After a somewhat awkward breakfast, Darius and Gunner accompanied Shanks and Derek as all four were currently riding on a horse-drawn cart that looked more like it was meant for ferrying crop to and from a silo, not for people to sit.
The cart itself was quite large and spacious, also quite clean thanks to the efforts of some of the peasants of the homestead. As such, it wasn't a problem for Darius and Gunner to sit inside, though Shanks had invited their savior to come to sit with him at the front.
As Darius wasn't actually a noble of this era and didn't mind such things, he declined, stating that he did not wish to bother father and son. They might have things they wanted to discuss there, while Darius himself was interested in reading up on the Magical Method as they moved.
Once the cart was in motion, Darius quickly regretted his magnanimity. The roads were not smooth but full of stones and bumps. As carts were not like cars with shock absorbers, every single obstruction was felt by Darius and Gunner to the highest degree.
The large lad seemed unbothered by this, quietly meditating as he sought to connect with his bloodline even deeper, as well as strengthen his connection with the earth.
Darius though, could hardly focus with all the distraction going on and decided to give up. Since he quickly became bored, he took out his tablet and began playing some default games on the thing, like Cookie Crush, Cut the String, and Android Run.
Of course, the similarities to notable mobile games from the early 21st century was not lost on Darius. He found the thought amusing that even a mighty Goddess such as Vena could be scared of copyright infringements.
Shanks and Derek were quietly talking, so they didn't bother with Darius or Gunner at first. It was clear that the ex-Royal Guard had been shaken to the core by coming so close to losing his son, and he had vowed to focus on him more.
For that matter, after being healed, Derek seemed a lot more pleasant. Before, he had been quiet, reserved, and formal, but now he had become more outspoken and friendlier to everyone but Darius.
Towards Darius, he acted the same, which puzzled Shanks, Portia, and Gunner. Shanks ruled it off as a brother thing since he knew his daughter was smitten with Darius.
After all, even if he had been ignorant of this fact, the ruckus his daughter had made when Darius announced that he would be leaving with Shanks and Derek to report the assault on the homestead to the nearby town during their meal would have been enough to clue in even the densest fellow.
Darius had been very gentle and reassuring, but the lass simply didn't want to let go. It was only until Shanks and Derek stepped in that their guest could get some breathing room to leave.
Shanks and Derek were aware that Darius had no interest in their daughter/sister, and they both found that to be for the best, as marrying a noble was destined to lead to trouble when the status of groom and bride weren't aligned.
Shanks assumed that Derek was miffed by Darius' presence and his capturing of his little sister's heart, so he didn't reprimand the boy because he understood that feeling.
Gunner also deduced something similar and left it at that, but Darius' occasionally glanced at the duo and made sure to partly listen in to their conversation. As for Darius, he understood what Derek was thinking.
It was something that had always occurred whenever he had used this kind of trick back on Earth. He had died a well-respected man because nobody could prove the type of plans he had executed.
If he found unwanted competition, he would never directly attack them. Rather, Darius would always support their initiatives during interviews with no strings attached, making the public think he was magnanimous.
In the shadows though, many things would be at play. Various subsidiary companies would sprout out from nowhere and encroach on the business, stealing corporate secrets and harming employees covertly.
Once the company was in a bad position, Darius would swoop in and save the day. He wouldn't even take controlling shares, only about 10%, yet he would still develop the company greatly, making everyone think of him as a good person.
Those subsidiaries would be busted and forcefully closed down, allowing the saga would come to an end.
The people involved on the victims' side would be grateful, moved, and touched. Even if they found questionable things, they would either write it off or make excuses on Darius' behalf like 'he was supporting us long before we became a problem' or 'he's too rich to care about a small competitor like us'.
But naturally, there were always those who were not inclined to believe such comforting lies. There would always be at least one guy/gal who would pause and wonder 'isn't it a bit too convenient?'
Darius had grown used to those kinds of people after his first attempt had nearly been botched by such a woman who had gone to a private investigation firm when she felt there was foul play involved.
She had uncovered a lot, but she made the fatal mistake of confronting Darius personally. She had ultimately allowed her greed to consume her and had tried to blackmail him because she thought Darius owned the police… which was true in a sense.
Darius had been sweaty and afraid, promising her anything and letting her walk over him to build her ego. She had been convinced of having Darius dance in the palm of her hand after he had signed a blank check for her to withdraw whenever she felt like it.
After she left his apartment, Darius made a single call.
The woman never made it home.
Derek felt Darius' eyes on him and turned to look at the fellow who was smiling at him. However, Derek felt wary of that smile, for it gave him goosebumps.
When Derek turned his head away Darius' smile deepened. It seemed like in this case of the homestead, the old dynamic still held true. Even though everyone else, including Shanks, thought him a hero, there was one who saw through the facade.
And just like those who had come before in Darius' life, he would have to be eliminated before he could ever grow to become a problem.
