Chapter25
When Aenus came back to his room, he was surprised that Kanae was already there. She was actually lying down on her bed and was reading a book, which looked more like a doorstop. However, the only thing which actually surprised him more was the fact that she was dressed…in a particular way. Indeed, she was dressed a bit too lightly to him, with only a short and black robe which even left her thighs uncovered. Furthermore, she didn't wear these ribbons that she usually had, leaving her black hair floating on the bed.
"Aenus…Stop ogling me like that." She only said, without giving a look to him.
Aenus raised one eyebrow, surprised. "What's wrong with you again, Kanae? Why are you dressed up like this too?"
Kanae rolled her eyes. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"I'm just surprised." Aenus replied, looking away. "The room is rather cold so…"
Kanae let out a deep sigh. "Yes but…when Thule is involved, I don't really care if it's cold or not."
Aenus frowned. "What happened? Who did you see with such a dress like this?"
Kanae looked up from her book then made an awkward smirk. "…I only saw someone who could be important to us."
To this, Aenus just let out a desperate growl. "Let me guess…It's this Kanji again?"
To Kanae's head-shaking, Aenus replied again, not very thrilled with it. "Can't you let it down?"
"No way" Kanae glared at him, as for making it perfectly clearing.
"I just said there are others people we could get…" However when he said these words, Aenus thought about his previous meeting with Sebastianus again, and then he felt a heartache inside him. Talking about his past…apparently it was still painful even through all years which had spent.
However, Kanae still shook her head. "No. I want to get him. You can't know how much he could bring to us."
"Possibly…But I guess this other meeting you got with him went poorly?" Aenus asked, not seeming to care really about it. "…You seem like upset."
Kanae frowned. "…Indeed. Kanji refused my offer again. Despite everything I could use…"
She sighed, wondering why her charm couldn't work anymore. To her bothered face, Aenus explained.
"You know…A sex-appeal doesn't work anymore when the concerned person is aware of this."
"Maybe…I wonder if I should use the threat again, but that's too much boring, using it every time." However, Aenus didn't reply to these words. Without looking at her, he just headed for his bed, where his dear photography had been there…And wasn't there anymore.
Even if Sebastianus was a member of this awful organization who tortured him during all these years, he wondered if that's truly him who did this. It could be only him but…he didn't know. Seeing his sincere look, he sensed it may be someone else…or at least he thought. But he refused to believe that's someone else…
Or…Maybe he actually blamed Sebastianus because he refused to believe it could be someone who he interacted with…He contemplated Kanae again, and wondered if she could be the one who tore the photography apart. He knew she didn't have any interest to do that, but to be honest, he didn't know anymore.
"What's wrong again, Aenus?" Kanae glared at him again. "I told you: stop ogling me and…"
Suddenly, Kanae's eyes goggled. Aenus moved back. Then her look changed…It turned into…a concerned, worried look. "Kanae?"
However, Kanae didn't reply then suddenly, jumped out from her bed then quickly pulled on a coat to hide her light dress.
"Kanae? What's wrong?" Aenus asked again.
"…Don't tell me you didn't feel this, Aenus!" Kanae cried out. But Aenus still didn't understand. He just looked at her without understanding.
"What happened?"
"…Aenus…You didn't feel it?" Kanae kept saying, much more concerned and kind of threatening toward him.
"What should I have felt?" Aenus replied again. Then Kanae headed for him.
"The magic barrier which enclosed the Castle…Our HQ…" She kept on, stammering. "It had been broken!"
"What?" Aenus cried out. "What do you mean, Kanae? …Someone entered into the castle? Isn't it a human?"
To her panicked face, Aenus knew something wrong happened…Kanae put a magic barrier to be able to know if an intruder entered into their HQ. Then, during one moment, Aenus felt himself shivering. Kanae was strong enough to be able to discern who was exactly the intruder…and if she knew about Fu's "contract" he did with him…He couldn't imagine how she could react.
However, Kanae still stayed panicked instead of being angry. Then she cried out.
"No…Nobody entered into the castle…That's actually Golvas who broke the barrier."
"WHAT?" Aenus goggled, and this time, he found someone more scaring than Kanae angry. He moved back, unsure of what to do. "…What? Do you mean he came outside?"
"Indeed! If that's not the case, I wouldn't be so panicked!"
Kanae then caught her shoes to quickly put them on, which awoke Kuro who was sleeping on the bed. Aenus kept his worried look. "That's impossible…Golvas never leaves Balor."
"Indeed. If he decided to leave the castle…That's no without any reason!"
"But…" Aenus asked again, with a feared voice. "…What will you do…?"
"You and I" Kanae began. "…We can't leave him out! Just imagine! You know how that idiot of Golvas is…If he is discovered, all our plans will fail."
Aenus, realizing what Kanae was planning to do, trembled to her decision. If it meant "bringing him back"…Golvas was pretty strong and extremely unstable. He had been hit enough to know this.
"But…" he tried to say. "You know too how Golvas is. Then…We don't know where he went" He secretly hoped that he didn't head for where they were. "Then…we can't leave our pawns there."
Kanae thought about this and stopped herself. That's actually a problem. The others two would be able to escape if they were left alone…And she couldn't even risk to lose these tools they planned to get from Index for quite long…But. Actually, if they left Golvas outside, she couldn't imagine how much damage he could do and this time, it would be the worst. She glanced at Aenus and thought leaving him there and going by her alone, but actually, it would be quicker to search for Golvas if they were two to go. And even if Aenus was weaker, she knew he wouldn't be useless to stop him at least.
"Kanae…" Aenus asked her cautiously, seeing her strange look appearing on her face. She closed her eyes; she wasn't thrilled with it but finally she turned toward Kuro and caught her into her arms, as if she wanted to play with her.
"Kanae…Don't you find that's not really the time to play with that pet?" Aenus raised one eyebrow, a bit surprised by this reaction. However, Kanae had other idea in mind. Then, looking deeply into Kuro's eyes, she murmured some words in Latin. Aenus then realized what she was planning to do. He sighed again.
"Kanae…Ow. How Thule fell hard."
"Shut up, Aenus!" Kanae glared at him again. Then she glanced at her dear cat and smiled to her. "Well…Kuro, during this time, you will keep a watch around, okay? ...Wander around the mansion, then check if nothing wrong is happening with our tools, okay? Check. I would be able to know about the entire situation."
The cat meowed as for response, and then Kanae patted her on the head with affection.
"Well…I don't really know…" Aenus tried to reply but Kanae only glared at him. Actually, she planned to use Aenus's copies first but…Actually; since he came back to their room, she had a bad feeling toward him.
After all, if Golvas came outside and broke the magic barrier by himself, that wasn't for nothing. Someone apparently did something to him, and something which leaded extremely badly. She frowned. If that was an intruder, she would know. However, she couldn't feel if that's another Thule member who entered into the castle.
Furthermore, when she came back to her room earlier after her poor meeting, she heard some noise from outside. When she gave it a check through the window, she had been rather surprised to see Aenus and Sebastianus outside, apparently chatting with each other…She didn't know what happened, but Aenus had been dumb enough to bring him outside, while he could have escaped without any other problem.
Fortunately, it didn't happen. She just replied, with a colder tone. "Let's go, Aenus."
Then, after having given another smirk to her dear Kuro, she murmured another chant then a magical circle then started to appear under her. Aenus watched her disappear out of the room, then, seeing that Kuro suspiciously contemplated him, he ended up by chanting too, letting himself disappear by the similar magic circle that Thule was accustomed to use…
However, before the room disappeared, he caught sight of Fu who was laughing behind the half-opened door, making him realize the true mistake he committed by accepting to work with him…
"…What?"
Elaine was facing Sebastianus, who was sitting on the bed in front of her. However, this latter didn't look up at her. He stayed pensive, listening to Elaine's reaction.
"What do you mean…? Don't you mean that jerk…" Elaine clenched her fists, not sure how to deal with it.
Sebastianus had hesitated to tell her the truth for quite time, but now, he couldn't hide this to her anymore. She was his…partner so the least to do was telling what actually happened, from the strange meeting between Aenus and Fu to the one he had with the former. First, Elaine stayed collected but that lasted a short time. She then cried out.
"What are Fu and Aenus planning to do actually?"
"I don't know." Sebastianus just replied with a quiet tone. "Thule's business between members isn't our concern but…It seemed quite dangerous."
"No kidding" Elaine frowned. "We spent time enough with these bastards to know how much each of them is dangerous! If Aenus and Fu's "contract" like you said, involved Index…"
"Yes…" Sebastianus nodded. "That's all I could hear actually."
Elaine stayed unmoving during one moment, and then she calmly came closer to him. However, instead of replying to Sebastianus's conclusion with her own words, she raised up her own hand then slapped him across the face!
"Elaine…!"
"SHUT UP!" Elaine cried out. And Sebastianus realized how much she was angry. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU DID THIS?"
"…" To be honest, Sebastianus wasn't as sure now.
Elaine wasn't often angry against him, but when she was, there was a pretty good reason behind. "IDIOT!" She kept on. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS? DO YOU KNOW AENUS IS AWARE OF WHAT YOU DID?"
"…I know…" Sebastianus bowed his head.
"GLAD YOU KNOW!" Elaine's tone came louder. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS EARLIER? YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THULE IS DANGEROUS!"
"If I didn't tell you about this earlier" Sebastianus closed his eyes, pensive. "That's because I didn't want to pressure you while you were getting sick and you were dealing with this…."
"…" Elaine stayed silent to this but he knew this answer didn't satisfy her. He then added.
"Then…I didn't want to involve you in this. You would have been safer if you knew nothing and if I had been the only one aware of these facts…So if I hid this, that's just in order to protect you."
He knew Elaine wasn't as involved in the mission as he was, so that's the only thing he could do at least. However, hearing this, Elaine raised the arm up again but this time, Sebastianus caught it up before she could slap him again.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ME! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONCERN YOU GAVE TO ME IN ACTING LIKE THAT" She yelled at him again. "AENUS COULD HAVE KILLED YOU AT THE SECOND WHERE HE KNEW THIS! DID YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ALONE?"
Sebastianus nodded, holding tighter Elaine's wrist while she was struggling. Seeing it was lost beforehand, she ended up by stopping, making him release her wrist. Her angry look turned into a sadder one.
"Don't you trust me enough? The only thing which prevented me to give up and going insane while we're trapped was due to the fact that you were by my side. I could deal with it as long as I'm with you…So. If you are killed…what about me?"
"…" As Sebastianus didn't answer, she added. "What about us?"
Actually, she talked about the future baby she carried but Sebastianus only responded with a frown on his face. He could understand her anger but he acted only to protect her…He guessed he never thought about the baby first in acting like this.
Elaine gave him another sad stare then ended up by sitting down next to him. "Sebas…Do you trust me, don't you?"
"…Yes." Sebastianus quietly nodded. "Of course"
Elaine sighed, and then caressed Sebastianus's hair in a tender way. Of course, the fact that he showed some care about her made her happy but…to be honest, if he didn't care about his own life and safe, which was the interest?
"I care for you…You know?" Elaine asked him.
Sebastianus didn't respond to this, but she could see in his eyes that she knew it. Then she drew him close to her to kiss him on the lips, as for showing these words were true. However, he didn't give her kiss back.
Suddenly, while she kissed him, they both heard a knock at the door, then the noise of the handful which turned to open the door. Elaine stayed in alert, especially when they saw Fu who appeared at the doorstep.
"…Tehehe. Oh I'm so sorry ! I think I disturbed you during a private moment, didn't I?"
However Fu didn't seem as sorry as he said so. Elaine stood up from the bed with an alarming glare focused on him, while Sebastianus stayed rather calm to this. It made Fu smiling but he didn't move for them.
"Oh! How interesting conversation you had…Sorry if I'm a bit curious sometimes…"
Sebastianus signaled Elaine with a look to stay cautious. However, Elaine replied with a cold voice.
"What do you want, FU?"
"Ow. How rude. I'm your host, you should maybe learn more about courtesy." He replied with a smirk.
"Host? Let me laugh! You're only another Thule member which keeps us in hostage! Nothing change about it or where we are." Elaine spat on without caring about Fu's smirk which widened while she was saying these words.
"Ow. But I'm not in Thule anymore…I've my own personal business with my own name." He sighed. "How many times must I tell you about it?"
Sebastianus asked instead of Elaine, fearing that her hot-tempered nature could lead them to worse. "What do you want from us, Fu Manchu?"
Fu half-smiled then made his usual shocked laugh as response. "Ha. Someone who is more polite. Tehe..Well, I'm just there to warn you that my personal project is done now."
Elaine raised one eyebrow. "What about your personal project? Why would it interest us? "
However, Sebastianus recalled their first meeting with Fu. Hm…He talked about a project he planned to do…But he didn't clarify what it was actually.
Fu smirked, guessing his mind. "Indeed…Glad you recall about this. I said that my next trade will be done very soon. So…it's done now." He laughed, glad with himself. "And as I'm not in Thule anymore…I can do what I want now."
However, as the two apostles didn't understand, Fu explained again. "Tehe. Don't you guess? I said the first time once I would finish this project, I would take care of you personally…Didn't I say?"
Elaine slightly nodded. "Yes but in which way?" She added, ironic. "Will you help us by showing your others contracts you sealed with others traitors?"
"Haha. How sensible you are." Fu laughed again, making Elaine clenching her fists. "But actually that's not that…At least, not really."
Then Fu smirked again, before adding with a quieter tone. "…By the way, do you know where dear Kanae and Aenus are now?"
Elaine goggled out of surprise. "No…What do you mean?"
Fu smirked to this answer. "I guessed. They left without any other warning."
This revelation had the effect of a bomb exploding on them.
"What?" Elaine stammered, without believing in. "What do you mean "they left"?"
As Fu still didn't answer, Elaine cried out. "DON'T MESS UP WITH US!"
"Elaine…" Sebastianus calmed her down. He then turned back toward Fu. "…Left?"
"Yes." Fu smirked. "They left without other warning. I don't really know why. Sadly, they didn't give me others news about it." He sighed out of dismay but Sebastianus wondered if he didn't truly lie to them…Furthermore, Fu gave him a brief glance when he said these words, as if he guessed his thoughts. He then added. "I don't know if they will come back, but that's possible. So…it makes me the only "Thule" member around there."
Elaine punched the wall with her own fist. "DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! KANAE OR EVEN THIS DUMB OF AENUS WOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT WITHOUT US! YOU REALLY THINK THEY WOULD HAVE LEFT US AS HOSTAGES! Do you really think we'll trust this as easily? Find another better LIE, FU!"
However, Fu didn't look impressed by Elaine's reaction. A silence passed during one moment, as if he stayed pensive about Elaine's words, but at last, ends up by smiling, amused. "Tehe. You right, little woman."
Elaine looked surprised as she didn't expect this reaction.
"I will maybe admit that I lied a bit by saying that they left without taking care of their hostages. But be reassured…" He smirked, confident. "As I'm always keeping promises that interest me, I've an offer for you."
To this turn, Sebastianus's voice raised up. "An offer…? What do you mean?"
Fu came closer to them, making Elaine more suspicious than before. "Don't worry. That's nothing bad. On the contrary, it may be very good for you two!"
"For us?" Elaine frowned again. She didn't believe him but still kept listening to him. "What about it?"
"Well…I didn't lie when I said I was the only "Thule" member left around. Kanae and Aenus really left but it's a matter of time before they come back. So…As I can do what I want during this time…I decided to let you leave."
First, neither Elaine or Sebastianus understood what he meant. Elaine kept her distrustful look, making Fu calmly repeating.
"I said. I decided to let you two leave."
Then, Elaine's yes goggled, feeling her fists trembling. "What?"
"Yes." Fu nodded. "Yes. I decided to let you leave away and in this way, you will be able to come back to Index safely."
Sebastianus stayed silent to this, as if he put up with these words…
Was Fu truly sincere? Or did he just mess up with them as he did before?
However, Elaine stayed skeptical. "Are you joking? Why will you let us leave?"
"As I repeated before…" Fu leaned against the wall. "I'm not in Thule anymore and I'm free to do what I want. So, I will let you two leave. In this way, you will be able to come back to Index then enjoying the rest of your peaceful life in…That's not what you two want?"
Elaine shivered under the emotion. She wanted to believe him at least once and thinking he was sincere when he said he would let them leave…That's what she wanted from the beginning. But hearing these words from the guy who showed them his own way of torturing people…
"Don't you believe me, do you?" Fu shrugged. "Very well. Let me show you."
He then headed from the doorstep to leave the room. Sebastianus and Elaine didn't understand first but when he came back after some minutes, he wore two things. The first one was Kuro, Kanae's cat in one hand and in the other…a kind of box.
"What…?"
"Tehe. Dear Kanae put a spell, being able to check every move you made while she isn't around…Let me get rid of this little problem."
Under their eyes, Fu muttered some Latin words, which were inaudible to them. However, only Kuro seemed to hear them. Then, Sebastianus sensed a different feeling coming from this cat…Similar to the way he discovered the trap to the castle…A strong…magic sensation which seemed to be a lot superior to them.
Then, once he finished his sentence, he put Kuro down on the floor. This latter grumpily meowed, showing she wasn't happy with it at all then left the room.
Elaine raised one eyebrow. "What is this supposed to mean?"
"I just erased the little spell that dear Kanae put…In this way, you wouldn't be observed every time anymore." Fu smirked again. "After all, I wasn't in Thule for nothing…And I didn't learn Taoism for nothing."
"…" Elaine was about to step for him but Sebastianus held her back. He then muttered to her that he felt a real magic power coming from Kuro, so it happened like Fu said.
"Hm. I see you still don't believe me…" Fu shrugged. "Aren't you convinced?"
"As we'll…" Elaine took a contemptuous look. "Maybe it happened but I doubt that your offer is disinterested."
Fu kept smirking but…To these words, Sebastianus had noticed that during one second, Fu's face had changed. It lasted during one second but…he saw it turned into a more scared, angry smile. Maybe he was wrong but he was sure he saw this.
"Tehe…" Fu laughed again. "You're definitely observer, Elaine. I like women as you are…" Fu then glanced at the box that he carried.
"What is it?" Sebastianus asked, pointing the box.
"You're right. My offer isn't all disinterested…" Fu took a cryptic face. "Indeed. Did I ever tell you that dear Index helped me sometimes for amplifying my own business, didn't I? Without Index, I'm losing a great deal of investment… It would be rather bad for me."
Elaine kept her stare at the box, wondering what there was inside, but Fu cut in her mind. "I made a last trade with Index recently…and they asked me, in exchange of a great reward…to deliver this box." He added, with another laugh. "Apparently, that seems very precious to them."
Sebastianus replied, seeing where he was leading. "Do you mean…you want us to deliver this to Index in exchange of our freedom?"
Fu grinned. "Well done! You perfectly understood! So if you deliver this to Index…So you will be freed."
Sebastianus observed the box, a bit unsure. Elaine shouted at him. "What is there inside? Would it be a bomb to explode Index or something like that?"
Fu thought it was another joke then laughed warmly to this. "HAHAHAHA! Why not? Why would I explode one of my pillars for my own business? That would be too bad, wouldn't it?"
"Fu…What is there inside?" Sebastianus repeated the question but instead, Fu just forcefully put the box into Elaine's arms. That's rather heavy, and it actually made Elaine topple over a bit. Fu then turned back toward him.
"Tehe…This is a secret, Seba. Didn't you ever hear how firms worked? Companies have their own secret of business too."
Elaine just glanced at Sebastianus for his response. She thought that wasn't a good idea to listen to him, but Fu felt she wasn't still convinced.
"But…If you don't want to leave and prefer staying there with your own jailors, I don't care. I will find someone else… You have the chance to "contract" with me, as it's nil when the two parties aren't consenting…"
"And who said you won't betray us once Kanae and Aenus would come back?" Elaine asked him, coldly.
However, Fu only replied.
"I said: I'm always keeping the promise that interests me and would bring me a lot more investment...Then…" He added. "I was one of most powerful in Thule. So…this choice is all up to you"