When Daniel saw Melia, broken, shaking, and trembling from pain, he immediately understood that this was the moment he could get her to talk. He showed a very small smile and walked toward her calmly.
Humans, when they are at their worst and weakest, are also at their most sensitive and most easily influenced. He had no doubt that now he could easily get the answers he was looking for.
Kayn felt his presence and instantly took one step back to give him space.
Daniel sat down beside the half-conscious girl. He took a close look at her pale face and said:
"If you want us to help, then you need to tell us whatâs going on. If we donât know why they took that girl, we canât do anything."
Melia was holding her stomach with both hands, shaking like a leaf because of the pain. Tears slid down her cheeks, but when she heard Danielâs words, she froze. Her fear grew stronger, like she suddenly remembered something she didnât want to face again.
But this time... she didnât refuse immediately.
No, this time something in her eyes changed. It was like she was fighting with herself: say it? Not say it? Is it betrayal? Is it dangerous?
On one hand, she didnât want to tell anything because it could put both her and her young lady in danger. She didnât know whether these two men were trustworthy or not.
She didnât even really know them. What if they were enemies? What if they became greedy like the Demons? What would she do then?
Several long moments passed before she finally raised her head, and a shaky voice came out:
"How... how can you help me save my young lady?"
Daniel tilted his head slightly. Without adding any unnecessary words, he placed his hand on Meliaâs stomach.
Mana suddenly flowed out, warm, steady, and precise.
Mana Healing passed through her body, and her internal injuries closed quickly, like paper repairing itself. The pain disappeared within seconds.
Kayn quietly let out a breath. Even though he already knew Daniel still had his power, damn... Daniel really still had his power! Since he himself had experienced that array, he knew how powerful it was.
But Melia? Her eyes widened... she was shocked... she even seemed to forget to breathe for a moment.
How? How did this man keep his power?
"Now that you feel better... tell the truth. Then weâll help." Daniel said in a calm, indifferent tone.
Melia pulled in her breath, bit her lower lip, and finally started explaining:
"I... donât know much. Just that... in the deepest part of the gulf, inside a hidden valley, there is a legendary place. I donât know what it is... no one knows."
"But when the Demons were killing the lord of the city... I heard them talking about it."
"Itâs like they attacked our city because of that legendary place." She squeezed her hands together.
"They said they tried several times to enter that place, but they failed. They said it was built by the gods, and the only way to enter it is to sacrifice someone who has divine energy inside them."
Daniel and Kayn both leaned forward a little. Melia continued:
"They attacked our city because they heard that a child... a person... with divine nature was living there. They were searching for that person."
"So Lyra... sheâs the one?" Kayn asked suddenly.
Melia didnât say "no" and didnât say "yes." Even her expression didnât move.
Total silence.
"Based on what I saw... that thing that happened at the last moment... and how they immediately grabbed her... sheâs probably the one." Kayn whispered.
But Danielâs mind was somewhere else. He remembered that even after taking the two girls, the Demons were still searching around the city. They were looking for someone. Or something.
If they kept her alive because they thought that person was Lyra, then there wouldâve been no reason for them to spend extra hours searching the city and even the outskirts, right?
They didnât treat Lyra like a treasure or something important either , more like a tool they happened to find useful.
So... is that person really Lyra? There were several possibilities.
For example, he could simply be wrong, and that person truly is Lyra, and heâs just being overly paranoid.
Or maybe the one the demons are searching for is someone else entirely, and they took Lyra for a completely different reason.
With the limited information he had, he couldnât reason any further.
But he decided not to say anything yet. Melia was still resisting; she was still hiding part of the truth. Pressing too much now would just make things worse.
Besides, he knew exactly what that legendary place the Demons were talking about was. It was the main reason he personally came to the Gulf of Sumer.
Naturally, what place could it be other than the Pagoda of Eternity? They must have found the Pagoda and even tried to enter.
But since they failed, it was clear that entering wasnât easy, or at least not possible for these Demons. For him, as the heir of the Eternal Religion, the situation would be different.
And in a way, he was grateful to the demons. If he had to search for the pagoda, it probably would take a long time , and considering it seemed to be located in demon-controlled territory, he might have faced a lot of danger.
But now that the demons had already found its location, all he needed to do was get the address from them and head there.
As long as he could enter the pagoda and obtain the inheritance, he was sure theyâd be able to leave the Gulf safely afterward.
Daniel was preparing to ask his next question whenâ
Footsteps.
They felt a heavy and powerful presence approaching.
From the smoke and scorched shadows, the massive figure of a giant appeared.
The heat coming from him melted the ground under his feet.
There was no need for an introduction. It was obviously Orsius, arriving for the interrogation.