# Romuald's perspective

The master and student were both there in a forest lit by the morning sun. The master dangling up a tree, in the most improbable turn of events. Who in their right mind would imagine that a student owing respect and obedience to their master, would play such a underhanded trick.

Romuald, however was stunned for another reason.

"No way.. did I really fall for that..."

He wanted to get mad, but he couldn't even bring himself to that. After all the only reason this trap had worked in the first place was because he had stood up by himself, despite the warning.

Had the kid called him, himself he would have been more wary assuming something was off.

He knew the elements of the trap were there, and he knew it was already set up, after all how would no one could create traps out of thin air -- unless that was specifically their ability.

His senses were alert the whole time.

Which was why, he was actually somewhat reassured when he saw the kid go away from him in such a weird manner, walking around trees and standing far away from him. It looked like the kid had prepared something, somehow.

He knew something was off, his alarms going off the whole time he was there. But it's only when he took the final step, and when the kid released intent that he understood the reverse psychology the kid had used, and that he had stepped of his own will into a trap.

But by then it was too late.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

Romuald explauded in a manic laugh.

"You unfillial brat!!"

"Who would have thought, I'd be had like that."

"Any other day, and you'd be dead!"

He then explauded in even more of boisterous laugh, leaving the young brat shocked.

# Back to Helmet's perspective

I was supposed to be elated, after all I had won.

It wasn't fair and square, and technically the other side had already said they weren't playing anymore, but still as dirty as it was it was still a win. And even then, I had managed to last a pretty decent time, I should be happy right?

Still, I couldn't. The ridiculousness of the situation made me unable to even appreciate my victory.

Uh?

He's laughing?

He was still hanging downward, swinging because of the intensity of his own laugh. In all honesty it was terrifying, but more than terrifying it was unnerving, why the hell was he laughing!?

Shouldn't he be super angry right now?

"Any other day..?" "So I am safe right?"

What the hell is going on?

As I watched this crazed foggy, swing with his head downward. Laughing like he had heard the most hilarious joke, I short-circuited.

RUN!!

This wasn't normal! If he had been angry. Anger as terrifying as it would have been, would have made sense... but this... this...

"Albert!! Please save me from this lunatic!"

"EH WAIT HERE YOU BRAT!"

"Sorry!" I yelled between breaths. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

I ran as fast as I could, noticeably tired after the fight.

"YOU BRAT!" He howled much closer than he was a few seconds ago.

"Already?" I said to myself urging my feet to move quicker, he had already escaped from the trap, his pace much like the wind.

"Sor--"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH."

Escape failed.

##

Some time passed.

We were back to the shelter, and I was tied to my bed.

"Free me, I am sorry!" I asked for nth time.

"No." Romuald answered in a eerily good mood.

I really didn't know what to do of it. While Romuald had always been a somewhat jovial person, it was never like this.

Him being so happy in a situation that should have pissed off any sane person was ... terrifying.

Is he acting?

Is this how I die?

I knew it, I shouldn't have done it?

Time seemed to stop as I pondered on that last thought, before snickering.

Who am I kidding, this was awesome! Totally worth it.

"Still, please don't kill me," I wished silently.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I waited, and as time passed an entrancing fragrance of roasted meat wafted in the place, along with appetizing smells that I couldn't quite identify.

My mouth started to water.

"Wait, he's really not mad?" I thought to myself, as I swallowed my saliva.

After all, if killing me was the objective wouldn't poison and wasting food be too wasteful?

And that smell... I drooled.

[...]

Some time passed like that. Was it ten minutes, or was it fifty? I didn't know.

But, my body was rebelling.

My mouth watering more and more as the smell grew stronger and more complex, my stomach grumbling urging me to eat whatever was the source of this aroma, my brain imagining flavors and my tongue actually tasting them!

This was torture.

As I waited impatiently, Romuald came to me and untied the rope.

And with a warm smile he said "Brat, dinner's ready"

Uh?

He brought me to the dining room.

The atmosphere much more peaceful than I expected.

The table was garnished with many delicious meals. How did I know? Because they were all things that I had tasted during the past 2 weeks--all meals that would figure among my favorites.

Romuald's cooking was always delicious. But these meals, at least for me, were on another level.

Whether it'd be the roast of wild Strossgass with wild herbs, the casserole of salty berries and mushrooms, the stew of Orboar, every single thing on this table was to die for.

"Whoa," I said as I looked at the garnished table, "Thank you."

On the table was also a bottle of what smelled like wine, as I eyed itRomuald said, "Hahaha that's not for you, your brain is just about your only redeeming quality, let's not ruin it."

I clicked my tongue. "It tastes gross anyway."

"Let's eat," Romuald said as he sat down, brought the bottle of wine to him and drank from it.

"Directly?" I said as I looked at him, during my whole stay there this was the first time I saw him drink wine, and it all the more surprising to see him drink straight from such a large bottle.

"Ha--, no worries, this much is nothing." He then took another swig.

"If you want to see what real alcohol is like I know some people who would be glad to show you." He laughed.

"I wonder if you'll see eye to eye with them though," He added before laughing some more.

"Uh?" I said as the unpleasant feeling of missing a joke seized me.

"If you ever meet them you'll know."

"Ok..."

I didn't worry more about that matter, the tantalizing smell from the food being too powerful.

"Here I come," I said as I dug in.

If there was one thing to say about these meals, they were worth it. They made all of the arduous training these past 2 weeks worth it, even if I had left here as weak as I had came, these meals would have been enough to justify it all.

They were just that good.

The casserole of mushrooms and belly flavorful without being overwhelming, having an ideal balance of sweet and salty, and being gracefully light on the palate, followed by the perfectly roasted strossgass that was indecently juicy and filled to the brim with umami. And to complete, the stew that walked the fine line between bland and too spicy to the perfection, being just hot enough to make you sweat without killing your tongue, while still delivering a deliciously smokey and gamey flavor.

As if the meal wasn't filling enough, it was complemented with fresh and creamy orboar milk mixed with what seemed like salty berries, and some sort of sweetener. Result, a deliciously rich and fragrant nectar that soothed the tongue.

After I was done, I didn't even want to move anymore. All I wanted was to sit there and contemplate about the meaning of life.

"Woah..." I said looking in the void, lacking the presence of spirit to say anything more.

"I guess, I don't need to ask how it was." Romuald chuckled.

"Well go rest now, when you wake up I'll have one more thing to show you before you go".

"Ah," I remembered, this was indeed the last day. When would I see him again after that?

Romuald was at first the object of a task, someone I had to prove myself to, but quickly enough he had became a weird mix between the older brother I never had and the father I used to know. I knew from the beginning that it would last two weeks at the very most, and I did have complex feeling about him, but now that it was all set and done, I realized I'd miss him.

"Is there a problem?" He asked me as I didn't answer.

"No, no, nothing, thanks for the feast," I said, joining my two hands as if to pray.

"No worries, glad you liked it. Now go rest."

With these words, I stood up and went to my bed. He stood up and left outside, his face empreint with what looked like melancholy or maybe I was just projecting?

## Romuald's perspective

Outside the shelter, looking at the vast forest atop a terrifyingly tall tree, a lonely man was looking at the horizon, his head filled with complex thoughts.

This brat that he had taken at first out of pity, had become the embodiment of the son he never had. And now he was about to leave.

He didn't really have a hard time accepting it, after all he knew that everything in life was temporary and compared to his wife and son that were gone for good, he would most likely see this kid again.

His complex feelings didn't come from there however.

Despite how he had acted, he was still feeling ambivalent about letting him live.

On one side, today this brat had definitely proved that he had the wits necessary to survive in this harsh world even without magic. Even if he'd meet a lot of hurdles along the way, Romuald sincerely believed that this brat would be able to surmount them, that he had what it takes to tear a place for himself in this world.

However this bad feeling that he had about him, this primal fear that if left alive he'd cause him to lose something important was still there. In fact, ever since today, much stronger than before.

Killing had never been something he was afraid off, whether hierarchal superiors or important figures he didn't care, and this was the reason why he was still alive today that and that he held such an advantageous position. Anyone he felt would be a threat to his life or to what he held dear, was killed before they had the opportunity to do so--either directly, or...

His sense were not a magical ability, but pure instinct.

Still, even a feral beast would never kill their own child.

"Do whatever your heart tells you, uh?" He said to himself as he looked at the sky, contemplating what to do.

He then smiled, as he looked up.

"You'll be waiting for me either way, right?"