A Mother's Love
Lydia, followed by the kids and Ezekiel, who was carrying Kayn, entered the base's stable area where they found horses and a large carriage. With Lydia and Ezekiel sitting in the coachmen spots and the children inside the carriage, they set off.
Their first destination was a small town where the Vestarius mansion was nearby, to drop off Kayn and Lydia.
Ezekiel didn't forget to grab the mutilated, but still alive, counselor and torturer and strap them to a horse since their main stop was the capital, Havel. Once they reached Havel, the children would be dropped off with a slave collar expert who would take care of their situation from then on.
As for Ezekiel himself, he would bring the counselor to the imperial court in front of Emperor Carnet, ask for his leave, and drop off Yona in the dungeons. After that his role in this situation would be over just not necessarily in that order.
After traveling for some time, Ezekiel finally decided to ask Lydia what exactly had happened.
In a somber tone, Lydia began her tale "Well sir, the highest stage mage to join our group was a recruit from the guild. He suggested that we use a different route on the way back to prevent anyone with knowledge of our previous path to have set up an ambush.
"This sounded like a good idea, but all of us had been poisoned which affected our insides somehow, most likely the perpetrator infused foreign mana into our food. Due to our discomfort any idea sounded better than having to think more, we just wanted to get moving. Not even healing spells would work on it."
"Hmm, probably a wind attribute poison user then. They can constantly keep a poison around a group without being detected if they use the right one." Ezekiel nodded as he stated what came to his mind.
"Yes, and the ambush situation can confirm this. My guess is the leader of our group was the poisoner since I couldn't find him among those of our group when I was being taken." Lydia was scowling as she thought about the betrayal.
"Okay now, continue your story up until I arrived, I will do my best not to interrupt again."
"As you wish Sir. During our journey, a giant tornado of fire appeared, it was at least a tier 7 or 8 spell and the highest combat spell I know currently is tier 6. Not even Vena could counter it as she doesn't specialize in external spells. Then the gales of wind blowing inside the tornado where we were, began to emit a faint smell and everyone's mental facilities began to fade.
"I protected Kayn with my own spells to the best of my ability, but even my mind started to get affected. It was at this point that Feyat walked through the fire. Kayn stupidly, but bravely, charged toward him while stumbling and wielding his swords. Fortunately for him, Feyat used a low amount of strength and didn't kill him on the spot, but most of his rib cage was shattered by Feyat kicking him."
Lydia had to stop for a few minutes at this point since she had started to tear up again just remembering the scene. She had never been one who was on the front lines. She was always in a healing building or teaching institute. She didn't like to be in or around combat
"Ahem, anyway. After that Feyat declared he just wanted me, but took Kayn as well for assurance that I would comply with his demands seeing as how I cared about him.
"We arrived at the compound for his mercenary group and were taken into the room you found us. There the torturer, I believe you said her name was Yona, cut several lines from Kayn's shoulder to his hands and pulled his finger and toe nails out.
"Kayn somehow didn't pass out as I thought he would though, I don't know how you have raised such a child to be so full of willpower at his age. While Feyat was explaining what they wanted from me and my role, Kayn somehow used his ambient mana to slow down the bleeding from his wounds. Even while my mind was disturbed, I noticed this oddity."
Lydia decided to pause here for a minute since she needed to gather her thoughts for the next part. Ezekiel just let her think since he knew the important part was about to come.
"Feyat then allowed us to rest for the night and I was not supposed to use my mana to help Kayn, but he did say I could use what I had in my bag. I fed him several nutrient tonics and the one hyper-healing grade potion I had. I neglected to think about the repercussions of giving him that potion without him even having a first stage core.
"I then carried him to a bed that was in the corner and stayed near him. His condition seemed to be stabilizing and I figured he would be better by morning, so due to the accumulated exhaustion I soon lost consciousness as well.
"Kayn woke me up with his shivering. I noticed his body temperature was exceedingly high and only then did I remember the mana from the potion that was running rampant in his body. I woke Kayn up to prepare him for what was to come, but he asked me not to interfere unless he was about to die."
Lydia noticed Ezekiel's expression drop at this point, so she quickly continued before he could get angry with her
"Through this last year, I've come to realize that your so has insane ideas, but somehow, they work, at least most of the time. Even the organ transplant research I submitted was partially his idea. So, I trusted him as his Master and only maintained a distance where I could still respond in case of trouble.
"He somehow forced all of that mana toward his dantian and compressed it. I have no clue how he did it, and we can only wait until he awakens to ask him. Right when, according to my estimation, the compression ended and his mana core was formed, an explosion occurred. Black fire and lightning erupted out in a sphere around Kayn.
"Everything within 5m (16.5 ft) of him was destroyed. The fire wasn't normal, it ate everything that came into contact with it. It took me 75% of my mana and several different spells, including a tier 6 area control water spell, just to put it out."
As Lydia was shaking her head, Ezekiel was deep in thought. As someone who had in depth knowledge of fire, he had never heard of this kind of fire before.
"I then approached, and checked his condition. He was fine aside from some blood on his face and a greyish-black goop around his body. I used the distress signal while trying to put the fire out and you know the rest Sir."
Lydia finished her account of the events and Ezekiel only nodded to her before going deep into thought.
…
The rest of the return journey was spent in silence with the only stops they took were to prepare food for themselves and the children. Ezekiel could go for days without sleeping or eating, but the rest couldn't. They would stop to cook, but Ezekiel led the carriage day and night without rest, forcing everyone else to sleep and eat in the carriage.
Kayn hadn't woken up during this period and both Lydia and Ezekiel were beginning to worry about him. They assumed that the forceful compression of a mana core must have had a harsh backlash.
It took them about 15 days or a week and a half to arrive at the mansion. Zerana was waiting outside to receive her son once Ezekiel alerted her that they were close. She wanted to immediately and thoroughly check his condition even if Kayn had a renowned healer at his side.
Lydia and Ezekiel, who lifted Kayn, dismounted from their positions and walked to the mansion in front of them. While Ezekiel had a somber air about him, he carried Kayn inside after his wife gave him a kiss on the forehead. However, Lydia stopped in front of Zerana with her head down.
Before Lydia could open her mouth, a loud slap echoed across the plain, but immediately following that slap was a hug so tight around Lydia's body that she thought she would explode from the pressure.
"Lydia, I know you feel like you failed us and you have, so that slap was two-fold. First, to express my disappointment for my son being in danger. Second, to express my disappointment for you thinking it's all your fault when it certainly isn't. The hug is exactly because you saved my son and even gave up several precious and expensive resources just to keep him alive." Zerana smiled while tears started to form in her eyes as she heard everything from Ezekiel.
"I love my son, more than his father and more than myself even. He is more precious than any resource. We will happily compensate your losses. And before you can say no, hear out the next part of my requirements for you to gain my forgiveness.
"You must stay here, in this mansion, for the next few years. Ezekiel updated me with a communication crystal as to what happened. Now more than ever, Kayn will need his Master to guide him.
"Therefore, to keep you safe from targeted attempts on your person as well as providing my son with a good Master, you will stay here from now on. Naturally you will earn a commission and be provided anything else you need." Zerana was all smiles and standing tall as she stated her request that sounded more like a demand.
Lydia began to tear up once again as she responded, "Thank you, thank you! I will gladly take this position. Thank you for still allowing me to teach Kayn and providing me the opportunity to atone for my sins. Also, thank you for providing me a safe place until this can all settle down."
Lydia finally gave in to her wobbling legs and fell against Zerana, hugging and crying into her chest since that's just where her height brought her to. After Ezekiel had placed Kayn in his bed and covered him with blankets, he exited the mansion, appearing in front of Lydia and his wife.
"Zerana, I'll be heading into the capital for a few hours to take care of the children…and the scum." Ezekiel kissed his wife before getting back onto the carriage and leading the horses to the capital, Havel.
…
Ezekiel dropped the children off with an enchanter/inscriptionist who was specialized in removing slave collars and informed an investigator about the situation. The investigator would then take care of the children after the removal of the collars. Afterward, Ezekiel grabbed both Yona and Niskew by the back of their necks and dragged them into the Imperial castle.
Throwing Yona in front of the dungeon guards and commanding them to take her to the lowest section for torture until death, he walked to the throne room while still dragging along the maimed body of Niskew.
The guards allowed him to enter into the room after seeing his face. Once the Emperor noticed Ezekiel and the torso he was dragging along, he kicked everyone else out of the room.
As Ezekiel kneeled and lowered his head at a respectful distance, he brought forward Niskew and threw him toward the throne. "This scum was caught in the act of performing forbidden magics and also abducted a royal healer, who was loyal enough to the Empire to share the results of a new personal spell that this man wanted to take advantage of."
As the Emperor looked down at his subject he opened his mouth, "I see, you have done well General. The Empire will compensate you fairly for your service in ridding our territory of a forbidden magic practitioner. You may leave."
Before Ezekiel stood up however, he brought forward his request. "Respectfully your Majesty, instead of compensation, I would like to have a few years of leave to spend with my family. I've been very busy lately, even before my children were born, and would like to spend some time with them before they forget about me. However, if a war were to arise, I would respond to your call immediately."
Thinking about it for a few minutes the Emperor waved his hand nonchalantly and simply said "Granted."
At this Ezekiel thanked the Emperor and exited the hall to go find a horse to get back home. He could fly, but he was feeling in a good mood and also particularly lazy. Especially since he didn't hear the words currently being spoken in the room he just left.
…
Back in the throne room the Emperor looked down upon the mangled torso of former Counselor Niskew.
"You failed me Niskew. You even almost exposed my involvement. It's good you kept your mouth shut while Ezekiel was still here, now your death will only be slightly less painful."
After saying his piece, the Emperor summoned a tomb made of earth around the once counselor and began to crush him slowly, but not as slowly as he would, had he given up vital info about him.