As soon as they entered the room, they were greeted by several people. A man and a woman, dressed in elegant attire, sat next to each other facing the door, while a man in armor, helmetless, sat on a sofa to the right.
Judging by their positions, Shin assumed they would be seated across from the man on the sofa. The usher guided them inside and motioned for them to sit. Shin had yet to take his seat when the armored man stood and extended a handshake.
Shin accepted it with a confident smile, noting the man's firm grip and matching energy.
The couple radiated power and authority as the well-dressed man shook Shin's hand. Laverna's mind worked quickly as the man extended his hand to her.
She offered a soft smile, placing her hand in his. His was massive, easily twice the size of hers. He brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss, his eyes assessing her with a glimmer of approval.
The elegantly dressed man raised his hand, signaling that they could relax in his presence. At a glance, Shin could tell he was someone of great importance.
Laverna crossed her ankles as she had been taught long ago, placing her hands neatly in her lap. Her gaze wandered over the room's décor, noting its extravagant yet harmonious design.
Finally, she looked back at the King and Queen, offering a slight bow.
Once everyone had settled, the man spoke with authority. "Good evening, Shin Soma and Laverna. I am King Tristan XIII, and this is my wife, Queen Mariam. We are delighted to have you here. And this is your Guild Master, Davis Ravencraft."
The Guild Master nodded in acknowledgment but remained silent, deferring to the King. Shin could feel the weight of the King's authority, though he recognized it as a projection meant to convey strength.
At last, they had come face to face with the Crown. "Now, we will discuss what happened to the Litchensteins, particularly how they... disappeared. I want to know everything that transpired before the events at the manor."
The moment the question was asked, Shin felt a shift in the mana surrounding the room. Something had been activated, but what?
He suspected they were trying to ensure the truth was told. To test his theory, he glanced at Laverna before turning back to the King and responding,
"First, before I speak, I just want to say that you look most excellent, Your Majesty. Your esteemed castle is quite a sight. It is unfamiliar to me, but I find its grandeur fascinating."
To others, his words might seem like mere flattery, but Shin was testing his suspicion. It was a truth spell, and someone in the room was casting it.
He did not yet know the precise incantation, but he understood the fundamentals well enough to counter it if necessary. For now, he remained cautious.
Shifting the subject, Shin spoke truthfully of his experiences. He paused, his expression darkening slightly as he recounted the time he spent as a 'bodyguard' for the Lichtensteins.
"I had a front-row seat to their cruelty," he began, his voice steady but edged with a quiet anger.
"I was hired to protect their interests, but I quickly realized there was more to their operations than I was led to believe. It wasn't just the suffering they inflicted for sport—it was the way they used their power to manipulate and control."
He took a breath, as though gathering his thoughts before continuing.
"But as I witnessed more, I couldn't ignore it any longer. The Lichtensteins didn't just rule; they destroyed. And when I finally had the chance to intervene, I took it. But by then, too much had already been done."
The King, Queen, and the Guild Master nodded, their faces neutral as they took everything into account.
"I see. Thank you for your account, Mr. Soma." Then, Shin turned to Laverna, offering a reassuring nod. She had spent far more time in the manor, enduring its horrors firsthand. If anyone had the full story, it was her.
As she listened to his request, a knot formed in her stomach. She had known this moment would come.
Should she lie? Or should she tell the truth?
The family had been vile, their cruelty leaving destruction in their wake. In her eyes, she had done the world a favor.
The air in the room grew charged, a static energy tingling against her skin. Her ears perked as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
Something felt off, but she couldn't quite place it. She tasted something strange in the air as she listened to Shin recount the horrors he had discovered in the Litchensteins' estate.
Memories of her own suffering surged forward, vivid and relentless. How should she proceed?
She took a few seconds to collect her thoughts before meeting the King's gaze. "I was a slave for the Litchensteins from the time I was a young girl. They purchased me from an illegal black market that catered to those who indulged in such depravity. Many young boys and girls were sold, even infants."
A heavy weight settled in her stomach as she took a deep breath and continued. She spoke of the horrors of the "Hunting Games," where children were torn apart by beasts for the family's entertainment.
Women were drugged and thrown into cages, left to be devoured—or worse, violated—by their so-called pets. She recounted the relentless starvation, the brutal beatings, the psychological torment.
The family had committed countless murders, covering up their crimes with blackmail and threats. They sought to expand their reach, spreading their cruelty across the land.
She described the fates of countless women from all backgrounds—raped, murdered, and discarded like broken toys. Their remains were fed to the beasts or abandoned in the wilderness for scavengers to consume.
Her voice trembled as she relived each moment, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her flesh had been claimed long before the men grew "bored" of her. She bit her tongue, determined not to sob.
"And when I finally escaped, I did what I had to in order to survive. I killed them, not out of vengeance, but to end the suffering they inflicted upon others. I gave my report to the local authorities, detailing every crime I had witnessed and endured. They ignored it. No one acted. No one cared. It wasn't until Shin arrived that someone finally listened."
She turned her gaze toward the Guild Master, her eyes burning with suppressed rage. "How many times did you read my reports? How many times did you dismiss them? Was it easier to pretend I was lying than to confront the truth?"
Davis remained silent, his jaw tightening. King Tristan exhaled, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. "You speak with conviction."
"Because it is the truth," she replied. "They were an evil family. They spread pain, bloodshed, and darkness wherever they went. They deserved what they got. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but your kingdom is far better without them."
She fidgeted with her fingers, struggling to calm her racing heart. She had never spoken some of these things aloud, and now that they had escaped her lips, she felt exposed, vulnerable.
Instinctively, her hand searched for Shin's. More than anything, she wanted to curl up in his arms and cry.
It was a strange feeling, this notion of safety, after all this time. She inhaled his scent, letting it ground her.
Slowly, her heart steadied, and the visions retreated into the locked chamber of her mind—the place she had prayed never to open again.