Yarin's POV:
Leaving aside the chaos in the middle, the intercession station appeared peaceful when we
once again reached the border. The disaster from a few years ago had become history. Employees were diligently performing their duties, and there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.
But the absence of anything unusual was the most unusual thing.
Would Linda do nothing?
So, as I watched the tranquil scene before me, my growing unease intensified.
"Contact my mother, ask her and Aunt Dorothy to be careful," I said. "If Linda isn't here, she's likely heading straight for the Lycan pack. This could be another scheme to 'walk the dog,
As we couldn't rule out the danger at the border, we increased security personnel and alerted Jasper. Regardless of the higher-ups, these hardworking employees shouldn't suffer the consequences of a groundless disaster.
The Silver Moon Pack was bustling as usual, now even more prosperous due to foreign investments. The noisy city advanced with determination, unwilling to give any passerby a second glance. Everyone hurried about, striving for their futures. Their eagerness and hope felt so genuine that no traces of wrongdoing could be seen in the streets and alleys.
Would it be the Silver Moon Pack or the Lycan pack? Which place would Linda choose as Azazel's 'graveyard'?
At that moment, Heller informed me that his sparrow friends had discovered some suspicious traces.
We captured these individuals at our old meeting spot.
The estate where we had temporarily stayed that year was now deserted. The Silver Moon Family evidently didn't reside here permanently. Even though someone had been taking good care of the place, it still exuded an eerie emptiness.
The appearance of these 'thieves' right before me left my thoughts in disarray. 'Gunpowder' Ian and 'Seagull' Tilda - what were they doing here? Were they following Linda, or had they gone solo like Marty?
Surprisingly, this time, they did not attempt to escape; instead, they vaguely conveyed a sense of urgency, as if deliberately exposing themselves to lure us in.
Before we could interrogate them, they immediately revealed their purpose.
"Linda's gone mad, and we don't want to die," Ian said, his frustration evident as he struggled against his restraints. "Don't bother testing my sincerity. That dog Marty is here too, right? He's our proof."
I called for Marty, and he quickly distanced himself from the two. "No, no, I have nothing to do with these idiots. They've always been loyal followers of Linda and that one. My suggestion is to kill them immediately to prevent any complications."
Ian cursed angrily, "Damn you! I should've killed you back then!"
Marty promptly said, "You see, he's showing his true colors."
Even after leaving the Lily of the Valley, these two couldn't shake their habit of scheming against each other. I wasn't interested in mediating conflicts between criminals. I turned to Tilda, who had remained silent. "Tell me your true purpose, you only have this one chance." Tilda said, "Our purpose is simple: we would rather not be buried with a lunatic. The Lily of the Valley is finished; Ram and Anthony are dead and won't be the last. Linda is going to extreme lengths for that one now. She wants to drag everyone along to accompany her dear father in death, but we don't want to die."
"Do you know that even if you surrender, the werewolf pack won't forgive the sins you've committed in the past?"
Tilda seemed indifferent to this. "At least that's a normal way to die. But to accompany an evil god? I haven't devoutly reached the point of sacrificing my soul."
She spoke confidently, but how many innocent souls had they harmed in the past? Marty, Ian, and Tilda, all of them had been the backbone of Bellflower House, executing countless nefarious tasks, and their selfish and ruthless nature, as it appeared, remained. They thought I was a soft-hearted fool who could be fooled with a few words.
Unfortunately for them, when it came to their lives, my thoughts aligned with Linda's.
So, I agreed to offer them protection in exchange for their information and assistance. The three weren't naive; they demanded that I perform a binding oath magic to ensure I wouldn't go back on my word. They were wary of me changing my mind.
I complied readily, feeling the commitment imprinted in my spirit's realm, shining brightly in the goddess's garden.
Illusions didn't exist; they couldn't provide any commitment or face any punishment. No matter how powerful the magic, once it melded with illusions, it became like a reflection in a mirror, visible but untouchable.
The ultimate interpretation of this commitment would always be in my hands, just and fair, without violating any rules.