Off the rails

"So what's your deal Shadow?"

I asked him. I mean someone with his skill and prowess should at least have a high paying assassination job and yet he stuck to petty theft.

Shadow continued wolfing down his third plate as he asked for another.

I wanted a rat and I found a wolf instead, how annoying.

"You do realize this is not free right?"

Shadow looked at me with a ferocious glare as he pointed the fork right at my throat.

Well you know how to use a fork at least, I was worried seeing as you only used it for intimidating but now I see that you're a dog with etiquette.

"Calm down now, I only meant you have to do something for me in exchange"

Shadow put down his menacing fork and licked his lips and gave me his attention.

"Do you happen to know the group Vengeance?"

"A rebellion"

Good good! Now, what else do you know?

"Can you get in?"

Shadow sighed and bit the chicken leg he once again ordered without my consent.

"How much are you willing to pay?"

"You're asking the wrong question Shadow, why don't you ask me how much I'll be able to help you instead, because I promise you that you will have it all if you stand with me"

"Not interested"

He nonchalantly refused me.

Patience Spade patience!

"10,000 quills, and if you do well I could raise it to 50,000"

"Deal"

He said as he put down the chicken bone and left. Well, the boy was interesting at least. Now then I'll have to deal with the three other puppies left to my care by that stupid king.

When I got back home there was utter chaos. In the garden, Crystal and Zyderine were arguing, passed that in the hallway is Alfron scolding his maid Sarah and in the training hall are the recruits are being berated by someone who shouldn't be teaching them in Saber's absence.

I assume he must be taking instructions from the king by now but then again who knows about that old man.

"Hey"

I greet the two girls from behind and they were immediately startled, like kids in the back of the school building smoking and the guard called over, they had guilty looks from all over.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Hm let's try to deduce shall we, they are holding a ripped piece of paper so it must be related to that, perhaps a letter? No no, if so they wouldn't look guilty, a piece of paper they ripped and tsk most likely mine. What could it be, however? If it's my journal then it's game over, I recorded all sorts of data about them there but wait no they couldn't have read it, it's written in Tagalog after all. Why Tagalog? because should someone from my world also exist here then they would be able to read English most likely however try finding someone other than a Filipino who knows Tagalog, I bet you can't.

My safe guess would be that should someone be transported here as well, there is only a 1 in 6.8 billion chance it would be someone from a small country as the Philippines.

It's something they can read so my letters that I haven't sent to Blade comes to mind which again is bad because my whole Lottery modus operandi would be unravelled as well as make me very suspicious in their eyes.

"So what did you read?"

I look at them with a slight glare similar to a 'disappointed parent look. It's unnerving I know.

"We're sorry!"

Crystal was the first to react. Well, thankfully it's not my letters.

"It's Crystal's fault! I swear!"

Zyderine exclaimed.

"It's fine I'm not mad"

Zyderine looked displeased as she misunderstood my relief for lenience for Crystal.

"I'm leaving"

Zyderine said as she gave a cold look to Crystal before she left. Goddammit! I have had it with all these things going off the rails.

Well, she isn't important for the special move I've been concocting I suppose. I tell Crystal who had looked sad to follow me as I also round up Alfron.

As I pass the two stopped talking.

"Field now"

"Not now damn it"

Alfron agitatedly replied.

"Sarah would you excuse us?"

I turn to the girl for help.

"Ah yes sir of course"

Sarah bowed slightly and left.

"There, now follow me"

"What do you want Escroc?!"

"I'm creating a powerful combo spell"

"Hah with you? Don't make me laugh"

"No, with her"

I look at Crystal.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Having to follow you was bad enough and now you want me to tag along with my worthless sister too?!"

Crystal looked hurt by Alfron's words.

"Alfron"

I called his name to make him back off but he wasn't backing down.

"What? It's true! You are nothing Crystal! I am ashamed to be your brother, you can't do anything right!"

Crystal couldn't take it anymore so she ran away crying. Make my day! Will nothing go right?!

I pursue her but before that, I slam Alfron to the wall.

"One last goddamn fucking chance! You pull this shit again and were done hear me?!"

I threaten him then leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfron punched the wall upon Spade's leave so hard that the wall shakes as he also walked away.

Alfron has been having a bad day since his awkward encounter with Saber and Claudia but to add to this was his argument with his lover Sarah.

"Who else have you been telling about us huh?!"

The frantic Alfron approached the maid as she walked by.

"First of all I haven't told anyone and second of all how dare you take that tone with me! What are you that ashamed of me that you couldn't bear the thought of someone knowing?"

"You know I don't mean it to sound that way"

"No Alfron, I don't! First, you keep our relationship secret then you go off flirting with the other maids, and to add to that you're engaged?! Am I just a sex toy to you?!"

Sarah said as she walked away.

"Sarah wait! You're the one I want!"

"Well, what about what I want Alfron? What about MY needs? I don't want to be ashamed of myself Alfron, I don't want to keep thinking every night that one day you'll go off to be married to some royal girl. I need my peace of mind!" She said teary-eyed.

"Look what do you want me to do?"

"Break off your fucking engagement!"

"I will! but give me time to let down my father easy"

"It's always someone else your putting first before isn't there"

Right after she said that Spade came walking and the rest was already told.

"Goodbye Alfron"

Sarah whispered to him before she left.

Alfron was frustrated by everything that just occurred so he went to the training hall to release some tension.

What was he to do? Disappoint his father or lose his lover? Although from the way she spoke Alfron came to wonder whether if he still did have a lover.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spade chased after Crystal and found her gently weeping in the gardens.

"I'm sorry about what Alfron said, I'm sure he didn't mean it"

"No, I'm sure he did. You don't know how it feels Spade, to be the odd one out, to be the one failure in the family of greats. It took me the longest time to learn how to read and when I did I still couldn't even write properly, I was the one who is laughed at and pitied, I am the failure!"

"You listen to me Crystal, failure is an action and not a statement. You were the last to learn to read well then read twice the books everyone else did, everyone laughed at you? Then you have made someone smile. You may be dumb or pathetic but that doesn't mean you will stay that way forever. Prove to everyone you are someone who failed but not a failure"

"How?"

"Wait here and try to remember why you fight"

I say as I leave for a while and visit a particular person. I go to the second floor and knock on his door and it opens.

"Lacquer Tidelode, it's nice to finally meet you"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfron continues to hit the wooden dummy harshly as he tried to release the tension he felt.

"You know that dummy isn't a worthy opponent for you"

From behind Spade remarked.

"And you are?"

"No no, it's too early for that. There is someone who'd make a good sparring opponent for you though, follow me"

Before Alfron could reply Spade already walked so he simply followed and was brought to the garden where Crystal waited silently.

"This is getting old Spade!"

"Why don't you just give it a try Alfron"

Lacquer said as he approached them.

Alfron would usually refuse but coming from his former mentor who taught him magic he agreed out of respect.

"You can go crazy, both of you Lacquer here would keep things from going out of control. Right Luck?"

Spade pat his shoulder and Lacquer only nodded.

This fight was absurd to Alfron for many reasons, one was that Lacquer is the enemy and yet Spade is being all friendly with him and the rest, well it could be easily deduced.

Crystal said she was ready so Alfron began and struck first, he was going for a fast game to end the absurdity quickly so he raised the ground below him and made it float as he rode it and threw minor pebbles at Crystal that may be minuscule but hurts just enough to make one faint.

Alfron expected everything to end there but to his surprise not only was his attack deflected but Crystal made an attack of her own.

Her magic was similar to nature as she made flowers from the garden release petals in a fast way that not only destroyed the pebbles but also went straight for Alfron.

Alfron quickly defended with the boulder he rode on but due to it, he fell on the ground after running out of stone from the boulder. He was surprised but he quickly recovered his focus and attacked Crystal but seriously this time.

He again took out a boulder from the ground and shattered it to create numerous shards of stone which he hurled towards Crystal. She still took the defensive but it was no problem for her still as the hardened petals protected her by surrounding her like a petal filled tornado but this was expected by Alfron as he went straight through the flower tornado with his rock hardened fists.

Crystal took out vines and bound Alfron which he replied by using rock spikes and again Crystal used her vines to subdue it.

Alfron knew that this could go on forever and Crystal didn't even attack yet so he decided to end this match with a strong spell just a few magic power away from his 'Eclipse'

Alfron created a barrier of stone for him to defend himself and started to accumulate boulders above similar to how he created the eclipse but this boulder was crescent-shaped and smaller than the other but large nonetheless as it darkened the whole Castle's view.

"Cresent Moon!"

At the same time, he was doing this Crystal prepared a special spell of her own. Unlike Alfron's showy methods hers was discreet and elegant as from her side the sun began shining brighter and brighter and when Cresent Moon was released it was focused into one side creating a vertical beam that disintegrated the giant boulder.

"Sun beam!"

At the end of the match the victor was clear and Alfron only stood dumbfounded as once again he was defeated by his younger sister.

Spade took Crystal as she fainted from exhaustion and took her to the infirmary.

Now Alfron and Lacquer remained. Alfron headed towards Lacquer in a climactic fashion.

What could Alfron possibly do? fight his former teacher? Ask him why he would betray his father? Or perhaps like Saber switch sides?

"Sarah left me"

He said as he sat next to his real teacher. For now he wished to forget the rebellion, to forget his new mentor, to forget everything and go back to the days where he would tell Lacquer everything...

The days where he felt at peace.