The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: While the Corruption Spreads Across the Kingdom, the Eclipse Remains Hidden in the Shadows

A few days had passed since the first reports of the corrupted beings began reaching the Order.

At first, they had been little more than isolated incidents.

Low-level corrupted creatures had appeared in forests, villages, and several remote regions throughout the kingdom. Most were weak enough to be dealt with by local knights or adventurers, so there had been no immediate reason to treat them as a major threat.

But that had changed.

The number of sightings continued to increase, and stronger individuals had begun appearing alongside the weaker ones.

Some had already reached the equivalent of an advanced rank.

They were still manageable, but the casualties were no longer something that could simply be ignored.

Nearly a hundred people had already died across the affected regions.

I sat at my desk inside the dormitory, reading through the latest report while Draven and Cedric remained nearby.

"So they’ve started appearing in more regions."

I placed the report down.

Draven leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

"And what exactly do you want to do about it, Master?"

I glanced at him.

"Investigate it."

"I mean after that."

He shrugged.

"If the numbers keep increasing, wouldn’t it be easier to burn the entire forest down? Destroy the corrupted creatures along with everything around them and eliminate the problem in one go."

I stared at him.

"Why would we do that?"

Draven looked genuinely confused.

"Because it would work more easier, isn’t that right?."

"You were the one complaining about people destroying forests the other day."

"That was different."

"Well, if destroying the forest really bothers you, I won’t suggest it again."

"Good."

I picked up another report.

"For now, we’ll let the kingdom handle the corrupted beings. The knights are already investigating the incidents, and their presence is helping reduce the casualties."

I paused.

"The Order will only intervene when necessary."

Draven nodded.

"Even though we’d probably save more people if we acted ourselves."

"I know."

I looked toward the window.

"That’s the problem."

The Eclipse Order had already been accused of being a dangerous organization by several officials simply because we operated outside the kingdom’s authority.

If we suddenly appeared everywhere corrupted creatures were discovered, eliminated them before the knights arrived, and left without explanation, it would only strengthen those suspicions.

We had already been watching the kingdom’s investigation into the Eclipse.

There were currently two individuals in particular who had been assigned to investigate us.

Both were among the kingdom’s strongest warriors.

And judging from their movements, the royal family itself had probably given them the order.

They hadn’t made any hostile move against the Order yet, so I had instructed our people not to interfere unless necessary.

Still, I couldn’t help wondering why they were so determined to investigate us.

We hadn’t attacked the kingdom.

We hadn’t harmed its citizens.

If anything, we had saved countless people without asking for anything in return.

Draven suddenly broke the silence.

"Even so, it’s difficult to understand humans."

He crossed his arms.

"If it weren’t for the Eclipse, the number of casualties across those regions would probably be much higher. Our people have been quietly eliminating corrupted creatures that the knights haven’t even reached yet, and yet the kingdom still treats us like a potential threat."

Cedric, who had been quietly reading finally spoke.

"Humans are easily influenced by what they hear."

His voice remained calm.

"They rarely need proof when a rumor is repeated often enough. If enough people say that a hidden organization is dangerous, many will eventually accept it as fact even if that organization has never actually harmed them."

He paused.

"Fear is easier to spread than gratitude."

I looked at him.

That sounded like more than an observation.

There was something personal behind those words.

Cedric lowered his gaze.

"In my previous life, I learned that lesson myself."

Draven looked toward him.

Cedric rarely spoke about his past, so even Draven remained silent.

"I used to believe that following orders and treating people with kindness would eventually earn their trust. I was wrong."

His expression remained emotionless, but his voice had become quieter.

"The people I trusted most eventually used that kindness against me. I obeyed everything they asked because I believed that loyalty would be enough to protect me."

He paused.

"It wasn’t."

His fingers tightened slightly around the report.

"They took advantage of the fact that I never resisted. They made me carry out things I didn’t want to do, and when I was no longer useful, they abandoned me."

Cedric looked toward me.

"That’s why I don’t trust people simply because they speak kindly or claim to have good intentions."

The room became quiet.

Draven’s expression had changed as well.

He looked genuinely irritated.

"Then humans really haven’t changed much."

"Draven."

I gave him a warning look.

He immediately raised both hands.

"Fine, fine. I won’t start insulting an entire species."

I sighed.

I looked at both of them.

"I understand why you’re frustrated, but don’t let that frustration turn into something reckless."

Draven frowned.

"I’m only saying that if the kingdom continues investigating us instead of dealing with the actual threat, I might eventually lose my patience."

"Don’t."

I looked directly at him.

"And you, Cedric."

He immediately straightened.

"Yes, Master."

"Neither of you is to harm anyone simply because you believe they might become an enemy. If innocent people get caught in the middle, then we’ve already failed."

Draven sighed.

"I understand."

Cedric nodded.

"I agree."

Draven looked toward me again.

"But if they actually attack you or the Order, then I won’t hesitate."

"I know."

I leaned back in my chair.

"And if that happens, we’ll deal with it properly."

Draven smiled slightly.

"That’s enough for me."

He glanced toward the reports again.

"Still, I don’t understand why the kingdom is wasting so much effort investigating a hidden organization that hasn’t committed a single crime."

I couldn’t disagree with him.

But there was another side to it.

"From their perspective, a powerful organization operating without government oversight is already a potential threat. They don’t know what we want, how strong we are, or how far our influence reaches."

I tapped the report against the desk.

"To them, uncertainty is enough to justify suspicion."

Draven frowned.

"Then what about the Assassination Guild?"

I looked at him.

"They’re openly known to be an organization of assassins, yet the kingdom hasn’t tried to destroy them."

Draven spread his hands.

"Exactly. So are they just decoration?"

I couldn’t help laughing.

"That’s a surprisingly good question."

Cedric quietly nodded.

"I agree with Draven."

Draven immediately looked pleased.

"See?"

I shook my head.

"You two are becoming troublesome."

Draven smiled.

"Only because we’re concerned about you, Master."

I looked at him for a moment before sighing.

"I’m grateful that you’re concerned. But remember this."

My expression became serious.

"Whatever happens, don’t ever decide to destroy an entire region or kingdom simply because you’re angry. There are innocent people everywhere, and their lives aren’t something we can treat as collateral."

Draven’s expression softened.

"All right."

He paused.

"I suppose I can wait."

Cedric nodded.

"I agree. We should observe the situation before making any decision."

I looked toward the reports scattered across the desk.

For now, that was enough.

The corrupted beings were increasing.

The laboratories were still under investigation.

And the kingdom had begun looking more closely at the Eclipse.

None of those problems required an immediate response.

Not yet.

I leaned back in my chair and looked toward the two people standing before me.

"Let’s wait and see what happens."

Draven nodded.

"All right."

Cedric gave a quiet nod as well.

"Understood, Master."

For the moment, the situation remained under control.

But I had a feeling that the kingdom’s investigation into the Eclipse would eventually become much more complicated.

And when that happened, simply watching from the shadows might no longer be enough.

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