Chapter 518: Jeci's Growth
"Your Highness!"
Jeci staggered to her feet, only to drop to one knee as Northern's feet touched the ground.
"Really, you should pity yourself sometimes," Northern said, his gaze settling gently on her with a hint of sympathy.
Black Mamba was also on both knees, paying absolute obeisance to his master.
Strangely, Northern didn't mind it when Black Mamba or Night Terror did this; in fact, he expected it of them.
However, when humans did it...
'Is it because of the void?' he wondered.
To be honest, he still harbored doubts about Jeci. After all, she was human, and humans were true only to their desires.
He wasn't questioning her loyalty right now-Jeci's desire was to serve him-but what would happen when that changed?
She might begin to distance herself, looking for a reasonable way to break away from him without causing harm.
'Which would be because of her human ego,' Northern mused. 'She'd feel bad about the promises she made and want to make up for them without continuing to be loyal or accountable. She'd try not to hurt me...'
But what if she wasn't honorable enough to care about his feelings?
He couldn't vouch for anyone's loyalty as long as crimson blood flowed in their veins and their eyes sparkled with any kind of resolve.
That's why Jeci's unbridled show of loyalty toward him continued to feel uncomfortable, forced, and unnecessary.
It wasn't true loyalty, merely gestures, and even he understood that much.
Someone could smile to your face, tell you that you meant the world to them, only to show up later with the very dagger you gifted them as a kitchen knife to stab you in the back.
'It's my fault for gifting them a dagger... should've found something blunt so it'd hurt less, I guess.'
"Master?" Jeci called out to him.
Northern's cold expression softened a bit as he forced a warm enough smile to ease the tension in the room.
"How have you been? It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I've been doing great! Thank you for bringing me here!"
Northern glanced around the room as Jeci responded, her voice filled with a tired but enthusiastic vigor despite the glistening sweat that trickled down her face and body.
The walls were carved with crude marks, cleanly sliced crevices slitting the concrete.
Some were more enormous than others, but all left the room with undeniable evidence of how much work Jeci had been doing.
Northern brought his gaze back to her, a corner of his lips curling up. "Looks like you've been really busy."
"It's all thanks to you and your guidance through this monster." Jeci gestured toward Black Mamba with her eyes.
Northern blinked in surprise, then looked at Black Mamba, who avoided his gaze as though he knew what he'd done wrong.
'This guy... Night Terror said he strongly warned him not to interfere, and he still went ahead and did it. And now there's a misunderstanding...'
He didn't know how to explain to Jeci that this wasn't the case without giving an unnecessary talk about what Black Mamba really was. Besides, he didn't feel there was any need to.
The more she misunderstood, the further it took her from his truth.
Should he decide to share his secrets one day, he would-though he doubted that day would
ever come.
"I'm glad you've grown... I don't have much time. I just came to check up on you. Has anyone seen Mr. Fluffy around?"
"Mr. Fluffy?" Jeci tilted her head, then widened her eyes as she realized. "Oh! The big white wolf?"
"Yes," Northern replied calmly, watching her strangely cute expression with interest.
It was a stark contrast to how she was when they first met. Now, she seemed like an innocent, clueless child.
'She should let more of that smile out, not the crazy, insane ones.'
"I haven't been outside since, so I really don't know. What about you?" She turned to Black Mamba, who shook his head.
"I see..."
Night Terror unfurled in a mass of black tendrils, manifesting into a kneeling position.
He looked at Northern and growled with hand gestures.
It was oddly comical to see such a sinister being try to mimic human behavior. It tugged at Jeci's heart with confusion.
What were they? How were they connected to Northern?
These questions had plagued her mind since the day she first saw them, but she had pushed them aside, unwilling to ask. It wasn't her place to know.
Northern's gaze suddenly grew distant as he stared forward, spaced out.
A second later, his eyes refocused, and a smile spread across his lips.
"Night Terror, find out what Mr. Fluffy has been up to."
Then he turned to Jeci. "Keep training. I also think you should head to the Red Mine; there's a
lot for you to learn there."
With that, he vanished from their sight.
As soon as Northern disappeared, Night Terror shot Black Mamba a death glare before
melting into the ground.
A warm smile of fulfillment crept across Jeci's face.
She clenched her fists and jumped up happily. "Yes! I managed to impress him!"
Black Mamba clapped for her-though his expression was bored, and the clap was very dull. But Jeci didn't even notice. Her eyes radiated with renewed resolve as she vowed, "This is just the beginning of my growth. I'll become strong enough to protect you, Your Highness."
Black Mamba clapped again, disinterested in her feelings but genuinely wanting to cheer her on as she often did for him.
During their training, whenever he managed to evolve a move they had both been stuck on, she would always clap.
He had no idea how or why it worked, but he assumed it did. Another really creepy thing he was learning to do was smile.
Northern opened his eyes to the slight warmth of the cart they were in.
It was deep into the afternoon, and the light hidden behind the horizon seemed extra harsh
today.
But that didn't really matter-he was more interested in Alystren, who was kicking bandits away as if they were mere balls.