A world were there is no word for it

"...Are there only two Blessed," Lugh repeated back what he had heard with a humourless tone. With a stoic expression, he mulled over Perse's words. "Before I answer that, I have some questions of my own I want answered first. Who told you there were two blessed?"

"Machia told me. He said it was just the two of us, that he waited a long time to meet me. I do trust him... I've just heard a few weird things, is all, so maybe he's mistaken."

"So it was Machia. I should have guessed. Well, regardless, what weird things might you have heard, out of interest?"

Lugh's good mood had not lasted long. He had been nothing short of ecstatic after the fight's result. However, he had remained tight-lipped on what exactly he had accomplished. Despite that joy, he now gazed upon Perses with a guarded, hostile look. His voice was also evenly tempered and gave away nothing.

"Hmm, Hectate, a girl from my class said she'd met someone like me... A woman, I think. She talked about that someone being magic, someone powerful. I wanted to know who it was she was talking about.

Lugh listened closely and couldn't help but flinch and curl his lips at Perse's words, much to Mars's surprise.

"It wouldn't make sense for it to be Machia she was talking about, seeing as he was there at that time. Plus, even you that one time, remember you said I was nothing like her, who?-"

"Quit it already."

Taken aback by his father's abruptness, Mars asked keenly and curiously, "Hectate?, are you talking about the strange girl from class".

Replying with only a nod, Perses carefully analysed Lugh's face but to no avail. Lugh's stoic, resilient expression made him especially hard to read when he wanted to be.

"Why are you trying to hide this from me? I did what you asked after all."

Lugh thought about this for some time. His disciplined nature made his puzzlement seem even more abrupt and awkward as he contemplated how to respond.

"I said there were two things I needed to ask, remember. My other question is, why?."

"Why what?"

"Why? Do you want to know? it doesn't affect you; it will only cause you problems, not to mention you're betraying Machia, you haven't realised?"

"Betraying."

"That's right. As much as I would like to see that, you're supposed to trust him no matter what, right? He definitely said something like that, didn't he?"

For the first time, Perses showed a scary expression heightened by the latent hate he felt for the man in front of him. The fact that he was correct made him sick to his stomach as stared hatefully and accusatorily towards the man. "How. Did you know that?"

"I've known that dammed brat ever since he awoke. But it's more like I understand why he is the way he is. There's only one person responsible for that."

Perses felt tense. There was no turning back. He was already hooked. He wanted to know the truth no matter what, despite the agitation he felt from the shrewd, mysterious words of the swordmaster. Taking one glance to his side at the devil girl who stood very close to him confirmed that she felt the same. She looked spellbound by the conversation, giddy even.

"I want to know the truth so tell me, anyway."

"No"

Perses looked coldly towards Lugh with an aching resentment. Mars turned towards his father in surprise, equally captured by the events.

"Hey, come on, what the hell, you promised Perses? I thought you were a man of your word. Besides, I want to know too-"

"Phhaa, that's rich coming from you."

Lugh couldn't help but chuckle insidiously at his son's words. There was a hint of underlying untold emotion held within that laugh. The laughter didn't last long. After recognising his son was serious, a wretched scowl warped Lugh's face.

"Alright, from now on, Mars, shut the fuck up. I'll say it again for you, neither of you will gain anything from this, your both children, stupid, ignorant little fucks at that."

Lugh's mood seemed to be dramatically lowering by the minute as he fished for the metal flask from his pocket impatiently. Finishing the last of his drink with a dismayed expression, he looked at Perses with sincere loathing.

"No more roping me and my son into your little investigation play. You probably already know exactly who to go to to find the truth, so why should I even get involved? Just look for the fucking big man himself. You're pretty alright for scum Perses, so I'll at least tell you this, you will die if you keep going. If you're really lucky, you'll simply have to kiss the freedom you have now goodbye. Or who knows? Maybe you'll succeed for a little while, but it's only a matter of time till the adults pick you dry. Don't drag me and Mars down with you, understand?

"The person you're referring to, you're, I know, you must be talking about-"

"Thud"

A heavy fist slammed into Perse's jaw, sending him sprawling across the courtyard right past the devil girl's pale face. Landing heavily and bouncing off the ground, a cloud of dust was thrown up from the collision. Now, a distance from the devil girl and at his weakest, he slammed into the shed, shattering a large hole in it.

'Even after all that's happened, this guy is still... I'm strong now; I don't have to put up with this.'

Climbing to his feet, Perses stared at Lugh with pure malice. He took one step towards the smug visage of the swordmaster before he wobbled. His vision became shaky and blurred as the afternoon sun blinded him. Shocked, Perses fell to his knees as if his strings had been cut. He was left with no choice but to kneel in front of his most hated adversary as his legs trembled violently.

'Unbelievable, this kind of impact, he's a human'.

It was all Perses could do to stop himself from hurling. Lugh approached him, scratching his head embarrassedly with his right hand. His left lay at his side. His fingers were mangled in all kinds of directions. The owner did his best to hide his pain by looking away from Perses.

Mars followed him, furious at his father's actions, as he punched his back with varied success.

"Shit, Fuck, fine. Sorry, Perses, I promise it hurt me far more, but my bad."

Crouching down near Perses a safe distance away, Lugh cowered away from his son's furious gaze.

"Look, just take my advice. The world could do with a few more of your kind like yourself, yeh know, to balance it out a little. So just forget about that guy, and more importantly, never say his name out loud, shit's dangerous even for me.

"I didn't even know his name, bastard!"

"Oh, is that so. Regardless, I asked you not to drag us down with you, and now I'm not asking. So, no mentioning our names, get it? At least now you get how serious I am."

One last fleeting spec of emotion could be seen adorning Lugh's face before he stood up and walked away, drink in his one good hand. But then he stopped as if lost in thought. He leaned clumsily to one side as if physically weighing his options. Inexplicably, he turned back around.

"Did you know the kingdom really isn't that large?"

Sending his father a quizzical look and confirming Perses wasn't in imminent danger of succumbing to his wounds, Mars sat beside him, equally agitated. The devil girl returned towards them, careful to avoid the current intimidating figure of the swordmaster. Perses ignored them both, choosing to share his furious, disturbed gaze with only the sky.

A long silence continued. It felt as if hours had passed as the children sat around the empty evening grounds. Eventually, someone spoke up.

"He wasn't anything like this before?."

"..."

Mars began to talk about his father as if entirely uninterested in what Lugh had said. As he sent Perses apolagetic glances.

"These days, he's always drinking or fighting", Mars let out a chuckle, "Or even both at the same time."

That short, desperate laugh failed to revive the mood as each was left to their own thoughts. Perses fell back off his knees and sat silently as the statement played in his mind repeatedly.

"Why not just show yourself."

Perses spoke to the devil out of nowhere, but she turned her back to him, withholding her expression and choosing to sit away from the two boys, rejecting him.

"Uhh, he really did punch you quite hard, Perses. I can come with you if you know you need that checked out."

"Ha."

Perses laughed for the first time. Mars couldn't help but smile wryly at his strange antics. Soon, both boys laughed contently at the idea of Perses losing his mind.

"No, I'm fine. You don't know, right, why I didn't die from that blow or anything else."

Mars appeared to be genuinely shocked by this. "Yeah, that's right. It's weird to hear you be this considerate, but yes, I'm definitely curious. That guy who came with you the other day, with the black hair, he's the same, isn't he? I've never seen father intimidated like that, so-."

"Yeah, he's like me. He's like an older brother, I suppose, but I don't know where he is right now. Strange, isn't it? I made just one mistake and went somewhere I shouldn't have, and just like that, he left me. Everything's just been getting worse since then."

Mars listened sympathetically with a frown. "That doesn't really explain much but... do you want me to help you."

Sincerely considering Mars's words, Perses was reminded of what Lugh had been trying to force him to understand.

'It's not like I owe either of them, but.'

"Mars, what do you think about the kingdom."

Changing the topic entirely for Mars's benefit, Perses asked an awkwardly conspicuous question, causing Mars to tilt his head curiously.

"The kingdom? Hmm, well, what else is there? I guess I like it. It's not like it's perfect or an-"

Perses stopped listening to Mars, who droned on as he deeply reflected on what Lugh had asked of him. Slowly, something unravelled inside his head, something simple, straightforward, yet totally alien.

Interrupting Mars, Perses said, "Hey Mars, tell me, what's outside the kingdom?."

"Huh, Perses, what do you mean? The kingdom is just the kingdom. What else would there be?"

Perses stood up with a tight, scrunched expression.

"Thanks, I think. I think I know what to do now, but I won't need your help. As much as I might miss Machia, truthfully, there's something else I need to find out."

Mars looked at him, concerned, but with the kindest smile that could possibly be offered, he asked, "So, then, what is it, what do you need to find out?"

"I want to know... what else Machia has lied to me about."