14 Knife

With a tired face, red eyes, Hector stared through the bathroom mirror at a face that didn't belong to him. It made him feel strange every time. Even though he felt that his body was his own, his face was like the ghost of the person from whom he had stolen the body. This meant that he generally avoided looking at his reflection because for him it was only one more ghost that would continue to haunt him and nothing more.

In any case, his lack of sleep had made his facial features tired after now 4 nights where he was just having nightmares, exactly as before, in his homeworld. He blew as he looked in the mirror one last time before drinking a little water and getting his face wet in the hope of looking a little more awake. The young man looked up at the window, the sun had just risen, its first soft rays brushed silently against the cobblestones of the city's streets.

This morning everyone was supposed to be up early because of a meeting that Hector was supposed to have with the eldest daughter of the Weiler family, Rose, Rose Dragnir. A married woman, so she didn't have the same last name. From what Hector had understood, Rose did not get along at all with her family. Even Amy didn't know why, it was a mystery to many people, even to the maids who had been there for several years. \"A family secret.\" Hector thought as he took his shower half an hour earlier. He had even sarcastically said to himself that not having had a \"real\" family had saved him from this kind of problem.

After some time trying to look more awake, he gave up. Amy had offered to put on makeup at least to hide his dark circles, but he had refused out of pride several times before. But today he was going to have to make a sacrifice. So he had agreed for this time. The makeup was nothing incredible, he just wanted to hide his dark circles, it wasn't going to look good if he showed up for the first time in front of Rose with a zombie's head.

If there was one thing, the young man could say with certainty, it was that he was well surrounded. Amy cared for him and the house while being a moral support, Selena was a \"young\" calm and soothing woman who knew how to defend herself perfectly, Erwin was also a support although he was not often there. The Footman even came to drop off many supplies and military training equipment so that Hector could start doing some exercise while learning the basics of fencing with Selena.

He could easily understand why Krein had chosen Erwin as his friend. Besides, even Helena and Davis had a mature reaction to the news of their son's death. For the time being, Hector considered himself rather lucky, but… what was the conversation with Rose going to look like? He had been warned, she was a strict and cold woman, but a fair woman. She came from a small town in the province where she ruled with her husband, she had created it from A to Z, unlike her parents who had taken over Vaine, a town founded by the grandparents of Davis. Rose owned various farms, including flower farms that she sold directly to her mother, but also others, such as huge farms and forests. The city she had founded a few years after her marriage was not yet as big as Vaine, but it was beginning to grow and become known. In other words, she had made a success of her life from scratch. Hector had respect for this kind of person; they are rare.

During all that time that Hector had been planning and thinking, the sun had risen and was starting to heat the roof tiles. Everyone dressed up, Rose remained a nobleman and, moreover, she was detached from the Weiler family, so Amy, Selena, and Hector preferred to be cautious.

However, one thing remained to be known. Why did she want to come in person to the dusty old house of the former maid of the Weiler family? It was with all these questions that the day began.

\"Is anyone there?\" asked a man's voice from the other side of the front door, then after knocking, he started again. \"Is anyone there?\"

\"Yes, I'm coming!\" Amy shouted a little surprised at the turn of events. Behind the door was a man in his thirties, dressed in clean and refined clothes overhung with light armor. \"Hello, you're Xavier, right? Mrs. Dragnir's bodyguard?\"

\"Yes, I apologize for my harshness. I guess you're Amy. I came to warn you that soon Rose will be here, she's just… a little longer than expected to arrive…\"

\"Oh? Why?\" Amy asked intriguingly.

\"She came in heel shoes…\" breathed the guard with an amused smile. \"And here all the floors are paved, so she twisted her ankle several times. She told me to take the lead and go and warn you.\"

\"Does she need help?\" Hector asked as he stood up, as Xavier analyzed her from head to toe.

\"No, don't worry, Octave and her daughter are taking care of her and… I think she's already embarrassed enough as it is. I don't think she needs any more.\"

\"Octave?\" Hector asked with surprise. \"My big broth- Krein big brother?\"

\"That's correct.\"

This was not something Hector expected, he believed that Krein's older brother was still going out with his class to improve his survival skills. The fact that he was there proved that his little brother meant a lot to him. He must have wanted to come after hearing the news. Hector didn't see any other explanation.

Selena had understood what was bothering the young man, but she could only look, as a valet, she was not allowed to interfere in her employer's business, except when it put his life in danger, of course. She simply slapped his back as comfort and went to meet Xavier with whom she started talking. The two got along pretty well, he both had the same job and therefore about the same vision of the world on some aspect of life.

Amy had gone to get some croissants that she had prepared beforehand and placed them on the coffee table in the living room so that everyone could have some. When Hector saw this, he asked himself a new question, why had Rose come so early in the morning?

\"In my opinion, young man, you think too much\"; the young man remembered that simple sentence and the first sentence that Balam had told him. Stop thinking, you're wasting your time and energy on top of that. You'll ask the questions in due time.

However, even after 4 days, Balam had still not returned. Selena's magic was too powerful and says that Gregory before saying to the Elf: \"Average score, average abilities, but a formidable elf capable of quickly healing serious injuries.\". If her score were average and not special, what was a person with a very good score and extraordinary abilities? This thought made Hector smile before any noises were heard at the door.

\"Here we are!\" whispered a female voice. \"Wearing heels shoes was really the best idea, I'll thank my husband for making me think about it.\" irked Rose, walking barefoot, with her two shoes in her hand. She was very slightly taller than Hector, her auburn hair was styled into a neat bun, with a few strands still falling in front of her face, while these two black eyes landed on Hector on the other side of the door.

\"Big cities are good, but it has its limits, which is why I prefer the countryside.\"

\"Stop it, Rose, you look like an old farmer from a filthy village.\" replied a young man taller than her; his ashen-black hair was very reminiscent of Hector's, but unlike him, his hair was styled backward.

\"Hold your tongue, Octave.\" Xavier ordered, looking down on the young man.

\"Forget it, Xavier, forget it, it's nothing serious.\" she said, shaking her hand from left to right. \"I allow myself to go come inside.\" she continued as she entered the area with Octave and a young child. \"Xavier, as planned you stay outside, we never know what might happen, especially right now.\" Rose ordered Rose as the bodyguard made a head movement to show that he had understood.

The two groups settled in, then looked at each other for a few seconds before starting to talk. There was some tension, but nothing terrible. Hector didn't feel like a cold and strict woman in Rose, she was rather calm and analytical, but nothing more. After sitting around the coffee table around the still-warm croissants, someone cleared his throat. This harmless act made everyone understand that the real discussion was now about to begin. Hector raised his head immediately, Balam was not there, he would have to rely on his own experiences and analytical skills if he wanted to get the most out of this discussion. The Weiler family's refusal of real help and discussion had already been a defeat in itself, now he had to find some help elsewhere. And not just financial support.

But contrary to what Hector thought, the first person to speak was neither him nor Rose.

\"I came from far away to see if my brother was dead, I didn't really believe it at first, but now that I look at you into your eyes… I know it's true,\" Octave explained, putting his hand on his forehead. \"My mother has already explained everything to me through a letter. However…\" he paused and looked up with a sharp look. \"Nothing proves to me that you're not the one who killed him. Of course, there have already been cases of reincarnation, but these are extremely rare cases, like legends, they are neither proven nor studied. I just can't trust you that easily. It's easy, to be honest when people in front of you know absolutely nothing. You could perfectly lie and that in itself would be just as honest.\" he exploded with anger. \"Whether your name is Hector or Albert, I don't care, the reality is that you currently have my little brother's body under your control and nothing else. Nor is there any evidence that you are not a member of the Andras family, so I can't believe a person like you.\"

A silence took place, the room had gone from a warm atmosphere to a freezing one. Amy had stopped eating her croissant while it was still hanging from her mouth, while Rose looked at her brother with her eyebrows raised.

\"No, the member of the Andras family doesn't have the capacity to inhabit a body for several days, you know that, Octave. Don't distort reality.\" sighed the woman, putting the croissant in her hands on the table. \"Moreover, you frighten my daughter and you are noisy, so if you have come for the only purpose of spitting out your anger and sadness, you're not welcome here. I remind you that I have no interest in you and your family, I don't have to keep you here.\"

\"Yes. Yes, surely.\" he began with a brittle voice. \"It's always easier to say that kind of thing when you don't share anything with your brother and family, isn't it? All those words from a woman who ran away from her family without giving any news for several years, it's still quite ironic, don't you think, Rose?\"

\"Well.\" sighed the woman again before raising her voice so that she could even be heard from outside. \"Xavier, get this worm out of here, I don't need bugs around me, especially when it can't stand still while I'm doing it a favor.\"

\"The bug tells you to go back eating your salad, country cow.\" he just has time to say this, before Xavier made him an arm lock as Rose looked down at her breasts.

\"Octave, don't make me have to take you to the hospital.\" intervened the bodyguard by pushing the young man out.

A new silence took place, but this time it was because everyone was embarrassed. Amy dropped her crescent on the ground and went to get a broom to clean up the mess she had made. No one seemed to know what to say in this situation, but finally, after finishing eating and drinking, the discussion could resume after a long sigh of Rose. She had a quick chat with her daughter, a brown-haired little girl barely 5 or 6 years old, and then turned to Hector.

\"Excuse me for that, I knew Octave's temperament, but I thought he was going to stay still for once, but as usual, he couldn't.\"

\"It's nothing serious, I'm the problem. I was expecting something like that, so… well, at least, I was expecting one of you to be uncooperative…\" explained the young man scratching his head. \"But he seems to have a bad temper though.\"

\"After our discussion by letter, did you think I was going to come and not listen to what you had to offer me?\" while Hector was ready to answer ironically, Rose outbid. \"I don't know where you got that bird, by the way, but it's damn fast and accurate, I've never been able to talk to anyone that fast.\"

\"It's one of Gregoire Saranel's birds, Captain Lena's NCO. He is a very good falconer, he has agreed to help me despite the state of his family since they learned of their daughter's death… He is a wise man.\"

\"I see.\" Rose simply replied. \"A hero of the Dantelian Resistance helps you in person, you're lucky.\" she continued, looking at her interlocutor straight in the eyes. \"So, Hector, let's get to the point. In your letter, you told me about making a deal. Apparently, in exchange for the help, you could give me, I also had to do something for you. Explain all this to me, it retained my intention.\"

During the 4 days Balam had left, he was far from having done nothing, he had tried to learn as much as he could and the more hours passed, the more he knew. He had opened many books in the great library of the Capital, mainly on the geography of the region in which the city of Rose was located, but also to learn a little about its history in the hope of making discoveries that would allow him to have a solid argument.

He had also discovered something very special; to follow up on Balam's advice, he had begun to gather sexual energy. In the evening when everyone was asleep, he had been in a brothel for the past 3 days. He seemed to be able to synthesize feelings, such as anger, love, sadness or lust. He couldn't explain why, but he could do it. Maybe it was the power of Zepar, Gremory, and Balam, and the three of them mixed to give birth to Hector's power? Who knows. Feelings can come from him or others, but the person must have a connection to Hector. That's how he was sure and certain that Octave really loved his little brother.

\"I know that you and your husband are doing everything possible to make your city known and acknowledged. I don't know why, but I know that no one would put as much effort and money into getting permission to build on land as dry as the one you have settled on.\" he began with a calm but sure voice. \"However, I know that the soils are full of minerals and rare materials. You are also looking for water because in this region, it is rare and therefore expensive. You settled near Liandre's forest because where there are trees, there is water, right? But you are still struggling to find some, which puts your crops at risk. I can know where the underground cavities and groundwater are, it will only take me a little while, but I could tell you exactly where to dig to find what you're looking for.\" he argued before drinking some water. \"Besides, I know you're trying to get ahead of the city of Orah, located further south. For that, you wanted to take advantage of Vaine's messed up to become the leader of the flower and wood trade, but Orah is a little ahead of the curve and has real military power, unlike you, who struggle to find soldiers to form your ranks. I can delay them and speed up your production. Besides, following a discussion I had with the Weiler family, more Davis than anyone else that said… Amy could become a trainer in the maid profession in your backyard, I know you lack qualified staff and since she's been working in this profession for 6 years, I thought taking her into your ranks would be very useful to you, not to mention the valuable experience she's gained over the past 6 years. As for Selena, my bodyguard, she could train your troops. She recently volunteered to be my bodyguard, but she belonged to the Lyre squadron led by Captain Lena and Gregoire Saranel himself. So she is among the best. Besides, she's an Elf, so her magic could cure your son.\" Hector ended by looking at Rose, who was dazed by everything she had just heard.

Amy and Selena herself stared at Hector with a bewildered look, not expecting such an argument. Rose had not even had a second to answer and even if she had wanted to, the young man's idea was to continue until he had finished. It was certainly manipulation, but he preferred to put all this on his side, even if it meant playing with the feelings of others. The woman was now looking at the ground, both hands on her temples, her daughter was looking at her with an intrigued and worried look, \"How can he know so many things? Same staff! Same staff!\" was the phrase that resonated in Rose's head. She was trying to find out if anyone could have disclosed this information, but in reality, it was not an unknown thing. At least, people knew that someone in the Dragnir family was sick when you've been looking for a doctor or a magician for several months, it's because something is happening.

Hector had only known when he went to see Davis at the hospital to get permission for Amy and Selena to follow him to another city. During their discussions, Davis had told her things about his eldest daughter with anger, for the sole purpose of dragging her through the mud, but ultimately knowing this was a good thing for the young man and even for Rose.

However, Hector wondered what would make a father want to hurt his child in this way. To say that they were not able to bear the death of their son, but that they were perfectly capable of spitting on their own family's eldest daughter was rather ridiculous and laughable.

\"Mom, the Elf lady could save Remy?\" asked the little girl, pulling her mother's sleeve.

\"Aaah… Faustine, sweetie, I don't know… maybe…\" replied in a low voice Rose, lost in her thought. After a moment when she closed her eyes, she raised her pupils to Hector, with a serious face. \"Well, you surprised me. You're smarter than Krein, much smarter. I still had doubts, because he liked to lie a lot… but after hearing all this, I can only see that \"spirit\" exists. With the same brain as him, you can be smarter, that's wonderful. Anyway… I can't even hope to manipulate you just a little bit. After all, you're the one who's trying to manipulate me with feelings by using my son as a sledgehammer argument. From then on, there's nothing I can do. It almost sounded like you had worked and prepared your arguments like a university speech. That's why you didn't even let me talk during your whole monologue, did you?\"

\"No, I spoke without stopping because I didn't want you to find an argument that contradicted me. I wanted to finish my argument first… Excuse me if you that annoyed you.\" Hector humbly apologized with a little smile.

\"It doesn't matter. However, before I say whether I agree or not, I would like you to explain some things to me. First of all, how do you plan to find his underground cavities? Our dowsers themselves can't find any. And how do we plan to increase our yields and reduce Orah's? These are the two things that disturb me the most.\"

\"Hmm… I'm not the one who will find the underground cavities directly. I have someone by my side that you can't see. He'll help me find them, he can go through the material if you know what I mean.\" he explained calmly. \"And… to increase and reduce yields, it will be a fairly long process, but… can I show you how I would do it?\"

\"Yeah, do it.\"

With that word, Hector performed the same movements he had repeated in his room and began to synthesize the feeling of lust that had been born in him and in the women they had met in the brothel. He concentrated and placed his hands as if holding a balloon, after a short while a magenta and translucent ball appeared, floating between the young man's two palms. He continued to concentrate before this magenta ball became almost opaque. After moving her a little, he threw the ball gently towards Rose. This magenta ball then faded at the level of her chest like a cloud of steam. She immediately understood the effect it had, she felt improbably aroused, even if the effect was weak, she felt it. However, she did not blink for a moment and showed no emotion. Hector had only given this treatment to this woman, no one but Rose knew what effect it had.

\"All right, I get it. Stop it, now.\" she ordered in a neutral tone.

\"No problem, but it's going to take some time to completely dissipate.\" explained Hector, scratching his arm. \"It is possible to keep your little clouds in bottles and therefore to sell them, for example…\"

There was still a silence during which nothing happened, they all remained to do nothing. It was a necessary time for Rose to face the pros and cons of her thoughts. She had received a higher than normal rate of information when it was only early in the morning, so she was taking her time.

At the same time, Amy and the little girl, Faustine, had gone to explore the house, a child needs to take care of after all, so they had gone upstairs, while Selena had gone to join Xavier outside the house door because two individuals seemed to want problems for the Weiler family. It was not uncommon for people to blame the nobles, but it was always wise to take the threat seriously.

Rose had sat there from the beginning, Hector thought she had already made her decision, but she was thinking about her husband's opinion and the consequences of her choice. The young man took the opportunity to bring him a drink.

It was then that noise was heard on the other side of the door and upstairs. Xavier and Selena were confronting one or more people outside when a scream was heard on the first floor. Hector and Rose reacted immediately, but the young man was the fastest.

After climbing the stairs leading to the bedrooms, he rushed to the place where the noise seemed to come from. It was Hector's room, the pedestal that brought to the attic was removed and Amy was on the floor trying to defend herself against a hooded figure strangling her while the little girl was watching it in the corner of the room.

Hector's first reflex was to run into the person with all his weight while using his shoulder as a ram. When he came into contact with the attacker, a cracking sound was heard and the figure flew towards the wall. Hector got up immediately, but the figure was already beside him and gave him a severe blow to the back of the head with a metal gauntlet, it didn't make the young man shudder, he remained standing and tried in vain to catch the attacker's arm.

Hector tried to hit the hooded person in the stomach, but he ran directly into the corner of the room, which was the smartest move.

And took the little girl, Faustina under his control. A knife to the child's throat.

\"Oh oh! So you're not dead!\" said the hooded person with a female voice that surprised Hector. \"Well, I feel like I'm gonna have to slit your throat again. In the meantime, tell the two guards at the entrance to put their weapons away and let my associates in. If you scream or try anything, the kid will have the same scar on her neck as Krein. So don't make me do something I don't want to do… So! Come on, come on! \"ordered the hooded woman by speaking directly to Rose at the door, looking horrified.