Chapter 27: Master David (1)
Bruno and Beelzebub had returned to the Williard Village.
But before they could finally return home to take a bath and sleep in warm beds, guards on the watch had stopped them for a second to ask a few questions. At first, Bruno was sure that the lack of the best mercenaries had caught the interest of the guards, so he was ready to share the truth with them.
However, when the guards shared the news about Mr. Wetherell and him being perched in front of Bruno's house, Bruno froze and gawked at them with a stupid look on his face.
"W-Wow…" Bruno soon figured out that the pills he had sent before the adventure to the best alchemist had sparked the change in him.
And who was the creator of those pills? Beelzebub!
With nothing but common ingredients, Beelzebub had brought Mr. Wetherell out of his workplace and even made him wait for them for days, all in a tent!
How could Bruno not be astonished by that?
Nevertheless, that was not the end of the shocking events.
After getting free from the guards' curious inquiries, Bruno and Beelzebub headed straight to the house to see whether it was the truth. By then, the guards had naturally passed the news of The Ghosts' demise, shocking the whole village and even the demons.
Bruno couldn't think of those bastard mercenaries owing to his father and Mr. Wetherell instantly requested a private talk with Beelzebub.
Of course, Aric had brought Bruno to his side, checked for any wounds and diseases, then, with a smile, told him to let the adults speak. Even though Bruno had been an adult for some time now, he felt compelled to follow his father's words and turned around.
"He can listen." Beelzebub halted Bruno's steps and brought three men to Bruno's basement.
Following the three, Bruno nervously looked behind and noticed his mother's enraged expression, for she hadn't had time to speak and check on her son! She had also made light sandwiches for him and Beelzebub, yet they ignored her and went straight to the basement!
How could they be so senseless? It was understandable of Bruno, but Beelzebub, who was a good gentleman in Patricia's eyes? It was unbelievable!
Bruno suspected his mother's mood would soon become his greatest worry…
But for now, he had to see what exactly Mr. Wetherell and his father wanted from his teacher. It was odd of them to bring him straight here and speak privately away from everyone's earshot. Surely, they didn't want to talk about their adventure and The Ghosts, right?
Bruno perked his ears.
Meanwhile, Aric and Mr. Wetherell exchanged glances.
"You must be aware of demons hiding in the streets of our village, seeking and killing our villagers… are you one of them?" Aric asked in a flat tone, trying to sound as normal as possible without bringing any adverse feelings.
He hadn't drawn out his weapon and stood defenseless. The same went for Mr. Wetherell.
They stared gravely and solemnly at the demon.
At the same time, Bruno widened his eyes in a stupor. He couldn't believe how these two could accuse his teacher of having demonic origins! In the first place, weren't demons meant to be scary? Weren't they more frightening than monsters?
How could a man who looks nothing but a human be one of the demons?
"This is too much! You don't know what The Ghosts did!" Bruno raised his voice to talk back to his father and the best alchemist, utterly ignoring their statuses.
However, these two no longer cared about Bruno and had their eyes set on Beelzebub.
The demon faintly smiled and nodded. "I am of demonic origins… but don't associate me with demons such as these."
Beelzebub called his enslaved soul from his heart, frightening the three men at the scene. His enslaved soul was transparent but more dreadful than the monsters of the forest. The black dog was huge and had terrifying teeth, to say nothing of his presence drowning humans in a baleful aura.
Bruno confirmed that his thoughts of demons were on the spot, trembling from fear.
He also didn't know what to think of his teacher now that this existence was standing next to him like a loyal dog…
Beelzebub faced the two men whose bodies had similar but more composed reactions. "You two must have something you need me for, don't you? I'd love to hear what you have planned. I'm open to a business relationship, particularly with you, Mr. Wetherell. I could use a lot of resources…"
Since the demon had seen through them, the man shared their real views.
Mr. Wetherell spoke about his image of Beelzebub and how a man with such profound skills to create pills without any impurities could topple down kingdoms on his own. His wish was to dig deeper into an alchemy craft and experience more of it before his time ended.
Aric then left his son crying as he talked about his desire to see his family living until elderly age.
Beelzebub's real origins didn't matter in front of those wishes… each man had something he treasured more than their life and morals.
David was slightly impressed by them. He didn't allow them to know that and stood expressionless, though.
"Very well… I see that we have more in common now. I had just tasted a feeling of high-level alchemy I haven't felt in a while, so I'm even itching to perform more of my craft. I can see us two working together soon, Mr. Wetherell." Beelzebub turned his head first to the best alchemist of the Williard Village.
The old man bowed low and ceremoniously spoke. "I leave myself in your care, Master David. Everything I've gathered in the Williard Village throughout the years is now yours… this includes my connections stretching outside. It's not much, for which I apologize…"
"Raise your head, Wetherell. It's also my honor to have you and your experience under me. It must have been a tough road for you to reach your current level, especially taking into consideration your origins and the environment in which you were born. That's why you must take pride in your workplace, the experience and years spent there, and the connections you made in the outer world. Bear yourself with pride, for you are my disciple now. Thank you for choosing me. Your talent and alchemy are in good hands." Beelzebub hadn't forgotten the official language since he didn't even imagine sleeping for thousand years.
His words made Wetherell shed a few tears of happiness, for a man of such a high status and skills had shown him and his alchemy respect. In those dark abyss eyes that Aric had described before, Wetherell saw nothing but acknowledgment.
It was… so gratifying…
Even Bruno and Aric stood with admiration brimming in their eyes.
Beelzebub shifted his eyes to Bruno's father. "Should we talk about the demons of the chasm now?"
"So… they are really from the chasm…." Aric clenched his hands, trembling.
"Ah… so that's why you didn't want me to go to the chasm…." Bruno recalled his argument with his father, now completely understanding him.
His heart warmed with a lot of warmth.
Alas, it was not time for that.
"Yes. They are our enemies." Beelzebub continued the talk about the demons.