Chapter 9: The Start

Wilhelm exited Franswift’s room and faced a guard who stood outside, the one who had followed Franswift.

Wilhelm said, “Scrap all the plans we had formulated. The boy will go under my family and will be given my surname. He will enter the main ghost guards apprentice training. You will receive your reward for discovering him.”

The guard stayed silent for a moment, seemingly in shock, before saying quickly, “Yes, commander!”

After The guard had turned around and left, Wilhelm made sure no one was around him before shouting in the air, “Vali.”

An indistinguishable figure appeared from his shadow as black mist emitted from and around its body, enshrouding it. The figure responded in a faint voice, “yes, lord.”

“Prepare the papers and necessary arrangements for the boy to enter the training. I don’t want anyone playing tricks until he enters the training 39 days later.”

The figure seemed hesitant about something, and the faint sound entered Wilhelm’s ear, “Is It necessary to do this for him?”

“If you mean giving him my surname or giving him the quota under my name. Yes, both of them”

Wilhelm turned to face the figure with a grin on his face and continued, “Have you ever seen someone who contains so much anger that he would try to destroy everything in sight yet reel it in perfectly. If he had not given me that look on purpose when I mentioned the smuggler, even I would not have known he bottled so much fury. There might be some who are able to do that, but those are old monsters with years of experience. Yet, this was the kid’s raw nature. I got an excellent idea when I perceived that nature of his, not to mention his talents, of fighting and strategizing. Let’s say If this kid is to be properly brought up, he will turn into one of those monsters. That probability alone will force those at the council to prematurely move.”

The figure was stunned when he saw Wilhelm grinning. The man who rarely even smiled was now grinning with excitement.

“I shall act according to your wishes, lord.”

The figure was enveloped entirely by the black mist and sipped through the building.

Three days passed since Wilhelm had met Franswift. In those three days, Franswift had not met Wilhelm again, but he was given a lot of energized meat and nutrition and was told that commander Wilhelm was the one who sent them. They healed his body and made it even better than before.

Finally, on the fourth day, Wilhelm appeared and took out Franswift when he was completely healed.

Wilhelm stood at the door while Franswift wore some new clothes.

Wilhelm said, “Clothes do change a person; they suit you.”

Franswift looked at himself in a mirror nearby. He was wearing a grey trench coat, white shirt, and black trousers and shoes. The clothes did make a significant change; he appeared as a valiant noble. Although he was impressed by his new look, he did not care. As of now, anything that is necessary or did not improve his life he deemed unnecessary of his attention.

He asked Wilhelm, “what now?” For the first time Franswift didn’t know where to go or what to do.

Wilhelm responded, “Just follow me.” He got out of the room, and Franswift followed him as they got out of the building.

Franswift walked on the streets of another part of the city, and it asserted how differently they were treated. What he saw, many people in the slum did not even think about, much less do it. Here people had the luxury of taking time just to walk and have fun. They had the luxury of more money where they could buy many unnecessary things he glimpsed in different shops. He saw a lot of things he didn’t know but also again didn’t care about.

He walked through the broad evened streets with carriages passing through, beside the people wearing colorful clothing going by, and around the one and two-story buildings that mostly dominated the area. He noticed as he walked, people either quickly avoided him and Wilhelm or just stared in admiration. Wilhelm seemed used to it.

They eventually stopped in front of guards clad in white armor, definitely not the ones Wilhelm commanded, surrounding an entrance. Wilhelm just took out a token to show, and they immediately permitted them to enter.

After entering and walking again for a bit, Wilhelm stopped at a two-story house. He took out a key unlocked the front gate, walked to the door, took out another key then also opened it.

Franswift followed Wilhelm to the inside of the house. He saw Wilhelm standing waiting for him. Wilhelm asked, “Since you are walking in it for the first time, how is the city?”

“It’s good.”

“I thought you would be excited.”

“Maybe I would, later in time. When I possess some qualifications that would allow having some sort of standing in this world or at least in this city, but currently, I have nothing. Now, excitement is a luxury I can’t enjoy.”