"The Rayleigh family specialized in elven prophecy," Oliver continued his explanation. "They had helped the elven race overcome great calamities and were treated with respect by the entire race. One day, the Patriarch of the Rayleigh family had a revelation in his dreams…"
"What kind of revelation?" William inquired.
"I'm not telling you." Oliver snorted.
"Then what is the point of explaining if you're just going to leave me hanging?!"
"Because you're still too weak, too dumb, and too stupid to understand."
"Y-You! Are you picking a fight with me?!"
"No. I'm here to ask you a favor."
"This is not the right way to ask for a favor." William scoffed. "You're just being annoying!"
Oliver pretended that he didn't hear William's outburst and tapped the table with his claws. "When you grow older, you are destined-- I mean, you might be forced by circumstance to go to the central continent…"
William eyed the parrot monkey in contempt, but he didn't say anything and listened to his explanation.
"You will find my Mistress' twin sister. Her name is Lady Celeste."
"Twin Sister? Master has a twin sister?"
"Are you deaf? Didn't I just say that 'You will find my Mistress' twin sister' earlier?" Oliver glared. "Now stop asking questions and just listen."
"Would it kill you to just give me a straightforward answer you monkey!" William glared back.
"I'm not a monkey. I'm a Parrot Monkey," Oliver growled. "You uncultured swine."
"Meeeeeeeh!"
"Sorry, Miss Ella," Oliver apologized. "Your son is making things difficult for me."
"Meeeeeeh!"
"Okay. I'll try to lower my IQ to his level."
"Meeeh." Ella nodded her head.
William's face darkened. He really wanted to strangle the stupid Parrot Monkey in front of him for hinting that he had low IQ. What was worse was that his Mama Ella acknowledged that he had a low IQ!
Mama Ella, what happened to the promised love between mother and child?
William lowered his head in defeat. He felt that the world around him had lost all colors as he drank the lukewarm tea in his cup.
"As I was saying, when you visit the central continent, you will find Lady Celeste," Oliver said in a slow and clear voice as if he was speaking to a three-year-old child. "Unlike Mistress' purple hair color, Lady Celeste has light-green hair and blue eyes. They look exactly the same, so it's impossible for you to not recognize her. Are you following me so far?"
"Yes."
"Ah, by the way, how old are you again?"
"Ten."
"Okay, so ten years ago… that would make them eighteen," Oliver mumbled as he looked at the window of the first floor with a nostalgic gaze.
The parrot monkey recovered a minute later and focused his attention on William. "When you see Lady Celeste, tell her that Mistress needs the seed of life."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"So, I just need to tell her that Master needs the seed of life?" William asked.
"Of course, you must also personally deliver the seed of life back to Mistress," Oliver replied with a serious expression. "This is imperative. You cannot entrust it to anyone else. Do I make myself clear?"
"Understood." William nodded. "However, I don't understand one thing."
"What is it that you don't understand?"
"How come you're so confident that I'm going to go to the Central Continent?"
"Because the Southern Continent is too small for you." Oliver raised his head and stared straight at William's face. His voice was very confident as if everything he had said had already been set in stone. "Also, since you are Mistress' disciple, you still need to go to the central continent whether you like it or not."
"And why is that?" William asked with a raised brow.
"It's a matter of pride," Oliver replied. "Any master would want their disciple to succeed and for that to happen, you must go to the central continent. Only there will you find the things that you are lacking."
William was still half in doubt, but he still decided to accept Oliver's explanation. Although the Southern Continent is not exactly small, it isn't exactly big either. You could easily fit ten Southern Continents in the Central Continent.
That just shows how vast the central continent was. Even so, William didn't really feel like going there. Although the life in Lont was crude and simple, it was peaceful. Also, the Southern Continent has many good things to see as well.
He bid Oliver goodbye after finishing their discussion. The boy also promised to return the next day to check on Celine's condition. Although it doesn't show on his face, William was also worried about his Master.
Oliver watched William's retreating back from the window of the house. When the boy's image could no longer be seen, a sigh resounded in the room. He could still remember his Master, Lord Darwin's sad expression as he told Oliver the prophecy that the Rayleigh Family had decreed.
"On the third day in the month of the High Priestess, a pair of twins is going to be born."
"One an elf, her blood diluted with darkness."
"The second, pure blooded, a genius rarely seen in the world."
"On their eighteenth birthday, the Prince of Darkness will be born. One of them will be his bride, the other will be left out in the storm."
"Ruin and destruction will follow in his wake…"
"His happiness or sorrow will drive you awake."
"In the end you must remember, not all things are meant for forever."
"In the end… you have nothing to lose."
"It just depends on how you choose."
"Oliver, watch over Celine for me," Darwin said. "If you ever meet that prince, make sure to check his character. If you think that he is dangerous… dispose of him. Regardless of the consequences, you must eliminate him."
"Master, what If he's not dangerous?"
"How can he not be dangerous? He is the Prince of Darkness. He is bound to be dangerous."
Oliver didn't want to argue with his Master, but he was someone who didn't like to murder people in cold blood. "What if he's not?"
"If… If he really isn't a bastard then I guess you can spare him. J-Just make sure that he won't bully Celine or Celeste when he grows up. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes. Master."
-----
"Twenty eight years have passed since then… Master," Oliver said softly. "I have finally found him. But, it seems that he is indeed not an ordinary prince."
Oliver's eyes could see through the soul of people using the ability "Eye of the Soul". He had stayed by Celine's side in order to keep a lookout for the identity of the Prince of Darkness in the prophecy.
He was surprised to see that William's soul was that of a teenager, and not only that, his soul contained three divinities! Oliver knew that the fabled prince had finally made his appearance.
As to whether he would be a Messiah or the bringer of ruin, Oliver didn't know. All he knew was that if William turned out to be a threat to his Mistress, he would honor his promise with his creator, Lord Darwin, and kill him.
"William, I hope you don't disappoint me," Oliver muttered as it closed its eyes. "For your sake, and mine. I pray that the day where I have to personally end your life will not come to pass."
Oliver didn't know who the bride of the prince would be. The prophecy was vague, so no one could tell if the chosen one would be Celine or Celeste. However, one thing was for sure. Only one of them would be chosen, while the other would be cast to the side.
As Celine's guardian for many years, Oliver was biased towards her. If William was really the Prince of the prophecy, he would rather have the boy choose Celine rather than the spoiled genius of the elven race, Lady Celeste.
"If the boy is really good, maybe I should help and play matchmaker?" Oliver pondered. "Should I send Master a letter and tell him that the Prince had appeared?"
The Parrot Monkey thought for a long time before finally deciding to write a letter. He reasoned that since this was an important matter, his Master must be informed as well.
What Oliver failed to foresee was that his action would send ripples through the elven continent of Silvermoon. These ripples would find their way to William, which would in turn, make his life more complicated than it already was.