Chapter 41: What is with this seal?

"You found the seal in the hydra's lair?" Marius asked, and Johnny and Filarion nodded.

"We suspect that it is a mind seal, but we are not certain," Filarion answered. As he was better acquainted with seals of all kinds, they had agreed he would be the one to do most of the speaking.

"Give it here," Marius reached out for the seal, and Filarion took it out of his pocket. Silk handkerchief and all. Marius took off the silk, and his expression darkened.

"This must be destroyed. Lord Elathana, I trust you can manage it?" Marius asked, and Filarion nodded slowly, confused.

"Won't we try to find out who placed it in the hydra's lair?" Filarion asked.

"I know who placed it there. What we need to deal with that necromancer is an army. We do not have one," Marius sighed, and then sat down in his chair. He handed the seal back to Filarion, and waved them away.

The two left, dissatisfied with the lack of explanation. Johnny stared at Filarion for a while, and didn't like the expression he was seeing.

"The guild doesn't want to mix in with this," Johnny muttered, and Filarion nodded.

"These farmers who lost their livelihoods were under my personal protection. I can't just stay idle," Filarion spoke, and then tucked the seal back into his pants' pocket.

"Little leaf, if you get the fame of being a solo adventurer, Marius might exclude you from the guild," Johnny warned, but Filarion just huffed.

"So? Look, the guild is doing nothing to get the responsible lowlife to justice. I know I can find the necromancer and get him to prison. People could have died, Johnny," Filarion then marched out ever forward, leaving Johnny behind.

When Filarion reached the horses, Johnny managed to catch up to him.

"Are you going to deal with the necromancer mafia boss style?" Johnny asked. There was something pleading in his eyes that unnerved Filarion.

"I won't. Well, I will probably get the help to deal with it. But..." Filarion stopped talking, when Johnny spun him around.

"When are you going to let go of the thugs you used to kill people with?" Johnny's eyes were narrowed. Filarion knew he had to step carefully now.

"I still need the help. Johnny, I have enemies. The estate needs protection," Filarion protested, but Johnny was having none of that.

"As long as you have them in your employee, you can go back to what you were," Johnny raised his voice, and a couple of heads turned his way.

"I will never do this to you," Filarion told him simply. It was the truth too. That page of his life was closed. Never to be reopened ever again.

"Prove it. Fire the help, as you call them," Johnny insisted, but Filarion gave him a tired smile.

"If I am not their meal ticket, someone else will be. Look, Johnny, it is better if they do protection jobs, rather than if they go back to busting knee caps," Filarion then placed a hand over Johnny's own. "I know you worry, but there is nothing to worry about."

"Little leaf," Johnny began, but Filarion pressed their foreheads together.

"Trust me," Filarion whispered, as he stared in Johnny's eyes. Those blue orbs betrayed the hurt of their owner. A hurt that Filarion had brought about. One that he desperately wanted to disappear.

"I will trust you. But if I hear of people that died recently and the trail leads to you, then we are done. Do you hear me? Done, as much as it pains me," Johnny then let go of Filarion, and mounted up his horse.

Filarion stood in silence for a whole minute, and then turned to his own horse. Well, when Johnny put it like that, that meant that Filarion had to change his plans for the necromancer. No longer could he send his assassins after the man, or woman.

But first, he needed to find the scumbag. Before that, he had to inform the farmers that they had lost everything. That was going to be tough.

They made it to the estate and the farmers, as well as a couple of others who wanted to hire the services of the Elathana family business, waited in the meeting room.

Filarion went and sat on his throne, as Johnny sat in his chair. Now, they could begin.

"The hydra left nothing behind. The farmhouse is destroyed," Filarion began, and watched as the farmers stared at him in shock. "But I can provide you with manpower and materials to rebuild."

"The farmhouse is... gone?" One of the farmers managed to stutter. Filarion nodded slowly, and watched as anger came over the man. "What were you doing out there? Why did you take so long?"

Filarion watched as Feneria came out of the shadows. She looked the farmer up and down, and Filarion saw that she was about to dress him down. So, he spoke before she could.

"My apologies. The materials and the man power will be paid for by the Elathana family, for my misstep, and..." Filarion began, but Feneria snorted.

"Who are you, to hold a lord accountable for something that was not even in his territory? Did you even pay him for him to risk his life against a hydra? You..." Feneria might have said more, but Filarion stood from his throne.

"I said I will take the job. Just because it was not in my territory doesn't mean I should not have gone there faster. Feneria, go outside," his sister sent him a glare, but bowed.

Filarion collapsed into his chair, as Prisila came next to him. She was hanging on Filion's elbow, and both looked disapproving.

"Brother," his little sister began softly, but Filarion just gave her a tired expression.

"We do things differently now," Filarion reminded his siblings silently.

"If you show weakness, the sharks are going to circle until there is nothing left of you," Filion told him, and Filarion sighed. Maybe he had given too much to the farmers. But their plight was something that moved him.

"I will keep that in mind. Do you two want to sit in on the rest of the hearings?" Filarion was tired. He just wanted to rest, cuddle up to Johnny for a couple of hours, and then he could face the music again.

"Sure, you look ready to drop," Filion told him, and Filarion stood from his throne, and got out of the meeting room. Johnny following close behind.