THIEF OF BREAN (VOL-1)|✓

SCARLET SCREAMS- XXXIV

"The imperial city of Velibhor is a myth."

Carl loved myths. They always had two possibilities hanging behind them. Either the myth was really a myth, or, the myth being a myth was a myth.

Every myth ever said was a mystery. Every myth ever said had a face of truth and of lie. And there was nothing more fascinating than something that had two faces. So was the imperial city of Velibhor-Carl was already curious.

"You seem to know a lot about Neve," Rhett scoffed at Giles. Although he looked mellow, rolling a paper weight between his fingers, his tone was taut.

"I have been living here for six years-"

"Yeah right." Rhett plonked the paper weight on the desk and sat straight. "Six years can only tell you about myths. Not real history."

"You think it's not?" Carl intervened.

"As a native of Neve-no."

"Rhett, I know you are still ten in your head. But you need to grow up here. We are discussing a serious case."

"You think that old man was ten too?"

"He didn't seem to know what he was talking. Besides, he was not arguing about a city lying in the crest of a mount and a mafia ring staying there. I mean it is insane."

"But he has seen someone going up the mountain side road, hasn't he?"

"He was old. You see weird things when you are that old."

Carl ignored them and flipped the pages of the official archives on Mount Lucan. According to Gree mythology, Velibhor was supposed to be a settlement spread through the Gree woodlands located on the crest of Mount Lucan. It was conclusively stated to be nothing more than some type of lore by the historians.

"You want to turn down an eye-witness just because you want to make a point?" Rhett countered.

"It says here that the mount is unsuitable for human habitation," Carl mentioned as he read through the archive.

"Exactly the reason I said that the old man was wrong," Giles asserted.

Rhett screwed his face. "You are a double faced man, did you know?"

Giles shunned his scorn like he did most of the time and turned to Carl. "There have been reports of frequent ice storms and earthquakes on the crest. Town Reevs that fall to the south of the mount has been suffering from landslides since ages. The ranch on the southern foot of the mount has been forsaken for the same reason, also the weather conditions on the crest is said to be extremely unfavourable for human inhabitation."

"The Gree had lived there for ages," Rhett adduced.

"No one knows it for real."

Rhett raised his arms in submission. Embittered, he flumped back onto the chair, picking up a paperweight he began to roll it between his fingers.

Carl did not like this heated debate to be ended in such a bitter note. "You cannot snub an eye-witness just like that, Major Branners," he resumed it.

"I am not. I am just trying to be rational here. Maybe that old man got confused. Aud Bigge could be staying in one of the villages in the valleys... but not Mount Lucan."

Carl gave a quick thought about it. "How many villages were there?"

"Six. A team of Sentinels are already conducting an enquiry. I am sure once-"

"Already?" Rhett gushed in surprise. "Giles, even if this Aud man got the slightest hint that the military was looking for him, which he will, he is going to flee the place. What kind of a right-minded officer would send Sentinels in their uniforms to look for a criminal? Have you still not gotten it, Giles, this man has always been ten steps ahead of the military. And he is going to be ahead until you keep doing stupid mistakes."