Interrogating her

Henry and the others met up at the centree before starting their daily schedules. This was a moment that he has been waiting for. That is to interrogate Madel.

"Hi guys!" Cheska greeted.

"Oh, Cheska, I thought you went to the Capital for the selection of wife for the crown prince" Helen asked.

"yes, I did, but I went back as soon as the banquet was over."

"Who was selected as the crown princess?" Henry asked.

Helen looked at her with anticipation. Madel was also curious.

"I do not know. The palace did not announced it last night. They said that a formal marriage proposal letter will be sent in the clan of the chosen young miss." Cheska explained.

"That's very private of the palace. Why hadn't they announced it?" Helen asked.

"I don't know too, I left as soon as they declared that the selection was over."

Cheska glanced at Madel. That very moment she was not interested in what is the hottest gossip in the palace. She was more interested to know about the dark forest.

Feeling surprised, Madel gave an innocent questioning expression.

They looked at her simultaneously.

"I don't think that you will be getting off this table without answering our questions" Cheska said with a slight grin and naughty look.

Madel left confused.

Henry smiled. "Question number 1. Is there any human in the dark forest?" He really made a list of all his questions in case he forget.

She could not even process what was going on when she saw the paper that he was holding.

Madel looked at the list and gave a big laugh. It was a long list. She looked at them with "are you serious?" expression.

Her friends were serious. Their silence and determined gazes confirmed that.

"No, I am the only one living in the dark forest." She replied.

"Question number 2. Do you know how the beast hall perished and when?"

"Jiha told me that when I was a baby, a group of shadows attacked the beast hall. All the humans who are in the dark forest perished that day except for me." She shook her head as she saw Cheska's nod. The young miss was certainly pleased by Henry's preparation.

" " they gave a long pause waiting for Madel to disclose further.

"My parents died that day as well. They said that to save me, they sent Jiha to hide and protect me."

A moment of silence clothed the area. When Madel told them that she was an orphan they did not thought of asking her how she felt, what happened, if she was okay. They simply absorbed the information like a sponge. Now, hearing that side of the story made them wonder how she felt.

"Do you feel lonely living in the forest all by yourself?" Helen asked.

"I was used to live alone Helen, ever since I can remember. If it wasn't for you, I would not have experienced having someone, a human, to rely on." She said sincerely.

Her words deeply touched their hearts. It was the same for all of them. Being odd on their own special or unique circumstances made them recluse. The society does not seem to accept the deviation from the traditional practice. Before meeting each other, they were alone and unaccepted.

"Okay question number three. Did you know, how, when, who raised the celestial barrier?"

"No, Jiha said that the day that shadows came to attack us, someone raised the celestial barrier to push out the shadows and prevent them from coming back"

"Do you know what kind of barrier was protecting the dark forest Madel?"

"Celestial barrier" She replied. "It was written in history books of the Jilai City. Even a small child knows about it."

"The celestial barrier which covers the entire dark forest Madel comes from the spiritual power of the being who activated it."

Madel nodded like she could understand everything.

"It means that the individual who activated it has been supplying his own spiritual power to maintain it."

Madel nodded again.

Cheska was observing Madel's expression. She always wore that blunt affect. She could at least be shocked, curious or something but she was nodding her head like she does not have anything to do with the matter.

"Do you know, just how much spiritual power is needed to maintain it Madel?" Henry asked.

"Nope, I don't know anything about spiritual power, zhenqi or something" She said.

Madel never denied that she was not taught about how to cultivate and any matters regarding cultivation. Formation or other things.

"Madel, judging from the size of the dark forest even my grandfather wound not be able to activate one, or even sustain it."

"Really? You grandfather is the strongest man here in Furintian country." Madel blurted out.

"A celestial barrier could only be activated by a celestial beings" Cheska said.

"Oh, maybe a celestial being has appeared in the country then." Madel said non-chalantly.

Cheska and Henry shook their heads. The point was that there was a person with an overwhelming strength who was protecting something or someone in the dark forest. That alone gives a lot of intrigue, but Madel did not cared even for a bit. Same, when Francis said that the world was about to end, she simply reminded them about the food.

[being in a group of oddballs can be tiring sometimes] Francis smiled helplessly. Even though he was foreign in Planet Rosetha, at least he has the grasp the situation. The point is Celestial beings would not be wasting their energy for nothing. There is something big about the dark forest.

"Huh." Henry took a deep breath to relieve his frustration. "Okay next question"

The question went on until lunch time. Madel answered their queries honestly. It turns out that she did not know anything. But, through her observations she shared that the celestial beasts are practicing battle techniques and formation day and night. The information bothered Henry and Cheska.

"What was their purpose of doing that Madel? Are they preparing for an upcoming battle?" Cheska asked.

Madel halted and thought a little. Looking at her Cheska's eyes, she immediately knew that she touched a question which should not be asked.

Madel smiled at them. "I will invite you again to my humble home next time. I think we should finish our planned tasks for the day."