The sunlight was hurting his eyelids, wanting stubbornly to force him awake, but Wolfram wasn't about to budge. He hid under the cover, but then the heat began to be a problem. Despite the wide-open windows, the night was scorching, making him end up covered in sweat, and the urge to bathe began to fight the desire to stay in bed. The noises from the garden made it difficult for him to fall asleep again, so after wriggling all over the bed, he finally gave up and reluctantly disentangled himself from the sheets.
After asking the maids to prepare a bath for him in the bathroom, which fortunately was adjacent to the bedroom, and getting himself some clothes to change into, Wolfram looked out onto the balcony. The back garden was also swarming with soldiers, still eating breakfast in the makeshift kitchen. This meant he hadn't woken up all that late. However, Yuuri was already gone, and he didn't even hear him leave. The same thing happened when they slept together in the tent.
It was a bit sad, waking up alone, but he should be glad they were allowed to sleep together at all. Wolfram decided to tell Gwendal what he thought about him meddling so much in their private affairs, especially since earlier, his brother had no objection to Wolfram sleeping with Yuuri. When asked about the reason for this change of mind, he couldn't even articulate himself and finally said that if Wolfram cared so much, he could just do what he want.
After taking a bath, he went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. The servants panicked slightly at his sight, trying to tide up as much as possible around and set a small table against the wall. Wolfram wanted to go to the kitchen to avoid making a fuss, but it looked like he had achieved quite the opposite effect. Everyone working at the residence was a resident of the nearby town, so it was possible that a few people might have known him. However, they were relieved that he left, and Wolfram worried how it would end when they met Yuuri.
Making the rounds around the camp, he didn't spot his brothers and father anywhere, so he had to ask the soldiers about them. He was told they were probably still at the meeting, leaving Wolfram torn between anger and disappointment. Are they really going to continue to exclude him? Well, no one said he couldn't join, so he went to find the room where this meeting was taking place.
This was an easy task, as few rooms in this residence could be used for this purpose. In addition, this was the only room whose windows were closed.
Normally Wolfram would have gone inside without much thought, but as he walked deeper into the hallway, his steps slowed instinctively as he began to feel a familiar, unsettling, tingling sensation. It intensified the closer he got to the door until he finally stopped in front of it, raising his hand uncertainly over the handle. He hadn't thought much about it since that incident in the garden. It was sudden and passed quickly. Or maybe it hadn't even happened at all? Maybe he was just too stressed by the visions and that painting and only imagined that he felt something? But in that case, what is happening now?
That person Yuuri is turning into when he lost control of his power was always disturbing to him. Who was it anyway? Why did he appear and disappear so suddenly? Not to mention the fact that he is saying some nonsensical things every time. However, there should be no reason for him to appear at the meeting. Otherwise, it would mean that something serious had happened.
He took a deep breath and pressed on the door handle. After all, he wouldn't know what's going on unless he looked inside.
Four people were sitting at a round table. They all looked in his direction and fell silent when he opened the door. He recognized his father, Gwendal and Conrad. However, he had no idea who the fourth person was. On the one hand, he looked like Yuuri, but on the other, something was wrong with him. Minor changes, just like when he went into Maou mode, except this time it wasn't that. He seemed older and more serious. And a tad scary.
His stomach clenched, and he took a step back. Something in the back of his head screamed that he didn't want to be in the same room with this person.
"Wolfram, we are now in the process of discussing the reports we received a while ago. If you want to join us, you can..." His father started to speak, but Wolfram didn't hear his further statement as he quickly left the room, slamming the door behind him.
What was that? Yuuri in Maou mode may have been disturbing, but he always seemed to overreact to everything, and even Great Sage made fun of him. However, this man had the aura of someone who would have people beheaded for making fun of him. What was he doing there? Why did the rest seem unconcerned about his presence? Even Conrad acted as if everything was fine.
He didn't think about where he was going, and his feet led him to the forest's edge. Unlike the area around the mansion, it was completely peaceful here. The only sounds were birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the wind. A suitable place to calm down and collect his thoughts, so he went on.
He didn't know this forest very well, but he had a good orientation in the area, so he shouldn't worry about getting lost. As he went deeper and deeper among the trees, the forest absorbed him more and more. It had been a long time since he had ventured into the wilderness, especially when he had little reason to do so. It was the middle of summer, and the forest was so filled with a life of its own that Wolfram felt like he was in another world.
This was good for him in that it instantly calmed him down, but bad by the fact that instead of trying to think about what had happened, his head now began to be dominated by pondering whether he would be able to see a deer. He liked these animals, some were even bigger than horses, and with their huge antlers, they looked majestic. Once one strayed into the forest area belonging to his father's temple. Wolfram spent days watching it then. And then he got a piece of antler shed by the same deer from his father. He still had it tucked away in one of his treasure caskets.
Yuuri asked him several times about its contents, but Wolfram still didn't feel ready to tell him. He had already shown them to several people, but they ended up disappointed and bored each time after learning that inside were bones, fangs, scales, and other similiar things. He wasn't quite sure what people thought he was keeping in there. After all, what other treasures can one possess besides wolf fangs or dragon scales - the one he managed to get during a trip with Yuuri to the reserve, completely legally. However, everybody said with disappointment that they had imagined something completely different from him.
He sat on a stone in a small clearing, trying to get an idea of where he was. He had come from the south, and if he was orienting himself correctly, continuing northwest, he should reach his grandfather's residence. Maybe half a day's walk through the woods. He didn't know at all what the situation was like there now. He should have stayed and listened to what was in the report instead of running away like a coward. Now he felt stupid. The only thing left for him was to hope that if he returned now, no one would bring up the subject, and they could just continue.
"Wolfram?" Conrad entered the clearing, coming from the same direction as him. Great. Now he can't just go back and pretend nothing happened.
His brother sat beside him on a stone, looking unconcerned as usual. A walking oasis of peace. In addition, all the while, sounding like he was having a chat over tea.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing of the sort." Wolfram crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head the other way.
"Looking at your reaction earlier, it's hard to believe. You ran out of there as if you saw a ghost, and everyone is worried that you disappeared so suddenly. So? What happened?"
"Why should I explain anything to you?" he said reflexively before his mind could react. However, even if he felt bad about it, Conrad still did not respond to it in any way. He simply fell silent, but the expression on his face did not change. So did it really that matter in that case?
He sighed and stood up, focusing his attention on kicking the stones lying around.
"What was that anyway?"
"What was what?" Conrad asked calmly as if nothing had happened.
"That someone who was there instead of Yuuri."
"You mean Maou?"
"It wasn't Maou. It was... someone else."
"Well, he's started to change slightly lately, but I'm not sure it's to the point of worrying about it. Maybe you just haven't seen him in a long time?"
"Not to worry? Wasn't it that until now, he always appeared in critical situations? In what way was he just like that at your meeting?"
"Yuuri has recently gained more control over it, so his appearance is not that unusual."
Wolfram clenched and unclenched his fists several times, not knowing how to respond to this revelation. Did this mean that now Yuuri could go into Maou mode whenever he liked? He was able to understand doing this in a situation where he had to use maryoku, but why was he doing it in a meeting? Didn't he want to be at the conversation in person? And could he even remember anything from it?
"Do you really think there's nothing to worry about?"
"And you are worried? After all, they are one and the same person."
"Somehow, I find it hard to believe that."
"Did he scare you that much?"
He sent Conrad a murderous look, but the man apparently found it amusing.
"Why should I be frightened by this wimp? It was just... too weird. And shocking."
"And that's why you ran all the way to the forest?"
"That's enough of that! I'm not going to listen to you anymore." He moved back toward the mansion, hearing Conrad following right behind him. "Why did you even come after me? I know this forest well, so I could easily return on my own." He looked at his brother, who looked like he was having trouble answering him.
"We have received disturbing reports of strange phenomena in the forest," he said after some time.
"Strange phenomena?"
"I'll be going on patrol in a moment to check it out. So try to stay at the residence until then, okay?"
"There's no reason for you to talk to me like I'm a small child," he muttered under his breath, having the urge to cross his arms over his chest, but then he would have trouble keeping up a fast pace. Conrad was faster than he was, and if Wolfram slowed down even a little, the man would outrun him, and he had no intention of letting that happen.
The residence had already appeared in their line of sight, as had Conrad's men getting the horses ready.
"Fortunately, everyone could see where you were going, so we didn't have to search the entire forest. The rest should still be in that room." Conrad left him alone and went over to talk to one of the soldiers about something.
If they knew where he was, why would Conrad bother to go after him personally? He could just send one of Wolfram's men and go on patrol himself. After all, he knew which way their conversation would go. It always looks the same, and he always acts as if he doesn't care at all. Wolfram could yell at him, push him away or even kick him, and he would continue without reacting in any way. He merely stood there with his damned smile. Wolfram could not understand his behavior at all. They were supposedly brothers, but their character was completely different. If someone had behaved this way toward him, he would have ended up with burns long ago. So why didn't Conrad react at all?
He stood staring into space for too long, and the soldiers started sending him strange looks. So he returned to the bedroom and sat down in a chair on the balcony. Maybe he should go and ask about these reports, but now he felt even more foolish. After all, he won't go there and tell Yuuri that he was scared of him. So he will wait until Conrad returns and then go see what happened.
Most of the soldiers sat idle in the encampment or roamed around cluelessly. They were forbidden to go near the city, and "strange phenomena were seen in the woods," so they had nothing to do with themselves.
His men, in particular, were slacking off, in Wolfram's opinion. Before leaving, they were given a day off so they could prepare, and during the travel nothing happened, and they merely rode horseback as if on a trip. And now they were sitting merrily around the campfire, laughing about something. If they keep this up, they'll slack off in their training. Maybe he should go to their place and arrange for them a quick session until lunch?
The bedroom door opened, and Wolfram leaned back slightly in his chair to see who had come inside. His father stepped onto the balcony and, after nodding to him, sat down in a chair across from him.
"So this is where you hide," he said, placing his hands on the table.
"I'm not hiding anywhere."
"Is that so?"
Wolfram did not answer, focused on watching his men. In his mind, he was already arranging a training plan.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
His father sighed, but Wolfram had no intention of talking about it a second time.
"I must admit, however, that this is an extraordinary skill," he said.
"What's that?"
"A change of character on demand. From a young, inexperienced king into a confident leader. Under such circumstances, he should have no trouble ruling the country."
"What are you talking about again?"
"About the king. What did Conrad say you called it? Maou mode? Truly a fitting name. I wonder how it works."
"I'm not sure anyone knows. They just take it as normal."
"Wolfram?" His father looked at him as if he saw something disturbing on his face.
"Never mind. What are these strange phenomena they've noticed?"
The man stared at him for a moment longer, then wandered with his eyes toward the forest.
"At first, they were simply recognized as soldiers hired by your grandfather. They patrolled the area around his residence, but it was quickly noticed that they were behaving... unnaturally. One of the soldiers compared them to dolls. So we can assume that these are not ordinary people. We also learned that six months ago, your grandfather dismissed his entire staff and did not allow anyone into the residence. However, during his travels, he was seen with a huge number of servants, so it's unclear where they came from."
During his travels. The ones during which he murdered people. It was quickly noticed that the disappearances were exactly in the places he visited. They followed him like a bloody trail. It was still amazing that the man went everywhere in person, especially since he had never been a fan of even nearby trips.
"What I don't understand is, to which purpose is all this," he said.
"And maybe it's better if it stays that way." Now Wolfram was examining his father. The man looked at the forest in the distance with unseeing eyes and furrowed brows.
These are rituals for which the bodies of murdered people are used. Obviously, they are not performed with good intentions.
Wolfram lowered his gaze, leaving his father alone in his thoughts. He put his hand on his wrist, where the silver chain was, and began turning it in his fingers until he came across the red stone. It was warm to the touch, unlike its companion, which was icy.
"I see you like it."
He lifted his gaze to see that his father had already returned to himself, smiling cheerfully.
"This bracelet..." The man paused for a moment, weighing the words on his tongue. "It's a family heirloom, so you can keep it."
"This is the first time I've heard of it."
"I received it as an inheritance from my grandmother. Interestingly enough, she was a priestess in my temple."
"So it's a family thing?"
"It seems so."
"Why..." Wolfram hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "Never mind."
His father never explained to anyone why he suddenly decided to join the temple, and even the nobles who knew him were puzzled by this unexpected decision. He asked his mother once, but she was only saddened by the question, so Wolfram decided not to bring up the subject again in front of her. He tried to ask his father several times, but each time he felt awkward and ended up like this.
The noise outside suddenly increased, and it looked like something was happening in front of the building. Wolfram immediately got up and went downstairs, stopping at the front door.
One of Conrad's soldiers was reporting to Gwendal. He was alone, and blood was oozing from the wound on his hand. After a quick exchange of words, he was sent to the hospital tent, and Gwendal began giving orders for his unit to prepare to leave.
"Wolfram." Yuuri appeared from nowhere beside him and embraced him lightly with a look of relief on his face.
"What happened?"
"It seems that Conrad's patrol was attacked. But it's nothing serious. They have almost the same number and are not far away. Gwendal will get there soon, and everything will be fine," he explained, although he sounded more like he wanted to reassure himself.
His older brother was already on his horse and ready to go. He sent him one quick glance before setting off with his troops.
Wolfram summoned his men and grabbed Yuuri by the arm, leading him to their bedroom. He posted guards outside the door and went inside, where his father was still sitting on the balcony.
"Since Gwendal will take care of everything, let's wait here for him."
"Is everything in order?" His father asked, and Yuuri told him almost the same thing as he told Wolfram.
"Yuuri, these are some of the best soldiers. They will handle something like this without any problems." Wolfram comforted him, seeing that he was still nervous.
"Of course. Of course. But I worry anyway. We don't know what these dolls can do. If they're like the ones from then..."
"I doubt that this man has power equal to Shoushu," his father replied. "And he doesn't sin with intelligence either. So you two have nothing to worry about."
Wolfram looked at him, hearing that he had also been addressed. He wasn't worried at all. He knew perfectly well what Conrad's abilities were. These dolls are nothing to him. And everyone gets hurt during a sudden fight. That soldier there probably just didn't pay enough attention when he retreated and got scratched. But the rest of them are still whole and healthy. Soon Gwendal will join them, and they will grind these dolls to dust.
"Wolf." Yuuri put his hand on his palm. They were both sitting on the bed now, and Wolfram didn't notice that he was clenching the material of his pants.
"I'm fine," he replied, though he tightened his hand on Yuuri's palm and didn't let go. Fortunately, his father was still sitting on the balcony and didn't have a very good view from there.
No one was in the mood to talk further, so they sat in silence until one of the maids told them it was lunchtime. His father replied to simply bring the food here, and they ate on the balcony.
As the servants cleaned off the table, there was again a commotion outside the residence. Yuuri broke off immediately, and this time Wolfram's father followed him as well. Wolfram was right behind them, but just as he was about to cross the threshold, he felt a strange uneasiness. He turned around to quickly sweep the room with his gaze and calm his thoughts. This, however, had the opposite effect.
The bedroom should have been empty by now, but someone was standing there. Someone very familiar.
Wolfram turned on his heel, wanting to leave the room as soon as possible. But the door had disappeared. In their place stood a tall window with broken glass. From it spread a view of the burning city. The screams of people being burned alive and torn apart by monsters were much louder than usual, and Wolfram covered his ears, wanting to silence them at least a little.
This is just another vision. This isn't real, he repeated in his thoughts, stepping back a bit, trying to maneuver between the shattered furniture.
There should be a door somewhere here. Were they in front, or maybe more to the left?
A huge winged monster flew past the window, causing him to retreat even further and fall over, tripping over an overturned chair. No, it wasn't a chair. Maybe it looked like that now, but in reality, it must have been something else. Perhaps the edge of the carpet? But would he really trip over something like that?
Footsteps came from behind him, and Wolfram quickly rose, remembering that someone else was still in the room. Instinctively, he drew his sword, aiming its tip at his pursuer. He looked exactly like the painting, and simply watching him made him nauseous.
"Oh, how charming. Do you think you'll be able to stop me with this thing?"
Wolfram blinked a couple of times, taken aback. No matter what Wolfram did, the visions always went the same way. His pursuer always did and said exactly the same thing. So why is he saying something different now? His voice was as unpleasant as the rest of his presence. Sweetly mocking, as if he were speaking to an unruly child.
A dagger flashed in the man's hand, and Wolfram retreated to the wall again. His men should still be outside, right? They should have noticed that something was wrong and looked into the room. So why hadn't anyone opened the door yet?
He tried to feel it for himself, but all he could sense was cold stone and the sharp edge of the glass.
"I would love to play with you like in the old days, but we have other plans for you, so that will have to wait."
The screams from outside the window intensified, giving him a headache. At the same moment, the man leaped forward, moving so fast that one could barely keep up with him with his eyes, let alone react. He swung his arm and lowered the dagger's pommel onto Wolfram's neck. Pain instantly emanated from that spot, and darkness followed behind.