After the play, a group of friends had been talking about the wonderful fable just now. There were 5 of them, all classmates from 3rd year Scholars.
“That was a fantastic play! I was disappointed at first that I don’t get to see Lovushka on a dress, but he still looks wonderful as a King Lovushka after all!”
“I’m more intrigued by the deep themes of the plot. That unexpected twist in the third act was so deliciously scrumptious, them being controlled by the Spirit all along and already expecting the revolution.”
“But why though? What was the Spirit’s purpose, what does it truly want? Will the Hyena really be returning to get its revenge? It was a good play, but it has an open ending and leaves a lot of questions.”
“I still could not help but gush over all the good technical effects. The costumes, the acting, all those fighting choreography….. It’s impeccable! Truly worthy of being the most famous travelling troupe in Magecia!”
“Uh….. Have you guys never noticed that hooded person following us?”
They all turned around, and saw this taller and older hooded figure smile.
“Hello, children. Care to follow me?”
At the mention of the word follow, they suddenly had the desire to follow this hooded man.
“What in the nine heavens!?”
“I can’t control my legs!”
“Are we really just going to follow this suspicious man!?”
They were ignored by most people because they have have been walking pretty normally. They tried to fight back the urge to follow his command, but to no avail.
All the way to the dormitory itself.
“Hey, we’re back at the dorms….. Is this guy just leading us to his room?” One whispered to the other.
“Maybe he has no friends to talk with?”
“Idiot! And you call yourself as Scholar! He’s obviously kidnapping us, perhaps to use us to ransom some money from our parents!”
The hooded figure chuckled. “And you are also an idiot, because why would I lead you to another dorm room at school if I plan to kidnap you?”
“Just tell us what you want!” One yelled. “I hate being controlled like this, it irks me! We’ll give you anything!”
“And you will give me what I want in due time.” The hooded mam opened the door, and soon revealed an average dorm room with only one key difference.
There was a large, throne-like chair in the middle of it.
Ronin had managed to get the resurrecting machine after all even under the doubtful eye of Calla Lily. She had let him do it out of curiosity to see what more he plans to do, and possibly try to catch him ‘in the act’ for anything wrong or illegal.
But she still have no idea exactly what that was, only that there’s something wrong with this Coal commoner with high Flame.
Ronin picked up a long cloth from his bedpost. He cannot use rope as the ligature marks would be too obvious. The sash was purple, reminding him very much…
Of that purple whip that he once owned as Ronin Dreadborne. That Fausforus once owned.
The fable still makes his blood boil for some reason. No, he knows exactly why.
The feeling of betrayal and anger was getting to him again, even if it was his character that was wronged, not him. But at the same time…..
Could it be deeper than that?
Could it be that its not just him feeling what Fausforus or Ronin Dreadborne was supposed to be feeling…..
But that story of friendship and betrayal struck a more personal nerve to him?
Ronin had only come to ponder more about his true identity after that scene now. And will continue to do so in the future.
But in the meantime….
“Now.” Ronin turned to one of them. “See that chair? SIT.”
He was hungry. It was time to feed.
“Why should I— Ah!” He exclaimed. “Help, he’s controlling me to sit!”
“Stop this already!”
“Someone help!”
Ronin frowned. “You boys are all so loud and annoying. And your thoughts too. Let me get some….. Ah, there they are.”
He took some handkerchiefs as the boy sit on the chair. He sweated nervously and continued shouting along with his companions, trying to go against Ronin’s control.
He went over and kneeled a bit, holding the handkerchief over the incapacitated boy….
“What are you—MPFH!”
He stuffed it on his mouth as a gag, and tied it up with another one to secure it!
He continued to do with the other boys that also complained, but could not move a muscle from his One-Word Command. After successfully gagging them, he smiled to himself.
“They would be a pain to wash with all your disgusting saliva, but that’s much better now.”
He went ahead to take his purple satin sash, and wrap it around the boy’s neck…..
And pulled with crazed eyes, gleaming maniacally.
“MRPFH! URK! HAH!”
The boy’s shout of pain were muffled, and his eyes started to roll back on his skulk as breathing became more and more difficult from his windpipe being squeezed.
Ronin enjoyed choking the life out of these stupid young boys and takes much pleasure in it.
He enjoyed the feeling of their Flame, and now found such sensation somehow delicious and fulfilling.
He was like the hyena, laughing hysterically at the slow death of its tortured prey.
But he released, making sure not to take too much. He activates the machine on the chair to heal any minor wounds, and then went to command the next one to sit.
After feeding on them, he took out the gags.
“Dark Lord! The Day of the Dark Lord is upon us!”
“Darkness everywhere, devouring everything, devouring the light!”
“Nothing can save us!”
The boys were traumatized and saw visions. Back when Ronin took a little taste of Cermin, he had also dreamed of the darkness enveloping him, but did not lose his mind because he took very little.
Ronin somehow now enjoyed turning these boys into a mess like this, shaking and so scared for dear life.
He reached out and they all tried to lean back, not wanting to be grazed by those fingers that almost killed them.
“Poor helpless little rabbits.” He grinned. “Follow me again.”
He commanded them to follow him outside, and once they reached far enough from his room…..
He took out a piece of a patrol guards hair and transformed into that guard, down to his large, buff build and his armor.
“Forget.”
Soon, the weeping and frightened boys blinked in confusion. Their eyes truly wide like anxious rabbits.
“Uh….. Why are we here—“
“HALT! It’s past sunset already, what are you boys doing out of curfew!?” Ronin the patrol guard exclaimed.
“Er, we were just—” One tried to explain, but failed to do so as he really has no idea what was going on.
“Return to your rooms now! I’ll be lenient if you hurry up! Or do you want me to report this to my superiors, not just one but five boys sneaking out!?”
“Right away, sir! Yes, sir!” They all exclaimed, and ran back to their rooms.
Ronin smirked, and went back after disabling the Fool’s Eye skill. Once he laid in bed….
“EXP viewer.”
A holographic screen appeared before him.
[Level 44
EXP: 131, 450 /950,000 ]
“All this trouble for just 6,890 EXP….. Sigh.” Ronin placed his hands behind his head as he laid in bed. “But it was fun tormenting them, at least.”
He wondered if he was such terrible person too back in the real world.
Someone who enjoys hurting others, fooling others, taking advantage and being violent to them…
That woman in that glimpse doesn’t seem to be that type of person at all.
He was not dumb, he knows that woman must be his mother. But she may not very well be, with how far the apple had fallen from the tree. She was very calm, docile, and was the ‘wise type’…
“Find your real purpose, little one. Find your true story.”
, ‘Such heavy words to tell a young boy.’ Ronin thought. ‘Is there even a purpose in life at all? Or is that just something we make up to feel significant?’
“There will be lies and illusions along the way. Perhaps its because of what people say to you, or their perception that you have come to believe. Perhaps it was the role that they gave to you, that you came to take as your own.”
‘I do not take any roles, I pick my own.’ Ronin thought. ‘I don’t care about what people perceive me as, if they see me as evil. Let them all hate me once it was revealed, I’ll keep on lying just to get what I want.’
“But you are smart, Ou. I trust that you would not be swayed by the lies.”
‘Ou…..’ He repeated.
That must be his name. Ou. But he also felt…..
That he has another, much longer name. This was a nickname.
“Push forward for your true path. And once you find it, never forget it, and never let it go.”
‘My path… I know very well my path is.’
He remembered that vision of the Headmaster again of Cermin offering his hand on another path, asking for forgiveness…..
Ronin gritted his teeth.
‘I will never let go of the path to destroying you. Never.’
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