Chapter 443 144 - Perserios territory - part 1- Settling in (part 3)

Chapter 443 144 - Perserios territory - part 1- Settling in (part 3)　　*knock* *knock*

"...huh...?"

On the morning of the following day, someone knocked on the door to Zoemi's room, causing the black-haired boy to raise his head from over the book he was reading to kill the time before breakfast.

The boy checked the time but since there was still a full hour before the scheduled breakfast for the troops that he and Burushi were supposed to partake in, he had no idea what it could be about.

"(It's the boy with the fake eye, master!)"

"...?"

The first sentinel called in to inform their confused host, making Zoemi raise his brows.

It was odd, considering that after the initial meeting Devios was so busy with his own tasks that he contacted Zoemi via messengers.

Maybe the mornings were the least packed time on his schedule...?

"I am opening."

Since he already knew who the visitor was, the black-haired boy did not bother with asking out loud for confirmation of the identity and just called out before opening the door.

"Zoemi, there is a bit of a... problem... we need you to help us out, it is quite dire...!"

"...!"

It was indeed the blue-haired heir of the Perserios family, Devios, and to boot, he was visibly in such amount of distress that Zoemi actually thought for a moment that hordes of barbarians were already right at the castle gate.

"What is going on? What happened?"

The black-haired boy asked while glancing back at the small window of his chamber - but since there wasn't actually any army waiting outside, he turned right back and asked in confusion.

"You will not believe me if I just tell you. Please come with me and see for yourself! This is such a troublesome matter, I swear...!"

Devios waved his hand sharply and declared in a dire voice before taking a step back and rushing down the hallway while beckoning at Zoemi to follow him - which the older boy did.

With hesitation - it's worth adding - but after all, he did tell Burushi that he would follow whatever the young heir of the Perserios family would come up with.

It would honestly be too much to change his mind yet another time, wouldn't it?

"Can I ask for a little head's up for what I'm going to witness? I might have given off a different impression, but I am not too good with surprises."

As they walked, Zoemi spoke up at Devios's back as the younger boy was leading him through the maze of the same-looking hallways and passages.

"We have an unexpected guest."

Devios glanced over his shoulder and explained, giving Zoemi a glimpse at his face...

The younger boy was pale.

Zoemi didn't know him all that much but he was still quite sure that Devios had quite the same reaction when he and Burushi emerged from his shadow the day before.

...which should have been quite a scary experience without any preparation...

And the blue-haired boy who kept relative cool when something like that happened was now terrified of some visitor?

"I apologize for getting to you before the scheduled time but once you see who are we dealing with you will agree that you are most experienced in appeasing a person like that..."

"O-okay...?"

Devios suddenly stopped before turning another corner and declared in a grim and extremely serious voice, making Zoemi stop right behind him and gulp down his saliva getting nervous.

Was it connected with his past as an attendant?

The black-haired boy thought about it for a moment - it did make sense.

He was taught quite extensively on how to deal with temper tantrums and anger issues of the potential monster...

...although thanks to that he was well aware that if a person who really wanted to be horrible showed up, there was no damage control in the world that could help...

"..."

Still, even with that in mind, Zoemi breathed out in preparation - after all he had some faith in the blue-haired boy in front of him.

Devios was younger but did not give the impression of rash or hasty youth - if he thought that Zoemi was the right person for the job, then it meant that there was something that could have been done.

"Good luck... I don't know what to even think about it..."

"Huh...?!"

And yet, just as Zoemi was talking himself into calming down, Devios breathed out and nodded at him with an apologetic expression that forced a shocked gasp straight out of the black-haired boy's throat.

|Good luck?! So, what, am I a convenient scapegoat?!|

Zoemi's eyes widened as he took a step back, staring at the younger boy in complete and utter disbelief after it sounded like the expectation and faith he had in him all crumbled because of that one sentence...

"Please."

Instead of giving any more information on the subject, Devios simply reached out for the nearest door - proving that he didn't just randomly stop in the middle of the hallway and instead they already arrived at their destination.

*click*

Zoemi took another step back, instinctively sensing trouble, but Devios already grabbed the door handle and opened the door for him, exposing him to the people inside.

"...aid before, I am just a volunteer mage from a fallen family that wants to be useful for our kingdom. They say that Perserios family is always welcoming troops, what's the big deal?"

A dark-haired girl wearing a tasteful one-piece dress was scoffing at the man sitting behind a desk under a small window.

"M-m-my lady, but..."

The poor man was cowering and literally trembling in front of her, even though judging by his uniform and the signatures he was supposed to be a high-ranking officer.

"What, do you have a problem with me? Personally? Guide me to a first training ground and I will prove that my spells are more than enough to qualify me as a useful asset."

The girl who had her back turned to the door raised her head and declared in a proud voice, with no intention of ever looking back as she was intending to make the officer in front of her submit to her demand.

"P-pleas, my lady...! No one is doubting the power of your magic! The thing is..."

"No one is? Good then~! Ohohohohohoho~! Enlist me then."

The officer cried out but he was interrupted by the content voice of the dark-haired girl who her hand to her mouth and laughed in the way that was reserved for the privileged, spoiled noble girls.