Epiphany Of The Weak 125 Gheele Folami - Major Chapter - Silent Maneuver

23:50 P.M

Gothenburg, Sweden

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A week later, we already left Italy and started to spread my Aegis particles in Sweden. It was cold, so Agatha and I still wear our winter coats. Nonetheless, my Lutalo uniform was underneath my coat, along with the Aegis Gear that I possessed. It was hard at first for me to accept the Gear from Klaus, however, it was undeniable that it could increase my chance of winning.

We walked across the streets of Gothenburg under the cloudless night, with streetlights brightening the area. After some time, we arrived at Gothenburg's City Museum. There was a river next to the street. Moreover, the area was deserted, with no signs of life whatsoever. That much was to be expected.

"Master Gheele," called Agatha.

I halted and then turned around to look at her. "What is it, Agatha?"

"Gothenburg is the last place we need to be, am I correct?"

I nodded. "Yes. I would have liked it if we go further north and spread my Aegis particles in Sweden. But, The Four Pillars are our biggest concern. Going there would only mean we cut our escape route."

"Indeed. We shouldn't be here more than a few days."

"Hmm." I glanced left and right. "You are afraid that the patrolling Anciles might find us."

"Yes."

"Also, I shouldn't take too much time doing this one thing. Going back to Neo Africa as quickly as possible should be our goal after we are done."

Agatha giggled. She covered her mouth when I cast a confused look at her. "S-Sorry."

I waved my right hand in her direction. "Is there something in your mind?"

"Um, you must be worried about Ava and the others, right, Master Gheele?" said Agatha.

"That is true. I can only imagine what Caesar is doing with the authority I had given him back in the palace. No one knows what is in his mind . . . Now that I think about it, I should have that Hope guy replace me for a while."

"At least you know he wouldn't do the unexpected," said Agatha.

"Precisely. He seems to have all that I want for my successor. My ministers are all foolish and old . . . Still, that Hope is still young, compared to Caesar."

Agatha nodded.

"Anyhow, let's get back into the alley," I said.

I cast a quick glance at the Ancile to my right. So far, it didn't do anything other than what I had commanded, which was a good thing of course. That Ancile was carrying a leather school bag, which contained our supplies and necessities. We didn't need a large bag like before since the next day would be the final day we stayed in Gothenburg.

At least, that was what I intended to do.

We headed to an alley a few blocks ahead to rest ourselves. It was almost midnight, and it would be wise to not delay our sleep any longer.

"You should sleep, Agatha," I said as I handed her a gray blanket from the school bag. Her face told it all. She didn't want to sleep, but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of refusing my offer. "On second thought, I should--"

Agatha grabbed the blanket away from my hand. "I want to be on the lookout actually, Master Gheele."

"Ah . . . But you were on the lookout yesterday, right? Today it's my turn. I already took a nap just a few hours ago, so it should be fine," I said.

Her fingers dug deep into the blanket as she stared at the ground. "The Ancile, Master Gheele. The robot can stay on the lookout instead of you."

"Hmm." I looked at the Ancile standing in front of me, with its focus on the path to our right. "I could, yes. Even so, I don't trust machines. This Ancile right here is one example."

"Ah, I see. Then, if you excuse me, Master Gheele." Agatha used her winter coat to cover her entire body like a blanket. Then, she used the actual blanket that I gave her on top of it.

I sighed and stared in the direction the Ancile was looking at. There was a corner up front that led to the open streets. Once a while, while I was on the lookout with the Ancile, I looked at Agatha. She didn't really look like her, but right then and there, it felt like my mother was next to me.

My mother, Shaquana Folami, was indeed beautiful. She gained a lot of attention while I was twelve-years-old, and it was due to her giving charity wherever she went. When her servants greeted her, she would treat them with kindness. Her smile and the way she handled everything with patience and grace were admirable.

Even when I was there in that alley, the feeling of admiration for her still burned inside me.

Sadly, she died when a male servant stabbed her in front of my eyes. Back then, my mother and I attended my birthday celebration at the palace. I was fourteen at that time. A male servant came to us and without warning, he pulled a knife from his back and stabbed her in the chest. The image of my mother lying down on the floor with me crying at her side was still vivid.

If there was one thing that I wanted, it would be for her to breathe again. Nonetheless, it was a child's dream.

"Gheele . . ." my mother said when she was dying by my side. "Treat your servants kindly. D-Don't hate them. Whenever you look at any of your servants, I want you to think of me. T-That way, perhaps, you will treat them the same way as I did."

She died right after, and hatred overwhelmed me at that time. Of course, that male servant was sentenced to death. No one knew why he did what he did, but everyone knew my mother's kindness bred hatred and jealousy.

It was the only explanation.

I held onto my mother's dying message and tried to treat my servants like how she used to. It took some time, but I managed to do so, even if my expression when treating them was that a cold one. It couldn't be helped most of the time since my mother's death changed how I view things.

Back in the alley, where I was on the lookout, tears fell out of my eyes.

I wiped it immediately and continued to observe my surroundings.

"Hmm?"

It could be my imagination, but I could've sworn someone was watching us in the corner up ahead. When I stood up, the shadow disappeared in an instant.

"Maybe I should sleep too." I clenched my fists and forced that notion at the back of my mind.

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The next morning came too soon. I thought only a few hours had pa.s.sed, but when I looked at my leather watch, it struck me.

The time was 7:15 A.M.

Agatha and I ate a few snacks that we had stuffed in the school bag. It didn't suffice of course, but complaining wouldn't change anything. After all, it was my idea in the first place to spread my Aegis particles throughout the three regions.

"Actually, Agatha, something strange happened yesterday night," I said. My hand threw a plastic wrapper into a trash bin about a dozen feet away. "Looks like someone is watching us."

"It could be one of the Anciles," replied Agatha.

"Perhaps, yes."

Agatha was pondering about something. She cast a glance at the corner ever so often before she stared at me. "Anciles . . . They don't have stealth capabilities. Their metal bodies are quite heavy, so stealth operations are not advisable. On top of that, they couldn't camouflage. I mean, their bodies are white, so anyone could have noticed them."

I looked at the ground momentarily. "It could have been the Teria soldiers."

"Yes. It must be them," said Agatha.

She seemed pleased with the answer and stood up. Hastily, she wore her winter coat and smiled. "Let's go, Master Gheele."

I found myself smiling too. It was strange. To be fair, whenever I looked at Agatha, my mother replaced her instead. Even the glaring scar on her face didn't stop me from imagining my mother being there.

And it had been that way for a couple months. Perhaps I missed my mother so much that it had taken a toll on me. I had been visiting my mother's grave more so than I had the previous years, so it must be that.

"Anyway, let's get going," I said. "Hmm?"

"What is it, Master Gheele?" asked Agatha.

Pale, white hands emerged from the wall behind her in a split second. A girl with long, unkempt brown hair stepped out into the alley as if the wall never existed.

"Wh-"

The girl grabbed at Agatha's neck and she countered by sending her left elbow to that girl's face. However, metallic black crystals popped out from the brown-haired girl's hair and blocked the attack. The girl then shot her wild, red eyes at me and grinned.

I knew what was coming. Immediately, I manifested a large clump of orange crystals out of thin air to block a ma.s.sive peach wing. The crystal wing was about to slice my head off, but I made it in time.

"Aaargh!"

Another peach, crystallized wing pierced my torso from behind. Blood started to pour out of my mouth as I stared at the crystal wing. "What the . . ."

"Hahahaha! Look at you, Prince wannabe of Neo Africa," said a man's voice from the rooftop. I turned my head around and saw a fairly thin, blond man with a red jacket staring at me. He was sitting on the edge of the rooftop.

"Ivaaaar!" I yelled.