2928 Lies and Truth (Part 2)

"Or are you still unaware of how she played us for fools? Xedros was her puppet all along, not the other way around. Thrud didn't save us. She used us!" Ufyl had learned the truth from the Council while Leegaain had revealed everything to the rest of the Divine Beasts.

It was a hard pill to swallow right after losing their freedom, but it was necessary to break the chains that still bound them to the Mad Queen and help them turn over a new leaf.

It had taken everyone a long while to accept the truth. Most of the former Generals still tried to rationalize Thrud's actions even after Leegaain had restored the memories that the slave array suppressed.

Accepting that their hero was actually their jailer and that every precious memory they had of the time spent together was built on a lie was more than the lost Divine Beasts could take.

They had endured grueling training and painful experiments. They had experienced the agony of death time and time again. They had betrayed their respective families and slain countless innocents, and for what?

Not to defeat the corrupt Council and free the people of the Kingdom from the tyranny of a usurper, but to further the delusions of grandeur of a madwoman.

"I didn't surrender out of cowardice." Ufyl continued as soon as he could see from the faces of his friends that his words had sunken in. "I just wanted to give meaning to the atrocities that we suffered and those we perpetrated.

"My death would have solved nothing. I offered my life to atone for my crimes and give the Council the chance to put Thrud's experiments to good use.

"If the Hydras find a way to evolve into Divine Beasts, sooner or later the rest of the Lesser species are going to do the same and countless youths will be spared the cruelty of their so-called masters.

"No one will be afraid to be sacrificed like it happened to us. If I just rolled over and died, everything would have been for nothing. History would have remembered us as the foolish pawns of the Mad Queen.

"I've let the whole Mogar know that we were victims of Thrud's machinations as much as everyone else. I've reconnected with my family and I'm doing my best to earn forgiveness during this lifetime.

"What have you achieved so far that you have the right to judge me? What do you plan to do with your lives from now on aside from obeying a new master while trapped in a new jail?"

The truth of his words shattered the comfortable blanket of self-pity with which the lost Divine Beasts had shrouded themselves, making them lower their gaze in shame.

"Speak for yourself. Vyla and I didn't hide nor cower." Ophya, the blonde handmaiden said. "We shielded Lord Valeron with our bodies when the Golden Griffon was falling apart and after that moment, we have lived in the Desert with him."

Salaark had brought them with her to help the baby adapt to the transition to the new home and to judge the two human women, finding them trustworthy.

"We've never helped Thrud or been part of her schemes." Vyla, the brunette chimed in. "Our deal was simple. We would have protected her baby and in turn, she would have taught us how to survive in the outside world.

"We have served the Mad Queen and then the Overlord with loyalty even after you took Valeron from us, Lord Verhen. Why don't you let us live with you?"

"It's complicated." Lith said with a sigh.

Having two Awakened women as beautiful as them in Lutia would have been a major hassle and their lack of common sense would have made everything worse. Were they to let slip Thrud's name or Valeron's identity, it would have been a nightmare.

Last, but not least, Lith didn't trust them with the existence of the tower and he didn't want the trouble to find a plausible excuse every time he brought the children with him to the Trawn woods.

"Complicated how?" Vyla asked in confusion. "Don't you have housemaids and nannies in the Kingdom?"

"We do, but they can't kill a man with a slap or bend metal with their bare hands. You guys draw too much attention and Lutia is not the Desert." Lith replied.

"I doubt we are more impressive than a Divine Beast like you." Ophya countered soberly. "Also, we are inexperienced, not stupid. Living among normal people is the best way for us to learn how to act like them."

"I can vouch for that." Leegaain said. "After you took Valeron, they have taken good care of Shargein. Their only problem is that don't do well with crowds. Syrook first and Thrud later always kept Vyla and Ophya isolated.

"They are socially awkward and tend to panic."

'With Nalrond gone, Rena can use some help with the triplets and Selia with her children.' Lith pondered. 'On top of that, I can use Awakened security whenever Solus and I are away.'

"Fine." Lith actually said. "You can move to the Verhen Mansion and take care of my guests. Someone will always be with you and teach you about human customs. You will take care of Valeron in my absence and go in public only if accompanied. Deal?"

Garrik and Ryla needed company, after all, and the Mansion was too big for the Fomors to keep it clean on their own. On top of that, thanks to its Warp Gate the Mansion was easy to reach for everyone but also far enough from Lutia to keep the handmaidens from learning about the tower.

Two birds with one stone.

"Deal." Vyla offered him her hands and Lith shook it. "How much are you going to pay us?"

"Pay?" Lith echoed, his wallet bleeding at such a cruel word.

"Yes. We don't plan on living with you forever and once we are done learning normal humans' customs, we need money to have a place of our own." Vyla looked at Lith like he was the one without common sense.

"I have no idea how much a housemaid makes." Lith swallowed his stinginess. "I never had one before. I'll ask to one of my noble friends and let you know."

"Why have you come here, Tiamat? To humiliate us and get cheap labor on your way out?" Ophius said with the snarl.

He and the rest of the lost Divine Beasts looked at the handmaidens in envy. They were free to come and go as they wanted. They had played no part in Thrud's uprising so they had no penance to make and no one knew about their existence.

"There's no such a thing as cheap labor." Lith said with the tone of a man with the purse of a great noble and the heart of a miser. "Also, no. I didn't come here to humiliate you but to make you an offer. With Leegaain's permission, of course."

"I'm listening." The Guardian replied before Leari could make a snarky remark.

Lith explained to them the potential of the Equalizers and their current limits before presenting his proposal.