“How does this even make sense?”
I looked around and saw people staring at me with raised brows. Some even looked at me with gloating looks.
In particular…
“Uekh!”
“What are you laughing at?”
“You.”
I pursed my lips, feeling the wrinkles on the mask change subtly. Indeed, my mask was that of an old man. With greying white hair, deep wrinkles, and sunken cheeks, I wasn’t just old. I was really old.
‘Ah, shit.’
Looking around me and seeing everyone’s faces, I felt like crying. Why was I the only one made to look like an old man?
“You have to change your voice too. Make yourself sound older.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Oh no…”
Leon covered his face with both hands and pretended to look scared. The only issue with his actions was the lack of change in his expression. His face just seemed to drip with sarcasm at this very moment.
“I’ll kill you.”
“You already said that.”
“I wanted to make sure you understood.”
“Has everyone put on their disguise? If you have, please line up here. We will soon send you to the Kasha.”
With a small portal appearing behind the Head Maid, she looked at us with a thin smile on her face. Despite her stern voice, she was rather friendly.
I looked at Leon and shook my head.
‘He’s not worth it.’
From there, I decided to line up but my troubles didn’t stop. A hand soon pressed against my shoulder, pulling me back.
“Uh? Oy, oldie. The fuck are you doing here?”
“I…”
Her appearance was different, but the tone and voice were recognizable.
“I know we kind of look like staff, but we are actually here on an important task. If you would
“Wait, Kiera.”
A hand pressed against Kiera’s shoulder, stopping her. When she turned around, she frowned. “What do you want?”
“That…”
Stifling a laugh, Aoife pointed to me.
“Khuk… That, he’s also with us.”
“Uh?”
Kiera flicked her head and dubiously looked at me.
“Are you shitting me?”
“No, look at his posture. Considering his looks, he should be more hunched.” “Oh, shit.”
Kiera’s eyes widened in realization. Pulling her hand back, she wiped it using Aoife’s sleeve, prompting an ‘Oy, watch it!’ from her. Unbothered by Aoife, Kiera leaned in closer to look at
me.
“Pftt-”
A laugh escaped her lips shortly after that.
“No fucking way. Hahaha.”
Pointing at me, she slapped her thigh.
“Poor soul. I don’t know who you are but-”
“It’s Julien.”
“Eh? What did you just say?”
“That… The old man is Julien.”
Aoife repeated, staring at me with inflated cheeks.
Blinking her eyes, Kiera’s eyes started to water and her shoulders started to shake. Taken aback by her reaction, Aoife cocked her head and pulled her back to get a look at her, but soon enough, Kiera exploded.
“Buahahaha.”
Her laugh attracted the attention of all those present.
“Buhahaha… hueee…”
Through deep breaths, she would point at me while laughing as tears flowed out of her eyes. I just stared at the scene in silence while Leon stood behind Kiera, mimicking her actions
without making any noise.
That…
“Huelp…! I… haha… can’t breathe… hue…!”
I was unsure of which one to be pissed about.
Leon or Kiera?
“Huelp!”
After a certain point, Kiera’s face started to turn purple from how hard she was laughing.
“Haha… Hue…!”
She looked to be in between bouts of pain and joy.
And… it may or may not be due to me.
“Are you okay?”
“….Buehehehe!”
Kiera’s eyes turned bloodshot as she burst out laughing again. It was likely due to a combination of my voice and my powers. Still, hidden within the laughter I could see a certain
horror.
“Hue…! Hu!”
‘Make it stop.’
I looked up at Aoife who flinched at the sight of me. She shook her head, her face growing
pale.
“No, that’s cheating.”
I innocently blinked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“!”
Aoife hastily covered her mouth. With an ‘oh shit’ she looked up at me and dashed away. I was
about to follow up when I realized there was a far more valuable target.
Flinch!
Flinching visibly, Leon shook his head.
‘Spare me.’
His eyes paused on the suffocating Kiera and his face paled.
“That’s too much. You monster.’
“Hueh..! Haw!”
Gripping my ankle, Kiera looked up at me with a begging look. She looked pitiful. But I held
no pity for her.
I was just about to open my mouth when a powerful voice bellowed throughout the reception.
“Cadets!”
Looking back, the Head Maid was looking at us with a sharp expression.
It was only then that I noticed that everyone was looking at us.
“Cease your behavior right now! You will all soon be sent to a very dangerous place and such behavior will be unacceptable! Please stop at this moment and take my final words
seriously.”
|| ||
Looking at Kiera, I silently clicked my tongue.
“Huaa!”
That was when she finally stopped laughing and started panting heavily. ‘F-fuck, I thought I
saw my life flash before my eyes.’ Ignoring her mumbles, I looked back at the Head Maid who alternated her gaze between us before nodding.
“I hope this type of behavior doesn’t continue beyond this portal. It would be okay if your
actions only influence yourself, but you will not be going by yourself. You are all a group. One’s mistake can lead to the entire group being implicated. Not only that but the House of Myron might also be implicated. Your actions don’t just affect you.”
There was no arguing with her points.
I understood where she was coming from and so I just merely nodded my head in
understanding.
That seemed to do it as she finally smiled again and continued her pep talk. From what we had to look out for to who we had to be careful of, she mentioned everything
that we needed to know. By the time she was done, an hour had passed and it was time for us
to finally enter the portal.
“If everyone is ready then please go into the portal. I wish you all the best of luck.”
Woom!
First to enter the portal was Amell who was followed shortly after by Aoife and then the rest ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
of the class.
Following them closely from behind, I made sure to remember all the faces of those around
me.
Even though we had some sort of device that would tell us when someone was near, it was
still safe to memorize the faces of all those around me.
I spent the better part of the next minute doing that.
Soon, it became my turn, and without hesitation, I entered the portal.
“Best of luck. I wish you a safe trip.”
The Head Maid’s words were the last words I heard before my vision turned black.
*
The Kasha; the land beyond the walls.
…And the forgotten land.
“It’s the same.”
A gray, desolate sky stretched endlessly over the land, draping every inch in a lifeless
monochrome and stripping away even the faintest hint of color, leaving behind a world devoid of vitality.
The sky was the perfect reflection of the gloom that covered the world.
…None of the people within had ever seen the true sky, assuming the gray and monochrome
sky as the norm.
Like caged beasts who knew nothing about the true freedom that was beyond.
But a few knew of the true sky that lay beyond the gray.
“Haa.”
A wrinkly hand reached out for the gray sky, its tips almost touching it.
He could almost feel it at its fingertips, but couldn’t quite touch it.
“…So close.”
To those who knew, their only thought was;
“I want to rip the sky.”
Rip the bars of the cage that trapped them.
*
“Uhm?”
The pungent smell of alcohol hit my nostrils the moment I regained my vision. I wasn’t the
only one to notice the smell as the others showed similar expressions.
“What is this smell?”
“…Ukh.”
“My nose.”
It was quite powerful.
‘Where are we?’
As I glanced around, it became clear we were in a vast hall flanked by towering pillars on
either side. The dark marble floor beneath me gleamed with such a polished sheen that I could
see my own reflection staring back at me.
Torches hung by the side of the pillars, casting a dim glow over the surroundings.
The more I looked around the place, the more gloomy it felt.
‘Did we make it to the right place…?’
Just as I was wondering, the muffled sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. When I turned
around, a group of people headed in our direction.
Leading the group was a tall, middle-aged man with striking sharp features and a sturdy
build. His deep green eyes seemed to pierce through the dim light of the hall, while his dark
hair swayed gently with each step he took.
“Welcome, friends from afar!”
With open arms and a smile, he welcomed all of us.
His voice transmitted through every corner of the large hall as he spoke.
“…It is rare for us to have such guests, and I’m pleased to see that all of you have made it here
safely.” Despite his welcoming appearance and smile, I couldn’t help but frown upon seeing the man before me. His power… it was well-hidden, but I could feel it.
‘He’s strong.’
Very strong.
Perhaps not as strong as Delilah, or Atlas, but he definitely was at around the seventh tier or
higher.
‘… They weren’t lying when they said the people of the Kasha are very strong.’
“It is unfortunate that I can’t spend much time with you guys, but there’s something that I
have to take care of urgently. In the meantime, I’m sure you have all been briefed about our situation.”
Glancing at the group of people behind him, they all stepped forward and displayed a few brooms and buckets.
“In order to avoid suspicion from the House of Astrid, we had no choice but to have you all
come as servants. While the sudden influx of servants may seem suspicious, I can handle that part.”
In the meantime, I reached out for a broom and thanked the man in front of me before glancing at it.
‘It’s just a regular broom.’
“I don’t have many rules, but of the few, I would like it if none of you acted out of place when
you go out. If someone asks you for money, you ignore them. If someone is dying, you ignore
it. If a child wants some food, you ignore them.”
Before anyone had the chance to say anything, the man’s tone lowered, reaching an almost threatening level.
“…I don’t mean it just for your safety, but for our safety too.”
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
“The House of Astrid has strict control over the Eastern Kasha. They’ve recently shut down all
their doors, and despite our attempts at trying to communicate with them, we were unable to
do a thing. It was also then that everything started.”
Pursing his lips, the man shook his head while mumbling, ‘At the rate things are going, we
might have no choice but to take drastic measures. I hope that won’t be the case.’
Raising his head, he took a deep breath and looked around.
Eventually, his gaze settled over to me.
“Hm?”
Confused, I furrowed my brows. But before I could dwell on it, he began walking toward me,
his steps slow and steady, until he finally stopped right in front of me.
My entire body tensed at the sight of me and the moment he stopped in front of me, my
his hand my
breath caught. Slowly, I lifted my head to meet his sharp gaze, and that was when he extended way. “You must be the Professor in charge of them. I’m sorry I couldn’t welcome you all properly,
but I hope you understand. I will be leaving now, but I’ll call you back when I have time. I
hope that is alright with you.”
It all grew silent from that point as I found myself unable to speak.
That.. did he just?
Breaking the silence was a low, yet audible stifled sound.
“Pftt-!”
