Chapter 76 - Passing Time#5

KANETO'S POV:-

I have been watching that kid ever since we started our journey. He was as normal as any kid I had seen in my life. I realised he was one of those normal kids that I liked the most. The hardworking kind are the ones who are strong willed and brave. He always had that light in his eyes to do something great. Those eyes always told me that this kid wanted to become a great person, and he has the talent to back that up.

'To think I will be proven wrong this early. I must really be getting old, huh?' 

Later, as I mentored him more and more, I realised how gravely I had underestimated that kid. He is strong willed and talented, all right. But he was much more strong willed than what a normal kid should be. The more I trained, the more I realised how great the potential he had was. It wouldn't be long…maybe 4 to 5 years before he could at least make a scratch on me, is what I had thought until today,

-Thud

'At this rate it won't be that long…maybe 1 or 2 years at most before he could fight as my equal,' I can't help but think that as the Giant Calamity Grade Monster falls down in front of my eyes in two equal halves. I see that kid, Icelos, standing there with a satisfied grin on his face.

'Monsters! All three of them are monsters!' 

For Phantasos, I can probably understand it has something to do with Morpheus…with Morpheus, I had already taken him as a freak of nature. Even though he is reincarnated, among the other reincarnates I have met before, no one comes even close to what he can do and that too at this young age and all that power. As for Icelos, from now on I will take him as a monster too. He is nowhere as normal as a kid of this age should be.

Now that I think about it, it makes things more understandable why Morpheus wants his brothers in his party, despite them being so young. He sure knew about their hidden potential. No one can convince me otherwise.

Icelos then looks at Albert, who is sitting there with a dumb-looking expression and speaks, "Albert, I know why you are here."

Icelos then looks back at the Calamity Grade Monster as he observes it, then once again looks back at Albert,

"You can meet my brother later. He will explain everything and as for kicking him out of the party, it will not happen. Not as long as I and Phan are in the party. I feel sorry for your son, Albert, I really do, but don't involve your personal problems into this. It is way bigger than that," Icelos looks at Albert, whose expression first changes to shocked then to furious as he begins to shout,

"YOU!! YOU ARE JUST A KID WHO HAS JUST BORN!! HOW DARE YOU LECTURE ME!! AND YOU ARE TAKING THE SIDE OF THAT MURDERER!! BECAUSE OF HIM MY SON DIED!! AND YOU WANT ME TO LET THINGS GO!! LISTEN CHA-" 

Icelos points his blade right in front of Albert's eyes as he looks at him with emotionless eyes,

"I go by the name Icelos now and don't forget that the one you are talking about is my brother. Are you sure you should be saying such things about my brother in front of me?"

Albert looks really shocked at his actions. He gulps before speaking again,

"Gulp…what happened to you…Icelos, why did you become like this? Weren't you one of those people who didn't care about whatever happened to that punk? Did you forget what he did to my son? Are you telling me to forget about it? Telling me to not do anything about it and move on? Are you gonna be just like others? I di-"

Interrupting him, Icelos speaks in a dominant voice,

"It was your son's choice. True that it was my brother who persuaded him to do that, but you can't just blame it all on him. As far as taking sides goes, I was never interested in what you guys did and since I don't like to waste time over things that do not concern me, I have always stayed away from unnecessary troubles," Icelos speaks as he looks at Albert with an expressionless face.

'So something like that happened, huh? No wonder that guy was so fixated on Morpheus' removal from our party, but still…is it all?' I can't help but think like that. After all, it is Morpheus we are talking about. Who knows what else he planned with Albert's son?

Albert stands with a determined expression as he looks at Icelos, then at me, and then at Lucy and Leraye. Observing all of us, he sighs, then determination returns in his eyes as he turns back to where he came from as he speaks,

"I won't stop. I will make things difficult for both him and his party. If you want to stop me, just send me to my son. This is something I can't forgive Morpheus for." 

We then move towards the Calamity Grade Monster. After observing carefully, he was thoroughly killed from the inside. It was precise swordsmanship done at the same places over and over. Looking at the way it was killed, I couldn't help but look at Icelos once again.

"You brat!" Leraye runs closer to Icelos

-Bang

And punches him in the head with a wide smile on his face as he continues,

"When did you get so strong? How come all three of you are monsters? Are you having some sort of world class secrets? Who are your parents? Are they some sort of Legendary Monsters too?" A barrage of questions comes out of Leraye's mouth without any care of privacy at all. Looking at the painful yet confused face of Icelos, I can't help but shake my head.

'I almost forgot that he is just a child.'

-Bang 

This time it is Lucy punching Leraye away from Icelos with an annoyed expression as she speaks,

"Stop scaring the kid, you freak. Icelos it's okay not to tell your secrets. Everyone has secrets and you can share them when you want to. Nobody will force you to do so, okay? And if that idiot turns on you again, just tell me, all right? I will beat him to pulp."

An understanding expression forms on Lucy's face as she looks at Icelos' worry filled face. Icelos nods at it with a relieved face.

"What kid? Can't you see he is a monster?" Leraye gets back up as he slightly scratches his head. He is still looking at Icelos, though.

"Monster or not, he is still a kid," Lucy rebukes.

".." Icelos turns silent at her rebuttal. Looks like he hadn't expected her to take him as a monster, too.

Leraye then walks towards them as he puts his Scythe back in his dimensional pocket. I too walk towards them as I observe the Calamity Grade Monster once again,

'Let's hope it isn't anything troublesome.'

…

On the top of the Sacred Tree, an Elf is observing the surroundings, especially the area around where the Calamity Grade Monster arrived.

ZWAIN'S POV:-

'It's too early for a Calamity Grade to appear. The wave is longer than we expected too. Is something happening around that part of the forest? If I remember correctly, that is the direction where the Devils had kidnapped the Elf Princess. Is there something we missed again?' I can't help but be worried about the situation.

'Well, as long as Sir Aether is here even if the Devil King himself comes, I doubt he could do anything about Eslaine,' a smile forms on my face as I recall back about him. 

"What should I bring next for him? He said he won't take anything for free, so I need to find an excuse again to bring something. Is there any way I can give him any artifacts? Honestly, I don't see him using any artifacts below the highest grade, but taking something from the treasury won't be a good idea either…what should I do?"

"What are you mumbling about?" I hear a feminine voice coming from behind me. Without turning back, I answer her,

"Karina, what do you think about the Calamity Grade Monster?" 

Karina's face slightly twitches before she speaks,

"It's where the Devils had kidnapped your Princess."

Direct to the point, huh? Can't say I hate that.

"I didn't come here for that. Pretty sure we have enough monsters present in the city to tackle whatever problems are thrown at it. What I am here about is him. You are visiting him too much. It's creating questions in the lower hierarchy and also why are you always looking at him like that? It's like he is above the Elf King to you. Don't Elves revere the Higher hierarchy as purer than them and take them as everything, especially the King?"

I turn at her with an expressionless face, then turn back in the direction from where the monsters were coming,

"I will take that path to check for any mishaps when I leave from Eslaine," Speaking of that I move away from that place and reach back at my headquarters. I am not obliged to answer any questions, especially to those whom I can't bring myself to trust.

I then take a look at the documents regarding Princess Lia's search around the place in question.

"Let's hope its nothing troublesome."