Rylan withstood the persistent gazes as he entered the Adventurer’s Guild, carrying the hobgoblin’s head. He walked to the counter and placed the head over it, not caring about the fact that it was still bleeding. The brown-skinned, bearded man stared at it before shifting his gaze towards Rylan. It was as if he were looking at a beast of legend. Rylan heard the whispers.
“There’s no way he really killed that hobgoblin, right?”
“I don’t get it. What is he trying to do?”
“Is he trying to earn some reputation by stealing someone’s spoils?”
“As expected from an attendant of a noble family. She cut off its head without damaging it.”
He simply stared at the man, who spoke.
“…Wonderful job, young master. The remaining goblins in the camp have lost their leader. I’m called William, by the way.”
He didn’t bother with telling the man that he had killed all the goblins in the camp. William tried and failed to hide his look of suspicion.
Rylan turned and looked at the other soldiers.
“Let’s go back and rest. In a couple of days, we go out again.”
They nodded. Not one raised a protest. The adventurers inside the Guild’s building alternated between looking at the soldiers and Rylan, who led them outside. Once again, the adventurers started talking the moment he left the building.
His group walked back to the Flameheart estate.
***
The days passed by quickly, like grains in an hourglass, much faster than Sarah expected.
In the blink of an eye, it had been a week since Rylan’s first expedition against the goblins. Over that time, he had brought out a group of soldiers to hunt two more times. As always, Sarah went with them.
She looked at Rylan’s back as he faced off against ten kobolds. The small, scaly creatures opened their maw, full of sharp fangs, and bit at him. She felt as if the world were moving in slow motion. Her Mana Core burned, bringing mana to her fingertips. She was ready to cast a spell at a moment’s notice. Yet, it was needless.
In a series of breathtaking movements, Rylan easily dispatched five enemies, making the scent of blood and guts flood the area. The remaining five were taken care of in less than six seconds.
He’s improving.
No, it wasn’t that, exactly. She felt almost as if he were freeing himself from the shackles that limited his true self. Once again, a thought struck her.
This is impossible.
She knew Rylan well, better than pretty much anyone else. She spent the entire day by his side, accompanying him in everything he did, from watching him as he took a bath to ensuring he didn’t do too many drugs at once. It was a job she hated. Not because of its nature, but because of the one she had to look out for.
Sarah despised Rylan Flameheart. He was trash, through and through. There wasn’t a single redeeming quality to him. He lied, cheated, and manipulated others as he saw fit for his own benefit. Countless times, she had had to threaten or bribe others to ensure his shit didn’t catch up to him. Every time it happened, she got more tired. Yet, it continued to happen. Over time, all that remained within her was disgust.
That was why she couldn’t accept this situation.
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Rylan wiped off the blood on his blade and sheathed it. Then, he looked at her. It was an expression she was completely unfamiliar with. Instead of looking into dead eyes that did not care about anyone else, she was gazing into an honest and upstanding expression. His blue eyes were clear, but deep within them, she recognized some shame; it was only possible because she had stayed by Rylan’s side for so long. He spoke.
“Let’s go back.”
The surrounding soldiers, including Jack and Scott, nodded. They made their way back to the Flameheart estate. During that time, a single thought kept hammering in her mind.
This is impossible.
Rylan Flameheart had never touched a sword for more than an hour in his worthless life. He hadn’t spent a single day training or improving his body, unlike the soldiers who trained all morning, every day. He had never fought against a single opponent, much less a monster after his life. So, how was she supposed to accept this?
Everything had changed on the day of his eighteenth birthday. On that day, his dead eyes had regained their light, and his personality had changed completely. She didn’t understand. What had happened?
She absent-mindedly walked through the gates of the Flameheart estate. The Mages at its sides bowed to her. She walked through the garden but wasn’t in any mood to appreciate its beauty. As the guards walked off to their quarters, only Rylan and her were left. The moment they stepped into the mansion proper, she spoke.
“Young master, the Family Head has asked for my presence.”
This was the agreed-upon day and time for her report to the Family Head. In the past, Rylan would have looked at her blankly or thrown a fit; it was impossible to anticipate which. Nevertheless, this time, he simply nodded.
“That’s fine. Go ahead. You can take a break, as well.”
The thought that he was sending her away just so that he could do Dust or Glamour in his room struck her. It was an automatic response. Yet, she still hadn’t seen him do any of them, even though a week had already passed. She didn’t know how he was managing the withdrawals, but she was almost certain that he hadn’t touched any substances during the week. She had looked everywhere. The sole exception was during his encounter with Evenon Bled.
She bowed, trying to contain her feelings, before walking to the center of the mansion. Soon, she arrived. Before she knocked on the door, Gerard’s deep voice could be heard.
“Come in.”
She opened it and stepped inside the study. It was the same as she remembered. Bookshelves on one side, floating staff on the other. In the middle, near the back, there was a large desk. Gerard sat behind it. She bowed deeply.
“My lord.”
He nodded and spent a few seconds in silence before speaking.
“What have you learned?”
Unhesitatingly, she started telling him everything she had experienced this week, from Rylan’s sudden change in behavior to his proficiency with the sword. She spoke of how he had started teaching the soldiers, apparently advised Aelfric to leave the drugs behind – as she had inferred from what he had told Robert – and about his combat proficiency. She spoke of how he had killed ten goblins and a hobgoblin without sustaining a single wound.
Time passed by as she spoke unceasingly. Gerard’s frown became more and more pronounced. As she reached the end of her story, he was staring blankly through the window. He ended up voicing the same thought that was in her mind.
“That’s impossible.”
“…It’s the truth, my lord.”
Silence reigned between them. It was only after some time that Gerard spoke.
“Call Rylan here. I need to know what’s happening.”
She bowed.
“Yes.”
He turned to her.
“How is your family, Sarah? Are your siblings well?”
A corner of her heart was filled with warmth. The idea that the Family Head paid enough attention to her circumstances to speak of them, even in this current situation, was pleasant.
“They’re fine. My job here allows them all to be fed and clothed.”
Gerard nodded.
“I’ll increase your salary. Now, bring me Rylan.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised his hand. She knew that there was no point in trying to argue. The Family Head was a decisive and sometimes stubborn man. She bowed and left the study, walking to Rylan’s bedroom. On the way, she met multiple patrols of guards.
Their spirit is lacking.
She couldn’t help but compare them to the ordinary soldiers. It was a comparison that surprised even herself. Before, she thought of Mages as absolutely superior. Now, she could see that there was more to even the soldiers. Eventually, she arrived in front of Rylan’s door. Before she knocked, she heard his voice.
“Come in.”
She walked inside. A shirtless Rylan was sitting on his bed, his eyes closed. Almost unintentionally, she eyed his body. It had only been a short time, but it looked a bit better than before. She spoke.
“The Family Head asks for your presence in his study, young master.”
Rylan opened his eyes and threw a shirt on.
“Thank you, Sarah. I’m on my way.”
It was still strange to hear him thank her for anything. As he left the room, she accompanied him with her gaze. She was left alone in the bedroom. Without hesitation, she started looking through the drawers and wardrobe. She needed to know if there was even a single gram of Dust or a single vial of Glamour in there.
She found nothing.