“Why are you giving me that look?” Elysian questioned. When the young woman looked away, he couldn’t help but smirk. “Don’t put too much trust in a noble who makes promises with his honor. It’s all just horseshit.”

“What about the vow you made in your uncle’s name, then?” Amara asked, raising a brow.

Suddenly grinning viciously, Elysian remarked, “That’s why he died.” When the young woman looked confused, he explained further, “You see, I hate my uncle to the core. I want him dead. Let’s just say that thug was unlucky. I was curious if breaking my vow would really make the gods strike him down.” When the young woman frowned at him, he chucked and asked, “Aren’t you curious?”

Amara was left speechless by that question.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Elysian asked, grinning at her shocked expression.

“Are all of these a joke to you?” Amara asked, suspecting that the boy was merely messing with her.

“I’m not joking, though. I’m serious,” Elysian remarked, casting a quick glance at his two companions.

Now that he had more time to observe the fight more intently, he noticed that the thugs weren’t as skilled as the two he had killed earlier. Well, excluding the aura user, of course; he was in a league of his own. 

 

‘It seems they are just ordinary members of the Crimson Talon. 

Hmm… It's better this way. 

If they are already being pushed to their limits just by fighting these weak thugs, they would likely be in serious trouble if they were to face the veterans I’ve killed earlier. 

Well, the big fella will probably get himself killed if he’s already in such a state, all bloodied and wounded, fighting a scrawny and weak opponent. I can’t really fault him, though, since he lacked proper training. The responsibility should be on me for putting him in such a situation. 

Being pushed to his limit while constantly in danger is undoubtedly harsh, yet I find this to be a crucial experience for him. It’s an effective means to overcome his mental flaws.

Wait. 

Now, that I think about it, I’m rather impressed by him. He doesn’t possess the typical warrior temperament; instead, he has a gentle personality. Yet, to be able to push his opponent to such an extent, it’s truly a remarkable achievement.’

 

When the noble seemed to forget about her and focus on watching the fight, Amara sighed and asked, “Won’t you help them?”

“Hmm,” Elysian murmured, briefly glancing back at the young woman before responding. “No, why would I?” he asked, his tone calm yet firm. “They need to learn how to win their own battles. If I’m always there to help them, what would happen if I wasn’t there? This will be a valuable experience for them.”

“To answer your earlier question, no, I’m not curious,” Amara said before arching her brow. “You do realize that you’re crazy, right? No matter how much you hate your uncle, wanting his death is just too extreme and heartless.”

“I know,” Elysian replied softly, his expression turning melancholic as his mind drifted elsewhere.

“Would you also kill me?” Amara suddenly questioned, deciding to change the conversation when she sensed that the topic was dampening the noble’s mood.

“Why?” Elysian asked, confused by her question.

“I know too much,” Amara stated, smiling a little. From her familiarity with the boy and her observation of him, coupled with her knack for understanding people, she was confident he wouldn’t do such a thing.

 

‘Do I really seem that ruthless?’

 

“I’m not that heartless,” Elysian responded, chuckling and shaking his head at her. He couldn’t believe she would even ask him that.

“Say that to the one you tortured and deceived,” Amara retorted playfully, snorting at his words. 

 

‘It seems she’s now comfortable joking with me. Good. That’s very good to see.’

 

“Well, if you wanted to be sure, I’m always good to my people,” Elysian remarked, grinning at her. “Would you like to work for me?”

“Work for you?” Amara asked, frowning. She didn’t know what that meant. “What do you mean? You already know what I do, right? I don’t know how I can help you.”

“Let’s talk about that later. But don’t dismiss my offer, though. I want you to keep an open mind,” Elysian stated, smiling at her. He turned back to the fight when he noticed that both of his companions had defeated their opponents.

“Master, I apologize for taking so long to kill my opponent,” Osric remarked, looking at the ground. He wasn’t pleased with his performance in the fight.

Elysian chuckled and gave Osric a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Why are you feeling down? All I wanted was for you to survive the fight, and you did. For me, that’s already enough. And on top of that, you’ve won,” he stated, his voice filled with pride. When he noticed the older boy slowly glancing at him, he flashed a reassuring smile and continued, “I’m very happy about your victory. If you’re unhappy with your performance, just remember what you did wrong and learn from it. Be a better fighter next time.”

“Yes, master,” Osric responded, a smile spreading across his lips as he bowed respectfully before his liege.

Turning to Bran next to the former soldier, Elysian offered a warm smile. “I’m also proud of you, big fella. I know you lack training and experience, and it’s my fault for not preparing you for this,” he remarked, his gaze scanning the servant’s blood-stained clothes and numerous wounds. “Despite this, you’ve emerged victorious in your fight. For that, I’m incredibly proud of your accomplishment.”

“I’m glad that you’re happy, young master,” Bran replied, grinning at the young noble. He felt a surge of happiness and pride within himself for winning his first fight against a much older and more experienced fighter, even though the thug was much smaller than him.

As Elysian and Bran were talking, the servant’s opponent stirred slightly, indicating that he was still alive but merely unconscious.

Elysian simply looked at him, raising a brow in response.

Awkwardly smiling as if caught in an embarrassing situation, Bran paled and quickly explained, “Young master, I didn’t kill him because I thought we might need information on the location of Amara’s friend.”

“If you say so, big fella,” Elysian said, smirking while shaking his head. Knowing the servant all too well, he didn’t believe a word of the older boy’s explanation. However, Bran had already exceeded his expectations, so it didn’t really matter.

 

‘I know that things like this can’t be changed overnight. He needed to just change a little bit over time. Before you knew it, his name would be known throughout the land as one of the best warriors of this age. 

If I really think about it, I’m like an artist—a sculptor, if I want to get into specifics. It’s like taking something out while adding something in until I make my masterpiece.

Damn, I really sound like some narcissistic piece of sh*t.’

 

Shifting back his attention to the young woman, Elysian asked, “Did you search carefully? Your friend is not really here?”

“Yes, I’ve looked. She’s not here. Wait, I’ll ask the prisoners if they’ve seen my friend,” Amara replied, walking closer to the cages.

Now that he had time to look at the prisoners closely, he noticed that most of them were children. There were probably about a fifth who appeared to be adults, if you could call them that; they were too young to be certain of their age. Most likely, they just recently stepped into adulthood. Also, he observed that the majority of them were females; the only males present were children, and there were only a few of them.

As Amara drew closer to them, most of the prisoners backed away, staring at their prospective savior. They were still too scared and traumatized to trust these newcomers. Who could blame them, though? What manner of suffering might they have endured at the hands of the Crimson Talon? Not to mention witnessing the deaths of their captors at the hands of these three boys. Despite their caution and anxiety, they couldn’t hide the hope in their eyes. It was rather obvious to anyone that these strangers might be their chance for freedom.

Amidst the uncertainty and fear, one woman didn’t back away but instead hesitantly smiled at Amara. “Hi, are you here to save us?” she asked softly, trying to muster her courage.

Before responding, Amara glanced at Elysian, who nodded back at her. “Yes, we are,” she replied, smiling at the woman.

Suddenly, the entire room erupted in jubilation upon hearing the good news. While they celebrated, Elysian went to retrieve the keys from the aura user he had killed earlier. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt your celebration, but we’re not out of danger yet. It would be better to lower our voices,” the young noble stated as he walked towards them.

“Allow me, master,” Osric said upon guessing his liege’s intentions. After receiving the keys, he proceeded to unlock the cages.

“I’m Amara, by the way,” she introduced herself, smiling at the woman she had spoken to earlier. 

“Hello, Amara. I’m Nina,” she replied, smiling back at her. “I would like to thank you and your friends for saving us,” the woman remarked, bowing at them in gratitude. She was followed by all the captives, some of whom were crying.

Amara was startled by their unexpected gesture. Speechless, her eyes widened in surprise. She felt uncomfortable being thanked when she thought she hadn’t done anything.

When Elysian saw the discomfort on the young woman’s face, he immediately understood her thoughts. He approached her and softly whispered, “You played a crucial role in saving them, just like the rest of us. Without your help, we might never have discovered they were held in this hidden room. You deserve as much credit as anyone else. Be confident and proud of your actions.

Observing the noble, Amara nodded and turned to the captives. “Welcome. My companions and I are glad to help you win back your freedom,” she remarked, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. Suddenly remembering her friend, she grew serious and added, “I would like to ask you for help.”

“Help?” Nina asked, confused but also curious by what she heard.

“Yes. I would like to ask you for information,” Amara said, hope reflecting in her eyes. “Do you happen to know a young woman named Layla? She was taken by the Crimson Talon yesterday.”

“No, I don't recognize that name. Also, no new captives have been added since three days ago. What does she...”

While all the attention was on the captives, the unconscious thug, who had been beaten by Bran, suddenly stood up and tried to stab Elysian in the back. 

“Watch out!” Bran shouted, his voice filled with shock and fury. With a giant leap forward, he tackled the man to the floor and punched him in the head, crushing his skull and killing him instantly. 

“Master, are you alright?!” Osric exclaimed, suddenly appearing in front of his liege, protecting him.

Consumed by fury, Bran refused to stop pummeling the lifeless man’s head; he kept pounding at it until it turned into mush. As he continued, tears started streaming down his cheeks. Witnessing the savage and brutal display by the imposing boy, everyone stepped back from the gruesome scene, recoiling from fear, except for Elysian, whose gaze softened, feeling sorry for his servant. Even Osric flinched, unprepared to witness such brutality from the usually gentle boy. 

Slowly approaching Bran, Elysian softly placed a hand on his shoulder and gently remarked, “Stop, my friend. He’s already dead. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Look.”

Suddenly stopping his movement, Bran slowly turned to face the noble. “I’m sorry, young master. If only I had killed him earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. He wouldn’t have endangered your life. It’s my fault for being weak,” he stated as his tears started to fall even more. “If something had happened to you, I couldn’t forgive myself.”

With a warm smile at the servant's words, Elysian tousled Bran’s hair gently and spoke, “Nothing happened to me because of you, big fella. You saved my life. Thank you.” Seeing that the servant was still blaming himself, he added, “Don’t be too harsh on yourself, my friend. These things happen, and they will keep happening. The only thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and strive to be better next time, so that something like this won’t ever happen again. Do you..”

Glancing towards the entrance with a frown, Elysian abruptly fell silent, causing a hushed tension to settle over the room. Everyone noticed this sudden shift in the atmosphere as they slowly turned their gaze to the entrance.