A few days later, life, bit by bit, started to bloom on the farm. 

The oblivious Chimeras resumed their routine, slowly, as if nothing had happened. It only took to convince them, a grand view, and a short speech from the crimson lord, stating his success in bringing justice upon the predator who was hunting them.

There were also other changes, big changes. But for the simple-minded Chimeras, those were irrelevant compared to their security and physical safety. 

Moreover, those new changes weren't heavily mentioned in the short speech. They were deliberately glossed over. Though the gorgeous young lady, with dark skin, pale yellow eyes, and long curly hair that appeared next to the crimson lord's side while he was giving his speech ignited the curiosity of the villagers. Her identity occupied the gossip tables in taverns.  Every corner stormed with fantasy and odd stories about her origin.

Ironically, those stories and rumors had the new servants in the main house as a source. Back then, divulging information about the main house was a capital crime. 

This young lady's involvement in organizing and directing the activities of the village got bigger and deeper in contrast to the crimson lord. Not to mention her successfully arranging the celebration in honor of the victims of the predator. Of course, sadly, the butler and some of the servants were among the victims when they tried to help. 

A few Chimeras linked this turn of events with what had happened some months ago when the crimson lord firstly appeared in their village. And how the other man with the black hair and black eyes - Mr. Hendrickson - role diminished until he was rarely seen, then completely overlooked in the well of forgetfulness. 

However, all these small reflections sank under the noise of celebration and the luster of professed triumph. 

Before the end of the first day, no one of the Chimeras residents except the servants had noticed the arrival of an unfamiliar face. She was too, a refined woman with dark skin, black straight hair, and pale shining green eyes. Because everyone was occupied by the gigantic mechanical airship that appeared on the horizon. 

The Chimeras, in fact, were familiar with the arrival of airships each year. At the beginning of the spring or the autumn. Those two appointments resembled religious rituals for the residents. 

Not just a variety of merchandise will enter the village, but also some lucky residents will fulfill their dreams and leave the village to see the world. However, a lot of parents didn't support this so-called opportunity since those who leave never comeback. 

There were always new Chimeras that came with the airships to register their stay; The harsh stories they told about the outside world served as a sort of entertainment as well as kindled a form of love and guarantee in the heart of its residents for the village, for the lord.

How lucky for them to be born, raised, then will die in such a safe place... 

However, what it seemed ordinary to the gullible Chimeras withheld brand amorphous strife between carnivores.  

"Ridiculous…" Nicolai slammed his hand on the piano keyboard instigating a disturbing sound: " What did you mean I can't get on my ship." Actually, Nicolai had invested so much in repairing the Kilioz. So much that he considers it his own. "Do you know how I got through to convince the Crocotta clan and the Master of Mt. Enlil to Accept the Kilioz as a goods carrier." 

"And your hard work is much appreciated." Nonchalance blended with a bit of sarcasm, Francis declared: " I will leave you with this." He raised his hand to show a glass bottle, the size of a fist before he added: "You know where the Kilioz is going after this stop, if you want to be able to see the sunlight, you can find me there too." 

Without waiting for a reply or a protest, Francis walked out, leaving Nicolai drenched in his anger. It didn't take long for Nicolai to run after the Count after he thought of a counter-attack. Even when using the cane, his injured leg didn't allow him to move faster. Thus, he stood in the middle of the hallway and called out the Count's name as if they were old friends that they didn't have seen each other for eternity. 

It was extremely nostalgic for Francis, though when he looked back, his slightly changed expression returned to the indifference state. However, he couldn't bring himself to leave the man like that. 

Nicolai stood, catching his breath. When he was completely relaxed, he said:" Did you know that your butler…" 

"Ex-butler." the Count corrected him. 

"Your Ex-butler, have fled the farm."

"Yes, I know."

Nicolai paused for a moment. His eyes wondered: "Then, did you know that he took Charlotte Velvalee De Nobilis's coffin with him?". The uninterested expression that coated the Count's face turned into a diaphanous layer that veiled his chock. And it was the reaction Mr. Hendrickson had waited for.

The Count's memory played the filmstrip of that conversation when Seaben asked him to form another deal and asked for the girl in the coffin as a tribute. At that time, Francis didn't think much of it. He perceived the outrageous demand as an endeavor of Seaben to increase his harem circle. But, at present, the feelings Francis got from this matter didn't bode well. 

He listened to Hendrickson attentively after he faked the calmness. 

"The Kilioz next station is Babel, does it mean that you are going to meet the Duchess of Di Nobilis there?" 

"It has nothing to do with you, you should pay more attention to your problems." Francis's tone marked with clear harshness, at the same time, his brain worked hard, forming connections between Babel, Seaben, the Duchess, and what Hendrickson was trying to hint at. He shouted in disbelief:" You don't have any proof."

Hendrickson softly smiled. His ex-friend's wit is operating at full capacity.  "I have a proof, but even if I don't have proof, the logical sequence will guide you to the same conclusion." He started to walk, while Francis followed his lead as if the natural course of things has returned to the old days:  "Babel is the closest city from here and out of the Crocotta control, besides it is a major crossroads for trade, Seaben surely will go there if he wanted to flee from his masters whom he betrayed. Even so, he still needs someone to help him. And what's better than to use a woman that is desperately looking for her little daughter."

Nicolai opened the door to his chamber, inviting, a polite gesture, long-forgotten between the two of them. " Well, what I am trying to say,... "

" My plan to negotiate with the Duchess failed because I don't have something worthy to negotiate with her." Spilled out, the words of realization, a late one, exactly.

Nicolai brought a small wooden box. It was decorated by a beautiful ornament, resembled three white jasmines, under the two D characters and number six engraved in Latin. 

It was the crest of the De Nobilis duchy. 

The ultimate proof

Aghast, Francis' eyes devoured the jasmine ornament, the number six, the Double D letters. Only looking was enough. 

Flourishing under this stupefied condition of his ex-friend, Hendrickson praised Rokah's meticulous awareness when he brought him this box, along with the other things that he asked him to steal from the butler office while the latter was outside trying to calm the Chimera rebellion.

The names register that coded the sleeping spell, most of Seaben slaves contracts. It made Nicolai extremely satisfied, proud and lusted for more valuable services.      

Francis finally woke up from the displeasing surprise: "Are you telling me all of this so you could ride the Kilioz?"

"I am telling you, I can help you deal with the Duchess, so you should take me with you."

"Help me? Then why you didn't tell me earlier?" 

"Well, I didn't figure it out," An obvious lie...  Both of them exchanged intense gazes of apathy. Francis was never able to hold this kind of pretense. At his heels, he turned back, walking the same steps that brought him here. 

 "It's your fault, you turned me into a degraded version of a living being, you should take the responsibility." Nicolai snapped, his yelling, apparently managed to cut Francis's departure.  "How are you going to help me?" he didn't look back

The silent, indignant Nicolai met the motionless straight back with frowns, waiting for a response, not for a question. And Francis understood that much. Thus he added: "Even if you are going to help me, you can't ride the Kilioz."

"Why? It's my damn ship."

After a slight hesitation, yearning to leave: "The one leading the Kilioz is Admiral Meraki. You know how much he hates you. Since you have turned his glorious battleship into a trade airship." Francis left while regretting not taking the small box from Nicolai's hands.

The abandoned Nicolai halted inertly. questioning the significance of Francis' speech, its purpose, his underlying motivation. The inconsistency, the contradicting behavior blew him nut.  He understood very well that the Count will not let him discarded early. It's a fact he had long grasped. 

Far from preparing for his future plans and shaking off the trouble of the Count's conduct. Deep in his heart, Mr. Hendrickson hoped that Rokah will get rid of the Chimera magus without damaging the girl's coffin as well as for Savannah to succeed in securing it. 

He sighed in disgrace at the thought of himself, again, begging Lady Akila for a solution. She surely will have a second thought about his abilities in handling the mission she had proposed to him. 

***

A level below, Lady Akila sneezed twice in a row. She walked towards the window and proceeded to shut the glass frame. 

Outside, in the middle of the sky, the sun was scorching. The breeze was pleasant and the smell of spring tingled her nostrils. She sneezed again when she turned to face the door. 

A graceful woman with green eyes made her entrance while saying: " Pollen allergy?" 

Akila sat on the sofa: "No, something unpleasant and more sinister."

The woman with the green eyes and long straight hair snuffed several times, but she didn't smell anything strange. She looked at Lady Akila puzzled.

Akila, taking the liberty to explain: " I think it is a kind of synthetic gas fuel for airships. It made to be odorless so it won't be detected by us, yet it can cause a simple irritation to a temporary partial loss of smell for some. "

The woman completely understood what Akila said. 

During the fifth interracial war, mainly between Sacred Wolf's clans and Vampires' bloodlines, the latter used a kind of odorless fuel to aliment their battleships. This fuel served as a double-edged sword for the Vampires, it made their battleships undetectable by the high sensitive senses of the Sacred Wolfs as well as it was mildly toxic which caused irritation to the shapeshifters noses. At the same time, this fuel was also dangerous, highly combustible, and explosive. A wrong move and the whole battleship goes boom. 

The question Akila tried to ask, Lady Surveen put it into words: " Why does a goods carrier airship use this dangerous fuel?"