Eberhardt's teacher

It seems, the moon had no wish to give the sun an opportunity to rise, as the night appears to be eternal, where the only light of moon engulfed by the dark clouds.

Ruprecht, laying on his bed in his small apartment that was just at a suitable distance from Eberhardt's sleeping quarter. The flickering candle by his bedside cast a radiant glow on Ruprecht's well proportioned face.

The royal valet, drifting between sleep and wakefulness, ever mindful of his duty, heard a muffled clasping of weapons followed by a yelling noise, even if the pitch of the voice was not low, though, others would find difficulty in hearing.

Jolting from his light slumber, seizing his Excalibur from the side table Ruprecht hurried to the Emperor's quarter.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright? I heard some weapons clash, so ar-

He barged in Eberhardt's room, his guard high, asking the Emperor in worried voice, however, what enters his vision was an unconscious Emperor, laying on the floor, beside him was his unsheathed sword glowing in faint but visible bright blue.

"YOUR MAJESTY!!"

Ruprecht screamed while sprinting towards Dew.

He checked on the Emperor, searching if there were any serious injuries on Dew but after he found no injury he sighed a breath of relief.

After placing the Emperor on the bed, he cautiously analyzed the surrounding for an intruder, a foul odor entered Ruprecht nose, also taking notice of the black ash scattered on the ground, he knelt, taking the ash upon his finger, he scrutinized it intently and also confirming it as the source of foul smell.

"This is-Soul Puppet?"

Ruprecht's widened eyes reflected his shocked appearance after finding what it was.

*Early morning*

"No..no...NO!!" Dew jolted awake from his sleep, panting heavily, his face broke in sweat while his hand tracing on his heart, soothing his violently beating heart.

Ruprecht, who has been guarding His Majesty's room knew that last night someone had intruded in His Majesty's room, so he acted on full alert, not wanting anymore rumor breaking in the palace, and also it is the matter of great importance so he acted all by himself, the maids who had come to clean the Emperor room was all shooed by him.

"This- this is His Majesty's voice!" Ruprecht sprinted in the room after listening the faint sound of Dew from the large door's of Emperor quarter.

An old man, wearing an one-eyed golden spec, who was sitting near Eberhardt give him a glass of water, when he saw how that young man was panting and gasping.

'That was hell of a nightmare! Calm down, calm down my beating heart..Oh!...water..yes this is what I needed now.'

Dew, who had just been awaken from the long torment of his hellish nightmare, saw a hand holding a glass of clear liquid, giving to him, without any hesitation he took and started drinking to quench his thirst.

Though, only after the first few sips, he spewed out the whole thing, with coughs in between.

'Cough,What..Cough...the f-'

"You!!, its my precious drink, peoples are dying just to have a sip of this and now you are wasting it!" The old man's heart filled with fury when he saw the Emperor spitting out his precious medicinal drink, how couldn't he be angry when it takes him months to make it?

The Emperor who can't even finish his curse, in deep bewilderment, 'Who is this old man? How can he talk to the Emperor like that? And why would anyone be dying to have this, instead people would die after drinking such a thing.

Dew earning himself quite of scolding opened his mouth to rebuked the old man, however, his royal valet, defeated him by milliseconds.

"Your Majesty, are you feeling okay? I heard some noises from His Majesty's quarter last night and went to check but I found you unconscious on the ground and this black ash scattered near the place where your sword was."

Ruprecht took out a small transparent bottle which inside was filled with black substance, presenting it to the Emperor and also to the old man who had kept his reaction hidden at the sight of that thing.

The Emperor took it from Ruprecht, his eyes locking on the ash, his other hand underneath the silky cover clenched in fist, the memory of the night surfing his mind and also that bright blue glow.

The old man noticed, the Emperor tense expression, he sighed in his heart 'this child'.

When Dew was being consumed in the memories of last night, a soft warm hand rested on his shoulder, pulling him back from his dark thoughts and when he looked up he noticed it was the old man who had a gentle smile unlike before his furious look.

"Congratulations child, you have awakened your magical powers, and now the theories that you have learned from me can actually be put into practice." The old man rejoiced while patting Dew.

He was the royal teacher, also the mentor of Eberhardt, the only person in the whole Empire who Eberhardt really respected and had given him the right to scold him.

Ruprecht was still quite taken back although he had an inkling when he noticed that bright blue light enveloped around His Majesty sword last night.

Although the old man expressed his rejoice but his heart was crept by the thoughts of the ash, feeling worried for the Emperor.

Dew, only nodded, without saying any word.

"Your Majesty, what had really happened last night?" Ruprecht asked with a visible anxiousness.

"What?"