Chapter 375 - Feelings (1/2)
”Majesty, dinner is being readied. If you would, please change attire and join, those are the wishes of The Emperor.”
”I shall be down shortly.” The door shut silently from being ajar. The maid, Stella, was a bit of a character – she was the first of whom Staxius took notice. Neither was she pretty nor ugly by society's norm, a perfect example of being average. Her hair, her face, her mannerism, and her service, nothing, as in nothing, stood out. Such was the strange thing, her averageness felt fake. Words could but stare confusingly at her demeanor – in every way possible, she was average. Said averageness, said normalness; inhumane per what he thought, grabbed his attention. Sat facing a large window with the sky-night as the backdrop, a warm cup of coffee warmed from the inside. Gophy and Intherna were adamant on examining the premises by themselves – thus, what could have been mistaken for a shooting-star, was naught but Intherna flying around.
'The mansion is very much eerie. Mark isn't that normal himself, the emperor, young in age, is rather clueless when the matters of life and death are concerned. This may be the third occasion I've witnessed it. A man made to be the ideal and just ruler served by an average maid. Alphia might have more in store than expected. I best make sure it's safe for Eira to stay. Soloman's assassination attempt and his reaction to the incident – the unknowns are far too many.'
”Master,” soon came a gust of air with a lady dressed in a black-dress landing atop the window-frame. ”The night feels young.”
”And yet I see thou art still old,” he refuted to which Gophy pouted.
”I'm not old,” she said with a childish voice, ”-I'm very much mature,” her face didn't match the words.
”Find anything of interest?”
”Yes,” she replied with a sudden change in voice, ”-the crypt, I think there's more hidden in there than the emperor would want us to know.”
”The thing about that demon,” interjected Intherna who hovered on inside, ”-in no way would a high-tier demon listen to a mere human. Contracts mean more than words to those fiends, still, there's no way a contract like that could obey humans.”
”There's something crucial you're missing,” said Staxius, ”-the crest on the demon's forehead, didn't you see, the crest of the god of Kreston?”
”Again,” sighed Gophy, ”-are we not done with the province, are they always going to have an advantage over us?”
”No, I think master is referring to another problem.”
”What might it be?” Gophy's face lit with curiosity.
”Whether Kreston is involved or not doesn't matter,” he said, ”-the truth remains, the demon was indeed in Alphia with the crest, are you getting what I'm saying?”
”I see,” she stepped away, ”-the answer is much clearer now.”
”Yeah,” nodded Intherna, ”-tis thy problem now, master. Do what is must and call upon us for the fight.”
”I so want to sleep,” yawned Gophy who was first to vanish.
”Master,”
”Yes, Intherna, were you not going to sleep?”
”I've been meaning to ask this,” she coughed, ”-what of the demon I was fighting the first time we met. I remember you capturing his soul,” her eyebrow rose, ”-if demons are involved, I'm sure the service of another would better serve our purpose.”
”Now that you mention it, the last soul totally escaped my mind.”
”I thought so,” and thus they headed inside the shadow yet again.
'Puppet army,' he thought,'-with two goddesses on my side, I thought it would not need for anymore. Guess it wouldn't be hard to recruit others – an army is meant to be made of many fighters. The demon should be a new experience.'
”Hey brother,” the door barged open.
”What is it?”
”I'm going out,” her face showed what needed to be said.
”Related to Phantom?”
”Yes, I got a call for Cake, Shadow is needed to help in calming a rivalry between two families.”
”Where, what continent?”
”Alphia, fondly enough,” the coincidence was more than laughable, ”-it's to the south, a contact should be waiting for my arrival.”
”What of transport, what are you going to do?”
”I'll get a taxi or something,” her eyes rolled.
”Wait,” he stood, ”-let's go,” the steps were hard on the wooden floor.
”Go where?”
”To buy you a new bike,” he smiled, ”-won't look good if Shadow shows up in a yellow taxi with the driver screaming for you to pay.”
”How did you know I'd not pay.”
”It's written all over your face,” a smirk flashed as the doorknob turned.
”What of dinner?” she skipped over as if a child going on a grocery trip.
”I'll have the blood of someone later – Adete's a bit over the yonder today,” a reference to she who dazedly sleep inside the front pocket. The corridors felt far emptier at night.
”Majesty,” came a sudden figure who stopped, ”-will you be joining dinner?” asked the maid.
”No,” he nodded, ”-I've business to attend, have the Emperor contact me for I'll be staying inside Melmark tonight,” the clopping of shoes gradually faded as the maid watched.
”Won't the trip last more than a few hours?” a gust blew cold with hairs standing up straight. Dried leaves came as swarm; the clean yard turned messy, '-strange.'
”No,” a click had the doors opened and the engine started, ”-we'll be there in three hours. Don't forget,” hands on the wheels, ”-she has the mana-processing unit.”
”I see,” followed Courtney, ”-overdrive.”