It would nothing short of unethical to drag the countess anywhere while she was in this inebriated state of muttering and denial, which meant that getting her to roll along to talk to the Pinnacle right now wasn’t going to happen. And more importantly, the Pinnacle was a pervert. A chivalrous pervert that wouldn’t do anything that crossed the line, by his own admission, but that didn’t mean that the fella was safe.
Gaius still remembered the last time he pummelled the Pinnacle — during that stunt he pulled at the ball, he was acting oddly, so the boy taught him an object lesson. The man was a Paragon, the ruler of the North, but none of that mattered once he was in the boy’s evil hands — all was equal beneath his fists.
“Another sandwich?” Gaius asked. “These things are heavenly.”
Nakama, who was chewing on hers, nodded happily. The little girl wasn’t picky about food — so long as it tasted great or was cooked with love, that would be enough. It was a habit that she and Gaius had picked up from a childhood in the slums…or the real Gaius, anyway.
But living a poor life wasn’t unfamiliar to his past life on Earth either. From what he could remember, he was something living off the streets, when he was picked up by some old man. Him, and a few others like him, began to learn how to fight, to steal, to kill, and so on. Eventually, however, the old man passed away — like anyone in this grim line of work, there were always enemies. He could remember that they were in middle school at that time, and when the little gang returned home, there was nothing but the old man’s body, a bloody line drawn across his throat.
And from then, the gang split up. After a solemn funeral, they divided whatever assets left behind, and began to carve out their own piece of sky. Some wanted to avenge their caretaker, but the old man’s constant words to let him die alone had eventually won.
It was natural, really. Assassins had enemies.
Avengers of the dead. Families of the murdered. Lone children left behind in the wake of a familial massacre. He liked to think that the old man raised some children and educated them because he wanted to atone, but Gaius would never know.
That was all he could remember from his childhood right now. Gaius had worked hard to recall his past, in case Nakama and Isabelle ever got curious about him, but they didn’t seem to care all that much just yet.
“Are you crying?” Isabelle asked. Nakama, her mouth still full of bread and meat, shook her head.
Gaius shook his head twice. “Some dust got into my eye. Trying to flush it out now.”
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“Dust?” She cast another inquisitive look at Gaius, and then shrugged. “Well, so long as you don’t break down in front of me, I’m fine. Still, why did you buy some many sandwiches?”
“I get the feeling that the good countess is going to feel very hungry when she awakens,” Gaius replied. “Anyway, I suspect that the Oracle’s going to have a reception waiting for us. If she’s full here, she’s not going to compete with Nakama over the better food over there.”
At those words, Nakama finished off her sandwich, but she didn’t get started on another one. A few longing looks were cast towards these sandwiches, but she didn’t move to get another one.
That was probably the best display of self-control Gaius had ever since from her since he came to Orb.
“And how are you going to find the Pinnacle?” Isabelle asked.
Gaius took out a small artefact. “The North’s version of the Display, the Terminal. I have the Pinnacle and the Oracle registered in them. As long as we are in the North, we can talk to them anytime we want.”
“Not at weird hours, though,” he added hastily.
“So…shouldn’t you contact them now?” Isabelle asked. “And are we really going to bring her with us? Wouldn’t it be a shock for the countess?”
“Which is why we’re only asking when she recovers from that…whatever state she’s in. Right?” Gaius played around with the Terminal, having remembered that he had funded a bunch of scientists back in the East to continue their research of the Display. “And speak of the demon. It looks like she’s beginning to recover from that mental damage you’ve dealt to her.”
A yawn escaped the countess’ lips, and like a cat awakening from a night’s rest, she stretched lazily, drawing out curves that would have made an older Gaius appreciative. “What happened to me?”
“You began to question your morals, your own life,” Gaius replied, pushing the plate laden with sandwiches over. “Here, have some food. It’s from the café we’re at now.”
The countess picked up one such sandwich and started chewing on them. After a moment or so, she looked around wildly. “My entourage! What happened to them?”
“Oh, I told them to return home, since you were in such a state. Don’t worry, I didn’t ill-treat them or anything,” Gaius replied. “I had a feeling that you would have wanted them to stand guard the whole time, though.”
She choked on her food. After a few moments, in which she accepted a glass of water from Isabelle and some paper towels from Nakama, she said, “Are you a demon? Why would I do that? I’ll have you know that I treat my entourage very well. They are covered by all sorts of insurances, they have a solid medical package, and they are well paid too! Why do you think they get to attend this school?”
Gaius thought back to the time where he saw them carrying a palanquin in the rain, and couldn’t really reconcile that disturbing image with the words she said. Thankfully, Isabelle picked up the slack and asked about that time when they were travelling to school.
“Oh, they get hazard pay for that. I might be glamourous, but you have to be kind, no? I’m a Knight. Treating my people well is what I should be doing.” Reinford beamed, giving off an aura of ‘praise me, praise me!’ at that moment.
“Wow. Truly an admirable master, then.” Gaius rubbed his chin.
“Right?!”
Gaius stared at the empty plate, and then at the surprisingly kind employer. “Should I do the same too, Isabelle?”
“Don’t even think about it!”