Chapter 212 - The Test

Azer took his leave and tried to recall all the men who went with them. He listed the names of the men on a piece of paper. He remembered Richaem was with them, but he deliberately did not include his name on the list.

'He's still too young to be regarded as a man. Besides, fewer people simply means there are more rewards for each of us.'

After writing the names of the men, he summoned someone to gather the listed people in the room where the orb was located. Marquis Edmond was already there when the men arrived.

"Gentlemen, you're here!"

"Greetings, Dark Magic Lord," the men uttered in unison.

"Please line up and each of you must touch the orb."

Everyone followed the order of their Master, although they could not think of a reason why they were given that kind of order. Each one touched the orb, but the Marquis did not see any reaction from the orb. It only remained in its awakened state and nothing more. According to the old master, the orb should emit a golden light when it recognized the true ruler of Prazia.

He was hoping that apart from Prince Joram, there was someone among his men who would be recognized by the orb as the true ruler. He could help that man to take over the throne. In return, that man must serve him as his puppet King. But, no one was able to make the orb emit a golden light.

Dejectedly, he dismissed all of the men after taking the test. From the Dark Magic Lord's tone of dismissing them, they knew that the Dark Magic Lord did not see the result that he was hoping to see.

Azer was having second thoughts about whether he should come forward and inform the Dark Magic Lord that Richaem was also with them when they retrieved the orb. But in the end, his pride and jealousy took over him and decided not to let anyone hog the Dark Magic Lord's favor.

'Humph, Richaem does not have anything special about him. He was able to reach such a level within a short period of training because I'm his teacher. I should be the one to reap the benefits and not him.'

Even though he said it, Azer was still curious whether Richaem was the one who triggered the awakening of the orb. He couldn't be the son of Prince Joram. He knew too well that Prince Joram did not get involved with any woman in Prazia. Besides, based on Richaem age, Prince Joram was no longer in Prazia around the time when Richaem was conceived. 

The steward of the Marquis told them that Richaem was his nephew. Azer did not dwell on the subject anymore and decided that Richaem was not the one who awakened the orb. 

'It's just absurd when I think about it.'

* * * * *

Jorick and the old man were staying in Venetia for three days now, but they decided to look for cheaper accommodation after a day of stay in the posh inn. Jorick urged the old man that it was not practical to spend lots of money for mere accommodation, and they might be able to use the money to something more worthwhile. The old man agreed after Jorick pointed out the pros and cons.

The next inn they took looked so humble but cozy. They immediately checked their room, and Jorick liked the arrangement. The room gave him a familiar feeling. He looked out the window and saw the greenery surrounding them. Jorick liked it better than the one they first tried. The old man was grumbling.

"What kind of place is this? I like the other one better. I'm already old. Let me enjoy a good life. This place is…"

"Grandpa, can't you smell the air is fresher here than the one we left? Just look at the luscious, green garden. There are trees and birds. Don't you like the soothing sound of the chirping birds?"

"Soothing sound? Lad, I have lived for so many years, and I have never once thought that the chirping birds produce soothing sounds."

"You just don't know how to appreciate it even though you're this old already."

"You…"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Gentlemen, here are some complimentary pastries. I hope you will enjoy your stay here."

The old man received the pastries, and Jorick looked at him and shook his head. Jorick tried to snatch the pastries away from the old man.

"Grandpa, you should not eat the pastries. You're already old, and they may be too sweet for you. Old folks like you should refrain from eating too many sweet foods." Jorick reminded the old man.

If other people could hear those words, they would think that Jorick blurted that sentence out of concern for the old man's health. But, the old man knew better. The young man wanted to hog all the delicious-looking pastries to himself.

"Hosh posh! You just want to deprive me of my little happiness, humph!"

Jorick chuckled a little. The old man's behavior was on par with that of a toddler. He grinned.

'I think I just uncovered one of grandpa's weaknesses.'

Suddenly, words flashed inside Jorick's mind. It was like he was reading somebody's thoughts. To be more precise, he could read what the old man was thinking.

"You just want to hog all the pastries for your self. Youths today have no shame."

He looked at the old man, and he could still see the words in his mind. He panicked and shouted as he held his head between his palms.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

The old man panicked when he saw Jorick lied down on the floor and began rolling his body back and forth. He kept holding his head with both hands. 

"Lad! What's wrong with you?"

"Please make it stop." The thoughts of the old man kept entering Jorick's mind.

"What's wrong with this lad? Don't scare me like this. My poor heart might not survive." 

The old man tried to hold Jorick down, but he kept rolling his body. He was afraid that Jorick might hit something and hurt himself. The old man had no other choice but knock Jorick out. He finally stopped.

The old man put Jorick on the bed and rushed out to ask for a doctor.

"Help me, please. My grandson hit his head and is now unconscious. Get me a doctor, please."

"Right away, sir."

The steward of the inn was attentive and quick. It did not take long for him to fetch the doctor.

"Where is the patient?"

"Follow me, doctor."

The three men went up the stairs and trod the path leading to the room where the old man left Jorick. They entered the room quickly, and the doctor began checking Jorick's pulse. He then instructed the steward to boil some water.

"How is he, doctor? Is my grandson going to be fine?"

"Yes. He just suffered from minor trauma. He will regain consciousness soon. I will concoct some tonic for him to take after he wakes up. Make sure to give it to him, and he must drink it all in one go."

"I understand, doctor. Thank you."

"It's nothing. This is what I should do."

"How much do I owe you?"

"The inn will pay me for my services. You don't need to worry about a thing, sir. My medical service is included in the fees that you paid earlier when you checked in."

'No wonder the rate is still higher than the ordinary inns of Tissuria.'

The doctor began mixing different medicinal plants as soon as the boiled water arrived. The old man looked on. He was curious because the medicinal plants were in powder form. He was intrigued at how the doctor could tell that he was putting in the right ingredient. He saw the doctor sniffed the powder. The different powder had different scents. The doctor kept stirring everything until he could no longer see the lumps of powder.

"Here," the doctor handed the mixture to the old man, "Let your grandson drink this to calm his nerves. It can also help cure the lump on his head."

The old man cleared his throat and accepted the tonic, "Thank you, doctor."

"If there is nothing else, I should get going," the doctor stood up as he said those words and headed toward the door.

Jorick had already regained consciousness before the doctor left. His mind had calmed down, and he could no longer see the images of words that depicted the old man's thoughts. He felt warm inside. No one in the Ninth Prince's side ever gave him the same attention as the old man extended to him. 

"Grandpa…"

The old man rushed to Jorick's side quickly when he heard him spoke. 

"Lad, do you feel pain anywhere?"

"No, grandpa."

"Here," the old man handed the tonic to Jorick and added, "The doctor just left and instructed me to give this to you when you wake up."

Jorick took the tonic and drank it in one go. The old man smiled and patted Jorick's back as he took the empty bowl of tonic.

"Grandpa, I don't like the things that are happening to me. I don't know why new things seem to pop out of nowhere."

"What do you mean?"

Jorick looked at the old man's eyes and could see the deep concern for him. It was a pair of eyes of someone he could trust.

"Earlier, I could see your thoughts. It frightened me."

"What thoughts? I don't think I follow what you mean."

"Didn't you say in your mind that I just want to hog all the pastries for myself and youths today have no shame? I read your thoughts."

The old man gasped and could not refute what Jorick had told him.

"You can read minds now?"