CEO in a Fantasy World 4 Page 15

  Suddenly, the young girl made a dash for the sharp stick while screaming at her brother, "HURRY, RUN!" her courageous voice passed into Caesar's ears, and he couldn't help but feel impressed with this young girl who seemed to be only 11 years old.

  Alas, her efforts were for naught. Caesar reached the young girl within a split second and softly knocked her unconscious. He didn't dally and did the same to her brother, and soon, both of their unconscious bodied rested on the ground.

  Caesar feared the young girl's earlier scream attracted unwanted attention. Thus, he quickly rushed out of the small house and charged at the 'sexual relief' building. His figure, which was no longer being concealed, almost instantaneously grabbed the attention of a few patrolling guards.

  He took out the long scythe from his storage ring and quickly lobbed off the few guards' heads. His movements were quick and precise, and soon, a few blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the surroundings.

  Caesar's scythe didn't seem to stop moving, and a large amount of blood dyed his raven black clothes. His eyes radiated a deep crimson, that gleamed through the slits in his mask, further increasing the fear his current appearance generated.

  Without wasting another second, he rushed into the building. A strange and morbid scent immediately attacked his nose, causing him to frown. It reeked of many different fluids, and he could hear crying, screaming, and even moaning inside.

  He didn't pay much attention to the insides of the building and tried to locate a specific person. His gaze soon rested on a tear-jerking figure. She had messy, blue hair and dimmed yellow eyes. Her skin was pale, and her cheeks had signs of recently being slapped as a small trail of blood escaped from her lips.

  She and the two children look so similar that Caesar didn't bother waiting and immediately approached the woman. Before she could even react, Caesar hit the back of her neck and knocked her out. He then proceeded to heave her over his shoulders and dash out of the building.

  He could hear roars and the sound of metal clinging from behind him as he ran, it was clear that the trolls' temporary stupor was broken, and they were now enraged. Alas, Caesar's speed was too fast for them to catch up, and he quickly left their line of sight.

  Caesar stopped by the small building where the two children were currently unconscious and placed them on his shoulders as well, before leaving and heading towards the walls, where he infiltrated from.

  At first, he was going to kill the miserable women inside that morbid building. However, he changed his plans. For some reason, when he looked at the two children in dire straits, he couldn't help but think back to Elizabeth.

  An unknown rage overtook Caesar, and his fatherly instincts fully showcased themselves. Perhaps, even he himself didn't know, but his most prominent weakness was children.

  Caesar used his fastest speed to leave the troll stronghold. He was aware that quite a few strong opponents resided further in. He knew that this loud commotion would inevitably cause them to act, so he wanted to leave before they could even catch sight of him.

  Thinking to here, he quickened his pace and scaled the wall he had entered from. He could feel the two children on his shoulders subtly squirm and raise their head, but once they saw Caesar's ominous mask, they fearfully put their head back down.

  Caesar found their actions cute, and once he jumped down from the wall, he removed the mask on his face. His long white hair flowed out like a river, and the mask that covered his perfectly sculpted face was no longer present.

  The young girl stared blankly at Caesar's new look and reached out to pinch his cheek in curiosity as if she was making sure it was real.

  "Wh-who are you?" she asked meekly, but Caesar didn't respond and continued running through the vast forest.

  After he continued running at a swift pace for about ten more minutes, he finally let the young girl and boy off his shoulders while breathing heavily. The rain and sweat soaked Caesar's clothes, and his hair was currently dripping wet.

  Both children stared at Caesar awkwardly for a few moments before Caesar flashed a smile and spoke up, "it's common courtesy to state your name before asking for someone else's," Caesar said jestfully.

  The young girl was first shocked, and then an abashed blush appeared on her face, "m-my name is Symphony… and this is my brother, Seraph," she replied cutely.

  Caesar nodded his head, "my name is Mephisto Pheles, but please call me Caesar," he said politely and put both Symphony and Seraph on his shoulders once again.

  "We don't have time to dally, don't ask where we're going, just know that your pain and suffering will temporarily end," Caesar said seriously and once again started running towards the fox-kin stronghold.

  "Why are you helping us? Mommy told me that there was no free lunch in this world and that all men beside me are evil" Seraph finally spoke, his voice was cute, but it contained a strange amount of intelligence for a child.

  "Perhaps that's just because your mother met the wrong men," Caesar replied with a loud laugh and continued on his way. However, his words, unbeknownst to even himself, caused a ripple in the two children's hearts.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Both Symphony and Seraph just silently contemplated Caesar's words. Neither of them had ever been happy, but they were content with their current lives, it was the least they could do for their hard-working mother. However, both of them knew their 'happiness’ was merely a facade, they could see the agony hidden deep within their mother's eyes, but they just acted as though they didn't.

  Thinking to here, Symphony became more disbelieving of Caesar's words, she had never trusted anyone besides her brother and mother, and now a strange figure had kidnapped the three of them. She just couldn't comprehend why he would take them.

  "I don't believe you… mother told me that in this world, there are only those that are ignorant and foolish, and the ones that are not ignorant are ruthless and evil. Which are you?" Symphony asked after a few moments of hesitation. She was still a young girl that thought very highly of her mother, taking her words for the absolute truth.

  Caesar's footsteps momentarily halted after her words entered into his ears. He took the young girl off of his shoulders and gazed into her eyes. Thunder rang in their ears, and raindrops ominously fell to the ground as they stared at each other in silence.

  "If I had wanted to harm you, I would've done it long ago. If I had any ill intentions towards you, I wouldn't have taken your mother as well. Do you understand? It's not as though I'm ignorant or ruthless. I just merely pity those that are forced to live like livestock at such a tender age," Caesar replied eloquently while heaving the young girl back on his shoulder.

  He understood why their view of the world so foul. It was to be expected of children who were practically slaves. Caesar, however, did not mind if the young girl didn't trust him, he didn't rescue her for recognition or to be a hero. He didn't feel the same attraction towards Symphony and Seraph, that he thought for Elizabeth. He simply planned to shelter, feed, and protect them until the war was over.

  With this in mind, Caesar stopped thinking about such unnecessary thoughts and glanced at the vibrant moon. It's bright light pierced the thick clouds and further accentuated its beauty. While gazing at the moon, Caesar couldn't help but think of Musashi, who was cleaning up the 'pests.'

  ***

  In a dark room, Musashi and twenty other fox-kin were present. They adorned black garbs and had strange masks on their faces; they were an oval shape and had three red lines stretched across the forehead area, like a claw.

  Musashi, who was at the forefront of these men, breathed out deeply before taking out a blue marble from his pocket. It was the same marble that Caesar had shown him prior.

  "Familiarize yourself with the mana hidden deep inside this strange device… we need to identify the location of a few dozen of these" Musashi suddenly spoke up with his deep and raspy voice while passing the marble to the closest person.

  "Are you sure we can trust that
kid? He popped out of nowhere and has already obtained such a large amount of authority… maybe he's just using us t-" before the aged man could finish his sentence, Musashi stopped him with a wave of his hands.

  "Do you not trust in my judgment?" Musashi asked sharply while the muscles beneath his robes bulged.

  The old man in question didn't respond, but instead clutched the marble and sensed for the mana inside. This process repeated until everyone in the room had familiarized themselves with it.

  Once they were ready, Musashi took a few steps forward and opened the large doors before turning back to gaze at those present, "what we are about to do tonight shall not be spoken of again… I ask of you, my old friends, this one last favor," Musashi spoke with a weary tone while gripped his fists tightly. These were the men he had fought with in the past. They were the only ones he could fully trust.

  In response, the group of old men only laughed and patted Musashi on the shoulder one by one as they exited the darkroom, "we are brothers, no matter the cost, no matter how much blood is spilled, we shall live and die together" they said in unison as if it was some kind of chant they had agreed upon at an earlier date.

  Musashi felt a small tear forming, but he hurriedly shook his head and stopped himself from feeling sentimental. He once again resolved himself and closed his eyes, attempting to sense the small fragment of mana.

  The rest of the older men did the same, and thirty minutes later, they snapped open their eyes. Musashi could sense 79 mana waves with similarities to the marble, although they weren't the exact same, they were undoubtedly connected in some way.

  With this in mind, Musashi ordered five men to go east, north, and west, while he and four others would go south. Once their formation was prepared, they set out to complete their mission.

  Unfortunately, none of them were thrilled with what this mission entailed. They knew that the possibility of killing friends, family, and even lovers was possible. If it was before, they had refused to accept the possibility of spies. However, once more evidence showed itself, only a fool would still believe in such a false ideal.

  They were ruthless men who were willing to risk their friends and family for the clan. Their beliefs did not align with the younger fox-kin who believed in protecting the weak. Instead, they believed in winning, no matter the cost.

  Each group traveled to the first location and lightly opened the door, although most of the marbles they detected were out of the mansion, there was still some present inside. They moved to the beds and silently assassinated the sleeping resident inside.

  One particular group, however, the ones that went north, were in a predicament. They were currently standing over a large and luxurious bed, looking at two sleeping figures. They were clearly husband and wife, but they didn't know who, in particular, was in possession of the marble as it was hidden beneath the bed.

  Alas, one of the five, the man who had spoken to Musashi earlier, raised his sword without hesitation, "even if there is a possibility of one being innocent, there is also the risk of both being spies" as his aged voice passed, the others looked at him incredulously.

  "You don't mean to-" before one of them could speak, the man slashed down and killed both husband and wife that were peacefully resting. He gave them a quick and painless death, his eyes didn't even shake, nor did his expression contort.

  "Next," he stated curtly before leaving the other four fox-kin, who were still in a state of shock.

  As for the other groups, they were encountering similar dilemmas. However, most of them similarly completed them. They were all older men who had seen the peak of cruelty; none of them were soft enough to let a possible threat go.

  This mission continued for another few hours, until finally, the faint mana that Musashi and the others could feel, was no longer present. They had accumulated a grand total of 79 marbles together and gruesomely killed over 100 people. Bloodstained their black garbs, and none of them were in the mood to talk.

  Some had killed acquaintances, while others had killed old friends, but there was one thing that they all shared in common. None of the groups had any casualties or mishaps. They regrouped in that same dark room, it was relatively empty, and only one small candle was lit in the middle of the room. It rested on a small circular table and flickered beautifully.

  Once they were all present, each group placed the small marbles they accumulated on the round table and stripped their bloody clothes. Musashi and the others piled them up and set them ablaze, shedding all possible evidence of the deeds and atrocities they had just committed.

  "I hope this was the right decision… Caesar," Musashi whispered while gazing upon the bright moon, outside the window.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Although Musashi had completed the task, Caesar had asked of him. Caesar was in no position to know or celebrate, as he was currently busy running through the forest with three figures on his back, staring at him vigilantly.

  This was, of course, Symphony, Seraph, and their mother. Once their mother had woken up, she surprisingly didn't resist in the slightest. Instead, she simply remained calm and observed Caesar.

  Her piercing gaze caused the hairs on Caesar's back to rise. However, he didn't mind the fact that he was under scrutinization and observed her back. She had weathered facial features, bright yellow eyes, and a sharp countenance. It was clear that she was once a beautiful woman, alas, after years of stress and hard work, her appearance was average at best.

  She appeared to be, at the very least, mid-thirties. Although Caesar didn't care much about her outward appearance, he thought it was tragic that such a woman suffered such a fate.

  Thinking to here, the fox-kin stronghold finally came into his line of sight. The strong and sturdy walls dazzled the two children on his back, the only thing they'd seen bigger, was the troll walls.

  Their mother's reaction, however, was vastly different. Her mouth open agape, and her eyes dilated. It appeared as though she knew where Caesar had brought them. Caesar wanted to question her, but he held himself back and decided just to scale the walls.

  The three people on his back held him tightly as he ascended the wall. They were flabbergasted at the fact Caesar could climb the smooth walls while carrying three people, albeit two of them were children.

  Soon, Caesar made it atop the walls, and before the guards could spot him, he jumped down. The strong winds assaulted him, and the family on his back, fluttering their hair wildly as they fell.

  A loud crashing sound echoed out as he landed on the ground. A small crater formed, and Caesar could feel his feet sinking into the ground from the extra weight on his back. He then proceeded to take the family of three off of his shoulders.

  "As you may, or may not know, this is the fox-kin stronghold…" Caesar said while glancing at the middle-aged woman, "I'll offer you protection, food, and shelter, that is if you want it," Caesar's words continued, and the two children got visibly excited.

  However, their mother simply frowned and looked at Caesar warily, "you have no chance to win against the trolls… staying here would be courting death" she replied with deeply creased brows, it was clear that she had no intention of staying.

  Caesar was not surprised by her words in the slightest; in fact, he figured she would say something similar, "you are correct, this is no place for children to stay during war… I can give you a small carriage and minimal supplies if you want to leave," Caesar replied calmly.

  "But, why? Is there not something you want?" she ridiculed while looking at her daughter, whose beauty was just beginning to bloom. She knew that the handsome man in front of her had no reason to help them, and since she was no longer beautiful, she figured the man was after her daughter.

  Her words and implications caused Caesar to nearly laugh out loud. Fortunately, he just let out a chuckle, "I am not interested in a flower that has yet to bloom. It appears that you have mistaken me for some scum. Fortunately for you, I am not yet offended by such sarcastic remarks
, but if they were to continue, " Caesar said with squinted eyes. He didn't save the two children for any kind of merit, however, constantly being labeled as some kind of pedophile or evil man, has somewhat annoyed him.

  Caesar generally didn't help people without gaining any merits, alas, he decided to save the two children, because they interested him. But instead of thanks, they regularly treated him as they would a troll. Although understandable, it was still quite vexatious.

  Symphony's mother didn't immediately reply to Caesar. Still, her furrowed brows eased a tad bit, "I apologize for insinuating such filthy things, but if your words are true, then would you please let us leave…" the woman said while bowing, though she still didn't trust Caesar, she figured she might as well be respectful, if she wanted her children to have a chance at life.

  Caesar, of course, knew that the woman still didn't trust him. Thus, he merely shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head, "very well, but as I said before, I can only give you a minimal amount of supplies… our men cannot march on empty stomachs after all," Caesar said with an exasperated sigh and started walking towards the fox-kin mansion.