40 For the Future Part 3 (1/2)
It was night time when Vincent returned to his mansion from the main headquarters. There were several vehicles on the pathway of his mansion. It seemed the team had already arrived.
When he entered the mansion and walked along the corridor, he came across with one of the maids.
The maid seemed to have noticed him so she stopped in her tracks to face and greet Vincent.
”Good evening, monsieur.”
The maid said in a very sweet voice with a bright tender smile on her face.
”Good evening, Hazel.”
The maid, Hazel Leblanc, possessed long golden blonde hair, white skin, and beautiful deep green eyes. For a maid, she has a beauty comparable to young wealthy women. Sometimes, Vincent can't help but mesmerized by her beauty.
In addition, she was the maid who possessed the gift of healing magic. Needless to say, she was the one who healed Vincent in his dying state.
”It seems that uncle Frederick and the others had arrived, where are they?”
”They are waiting for you in the living room, monsieur.”
”I see. And here I thought they would be walking around the mansion. I'll be going there then.”
Vincent began to move towards the living room. But after a couple of steps, he remembered something, something he had to say to Hazel.
”Hazel wait!”
Hazel turned to face Vincent again as he called her name.
”Monsieur?”
”I didn't get to say this days ago, but. Thank you, Hazel. You know, for saving my life, you must had a hard time.”
”Ah, n-not at all. It was all I can do in that situation anyway.”
”But still, thank you. I'm very grateful to you for saving my life.”
”A-ah, t-then, you're w-welcome, monsieur.”
For a moment they stared and smiled at each other before they turned around again and proceeded to where they were going.
As Hazel walked, there were no other people in the way, so no one could see her broad smile and blushing face.
After several seconds, Vincent had reached the living room, and there were five people sitting and eating some snacks.
There was also another maid standing by, it appeared she was tending to the visitors. Her straight black hair reached her back and in her frowning face still revealed her somewhat sky-blue eyes. Judging from her frowned facial expressions, it seemed the visitors gave her some troubles.
Vincent slightly smiled in amusement. He understood why she was like that, old people just get annoying sometimes, no, it was not specifically the old timers, but specifically his uncle.
Vincent approached closer and in an instant, everyone saw him as he approached. Then his uncle greeted him.
”Vincent! Finally, you're here!”
”Yes, I'm here uncle Frederick. So, what is going on?”
Frederick's eyebrows twitched for a second, then he nervously smiled and also giving a joyful face while placing his hand behind his head.
”Uh, yeah. Actually, when we were waiting… we asked to get some wine. Well, because you know, after all, we can ask any refreshments, right?”
”That's right. I did tell my servants you can have any.”
Vincent said while giving a suspicious look.
”So, we… I asked to have some wine. But your maid here wouldn't give us a bottle.”
”Excuse me.”
The maid said after taking a step forward, then she continued.
”If I recall correctly, you will be going on a mission. So, with all due respect, drinking liquor before the mission is unwise to do so. That could complicate things.”
”B-But it won't hinder our performance, we'll just drink a little.”
”She is right uncle.”
”Eh?”
”First of all, a liquor couldn't even be called a refreshment! Second, I doubt you and the others are going to drink just a little. Thirdly, we are about to go on a mission, so getting drunk on a job could lead to a failure.”
”—noooo…”
Frederick had his eyes widened and his mouth open as if he was struck so hard by a horrible truth. Not only that, his eyes looked so pitiful like he wanted to the person he was talking to pity him. But Vincent still gave a cold gaze like he doesn't care at all, therefore Frederick decided to give up.
”—Fine. I thought I could drink your delicious wines here again.”
Frederick turned to face his friends.
”You heard him, no drinks tonight.”
The others let out loud sighs of disappointment.
”Good work on restraining them from drinking, April. You may now leave us.”
”Understood.”
The maid, April, left at the same time Edward had arrived. He parked the car in the garage so he was late in his arrival.
”Now then, let us begin the briefing.”
Everyone sat down on the couches but Edward alone stood behind Vincent.
Vincent had yet to tell them about where they exactly discovered nor what it was, he merely told Frederick that they had discovered something and had him call and assemble the others.
The others were Frederick's friends and were teammates in the past. That was why all of them are old men, even so, they were considered veterans due to their old age and experiences.
Vincent told them first that they discovered a mansion in the middle of nowhere and told them where its location. Then he told every suspicious fact about it like how the house was in the middle of nowhere and isolated from human societies, how the mansion looked to maintained and so on.
”—That is strange. So, we're going to this place, but there's no certainty it's the place where they're hiding?”
The one who asked was a man almost the same age as Frederick with his hair almost turned white as well as his short beard. He had dark brown eyes and a good body build, despite his age, it appeared like he was still working out. The man's name was Noah Rakesol.
”That's right. Fortunately, we discovered something that increased the chance drastically.”
Everyone leaned slightly forward as what Vincent said caught their interest more and wanted to hear him.
”As I was about to leave, we saw someone came out of the mansion.”
”Really now? So, how of a monster looking is it?”
The one who asked was a man with black long hair, short beard, and black eyes. Like the others, he appeared to be almost at the same age as Frederick. His name was Mars Eralias.
”No, it doesn't look like a monster. On the contrary, she looked like a human. From above, we could see her hair color was close to platinum, or perhaps silver. And she seemed to be wearing clothing with the scheme color of black and white, quite a similar look to that of a traditional maid outfit.”
Everyone seemed to be somewhat confused after they heard Vincent. They probably heard something they never expected. No, they definitely did hear something they never expected.
”W-Wait, you discovered a mansion and it turned out a human being came out. Doesn't that mean the place is indeed not the lair of those monsters which you faced?”
Frederick asked.
”Ah, I never told you about the monsters I faced. Then, I'll tell you now.”
Vincent had yet to tell Frederick about the appearance and description of the powerful beings he faced, he merely told him about what happened but didn't get to the point on fully telling him about the monsters. After all, they were just talking on the phone and Vincent was in a hurry, so he didn't get a chance to tell him.
Besides, now that the team had assembled, telling them all at once would be the best option in order to save time. Therefore, Vincent described to them how the beings they faced looked like. From the fact that those beings looked similar or close to humans and there were some from mythology and so on.
Everyone was so surprised and they looked like they were unable to believe it for a moment. But they believed it after a short while, besides, there was no reason to doubt the words of Vincent. They probably didn't believe at first because they never expected their appearance to be like that, also probably because that's not what they imagined
”—So that's why when you saw a human appeared outside the mansion you said it increased the chance of that place being their lair.” Mars said.
”And here I thought they would be horrifying monsters…” Frederick said.
”That's why I should tell you to not be deceived by their looks and beauty, because they'll only going to kill you, and I'm sure of that.”
”—Yeah Yeah…” Frederick said.
Vincent turned to look at Edward which was behind him.
”Edward, is the plane ready to move out?”
”I contacted the pilot and he said he is ready to move out at any time.”