4021 words
"This is crazy..." Klein's words drawled as he rubbed his forehead and sighed. In front of him, on the long, mottled bronze table were quite a number of dead worms and a diamond shaped object which had live worms in it. "She's a Demigod! We hunted a Demigod!"
"You sound quite excited."
Klein clutched the edge of the table a little harder as he leaned forward. "It's a big deal, you know! A Demigod! There's a heaven and hell difference between normal Beyonders and a Saint. That said, it looks like after she was ambushed by another Marauder Pathway Beyonder, she was quite injured.
Her strength was reduced to that of a Sequence 6 but she was able to use Sequence 5 abilities after being alerted. I suppose our duo did pose a considerable amount of threat for her to disregard her injuries and state like that."
"Could you tell who betrayed her?"
"Nah, I couldn't. What I can tell is that she attended a meeting called Hermits of Fate. Which is quite concerning in itself, but most likely than not, it's not going to be an issue in the future. But it won't hurt to be safe and cautious. I have performed enough anti-Divinations already."
Kiyotaka stroked his blonde mustache that seemed to have been growing again. Giving the edges a little twirl upwards, he shook his head minutely.
"It shouldn't really be an issue. The powers I had displayed were also imbued by the card's anti-Divination properties. If the Churches are unable to find it, then the MI9 should — in an ideal scenario — have no way to track it as well." He paused and then looked towards the erected dome above his head. "Unless the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence had already pulled someone there."
"You're right... Well, let's spend a few days in peace. Goddess knows what's brewing in Backlund, but this much is sure that something disastrous is upon us. We should be wary of the Demoness Sect and the Aurora Order, if we try to look into them."
Kiyotaka's mind went back to the proposal that was brought forward by Mal. He was somewhat interested in it, given how the Ritual for his Sequence 6 could be aided by it, however, at the same time, he had to take multiple things into consideration.
The most important one of them was his relationship with Klein.
Yes, the 'friendship' between them had strengthened by quite a lot and on the surface, both seemed to put quite a lot of trust in each other. I mean, Beyonders who do not trust each other would not randomly ambush a Demigod — weakened or not.
But there was also the fact that the relationship was balancing itself on a tight rope. Klein had a strong moral compass and he abided by it. And while people such as this were easy to exploit in different ways, he had an advantage that others did not — which was this space above the grey fog.
Which meant that Kiyotaka could not afford to be reckless. He had already thought of multiple ways Klein could become a danger to his life and was actively thinking of remedies against it. And almost all of them required him to become a High-Sequence Beyonder.
"Ah right. Let's split the loot first." Klein's voice made Kiyotaka look up and straighten up slightly as he had sunk deep into the high-back chair.
"Sure." He replied without much sense of urgency while his brain seemed to be reeling from the after effects of the battle with Flora Jacob.
After he had briefly glanced at the dead Worm of Time, his brain had suffered quite a lot of damage, so he was not in his best state.
"So, we got around ten Worms of Time. It can be converted into charms, if I try hard enough, heh-heh, one Beyonder Characteristic, plus formulas from Sequence 9 Swindler to Sequence 4 Parasite. Since you did the heavy lifting, I will let you choose two things between the three."
The implication of Klein's words were quite clear. He expected Kiyotaka to pick something between the Beyonder Characteristic and the formula. If Kiyotaka picked the Beyonder Characteristic and formulas, Klein would be able to hoard all of the Worms of Time.
And if he chose Characteristics plus Worms of Time, he would be deprived of crucial knowledge about a rather rare pathway and the rituals needed to advance to corresponding Sequence 5 and 4.
After weighing his options and his future plans, Kiyotaka simply raised his head and parted his lips in a soft manner. "I will take the Characteristic and the set of formulas."
This decision actually worked in Kiyotaka's favor and further strengthened his 'relationship' with Klein as well. First and foremost, the formulas worked for his future plans and the Characteristic was going to solve an issue he was bound to face in the future.
Secondly, it established himself as someone who was ready to split the spoils of war into equal basis, despite it being him who actually fought and killed the weakened Demigod. It was an equal exchange because if Kiyotaka had picked Characteristic and Worms of Time, Klein would only be left with one item.
But by presenting this choice, Klein was left with formula and Worms of Time while Kiyotaka was left with Characteristic and formula. Even Klein himself was quite surprised at this choice.
Controlling his surprised features through the powers of Clown, Klein gave him a taciturn nod. "Alright then. Uhh— I want to give you a Worm of Time as well. Just because..."
Kiyotaka raised his brow as Klein cleared his throat.
"As a token of our good friendship."
Nodding, Kiyotaka stretched his back and half-expected them to release a lot of pops, however, since he was in his Spirit form, the sensation did not follow. It was quite odd.
Once they were done splitting the rewards in half, Klein coughed in an embarrassed manner. "Ehm, would that be it? It's quite late, so you should get some rest. And I need some too. Maybe I should go on a vacation as well."
Kiyotaka shifted in his seat. "I am going to Desi Bay on New Year's eve. If you wish, you can accompany me."
Klein shook his head and moved his hands in an exaggerated manner. "Nope, thank you. I am sure you will attract some other stuff to you and drag me into it as well. You have pulled me into a lot of shit already and I need some real vacation."
"Technically speaking it is your fault." Kiyotaka replied as he rested his chin over his knuckles. "Rosago wished to turn Miss Sharron into his marionette who was your bodyguard. And he was trying to use my body to lure you into opening your door. So if you think about it, it's all your fault."
Klein crossed his arms. "You are not gaslighting me into anything. So what if the first time was my fault? You have pulled me into more stuff than I have done to you."
Sighing, Klein sat back into his seat. "Sigh... Well I don't mean to be disrespectful or make you feel bad or uncomfortable..."
"I don't."
"...right. Anyways, what I am saying is that I deserve a break. If 0-08 is in Backlund, it means something disastrous is about to happen."
"And you think partaking in it is not a good idea?"
Klein's lips quivered. As much as he wished to not admit it, he still lowered his head and nodded slightly. "Yes. Not now... Not yet. Not at our current levels. The wielder is at least a Sequence 4 — a Demigod. And a powerful one at that who has not lost his powers. So it can't be an easy task, regardless of 0-08."
Kiyotaka shrugged. "Alright. If you say so. Bestow the items to me before you leave."
"Sure." Klein rapped the edge of the table. "Do you want the Worm of Time as is or do you want me to turn it into a Charm and then bestow it to you?"
Kiyotaka did not pause and responded immediately. "Charm would do."
"Gotcha. Well, good night then, Willy. See you tomorrow, or after tomorrow... or whenever there is a need to."
As Klein awkwardly kept talking and avoided making eye contact with him, Kiyotaka placed his hand on the table, causing a small echo in the empty space. "Good night to you too, Sherlock."
A smile appeared on Klein's face as a brilliant flash of crimson enveloped Kiyotaka and whisked him away.
Once he was gone, Klein sank back into his seat and covered his face with his hands before pressing his thumbs into his eyes. "Oh dear Goddess... remove that vile scene from my head... Why did I have to be the one to see him butt naked! I need holy water to cleanse my eyes and mind... Maybe I should visit Bishop Utravsky."
Klein thought as he shook his head.
*****
Returning back into the real world, Kiyotaka rose up from his couch in his room and removed his shirt before tossing it on the floor. Then, he removed his pants and underwear before wearing his night pajamas.
It was quite cold tonight and the rain had begun to fall quite heavily outside, making loud pattering noises against the giant window — which stretched from floor to roof — that led to the balcony.
Moving towards his cabinet, he opened it and took out his revolver before taking it to his bed and tucking it underneath the mattress. Once he had drunk a few glasses of water, he snuck into the bed and took out a book from beside him.
It was a book that he had brought from Klein for a few days. And since today was the last day, he was trying to finish the entire thing in one sitting. However, it felt a little overwhelming since the book with hardcover was quite chunky.
But there were no immediate tasks at hand and hence he did not care much.
Looking down, he saw two lines of Hermes on a goatskin hardcover of a book that was dark black in color. The lines of Hermes said: "Book of Secrets: By Klarman"
This was something Kiyotaka had rented from Klein for £100 and hence in total, he had paid him a total of £600 after today's incursion.
As he began reading, an amused look appeared on Kiyotaka's face as he stroked his beard. "Interesting."
*****
After spending most of the night studying and understanding the 'info-bomb' that the Book of Secrets contained, Kiyotaka spent the entire morning asleep and only woke up in the middle of the afternoon.
A little groan escaped his lips as he felt his body hurt a little. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and looked towards the window, only to find that the sky outside was still dark and it was still raining.
However, much to Kiyotaka's surprise, the smog or the fog, none of them seemed to have been reduced. After this much rain, it was bound to clear up some of the fog, but it seemed to be quite persistent.
Shaking his head, he quietly left the bed and walked over to the bathroom. He cleaned his teeth, flossed them with a wire thread and then took a bath after waiting for about thirty minutes, so the water could reach an optimal temperature.
Once he was done taking a bath, he lathered himself in some scented powder, wore a casual, woolen white shirt, gray pants and a gray sweater on top. He styled his hair in a slick-back today and applied small accounts of coconut oil before using a barrette to hold them into place.
It was a shame that this place did not have any moisturizing lotions, but he was planning on solving the issue soon enough. Of course, it was more out of personal necessity rather than him thinking of another business model, given how dry his skin was and cold days like today made his entire sky appear bristled with white flakes.
However, to remedy this he used a concoction of beeswax and rosewater which was made by Freya for him a few days after seeing how flaky and dry his lips were.
Once he was all suited up, he picked up his long coat and walked outside.
As he did, he closed the door behind him and looked down the stairs.
In the hall, Freya, Daisy and Liv were happily chatting with each other.
Liv, the haggard woman had regained quite a lot of vitality to herself. She no longer appeared depressed and her eyes were not all devoid of life. The bruises on her neck and arms were gone as well and she was beginning to laugh more often.
She was currently cutting potatoes while Daisy was peeling various pods of peas. Speaking of, Daisy was just as cheerful as before, but a little healthier. Her somewhat blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and she seemed to be doing quite well.
From what Kiyotaka could hear, by sending her to the school, her vocabulary and dialect seemed to have been improved as well. There were some marks of something thin branded on her left arm, however, that much was natural.
Corporal punishment was something parents somewhat supported in this era and Daisy did not seem to be down or depressed about it, nor was she trying to hide it. Which meant that there were no anomalies here.
His eyes flicked towards Freya — who had changed the most. She not only seemed much more healthier and active than before, but physically she had changed the most as well. She was wearing a burgundy colored shirt which was tucked tight into a beige colored long frock. Underneath the shirt, she was wearing a black colored high-neck.
The two women and the child were all wearing woolen socks, however, their shoes seemed to be somewhat old.
While Kiyotaka was looking at them and judging them, Freya's eyes darkened and she raised her head to look at him.
Her thin lips turned into a faint smile as she stood up and placed the knife down with which she was peeling the skin off of the potatoes.
Upon seeing her stand, the other two stood up as well as Kiyotaka descended the stairs.
"Good afternoon!" Freya was the first to greet, followed by the other two.
Kiyotaka nodded. "Good afternoon."
He was about to turn and go into his study room when he suddenly stopped. Instead of going into his office, he instead walked towards them and motioned for them to sit down.
As they did, he sat beside Freya, a seat away, and sighed.
"Is everything okay?" Liv asked as her daughters remained silent.
"It is. I wished to ask the same of you three. Is everything alright? Do you want anything?"
Liv gave a crude smile. "We have things which we could not even dream of having, all thanks to you."
'That's... surprising. Since when could she speak in such a refined manner? I suppose Daisy and Freya both are teaching their mother as well.'
"Hmm, alright. Well, since I am here, I will give you your wages." Kiyotaka said and reached into his pocket before taking out a wad of cash.
He took out 2 £1 notes and 1 10 Soli banknote before handing it over to Liv. Then he did the same to Freya and gave a one pound banknote to Daisy. While simple mathematics made this total come to about £312, which was well above the middle-class threshold, that was not all there was to it.
Their food was free as they ate whatever Kiyotaka ate, and they did not pay Kiyotaka any kind of rent. And as seasons changed, Kiyotaka provided them with two pairs of clothes each as well. He was also paying for Daisy's school organized by the Church of Evernight Goddess.
Which meant that if one were to factor in all of these additional benefits, their household's yearly income was well over £450. Which was quite a cost directly to his wallet, however, in the long run, he assumed it was a good investment.
Once he was done distributing the cash, and while they were busy sorting them into their wallets, Kiyotaka moved a little closer to Freya until there was only a few centimeter distance between the two.
"How is the production going?"
Freya, suddenly startled by the proximity, gulped and shoved the banknotes under her thigh before nodding slightly. "It's done... But there is a problem... Can we talk separately?"
Kiyotaka looked at Liv who was taking the cash away from Daisy, saying something along the lines of 'I will keep it safe for you.'
Then, he stood up. "Alright. You can continue making the food." He looked outside through the hall's window and a dense premonition suddenly washed over him. "Once lunch is done, prepare yourself."
"Why?" Liv asked crudely.
"It has been over a month since all of you have come here and not once was there an instance when I saw any of you leave to do something. So it would be better if we could all leave somewhere to the outskirts where... It's not as dark and gloomy."
Daisy's face suddenly flashed with joy as she nodded her head furiously and turned to grab her mother's hand tightly.
Seeing her reaction, Liv gave you an unladylike chortle. "I will prepare everything then."
"Ok. Freya?"
"Yes sir?"
"Come with me."
Nodding slightly, Freya followed after Kiyotaka while Liv and Daisy were left in the hall, who returned to talking excitedly and preparing the materials for lunch.
Meanwhile, in the study room, Kiyotaka locked the door from inside and turned to look at Freya who was standing while he took a seat on the couch.
"Umm— Sir. There was an attack last night. And... How do I say this..."
"You lost the ring?"
Freya suddenly trembled and then lowered her head in shame. Her lips pursed into a thin line as she mumbled. "I am so sorry..."
Noticing her reaction, Kiyotaka looked at her from head to toe. The imperfections in her skin had dimmed and she seemed quite fresh.
'Looks like she's making medicines for herself as well.'
"Have a seat." Kiyotaka pointed towards the seat in front of him.
Freya kept her head low and slowly sat down.
Removing his back from the couch, Kiyotaka leaned forward and placed Guile on the table once more, causing Freya's eyes to widen.
"How...?"
"There was no attack. I apologize if you went unconscious, I was experimenting with something. As for the ring, you do not need to worry about it. You can keep it." He paused and poured himself a glass of warm water and took a sip from it before drinking it. "Try to get used to it. That said, how is your potion digestion going?"
There was a lot on Freya's mind, but she decided not to give it much thought. In her mind, Kiyotaka was someone who had transcended a human being and hence his experimentations causing her to fall asleep and then retrieving the ring without entering her room filled her with both awe and terror.
"Thank you..." She trailed off as she bent forward, causing her loose hair to spill over her face while she retrieved Guile and wore it on the pinky finger of her left hand. The ring contracted and accommodated to the size of her thin fingers. "Sir? Does it have a name?"
"You can call it whatever you want."
Freya thought about something and then parted her lips. "I want to call it whatever you named it."
"I named it Guile."
"That's a good name." Freya smiled to herself as she gently caressed the ring. "I more or less got the hang of it, other than its shapeshifting ability. It looks like I need to be really, really specific."
"There is no hurry. You can take your time."
"Ah, and yes, my potion is almost digested. I believe feedback from someone like your detective friend can help me digest the potion fully." Freya reported.
"I see. Well, whatever batch of medicines you have concocted, mix them in with some kind of juice, if possible and have your mother distribute them to the carriage drivers and others working in the community."
Freya nodded her head.
As he looked at her from head to toe, he cleared his throat. "Your shoes look a bit worn. Do you need new ones?"
Freya looked down and shook her head. "I can buy them myself, Sir..."
"Alright. Well, prepare the juice and distribute it. We have to leave in an hour or so. Prepare some bread and the peas for takeaway. I will eat it while travelling."
Freya smiled and once again stroked Guile. "Sure! Would you like anything else? Juice, coffee, tea?"
"Coffee would do." Kiyotaka replied and stood up before straightening his long coat. "Make sure everything is ready in an hour."
"Duly noted." Freya replied in a formal tone and waited for Kiyotaka to notice it, however, he simply moved towards the door and unlocked it.
Just before he was about to leave, Freya called out once more. "And Sir... the hair looks good on you. Can you consider not cutting them?... I am sorry if I spoke out of line."
Kiyotaka stroked his mustache before departing without saying a word.
Just as he was about to leave, Kiyotaka saw a butler from Macht's residence in front of his house.
The man was dressed in a butler's suit and seemed to have a huge carriage behind him.
Upon seeing him, the butler bowed. "Good afternoon, Mr. Holmes."
"Afternoon." Kiyotaka replied and looked up at the darky sky which seemed to be cloudy and full of a raging storm. All around him, the smog seemed to have strengthened even more, irritating his lungs.
"Mr. Macht had sent a small gift for you. Please accept it." He said as he walked back to the carriage and opened the door.
Pulling a small rope, the butler pulled something out of the carriage.
It had a shiny, raven-black coat with a long face as fog erupted from its giant nostrils while it breathed out. Despite not having reached maturity, it had a naturally arched baroque neck with a wide, powerful jaw alongside deep, rounded and heavily muscled thighs and croup.
As it let out a 'neigh' its shiny black hair swayed sideways and its pitch black eyes reflected Kiyotaka's features.
Taking a step forward, Kiyotaka placed his hand on the juvenile destrier that was about his height, at the shoulder. As he did, the black war horse let out a low gruntle and raised its front two legs.
However, Kiyotaka remained motionless as it let it thrash its front legs and then gently threw a folded handkerchief on its head. A second or so later, the war horse calmed down and took a few steps forward before gently nuzzling its face into Kiyotaka.
Rubbing the destrier with his right hand, Kiyotaka's face seemed to lighten up, akin to a child who had just received a new toy. "How beautiful." He commented as the butler dipped his head and after doing some formal set of greetings, took his leave.
'Just in time.' Kiyotaka thought to himself before calling Freya.
*****
Author's Note: I was wondering today why not a single comment was about the war horse and then I realized, I had not fucking uploaded it. It was supposed to come out with the last batch of chapters, smh.
Anyhow, here it is. If nothing goes wrong, the next batch of chapters are hopefully going to wrap up Volume 1—IF nothing goes wrong. And by something not going wrong, I mean if I don't remember that I have not covered a key detail. I have a habit of writing a planner and then not following it.
Lord have mercy on my soul.
Felân.
(P.S: A little sneak peek into Freya's commission - open the comment section to this para)