Arthus was awoken by Sebas the next morning. Apparently he didn't wake me up twice during the night as instructed by Mister Aberforth, saying that I was sleeping too soundly and that he couldn't bear to disturb me.
What do you mean you couldn't bear to wake me up? What if I didn't wake up in the morning? Arthus thought to himself. Though he knew deep down in his heart that if he didn't wake up in the morning today it wouldn't be because of this issue. Well whatever he was alright so all is good.
What he was worried about is whether or not the Nighthawks investigated him by entering his dreams. Was he under their surveillance already? He did remember dreaming of cats and that he had a pleasant dream so his method definitely works. If only he had a method to know whether the Nighthawks entered his dreams or not. Alas, not everyone is Klein are they? He would just repeat his method of thinking of cats until he could be sure of it.
Perhaps he wasn't investigated by the Nighthawks yet since he still retained his memory of the incident? It wasn't a sure proof method of confirmation but it gave him a measure of security. He checked the time and it was 12:43. I guess he sure did sleep well.
"What's for breakfast Sebas?" asked Athus.
"For the main dish we have Fried Eggs with Toasted Bread, the condiments are berry preserves and honey to go with it. For sides we have Salted Fish and Porridge finishing with a simple fruit tart alongside milk with honey" replied Sebas.
"That sounds rather appetising, but before I want to take a bath so prepare one for me alongside a change of new clothes. It seems I forgot to change into my sleeping garments yesterday and I feel quite sticky and sweaty. Have Elias and the company eaten yet?" inquired Arthus.
"Yes my Lord, they have. Mister Elias just left for the police station just before you woke up saying that he was called due to a shortage of workers and not to worry as he would be back in the evening to fulfill his duty. I will go prepare a bath for you right now if you'll excuse me" said Sebas.
Arthus just nodded his head and dismissed Sebas to do his job.
Arthus went over to his window and took a look outside. From the window, he saw the midday haze of coal smoke drifting in slow swirls above slate rooftops, softened slightly by a wan spring sun struggling to pierce the smog. The sky is a muted gray, a bit blueish too I suppose looking like a half washed canvas.
Below, the streets of the North Borough stretch orderly and austere, lined with black iron fences and ivy-clad brick facades. Carriages clatter along the cobblestones, their wheels groaning under pressure.
Newsboys dart between gentlemen in top hats and maids on errands, papers waving overhead. In the distance, one might catch the dull toll of ship bells from the Tussock River, mingled with the metallic clang of factory yards farther south.
Reminds me of my home in England. Arthur lived in a small town of a poor area located somewhere in the Lancashire county. There were still factories there from the Victorian era believe it or not, now turned into warehouses. Though he could do with less smog. Klein wasn't exaggerating when describing it.
Soon Sebas returned to knock on his door telling him that the bath was ready. Hearing that he started making his way to the bathroom. Now that I think about it this mansion seems quite big for just a Baron to live in. I guess the family business is booming. Well now it belongs to just me though.
Thinking of it, Arthus couldn't help but groan.
He was sure to have a busy day going through all the paperwork. He will need to ask Sebas his schedule for today.
Perhaps he could laze around for today using his excuse from Doctor Aberforth of limited reading or writing for a few days, and no strenuous activity. No it wasn't an excuse but a valid reason! He would still need to make a trip to the warehouses for a routine inspection. He could delegate this task to Sebas but he actually wanted to go outside and explore. Who wouldn't?
Now that he was under the Nighthawks surveillance he wasn't much worried about a retaliation from the Demoness sect. I mean they hadn't killed him off yet so it was very less likely for them to attack him out in the public with witnesses right? Arthus convinced himself.
Not only that, it would show them that I wasn't afraid of their retaliation as well since I had the backing of the Church of the Evernight Goddess! They even might think this is a trap setup by the Nighthawks to bait them out. Arthus felt very smart and proud of himself at that very moment for thinking such a possibility.
Soon he reached the bathroom and first began to brush his teeth and wash his face before entering the bathtub. Now that I think of it, I didn't brush my teeth last night before sleeping. That's not good, thought Arthus to himself before relaxing in the warm bath water.
…
A private, velvet draped parlor in the back rooms of a brothel in Backlund. Incense laced with aphrodisiac herbs curls in the air. A storm drums faintly on the rooftop overhead.
Elira Vayne knelt in silence, her posture composed but tense. The plush carpet beneath her knees did nothing to soften the sharpness in the room. Her gloves were unbuttoned, her nails clean deliberately so. Presentation mattered.
Across from her, Panatiya reclined in a velvet-backed chair, dressed in wine dark silk, the fabric flowing around her like spilled ink. She cradled a goblet lazily in one hand, the liquid inside darker than wine and far thicker.
"You failed," she said at last. Not angry. Not surprised. Just cold.
Elira's eyes stayed lowered. "The candidate refused the gift. Claimed he didn't want to be a woman. I proceeded to eliminate him"
Panatiya sipped, then hummed softly. "And?"
"He somehow survived even after I burned his soul with the Black Fire. Not only that but I even collected the beyonder characteristics from his corpse! Something is definitely wrong with his state!" exclaimed Elira.
The silence that followed was long and deliberate. The gaslights buzzed faintly above them.
"I misjudged him" the words left Elira like a confession before a high priestess.
Panatiya stood. Her heels made no sound on the thick carpet as she approached, every step measured.
She stopped just before Elira and crouched. Her gloved fingers tilted Elira's chin up. "Tell me, Elira Vayne. Do you think a witch who fails so elegantly deserves a second chance?"
"If she learns from it" Elira replied, voice firm but reverent. "And doesn't fail again"
Panatiya studied her. Then she smiled, slow and predatory.
"You won't have that opportunity" She rose.
Elira felt a cold chill like she was facing the Grim Reaper himself.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you for this failure. I have other uses for you. What I meant is that the Nighthawks are involved in the scene now and it won't be long until they set their eyes on your trail to find us, to rip us to shreds with their claws. We need to move our location to somewhere else" said Panatiya.
With this Arthus had temporarily escaped from the clutches of the Demoness sect.
…
Someplace unknown.
Golden hair framed a face too perfect to be real, too distant to be human. The figure stood in a space where form was fluid and light bowed politely, as if unwilling to obscure even a fragment of his outline. His eyes impossibly deep, unblinking, seemed to drift past the surface of the world, reaching into truths no one else dared to see.
He smiled.
Not warmly. Not coldly. Just… as though everything was proceeding exactly as expected, and yet, still, something had managed to catch his attention.
"Interesting" he said.
The word hung weightless, but the silence that followed felt immense like the hush before a revelation, or the breath before the fall. No one responded. No one dared. Because when he spoke, even reality seemed to pause and listen.
…
Arthus suddenly felt a chill while dressing up and sneezed. Did he actually get sick from running around naked yesterday? He didn't pay much attention to it and finished getting dressed up. Then he made his way downstairs to get something to eat. While eating he told his plan to visit the warehouses for an inspection and Sebas agreed to accompany him.
"Ask Roland and Mara to come with us too. I don't want to suddenly get attacked by those thugs again while they guard my empty house like dogs" said Arthus casually.
"I will relay this to them" and left.
Arthus continued eating alone in silence. After finishing he called for Sebas again to clean everything up. Perhaps he should hire more servants? Before he only had Sebas and Elira. He didn't have servants to tend to the house but he actually paid for a service who sent people and cleaned the house, tended the garden and so on.
He would do that after he becomes a beyonder himself. He doesn't want another incident like Elira to happen. He washed his hands and made himself look presentable before walking out with Sebas who was holding a cane. On our way out Roland and Mara joined us and we soon reached the gate to my mansion.
"Master, please take this cane since your health is not quite good" said Sebas kindly, presenting the cane to Arthus.
Don't you need it more than me, old man? You're basically an elder! Thought Arthus to himself while still taking the cane. He didn't really need it since they were going to take a carriage anyway. Soon Sebas went to get a carriage for us. Why didn't I have my own you ask? Because it requires constant maintenance not only for the carriage but the horses as well! Not only that, it was very expensive too. It was just more effective to travel with public transport financially. Not that he was poor, it's just that he's a Baron not a Duke so he doesn't really need his own carriage.
Soon Sebas returned with a carriage and all of us boarded it. Arthus was actually surprised as he had not heard Mara make a joke to tease him. She seemed alert and cautious donning a professional attitude. I guess she can be professional if she puts her mind to it. Good for me I guess.
It was a 20 minute ride of complete silence. It wasn't awkward at least for him. He couldn't speak for others though as he was a man of a few words since he was quite socially awkward and didn't like embarrassing himself by saying something wrong. Maybe that would change now since he feels much more comfortable with himself after reincarnating into this body.
He had good looks, was rich and had a chance to live a long and happy life by becoming a beyonder. Hell, if he was lucky enough he might even become a immortal god! Even if he didn't become a god he could still prolong his life by mystical means. Though it was a long and gradual process he was happy with it. After all, he had endless possibilities!
As he was lampooning internally, the carriage had reached its destination.