Chapter 240: Questioning Aelric’s Motives

"You know, now I’m rather curious about those ruins you said you often explore at the behest of the Sanctuary."

Kaeloris spoke as the group proceeded down the broad obsidian avenue leading towards the elevated dais where the ancient sarcophagi rested.

Despite Aelric’s earlier assurances, none of them had completely relaxed.

Most of the group kept their eyes fixed on the Terracottas as they walked, their movements deliberately cautious. Every few steps, someone would glance toward one of the stone warriors, as though expecting the statue to suddenly twist its head around and announce that it had grown tired of waiting.

No one wanted to be the first person to discover whether the Terracottas were still capable of moving.

Meanwhile, Aelric turned towards Kaeloris.

"Actually, it’s not only when the Sanctuary calls for it that I go on expeditions."

The green-eyed youth smiled faintly as he spoke further. "Sometimes, I venture out on my own. Especially when I’m trying to increase my strength and ascend to higher heights."

Caelestra turned towards him, curiosity immediately shining within her eyes as she asked. "Ascend to new heights?"

Her brows rose. "I didn’t know ancient ruins had some sort of accelerating effect on Etheryeans when it came to increasing their ranks."

Aelric released a small, amused chuckle.

"Well, there are a lot of things you guys are ignorant of."

He swept his gaze across them, his smile becoming faintly mischievous.

"But trust me, the more of the world you see, the more you’ll realize that there are far more possibilities than you could ever imagine. Besides, ignorance isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It simply means the world still has something left to surprise you with."

Kaeloris adjusted his glasses before commenting. "That sounds suspiciously like something someone says immediately before revealing something that will complicate our lives."

Aelric merely laughed at his words. "Well, you are not wrong about that. But trust me when I say this, complications are necessary for progressions in most cases so they aren’t necessarily something you guys should be afraid of."

A few members of the group exchanged glances but for some reason, nobody found what he said reassuring.

"To answer your question," Aelric continued, "Yes. There are special places scattered throughout the Nether Lands that can have a transformative effect on an Etheryean."

He gestured casually ahead.

"Take the den I led you to yesterday. Had it not been for its Essence Pool and the Crystals surrounding it, do you think you would have advanced by now?"

Several of them shook their heads.

"Exactly." Aelric nodded. "There are places like that Essence Pool scattered throughout the Nether Lands. Unfortunately, they’re usually so exceptionally rare that finding one is like stumbling upon a diamond buried beneath an entire mountain."

His gaze drifted towards the walls.

"Most of them can only be found within ancient ruins, forgotten territories, or unusual natural formations like the cave you used."

The group nodded thoughtfully.

For some of them, the revelation was almost unsettling. They had spent so much of their lives believing that cultivation was primarily a matter of talent, perseverance and resources that could be obtained through ordinary means.

Yet the Nether Lands appeared to be filled with opportunities that most people in Valoria probably didn’t even know existed. And, judging from Aelric’s expression, what he had just told them was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

Throughout the explanation, however, Aelric never once stopped observing the Terracottas.

Every few steps, his emerald eyes would move towards one of the stone warriors.

While the others assumed he was simply examining their construction, they were actually wrong. The truth was that his attention was primarily fixed upon the engravings etched into their chest plates.

The inscriptions were ancient—far older than anything he had expected to encounter here and the more of them he examined, the more certain he became that the object of the Sanctuary’s investigation was hidden somewhere within this crypt.

There was no longer any question in his mind. Whatever the Sanctuary had been searching for, he intended to find it and none of them were leaving this place until he did.

Just before anyone could speak, Aelric suddenly turned towards them and asked. "Could you guys tell me when you truly discovered this place?"

The question immediately produced a variety of perplexed expressions.

Several of them stared at him as though he had just asked them to explain what a door was because they had already told him in considerable detail and more than once at that.

Regaleon, however, merely sighed inwardly before answering.

"Well, it wasn’t that long ago. Counting the days, it should have been about five or six days ago." He briefly calculated. "That would make it around the third or fourth day after our exile."

Aelric nodded thoughtfully. Regaleon then narrowed his golden eyes as he asked. "Is there a reason you wanted to know?"

There was a brief silence, then elric simply shook his head. "No reason at all."

His tone was almost painfully casual. "I was merely curious."

The group knew immediately that Aelric was withholding something but none of them called him out on it. Well... None of them except Aureleah.

The silver-haired Assassin had been observing Aelric’s demeanour ever since they entered the crypt.

She knew she had been one of those who advocated returning here, but her reasoning had been straightforward. Aelric possessed knowledge they lacked. If anyone could shed light on the mysteries they had failed to understand, it was probably him.

And, as it turned out, her reasoning had been correct because Aelric had practically admitted that he possessed considerable expertise regarding ancient ruins.

He hadn’t stated it outright, of course. But the implications of his words had been unmistakable.

Still, Aureleah couldn’t shake the strange feeling surrounding the green-eyed youth.

Something was wrong.

Aelric wasn’t being completely honest with them about why he had wanted to return to the crypt.

For someone who should have been eager to return to the Sanctuary now that his mission as a scout had already been accomplished, Aelric behaved as though the crypt itself had been quietly calling him back.

The ease with which he had agreed to accompany them was suspicious enough but his behaviour inside the crypt was even more telling.

He had examined the chamber with an almost intimate familiarity. He had paid particular attention to the Terracottas, he had studied their inscriptions, he had questioned them about when they discovered the crypt and now, he was looking at the ancient statues again.

Aureleah’s instincts had been honed through years of assassination and she knew the difference between curiosity and purpose.

Aelric had purpose and whatever that purpose was, he wasn’t telling them and that realization finally became too irritating to ignore.

Aureleah stopped walking with the others noticing almost immediately. Turning towards Aelric, she spoke. "Is it really that you’re merely curious?"

Her voice remained calm, but her eyes were sharp. "Or is there a much deeper reason behind the motivation that made you accompany us back here?"

Aelric turned towards her but Aureleah continued before he could answer.

"It’s not that I want to sound accusatory. But I think you’re hiding something, and I’m quite uncomfortable with that."

Her gaze hardened. "Especially if whatever you’re hiding has something to do with us."

She took a slow breath. "So help me understand, Aelric." The Assassin’s expression became increasingly serious. "What exactly have you been hiding from us? And what are your true motives for agreeing to come with us to this crypt?"

Aureleah hadn’t intended to sound accusatory, not really; after all, she had been one of those who agreed to return here in the first place.

But if she remained silent, she feared that whatever Aelric was concealing might eventually place all of them in danger without them even realizing it.

And strangely enough, none of the others thought she was being unreasonable.

Aureleah was not someone who wasted words. For her to actually confront Aelric meant that something about his behaviour had genuinely disturbed her instincts.

One by one, the others turned towards the green-eyed youth, their expressions filled with varying degrees of suspicion and for the first time since entering the crypt, every pair of eyes was focused entirely upon Aelric...