The ghosts of his fallen brothers were fading, but Glenn's mood remained sour while he basked in the rich taste of cheap ale. He was pursuing a cure for his grief, one that came in a succession of wooden mugs.
He found it at the bottom of the latest one. A bitter warmth bloomed in his gut, a fleeting numbness, or perhaps it was the feeling of being ill? He desperately craved.
Glenn ["Urgh... there it is."]
With a low groan, he slammed the empty mug onto the scarred table, ignoring the rising tide of sickness. He wiped his mouth with the back of a calloused hand. Outside, sunlight spilled across the cobblestones—a brilliant, mocking glare in a world that had, just a block away, been a stage for unspeakable brutality. But here, in the gloom of the tavern, sorrows could be drowned.
His good eye drifted to the seer crystal mounted on the wall, it's hue shifting from around red and orange. Vollachia's way of telling the time.
Glenn: ["About two solartime.... The kid should be back by now..."]
The silence after muttering those words settled in to his section of the tavern was heavy and seemed to linger in the air around him... the tension felt almost infallible and far too potent to simply ignore.
At least until it didn't!
He's worrying about some kid that can cut up an Elgina like it's nothing after all!
Glenn: ["Gah, fuck it all... I need another drink!"]
—————————————————————————————
The carriage arrived at the estate, and Lacerta, unsure of what to expect from a wealthy person's home, could only compare it to the buildings in Guaral. This, however, was on another level entirely. Wide-eyed, Lacerta could only remain speechless at the sight.
Lacerta: ["——"]
Althea, noticing Lacerta's reaction, giggled and stood up, moving towards the carriage door. The driver promptly opened it for them.
Althea: ["Haha~ I suppose I'll accept a reaction like that, I was beginning to think making that stoic little face of yours crack was impossible!"]
Lacerta sighed, extricating himself from the carriage after Althea. He offered a subtle nod to the driver before his gaze fell upon the gates ahead, which had already swung open as if anticipating their arrival.
The estate before them boasted a vast garden, at the heart of which stood an even grander, multi-floored mansion. Workers in suits and maid outfits meticulously tended to the immaculate gardens, while guards clad in full steel armor stood sentinel around the exterior.
Lacerta: ["This just seems... a little excessive, doesn't it? Why would anyone even need to live in a place this large?"]
Althea: ["Ahaha~ well, you'll have to bring that up with my father. Though, I'm glad to see someone who can commit a massacre so easily can still make such a childish expression."]
Lacerta tilted his head, finding himself unable to formulate a coherent response, simply too confused to articulate it.
Althea's expression eventually did turn a touch more serious however.
Althea: ["Ahhh.... and I'd rather you stay quiet about that whole mess back at Guaral~ I imagine they'll learn of it eventually anyway, but my father can be... quite frightening when he's angry and he might just direct that onto you."]
Lacerta: ["....Well.. alright."]
As they approached the grand mansion doors, Lacerta was taken aback when they swung open on their own, without anyone touching them. Standing on the other side was a brown-haired woman in a maid outfit. She appeared to be slightly older than Althea, and offered a respectful bow.
???: ["It is good to see you in fine health, my lady."]
Althea: ["Ahh, Akigami.... I already told you that you don't have to do that every time we see each other..."]
The maid, Akigami, lowered her head slightly.
Akigami: ["My apologies... I'll try to remember next time. I'll be sure to tell the others too."]
'Others'? Just how many people work here...?
Lacerta mused, intrigued by the maid's unusual name, unlike any he had encountered before.
Althea: ["Hehe~ as diligent as ever, I suppose..."]
With a smile, Akigami's gaze eventually shifted to Lacerta, her brow raising slightly in curiosity.
Akigami: ["And this boy is...?"]
Althea: ["Mmmm... would you believe me if I said he's my personal escort?"]
The brown-haired maid's expression remained unreadable, a slight deadpan settling on her face.
Akigami: ["...Of course not. Your father is the one who selects your escorts, and none of us have ever seen this boy before."]
Lacerta was internally surprised. Unlike most people he'd encountered, Akigami hadn't questioned his presence based on his age, but rather on the fact that she hadn't seen him before, implying Althea's father's usual selection process.
Althea: ["I'm kidding, I'm kidding~ but Lacerta is of importance, so I'll be taking him to father right away... unless, of course, you're feeling exhausted from the trip? In that case, we could delay it and have a maid show you to a room?"]
The last part of Althea's sentence was directed at Lacerta. He remained silent for a moment, then replied.
Lacerta: ["Of course not. We only sat in a carriage for a few hours; what's so tiring about that?"]
Althea: ["I was more referring to... before all that, but..."]
Lacerta blinked, then understood, but simply shrugged anyway.
Lacerta: ["I'm still fine. I'd rather just get all this over with anyway..."]
Althea: ["Heh, a hasty one, aren't you?"]
Her amusement was lost on Lacerta. His violet gaze flickered past her, landing on the two guards stationed at the far end of the hall.
They stood like statues, but their eyes were alive, tracking him like wolves.
Lacerta: ["My hesitation is not a secret, you know why."]
Althea merely swayed forward, clasping her hands neatly behind her back as she began to walk. Her attendant, Akigami, offered a silent bow as they passed and got back to working. Their footsteps echoed on the marble as they ascended the grand staircase. Halfway up, the warmth drained from Althea's smile, leaving behind the cool indifference of a strategist.
Althea: ["Of course. The information... It will be yours the moment you complete your task."]
Lacerta's eyes narrowed at the sudden chill in her voice. They emerged onto a long, tapestry-lined gallery on the upper floor.
Lacerta: ["Good, just remember what I did to those bandits. I doubt these soldiers would fare much better if you chose not to give me it."]
The smile that returned to Althea's lips didn't reach her eyes.
Althea: ["Mmm... threats? And here I thought we were building such a bond together. But I understand. You're young, powerful... confident. But allow me to offer some advice."]
Her gaze drifted down the hall, settling on the ornate, twin doors at its end. The playful light in her eyes was gone and instead replaced with something sharper.
Althea: ["I am no warrior, but I know this world is far larger and more full of monsters than you can imagine. What is that old saying again... father used to tell me all the time... something about a well, I believe?"]
Lacerta didn't quite say anything in response. Had he perhaps been to forward with his warning?
The rest of their walk was silent, the only sound being their shoes against the polished floor. They passed more guards, their armored forms as still as statues, but he could feel eyes watching his every move.
As she reached the grand doors, the mask of pleasantry snapped back into place. She turned, placing a delicate hand on the heavy brass handle, and beamed at him as she twisted it.
Althea: ["You just wait right out here, please! I'll only be a moment."]
Lacerta nodded.
As Althea disappeared through the doorway, he closed his eyes, hearing the murmur of muffled voices from within. The guards' gazes remained fixed on him, heavy and unblinking. He met their scrutiny without expression, tilting his head slightly. He couldn't blame them. An unknown boy appearing at the side of their lady… he was a disruption, a variable they couldn't account for.
In a way, he welcomed it. Their vigilance sharpened his own after all.
A minute of muffled conversation passed before a final, sharp remark cut the air. Silence followed, then the sound of a single set of footsteps approaching the door. The latch clicked.
Althea re-emerged and swiftly gestured to the door.
Althea: ["You can enter now. Father is waiting. But... I'd tread carefully if I were you."]
Lacerta gave a short nod, pushed the heavy door open, and stepped inside. As it clicked shut behind him, his gaze snapped forward.
Lacerta: ["——!?"]
The first thing he saw was motion—a blur of polished wood and flying papers through the air. Either a desk or a table had been sent flying toward him until it completely filled his view.
Instinct took over. His hand was a blur, finding the hilt of his katana. The blade arced from its scabbard in a single, fluid swing. A crack like thunder, and the desk split cleanly in two, the halves crashing to the floor on either side of him.
Next, he was sure to reform his sta—
Lacerta: ["Ah—"]
A fist instantly came hurtling like a missile from his left before he had the chance.
He twisted his neck a fraction of a second too late and the blow connected with an intense bang that snapped his head sideways, the force lifting him clean off his feet and slamming his back into the nearby wall of the room with enough force to crack the surface behind him.
???: ["Hmmm. So my daughter wasn't exaggerating. She really did bring a monster home... turning with the blow to bleed off the force... the instincts of a veteran, in the body of a boy."]
The speaker was a man of a fairly lean build considering the level of strength that he'd just displayed in a pristine black uniform, intricately embroidered with gold threads. His hair was stark white, a sharp contrast to his daughter's vibrant pink—a genetic puzzle for another time.
Lacerta pushed himself off the wall, wiping a smear of blood from his lip with his forearm. He spat a crimson droplet onto the polished floor, his eyes narrowing.
Lacerta: ["...A test?"]
The man ignored the question. He moved to the wall and lifted a longsword from its display hooks. The moment his fingers closed around the grip, the atmosphere in the room changed.
A palpable killing intent incomparable to anything Lacerta had felt, honed and razor-sharp, washed over Lacerta, cold enough to raise the hairs on his arms and make sweat begin to form.
???: ["Haldran Velin. Head of this house. Second-Class General of the Vollachian Army."]
He settled into a casual, yet flawless, stance.
Haldran: ["Now, show me why my daughter picked you, Little Escort."]