Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Mephisto. That sly fox. Damn, he played everyone nicely. Although I’d thought the Fel were older than him. It seems I was wrong. that bastard actually helped create the Heavenly Laws. So that was who he was as an Angel.

Upon the birth of the Fel, it was probably then that the idea of rebellion was born. If Mephisto orchestrated the rebellion, it was safe to say that the Father was the actual reason behind it. That simple lesson had turned everything. He had tamed Mephistos arrogance, tempering his will into seeing a bright world. It is strange to think that kids are so easily guided and that some lessons could backfire, growing into such a massive fire of no return.

What of my children?

Despite the high intellect, I know they will have, would naivety win over everything else? I think I understand why many high-level cultivators send their children into the real world to gain experience.

There are so many things to learn that a parent can’t without backfiring. And from a distance, one can teach a child without them knowing. It is a perfect system, but a dangerous one. As so many things are at play in the real world.

“To teach without actually teaching,” I said aloud.

“What was that?” Lara suddenly said, batting her large lashes at me; she stared while the butler prepared us some tea and biscuits.

“Oh nothing, just talking to myself,” I casually explained, studying the little airhead lifting her cup of tea with both hands. “So, who are you? And how is it you know of me?”

“Me? I’m Lara. I told you already, silly! A Maiden of Mithra—AHHH!! Hot! OH NO!!! DUMMY LARA!!!” she screamed, blowing on her tongue only to catch her mistake near the end.

Tears filled her eyes as I smiled. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

Dear God. It can’t be this easy. Thinking for a moment, I chuckled, ” So you must be Lammy. Zena did say you had a big mouth!”

A defensive look flashed through Lara’s starry eyes as she stood up, snatching a few biscuits, ready to flee.

“Calm down, little bunny. It’s fine; I’m not going to tell anyone your here.” I said calmly as a look of relief left Lara’s lips.

“Really?”

“Really,” I said, unable to believe she would take my word at face value. Maybe she is an idiot. But still, A priestess of Mithra is something. However, she does seem too stupid to be one. Guess intelligence isn’t really a factor.

“Hmm, Lara feels judgment.” The little lass pointed out, catching me off guard.

“I would…Would…Never lie?” I said, almost unable to keep a straight face with the lie.

“Really! Good. Good. Lara was scared for a minute.”

“…”

God, I see someone who needs help. Maybe Mithra’s light is a little too much for her. I hope she has some type of brain cancer making her this stupid. Perhaps it’s the light.

Clearing my throat, I smiled, ” So Lammy care to—”

“Lara.” She said, ” Call me Lara. Zena is a big bully. So I must hide.”

“A bully, you say?”

Bobbing her head up and down, Lammy bit her biscuit, as her eyes filled with tears, ” So good. Zena steals Lara’s food. I’ve not eaten in days.”

“So! you’ve come to the dark side.” I couldn’t help tease in an accent that resembled Bane. ” Will you let the hate flow through you?”

“Hehe, your funny.” She exclaimed, ” Zena said you are interesting. So can you feed Lara?”

Glancing at Zenta, staring a little too hard, I flicked the boy’s head, “Go tell the butler to bring out some food. Lots of it.”

Snapping his eyes at me as though I was now his arch-nemesis, he stood up and left the room, leaving me alone with Lara.

“So I guess you escaped when my sister appeared. Truck-kun? She had my two daughters by her side?”

“That was your sister! Zena loves her! All the kisses that are usually mine go to her!” She exclaimed, staring at me as though I was a god.

“So, can you tell me how to contact Lady Mithra?”

“My lord, I believe your sister told you to do the exact opposite.” Zax suddenly informed from the ring of bael.

“I think it’ll be beneficial to tell everyone what’s happening regarding Mephisto. I am sure Lady Mithra might have some information regarding my Mother and what Mephisto’s end game is.”

“Can’t you just ask Lady Tenebrae? Lady Mithra is always having tea with her, same with Luna.”

Now that she mentioned it, I have never actually tried to contact Tenebrae. She was always the one to speak to me. A shame, too, as she’s done so much for me.

“I see; I think I just might. Now onto the real reason, I took you in. Tell me about your Order?”

“But it’s a secret.” She hesitantly said as the alluring scent of lunch began to trickle through the manor. Riling up not just her stomach but mine, I watched with a smile as she was about to speak.

“I can keep a secret. Just tell me about Zena. Please~!”

“Well,” She hesitantly started, ” Zena is a holy maiden chosen from birth by Lady Mithra.”

“But she’s a La Fey; surely that has some complications.”

Lara seemed to nod as her face grew solemn. “It’s as you say. Zena’s Mother and Father were both murdered at an early age. At the age of one, Zena was forced to work in the Ether Mines, where light can’t exist located beneath a city. Through time manipulation, I have seen her small child-like hands bleed as radioactive ether began to eat away at her small body, but only through Tenebrae’s love did she make it out alive.”

“Tenebrae!” I said in utter shock.

“To be a child of Mithra is to share the love of Tenebrae. By the time we maidens found Zena, she was forty-seven. Her mind was ravaged by the ether mines, causing her body to maintain the age of a small child, but her mind was that of a cold-hearted killer,” She explained as I recalled the almost cheerful lass. 𝒃𝒆𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎

It was kind of hard to imagine her with such a carefree expression.

“The Ether they were mining came from an Astral Vein, so the damage upon her soul was severe. At the time, I was but a lowly maiden on a mission to find and capture Lady Zena by all means. But by the time we arrived, we had walked into a scarlet vein drenched with the blood of an entire city.”

“A city? Surely, even if she worked in an ether mine, she wouldn’t have the power to kill everyone.”

“You forget of her blood? The blood of Morgana Le Fay runs through her veins,” she explained, shaking her head. ” Knowledge is power, but with a combination of the Astral Ether and Zena’s blood. The progenitor took control of her mind and laid waste to everyone,” she said in a saddened tone as tears fell from her eyes.

“…”

“You’re older than Zena? Really!”

“…”