The next day, the harpy left its home cladded in his council member attire, as he made his way to the place.
As soon as he got to the palace, he saw that everyone was already waiting for him so he bowed before moving to the center to present his case "I got a message from our scout about the current situation of the humanity kingdom and the bad mental state of their king Erik"
The harpy proceeded to inform Ursula everything he knew before Ursula nodded "We have reimburse our scout for her hard work, Find her a pendant with similar effect that can guarantee her safety"
The harpy nodded as he went back to his position, Looking around the court Ursula said "It seems our subsidiary human kingdom the people of the sun were not of much help to Silas case"
Iris spoke up this time "I may have any idea after hearing the current report"
Ursula looked at her gesturing for her to continue "It has been proven to be a fact that Silas manipulation is something not detectable by magic, yet we all are stuck trying to use magic to solve something that already shows it isn’t magical"
"This leads to my other hypothesis which is that his manipulation is something biological, innate within those that fall under his puppetry. What if in some way, he doesn’t apply any manipulation tactics instead it is more like a natural thing for under his control to fall under it" Iris said as she looked at everyone’s confused face.
Iris found it hard to explain her thought so she said "We always have thought that Silas manipulation strips the person of their will and mind, my hypothesis is the opposite of that, which is that he doesn’t strip their will instead he commands them and they obey like he planted a switch inside of them"
"How is that possible, for the method you suggest to work that means that he must have had to take many away from their home with no one noticing to do whatever you are suggesting he did to them" Ursula said.
Bernard the stubborn old man also shook his head "That many people can’t go missing without raising an alarm so while there is some sense in what you are saying, it’s impossible for that to happen"
Kael the youngest council member spoke up "What if Silas didn’t have to take people away from there home instead he helped added to the population of the humanity kingdom"
There was a moment of silence after Kael words even Iris was taken back as things began making sense to her as she looked at Bernard remembering his words "How can humans under the kingdom led by a demon be normal humans?"
The humanity kingdom in its early days took in humans from different parts of their continent to be able to grow to the size it was now. Erik and Silas enmity has been there since the Harpies learnt of the two existence, considering Silas race such an underhanded method isn’t below him.
Iris’s eyes widened as she absorbed Kael’s suggestion. "That makes sense. Silas could have seeded his influence within the population from the very beginning. He wouldn’t need to abduct anyone; he could simply let his followers integrate naturally into the society, unnoticed and undetected."
Ursula nodded slowly, her expression grave. "If Silas has had agents planted within the kingdom for generations, his influence would be deeply entrenched. These agents might not even be aware of their true allegiance until he activates them."
Bernard frowned, his stubbornness giving way to reluctant understanding. "So, these people would appear entirely normal until Silas flips this ’switch’ and they start obeying his commands without question. But how do we identify them? How do we break his hold over them?"
Iris had a look of hesitation on her face which Ursula caught, Kael also did and he seemed to have an idea on what Iris was about to ask, all he did was narrowed his eyes looking at Ursula.
"Do you have an idea, Iris?" Ursula asked.
Iris looked at Ursula before sighing "I do have an idea but It may not sit right with your highness"
Ursula frowned but gestured for Iris to continue. Iris hesitated again before sighing before she spoke with her head down no daring to look at Ursula "Since we are in the thought process Silas issue being biological, I request for a batch of humans, dozen or maybe less to dissect and finding out the root problem from their genetic makeup"
The silence this time was much worse than when Kael spoke up, Every Harpy here knew of their Queen/Mother kind and gentle soul, so they already knew their queen answer after Iris words but to everyone surprise they all got an answer that cause all of them to look at Ursula with wide opened eyes.
"Okay" Urusla said in response to Iris’ request.
Iris, Bernard, and Kael were taken back by the response. They all responded with "Huh?"
Ursula rolled her eyes at their antics, "You heard me, I agree but"
Hearing but made all the Harpy took a sigh of relief but quickly paid attention to here Ursula words "The humans hand picked for your research must have a thorough background check on them, find those humans sinful and scorned by their own people, Leave any human proven innocent alone"
Iris nodded, a mix of relief and determination on her face. "Understood, your highness. We will ensure that only those deemed truly reprehensible by their own society are chosen."
"Now can you inform us on why you need humans to dissect?" Ursula asked.
Iris nodded excitedly "I have always wanted to dig deeper into the very make up of every being but till now I have only had access to the dead body of Harpies who agreed to the process, now an opportunity to learn of another make of a new race is hard to pass by" Iris was about to rant off but caught herself as she noticed the look on Ursula face.
Coughing to cover up her embarrassment, Iris said "It is so that I can find the possible switch left by Silas. If there really is a switch then it will will seen as the body of the compromise will show its difference from normal humans"
Ursula considered this for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Proceed with caution, Iris. This is uncharted territory, and we must remain vigilant."
Kael once again spoke up "If this really is as we thought then the current alliance between the sun kingdom and the humanity kingdom will end very soon"
Ursula looked at Kael and asked "Why do you say that?"
Kael had a scholarly aura as he said "From our history book and origin of the sun kingdom, no human was accepted from other parts of the continent. The book states that we found an alliance of villages who were against the idea of Silas and Erik so we offered them up which happened that they grew to the current sun kingdom"
"If Silas manipulation really works by him sending out minions then there was no way for him to have sent one to the sun kingdom as they never took in other humans" Kael said, causing Bernard to look at him up and down before nodding.
Ursula sighed "We worry about that later, for now let us solve Silas problem"
Back in the human kingdom, Erik sat in his chambers, staring blankly at the reports and maps scattered across his desk. The priest had tried his best with the purification ritual, but it had only provided temporary relief. Erik’s mind still felt like a battlefield, his thoughts a chaotic swirl of paranoia and fear.
Jonas entered the room quietly, carrying a tray with some food and a steaming cup of herbal tea. "Father, you need to eat something. You haven’t had a proper meal in days."
Erik glanced up, his eyes haunted. "I can’t, Jonas. How can I think of food when everything is falling apart?"
Jonas set the tray down and took a seat across from his father. "Because you need your strength to fix things. Starving yourself won’t help anyone. We need you to be strong, to lead us through this."
Erik sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know if I can do this, Jonas. I don’t even trust myself anymore. What if I hurt you or your mother again?"
Jonas reached out and took his father’s hand. "We’re here for you. You don’t have to do this alone. Let us help you. Let us be your strength when you feel weak."
At that moment, a soft knock came at the door. One of the guards stepped in, bowing slightly. "My lord, there are visitors from the harpy kingdom. They say they have come to help."
Erik heard that Immediately perked up, as he ordered out loud "Have them wait in the place room, keep them entertained. I will be only my way after cleaning up"