23 The Second Visitor
Arthur put down the thick book and sighed, finding it rather difficult to process so much information all at once.
Yesterday night, after Julie's unexpected visit, he spent an additional hour on his bed, thinking about what's to come and how he should proceed. In an unfamiliar body and foreign world, he had to think about every step and make sure his survival was guaranteed.
However, his words to Evelyn did hold some truth to them. He genuinely wanted to help Julie, who was suffering from Vampirism and the cruelty of her father.
By now, it has become apparent that Baron Lernon was relying on Latif and his daughter's condition to impress the incoming Militant Inspector.
Latif would be paid handsomely in return for providing a method that could potentially cure Vampirism or forestall it indefinitely. Of course, all of this was but Arthur's hypothesis, one that was built over several known and ascertained facts.
With Latif dead and his experiment results missing or possibly lost forever, the Baron should be panicking, hence why he summoned Arthur and inquired about a couple of things.
With no way to grab the inspector's attention, the Baron would naturally focus on his dear daughter.
By chaining her up every time she transforms into a hungry beast, he somehow managed to keep her in that half-vampiric state. But, as Arthur had seen yesterday night, this cruel method caused the victim herself to suffer self-inflicted injuries, though the damage to her mental state should be far greater.
If one would think from several perspectives, this whole messy situation could end up in more than one way.
For instance, the Inspector will disregard anything the baron says and order the immediate execution of Julie.
Or, he would be interested, provided that the Baron could keep his daughter's progressive infliction at bay, which- Arthur was confident- would not.
One other possible outcome is the death of Baron Lernon, at the hand of the Militant Inspector. This result, Arthur thought, was highly unlikely as there would be no one worthy to rule Wilsden. Then again, Feylord Lernon could be considered a candidate, though it was rumored that he will soon leave for the Nemia Magic Academy.
There is a chance that Arthur could be implicated if the Inspector gets suspicious and investigates the whole matter regarding Latif's untimely demise. But, to avoid that, Arthur was willing to take risks as he had no intention to stay in this backwater town forever.
He armed himself with the necessary knowledge to travel to other places, he was regularly training his newly-obtained barrier skill, he had enough wealth to live comfortably, and-most importantly- he was a Blood Parasite, meaning that Leonis Sanguis does not necessarily need to be his host forever, albeit the many advantages he had gained from him so far.
Frankly speaking, Arthur enjoyed such a lavish and peaceful lifestyle. Nonetheless, he has had enough of monotony, his first life was filled with never-ending routines and no room for excitement or discovery.
But now, stuck in an unfamiliar world, he had the urge to seek new things and live as he always wanted, unshackled by burdens and responsibilities.
"Master, your 'experiment' room was cleaned. Your breakfast is ready and I have started selling your valuables for an equivalent price in Gold coins, as you requested."
"Exemplary work, as always, Evelyn!"
"..."
Arthur stood up from his seat and headed to the dining room with the maid in tow, as is her wont. This time, she did not stay silent but grew bolder and did not hesitate to ask questions,
"What are you going to do, Master?"
"Hmm, probably eat then train a bit. Why?"
"I meant, what are you going to do about the baron's daughter? And why do you want Gold?"
She paused for a couple of breaths before saying, "Are you… leaving?"
"My my! So many questions yet so few answers."
"Master, are you really leaving? Is that why you want to sell everything?"
There was a hint of anxiety and perplexion in her voice, one rarely heard.
"I assure you that Leonis Sanguis will stay here forever, till his deathbed."
"..."
"Master, pardon me but your recent actions puzzle me. I see no benefit in helping Miss Julie. Before long, she will transform and they will put the blame on you."
Hearing this, Arthur chuckled and halted his steps. He turned to look at the expressionless maid and retorted,
"Why are you so certain that she will transform or die? The future remains unclouded."
"Forgive me, master, but I prefer no answers instead of vague words."
"Oh? You're no longer hesitant about freely giving your opinions. I have to say that I like this change. There's nothing better than an honest confidant who's also a helpful and capable maid!"
"Please take this seriously, master. If you get implicated then all us will suffer too. Think about your servants."
"How ironic! Truly!"
"..."
Further surprised by his words, which held no meaning to her, Evelyn furrowed her brows, her stare turning into a glare.
"I promise you that, when all is said and done, you and yours will be unscathed and reasonably happy with the outcome. Mind you, I hold promises in high regard."
"That does not reassure me, Master."
"It should. Anyway, my lovely wine farm, did you do as I instructed?"
Seeing that he changed the subject, the maid let out a sigh of exasperation and nodded once.
"Yes. The stored wine was brought to Wilsden and distributed to all buyers, which were all from the Aristocracy. I also proceeded with the matter of selling the farm and I received a letter from Lord Lerandal."
She fished out a clean and stamped letter from an unseen pocket of her outfit and politely presented it to Arthur.
Her master ripped the letter and skimmed through it, a grin forming on his face.
"Splendid. Tell him I will sell it at the promised price. You deal with the boring paperwork."
"Yes, master…"
****
After filling his stomach with a delicious breakfast, Arthur changed clothes and headed to the backyard, the place where he usually trains.
Surprisingly, however, he stumbled upon an unexpected visitor, one that did not knock first. Just as they noticed each other, the visitor menacingly approached Arthur, clearly not here for friendly talk.
She was a woman he had seen twice; With long and striking silver hair, a slightly thin body and a simple one-piece white dress. She was the 'Demon Lady', as Arthur liked to call her.
Before she could attempt anything, a fast shadow ran from behind Arthur, charging straight at the demon. The two clashed once before they were both pushed to the back. On one side stood Evelyn, holding twin short straight blades, and on the other, calmly stood the demon, a flashy circular-shaped barrier made of fire protecting her front.
"Master, are you okay?"
Although startled and a bit nervous from the demon's arrival, which could not bode well, he kept a composed demeanor but he was ready to use his barrier if it came down to it.
"I am." With Evelyn standing in front of him, weapons out and ready engage in battle, Arthur looked at the Demon Lady and amicably said,
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? We do have a front door, you know."
"..."
"I'm afraid you caught me at an inopportune time. I just had breakfast, you see, and I'm not really in the mood for tea. Not like you are either, though."
"..."
Even after his remark, the silver-haired woman did not speak. She kept glaring at him and contemplating what to do. It was difficult to sneak here unnoticed, and to make matters worse, this Lord Leonis Sanguis actually had a hidden and capable fighter at his side.
Rumors say he was a loner and apart from mediocre guards that patrol the manor every a day or two, he does not spend money on mercenaries or Knights. That made him a vulnerable and defenseless target, or so thought the Demon Lady.
"I suppose you did not come here to glare at me menacingly, yes? Because it would have been such a waste of effort. If you have anything to say, I'm all ears."
Unfortunately, the Demon Lady still did not deign to answer. She snorted and turned around, ready to leave, only for Evelyn to dash at her again.
Alas, the maid wasn't able to reach her in time as the Demon Lady was engulfed in flames and disappeared thereafter.
Once peace returned, Arthur stood there, pondering about something while Evelyn looked around for a bit then stuffed the blades under her sleeves.
"This was an assassination attempt, Master. She was a demon. We must inform the Baron."
"Who's to say he wasn't the one who sent her?"
"..."
"But I don't think it's the case, actually. There could have been better and safe methods than relying on a Demon."
*****
For the first minute, Feylord paid very little heed to the Demon who just appeared. However, once he listened to what she had to say,, he jumped to his feet, fuming.
"You did what?"
The woman shrugged, not looking distressed or ashamed. "I snuck into his home to kill him but his maid stopped me."
"You… why are you making things worse? I told you to sit still!"
"He saw me here. I had to take care of him lest he mentions anything."
"Leonis is a lonely bastard! To whom he will speak? He barely even leaves his home. By trying to kill him, you gave him a reason to accuse us."
"I thought you people were the rulers of this town."
"Yes but…" Feylord massaged his temples while trying to calm down. "The Militant Inspector will arrive in three days! Three! Leonis may be insignificant but his family is not! Who do you think the Inspector will side with? Especially if we're accused of housing a Demon!"
"I don't care. I thought you would take care of him but you did nothing. I can't have my identity revealed now that the Holy Knight is in town."
"I told you I will take care of him. Now go, leave me be.. I've had enough of you."
"..."
She coldly looked at him and muttered something before leaving the room.
****
(The book Arthur was reading at the start of the chapter)
'Botanist and Scholar Antony Jairto Of Donkrig: Introductory book I: Herbology.
The Rah'Ioa Thorns: An uncommon type of plant, categorized as a Medical Herb for its healing properties.
First discovered in Year 3841 of the 5th Era, the Rah'loa Thorns grow in swampy areas in which the specimen known as Poisonous Sea Lion lives.
In its raw state, the thorn could inflict unprepared people with a lethal poison that would kill them within hours. However, if processed correctly and using the appropriate alchemical method, it could transform into an expensive and highly-sought ingredient.
Studies have shown that this plant can live up to fifty years, but its low reproductive rate and the unique climate it needs to sustain itself makes it extremely difficult to find, especially in a usable state.
The Rah'loa Thorns have a deep black shade on the bottom and are always as green as grass itself, thus making it hard to spot.
The Rah'loa Thorns can be used in many ways: When burnt at a temperature of 195 degrees, its pointy green tips would turn purple then released a gas, which would then need to be contained in a tightly closed space in order for it to naturally transform into a processable liquid of the same color.
You could also use Blue Grass or the Hajra Bush to speed up the melting process but that would decrease the efficiency of the final product.
Additionally, it could be used to cure the White Skin disease by significantly increasing Blood Circulation as well as empower the Bone Marrow. However, it should be noted that only the processed Rah'loa Thorn must be taken in small and regular doses to avoid excessive internal bleeding, which would eventually inflict the patient with the Blood Eyes Plague.
