Matthew and Theodore walked around the vicinity of the mansion, lost in their thoughts and emotions. More than half an hour had gone by, and they still hadn't said a word.
What Lilly said to them about their mothers and how their names came to be hit them hard. Individually, they both had some level of trust for the other, and they couldn't describe why. Now, knowing that they possess the same middle name made the connection between them a little bit stronger.
Although they didn't understand why, they felt that there was power in the middle name their parents gave them.
"So Matthew is kind of my relative? By name only. But that shouldn't be enough for me to have this level of trust for him, right? Or perhaps it is because we have been around each other since childhood but were never consciously acknowledging each other's presence or existence," Theodore thought.
"I wonder what it could have been like," he blurted out, still speaking to himself. Theodore wondered what it might have been like if the two of them had grown up with their mothers, thinking they might have known and understood each other a long time ago.
Deep down, just as Lilly wanted, Theodore craved justice in the form of vengeance. Even though seeking revenge wasn't in his nature, he desired it. He disliked the way his parents were treated for speaking against the injustice that the empire had inflicted on the less privileged.
But to indulge in revenge, he needed power – enough power to make the Emperor fear him, to make the Church of Knowledge hide in the shadows and fear to show themselves, enough power to change the stratosphere of societal classes and the empire as a whole.
All of this was easier said than done, and Theodore was well aware of it.
Theodore pushed these thoughts to the back of his head for now. The most pressing issue at hand was the so-called options that Lilly presented to him and Matthew.
He didn't like the options one bit.
Of course, he was interested in learning magic, despite its bad reputation in the general world. With magic, he could explore new things, and imagine the unimaginable. However, he didn't want to do all of that with a knife looming around his neck, waiting to reap his life if he strayed too far.
"But where else can I go and ask to be taught magic? I don't even know where to begin. Do I have to consume some type of potion again to become someone who can utilize magic?" he wondered, leaning towards choosing the first option that Lilly gave them, as it allowed them more room to do as they pleased.
"I'll join, but only for a while. When I am strong enough, I will leave them and do as I please," he resolved to himself.
For Theodore, it felt no different from being a prisoner, "Just a prisoner with some benefits," he muttered.
From what Lilly had said, Theodore was almost sure that at the moment, he and Matthew were being watched by people they couldn't see. If not, how else would they be left to roam the mansion as they pleased for the last 30 minutes?
With the options that Lilly had left them, any sane person would attempt to run away. Theodore thought to ask Matthew about his opinion on the whole matter, but much to his surprise, when Theodore looked to his side, Matthew was nowhere to be seen.
A few minutes back, when Theodore was still deep in his thoughts, Matthew had already finished processing his emotions and making adjustments to his goals. Now he too wanted to learn magic, to be strong enough to take revenge for his parents. However, his approach to this objective differed from Theodore's own.
First, he had to get as rich as he could get. Not only did he want to possess physical and magical prowess, but he also wanted financial prowess.
"I'll get enough money to hire every mercenary in this damned world and convince them to help me fight against that damned Emperor. After that, I will personally look for this Church of Knowledge and kill every one of their members, no matter the cost," Matthew said to himself, with no doubt in his conviction.
"But first, let's get out of here. This might be my only chance." He was still adamant about leaving the mansion and fleeing to another city.
Despite not knowing if there was an institution that would gladly teach him how to use magic, he was certain that if he had enough money, he could buy any knowledge that he wanted, and he stood on that thought.
While they were wandering, Matthew noticed a building where people went in and shortly later, came out in a different, uniformed attire.
"A changing room for cleaners?" Matthew reasoned. "Nice, it's a good thing that I've been walking around with this ugly bag."
Matthew also had a feeling that he and Theodore were being watched, but he couldn't be more wrong, no one was watching them. It's just that the security around the mansion were told not to let them get out.
Matthew looked to his side and saw that Theodore was still in his thoughts. "Well, I guess this is where we go our separate ways. Stay safe, Theodore." He wished him well in his mind as he slipped away.
Crouching into the bushes around them and sneakily making his way towards the changing room. Matthew went into the changing room and quickly picked a green overall to wear, with a cream-colored gardener's hat over his head to hide his afro. He picked up a utility belt, putting in some equipment like a trowel and secateurs into the pockets of the belt.
He saw some clean gardener boots lined up and picked one that sized him, then put on black gloves.
Matthew only hoped that he wasn't being watched by anyone. He slowly opened the doors of the changing room, scouting the vicinity before stepping out. "Here goes nothing." He whispered as he stepped out of the changing room.
Matthew walked calmly, going in the opposite direction of Theodore.
'Wait, my clothes are too clean,' he thought. Matthew got on the floor and rolled a little bit, getting dirt all over himself before continuing his escape. He passed by some people, holding his breath and hoping that no one would suspect him. He was being paranoid and took a while for him to suppress his negative thoughts.
After 10 minutes or so, Matthew, who had been running, jogging, and walking, depending on if there were people around, found the path out of the mansion. The terrain around the mansion was sloppy and filled with trees. It was as if the mansion was built on the top of a hill in a well-taken care of the forest.
There was a long paved road, wide enough for several carriages to drive side by side. The sight of this made him feel excited, right until he saw the guards that were stationed by the edges of the paved road.