Shadow Slave

Chapter 1926 Enhanced Interrogation A few moments later, Sunny led Cassie out of the stronghold. Since she was currently robbed of all her Abilities except for the Dormant one, she once again turned into the helpless girl he had once guided across the Forgotten Shore... which was both nostalgic and a little heartbreaking to see.

Sunny offered her his arm, and she took it tentatively. Their physical closeness earned him a few scornful looks from the passerby, who seemed ready to beat him up as if he was some kind of despicable philanderer... with a healthy dose of envy mixed into the anger, perhaps.

He was momentarily happy that Cassie could not see these reactions.

Ignoring the idiots, Sunny led her toward the Ivory Island.

'Essence exhaustion...'

Of course, it was the most obvious answer. He just failed to consider it seriously because Cassie, unlike Nephis and Sunny himself, had very rarely driven herself to that state before, if ever.

Which posed the question.

What exactly had made her burn so much essence?

The answer would have to wait until they were in a more private setting, though.

As they walked, Cassie asked quietly:

"Did something happen? I've been told that the King has left for the waking world. Considering how difficult it seems for him to do so... I assume that Changing Star and the Lord of Shadows had conquered the Citadel."

Sunny lingered with the answer.

Eventually, he said neutrally:

They did. However, there were complications: Cassie's grip tightened.

"What... what kind of complications?"

He grimaced.

It was not impossible for Master Sunless to know, but it was definitely a bit strange. Sadly, Cassie seemed to have been too agitated and left him no choice but to answer.

Sunny looked ahead somberly.

"There was... an ambush. Quite a devious one, so much so that it almost ended in disaster. Well, technically, it did. Several Saints of the Sword Army are dead."

He paused for a moment, and added:

"Changing Star and the Lord of Shadows are fine, though."

Cassie let out a shaky breath, then asked somberly:

"How?"

He sighed.

of the Queen, each a Transcendent of divine

hesitated for a bit before finishing the

seems to be a powerful diviner among them,

have sounded like an accusation to Cassie. After all, she was the premier diviner of their small faction — no, of the entire Sword Army. This failure was, in no small part, the result of her personal failure

be easily misjudged as

did not speak again

of her essence. She gently let go of his hand and walked the rest of the way on her own, tracing her fingers

in her office and protected from any potential eavesdroppers by a few special Memories, they could finally talk. Luckily, Anvil

chair and let out a

"What exactly happened?"

wall and crossed

directly to our destination instead. They got there faster than us, as well... of course, we don't

each word he spoke, Cassie's expression darkened. Sunny

in particular. Dark Dancer Revel and Moonveil managed to counter our Aspects almost perfectly. They might not have managed such a feat

slowly shook

to drive them away in the end, but not without heavy losses. I even gained quite a valuable boon in the process. Still... it might

was his turn to

How did you end up like that in the

immediately, troubled

sighed and leaned back in the chair,

there are spies hidden

Sunny nodded.

"I did."

Cassie's expression turned dark.

was... interrogating those spies. That was

'Huh.'

words for a

have you become

twisted her lips. Cassie took a deep breath,

I guess. The situation was... difficult. I don't know how Valor managed to sniff out and capture those spies, but they proved too seasoned and zealous to betray the secrets of their Queen. None of the Memories Valor usually uses to get the truth out of people worked, and their interrogators failed as well. Torturing these people would have been of no

Sunny scowled.

secrets. However, violating the memories of captive people seemed like quite

fact that Anvil had forced her to do something so dirty irked Sunny to no end. Not that he thought that Cassie was above doing such vile things... he was pretty sure that she would stop at nothing to achieve her

that the King of Swords did not know that, so what

I'll kill

from the shadows, and stabbing him in the back.