The next thing he knew, he was somewhere in the forest with elves, a dwarf and a witch, everyone camping, while one was promised to be the guard of the night and the switching, would often happen since there are a lot of available hands. There was something that bugged him since that explosion; someone or something was after his life. It would be understandable the messengers would be shot at but him of all people, someone who wasn't known anywhere in the past Masmoenia.
It was an odd thing but an addition to the things that changed.
There was a strange atmosphere around the campfire. The witch was pissed off because she was called out and forbidden the touch of her meals, the three elves didn't understand why the sacred weapons were lost and the messengers themselves felt guilty about losing important items. Stephan watched everyone with a smile on his face. However, he soon gave up and bolted away to breathe clean air that didn't smell like burnt flesh.
Cool air hit his face, he was confident he was breathing, but his entire body felt distant and numb. It was the second time someone tried to kill him. It was understandable the first time since he was the heir to a huge fortune but in Masmoenia, it was odd. Supposedly, no one should have known the messengers were alive. They didn't create a ruckus to attract attention and Stephan made sure to constantly move so that the mercenaries that were the beginning of the whole mess wouldn't know about them. Besides, they should have returned to Valtrar.
The thing that shot at him was a bullet. It was something that reminded him of the first time he was shot at. It was as if the events were replaying again. He was able to stay alive using the same method. His body repulsed back because of his security guard who took the bullet in his stead. This time it was the sceptre.
He imagined the possibility of something similar happening, even though everything felt like a cruel joke. It was like something was tricking him into believing that it was the same thing.
"Relax kid," Richard drawled behind him. He followed after realizing that things didn't add up in the whole mess. "As far as I'm concerned, I bet fate is playing a joke on us, probably because someone deserved it."
"I understand you are here to roast me but it isn't something I deserve, I think it's more about you all. I was dragged into this because of my master. She was clear in her words: if you are able to fix the problem that resurged outside Valtrar then I will be happy to teach you a useful skill," he waved his hands in denial and shrugged. "I think she likes to make my life full of stupid obstacles. The first thing I saw when I arrived in Valtrar was a horde of goblins with an orc at the lead and when I finally was able to outrun them, I stumbled upon those idiots committing suicide in an odd well."
"We came here secretly in order to find those idiots but I didn't expect them to lose the sacred weapons. It's ominous. I guess we will have to return and report what happened. I bet those human scums would be happy to have a war," Richard clenched his fists tightly, bared teeth and eyes that glared at Stephan as if he was a bug in front of him.
"Are you sure you should be telling me this?"
"Those two said you were adamant about helping them to get the sacred weapons back. It seems they were confident about it," he regained his serious expression. "I am just here to tell you to give it up. When you make things bigger, it becomes smaller quickly. I am sure those humans are trying to gain something from all this."
"So when something happens, you just point your fingers at humanity. Aren't you scums for doing that?"
"Huh? You are the scums for not cowering away and hiding behind those walls of yours. You were fortunate enough to get our help and have land you could call your own; if you stayed behind those walls of yours, nothing of this could happen. We would have a simple work and we would be able to return quickly."
Stephan strolled in a circle motion twice then approached Richard. It wasn't that he wanted to do something to him. He thought if it was right to keep him alive. Aurora mentioned the butterfly effect; could it be letting them alive would change something? What if they were there for the sole purpose to be eaten by Soprana so she could be more useful? Anything could happen. What if Soprana used her powers and needed more but his decision to keep those three alive was the wrong one?
"You should be aware of something, mister Richard. No… Richard simply," he tapped the elf's shoulder three times as if he was knocking on a door. For a moment, Stephan was pissed because his height only reached Richard's shoulder, like a girl. No wonder that bandit called him a girl; he was short. "I saved your life without you knowing. You were supposed to go to Revampirina and you would meet your deaths there, all of you. I just… saved your lives so you owe me a debt you should pay. Isn't it only the normal reaction you should have?"
Stephan kept walking, turning back to the camp. "Do you think you are some kind of diviner, kid? Humans who pulled that stunt on me got themselves killed. Are you sure you want to walk that path?"
"As far as I'm concerned, I know what you want. Isn't it war? You want to create an alibi by sending those messengers. When you think about it, it's certainly suspicious a dwarf and an elf were sent to Valtrar without any escort. Such an idiotic move if you painted it like a coincidence, it seemed to me that it was more like an ambush, a trap for humans to break the treaty. You should use your head more, Richard. Who knows what would happen if you went along with the plan you were given?"