Kind of had this ready for the last 6 hours but only realized now that I forgot to post it.
.
.
.
—
'I… I lost… In the blink of an eye, this boy grasped my neck.'
'I didn't see it. I didn't even think of the possibility. He moved as I blinked… Just before I even felt something was wrong…'
'This isn't just the difference between power and skill, he's used to making the first move and using openings… killing others…'
Claire couldn't believe it, but he had to face reality. The young man before him had defeated him, and he would do so again.
He didn't need to imagine his reasons… he had given him enough already… but as long as they remained on equal footing; Claire believed he'd be able to make him compel to his requests…
However, his lack of attention cost him dearly.
'… Three-Instances of Absolute Combat… The power that made me what I am right now… What started as a simple, sixth sense, saving me many times when I was younger, turned into this after decades of training and refinement.'
A Skill that freezes time to all but himself… In truth, it's nothing but a reproduction of reality… albeit Claire wasn't aware of that.
A type of simulation where Claire faces his enemy time and time again until he either wins… Or loses the strength to continue.
At the height of its power, at a moment of life and death, Claire was once able to maintain the Skill for many hours, facing his enemy for tens of thousands of bouts… but that was long ago when his stamina was higher, and his will to live was many, many times stronger.
For as strong as this Skill is, it has a limitation. For every fight, he has to finish it within three movements, otherwise, it resets.
Three-Instances of Absolute Combat… It is a perfect technique to face someone you never faced before, allowing you to potentially see all of your opponent's moves before they even draw their weapon.
And its other issue, of course, came not from the Skill itself, but from Claire's status as an ordinary being. Without direct access to the System, the Skill would come and go whenever he was in danger, often activating when he needed, and sometimes outside of it as well.
He meditated for many years on this. His mental training was such that he would often hear the words of the mythical power that governed the world, the one he'd often only hear about in private conversations between his superiors.
'Why did it activate now?... Dammit… Did all the conditions trigger? But how?!' Claire shook his head inside the frozen world, he had to focus!
'That doesn't matter now! What does he want to do, and what should I do in response?…'
'He's likely suspecting me of having second intentions when the truth is simply…'
He bit his lips in shame and anger. 'Yes, I was apprehensive, and fearful, because I felt deep down, even if I wanted to deny it, that this plan Rafiel had in mind could spell his doom.'
'My task is to protect him, even if at the cost of my own honor, and life… What he said is also partly true, I cannot stop Rafiel from pursuing this matter in the future… but I can do it now.'
'But… I know very well he would likely pursue it if he were to be denied of it now. Because it would go from a simple interest to something he was unable to settle on his own terms… and he hates that.'
'… As long as he was safe, that was enough for me… That was my hypocrisy, my mistake… and this carelessness of mine has caused this situation.'
'What should I do now to settle this misunderstanding?'
"..."
'First… I should try to make him retreat…'
As his first movement, Claire took a step back, getting into a stance to draw his sword.
It was clear Philip had decided to take the upper hand by taking away his freedom. He only needed to push him back and give himself some time to clear things out.
Time started moving again, but what happened next shocked him!
/FWUSH!/
"Wh…"
In the middle of his eyebrows, the sharp tip of Philip's cane now drew blood… Yet he seemed displeased?!
'When did he...?'
Claire barely followed the movement of his opponent, although, to be honest, he hadn't thought his cane was a weapon. There was something strange about it given he dragged it with him, but still…
He felt humiliated.
/Crack!/
The scenery broke down, time restarted again…
'… I… Lost again?'
'I paid attention, I got in a defensive position and sharpened my senses, and yet… I didn't even have the time to parry his first blow.'
'Or rather, I invoked a change. Instead of approaching me with his hand, he struck me with his cane… I suppose that's a start…'
'But how fast is this boy? Is it due to preparation? He's been in a tense state from the beginning while I dropped my guard. No matter how long I repeat this, my body will remain in the same state.'
'I won't deny it. I failed my training with poor judgment… But even so, how come I cannot follow?'
He couldn't accept it. How was this young man overshadowing him so much? There had to be more to it… a unique power like his, something most did not have…
A skill.
'I must keep my focus, there's hope.'
Twice he failed in being defensive, so Claire decided to move first! The moment time returned, he dashed forward and struck Philip's hand with his sword hilt, causing him to drop his cane!
Surprisingly, Philip did not move this time, taking the blow to his hand as time froze once more…
The first instance had passed. Claire successfully removed the cane from his opponent's hand!
'Now…' Claire lifted his hand, aiming towards Philip's chin…
/SWOOSH!/
Claire swung upward, crashing the sword's hilt against his chin!
/Fwoosh…/
But like smoke, Philip's head turned translucent, "Wha…" /SMACK!!/
The next thing Claire saw was a leg coming from above…
/Crack!/
The space cracked, and everything went back to normal...
Time reset.
'… What was that? His body… turned to smoke?' I've never seen such a thing before… Was it magic? Martial arts? Another power similar to mine?… No, that's undermining him too much.'
'Then… Even if I get close… He'll just vanish?'
'What do I do then?… I need to... figure out his limits and habits. It seems like I'll be here for a while.'
"…!"
Claire felt a slight pressure in his head. He had already used his ability three times. He wasn't younger anymore, his proficiency may be higher, but his body had already begun to decay…
'I didn't want to use this since it could get their attention, but getting captured would be even worse.'
/Shaaa!/
Claire's body exploded with energy. It was Auror, his own achievement as a Knight, and his life's greatest achievement… apart from his little daughter.
/Swoosh!/
This time, much faster than before and with extreme might, he pulled his sword and stomped the ground with his right foot, cracking the ground!
His sword high above his head, he swung down with all his power! It wasn't just a simple strike, Claire was going all in. The Auror on the blade transformed, taking the shape of the technique he practice over half of his life.
Even though the sword was contained within its hilt, with such energy behind it, even with Philip's physical might, if he took it head on, it'd be more than enough to cleave straight through!
Or so Claire believed… His sword cleaved the air, creating a green wave that arced above him...
Philip reacted with equal speed, blocking rather than attacking.
/SLASH!/
His sword clashed against the cane, cutting straight through it like butter!
The first instance resulted in his opponent's weapon broken… and Claire's sword now resting an inch from Philip's face.
In the frozen world, Philip seemed surprised his weapon had failed him, so much so he stopped paying attention to Claire to look at it.
This upset Claire. Such disrespect from his opponent! For his next movement, Claire used his sword's hilt to hit Philip's head while he was distracted… And he succeeded!
"What?!" Claire exclaimed
But rather than his head cracking or worse, Philip merely bowed slightly as the hilt crashed against his skull, pushing it back once its momentum died down.
'He wasn't knocked down by that?!'
"… That hurt, this cane was pretty expensive to make you know..." Philip said with a modest smile as he glanced back at Claire
Blood trickled down his face, but he seemed as focused as ever, perhaps even more as if this was his natural state.
A reddish-purple mist formed around Philip's body, and in the blink of an eye, a red fist hit Claire in the face, sending him across the room and breaking through the reinforced metallic wall.
His nose had broken, but it was a miracle that was the extent of the damage.
/Crack!/
Something happened, but Claire was unable to follow…
Time reset… but he was far from over.
Claire renewed his will, he was going to persevere.
…
/fourty-two more tries later…/
/BAM!/
Claire finally sent Philip sliding away with his third hit, but the cost of it was a large cut on his shoulder, rendering his left arm useless.
"Haa… Haa…"
'How many attempts have it been?… I barely pushed him back, but the price for it was my left shoulder.'
'If he wasn't taking this situation lightly, I wouldn't have been able to even do this… Maybe if I had the time to warm up, I would've been able to put up a fight, but that wouldn't have changed much.'
'He's proficient in making use of opportunities and if I hadn't experienced his abilities first-hand, I would've been defeated like the many times before… but in a prolonged fight, or if he decides to take me seriously…'
'Is this all I can do? Haa… I'm old... My body doesn't respond as well as it once did. How many years has it been since this power last activated?'
'My head hurts, I can't keep this anymore…'
/Crack!/
Time resumed, but this time, there wouldn't be another chance.
[The Skill, Three-Instances of Absolute Combat has deactivated]
"!"
Claire opened his eyes suddenly. He knew it was for real now, but he didn't move. He did not get into a stance, nor did he pull his sword.
Because he knew that the best choice of action was…
"You're right." Claire said in a low tone as he dropped his head
Philip frowned, "About what?" as he looked at his hands, 'Something changed about him.'
"You are… a scary son of a bitch." Claire said with a half smile as he pulled a chair to sit on
"What?… That's… unexpected."
'It's the first time I heard that too.'
"Is it? Do people often call you crazy?"
"… Then maybe it isn't." Philip replied with a faint smile
But he was still wary. He wanted to charge in, but he was reconsidering.
"Sigh…"
Claire thought for a moment before saying, "It's nothing fancy. The reason I'm acting on my own is simply that I wish the best for him."
"That's a convoluted way of praising me."
"Perhaps… Would you believe it if I said it was merely my instincts? I believe his path will be met with fierce resistance… I'd rather not have him go through that."
"... Are you saying that you did all of this on your Lord's back merely because of a gut feeling?" Philip asked as he raised an eyebrow
"Correct."
"..."
Philip closed his eyes for a moment, and after half a minute, he gave up and sat down too.
"We're running in circles… How do you intend to resolve this issue when you know he'll come after me regardless? It doesn't matter if it's personal or not, this goes beyond just me and him."
"It's simple... Just… go beat him up."
"?????"
Philip's mind stopped working for a moment…
"You heard me right, go give Rafiel a few punches, just don't go too far. I'll report this issue to the Lord, and as long as the punishment is within a certain margin, he'll allow it. No, he may even praise you for it if it teaches him anything."
"I came here to oversee his trials, so as long as I twist this event to something akin to that… Rafiel won't be able to do anything about it even if he's angry."
"Give him a lesson about being more cautious about the fights he chooses."
"..."
'I… This is nuts… But I think I understood his intentions.'
'He's trying to make it look like this was planned. That I was "contracted" by him to perform this task… and maybe it could work. Our meeting was a little too coincidental.'
Philip scratched his head in wonder, 'Rafiel may just accept that it was a predetermined outcome then to accept that our encounter and with it, his misfortune, occurred solely from a twist of fate…'
"What I said before stands, Rafiel won't stop unless something extreme happens, so go stop him yourself. I won't do a thing. I'm old, and I'm tired."
"We barely even started though."
"But it already ended for me."
"Urg… Fine… I'll go talk with him. Perhaps we can resolve this through talk." Philip said with a half smile as he went back to a few minutes before, 'Something happened within the second he grabbed his sword.'
'Previously, he was calm, albeit startled, but after a single second, his body grew tense and his energy dimmed as if he'd been training for hours.'
'His body appears to be fine, but his mental power is chaotic, signs of considerable overexertion… What happened in that faint moment?'
"If only… I would be surprised if Rafiel even listened to you, but it's worth a shot. Perhaps he will surprise me. That too is an ability a Lord should possess." Claire said as he got up
He turned around and unlocked the door, "How do you plan to handle this?"
"I'll enjoy the rest of the party first. I don't want to cause a commotion… But…"
"Make an oath to me."
"..."
Claire got tense, but Philip pressed on, "Do you think I'll take your words for granted? You'll say nothing about what happened here to no one, nor will you try to bring reinforcements for the remainder of the night."
"I'll follow your idea, and that's the most I can do. If what you showed me is trust and goodheartedness, then I'll give you some of mine as well… But we I need something to rely on… something beyond words."
"That… I can do it."
He unsheathed his sword and stabbed it on the ground.
"By my name bestowed upon me by my parents, and my Title bestowed upon me by God, I hereby…"
He said a lengthy oath, and once he ended his speech, Philip nodded, satisfied… but there was still one last thing weighing on his mind…
"There's one more thing I wish to request... How about a light spar?"
"What?!"
"You told me it was already over, and I wish to know why... No need to push it too much, this suit is expensive after all, so let's start slowly." Philip said with a smile as he got up from hisseat
"... It's fine I guess, we aren't really on a schedule." He said as he took out his sword
Philip smiled.
"Are you going to fight with that Cane?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Yes... it won't last long…"
"Hm... Alright."
'Should I go with the training sword?… It's too heavy.'
'I'll just go with the one I'm most used to.'
Philip opened his inventory and took out the Darklight sword, from Claire's perspective, it was as if he took it from empty space, but that wasn't unusual.
"..."
'I knew it. He had a proper weapon available… The cane was just for the sake of it.'
'It makes all my efforts feel quite empty…'
"Lets start." Philip said as he took a step forward, vanishing like smoke
/Clang!/
"!"
But in an amazing way, Claire easily paired his attack, making him almost lose balance.
Philip smiled in anticipation as he took another step forward, but Claire predicted that, his blade already intercepting his body.
His sword struck Philip's shoulder, making him lose balance as his body was pressed downward… "Wow, you beat me up pretty neatly." Philip said with a small smile as he dusted his knees
"... Stop playing around."
"But I'm not though? I mean, I could push myself more, but what's the point of that if not messing up my clothes? Isn't this a light spar to test our techniques?"
"... You're right, I got ahead of myself." Claire said as he shook his head, 'I let emotions speak for a moment…'
"Hum... When you dash forward, you have the habit of opening your right hand, as if you want to stab it at your enemy... This makes your grip on your sword weaker, and I don't think it's part of your fighting style. Pay attention to that."
"Oh?"
'I do that? I didn't know, Fabrin pointed out, and helped me fix a lot of bad habits, but some may have passed through his eyes, or they simply formed over time…'
'Then again, merely from the nature of that training, some extreme habits may have formed out of necessity… Removing them all may be impossible, but refining them over time so they become difficult to exploit is more than doable.'
'Everyone has habits, but mastering them only a few can accomplish.'
Without them knowing, the spar became a light lesson, with Claire pointing out several bad habits Philip had as they leisurely clashed blades.
It was a novel experience for Philip, a type of teaching rooted more in the theoretical compared to Fabrin's "hands-on" approach.
It was… entertaining…
Like that, the clock's small pointer moved halfway throughout the cycle…
…
Meanwhile, back at the party's hall…
"… Thank you for talking with me. It was very kind of you to hear me… I'll take my leave now and stop inconveniencing you further." Elyria said with a smile as got up from her seat, promptly Viera to do the same
"Ah! No! It was quite the pleasure talking with… Your es-esteemed presence…" Viera said awkwardly as she tried to keep up appearances
She was rather stiff, clearly not used to talking with Nobles, much less with someone like the lady in front of her… It was clear she was forcing herself to be respectful.
Thankfully, it seemed that Elyria didn't mind.
At the same time, Viera did receive help from her personal assistant bound to her glasses… the only issue was… She wasn't able to properly talk and communicate with it at the same time.
Philip had no issue listening to MT while reading, talking, and even listening to other sounds, but Viera didn't have such a great range of motion… Paying attention to one thing was already an issue.
At the very least, she didn't have much of an issue following Elyria's conversation, adding great remarks and topics as they talked.
She had much to thank the tiny voice within her glasses for that.
"I hope we can meet again soon. It was fun… Butterfly." She said with a small giggle as she looked at her mask
"B-Bye… No, I mean… Until next… Urg…"
She smiled, turning around and walking away slowly. She vanished within the crowd soon after, surrounded by nobles and knights.
"Haaaa… Phew, I'm all alone... Again…"
"Not quite."
"HIIIII?! D-Don't you scare me like that!" She exclaimed loudly as she looked at Philip… "Are… Are you okay?"
She looked up and down at him, and aside from a few dusty spots barely visible up close, nothing about him had changed.
"I'm perfectly fine. I have yet to settle my problem, however, albeit that'll happen at a later date."
As he said that, he looked at Eris back. He immediately recognized who it was, and he was very interested in knowing why had such a person walked all the way here to talk with Viera…
Still, what drew his attention wasn't her in itself, but the tiny spider creature on her shoulder that was now gazing at him. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the spider was stunned. It moved its arms, trying to see if Philip was truly seeing it, and Philip waved in response, making it jump in shock as it vanished in the air.
Elyria also stumbled slightly, but she elegantly continued to walk as if this had never happened, not turning around but clearly affected by something.
"Who are you waving towards?" Viera asked as she looked at the crowd
"… Just an interesting little thing… I wonder what it was…?"
Viera crossed her arms, almost gnashing her teeth, "You know, your ambiguous way of answering has gotten to my nerves."
"Huh?"
'Why does she look like that?... What did she talk about with that girl?'
Viera pinched him really hard…
…
Time rolled, an hour turned into two, and the party of masks continued to develop.
After the time to talk was over, it was time for the Auction and other side activities scattered throughout the manor… For those that remained, every table received a small plaque with a number, Philip's was 52.
Throughout this time, he was pleasantly surprised no one had approached them. Deeming the number of tables, sitting alone like this was quite the luxury. Despite this, the auction was pretty lackluster.
Most of the items there were indeed interesting, but Philip needed none, nor did he understand their artistic value. Potions of many kinds, interesting weapons, paintings, music instruments, even an entire statue… Many things with no use apart from a collection standpoint…
Regardless, it helped him a little in understanding a bit more about the world… but it wasn't like he wasn't interested in something. Amidst their collection, one thing stood out for him. However, it wasn't about the item itself but rather where it had been taken from.
/THUD!/
"Last bid! The Kaleidoscopic Blue Gem goes to the beautiful lady on table 61!" Said the auctioneer as he pointed at a table in the distance
/Applause/
The last item of the auction was a beautiful and carved circular gem the size of Philip's fist that had the ability to convert raw magic into water. It may sound incredible, and in a sense, it is indeed a wonder of nature, but still, it's only useful to make a pretty fountain.
The water it created wasn't useful for anything at all. If one wanted it for such function, there were dozens of cheaper ways to achieve the same effect. And no one would risk such a pricy item in combat. It couldn't turn a fireball into a bucket of water, for example. It was too fragile for that.
Only its history is of some use, as this gem was studied long ago, and from it, a branch of magic studies was born... Or so the legends say.
Of course, not this particular gem but this type of gem… Still, it was enough for a conclusive item at a not-so-serious party.
…
"… Phew, its finally over!" Viera said with a smile as she stretched her arms
"It is… Let's go back home and sleep. Tomorrow we'll take a look around the city." Philip replied as he got up from his seat
He looked towards the main table and thought, 'It wasn't a boring party by any means… I didn't go around to the other side activities and stood here for the most part, so I can't say much about them.'
'Viera is tired and bored out, and so are many others. The hall is mostly empty now and everyone seems eager to leave with whatever they bought… Even I can tell that the princess is getting bored.'
'Well, the party itself will still last an hour, so maybe something intersting will happen till then, but our time here is over.'
"Come with me."
"Hm?… Aren't we leaving?"
"How could that be? We're going to have some fun first." Philip said with a smug smile as he left the party hall
Viera looked at him suspiciously as she adjusted her clothes, going after him, 'I don't like where…'
But before she could think any further, Philip pulled her hand…
…
He led her outside towards the forest, and midway through, Veira's heart sped up, beating faster and faster, louder and louder…
'Please shut up!' She screamed mentally, but her heart refused her orders. It was as if she had run a marathon…
"Ahhh…"
/Moans…/
The biggest reason for her embarrassment was because of the faint moans that echoed from deeper and darker parts of the forest… One of which she swore was coming from a bush they passed near not so long ago…
Philip finally stopped in front of a tree in a dark and somewhat calmer section of the forest…
He placed Viera against a tree and stopped… Approaching her face…
"Wait… Wait… Not here please…" She said with a face as red as the dawning sun
'M-M-Ma-Master! You didn't teach me any of this!!'
But Philip simply pressed on… So she simply closed her eyes… Yet… what she expected never came, Philip was simply staring at the forest behind the tree…
Before she could ask what was going on… "You're here." Someone said behind her
"HIIIII!" She screamed in fright
Today, many people kept startling her like that… She looked back to see an armored man, taller than her, gazing at Philip with a calm and serene look.
"Where were you? You took quite some time to arrive." Philip complained as he patted Viera's head, but she was utterly silent
Claire seemed embarrassed, "Cough!" He replied with a faint smile, "Apologies, I misunderstood your intentions, I thought you were... That doesn't matter anymore." He said in a low tone as he shook his head
"I was young too, so I understand."
Philip frowned, but his questions were soon answered by the wails in the forest…
/Ahhh…/
He frowned even further. His expression darkening, "… Just… lead us to Rafiel's office. I'll wait for him there..."
"The office?... I see, in that case, follow me. I also dislike this place…"
"… get a room… fucking horny people…" Philip muttered distastefully as he shook his head
"..."
'Phew…'
Veira let out a sigh of relief before going after them in a hurry when she realized she was being left behind.
As they walked away, the moans slowly disappeared…
…
/Fwooosh!/
As the green carriages slowly flew into the sky, Rafiel raised his head and let out a sigh, "It's finally over." He said as he straightened his back
'Now I understand what father feels when he hosts a banquet back home… It's tiring.'
This wasn't Rafiel's first time hosting a party, but it was his first time going out of his comfort zone to do so. When there are so many people equal and above his position, it can get very, very tiring to manage everything at once.
"Wrap things up, I'll go rest a little." Rafiel said to the guards and servants around him as he turned around
'I'll think of the rest later, I just need a bottle of cold water and my chair, I drank too much already if I drink anymore... I can't think of anything like this.'
But as he went back to the manor, he stopped walking. He looked around, confused.
"Where is Eri?"
"She left for her room over forty minutes ago saying she ate too much. You said goodnight to her as well, sir."
"I did?... I…"
'I faintly remember it… Well, shit… This party was meant to strenghen our relationship and to show the world our connection… To show who her husband was going to be.'
'Even if it's not official, it doesn't matter. The presentation is what matters… but it seems that I failed in that as well.'
'In the end, I got too distracted… I understand now that my methods were insuficient. There's much room to refine still.'
…
Rafiel made his way past the grand hall, into the interior of the manor, then, he walked outside, into a paved path in the woods, illuminated by flying lanterns, all the way towards an isolated building.
This was the true manor. the rest were guest halls, dormitories for the servants, storage rooms, barracks for the guards, and so on.
He went to the last floor, towards the only room whose door was painted in a beautiful wine red with dozens of delicate carvings…
/Creak… Snap!/
Rafiel opened the door and snapped his finger, activating the magic circles in the room's ceiling, illuminating it… "Huh?!" He exclaimed in surprise after he took a few steps inside
"Who the fuck are you?!" He asked angrily as he looked at Viera sitting on a couch in the corner
She was still using her mask, holding a book in her hands to pass time. She looked at him with her half tired eyes before looking away, not giving him any extra attention.
Seeing this, Rafiel grew upset. 'Is she drunk? One of those drunk bitches that comes to my room every once in a while?… How annoying…'
'… Her bust is decent and her appearance looks quite appealing, but not today. There's simply too much going on right now. I'm too tired for this… I'll just call a maid and have her shipped elsewhere…'
But before he said so, he noticed that there was someone sitting in his chair.
"Huh?!"
'This keeps getting even more fucking better… No way…' A terrible possibility passed through his mind… What if this lady and man pair had come to his office to… Partake in some illicit activities?!
He can tolerate if it's in the forest, he'll ignore it, but in his office?! He swore to himself that if he could, he would have this man's balls cut if that were to be the case.
"Unfortunately, you won't have the chance." Philip said as he spun the main chair, revealing his face to Rafiel
He posed like a villain, holding a piece of paper on his hand as he did so. Rafiel momentary glanced at it, recognizing it as the list of items he put for auction today.
"YOU!" Rafiel said, shocked and in utter disbelief
He had completely forgotten about this man! He had ordered his capture. What happened? Why was he in his chair?!
"CLAIRE!" He exclaimed immediately as he jumped backward
In this situation, he immediately realized that something had gone wrong, and he prioritized his safety over anything else.
"I'm here, young Lord." Claire said from the corner of the room
"WH…?!"
Claire had been there the entire time, standing still in the corner of the room. Due to Philip's and Veira's presence, he hadn't even noticed it.
"Wh..."
It was then that Rafiel realized something was terribly wrong. Claire, the strongest knight personally assigned by his father, remained unmoving despite the circumstances. This could mean only two things: the man before him was an ally, posing no threat, or Claire was overwhelmed and had given up.
However, the latter was inconceivable. Claire would never surrender if Rafiel's life were in danger; he would sacrifice himself to buy time, regardless of the consequences.
Rafiel knew Claire intimately, an old knight who had served the family for over forty years, standing beside his father from his days as heir to his ascension as head of the family.
Claire was also remarkably passive, acutely aware of his own strength, and would cease resistance if faced with overwhelming odds, opting instead to negotiate. If negotiation failed, he would seek retreat; only as a last resort would he fight to the death, buying time for reinforcements.
Yet, Philip's collaboration made no sense; he was Rafiel's target… So he reached a conclusion: this was a trial set by his father.
"You are calmer than I expected," Philip said, observing Rafiel, "The rumors painted you as less calculating, but that's not the case, is it? I'm surprised." He paused, glancing at Claire before locking eyes with Rafiel.
"I won't ask for apologies; such things matter little. What good are words, after all?… I know why you're after me, and I won't deny your reasons. Instead, I propose a mutually beneficial deal. Are you in?" he asked with a smile, tapping the table every once in a while
"… A deal?... Of what kind?" Rafael asked interested, still wary of him
"Simple. I want to settle this misunderstanding."
"Let's start from your side. You wanted to sell my well-being, but you didn't even ask for my permission." Philip said deeply as his voice grew cold
He looked at Rafiel and frowned.
[Predators presence LvMax has activated]
"!"
Rafiel felt the world twist around him as a feeling of dread took over his mind… He was feeling fear, overwhelming fear.
He could determine that the man had done something against him, but at this moment, he wanted to do nothing but run to the door behind him.
/BAM!/
But the door closed on its own.
"Lets continue. What I propose is straightforward. You'll forget about me, and I'll forget about you. Our paths will probably not intertwine again anytime soon."
'Not until I return to the Empire.'
"You may think it's unfair. After all, here I am abusing your hospitality… But I digress. Have you not sought my undoing on your end? I believe it's fair for me to be this rough. It is only self-preservation, after all."
"Besides, you are receiving something from your end." Philip said deeply as he raised his right hand
/Drip…/
He held something in his hand… a long object… clad in expensive fabric…
"Hum, that…?!?! M-M-MY…"
Rafiel looked at his right shoulder and… "FUUUUCK!" He screamed loudly as the pain suddenly hit
At that moment, Philip smiled like a demon as he transformed his cane from a whip back onto its original form.
"AH… AHHH… AHHHHHHH!!!"
Rafiel continued to scream, but he found himself unable to move.
"Now now, calm down."
Surprisingly, Rafiel did shut up for a moment.
"An arm is very precious in your family, right? Considering what you all do for a living. So I think things balance out…"
"This is my right, isn't it? The right to take something from another for their own benefit… Wasn't that what you wanted to do to me?"
"In exchange for your arm, you'll stop getting in my way. What do you think of this offer? Is it to your liking? I can add a few more items if it's insufficient…" He asked as he looked at Rafiel's leg
"NO!... No… Its enough…" Rafiel said as he bit his lips, his expression pale and heavy
"Great! Here, Claire, can you get us the contract I asked you to make?"
"Co-Contract?" Rafiel asked with a pale face
"Yes, of course? Its the basis of a deal!" Philip said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world
"Here it is…"
Claire calmly placed the contract in front of Rafiel, careful not to stain it with his blood.
Rafiel stared at him as if he had betrayed him. Anger, resentment, and many other emotions passed through his eyes at that moment.
Claire averted his gaze. He couldn't stare at his lord, albeit, from the bottom of his heart, he wished to say: "I told you to stop."
"This is?!" Rafiel exclaimed as he read the contract
There was no way he would just sign something without reading it. What if it was a slave contract?… At the very end was a large verse that read:
"Party B will compensate party A for… Mental damages?! And the value is… To be determined by party A?!" He exclaimed out loud
"Yes, I feel tired after dealing with your bullshit, so I'll need some financial compensation." Philip said slowly as he yawned
But the true meaning of his words was: "Give me all your money, you fucking idiot."
"I… I can't… This money doesn't belong to me, it…"
"Oh there, you better watch your words, you wouldn't want this to… be damaged." Philip said as flames slowly took over Rafiel's arm
"Re-Attaching a limb is easy, making a new one would cost well over everything I'm requesting…"
"STOP! MY FUCKING ARM… Please… I'll… I'll pay…" Rafiel asked as he fell onto the ground
"Then… Oh, and one thing, I would implore that you reconsider what you're thinking right now." Philip said as his eyes flashed red, "If you activate any of the formations within this room, I'll have your arm minced to pieces, and that may not be the only thing I turn into paste."
Claire's eyes opened wide, but they quickly returned to normal... He thought for a good minute, blood pooling under him… but he finally made a decision.
Rafiel let his blood fall over his thumb before he pressed it on the contract, stamping it.
Claire grabbed the contract and gave it to Philip. Once in his hands, he smiled and clapped his hands.
"Its done. What a nice deal."
He gave the arm to Claire and got up from his chair, "Let us depart my love, I'm sleepy." Philip said as he gave his hand to Viera
"…"
But she was silent. For a moment, she too flinched as his hand drew closer. In the end, she grasped it, not giving Rafiel a second glance.
"Good night, Mr. Claire and Lord Rafiel. May you two have a nice night." He said as he walked toward Rafiel
He put his hand on Rafiel's right shoulder and said:
"Oh! You may want to give him some help… He looks… quite pale." He mocked slightly before he left the room
/Clack!/
The door to the room closed, and Claire immediately kneeled next to Rafiel, giving him a purple-colored potion bottle and his arm.
Rafiel snatched it away and poured the contents onto his shoulder before drinking the rest and re-attaching the arm himself.
Breathing heavily, he got up from the ground and walked towards his office chair.
He grabbed a bottle of alcohol and chugged it down.
In no moment did he say a single thing to Claire. But this didn't stop him from saying something as he left:
"… This is also something your father wanted you to grasp… Acting on impulse is rarely worth it, a Lord must know when, where, and how to act…"
"Get the fuck out."
"I'll… take my leave, young Lord." Claire said as he left the room
"Wait… Call… Call someone to clean this mess." Rafiel said slowly, trying to recover his breath
Claire nodded.
/Clack!/
"..."
Rafiel looked at his reflection in the window, at his bloodied clothes and rough appearance.
"Philip… Polter." He said slowly, without any emotion on his face
…
/Outside in the forest…/
"Did you like the party?"
"... No."
"Why?"
"Too… Much… Too… Boring."
Philip smiled, "I get you."
"... Aren't we going to discuss what just happened?" Viera asked deeply as she tugged at his clothes
"Do we need to?"
"You were pretty… Serious there, if that's the word for it."
"… Sigh, I'm not entirely proud either. I would've preferred to talk, but that was the only way."
"You sure?"
He smiled again, "... No."
She rolled her eyes. Frustrated, she asked:
"Which one is the real you, then? This Philip, or that one back there?" She asked as she took up the pace
"Huh?..."
Philip stopped walking, and for a moment, he really considered that.
"The real me, you ask?..."
When did he feel the most comfortable?… Which version of him was truly… Himself?
There were many versions of him, but no matter their ups and downs, they were all him. Still, if he were to look at their everything, he'd always go back to the same formula:
"I would say I prefer to be the Philip that jokes around, trains in the afternoon, visit exotic places, and acts carefree when relaxed."
"Acting like this… is not for me. But this Philip won't hesitate to act like that… for that already proved fatal to me once before."
"I see…"
Just when it seemed Viera was going to say something, Philip looked away from her. He turned to the side, swearing he felt someone looking at him…
{Sorry to interrupt, but I believe you may be in danger}
...
.
.
.
Notes
I thought things would end soon but I ended up keeping the original flow. Things will likely change direction in a few, 1-3 chapters most likely.
Thank you for reading.