The Kind of Evil
Chapter 336 - 336: Tag along.

‎"Count hasn't left the cabin?" Joshua asked Ayla who was busy making breakfast for everyone.

‎"No. The Count is busy reading all the records that we recovered. I'm not sure if the Count is going to leave the cabin anytime soon," Ayla answered as she put the herbs into the pot as soon as the soup began to boil.

‎"He must have read quite a lot of them since he had been there all night..." Joshua said as he helped Ayla prepare the meat and the vegetables. "So, what kept you up all night, Ayla?" He asked, cutting the meat evenly with a dagger.

‎Ayla looked at Joshua, didn't expect him to know what happened last night. She didn't know what to say, and she didn't want to tell him about it either because she believed it was a private matter.

‎"It's nothing..." Ayla shook her head with a soft smile on her face. "I... I just found out something important..." she continued.

‎Joshua was curious about two things. The first one was Ayla's words about her finding out something important. The second one was the fact that her demeanor had changed, no longer lifeless.

‎"I see, everyone seems happy as well. I believe it's because the Count is here with us. We found our purpose again," Joshua said as he put the meat into the pot. "Although, I feel like Count Rasmus is different from his late father. Something about him that makes him look so intimidating in a way..." he continued, lowering his voice, not wanting anyone to overhear his words.

Ayla looked at Joshua for a moment before she averted her gaze and thought of something similar. She respected the elders and even Erglade, and she feared them. However, when she spoke with Rasmus, she felt a completely different sense of fear and anxiety.

"You're not wrong," Ayla nodded as she put the vegetables into the pot and began to stir the soup. "But, I like the Count. He's different from the elders and his late father," she added with a soft smile on her face.

Joshua was surprised once again when he saw Ayla's smile and how happy she looked. He knew that Ayla was in the cabin with Rasmus last night, but he didn't know what had happened. He wanted to pry on what was going on, but he knew it wasn't his place.

Erdinand had just come back from taking a bath in the river, and he saw Joshua and Ayla on the campfire preparing breakfast. He decided to join in and helped them prepare breakfast for everyone. When he was about to say something, he saw Rasmus walking out of the cabin with Aris and Yur.

"Good morning, My Lord," Erdinand bowed his head at Rasmus.

All the Black Hands immediately looked at Rasmus and they all bowed their heads at him. They admired him because they knew that Rasmus hadn't been asleep and kept himself busy reading the documents and archives that they had recovered. They felt proud about themselves because they had kept them safe and were useful to Rasmus.

"Is everyone here?" Rasmus asked as he looked at Joshua, Ayla, and Erdinand at the campfire.

"Some are going out hunting and foraging for vegetables and herbs, Count. Would you like to gather everyone here, My Lord?" Erdinand asked with his brows raised.

"Yes, please gather everyone after everyone has eat their breakfast," Rasmus nodded. "I'll go for a walk first, and it might take an hour. So all of you don't have to be in a hurry. Take your time," he said as he looked at everyone.

Everyone bowed once again and watched Rasmus leave with Aris and Yur.

Rasmus went to the dead tree after he heard what had happened after the spar. He wanted to know how Rullein was doing since she was in her spirit form because she had exhausted her energy from the spar with Aris. Based on what Yur said, spirits weren't like humans who could get injured and be unable to fully recover. Spirits could recover to their prime, and the time to recover depended on how strong the spirits were.

When Rasmus and Aris saw the lake in the distance, they saw Rullein, sitting under the dead tree with the black smoke that acted like leaves on the branches. Rullein had a relaxed expression, playing with the smoke that flowed in between her fingers like a river.

"I heard you won against Aris, Rullein," Rasmus said, standing on the edge of the lake, staring at her on the island.

Rullein slowly glanced at Rasmus and saw Aris standing beside him, hugging Yur in her arms. She slowly got up and turned into a puff of smoke while at the same time a puff of smoke appeared in front of Rasmus. The puff of smoke turned into Rullein, floating above the lake and staring at him with lazy eyes.

"I lost, it wasn't even close..." Rullein answered as she glanced at Aris. "She was holding herself back from unleashing all her power. She didn't want to nurture the seed within her," she continued.

Aris didn't say a word because Rullein was right about it. She had told that to Rasmus that she didn't want to become a True Dragon. She also didn't want to be a part of the Orthias anymore because her people had high expectations of her to become a True Dragon.

"You're following her path. Is it because of your own accord, or is it because deep within you that told you to do so?" Rullein asked with her brows raised.

"Does it matter if it was Aristoria's will or mine?" Aris asked back.

"No, it doesn't matter. I'm just thinking if you're fine when your path is predetermined by your predecessor," Rullein answered as she shook her head. "You were there, weren't you? You saw the memories of the dead tree, when Aristoria revealed her plan," she asked with her brows raised.

"I did, I listened everything," Aris nodded.

Rasmus looked at both of them back and forth, wondering what they were talking about. Hearing from Rullein's words and how she mentioned his mother, it made him curious. Suddenly, Rullein stared at him without saying a word, similarly to what Aris did last night when she stared at him without saying a word.

"What's your plan now, Rullein?" Rasmus asked with his arms crossed. "Are you going to stay here forever?" He added.

Rullein hummed as she rested her cheek on her palm, staring into Rasmus's eyes. She had no reason to stay in the forest anymore since Rasmus had come to see her. She also promised Aristoria that she would protect him, acting as his guardian. However, she still wanted to understand why Aristoria had entrusted the future to this man in front of him.

"Tell me what what you're planning to do with this world, Rasmus?" Rullein asked.

"I want to destroy it," Rasmus answered without hesitation.

"Destroy it?" Rullein narrowed her eyes.

"Give me a reason why should I not destroy it?" Rasmus asked back, staring into Rullein's eyes.

Rullein was born from resentment and hatred, and she didn't owe anyone or anything in this world. She had killed countless lives that entered the forest as her nourishment. She treated mortals as food, and similar to what Orthias saw in the human race, as an insignificant being.

"I have nothing," Rullein answered as she tilted her head. "But I can ask you the same thing. What's your reason behind your desire to destroy it?" She asked, touching her feet on the lake and freezing it in an instant.

"It's not a desire. I want to destroy it to see if there's someone strong enough to prevent me from doing so. If the world is so easily destroyed, I believe this world isn't worth saving in the first place. If it's easily broken, what's the point of keeping it intact," Rasmus answered.

"So you're testing what this world is capable of? Do you know that you're going to fight not just humans if you do so. Her people, they're going to hunt you down," Rullein pointed out.

"I know, and who knows if Aris would be there on the other side," Rasmus answered.

Rullein raised her brows, finding it interesting when Rasmus didn't even shy away from the possibility of Aris going against him. She then looked at Aris, and she saw nothing in her eyes or expression, completely shutting off her expression which made it impossible to read. Yur could feel how Aris's arms tightened around its body, so subtle that it was unnoticed by Rullein.

"That's interesting to hear, and oddly enough, we both have something in common. I don't mind fighting Orthias and getting rid of them from this world," Rullein answered, grinning and widening her eyes that glowed bright orange.

"Then, what's your answer to my question? What are you going to do now?" Rasmus asked.

"I'll tag along and see if you're only all talk and no bites," Rullein answered with a cold smile.

"Fair enough," Rasmus nodded with understanding. "Then I'll go back because I have something to do with the Black Hands," he said as he took a few steps back before he walked to the village.

Aris stayed behind, staring at Rullein with a stoic and cold expression. However, Rullein only let out a mischievous chuckle before she turned into smoke and disappeared into thin air.