Chapter 4199  Trust Issues (Part 2)

"Speaking of the Eyes…" The Wight looked around for the artifact.

"About that, please, give us a moment." The Fire Dragon gave her a shallow bow and took a few steps away with Lith, handing him the artifact.

A Hush zone kept the vampire and her mother from listening to what the two men were saying, but the exchange lasted only a handful of seconds. Erghak gave the Eyes to Lith, Lith gave them back to Erghak, and after a while, he took it back.

"Here you go, Kalla." Lith handed the artifact to Kalla after removing the imprint on it with Creation Magic. "How is Ajatar doing, Patriarch?"

"He tends to keep to himself too much, but he's otherwise fine." Erghak clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tell Fyrwal that her method works. Ajatar's bloodline is that of a true Dragon."

"I will." A small part of Lith wanted to chat with Ajatar and ask him about his sapphire energy, but the rest of him craved Raldarak's presence like a man in the desert needs water. "Please, let us out. We'll see each other again at the gala."

"In fifteen days." Erghak said after opening the envelope. "Not one more, not one less. Goodbye, my friend."

A wave of the patriarch's hand Warped Lith, Kalla, and Nyka in the same spot where they had disappeared earlier.

'Quick, we must leave before the moron realizes his mistake!' Kalla said via a mind link, afraid someone was spying on them.

'What mistake?' Lith activated the tower's Mirror Warp to reach his destination in one Steps and charged up the Tower Warp.

"Erghak just handed me two pieces of the Menadion Set after using them to perfect the Fire Dragon's legacy!" Kalla replied. "This is a treasure trove of knowledge, and I mean to dig as deep as I can before he notices."

"Didn't you hand him your research as well?" Lith asked.

"That's different." Kalla snorted. "I backed everything up in your Eyes and wiped mine clean. I had the imprint on the Eyes, not him-"

Her voice died in her throat when Kalla found no information stored inside the artifacts in the past six months. The Ears still contained the legacy of Pharek of Derios, Menadion's apprentice and rightful heir to the artifact.

Lith had left it as part of the reward for saving Solus. After synchronizing the Apprentice Ears with the tower, of course.

As for the Eyes, they were the blank slate that Kalla had left.

"Why?" She asked in confusion. "How?"

"It's one of the reasons Erghak asked for my presence." Lith shrugged. "I undid the imprint on the Eyes and allowed him to delete the records of his bloodline's research."

"And why did you do that?" Kalla whimpered.

"Because it was his clan legacy." Lith glowered at the Wight. "I owe Valtak that much, and the Fire Dragons are helping Tista to sell her Flames and crafted her weapon. I don't stab my friends in the back."

"Wait a second." Nyka said. "I remember clearly Menadion telling Fyrwal that the Ears and Eyes of the tower record everything, and the stored information can't be destroyed."

"And I didn't lie." Menadion said. "I had no control over the Apprentice Set after handing its pieces to my favorite disciples, and there were countless things that might have gone wrong.

"My disciples might have been killed and their set piece stolen, their chosen heir might kill them if their master changed their mind, or maybe my apprentices might simply discover something they'd rather stay buried.

"For these and many other unpleasant reasons, I added the ability to erase the stored data from the Eyes and Ears. It can only be used by someone with the unlock code, so that a thief could never destroy the evidence of their crimes."

"It makes sense, Mom, but couldn't the same happen to you?" Solus asked. "Why didn't you add a similar enchantment to the Master Set?"

"Because I trusted myself, Epphy, and I trust you." The First Ruler of the Flames replied. "I had already chosen you as my heir, and I had the utmost confidence that just like me, you would never abuse the knowledge I gained or research Forbidden Magic.

"I had no reason to add an erasing enchantment because the Master Set is an integral part of the tower, and inside my mage tower, I was supposed to be invincible." Menadion sighed. "I overestimated myself and assumed that you would be just as powerful once you inherited my tower.

"By then, you were supposed to have children of your own and many apprentices. Worst case scenario, you could have always asked Baba Yaga to Dismantle the tower with Creation Magic and rebuild it with the erasing enchantment."

"And now it can't be added because without the tower I would die." Solus nodded, following her mother's reasoning. "Thank you for your trust, Mom. I want you to know that you weren't wrong about your considerations.

"I've regained many memories of my life as Elphyn Menadion, and I haven't found a single one where I even considered plotting against you."

"I know, silly child." Menadion hugged Solus, kissing her forehead. "I know."

"This is great and all, but where does that leave me?" Kalla snorted.

"Exactly where you are supposed to be." Lith replied. "With the Eyes and Ears in your possession and six full months of research ahead of you."

"When you put it like that, it sure sounds nice." Kalla smiled like a child on Christmas morning at the idea. "Until it doesn't. I have only six months of research until I'm forced to pause my studies again."

"Stop pouting, Mom." Nyka said. "It's not like you are dying anytime soon, and during the past few months, you've made great strides."

"That's true." The Wight tapped her lower lip with one of her long claws. "I've mastered the Ears and reached the bright blue core. I can use my next break to discover the secret of the violet and study Lith's Void Magic, if by then he has released it to the public."

"I meant your fitness and the wonderful time you had with Nok and me!" The young Vampire growled. "Now you don't get tired after taking a few steps, and we finally had our mother back.

"Never forget that while I'm functionally immortal and you have thousands of years ahead of you, Nok is still a magical beast. He can wait for you for a while, but not for as long as you think."

The reminder was like a slap to the Wight's face. In Kalla's eyes, Nok was still a small cub, and not only because of her forgetfulness.

"You are right, dear. I'm sorry for being inconsiderate." Kalla bowed her head in apology for two full seconds. "Still, my six months are already running, and I can't get back on my research until we get back to my lab in Lightkeep. Pack your bags, kids."

"Mom!" Nyka and Nok said in unison.

"Don't worry, I'm not a monster." The Wight raised her paws. "I know that during your time here, you've made many wonderful friends and memories. You deserve the time to say your goodbyes properly."

"Thanks, Mom." Nyka sighed in relief.

"We leave in one hour." Kalla said.