"Hmm… looks like we're out of wood for the fire."
Since Nicolas was in charge of cooking and William was busy polishing weapons, Sebastian decided he'd go gather some. "Alright, I'll head out and—"
"Hold it right there, mister!" Nicolas cut him off, stepping in front of him. He grabbed his dagger and turned toward the forest. "I'll get it!"
"There's no need. You're already handling the cooking," Sebastian replied.
But Nicolas shook his head proudly, puffing out his chest. "I'll bring back the finest wood in the land! Besides, I want to be part of the whole process. If I'm not, it won't feel right seeing you bow before me after tasting my incredible cooking."
Sebastian snorted. "That makes absolutely no sense."
"You just don't get it because you're too stupid—ow, ow, ow!"
Sebastian had pinched his ear. "What did you call me?"
"Come on! Let me go!" Nicolas whined, squirming to break free.
Sebastian sighed and released him. "You and your pride… Fine. You'll need small branches to start the fire, and medium-sized ones to keep it going."
"As much as I hate taking advice from you, I'll do my best, four-eyes!"
"You're just picking up wood. It's not that hard—wait, what did you just call me—?!"
But Nicolas was already sprinting off into the trees.
"I'll get you for that!" Sebastian shouted, shaking his fist.
"—Wait! Nicolas!" William stood up, trying to follow, but the boy had already vanished into the woods.
Sebastian crossed his arms. "You're unusually protective of him all of a sudden. Haven't taken your eyes off him. Worried?"
William gave a wry smile. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"He's fourteen. He can't rely on you forever."
"One minute he looked pale and sick, the next he was totally fine. Wouldn't you worry?"
Nicolas had gone from cold sweats and trembling to perfect health in seconds. It didn't sit right with William.
"You regret bringing him?" Sebastian asked.
William shook his head. "Not at all. I chose to bring him. That makes him my responsibility. Just make sure to keep both of us safe."
Sebastian chuckled. "For the record, I have nothing against the boy."
William crossed his arms. "Could've fooled me."
"You've noticed it too, haven't you? That boy… he's a ticking time bomb."
As always, Sebastian was vague. William was tired of it.
"If you'd said something before we left, maybe I would've listened. Now I've got to deal with your cryptic comments with no context. Too late to complain now, pal—"
"—You should go," Sebastian interrupted, "We need to reach the tunnel before it gets dark."
William clicked his tongue. "We'll be back soon."
Once William left, Sebastian glanced over at the food Nicolas had been preparing.
—Interesting choice… It looks just like their meal.
To Sebastian, Nicolas was a liability. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong. The fact that the boy hadn't realized it himself was even more concerning.
"You can't protect him forever," Sebastian muttered.
He knew the kind of man William was. He'd hesitate—and hesitation could be fatal. And if William couldn't make the hard decision when the time came...
—Then I will.
**
The walk through the forest was unusually quiet. Nicolas, typically full of chatter, had nothing to say.
How could he?
William had shown up looking tense. And the last person he'd been with was the butler. What had they talked about?
"Master, are you okay? You look... tense."
"It's nothing. Don't worry," William said, shaking his head.
"That just makes me worry more."
"Oh? Didn't you say I was a very reliable master? One that keeps your stomach full?"
Nicolas scoffed. "You added the reliable part. Besides, says the guy who came home drunk when he was supposed to be negotiating."
William chuckled. Nicolas blinked.
"What's so funny?"
"You called it 'home.'"
Nicolas's face turned red. "I—I didn't mean—!"
"It's alright, Nicolas. It actually… made me happy."
"Master…"
William had never felt like he belonged anywhere. Raised by people who couldn't even look him in the eye, let alone treat him like family. He'd always been alone—unwanted, invisible. But hearing Nicolas call his house 'home'… it stirred something in him.
—I wonder how he'll feel when he finds out why my family hates me...
Until then, he'd watch over Nicolas. It was his responsibility as his mentor.
Nicolas, noticing the distant look on William's face, clenched his fists.
"You know, Master… I may not look it, but you can always count on—"
"—Hey! I found some branches!" William suddenly declared. "Looks like enough. Let's head back and eat!"
Nicolas deflated. "You weren't even listening…"
—At least he's in a better mood now.
**
The trio sat by the fire, enjoying the fruits of Nicolas's labor.
"I'm impressed," William said, finishing his bowl. "This is excellent!"
Even Sebastian nodded. "I hate to admit it… but he's right."
They hadn't expected a meal this good to come from someone like Nicolas.
The young man puffed out his chest with pride. "Bow before me, peasants! For I am the Master Chef!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Sebastian said. "We just meant it's good—for you."
"That's it! No more food for you, four-eyes!" Nicolas snatched the plate—only for Sebastian to snatch it back when he wasn't looking.
William raised an eyebrow, inspecting his own plate. "Seriously, where did you learn to cook like this?"
"There was this old cookbook I had as a kid. Coincidentally, we had the ingredients for one of the recipes, so I figured I'd give it a shot."
Despite some improvisation, he'd nailed the flavor.
"A long time ago, I had the original version of this dish… This tastes just like it."
Sebastian looked intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"You never told me you could cook," William added. "If I'd known, I would've had you cook every day. After cleaning, of course."
"What am I, your maid?!"
William smirked. "Isn't that why I took you in?"
"You took me in to teach me blacksmithing!"
Sebastian sighed. It was clear William wasn't going to let him dig too deeply into Nicolas's past. Still, they had more pressing matters.
"We should finish up and get moving. It'll be dark soon, and we're still in the forest."
William scratched his head. "Yeah, you're right."
Nicolas frowned. "But isn't the tunnel still in the forest? What makes it any safer?"
William nodded. "True. But the tunnel runs through Dragon's Mountain. Not many creatures venture there. That doesn't mean we're safe, that path's known for… disappearances."
Nicolas's brow furrowed. "Disappeared? Doesn't that mean they left the forest?"
"Who knows?" William replied. "But I doubt it."
He remembered hearing stories from the Drakon tribes—rumors of people entering the tunnel and never coming back.
—That path might be more trouble than it's worth...
And then there was her.
—Where the hell is she? Did she ditch me?
He remembered their conversation the night before. Olivia had said she'd meet them "along the way." She didn't strike him as the type to break a promise. Too proud for that.
—We'll meet soon enough, I guess.
"Burp—pardon me," Sebastian said after finishing his food, dabbing his mouth with a cloth.
"Hey! How'd you get your plate back?!" Nicolas shouted.
Ignoring him, Sebastian clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's pack up. Time to go."