chapter 15

On the middle of the stone bridge, the tension was high as the pressure giving off by the rank eights expert clashed with one another, causing a small disturbance in the atmosphere around the area in the lake.

"Hey, brother...is it just me or is the temperature is getting...colder…" the guard that admired Leonard shivered as the aura giving off by the old butler and Leonard- whom he had great respect and admiration for, clashed with one another.

"no...It felt really cold too…" his brother, the reasonable and smart one of the two answered and agreed with his someone dumb brother.

"Alright...tell me, who are you! And what's your purpose for coming to the Windstad mansion! It isn't every day that two rank eights would just pass by and visit us for no apparent reason- especially when one claimed to be the lord future son-in-law!" the old butler got into a fighting stance, ready to either defend or attack at a moment given.

"...but...I'm Leonard…" Leonard said depressingly.

"Don't lie! I know you're not showing your true appearance! There is no way a second rank teenager could morph into a powerful rank eight in less than a year!" the butler shouted.

"...what do you mean by that?! I mean! Nothing is impossible! The world is big you know! Don't judge me base on your world views! It ain't going to work!" Leonard retorted to the old butler.

"RYAN!!! ARE YOU INSIDE?!" without wasting much time, Leonard then shouted out for Ryan, hoping that she would hear him, of course, if she was inside the mansion, she would likely hear of it, since he infused a fraction of his rank eight strength into that voice, making it loud and clear for all to hear within a kilometer radius.

After that thunderous shout, Leonard waited...and then keep on waiting for a full minute or so.

"..." Leonard waited patiently, however, Ryan did not answer back.

"Enough!" it was then that an old and family voice called out for the both of them, Leonard and the old butler.

"My lord! You're here! Please stay behind me, I shall protect you with my life!" the old butler declared as he jumped right in between of Leonard and the lord of the Windstad family himself.

Don Windstad.

"Old Kyle, that's enough- this kid here is definitely Leonard…" Don reassured him.

"I was there on the day that he was born, so I obviously know him well enough…" he added before quickly switched gaze from the butler, Old Kyle.

To that of Leonard and Sachi.

"You two, why don't the both of you come inside, we can talk over some tea," Don suggested as he used his hand to beckon the both of them inside of the large and luxurious mansion.

"Erm...yeah, great- let do that instead of trying to kill one another here- hey guys mind taking care of the Windshear beasts until we get back? thanks!." Leonard quickly agreed before pulled onto Sachi hand and took her along with him, leaving their mounts behind for the guard to take care of.

"...did we just turned into horse keepers on top of being on watch duty?" the smarter brother of the two guards asked the other.

"...I don't mind that...I mean...he's the IDOL!" the other brother had a foolish expression on his face as he remembered the words of Leonard and wrote it down letter by letter down secretly in his notebook.

*****

Sitting in the office of Don, the lord of the Windstad family actually served the tea himself for the two teenagers and himself.

"You should try it, I got this tea from the Empire through great effort." Don took a sip from his own cup of tea as he suggested to Leonard and Sachi.

He, of course, did not hesitate much and took a sip from the cup of tea that was offered to him, the moment the hot liquid entered his mouth, it was...hard to describe, the texture of the tea itself was quite unique...it had a rocky taste to it.

Leonard himself wondered if tea were supposed to have the taste of rock infused within, but that was only part of many flavors, it's somewhat sweet...like that of syrup or honey.

"It's quite good…" Leonard compliment.

"Hmm...I thought so too, so...tell me...who is she?" Don finally ask for the identity of the girl that was with Leonard, Sachi.

"Would you try to murder me if I tell you that she's my girlfriend at the moment?" Leonard dropped the bombshell while having a sip of tea.

Sachi, who was drinking the same tea that was offered to Leonard, spit out its content out of pure shock because of Leonard words.

"What kind of a man are you! Bringing your mistress over to your in-law to meet them in person! You seriously trying to get someone kill here!" that was Sachi inner thought.

"Hahahhaha!!! That's a very funny joke you just told me there kid!" Don was laughing to the point of droplets of tears began to form on the corner of his eyes.

He laughed for a full minutes before finally calmed down after seeing that Sachi, was sweating bullets while Leonard still drinking teas with a blank face that had absolutely no emotion.

"...you can't be serious right?" Don just stared at Leonard.

"Why did you bring her here then...don't you know that you could break my little girl heart if she were to find out about this?!" Don slammed his palm down onto the wooden table, cracking it.

"I know that...however, hiding my relationship with Sachi here, will likely hurt her more when she discovered the truth, I couldn't do that to her…after what she had to go through for me..."

He put down his cup of tea while having a bitter smile on his face.

"...you indeed got some gut…spoken like a true man...even if I don't respect your decision, but I like the kind of man that can actually take some responsibility." Don complimented him, admiring his bravery.

Don stood up and walked toward the window, overlooking the beautiful azure lake.

"You should be glad that my Ryan isn't here in the mansion...she has been waiting on the same spot, awaiting your return since the day you vanished...I'm sure you know where that is right?"

*crack the sound of fine tableware shattered into pieces as it drops onto the floor.

"What...what did you...just say? S-she...waited for me...all these time..at the same spot?" Leonard's voice stuttered as he remembered Ryan, tears rolled down his eyes as he imagined the hardship she must endure, staying in the remote Northern border, waiting for his return.

"Uhm...go, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you once again...probably," Don told him but then his eyes wandered onto Sachi.

"I-I…" Sachi stuttered.

"...I hope you the best of luck kid, you'll need it…" Don reminded him.

"Thank you…" Leonard bowed respectfully to the man that was before him before quietly left with Sachi.

"Husband…" from behind a bookshelf, the figure of a beautiful woman walked out.

"Do you think of what I did was foolish?" Don asked the woman...who was none other than his wife and Ryan own birth mother...Virmina.

"..." she remained silent.

"Also...you should stop sneaking up on people like that...if I didn't live with you for who knows how long already, I wouldn't even notice that you were in the same room as us." Don tried to change the topic and moved onto his wife hobby.

"Pfft...you know I can't stop doing that~ it's had been my habit since the day I was on the street…" Virmina embraced Don from behind.

"Yeah...out on the street stalking and ripping people to pieces in the cutest way possible…" Don turned around and returned a hug.

His wife, Virmina, was none other than the infamous serial killer that broad terror to the street of the capital of the kingdom itself many years ago, however her name and title was forgotten to the passage of time.

Virmina the Ripper.