"Eric Modernson, Eric Modernson…"
With his face once again buried in the pile of paper, Arthur Paradox murmured to himself in confusion. What a weird combination of names? He thought, one of his eyebrows arched in scepticism, the other furrowed in concentration, creating a rather amusing contrast to his orderly, split-in-the-middle black and white hair.
"Quite rich in Lostburg, knowledgeable of the outside world, blond hair, sharp chin, hollow eyes, jeez, even the name is the same…."
Arthur's expression deepened. Nathan's description of the features and personality created a vivid picture of Eric in his mind. It reminded him of the king, Eric Runaria.
"No, the king does not have an illegitimate son, let alone with Viviana Modernson… Mother would definitely know… Then, who can Nathan's father be? The king's twin brother? Also not a possibility, the king has no siblings…"
Taking a quick glance at the giant clock behind him, Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. Nathan's answer brought him both relief and confusion; it was an answer he did not expect, which he thought was good at the start, but had begun to realise was quite the opposite.
"Such a person, with features and name directly resembling the king, in Lostburg? The Parasites would never miss such a target… How? Just how? Uhhhh… Some extra attention at Lostburg would really help a lot."
Potential answers started to spiral, but none of them made sense. Arthur hadn't been in such a position in a long time; with all the information he possessed, there was rarely a question within Runalond that he couldn't answer.
At the corner of the room, out of nowhere, a spot of shadow slowly emerged. Its size grew like a droplet of blood that had fallen onto the ground, until eventually, a rising silhouette rose—humanly shaped, but too clear for a physical body.
"Parasite 91… You are in some big, big trouble." Arthur turned to him, his eyes cold and amused at the same time.
"Hello? Hello? Young Master, can you see and hear me well?" the human-shaped figure called out, even though the rest of his body remained still, his face no trace of any organs, and the voice sounded as if it came from somewhere far, a dreamy echo. "My name is Robert, Parasite 91 in charge of Lostburg, do you remember me? "Lostburg's dull as ditchwater, Young Master. Not even a proper riot this week!"
Arthur held his urge to grab something and throw it at the projection. "So you came to disturb my peace to report nothing?"
"Hahaha, Young Master, I just thought you might be lonely in the Imperial Academy, perhaps you just happened to want to talk to me?"
"Does everyone who got a living experience in Lostburg talk in such an annoying way?" Arthur furiously questioned. "Listen, Parasite 91, just because your current identity is a filthy Lostburg gangster, it doesn't mean you act like one before your master."
"Young Master, that is quite an inaccurate statement. My master, actually, is Mistress Agnes Paradox, and Mistress Agnes Paradox ONLY! We never disobey her commands! Never! Everyone else? That's to be discussed separately."
"…"
"Young Master? Hello? Did the Rune Art energy already get depleted? You see what I mean? Boss's personalized Rune Art kinda sucks."
"I'm writing a letter to Parasite 0, about everything you have just said."
The voice from the other side wasn't afraid of Arthur's threat. "Go ahead, Boss won't care. He never cares about anything. So the Rune Art still works fine? Can you still hear me?"
"Playing a fool out of yourself won't excuse your act of pure treason," Arthur dropped his tone. "Nathan Modernson has a father called Eric Modernson. Parasite 91, becoming a watcher within Lostburg means your abilities are not to be underestimated… So how come your previous reports mention none of this crucial information?"
The projection didn't reply for quite a while. When he did, one could barely tell if the voice came from the same person.
"The answer to the question had been explained, young master."
Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, only realising what he meant when he recalled their previous conversation, picking out the slightest details in Robert's wordings.
"Mother's command…" Arthur murmured to himself, his eyes hollow and filled with something between fear and worry.
"Young Master, if Mistress Paradox doesn't consider this outlier as a concern, we should treat it as if it doesn't exist at all. You are destined to be the family head of the Paradox, and perhaps one of the greatest that could be classed with Founder Adrian himself. But before that time, you shouldn't be worrying about things that are not within your responsibility." Robert continued, his voice devoid of the prior playful tone and replaced with a gentle yet chilling shade. "But the decision lies with yourself… I'm a mere Parasite of the Paradox family, with no rights to judge the Young Master's actions."
Before Arthur could conjure a reply, a rushed knock on the council's door dragged him out of his thoughts. From Arthur's experience, this orderly yet somewhat impatient knock would, with no doubt, be from Nicolas Terrast.
Without even waiting for a reply, Nicolas pushed the door open silently, his eyes cold as always.
"Arthur, transfer student, Representative," he said.
Arthur Paradox covered his head with his arms on the table. "Nicolas Terrast… I'm glad you have finally found a sense of humour."
"Nicolas? Terrast?" Robert's thoughtful voice rang out from the corner. "Heard of that name…"
"From the Rune Arts Federation, a boy named Genesis." Nicolas ignored Arthur's mockery and continued.
"Last name? From which family?"
"Both unknown."
Nicolas's simplistic reply seemed to have triggered something in Robert's mind, his words somewhat indicating his identity.
"I remember! Terrast! Aren't you the son of Ryler Terrast, The Indecipherable?"
Neither of them responded to Robert. Arthur sighed in annoyance. "One, a full name is required for enrollment. Two, the Imperial Academy does not accept transfer students midway through the school term. Three, we need to prove that he is legitimate for the position of a representative student." He raised his voice and scoffed. "Who does Viviana Modernson think she is? Isn't one Nathan Modernson enough?"
"Young Master, please watch out for your words. The relationship between the First Seat and our family is inseparable. To some extent, we owe her an unignorable debt," Robert added from the side, clearly slightly unhappy due to their ignorance. Arthur looked at him and seemed as if he was about to protest, but eventually decided not to stir up unwanted trouble. The connection between the Parasites and V is strangely intimate; he never truly understood the reasons behind it.
"Principal Nox's decision, I'm just here to deliver the message. The rest will be discussed in the next meeting." Nicolas finished his report. "My work is finished." He turned around smoothly and walked out of the door that he hadn't closed. Clenching his fists, Nicolas decided to leave one more sentence behind. "Shadow in the corner, correct your wordings."
"I'm not a 'son' of The Indecipherable, just an 'offspring.'"
His sentence provoked a short moment of silence in the room. Arthur's expression hollowed, not knowing how to reply to the empty atmosphere Nicolas had left behind. As the next family head of the Paradox family, his mother, Agnes Paradox, had put a colossal mountain of pressure on his back, but compared to the other families that he had watched, he genuinely felt fortunate about his origins. Everything aside, in Arthur's eyes, Agnes Paradox was conflicting. As a person, insufferable, but as a mother, exemplary.
The same didn't apply to many, most, if not all, clans and families; the relationship between children and parents, especially aristocratic ones, felt more like a strategic contract for benefits than a connection within blood. Though Arthur also had to admit, this was perhaps something to be celebrated, not changed.
"What did Mother say about Nathan Modernson?" Arthur shook his thoughts off his head and asked without turning to Robert.
"She didn't give specific instructions, just follow your heart, Young Master… Whatever you think is right is whatever you are instructed to do," Robert answered.
"Alright then…" Arthur smiled. "Then… Nathan Modernson…"
"Parasite 91, have you been in contact with the other Parasites around the area?"
"Always, Lostburg isn't the best place if you want to have fun… Gotta meet up with friends when possible!" Robert answered, going back to his carefree, delighted tone. Somehow, the annoyance Arthur had towards it had completely faded, replaced with a comfortable reassurance that boosted his confidence.
"The Short family's headquarters are around the area… Inquire Parasite 90, in Gemville, if there are blue crystals evacuated from the ground."
"Blue? Do you mean turquoise? Green? Perhaps diamond?"
"No, dark blue, as blue as the night sky above Mount Mirra."
"Dark blue crystals? Don't be silly, Young Master, crystals are never dark blue."
Arthur's memories rewound to the time when he saw the elegant, unignorable ring that Nathan had on his fingers. He was sure it was dark blue, a blue so pure that it didn't accord with the environment around. For certain, he wasn't blind, and for even more certain, the ring was of the finest crystal.
…
Contrary to his usual character, Nathan's steps were slow and weary. His conversation with Arthur wasn't necessarily concerning or scary; in fact, the agreement that the Student Council would step out of everything he planned to do was promising and reassuring. He simply couldn't figure out why his father's identity mattered so much, so much that Arthur would permit his actions in exchange for such information.
Nathan walked out of the central tower, setting his gaze on the failing sunlight. There was still a faint, dim golden brilliance fading into the distance, just enough for him to grasp the entire landscape inside his eyes. His mind was spinning, no longer sure of his actions.
Doubts coiled around him like serpents. The thought that any sacrifice could be made to liberate the ones in suffering now seemed like a childish, idealistic dream, as Jennifer Lumendra previously described. His faith had not wavered; he never would, but what about the others?
His actions were actively bringing people around him into danger, but if he halted his protests, how disappointed would the members within the Salvation Club be? He couldn't betray them.
Others thought that he would have the power to sustain and protect them, but at this point, Nathan couldn't tell whether that was true or not. His identity was but a bluff. It could no longer be the supporting pillar to his ideals—at least it alone wasn't enough.
"I'm a selfish person, aren't I?" Nathan murmured to himself, barely louder than a whisper.
"Who? You?"
Nathan didn't expect a response to his introspection. He turned his head around, yet his body refused to follow.
It was David Edmonds, both expectedly and unexpectedly, holding some food that Nathan had never seen before. Nathan wondered how he managed to sneak it in. For the first time, he didn't know how to respond to this simple question.
Seeing his silence, David stretched his hand to him. "You want some? I can't finish two."
Nathan nodded expressionlessly. "Thanks, David, and sorry for you to see me like this."
He grabbed the food from David. It seemed like layers of food had been stacked onto each other like a tower, both the foundation and the ceiling made of bread. Nathan took a moderate bite—it was certainly a flavour he didn't anticipate. The savoury taste of the meat blended in perfectly with the sweet and sour taste of the sauce; it was as if it had all the flavours available in the world.
"It's quite flavourful—hope you like it," David said calmly.
Nathan swallowed the remaining food and nodded to David, his expression clearly lighter than before.
"I like it. It's the second-best thing I've ever eaten. First goes to my dad's…" Nathan went on, only to realise that his sentence might reveal the truth of his identity and changed topic immediately. "The way the flavours blend… It's impressive."
David grinned, but there was something different about him. The usual emptiness in his gaze had receded, replaced by a sharpness that reminded Nathan unsettlingly of Arthur.
He took a bite of his food and stood by Nathan's side, his arm resting gently on his shoulder, like how Nathan did to him when they first met.
"Nathan, if you need any help, we are always here for you. Don't take all the burdens onto yourself, right?"
"David," Nathan said without looking at him, "I dragged all of you into this. I'm just using you, can't you all tell? It's a contract, an alliance, a mutually beneficial business between the representative students. Not…friendship."
David didn't respond, but simply looked straight ahead at where Nathan was staring. The Imperial Academy was like a small town—everything, even when there was no one roaming the streets, seemed full of life and luxury. Right outside the academy walls was the capital Endnest, with towering constructions reaching towards the heavens. One couldn't be blamed for thinking that this was as much as paradise could be described.
Nathan sighed. "Your last name is Edmonds, a family with mountains and mountains stacked with cash and treasures. For you businessmen, there is no friendship in your dictionary—only values."
"But I can barely be called a businessman, or even a part of the Edmonds family!" David laughed, his voice echoing back from the academy grounds. "I'm too stupid. As the son of the family head, I only have a title. I didn't get any recognition from my parents, so why should I follow the rules of the family?"
"Do you think it's worth it to follow me?" Nathan asked. He could no longer hold his feelings inside himself. This was a time of vulnerability that he had tried to suppress within himself, but suppressions never helped when it came to emotions.
David thought for a while and started, "The Edmonds family has a saying: 'Money can buy anything. If it can't, you just haven't spent enough.'" He chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "Do I agree with them? Well, yes, but there's one thing even we can't purchase."
"Time? Love? Happiness?" Nathan guessed.
"No, with enough money, these are merely delayed transactions too." David smiled. "There is something else—something that I've never seen in anybody else but you."
"What?"
"A heart with no regret, that I can see it within your eyes."
David stated, his voice low, "That is the only thing money can't buy, and why I and everyone else follow you. So don't regret your decisions. I know you have your reasons, and it isn't my business to know."
"Just don't lose that heart, alright?" He shook his head, "You can't get it back if you do."