Chapter 13: A Normal Morning
Conrad was having a hard time controlling his emotions and discomfort, which were all over the place. He was holding onto Anira, but his body felt as if it would still collapse.
Don't think about it.
An image of a carefully placed sliced arm surfaced in his mind. He vomited multiple times.
As they got outside for some air, Anira sat Conrad under a tree where moonlight hardly reached. All the sliced-up jasmine flowers were still spread across the garden. The house in front of them felt older, as if in a second it had aged rapidly due to unknown reasons. The surrounding darkness didn't feel as isolated and suffocating as before. Even though lingering feelings of something unknown remained in the air, Anira knew the danger had been subdued. She didn't use teleportation due to her concern about side effects in her low Brahman energy state.
"My lord, please rest here. I will go and fetch some water," she rushed on foot. She was not used to running; the movement felt a little awkward to her.
That...that...was a human.
Several thoughts came to Conrad as he started to connect the dots of the missing puzzle pieces. A theory that could only be described as madness surfaced in his mind.
Ahhh...what on earth is happening in this world?
Certain words came to his mind—
'against the natural order'
"Now I understand what she really meant."
As he said that, his eyes noticed a graceful girl rushing toward him, holding a glass not so gracefully.
It doesn't suit her personality to be running around like that. To be honest, it's my fault for making her do that.
"My lord, are you alright?" Anira asked with worry.
"You know, it doesn't suit a beauty like you to be running around..." Conrad said as he grabbed the glass to drink some water.
Anira's face felt a little red for some reason.
My lord, that's not fair...
Conrad noticed Anira's silence but then got caught off-guard by a new expression on her face.
Did she just pout? She is so cute.
Conrad felt a little devilish inside. He wanted to grab Anira's cheeks to pull them, but he controlled his intrusive thoughts.
"Ahm...Anira, what are your thoughts on that Oddity?"
"My lord, it is the same as what you may be thinking. I can confidently say that that was probably an 'Odd Desire' Oddity."
"Odd Desire?" Conrad questioned.
"Due to some reasons, the desire inside Mrs. Feud had been corrupted and separated from her body, which was living in your house due to the body's natural survival instinct, meanwhile the Oddity had been operating on its instinct."
"I don't understand what would have caused such a thing to the couple."
"There are several things that are unknown to us. The World is filled with such Mysteries..." Anira looked deep into Conrad's eyes. Her crimson eyes were focused on the blue depth of the man in front of her.
"My lord, what will you do? Are you planning to inform your sisters?" Anira asked.
"No, the danger is no more. We don't need to inform anybody. It will eventually be discovered by someone. I am on suspension, so I will take my time to read some books in the library."
Conrad paused for a few seconds. "It's been so late. Let's return to our home. You also need some rest."
Home...
"Yes, my lord," a genuine smile was on Anira's face. She felt her heart was getting filled with a new feeling she had never felt before.
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At 2:23 AM, Inside Feud Residence
A girl was standing in front of the fridge. She had no emotion on her face. Her sharp blue eyes seemed as if they were seeing something trivial. She picked up a device similar to a transmitter.
Kach!
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Hello Captain, is there any urgent mission?"
"Take AEA unit-21 and come to Prismara street-5, Feud Residence."
"Yes, Captain."
Kach!
This is very mysterious. Mr. and Mrs. Feud seemed very normal; somebody might have corrupted them recently, or maybe they took advantage of young couples to fulfill their desire. From all the destruction in the garden, it feels like someone just recently assaulted them, but why were they preserving Mr. Feud's body? Even more puzzling, where is Mrs. Feud? There are no traces of any female body. Red notebook...Black liquid...I can't be sure of anything. Let's wait for the investigation report. There might be some dangerous entity hiding in Prismara. I need to eliminate it for the safety of everyone.
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Monday morning,
Conrad was still sleeping when he heard a knock on his door. Due to his constant practice of Brahman sensing, he had become very aware of any sound or energy fluctuations nearby.
A voice came to his ears, practically shouting from the other side of the door.
"Conrad, don't sleep like an idiot. Big sister is calling for you. If you don't wake up now, I will break into your room," Clara said with a hidden devilish smile on her face.
Yawn!
"Huahh...yes Clara, I am coming. Just give me 5 minutes," Conrad said while yawning.
Last night I slept too late. Anira, for some reason, just sat beside me. I told her to go back to my shadows, but she refused. She is now starting to refuse my orders. It's just three days, and she is getting cocky. But I did feel at ease whenever she was with me, so as her great master, I will let it slide.
Conrad felt proud of himself as if he was really her master or something.
It took him fifteen minutes to get ready for breakfast. When he went to the kitchen, he saw everyone was waiting for him.
That's new. I thought they would start without me. Usually only Isolde waits for me.
"Good morning, ladies," Conrad jested.
Isolde chuckled; Clara almost coughed up the water she was drinking.
"Oh my! Con, what's with your cheerful attitude in the morning?" Isolde asked.
"Nothing, it's just I am so happy to see my sisters safe and sound."
Leona gave Conrad a look. She took a piece of bread with some butter on it. Today was a working day for her, so she was already dressed in her National Civil Guard uniform.
The Civil Guard uniform was a blend of Victorian elegance and modern practicality that exuded authority. Its headgear, a polished cap, was refined and made of lightweight material for long hours. A jacket featuring a high collar was cut to perfection. To the side of a utility belt, it was mandatory for each member to carry a sword. It was the main weapon of choice in modern times.
Conrad's eyes swept over the sword for a brief time.
This sword is very well designed, but after seeing the mist sword, this looks like a toy in comparison.
Alas! But even my younger sister knows how to swing a sword. I need at least a weapon. I will go outside today to find one.
"Con, you're free today, right?"
"Yes, big sister, anything you need?"
"So you can drop Clara off at the church school, right?"
"I don't need him to go with me," Clara retorted.
Does she hate me or something? I thought she was starting to like me. Oh well, that's a bummer.
Isolde chuckled. "Con, actually Clara asked me to say this to you," she said nonchalantly with a mischievous smile.
"Big sister—" Clara stood up , almost shouting.
Huh? What's this now? I am confused. Does she like me or not?
"Anyway...Conrad, the church school is a bit too far from here. If you're not free, then Leona will drop me off, so—"
"I am free today," Conrad cut her off.
"Really?" Clara asked with excitement.
When did they become so close? Leona thought to herself.
Conrad was enjoying the bread while thinking of how the food in this world was very plain compared to his old world. As he grabbed the final bite, he paused and asked,
"Where can I find the largest library nearby?"
Isolde and Clara thought for a while before turning to Leona, who was just sitting at her table drinking her tea without much sound.
"You can go to your university's attached library, which is one of the largest ones in all of Aurelius," Leona said calmly.
"But I am not allow—"
"You are not allowed to attend classes but not the library."
Ah, is that so? I didn't think it through carefully. She really is a lot more mature than others. She has a lot of experience working outside also.
After their breakfast, Conrad helped Isolde tidy up the kitchen. Leona went out to her duty. Clara was preparing herself for Church school.
The Aaka religion is the largest in the world. It is said that 300 million people are followers of the omnipotent sun god named Aaka. Three hundred million is a small number considering this world has a population of 20 billion people according to the official UG records. It is said that there were many religions in previous epochs, but with advancement and science, it has plummeted to just one. Most people do not follow any religion. That being said, the Aaka religion has been growing at an astonishing rate recently. They have also done some really good things overall. They have established relief funds, many charity organizations, and even free schools for people who want to learn. Overall, in my opinion, it is a net positive. I am not really a religious guy myself, but I can get behind doing good things for our society.
"Conrad, I am ready, let's go," Clara said with her sparkling eyes.
"Okay."
"Be careful, you guys, on your way, and Con, take care of her. I will try to finish my work as soon as possible," Isolde said as she locked the door to the Valor residence.
Conrad looked up at the sky. The sky was not clear as gray clouds covered it, but some sunlight was peeking from the side, illuminating what was otherwise gloomy weather. Some birds unknown to Conrad flew from East to North. Some remaining memory from last night took shape in Conrad's mind as he stared at the sky for a minute or so.
"It might rain in the afternoon.”