Prime Originator

Just when Leon was at a loss and was prepared to go shop in the Upper District, Lily's weak voice rang out from the side.

"Your Highness, we have plenty of these stationaries back in Violet Plum Courtyard. If you would like, I can go fetch them for you now."

"That would be great."

Leon was not sure why there would be plenty of spare paper and pens placed there, but he did not think too much since he was getting his pen and paper. Perhaps, that was also where they store some miscellaneous items.

"You sound a bit unwell there, Lily. Is everything alright?" Heinrich asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Everything is fine." Lily said, but one could tell she was sleep-deprived from the bags under her eyes.

"You can go back and rest after you are done." Heinrich permitted with a look of understanding.

The palace maid curtsied and left. Violet Plum Courtyard was where the living quarters for the palace maids were located. 

While the king seems to know why the palace maid was sleep-deprived, Leon did not. He glanced at his father with a bit of curiosity, but it was not enough to ask. 

Nevertheless, Heinrich began to explain on his own accord. Just the thought of his son misunderstanding something gave him the chills. 

"It should be her mother's illness acting up again. She used to be the head of the palace maids and was the one who took care of all my chores in the past. I am not sure what illness she had contracted but none of the doctors were able to find out." Heinrich sighed with a melancholic look.

"I wasn't asking."

"I'm just talking to myself."

Leon speechless. 

After being told all that, it was clear that his father wanted him to do something about it, but was afraid to personally make the request. Was there some hidden story between his father and Lily's mother that he does not want mother to know about?

While waiting for Lily to come back with the items, Leon casually glanced at his father's work. Heinrich did not mind his son's presence and continued looking at an old map. It was an old map of the Capital.

As Leon's gaze shifted to the map, it naturally drew his attention. On the old map, there were a few dubious spots circled in red ink, some of which were crossed out. He immediately thought about the ongoing search in the Capital.

"What are these red circles for, father?"

"Hm? Oh, these red circles? These are the various abandoned and haunted areas within the Capital with backstories behind them. People tend to avoid these places in case they rub off some bad luck from the area, but that also makes them the most suspicious place to hide people."

"Haunted? Do people still believe in superstitions in this time and era where the supernatural is the norm?"

"Superstitions or not, every source has its origin. If you can see it, why wouldn't you believe it? Take this Silentside Avenue for example." Heinrich point to a red circle on the map. "On the night of every full moon, Silentside Avenue goes completely silent during the wee hours of 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM."

Silentside Avenue? Goes completely silent during a time people are usually dead asleep? Leon was curious who even came up with such an 'auspicious' name.

Heinrich studied his son's expression before he continued.

"If it were just this then it wouldn't really matter. But this is during the time when the moonlight is the brightest and the wandering spirits of children can be seen. It is said that hundreds of years back, there was a serial killer that kidnaps naughty children that do not sleep when they are supposed to."

"Although the serial killer was caught and hanged in the end, the children that were kidnapped were never found. Later, everyone believed that these wandering spirits were the souls of those missing children."

Leon gave his weird look. It sounded like some ghost story to scare the children to sleep.

"Fine, let me you about another one. This one was a pretty big case that happened 400 years back or more. I'm not too sure anymore." Heinrich pointed to Lost Isle Alley. "A young girl was humiliated to death by a group of young nobles and became a vengeful spirit that killed everyone, including their families. The family died of sickness while the young nobles were all died gruesome deaths. How about that? Did it give you the chills?"

Leon was speechless. When he ventured into Extreme Misty Forest, he had faced thousands of such vengeful spirits. What does one matter?

"Was the vengeful spirit every pacified or exterminated?" 

"No. The people of that time had no idea how and just avoided it." 

Leon frowned. That sounds like trouble. Letting a vengeful spirit grow like that. Fortunately, this was not Extreme Misty Forest, where the yin energy was dense and overflowing. The vengeful spirit should have been able to grow much despite the long years.

"Not even fazed, huh? Or perhaps these ghost stories are not interesting enough for you, son?"

"Rather than that… I'm more interested in how the search is going."

Heinrich appeared stunned and coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem, it appears that we have trailed off-topic, haven't we? Right, the search was it? The palace guards have not started the search on these areas yet, especially Lost Isle Alley. Don't you reckon some places are better left unchecked, son?" Heinrich's mouth twitched as he asked.

"Why not?" Leon was puzzled. Did his father like keeping rats? 

"It won't be good if we provoke the vengeful spirit's ire."

Leon was dazed by his father's response.

"Father, you don't happen to afraid of ghosts, are you?"

"Nonsense! How can a King be afraid of some trifling spirits?!" Heinrich said with grandeur and majesty, but he could not hide the goosebumps on his arms.

Leon's lips curved upwards and came up with an evil thought.

The windows creaked open and a soft gust of wind sneakily entered the room. It roamed the room skillfully and avoided affecting the documents and papers on the desk. It only had a very singular purpose as it crept towards its prey and finally attacked!

Heinrich's slouched body suddenly sat upright with all his hair standing on end as he was assaulted by the chilly wind. Such sudden movements caused the king to thump the desk with his knee and exclaim with fright.

"Is something wrong, father?" Leon did his best to ask with a straight face, but his cheeks trembled from time to time. He could not believe that his father was really afraid of ghosts!

"Ah? Uh, no, it is nothing." Heinrich forced a laugh and commented, "The wind is a chilly, huh?"

"Pftt—Ahem, maybe?"

Heinrich looked Leon with doubt. "You did something just now, didn't you?"

"No, if there's nothing else. I'll be heading back first, father." Leon made an excuse to leave but failed to hold his laugh again. "Pft."

Heinrich widened his eyes and barked, "You dare prank me? You little rascal, come back here!"

Leon escaped in a fit of laughter. Heinrich shook his head and smiled after Leon was gone. Suddenly, the opened slammed shut with a bang and made him jumped again.

"Arghh!!"

…

Leon did not escape far, just around the corner outside the study room as he leaned against the wall. He was no longer jovially but rather depressive instead. A single teardrop had suddenly dripped from the corner of his eyes with a trail.

'Father, your son really misses you!'

He sighed at the sudden rush of sadness as he thought of his previous life's father. Sometime later, subtle footsteps could be heard, but Leon did not seem to have heard it.

"Your Highness?" Lily softly called out to him in a half-dosed and curious manner, while carrying the box of pens and papers. Seeing Leon like this, she was not sure why, but it invoked a strong feeling of sympathy from her. "Is everything alright?"

Leon wiped the faint trail on his face and glanced at the bewildered Lily, secretly embarrassed that someone saw him like this. Was it his time of the month?

"Yes, it's nothing. Thanks for fetching the stuff for me." Leon grabbed the box from Lilly's arms and said, "You should really get some sleep. You look like you are about to pass out." 

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but I will be fine," Lily said despite her baggy, sloppy, and red eyes.

"You do you." Leon shrugged. He had already advised her. He pocketed the box in his Worldspace and did not even take more than a dozen steps when he heard a soft thud.

He turned around and lo and behold, the palace maid, Lily had fallen asleep while standing with her head rested against the wall. 

Leon was speechless. It takes some made serious skills or determination to be able to sleep while standing. 

"Oi." 

"Zzzz..."

Leon went back to shake her awake, but her body started tilting instead. It was no good. She had already entered deep sleep. 

'Guess I'll take this chance to go check on her mother's condition on the way.' Leon mused.

Lily had a cute sleeping expression as she seems to mumble some incomprehensible food terms, but her drool made him frown. He decided to pick her up and place her over one of his shoulders like a dead log. 

'I think Violet Plum Courtyard was in this direction.' Leon chose his direction.

"What are you doing with Lily?" Heinrich came out to check who banged on the wall and saw his son with a 'dead' Lily.

"Hm?" 

Due to Lily being placed o Leon's left shoulder as he rotated his body back anti-clockwise, her head slapped the wall with another thud. Heinrich's eye twitched, while the corner of Leon's lips did.

"I'm taking her back to the maid's courtyard since she fell asleep as you can see."

Lily: "Zzz."

"I can see that, but why are you carrying her like that?"

"It's more convenient this, I think?" Leon said as he waved his spare right arm.

"Alright then... Be more careful on your way. Lily is still a delicate young girl."

"Yes, father."

Thud…

Lily's head slapped the wall again when Leon turned back.

"…"

"Ahem, that was a mistake, a mistake. I will be careful now." Leon coughed.

Heinrich was seen heaving up and down as he tried to calm his nerves and vexed mind.. If Lily were awake, she would have been in tears.