Alma 53 His Truths Are Many

In Reed's eyes, everything looked like it probably cost several million credits, possibly more. His former street-rat mindset still remained even after he'd come into a fortune. It was his greatest asset back in the slums: hard-earned lessons that he followed in order to increase his chance of surviving a normal day in the worst parts of his hometown.

If you don't own something, don't fucking touch it.

If you want to get your beaten up or even killed, ignore this rule. Keep to yourself and keep what you own close to you…

Showing off wealth is the same as pinning a target on your ass.

There will always be someone who will want to have what you possess. Always. It follows then, that the best course of action is to never reveal what you possess…

Above all else, practicality over aesthetics. 

A sword made of pure gold, embellished with all the realm's finest gems may look gorgeous, but a solid steel or even iron sword will save your life in a fight. Let us not forget that you will also likely be killed for that golden sword if you had it, too. People have been killed for much less in the slums.

He would have preferred something less extravagant, but it was a gift so he couldn't really complain. After all, he had not spent a single credit on the goddamned manor; that was what he was happiest about.

When he entered the dining hall, a suave, deep voice said, "Good morning, Master Reed. I take it that Lady Maya has not woken up yet, milord?"

Reed nodded and said, "Yeah, same as always. Sleeping beauty probably won't wake up for a while. Leave her be, or I'll be the one to suffer."

"As you wish, milord. I'll have her meal put aside in the kitchens until she rises." The man gestured towards the long dining table and said, "Please take a seat, milord, the chefs will be here shortly with your morning meal.

Arcano was a mysterious fellow that Reed had not been able to pin down since he'd arrived at the estate. He was the head butler and oversaw everyone who was employed at the estate. A man who did not express many emotions, if at all. Tall, dark and cold to the bone — a man who put his profession over everything else, even himself.

Reed also noticed something very interesting the first time he'd met Arcano. An aura of Anima — a strong one at that, too. Weaker than old man Axtorius's or Violett's aura, but it was still much stronger than any piddling contender's aura. He was undoubtedly a conqueror and yet, he was a butler…

It was an eye-opening sightseeing someone who, by all rights, should have been working in an illustrious position befitting his power. Not as a measly butler, even if it was for royalty…

I mean, I get it. The Kingscrown family's royalty and all, but I didn't know that they were that powerful, to the point that they could hire someone like Arcano to be a fucking butler!

To have the power to hire a living weapon of mass destruction… serve breakfast and manage a bunch of mortal workers… I-I can't even…

"…Say, Arcano…"

"Yes, milord?"

"How did someone like you en—"

A chill ran down his spine. Before he had even realized it, Mira had already entered the dining room as he pushed a gaudy-looking cart. He noticed that he never heard her enter the room until she was beside him. It often scared the living daylights out of him because he could never detect her presence.

Reed didn't understand why, but he sometimes felt a peculiar sensation when Mira looked at him. His back tingled and goosebumps formed on his arms like he'd been exposed to an instant chill.

He wasn't a fool and had thoroughly checked Mira out when he first experienced that unique sensation. She had a feeble Anima aura that was even weaker than a trainee's aura. It was amazing that she even possessed an aura in the first place as a mortal. Reed guessed that it was likely due to the inborn affinity that her race possessed, though.

"Master Reed, is something the matter?" said Mira as she blankly stared at Reed.

"I just like looking at you, Mira. You're always pleasing to the eye, haha…" Reed calmly smiled and said, "So, what's for breakfast?"

Violett's servants were very unique individuals — it seemed that they all possessed secrets of their own. Reed did not know how to feel about that. He'd prefer to not have potential threats to his life work for him, but he trusted that the Kingscrown family would never hire an enemy assassin or spy into their ranks…

Only time would tell whether he could trust them… and the Kingscrown family.

Nothing is for free. Nothing. You just haven't been told the price yet.

His code of truths had never failed him. They spoke to him whenever he felt something was wrong. He trusted them far more than he did himself…

"…What do I think of them, Ka'an? They're nothing special aside from a couple of little bugs that can easily be squashed. You should focus on more pressing matters, such as your training instead."

A sleek, almost transparent spear made of Anima flew past Reed's head and struck the ground with a deafening boom a couple of seconds later. It had, in fact, grazed so close to Reed that even cut several strands of his hair in the process.

…!!! Shit, shit, shit! That was way too close!! Ah, she's even tougher than Violett when it comes to teaching!

"This is child's play, boy. In a literal sense. We'd train younglings to rely on their hidden eye instead of their physical senses like this in the past," said Lacrima. "Some enemies might use Anima to interfere with your body's senses, which is why it is crucial to master using your hidden eye before we move onto anything more advanced."

Reed stood in a circle made of Anima that acted as a perimeter for him, one that he could not leave. The goal of the training session was for him to rely purely on his hidden eye, the ability to sense and detect Anima. He was to block or parry the attacks that'd strike him by redirecting them away from him.

Four invisible blades of Anima shot towards Reed from completely different directions. One flew at him from the front and another shot at him from the left. The third one came from the right. The remaining one silently flew as close to the ground as possible as it came in from the back like a snake. They flew at different speeds and possessed different amounts of Anima, making each one distinct from the others.

The first three were a bit of a pain to detect but weren't that hard to deal with. Reed quickly pushed them away by subtly changing their directions before they arrived. It was the fourth one that'd caught him unawares. By the time he realized that the fourth blade existed, it was already too late for him to push it off course. It'd take no more than a second or two for it to strike him.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Reed gazed at the blade fly towards its target. It was much thinner than the previous blades and had an extremely faint aura, as if it were but a wisp of Anima shaped into a blade. This was an assassin's blade, no doubt. He was lucky that it'd only been aimed at his legs, and not his heart or any other vital organs. He was positive that a swift and silent death awaited those who were kissed by this blade, presumably in dark alley or street.

He'd been had. The blade was moving way too fast for him to catch at the moment. Re-directing would take too long, and it'd strike him long before he could even start moving it. Forming an aegis would take far too long as well, so he wouldn't be able to defend himself either. The only left to do was brace himself and accept the blow. It was his loss.

Reed closed his eyes and grit his teeth in preparation because he knew it was going to hurt like hell.

"..."

"..."

"...…?"

He still had not been struck. Something was wrong. Where was the pain?

Reed opened his eyes and found that everything had become frozen. The blade was supposed to have struck him remained frozen in place, less than an inch away from his back legs. Lu'um had a disappointed expression on her face as she stood there like a statue. Even Lacrima remained silent and would not respond no matter how much he called out for her.

"…Don't worry about them, Reed. They'll be fine, I promise."

Reed jumped up in shock when he heard the solemn voice speak and turned towards it in apprehension. Only God itself knew what sort of being could stop time at will in such a ridiculous manner.

A tall, hooded figure stood not too far away in the bleak world as he gazed at Reed like a spirit. He couldn't detect any Anima within him or around him either. Not even a life-source, or even a heartbeat. He was dead. That's what his senses were telling him, but he was still alive… well, alive enough to speak and stop time itself.

Reed knew that fighting the figure was hopeless, so he'd have to play it cool and said, "What do you want from me, ghost? Let me just say this: I don't know what you want, but I probably don't have it."

The hooded figure bitterly chuckled and said, "I'm not here to take, but to give, Reed. To give you what you'll need to survive, for both our sakes. Listen to my words and accept my small truth."

As soon as he uttered the word 'truth', it began. Like fingernails on a chalkboard or the screeches of a banshee, it came with a horrifying sensation. The truth scarred itself into Reed's head until it was done.

Not a single soul would ever hear Reed's demented screams of horror as knowledge from a different time and place entered his mind. And that was likely for the best…

Eventually, the damned process was done and Reed was released from his torment. The hooded figure said, "That was but a section of truth, and not the whole of it. There is still much for you to remember in order to fulfill our promise, mind you. Seek as much power as you can afford and beware of the lurking devil in this birdcage you live in. You cannot defeat as you are now… unless you use her heart to purge it. Even then…"

"Well, we'll save this conversation for another time and another place since I can no longer hold this connection open. Farewell, Reed…"

The ghost vanished into dust as Reed struggled to keep himself standing. The world seemed to tremble and groan in protest as Reed cradled his head in pain…

And then, a faint urge formed inside of him, as if he was being compelled to saying something.

And then, whispers spoke to him, telling him to speak the words stuck in his mouth.

And then, the words he had bottled up in head found their way out.

Chapter end