Supreme Magus novel Chapter 4440

Chapter 4440: Death by a Thousand Cuts (Part 2)

"What’s the matter, young lady? Don’t you know that you won’t grow as strong and tall as your dad if you skip your meals?" Orion’s soft voice and loving gaze made the baby girl cry harder.

Dripha would recognize those eyes amid thousands.

"Guys, give us a minute." Orion said.

"Take all the time you need." Kamila replied. "Val, Ely, and Ral will be happy to see their family."

"I swear, Mom, I did everything as you taught me." Friya said. "Dripha acted completely normal until the afternoon snack. When she didn’t see you coming back, she got upset and refused to calm down."

"Is it true, young lady?" Jirni asked, and Dripha nodded while sucking avidly from her baby bottle.

"You’re right, dear. She’s way smarter than a normal child her age." Jirni sighed. "Dripha can tell us from our holograms."

"How is this possible?" Orion asked.

"I don’t know." She replied. "It might be anything. Maybe it’s Manohar’s last gift to me. Something similar to whatever he did to Marth. He’s been my rejuvenator for over a year and modified my body to give me an edge on Deirus.

"Or maybe it’s just whatever is in Lustria’s water. No offense, Elina, but Surin isn’t normal either."

"None taken." Elina shook her head.

Orion and Jirni took turns feeding and reassuring the baby girl until she fell into a peaceful slumber.

"Please, keep us posted." Orion’s heart bled as he had to pry his finger out of his daughter’s hand. "We’ll come back as soon as we can if Dripha stops eating again."

Later, when the baby girl woke up and noticed the disappearance of her parents, she was both saddened and relieved. Saddened because she missed them, and relieved because she believed that as long as she learned how to use the Water Store, they would come back.

***

Lith’s group used the Mirror Warp to cover most of the distance separating them from Manar County and reach their destination with a small delay. Kamila asked Countess Manar for clarifications she didn’t need, while Jirni asked the nearest branch of the Association for a good hotel.

It was almost dinnertime at the Morrigan’s Lake when the Constables put all the pieces of the puzzle together. The picture they painted was unsettling, and the too many blanks left only made it worse.

"I can’t be certain of anything at this point, but if there is a conspiracy afoot, it’s a well-thought-out and timed one." Jirni compiled the data in simple graphs and paragraphs that even a layman could understand.

"As Lith became more famous and influential, crime became less profitable in Lustria. The smartest cartels started disbanding or moving away ever since Lith became the Supreme Magus.

"Trains, Tablets, and everything else dried up an already shallow pond, leaving the criminals no other choice but to leave or be arrested. The rise in crime rates in Lustria’s neighboring counties is just a natural consequence of that, and to be honest, it’s something the local lords should have predicted and prepared for."

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