The tension in the air became thick, to such a point that it felt insufferable standing still within the room. Xerxes took a step back, with Airi's words replaying a rhythmic tune of 'alien', whilst Aemon stood there.
"Is it true, Aemon? You inherited your powers from a god?"
Xerxes questioned why he felt a harrowing feeling. It wasn't the fact that he thought of 'gods' as punishing and cruel—it was something different.
It was the mystery that lingered from the past. If what Airi suspected was true, then maybe Aemon was one of the last people to understand what The Great War of Succession really meant.
It made sense, from the subtle comments he made to Leiya about his time learning magic, and especially from the way he carried himself in battle.
There was something distinct about his method of combat. Xerxes wasn't any expert by any means, but he understood that Aemon was unlike anything he had ever seen or even heard of before.
This was also in comparison to reports of the strongest mages of the continent, nonetheless.
After a few seconds, Aemon flatly responded, "Yes, what Airi is saying is correct. I am not a man, nor am I a god, though. I am something in between those worlds. I am an apostle. I was one, anyway."
Those were exactly the words that Xerxes needed to hear—words that made Aemon more revered than he already was.
Then it all clicked for Xerxes. He knew what the power was.
"Your power, Aemon, it's the power of 'truth', right? It's why your eyes turn different, how you know the truth instantly, and your name. Your name is inherited from the god Airi spoke of?"
Leiya equally shared the same scepticism. Did she not even know about this? Was this all a secret? And if so, who knew?
Did Conrad know? Aliya? Leiya's voice came out shaky but still demanding.
"Grandpa, I don't doubt you're telling the truth, and I want to say it doesn't make me see you any differently."
She chuckled as she spoke, "In fact, you're even more badass. But I want as much of the picture of what we are and who you are before I accept this."
Aemon sat down on the floor and looked up at the ceiling.
"Leiya, I will give you answers for what you want specifically, but there is something that disallows me from speaking on the exact contents of the war."
Confused by this statement, Xerxes questioned, "Why can't you? Is it your age causing you to forget?"
By his demeanour, Xerxes seemed quite serious, but Aemon couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that he wished Xerxes was correct about it being his age.
Although it wasn't. It was something more potent and tormenting than simply age.
"It is a curse. A curse placed on those from the war that binds us to the past without ever being able to escape it. Every day, I recall it, but the greatest punishment is knowing that there is nothing I can do to forget it."
A curse that didn't allow the people of the war to speak on it? This didn't even sound remotely close to what ordinary magic could do.
From what Xerxes knew, mana had four key fundamentals: the basic elements, then the augmentation elements (which Aemon had given him insight on), soul shards (which were dropped from mana beasts and even humans), and finally, artifacts.
However, 'curses' were on a whole different scale of reality that he could have imagined—and Aemon was a bearer of the curse.
He glanced at Airi. His thoughts were as obscure as they could be, but something felt strange. He was convinced that she was unlike anything before. Her mana felt entirely different.
Was this because of her status as an 'ancient beast', or was it something entirely different? To even identify that Aemon inherited power from a god was one feat he never even knew was possible—and to do it with such ease, to the point he thought it was a relaxed level of ease, made him all the more unsure.
Regardless of the answer, Xerxes couldn't pursue that path because Airi couldn't recollect her memories.
Leiya asked, "How did you meet or even inherit this god?"
Aemon took a deep breath before he initiated the long story of what his life was like before everything.
"The original God of Truth was a member of a specific clan that has long since died, dubbed 'The Aurora'. In terms of explaining this, it will be vague due to the curse, but put simply, I was put under his wing."
"Why? It was because of my prowess. We, as humans, were merely infants in understanding what mana truly meant. Soul cores had only been cultivated 10–20 years prior, and those who were the most proficient were able to rise within their respective nations."
"As for me, it was a race between me and my brother, Yves. I promised him that we would both gain the power of gods. Why I had this endeavour? It was because of your great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Leiya."
"My mother and father were both subjected to the frightening desires of mankind, and this was through the discovery of mana. You see, sometimes people are better off ignorant than understanding what they are capable of."
"Why I say this is because once someone understands how far they can go, they will want to go further—and this was true for humans. My parents were respected tradesmen, and sometimes people can't control their greed."
"With mana around to facilitate that greed and turn it into a weapon, people sure did—and they were murdered for all their riches. This prompted my brother and me to grow stronger."
"Of course, the way to do that was through becoming strong—learning how to walk amongst the monsters but with even more strength than they had because the world was simply unfair."
"The world didn't value other forms of merit. The world assumed your position based on how much blood you could draw from your enemy and how long your wits kept you alive. That was true for us in my time, at least."
"In that world, Yves was consumed by rage and wanted to change the world, and the only way of doing that was through becoming an apostle. This was something that hadn't been explored much, but it was a possibility."
"I, too, wanted to change the world—not out of anything stemming from revenge, but for a better tomorrow. I wanted some semblance of peace and balance, and over time, I grew stronger and closer to what I thought that foolish ideal was."
"Then I got what I wanted. I became an apostle. As a result, my master had bestowed his power upon me, and I became extremely stronger. At that moment, I was at least stronger than a Tier 1 mage by an insurmountable gap."
"However, my brother—my brother wasn't as powerful as I had become. And beyond that gap was him, still looking to his elder brother for guidance. Yet I wasn't looking back at him; I only looked forward."
"I chose to trade power and my ideals, not realising I had lost what had made me human—and that was family. The only family I had left. War stewed, and just a few months later, in the War of Succession, I had lost him."
"The war was something that forged who we really were and showed what we were. I suppose it showed me something significant about myself—and that is the truth that I am a coward."
"I ran away from the war. Those were the orders that the God of Truth had given me. Sometimes orders can be difficult to follow, but I wish—if I could go back in time—I would have stayed with him."
"I ran away from responsibility. I ran away from my goal, and for some reason, I was rewarded. I was rewarded with my master's eyes."
Aemon's eyes began glowing that sapphire hue—Xerxes wasn't sure he could get used to it—as the room itself seemed terrified and trembled in what resembled fear.
"I ran to the fallen kingdom, far away from danger, which is quite ironic, and used the power extensively to create this city, where I would go on to bring a few survivors. We forged this kingdom, and eventually, I married a woman some hundred years later. Then Conrad was born—and now you, Leiya."
"Being able to consume the power of a god is the pinnacle of what anyone could do, but over time, it had become tenuous. This is because, Xerxes, there is order in this world—and that states that we could never step into their world."
"They lived in a world different to ours. They fought battles more powerful than ours, and they were so amazing that the humans of the time recognised them as their gods."
"So that is a simplified nutshell. The Aemon Truth of 700 years ago was a force to be reckoned with, but now I am paying my penance. this is because of the backlash of that power and of my cowardice."
Aemon then revealed the devastating news that would grow to pierce Leiya's very soul.