18 Confrontation (2)

[23 February 774/Present Day]

Much later after the conversation between them, Cristo sits silently alone at a large table filled with plates of mouthwatering food.

He played with his food multiple times with the spoon he held as he was waiting for someone.

Sadly, that person didn't seem to come for more than two hours and his expression seemed saddened every hour.

'.. I've been good at taking care of her... She promised me to have a meal together.'

Cristo thought as he wondered where her whereabouts were and sighed disappointedly.

Then at one point, he suddenly thought something he didn't want to happen.

'.. Could she have forgotten about that promise?'

The maids and butlers that were standing around the table sweatdrop when they noticed his expression slightly changed into a frown.

".. Where is she?"

He asked while turning himself to the head butler.

The head butler responds to his answer as he slightly bows politely.

"I deeply apologize, Sir Oswald, but Her Highness has something to do this morning. I heard it was an important task and therefore she couldn't attend this breakfast any time now."

The head butler explained it thoroughly.

His expression frowned and slightly pitiful when he looked at Cristo with his untouched food.

Cristo sighs wearily after hearing his explanation.

Therefore, he slowly rises from his seat and glances at the butler in front of him.

"I'm not hungry today."

He exclaimed with a toneless voice as he was feeling tired of waiting and walked towards the exit of the dining room.

The head butler was quite surprised at his sudden behavior.

The butler stands up from his bowing state as he raises his hand towards Cristo. The maids were also trying to reason with him carefully.

"But-- Young Master!"

But before the maids or butlers could even stop him, he had already left the room as he left his food untouched.

Cristo was disappointed that Dorothy didn't come to eat with him.

'.. It's so quiet.'

In this lonely castle, there is no one he could talk to.

Even if Dorothy still resides somewhere in some parts of the castle, she was still beyond his reach to meet.

'.. What's the difference between living in the castle and the basement? It's all the same.'

He thought rather disheartened, then he decided to wander off to the garden.

Upon arriving in the backyard, his eyes gaze at the large sum of red flowers.

He gasps for air as it filled his lung before exhaling it as he looked at those flowers over and over again.

'These flowers are weirdly satisfying to gaze on.'

Unbeknownst to him, someone who is wearing black armor with a black cape hanging behind them as well as black leather boots with a distinctive rabbit-like black helmet covering its face is watching him from quite a distance at the top of the building.

"Oh, my~ I did not expect another mana user to appear out of nowhere. After all, I am one of the people that is living inside the castle~"

She exclaimed playfully while looking at Cristo who is gazing at the flowers.

"Let's have a little fun, shall we~?"

She clicked her tongue afterward, smirking cheerfully at the thought.

The girl with the black armor began to turn her foot along with her body, twisting at the waist.

Her eyes are directed towards Cristo's back, as she's balancing both of her hands.

She raises her front foot while bending her knee, and turns her trunk fully backward before jumping off the building as she turns backward.

'.. 3.. 2.. 1... ! Let's hit his head open quickly~!!!'

She stretched spinning motion by drawing a circle to deliver a jump backward thrashing kick and she aims at his head.

But before she could pop his head off with her kick, Cristo's eyes widened in realization.

In instinct, Cristo turned around his gaze from the flowers to the armored woman leaping in front of him.

'... What kind of person has intended to assault me?'

Cristo thought slightly surprised and he luckily noticed her presence by sensing her flowing mana.

He continues to unconsciously defend himself as he forms his red flames in thin air.

The flames danced and leaped into the air. They were reaching hungrily for anything that they could consume to fuel their wrath as their way of protecting Cristo.

However, as an excellent and special knight, the girl in armor easily dodge it as she escaped through the air and made herself stand on the ground smoothly.

"That magic specialty of yours is not bad at all. Quite powerful."

The knight smirked as she teases his magic specialty until no end.

Cristo furrowed his brows, didn't faze at the slightest about her playful attitude and her previous statement.

"Who are you?"

He asked bitterly to the woman to just try to kill him.

The woman didn't take that tone as a threat as she just smiled sheepishly.

"Hah~ That should be my line but-- I'll introduce myself either way."

She shrugged and smiled.

"Althea Genetta Third Order, at your service."

She put her right hand on the center of her chest and bent her back as she briefly bows her head, then stands back up.

"I thought killing an innocent person was not allowed in Directive Order."

Cristo exclaimed as he looks at her wearily and was fully on guard around her.

She just grinned playfully at the sight and slowly pulls out her sword.

"Oh, my~ I think we have a misunderstanding here. I deeply apologize, but I am a Directive Special Knights. That won't work for me but yes-- for you."

After she finishes pulling out her black blade, she immediately disappears from her place and suddenly appears right in front of his eye while placing her blade below his chin.

Cristo didn't move on his position as a spec of sweat formed then afterward flowing down through his face.

The woman notices his expression as she clicked her tongue.

She smirked quite merrily as she explained her weapon like it was her favorite toy.

"This blade is quite special. Special blades like this are used by and made specifically for us, the Directive Special Knights. So if you're thinking about escaping it, then better throw those thoughts off~ You're not the only one who has mana here."

Cristo deeply frowns by the troublesome situation he just gets himself into.

'Why is she's here in the first place?'

He thought bitterly, regretting that he has to leave his room just to meet with this kind of situation.

"... Cristo Oswald, is that your name?"

She asked without lowering her blade.

'The last name is not exactly mine but--'

He thought sheepishly, feeling the urge to roll his eyes until he finally sighed.

"... Yeah, that's right. What about it?"

Not leaving another time to talk, her tone quickly turned into a more deadpanned one as she demanded.

".. I order you to come with me to the Central Directive."

"What if I refuse?"

Cristo raised his brow as he asked her.

Her lips curved into a smirk at the reaction.

"Then don't blame me for ending your life. I could kill you at any time, anywhere you are. This will be just like how I end your father."

She exclaimed with a slightly threatening tone.

'.. Who is he now? Is that the former head butler of another household? Gray Oswald if I remember correctly?'

He asked himself as he tried to retrieve his memories of the explained situation before.

He then gazes towards the knight.

"If that is your answer, don't blame me if I burn you into ashes right now."

He replied her back lazily as he didn't even faze by her threats.

Althea stayed silent while observing him.

".. Gee, you're quite a playful neighbor."

"... Neighbor?"

"I live inside this castle before you."

Cristo was taken aback by that statement.

Her playful aura soon disappears from the surface as it was replaced by irritable with a hint of resentment towards him.

"However, If that is your answer to my offer, that would be against the Directive Order."

"I think not. I called it 'self-defense' though."

He shrugged.

Althea blinked as she burst into laughter and the playful aura she posses before returned.

She lowered her blade from his neck afterward gazing back at him.

"Gosh~ you really make me wants to kill you so badly~"

".. Thanks."

She soon stops her laughter as she turned her head towards him.

Without another warning, Cristo suddenly felt a pain in his chest, something sharp pierces right through his heart.

Blood came out from his mouth as he stumbled backward, losing his balance.

Noticing that Althea just stabbed him right in his chest, he just gazed downwards as the blade that finally made right through him.

".. It's been a while."

He exclaimed tiredly.

Althea raised her brow in confusion as her lips formed a playful smile and pulled out the sword, making him cough up more blood that made the ground dirty with it.

"What are you talking about?"

".. It's been a while since someone stabbed me like this."

Althea's eyes went wide the moment a few flames sparked, sending showers of white onto his chest.

The white flames grew more intense, it blazed until its flames became fiery imps and consumed all in its path as it slowly heals and closes the stab wound.

".. Cool, right?"

Cristo exclaimed with a fuzzy side smile as he put his hand around his perfectly fine chest and gesture his fingers that are creating small white flames.

"... Sorry, but-- you're not the only one who's Special."

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