A/N: Hello! So this was supposed to be a bigger chapter but in the end I seperated it into two. I do like my chapters big but I think in this case it was better like this. I hope you enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the next one as well.

Also important note:Occassionaly there will be some edits in previous chapters, nothing much just some technical things that don't have anything to do with the story.

As always I do not own the manwha 'Noblesse' only my Ocs and this story.

Chapter 17: No time for pleasantries

The next days, after Sara's revelation to Bart, things had been moving kind of slowly even though a couple of things happened.

The YE-RAN high school had welcomed its new English teacher as the headmaster tasked her to take the lower classes for starters.

Six days had passed since then and she was doing okay for now. Having three classes a day. It was really a part-time job by now. She wondered though if she would get paid. No, she didn't care much of it right now. All she did care was the training that was taking place in the afternoon. After she told Bart what had happened that fateful day when her energy awoke, she and Frankenstein and occasionally Karias, were training together to further her ability to sense energies.

The last six days had found Karias and Bart sparring together in the training room when it was not used by Frankenstein and the others. Karias gave him a run for his money while sparring and Bart was nothing but happy to be able to spar with someone of Karias' strength and abilities. He was learning a lot from him. It was very different from Frankenstein's training but that didn't mean it wasn't effective at all. It all started that night.

"Care to spar with me?"

"Erm…sure. When do you want to do it?"

Karias didn't take long to answer "If you are not tired…how about right now?"

That certainly surprised Bart who was looking at the blonde noble with his eyebrows raised "Well…I mean if you want to…I don't mind a good round before going to bed"

Karias smiled and nodded "Thank you, I am indebted to you"

"No, no it's okay" he said with his hands raised in a defensive mood as he really didn't know what to make of the situation.

As they were headed to the training room, the door of which was just opposite the door of the lab Frankenstein was currently in, Bart wondered "Should we tell him we are using the training room?"

"Let him work. I'm sure he is going to sense our auras sooner or later"

The inside of the training room was plain as a training room ought to be.

Karias stood opposite of him and took a relaxed stance "Well then Bartholomew…shall we begin?"

He wanted to ask him why he wanted to spar this late at night. He looked kind of different and felt like that too. But he didn't ask. He was used to not interfere with others' businesses unless it directly involved him – or his family. Karias' reasons were his own. If what he required of him was a sparring partner, to presumably blow some steam off, then he would provide it.

As of now, they were both tired and breathing heavily. On one side a tall, blonde Nobelman and on the other a tall, grey haired human. All human? Well who really knew at the time?

It was their second session within two days and it looked like they had more than enough for today. Even though Karias was still using his cheerful attitude from time to time in the heat of the battle, his moves and even his posture seemed more serious, more direct-approach than he had last witnessed it four months ago. Could the absence of their Lord have affected him that much?

"Let's stop for today Bartholomew, you look like you are ready to fall on me"

"Pfft! As if! If nothing else I'm ready for another round"

Karias was already, slowly, moving to the exit "Come, come now…You must be aware when you need to rest your body. Besides it's almost dinner time"

Bart followed suit. This day was his day off. He had a feeling that was because of Karias as he remembered that given the current events they were not having any days off. He would get an earful by his brothers soon he felt. He kept a small smile to his face that was fading away quickly as they passed Frankenstein's lab.

They could both feel it. That energy; or aura, as the Nobles used to call it. Nevertheless the meaning was the same.

The last couple of days have found Frankenstein training Sara in the laboratory. But not doing the traditional kind of training…Frankenstein would never allow it in there anyway. While he was still giving her a treatment for her unstable state of energy, he was getting her to try and control it better and at the same time broadening it and circulating it in order to spread it in a bigger radius. One could say that all those actions would be the same but it was not for this case.

The more Sara was working on her aura's distribution the more Frankenstein was recognizing Urokai's aura in it. And it really made him feel weird.

They had already tried two times as of now for her to expand it beyond the house. The first was so unstable that it broke ten globes in ten public lights in the area. Frankenstein found it hilarious and Sara was red as a tomato from her embarrassment for the rest of the day.

The second time, two days later, she managed to control her detecting power and her empathetic radar worked just fine until she reached the center of downtown Seoul where she got way too easily distracted from the energy not only of living things but also computers and power generators. Usually the latter wasn't a problem, but so many aspects combined made her lose focus, getting confused and end up with a terrible headache that lasted for hours. Frankestein found it hilarious again.

Sara was starting to think that he was taking pleasure from her failures.

But truth to be told, the scientist was also treating her. Frankenstein managed to discover something about this ability. The user of it had to be emotionaly strong and steady in order not to lose themselves in it. One had to be in in tip top contition mentaly when using it to detect someone else. If she had managed to get her emotions in check and use her power accordingly then the hurt would minimize to almost zero.

Lukedonia…at the outskirts…

Heavy footsteps were heard around the beach; footsteps that did not belong to a Noble but to another creature that humans once feared before they deemed it figment of imagination and superstition.

The werewolf Kentas had just arrived on the island.

The catalyst for this action was of course the letter he had received form the Nobles containing Frankenstein's directions. Apparently, according to the letter, the said scientist had come across a person who bared similar abilities to an extinct Noble clan. There weren't any specifics, and given the fact that the Union was involved, Kentas had a pretty big idea of how that person came to be.

Frankenstein was asking the werewolves to meet with the Nobles in an attempt to find their lost ones. Someone had them and they were trying to evade Frankenstein's research.

'Huh' Kentas smiled as he thought 'Clearly they don't know Frankenstein – or his family. They are in for a big trouble'. If he knew anything about the family of the Noblesse, it was that they were stubborn as hell.

He suddenly sensed presences, then came the ever so slight rustling of the leaves and behold was the Order. Its members stoic and serious asked of him to follow them. Thankfully the letter he had received also contained Sir Gejuntel's instructions and reassurances that the werewolf would be welcome to the island. So he did follow them.

Frankenstein's house…Laboratory…

The screen alit. Machines were bleeping. A scientist in a lab coat was noting on his pad.

Now they were getting somewhere. Frankenstein was reasoning that his asset was becoming more capable with every try. It was fast, he knew, but it was not beneath him to push a little bit more if it would mean that he would get to his Master quicker.

Today as of now, she was able to feel presences without getting distracted by their auras, emotions or by electric energy. Steadily, her awareness was expanding outside Seoul, and then…outside the whole continent. She was telling him so. And he also checked the recently made machine that he and Tao made specifically for this occasion. It was made following the prototype machine back in the Union storage. Speaking of it, at the same time Frankenstein had Haji on communications telling them where the last signal of Raizel's energy was detected. Sometimes it was Africa, some others it was Northern Europe and some others Antarctica.

Deep down Frankenstein knew that these were all decoys to distract them and now he was sure that they were watching them closely. Honestly, he couldn't wait until he got them between his claws. Then they would know the true definition of pain and torture.

Yes…let them play their games for a little bit more…

{Their days…}

{Are…}

"…numbered"

"What? Frankenstein did you say something?"

The said scientist woke up from his daydreaming, or more like murder dreaming, and looked at Sara as she was concentrating. The streams of energy engulfing her temples, hands and legs were a weird kind of orange light and her face was serious although surprised "What is it Sara?"

"Are you okay? Or more importantly…Are you here?" Her face slowly turning to fully meet him.

He raised an eyebrow "Whatever are you implying my dear?" he said with his usual charm that was meant to distract you from the fact that he would never answer your question if he didn't want to. He was wondering if the energy manifestation would eventually reach a higher level. He hoped not; he had way too many things to worry about.

"You look like you are wandering even further than I am"

"Don't lose your concentration"

Her face relaxed "I'm not. You on the other hand, you are a mess. When did you last sleep?"

"When did you last stopped talking and focused on your task?"

"My, my" she said as she slowly turned away from him "so touchy"

"How are you? Any problems in concentration?" he asked professionally while writing something down.

"Oh, apart from a murderous instinct that's wandering around here…I'm fine" she answered with a sarcastic smile.

"So funny" sounded the dry tone of Frankenstein as he was noting something on his board "Any nausea? Dizziness? Will to wipe me out of existence?"

"No, no and no. Where did the last part come from?"

'From your ancestor' "Forget it. Try again with more concentration to connect and show the intensity of your energy"

She did as she was told. The intensity implicated that it was increasingly reaching the boarder of Japan and still going. Few minutes past, and she was reaching the outskirts of Indonesia.

Sara didn't really understand how the machinery worked, combined with her energy, and frankly she didn't care for the specifics. She only knew that it was detecting her energy trace…or whatever.

"Alright, enough for now" he said suddenly.

"What?" she thought that it was odd.

"You are making a good progress and I don't want to spoil it. Plus we both know what would happen if you were to be pushed too much. And we don't want that now do we?" he slowly walked closer to her "Unless you want Bart to notice-.."

"Fine Frankenstein, no need to blackmail me…" she cut him.

"I'm doing no such thing" he said and completely not meaning it.

"Yeah, right" she cracked her neck and relaxed her stance.

"Why would you feel that I'm blackmailing you whenever I specifically mention Bart?"

She got slightly red in the face "Because I told you before, he would worry too much given the fact that I'm of the same backgrou-.."

"Do you like Bart?" he interrupted her. He enjoyed the fact that he was making her uncomfortable.

Right now she was getting slightly redder in the face.

"Stop asking questions that don't have anything to do with you"

"I'm asking 'cause I want to know whether I have to worry about you two"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on Sara…"

The doors right then opened and Karias swept inside gracefully. His face that of kindness and honesty. He had changed into fresh clothes after the sparing "You two will miss dinner if you don't hurry upstairs"

"We are done here" said Frankenstein as he closed the machineries they had been using for the past hour.

As they got out of the lab ready to get upstairs, Karias gently touched Sara on the shoulder as if to stop her. It was so kind that Sara didn't feel it before it happened "Actually dear, Bartholomew is still in the training room. He told me to tell you to go there"

"But they will miss the dinner" Frankenstein said knowing perfectly well that Bart was aware of his rule for all of them eating together, as families do. Before he could say anything more a strong hand wrapped around his shoulders in a friendly manner.

"Come now Frankenstein, let the youngsters have their talk. Don't be such a grumpy old man…"

Frankenstein's eyes were squirting and a big frown was already forming "That's rich coming from you, considering the state you were last ti-…"

"Go dear!" said Karias as if to encourage her more and shouting a little bit too much as to interrupt Frankenstein from reminding him what he already knew.

"Don't worry Frankenstein" Sara assured him casually, her tone flat like she didn't really care what he thought of it, as she was already walking to the training room "We won't be too late"

"You better not" said Frankenstein with as seriousness as he could muster given the fact that Karias was still semi-hugging him like they were old buddies.

He took a deep breath in order not to destroy the Nobel man's bottom into oblivion "Karias?"

"Yes?" he responded cheerfully.

"Withdraw your hand or lose it"

"Let's spar" he said as soon as she came in the training room. He was kind of a mess you would expect from somene that had just finished training.

"What? Why?" that was really odd. 'Where did this come from?'

"We never got the chance to spar that day"

"I remember. You said that you didn't want to push me"

He half-smiled "Huh…and what good did it do? You went straight to the robots like a fool in that state"

She rose an eyebrow at him "Are you accusing me of something? And to my defense I tried to warn…-"

He shook his head "Whatever, forget it. Let's spar together"

"Look Bart, while I am much better in health I don't think-…"

She didn't get to finish as he approached her quickly and attempted to kick her on the left shoulder. Thankfully for her she dodged it. Barely.

"What are you doing?!" she asked in a frantic manner desperate to create as much distance as she could between them.

She dodged another attack; a punch this time. It looked like Bart was serious about it. And then she remembered that werewolves sometimes communicated better with their fists than their words. They could understand each other's motives, character and opinion through the interaction of a simple sparring so well that it fitted their warrior based culture.

So she didn't lose any more time and as quickly as she could she pulled out her energy swords. Their orange-like illumination startled her opponent.

"They look different" he noted and took a more defensive stance. Truth was there wasn't exactly clear what her powers were. An ancestor of a Noble with many mixes of human blood, combined with whatever the Union had been doing for whatever long gave them this result. And on top of that it looked her energy manipulation was becoming sturdier.

Whatever the case he would report this to Frankenstein later. It looked like the more steady she was becoming the more the energy was starting to resemble those of the Nobles.

"Yes I noticed too. Maybe it has something to do with my better control. Are you…perhaps…afraid?" she teased.

"Hardly" he answered.

The fun would begin.

Sword found claws, blasts found raw energy. Footing was trying to beat footing. They were just sparring with the intensity slightly rising little by little. Bart was in top shape despite his previous sparring with Karias. If nothing else he felt excited, especially when Sara tried to attack with her right hand – sword already retracted – but found Bart not striking back in order to counter it but actually blocking it with his claws that were glowing on the edges like they were silver knives.

"What-…"

"I have been figuring it out" he said and they separated each one taking a light jump to the back.

"How?"

"If someone is in control of their emotions and have a strong state of mind they don't get affected by your invasive powers." he said with a smug face.

"Hmh" she smiled "You have been practicing"

"Not just me; everyone. As soon as we figured it out it was one of our main training regimes"

"How clever of you" she said feeling her sweat traveling down her temples and retracted her left energy sword.

"You are done?" he asked as he relaxed.

She checked her watch "Yeah…I have to change now. We are here for over 10 minutes" she said as she checked her watch.

"Really?"

"Really. Frankenstein was already against us missing dinner. If we stay here any longer he will come down here with a vengeance"

"Hahaha true. He wants all of us to eat together" he then raised his eyes to hers "Any progress about finding sir Raizel?"

.She was sad that she couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear.

With lesser enthusiasm she answered "There's been some. Better ask Frankenstein for the details" and with that she passed by him but Bart wasn't done yet. He hold her by the arm not too harsh but strong enough to make her stay, if only for a little while.

"Did you get too tired?" he asked fearing that perhaps it was a mistake to have invited her to a spar after her training with Frankenstein. Maybe this time he did wanted to connect with her but as of late she began becoming more and more distant with them.

"No, I'm fine" she said and she slightly moved her hand to indicate him to let her; which he did but not before telling her what's been bothering him.

"It's weird. When you came here, we were the ones that were much too afraid to touch you and now, you are the one that shies away from it. Maybe now that I know how to resist your powers, you lost your confidence in your strategy?"

"There is no strategy!" she stopped then, breathed and turned away from him "I am sorry for shouting. It has nothing to do with it. If nothing else I'm happy for you but…"

"But?" he was not going to let her get away with it. Something was happening here. Secrets or not she was acting so weirdly lately.

She turned around looked at him for a little while. But without warning she placed her head on his left shoulders. It reminded him the first time he made her to bring down her walls and admit that she knew him from before.

"I don't know where I'm going anymore. Tomorrow I have to become a teacher to one more class, the responsibilities are getting more and we still haven't talked about…the past. There are so many things that had happened back then...And I am so...so tired" she said a little too sincere for her own liking. She was sliping again.

For how long could someone actually keep the burdens on their shoulders?

He placed his hand on her head in a reassuring way "We can talk, tonight if you want"

Bart was trying to find a chance to further discover things about his past through her. He was glad that she didn't show too much of detest when she learned that he found a way to resist her aura-connection – as Frankenstein had named it. He could feel that she was still dangerous but at the same time he was starting to feel more and more the need to be in her company.

"Okay" she answered unsure but still not moving.

Neither of them moved.

That was until the door to the training room opened and Tao popped in "Erm…dinner is served?" he said hesitantly "What are you doing there?"

They quickly detached from one another and Sara made to leave first.

"We sparred, I felt a little dizzy and Bart caught me" she said quickly as she was hastingly trying to avoid the subject altogether.

"Uh-huh…sure…sure" Tao couldn't hold his sinister smile. He was totally unconvinced and it showed.

"Oh shut up Tao" said Bart casually and followed her upstairs.

"Hehehe"

"Tao…"

"Alright, alright…shutting the hole" he followed 'But don't think that you are going to get off very easily mister. I have to talk to Takeo'.

…Lukedonia…Landegre mansion…Gejuntel's office…

"I'm sorry that I'm meeting you in this building but given the circumstances…"

"There is no need for explanation. I completely understand"

Normally the representative of the werewolves would be welcomed to the throne room and have a direct conference with the Lord and a few selected clan leaders. But now half of the clan leaders were either too young to be attending or extremely busy and the Lord…

"Sir Gejuntel, please" he took a breath before continuing, sure that the older Noble was listening "our land is in mess. Most of my brothers and sisters have been a subject of the Union experiments and now they are paying the price of their own greed. Some of them are starting to feel the after-effects of it and our homes are not in the best condition. If there is something that you know about the whereabouts of Muzaka, please tell me without needless talking. We have to know where we stand on this matter"

The Noble was impressed by the young werewolf's impressive speech and at the same time he could sympathize with the need to know where his leader was.

"As you know Frankenstein found a woman who can detect energy or auras in a large scale. Part of our auras are connected to our feelings as they are connected to our lives. She can detect that form of life – energy through emotions and by extend the auras but that second part is difficult to master. She is currently trained by Frankenstein, to reach her fool potential"

"And how is that helpful?"

"Don't you see? If she is able to detect the Nolesse's location then surely she will find Lord Muzaka along with him?"

"What makes you sure that they are in the same location?"

"Frankenstein believes that if the case was different there would be more signs of the Lord's and Muzaka's auras separately"

Gejuntel though was not admitting that Franknestein was just speculating even though he mentioned that he actually knew they were all together. High hopes or just a hunch, Gejuntel couldn't tell. But one thing was sure he could not say it like that to the representative of another race. He had to be diplomatic and…trust Frankenstein. Desperate times…

"And what if he cannot detect them all together because they may be…" how would he say it without offending anyone? He didn't like the idea but it was a possibility. Kentas didn't know the first thing about detecting auras through computers or emotions or whatever and he certainly didn't know anything about the protocol of talking to a Noble officially – he just hoped he didn't offend the whole species at once.

"We haven't felt any signs of our Lord's…end. I, as the eldest, have previously felt the end of the previous Lord and it was nothing like this. This time she just vanished like an electric switch the humans use to light their houses at night. As for Muzaka…I don't know but we keep high hopes"

"I see. The letter also said something about an assemblage"

"Ah, yes indeed. We have to be...ready".

A/N: So this chapter is indeed the first part of the calm before the storm. Stay tuned for the next one. You can always drop a review to tell me what you liked most. Fav+Follow so you don't miss any updates!

As for the story itself you can see were things are going...Something's gonna happen. Also I really like the idea of Kentas trying to appeal to Gejuntel while being king of brash as werewolves usually are.

Thanks to "WindiosSiesta" for following this story ^_^

AND...have a good day~