Chapter 3: "Midnight" Part 2

Glenn had been feeling anxious ever since Seth, one of his brother's guards showed up at his doorstep announcing his imminent arrival.

Most people would be quite overjoyed to see their older brother after such a long time so why was it that Glenn was anxious?

Because he knew Garfield's true nature more than anyone, he would not just visit him because he missed him, he wanted something from him, but what was it that he wanted?

He was a Baron after all, he inherited all most all of the wealth and land left behind by their father, so what could he possibly want?

The more he tried to figure it out the more anxious he became, sweat started to run down his face and he felt like vomiting.

His visible anxiety began to spread to his wife and 8-year-old son. Seeing the worried looks on their faces Glenn faked a smile and spoke.

"Ah. It seems I have made you two worry. I just have not seen my brother in such a long time so I became a bit nervous so there is absolutely nothing to worry about, okay?"

He spoke as he knelt down to pat his son. His wife knew that he was just acting so this only served to elevate her anxiety.

The carriage his brother was in entered their yard.

Glenn had his maids prepare a shade and a table with refreshments, fruits and sandwiches and the finest chairs in his possession.

The carriage stopped, and Glenn and his wife had awkward smiles on their faces as they welcomed Garfield.

"Welcome big brother. I have not seen you since you became a Baron after father's death two years ago, have you been well?"

Garfield responded with a gentle smile.

"Yes, my dear little brother I have been well, I have been so busy managing the territory that I have not been able to visit you. My apologies."

"No need to apologize, I understand."

[Glenn you scrawny little bastard I can tell you're not happy to see me.]

[Garfield. You're fatter than before, has your ferocious greed grown even more?]

An awkward silence. Until Glenn spoke.

"It pains me to be this blunt but knowing you, big brother I take it this is not a social visit?"

Garfield cleared his throat .

"Ahem. Yes, I have a matter of urgency that I need to discuss with you."

"Yes of course, right this way."

Glenn gestured with his arm.

Glenn led his brother and guards to the table he had his maid prepare.

Garfield noticed that Glenn's wife followed behind them and began to whisper.

"Glenn. Will your wife be joining us? I did emphasize that this was an urgent matter I do not think a woman joining us would be appropriate."

Hilda's sharp ears heard every word Garfield said, which made her frown. But what Glenn said next had the opposite effect on her facial expression.

"I must insist that she joins, she is my other half thus she needs to be present. I cannot make any important decisions in her absence."

Garfield narrowed his eyes.

"Hmph, suit yourself then."

The five of them approached the table in the shade, and the maid pulled chairs for them to sit, with one chair opposing the other two.

The three of them sat down in elegant manner befitting nobles, even though they were just a mere Baron family.

Garfield took sips of the wine in an equally elegant manner, but Glenn and Hilda took gulps as if they were trying to get drunk in order to numb themselves of what they were about to hear from Garfield, who promptly began to speak.

"Did you hear the news little brother? A lowly peasant named Victor Martin was given the title of Marquess after becoming an S-rank, he is now also a Royal Knight by order of his majesty King James Darwin Palladius."

Garfield said biting his lips.

"Yes, I heard the news brother isn't it great? Our country has grown even more powerful now that a new S-rank has emerged in our Rankers."

Glenn's delight ended abruptly as Garfield slammed his hand on the table.

"That's not my point brother! A mere peasant now has more land and wealth than us! Meaning we would have to bow our heads in his presence. A mere peasant!"

"Please calm down brother, I did not mean to upset you."

"Ahem. My apologies little brother. Hilda, please forgive me for showing you such an ungraceful sight."

Glenn smiled nervously.

"N-no its quite alright Baron Loui, no need to apologize."

Garfield sighed.

"Anyway, I did not come here to talk about Victor, I have a proposal that will take our family name to greater heights brother, and to that end I need your help."

"Yes of course brother I'll do anything so long as it benefits you—ahem, I mean the Loui family."

[Shit. Here we go.]

Glenn's heart started beating faster.

"I knew I could count on you. I'm sure you heard the rumours about me not being able to sire my own offspring, right?"

Glenn paused for a bit before responding:

"Yes, rumours do travel fast, maids talk after all."

"Haha indeed they do. To solve my little fertility problem, I visited a bishop from the Midnight Eye in the royal capital, he guaranteed that he could help me, Glenn. Not only that he also prophesised that my son would grow up to be an S-rank, isn't that amazing?"

"Brother I cannot believe that you are still in contact with those devils! Even father warned you about them how could— ."

[Wait. What the hell does all this have to do with me?]

"Big brother. How on earth does any of this involve me? How exactly am I to assist you?"

Garfield responded with a firm voice and a serious look on his face.

"Glenn, Hilda. I need you to offer me your son to be sacrificed to the Midnight Eye so that I may be fertile just this once and sire a son who will make our family name soar. Please?"

This was worse than what Glenn had expected, the worst-case scenario that he previously thought of was Garfield wanting to spend a night with his wife so she could bare him a child.

This was inhumane even by Garfield's standards, Glenn knew that his brother was long gone and that this man before him was nothing but the spawn of the Devil himself.

He glanced at his wife who had already broken into tears and shaking out of shear shock.

The sound of a sword being unsheathed clouded his wife's wailing as Glenn pulled out a sword that he had hidden under the table and pointed it at Garfield's neck, two more sounds of swords unsheathing could be heard behind Garfield from his two Knights.

"Garfield you mad bastard! Does your greed know no bounds? How the hell could you ask me to sacrifice my own son for your own selfish ambition!"

Glenn shouted with veins popping out of his neck.

"Eek! C-calm down Glenn! This is for your own benefit; you can always have more children please think about this!"

Garfield exclaimed selfishly.

"How could you say such a thing you clueless bastard! Hilda! Go take Greg and run away as far as possible."

Hilda ran as fast as she could without even looking back until she reached the house, Seth quickly followed her after looking to a frightened Garfield for confirmation to give chase, to which he shook his head vigorously in disapproval but Seth knew Glenn did not have the stomach to kill someone, let alone his own brother.

Glenn removed the sword from Garfield's neck in an attempt to stop Seth from catching Hilda.

A fatal mistake.

Morris took the opportunity to disarm Glenn by cutting off his right hand.

Glenn let out a scream, he felt as if he was being stung by a colony of wasps in the place where his hand used to be.

The frightened look Garfield had dispersed, his face was distorted by his smug filled grin.

He let out a sadistic laughter that sent echoes throughout Glenn's compound.

"Glenn. You are not worthy of the Loui name! success needs sacrifice, a mere child is nothing compared to what we could have achieved together in the future how can you be so short sighted?"

Glenn responded in an exasperated tone.

"You filthy bastard! Leave my son alone he's just an innocent child, do you truly think the Midnight Eye has your best interest at heart?"

"My foolish little brother, Midnight Eye is merely a stepping stone for me and so is your bastard son."

Glenn's eyes flickered in shock.

[ A stepping stone? Does this idiot even understand what kind of an organization they are? He's a madman there's no reasoning with him now.]

Just as Glenn was having these thoughts, Seth was approaching them with Hilda over his shoulder passed out with a bloodied face indicating that she tried everything within her power to resist and on one hand he was dragging Greg who was kicking and screaming.

Glenn's eyes widened at the sight of his helpless wife and distraught son, he became swallowed by despair.

Finally, they reached where Garfield, Morris and Glenn were.

"Good job Seth, toss Hilda over to Glenn."

"Yes, my Lord."

The impact of falling on the ground woke Hilda up and she wasted no time crawling to Glenn and grabbed him by his collars and pleaded with him to do something to save their son with tears and snot flowing all over her face.

Glenn's despair turned into rage and his rage into courage.

He picked up the sword that was on the ground with his left hand and let out a battle cry as if to turn his courage into strength.

He charged at Garfield with his eyes laser focused on his neck, but before he could even come within a meter of Garfield, Seth ran his sword through his stomach with a sadistic smile.

He coughed up blood.

His courage faded and he was once again filled with despair, his gaze fell to his son who was screaming his name, Seth slowly pulled out his sword.

Garfield's azure blue eyes grew cold as he watched his brother fall to the ground.

Hilda hurriedly crawled to her husband who was desperately gasping for air.

Garfield turned his back and spoke.

"This child is being loud."

In response to those words Seth delivered a blow to the back of his head and the child fainted.

Garfield picked up his unconscious body and started walking away.

"I'm taking this child to the carriage. Kill them all and meet me there."

"As you wish."

Hilda attempted to run after them and Seth delivered a blow to her abdomen. Glenn's watery eyes watched as his son and his brother's silhouettes disappeared into the carriage.

Glenn mustered all the strength his weakened body allowed him and desperately crawled to his wife, leaving behind a trail of blood.

Finally, his body gave up and he could no longer move, Hilda who had been watching her husband struggle to reach her the entire time returned his gesture and moved closer to him and held his hand and the two of them held each other and stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if to comfort and bid each other farewell.

Their heart-warming moment got interrupted by Seth's words.

"Let's have some fun with this bitch before we kill her, eh Morris?"

He said, with his tounge sticking out.

"No. we have orders to kill them and nothing more."

"Oh come on why do you always have to be so stiff? He did not give us any specific orders either, besides with the state he's in he won't even notice us taking so long."

Seth approached Hilda whilst undoing his pants and licking his lips with lustful intent.

But before he could even touch her Morris dashed over with his sword unsheathed and swung it, in the blink of an eye a severed head fell onto the ground and rolled right next to where Glenn was and the bodiless head stared directly into his eyes.

He glanced over at Morris, his gaze ironically filled with gratitude because who knows what atrocities Seth had planned for Hilda.

So he was thankful that she received a quick death.

Was it mercy? Or a sense of duty? Nonetheless Glenn was thankful, and hoped his son would also at least receive a painless death free of torture.

[Please forgive me my son....]

His consciousness faded along with his thoughts.

Seth stared at Morris with disgust and disappointment.

"Morris you soft bastard, you just ruined my mood. Whatever, finish Glenn off so we can go."

Morris delivered a clean but fatal stab to Glenn's chest and with that he drew his last breath, they swiftly returned to carriage after killing all of the maids and departed towards the capital towards one of Midnight Eye's many secret hideouts.

The carriage was haunted by agonizing silence the entire trip.