Karen's denial is what made her seem more stable than wise Richard, who was on the verge of losing his mind.
Arkan said, "Ghoul, I have imprisoned you in the magic triangle and caught you off guard. Today is the day you bid farewell to this life."
Arkan's voice was full of authority, dominance, and pride, instilling a strange feeling in everyone's heart who heard it.
"Who are you to decide my fate? Hahaha... To me, it was just dinner. I ate those little humans, and the same will happen to you, meddler in affairs not your own."
Arkan was silent.
The ghoul was supposed to beg for its life, but here it spoke with full courage... The method Arkan used is called the magic triangle, where the sorcerer imprisons the entity he intends to summon, and thanks to the sacred weapon—for example, the magic dagger representing the fire element—the sorcerer has supreme authority over the intended creature.
So the ghoul should beg for its life.
While Arkan thought about it, Richard entered and witnessed the situation.
"Babylonian sorcerer, you really captured it."
Arkan remained silent, but the ghoul began exceeding bounds of courtesy.
"Hahaha, human, do you know how enjoyable raping your daughters' corpses was?"
"Curse of Marduk upon you, I'll kill you!" Saying this, Richard lunged at the ghoul without thinking for a moment.
It's worth noting that during summoning, the sorcerer must not cross the magic triangle's boundaries, or he won't be safe.
Karen had discussed the summoning with Arkan and understood this important point.
So when she saw Richard pouncing on the ghoul, she tried to stop him, but unfortunately, the couple collided, and Karen fell inside the magic triangle's boundaries.
Of course, the ghoul wouldn't miss the opportunity.
It bit her leg until it separated from the rest of the body.
Karen screamed loudly, heard by everyone inside and outside the house. She tried crawling and escaping, but the ghoul grabbed her and plunged the dagger into the center of her eye.
She died immediately as her slimy eye fell to the ground.
Richard was shocked. He couldn't believe what he saw... couldn't utter a single word.
"That's enough."
Arkan directed his hand toward the ghoul from afar and clenched his fist in the air.
The ghoul began screaming, "No, wait! Will you really kill me? Wait..."
The ghoul fell to the ground as a lifeless corpse. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Arkan felt nothing.
His thoughts were all on Richard. He turned to see him—his features worse than describable: regret, hatred, anger, sadness. Now unbearable self-reproach.
Seconds later, he fainted and fell to the ground.
Arkan carried him to the upper room and let him sleep.
While Richard and Lian slept, Arkan was outside contemplating the fields and said, closing his eyes:
"Souls flutter toward the sky heading to the god's path, but leave voids in loved ones' lives.
The strong human always needs to go to the god before the god comes to him."
While reciting this poem, he noticed a shadow approaching from afar. The shadow advanced, revealing Philip... Richard's younger brother.
Who confronted Arkan directly without usual introductions.
"Arkan... true, you completed your mission, but will you leave things like this?"
"Hmmm... I think I have something I can do. I'm skilled in magical healing. Clearly, Richard and Lian suffered what would be called post-traumatic disorder. I can treat that for Richard, but Lian is too young for her body to handle it—she must overcome it through personal effort."
"Great analysis, as expected from a Babylonian sorcerer," Philip replied.
The two didn't sleep that night. They stayed watching the fields and talking until dawn, then Arkan and Philip went to check on Lian but found her awake.
"Didn't you sleep all night?" Arkan was surprised.
"No, I've been thinking," Lian replied in a gloomy voice.
"I'm sorry for you, Lian. You lost your family, but you're still resilient. As long as your father is by your side, don't worry. This life is successive collapse and flourishing. As long as you endure, the god will surely reward you."
Arkan gave positive words.
"Fine, I'll endure," her voice still gloomy.
Philip said, "Come, let's go up to greet Richard. Seeing you well is the most important thing for him now."
The three climbed together to the upper floor.
Arkan opened the door. As soon as he saw inside, surprise appeared in his eyes suddenly.
It was Richard hanging by a rope tied around his neck.
Richard had committed suicide.
Any ordinary person would see what happened to this gentle family as an extremely sad tragedy, but from the family head Richard's perspective, what occurred was due to his neglect of his family, especially his wife's death, which in his view he was the main cause of in a regrettable way.
Inside, he was filled with regret, helplessness, and anger until these mixed feelings led to the suicide decision.
Now this entire farm belongs to Lian, but according to Hammurabi's law, Lian is too young to inherit all this... Philip will get this farm and everything in it.
One person's tragedy is another's fortune.
Strangely, Lian showed no reaction.
Philip and Arkan noticed this.
But they had no time to think about it because Philip's patience ran out and he broke down crying.
"My poor brother lost everything he owned. Oh God, how did I migrate to become a Pharaonic priest while leaving my brother to suffer like this? It's all my fault."
Arkan said calmly, "My friend Philip, don't forget all this happened in three days. Even I, who was only in Babylon, arrived late.
So what happened is a tragedy, and tragedies are never anyone's fault."
He extended his hand to Philip and said, "Hold my hand now. This farm is yours, and since you're a Pharaonic priest, your duty toward the god is to protect the area from any further attacks like this.
Richard's family isn't the only family in the world. Many will need you to save them, especially in this area isolated from the main city."
Philip understood and stood, saying formally,
"Brother Arkan, you spoke wisdom. From now on, I will be the savior for everyone who needs me."
The mourning and burial ceremonies for Richard, his wife, and the remains of the little girls passed in extreme gloom and heaviness.
The news spread widely, not only in the province of Ur but throughout the kingdom, and Philip wrote the story and published it in Kemet, the kingdom where he resided.
The three gathered outside the house.
"I'll take Lian with me," Arkan said to Philip.
"But she's my brother's daughter. My first duty is to care for her."
"I want to take her with me. She suffered from evil forces hostile to humanity. She now has an extraordinary awareness of life."
Philip was stubborn, so he said, "No, I'll raise her and treat her as my daughter for the rest of my life."
Arkan wanted to compete.
"These people must become sorcerers to help and protect others in their development on this earth."
Philip thought about Arkan's words.
"Fine, I'll leave the decision to her personally.
What do you think, Lian?"
Lian was lost in thought.
"Lian, are you listening?"
"Oh yes, what do you want?"
"Will you go with Arkan or stay with me on the farm?"
She wasn't interested at all, giving the first thing that came to mind.
"I have very bad memories in this place. I can't live here anymore. I'll go with this person."
"Fine. Unfortunately, I wanted to care for you," Philip said with sadness on his face.
"Don't worry, Philip. Lian and I will visit the farm from time to time."
Arkan was silent a bit, then said,
"Then it's time to go. I must write a report on what happened here. Come on... Lian."
Thank you.
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