Lost. Milas expected it to be easy to locate the school since the contract was basically a compass. He had been walking in the tunnels that led to the settlement for hours but he never found the exit. Everyone he met would ignore him and some even gave him coins like a beggar. Milas was forced to go to the guards to ask for directions even though he despised them for what they did to slaves.
"Excuse me sir, can you please help me with directions? I need to deliver a message to Master Deogratius De Viers. It's very urgent." Milas was doing his best not to puke while saying those words. His face was that of a lost child and the torn clothes he wore further enhanced it.
"What would trash like you have to say to someone like Lord Deogratius?" The guard said with a mocking voice.
"I'll tell him that I finished smashing your mom." Milas thought but held himself while giving a light smile. He raised his shirt and exposed the slave brand on his chest. "I'm actually his slave and Master Deogratius had sent me to get some information. I'm begging you to help me as I was delayed by a beast."
The guard was thinking for a while before eventually calling another guard and talking to him. They went back and forth and the guard Milas had talked to was the one to accompany him. They went through different tunnels and made many turns before being exposed to sunlight.
The guard was completely unaffected due to the pitch black ring he was wearing. There were vampires of all ages and looks. There were multiple skin colors and eye colors but the most common trait was the black hair everyone had. Vampires seemed to have the perfect hair day despite the situation.
Milas walked behind the guard and noticed that he was the only one without a ring. He also noticed that the ring on the guards finger was losing the dark color and becoming silver. Milas knew that the guard was running out of time in the sun as the ring becomes useless after turning completely silver. It would stay that way till it was recharged by staying in the shade for sometime.
Milas was sweating profusely and feeling itchy when they arrived in front of the massive gate. Milas was deeply impressed by the sheer size of Deogratius' mansion. There were vines growing on the corners of the ash grey walls. The color of the walls looked gloomy but the architectural design gave it a mysterious feel.
A guard showed up on the other side while Milas was staring at the mansion. He was about to talk when he saw Milas standing behind the settlement guard. He immediately opened the door and approached Milas with a strange look. He scanned him for sometime while he circled the teenager before giving him a questioning gaze. He then decided to address the other guard who was silent the whole time.
"You have done a good job of bringing the kid back. I think that Lord Deogratius will reward you for your deeds." The mansion guard then called another guard who brought a small pouch of coins and gave it to the settlement guard. The settlement guard left with a smile and the other two led Milas into the mansion.
Milas was a few steps away from the gate when a different guard bared his way. The other two also joined in and surrounded him. Two of them stared at him like he owed them mansions while the third looked strangely happy. Milas was preparing himself for a fight but the excited one spoke before he did something stupid.
"Tell us exactly what happened during your test. You know what, just tell us the results, that's all we need to know. And don't think about lying to us." The excited guard said as his voice turned threatening at the end.
"I completed the test by obtaining five crystals." Milas answered as he hoped to get out of the weird situation.
"What did I just say about lying? How could a kid like you kill five beasts in such a short time? Do I look like a fool to you?" The previously excited guard was now angry and had balled up his fists.
"You don't look like a fool your stupidity transcended that level years ago." Milas said in his mind while he just silently opened the pouch on his waist. He then pulled out five crystals with a solid white glow and dried blood on their surfaces. The looks of shock from the guards were priceless for Milas. One of the previously angry guards looked at the other two with huge grin.
"Pay up suckers! Haha, I can't believe that I won even though I I only joined for fun. This kid is my lucky charm!" The guard said as he extended his hands to receive two heavy pouches of coins.
"What is going on here?" Milas asked in confusion.
"We placed bets on different scenarios of your test and I betted on your survival." The guard who received the pouches answered and led Milas into the mansion while the other guards left and cursed under their breath.
Milas was led through the familiar hallways before they met the cute female servant that Milas enjoyed messing with. The guard left Milas in her care and she got red faced when the guard left and Milas was intently scanning her body. She could only lead Milas to his room to change while he kept staring at her back.
"She is a packing well but the mysterious lady is in a league of her own." Milas thought as he finally stopped looking at the servant and walked past her. He knew the way to his room so he headed there himself. He instructed her to inform Deogratius of his return.
Milas was alone in the room and the first thing he did was take a shower. The cold water hit his skin gently and washed away his fatigue. He took his sweet time and eventually left with a towel wrapped around his waist. There was always a towel on a hanger inside the bathroom. This was implemented by the female servant and she would always replace the towel every day.
Milas put on some normal clothes that he often wore when inside the house. The pouch on his waist and the two swords on his back were a strange addition to his outfit. This made him look like one of the adventurers he had seen in the village when he was human. He felt like it had been a long time since he turned despite it being about six months. Milas sighed as he focused on the present since there was nothing good in his past.
He finally left the room and headed for the study. Milas was about to rub his achievement in Deogratius' face. He heard Deogratius telling him to enter before he could touch the door. Milas pushed the door open and directly took a seat before facing his master. The look on the middle aged vampire's face was unreasonable.
"I completed the test you gave me and I have returned with the crystals to prove it." Milas said as he dug into the pouch and brought the crystals out one after the other. Deogratius nodded when he saw the crystals before taking a pouch of coins and giving it to Milas.
"This is money you need to get a blacksmith to forge a ring for you. The guard who brought you inside will escort you to the blacksmith then take you to school. I already handled your admission requirements so that you can join the boarding immediately. If you have something to ask, you know what you must do for information." Deogratius said everything with a flat tone like nothing would ever arouse his emotions.
Milas tried asking if it was really appropriate for him to arrive at school that early. He reasoned that school would start a few days later since he completed the test earlier than expected. Deogratius looked directly into his eyes before talking.
"Is that it?" Milas was surprised by the nonchalant reaction but he still nodded.
"I like how you reason. It is time conscious thinking that can be hard to maintain during hardship. It's a good trait to posses. And I have completely understood your reasoning." Milas was glad to hear that Deogratius had listened to his opinion for once. Deogratius smiled at him before speaking with his usual uncaring tone.
"Now, get out!"