Padoreigu roamed inside the silent castle with an unlit lantern. He stroked the matchstick on the strip only after reaching near the door of Fujimoto’s cell.
The noise of match burning alone hinted Fujimoto who had come to see him. Padoreigu had done it several times. He didn’t have any sense of time in darkness but he reckoned Padoreigu visited him every day at exact time. But this time Fujimoto was glad he hadn’t brought the mirror with him. Just the reflection of himself on the mirror had given him chills.
Fujimoto pretended to not notice him. It still didn’t stop from Padoreigu to come closer to him. He acted like he was asleep because Padoreigu had habit of keeping the lantern dangling infront of his face for a long time.
Fujimoto assumed this was not going to be a normal meeting when Counselor Padoreigu placed the lantern on the floor. The very reason made him break his pretention. Yet he had no desire to look at Padoreigu’s face.
“Why do you come to see me?” Fujimoto said with his head in other direction, “Your presence is hard to bear than this solitude.”
“I’m glad I’ve reduced your pain of isolation.” Padoreigu said from behind the lantern.
“What is to be glad about in it? I’m your doctor’s project, not yours.”
“Expect more visits from me because this isolation will not end soon. The more you endure it, the better you will get.”
“Cut my throat and I will be more than better.” Fujimoto mumbled.
“Others would have said this a lot earlier.” Padoreigu grinned, “The captives who are not under my shade don’t get to live this long in Hilcastle.”
Fujimoto gyrated his head at Padoreigu in the end.
“Ser Akimitsu wants to kill you.” The counselor resumed, “But I’ve been making excuses to keep you alive.”
“What do you want from me?” he said to the man behind light.
“Patience.” Padoreigu whispered.
“How good is my patience to you?” Fujimoto laughed.
“IT’S WORTH MY LIFE!” Padoreigu bellowed at him. His words reverberated in the empty room. His snapping had nearly given Fujimoto panic attack because he had never heard him yell.
“And you are the only one who can save my arse.” Padoreigu stuck to his soft voice once more.
“Set me free and I will help you.” Fujimoto didn’t hesitate to put his demand on the table.
“Only thing you can do if I unshackle you now is crawling. I don’t want an insect but I want a mercenary with enough vigor to dare protecting Chosokabes.”
“Don’t you want Chosokabes killed?” Fujimoto was confused.
“I am not telling you to guard them.”
“You are not telling me anything.”
Padoreigu was a second away from screaming. Fujimoto saw him clenching his fists. Even though he did not bellow at him, he was not speaking kind by any measure, “Listen you, son of a whore. I want Ser Akimitsu killed.”
Padoreigu sniffed and watched around to check whether anyone was listening to him or not. He kept his voice low regardless, “When two Chosokabes die then Wutke will take its strongest form to start Great Invasion. And when one more Chosokabe dies then the three foes will merge. After the fusion only Lord Wernh’An and Akimitsu will survive. Rest of us from Hilcastle will not.”
“You are Wernh’An’s counselor. Why would not he save you?” Fujimoto questioned.
“Ouskerus will not remain the same after merging. Mighty Wutke will cleanse entire continent. We are nothing more than dirt for him. But Ser Akimitsu will live because he is the closest person to Lord Wernh’An.”
“You want me to kill Ser Akimitsu because you will be Wernh’An’s closest man by default if he dies?”
Padoreigu chuckled, “Killers like you can smell violent intentions.”
“Why should I help you if I will also die?”
“Death is imminent but by doing what I say, you will not die here like a cripple. Wutke may even take decades to come. Do you want to miss out chance of getting free with your youth? What do you say?”
“I would love to kill Ser Akimitsu.” Fujimoto answerd.
Padoreigu chuckled. Those chuckles turned into hysterical laughter when he sat on the floor, not caring anything about the world.
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