"This place smells wonderful," Ryan whispered to Tyler, though Amy and Nadia clearly heard it judging by the laughter he heard as his servant chuckled.

"That's one of the reasons why we came here," Tyler informed Ryan. "You've been focusing on ensuring I enjoy myself during this vacation, to the point where you've been alone for most of the time, usually having to deal with one person or another trying to keep you company in order to flirt with me."

"They have a weird idea of flirting," Ryan frowned. "I didn't tell you, but while you and Michael were playing pool last night, I had one lady literally walk up and ask me what she needed to do in order to get into bed with you. I don't think she believed me when I said you were a eunuch."

"That's not flirting," Tyler sighed. "And that's not something someone would just believe."

"Do you want to be a-"

"No," Tyler answered as Amy and Nadia chuckled. "Come on, the smell of the place will change depending on where we are."

"I assumed as much," Ryan grinned. "When we're back home, we'll go to the local one. I forgot that exists."

The quartet of teens began walking around, Ryan inhaling the various smells. That morning, Tyler had surprised Ryan after the workout and shower by announcement he'd found a place Ryan might enjoy. It wasn't until they had arrived and were inside, Ryan smelling the various flowers, that his friend and servant mentioned they were at a botanical garden.

The place boasted more than four hundred different types of flowers during each season of the year, as well as a butterfly house. As they walked around, Tyler, Amy, and Nadia informed Ryan of the plants they were around.

Ryan himself, meanwhile, kept his empathy stretched as far as he could, along with his senses of water, fire, and air, monitoring everything that went on around him. His father had yet to return to him about the girls, even after two weeks. Whenever he asked, Ryan was simply told that there was no result yet.

Which only made them more suspicious, before considering that he'd noticing Nadia carrying weapons hidden on her at all times. If the Novar Family could not find information on someone within a few days, there was something suspicious. If it took two weeks or more, their history and truth were intentionally hidden from view. If they carried weapons on them, they were some sort of agent.

Despite knowing that at least one of them was an agent of some form, Ryan didn't make a move. First, he wanted to know exactly what their purpose for following him and Tyler was, especially with how much they preferred to hang out with and talk with Tyler over him.

So he kept his own guard up, pretended to fill his usual role, and monitored everything. The moment either of the girls acted, he would respond as well. He'd already alerted Michael to something suspicious, out of paranoia something might happen to Tyler while he wasn't around. Michael had promised to keep an eye on things while he was hanging out with Tyler without Ryan, and that he wouldn't let Tyler know about it.

As they continued to tour the gardens, Ryan thought about Tyler's relationship with Michael. It had gotten to the point where the two were hanging out at almost every chance they had, and the heir knew it was more than just his request to Michael. They had become actual friends, much like he and Tyler were. For the first time, he noticed laughter in Tyler's voice when it was someone other than Ryan doing something.

It made him realize that his servant, for all his statements and actions, craved having other friends, craved having someone else he could hang out with.

By the time Ryan was finished with everything, Tyler would be able to. He made that promise to himself. When he reset back to eight years old, he'd have not met Tyler yet. Despite that, he'd ensure his current servant became his servant again, for the purpose of setting him free.

If Tyler didn't become Ryan's servant, he'd still be a servant to the Family, but he'd likely never earn the right to freedom, and that wouldn't do in Ryan's mind. Tyler had proven himself loyal beyond a mere oath, and deserved the right to have his own life, even if it would be set in motion for actions he'd never performed.

Ryan's nose twitched, and he realized they were walking near the food center of the botanical gardens.

"I'm a little thirsty," Ryan told the group. "Can we get something to drink?"

"Sure," Nadia answered. "I'll get them so you don't have to deal with the crowd, the food center looks pretty busy. Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, thank you," Ryan answered. "I would like either lemonade or fruit punch, please."

"Tea," Tyler requested. "No sweetening, please."

"Fruit punch," Amy said.

"Give me a few minutes," Nadia said, and Ryan watched as she walked off.

Amy and Tyler led Ryan to a nearby bench, and the trio sat down, Tyler to the left of Ryan, Amy to the left of Tyler.

"This place is quite enjoyable," Ryan said, watching Nadia through his senses.

She had her hands in her pocket, one touching the money in it, the other touching a small pouch of powder she always carried around on her. He'd assumed it was some sort of supplement, but never saw her using it.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Tyler told Ryan. "You've been rather quiet since we arrived, I was staring to wonder if you weren't liking all the smells."

"I am," Ryan smiled. "Some of them weren't pleasant, but for the most part, this place has been enjoyable. Is the food court really that busy? It's been so silent here, I'd thought the place was empty."

"It's not packed with people," Amy responded. "But it does have a few in there."

"The gardens are rather empty right now," Tyler told Ryan. "Most people are probably at school or work right now, and it's winter, too, so fewer people would come here than in the summer because of the cold."

"And the butterfly house?" Ryan asked as Nadia paid for their drinks and accepted the cups.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"It's closed for the winter," Tyler answered.

Ryan noticed Nadia fidgeting with the pouch again on her way to the drinks machine.

"Tyler," Ryan said. "If you were suddenly freed from servitude, what would you do?"

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.

"Say, for instance," Ryan said. "I no longer needed a servant and decided to lift you from your oath of servitude during the dismissal of services, allowing you to become a full member of the Family. What would you do?"

He sensed the unease in his servant's mind and the curiosity in Amy's. At the same time, he noticed Nadia fidgeting with the pouch again, before ultimately deciding not to use it as she poured their drinks.

"Sir," Tyler said, then cleared his throat. "Ryan, forgive my bluntness, but unless you regained your sight, you would not have the potential for never needing a servant again. Even if that occurred, however, you would likely still need an aide for your duties to the Family as its Heir, and in the future as its Head. Even if you release me from my oaths and service, my duty is to you, my life is yours. I swore that oath, and reaffirmed my servitude to you on my birthday. It is the life I have chosen to accept."

"I know," Ryan sighed. "But at the same time, you've missed out. Based on how ladies are reacting here, I'm sure girls fawned over you during high school. Were you not a servant of the Family, would you have dated?"

Upon asking that, he sensed discomfort in his servant's mind and curiosity in Amy's.

"Perhaps," Tyler muttered. "Perhaps not."

"Would you have had friends?" Ryan asked. "People to hang out with? I've noticed how you've taken to Michael, and how you are with Amy and Nadia. It's clear you're starving for the social life you missed out on."

Guilt immediately enter his servant's mind, and Ryan felt guilty upon sensing that. Telepathy wasn't necessary to know the cause of it. Because Ryan was showing concern for Tyler, his servant was feeling guilty for causing it.

"Tyler," Ryan said. "This is something I've thought about for awhile. You're more than a servant to me, you're my one friend, and one of only two people I'd trust with all my life. However, you've been deprived of a lot just for your service to me. I don't want that anymore. When we leave here, I know you're going to do your best to put the friendships you made here behind you to focus on your job. I also know it's going to hurt you. That's why I'm wondering this."

Nadia approached with their drinks, and instead of answering Ryan, Tyler accepted their drinks, and placed Ryan's into his master's left hand. Ryan sensed a determination, the iron will his servant had strengthening with whatever his decision was.

"Even if you released me from my oath of servitude," Tyler said. "And allowed me to become a full member of the Family, I will stay by you, no matter what you do, Ryan. You're right about us being more than a master and servant, Ryan. You are my friend. My first friend, and the first master I liked. If you cut my service, I will remain with you, no matter what you do, because you will need someone."

There was a pause for a moment.

"But," Tyler said. "I might use some of the extra time I have from not being your servant to… enjoy myself a bit more."

"Okay," Ryan smiled. "I can live with that. Does that mean you'd get yourself a girlfriend and start yourself a family after a bit?"

Amy chuckled as Tyler groaned, and Ryan detected the smile on Nadia's lips, a smile which wasn't reflected in her emotions. Before Tyler could respond to Ryan's question, his phone rang.

"Hello, sir," Tyler answered it as Ryan waited, assuming it was his father by the response.

A moment passed, and Ryan sensed confusion and surprise in his servant's mind, before his servant grabbed his right hand and placed the phone into it.

"It's your father," Tyler informed him. "He wants to speak with you."

At last, Ryan thought. He must have finally found the information.

"Hello, Father," Ryan said after placing the phone to his ear.

"Hello, son," his father spoke in Novaran, a Secret Tongue.

Every Family and major Guild or Order possessed one unique to them. Only its highest-ranked, core members were allowed to learn it, and it was used only between them, and only for events of great importance. By its use, Ryan knew that whatever it was his father had to say, it was major. Tyler knew the language, being Ryan's trusted servant, and the surprise he had felt likely came from being spoken to in it, a way of the Novar Head informing him of its urgency.

"Results were finally yielded," his father told him. "Ryan, their names which Tyler knows, Amy West and Nadia Fuld, are false, and their real identities were hidden quite well. Their actual names are Amy Shrall and Nadia Keln. The Kelns, you know of already."

"Assassins for a certain corporation."

Which meant the pouch of powder likely wasn't a supplement at all. It was poison of some sort, and she had likely been contemplating on using it against either Ryan or Tyler. With it being Raxvar Corporation who employed the Kelns, that meant Ryan was the likely target, but with their friendliness towards Tyler, he couldn't be too certain of that.

"As for the other?" Ryan asked.

"They were much harder to find information on," his father answered. "However, we finally confirmed what we did find this morning. The Shralls are a secret intelligence unit of Raxvar Corporation. So secret, I likely never would have learned of them if it weren't for your suspicions of Amy."

One to gather intelligence, one to kill.

"Father-" Ryan began.

"If our suspicions are correct, son," his father said. "Then they may not know about the other's mission. While they both might know the other from their families working for Raxvar, it's possible neither is aware the other is an agent as well."

"One might," Ryan said.

"Indeed," his father responded. "As an intelligence agent, she may have figured out what her friend is. Son, I will be sending additional guards out there to-"

"What in the world?" Ryan muttered.

"What?" His father asked.

"Nothing," Ryan muttered. "Something only I'd have noticed."

Something such as a wind elemental drifting across the flowers, making comments about both the flowers and the people around. He'd not heard of any reports about wind elementals, which meant it was likely no one knew about it. That, or it had gone out of its way to be there while Ryan was. Either way, it had surprised the teen.

"Additional guards won't be necessary," Ryan told his father. "Let intelligence seek information on me, they won't find much they don't likely already know."

"I'm more concerned about the assassin," his father said. "Either I send out more guards, or I have Tyler bring you home immediately, back to where it is safe. I can't lose you as well, son."

Ryan contemplated his response. Even if he revealed his true nature as a Divine Specialist, his senses of the elements, and his abilities to his father, it was doubtful he would be believed. Not from that distance, not without proof of some sort. His father would believe it was simply him trying to get away with a lighter guard and watch.

"Very well, then," Ryan responded. "I suppose these guards will be under orders to not allow me to be without protection at any time?"

"Correct," his father responded. "And they will not listen to you if what you say compromises this."

They would also keep an eye and ear out for anything suspicious from the two ladies, but there was no need for that to be said between them, as father knew son would already know they would also be there to interfere before plans were put into action.

"Understood," Ryan said. "I will keep that in mind."

"Thank you," his father said. "I need to go now, enjoy the rest of your day."

"I will," Ryan responded, then the call ended. He held out the phone. "Tyler?"

Tyler took the phone back, and Ryan sensed curiosity in the minds of the two girls with them.

"Is everything alright?" Amy asked. "I couldn't understand that, but it sounded serious."

"Nothing serious," Ryan smiled.

He couldn't create an opening with guards present, which meant he needed to reset to before the girls arrived. Deciding not to delay and to enjoy the trip to the gardens when Tyler decided to bring him there in the next reset, Ryan immediately reset to the morning they arrived, to before Meredith arrived.

To a point in time where his father was not set on a path to preventing an opening being created, and to before Meredith and her guards found out about Ryan's abilities. To Ryan, it was the perfect point of reset.

The perfect point to set up the scenario he wanted.