Taking a deep breath, Atlas averted his eyes and showed a pained look on his face. His lips opened and closed multiple times producing low sounds. Yet, not a single proper word came out.

He looked to be in pain.

Seeing his reaction, Baron Helm immediately felt a dark feeling seize his heart. Tears brimmed up to his eyes.

“N-no, it-it can’t be!!”

Casting a saddened glance at his new servant, Atlas quietly answered, “I’m afraid it’s true. My parents have died.”

The large-bodied Baron felt power drain from his limbs. His kneeled knee fell to the ground while his shoulders slumped to his front.

A part of the man always knew the truth.

He knew it from the second the Royal Family and their retinue failed to arrive at this reclusive town, a week ago.

However, being the soft-hearted, dedicated man that he was, the Baron could never come to listen to the voice of reason within his heart. He would rather blind himself to the obvious than face the truth with his own eyes.

But! Hearing the truth from the mouth of the Prince, the only son of his late master and mistress, the Baron could not run from it any longer.

“Ma-may I as-ask…,” the man paused for a moment before continuing with a hoarse voice, “May I be so audacious as to ask what happened, my liege?”

His dark eyes held a final flicker of hope as he stared at the young, bed-ridden prince.

“I-I remember it as clear as day,” receiving his cue, Atlas began his performance. “I was sitting in the main carriage with my Royal mother and father. Mother held me as she always did, her warm fingers twirling my hair.”

The Divine had blessed John with many things at his birth. A rich family, handsome looks, a great mentor…however, the deadliest amongst all his numerous gifts were his brilliant mind and glib tongue.

“Father, his face as set and stern as ever, watched us with a faint smile. He tried to mask it but I could see that he was secretly feeling happy at our actions.”

Atlas effortlessly lied. It was natural to him and more importantly, he was good at it.

Disgustingly good at it.

“It happened after we had stopped the carriages to break for lunch. Ever-everything happened so fast that it still feels surreal to me!”

He grabbed his bandaged head with both hands and showed the textbook recreation of anguish. The pain within his eyes and the tremor within his voice felt too real to be faked.

“They came,” the young prince heavily spat out. “Our guards did not stand a chance. Like the wind, it was instant. One moment they were complete men and in the next, they were headless corpses.”

Tears dripped down the boy’s eyes, tracing the crevices on his fingers, and staining the white sheet below.

“Father tried to fight back, but they claimed him. Mother left the carriage to save him, they claimed her too. I–only I, a coward who hid within the secret carriage compartment, survived.”

“I-I HATE MY–!” Atlas’ woeful scream was interrupted by the large-bodied, warm-hearted man who enveloped the young prince in another hug. “No!”

“Please do not blame yourself, my liege. It is by divine providence that you managed to survive!”

Enveloping the sobbing boy into a closer, gentler hug, he continued, “To live after watching your parents be–pass on takes more courage than what I or any brave soldier in your father’s army possesses. You have done nothing wrong.”

The gentle giant then quietened and allowed the young prince to wrap his hands around his chubby body. The prince’s arms could not even cover a fourth of the large Baron yet it meant the same.

Feeling the young boy’s trembling gradually decrease, the Baron reminded himself, ‘I must not break down! My benevolent king has passed on, but I can’t let that break me. I must remain unbroken, not for me but the prince.’

‘For who will this young boy have to rely upon, if not an elder like me?’

Patting the young boy’s back, Baron Helm faced the sky beyond the shoddy wooden ceiling and prayed.

‘I thank the Almighties up above for allowing our prince to return to sanctuary.’

He then bowed down and softly vowed, “I vow to protect the prince and serve him with my every breath. No harm or hardship may fall upon him for as long as I am around.”

Atlas heard this solemn vow and cuddled further into the large man’s grasp. His eyes that were plastered against layers of clothing were completely dry and calculative.

‘I suppose that was a success. Man, at first I was resenting the fact that I was a little kid, but now! This is perfect! I can manipulate people with greater ease since everyone lets down their guards against children.’

‘After all, what harm can a little kid do, right?’

A smirk appeared on his face.

---

After having manipulated Baron Georg Helm into accepting him as his new master, Atlas engaged in a full-length conversation with his latest retainer.

The Shadow Monarch had taught Atlas of the wonderful and dangerous world of magic yet nothing about human society. Now, Atlas might not have any talent with magic, but regarding humans…

No one would dare claim first if he declared himself as the second.

Of course, while the Baron had bought the boy’s tales and brilliant performance, he still had a few questions like ‘what exactly was it that attacked them?’ and ‘how the boy had escaped?’

Atlas had obviously prepared himself to be investigated on these subjects, and hence already prepared his answers.

Wolves for the first question, and luck in regards to the second one.

Add on a little dressing of heartbroken stammers and heart-rending sobs, and the Baron did not question what he ingested.

He simply ate it up.

He could have told the truth but that would invite a new round of questioning to which Atlas was not prepared to answer. He had his plans regarding the Shadow Monarch’s inheritance after all.

It was then Atlas’ turn of questioning. This part was infinitely more difficult than his previous bout of acting and lying since Atlas had to be careful.

He had to be careful not to expose his obvious dearth of knowledge regarding…well, everything while asking his questions.

While such a situation might have left any average person sweating and grasping at straws, Atlas felt it akin to a brain teaser.

He also employed his recently acquired–‘childish innocence shattered by watching his parents get murdered before his eyes causing him to awaken from his profligate ways and make something out of himself’–charm to increase his guardian’s affection for him causing the latter to be more verbose.

After nearly three hours of conversational back-and-forths. Atlas came face to face with a horrifying truth. One terrifying enough for him to almost break character.

“WHAT!?! THE CONSTANTINE KINGDOM HAS FALLEN!!”

Baron Georg Helm gravely nodded his head.