"Go on.
What did Seraphina do?"
Vaan questioned with a serious look on his face.
From his expression, he didn't look like a crazy lovestruck fool like he did before whenever Seraphina's name was mentioned.
And Calder, who finally saw hope, started,
"It was Lady Seraphina who told us to spar with you.
She ordered us to defeat you in magic spar and beat you enough so that it crushes your newfound interest in magic."
Calder explained.
Vaan narrowed his eyes as he started thinking.
Aldric said the same thing before.
She placed Alaric around him to make sure that he does not learn magic, she even has his 'friends' under her thumb and when things didn't go her way, she was daring enough to order them and have him surrounded.
"Is this the first time Seraphina ordered you to do something that hindered my magic study?"
Vaan questioned.
"N-No! She has done it before! The time when we took you out to drink alcohol! She was the one who ordered us to do it. She told us to make you addi-"
Suddenly, Calder, who was answering turned silent as he widened his eyes in shock.
What was he just saying!?
He realized his mistake, the other 4 looked at him as they widened their eyes in horror as well.
This bastard!
Did he have a death wish!?
However, it was already too late.
"The time when you took me out to drink alcohol saying that you wanted to celebrate me becoming a 1st Circle Mage..." Vaan spoke as he recalled the incident.
*Gulp*
The five men in front of him gulped.
"You better speak up if you want to live."
Vaan threatened, his current expression was extremely dark.
He was even considering killing one of these 5 to make create an example and make the interrogation process smoother.
"W-When you successfully became a 1st Circle Mage, Lady Seraphina ordered us to turn you into an alcohol addict that's why we took you to the bar.
Initially, she ordered us to use Dreamweave, however, we rejected it. No matter what, w-we couldn't use something like that against Young Master."
Asher replied.
This fight between Seraphina and Vaan, at first, it was just Seraphina making plans and Vaan falling into her trap, however, things had now changed. Young Master Vaan was different. This battle between the two, it was getting much more messier. He wanted to come out clean and get as far away from it as he could.
"Dreamweave..."
Vaan muttered.
Dreamweave was a drug that was banned all over Agresia. People who took it experienced powerful hallucinations, taking them to their dream world and elevating all their pains. It was highly addictive and people who couldn't get it showed strong withdrawal symptoms.
The more a person takes it, the stronger the addiction gets and it gets to the point where a person wastes his entire life on this drug and cannot live without it anymore.
It was much more dangerous than all the drugs Vaan had dealt with on Earth.
Vaan wasn't innocent, he had many people addicted to drugs he sold, those people were his constant source of money but to think a bitch would try to use the same trick on him.
'Heh, I will destroy you...'
Vaan clenched his fists as he laughed inwardly.
A terrifying smile appeared on his face.
"I-It was not our fault, Young Master! W-We told her not to use Dreamweave because it was going too far! That was the reason she didn't use it!" Asher, who was terrified by that smile defended himself.
"Oh yeah? Because it was going too far? Or was it because you were scared that my mother would find out?" Vaan questioned.
"..." Asher turned silent and lowered his head.
"Seraphina Stormweaver..."
Vaan muttered.
It was now official.
She was now his official enemy.
Suddenly, Vaan glanced at Asher and an idea popped up in his mind,
"You said Seraphina told you to use Dreamweaver?"
"Y-Yes, but we rejec-"
"Where were you going to find it? The Dreamweaver, I mean." Vaan questioned.
"I-I don't know. She would have provide-" Asher was about to answer, but then, he froze.
He could guess why Vaan was asking it, and once he looked at that demonic smile on Vaan's face, his guess turned into certainty.
"Go to Seraphina, tell her that I am interested in Magic again, make her take out the Dreamweaver. I need results within a week."
Vaan ordered.
"Y-Young M-Master Vaan, w-we would r-rather not involve ourselves in all this, w-we have already compensated you for your mistakes, p-please let us go." Asher requested.
Seraphina was not a simple woman, going to her with a plan to betray her later, the probability of him getting caught by her was extremely high. He didn't wish to take any risks. He just wanted to get out of this messy situation.
However,
'She ordered us to defeat you in magic spar and beat you enough so that it crushes your newfound interest in magic.'
'W-When you successfully became a 1st Circle Mage, Lady Seraphina ordered us to turn you into an alcohol addict that's why we took you to the bar.'
Asher's eyes widened in horror when he heard the voice.
He raised his head and saw Vaan carrying a Crystal Ball that showed them kneeling on the ground, admitting to their mistakes.
Vaan... he had recorded everything they had said just now.
"I didn't have proof before, but I guess this would be enough. I wouldn't be able to do anything to Seraphina with this since she can simply reject all the allegations, but I am sure this much is enough to throw your families out of the Vesta City.
Good luck surviving in the Kingdoms,
My dear friends."
"W-Why are you doing this!? We already compensated you for our mistakes, didn't we!? Why push us so far!?" Asher shouted in rage.
Vaan, however, just smiled demonically and,
"The fuck are you acting like a victim for? Being ordered or not, the fact is, you were the ones who came after me first. Should have used that fucking brain of yours earlier.
Also, when did I say I would let you go once you bring these Elemental Stones? Don't assume things on your own."
Make no mistake, Vaan was never a good person before.
He has exploited the weak and killed innocents to stand firmly in the underworld, those habits won't just change.
"..."
"..."
Asher and the others turned silent, their heads down as they trembled thinking about their own and their families' future.
Seeing this, Vaan laughed.
"How pitiful, isn't it?
The dogs who did nothing but follow their master's order are being thrown out, forced to survive in the tough world alone,
While the Master who was behind everything would simply be finding new Dogs."
Vaan then placed his hand on Asher's shoulder and,
"You know what you have to do if you want to avoid this fate, right?"
