A little bit of intimidation

After passing the mountains without encountering any more bandits, they were now inside a forest. The path became a bit smoother and they got used to camping out too.

Normally any passerby that enters the forest would be immediately attacked by monsters but nothing happened to them. The butler wondered why there were no beasts but it was okay since they don't need to deal with such things.

"Why don't we camp here tonight master?" The butler shouted from the outside. He saw a suitable place where they could rest for the night, it has an open space and near a stream.

"Alright," Cygnus agreed. Nina cheered from where she was sitting when she heard that. Her back and butt had been numb from sitting for so long and from all the bumps they encountered along the way. The carriage stopped with everyone coming out from it.

"You can rest for now or roam about but don't forget to return here for supper." The butler conscientiously reminded them.

Nina took this chance to walk around and look for something they could cook for dinner. She was looking forward to roasting some meat and fish in the middle of the wilderness.

Cygnus decided to stay after he walked around a bit. He returned inside the carriage and took a nap again.

"Let me help," Astrophos once again volunteered.

He followed Mr. C behind the carriage to carry the tents they've been sleeping for the past few nights and other things they would need for the night. They set up everything just as the sun was about to set when they heard the sound of another carriage passing by.

They only gave it a glance since it did not stop and continued with what they we're doing. Inside, Cygnus had a smile on his face just as the carriage passed by. He opened his eyes and stretched out his limbs before he got out.

"Master, come and have some tea since the night is a bit chilly." Mr. C prepared a cup for Cygnus and handed it to him.

"You should prepare a bit more tea," Cygnus commented after seeing the half filled kettle. He took a sip and sighed, "I don't really get how you can make the tea taste perfect even though you don't enjoy it yourself."

The butler only had a small smile on his face at his master's words. "I've had a lot of practice and that's also thanks to my good memory."

Mr. C did not hesitate to brew more tea and he even prepared a few more cups he got from the box of utensils they carried. He placed them neatly on top of a tray and even prepared stirrers and small plates to complete the set.

Astrophos has gotten used to this kind of interaction between the butler and the master, sometimes he could understand what they were talking about but most of the time, he felt that their words were full of hidden meaning. He'd become curious but everytime he thought about  asking, his mouth just clams up.

"Why is Nina taking her time?" Cygnus frowned while looking at the tea. 

Anytime now, some visitors will be coming so they should prepare. It would be rude if they treat their guests poorly.

"She's already on her way here. It seems that she went hunting. She's got quite a lot of prey on her hands." Mr. C looked behind Astrophos and he was right, Nina emerged from behind the trees dragging two large sized boars.

"We're going to have some meat!" She declared then dropped her haul on the ground near the camp fire.

"Mr. Astrophos, have you ever prepared meat before?" The butler asked. He stood up to check on their soon to be dinner.

Astrophos stood up without words then went straight to boars. He helped the butler skin and butcher the animal. Their movements were so swift and precise that they finished in record time.

Since the mage was not good at cooking, he left that task to Mr. C and Nina while he returned to where he was originally seated. He was silently watching the fire when he heard the master.

"I thought you were going to leave after that conversation of ours," Cygnus eyed the man from the side while enjoying his cup of tea.

He did not want to answer but the man was openly staring at him, "Would it be better if I left?" He retorted.

Cygnus chuckled, "You know, I always get amused whenever I am talking with you." He continued to laugh which made Astrophos frown even more. "It would be a bit disappointing if you had left. I won't find anything amusing in this journey."

"Am I some kind of a pastime to you?" This time Astrophos looked him in the eye.

"Sort of, since you're so easy to provoke. You have courage at times but become coward when you find the situation difficult. You also get easily confused like a lost puppy." The master's shoulder shook as he watched the other's ever changing expression.

Astrophos took a deep breath and showed an indifferent face, "And why do you even found that amusing?"

"Human expression has always been amusing for me and when I see someone with so much of it, I get this urge to say eliminate those things." The master's voice became low and cold.

The mage felt the unmistakable killing intent directed at him coupled with the air around them that became cold. He snapped his head up and saw a red glint from the master's eyes. Astrophos jumped away from where he was sitting, ready to fight anytime.

"That was quite a quick reaction," Cygnus closed his eyes and the atmosphere around them returned to normal. "But if I were really going to kill you, you would have been dead where you were seated."

The adrenaline that rushed throughout Astrophos's body slowly died down and only the loud beating of his heart echoed in his ears. The man who was enjoying his tea in front of him was really dangerous.

"Master, the food is ready." Mr. C came up to them but he noticed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward. "Master, what did you do?"

Cygnus sipped the last drop of tea before he spoke, "Nothing, I was just having a little bit of fun."

Mr. C looked at the mage's direction and even with the fire's dim light, he could tell that the mage was pale. "Mr. Astrophos, please go and help Nina prepare the food. It will also help you calm down."

With shaky legs, Astrophos left without turning back. The butler spoke a few words to Cygnus but the latter didn't really hear any of it. 

Seeing that the master was ignoring him Mr. C decided to stop and instead tell him of the news. "It seems that we have visitors."