Week passed after Medici began his war council on how to deal with the Crimson Terror and its army of nightmare creatures.
Amon hadn't contributed much. He wasn't from a war pathway, and strategy talk bored him. He had a general idea of what they were planning, but Medici clearly had something far more diabolical in mind.
What did interest him was Luna. She was hiding something. He fucking knew it, but he couldn't prove it.
And the gall… telling him not to hide things from her while she concealed her own secrets? Outrageous. Amon couldn't do anything about it yet, but the thought gnawed at him.
Worse, when he replayed her actions in his mind, he felt it even more strongly. Something was wrong between her and the Hanged Man's Uniqueness. But why? Both Medici and Amon were compatible with their Unique Characteristics, but Luna wasn't. And when she fought Sunny and Nephis, the malice in her eyes hadn't been simple. It wasn't just because they were enemies, it felt like she wanted to kill them for the sake of killing.
Sigh… whatever. I'll deal with it later. She won't answer, and I can't force her. Even my decryption fails against it. For now, I'm blind.
What he could focus on was the circus happening in his chambers, though.
Gunlaug had apparently forced Aiko to reopen her gambling den. And if that wasn't enough, he was also an alcoholic.
So this was the Bright Lord? The terrifying ruler of the castle? Reduced to a drunkard who couldn't stop throwing shards at dice and cards?
At first, Aiko had been terrified of him. But then she realized something: Gunlaug sucked at gambling. He was absolutely garbage. He lost everything he had, over and over again, until he had to go hunt nightmare creatures just to scrape together more shards for another round.
That was when Aiko got her business idea. She'd let him win when he was desperate, reel him in with hope, and then… take it all back. Again and again.
She was sucking him dry.
…Wait. No. That sounded wrong for so many reasons.
As for Harus… what the hell was Amon supposed to do with him?
The man terrified people just by existing. After Amon mentioned it, Harus had tried to be less intimidating. He started smiling more and acting friendly. Somehow, that only made him worse. People looked like they'd rather face a Nightmare Creature than deal with his creepy half-smile. And the worst part? Harus was starting to enjoy it.
When Amon called him out, Harus denied everything, claiming he was "traumatizing people in a more delicate, ethical way."
…Whatever that meant.
Then there was Caster. Poor bastard… he was aging too fast. Every time Amon looked at him, the guy seemed a little older. He had already gone from looking twenty to something closer to thirty. Amon couldn't stop thinking: Dude's gonna die soon. He needed to fix it somehow. Maybe in the waking world… but for now, he was fine.
Kai, meanwhile, was… fine. Friendly, reliable, and apparently having way too much fun. He was playing around with Kido like some carefree kid, laughing without a hint of paranoia.
Kido, for her part, was the only "normal" one in the group. Well, as normal as someone could be while creating carnivorous plants capable of eating a person whole.
What the hell is happening to my people…?
And Kai, my friend… why are you singing? Really? Where was his healthy paranoia? No. No, this had to be corruption. Caster was a bad influence. Definitely.
Blyat. How do I deal with them? I don't like the idea of restricting my people but… hmm, maybe I should...
His thoughts were cut short by Gunlaug.
"Hey, Amon… lend me some soul shards? I'll pay you back after I win. Just trust."
Just trust… Why did those words sound so damn familiar?
"Fine," Amon muttered, handing over five Awakened shards.
Gunlaug snatched them and bolted for the gambling den.
Amon stared after him in disbelief. The fuck!? No. That's it. Last one. I'm not spoiling my subordinates anymore. That's a promise.
He sighed, shaking his head... You know what!? Fuck it, i don't care!
Amon had assumed his people were just murderous and intense from being stuck on the Forgotten Shore for so long.
Nope. Turns out they were genuine lunatics.
He tilted his head, watching them with calm detachment… until a chill crawled down his spine.
Harus was smiling at him. It was a friendly smile… at least, that's what Harus would call it. But…
Shit. That was even creepier.
Then Harus clapped him on the shoulder.
"I'm bored."
Amon blinked, forcing a strained smile. The fuck do you expect me to do about it!?
"Go play cards with Kai and Kido."
Harus shrugged, already looking irritated.
"Fine… but not because you told me."
Amon just sat there, dumbfounded.
Before he could recover, Caster zipped into the room, moving so fast it felt like he had teleported. He was holding a parcel of iron wires.
"Hey, Medici told me to give these to the sleepers with utility aspects. They're building something for the siege."
Amon stared at him. "…And why are you telling me that? Just go."
"It's boring if I go alone," Caster said casually, yawning.
Amon rubbed his eyes in frustration. "…Hey, Harus. You were bored, right? Go with him."
Harus, who was losing spectacularly at cards, threw his deck at Kai's face.
"You're lucky I've got something to do, or you'd all lose miserably. Kek."
Yeah, whatever you say, Lil' bro. Amon thought as he dropped back into his seat.
He tried to focus on more important things, like his Aspect Legacy. That dream had unlocked it somehow, but he hadn't even reached the first level yet. What was it really about? He didn't know. He'd have to experiment.
Meanwhile, Caster and Harus moved through the castle corridors. Caster huffed, already bored of his companion's silence. Harus said nothing; he never said much. He just watched, hunched and patient.
"Hey," Caster said, stretching a yawn, "you wanna hear about the greatness of Mr. Error?"
Harus's grin was a thing that made the air chill. "I've heard of that God. You talk about that when you're bored."
Caster shrugged. Mr. Error was comfort lore for him; once, he'd prayed and been pulled into that void again. But this time, time was running backward, and instead of growing older, he started becoming younger. In a few seconds, he transformed from a grown man into a twelve-year-old boy. If the Lord ever regained 'His' power, Caster convinced himself, his flaw would be meaningless. It was a pleasant story to pass the minutes.
"Ah. We're here," Caster muttered, then knocked on the door. But there was no answer. He knocked again, yet once again, nothing happened, no one opened the door. He cocked his head and tried the handle. Hmm… it's locked.
They stayed there for a few seconds, and slowly, Harus's expression tightened in a way Caster couldn't read. He straightened, bones cracking with a soft, terrible sound, until he was suddenly as tall as Caster. Caster blinked up at him… and then again. Harus looked down at the door, now towering over Caster, took a deep breath, and kicked it.
The door slammed against the back wall of the chamber. Then Harus threw the parcel of iron wires into the room, his expression irritated.
"Delivery for our great inventors," he said flatly.
Caster stared at him, stunned in disbelief. Well… that was certainly one way of doing it, he thought.
The man inside glanced out from the chamber, furious. But the moment he saw Harus towering over him with an annoyed look, and Caster barely holding back his laughter, he shivered in fear.
"We didn't request-" he began, his voice trembling.
Caster held out a stack of papers. "Medici ordered you to build whatever this is," he said, glancing at Harus with an amused smile.
The craftsman fumbled the papers, confused. "But… we didn't receive that order." He tried to force a polite smile, his hands shaking.
Meanwhile, one of Seishan's handmaidens stepped forward from the chambers, it was Felise. Protected by Luna and Seishan, she wasn't so much afraid as annoyed. She walked outside, glancing up at Harus with disdain, then at Caster with irritation.
"We accept requests when you two learn some manners. Now, if you'll excuse us," she said coldly, slamming the door in their faces while dragging the craftsman inside.
Harus and Caster exchanged looks that were anything but friendly. Caster tried to play it lighter.
"There must be a misunderstanding. I've pranked a lot of people, so maybe this looks like one of my jokes." He rapped his knuckles against his forehead, forcing himself to calm down. Professionalism, Amon had said. Try to be professional.
"Whatever you say…" Harus replied coldly.
After taking a deep breath, Caster knocked again, keeping a careful eye on Harus to make sure he didn't try anything.
Felise opened the door, her expression full of displeasure.
"What?"
Caster flashed a pleasant smile, thrusting the papers forward.
"I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding, Miss Felise. We're only trying to do our job, so please understa-"
"Just take the damned wires, bitch," Harus interrupted darkly.
Caster froze, eyes widening in desbilief and horror.
"Harus! What the fuck, bro!?"
Before he could recover, another figure stepped forward. Her skin was an exotic shade of gray, unsettling, yet impossibly beautiful. The kind of beauty that could make a man forget to breathe. Of course, it was Seishan. Hearing the noise, she had come out to see what was happening.
Her gaze flicked from the cracked door to Felise, then to Harus. She would have looked at Caster, too, if he hadn't disappeared from the corridor the moment he sensed her, leaving the papers falling gently toward the ground.
Felise was now shaking, remembering who Harus was. He was a butcher who had slain countless Abominations and people. And even under Medici's rule, when conflicts between sleepers were fewer, grudges were not so easily forgotten.
The cruel grin on Harus's face only grew sharper.
"What's wrong, worm? Will you take the damned wires now?"
Harus, in his defense, wasn't used to people disobeying him. Sure, he wasn't a lieutenant anymore, and Gunlaug was no longer lord, but habits die hard. Pity he forgot that he no longer held any real status in the castle. Amon and his group didn't occupy any important positions. That was why, instead of submission, he was met with-
"Shit!"
BOOM!
A warhammer slammed into his chest, launching him back into the wall with a crunch that shook the corridors.
Seishan didn't hesitate. Since Luna was close to Amon, she had grown more familiar with his subordinates. The tension and hidden schemes between factions had eased after Medici crowned himself Lord of the Dark City. And with a new ruler came new rules. For example, murder within the castle walls was forbidden, punishable by death.
Uselessly threatening or abusing one's strength or authority was also punishable. If the victim couldn't defend themselves, the case would be resolved by Medici. But if the victim could, or anyone else could defend victim, retaliation was allowed. That was why Seishan didn't hesitate and attacked instantly. Of course, a mere threat or a few vulgar words weren't punishable by a warhammer to the chest. But Seishan held a grudge against Harus from the past, and now she was taking her satisfaction.
She was the princess of the Song Clan and had endured enough humiliation in the Bright Castle in the past, after all.
Harus was durable, but the strike had caught him off guard. Crumpled against the stone, he had no chance to rise before the warhammer came down again and again, each blow making Seishan's smile widen for some twisted reason.
After beating him, she sighed, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. She rested her warhammer on her shoulder, staring down at Harus.
"That was great..." she muttered, taking the wires and papers, and returning to the craftsmen's chambers, leaving Harus behind.
A few minutes later…
Caster appeared in the corridor, stopping near the door. He swallowed nervously and looked around warily. The iron wires and papers were gone… taken by Seishan, no doubt, after realizing that the order had truly come from Medici.
"…Harus?" he called softly. "Buddy? You good? Where'd you disappear to?"
A rasping cough answered him.
"Ahgh… ahgh…"
Caster's gaze darted around until it landed on the opposite side of the corridor, where furniture lay destroyed. His eyes narrowed… then widened in horror.
"Holy shit!" he yelped in shock. What the fuck!? Were they trying to kill him!?
Harus sat slumped against the wall, beaten nearly beyond recognition. His jaw hung at a broken angle, his nose and teeth shattered. Blood trickled down his face as he coughed again, disoriented, his eyes barely open.
"Ahgh… hey, Caster…" Harus wheezed.
Caster froze. Sweat broke out across his forehead, his teeth clenched tight as panic clawed at his chest.
Harus blinked slowly, a weak grin twitching on his mangled face.
"What happened? Did we… win…?"
Caster stared at him, trembling. Win? What the hell do you mean, win!? I wasn't even here when you got your ass beaten into the floor!
But he swallowed the words, forcing a smile instead. He grabbed Harus's arm, hauling him unsteadily to his feet.
"Ahhh... uhmm... Yeah, bro. We did it. We won. Definitely..."
Twenty minutes later, Caster finally dragged Harus back to their shared chamber. Kai and Kido were still at the table, locked in another round of cards. Gunlaug had stormed out to get more shards after losing... Again.
Amon sat nearby, watching Harus, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Pfthhh…" he snorted.
Harus sat stiffly, his face mangled, but Luna was slowly healing it. He tried to grit his teeth... What was left of them, at least and growled through the pain.
"That bitch is dead… How dare she hit me? I just never thought she'd… If this were back then, she'd have cowered in fear."
Luna gave him a wide, wicked smile as she guided his jaw back into place. She coughed, trying not to laugh, and said with an amused tone,
"But Harus… she doesn't need to be afraid anymore. She doesn't need to hold back, either. Medici's the lord now, and she'll be returning to the waking world soon. Which means if anyone's in trouble, it's you… not her. She's the princess of the Song Clan, after all."
The words hit harder than Seishan's warhammer. Harus froze, his irritation draining into a blank, empty stare. His eyes fell to the floor, the life seeming to drain from them.
Amon exploded with laughter, slapping his knee and pointing at him.
"He's so cooked, hahaha!"
Caster, lounging on the couch with a bowl of fruit, grinned and nodded.
"Tell me about it. Though to be fair… he probably didn't even know she was a princess. She hid it well."
Amon leaned back, still chuckling. Well, lunatics or not… at least those fucking idiots were entertaining.
***
[A/N: Well, I went with a little slice-of-life here, guys. G3 made Harus and Gunlaug murderous and dark in the novel, and before we could see how they act daily in normal life, they died. So I'm giving them personalities, let's say. I also need to give them and Kido flaws. Oh and, I was thinking about their characters, which is why I wasn't able to post the chapter earlier.
I was scrolling and watching how Toji was beating up Bumgumi, and that's when I thought: Gunlaug will be like Toji! Yeah, I'm giving him a gambling addiction and making him an alcoholic. And yeah, I haven't decided yet, but maybe I'll give him a potential man as a son and also make him homeless, lol. Who knows?
As for Harus… our boy got beaten to a pulp! Caster used that speed of his well, huh? Hahaha. Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the meal.]