True Intentions
"I've got you now! Gyahh!"
Another mercenary was sent flying with but one kick from Elise.
"Surround those monsters, that's an order!"
'How could they be this strong...they're basically children!'
The mercenary in charge, Samson couldn't help but be surprised at their immense fighting strength.
His group was but one of many sent into the forest after the Brass Bulls' second in command Morris didn't make a return. Upon this discovery, they found three unknown trespassers walking around in the forest without permission.
After the first group not returning, more groups of mercenaries were sent in to finish the job.
Eventually, the situation turned out like this.
Samson was hiding behind a tree among some brush when he had spotted a lone girl out in the open.
'Ha, you foolish girl! Out in the open without the others! You're just asking for a sneak attack like this'
Samson readied his sword and just as he was about to pounce at her, he had stepped on some dry twigs. The sound caused the girl to notice him.
"There you are, you mercenary scum!" As she said this the girl sent forth a multitude of thin threads which slashed through the tree, cleanly bisecting both him and the tree.
"I've taken care of what seemed to be their leader, Nick!"
Out stepped a mostly white-haired man. His slicked-back hair though mostly white had a stripe of black in the front. He had a twin pair of guns in each hand which was still warm from recent use.
"Good. Very good. It's all going according to my plan! Oh and nice work on the tree over there. You'd make a fine gardener~ Ahahaha!"
"Shut it! What are you even supposed to be with those things you call weapons! An archer?!"
"No, 'cause with these babies, I'm even better than your run-of-the-mill bowmen~ I could take down a God with one of these~"
'Delusional AND blasphemous had bad can his character be~ Ugh, why did Eren have my work alongside this fool anyway!'
"So where is Eren? I don't need to see him so soon it's just..."
Elise remembered what Eren had said before.
'A test for me. What do I need to improve on? What can I improve on...'
She would've been lost in thought was again if it wasn't for Nick chiming in.
"Don't worry about Eren right now. Worry about the enemy in front of you! Like them, for example!"
Nick immediately jumped from Elise's side as arrows started to whiz past.
Yet another group of mercenaries had arrived to kill them, this time with ranged units.
In a large dining room, sat an ominous individual.
He was sitting at a long rectangular table filled with a huge spread of different food dishes. The vast amount of food in front of him, from main dishes to dessert, would have demonstrated his wealth clearly to any individual who laid their eyes at this display.
Before he could partake in the meal in front of him the doors to the room were suddenly opened. The one who had walked in was an old man who looked to be quite old. He was dressed in formal clothing and had a cool air about him.
"Forgive me for this interruption, I have brought a guest. Would you have liked to see him after your meal, sir?" His low but deep tone seemed to reverberate in the room.
"Not at all. I have been awaiting his arrival. After all, he is an important guest. Let him come inside."
The old man bowed before stepping outside the room to bring in the guest. The first to come into the room was the old man followed by a much younger man. His appearance seemed plain by comparison to the much sharper dressed old man.
'It's so dark in here.'
He nervously bowed before the seated gentleman before taking a seat in a nearby empty chair.
When he had done this, he could feel the gaze of the others in the room rest on him. He could feel their heavy gaze almost crush him as he nervously started to shift his weight in the chair.
'Wha-What did I do, now?! Was I supposed to say something or do something differently? I really should have stayed with Siev, then...'
The butler was the first to break the intense silence that seemed to fill the room.
"My apologies my lord, I had failed to inform him of the proper etiquette he should have shown you." He bowed deeply once again in the direction of the man seated in the corner.
His corner of the room was dimly lit by candles and his face wasn't entirely visible to the others in the room because of this.
Louis could see the hand of that someone seated across from him in that corner of the room. Their hand had reached for what looked to be a goblet. He saw him bring it to what looked to be his face. It was too dim for him to see and he couldn't find any windows in the room either.
"It's no problem at all. He is not the first to be so ill-mannered enough to sit before being allowed to." Louis could hear the tinge of anger in his voice. He shuddered at the thought of what the Boss would do to him.
'I should just apologize now and hope he lets me off with a lighter sentence later. '
"Please, forgive me, Boss! I didn't realize my mistake until now, so please forgive my insolence!"
The old man was shocked at the man's willingness to admit he was wrong. A trait he hadn't seen at all in any of the other mercenaries he's employed alongside. He was one to respect and uphold his own values even with his past occupation. That act alone seemed to make him think more of this dime-a-dozen person.
But it wasn't his opinion that mattered, it was the opinion of their master.
"Nonsense! It was just my personal views. Nothing to worry your little head about. Now onto why you are here... Tell me what has taken place."
"Yes, sir! The first was about the defeat of second-in-command officer Morris. Next, the uprising of the people in all city districts." As Louis spoke of the outside matters, he could feel the intense gaze of the Boss hit him.
'It's almost like he can see through me...so creepy!'
"And? What of it? Those hardly seem like problems that seem to need my strength. Morris can be replaced easily...The townspeople as well. You have my permission to kill them if the need arises." As he voiced his opinion on the matter, he started to dig into a steak in front of him.
'Wait... Kill them?! He can't be serious...Surely he jests! They are his own people. Maybe he just misspoken? I'll just have to ask him, then.' He gulped as he nervously fretted over when to pose the question or not. The old man noticed his nervousness and decided to pose a question himself.
"My lord, if I may be so bold to pose a question on your thoughts about the matter. Why do you feel the need to kill your own people? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to keep them alive and just give them another lesser but still suitable punishment?"
'You have my thanks, old man. You've saved me twice now." Louis felt much more admiration for the old man for posing a question that could be seen as undermining the Boss's authority in his stead.
The Boss had cut into the steak once again this time cutting off a larger piece than before. He brought it to his mouth and bit into causing the juice to freely flow out of it.
Both the old butler and Louis waited patiently as the Boss finished the steak without paying any heed to the other two in the room.
He finally reached for the napkin in his lap and used it to wipe his face before setting it down on his platter. It seems he was finally finished and was ready to speak once again.
"You said something along the lines of what my reasoning for my thinking was, yes? Well, I am just finished is all." The reply was both short and cryptic.
'He's...finished? Finished with what exactly? His dinner maybe?' Louis looked towards the butler for an answer but he just saw the confusion on the usually calm and stern-looking butler's face.
'Even you, old man?! What's going on?'
"It seems you both have no understanding of what I've just said, am I right to assume this? Well, no matter. I'll just elaborate further then. I said I was finished, yes? I am finished with this city and its residents. I have no need or use for them anymore. So, I am now issuing the order to exterminate the City's residents here starting from the upper-class districts ending with the lower-class ones."
The room seemed to have frozen solid. Both the butler and Louis were still as if something bad would happen if they moved. The sound of ragged breathing could be heard.
'Where is that sound coming from? Oh, it's my breathing...I can't control it! He said he was going to kill every resident in this city! But why? What led to this conclusion and why now? Why couldn't he wait until I and Siev were retired or at least had enough money to leave town? What about the old man? How does he feel about this?' Louis looked at the old man who was unnaturally calm about all of this. No. He could see it in the old man's eyes. He looked as if he was going to fight the Boss at a moment's notice.
"That wasn't everything, correct? There was still more news, yes?"
The old man seemed to stop at that question. He then looked over to Louis with a puzzled look on his face.
'That wasn't everything...! Ah, he's alluding to the travelers who were in the tavern earlier today! , How could I forget?'
"Yes, you are right about there being more information, sir!" The old man started to look intrigued by this new information as he stroked his gray beard.
"Then why don't you divulge this information with the rest of us or do you mean to make me die of boredom?" The Boss took another swig from his cup before setting it back down on the table with an audible thud.
"It happened earlier today, there were three suspicious travelers who came to the tavern. Two of them had fought against and defeated Siev before being escorted to the forest by Morris. The third arrived later but seemed to be affiliated with the other two. He had stirred up some of the patrons at the bar and left after his comrades."
"Interesting. And those two from earlier defeated Siev and maybe the ones who took out Morris as well?" The Boss held his cup in hand, gently rotating its contents back and forth while facing Louis directly. He couldn't see as his appearance couldn't be seen due to the lack of light but he could feel his intense gaze on him as he spoke.
"Yes, it is as you say."
"How interesting... They may be the last bit of enjoyment I can get out of this city. That is before I get my fill." Louis could feel the excitement in his tone as he spoke. His only concern was his own entertainment.
"Now leave. I have no more use for you. Make sure you carry out my final order for you."
'Final...' This was Louis' last thought as he left the room.
A few minutes pass until the silence is broken.
"Make sure you kill him as well. But make sure it's after my order is fully carried out." His flat tone carried heavy feelings with it as it made its way to the old butler's ears.
"Is that really what the Master wishes? I'm sure he could better serve you al-"
"No."
The old man's response was quickly shot down. His Master's tone carried with it a myriad of emotions behind it. The main one being anger.
"You dare talk back after what I've done for you!! You should be grateful I'm even letting you live, you poor excuse of an assassin!! I would kill you myself but I'd rather have you use those skills of yours to kill any that make it to this secluded manor. I am your new master. You made your oaths to me not some long-defunct guild! Remember who gives you purpose to live. Now. Leave my sight!"
The butler though upset didn't show it on the outside. He calmly left the room leaving his master alone.
The candle flickered as if about to go out. As it did, its light had reached the lone man's face revealing his eyes that didn't resemble the eyes of a human at all. No, the eyes resembled those of a dragon's.
He grabbed his cup as he poured a strange golden liquid into it from a small bottle he grabbed from the side of him. Only a little bit was left from the bottle barely filling his cup. Angered, he threw the empty glass bottle at a nearby wall.
"Tch. Empty. I'll have to get more soon or I-" He stopped himself from uttering the rest of that sentence. He didn't need to as he quickly discarded the idea as soon as it came to mind.
"No... I have no time to be worrying about that. Not when the first proper guests in ages will be coming to attend my grand debut! Ahahaha! I'll be awaiting your arrival then my sweet guests~"
