Chương 18: Aftermath

"He is trying to run away!"

"Don't let him!"

I retreated as fast as my damaged body allowed me to, which was not fast at all as with each step, my body whined with pain. In the turmoil of my mind, I weighed my chances of getting out of this situation. There were only a few people who could possibly save me from this dire predicament.

My gaze scoured the spiteful crowd, seeking out the figures of the main cast, who held the knowledge to reveal the ones behind this treachery, having confronted the traitors firsthand in a fight. Amidst the sea of faces, my eyes alighted upon the trio, who were watching the scene from away. They looked ambivalent as they tried to decide if it was a good idea to interfere with my public execution.

Fortunately, just as things were getting ugly and demigods loomed ever closer to me, a sudden clamor of hoofbeats halted those pursuing me as their attention was drawn to the approaching figure of a centaur, emerging among the cluster of trees. He had finally returned from the forest.

"The director is here!"

Hearing the bluster of angry shouting that swirled like a tempest around him, Chiron stopped in his tracks, standing between me and the seething mass of demigods. With a furrowed brow, his ears discerned the discordant accusations that flew through the air, the weight of the fury pressing upon him like a physical force.

Chiron's face darkened, a storm brewing in the depths of his eyes as he absorbed the venomous words recklessly hurled at me by the crowd. Giving a slight glance in my direction, he turned back to face the demigods, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. The crowd expected Chiron to punish me, but, instead they were going to be slapped back to reality.

"SILENCE!"

"What do you all think you are doing? Condemning one of your own people without a single shred of evidence, simply because of his heritage! We have yet to have any idea who was behind this attack, but you have already convicted someone, forsaking reason in favor of baseless hysteria! Have you all gone insane? Pull yourself together. If you have the energy to condemn someone, use that energy to help others!"

'Phew... Finally someone with common sense...'

As Chiron's authoritative words resonated through the tense atmosphere, a solemn silence descended upon the once-raucous crowd. Reluctantly, they dispersed, their fervor quelled by his rebuke. Yet, beneath the facade of compliance lingered bitterness and disappointment, evident in the downturned gazes and furrowed brows on the demigods' expressions.

Just as the commotion subsided, the main cast stepped forward, with Adriel's voice rising above the lingering echoes. His leading presence drew all eyes, as he began to speak with a serious tone.

"Everyone, hear me out! I have something important to share. The truth is, Eleanor and I encountered traitors during the Flag War. They were demigods from within our own camp, which explains how they managed to breach the barrier from the inside..."

"..."

Adriel proceeded to recount the harrowing events that unfolded since they departed from the aggression team, detailing the ambush by four traitors, the ensuing struggle for survival, and their eventual triumph over the treacherous assailants. With Eleanor by his side, corroborating his account, he left no detail untold, painting a vivid picture of their valiant efforts to preclude the impending raid and safeguard the camp.

"How can we be certain that you aren't the traitors yourselves, and that you didn't concoct this tale to conceal you killed them for another reason?"

As doubt rippled through the crowd like a shadow, a voice rose with skepticism. Yet, Adriel remained poised, his mind already anticipating the challenge, ready to provide a compelling response.

"It's quite simple, really. If we were truly traitors, we wouldn't have risked our lives defending the camp from the monsters. Or we wouldn't have fought alongside you, putting ourselves in harm's way. Or we wouldn't have to disclose the presence of the traitors either since their deaths would have been conveniently covered amidst the chaos of the invasion."

Adriel's explanation was plausible and made sense, its logic ringing true in the ears of those who had harbored doubts. It was a point that struck home: had Adriel and Eleanor truly been traitors, staying silent would have benefited them more.

"And as for Blake... I am not sure if he is one of the traitors. Throughout the flag war, he remained within my line of sight as part of the aggression group. So I doubt he had any hands in this incident. And his wounds don't suggest he was aware of the upcoming chaos."

'Tsk. You could have said these things earlier when everyone was trying to kill me...'

Chiron intervened to quell the confusion.

"If what Adriel told us is true, which I believe to be the truth, this means we might have other traitors within our camp."

Though his words cast a shadow of doubt over the gathered demigods. The realization that traitors may lurk within their own ranks rippled through the demigods, sowing seeds of unease and suspicion.

"But for now, we must first deal with the problem at hand! Take care of each other's wounds and recuperate as soon as possible!"

As the demigods dispersed to heed Chiron's directive, he turned his attention to me, his gaze focused on my injury, a silent acknowledgment of the ordeal I had weathered.

"Where is Grace?"

"I am here, Director!"

"Blake is gravely injured! Can you take a look at it?"

"I am on my way!"

Upon Chiron's request, Grace maneuvered through the crowd of demigods until she reached my side. As her eyes fell upon the severity of my wound, a gasp escaped her lips, betraying her shock at the extent of the seriousness of the injury. Without hesitation, she reached out, her touch gentle yet firm as she assessed the damage. The sensation sent a jolt of pain coursing through me, causing an involuntary flinch as she began her examination.

"What did you do to your arm? It's completely abolished! Sigh... Why are you always injured whenever I see you..."

As Grace began to tend to my wound with her divine energy, applying a soothing cream and carefully wrapping it with bandages, she noticed something amiss. Pausing in her ministrations, she regarded me with a furrowed brow.

"Who used healing ability on you?"

'So she realized Ilex's doings. I guess that's easy to detect for her level.'

"Some benevolent nymph saw me in pain, so she decided to help me out of her good heart."

"I didn't know nymphs showed themselves to strangers this easily..."

"Right? I guess it's my lucky day..."

"Anyway. It's all done! You should rest a few days, and your arm will be brand-new."

"Yeah. Than- mff..."

I tried to reply, but before I could finish, Grace shoved a piece of Ambroise in my mouth, stifling my words. With a nod, she quickly left to assist others in need. Feeling drained both physically and emotionally, I made my way to my cabin. It had indeed been a tiring day.

As I approached Hades' cabin, my path was suddenly intercepted by a sprinting figure with striking white hair. Behind him, two girls trailed at a more leisurely pace, their demeanor contrasting with the urgency of the boy's movements.

"Hey! Blake, wait!"

As the boy finally caught up to me, he doubled over, gasping for breath. I patiently waited for him to regain his breath, his guilt-laden expression not escaping my notice. It was clear that he wanted to apologize.

"I am sorry I didn't speak up to defend you when the crowd turned against you. I should have acted sooner, I was unsure... You kn-"

Although his apology was fitting for a hero who wanted to save everyone, his pathetic attempt just irritated me to the core.

"Unsure..? Unsure of what? Didn't you know from the beginning that I was innocent? If you can't bring yourself to say you doubted your own conscience because I am Hades' son, then don't even try to apologize."

My voice was cold, without an ounce of empathy towards Adriel. He fell silent for a while, as he didn't have anything to say. After being thrust into this world, the pent-up frustration I had been building up finally burst.

"What happened, Adriel? Why don't you talk now?"

I sneered mockingly, the bitterness of my tone palpable. As my words hung in the air, it was Amelia who broke the silence, stepping forward to defend Adriel.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? He just wanted to apologize! Can't you just accept his apology?!"

"Amelia. It's fine... Let him be..."

"But..."

"He is right, I don't have the right to apologize to him."

As Adriel and Amelia exchanged heated words, Adriel's gaze remained remorseful. Meanwhile, Eleanor observed the unfolding confrontation with detached interest. Without bothering to engage further in the argument, I turned away and pushed open the door to my cabin, seeking peace within its confines.

"See you guys in the group training session."

As the door shut closed, a heavy silence descended, wrapping around me like a familiar cloak in its calming embrace. Collapsing onto the couch near the fireplace, I allowed myself to sink into it, the warmth seeping into my bones.

Reflecting on the confrontation, I may have reacted overly harshly. But at that moment, the sight of Adriel shamelessly pleading forgiveness stirred a maelstrom of annoyance within me, and despite my efforts to suppress them, they had spilled forth unchecked. However, it was necessary so.

Now that he knew his wrongdoings, driven by his ideal heroic image, he would indeed try to rectify his wrongdoings. His internal compass of righteousness wouldn't allow him to succumb to prejudice to obstruct his heroic senses. The very act of extending an apology proved it. I was sure that Adriel would begin to approach me with a more neutral attitude from now on.

'At least he now knows even a hero can't always save everyone...'