Two days of training...

The academy would provide more regardless... they’d all be honed as mages for war. But his reasons now went beyond a mere task.

Call it the intuition of a dead soul.

His older brother had been staring at him lately, and the smile that always crossed his lips sent chills down his spine.

Samael was an Unholy Priest in the underworld, vice captain of the organisation. He’d face the main character in the future and survive. Not through power. Through deception.

More paranoid than he ought to be. That was what this had made him. And Rosemary asking him to protect Raine hadn’t helped matters. That alone was a sign of bad news.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Arriving in this world had shifted some part of the plot. That much was clear. But it didn’t change the facts: he was from a house of villains, had foolishly played a role in the protagonist’s parents’ demise, and Lucius would come for him in the future.

More reason than ever not to fail. Raine had to arrive at the Runerth estate. No matter what.

There they were, over breakfast once more, and Samael couldn’t stop looking in his direction. Smirking, as always.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

’He can’t hurt me or use his ability on me directly, Godfrey forbids it, but he can still harm me through other means... Should I use Rosay to get information out of him? No... I barely know anything legitimate about her. She appeared only a few times in the novel, and she seemed too calm to manipulate.’

Ahem...

While his mind wandered, something cut through the clatter, a sound distinct from the clash of spoons and plates. Everyone’s attention shifted to Samael. Samael’s eyes found Rosemary, who hadn’t so much as flinched at the sound.

"If I may, Mother, I would like to have a word with Leomaris at once."

’Huh?’

Confusion, clear as day, across his face. He had no reason to speak to Samael. If anything, Samael’s ability to deceive scared the hell out of him. But Rosemary hadn’t refused. That was the unfortunate part.

Samael turned to Leomaris.

"I would like to have a word with you, Leo, after breakfast."

A massage around his temple. That was all Leomaris could do to calm himself. Samael had always been cruel, and it was his trickery, six years ago, that had led the original Leomaris to participate in the protagonist’s parents’ death. The thought of being alone with him crept Leomaris out.

He didn’t refuse, though. He was going to get to the bottom of the taunting stares and the creepy smiles. And whatever Samael had planned.

—

Out on the backyard lawn, the two of them stood. Leomaris had his back to the wall, hands in his pockets. Unnatural as the posture was, the urgency to leave was plain as day.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"I would urge you to be careful around Mother. She is... something I cannot quite put into words. But take it from your older brother, her kindness is not to be taken lightly."

A soft smile accompanied Samael’s words, as if he truly were a good older brother. Leomaris wasn’t going to argue. Grimoires were expensive, and both Samael and Rosay had come into their own money before the academy.

Still, despite how many times the original Leomaris had fallen short, Rosemary had promised him one regardless.

’It sounds sketchy... but I’m not in a position to complain.’

After a wasted previous life, he’d do anything to make this one count. Whether as a villain or not.

"What do you want? Can you just say it already?"

Samael played it up, putting on a little act as though Leomaris’s words had wounded his pride.

"You didn’t even call me ’big brother’... I thought you’d changed for the better."

Leomaris met his words with a look that spoke his thoughts plain enough. He wasn’t ready for the drama.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The playfulness drained from Samael’s expression, just slightly, replaced by a soft smile that spoke of something far more malicious.

"Mother has given you a mission, hasn’t she? I didn’t expect her to know about it... which dulls my good intentions a little."

His eyes met Leomaris’s.

"I would like to provide you with valuable information that will assist you in the future. However, in return, you will agree to two conditions: first, you will owe me a favour in the future. Second, you will hand over one of your butlers. Hazel."

Leomaris’s expression hardened. That smile made everything chilling, intentionally unpleasant. Hazel wasn’t valuable or skilful in any meaningful way. She was simply good at acting and bending others to her will with her charms.

’This guy must know something about Hazel that I don’t... I can’t give in to his demands.’

Leomaris hadn’t even begun to speak before Samael let out a foul breath. He turned around slowly, eyes lifting to the reddish sun, and let the cool breeze and tranquility wash over him.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"Both your butlers were handpicked by Mother. I understand why you would be hesitant to give one away. However, we both know neither Hazel nor Aaron respects you as their master. If they did, they would be here now rather than wandering around your collapsed casino."

A half-hearted glance, deliberate and brief. Leomaris knew these kinds of people well enough. They stated the obvious when it benefited them, and in doing so, always managed to sound desperate. More reason to decline.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"Let me take a guess... you want to tell me about the possible dangers my fiancée might face. As the vice-captain of the Unholy Priests, you have likely heard something concerning them. That must be it."

It was a guess. But he’d been uneasy lately, and Rosemary didn’t concern herself with trivial matters. The fact that she’d brought up Raine’s arrival at all meant one thing: Raine had to be in trouble.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Staring at Leomaris with an intense gaze, Samael burst into a bout of taunting laughter.

"I thought you were an oblivious coward. To think you already know I’m connected to the Unholy Priests. I didn’t think much of you, little brother."

’Duh... why wouldn’t I? I’ve read the novel.’

Something darkened in Samael’s amused expression. Just slightly. The atmosphere around them plunged all at once, leaving behind an air so thick it sat heavy on the lungs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"I would take this offer if I were you, little brother. Those people are not after her alone, you are the main target. They will not stop until you are dead. Trust me, these are not people you can deal with using two butlers. Hehe... they have paid me well. I will ensure their objectives are met beautifully."

Leomaris gave an awkward smile.

"So you’re saying you’re going to kill me, ’big brother’?"

Samael raised his hand... submission, of a sort. Almost as though he wanted to say something more than what a subtle refusal could manage.

"Why would I do that? I’m just doing my job."

He said his piece. Then Samael was gone, waving over his shoulder on his way out, as if he were a loving brother.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Mildly laughable, really. Samael was about the same age as him when he died, and his age mate had the nerve to ask for respectable regards. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

It had him thinking, though. There was nothing particularly telling in the original Leomaris’s memories, nothing that would suggest someone wanted him dead.

’He was insufferable, but he never killed anyone or directly abused anyone. Oh well, he did go into people’s shops and destroy things, but I doubt that’s enough to come for his head... wait.’

Something beneficial crept through the noise of his thoughts. The original Leomaris, when drunk or consumed by drugs, had done a great deal of unspeakable things.

’He also did not pay most of his workers... worse, he went into the Church of Hopes, ransacked it, and broke the statue of the Firstlight Goddess. He was arrested, but Godfrey bailed him out.’

Fist curled, he struck the wall. Irritation had gotten the better of him. He couldn’t leave the Runerth estate, and that was probably what those after him were counting on. But the grimoire his mother had promised depended on Raine arriving safely. He couldn’t let her be attacked.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

More importantly, though, Raine had to stay alive. As the female lead of Arcane Mercenary, she was one of the few capable of using Vision. He couldn’t let her die.

’I will need to contact Aaron and Hazel, and most importantly, ask Rosemary for her help.’

He didn’t waste another second. He went where he was needed most.