Chapter 103: Mikael’s Proposal.

Deon changed out of his ceremonial robes and wore his usual training clothes: a simple yet high-quality shirt and pants. Then he proceeded to his room's mantle and unlocked the passage to their secret basement. Such was their routine for when Mikael and Deon needed to have undisturbed meetings.

Mikael emerged from the Medium and went straight to the now dresser-sized dragon egg.

<Skill: Thermokinesis lvl. 1 is activated.>

A raging inferno instantly swallowed the egg while Deon picked up a wooden sword and faced a practice dummy.

"So, you want to be the one to choose the members of the Golden Dawn, Sir?" Deon asked as his sword hits the straw dummy.

"Yeah." Only when the words came out of his mouth did Mikael realize how selfish this plan was.

He was already dead-- That was a fact that he had come to terms with months ago.

But with Deon, Mikael sometimes felt like he wasn't.

Not only was he communicating freely with his partner, but he also feels very much alive whenever he possesses the boy. He had grown so comfortable in living Deon's life that he forgot it wasn't his.

Now, Mikael felt a pang of guilt when he heard Deon's strained voice. He felt like he was robbing the kid of his life by turning him more into a puppet rather than a partner.

"I- I mean! I'll screen them first to make sure they're trustworthy. Then you can choose from them!"

"So, you still don't trust my judgment, sir?" the boy dejectedly asked "Right. You said so before… That I'm a terrible judge of character."

Bam!

Another strike.

"I admit that I'm naïve, sir. That's why I always followed your advice. Since you're older and wiser than me."

Bam!

"But I'm not your puppet."

Bam!

"I can make my own decisions."

Bam!

"So, I'll consider your recommendations, but I will choose my own people."

Baam!

The last strike broke Deon's wooden sword.

The dam has burst.

Deon, the Doormat, has reached the limit of his consideration.

He was drawing the line.

"Okay! Okay! I get it. Geez, why are you so serious?" Mikael backed away nervously. It was the first time that the young prince showed such a strong aversion to Mikael's suggestion.

Ever since Dame Nora's sparring match, the boy had been deeply reflecting on his personal worth. He thought that Nora and Finn came to be his subordinates because they were drawn to Mikael and his brilliance that transcends death. He even wondered whether the two would still follow him when his partner's existence comes to light—which he was sure to happen sooner or later.

It was hard to keep a secret. Even more so when the secret itself yearns to be revealed.

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So, before that happens, Deon wanted to find his worth.

"I'm going to transfer to the Swordsmanship department." He said with finality.

"Huh? But… wouldn't that remove you from the race for the throne?" surprised with the sudden change in topic, Mikael cautiously asked, "Don't you want to become a king?"

"I don't, sir." The boy replied, "I don't want to tread on a road that's laid out for me. I want to see the world. Go on adventures with my friends. I want to live my life to the fullest. So that when I die, I won't have regrets."

'Ahh… he's grown…' Mikael felt his phantom heart throb.

He was so moved by the kid's determination that he inadvertently reminisced his past life, 'That's right. This kid should NEVER end up like me. The ME who wasted his life wallowing in self-pity. The ME who lived without friends. The ME who died filled with regrets.'

Mikael decided that this time, he would wholeheartedly support his partner. He would help him achieve his dreams—as a proper guardian angel. 

"Okay, I understand."

"REALLY?!"  The boy flashed an innocent smile. He didn't expect Mikael to be convinced so easily. 

"Yes. yes. So? What's your plan? I doubt that your father would let you transfer just like that when it's considered sacrilege."

"Ahh… you see… that's the problem, sir. I have no idea." The smile left his face as soon as it formed.

But Mikael would never let his partner down. It just so happened that their goals have coincidentally aligned.

"How about proposing a bet?"

"A bet? What kind of bet, sir?"

"The kidnapping case. Tell your father that you'll solve it if he allows you to transfer."

"HAAHH?! Sir! But the kidnapping's been happening for over a year yet no clues have been found!"

"Exactly! The case is too tough that it's almost impossible for the infamous useless prince to crack it!" Mikael reasoned, arms flapping even though Deon couldn't see him, "Didn't you say you wanted acknowledgment from your family? Isn't this the perfect chance? Plus, the king would likely agree to a bet with stakes like this where he's got nothing to lose!"

Met with Deon's silence, Mikael continued, "Think about it from your father's perspective. If you lose, you'll stay in spearmanship department. If you win, he'll get to solve one of the kingdom's most pressing issues. He also gets to brag that his youngest is finally showing his bloodline's worth-- just like before!"

"But… does it have to be the kidnapping case? Aren't there other cases with higher chances of success?" Deon's brows furrowed. He wanted to transfer so badly that if he could increase his chances of winning by 0.0001%, he would gladly take it.

"Well… It's because I want to find George's friends." Mikael recalled the day when he departed from George's town. They told him that the children from the orphanage went missing six months prior, but no one knew where they went, nor did anyone investigate their case. George's town was in a remote area where not a single royal guard could be found so Mikael surmised that the missing children case was never reported in the first place. That meant that the newspaper clipping he read about 89 cases would be inaccurate.

He then wondered,

Exactly how many children were kidnapped?

How were they kidnapped?

Where were they taken?

Why were they taken?

Was the kidnapper really a single person? A pedophile? Or was it a large slave-trading organization operating the shadows of Heinken?

But the most important question was:

After one year of abduction, are the children still alive?

--Chapter end--

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