CHAPTER 81: BETRAYAL FOR THE PAST

LOTHAR PENDRAGON

7 MONTHS AGO

The air is getting cold in this enclosed dark room. Even though there’s no air conditioning, even though I’m sure it’s humid, I can’t help but feel the chills on my skin as I look at a grim sight once again.

At the center of this dark room is a small wooden square table. There are stools on each side, which is being occupied by our prisoners of war; Kevin Valesmith and his dragonoid Rius. They have their wrists cuffed at the edge of the wooden table, which guarantees them no escape.

It is still a puzzle for me that these two enemies survived this far after sustaining great damage from their fall from the cliff. Normally, they should have been dead, but since they survived, Emperor Eldritch changed his mind. There was a great idea on his mind, so he decided to heal up our prisoner’s wounds for the sole reason of interrogating them.

It’s a rare occurrence where the Emperor of Elysia himself is the one interrogating. Normally, I’ll be the one doing the dirty things, but now everything has changed. Emperor Eldritch now wants to have his hands on in these matters, and I’m just an observer or security for this interrogation. Beside me is the emperor's dragonoid Sakuradrop, the mind-controlled dragon knight Alphonse Faradeiss, and his dragonoid Z. 

I looked at Alphonse and Z’s lifeless eyes. They show no emotion on whatever happens in front of them. They are in a constant state of daydreaming where they are no longer conscious, but they are still able to move as long as the user of the Psychic Amplifier tells them to do so. They can still eat, sleep, and fight, but only under Sakuradrop’s or his majesty’s orders.

My curiosity sparked on Z. I can’t believe that she is a dragon that is capable of powering up in a level above mine. She’s truly talented for a small squishy dragonoid, and she will be of great help in the incoming invasion against Alterra.

I looked closer at Z’s lifeless crimson eyes until I saw a familiar faint glow on her pupil. These sets of eyes, I’ve seen them before. There’s no way I could ever forget this light inside a mind-controlled dragonoid’s eyes.

“What, are you going to kill us?” The major general dragon knight with a black complexion smiled, provoking us with his words of bravery. “Just hurry up and be done with it, jackasses!”

“You’ll regret everything later if we get out of here!” The rockstar-hairstyled dragonoid also tried to make an empty threat.

“Major General Valesmith, do not worry. You will die sooner or later.” Emperor Eldritch said as he walked around the two prisoners with his hands on his back. “For now, I will need you to answer some questions.”

His majesty Eldritch put a rigged phone on top of the wooden table. There is a rectangular device attached to the phone that seemed to hack on its contents.

“This is your phone that is used for your operations, no?” Emperor Eldritch asked. “We have retrieved all its deleted messages and found out that you received a lot of messages from a texter named ‘S’. I would like to know who this S is.”

Kevin Valesmith looked around the darkroom, on its corners, and finally on the wooden table. He saw some kind of microphone attached at his side of the table, as well as Rius’ side. It might have been obvious, and he now knows that everything he says will be recorded.

“Why won’t you use your mind-controlling abilities to me, fucktard?” Kevin Valesmith smiled.

“I can, but it spoils the thrill of the interrogation.” Emperor Eldritch smiled. “I want you to confess everything to me on your own volition, to make it a lot more convincing to the people.”

“Then you won’t get your answer, then.” Kevin Valesmith said.

“Oh, so you want pain, then.” Emperor Eldritch said. Then, his majesty looked at me and nodded. “Do it.”

With the permission of the emperor, I grabbed a metal pipe from the corner of the room and walked towards the table. Arching my arms while gaining strength and momentum, I smashed the metal pipe towards the dragon knight’s fingers, shattering his bones inside.

“Aaaargh!” Kevin Valesmith cried. “Fuck! Fuck! I’ll fucking kill you all!”

“I will ask again.” Emperor Eldritch whispered on the prisoner’s left ear. “Who is this ‘S’? Who is ordering you around?”

“You don’t scare me. Elysian piece of shit!” Kevin Valesmith spit out a mixture of saliva and blood on his mouth straight to his majesty’s face!

Seeing such dishonor, I immediately smashed the metal pipe on the dragon knight’s cranked fingers. He let out a painful cry once again which echoed around this enclosed room. This time, his dragonoid named Rius couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop! I’ll tell you who is texting us on the phone!” Rius begged. “I’ll tell you the real identity of S!”

“Oh, so the slave wants to talk on behalf of his stubborn master. Good.” Eldritch laughed as he went to the dragonoid prisoner’s side. Then, he asked the same question. “So, who is this S who has been texting you and giving you orders around? Is it his sister? Is it your son? Or is it… Emperor Sirius Elkyria?”

“Rius, you must not!” Kevin Valesmith cried. “Argh!”

I finally knew what’s going on in his majesty’s mind. He wanted an enemy dragon knight to confess that he is being ordered by the Emperor of Alterra so that we can validly wage an all-scale war, by framing his name at the stake. Since Alterran Dragon Knights crossed the borders of Sargus and Elysia, all he needed to do was for the prisoner to give out the name of the enemy emperor. The conflict between the United Human Nations and the Empire of Alterra will spark and create a flame that would turn out bad to the opposite faction since they will look like they are on the bad side.

“Who is giving you text messages?” Emperor Eldritch repeated.

Suddenly, Rius made a smile and gave out an unexpected answer.

“Your mother.”

Sparked by his rage, Emperor Eldritch immediately coated his right arm with dark energy and shoved it straight to the dragonoid’s heart. With such anger, he gripped so hard that the actual heart of Rius burst out inside his chest. Black blood spurted out from the poor dragonoid’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as he was immediately killed by the notorious Heartstopper Curse.

“Noooo! Rius!” Kevin Valesmith cried, trying to struggle from his bondage. But his resistance is futile as his arms were cuffed on the table and his feet are tied on his chair. “You fucking son of a bitch! I will kill you all!”

Eldritch gave out a maniac-like smile as he pressed his face forward the furious dragon knight. He tapped the microphone on Kevin Valesmith’s side to turn it off so that nobody but us can hear the things he’s whispering to him.

“I knew all along that S is the Emperor of Alterra. I just need you to speak out the name, and you’ll be out of your misery.”

“I will not! I will never give you an excuse to invade Alterra! I will not betray my country!” Kevin Valesmith said.

“Well, that is your choice. Feel free to have your last moments with your dragonoid lifeless body. You’ll rot together with his filth the longer you stay stubborn.” Eldritch said. Then, on his signal, we immediately went out of the torture room, leaving the poor dragon knight alone with his partner’s cadaver.

The torture chamber was part of the Elysian Castle itself, so it only took a couple of minutes until we’re back at the grand corridors. Eldritch continuously wiped his right hand with a clean towel to make sure that he’s not infected on whatever disease the dragonoid may have. A royalty like him is so meticulous in every way.

“Papa! Papa!” While walking on the red-carpeted corridors, the child of his majesty who is now learning to walk intercepted us. The kid immediately grabbed on the emperor’s legs and hugged him tightly.

“Oh, Albrecht! I told you not to wander around here.” Emperor Eldritch gave a saint-like smile to his almost two-year-old kid as he raised him up.

“He’s missing you, my dear.” A woman with pure elegance and beauty made her appearance. She’s the Empress Marisse Trystgade-Eldritch. Greeting each other, the two made out a lovable kiss.

“Marisse, I told you not to wander around here. Come on, let’s go back to the recreation room.” the emperor said.

“Let’s go, my dear.” the empress gently grabbed her son from the emperor and proceeded to walk way ahead of us.

His majesty made a hand gesture to Sakuradrop, Alphonse, and his dragonoid Z, signaling them that they are dismissed for the day. The three went on their separate ways of the corridor, while I stay alone with the emperor.

I’m finally alone with him. Now is the time I to clarify that has been boggling my mind. 

“Your majesty, may I ask you something?”

“What is it, Lothar?” 

“Mind-control technology… When was it developed?” 

“If you’re talking about the Psychic Amplifier device, it would be around two years ago. But if you’re talking about the Eye of Deus and its psychic abilities, it would be around fifteen years back, when I first discovered Sakuradrop.”

“I knew it. So the assailant is mind-controlled all along.” I muttered to myself. Then I glared at the emperor whom I no longer trust.

Michael Eldritch is looking at me with eyes of menace. He’s smiling as if I’ve been playing on his hands all along.

“You finally get it now, you dirty old lizard?” Eldritch said. “Geez, you’re such a fool to have not realized it sooner.”

“I knew it. Michael fucking Eldritch!” I immediately drew out my buster sword, ready to slice my ultimate enemy in half.

Not being intimidated, Michael Eldritch spread out his arms as he let out a comical laugh!

“Yes! Yes! Your guess is right! I am the one responsible for your wife’s death! I used the Eye of Deus’ power to control a foolish Arcadian terrorist, and I used him to burn your house and kill Kirina Pendragon!”

“You’ll pay for it with your life!” I cried out loud as I leaped towards the emperor who betrayed me the whole time.