("Mike's been talking with the man for an hour now—both of them look happy. They seem content; I don't want to interrupt. But it's night and I'm getting cold. I'm not planning to get sick for the third time this week.")
+So basically our days go like this, Boss: we wander from place to place, blood on top of blood, you know the drill. But we're not exactly unhappy—there's someone watching over us.
"You watch all of them? You said there were about twenty of you. That must be difficult."
+For him? Maybe. We give him trouble now and then, but if you ask me, it's nice—having someone always around. No jobs, no other burdens besides surviving.
"Hmmm… what was your surname again? Ete—Et—Ran—… Eternal! Yes, Eternal rings a bell, but I can't place it. I've met so many people, been to so many places; there are a lot of shared surnames in the world. I'd swear I've heard 'Eternal' at least fifteen times."
+You must know someone named Faust. When I say "must," I mean it—really must. You've traveled the world and met people; I can't imagine you not knowing him.
"Faust… Faust… Faust? No, I can't place it. If he's that famous, he must have a nickname or some big incident attached to him, right?"
+Hmm—ah yes, do you know "Salvator"?
"SALVATOR?! Salvator? The guy who attends you is named Salvator? Do you even know who Salvator is, kid?"
+Let me finish. I was going to use Salvator as an example—he had a rival, right?
"Rival… Salvator… No, I still can't place it."
+Salvator's one and only rival, you know.
"What the hell—Salvator doesn't have that kind of rival. If he did, I'd know about it. He's one of the two people I admire the most."
+Two? If Salvator is number two, who's number one?
"That should remain my secret, shouldn't it?"
+Oh come on, don't tease and then keep it to yourself.
"Call it what you will. We've talked too much already—don't you have work? Also, your friend's pants are frozen to him."
-...shivershiver...shivershiver
+Ah. Sorry, Lie. I forgot you were here, I got wrapped up in talking. Fine—if you're cold, let's go. What about you, Boss? What will you do?
"I'll wait until this punk wakes up. When he does, I'll teach him a little discipline—tie him up like you did."
+Alright then, we're off. See you, Boss… Say something, Lie.
-ZzzzZ t-t-T-Tab- t-t- Ta-b-b-b- bye—
"Goodbye, boys… Tell whoever watches you I said hello!!"
…
Boss sat waiting for his man to wake, twenty minutes or so since Lieben and Mike had left, perched on a rock lit by the silver light of the moon.
"The kids left maybe fifteen minutes ago, but for some reason too many questions are running through my head. It's a situation I don't usually encounter—Salvator's rival… Salvator's rival…??"
A calm voice slipped out from behind the trees:
"You should be ashamed, Boss—are people really that easy to forget?"
-You're joking, right? Wasn't that you?
+If not me, then who else could it be?
"You could be Salvator's only rival, Faust, but why are you feeding twenty-odd men? If it was just because you said so I wouldn't have forgotten—the man I admire most, how could I possibly forget him?"
+My pride is stroked, Boss. You're a quality man—hearing this from someone like you actually makes me happy, not gonna lie.
-Everyone admires you, Faust, but most of your encounters aren't exactly friendly, huh? What do you say to that?
+When you say "everyone," why do I have no idea? If so many admire me, why haven't I heard?
-No one wants to praise their rival, Faust—you should know that. When was the last time you praised someone else, you arrogant bastard?
+Maybe that's true, but I don't recall seeing anything but hatred and resentment on people's faces.
-Because you treat others like enemies, not rivals. Thousands have come, and dozens more keep coming, all hoping—just once—to stand before you as rivals, not to be crushed.
+I don't do mercy. The weak have a place in life even lower than insects. Insects or bees might be needed for the world to continue, but would it be better without them? I'd say maybe.
-Without the weak, there's no strong either, Faust. For something to be good, it must also have its bad side—don't ever forget that.
"I am an exception, Boss. Whether or not you label things 'weak' or 'strong,' I'd still rise. I've long transcended these pathetic, useless terms. Strength and weakness are no longer the issue for me. From someone strong, you become strong first; when you become someone stronger like me, you simply—"
"Prevail."
-Yes, yes, of course—didn't I know? You were always cocky when you were young. It'd be nice to go back to the old days—times when you weren't alone.
+??
-I mean you, Faust. You've always stood alone at the top, of course. Even as a kid you used to say, "I'm at the very top of the food chain."
+All that's behind me now. Like any sensible man, I too have my troubles and ways of dealing with them, Boss.
-If it weren't for ^########^, you'd have no remedy, Faust. He was the only solution. But if somehow—like always—you say you've overcome even that, then I have no choice but to respect and believe you. When you decide, things somehow get resolved.
+######## is a name only I can speak of, Boss—I'll remind you. It belongs now to a secret shared between people like you and me. I respect you, but remember: my calm rests on my respect for you.
-I know…
(You are a good man, Faust—of the quality kind, yet)
"You will wear yourself out."