The Arks

"But she"s just a child!" argued the Earl.

"Give her the chance to get out of her sh.e.l.l, to see the world. To let her know and witness how vile a person could be to accomplish their goals. To let her realize that she had been following the wrong faith."

"But that"s her..."

"And that family could be the ones harming you instead of helping you," explained Gab, promptly shutting the Earl up.

The Baron was harsh when dealing with the youngster. His tone did not harbor a single ounce of mercy as he peered deep within the girl"s facade. He was well aware that if the Valkyrie did not see her mistake, the entire system of the Arks was bound to collapse.

The Valkyrie had been ratted out for trying to protect another person before. It ended very badly for both parties. And this was not the first she was acting upon her feelings as well.

Baldwin"s information was not only wrong, but it was very misleading. If the Baron had not unearthed the truth, Mavislin would have allowed the Umbras to get away with their villainy. If anything, the Baron felt that Baldwin was trying to sabotage the entire human race.

After all, it was the humans that caused so much grief for Baldwin. Killing his daughter, it was enough to make any being spiral out of control in heartache. Perhaps, he"d done it for revenge. Conclusively, the Mages only needed the planet to survive. They did not need the inhabitants.

But the way that Baldwin had gone about doing it was loathsome in the Baron"s view. Using an innocent child as a scapegoat, Gab nearly puked at the thought of it. By coaching her at a tender age, Baldwin had the chance to brainwash the poor girl.

It was most likely the reason why the Valkyrie felt betrayed. Why she had tried to deny the truth that was right in front of her. Because she had put her faith in that man. The man who taught her so many things, that brought her up when her parents could not.

Children could be used as tools with the right guidance. They are very susceptible when it comes to learning. With the appropriate environment, a parent could turn a child into a weapon. A perfect killer, one with no emotions.

Though the Valkyrie was one of the leaders, Mavislin had the least experience when it comes to leadership. If she was faced with someone she knew, she would still hold back. She had nearly sacrificed her wing when facing the Time Mage a few days ago.

She could have killed the princess and Raiyen. But she was reluctant, since she still sees Raiyen as a brother, as an ally. Indeed, she was still young compared to the rest.

Sure, the Baron was right. But how could Baldwin, of all people, lie to her? Mavislin found that hard to accept. The times that they spent together, learning, cooking, playing... Were others so selfish? Or was she too naive for her good? There was no way...

The Valkyrie kept blaming herself for being so weak and foolish. And now, faced with the truth, she was inert on how to answer. She despised this feeling, the feeling of being used. She then slammed on the stone table, causing the Earl to be shocked.

Baldwin knew that her weakest point was her emotions. By toying with her like this, Baldwin knew he could get away with it. No one could blame a child for those crimes, right? Well, tell that to the kids that have been used to give power to others.

To h.e.l.l with it, she thought. She was the leader of the fiercest department within the Arks. There was no need to crumble under pressure. And if she wanted to, she can use her feelings as an advantage. Since Baldwin has force-feeding her the wrong information, then she will find a way to get payback.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. After all, the anger between for despising someone for doing heinous crimes is nothing compared to a betrayal. If the Baron wanted her answer, then it"s an answer that he will get. Mavislin stood straight and studied the Baron before answering.

"Think of the most selfish reason you could ever come up with," replied the Valkyrie, who was about to explode with anger.

"Saving his kin, eh? Typical. Humans are guilty of that as well. We are no strangers towards this sort of thing. I"ve seen the many atrocities that the Mages have done in the past. This kind of matter is small in your eyes," explained Gab, looking at the Valkyrie in solemnity.