Becoming a Monster

Chapter 565 - 564: An Accusation Wrapped In Concern

Thalric’s gaze never left the old noble.

The tension within the room steadily climbed as everyone waited to see who would move first.

Despite the old man’s fury, he wasn’t dumb enough to actually attack.

It wasn’t just the repercussions of attacking the Guild Master of the city.

It was Thalric’s rising momentum from just sitting there.

Anyone who ever witnessed Thalric in his prime would never forget the reason he was able to rise as the guild leader of Ashenveil.

Eventually, Thalric sighed, releasing one long, tired exhale before he leaned back in his chair.

The volatile atmosphere in the room loosened with that gesture alone.

”I’m not here to argue with you. If you believe I targeted your son, then do what you have to do.”

That statement warranted shock not just from the nobles, but from the guild members, too.

Nobody expected the Guild Master to answer that way. And judging from his closest aide, Elowen’s expression, neither has she.

Thalric’s gaze slowly swept the room. There were many things he found troublesome about this, but at the end of the day, the city’s needs and safety came before his own.

”Everyone in this room knows what I’ve sacrificed for this city.”

”I bled for Ashenveil. I buried friends protecting this city. I helped build this guild so people would have somewhere to turn when danger appeared at their doorstep.”

”If I had ulterior motives, I wouldn’t have called this meeting the moment I learned what happened.”

”I will acknowledge the guild’s failure. The information we possessed was wrong. That was the entire reason the mission was commissioned in the first place.”

”So you won’t acknowledge that the church offered to deal with the creature?” The old noble seized upon the opening immediately, refusing to allow Thalric to redirect the discussion elsewhere.

”Had they been allowed to act, perhaps my son would still be alive.”

”I won’t deny that.”

The answer came so quickly that several people were caught off guard. Even the old noble himself paused.

Thalric remained seated.

”It is also possible that they would be dead as well.” His gaze shifted briefly toward the Church representatives. Malachi’s smile was still there, yet there was an unmistakable, dangerous aura radiating from him as if even the hypothetical accusation was blasphemy.

”And if the reports regarding that creature are even partially accurate, then it would have only become stronger for it.”

The room immediately became less comfortable. Everyone knew he was referring to the report regarding the creature benefiting from devouring souls.

”Gregory...” Thalric addressed the elder directly without any honorifics, uncaring about his noble status.

”Either the report matters or it doesn’t. You don’t get to pick the parts you like and ignore the rest.”

”You speak as though this outcome would’ve been prevented if I had chosen differently.”

The old noble’s expression darkened. Unadulterated hate almost blazed from his eyes.

”Can you guarantee that?”

Gregory’s jaw tightened as he instinctively glanced towards the church for help.

However, Thalric didn’t give him time to answer.

”Can anyone?”

His eyes briefly moved toward the Church representatives. From their stance, they were allowing Malachi to take care of everything, but the blind man took the question in stride.

Thalric didn’t see this as a sign of concession; he had no need to provoke them. So instead, he continued, giving a way out for everyone.

There were more important matters to discuss.

So instead, he chose to correct the narrative before it spread any further.

”There is one thing I would like to clarify. Although I did reject the Church’s goodwill.”

His gaze moved briefly toward the representatives seated behind Malachi.

”I did not prevent them from participating.”

”The mission was conducted through the Guild because that is how these matters have always been handled. Information regarding the request was made available to every qualified individual in Ashenveil.”

His attention shifted toward Gregory.

”That includes your house.”

The old noble clearly wanted to object. The words practically sat at the edge of his tongue.

Yet nothing came out.

Because, regardless of how angry he was, that particular point wasn’t one he could refute.

”Those ten adventurers were not specifically selected and sent to their deaths.”

”The request was open to anyone willing to accept it, provided they met the minimum requirements.”

”The Church could have sent more people.”

”House Ignivar could have sent more people.”

”The Guild could have sent more people.”

”But none of us did.”

For a brief moment, several of the people who had been supporting Gregory’s argument found themselves looking elsewhere.

Because none of them had expected this.

None of them had anticipated that an investigation would become a massacre.

For the first time since the discussion began, Thalric had shown a hint of vulnerability in his demeanor.

”I grieve for every person lost within that forest.”

”Roy Ignivar’s death deserves answers.”

”The deaths of every adventurer lost on that mission deserve answers.”

His gaze slowly swept across the room.

”But assigning blame before we understand what we’re facing accomplishes nothing.”

Several guild captains exchanged glances.

Unlike the nobles, they understood exactly what Thalric was saying.

Because everyone of them had buried companions before.

Every one of them had accepted missions with incomplete information before.

There were even times when they themselves were the source of wrongful information.

The Church representatives behind Malachi weren’t much different.

Several of their expressions softened as the discussion finally began moving away from accusations and back toward the matter at hand.

Only Gregory remained unconvinced.

And judging by the look in his eyes, grief wasn’t going to allow that to change anytime soon.

Thalric waited as he gave everyone a chance to speak after everything he said. However, many no longer looked nearly as eager to continue the argument.

Yet in that small window, a slow clap echoed throughout the room.

The sound immediately drew everyone’s attention toward Malachi.

The blindfolded man continued applauding for several moments before eventually lowering his hands.

”A wonderful speech.”

His smile somehow widened.

”As expected of the Guild Master. Even now, your concern remains focused upon the city rather than yourself. I believe our Heavenly Father would find that admirable.”

His words and tone were filled with praise, praise that would be taken as such by any rational person.

Few people within Ashenveil were more devoted to their faith than Malachi.

Ironically, that devotion was also why Thalric found him so difficult to tolerate.

Because Malachi genuinely believed everything he said. And he also believed in everything he did.

That was what made him dangerous.

Thalric knew better than most that Malachi rarely spoke without an agenda.

Sure enough, the blindfolded man continued.

”And in many ways, I agree with you.”

Several people looked surprised.

Even Gregory seemed caught off guard by the statement.

”No one here possesses all the answers.”

”No one here can say with certainty what should’ve been done.”

Malachi lightly folded his hands together.

”Only our Heavenly Father possesses such wisdom.”

The Church representatives behind him lowered their heads almost instinctively with clasped hands.

”If His servants have fallen, then there is purpose behind it. As painful as that may be for us to accept.”

”If they have returned to His embrace, then that too was according to His will.”

For a moment, the atmosphere softened.

”However... We eventually arrive at the same problem.”

His head tilted ever so slightly.

”The surviving adventurer.”

”Forgive me, Guild Master, but there is one aspect of this testimony that I find difficult to reconcile.”

His smile never faltered, and somehow it felt as if it widened more than before.

”The Church has spent centuries combating demons, curses, possession, and every manner of corruption imaginable. We have witnessed faithful men turned against their own families. We have seen entire villages manipulated without ever realizing it until it was far too late.”

His fingers tapped lightly against the table.

”And yet in all my years, I have never heard of a demon slaughtering an entire group only to spare a single witness for the sake of delivering a message.”

His gaze settled in Thalric’s direction.

”If this creature truly wished to provoke us, then allowing Varkesh to leave unscathed makes no sense.”

”And if it wished to remain hidden, then why reveal itself at all?”

Several members of the Church slowly nodded, followed by Malachi spreading his hands.

”The answer may very well be that everything Varkesh reported is true.”

”Or perhaps the answer is that something else occurred within that forest.”

”Something that even... Varkesh himself may not realize.”

”So I find myself wondering...”

Malachi folded his hands together.

”How do we know the beastkin wasn’t compromised?”

There it was. This was exactly why Thalric loathed this particular church member.

An accusation, made as a suggestion carefully wrapped in concern. The man was a master emotional manipulator without trying.

”I am not asking for punishment. Nor am I suggesting imprisonment.”

”I merely wish to ensure that the only witness to this tragedy has not been influenced by something beyond his understanding.”

He inclined his head slightly, while his voice remained as gentle as ever.

”Surely allowing one of our most faithful to perform an exorcism would be a reasonable precaution.”

”Unless, of course, someone has reason to fear what such a procedure might uncover.”