Project Schemer: A Pure and Twisted Thought

Chapter 7: Carelessness

"Sir, will Mr. Killian alright?"

"Thank you, children, but you don't need to worry about him, Killian will not just defeat them, he will kill them. He personally asked me to wait here. So, can I have some curry?"

"Of course, sir."

"Just like how I remember it should be, flavorful and filling. He can be a talented cook if this is not his only dish."

D'artenge always enjoys this dish, even when it is the only dish he grew up with and he can't get tired of it, every time the flavor changes to something unexpected. But that is not the only thing he loves about this curry, because anyone who prepares this dish uses a lot of love for it, something that D'artenge believes that doesn't exist but it is here, right in his favourite dish. This dish always reminds him of the family he lost, but it also reminds him of memories filled with happiness when he was pure and innocent.

"Sir, I found this strange but are you smiling sincerely?"

"Of course, the one who made this dish is someone unexpected after all."

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"Dear, are you alright... What are you?"

"Oh, you seem to forget about Charlotte and about me. Our father accepts his death, so you are satisfied with your bloodlust."

"You, we should have killed you."

"But you failed, right? As I said, if my father used all of his knowledge along with my sister's research, he could turn this world into a barren land. And now, let me show you, a fraction of our power, there will be no heaven for you, both of you."

A cut with the clock hand so strong that it knocked two masters of the Medictus clan toward the door of the car where his children were inside. But as predicted, Thomas used too much force and too much power from Charlotte's research and now, casting another sigil of shifting is impossible. He crumbled on the floor of the current car as Gradnare ran toward him and dragged him inside their car before the children from the West knew anything and shut the door. D'artenge also examines two corpses of the master of the Medictus clan and all three of them vanish, leaving Thomas in the car with his student. He has too much to explain and that should be Thomas's responsibility.

As the children look at the one they usually call Mr. Killian, the children of the south may not know anything, but to the children of the north, they almost faint because of excitement. The signature scar and the white hair and the appearance, even when he is older, the children see the pictures their parents took and hear all kinds of stories from their parents about the hero of the north. The one sleeping in front of them is no one else but Thomas Clovis, the hero of the north.

"The spell is really draining me. So... erm... hey there, so... I think I should introduce myself properly. I am Thomas Clovis."

The children look at Thomas Clovis and he really fits with his title as the hero. His impressive physique with white hair and scar that robbed away one of his eyes, even with a threatening look, what Thomas did for the children in the last twenty-four hours made him an admirable figure in the eyes of the children. But what could Thomas say when he was caught? He is fine with children knowing he is still alive, but the upper-class isn't allowed to know anything about this.

"Children, I know you are happy when you know I am still pretty much alive, but sadly, I can't trust all of you with this secret. No, I am not going to brainwash any of you because that is not how I do things."

"Sir, is there any way we can help?"

"Don't worry, you don't need to do anything, this is my fault and I will bear full responsibility."

An oath is something that can't be broken easily. The power of the Clovis comes from the research of Charlotte Clovis. There was nothing noble, it was just a way for her to save her family and, with her research, the Clovis clan could do something that no one could. A power to bind people to their words is just one of those powers. Thomas used his spell and formed a contract with every student in the car. With this, the moment they break their oath, the memories about Thomas will be erased from their minds.

"I think we can be a little more open to each other from this moment."

The story is told under the name of Thomas Clovis, and this is the most humble story in his record, the story about a simple man doing everything in his capability to protect his family and his students. This is the story of Killian Clovis, the story of a simple waiter doing everything he can to raise two brilliant children and countless talented students. Killian Clovis is a simple waiter in the west and, because he is born from a broken clan, the upper class of the West look at him like nothing more but a jester. But that is not his only struggle.

"So that is not the worst thing?"

"Sadly, that was the best moment in his life. Sometimes, I think I am a curse to him because I'm the child of that woman."

No one knew anything about Thomas's mother until that day when Thomas was born. Everyone knew the truth that she was a prostitute and an evil woman. To Thomas, his real father was unknown, but Thomas always considered Killian as his real and only father. Even when Killian's dignity was insulted, he still stayed with that woman and when Thomas was nine, Chartlotte was born. And that is the moment Killian's true struggle began. Thomas's mother revealed herself as nothing more than the tool of the upper-class to truly break the Clovis clan.

After finding nothing she can use from Killian, she tells the public that Killian violated her and that is the moment when the world turned their back against Killian. Thomas's mother even tried to take Thomas and Charlotte from Killian, but that is the last straw, that is the moment Killian fought for everything he had been through. And Thomas even fought with his father, and in the end, he still kept custody of both Thomas and Charlotte, but even when Killian won, that devious woman still ruined his life and his name, making him lose his job to provide for his family and that would allow her to win custody of two children.

But happiness will always seek those with kindness, and at the moment Killian was filled with nothing but despair. It was the children and his students that helped him. Charlotte's kindness allowed Killian to have some rest with the help of her clinic, and Thomas was something different. With some small experiments from Charlotte, Thomas was the talent that the army of the West wanted and that allowed him to have some edge in the negotiation. And Killian's most talented students, D'artenge, Solos and Hugo, the trio are something every scholar seeks to help them with everything they can't.

"Solos and Hugo?"

"Solos and Hugo are talented, much like your headmaster, but sadly, both of them were killed during the war. At least they are still happy and holding hands the moment they are gone. And I carry every piece of them with me after all."

"Every piece? What do you mean, sir?"

"On my finger, this is Charlotte's ring. This amulet. This amulet is created when you perform some mechanism on two different amulets with each piece belong to Solos and Hugo. As for my father, he never left my side, but you can't see him."

D'artenge, Solos and Hugo are different from normal students of the old academy. Under Killian's guidance, the three were almost as powerful as Thomas with Charlotte's experiment. D'artenge was the only one with no mood to help the scholar. He had a much more ominous occupation. But D'artenge always found a way to fill his pocket and help Killian with daily necessities, even when Killian declined his help, but not out of anger. And war came. The War was the moment the Clovis clan shone, and nothing more than pride when you had the world bow before you but Killian no longer cared for the world. He wanted nothing more than the safety of his children, but it was Charlotte's sacrifice that motivated them to fight, as they promised they couldn't let her sacrifice a waste.

"Father cried a lot, he lost too much in his life and now seeing his two children and his students slowly fading away. What can be a pain worse than that?"

"And the moment you thought you could have a happy ending."

"That woman appeared once again and took his life. I think he won't mind that. Father is someone who would care for me more than his own life."

"So, sir, why do you have to wait? You can transcend time and slaught them, right?"

"Sure, that is easy enough for me. But I have my own code. I must find every single of them before I can truly act. I don't want to stain my hand with the blood of those who have no concern for me. This is not a crusade, this is personal."

There is no need for unnecessary bloodshed. In Thomas's opinion, when he can transcend time, there is no need to waste any moment in unnecessary bloodshed. The children asked more about his life but that is the moment he smiled and gave them an answer he thought he would never use, but this time he did.

"I am much happier than I ever will in my entire life. Children to care for, a goal to achieve, an enemy that waits for their doom and a stable job, what not to be happy about. I will visit the North and maybe stay there during retirement. The West has made me bored already."