Chapter 21: 3 Years (4)

Perseus POV

The old man then gave me a towel, some clothes, food, and water before bringing me to my room and telling me to get rest since I'll be starting in 2 days.

I ate the food in silence in the room., my senses on high alert, and took a cautious shower, constantly glancing around for any signs of danger. Every creak of the floorboards, and every rustle of the wind outside, seemed to amplify my anxiety.

As I lay in the bed provided by the old man after my shower, my mind raced with doubts and fears. Despite his seemingly kind gesture of giving me my own room, a towel, and some food and water, I couldn't shake the feeling of skepticism.

What if this was all just an act? What if the old man had ulterior motives? What if the old man tried to do something to me while I slept? What if this was all just a trap?

He could be an agent of the kingdom, and that scared me all night long as I just fidget nervously all night and couldn't sleep at all.

But eventually, my body fought against my mind as I slept against my will.

*****

As I stirred awake the following morning, a sense of unease washed over me again. I got out to see the old man sitting on the couch and reading some newspaper.

"Finally, eat the sandwich I've prepared and hurry up." he instructed

After I finished his sandwich and the glass of water, he called me to follow him down to the basement. My muscles tensed in anticipation, ready to react at a moment's notice. Would I need to fight or flee?

*****

With every step towards the basement, my muscles tensed, ready for a confrontation. Would this be the moment when the old man's true intentions were revealed? Would I need to defend myself or make a desperate escape?

To my astonishment, instead of facing a threat, I found myself catching a pair of gloves and an apron tossed my way. Confusion clouded my mind as the old man calmly requested my assistance in the process of brewing ale and mead.

For a fleeting moment, I hesitated, the lingering fear from the past night still scratching at the edges of my mind. But as I scanned the dimly lit basement, taking in the rows of brewing equipment, a flicker of doubt crossed my mind.

Reluctantly, I slipped on the gloves and apron.

"Why have me do this? Wouldn't me working on this diminish its value?"

"You see, lad," he answered, "this town is already full of people whose souls were lost to the bottle. The quality of whether a demon's descendant slave making ale and mead matters little to them anymore."

"How'd you end up here then?"

"It all started with my fiancée," he began, his voice tinged with a hint of sorrow, "I was young and eager to serve the southern empire when there was a monster outbreak a while back. I left to fight for our kingdom, believing that I was doing the right thing.

"But when I returned home, she was gone. Vanished without a trace. I searched for her tirelessly, for years on end, but she had simply disappeared. I was depressed and I drank and drank...

"It wasn't until much later that I learned the truth from a close friend who traveled around. She married my estranged half-brother while I was away. They had been in love for some time, and when I confronted my parents to see if they knew...they did...

"Apparently saw them making out during one of their secret meetings or whatever, they attended the wedding, knowing full well what had transpired...And chose to not tell me, claiming they didn't want to hurt me.

"I then...left and I ran. I drank again and in my drunken state, I sought out one of her former friends, and confronted her, and...she also knew...she and my parents chose to comfort me during those years while knowing the full truth.

"She then blamed me instead...she blamed me for her friend, she blamed how I shouldn't have chosen my duty over her. She would have stopped that relationship if I stayed...and when I got angry...well, the neighbors didn't take it too kindly with me...my reputation as a drinker didn't help either.

"And so, they defended her actions, absolving her of any wrongdoing while casting me as the villain of the tale. It's a narrative that has haunted me ever since. And my reputation was then branded as a failure in the eyes of those who once knew me."

"Why...why didn't you take revenge?"

"Revenge...huh...I couldn't." he shook his head, "She had found something in my brother that she couldn't find in me, happiness and fulfillment that I could never provide...and they got kids...as much as I hated them...I couldn't take them away from the kids...

"With no proper reputation...with no money left after drinking so much...well, I wanted to be better, so I turned to my parents...who then said that they...well...they won't fund me as they're scared of me just drinking again, and how I'm already affecting their reputation...so I left and ended up here."

"Creating alcohol?"

"Don't worry, I got a taster for this, I've been sober for years." he chuckled bitterly, "I just need a helper, especially with helping me carry these to sell at the local pubs and taverns."

"Can't you just use magic to carry em?"

"I can, but like I told you before...I thought I'd do something with my life for once."

"Didn't you fight for the empire?"

"The empire that abused you."

"Yeah...but for you-"

"Doesn't matter anymore, I've abandoned that life and everything that came with it. I've lost everything ever since I chose to leave everything behind and come here...so I've done nothing, and I thought I'd help an unfortunate soul for once."

'How would the kingdom even know if I've served my sentence?"

"I'll write them the letter when the time comes, for now, help me with this."