Chapter 289 - Reasons Binding

"However you came here, you must not have read up on this place in its entirety."

Upon hearing that, Rynold's eyes narrowed into a slightly provoking stare. But, as soon as Rynold realized that the man wasn't kidding, Rynold retracted any hostility he had extended. The glare turned into one filled with concern, wondering what the guy meant. And, as far as Rynold could tell, the man wasn't speaking out of his ass.

"So? What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything, my dear boy," the man answered with a slight indication of anger in his tone. It was hard to notice, though, hearing how his voice sounded.

"Right. Go on, then. Enlighten me."

"Where to start..," the man paused to think, leaning back on the leather chair. He sat there, silent and thinking for just a moment, before continuing. "I suppose you saw all the runes outside on the walls, yes? Why do you think I went through such lengths to make it so?"

"Dunno," Rynold answered honestly, "I'm guessing it's to keep out everything out there from coming in here. Good job so far. Although, it's a bit excessive, don't you think?"

"Ah, you see, it has to be," the man smiled and leaned forward to his desk, "The runes I have set up outside are my only prevention from all the creatures living outside these walls. They are every bit necessary as you might think it is. While you have met your share of enemies, I assure you, they are not as savage as the ones I am trying to keep away. Believe me, if it weren't for that, I would be long dead."

"Okay..," Rynold's expression tensed as he felt perplexed by what the man had just said, "That answers about less than half of my questions. But, I guess, that helps put things into perspective."

"Hm. I gathered as much," the man nodded before opening a drawer on his side of the table, "Let me tell you a story then, boy. First, a drink?"

That said, the man pulled out two clear glasses and placed them on the table. He then opened another desk drawer and pulled out a glass of alcohol from it. Whatever it was, it was dark. Rynold didn't know much about alcoholic drinks, but he was sure that this bottle was expensive.

"Uh...," Rynold awkwardly reached out, "I don't like drinking alcohol. It's just not me. Sorry."

The man looked at Rynold all strangely, with a face clearly thinking what was the matter with him. Almost immediately after, though, the man looked away from Rynold and shrugged. "More for me then," he said as he kept the other glass back to the desk drawer and poured himself a drink. Rynold watched as the man took a sip of the dark alcohol.

"Ah, I've been saving that for a special occasion," the smile on the old man's face didn't seem to waver. He stared at the glass in his hand, looking at it a lot more intensely than he should. And, a few seconds later, the man placed the glass on the table and shifted his gaze to Rynold. He looked at him with a strange expression, as if the guy was eager and excited for no reason.

"So, back to your question, yes?" the man asked, smile and all, "You asked whyever did I stay here? If you had done your research correctly, you would have already known why. If you don't know something as simple as that, then I suppose you don't know who I am either. Whoever dumped you here or, whatever your reason is, you are far too uninformed to come here."

"We've established that, old man," Rynold sat up as the atmosphere suddenly turned tense.

"Indeed, we have. And, as you have mentioned, there is nothing you can do about it now that you are here. So, let me start by saying that this place is no paradise. There is no sanctuary, no haven here. You asked why I lived alone, so I shall tell you. I am here because I am cursed. While the story is something this man would not bother telling, it is for that reason that I am here. For centuries now, I suppose. Who knows? I've no reason to keep count."

Rynold nodded, motioning for the man to continue the story. He seemed to avoid the details, Rynold noticed, but, at this point, Rynold had nothing but time. So, if anything, Rynold was eager to listen to what the man had to say. At that moment, Rynold even sported a curious look on his face.

"So," Rynold added, continuing the conversation after a pause, "This curse of yours? That bad?"

"In retrospect, it isn't," the man answered, scoffing and shaking his head after, "Trapped in this castle, forever trusted to protect this place from monsters. It hardly sounds like a curse, no? That was what I thought at first as well. How I spite myself for accepting this task."

"Hold up," Rynold leaned forward, putting both his elbows on his thighs, "You're telling me that you're here on the job? That you have to protect this place no matter what?"

"You heard correctly, young one," the man smiled, nodding his head. But, the guy's eyes, on the other hand, were showing signs of pain and sadness. Rynold noticed it, even slightly. "This, for all eternity, is my task. A task that I have to accomplish no matter what."

As soon as Rynold heard that, a hint of pity rose up in his heart. While there was no reason for him to feel bad for a guy he had just met, something about his story tugged at his heartstrings. Duty? That was a concept Rynold was all too familiar with, to no fault of his own. Rynold knew how much he had to sacrifice to get the job done. But, seeing this guy sitting across the table from him, he knew it was nothing compared to what he had to do.

"How come?" Rynold looked away from the man for just a second before looking him in the eye, "How come you have to be here for all eternity? That doesn't make any sense. What's here to protect? As far as I can tell, there's nothing here. Nothing at all."

"I... am not surprised that you see it that way," the man acknowledged Rynold's questions, as frantic as they may be. "However, there is more to this place than meets the eye. While I cannot show you, I urge you to trust me. If you don't believe anything I said, now is the time to do so. There is something ancient under this structure. Something that, if left unwatched, will wreak havoc throughout the known dimensions, the known worlds."

Rynold could tell. The guy was serious, abundantly so. The adamant tone in his voice carried the weight of the message. Even though he spoke as if he had just come out of a bad cough, Rynold heard him loud and clear.

"Okay," Rynold nodded. At the back of his head, though, Rynold thought to ask for what it was. But, Rynold knew better not to. Instead, he chose to ask something entirely different, "Mind telling me one last thing, though?"

"Proceed."

"Why'd you do it?" he asked, straightforwardly and unhesitantly, "This was a job, yeah? If you knew what you were getting into and, from what I can tell, had to give your consent, why?"

After saying all that, the man sat still, unmoving. He stared at the glass of alcohol on his desk, the dark-colored drink reflecting the light of the small desk lamp. The question stumped him, unsure of what answer he had to give. Rynold, on the other hand, didn't really expect much. He cared, sure. But, it was more so that he just wanted to know what the guy's thought process was.

"I... Heh," the man chuckled, showing that the question had caught him off-guard, "I don't remember why anymore. It's been far too long, and my memory doesn't serve me as well as yours do you. Therefore, I cannot answer that question. However, whatever it might have been, I am well within reason to think that it was stupid."

Rynold nodded, avoiding the man's face all the same. He stared on the carpet below him, quietly acknowledging that it was the best that he could get out of the guy. And, as interesting as he was, Rynold still had other things to do. Rynold's avoidance of seeing the man's face was his piss-poor attempt in detaching himself from the man and his story.

The man, on the other hand, grabbed his drink and finished it. He didn't expect to face such a tough question from some guy who had stumbled into his home. But, somehow, he was glad that Rynold had asked it. If anything, it reminded him of his humanity. Centuries of living alone were more than enough to make him forget who he was. And, even though he could barely remember it, he still saw that he was human. It appeared as though that no amount of time would erase that.