A surprising revelation

As it turns out, the pathetic cowards were already terrified before you even did anything, and it only took some minor knife work for them to completely submit. Rather than having them verbally communicate everything they know to you, you opted to simply sift through their memories instead, going through everything involving their organization. You first had to cycle through the useless shit at the forefront of their minds first, such as their names, birthdates, favorite color, how long its been since they got laid, why they think attack of the Red Guard on the Highlanders was actually a false flag operation conducted by a third party, etc. Eventually though, you you find what you're looking for after filtering through the trash. Their little club is the so-called Order of the Crimson Eye, which is the dumbest thing you've had the pleasure of seeing all day. Is their leader twelve? Did they actually think it sounds intimating? Shaking your head, you focus and get back to work. Apparently their members are the only people capable of casting magic in this world. You pause again, intrigued by this thought. Obviously, you don't believe it for a second, but this lackey you're examining does, which means that magic really was this rare, or at least well-hidden. It seems that this magic comes from an ancient artifact which is in the Order's possession. You file this information away for later, determined to recover this artifact once you crush these fools entirely. You dig deeper, looking for the Order and the artifact's origins. Unfortunately, these two are simply too low ranking to have even seen the artifact, so they have no memories of it, but they do know a good deal about the Order's history. When you find the founder's name, you're hit by a sudden bout of nostalgia...

Of all the subordinates you had under your command a millennia ago, none were as vile as Jervaya Fensrik. Even you, who could hardly be considered the paragon of justice back in the day, were disgusted by his actions and conduct. The only reason you tolerated him was because he was good at focusing his vitriolic acts on your enemies...most of the time. Naturally, what happened to him after your defeat at Uija is a mystery to you as well, and you haven't even bothered to think about him all this time because you had better things to do, but quick glance through the memories of these two masked men showed that he was clearly busy after your defeat. The exact how's and when's of the Order's founding was shrouded in mystery, but you can hazard a guess that he made off with one of your artifacts after your defeat to be the leader of his cult. His betrayal after your defeat hardly surprises you, if it can be called a betrayal at all. In fact, you'd be more shocked if he didn't. On the other hand, you are surprised by the fact he had the mental capacity to plan something like this. You'd assumed he would've just eaten his followers or something equally heinous.

Finished with your investigation, you stand up and wipe the blood off your hands. Whether or not Jervaya is still alive matters little to you. Perhaps he too managed to obtain enough power to stay immortal, or perhaps he has long since perished to the sands of time. Regardless, you intend to crush this little cult of his to dust and take back what was once yours. Unfortunately, this investigation didn't tell you what you wanted to know most: why most human beings seem to be entirely manaless. Finally, you take a final look at the two mooks, with their minds broken beyond repair. The only merciful thing left to do is to end their suffering. With a wave of your hand, a powerful inferno swept through the warehouse, yet incredibly nothing seemed to be burned or scorched. The only difference is that there were two less people inside the warehouse.

Having dealt with everything you needed to, you head out, and you can already hear sounds of celebration coming from the center of the village. Despite yourself, you can feel a smile on your face. Honestly, they deserve a break with how much misery they've been through. Feeling a bit hungry yourself, you decide to head over to participate in the celebrations. After all, you are the guest of honor, aren't you? You can't wait to see what Addy can do with actual ingredients.

An hour earlier.

When the door to the dusty old warehouse finally creaked shut, Alice finally let out the breath she was holding. What was I thinkiiiiiiing, she screams to herself internally. To act so boldly went against everything in her nature! She could feel her heart still beating at 1000 beats a minute, and it was going even faster when she held Crow for that instant. But she had to admit, she acted purely on instinct. When he first mentioned interrogating those bastards, she couldn't keep her shock in check, even though she knew how naïve that was. He was pragmatic man, she could tell that much, but so far everything's he done he did for her and the village. But deep within, she saw a hidden sadness within, hiding beneath his strong façade. That's exactly why she did what she did in the heat of the moment. But now that the moment has passed, all that's left is embarrassment.

"Alice, what are you still doing here, come on, everyone's been looking for you and your new friend," came a voice, startling Alice out of her thoughts. It was Marissa, sister of Lorian, and good friend of Alice. She came to a running stop, panting and breathing heavily. Unlike Alice, who goes out hunting everyday, Marissa was inclined to pursue more feminine pursuits, such as sewing and cooking. Alice often envies her status as best potential housewife in the village when compared to her self. There were also two major assets that Marissa had that she didn't...

"Oh, uh, Crow's gone to take care of some business. He'll join us later," Alice said, trying to steer Marissa away from the warehouse. "So, what are we even doing for the celebration?"

"Not much, the older folk are busting out the mead, and you know that traveling merchant, Roy? Well the elder literally bought all the foodstuff he had to sell, so I guess despite his grumbling, he's joining too," Marissa said. She poked Alice in the ribs playfully while adding: "Most of the women, your mom included, are helping with the food. You gonna join in?"

"And give everyone food poisoning? I prefer to have a clean conscious thank you very much," Alice said, swatting Marissa on the shoulder in response. It's not like she never tried learning. She can just never get the hang of it, no matter how many times her mom taught her. Either it was under cooked or over cooked, over salted or completely no flavor. No matter what she did, it always came out wrong. Sometimes, it feels like the Gods were toying with her by making her mom the best cook in the whole village. To make matters worse, Mina is ten years younger than her, and she's already a way better cook.

"Aw, don't be like that, you're not that bad, I think...?" Marissa said jokingly.

"Are you even trying to comfort me?" Alice questions with a cocked eyebrow. "Listen, I must've been cursed or something when I was a kid, because everything edible turns into mush in my hands," Alice adds, sighing in despair.

"Well, how about using the power of looooove to overcome your natural deficits. You know what they say, right? The way to a man's heart is his stomach," Marissa said, teasing her friend. She saw the way Alice looked at Crow earlier, and was easily able to connect the dots.

"Well, I guess- WAIT, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY," Alice yelled, face turning a burning shade of red. "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE..." But Marissa was already on the run, laughing all the while as her friend chased her back to the town square, where everyone was gathering and the scent of food was in air.

Stepping into the town square was a whole new experience. The village was now in a far more cheerful mood and you can see the revelries starting already. As soon as you arrived, you were greeted by a whole variety of villagers, some thanking you for your bravery, others offering you some drinks, and a drunk man even offered you his daughter's hand in marriage, which you ended up declining. The elder invited you to make a speech, which you felt compelled to do.

Standing front and center on a rickety, wood, makeshift dais, you deliver a stereotypical hero's speech about the power of kinship and how no evil can separate the bonds which connect us. Interestingly, you notice that Alice wasn't in the crowd of onlookers. Was she busy with something? As soon as the speech ended, the festivities began for real, and boy could these villagers drink. Fortunately, you're physically incapable of getting drunk due to your body periodically cleansing itself of anything it deems to be poisonous, or else these countryfolk would've drank you under the table.

Eventually, as the night dragged on, and most wives were lugging their incapacitated husbands home, you sit by yourself at a table, contemplating all the changes which has happened to you thus far. Of all the things you expected when you broke free from the seal, this wasn't it. At the same time, you find that you're certainly not disappointed by any of it. These villagers may be simple folk living simple lives, but that has its unique charm as well. Long ago, you wouldn't have hesitated to crush them beneath your feet to further your ambitions, but now you're not so sure.

Thud, came the sound of a bowl being placed in front of you, ending your contemplations. Alice, standing on the other end of the table, offers you a spoon. "Um, just so you know...I'm not nearly as good as mom...so...temper your expectations, okay?" She said meekly, with a great deal of embarrassment. Before you can say anything, she turns and exaggeratedly turns to look behind her. "Oh wow, that's a lot of dishes piled up, I'm gonna go help out, so I'll be seeing you later then!" Just like that, she was gone.

"Well, I appreciate the gesture regardless, but you need to have more confidence in yourself girl," you say to no one in particular before taking a sip of the stew.

It was delicious.