Chapter 251: Mysterious Force

In the meantime, Aureleah stared at the Key resting within Aelric’s reverent grasp, her silver eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as she studied the strange relic. Was it merely her imagination, or did the Key somehow remind her of something?

She could not explain why, but it evoked an unsettling familiarity within her. It was not the pleasant sensation of recognizing something from the distant past; rather, it was a feeling of profound repulsion, as though some instinct buried beneath her consciousness was warning her to stay away.

Repulsion and irritation... Those were the only two words capable of describing what she felt.

For some inexplicable reason, Aureleah felt as though the Key was something she was supposed to destroy. The impulse was disturbingly similar to the sensation she had experienced whenever she looked at Regaleon, especially after he had completed his cultivation.

It was as though some unseen instinct within her demanded that she act against the artifact before it could cause harm to her.

The thought was so impulsive that even Aureleah found it disconcerting. But fortunately, her discipline prevailed.

She forcibly suppressed the intrusive impulse before it could develop into action and deliberately shifted her attention toward the conversation taking place around her.

Turning toward Aelric, she spoke in her usual composed manner, her voice cold and detach, giving nothing away to the internal turmoil she felt.

"Aelric, you said you’ve already obtained eleven of these Keys, with this being the twelfth, correct? Does that mean the Sanctuary has already discovered the location of the First Oath and is merely waiting for the final Key before claiming it?"

Aelric’s previous explanation had not escaped Aureleah’s attention. She had carefully weighed every word he had spoken, particularly the things he had implied without directly stating.

He had explained that the thirteen Keys were scattered throughout the Nether Lands, but he had never explicitly stated whether the First Oath itself had been found. In fact, his words had indirectly suggested that the Artifact was hidden somewhere as well.

That distinction was crucial.

If the Sanctuary possessed twelve Keys but had yet to discover the location of the First Oath, then they still faced an enormous obstacle.

Conversely, if its location had already been unearthed, then only the final Key would stand between the Sanctuary and an ancient Artifact supposedly capable of granting unimaginable power.

The discovery of the First Oath, therefore, was the crux upon which the future balance of power might depend.

Aureleah could not deny that her question had been motivated by more than mere curiosity. Somewhere within her remained that tiny, inexplicable impulse—the same destructive intent that had almost compelled her to snatch the Key from Aelric and shatter it.

Something within her wanted to understand everything concerning the First Oath. At this point, it was possible that Aureleah was unknowingly serving as a vessel through which some mysterious force perceived and interacted with the world.

But even the silver-haired Assassin herself had no idea; and even if she had suspected such a possibility, she would probably have dismissed it as nothing more than an instinctive reaction caused by her Assassin training.

Aelric turned toward her and raised one finger, gently waving it from side to side.

"I’m sorry, Aureleah, but that’s confidential information, and I’m not obligated to tell you. As a matter of fact, I’m not supposed to tell you any of the things I explained earlier."

Vaelorin knitted his brows.

"If you weren’t allowed to tell us, then why did you bother telling us in the first place? Doesn’t that mean you’ve already betrayed the Sanctuary’s trust?"

Aelric merely shrugged.

"Well, you could say that. However, if you hadn’t told me about this place, I wouldn’t have found it, would I? Besides, I told you out of courtesy. You were the ones who led me to the Key in the first place, so revealing some of the circumstances surrounding it was hardly an unreasonable exchange."

He smiled lazily before waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "In other words, consider everything I said as a token of gratitude, not from me but from the Sanctuary."

Caelestra stepped forward, her silver hair shifting over her shoulders.

"If that’s the case, why can’t you simply go all the way and tell us everything? You’ve already left us hanging after revealing enough information to make us unbearably curious."

Caelestra’s insistence coupled with the others persistence made Aelric finally loosen up despite wanting to be tight-lipped in the first place.

Aelric looked at her for several seconds before sighing. "You people really are persistent bastards, aren’t you?"

However, the failed Merchant simply smiled sweetly as she replied. "We prefer to call it intellectual curiosity."

"That’s a rather elegant name for pestering someone." Aelric shook his head, apparently deciding that arguing with Caelestra would be more troublesome than surrendering.

"Unfortunately, no matter how much you clamour or cajole, I still can’t tell you. Most of what I could explain would involve secrets that are meant to remain known only to the Sanctuary."

He paused before adding, "However, I can tell you this: the Sanctuary doesn’t actually possess all twelve Keys."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

"Only about five belong to the Sanctuary. With this one, that makes six."

A cloud of confusion seemed to descend upon the group at his words. Kaeloris stared at Aelric as though the youth had suddenly begun speaking another language.

"But you just said you’ve found all twelve, didn’t you?" The failed Gnost asked.

"We have." Aelric affirmed with a nod of his head.

"Then why are you saying that the Sanctuary only has six?"

"Well, because there’s a difference between finding something and possessing it." Aelric replied with a shrug. ℴℴ𝘮

Kaeloris’s brows furrowed even deeper.

"You see, the waters of the Nether Lands run considerably deeper than you might have imagine, therefore, the circumstances here are rarely as straightforward as they appear to be from the surface. I won’t explain any further because it’s something you’ll only understand after experiencing the Nether Lands yourselves."

He then glanced down at the Key in his hands and added. "As for the twelve Keys, six belong to the Sanctuary while the other six belong to another force that is almost on par with the Sanctuary itself. That is all I would tell you."

The moment Aelric mentioned that force, his expression darkened. It lasted only an instant, but it was enough. The usual lackadaisical amusement had vanished from his eyes before returning almost immediately.

The group noticed and immediately arrived at their own conclusion. Clearly, whatever organization Aelric was describing was evidently not an ally of the Sanctuary. At the very least, there was enough hostility in that fleeting expression to make that the most plausible conclusion.

More importantly, the moment Aelric mentioned a force comparable to the Sanctuary, the group reached the same conclusion.

The Sanctuary, according to everything Aelric had told them, was an extraordinary organization hidden within the Nether Lands. If another force could stand on relatively equal footing with it, there were very few possibilities.

Sylveris lifted her head. "Aelric, is it the Sauryeans?"

The others immediately turned toward him, clearly expecting a simple confirmation but istead, Aelric shook his head. "No. It isn’t."

Their expressions changed.

"Actually," Aelric continued, "the force I’m talking about is something even the Sauryean Dominion might not know exists."

His words immediately plunged the group into another round of contemplation.

Before anyone could ask another question, Aelric raised both hands.

"You know what? I won’t be answering anything else. Most of the information you’d ask about consists of secrets meant to remain within the Sanctuary."

He then looked at each of them.

"However, I want you to remember this: the moment you reach the Sanctuary, there is no doubt that you’ll cross paths with the people I’m talking about."

Aelric’s smile returned, but there was something strangely knowing about it.

"Even if none of you do, I’m quite certain that one of you will..."

None of them noticed it, but the moment Aelric spoke those final words, his green eyes flicked toward Regaleon, as though the silver-haired Knight himself was the person he was expecting to cross paths with them...