait? We're one of the few who can use two elements.
— You… use gold and silver? That's… powerful. — Fira cut in.
— Yes. I can reinforce a shield or blade with both. But, Edmus's element… it counters both of mine.
— Why's that? Isn't it just acid? I'm not good at physics… or chemistry… whichever it is.
— It's not about that. It's the way our magic functions. Mine creates layers—coating things. His pierces. If his acid even touches my shield… it'll melt it from the inside. Or so I think.
— So even together, we can't beat Edmus… That sucks. — Fira clicked her tongue and looked down.
— We never could. He's beyond us. We should just follow him, support him, and pursue our own goals.
— Hmph…
Fira left, lost in thought. Guko walked on. She kept thinking:
"But wait… Acid magic? How did he master elemental spells so fast? That shouldn't be possible… Not even for a Grolf!"
Meanwhile, at the camp where "special children" like Edmus lived, someone called his name.
It was an older man. Edmus rarely came here—mostly stayed in the city—but sometimes returned to eat or sleep.
When he heard the voice, he turned. His face looked calm… but inside, rage smoldered.
It felt like he could tap into such potent negative energy, it would melt the strongest steel. He looked into the man's eyes.
— Nikter? What do you want from me?
— You heard, didn't you? Zeruks—my partner—he's dead. Found near here. Head separated. Looked like it was sliced off. His partner? Memory wiped.
— The fat man died. So? Why come to me? — Edmus said calmly.
— I just wanted to ask… Did you see or hear anything? It happened not far from your place.
— No, Nikter, didn't see or hear a thing. And honestly? Good riddance. He was disgusting. You're annoying—but not an idiot.
— Appreciate the honesty, Edmus. Keep studying. Yussia must rise. — Nikter turned to leave.
— Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.
"If it weren't for all the people here… I would've killed you too. Like I did your filthy friend."
Suddenly, a ringing sounded in Edmus's ear. He flinched slightly—then heard a voice.
— Edmus, get ready. You and your friends need to be at the west gate in an hour. Across from the Rui River.
— Got it, Weikh. By the way—can you teach me defensive spells? I just realized… my arsenal is all offense. My defense sucks.
— Think about escaping first. Otherwise, I won't teach you anything else. They'll kill me for it.
"It's time, Eltvia. I will shatter your regime. I will hunt every scumbag who stole me from my family.
And I will find my mother and father.
They're alive… They have to be…"