Chapter 45: What did I see?
This chapter is quite chunky! 6.7 K words...
Oh well, it happened.
With a lot of conversation, and a bit of lore development.
I think the Upper part of the chapter went really well, but the lower half was a bit difficult to make...
You'll probably see why.
As always, I'll go grab a bite, and if you have any suggestions, I'll be here to reply.
Peace.
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'After leaving his bath, Philip immediately contacted Sebastiano who had just come back from seeking out his request.'
/Knock knock/
"Come in." Philip said as he got up from his couch
/Creak.../
"You called me M… M'lord?" Sebastiano asked as he noticed the change in Philip's appearance
"Don't ask, it's quite complicated… Instead, do you know how to trim hair?"
"Oh?"
His hair and nails are a mess... Focus, it does not concern me.
"I know, it's a sudden question…" Philip said awkwardly
"Ah, not at all M'lord, on the contrary, barber work is part of my basic set of abilities." Sebastiano said with a smile
"Although… It's been a long time since did it, so I may be a bit rusty."
'Philip was surprised, but on another note, it was to be expected.'
'He shook his head and said:'
"It's okay, I only need you to trim my hair a little, no need for any exotic styles."
"In that case, follow me."
'Sebastiano led Philip to another room and had him sit on a chair.'
'He took out a set of silver scissors and started cutting after asking what sort of style Philip wanted.'
…
'As his hair was cut, Philip asked several questions about the city to Sebastiano in order to pass time.'
'Things such as its history, nice places to visit, and such.'
'In the future, he would visit them, perhaps alone, perhaps with someone else...'
'He now had a lot of time to spare, 4 Earth months to be exact, still, he had no plans of slacking off on his mission.'
"And… All done." His butler said with a smile as he gave Philip a small hand mirror
"It's perfect." He replied as he checked himself in the mirror
Well… To be honest, men's hair work was always super simple…
"Is there anything else you need my assistance with Lord Philip?"
'Philip nodded and said:'
"About the preparations for the party…"
"No need to worry, Madam Viera is already choosing her dress as we speak, while I've called a couturier from a reputable shop nearby to handle yours."
'Philip frowned… Couturier… It wasn't really a word he was familiarized with, nor one you would hear every day… But he nodded nonetheless.'
"Aside from that, what about our transportation?"
I don't even know where the party will be held…
"I have dealt with that as well, the driver will be available whenever you wish."
"Good."
'Sebastiano then said in a low tone:'
"There's just a minor problem…"
'He seemed a bit hesitant…'
"Speak your mind."
"...I'm afraid Madam Viera lacks something…"
"Bust?" Philip asked with a half smile
"Ah? No... M'Lord, please mind your words here in the open, if Madam hears it she may skin you alive." Sebastiano said with a rare smile
"I believe she lacks jewelry." He said seriously
"Jewelry? Of all things?..." Philip asked with a surprised expression
"Yes, it's currently the fashion among young ladies."
"Although jewelry was something often employed in all sorts of situations, from parties to a casual strolling, and for many more reasons, it never became a necessity as big as it is now."
"I'm asking just to be sure and I have no intention of implying anything, my apologies if you're offended." He said with a slight bow
"No… It's okay, it was my mistake for not paying attention towards… The latest fashion…" Philip said with a sigh
I never thought I would need to care about that...
There's no point in complaining, even my mom had her pretty rings and necklaces.
'Sebastiano smiled, he understood Philip, it was indeed something tiring to follow, so much so most masters normally left it to their servants to choose their own clothes…'
"Hum…"
I don't lack the materials, but that's not what jewelry is about… If it was so simple to add a gem to something else it wouldn't be expensive...
Yet, it still is, although not for this reason.
... I think I have a solution for this…
"Leave it to me, I'll prepare a nice one for her." Philip replied
"May I inquire if you have an idea of what sort of jewelry you'll be gifting her? It's important to have one that matches her dress."
"... A red gem in a silver collar." Philip said after some thought
"I'll keep that in mind." Sebastiano said with a bow
'With everything done, Philip waited for the couturier to arrive…'
...
/Over half an hour later…/
'Viera, Sebastiano, and some Maids were currently inside a large room, all gazing at Philip as he tried out his outfit.'
'Philip was currently wearing a red suit with a white shirt underneath, together with black pants and shoes.'
'His hair was pulled backward, giving him quite the delinquent look…'
'He had Laplabe in his pocket tied to his pants, while his subspace item was hidden within a secret compartment of his shirt.'
"What about this one?" Philip asked Viera
My ass tingles...
"You look… Okayish..." Viera said as she looked at Philip
I'm still processing his recent change but…
If you didn't know him, he would truly look like a Noble… Not just any Noble, as there is a certain aura to him… One I can't quite put my finger across.
But then again, once you get to know him, it all comes falling down due to his goofiness...
'When he heard her comment, Philip simply smiled and replied:'
"I know I know. There's no need to tell me how good I look, your face says it all."
'She rolled her eyes and looked at the side with a slightly flushed expression.'
"You look stunning M'Lord, how does it feel?" Sebastiano asked
"It feels good to move around it, not as constricting as I had imagined, however, it's still a bit tight in some areas…" Philip replied as he moved his arms around
My arms and legs are a bit suffocated, if I move too much too fast I'm afraid it will rip apart…
Just because I'm rich now, that doesn't mean I would overlook this suit being ruined. It's expensive and I don't really like throwing money away simply because.
As for why this happened in the first place… It's probably due to my recent change, the values of my sizes changed, and the information I gave Sebastiano is now outdated…
"That isn't really a problem young Lord." Said an old woman on the side
'She was wearing a full black dress and her white hair was tied, she had a golden black pair of glasses on her face and she had that evil, old secretary look.'
'This was the owner of one of the many clothing shops down in the Upper city, one Sebastiano had personally called in order to select the perfect outfit for his Lord.'
'This is how things are done for those that have money, you don't go to the service, it comes to you…'
'For the past half hour, Philip tried many outfits, but each one failed to meet the expectations… Not Philip's, but the owner herself.'
'This job wasn't just about selling the clothes, it was about maintaining a reputation… Because of this, she was extremely strict with her client's fashion.'
'But she finally settled with a style, however, it was now a bit tight…'
"Hum… Thankfully, it will be pretty simple to fix, there's more than enough space to loosen it up." She said as she checked his arms, legs, waist, and chest
'As she said that, she took out a circular container, very reminiscent of the one Philip's grandma used to keep her sewing items back in the day…'
'When she took it, his clothes seemed to come alive as all of its fibers started to move under her control, like a Maestro, guiding each line into its respective place…'
'Philip did not react to it, he was used to it, this wasn't the first time she had used this on him, but hopefully, it would be the last.'
'He didn't like the feeling of his pants moving on its own… It scraped against his jewels and it was very itchy…'
"All done, please tell me if there's anything else troubling you." The old lady asked professionally
'Her expression was mostly cold and serious, but deep down, even she felt accomplished by seeing Philip check out his clothes.'
'Between working around a fat old man that likes to act in a superior way...'
'And a young fit man... Especially one that wasn't pampered, remaining calm under any circumstance, not lashing out like the many brats she worked with during the course of her long life…'
'The answer was obvious.'
"It feels perfect, I'm satisfied with this." Philip said as he moved around
At least the worry about this ripping off is over, I can now safely touch my back without fear.
'As he said that, he checked the time on his 'pocket watch' and said:'
"It's getting late."
'He turned to face the old woman and nodded, prompting her to start gathering her things and leaving.'
'She bowed one last time and asked him to call her again if he needs any more help.'
'Once she left the room, a maid promptly gave her the payment, and with a satisfied smile, she left the Manor.'
'She wasn't the only one to leave the room, as Sebastiano also left the room together with the other maids, leaving Philip and Viera alone.'
'He looked at her and said:'
"It's impressive how much a few touches of makeup and a nice dress can do a person..."
"That came out as rude!" She said with a frown
'Philip smiled helplessly.'
"That wasn't what I meant, you look incredible." He said with a straight face
"... Is-Is that so…" She replied embarrassed
'She was wearing a purple long dress to match her hair.'
'Unfortunately, due to her age, she was still in the middle of development, so there wasn't much to fawn over…'
'Viera was truly a beautiful girl, and she would surely grow into a beauty, but for now, she looked nothing more than a teenager trying to act mature…'
"I may look different with a dress, but you look like someone else entirely… What happened?"
'This was a question that remained on the tip of her tongue for a while now.'
'After she came back from buying a dress and saw him, she immediately recognized the change… It wasn't hard to see.'
"Oh, I thought you were going to ask that..." Philip replied as he scratched his head
"It's complicated to explain… Simply put, I got stronger."
"... By getting stronger you mean getting a palm taller and your shoulders broadening?"
Even during his 3-week training, he didn't change that much...
'Philip shrugged.'
"I used a special item… Payment for a certain task I'm doing."
"Task?..."
Could it be the task my master gave him?
To take care of me?...
"Sigh, it doesn't matter… It'll just take a while to get used to your new height…"
"I know, even I'm still a bit wobbly when I walk…" He said with a smile
"Besides this… There are still a few things to address before we leave... 3 things to be precise."
'Philip took out a pair of masks, one metallic, and the other made out of wood, although it wasn't really noticeable.'
"You prepared masks?" Viera asked with a surprised expression
"Of course I did, we're going to a masquerade after all."
"Didn't it say in the letter that such masks would be distributed on sight?"
"Yes it did, however, don't you think we would lose some 'class' if we were given masks instead of bringing our own?"
"Besides, it will make us look cooler, I doubt people will go there without masks, but if they do, we can always copy them in order to not stand out too much."
My problem isn't standing out, if it was, I would just grab whatever they give us.
"So let's treat it as me taking some precautions."
"I guess you have a point." She said as she grabbed her mask
'The wooden mask resembled a butterfly, with the left portion of it being covered in its wings.'
(Image)
'It covered the upper half portion of the face, and it had a thin silver line to wrap it around the head, not only that, but the mask was also flexible in order to stick to the face.'
'The second mask, the one Philip was going to use was pretty plain…'
'It was smooth and black, with a hole for the eyes and nostrils.'
'It covered the entire face, however, Philip showed that he could detach the upper half from the lower half.'
'However, with a deeper gaze, you would notice that the mask was filled with many black engravings, just a tone deeper than the rest of the mask.'
'At the edge of the mask a series of light golden details were carved, overall, it had a certain simple yet mysterious beauty to it.'
'Unlike the other mask, this one didn't have a line nor any feature to help it stick to Philip's face, yet there it remained, unmoving.'
'This wasn't a simple mask after all, but when asked, Philip would simply say that this was a legacy of his 'Military training', or whatever that meant.'
'However, he did say this mask could resist quite the beating, something she could definitely live without knowing…'
"How do I look?" Viera asked as she looked at Philip
"Hum… Like a young Noble lady going to a party… Although the mask does little to hide your face…"
"Well... It's a mask meant for a ball, it has another purpose from the one you're thinking off..." Viera replied as her eyelids twiched
"True, still, it may be because I know you since your purple hair is unmistakable."
"M-My hair?" Viera asked as she fondled her hair, embarrassed
This guy… How can he say these things with a straight face?…
I swear... Does he do it on purpose?
"Yes, I think your hair is pretty good, where I came from, black and brown were the norm with the occasional white from old people."
"And although people would paint their own hair, it wasn't quite the same…"
"I think yours look pretty good despite how exotic it feels to me sometimes." Philip replied with a small smile
Although exotic hair colors are a common thing in this world compared to my previous one, some colors are still oddly rare.
Purple, Green, Silver… And many more.
I can count on one hand how many people of such hair colors I have seen…
Don't ask me how this is possible in the first place, I have no idea, nor the desire to understand the genetics of the people of this world.
Nevertheless, Black, blonde, and Brown are still the average hair colors, although red and Orange are also surprisingly normal.
"With our masks done the next thing is this…" Philip said as he took out a walking metal cane from his Class inventory
"Wha… A cane?" Viera asked with a frown
What is he planning this time?…
"Why a cane? You don't need it, nor does it add any stylish factor to you…"
"P-Perhaps just a little, but it looks more of an inconvenience to me than anything else."
"Don't worry, this is a surprise tool that'll help us later…" Philip said with a smile
Hopefully, it'll never come to it…
"I don't quite understand…" She replied as she shook her head
I would like it if he simply said some things straight to me… Despite me knowing that he holds many secrets that I would be better off not knowing, sometimes…
'As if knowing her worries, Philip lifted the cane and swiped it in the air…'
/CLANK!/
'The cane opened, becoming a long whip, segmented in many sections, each with a metal razor attached to it…'
'It was a violent tool made for slaughter…'
"WHAT?!"
Are you attending a party or a freaking battlefield?
"How's that going to help us?!" She exclaimed
/CLANK!/
'Philip moved the whip in such a way so that it became a harmless cane once more…'
"I told you not to worry, hopefully, it won't come to this."
"... Do you… How do you even know how to use that?... No, why do you even have such a thing?"
And what are you thinking about?! What danger could we face in a ball?...
'Philip smiled.'
"It was part of my Military training. So yes, I know how to use it."
It hasn't been so long either... At most I'm a bit rusty, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Worst comes to worst, I can always take out other weapons I'm more used to... Stronger ones.
But if a situation comes where I'm forced to take it... It would mean something completely different.
"Not with that again!" She replied angrily as she turned around
Sigh...
'Philip smiled, he approached her and said in a low tone:'
"The last thing…"
"?!"
'Philip's arms passed around her neck, placing a beautiful collar around it.'
"This is?..." Viera asked as she saw the beautiful collar
'Although her attention was on something else…'
"I was told our lady over here lacked jewelry, so I'm giving this to you."
"A more correct term would be lending, this collar is… A bit too much for me to give away right now." Philip said with a half smile
[Red Moon shard…]
"..."
'Because of the angle, Philip failed to realize just how red Viera was right now.'
"I see…" She replied slowly
"Let me take a look, turn around for a moment." Philip asked Viera
'But she didn't…'
"Hey. I can't say how good it looks if you don't turn around…"
"Humph…" Viera said as she turned around
'She tried to hide her face with the mask, it was an unfruitful endeavor as her mask did not hide her face fully.'
'But Philip ignored her face.'
"It fits quite nicely." He said with a smile
'The beautiful red gem in the simple silver collar stood out quite a lot in her purple dress…'
With this, we're done!
"... What is the name… The name of this gem?" Viera asked as she looked at the collar
'When she looked at it, she felt strange...'
'For a moment, she felt as if she saw a beautiful field of flowers within it…'
'She felt sorrow when she looked at the gem as if she had lost something dear for her, although those might not be her own emotions.'
'However, it went away just as quickly as they came.'
"Hum..."
A good question, what should I call it? Shard of the Red moon seems a bit boring.
'Philip then smiled.'
"Heh… Call it… Flora." Philip replied with an enigmatic smile
…
'Following this, Philip and Viera made their way out of the Manor, where their ride was already waiting for them.'
'It looked like a car, that made Philip rather nostalgic, however, it didn't have tires, instead, it was more like a slim carriage... One without a Horse.'
"Welcome M'lord and M'lady, I'll be your driver for tonight, Loid Freitas at your service." The driver said with a bow
'Philip nodded and replied:'
"Nice to meet you Loid, there's no need to wait, we're already a bit late so let's depart as soon as possible." He said as he got inside the floating carriage
'He turned around and helped Viera get inside as well, not that she needed to, but hey, a little bit of chivalry isn't going to cut his hand off.'
"Then sit tight, we'll arrive in no time at all." The old driver said with a smile as he pressed a few buttons on the carriage's front panel
'Philip looked at the side to see Sebastiano and the other maids behind the gates, he lifted his right hand and waved then goodbye.'
/Fwuoosh!/
'And the carriage made its way across the sky, leaving behind a faint blue trail of smoke…'
…
/At the same time…/
'Inside a beautiful Manor built on the ravine that surrounded the city of Freedom, a beautiful girl with Silver hair checked herself in front of a mirror with a pensive look.'
'She was truly beautiful, the book definition of cold beauty…'
'However, she seemed upset about something, her gaze was unmoving as she stared at herself…'
"Are you still thinking about that boy?" A voice came from the side
"... You startled me." She replied calmly
'She looked to the side, seeing a small green creature on top of her table.'
'It was a small spider-like creature the size of a child's hand…'
'It looked rather faint as if it could vanish at any moment, from the girl's perspective, however, it looked as nitid as any object in her room.'
'The creature looked like a jumping spider with its big round eyes; And with the small black hat on top of its head, it could even be called cute…'
"What makes you think of that?" She asked in her usual calm tone
"For starters, ever since you saw him, you've been oddly pensive, so much so you've ignored the moronic remarks of that stupid boy, something you never did before."
"It's actually such a big change that even he noticed that, and it's no surprise he took it in the wrong way… He must think you're actually starting to like him." The spider said as it shook it's head in denial
"..."
'The girl remained silent, but her expression changed, she started to realize she had indeed been thinking too much…'
"So? What did you see that made you change so much? Much less ignore me for the past few hours?"
She even missed her daily training, truly odd.
'As the young woman thought, the spider also thought deeply:'
Eri was born with the highest Affinity towards the Spiritual the Azul family has seen in the past 6 generations...
In fact, in the medium to far future, she may stand among the top recorded talents in the family due to her achievements, and the resources poured into her, in fact, that's why I'm here…
But I must say, guiding this girl can be tiring sometimes...
Especially when they go through puberty... Urg.
"..."
'Seeing that the young lady was still in deep thought, the spider let out a sigh and continued thinking:'
What could have caused her to be like this?... She rarely showed interest in other boys.
Not that she hasn't, most girls will have a small crush... Hers was the old butler that takes care of the Main house, although it quickly died out as she grew older...
It was a healthy and innocent first love that allowed her to grow as a person.
However... That boy wasn't outstandingly handsome, he was okayish if compared to some of the boys she saw...
So it had to be something else since it's definitely not love at first sight, at least not due to his appearance.
"Are you still thinking?" The spider asked
"..."
"Sigh..."
'The small spider shook it's tiny head and decided to rest on the ground, continuing its thinking:'
The Azul family has many abilities that allow them to excel above others in Spiritual arts, that's to be expected as with each generation, they slowly added more and more abilities into their bloodline…
Of course, not everyone can awaken all of them, but at least one or another will…
One of them is the ability to see the Affinity of other people, specifically, the affinity towards Spiritual arts, an ability that Eri has not simply awakened, but a form unique to her.
This ability is the reason the Azul family has steadily increased the overall Affinity of each generation… By making sure they introduce the bloodline of those talented in the field into their family.
In Eri's case, she can see much more than that… She can see the manifestation of someone's spirit…
Even though I remained hidden, it would be a lie to say I didn't feel anything when I saw him…
His affinity isn't on her level, but comparing the two would be a stupid endeavor.
You can't compare the daughter of a Family focused entirely on Spiritual arts with a random passerby... Although it is already impressive he comes close to her.
Closer than many could ever dream of reaching.
Perhaps she is thinking about that? If so it would make sense…
/Knock knock knock!/
'Suddenly, someone knocked on the door…'
'The girl was startled once more, but instead of complaining, she turned her head and said towards the door:'
"Please speak, I'm still preparing myself." Eri said in a gentle tone
"Young Miss, the party is about to start, Young Lord asked me to warn you that you have half an hour to get ready." Someone replied on the other side of the door, it was certainly a man unless it was a woman with a super deep voice…
"I see, I'll be ready by then." She replied, uninterested in talking further
'She went from gentle to rude within a single moment...'
"Understood, I'll inform the Young Lord." The man said
'Soon enough his footsteps echoed beyond the door…'
"Sigh." The lady said as she looked at the mirror
'For the past half hour, she had stood there, gazing at her own reflection without doing any sort of makeup or preparations at all.'
'The more she thought about it, the longer she stood there...'
'Only now had she realized her hair was unkempt…'
"I'll call Mimi…" She said with a helpless smile
"You should, the way you are right now, no way in the 6 great will you be ready in half an hour." The spider said as it shook its head
"... Rude…" She said in a low tone
"Am I wrong? Until you open up to me the only thing I can do is watch you…"
'Eri looked at the spider and said:'
"Can you blame me? What I saw was simply too…" She said with a small smile as she remembered
"Are you finally ready to talk?"
"..."
"At first, I felt a deep gaze… It was something unlike the lustful eyes of that fool, and the fearful gazes of the maids…"
"For a moment… I felt as if I was being stared by…"
"It was like how my father looked at me when I committed a mistake, I felt a massive pressure weighing down on my back…"
'The little spider moved and crawled on her arm, now standing on her shoulder.'
'It looked at her face in the mirror and said:'
"Hum… That is to be expected, that young man doesn't seem to be living a joyful life given the aura he carries…"
"He felt no desire for you nor did he seem to know you, he was simply staring at someone across the glass…"
"And yet, you felt the brunt force of his presence… He wasn't directing anything at you, it was merely a result of your talent and his affinity."
"Didn't that used to happen quite often with your father? When you were small and unable to control your own senses?"
'The young lady nodded.'
"That I know… But please, don't bring that back… It's embarrassing." She said with an awkward smile
"..."
'The spider shook its head.'
"But that isn't enough to make you think so much, the world is filled with talents, and you saw many talents in this field, so what made you think so much?"
"..."
"You are right, it wasn't his talent that made me think so much."
"It was what I saw next that made me think for so long…"
"I saw something Rafiel will never be able to achieve, the 'freedom' he wants but will never achieve due to his own ineptitude and frivolous attitude."
"Freedom you say?"
"How do I say that…" Eri mumbled to herself as she touched her chin
'She thought for a moment before replying with a pensive gaze:'
"I saw a young man holding a thick book, crossing a strange black road amidst a city of stone and metal… Bored."
"I then saw him, clad in black leather and drenched in blackish-red blood, holding a rusted saw below a red moon… Mocking it."
"Finally, I saw him holding a strange thin sword as he sat on top of a massive glass tower, gazing at a sea of lights under a rainy night… Tired."
'She looked at the spider's reflection and asked:'
"Do you understand it?"
"I… I can't quite say that I do."
"There's your answer." She said with a beautiful smile
'Of course, she omitted several details…'
'She omitted how she saw moving hunks of metal, seemingly moving in both air and ground without any possible explanation.'
'She omitted how she saw a distressing and horrifying monster, descending from the red moon… The pressure she felt when she saw it was terrifyingly massive, and even its faint silhouette sent shivers down her spine...'
'And she omitted how she saw him holding a metallic heart that was still beating even though its previous owner now remained dead on the cold hard floor…'
'Lastly, something she completely refused to speak off... She saw a young man smiling at the top of a snowy mountain, with visions of an adventure...'
'She felt... Oddly excited when she saw this scene, and at the same time, embarrassed.'
"So? What do you think?" She asked the little spider
"I… I can't quite say…"
"But it seems the young man traveled quite a lot for his age…" The spider replied awkwardly
"Perhaps so…"
'The young lady got up from her chair and went for the door.'
"Well, if you're so interested, then you'll probably meet him soon."
"What do you mean?" She asked confused
"Heh, do you really think Rafiel will remain still after what happened? You know perfectly how he thinks of you and those around him…"
'She frowned.'
"Something will happen tonight." The spider said as it vanished
'Eri turned around, grabbing the handle of the door,
That would be problematic.
"Are you thinking the same as I am?" The spider asked, its voice echoing in the air
"... Rafiel isn't short-sighted… At least not to a moronic level." Eri said, conflicted
"But what if he thinks he has things under his control? And that he can profit from this situation?"
"..."
'The girl did not reply to that, but after a little while, she said:'
"If he does that… It wouldn't be too late to kick him away." Eri said coldly
"Oh? Indeed… It may be a good opportunity to do that, Rafiel is a selfish fool and not in any way material for a partner." The spider said with a chuckle
So you're ready to face the consequences of that?
"You!..."
/Chuckles/
/Creak!/
'She opened the door and exclaimed loudly:'
"Mimi! Come here!"
…
/A few minutes earlier somewhere within the same Manor.../
'A man clad in heavy armor entered an extremely decorated Office.'
'He wasn't alone in this room, there was one more person within it, a young man with blond hair and brown eyes...'
'He took his helmet off while the young man asked:'
"How was it?" Pyke Rafiel asked the man
'The man took off his helmet, showing the tired face of a bearded man with a scar on his left eye, rendering him blind.'
"Nothing... But it is to be expected, the Academy is still on lockdown, and it'll probably remain as such for a few more weeks if not months, many are paying attention to it right now and it would be completely impossible to sneak inside, much less get out." The man replied as he shook his head
"Tsk, what an annoying thing to happen now of all times... What are those old wizards doing?"
How did they allow an intruder inside their most secured area?
"Please... Be careful of your voice Young Lord, this information is still classified..." The man said as he looked around
This room isn't soundproof...
'The young man smiled sarcastically.'
"As if that matters, half of the continent already knows that something happened at this point..."
"But to some, the Famous Parad Academy... Fallen so low as to allow an unknown intruder directly inside their Principal's room..."
"Not only that, they were unable to prevent this news from being spread, how pathetic." He said as he got up from his chair
"And with their inability to resolve the issue, most are starting to suspect the state of current Principal... It's not only me that thinks the guy has already hanged his cloak."
"Thanks to this chaos, a lot of problems have started to surface in regards to their management, such as how the students are treated... Or should I say, how they treat each other..." He said uninterested
"That is indeed concerning..." Said the Knight with a frown
'The young man kept talking as he walked around the room:'
"Tales of Mental and Physical abuse, blackmail, bad ethics, and other idiotic things are now on everyone's mouth..."
'He shrugged.'
"You know how it is, the same useless things they talk about every once in a while when they want to throw some dirt at the Academy, they are losing their creativity."
'He grabbed a bottle of wine and took a sip.'
"Phew... I needed this..." He said with a satisfied smile
"Young Lord... The party will start soon..."
"I know I know, it was just a small sip." He said with a smile as he closed the bottle and placed it back in the drawer
"But I say Clare... Who cares if a slightly capable bumpkin gets raped, abused, and killed? No one. They've been doing that for decades already with their Wardens and workers, yet, no one ever pointed it out..." Rafiel said harshly
"Every time they talk about it as if it mattered to them, but still, no action has ever been taken, because everyone does it in their respective territories, hah!"
"Think about the head of the Traumount Family, how many peasants do you think he had his way with over his youth? 20? 40? It certainly is not over 100..."
"It may very well be! Knowing all of the scandals surrounding him..."
/Chuckles.../
'The young man chuckled.'
"Young Lord..."
'The knight wanted to refute, but he wasn't in the position to do so, and even if he was, Rafiel was right... No one cared until the daughter or son of someone important got the short end of the stick...'
'Rafiel rolled his eyes.'
"Boring..."
"Clare... Despite everything I said, everyone is now talking about this as if they care."
"HA! A bunch of two-faced businessmen trying to kick the Academy while it's down and profit while they are it."
"..."
Aren't you one of those Young Master?...
'Clare remained silent, listening to the ramblings of his Lord.'
"And once they're done profiting out of this... They continue doing the same as they always did, while the world's anger will be directed at the Academy... Just how it always happened."
"Families fell like this didn't they? The history books say one thing, but the truth is something else entirely..."
"..."
"The Mighty Queix Family, the Old Paze Family... Even the Noble Polter Family, and many others."
"Put all of this together and you have a clear idea that the Academy's prestige is now on the verge of being broken... It makes me wonder what those old people at the Council are thinking now."
"A political war is about to happen, everyone will want a slice of the Academy now that the old Principal is gone."
"How surprising, dad told me this would happen soon, but I didn't expect it to happen this soon... I'm not quite ready for this development yet..."
"Oh my... I can't stop thinking about the repercussions of this event." Rafiel said with a wide smile
And what I can get from it...
'Rafiel seemed rather excited about the fall of the Parad Academy's grace...'
'He turned his gaze to the armored man and said:'
"It's a shame we can't contact them, but that doesn't change what we should do."
I'll probably lose some things, but the potential gain is still there.
'He walked back to his table and grabbed a small piece of paper... On the very front page, there was a name and image...'
[Philip Polter...]
"Heh, don't you think its fate?... But Polter huh..."
Does he have anything to do with that family?... Not that it matters.
You offended Verimir Ji and many others by intervening in the Great Hunt... Incurring several losses, including that of their reputation...
The son of Duke Ves after humiliating him in Class...
And even the infamous Ermilian, by beating him up and slapping his fiance... I heard even his sister pissed her pants...
"Don't you think this kid is asking to disappear?" He asked the man as he turned to face him
Even if I did nothing, someone would sooner or later.
'Clare's expression darkened.'
"Urg... I do think his actions were a bit inconsiderate of the circumstances, although, in essence, he seemed to always be in the right..." The armored man replied
/BAM!/
'Rafiel banged the paper on the table and replied with a cold gaze:'
"Do you really think it matters? Who was in the right, and who was in the wrong? Did people ever care about that at all?..."
"It has never, those who stick to such feeble ideas end up being gobbled up."
"The laws were made for us to control those below us, wasn't that always the case?"
The power of the people can't be ignored of course, but with a bit of acting and favors, all problems have a solution...
If we say someone was detained but was instead moved to another part of the continent, everyone will be pleased.
That was why scapegoats were made.
"What matters is that an unknown and background-less guy offended several Noble Families that are now very eager to have a talk with him... People that would pay quite the money to get their hands on him."
"And I just have to have the means of doing so."
"..."
Oh Lord Thomson, it seems your eldest son has quite the twisted ideas about society...
Was it really the right idea to send him this place to learn and grow?
Albeit, who am I to question your arrangements?
"Unfortunately... The Academy is now off limits, and if I were to simply share his location to their respective Families, the results may backfire on me." Rafiel said with a pensive gaze
Such a shame I can't get in contact with them.
"If that's the case... Why not just wait or simply... Not get involved in this mess in the first place?" Claire asked
"What?... Oh, Clare, you won't get anywhere with such a weak personality." He said with a disappointed look
"I... I just think it may be too much to worry about this when there's already so much going on..."
'Rafiel looked at Clare and said threateningly:'
"You think I'm incapable of handling these matters at the same time?"
"Not at all!"
"Then shut the fuck up." He said coldly
"The very reason I was told to come here by father was to understand how to lead the Family, how to make business, and to make some connections..."
"If I can't host a party and deal with a minor inconvenience then I won't be able to even dream of leading it!"
'He looked to the side, seeing a large metallic object containing a miniature sun and moon orbiting a small sphere filled with numbers...'
"Now, enough of this talk, it's almost time for the party and Elyria still isn't here..."
She must be getting ready in her room.
"Go remind her to get ready, we don't have all day."
"... Understood sir." The man said as he left the room
'Once he was left alone, the man looked at the paper on the table one last time and said:'
"... Philip..."
'Rafiel then shook his head.'
Enough of him, I have other things to worry about.
...
.
.
.
Notes
What did you think of Rafiel?
I tried to make him arrogant, yet correct in his own morbid sense.
After all, the things he said are actually very real no matter how much you try to refuse, because that is how many corporates and politicians see the people they were supposed to work for.
Of course, I do not share his views.
Although I would like to hear what you all have to say.
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