Edsel knew that Perez was lying through his teeth.
He was only trying to reassure Mery and give her false hope. This issue would surely last for another month before the Duke even reacted and sent troops to this village. By the time they arrived, they might protect the village properly, and things would not go according to Edsel's plans. But of course, Edsel would not allow that to happen.
"Let us go now, young master. We cannot waste any more time here. Remember that we still have a long journey ahead of us," Perez announced while turning towards the door.
"Right," Edsel responded. It was finally time for them to depart, and he still had not seen Les anywhere.
The moment everyone turned to walk outside, Edsel stepped closer to Mery and whispered under his breath.
"Authority: Chains of the Black Covenant."
She suddenly paused while feeling something strange. Black chains gathered around her, and she staggered slightly without understanding what was happening. Within seconds, the chains pierced through her head completely.
"Ugh!" she gasped quietly.
Perez turned around, confused by the sudden change in Mery's behavior.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked with concern.
Edsel reached out and held her shoulder, straightening her back. "She is fine. She might still be angry about yesterday's events. I suppose it is a sensitive topic for her, right, Mery?"
"Yes, he is right," she responded while her face went blank for a moment before returning to a smile.
"I see. Well, try to forget about today's events. Do not do anything that will make your mother worry about you," Perez advised before turning around and walking outside.
Edsel pushed Mery closer to him and whispered directly into her ear.
"From now on, you will lead everyone outside the village. Make sure that you meet a man named Les along the way. Do not get caught by anyone."
Mary's expression remained calm.
"Yes, sir."
"What the hell is this?!"
Miss Sharon shouted as she swung her broom, trying to push a wild cat away from the kitchen.
The cat screeched loudly and darted across the room, scratching and jumping at the soldiers in panic. It ran past several of them before rushing toward Edsel. Just before reaching him, the cat suddenly froze.
For a brief second it stared at him, sensing the overwhelming energy surrounding him. Then it let out another terrified scream and bolted straight through the door.
"What is a cat doing here?" someone muttered.
"Hey, wait!"
Edsel turned his head when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
Silas appeared, with Newton following closely behind him. Silas wore a deep frown, as if his entire morning had been ruined. His voice sounded louder and harsher than usual.
Edsel frowned slightly when he saw him. Then he paused.
"What are you staring at?!" Silas snapped.
"Good morning, Young Master," Newton said politely, quickly stepping in. "Please don't mind him. He's been acting like this since this morning."
Edsel walked closer and casually tapped Silas on the shoulder. Then he whispered quietly.
"Good job."
Silas, or rather Les inhabiting Silas's body, hesitated for a moment. He realized that Edsel had already figured out that he had succeeded in his mission. He almost broke character but quickly composed himself. Newton was watching closely, so he had to maintain the act. This was part of his skill to mimic the arrogant young master of the Torenzo family.
"L-let's go to the academy together!" Silas suddenly said.
Newton blinked in confusion.
"Young Master… are you sure about that?"
Edsel smiled faintly.
"There's no need to worry. I'm sure he just decided to become friends with me. Right, Silas?"
"Yes… of course…"
He was struggling to maintain his character because of the fear that Edsel's presence caused in him.
Newton smiled at the exchange. Although this was not something that Silas would normally do, perhaps the events of yesterday had changed his perspective. He wanted to get closer to Edsel after witnessing his bravery. He glanced at Silas again and noticed that he seemed nervous and uncomfortable.
Newton chuckled softly.
Perhaps he was still feeling uncomfortable. Still, it was better if the two young masters built a good relationship.
A moment later everyone stepped outside the pub. Waiting there was the lord of the village.
The man was short and overweight, with gold teeth that flashed whenever he spoke. Rings and jewelry covered his hands and neck, the appearance of a man who lived comfortably on the sweat of others.
Beside him stood another man who appeared to be the local commander.
"Greetings!" the lord said quickly, bowing deeply. "I sincerely apologize for not appearing yesterday. And thank you for saving the village."
Perez's expression darkened instantly.
"Lord of Cairo," he said coldly. "You dare show yourself now after refusing to help your own people? Not even your soldiers were there."
The Cairo soldiers stood silently behind their commander, avoiding Perez's gaze.
The lord himself looked terrified.
"The Lord of the North is watching," Perez continued sharply. "He will not be pleased with what happened here."
The lord swallowed nervously.
He understood exactly what Perez meant. Once the Duke heard about this incident, his position could easily collapse.
Perez turned away from him with clear disgust.
"Prepare yourselves. We're leaving."
Edsel barely spared the man another glance. Instead, he walked forward with Silas beside him.
"How did you take over his body so quickly?" Edsel asked quietly. "I thought you were planning to kidnap him and stitch his head."
Les chuckled under his breath.
"Things went smoothly. Thanks to yesterday's chaos, Newton wasn't around to protect Silas. I slipped through his window and cast a silent spell to block any sound from leaving the room."
He smiled proudly.
"Of course, Master, I didn't cut off his head. Instead, I used a teleportation exchange spell. It allows me to swap brains with another body instantly."
Edsel frowned slightly. The explanation sounded strange.
"Then where is Silas's original brain?" he asked.
Les shrugged casually.
"I'm not sure. It could be inside another human… or maybe an animal."
"An animal…" Edsel muttered.
His eyes narrowed slightly, Perhaps that cat earlier… had been Silas.