Rovenin woke up with a jolt.
Rovenin : " Young Master?"
Nox: ' That's the first thing out of your mouth ?'
"Oh, Sir Rovenin You're awake? "
He found himself on Nox's shoulders. They were in the middle of the hallway.
Nox : " Young Master went to put that child to sleep?"
Rovenin was shaking his head and sighed.
Rovenin : " I see...Ugh"
Nox : ' He's not even completely awake yet.'
" O, My Sleeping Beau- Hmmm...Should it be carrots ?"
Nox and Rovenin turned back and saw Carseain chuckling.
Nox : 'I don't think that is something that you should be thinking so deeply about.'
Rovenin : " Young Master?"
His voice was a little shaky. Rovenin noticed the blood at the corner of Carseain's lips and frowned.
Nox : ' Sir Rovenin looks a little displeased. '
Carseain went and poked his forehead to stop the frowning.
Carseain : " You're awake? Since your fox-eyes are always closed, it's hard to distinguish."
A vein throbbed on Rovenin's forehead.
Rovenin : " I wasn't sleeping. I just passed out for a sec. Considering how weak your 'attack' was, I thought you passed out before me."
Carseain : " Yeah, yeah. I was gonna hit the sack anyway. Goodnight."
Carseain chuckled and walked past them.
Rovenin : " Young Master Carseain, You've changed."
Carseain flinched a little.
Rovenin : " And I believe it's for the good. However, I do not approve of you jumping into precarious situations so recklessly no matter what."
Carseain sighed and kept walking. Rovenin gritted his teeth.
Rovenin : " I'd rather have you cause tr---"
" Rovenin"
Carseain shouted.
" It's late and you're exhausted. You haven't eaten anything as well. Have your dinner. Nox, help him."
Nox : "Yes, Young Master." He bowed.
Rovenin : " Hah...Is that how you're going to play it? "
Carseain didn't even turn back once but he knew the face Rovenin was making.
Nox : 'The mood is a little too heavy for me.'
Carseain : " Rest , Rovenin. Just Rest a little."
He waved and faded away into the dark hallway. The tapping sound of the sole of his shoes echoed while Rovenin gazed into the darkness.
' Sorry, Rovenin. You've already suffered too much, all because I am too weak. Even though the last life, in all my sadness, betrayal, weakness encompassing war and death, you were the only unchanging one by my side. I won't let you shoulder all the burden alone and die crushed by it.
Did you know? You still had the same mocking smile when you died in my arms.'
Carseain rubbed his eyes.
"Damn carrot head." He mumbled.
______
Nox and Rovenin were eating. Rovenin was deep in thought and there was pin-drop silence. Nox didn't dare raise his head to see his expression.
Every time Rovenin stabbed a vegetable Nox flinched. He was in a cold sweat.
"Nox, once you're done eating. Attend to Young Master."
He bounced out of his chair.
"I'm done, Sir. I'll go right away."
He ran out of the room while taking hold of a kitchen maid.
He whispered into the maid's ear being cautious of Rovenin.
" Ma'am, please set aside some food for me. I'll eat later."
"Okay."
She nodded, giggling.
_____
Knock Knock.
" Come in."
Carseain was sitting on the chair drinking water.
Nox : " Huh? You've already changed, Young Master? I brought in a change of clothes for you."
Carseain : " I had a maid bring them in. That aside, How's Rovenin?"
Nox straightened himself.
" There's a snowstorm within Sir Rovenin's vicinity."
" Haha...he's still sulking? "
Nox averted his eyes.
' You wouldn't call it sulking if you saw the bloodlust he stabbed the veggies with, especially the carrots'
Carseain: " He'll be fine by tomorrow morning. Anyways, I have a little work for you."
____________
Carseain took off his shirt and jumped onto the bed. He buried his face into the fluffy pillow.
" Haa..."
' Now, the future where The Nightmare Guild rose to their Golden Age riding on the coattails of Cahill's Madness will not exist. '
He turned and laid on his back.
" The Future has changed."
' No, it already changed when I got this power in Marianne's Forest. I didn't have it in my past life.'
"This is something I changed myself."
He clenched his fist in the air.
' This chance...I don't know how I got it but I will not let it go no matter what.'
He sat up and went to blow off the candle but stopped when he noticed the blood on the pillow he buried his face in
'Huh? this blood... Is it mine?'
He touched his face all over looking for a cut he didn't remember. He felt something moist near his lips. He wiped it and saw blood on his hands.
" Ahh.... The blood I coughed up."
' Was Rovenin making that face looking at this? '
He had a blue smile on his face.
"Funny Fox"
Carseain took a deep breath and blew off the candle.
'I'll hold it like a grudge, This chance.'
___________________
The next day morning, In the lounge.
Carseain was grumpy and the servants were on edge.
Rovenin was pouring Dandelion tea into Carseain's cup.
He sipped it a little.
Carseain: "Umm...This hits the spot."
'This is really good. It's not too sweet and has a nutty flavour. I like its warm toasty scent.'
"How did you know that I woke up with a bitter taste in my mouth?"
Rovenin: "I figured since you spouted so much nonsense last night."
Carseain' " Guess you're done sulking since you made it for me anyway."
Rovenin : "I just don't want you to get all edgy and take it out on other servants."
Carseain: "Yeah, Yeah let's leave it at that"
Carseain grinned sipping the tea.
Knock Knock.
Nox entered.
Carseain: "Ah...Nox. How did it go?"
Nox bowed a little and reported.
Nox: "Exactly as you predicted, he left at the break of dawn without telling anyone. I placed all his belongings in the room he slept in."
Carseain : " What about the things I asked for?"
Nox: " He took the pouch of gold as well as the two teleportation scrolls and your message."
Carseain sipped his tea and a smile crossed his lips.
"I see."
The servants eased up a little watching him smile.
Nox closed his eyes and an orange-coloured aura started surrounding him.
< About the shadow squad >
Nox sent these words directly into Carseain's head.
Carseain waved his hand. All the servants bowed and left the room.
Rovenin : " Why did you send them away?"
Carseain : " Ask Nox."
Nox : " I used telepathy just to be safe. About the shadow squad, I sent the one with the best stealth skills available to tail him. I've relayed your orders to protect him in secret."
Carseain : " All we have to do is wait for him now, I'll write a short and sweet report to Father."
He put down his teacup and headed to the office.
Rovenin : " Before that, you'll have to go through the evidence."
Carseain : " Ugh...So bothersome. Why do this when he already knows everything?"
They headed to Carseain's office.
Carseain, Nox and Rovenin went through the documents for hours peacefully.
Carseain sighed once the work was finished.
Nox: " Young Master, I've received a report that the Fatas- Ahem... The merchant is awake. He refuses to admit anything."
Carseain bounced out of his chair and banged his desk.
Carseain : " Really?"
Nox forced a smile.
Nox: ' His face is beaming. Like a kid who's free of homework and found a toy.'
Rovenin picked the book which fell from Carsein's desk.
Rovenin : ' He must've been really bored.'
Carseain : " Well then, Shall we go and pay our respects to the brave foolish soul who tried to swindle the Esselgardes?"
____________________________________
Under the Mansion, Prison Cell.
Nox : ' I wonder what the Young Master is thinking about so deeply.'
Carseain : ' As an earthling who lived in a peaceful era, doing such things doesn't feel right.'
Nox : ' Is he thinking how to make the merchant spill the beans?'
Carseain : ' The crime he's into is no joke. Along with swindling, he's into the slave trade, dabbling with forbidden magic and even drugs.'
Nox : ' I think he's planning on how to torture him.'
Carseain : ' In this world, it's the nobles who enforce laws which are akin to the government. So, I have to do it, huh?'
Nox: ' He's become a little calm but he's still the Young Master.'
Carseain : ' But it feels sort of inhumane to enjoy it. How the heck am I even doing it?'
Nox: ' He's especially cruel to those who commit sordid felonies.'
{ sordid - morally very bad ; felony - an unforgivable grave crime}
Carseain : ' Well, honestly speaking it feels strange not to enjoy the screams filled with pain and faces teeming with horror of these bastards.'
Nox : ' All said and done, HE IS AN ESSELGARDE.'
Carseain : ' Well it's not a bad way to keep yourself entertained in a world with no smartphones or Internet.'
Rovenin interrupted their chain of thought.
Rovenin : " One would believe that you're thinking of a ground-breaking theory that'd turn the MagiTech Engineering World upside down."
Carseain and Nox looked at Rovenin in sync.
Rovenin : "But I for sure know that Nox is thinking about the greatness of Esselgardes and Young Master's thinking of Torture Techniques."
Carseain and Nox pouted at once.
Carseain yelled like a kid.
" I wasn't, Okay!"
Nox gasped.
" You weren't?"
"Huh? What do you guys take me for?"
Rovenin sighed.
" I don't have an ounce of interest in what you're thinking. But snap out of it, since we've reached."