Arthur had never considered that possibility. First, he couldn't see any demon coming from Lancelot. He only believed the headless horseman's words because Dullahan said Lancelot possessed a powerful inner demon.
Second, he didn't realize that a bad influence could turn a powerful inner demon into a malicious monster that was out of control.
And it made him wonder…
"Does that mean you can get out of control if I feed on negative emotions too?" Arthur asked.
"That's a possibility… but you shouldn't think too much of it. I've never heard of any inner demon who formed a contract with their master to suddenly go rogue," Dullahan eased him up as he noticed the nervousness of the young man. "Don't give me that look. I told you I won't leave as long as you still have your fighting spirit, right?"
"Mhm…" Arthur nodded, but his mind grew wary with possibility.
"Anyway, you need to think on how to confront that demon. Lancelot will become an irredeemable beast if you let negative emotion consume him in the future," Dullahan began lecturing him as he understood Arthur's doubt. "I know that you're scared. But this is for the sake of saving your very first friend."
"My very first friend…"
"Yes. I am your inner demon, boy. I know that deep down, you really want to have loyal friends, ones who would stick by your side no matter what," Dullahan said. "And if you want that, you have to make it happen. Starting with Lancelot."
…
Arthur closed his eyes as he imagined Lancelot's smile.
True, they had only known each other for a day and they bonded through a fight that could've killed him if not because of Dullahan's power.
They might not be a good fit, since Lancelot lived a completely different life that he is.
But Arthur still wanted to make his very first friend.
He wanted to know how it felt to have someone who would check on him from time to time, even if it was just a simple text or call.
He wanted someone to care for his existence, a desire even stronger now that he had lost his grandma.
Arthur finally sat down on the sofa, and picked Dullahan up so they could talk at eye level.
"Alright, I will try."
"That's my boy—"
"But before we fight Albert's demon. I have to talk with Lancelot first. I have to know what he truly feels about Albert," Arthur said firmly, making it clear that Dullahan knew it was non-negotiable. "If that old man has truly been feeding Lancelot with negative emotion, then I will eliminate that demon."
"You're wise, boy. Though, you shouldn't hesitate much once a more dire situation comes in the future. You still remember that someone is out there to get you, right?"
"Mm. I will not hesitate when I am the one who gets attacked."
"Good. Now rest. We will have a long day tomorrow."
**
Arthur waited at the school gate anxiously, clenching his bag strap as he waited for Lancelot.
He could've waited for the first class to start, especially since their classes are the exact same. But he knew Lancelot would be swarmed by girls.
"Must be nice to be popular with girls," Arthur complained as he continued waiting. "The only girls I talked to are my mother, grandma, and Dinah."
"Once you've grown to be a gallant knight, I'm sure women would flock to you as well, boy. No need to worry and just keep up your training and studies!"
"You don't understand—oh well, time has changed, Dullahan. Ankles won't make men fall in love anymore," Arthur said as he remembered how scandalous ankles were in middle age.
"Hah! A woman with a pair of smooth ankles is still the most beautiful for me!"
That statement made Arthur wonder if inner demons could fall in love.
It would be funny to imagine Dullahan married and with a child. If that child was a boy, he would definitely train him to the bones to become a gallant knight.
Arthur's silly daydream was broken by a tap on his shoulder.
He turned to see Lancelot, who looked tired with those obvious eyebags.
"What are you doing here? And why are you grinning like an idiot?" Lancelot asked.
"Good morning, Lancelot."
"Dean."
"Huh?"
"I told you to call me Dean. 'Lancelot' is for strangers," Lancelot said.
"Ah… that…" Arthur would be happy to call him Dean, but it felt too informal. Arthur was still intimidated by Lancelot's upbringing. But he couldn't say that, because Lancelot didn't understand the feeling of someone clearly inferior to him. "It's too sudden to call you that at school. So, I'll just call you Lancelot…"
"I don't see the problem. But fine, just call me Dean when we are sparring at my house," Lancelot shrugged. "Now let's go, the class will start soon."
Arthur walked behind Lancelot. Once they entered the school main hall, Arthur slowly but surely drifted away, especially when Lancelot was surrounded by some girls who shared the class with them.
Arthur went to the class alone, and once the first class was over, he couldn't find a chance to talk to Lancelot because he was always surrounded by girls.
Arthur spent half of the school days not talking to Lancelot at all, because he simply had no time for it, not with everyone fawning over the scion while glowering at Arthur.
Arthur sighed as he finally got his cafeteria lunch, and then put everything in a lunchbox before leaving the cafeteria.
Eating alone had been a habit for years.
No, he wasn't a loner initially. He had been conditioned into one after a long period of being shunned by his peers.
The cafeteria was full of cliques. They always gathered together at each table they had assigned themselves.
Unfortunately, Arthur had no friends, so having a clique was out of question.
Even if he tried to join any empty seat, he would be given a reluctant or downright ugly look. So he decided to help himself and left the cafetaria.
He had found his safe haven behind the storage room near the gym.
It was freezing in winter though, so sometimes he ate inside the storage room.
But he was good for other seasons.
There was a log when he found this spot. So he simply rolled the log under the shade to stop it from getting rotten by rain, and it became his seat.
Every school day, he would always sit here, staring emptily at the view of the trees in front of him while eating the barely-edible food the cafeteria had.
This is good.
That idea crossed his mind.
This is my safe haven. I can be myself here. As long as no one else—
"Huh. Didn't expect to find you here."
Arthur's line of thought was broken by the sight of a tall man with dark blonde hair, holding a lunchbag of his own.
He sat down next to Arthur without a care and unzipped the lunchbag. A steam came out of that bag alongside the aroma of expensive food that Arthur had never tasted before.
However, Lancelot was less than happy seeing his lunch, "Tsk, I told the chef to give me less sashimi and more meat. I shouldn't have hired an ex-sushi chef."
Lancelot looked at Arthur's meager lunch, and raised his brow, "Where's your lunch?"
Arthur was dazed, before he asked, "W-why are you here?"
"I was looking for a good spot to eat in peace. Those girls just won't stop pestering me. Has it always been like this in a small town?" Lancelot complained. "Back at my old school, the girls just took silent pictures of me, they weren't outright swarming me around."
"I see," Arthur said, looking down at his lunch and smiling bitterly. "Well, Fort Garden is definitely small compared to New York. The girls aren't used to seeing the heir of a billion dollar family walking around in school."
"This is why private school is better," Lancelot clicked his tongue.
"Mhm…"
For someone whose life was so insignificant like Arthur, he already thought that Fort Garden and Rusko were his entire life. It was difficult to imagine a big city like New York.
Unfortunately, the more he talked to Lancelot, the more he realized their difference. It wasn't even a gap anymore, it was an entire chasm of class and education.
"Keep it together, boy. I can feel your negative emotions. Remember you want to make a friend, and a friend won't look down on you!" Dullahan tried to keep the discouraged boy in check. "That Lancelot boy is not looking down on you. He is just speaking from his point of view, so keep your head high!"
Arthur clenched his cheap lunchbox and lifted his head, trying to let go of the gnawing discomfort in his heart.
"Lancelot—"
"Dean."
…
"Dean, can I ask you something?"
Lancelot had a thin smile as Arthur referred to him as 'Dean'.
He opened his lunchbox and then asked, "What?"
Arthur had a few questions about Lancelot, but the most important one was definitely about Albert.
If possible, he wanted to eliminate that demon as soon as possible, as Dullahan said that malicious demon might be feeding Lancelot with negative emotions.
But he couldn't ask that suddenly, right?
So he started with something else.
"Why are you in Fort Garden?"
The simple question made the scion fall into a long silence. He didn't answer immediately. He continued separating the lunch boxes into two, and casually handed half to Arthur.
"Eat this first. Your sad lunch won't fill you up," Lancelot said.
Arthur glanced down at the food, and frowned as he saw raw fish, aka expensive sushi.
"The sushi is very fresh. I just get bored of it," Lancelot added to assure Arthur who didn't even try a bite.
"T-thank you, but I've never tried them…"
"Then try it with the rice. It's good," Lancelot said, eating his food without a sound, like an elite scion that he was trained to be.
But Arthur wasn't in the mood to eat right now.
"You haven't answered my question…" Arthur said. "Is it a private matter?"
"It's a tradition," Lancelot replied calmly.
"Tradition?"
"Yes. My family originated from Fort Garden way back in the 1800s. My father spent three years of his high school here, and so I have to as well," Lancelot sighed. "Actually, my father thought it was just a stupid tradition, and I do too. But Albert insists, saying that a tradition must be done, so I can be just like my father in the future to take on the Fairmont mantle."
Arthur took mental notes as he listened. It seemed Albert had a tight grip on Lancelot's family, since even his father listened to him.
But that still didn't answer Arthur's question about Lancelot's opinion of Albert.
"Then, what do you—"
"You haven't answered my question, Arthur," Lancelot cut him off.
"Eh?"
Lancelot turned to stare at Arthur and then asked, "Why are you here instead of the cafetaria?"