Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 245: I’m the one at fault

Chapter 245: I’m the one at fault

Alex regarded Douglas with interest, watching as the green-skinned man stewed in the concoction brewed, no doubt, by Victoria.

Considering everything the latter had experienced, it was easy to guess that Douglas was indeed a good man.

Despite having lost his family twice, Douglas didn’t lose his morals and instead struggled to maintain them.

It was almost like he feared that losing those morals instilled in him would be the same as admitting defeat to the world.

Such a man had what it took to be of help to Alex.

More than their usefulness, Alex needed those he could trust to not misbehave, and Douglas... not only was that assured but he could make him his most loyal subordinate.

But to do that... Alex’s lips parted. "I understand your pain."

"... What do you know?" Douglas growled in response.

"I know what it means to lose everything despite your best attempts to keep them. I know what it feels like to do everything in your power to try and get what you lost back and most importantly... I know how it feels to lose family."

"..." Douglas clenched his fist as he glanced at Alex, holding his gaze in his own.

Due to his capabilities, Douglas could tell that Alex wasn’t lying or trying to use fancy words to convince him.

"You... who are you?" Douglas inquired, his tone having softened considerably.

Alex pursed his lips, considering how best to respond before finally letting out a sigh. "You could say I’m a man who’s found himself in a strange place."

"A man..." Douglas muttered softly, realizing the depth behind the statement.

Silence loomed in the hall as both men fell into their thoughts.

Finally, Douglas spoke up. "Why exactly are you here?... No matter what, I could never see you as my brother."

"And I would rather you don’t. However, I want to give you an opportunity to take back what’s been taken from you."

"... What do you mean?"

"I’m putting together a team and I want you to be a part of it."

Douglas paused, seemingly hesitant for a moment before he inquired. "Lady Victoria..."

"Is already a member and you can be one too. All you have to do is accept my offer."

Douglas stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.

When he did speak, a clear sense of hesitance remained. "... I don’t know if I’m good enough. Wherever I am, disaster follows. First, it was mother, and now..."

"Do you consider me to be a weakling that would fear such?" Alex simply asked, cutting him off.

Douglas regarded him briefly before replying. "You aren’t a god, you can’t be all-powerful..."

"So help me cover up for what I lack. Your anger, your pain... let me use it as a weapon."

"You... what do you hope to achieve?"

"A way home."

"... I wish to seek revenge against those who ruined everything."

"The Paragons, yeah?"

"They are a powerful coven that..."

"Don’t worry. All those I have chosen have a desire they wish to fulfill and as you help me fulfill mine, expect to get the same in turn. So I ask again, Douglas Regulus, will you become my weapon?"

"..." Douglas’s lips quivered before he finally replied. "I have a request."

Alex revealed a warm smile as he intoned softly. "I have an idea of what you might want."

"That..."

"Come along... I’d also like to see what our youngest is up to."

"... Yes."

***

The sound of a tolling bell echoed in Livermore County.

After BoneHaven’s destruction, a portion of its inhabitants were moved to Livermore by the D.O.D., with their presence helping to reinvigorate the dwindling population.

At the same time, it also allowed Livermore to begin its first steps into the industrial age fully as workers from BoneHaven helped to increase the productivity of their factories.

In this bustling town on the verge of becoming a new industrial city, there was a technical school for those who wished to learn more about industrial work.

Currently, the tolling of the bell signaled the end of classes with students making their way off the school premises.

A young girl with dark hair and fair skin stepped out of her class with several others leaving, letting out a tired sigh as she glanced at the blue sky overhead.

Just then, a girl with auburn colored hair approached the dark-haired girl, clearly excited about something.

"Hey Emily, did you hear?... Jacob’s dad is throwing a party for his 18th birthday and he invited everyone in class."

"Really?" The girl... no, Emily replied with a bored expression.

"What, really?... Jacob is one of the most popular guys in our class and you know his dad is a pretty rich merchant. We should attend."

"Not interested, I’d rather stay home and work on a personal project."

"Ugh, why are you so boring?... You should go out once in a while."

Ignoring her words, Emily could finally let out a relieved sigh after the girl pestering her left.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like her since they were close friends but she wasn’t the type to attend balls and such mundane gatherings.

Instead of bothering with talking to annoying boys and obnoxious girls, she’d rather take her time studying the steam engine and its endless possibilities.

In her spare time, while staying with her uncle Arthur who’s hardly ever around because he’s always out on business, she’d been trying to craft a new and more improved engine, using the schematics of the steam engine also known as steam core currently in use.

So far she’d only succeeded in nearly blowing up the house a total of three times but there was indeed progress and with that progress came a hope for more to come.

She soon made her way out of the school premises and headed home, walking briskly while avoiding as much contact with strangers as possible.

Her house, located close to the only newspaper in town which was owned by her uncle, was situated close to the mayor’s home which was in the central square.

Just as she turned a corner to continue on her way, she bumped into someone, causing her books to fall to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, sorry." She apologized as she seemed to have been daydreaming about the amazing effect her portable steam engine could have on technology.

However, the response she expected never came prompting her to raise her head only to find an imposing figure standing before her, his appearance shadowed due to the rays of the Lightbringer.

Just as she brought her hand to her face to shield her eyes from the light, the figure slowly dropped to his knees, revealing him to be a light-skinned black man with a head full of peculiar green hair and an otherwise attractive appearance.

Emily hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to make of the situation when the man suddenly remarked, a melancholic smile donning his visage.

"You don’t have to apologize... I’m the one at fault."