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Second to last Chapter of Volume 3, Very long Chapter just for you guys! :D

Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 41: Rise and Fall

Narkas stared at the glass of wine in his hand for a few seconds after Makoto had finished his report.

Pursing his lips and still deep in thought he started talking.

"I will look into what I can find about house Durthin and Sharow, maybe I can dig up some dirt that we can use to keep them in check.

Now what to do with good old Carl...

Honestly speaking, I don't care what you do to him, as long as no one sees you it doesn't matter.

The only important thing is that you make him and his house pay for trying to use the tension at the border to their advantage."

Immediately after Narkas finished talking, a system message appeared before Makoto.

Your Alignment will not change no matter what while persecuting the Criminal (Carl Stimridge).

Unable to hide his sinister smile he looked towards the other man, only to see the same dark joy on his face.

Both men looked at each other with pure evil visible on their faces and the Head Butler decided to speak his mind in this rather strange situation.

"I have to say, if you always smile like that it does not surprise me in the least that no noble woman wants to be your wife, Master Narkas."

Completely stunned, the man in question looked towards his loyal servant, unable to comprehend the rude comment that had just dropped.

Watching this scene unfold, Makoto couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat while Narkas turned away sulking.

"I would advice you to watch your tone next time Baltas."

"Understood Sir."

Giving a deep bow to the ticked off Narkas, Head Butler Baltas turned around and left the dining room while the only player inside the mansion was still rolling on the floor and holding his stomach.

"Alright that’s enough, it wasn't that funny..."

"Sorry, I just didn't expect that."

Shooting another angry glare to the doorway where the Butler had disappeared through, Narkas responded.

"Neither did I.

Anyways, back to business, everything should be finished tonight so I advice you to hurry if you don't want to go through another day as a servant."

Noticing Makoto instantly going pale, he couldn’t help but chuckle looking after the fleeing, crimson eyed boy.

"May the divines guide your step."

Narkas whispered, a soft gaze in his eyes as he looked towards the closing front door.

…..

It didn't take long to reach house Stimridge again and now in possession of this incredible object that opened every and all doors, he snuck back in.

This time he was even more careful to not alert anyone in the house while walking through the dark corridors.

Noticing a golden dragon sparkle under the moonlight, he remembered the system window again and with a big smile pocketed the little statue.

Because of your Quest no changes to your Alignment are possible.

Seeing this he started to grab everything that was not mounted on any wall, looting the entire mansion as if it was a gigantic pile of loot.

After nearly an hour his Inventory was filled to the brim with gold and silver and he had to stop his thieving activities.

It was still questionable if he would be able to sell the pile of loot but who wouldn't at least try?

Better he had it than this rotten house.

Finally ascending the wooden stairs to the second floor where the nobles normally slept, he counted the doors until arriving at his destination.

One thing he had not taken into account was Carl's wife that would be sleeping next to him in the bed.

A bit unsure what to really do with her, he opened the door an a thunderous snore made him jump out of his skin.

It took Makoto many seconds to realize that it was not Carl that gave off this extremely loud snoring.

Not having to worry about making a sound anymore with this constant noise he approached the luxurious king sized bed.

His eyes had completely adjusted to the dark so he was able to see Carl's face very clearly before him with some help in form of moonlight.

Putting one hand on the man's mouth to stop any attempts of screaming he quickly punched against his temple.

Following a surprised muffled sound, Carl's body instantly went limp and with bated breath, Makoto waited for his wife to wake up.

Thankfully she just continued to snore like a dragon so he was able to let out a sigh of relief.

Struggling quite a bit with the overweight man, Makoto finally lifted him out of his bed and on his own back.

It was incredible how much he thanked the game over and over again for increasing his actual physical strength by quite a lot thanks to his high stats.

Otherwise he would have never been able to lift a man nearly twice his weight around without too much trouble.

The next problem he faced was the stairs, every step he took it felt like the boards beneath his feet would snap at any moment as he was putting way too much pressure on a very small target.

Thankfully his knees and the wood held strong so he finally reached the ground floor but he was still far from done.

Makoto was starting to feel a lot of pain from his crooked back, he was sweating all over like a pig and his arms and legs shook heavily but he powered through everything and nearly laughed out loud after seeing a surprising system message.

+ 1 Strength.

So all he had to do was carry more than twice his own weight for many long minutes to increase his Strength, why didn't he try that sooner.

Shaking off this mental sarcastic remark, Makoto concentrated on the task at hand again and continued his way through the dark.

His worst nightmare would be for Carl to wake up while he was carrying him, that would be absolutely disastrous so he picked up the speed once more, accompanied by a small groan.

A few minutes later he finally reached another staircase that lead down, this time one that was made out of stone.

Making sure to close the door behind him shut, Makoto got ready for the final hurdle and traveled down into the cellar with shaky knees.

It was maybe the most tiring thing he had ever done but the rewarding feeling he got after finally reaching the bottom made it all more than worth it.

Finally out of earshot from anyone inside the mansion, Makoto dropped the heavy man and started to use a linen rope from his inventory to bind both hands and feet tightly together.

He also lit a torch as it was completely dark down here and he would see absolutely nothing otherwise.

Using a dirty rag that was lying on the floor close to him, clearly discarded quite some time ago, he gagged Carl and looked at this masterpiece straight out of an S and M movie.

Not wanting to waste any more time he pulled out his sword and poked the bound and gagged man a few times until he woke up with a moan.

It took the guy quite some time to notice the position he was in.

Immediately after realizing his situation, he started to pull on the rope but it was pointless to try.

Next up he tried to scream but the rag muffled everything to an incoherent and rather quiet moan.

Makoto was watching the entire time and only interjected after seeing him banging on the floor which did create a fair amount of noise.

Unwilling to risk being discovered now that he came this far he decided to take away the ability to move and cut tendon after tendon from the moaning Carl.

Now all he could do was wiggle on the ground a bit but no more bashing and thrashing around.

"You are probably wondering why exactly I am doing this."

He finally said and immediately all movement from his gagged victim stopped, clearly listening to what he was saying.

"Other people might promise you your freedom if you spilled certain names or turned yourself in, good men would definitely give you this option after your involvement with the Blood Moon Church.

They might overlook your ignorance for the lives of other people or give you another chance to change your life and make up your mistakes.

It could very well be that they would just put you on trial after questioning you, expecting a change in your behavior or personality but we both know that would never happen.

People don't change from getting a second chance, they change from hitting a dead end or after realizing their mistakes but there always has to be the will to change, to do better.

I don't think you have this will so I won't give you this chance, I will slowly kill you for what you did.

There is no sweet talking, no changing my mind, only the simple truth that you are going to die a slow and painful death."

It gave Makoto incredible joy watching complete despair fill Carl's eyes after listening to his words and the incredible fight he tried to put up with only being able to wriggle right and left.

With a devilish smile adorning his face, Makoto slowly unsheathed his sword and whipped it over his bound victim, leaving a deep bleeding gash, accompanied by a muffle scream of pain.

"I wonder what will happen to your precious house after you are gone, do you think that they will stay the same? After you, their pillar as a house is brutally murdered in his own mansion?

I think many nobles will notice the opportunity and your children will be sold off to other houses like freshly baked bread.

All that you have worked for, all that you strived to attain will turn to ashes and I will watch it all happen."

Makoto explained this with a bittersweet voice while carving his sword into the unmoving Carl.

It was clearly visible in the man's eyes that he could very well imagine this horrendous future for his house and together with his despair, bright and uncontrollable panic filled his mind, making him thrash around with surprising vigor while Makoto cut him apart again and again with a sinister laugh resounding in the dark cellar.

"Don't worry, I will be sure to take one or two of your little girls.

8 and 9 should be an appropriate age for being sold off into slavery right?"

Naturally he had no intention of doing what he was saying, he would harm no one in house Stimridge except Carl.

All that mattered was to give this man absolute despair before he died, just like so many others had felt the same before being sacrificed by the Blood Moon Cult.

"Maybe I will sell your wife to a whorehouse, she might be old but I am sure there is quite a few people inside the city with a grudge towards your house that would LOVE to get some 'relieve' from her."

Again Carl's eyes widened in absolute terror and he let out a long and high pitched moan.

"Did I hit a soft spot there? Oh I am terribly sorry, then I will naturally make sure to be the first one to take her a few times before throwing her into one of the lower brothels. Can't let her get too comfortable now can we?"

Grinning like the devil himself he continued to stab and cut the bound man on the ground apart, not a shred of mercy inside of him while his crimson eyes started to illuminate the entire room.

After a few minutes the panic in Carl's eyes started to fade and with one last twitch his heart finally gave out and he died.

Face, back, arms, legs and chest were cut apart to the point where the white of his bones was visible.

A big pool of blood had started to accumulate on the ground around Makoto and it gave him incredible pleasure looking at this ungodly justice he had just served.

A new system window before him surprised him.

You have received a new title for your actions!

Murderer:True Murder is not the one happening in the dark of the night or on a battlefield, it happens in the safety of your home when one of your own turns on you and you feel dark steel between your shoulders.Effect:+ 15% easier to intimidate Merchants or other people.Additional Effect:A Bounty of 50 Gold will be automatically put on your head should your Alignment ever fall below 'Neutral'.

Not happy about the instant Bounty this title would give him should his Alignment ever change, he could only let out a sigh.

Finally having finished his little 'cleansing' and with no more business here, he wiped his blade clean on the dirty rag in the dead Carl's mouth and left him down in the cellar for one of the Servants to find the next day.

…..

Narkas was looking at the blood stained Makoto with a serious face.

"Is the deed done?"

Nodding once to confirm the question he could see how the man'S face instantly changed to a big smile.

"Good, this should be more than enough warning for all houses in Elisante to not try anything stupid in dangerous times like this, otherwise they might find themselves..."

Giving him a quizzing look he quickly caught on and finished the sentence.

"Cut up like a pig inside their own cellar."

Clearly impressed by his choice of execution, Narkas patted him on the shoulder once and a system window appeared before Makoto.

Quest complete!

"Now then, first of all I thank you on behalf of the Council for bringing the traitor Carl Stimridge to justice.

You have done a great deed for all of Asuria, the Capital is a safer place now.

Your reward for this is a simple choice.

I have no wife or children to speak of and alone it is impossible for me to actually create my own house, I also have no one I really trust inside the Capital so I give you this choice to be the Second of house Forrowfell."

Right away another window appeared before Makoto.

Would you like to be adopted by Narkas Forrowfell?

Showing the middle aged man a bright smile, he quickly nodded and together with a happy Narkas, window after window bombarded him.

Your name has changed to: 'Makoto Forrowfell'!

Your Alignment has changed to: 'Good, House Forrowfell'

You have gained a new title!

Noble of Asuria:Blessed with noble blood and part of a house you have incredible influence inside Asuria and stand high above the common folk.Effect:Respect and Reputation greatly increases or decreases depending on the person you are facing.Additional Effect:Able to ask for a private meeting with any other Noble, King or Person in Power in Azalon.

Finally closing the last window, he was able to see Narkas standing before him, still smiling.

"From now on you can live inside this mansion and bring whoever you want as it is now also your house.

It is good to have you with me...son..."

Clearly uncomfortable with calling him his son, Makoto was also unable to call him father so he decided on something else.

"Thank you Uncle, I will keep that in mind."

Narkas showed a small smile and seemed to be more than ok with being called Uncle.

It didn't take long for Makoto to get back to the Inn, wake up Saracesse and bring her to their new home.

"Hoho, well talk about a goddess as your girlfriend... You really are one lucky fellow."

Narkas was highly amused seeing both Makoto and Saracesse blush at his words.

All in all he treated her very kindly, always being polite and making no further comments about their relationship.

Baltas soon enough entered the room and whispered something into his Master's ear.

"It seems your room is now ready, I hope you enjoy the bed and don't stay up too late."

Both Makoto and his lover decided to ignore the dirty wink and quickly ran up the stairs to escape this incredibly awkward situation.

Sadly soon after entering the room that was now theirs, Makoto knew he had to go and quickly said his farewell together with a promise to spend the next entire week together with her.

It had been more than 3 days that he had stayed inside the game which was 24 hours in Real Life, a dangerously long time not even interrupted by eating or going to the toilet.

Shortly after logging out he took care of his exploding bladder and growling stomach.

It was Sunday afternoon, tomorrow would be Monday so for once, Makoto decided to not log back inside the game and instead get some well deserved sleep, he dearly needed it anyways.

.....

Sharon could clearly tell how incredibly tired Makoto was so she didn't complain much when he told her that he had to go, even though she was quite impressed how he had managed to rent a room in an expensive mansion like this.

Unwilling to stay here without him, she also decided to log out after many hours of grinding inside the Labyrinth.

It turned out to be just the right moment too because her phone vibrated soon after exiting her capsule.

Immediately noticing the number, her heart rate instantly doubled and she picked up.

"Did you find out who he really is?"

"Yeah I did, wasn't too hard really."

Hearing this was like music in her ears and she inquired about his actual name impatiently.

"Well you already know it, or at least half of it.

His real name is Makoto Henderson.

He goes to College and is 18 years old, bit young don't you think?"

"It's a 4 year difference, don't make me out to be some old hag with only 22 you bastard!"

Clearly amused by her heated response she could hear laughter on the other end of the line before Markus explained Makoto's location which in turn surprised her.

Apparently he lived in a City close to the Coast, not even 20 miles from her own apartment.

Right away she asked for some more information and got his address that she wrote down together with the one from the College he went to.

"I was not able to find any records about him which is a bit strange, not even something like a warning, it was like someone wiped all records about him but that would be practically impossible so I guess he is just a rare goody two shoes."

Only listening with one ear, she was currently busy with making plans for tomorrow and soon enough hung up the phone after thanking her sisters husband.

Knowing that he was so close changed everything.

She had already looked up flight plans to maybe visit him if he was in another state but 20 miles was not a long drive at all.

With a gleeful smile on her face, Sharon looked at her capsule.

She couldn't wait any longer to see him and it would be easier to explain everything by meeting him in Real Life so her current plan was to surprise him in College tomorrow.

There was a bit of fear mixed together with anticipation and anxiousness that she felt.

After all it was still unclear how exactly he would react after actually seeing her but the desire to be with him in Realf Life had become overwhelming.

Sharon rolled around in her bed for many hours, unable to fall asleep as the excitement alone was keeping her wide awake...

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Aaaand with this I leave you with an incredibly cruel cliffhanger!

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :D

As always, if you have any questions leave them in the comment section below!

The tension is rising :O.