Project Schemer: A Pure and Twisted Thought

Chapter 6: Their worlds

"Good morning, how is your night, Gradnare?"

"Felt great."

"Should we wake Sir Killian?"

"No, let him sleep, he has been through a lot."

"I can tell. So how is your training with Sir Killian?"

Gradnare can say he feels great when he can interact with other students. In the academy, they are isolated by West children and it is a rare opportunity for them to finally talk to each other. The students even tried to use the face paint they were carrying to play a frank on Thomas, but Gradnare can point out the sigil on Thomas's neck and all know what it is, the sigil of shifting because all of them have it. They all have something to hide about their appearance and the reason is simple, they have already got enough bullying to worry about and they are not going to give the West children ammunition. But why Sir Killian needs this sigil is something they can't understand.

"Maybe he is not from the West."

"Of course he is from the West, Sir Killian must have his own reason and we should not focus on that. Everyone has their own reason to hide something."

"No need to be sentimental about that, Gradnare. I can explain everything to them."

"Sir, you don't need..."

"No, there is no need to cause more doubt, but I warned you all because of the horror you will face."

With a quick chant, Thomas dispelled the sigil of shifting before revealing his true appearance. He is bald with one eye missing. There are various scars on him which explain the war and not to mention his slim appearance. But with the highest score in Arcane detection, Gradnare knows this is another trick. His teacher just used two sigils of shifting at the same time with the second fast enough that the moment the first one is dispelled, the second one would replace it.

"Well, I think that is enough of scary things for a day."

"Perfect, I think the seal should be off. The culprit was caught and that was an assassin."

Thomas knows that is a lie, but he knows the children have enough thrill for a day and they are no fools. But D'artenge can only try and lessen the tension of the truth, but the children know the culprit is one of them and not just that, when D'artenge said the culprit was caught, that only has one meaning. The culprit is killed and the one who ended his life is D'artenge himself. Before leaving the room after telling the news, Thomas felt something in his pocket and he knew this was a secret.

The children still want to stay in the car because this is the first time they can meet each other and, besides, they enjoy Thomas's curry and his stories. When the children were still talking, Thomas left the cart and faced the one who he was looking for in the storage car. It was D'artenge and two corpses, which could be known as the fake culprit and the real culprit. The assassins intended their little game and the real culprit - Illua Medictus, the child of the Medictus family and one of those who participated in the assassination of his father.

"I think you should have this back. I don't stain my hand with insignia from a dead era."

The pin is dropped and rolls toward Illua's corpse. The pin with the image of a flame lily carved on it is the symbol for the Lily cycle, one of the oldest cults when the Centre is still a thing to people of Dawnveil. Thomas can't think about anything much more cliche when those he chooses to forgive are those who steal away the happiness of his life and, not to mention, his mother is one of them.

"Calm down Thomas, you are revealing yourself."

"Well, it is just the two of us, right?"

"Three if we count your apostle."

"I'm sorry, professor, I don't want to eavesdrop, but sir, what is Lily cycle?"

"I will tell you all the story about them tonight."

Even when Thomas said he would reveal everything to them, Gradnare no longer felt the need to return to their car, he wanted to hear everything that his teacher had to say. Maybe it was something instinctive but he needed to know. He wanted to help his teacher even when he was just a student. But what Thomas says next is something Gradnare can't expect from the appearance of his teacher, and once again reminds him who his teacher was.

"I am going to teach them what is the true agony of losing everything. D'artenge, I trust you with getting the list of the Lily cycle."

"What about the children?"

"They didn't participate in my father's assassination, then that is fine."

"Now you see the true face of Thomas Clovis, is that enough to make you scared?"

"I still remain my opinion, he is still so cool."

That is something D'artenge and Thomas can't change from him. Gradnare considered Thomas to be an idol and that is something that will never change, and Thomas can only nod slightly about his student behavior. Sometimes, he does find that very endearing, even for a twenty-one-year-old child who considers him an idol, but sadly, everything has two sides, even for something small like a coin. And even for Thomas, he could be like his father, but when the candle is snuffed out, he will kill. But D'artenge doesn't find that necessary because, in his play, Thomas will be the one to deliver the finishing blow. That is his role, that will make him a star. Thomas is a star and, compared to those mortals, it isn't worth for him to stain his hands.

But that is only to D'artenge, it is always this obsession, the obsession to make Thomas a star, the obsession to make Thomas a living god, a saint walking in this stained world. A nameless clan becomes a living god. That will be the utmost humiliation for every family and every era. D'artenge wants to humiliate the world. What he wants is far more simple than what every student thinks about him. He wants to let the world see what happens when they humiliate everything that he loved and cared for. But Thomas is different, because this trip can be described as the happiest moment in his life. Humble and well-mannered children with a fulfilling life is nothing he wanted more after the war. Even when this is a stage play controlled by D'artenge, Thomas is not mad because manipulation feels very nice sometimes.

"Sir, can we have curry again?"

"It is being prepared, so maybe a story before dinner is ready?"

"No time for stories, children. You will remain in the car and we will seal the door. This is not practice, we are under attack by real assassins. Killian, prepare what you need."

"Perfect, right before dinner too. Gradnare, prepare food for everyone in the next ten minutes. I will be back in twenty minutes."

Thomas only takes the walking stick and leaves the car with Thomas. The moment everything is sealed perfectly fit with D'artenge's prediction, and the D'artenge in his silk gloves means this won't be something easy. For convenient combat, Thomas has to remove his sigil of shifting and true form. Thomas, with his clock hand blade, stands in front of D'artenge. His face is tense as he waits patiently for the assassins to appear. Behind him, D'artenge is preparing the poison from some basic plants he is carrying with him. Even for two sixty-year-old men, their instinct won't let them down. D'artenge directed the smoke toward front of him and Thomas performed countless stabs with his blade toward the assassins coming toward them.

D'artenge and Thomas can recognize these assassins belong to the Medictus family because of their uniform and, as the assassins of the Medictus family, they are extremely talented at using poison and they can only be killed with specific poison. But they are simply using the poison used by D'artenge, simply a replica of a perfect work, but what D'artenge has in his glove is something much more potent than the poison used by the Medictus.

"Don't think you can find our opening because we are narcissistic, it is called pride in our power, dear. And you, sending your children to die and you still have the courage to confront us."

"This will be mine D'artenge."

"We should have killed you before you could get that position. And you, you filthy low-class soldier, don't you dare touch us."

"Well, they are yours. Can I have some curry too?"

"Go ahead, I made extra."

D'artenge faded through the door of the car and in the current car, there are only three people. Thomas knows when the head of the family is doing something themselves, that means they are desperate. The Medictus masters are carrying two different weapons, with the husband carrying a spear and the wife carrying a sword. The Medictus is just all about poison, but they are capable of dealing with single combat, and Thomas is about to learn that about them.

The two husband and wife caused some trouble for Thomas with their quick and dangerous attack. Their weapons are coated with poison and Thomas knows he can't keep evading and that is the moment he remembers what he taught Gradnare. Don't keep evading or defending. There will be a time you need to retaliate and sometimes, retaliate is the way to cause a surprise element and that is the moment your enemies are wide open. With a run in his pocket, he found the black liquid and poured it on the floor of the car. The two Medictus have to retreat before they are impaled on countless spikes coming from the liquid and this is the moment Thomas takes the initiative in the battle.

"You two are going to die anyway, so I guess there is no need to hold back. I swore in the names of my father and sister. For now, I will reach the gate of ascension and turn my back from heaven. May you embrace me, my sister."