Thursday, November 10, 2011

[No Hero] 1-3: Practice conversing with the master

Dear Father,

I believe I can understand the lesson you had once taught me, that the reason a master could make his servants truly dedicated to him is not money. I cannot seem to find a safe enough place to store the painting the young master has given me; at the end, I could only put it inside my metal pod. Please bless me from heaven, so that I could receive even more rewards aside from money.

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At night, when I served the young master during dinner, the young master was eating very slowly at a pace that was the same as a normal person. Just when I was feeling that it was strange, the young master put down his utensils and asked me worriedly, “Charles, how do you talk with classmates?”

I looked at the young master’s worried expression and understood that he had definitely met with another relationship problem. After thinking about it briefly, I chose the safest answer. “By talking naturally about some common topics.”

The young master’s face turned bitter. “But, I completely do not understand when my classmates are speaking. And when I start talking first, my classmates would only look at me dazedly and not reply.”

“May I ask for the young master to give an example of what you said?”

The young master nodded and said, “Once, I heard everyone talking about how the report the teacher handed out was too difficult, the time was too short, and that it was impossible, so I said, ‘It isn’t. This time’s report topic is ‘Current trends—Energy Weapons.’ I chose the focus of ‘How to improve the usage time of energy weapons’ and can start by focusing on the energy output. As long you find a balance between energy output and attack efficacy, then it will be very effective in battle. Of course, you could also talk about the weapon type; energy blades can be used longer than energy guns, and energy blades can even shatter reinforced concrete. Although the downside of energy blades is that the distance is short, if the energy blade is accompanied with a gun…….”

I can completely understand the troubles of the young master’s classmates.

I softly called, “Young master.”

The young master stopped speaking. He looked at me with a piteous expression.

I confidently explained, “Your classmates really only wanted to complain that the teacher’s homework was too much; they did not necessarily dislike the contents of the report. So, next time you can complain with them and will be able to fit in their conversation.”

“But, complain about what?” the young master furrowed his brows and said uncomprehendingly, “After complaining, you’ll still have to do the work! Also, complaining is such a waste of time; it won’t help with the report. Why don’t they talk about the report instead?”

What noble words……yet unfortunately not the correct answer.

Unknowingly, I remembered what Mr. Kyle had said: he had said that the young master had much theoretical knowledge, but is especially lacking in practical relationship knowledge. He had been really extremely accurate; the young master’s living habits were like a teenager described in a textbook……But, it was very different from a real teenager.

I explained thoroughly, “Because doing the homework is hard, so they wanted to vent slightly by complaining to each other first before they will be willing to do the work.”

“I don’t feel that it’s hard!” the young master said with a small voice. “Doing homework is easy. Compared to talking with classmates, it’s much easier……”

In my heart, I smiled bitterly. Wouldn’t normal people would rather talk than do homework?

After considering for a moment, I suggested, “Young master, later after you have finished your dinner and called the master, we can watch the news together and talk about the contents. After practicing first, you can talk with your classmates tomorrow about what was on the news.”

“Okay!” the young master agreed loudly, looking at me again with that expression as if I had saved him.

After dinner, the young master finished calling the master early and then sat in the parlor waiting for me. Seeing this, I hurriedly set aside my current cleaning task and immediately turned on the television.

The television was currently playing different news about the heroes, and today’s hottest news was the hero called “Dark Sun”, who had dealt with a bus who had been attacked by terrorists this afternoon.

As soon as I saw this, I rejoiced, “Ah, perfect. Dark Sun is a good conversation topic.”

The young master widened his eyes and asked me in alarm, “Why?”

I smiled. “Ask why” is a good way to start a conversation. I started to “converse” with the young master. I’ll have to use this opportunity to strengthen the young master’s practical knowledge.

“Young master, in the past few years bodily enhancements have progressed very far, and because of these enhancements many people have become extremely powerful. With the ability to gain power, there are thus extremely powerful criminals, yet at the same time there have also been countless heroes. All of this you should know already right?”

The young master paused uncertainly, but he still nodded.

Fortunately, the young master was not as lacking in practical knowledge as I had thought, although, his uncertainty worried me; If he did not even know about heroes, then I’ll have to start teaching “from beginning to end.”

I continued, “Although there are many heroes, most are only short-lived. After all, no matter how many enhancements heroes can have, criminals can enhance themselves even more. Thus, many heroes were either killed or defeated at the hands of the criminals, losing the face to reappear again.”

“But, there are a few exceptions, one of which is ‘Dark Sun’. He began to be a hero five years ago and has continued until the present, yet we have never heard of his defeat. Though of course there are also a few heroes that who have accomplished this, such as the hero with the most brute power, Dragon Peace, the most handsome hero, Wind Origin, and the only female hero, Solitary Butterfly.”

The young master listened, stunned. He said dazedly, “I hadn’t even known that there were so many heroes.”

I smiled slightly weakly. The heroes had been the hottest topic for the past few years; even ten-year-old children could casually name at least five heroes. And they would probably fight to name which one is their favorite.

“Then, Dark Sun shouldn’t be a famous hero right? Just now you mentioned heroes with the most brute power, the most handsome, and so forth but you didn’t mention Dark Sun!” the young master asked very curiously.

I smiled and shook my head. “Just the opposite, young master. Because Dark Sun always wears a silver visor that hides his face and, most importantly, he comes and goes without a trace, he has been known as the most mysterious hero. And, since a mysterious yet strong hero is a favorite of the young, so naturally he is also a good conversation topic.”

The young master seemed to think this over very uncertainly, still not certain of how to reply.

I tried to push the young master forward, “Young master, what do you think about Dark Sun?”

“I don’t have any thoughts!” the young master said a bit helplessly before he went on righteously, “How can I think anything about someone I don’t recognize?”

I smiled, “Young master,  you will not be able to chat with your classmates like this. You can say instead, ‘I don’t really know’, then ask in return, ‘what do you think?’”

“Charles.”

“Yes.”

“Then what do you think about Dark Sun?” the young master looked at me curiously.

The young master learns very quickly……

I considered for a moment, then chose the safest answer that would not make anyone angry, “I feel that with the presence of heroes, at the very least criminals would have a repellent. This is good for the common citizens, and the existence of heroes brings hope to people. I also feel that Dark Sun’s hiding his real appearance and not wanting anything in return is really admirable.”

“Real appearance?” the young master considered for a moment before asking me curiously. “Charles, what do you think Dark Sun will look like?”

Looks like the young master has already picked up that the essence of conversation is “asking questions.”

“I have never really imagined it before,” I said while smiling. “I think that probably everyone wants to know the appearance of the heroes! But, if possible I would still rather I never meet him.”

“Why?” the young master’s eyes widened. “Didn’t you say that everyone would hope to see the heroes?”

“Yes. But, young master, ‘everyone’ means the human citizens. And Charles is a vampire,” I smiled bitterly. “To a hero, I believe a blood-sucking vampire is probably a mortal enemy? If a hero started yelling at me for a fight or to kill me, I would be very troubled.”

The young master cocked his head and thought for a moment. Then, he looked at me and asked, “Charles, where does the blood you drink come from?

As expected, this question is something every master would ask. After all, they would not want my food to be sucked from their necks.

I replied respectfully, “All the blood is bought from a hospital.”

“I know you buy it from a hospital! The blood pouch has the hospital name written on it,” the young master said nonchalantly. “What I meant was, Charles you don’t like to go out during the day, but I haven’t seen you leave during the night either. I go to sleep at ten; the hospital should be closed by then as well right?”

So this is what he meant. I smiled, “There is someone who express delivers it, so I do not need to go out and buy it.”

The young master looked at me for a long time. Just as I was uncertainly considering whether I should automatically ask if there was anything the young master wanted to know, he laughed and said, “Charles, could it be that you’ve never used your fangs to bite anyone?”

I stiffened. This question made me very uncomfortable. But I still replied honestly, “I have.”

“Oh!” the young master’s eyes widened and said in disbelief. “You completely can’t tell. It feels like Charles is much warmer than humans; it’s hard to imagine that you will bite people!”

No matter how warm, I am still a vampire! I smiled bitterly and said, “Young master, didn’t you see me with my fangs and claws on the first night?”

“Yes!” the young master said excitedly. “It was very ugly! You suddenly went from a nice gentleman to a vampire, and you also felt very strong!”

Young master……Normal people would feel that it is scary, not ugly right?

“Do all vampires have fangs and sharp nails?” the young master asked curiously.

“Yes. Those are the most basic abilities,” I replied honestly. Tonight, the young master seems to be particularly interested in vampires.

After considering for a moment, he asked excitedly, “Then, are there vampires that can fly?”

The young master seems to be especially interested in flying? I thought for a moment, then replied, “I only know of vampires who can float for a brief time, but I have never met any that can really fly. But, I think that there probably are, only that most do not want to reveal their true abilities.”

After my reply, the young master seemed to mull over my words, although to me it looked like he was in a daze. He fell into a daze for a long while before suddenly asking, “Charles, where are there a lot of vampires?”

Hearing this question, my expression almost changed. But, fortunately it was only almost; I knew that I still had the same expression appropriate for a butler. I politely bowed and apologized, “Young master, please forgive Charles for not being able to answer.”

Still bent at the waist, I waited for the young master to say that it was fine or unhappily demand for an answer, yet the young master only asked timidly, “Charles, are you angry?”

I was surprised. Where did I reveal any sign of being angry?

“Charles would not dare.”

The young master fell silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, “I’m sorry, I only……In conclusion, in the future I won’t ask any more about vampires. Don’t be angry. I’ll go modify my guns; you can do what you have to.”

I was stunned and straightened, watching as the young master turned off the television and opened the work room. Then, he walked inside without turning back and sat in front of the table to modify his guns.

I poured a cup of milk for the young master. He said a thanks in return, and I also did not ask whether the “conversing” practice should continue another day, only silently watched as the young master modified his guns.

Thinking about it, I really was a bit angry. These few days, the young master had never cared about my being a vampire, and my expectations of him had grown as well; I had thought that the young master hadn’t even considered me as a different creature, yet tonight he had asked so many questions about vampires that it had made me slightly disappointed.

Although, I was still slightly uncertain. How did the young master see through what I was feeling?

The next morning, when I sent the young master off, his mood seemed to be slightly low.

This made me unable to sleep, even after I was lying inside my metal pod. I was troubled. Why did I become angry at the young master over just a small question? Anyone would be interested in a matter that has not been explained, and even more so for the young master who is still a teenager. If teenagers are not curious, then would they still be considered teenagers?

It was only talking. The young master did not command for me to absolutely reply.

Haah……Although I am already much older than my dear father, I still do not have his calm from his days as a butler. As expected, I still have many areas that need improvement.

Tonight, when the young master returns I should apologize, then we can continue practice talking.

After deciding this, I felt like I was more able to sleep.

Ding-Dong.

I was startled awake from between sleep and awareness, blinking a few times before realizing that this was the sound of the doorbell. I left my metal pod and walked to the parlor. The sun that came from the open window pierced my eyes harshly, and as I avoided the rays of sunlight I checked the clock on the wall. It was noon. No wonder it was so uncomfortable.

After walking in front of the door, I opened the screen for the doorbell and pressed the receiving button. Three people appeared on the screen, but I did not recognize any of them. Perhaps the young master recognized them……Though, I did not at all feel that the refined young master would know three people who were dressed like gangsters.

Although these visitors did not look as if they even knew how to write the word “courtesy” I still asked politely, “May I ask who you are?”

Outside, the one who stood in the center yelled roughly, “Charles Andres! We are from the Falcon Group!”

Hearing this name, my mood immediately soured further. So they weren’t just dressed like gangsters, but they really were gangsters. I said softly, “I’m sorry, this place does not welcome you.”

I did not want to pay any attention to them. Even if it was currently noon,  they still did not have the courage to provoke me. The only reason that I still had not turned off the screen and walked back to my metal pod to sleep was because I was worried that they would break the door. After all, this was the young master’s house.

“You don’t care about your house’s young master?”

My expression changed. I immediately pulled open the door, and my voice lowered, “What did you say? What did you do to the young master?”

Seeing that the door was opened and that I was just right in front of them, they were terrified and backed away continuously for several steps, pulling out different guns to point at me as they yelled, “Don’t come over. If you come over, your young master will be dead!”

I furrowed my brows. I extended my fangs slightly and growled, “You should know what I am. Guns are of no use against me. What did you do to the young master? Speak!”

Unexpectedly, those three people immediately turned and fled, without even the courage to fire at me. Only of them slowed down, threw a piece of paper behind him, then continued running downstairs in a flurry without turning back.

I didn’t pursue them. It hasn’t been only once that I had served a master in the mafia, so I knew that these small-fry would not know anything of importance. I only walked forward and picked up the piece of paper. There was nothing written on top apart from a telephone number.

Could the young master really have been captured…….Calm down! I need to be calm. The young master has many bodyguards following him; it’s impossible for anything to happen to him.

I returned to the house and picked up the cell phone the young master gave me. I first called the young master’s number, but the sound of ringing came from his room. I walked inside to check, and I saw that the young master’s cell phone was on the bed. It looks like he had forgotten to take it out with him.

I could only reopen the phonebook in my cell phone. Inside were several phone numbers of bodyguards, and I called the number of the highest-ranking person. Once the phone had been picked up, I immediately asked, “May I ask where the young master is?”

With experience and professionalism, the other replied curtly, “We lost him.”

I was stunned. I immediately asked, “When did you lose him?”

“This morning. After the young master left the house, he did not go to school. Where he went is unclear; we are currently looking.”

Hearing this, my head and heart cooled. Perhaps the young master really has been captured by the Falcon Group?

From the phone came the other’s voice, “Please don’t be too worried. The young master is often like this.”

“Really?” I smiled bitterly. The other’s voice almost carried a tone of complaint. It seems like the young master really has troubled his bodyguards quite frequently.

But, this time really may be different.

I hung up, dialing the number on the piece of paper.

“Charles Andres!”

Once the call went through, the other called my name with a voice filled with a teeth-grinding hate. I was very familiar with this voice because I had once been his butler for two months……No! I should say that I had been his fighter for two months.

I said coldly, “Mr. Burt, if there is anything you can directly come to me. You should also know my price range. Anyone who can hire me as a butler would not be anyone normal; you would not want to provoke the young master’s household!”

The other laughed wildly, then he said coldly, “Did you take me for a fool? I’ve checked into Daren Avery, but he’s only a spoiled brat living on his dead parents’ life insurance money!”

I was stunned. But, that was impossible. Although I had not heard the young master talk about his family, I know that the young master still has a father and an older brother. And from the young master has said, that older brother is definitely not anyone ordinary.

The young master was even more so not a spoiled brat. He did not have any wasteful or extravagant tastes; even for his midnight snack he would go to a normal roast meat shop. Although the house furnishings were all very high-class, I believe that those were not bought by the young master but the master. That is because since I had become his butler, I have never seen the young master buy any luxurious items.

Because I did not understand, I had fallen silent. But, the other had thought that I had lost confidence. He laughed coldly. “If you want your young master back unharmed, then come to the arranged place within thirty minutes. If you are late for even a minute, then I’ll cut off an arm and leg from your young master. If you are late for five minutes, then you can bury his corpse!”

Then, he gave me an address. I knew the place; it was a scrap junkyard with very empty surroundings and without any cover; I would be completely exposed to the noon sun, and this was obviously their goal.

After the other finished his resentful words, he immediately hung up.

I furrowed my brows. The place was slightly far, so I did not have much time to hesitate. No matter what, it was best that I go over and investigate.

I rapidly wore an old, complete outfit of a western suit. The suit was heavy and thick, and it was completely black. At the end, I also wore a black cape; these layers of black clothing could help block most of the sunlight from reaching my body.

Finally, I wore a black hat and sunglasses, then opened the window and walked onto the balcony. Although I had many layers of protection, the sun still made me extremely uncomfortable, making me feel as if I were being roasted in an oven.

I jumped onto the balcony railing and leaped, jumping over two sky scrapers and landing on the roof a third soundlessly. After sprinting for a few paces, I leaped again……Like this, I continued to jump over many buildings, silently and quickly making my way to the arranged site.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you very much for the new chapter!!

    This chapter had a very slow progress... only talks! I'm looking forward to the next! Charles is so cool when he's fighting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. thank you for your fast releases! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why didn't he call the master, Daren's brother?

    ReplyDelete