BXBX NOVEL Chapter 30: Arc 2 – The Stones’ Mansion
Chapter 30: Arc 2 – The Stones’ Mansion
Previously in Everything Will Be My Way (chapters 1-29):
Kyon killed Martin, the greedy formacist who decided to cash in at the boy’s expense. He also made friends with Byron, the leader of the slaves. A friend helped Kyon rob a money-lender and his gang for a large sum of money that got him a promotion to a higher slave position. Meanwhile, he had connected with his soul, learned the rules of the world around him, escaped Martha’s righteous anger, who found out that he had killed Martin. He also met a goddess who had been searching the whole universe to find him. Before the auction, Kyon had cleaned Byron’s keys and promised to find him somewhen in the future. He was sent to the Stones’ estate, where the family members had immense cultivation and impressive power. Kyon lacked knowledge about the new place where people used elements and formations for various needs like subjugating beasts and slaves. The family members took slaves for nothing. They decided the fate of a slave with a snap of their fingers. Kyon counted on getting out of the damned mine to have a better life, but his life was in danger as soon as he arrived in the estate. He was still a slave who had to prove himself in this new powerful world.
The Stones’ mansion, late in the evening.
A beautiful young girl, whose angelic appearance could charm the gods themselves, was sitting on a bench impatiently dangling her legs. The wind was blowing through her long golden hair. Her huge emerald green eyes framed with thick eyelashes reflected a pale moon. There was something magical, wondrous, unearthly about her.
A mournful howl of ghosts came from somewhere behind her.
The girl narrowed her eyes, an understanding smile played on her lips.
«You have a lousy memory. It won’t happen twice!» – Her voice, melodious as spring bells, sounded too shrill, destroying her innocent image.
The “ghosts” obediently shut up. A heavy sigh and quiet laughter turned into the old man’s creaky voice:
«Lady Juno, I’m in my late 120s, go easy on me.»
«I am tired of hearing you harp on the same string, old fool!» – The girl turned around with a mischievous smile.
Flitz, the very formacist who Martin was sent to replace, paid a visit to Juno. He was a tall skinny old man with a shock of white hair and a long beard. His face was wrinkled in deep furrows, but his eyes were glowing with an inner flame. He was wearing a long gray robe of an old scholar that unfitted his image of an evil old man.
«My old heart can’t take your harsh words. Mind your manners!» – Flitz smiled back at her.
«Your heart can take more than that!» – The insolent girl snorted and rose from the bench. She closed her eyes and stretched, arching her back. Flitz wanted to give a flick on her nose for that provocative behavior.
She half-opened her sly eyes that gleamed like emeralds eyes and reproached him:
«Well?! Did you forget how to greet your lady?!»
«Ha ha he! Let me hug you, dear… It’s been a while…» – Flitz laughed and pulled the naughty girl to himself, making her bury her nose in his chest. The girl was a head shorter than him. The old man couldn’t help nuzzling his nose into her thick hair. The smell of expensive shampoo tickled his nostrils. She reminded him of a spoiled puppy, so cute and spontaneous. It was so tempting to touch her but it wasn’t worth dying for.
«Flitz…» – The girl pulled away. – «Tell me what you have found out.»
The old man sat wearily on the bench. Juno made herself comfortable beside him.
«The information was correct… She had fled to the imperial capital. I did some investigation and found out that she had joined the imperial order. She passed the exam with one hundred points and became an official student at once. Can you imagine?»
«Hmm… How unexpected.» – The girl made a sarcastic snort, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. – «How is she doing there? Why would she need to enter the order?»
«Alas, I wasn’t sneaky enough to meet her in person, but I heard a lot.» – Flitz wearily waved his hand. – «She created a sensation on the very first day and got some admirers…»
«Hush! Stop it. I know. She is beautiful, strong, smart, blah-blah-blah. Miss Perfection.» – Juno made a grimace of disgust. Her eyes flashed with rage: – «I was destined to spend my childhood in the chill of her magnificent shadow. So stop talking about her and keep to the point.» – The girl had to fight back the urge to stamp her foot in a fit of rage.
A down feather of some night bird landed on her cute nose. The girl sneezed quietly and flashed a dazzling smile watching the feather soar in the air and then slowly float to the ground. The old man’s heart skipped a beat, he had to avert his eyes. Then he cleaned his throat nervously and continued:
«Yeah, sure. Anyway… I don’t think she ran away because Timothy Brown wanted to marry her. He was just a weak puppy. It all comes down to your father’s disappearance…»
Juno took a deep breath, which made her neat perky tits rise, and moaned, hiding her face in her hands: «Just as I thought. She is a fool… She… No, I mean it! She IS a fool.»
Flitz asked cautiously:
«Have I found her weak spot?»
«She is obsessed with him… She thinks that father is alive, even if he has not been around for years! He is either dead or a complete idiot!» – Juno growled the last words. Her eyes sparkled with hatred mixed with grief for her father, who had always loved her sister more than her.
Flitz sighed quietly:
«Once I talked with your grandfather. He said that his son might be alive… His people have been investigating the case of his disappearance but all leads end at the border with the demons on the day of Succubus Love. The damned creatures are very powerful. They are also known for their perverse love of powerful men. Your father was strong and talented.» – His eyes glanced over Juno who was sitting very still: – «Your sister wants to become stronger, and the imperial order is the best place in the whole empire to do it. Apparently, she plans to get into the demon empire on her own… That’s why she ran away.»
«I see. Well, that’s just great. She wants to commit suicide. I couldn’t be happier for my sister.» – Juno gave a nervous giggle. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold and shook her head:
«She is three years older than me but such a bird brain…»
Flitz was considerate enough to refrain from any comments. Elsa was the best of the best, and Juno knew it very well. Her elder sister had a hundred thousands of admirers who would give anything just to look at her.
«You know, ever since I met the real you, the hair on my head has significantly receded… Ouch!» – Flitz didn’t expect a blow to his shoulder from the viciously puffing “puppy.”
«You don’t like me?» – another blow. – «Tell me! I am mean, aren’t I?!» – and another one. – «Come on, tell me!»
Flitz couldn’t take her attacks anymore. He got out of her way, rubbing his injured shoulder – it’s going to leave a bruise, you little rascal! – and said angrily:
«You are the most obnoxious girl the world has ever seen! A nasty piece of work!»
Juno rushed to Flitz to prove that she was just an angel until now. Only, he already knew what to expect, and she couldn’t keep up with him:
«Wait, old fart! What have you been doing in the mine all this time? Applies formations! Or maybe you like the slaves, huh? I know what a pervert you are deep inside! Come on, slow down!»
Flitz grinned slyly and immediately obeyed her order. He stopped abruptly and turned, making Juno, who didn’t expect such obedience, crash into his chest.
The old man exhaled wearily. He gently unstuck the overly energetic young lady from his robe and grinned at her reddened nose and tear-filled eyes. Then he shuddered and looked away.
Juno sobbed bitterly, her nose slightly swollen from the impact.
«Old goat… Why would you stop like that?!» – She went ballistic and stepped menacingly forward, ready to strike again.
Flitz caught her small fist at once:
«Keep reaching for the stars and one day you’ll take revenge on me, kid. By the way, how is your training going?»
Juno broke free, gracefully straightened her silk blouse and walked through the park, her heels clicking against the stone path. She felt disappointed and angry at once.
«I connected with my spirit three months ago. If I had done it in early childhood like my sister, she would be kneeling before me to curry favor instead of roaming imperial orders and stirring up trouble.»
Fitz couldn’t hide his delight. Just look at her, knee-high to a duck but arrogance over the top!
«Wow! What an impassioned speech! You might be talented, but don’t you have a bit too high opinion of yourself? You can’t hit me, all right, I’m too strong for you. But there’s that kid, what’s his name, Yegorka or something… You can’t defeat even him!»
The “puppy” sniffed angrily:
«Mind your language, old bones! For the record, he is the most promising young fighter in our family! Anyway, whenever we fight he deliberately raises his cultivation two stages up. He never fights on equal terms. He must be afraid to lose to a girl like a real coward he is!»
Flitz burst into laughter:
«Oh well… If this difference had stopped your sister, do you think she would ever have become a genius number one?»
«Shut up! Say no more! I fucking hate you! Why do you keep talking about her? You’re just like the rest of them.» – Juno tried to trip Flitz up, but he stepped over her foot without even looking at her. She growled: «Don’t you ever say anything about her again! And not a word about Yegorka! I can’t even think of him after his misconduct last time!»
Flitz had no idea what the boy’s crime was but he couldn’t care less.
«So… You don’t want to get stronger, do you?»
«Of course, I do!» – The girl hissed angrily.
«Ha-ha-he! What if I teach you to fight?» – Flitz offered with a sly grin.
��No, not you.» – Juno snapped with no hesitation.
The smile faded from Flitz’s eyes, the world had lost its color. The formacist shook his head, trying to get rid of his sad thoughts:
«You’re the first to refuse training with me… Juno, if you can’t handle even Yegorka, you might want to fight with someone of equal cultivation.»
«Do I look like a kindergarten teacher?! Besides, all the boys I know can only drool during the fight! And you know how much I hate perverts. Such as yourself.» – The mean girl responded vindictively.
«You don’t know what you’re missing fighting with dummies! You are talented enough to reach the fifth stage in three months… Many people would kill for that… But without fighting skills, your cultivation doesn’t matter. You won’t be too happy when someone much weaker than you brings you to your knees.»
Juno lowered her shoulders. She sighed and whispered.
«You’re right… Of course, you’re right. In fact, I don’t mind practising with you. But how long are you going to stay this time? The family needs you… fucking formacist…» – Juno looked up at him sadly, already knowing the answer.
Flitz was deeply moved. He stretched out his hand to pat the sweetest girl in the world but stopped short, clenching his fist.
«I would have to ask the patriarch and the elders, as well as your brother. Martin might not stay there for long. I’ll have to go back… I’m sorry.»
«That’s what I’m saying.» – Juno snorted and continued walking.
«What if I bring someone who doesn’t drool? Someone who can fight, unlike the punching bags you used for your training?» – Flitz remembered the pile of meat left of those who couldn’t survive a day with Juno. And some other “lucky” guys… A chill ran down his spine.
«I don’t mind punching bags.» – The charming tyrant in the skirt giggled.
«Be serious! It’s for your own good!»
«I know. Alright then… Find someone strong but weaker than me. No drooling! And… I have to enjoy dealing with him, I mean beating him, of course. Do you understand? He has to last longer.»
Flitz gave Juno a judging look. What she did to the “punching bags” wasn’t worthy of the patriarch’s granddaughter, the young lady of the noble family. He shook his head in discontent.
«I promise I’ll find someone for you.»
Juno sat on a bench, thoughtfully admiring the moon, silent.
She had finally stepped out from her sister’s shadow, but it wasn’t getting any easier. Juno used to think that she was born to surpass Elsa, but fate had slowed down her cultivation, and the competition became equal. It was time to catch up with her sister and prove herself to everyone who didn’t believe in her, who despised her, who compared her to the elder sister and still did, who treated her like a little girl, capable only of charming others with her looks. From now on, her life goal was to defeat her sister in front of everyone. She needed to prove her greatness.
Juno let out a big yawn. It was long after midnight. She hugged the skinny old man and said quietly in his ear:
«Thank you, Flitz, for finding out about my sister for me.»
Flitz was touched. It was a rare occasion to hear sincere gratitude from the walking disaster of a girl. He reached with his hand for her fluffy head, but his fingers suddenly felt stiff, and he just hugged her back.
«My pleasure. Let me take you to your room.»
«No need. I’ll go by myself.» – She gave another yawn.
«Well, in that case… Good night, miss Juno, the queen of the dummies.» – Flitz smiled. The mere presence of this nasty girl always lifted his spirits.
Juno waved him off and went to bed, yawning.