The Kind of Evil

‎Rasmus sat in an alcove as he stared outside the window at the peaceful city. However, the peace that he looked at was completely different from the one that his mind projected. There was a turmoil in his heart and mind, conflicting against his consciousness that tried to ignore and let go of the past.

‎"Lurking the darkness..." Rasmus glanced at the distance where a group of people moved swiftly from one alley to another. "One two three..." He muttered as he counted the numbers of people in the distance that were trying to approach the inn.

‎Rasmus looked up at the sky and saw Mana lingering, stuck and aimlessly floating around. He kept staring at the Mana until they all suddenly moved like how his gaze moved from one building to the other.

‎He collected as much Mana as he could, condensing them together while he was manipulating them from the distance. He then looked at the 12 people in a black robe moving in the darkness silently.

‎"Let's give it a try..." Rasmus muttered as he split the condensed Mana into twelve and turned them into condensed swords made of ice.

‎The people in a black robe had no idea or sense of the ice swords above them. They were too focused on making a move without being seen. However, when they heard whistles in the air, they all looked up and the first thing they saw was the tip of an ice blade in between their eyes.

‎Rasmus watched all the twelve people in a black robe collapse with an ice sword pierced through their skulls. There was no scream, only gentle thuds that weren't enough to wake everyone up. He then looked at the surroundings, but there was no sign of people waking up.

‎Rasmus exhaled deeply as he got up and walked to his bed, trying to get some sleep. His gaze was empty toward a crack in the wall, having quite a struggle from past memories that didn't belong to him, and yet they were his.

‎After Rasmus stared at the wall for a few minutes, he finally let go of the thoughts and closed his eyes. He managed to sleep, but it wasn't a restful one.

‎The sun hadn't come up, but Rasmus was already awake and went downstairs to grab something to drink behind the counter. He was surprised to see the Jester humming and dancing quietly in the darkness. The moment the Jester noticed Rasmus's presence, he stopped dancing and stood there, staring at him with an eerie look.

‎"Tell me your story, Nameless man," Rasmus said as he sat at the counter and poured himself a cup of water.

‎The Jester didn't move, didn't make any noise, and only stared at Rasmus vulnerable back. He slowly reached out to the dagger that was hidden on his back, swirling it around between his fingers.

‎"The moment you hold that dagger, I'll cut off your head," Aris's voice could be heard in the shadows.

‎The Jester was startled when he heard Aris's voice from behind. He dropped the dagger because it had slipped through his fingers. He immediately raised his hands, smiling and slowly turning around to look at Aris. He was shocked and in disbelief that Aris had been there watching him for hours without him knowing.

‎"I'm just playing around, that's all..." The Jester said as he giggled mischievously.

‎Aris lit the lanterns in the room with Mana, revealing her sitting on a chair with Yur in the owl form, standing with one leg. Yur was staring at the Jester and tilted its head, trying to dissect the human that Rasmus was interested in.

‎"Are you going to answer my question or not?" Rasmus looked at the Jester from over his shoulder.

‎The Jester looked down at the dagger that was right in between his feet. He then kicked the dagger away, showing Aris that he was done playing around.

‎"The man has no story to tell, Sire..." The Jester answered as he turned around to look at Rasmus. "And this man is telling the truth," he said as he bowed his head.

‎Rasmus found the Jester to be so persistent, and he knew there would be no words that could persuade the Jester from revealing his past. He then chose to pull out a fine wine from his spatial ring, and put it on the counter.

‎"The man has no reason to refuse a drink, is there?" Rasmus asked as he patted the counter table. "I'm offering you a stage, and now you're declining my offer for a drink?" He asked with his brows raised.

‎The Jester stared at the wine and at Rasmus, reluctant to agree with Rasmus's offer. However, he had no choice because he knew the man and the woman in the room weren't ordinary people. He then put on a wide smile as he walked toward the counter without making a noise.

‎"I'm not a wasteful person. I wouldn't put poison in such fine wine or any food," Rasmus said as he pushed an empty glass toward the Jester who stood beside him.

‎"Ahh, what an admirable person you are, Sire..." The Jester chuckled mischievously as he poured the wine into the glass. "I don't drink, Sire. I hope this much is enough to meet the requirements for your offer," he showed that he filled the glass only a quarter of it.

‎Rasmus poured the wine into two glasses, and as soon as the one was full, Aris appeared behind him and took the glass. He then poured one for himself, a quarter of the glass just like the Jester's glass.

‎The Jester looked at Rasmus's glass for a moment and somehow he felt intimidated by it. He slowly reached for the wine and poured another quarter of the glass, making it half full. When Rasmus saw it, he smirked and poured another quarter into the glass, making it half full as well.

‎"Oh, Sire... Such cruelty is unacceptable..." The Jester frowned as he stared at Rasmus.

‎Rasmus raised his glass, and so the Jester followed. They took a sip of the wine, and the Jester made a genuine sour expression because he didn't drink as he had said.

‎"Now, Nameless one. Since I offered you the stage, it might take a while to set the stage. What are you going to do in the meantime?" Rasmus asked as he took another sip of the wine.

‎"How long, Sire? This man is willing to wait as long as Sire keeps his words," the Jester answered as he mimicked Rasmus's movements and how he drank his wine. "This man will be exploring around the city, entertaining the people in the meantime," he continued and giggled mischievously.

‎"Not long enough that you would be tired of waiting," Rasmus answered and took another sip of the wine. "You need to be careful, Nameless one. Associating with me is more dangerous than being alone and mocking the king," he glanced at the Jester.

‎"Oh, you jest, Sire..." The Jester responded with a huge grin on his face.

Although the Jester said that, he didn't brush off Rasmus's words and knew that Rasmus was telling the truth. That alone was the reason why he put on such a huge grin, because it made him more intrigued about the man he was staring at. Rasmus knew that, and he didn't need to explain more.

"Sire, may I ask your name?" The Jester tilted his head, staring into Rasmus's eyes.

"A nameless, just like you," Rasmus answered as he stared back at the Jester.

"What a mysterious gentleman and lady," the Jester chuckled as he stared at both of them who seemed distant and yet close to each other. A unique bond that even the Jester found it mysterious and intriguing. "If this man speak of his name, would Sire speak of his name?" He asked with his brows raised.

"That seems a fair trade, but are you even ready to reveal your name?" Rasmus asked back.

"Oh, Sire... You read me like an open book!" The Jester laughed manically. "Perhaps, once I performed my amazing performance on the stage, this man will speak of his name," he said as he took a few steps back and began to dance.

Neither Rasmus nor Aris bothered to watch the Jester perform because they didn't understand the mind behind that madman. Even Rasmus could only understand a glimpse of him because there was a lingering feeling that prevented the Jester from abandoning his old self.

"Oh, Sire. If I may ask. Where are you planning to go? It seems to me that Sire isn't planning to stay in the capital city for long," the Jester asked as he kept dancing silently.

"The Trivula Forest," Rasmus answered without hesitation.

The moment the Jester heard about Rasmus's destination, he stopped dancing and stood still like a statue. Rasmus noticed that the Jester had stopped moving, and he saw a glimpse of turmoil in the Jester's eyes as if the Jester had a history with that place.

"Ah, what a beautiful place to go, Sire. May I ask the reason behind your visit to that place, Sire?" The Jester asked as he stood still and stared at Rasmus.

"To see the lake," Rasmus answered as he took a sip of his wine.

The Jester stared at Rasmus with a stoic and cold gaze, not saying a word and not moving a muscle. Rasmus glanced over his shoulder and noticed how the Jester's demeanor changed almost drastically. However, he didn't ask and continued to enjoy his wine.