"Jacob?" Lucian said with shock seeing his past friend suddenly.
Jacob stood before him, taller than before with the right side of his face being covered by bandage so only one eye was visible. Through Lucian’s experienced eye, he saw the left leg looking much leaner than it should have.
But even with the changes, he instantly recognized his friend.
"Lucian...?" Jacob murmured before quickly looking away, "Sorry, I think you got the wrong person."
"You just said my na."
"Oh, that? You probably heard it wrong... I said, lose it. You heard that too, right? Jacob asked and winked.
"No, I heard you calling him by his na."
"...You sure?"
"Oh yeah."
Jacob groaned at as Lucian said, "Jacob... what are you doing here? No, where have you been all this ti?"
"?" Jacob slowly turned as Lucian saw Jacob aging pretty quickly, "I was outside, training, becoming strong enough to one day be called the greatest in the wor-"
"Dude, just say that you’re working for ." I tell him, "What’s with the exaggerated long objective that nobody would believe anyway?"
"This is exactly why I want a fucking raise!" Jacob quickly points a finger at , "You never let finish my thoughts nor let be free for a while, this isn’t fair!"
"Jacob... this isn’t the 20th century. Freedom of speech isn’t exactly the trademark yet."
"Oh?... yeah I forgot."
"What are you two talking about?" Lucian asked raising his brow, "What does he an by his working for you? Are you working for him, Jacob?"
Jacob sighed, "Yeah, I am."
"What! But he’s the one... that did whatever had happened to you." Lucian exclaid, "And you’re actually working for him?"
Before Jacob could reply, Lucian went ahead and grabbed him by the shoulders, "Is he forcing you Jacob? You can tell ; I can help you."
"Lucian" Jacob grabbed his hand and pulled it off, "I appreciate the kind gesture, but don’t ddle in my work." And turned around.
"Jacob, you can-"
"I can what? Trust You? Believe in you?... yeah, not going to do stupid things like that anymore." Jacob said, "I understand what you’re trying to say... but it’s just not worth it anymore."
Jacob started walking ahead as Lucian’s head couldn’t capture everything. So he scread one last question.
"But why are you with him?"
Jacob stopped and after a while, he said from the corner of his eyes, "eting Henry, I realized sothing. No one really has worth if they don’t have money or status."
"And I want both so I’m working for him, that’s it."
"Don’t get your head wrapped around it, Lucian. You’re too dumb in that phase to understand it." And walked away.
Lucian watched Jacob walk away but couldn’t say anymore. He saw his changed friend but couldn’t find the vestiges of the past. The current Jacob was like a roughed out traveler that had walked through scorching desert with no water and found no paradise in the end.
"That’s what it is." I shrug at Lucian and turn around to leave.
"You!... I will make you answer for this."
"Again Lucian, don’t say stuff that is clearly out of your pay grade." I laugh while turning around, "You still have bandages left from my last hit."
Lucian unconsciously touched the right side of his neck where a tape was wrapped. Seeing Henry walk away freely made him grind his teeth and crush the tape before pulling it away.
"DAMN YOU, TAX!"
...
"That’s quite the roar." Alice said as she walked beside , "Do you think he broke his vocal cord?"
"Nah, he practiced trying to flirt with Margaret all his life. It would take much more than that." Jacob said before shaking his head.
"Unfortunately he will never succeed with that broad bitch." He murmured, "That woman doesn’t even look at him-"
"Like Alia did with you?" Alice said, making Jacob crunch his brow.
"I hate you, you know that?"
"I do and I love it."
I smile at their talk and ask, "Do you think he’ll stop at that?"
"Lucian..." Jacob shook his head, "No, it would take a lot more than that and he would target you for ."
"Hm, he doesn’t like ."
"Nobody likes you."
I deadpan at Jacob’s words, "For your information, the broad bitch you ntioned earlier does."
Jacob frowned, "Really? Did you tell her about that stash you hid by the river?"
"Shush! What did I say about that?" I tell him, "And no, she likes for who I am actually."
"Oh, how unfortunate for her."
"..."
Jacob smiled seeing my face, "But really, be careful of Lucian. He’s strong and doesn’t back down from a challenge... no matter how big that might be."
"He can co again." It was irrelevant, "The result would be sa or worse than before."
"Hmm? You fought him before?" I nod, "What’s the result?"
"Why do you think he has that scarf around his neck?"
"Oh!" Jacob’s face turned ignorant, "Shit, I take back what I said. How did he do?"
"You rember the fight that changed your whole life?"
"Yeah, turned it to shit, what of it?"
I ignore his middle part, "Well, you lasted longer than him."
"Really? By how many minutes?"
"Take the ti it took in the fight and minus it by a second."
"..."
"..."
"WHAAAT?!"
...
I was walking to the inner hall where Seman, Peter and a few other nobles were talking with each other. Actually it was the nobles who were talking with Seman and Peter, while the latter accepted all the praise.
"Those catapults you brought, Mr. Peter, they would work wonderfully against the bandit’s defenses." A Viscount said.
"And if not, we also have the siege towers to thank to." An Earl joined in, "What do you think Seman, isn’t Peter’s work quite good?"
"Yes Yes, it’s good." Seman stretched a smile. He understood this n, they were trying to undermine Henry and he didn’t like that.
"Your cousin was to be made son-in-law of Seman’s daughter, right? What happened to it?" The Earl deliberately asked.
"For so personal reasons, the engagent was cancelled." Peter said directly, "Miss Margaret found a suitable suitor for herself."
"And who might that be?" A Viscount asked, ignorant.
"It’s Henry of the Tax family."
"You an that Tax? The one that is connected with that blasted Agrave Van Tax?" The Earl exaggeratedly said while knowing everything, "And you accepted that Seman?"
"The future is of the next generation and I would not deny my heir of her choice." Seman said, "But it’s not bad as you sound it out to be Miloni. Henry is actually quite the pleasant person and is nothing like his father."
"Is that so?" Earl Miloni asked with a disbelieving look.
"Did you know that Henry had participated in the Chancion Competition and had won it."
"But that’s for peasants!"
"As true as that might be, those peasants are still counted in the thousands. Tell , could you do that yourself?"
Earl Miloni grunted, "That doesn’t proof anything, what else has that boy done besides that?"
"Well as you may ask, he also participated in the yearly tournant of Lancelot High. You know, the one with all the great noble blood’s protégés and future leaders are born."
Earl Miloni’s face was already starting to break.
"He actually beat that tournant too and ranked first as well."
"What!?"
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