— “I-I understand! I understand! J-Just don’t hurt me, please!”
Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak! These humans are weak! I’m the only one who shall strive for power! They’re my tools! They’re fated to be used by me!
— “Your life is in my hands. Lucky I haven’t killed you, you pathetic excuse for a king! I told you to kill Amarilis and Martin! I told you to do that four years ago, didn’t I!? And where is he now?! He’s in hiding! And I failed to kill that woman along with her daughter!”
Damn it all! Damn it to hell! Why can’t people just follow simple orders?! Useless! Useless! Useless!!!
— “I do not care about your rivalry with Martin’s kingdom, Aevum! I could care any less! But you? You just had to stroke your ego, huh?! You just had to make him run into hiding! Not even my web of information can’t find that man!”
— “P-Please… Let go…! It won’t happen again! I promise you that! I will send my men to find Martin! Just please, do not harm me!”
— “...”
— “M-Mark–Lord Mark! P-Please have reason and mercy!”
Reason? REASON?! IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS IN WAITING AND I HAVE YET TO SEE MY RESULTS! IF ANYONE IS UNREASONABLE, IT WOULD BE YOU!
I’M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE THIS! I’m like a f*cking broken record with these people.
I need to show him that the pecking order is still intact! I grabbed the collar of his clothes.
*Rustle…!*
— “I will not hesitate to end you myself if this continues.”
— “I-I will send my best men to find him! Rumors say that he’s in the Mystical Forest right now! I-I’ll handle it, I swear! J-Just please don’t hurt me!”
Good, good! I can see that he’s truly scared now—not that he wasn’t before. People like this man need to know who is in order. Just because he’s a king doesn’t mean
— “Your downfall will be my doing, Julius Azale!”
*Poof…!*
***
— ‘I can’t let my daughter be in front of a line of fire’
Man, he’s really thinking deep about that for the past minute or so. Who even is he talking—or thinking for this case—about? Makes me wonder.
I went downstairs from my room and back to the dining room. And while I was walking down the flight of stairs, I started to wonder: why is the horizontal glowing line on my cloak still not going out? It’s quite hard sleeping at night with a light source.
I got back to the dining room to see that nothing had changed whatsoever except for a servant handing Leo another plate of food after finishing one. Just how much does he eat? And how is he this slim after eating so much?
— “Leo–”
And before I knew it, he cut me off. Why does everyone do this to me?
— “I know what you’re gonna ask now, don't bother me until I have my third serving of breakfast. Min-Min’s father said I could eat as much as I want as long as I keep my mouth shut.”
I see. I guess that’s one way to trick him and make him shut up.
— “At least they found a way to make you quiet.”
There stood the young man, quipping with a child who didn't care a single bit about him as he ate his breakfast. I really wish it wasn’t me.
*Sigh*
I took a seat opposite Minnie's father. And speaking of Minnie, she’s outside of the house with Cass and from the window view, Minnie is talking with Cass but I just couldn’t hear their conversation.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
— “So, what’s this about a ruthless man? Does he look like me but instead of white hair, it’s black? Does he look like he’s in his mid-twenties? Tell me.Tell me.Tell me.”
I kept echoing those words as he stared back at me perplexed as to what I’m asking like I’m a child with morbid curiosity.
— “What are you talking about? No? He doesn’t remotely look close to you—unless you’re related to him, which I doubt. From what Minnie told me, you’re a noble not royalty.”
— “Ouch.”
Blunt. Wow. He said it like it was personal and I did something to him. I guess I can’t blame him; like father, like daughter.
— “I didn’t mean it in an offensive way, of course. But in conclusion, he doesn’t look like you but who really knows, he’s aging and his hairline is receding back.”
He slicks his hair back as if to prove a point. Just how weird is Minnie’s father? The first time we encounter him is when he’s throwing small glowing rocks at Pixies and Fairies to force out Mana from their bodies. But who is to judge? I mean, I do buy from his company which is… Definitely a front so he could sell his products.
— “I see. But what is this about a ruthless man?”
Speaking of which, he definitely tried dodging my question by not responding to it and instead answered if the “ruthless man” looked like me…
…He’s scared, isn’t he?
— “...”
He’s quiet. Too quiet. He’s definitely keeping a secret. But should I push further? I mean, it’s not like it’s my problem anyway—wrong. I shouldn’t be thinking like this. This also concerns me as a friend.
— “You know…”
He spoke. What is he going to say now…?
— “I don’t understand why…”
— “Don’t understand what?”
— “I don’t understand how…”
He’s going to drag this on, isn’t he? Just speak already!
— “Just what is it!”
*Slam!*
— “I’m eating here, you moron, stop shaking the table! Like I said, I haven’t had my fill of my third breakfast yet so shut up!”
I guess I didn’t anticipate that Leo is still eating his third serving of breakfast. Regardless! I need to stay on track.
— “Could you get straight to the point? Our situation is getting dire here! Life is on the line–-YOUR wife’s life!”
— “I can’t understand why…”
Of course he’s dodging my questions! What is he really hiding?! Do I have to read his mind twice?! I’m losing my mind here!
— “I can’t understand why this kid has chains on his wrist and ankles. Did Minnie do this to him? I never knew my daughter was this cruel…”
— “That’s not the concern here! The concern is your wife’s life–”
— “I know.”
Why did the atmosphere change? It feels tense… Is he stressed? Is that why he’s dodging my questions? I’m getting more questions than answers here.
— “...”
He went quiet all of the sudden, as if thinking of a response to my initial question.
— “You know, I understand your anger, I really do. Minnie has great friends like you and I’m proud of that. But there’s one thing: you don’t understand anything. You don’t understand why I’m doing this. I wish that I could help but I just can’t. It feels like I’m watching my own wife slowly die as I watched her from a one-way mirror.”
— “...”
I understand… I don’t! Why do I keep pretending that I do?! I couldn’t even reply to what he said because of how bad I felt. I don’t know what’s happening anymore. I’ve been headstrong throughout our adventure here.
— “I’m sorry I kept pressuring you.”
Is that all that I could say? I feel so horrible. A simple sorry? Would that fix anything? Is that all that I could really say?
Now that I have thought about it, I feel so horrible rubbing salt in his wound. My words sounded like Minnie’s mother was in horrible condition. I was so focused on comforting my friends that I forgot what I’m doing.
Did I really forget that there are consequences for my actions? I’m definitely lucky but I’m not that lucky. I could escape Death himself but I can’t escape the results of what I do… Is this what she meant by being fateless?
— “You’ve been staring at the table for a long time, Owens. Specifically, for 35 seconds and 40 milliseconds.”
— “...”
I feel so horrible for saying all of these things to him. If only you could read my mind to see how sorry I am.
— “40 seconds and 30 milliseconds now.”
— “I’m sorry…”
— “For what?”
— “For saying what I said before regarding Minnie’s mother’s situation. I didn’t know I was being insensitive towards the situation. I… I never intended for it to be this way. I just want to put everything to rest… I thought I was helping Minnie but I guess I’m just being in her way…”
He paused for a short while after I said what was on my mind. But still… What I said felt like it wasn’t enough. Is this all that I could really say? Am I this heartless of a person?
I should just fade at this moment…