Trust

As planned Ares board the train and went back to the capital. His grandpa told him that they would be having dinner together just the two of them.

Ares had guess it might be related to the punishment he got.

Before departing, Ares randomly bought an abandoned house near the slump and let two Shadows left behind with Tuah to guard the suspicious man, who Ares named him Johnny since it was impossible go that robed-man to voluntarily gave out his real name.

"Fuck you!! My master will definitely kill you. You dare disrupt our plan!!" 

"Alright Johnny, we will meet again if fate allows us"

"You, you dare! With that vile mouth!!" That was the last thing he heard before he leave Johnny behind.

The immigration and security was strict thus it was hard to forcefully dragged Johnny with him into the train. Tuah and the Shadows were enough to make sure Johnny didn't escape and didn't die.

"Young master, should I report this to the matriarch?" Ron asked since he was tasked to report on everything about Ares.

"No, can you please keep this a secret for the time being. This also apply to the Shadows who give regular reports to my grandfather. I will tell them myself but not now. There's too many uncertain things with this issue," Ares said to the Moran twins and the two Shadows with him.

"But young master it seems dangerous for you," Ron tried to persuade Ares.

"I know, that's why I will ask grandpa to lend me more Shadows to monitor Henova. I want to know what will Henova do next. I will explain to my grandparents properly."

It was never mentioned how Henova, a half-giant half-human could become the Devil Blacksmith. His nickname came from the Devil Core he used to make the Demon King's sword, Nabassu.

It's the same with Hamsyar. He wasn't known until the chaos period started. It's almost like all the villains already planned to reveal themselves to the world at the same time and added more chaos on top of all the destruction done by the Djinns and Demons.

Ares has a deep frowns on his face. He suddenly felt the novel became trickier than he thought.

'Should I try finding all the villains and make them my people like what I did to Hamsyar but Hamsyar was considered normal if compared to the other hardcore lunatic villains.'

Ares was in a deep thought all the way of the ride. He soon arrived in Midas City, capital city of Hargan Empire.

[Welcome to Midas City and thank you for using our Raijin Express Train service. May our passangers always have the most pleasant journey]

Ares quickly got off the train after the four hours train ride. Since he was sitting inside the VIP compartment, his body felt fine due to the quality of the seats and service.

Outside the entrance of the train station, a group of bodyguards wearing black suit, black face mask and black sunglasses had been waiting for someone. There was a limousine not far from them with a bright red insignia on its door.

If Henova was there, he would feel shocked seeing the same insignia with the one on the metal badge Ares gave him. 

A red hair youth slowly walked towards the car and ignoring other people's stare, he entered the car before it quickly moved away.

"This is weird. Why is grandpa being so showy like this? It's not even the first time we have dinner outside," Ares asked Max, Zen Zanuki's second butler who was around Ron's age but looked a bit foolish.

"Hm, I-I don't really sure. I apologize young master," Max answered nervously.

Since he fainted due to the Flower of Desires that Ares found, he already felt slight aversion and trauma from this particular young master. Max also had to clear up Ares's mess everytime he did something including the incident that happened in HGA just this week. He had to make sure HGA accepted his master's demand in punishing his youngest grandson.

'Wasn't that kind of punishment only make young master Ares become more unruly?' Max thought when he first knew what kind of punishment Ares would get.

"Max I don't mind if you don't like me but make sure don't show it too much. I don't want my butler to hurt my grandpa's butler," Ares words awoken Max from his daydreaming.

Glancing slightly towards two persons sitting behind Ares, Max could see two pairs of eyes looking at him menacingly as if they wanted to slice him into pieces.

Max knew who they were since the twins were always famous among their clansmen as one of the promising Morans. When they got the positioned as young master Ares's personal servants and bodyguards, Max was still training to be a special staff working in Zanuki mansion.

Unknowingly Zen Zanuki decided on a whim to take Max as his second butler which made Max felt like he had been given a star by the Goddess. He worked hard since but lately all his works were related to young master Ares.

"I'm sorry young master," Max said bowing his head. It was a rule as a Moran to not show their true emotions blatantly.

Morans were expected to set aside their emotions during their work. 

"Never mind. It kind of refreshing since all the other Moran looked the same to me," Ares said while still closing his eyes.

Max knew this young master has motion sickness everytime he rode any vehicles, thus he offered a motion sickness pill to him, "Young master you can eat this"

"No, it will make me sleepy. We're almost arrived," Ares declined.

Not long after that, they arrived in front of a lavish hotel. Bodyguards stood in each side of the path leading to the hotel's entrance.

"Welcome to Lington Hotel. I will guide young master Ares Zanuki to meet with your grandfather," a male hotel staff greeted Ares before guiding him towards a private room inside the hotel's restaurant.

"So much hustle just for a dinner," Ares said outrightly to the man in front of him who kept on smiling as if he was enjoying himself.

Max glanced at Ares but seeing that his master didn't rebuke his grandson, Max didn't say anything.

"Max you can go," Zen Zanuki ordered.

"You have a cute butler. I thought my Ron is already cute," Ares's comment made Ron who was trying to act like normal Moran blushed.

Unlike normal Moran, Ron never care to act cold and emotionless when he was serving his young master. He always showed truly how he felt especially when he was worried.

That's why Ares always called him a worrywart nanny. Ares felt Ron was cute when compared to the other Moran who always had a hard stoic expression face.

"Haha, that's why I hired him," Zen didn't deny Ares's words.

The three Moran left Ares alone with his grandpa once all the food served in front of them.

"Did you have fun in Herza City?" Zen asked.

"It's fine. I might go there again if I wanted new weapons," Ares answered.

"Are you sure you don't cause any problems?"

"I only have less than two days to spend my weekend there. That's not enough time to cause any troubles."

"I see. But you messaged me asking if you can have more Shadows to monitor a certain someone."

"I found this blacksmith after asking a beggar if he knew any hidden expert in blacksmithing in the city. You know those expert who have eccentric behavior, who didn't want to be known too much by people or those who like to isolate themselves. And the beggar know such person. As you know, I have my own intelligence agency thus I also have to learn how to find information myself. That blacksmith is a half-giant half-human man in his 50s. I want to use those Shadows to monitor him."

"For what reason? Give me a concrete one because I always let you off the hook without asking too much since I thought it wasn't serious but your problems always on another level. Terrorist group during Royal Event incident, artificial dungeon at a criminal organization base. This time what is it?" Zen Zanuki said in a serious tone.

It was the first time he talked like that to Ares. Usually he always acted like a goofy old man towards his youngest grandson.

Ares flinched slightly after sensing the heavy atmosphere around them however he continue saying, "What will you do if you find someone capable to forge a weapon that even the Demon King will covet?"

"Ares aren't you overestimating him? How can such person remained obscure?"

"Even if his level aren't to that level, can't I try to hire him? You don't have to give me your answer now. I will send a halberd to you later. I bought all of the weapon he considered as failures. You can see it for yourself."

"Sigh, so what about your punishment? When are you going to the Dark Forest? I won't give any help since this is your punishment"

"In two weeks I will start hunting in the Dark Forest during the weekend. I might have to do several huntings since I can only hunt during the weekend"

"Ok just do it however you see fit. If I find out that you hide something from me, I will seal you inside the Dark Forest for a week. I'm being serious here. I don't think pampering you too much will do you any good"

"Yes I know. Thank you grandpa"

That night, a group of Shadows kneeled down in front of a man who was currently holding a huge heavy halberd in his hands.

"As expected my grandson is just like his mother. They liked to hide things too much and I wonder why? Am I not a good father or grandfather to them?" 

There was an obvious hint of disappointment in his voice. He continued observing the weapon in his hand. No one could guess what he thought from the expression on his face.

"Master, young master Ares promised he will tell you everything after he was confident about it," one of the man kneeling said.

"So you won't tell me what he had done. Is that what you mean?"

"No my master. This thing is better for young master Ares to explain himself"

The man put away the halberd in his hands and stared towards the Shadows in front of him as if he was going to break their necks one by one. 

"So where is that new butler you said Ares suddenly hired. I already see his expenses, there was no trace of him hiring someone. Did that guy work for free?" 

"Young master Ares left him in Herza City"

"It seems my grandson really trust that butler huh even more than you Ron. How funny? So how do you feel?" Zen Zanuki asked mockingly.

Currently Ron, Max and a few other Shadows were kneeling on one feet inside Zen Zanuki's office.

"Because he is stronger than me," Ron admitted that after he saw how easy it was for Tuah to conjure uncommon magic spells and how he knew how to teach Ares more effectively than Ron could.

"You said he was the one who realised Ares has affinity to all the four basic elements. Did you find anything about him?"

"Unfortunately no. It's either he had hidden himself too meticulously or young master Ares used his intelligence agency to cover for him."

"If you compare Ares's Truth Agency to the Manic Intel Squad, which one is superior?" 

"I'm not sure," Ron answered hesitantly.

"I thought you would answer the Manic but you're not sure? Don't you know the people working with the Truth Agency?"

"Truth to be told, young master Ares started to hide more about the agency after the Royal Event terror attack. Those people that I found for young master Ares seemed to vanish into thin air including the one who worked in HGA along with his brother. I'm afraid young master Ares no longer trust me because he knew I would give regular reports to you"

"Petty kid. So what about that kid Hamsyar?"

"He seemed to have IQ above normal kids but young master Ares just let him play around the slum collecting metal junk after he finished his home-schooled class."

"At first I thought he just helped him randomly but now it seems he might have a plan for that kid. You can go Ron," Zen said to Ron before he shift his focus to another Shadows.

Ron exited the room with mixed feelings. Even though he didn't divulge everything, he still felt like he broke the promise he made.

On the other hand Ares was currently immersed in one of the private pool inside HGA. Since it was currently midnight, no one was there. He leaned against the edge of the pool leisurely.

He could only see Ran standing on guard not far from him and Ron was nowhere to be seen.

"Tuah do you know where Ron is?" Ares whispered and he knew Ran couldn't hear him from her position.

Water stains beside him started to form words above the tiles beside his hand.

[Around a few kilometres from you]

Tuah had put a really faint mana on both the Moran twins and also Ares's Shadows thus he could compare their position from Ares despite couldn't pinpoint exactly where they were.

"Grandpa was staying in one of our family house in the capital. Maybe he's there," Ares muttered.

He already expected Ron couldn't ignore his grandpa's order thus that's also why he slowly restricted Ron from knowing too much.

[I like Ran better than Ron even though Ron is stronger than her]

"How do you know who's stronger?"

[If you live as long as me, you will know]

"Nah I don't want to live that long even though I don't know your age. 100 years old might be too long for me"

[Are you just going to let Ron continue reporting to your grandpa. I already put hypnosis on the two Shadows with me. They wouldn't remember anything when they went back to Midas]

"I will tell grandpa everything eventually so Ron can just continue doing his task. Remember to interrogate Johnny using the list of questions I gave you. Make sure he didn't die as long as you could."

[I will do my best]

"Young master, how long are you going to be in the water. It's almost 1 o'clock and you have classes tomorrow," Ran reminded Ares who still immersed half his body inside the pool.

Ares got out from the pool and walked towards his room after wearing a white towel robed. He was currently half naked but since no one was there he just too lazy to bring along his cloth.

He wasn't wearing his usual face mask but he never expected he would stumbled upon two persons he didn't really want to see.

"Hey are you a new student? I never see you here. I thought I've seen all the resident in Rose Quartz," Shino said staring at Ares up and down as if it was really the first time he saw him.

Cedric on the other hand continue looking at Ares without uttering any word.

"Are you drunk Shino Kiba?" Ares asked and it was unknown if he was irritated or not because his facial expression remained stoic the whole time.

"Eh you know my name oh wait that red hair and that voice....Eh, Ares!? You how, I mean how do you look like this?"

Lifting one of his eyebrow as if he was confused, "How should I look like then?"

"But with this kind of face why do even wear face mask?"

"Because people will stare if I don't cover my face. Can you please wipe your saliva? You're drooling," Shino's mouth was wide open.

"Ares what are you doing here?" Cedric suddenly asked.

"Swimming at the pool. To relax"

"Ok then. We just come back from training in a dungeon," Cedric answered without being asked.

'Who cares?' Ares almost blurted out his real thought but he just said goodnight before walking away.

"Damn, I could never imagined there was someone who is better looking than you Cedric," Shino said after they couldn't see Ares anymore.

"Hey Shino, can you tell me everything you know about Ares and the Zanuki" Cedric suddenly requested.

"Oh you must felt curious seeing his body filled with scars like that. It looks even worst than those scars on your body," Shino started telling everything he knew and that might both of them just managed to sleep for two hours since Cedric was persistent in forcing Shino to tell everything.

Ares whole body was full with scars that even a healer couldn't heal since they were old scars. It was rare for a youth as young as Ares who never been in battlefield and also a noble to have those kind of scars.