"Jack stop."
The slaver put his arm up to the man.
"Ralph, stop messing with me dude, there's no one there, let me get my hat."
"Jack, you imbecile, look at the ground"
"It's probably just some dumbasses' shoes."
He threw a knife in his pocket towards the shoes on the floor.
The knife hit the back of the room and made a knocking sound against the concrete wall.
"See, no one there."
The breeze made by the throwing of the knife pushed the hat into the dark.
"Damn it, Ralph, see."
"Now help me find it."
Jack turned to one part of the room, flipping up his lighter.
"Nah it's not over here."
"...."
"Ralph?"
Jack turned around.
"Where the hell did you go asshole?"
He looked at the shoes on the ground.
They were different, they were Ralph's boots.
"You think that's funny man?"
He put his arm out to push what he expected to be a person.
Unfortunately there was no one there.
"What in the-"
He fell over and turned quickly back onto his back and sat up.
"Ralph?"
He reached for his lighter in his pocket, but it wasn't there.
"Dammit, now I gotta look for a damn lighter in a damn dark room."
He reached out to touch the surroundings, and felt something cotton like.
"Finally, damn, my hat."
Then as he tried to pick it up he realized it was not a hat, but clothes.
He backed up.
"Is that like a sack or something?"
He turned, shaking a little.
You could hear his heart beating with the silence in the air.
He knelt down on the ground keeping his eyes glued to the floor as he moved his hands around looking for the lighter.
He kept moving his hands before he touched something warm.
"Aack."
He fell back on his butt.
"What?"
He scrambled back forward to feel a warm skin-like texture.
"The hell!"
He began to back up.
That's when he heard the distinct sound of his lighter open.
"My-"
He saw it.
The shoes.
Just out of bounds of the light.
You could see the fear in his eyes.
He began to move towards the shoes, not daring to blink.
The body of the other hunter, fell over and rolled towards the lit part of the room.
"Yughh-"
He made a gurgle like scream as he faced the body.
He then just as quickly turned back towards where the shoes used to be.
He backed up to the body of his coworker.
His eyes darting left to right looking for what was coming.
Plat.
Plat.
The drips came down onto his shoulders.
He didn't dare look up.
His breath became still.
He froze and stared forwards.
After what seemed like an eternity, he exhaled loudly.
The drips were gone.
He began to get up and leave.
He didn't care about the lighter anymore.
That's when the lighter went out.
The room originally lit by only the dim hall light, was now pitch black.
He stopped once again.
The distinct sound of the lighter lighting again was heard.
In front of him was his hat, and lighter.
With slow, quiet movements he picked up his hat.
He looked towards the unlit side of the room.
He quietly fixated on it.
As if he could make something out.
And there was something.
Something waiting in the dark.
He moved swiftly to the lighter, but it got to him first.
What waits in the dark, is nothing.
Nothing except emptiness.
But for the slaver Jack, I filled it with something.
***
I made sure to look at the memories of the other slaver, I made sure to allow my anger to pass over me.
And I almost lost.
I used the dragon blood to cut it out.
I couldn't let my petty anger make me forget my intention.
Once I had filled the room, and then blew his hat off, I returned to the room to free Alea.
There were many, who cried out for help, saying they did nothing wrong, but to me, who knew nothing of their circumstances, I did nothing.
Who knew if they were liars, or if they were victims of circumstance, people sold off for money, or people made slaves illegally.
But I didn't care. The blood made it impossible to.
I had 2 objectives and I nearly failed them due to my anger.
But in a few minutes I had accomplished them.
I learned who had attacked my daughter.
The ever foolish son of Marquis Iproline.
I would make sure he regretted every life choice, but since Alea was okay, unsold, and mentally sound, he would be given mercy.
As I left the auction with Alea, Aura caught me.
"Lucas, did y-"
She saw me holding a content sleeping Alea.
"Thank god."
She took a sleeping Alea out of my arms and hugged her.
"I'm sorry."
Sarah wasn't far behind her.
"Lucas, what did you find out?"
"The son of Marquis Iproline."
Aura perked up.
"That idiot, again?"
"Yes, Charles."
"I'm going to use the duchy's power to crush him."
"No, remember there's no evidence yet since Mark and Harry haven't woken up."
"And when they do, he will be expelled for causing harm to 2 people."
"It won't be enough."
"It will be when you add on attempted spirit kidnapping."
Spirit murderers, kidnappers, and other heinous people cause things called cursed zones.
Spirit curses are not light, and usually mean the entire spirit realm will turn against you.
Enslaving one is a surefire way to create a cursed zone.
A cursed zone is created when a person isn't strong enough to hold the massive quantity of spirit curses on themselves.
The curse spills out and taints the land.
With Charles' attempted kidnapping by slavers, he will be charged with indirect attempt at creating a cursed zone.
And that would get him expelled.
But before any of that, I will cripple him, give the marquis no room to say:
"My son is still a talent of this kingdom."
I will destroy the star vessel within him, I will destroy any mana pathways, I will twist his bones and limbs.
And he will live the rest of his life, with the knowledge that, if he had just let it go, it would never have come to this.
I could have tortured him, or killed him painfully, but I will simply leave him a cripple, with very little pain.
That enough is mercy.
"What did you do to the slavers?"
"I left them in a room with a 6th tier night panther thrall."
"That's terrifying."
"You do realize they play with their prey, enjoying the fear right?"
"And I let it know those two were prey."
"That's brutal."
"Well I didn't kill them, and it's considered an accidental death."
"Lucas, you won't ever do that to me right?"
"No, Sarah, you're too kind a soul."
Although she could be a strict business woman, she was a big softie.
She very much cared for her daughter, and loved to look good, just for herself.
She was courteous to all customers, and never spoke a bad word about anyone except for those who had actively wronged her significantly.
In many people's eyes, she was an angel.
"Lucas what about me?"
Aura pointed at herself, letting Alea perch on one arm.
"Well," I began pulling Alea off Aura and letting her rest in my arms, "what about you?"
"Well I thought-"
"I am your knight, I will protect you."
She smiled.
"Good. Then let's head back."
"Take care, Sarah."
"Goodbye, Miss."
"Goodbye, Ms. Svarmet, Mr. Lucas."
***
Alea woke up shortly after we got back to my room.
'Daddy, where's uncle Mark?'
'He's going to be busy for a while.'
Busy in the infirmary and student council court of judgment.
'Are you okay Alea? I think I have to postpone the trip to Mommy.'
'Aww...'
I could feel her disappointment.
It ripped me apart inside.
'It's okay, tomorrow I'll bring back something tasty tomorrow.'
The next day of academy progressed as normal, but today I had special plans.
I left to my dorm.
I saw Mark there, surprisingly.
"How'd you get back so soon?"
"Well, I just went ahead and let them search my memories straight through."
"Harry opted to only record his memories to a mana stone though, so he's going to be there longer."
"In my opinion this court date will not go well."
"Well, I believe in things to turn out good."
"Alright man, hey wanna do some stupid stuff later?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know, shoot some magic at each other? First one to run out or fall down loses?"
"Sounds fun. Let's do it once the court stuff is done."
With that I told Mark I was going to wash up and just take care of Alea tonight, no training.
Of course within the 30 minute time span i was in the shower, I was headed to that prick's house and destroying any future his family had for him.
I began with dematerializing and flying over to the knight's dorm.
There I went into his room, where of course, the slouch was sleeping.
I first cast
No one was coming into his room at this time except for his roommate and I made sure he had plans before committing to this timing.
I began with twisting all of Charles' limbs, to which I immediately casted a numbing skill all over his body.
I then removed his mana heart, and the circle and star vessel from his body, before wrecking his mana pathways.
When his roommate arrives he'll be rushed to the academy hospital, but nothing can be done at this point.
Charles who had woken up to the breaking of his bones, passed out in pain.
The academy hospital would surely prevent him from the pain he would feel.
He would also receive a treatment to numb the pain permanently.
But this was good enough.
I brought back the heart, and vessels.
I left the bathroom after washing off the smell of Charles' blood.
I also washed off any trace of Charles' mana before I went back to the dorm.
I fed Alea his mana heart, which she didn't like the mana of, but liked the taste.
Well, 4th star mana mixed with 1st circle mana that wasn't refined was understandable.
He was a lazy swordsman, who relied on resources to advance through the stages.
Honestly it amazed me that he ever reached the 4th star.
With that I stored the two vessels in my bag and prepared for the next day.
Once again school passed by normally, but this time I left to the city.
I needed a teleport deep into the duchy.
I had recovered multiple uses of the lantern since the mission to the little town.
I had used many on the Alea rescue, but I would be okay.
With Alea and my bag, I paid a fee, and gated far to fixed coordinates to a large city near the capital.
Using some of the gold I had, I used a gate to reach a village close to the forest.
Using many teleports I made it back to the Lair of Fiadh.
I went inside to find a mana memory with the words 'gone on vacation, be back soon' written.
I left the two vessels with a note of the happenings and left.
I arrived back to the academy late at night.
The gate process was instantaneous, but I couldn't move as quickly through the forest, even with the lantern.
There were too many obstacles for proper straight teleports, so I made use of the lantern when I could.
When I arrived back at the dorm I was immediately questioned by Mark.
"What were you doing out so late, with Alea nonetheless?"
"I went back to the duchy to grab some meat for Alea."
"Don't lie, you went to get that bastard didn't you?:
Well I did, just not tonight.
"Actually, I would love to have done that, but I actually did go get meat from the duchy, their monsters are more mana nutritious."
I pulled some monster meat I had hunted while in the forest.
"I see, sorry, I just didn't want you to go through all that trouble with the student council."
"Thanks man, I appreciate it."
"Yeah, dude."
He laid down, and turned over to sleep.
I laid down with Alea on top of me, and drifted into sleep.