Chapter 10

Ruben returned to Halum City by jumping on the train passing which was headed to Halum.

Using Disguise, he changed into a casual outfit and sneaked into the economy compartment after jumping on to the deck of the train.

Although he has changed his clothes from the pathetic-soon-to-be ripped apart outfits, he still looked very haggard.

He decided to head to his inn, clean himself up and rest for the day before returning home tomorrow looking better.

Ruben knew his parents were going to over think and worry if he went home looking like he had just came back from the dead (which wasn't exactly incorrect).

Entering the bar, he head straight to the bartender who was also the innkeeper, Tommy.

With Ruben still using his disguise skill and pathetically haggard look, no one in the bar was able to recognised him, even Tommy.

Standing in front of Tommy, before he could speak, Ruben shut him up and said, "Get me a room and draw me a hot bath"

"Oh My God! R.. mmphhff." Ruben quickly shut Tommy's mouth with his hands before any of the customers noticed.

"Let's continue in the staff room." He said without an expression.

As soon they the two were alone in the staff room, Tommy's shot out.

"Oh my God! Ruben! Is that you?"

Ruben rolled his eyes when he heard that sentence, 'No, sh*t Sherlock'

But Tommy ignored his reacting and continued, "What happened to you? You dissapeared for more than 2 months. Many of the regulars were already thinking that you died falling into a ditch when you were drunk after drinking too much.

Why do you look like that? Your face looks slightly different, you look like you just walked out of your grave!Mmpphhff" Tommy was speaking so fast and asking too much he shut Tommy's mouth again.

"I had a long two month, all I ask is a warm room, hot bath and a hot meal in my room after the nice bath. Due to circumstances, I am wearing a disguise with fake skin which helped altering my looks."

Ruben continued while slowly moving his hand away from Tommy's mouth, "I am dead tired and filthy from haveing not washed myself in a while. Give me the key to a room p.l.e.a.s.e." He said with a smile that reached his eyes but you could tell from the stiffness that he was actually threatening Tommy.

Getting a shiver down his spine seeing the smile on Ruben's face, he salute him, "Yes, boss!" and passed Ruben the key to a room available.

"There will be a warm bath in the room in 5 minutes, I will have leave a nice hot meal outside the door for you when you are done with the bath."

"Good"

As promised, a nice warm bath was available to Ruben in 5 minutes.

Taking a bath after deactivating Disguise, he wash himself thoroughly, having not washed in more than two months.

He then heard a knock on the door with the attendant outside saying his meal is ready when he was done.

Drying himself quickly, he got dressed and opened the door.

'Looks like I should give Tommy a raise'

On the floor was a meal enough for five with all kinds of meats and sides which were all of Ruben's favourite.

Having to survive on dried meat jerky for the past 2 months and having not eaten anything during his days of 'coma' only to fill it slightly when he got up.

Ruben devoured the food.

He completely demolished the food enough for five brought to him.

Finally satisfied, he fell asleep as soon as he laid down.

Ruben woke up the next day refreshed and fully recovered.

Dressing himself properly, he left the inn through the back door and hailed a carriage back home.

As he wasn't doing anything interesting at the moment, a fewof the consellations left his channels.

All the prominent consellations he interacted with often continued viewing his channels along with a few other consellations.

Since there wasn't much on Ruben's side, the consellations used the channels to chat among themselves.

Letting them be, Ruben ignored the conversations that weren't related to him, like gossips on consellations who and who was found cheating with another consellation who and who, which channel was best to visit when a consellation was feeling deprived, etc, etc which Ruben couldn't help roll his eye.

Unsurprisingly most of these gossips started with Shapeshifter Who Loves Pranks and the other consellations would join in since the gossip would get really juicy.

Seeing the mansion he grew up in from a distance, Ruben wiped sweaty palms on his dress shirt in the carriage.

While wiping his palm he remembered the star tattoo on his palm, he had tried putting make-up on it but weirdly, the mark could appear above the layer of make-up.

Even when wearing a glove, the star mark would appear on the surface of the glove like it didn't allow anything to cover it.

After leaving the dungeon, Ruben made the decision to hide his mark when he is in public.

He was worried that this family might be in danger if he was found to be a Marked or that he may be exposed to the other Marked which didn't bode well with him.

He made his mind that he would only show his Mark when he has hidden his identity and disguised or cover himself just as the lackey described.

Looking at his palm then the consellations chatting non-stop, he said to the empty air in front of him.

"I will be away from the channel temporarily since I won't be doing anything interesting for now."

Not worrying about people hearing him talking to himself since he is alone in the closed carriage, he continued, "I promise to return when I am doing something fun or exciting. You can still use the chat in the channel while I am away. I will still be able to see the chats so if something comes up, I can return to the channel for a short while when I am alone."

Although a few protested, most of the consellations agreed reluctantly.

The consellations knew that Ruben would be doing boring things the next few days plus he already promised to return whenever he did something interesting so they didn't mind it too much.

Although a few were intrigued in the Marked mortal who had the ability to leave the channel which was supposed to be permanently attached to the Marked and channel open to all consellations, they weren't too bother as it didn't affect them too much other than not being able to see the Marked in the channel.

Immediately after saying his piece, Ruben activated Concealment.

The star mark on his palm dissapeared right after as well.

Right on time, the carriage arrived at the main entrance in the mansion as soon as the mark disappeared.

Getting off, he walked into the main hall.

As soon as the servant saw Ruben, he immediately started scrambling around while saying excitedly, "The little young master is back! The little young master is back!"

The head butler, Frank could be seen running towards him with hidden excitement in his expression no one would notice other than Ruben who was a master at reading people from being an assassin.

'One of the servants must have ran to inform him as soon as they saw me.'

"Little young master, you're finally back! The Lord and madam has been worried sick."

As soon as the butler finished speaking, he could sense hurried footsteps from the first floor walking towards him which he already guess to be his mother.

As soon as he saw his mother, he gave her an awkward smile.

As she was walking down the stairs, she spoke, "Ru.ben Hil.ston you have finally decided to return home after dissapearing for more than 2 months. Even if you have written a letter informing of your delay, you could have continued sending us letters so we didn't worry.

The least you could have done was write in your letter where you were going so that we know where to look during emergencies." Looking at Rubern with a stern expression, she continued her lecture.

"We had your oldest brother drop by the capital and look for you but it was like you've completed dissapeared! According to your letter, you would be returning in 2 months, but what happened in the end?

The 2 months became almost 2 and a half month. We thought that you were dead in a ditch!" Lily suddenly broke down with tears running down her eyes as soon as she was finished in front of Ruben.

Although he was mentally the same age as his parents, he was brought up by Lily and Charles, giving him a sense of what a parent was.

Feeling pained and guilty, he hugged his mother and said, "I'm sorry, something unexpected came up. Look at me don't I look perfectly fine? I ended up going on a short journey where I wasn't able to send any letters although I wanted to. I'm sorry mother, don't worry."

Ruben hugged Lily while patting her back.

Getting herself together, she gave Ruben a glare then grabbed him by the arm and inspected all over his body.

'Thank God all my wounds healed after leveling up!' Ruben thought, grateful to the system and the all mighty consellation The Forgotten Ruler $# %$# ?&%@$% who gifted him the system.

'I have to investigate who this consellation The Forgotten Ruler $# %$# ?&%@$% is later...' Ruben thought while his mother was spinning him around.

Confirming that Ruben was alright, she relaxed.

Her worries actually weren't unfounded.

As soon as Ruben discovered the truth of his birth and about Charles' older brother, he dissapeared.

Having seen the way Charles' older brother, Theodore arrive, bloodied, battered and on the verge of death with a sleeping newborn child in his arm, she kept having nightmares of Ruben returning the same way as Theodore when he disappeared.

She believed Ruben must have been investigating what happened 19 years ago or gotten himself involved in what Theodore was in as well.

Although she didn't give birth to him, as soon as she saw the newborn baby sound asleep in the arm of the dying Theodore who was very likely the father she could feel her motherly instinct kick in.

She guessed that his mom is also no longer with them after seeing Theodore's condition.

The moment Ruben opened his eyes, they looked so intelligent.

Even her two sons liked him and got along well.

She has long forgotten the fact that he was adopted until his 19th birthday came up.

She was there when Theodore said his last, no matter how reluctant, she knew that Ruben had to know and face the truth.

Looking at Ruben, her eyes soften and said, "You came back at the right time. The servants are going to serve lunch soon."

"Go leave your things in your room first, we'll continue in the dining room."