A Few Days Later
Tony, who estimated he had recovered about fifty percent of his energy, was able to move but had chosen to stay in the bush.
"Whoa, Tony, even after two days, you're still here?" said the boy.
"And you, since when do you call me by my first name, huh, Kelvin?" Tony replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you do it too, so I don't see why I shouldn't," Kelvin shot back with a grin.
"Anyway, does it amuse you to come here every day? Don't you ever stay home?" Tony asked.
At those words, Kelvin's face darkened. "Home? There's no one there. And honestly, the place I live in is scary," he admitted.
"What about your parents?" Tony inquired.
"No idea. Disappeared, or maybe they abandoned me. They weren't good people anyway," Kelvin said, his voice heavy.
"Sounds like they made you eat dirt," Tony joked.
"Yeah… What about your parents? What are they like?" Kelvin asked.
"No clue. Orphan since birth. It feels weird at first, but you get used to it," Tony said with a shrug.
"Well, this conversation just got depressing," Kelvin sighed.
"You planning to stay here tonight too?" he added.
"Why do you ask?"
Scratching his arm, Kelvin said, "From what I heard, the leader of the northern troop is going to be in this part of the forest all night."
"So what? You scared he'll catch me and throw me in prison? Don't worry, that's not gonna happen," Tony reassured him.
"No, if it was one of the other four, it wouldn't be a problem. But we're talking about Dono, that lunatic," Kelvin insisted, his face tense.
Seeing Kelvin's expression, Tony asked, "Is he the one making your place so terrifying?"
"Yeah, he's too weird. He's a mass murderer. The entire northern troop is wary of him. One boy went into his place and, by some miracle, came out alive. But before him, hundreds went in and just vanished. Everyone knows they're dead. Dono even slaughtered a family across five generations in the street, in front of everyone. He tortured them, dismembered them one by one, keeping them alive the whole time…"
"Sounds like a pain to deal with," Tony muttered. "I hope I don't run into him. My only goal is to steal a ship."
"So, I suggest you come to my place instead of crossing paths with that guy," Kelvin offered.
"Alright," Tony agreed.
Kelvin blinked, surprised. "You accept that quickly? You sure?"
"With the horrible character you just described, who'd want to meet him?" Tony said with a smirk.
A smile spread across Kelvin's face. "But can you get up now?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. I'm coming with you," Tony said, standing up for the first time in three days.
In the North Side
As Tony followed Kelvin, he noticed several people staring at him, though they quickly lost interest. Another detail struck him: the smell and the large bloodstains on the ground.
Kelvin wasn't lying. This Dono really did all that, Tony thought.
A few minutes later, Kelvin stopped. "Here's my house," he said.
It was a typical city house, identical to those built when the clans arrived: two floors, three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Of course, there was no electricity or running water anymore, which gave the house a faint, unpleasant odor.
Aside from the smell, it's fine. You can tell he doesn't clean, but I'm not his mother, Tony thought as he sat on a chair.
"How long are you planning to stay in the city, Tony?" Kelvin asked.
"A week or two. I've got to meet up with some friends later anyway," Tony replied.
"Oh… Well, stay as long as you want," Kelvin said with a shrug.
At the Castle
Rieze had been monitoring the boy, who still showed no symptoms or pain. Is he toying with me? No, I'm sure he didn't give me that sword for no reason, Rieze thought.
The thought stressed him out. Realizing what he'd just said to himself, Rieze noticed his body was trembling for no apparent reason.
"That filthy rat, what did he do to me?" he growled as Dono's sword began to float in the air.
A transparent liquid formed into the shape of a mouth, and a relaxed voice spoke: "Well, well, Rieze, what's wrong with you? Who would've thought the mysterious Rieze would be stressed out of fear one day?" Dono said, mocking.
"You filthy bastard, what did you do to me?" Rieze shouted.
"Nothing too serious. You'll just tremble like that for another two hours, and then you'll have a bit of diarrhea. That is, if you didn't touch the sword," Dono replied with a laugh.
"So you poisoned it," Rieze snarled.
"You could say that. If you want to see the real results, keep an eye on the boy you sent to me. He's probably still alive… but not for long," Dono said.
"What, you want my place at the castle? If that's it, I'll give it to you for free," Rieze shot back.
"You really think I care about this clan or your position? No," Dono replied. "I just want you to delay your project. I'm not done preparing."
"And what project are you talking about?" Rieze asked, wary.
"Hmm, what if I mention a giant lion? Will you stop playing dumb?" Dono retorted.
Rieze, who had been visibly irritated, relaxed and gave a faint smile. "Dono, you act all high and mighty when all you're after is murder. But fine, I was going to have to delay my plans anyway. Who would've thought someone like you would know?"
"Well, Rieze, that's a surprise. Have you been pretending this whole time?" Dono asked.
"I've got no interest in answering you. Now get lost," Rieze snapped.
A white light emanated from Rieze's hands, erasing the liquid, purifying the sword, and enveloping his body, cleansing the poison affecting him.
Sitting on his bed, Rieze muttered, "I hope this group that just arrived in the city can get rid of this nuisance for me. If I could've done it myself, I would've long ago. I don't know how you managed to poison me without me touching that sword. Either way, you've only brushed the truth, and that's not enough to scare me."
He lay down on his bed, a smile on his lips, and fell asleep.