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Chapter 172: To Pay The Price

Chapter 172: To Pay The Price

Her presence, like a sinister breeze, silenced the room, with an intense gaze, she locked eyes with a particular individual beyond Candace, Eryl, and Agharita as if drawn by an invisible force.

"... Malia," Candace whispered.

With a gaze filled with intensity, the woman’s countenance was drenched in a torrent of tears. She strode forward with resolute strides, brushing past the trio of ladies, her heart propelling her towards Dora with an unstoppable force.

"W-wait..." The dean desperately reached out for her, but the woman had already made her way to her son.

she lunged towards him, causing Solaria to topple and crash to the ground, the plates and bowls tumbled onto the soft bed, their contents scattering.

With a grip that defied reason, she held him tightly, her screams piercing the air, a desperate plea from the depths of her soul.

Unaware of the world around her, her words became a jumbled mess, devoid of coherence, as if her very existence had been consumed by the intensity of her emotions.

Her whole mind and soul were on the boy in her arms.

Dora stood there, his heart heavy with confusion. For so long, he considered himself a fake and concealed his true feelings from those closest to him.

But in that fleeting instant, when his gaze met his mother’s, something shattered within him.

His mind, once guarded and impenetrable, crumbled like fragile glass.

Malia gently held his face in her hands, her gaze intense as she studied every detail of his features, every strand of hair, her voice growing louder with each passing moment.

"... never... I will never let you go again... Ah... my God... my God..."

Her sobs echoed in the room as she gazed at her son, who seemed lost in his own thoughts.

In a mesmerizing moment, his body tenderly enveloped his mother in a loving embrace, as if instinctively seeking solace in her warm embrace.

The others, their hearts heavy with concern, remained silent, unable to find the right words to express their fears.

The dean slowly lowered her hands, a wave of realization washing over her.

She knew all too well the gravity of the situation before her: she failed, she failed once again.

She wanted to give Malia a perfect son, but she failed to hide his situation from her, and worse, leading to the unfortunate outcome of Malia having to retrieve him personally.

Looking down, she patiently awaited her just punishment.

For a few precious minutes, the reunion unfolded like a delicate, offering Malia the time to calm down.

She sat beside Dora, gently cradling him and running her fingers through his hair. The girls, filled with shame, kept their heads lowered, sitting at a distance.

It was a painful moment for them too, they had only joined Malia one day and had remained in contact with her and Wendy until the Twilight of the Gods.

After that day, no one attempted to contact her, finding it too difficult to confront her in the wake of her son’s supposed death, and his historical record as a murderer only complicated matters further.

They looked at her often, but the woman didn’t even glance at them.

"My poor Dora... I’m so sorry... it’s all my fault. I should never have insisted on letting you go..."

The boy turned his gaze to her in surprise.

"... Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong... I was the one who kil-"

"No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong." She hugged him tighter, completely shutting him up.

"I was a fool to think it was better for you to use your talent to become a hero. I don’t want you to be famous or liked, I just want you to be alive."

Speechless, Dora’s eyes roamed the room frantically. Agharita and Solaria were the only ones who met his gaze, with Solaria appearing visibly saddened.

Dora extended his hand towards the princess with a gentle motion, his creation magic sparking to life as he conjured up yet another delicious meal. However, before he could complete the spell, his mother swiftly intervened and grasped his hand, halting the enchantment in its tracks.

Halting his utilization of magic, he turned his attention towards her, his expression a mix of bewilderment. The woman returned his gaze with a sorrowful smile.

"Can we stop using that thing from now on? I’d really like to just... hm... oh, is this... maybe you tried feeding her?"

She reached out to the plate adorned with an assortment of succulent fruits.

With utmost care, she handpicked the most delectable pieces, ensuring a perfect blend of colors and flavors.

With a gentle grace, she knelt before Solaria, her own knee touching the ground, and presented the carefully chosen fruits.

It was a gesture of reverence, a symbol of her relentless affection.

"I didn’t realize I interrupted you, go ahead, eat. You look like you need it."

The young girl gazed at the woman before her, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes flickered with uncertainty.

As she attempted to grab the fruit, her body instinctively wrapped her arms around the woman in a warm embrace. However, Maliah quickly pulled away, leaving her bewildered.

The small, yet meaningful gesture she made instantly drew the eyes of everyone around her, painting a vivid picture of her emotions in that precise moment.

With a nervous smile, she handed again the fruit to the Princess.

"Please, you really should eat, otherwise my son will use his power again. Let’s stop pushing him so far, okay?"

Trembling ever so slightly, Solaria bent down to grasp the fruits before taking a delicate bite. Tears trickled down her face, landing on her thighs in a silent display of emotion.

With a gentle sway in her stride, Candace advanced towards them. As she approached them, Malia’s gaze sharpened, her smile fading slightly.

"I couldn’t stand by and watch someone suffer like that, but honestly, all I care about is having a conversation with my son."

The dean grasped her left arm, averting her gaze.

"... I don’t want to justify anything, I recognize my wrongs, and therefore I think that You deserve a real apology... Malia, I do..."

Malia’s sudden movement caught the dean off guard as she rose to her feet with a jolt.

The dean’s eyes widened in surprise as the woman fixed her with an inscrutable gaze.

Unexpectedly, a smile graced her lips, leaving the dean utterly taken aback.

"It’s a very bad habit to never listen to people’s wishes, but I’ve come to understand that this society is saturated with lies and deceit."

"... Malia..."

"Don’t worry, we won’t bother you again. My children and I will leave and you will be free to do whatever you want."

A collective gasp filled the room at the sound of her statement, prompting her to turn towards the group.

With a calm demeanor, she scanned each face in the crowd, taking note of their reactions before directing her attention to Dora.

"Let’s go now, your sister is waiting for us at the inn. We’ll finally be together again."

Dora observed her with a sense of unease, unsure of how to react to the situation unfolding before him.

Candace’s plan to mold him into the perfect son by erasing his memories was compromized.

The primary reason for summoning a Nymph was to eventually reunite him with his family, yet his mother’s unexpected presence, defending him without hesitation, added another layer of complexity to the already puzzling scenario.

In this case, his brain was spinning slower than usual, a simple remark in mind.

(I could do it right here... If I agree to join her now, we’ll leave and I won’t participate in any more battles.)

His eyes searched for a push, but each look was filled with intense desperation.

(... But if I leave... how will they handle the Twilight of the Gods? This expedition to the Kalaharis has too little chance of success... I know that, but you all planned to let me go, right? Should I refuse? If I take responsibility, my mother would let me help them... That seems like the best outcome.)

His brain suddenly came back to life, his eyes scrutinizing every reaction, every breath of his comrades.

He didn’t need a word to understand it, none of them seemed to agree with it, all of them needed the monster to survive in hell on earth, but this situation could be his last hope of a peaceful life with his family.

He was between two gates, one to hell but with everyone’s salvation, and one to heaven, but condemning his friends.

He gritted his teeth, digging deep into his mind for an answer, when suddenly, a very recent memory resurfaced in his mind.

- We just want to be loved, what’s so wrong about it? It’s only amusing to be a monster when you’re only a spectator, we’re getting tired of this.

His mind went blank after that, he slowly lowered his head after one last look at Candace.

"... Alright."