Chapter 42: Chapter 42

"Good evening, Mister Max." Grant greets him with a polite bow. "Hugo told me that you want to meet me."

Max raised his brow before it back to normal. Seem Hugo didn't tell him about the reason about this meeting. "Good evening, Sir."

"Ah, please don't be formal to me. I don't deserve that." He smiles shyly.

"Then, I will be straight to the point." Max walked to the window and throw his gaze to the dark starless sky.

Their secret place to gather was an abandoned building in the outskirt, the Capital.

There is no particular reason to choose this place, however, Max looks around with longing feeling. He will never come back to this place since everything is settled.

"Is there something wrong?" Grant asked in curiosity.

"In the contrary, so many good things happened around me. I found the one you were looking for. She is currently living in the South Island."

Grant's body flinched and becoming numb for several seconds. "Are you certain? I, I ca-can't believe this! Finally!"

Max then turned his body and slowly taking off the mask, showing his striking flawless face.

Grant gasped, failed to hiding his astonishment, "O-oh! Mi-mi-mister Max, your face is back!"

"Better than before," Max smiles charmingly, "That's why I want to tell you this. I am Maximilian, as the mighty leader of Scorpion guild, freeing you, Sir Grant Heracles Lancia, or known as Marquess of Hagrav, from the vow we bind into. Your service is no longer needed. From now on, you are free to go.

"Ho-how could it be…"? Grant can believe what he heard and still in denial state. He never expected that he will get back his independence.

Dragon's curses usually need much more time to break for those who lucky. But, there are several cases where the curse can't be lifted in their lifetime.

"I owed my life to your niece, Sir Grant. She was the one who cured me and found the person you've been looking for."

Grant's face gotten pale and shivering. Seem, his body can handle this news, "My, my, niece? A daughter--,"

"I will swear my loyalty to her, Sir Grant. If I ever heard something unpleasant happened to her, I will show no mercy. Even though it was from you, her biological uncle."

Grant looked down on the floor with terrifying expression. He can sense something dangerous in his threat. Surely, Max isn't a person you should be messing around.

"I'm,I'm sorry about it, Mister Max. I was careless."

"It's okay. I heard Duke Lancia gave you a pass to the South Island. Then, I will expect your arrival, Sir Grant." He said after wear his black crow mask again.

"Y-yes. I will be more careful from now on."

Max smiled and before it disappeared into the mist, he said, "See you later, Marquess Hagrav."

Grant let out a sigh of relief and realize that he were holding his breath in the whole conversation.

"What is this kind of situation? I should have been delighted because of finding my deary Kaleela. But, that spoiled brat…,"

Grant stopped the trail of his words and gulped. No, he said to himself. I can't talk bad about that girl anymore.

Then he's laying down on the floor of that abandoned house. The ceiling was already gone, so he can perfectly saw the starless dark sky and wondering why do everything seem beautiful and as perfect as the heaven?

But, something seem bugging him. After, through thick and thin, Grant's heart sank after he was 'fired.'

He closed his eyes, "That's okay. It is always darkest before the dawn."

--

"Eh, where is he?" Cecilia asked when she arrived to the empty office with Hugo, who didn't even pretend to be surprise.

"He must be bored and going somewhere." Hugo took off his rope before fold it into the drawer.

"Hmm, you might be right." Cecilia's mind then wandering around and found one possibility. Max must be meeting that girl.

The thought about them being together in this late hour, make her annoyed somehow. Cecilia feels like she was losing something.

It was wrong for her to feel that. She shook her head to throw away those feeling before approached the couch and try to sit comfortably.

"Young Miss, I'm sorry for being rude. But can I ask you something?"

Cecilia nodded, and she knows that he must be curious with her relationship with Gil.

But, she already prepares the answers.

"Is it true that this is the first time you met Gil? But, it seems like you are knowing him for such a long time."

"Yeah, it surprises me to when he talked with an ancient language I've been learning of."

"Ancient language?"

"Yes, I noticed it in his book. Even though he only wrote one word of it. But, I got a feeling that he knew more than he shows."

Hugo nodded and, somehow, seem relieved. "So, that's why you were busy looking him. As I expected, there is nothing that escaped from your observations. Honestly, even I sometimes find a difficulty when he was saying that strange words. I thought it was his word. Hmm, we shouldn't judge a book from the cover."

Cecilia took off both of her small emerald earrings before stretched out her hands. "It's not much, but considering is a bonus for the trouble."

Hugo approached her and took the jewel, confused, "This is the Dark Forest gem, Young Miss. Just one of this earing can make you buy a small decent house in this Capital."

"And I need you to found several people who are an expert on cooking, tailoring or crafting. Maybe, six persons on each field are enough."

Hugo scratch his scalp, "I can do that. But, may I ask why did you do that?"

"For South Island, of course. But, as long as I remembered, I have owned a building in the central town." She closed her eyes and try to remember that three-story building which given by his father as her ten years birthday.

The building currently empty but still in the good condition. "I want to create hell… I mean school. Only for the commoners."