Perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion of searching the woods for three days straight without rest. Or perhaps it was just the blinding relief of finally finding his dear young master alive. But for the first ten seconds of their reunion, Neilson didn't even realize the fact that Master Elis stood before him completely naked.
When it finally hit him, the giant butler didn't hesitate. In a flash, he took off his heavy coat and practically threw it over the boy's shoulders.
Master Elis had always been fragile. Born into House Mortvain—a family famous for producing terrifying warriors and brilliant mages—Elis was the odd one out. He had no talent for swords, and unlike his ruthless siblings, his mana veins were completely dead. To the Duke, he was a disappointment to be ignored. To his siblings, he was a pray.
But to Neilson, that useless, fragile boy was his entire world. Elis had always been kind, treating the staff not as servants, but as people. He had no power in a fight, but he had an amazing ability to capture the hearts of those around him. Sadly, that ability was useless on the rest of the Mortvain family, simply because they didn't have hearts to capture.
The only exception was Lady Aurora. She was a true genius, loved and feared by all, yet she was the only family member who truly loved and genuinely cared for Elis. She was his shield.
Then, the sickness came. An unknown curse began feeding on her power and her mind, leaving her bedridden. Without his sister, Elis turned into an empty shell of a boy. Watching the two of them fade had broken Neilson's heart.
And then, days ago, Elis vanished. The family assumed he had finally run away from the pressure and barely gave it a second thought. But when Aurora briefly woke up and frantically demanded to see her brother, her breakdown forced the Duke's hand. He ordered a search.
For three days, Neilson had searched the lands, dreading what he might find. He never thought he would actually find him out here.
And... in this state.
{==================================================================}
Why does this butler look like a goddamn mountain? I thought, pulling the giant coat tighter around my shoulders. And what the hell is that mustache?
"Master Elis," the giant said, his voice trembling with unshed emotion. "I am so glad you are safe. I don't know why you left, but I have great news. Lady Aurora has been asking for you."
Aurora? I searched through the empty space where this body's memories should be. Nothing. I couldn't care less about this 'Aurora', but this bear of a man looks like he's about to hug me. If he does, my fragile ribs will turn to dust.
"Master Elis?" the butler asked, taking a heavy step forward.
I had two options. Act surprised, or attempt an escape. Since my top speed right now was a slow waddle, the choice was easy.
"Alright," I said, tilting my head. "Who exactly are you?"
The giant froze. "Master El—"
"And who is this 'Master Elis' you keep speaking of?" I interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "I do not remember a thing."
Ah, the classic memory loss strategy. Flawless. Untraceable.
"Young Master... what do you mean?" The butler's scarred face twisted in horror. "It's me. Neilson. Your butler."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. I don't know you," I sighed, rubbing my head. "But since you clearly know me, and I'm freezing, you can take me home. Oh, and I'm starving. Make sure there is food."
Neilson stood frozen, his jaw practically unhinged. He looked completely utterly bewildered. Then, without a word of warning, the giant lunged forward, gripped me by the shoulders, and began to shake me vigorously.
"MASTER ELIS! YOU TRULY DO NOT REMEMBER ME?!"
"Y-yes! K-kindly s-stop s-shaking m-me!" my teeth rattled against each other.
Neilson stopped. He stared deeply into my eyes for one scary second. Then, before I could complain, he lifted me into the air and threw me over his massive shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"WE MUST HURRY BACK!" Neilson roared to the confused guards. "THE YOUNG MASTER NEEDS A DOCTOR!"
He jumped onto his horse, still keeping me pinned over his shoulder, and made the horse run fast.
For the first time in my very, very long life, I was being rescued like a helpless princess. The shame burned hotter than the wind.
{==================================================================}
We eventually arrived at a huge, scary-looking mansion. The big iron gates screamed filthy rich, and maybe a bit royalty. But what caught my attention wasn't the building. Even with my weakened god-like senses, I could feel several massive waves of energy coming from inside the house, Interesting.
As Neilson got off his horse, a bunch of servants rushed out to greet us. Two immediately stood out: a fierce-looking maid with sharp red eyes, and a tall, serious man with long silver hair. Both of them gave off the kind of hidden power you usually only find in top-tier assassins.
Why is everyone in this house ridiculously strong?
"Neilson!" the silver-haired man called out. "Is he alright?"
"Why is he only wearing your coat?" the red-eyed maid demanded. "What happened?"
"He lost his memories!" Neilson yelled, completely ignoring his manners as he ran past them, still carrying me. "Get the doctor! And tell the Duke!"
The two servants stared after us, totally confused.
Neilson didn't stop until he reached a fancy bedroom. He practically threw me onto the bed, pulling the thick blankets up to my chin like I was a baby.
"Don't worry, Young Master," Neilson panted, his eyes wide with crazy loyalty. "The doctor will be here soon. I'll go tell the servants to prepare you a feast!"
And with that, he ran out of the room like a man charging into battle.
I laid there for a moment in the heavy silence. Then, I kicked the blankets off and stood up.
I walked over to a tall, gold mirror in the corner. Whoever this 'Elis' was, he possessed an undeniably striking face. Ink-black hair, pale skin, and brilliant golden eyes. The only thing ruining the angel look was a clean, black eyepatch covering my right eye.
Curious, I reached up to remove it.
ZAP.
A sharp jolt of foreign magic bit my fingers, forcing me to pull my hand back. A seal? A curse? How classic. I didn't care enough to force it off right now.
It was time to explore my new domain.
I left the room, pulling Neilson's giant coat tighter around myself. The moment I stepped into the corridor, that heavy, oppressive energy washed over me again. I followed it down the long, dark hall, stopping in front of a pair of huge wooden doors.
Behind them, the pressure was immense. It was the distinct aura of a killer.
I pushed the doors open.
The room was a vast, opulent study. Seated behind a massive oak desk was a man with stark black hair and a gaze as unforgiving as a drawn blade. Waves of murderous intent rolled off him, turning the very air in the room heavy and suffocating.
"So. You have finally returned," the man stated, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. He did not even blink. "I was informed you ran away. Frankly, I did not mind. You were always too fragile to bear the weight of this family. But I did not anticipate you crawling back in such a pathetic state."
He glared at me, his dark energy flaring up, clearly expecting me to shrink back and beg for forgiveness.
Honestly? I had been awake for two hours, I had engaged in a fistfight with a goblin, I had been carried like a piece of luggage, and I was still hungry. I was losing my patience.
"First of all," I said, stepping into the room. "Tune your killing intent down. It's too much."
The man's eye twitched. "What?"
"Second, I don't know what happened, I don't remember anything, and I don't know who you are," I kept talking, walking over to one of the soft chairs across from his desk and sitting down. "So, shall we begin with introductions?"
The man stood up slowly. The air in the study grew heavy enough to shatter bones.
"How dare you speak to me in that tone?" he growled, his hand resting on the handle of his sword. "What do you mean you remember nothing?"
I sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I mean exactly what I said. And I told you to stop glaring at me in that scary manner. It's really rude."
He didn't listen. His energy grew heavier, a direct threat.
Fine.
If this human wanted to threaten the God of Death with killing intent, then he deserved to know what true terror actually felt like.
I didn't move. I just let a tiny fraction of my killing intent to slip out, yeah I might be weak now but one of the reason I became the god of death is that killing is the only thing I knew since I opened my eyes in that fucked up woods as an infant.
The temperature in the room dropped to freezing cold. The shadows in the corners of the office seemed to stretch and twist.
The Duke froze instantly.
This man was Duke Reinhardt Mortvain, one of the strongest pillars of the kingdom. He was a veteran of countless wars, a man who had stared down dragons and destroyed armies. But in that fraction of a second, every survival instinct in his battle-hardened body screamed at him to run. He wasn't just feeling nervous or scared.
He felt as though he were staring into a bottomless abyss, and the abyss was staring back through the golden eye of his frail, useless son.
Suddenly, the heavy doors burst open.
Neilson came rushing into the room. He felt the choking tension, saw the Duke gripping his blade, and saw me seated in the chair. Completely misinterpreting the horrific standoff, the giant threw himself onto the floor between us, dropping heavily to his knees.
"My Lord! Please!" Neilson begged, bowing his head. "I know you are furious with Master Elis for his disappearance! I know he might have said something wrong! But I beg you, have mercy! His mind is broken, he remembers nothing! If you have to punish someone, punish me for failing him!"
I stared at the kneeling giant. The Duke stared at the kneeling giant. The terrifying, deadly tension we had just created vanished, replaced by pure, awkward confusion.
I pulled my energy back. The room instantly warmed up.
The Duke exhaled, his knuckles white as he slowly released his grip of his sword. He looked at the floor, then at Neilson, and finally, back at me. The look in his eyes was replaced by deep, unsettled confusion.
"Very well," the Duke said, his voice surprisingly rough. "Take him. Have the doctor check him."
He sat back down heavily, his gaze fixed on me. "We will continue this conversation later. Elis."
I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his conversation, but Neilson didn't give me the chance. The giant sprang to his feet, scooped me back over his shoulder, and practically sprinted from the study, ignoring my angry struggle.
As the doors clicked shut, Duke Reinhardt sat entirely alone in the heavy silence of his office.
He slowly looked down at his right hand.
It was shaking.
"What in the hell..." the Duke whispered to the empty room, "...was that?"