11 Getting Answers

After what Caelum pulled it caused Vaile to shiver. Was this really a child, he was only one and showed this level of intelligence...

What would happen when this child grew and became older what kind of person would he grow up to be?

The extremely young child's words entered her ears again.

"First, why do you blindfold me?" This question had to be asked first, and time was of the essence.

"You are asking why I blindfold you..." If she was asked this prior to getting cut she could have said any number of bullshit excuses. Now, however here she felt she was compelled to give an answer.

"Its... its to not give away the location.." She struggled fruitlessly trying her damnedest to not reveal the information and she knew better than to make a scene.

"I have been strongly cautioned to not have the location of the orphanage to be revealed." She appeared to struggle less and less as more words fell from her mouth.

To make sure that it was working Caelum said something to test the waters.

"What do you mean by 'strongly cautioned?"

With a look of hesitation, she began to reveal new information that Caelum desired to know.

"They would throw me out, I have nowhere else to turn... I need this job, I have nowhere else to go my backs against the wall."

"You're kind and you do your job, why would they throw you out?" This information caught Caelums interest and caused him to slightly worry.

Issues for the future were stirring.

"You don't understand its... it's not just..." Vaile continued to resist, to deny the urge to speak the truths she held to herself.

"It's not just what, an orphanage?" He guessed, what kind of orphanage puts blindfolds onto the orphans, not any type of orphanage that he has heard of.

"Yes, there are things you mustn't know," Vaile said.

"I am not one to go blabbering to other people I want to know what you know so I do not get taken advantage of."

"Taken advantage of?" Vaile asked she knew why in her heart, she had to ask if only to quell the eventuality in her heart,

"Yes, those with talent often are. Or those with no other option they offer their legs leaving them with no opportunity to turn back. Such as yourself."

"That's a harsh way... of putting it. You're not wrong thinking that. But you are wrong if you think they only rely on one person to make sure the secrets are kept secrets." Vaile agreed with his words if they were harsh that showed that it was the truth.

Truth often caused pain.

"They keep eyes on you to make sure that you do what you are told and you face the edge of a blade if you do not. Is that it?" A picture of the situation began to paint itself in Caelums head.

"Okay, why are you asking so many questions, why am I not resisting your questioning?"

"I am the one asking the questions, you are the one telling me the answers. There shall be no bad blood between us if you do not bark when no one is at the door." If he let her go off track he would be the one that would be talked down to.

"You and your phrases. Fine, I won't, just keep the blindfold on and I will have to let them know that you are suspicious of what they are doing. Give and take. You took information from me that you should not have, I will have to be upfront about it I can't look guilty if I am."

"To make sure that I understand - the orphanage is not as it seems, that's obvious who blindfolds orphans to make sure they don't leak the location of the 'orphanage'... and that if you do not do as they say there are consequences?" Caelum verified.

"Hmm... you have it rough. Then when I become stronger, and they understand my worth I shall make sure that they can't do shit to you. In return, you help me, and you do not tell them anything that I do not want you to. Promise me that and you shall not sleep on the street as a half-dead corpse tonight by those villains. If I take my blindfold off that's all too likely to happen."

"Those shits, they walk over me, they expect respect when they do villainous things. I keep my mouth shut and they still don't trust me after two years. What is a 1-year-old going to say, let alone remember? Your mature, you know better than to speak up."

"Miss Vaile do not vent now, I believe we are almost back." He was not unconscious as they walked into town. It felt like the same amount of time that it took to enter the marketplace as it did to return.

She did not even realize that they were basically back as she was prioritizing her own thoughts.

"One more question Miss Vaile." Caelum had to use the last minute wisely.

"Would you rather serve a hero or a demon lord?" Caelum asked, looking into no particular direction.

"Who would I rather serve? If I served a hero I would be on the side of the good guys. But the bad guys outnumber the good by 2:1, the demon lord assuming that he is not the slaughterous type and assuming that they won't be off their rocker in a few years I still would want to side with the heroes."

"Why?" Caelum desired an answer, how Vaile did would change if she fell by her betters hands, or by time.

"When you see the faces of monsters up close in their natural habitat so what if it's instinctive, they did what they did and they do not regret it. Demon Lords are just monsters who can lead other monsters, with manners. Humans can do just as much bad but they can resist their instincts, they can regret!"

"Would you follow a human, who wants the might of those so-called monsters, but wants a cause just as righteous as the heroes?"

Who would follow a demon lord willingly, a heart is as unpredictable as a humans agenda.

"What are you saying little one?" She did not understand where these questions were going, yet for some reason unknown to her she continued to be truthful with her answers.

"I am saying do you want to serve me as a vassal?" His voice calm, as if a sea that could not be swayed, bought or manipulated.

"You a child, what are you saying. You are a commoner, I am as well, but you are not close to my equal and you want to fight evils that are my betters? You sound mad."

"You make it sound as if I can't achieve my aims. Give it four years, and by that time if you don't pledge your fealty to me as a vassal I will let you get devoured by those 'lions'."

They paused a silent sky around them.

"We are here," Vaile stated before the building, its details as empty as a blank canvas. He could not see, however, he knew that stopping either meant that there was a problem, which there would be an indication that there was one or that they were there.

"Did you know..." Caelum began to speak again.

"Lions are gluttonous creatures, but they protect their pride. What about humans? They too are gluttonous, sadly they don't have a pride."

"If you join me, I will look into making one." Caelum said, a smirk growing on his face.

"I will think on it if you impress me, in my eyes even with High-Grade Spirit Circuitry I don't put you in my eyes enough to try to get on your good side. You were just a kid, now you are a kid with promise, but quite a number of the kids in the orphanage show the same amount of promise."

"Sure, sure." Caelum replied. The other orphans had talent? Fuck off with the lies.

Drooling? They were talented at that, what real talents could they have?

Even he as a 1-year-old with the mind of a seventeen-year-old did not bother to put them in his eyes.

With his thoughts racing from what she said, he realized the path that he had to take. If he ruled like a king he would be respected. If he ruled like a chief he would be honored.

He would like to be like his game character, he could surpass it in the future but that's a matter for the future.

Right now he would restore his prowess and then think on how he could. He would put 2 of any stat points that he gained each level into strength, 2 into charm and 1 into constitution.

He increased the mentioned stats three times, one for each level that he currently had. When he spent the points Caelum received a notification from the system.

Caelum had noticed that even though he leveled twice he had three levels worth of stat points. It must be the complementary stat points that are included at the start of many rpgs that you can distribute for an initial boost.

[Be aware, changes will take place overnight.]

He would gain followers, he needed to show that he was worthy of respect. People naturally gravitated towards powerful people, they also gravitated towards those who are attractive.

And those who chose no sides yet would eventually, from those who survive.

Looking over his recent notifications that he received from the system he was led inside the 'orphanage' by Miss Vaile.

[Task: Discover your Build has been completed. You have received 120 Experience, and 5 Fame.]

[Task: Eat Something has been completed. You have received 30 Experience, and 5 Fame. ]

[Task: Reach Lvl 5 Before Returning has been completed you have received 70 Experience, and 1 Leveling Feature Choice]

[Task: Recruit People to Your Cause has been added to your task list.]

[Task: Convince Someone You are a Genius has been added to your task list.]

[Task: Find another way of Earning Experience besides Tasks has been added to your task list.]

[Max Tasks Listed!]

Now that he had a much better idea about this place, it was time to sharpen his claws. He would show her the prowess a genius of his caliber possessed.