𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀 𝟏𝟐 | 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀

"Count Niccolo announced the withdrawal of the budget for the Gold Knights. What are your thoughts on that?" Rigo, a personal butler for fifteen years, entered the room. Naabutan niya ang batang nakaupo sa sahig habang naglalaro ng blocks.

"We received a letter from Samuel. Do you remember him? He was recognized as the most talented among the Copper Knights but the issue is that he refuses to serve the Kingdom because he's dedicated to Lady Morgana."

Rigo felt careful in every word that he says. Dumako ang kaniyang paningin sa maliit na kamay ng bata habang ito'y nakaupo sa sahig at tila naglalaro. Paglaan ng ilang minuto'y lumingon din sa kaniya ang bata at unti-unting ngumiti na parang isang maamong tupa.

"What are you talking about? I'm just a kid. I don't understand any of this," Magnus giggled.

Magnus is now wearing his favorite long-sleeved shirt and long pants made of soft, nude-colored silk that feels comfortable on the skin. The color emphasizes his tan skin and silver hair. Malambot ang tela nito sa katawan kaya nama'y panatag siyang nakaupo sa sahig. He's currently squatting on the ground with his hands full of dirt from playing for two hours.

Rigo just sighed as he watched the kid on the floor. The wooden blocks are scattered on the floor as well as the chocolates and candies. Instead of wasting time, Rigo carried the plate full of melon slices and black tea. Nang naipatong niya na ito sa mesa'y lumingon sa kaniya ang batang nakaupo sa sahig.tr

"Samuel, a member of the Copper Knights was Morgana's loyal knight." Rigo stated.

''What does loyal means?'' Magnus titled his head. Isang buntong hininga na lamang ang ginawa ni Rigo dahil sa inaasta nito. Imbes na pagalitan ito'y sinakyan niya na lang kung ano ang nais niyang palabasin.

''A loyal is a short word yet it bears a huge meaning.'' Rigo held the cup with his left hand and started pouring the tea. Ramdam niya naman ang matang nakatitig sa kaniya habang siya'y abala sa kaniyang ginagawa.

''Like how?'' Magnus titled his head.

''Magnus...'' Rigo took a deep breath. Hindi niya lubos maisip kung bakit ganito ang inaakto ng tao sa kaniyang harapan.

The kid smiled widely at him upon seeing his expression. Tila ba sinasadya nito ang kaniyang inaakto. Rigo stared at the wide room that looked small because of the scattered toys and pile of papers.

''What's that?! Chocolates again?!'' Mula sa pagkaupo'y tumayo si Magnus. He giggled and ran to Rigo's direction but when he saw what Rigo was holding, he immediately frowned.

''It's your favorite, Master—''

Rigo's words were cut off the moment Magnus walked away while pouting. He knew that this was Magnus' favorite. Hindi niya alam kung bakit tila ba iba ang kinikilos nito. Alam niyang may taglay itong pagkapilyo minsan ngunit mukhang ngayon ay tila iba ang kaniyang timpla.

"My playmate said something. They said that they love collecting metal lizards right now. I'm jealous." Nagtatampong saad ni Magnus habang inaayos ang pinagtapo-pato niyang building blocks.

Rigo eyed them from afar while preparing chocolates. ''Why is that?''

''I already told you. Hindi ka ba nakikinig?'' Magnus pouted. His little cheeks flushed red for a while because he thought that Rigo wasn't paying attention. Isang diretsong tingin naman ang ginanti sa kaniya ni Rigo.

''I am listening, Magnus. I asked you why?''

''I want metal lizards too.'' Sa sinabi ni Magnus ay kamuntik nang mabitawan ni Rigo ang tea pot na limang lupa't sampung bakal ang mahal. Rigo took a deep breath before wiping the spilled tea off the golden plate on the table.

Sadyang may araw talaga na mahirap pakisamahan si Magnus. As his personal butler, everyone knows that out of most people, Rigo knew Magnus the best.

Looking at Magnus' eyes, Rigo knew that he had a plan. Aaminin niya sa sarili niyang madalas ay may mga araw talagang gusto niyang itanong kung bakit tila kakaiba ito mag-isip.

''You want metal lizards too?''

''Yes!'' Pumalakpak si Magnus. Sunod siyang tumayo mula sa pagkaupo at kumaripas ng takbo papunta sa kay Rigo. He giggled like a happy child before jumping and hugging Rigo around the waist.

''Do you know what it means to catch metal lizards?'' Rigo couldn't even tell why he was speaking slowly. Alam niyang alam naman na siguro ni Magnus ang sagot. Yumuko siya upang makita si Magnus na ngayon naman ay nakatingala habang nakayakap sa kaniyang bewang.

''Tell me how! Tell me how!'' Magnus pouted. Naningkit naman ang mga mata ni Rigo dahil hindi niya maisip kung bakit kailangan niya pang ipaliwanag ang lahat. Explaining would only waste time.

''Metal lizards are known because of their location. Some say they reside in the deepest part of a volcano.'' Puno ng panbabanta na saad ni Rigo. Magnus' eyes sparkled as if he had just heard the most interesting story of his life.

''You mean to say that metal lizards are rare not because of their appearance but because they are hard to find?'' Magnus tilted his head.

''That's not the case, Magnus.''

''Not the case? That's how I understood your choice of words. Metal lizards are special because they are hard to find not because of their appearance. Then what's the point of naming them metal lizards if people wouldn't remember their appearance but only how rare they are to hunt?''

Rigo was caught off guard because of Magnus' question. Gusto niya sanang sabihin na 'di na dapat nila kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga ganitong bagay ngunit hindi 'yon maari. Kailangan niyang pakisamahan si Magnus sa loob ng oras sa kahit ano'ng anyo man ito.

Deep inside, it was Rigo's job to accommodate and entertain Magnus. It was better to answer the questions Magnus asked than to entertain him again by playing with fire while doing hula hoops on a beach resort, which would always result in minimal burnt marks on Rigo's poor body.

''Your reasoning could be valid. It could be both the rarity and the appearance that make metal lizards special.'' Rigo decided to cut off the conversation. Natigilan na lang siya't napalunok nang makita ang malawak na ngiti ni Magnus habang nakayakap ito sa kaniyang bewang.

''I disagree,'' Magnus said sweetly.

''Why, Magnus?'' Ramdam ni Rigo ang pamamawis ng buong katawan niya sa ngiti na pinakita ni Magnus.

''The reason why metal lizards are rare is because you need to use the most expensive ice tweezers in this world to extract its metal tail,'' Magnus explained.

''This world?'' Nagtatakang sambit ni Rigo habang nakayuko.

''I'm tired, Rigo!'' Bumitaw sa kaniya si Magnus at humagikgik. He ran around and kicked the blocks he had created for hours. While Rigo stared at him in despair because he would need to fix every mess that Magnus created inside the huge room.

The room's interior is inspired by the Victorian era. The walls are made of dark, blackened oak panels. In the corner looms a towering bookcase, its shelves reaching up towards the high ceiling.

A large fireplace can be seen in the corner, in front of what appears to be Magnus' playpen, where he builds blocks and reads thick books. The floor is covered in ornate wood. The ceiling is high and consists of candle-lit chandeliers.

"There's a rumor that the Merchant Guild was divided because hunters were taking advantage of their only merchant before,'' Rigo said. Isang tipid na ngiti ang binigay ni Magnus habang hawak ang malaking pulang bola na nakapatong sa sahig.

''Why is he the only one Merchant?'' Magnus said. ''Why others are bullying him? Isn't bullying bad?''

Napabuntong hininga si Rigo. "It's because the Merchants knew the deepest secrets of the history, while all the hunters did was just hunt."

''You're in a great danger, Rigo.''

Hindi mapigilan ni Rigo na malukot ang kaniyang noo. ''Why?''

"I just asked you a simple question at first. But the longer our conversation goes, you tend to spill more information." Rigo was caught off guard. Hindi siya makapagsalita.

''I—''

''Have you ever heard of something called the Charming Method?'' Niyakap ni Magnus ang malaking bola sa sahig.

''Charming Method? What is that?'' Nagtatakang sambit ni Rigo dahil ito ang unang beses niyang marinig ang bagay na ito. It was never familiar to him and hearing it come from a kid made him wonder what else a kid could know.

''Charming Method is used to gather information flawlessly. It's like starting a normal conversation that leads to natural connection, genuine interaction and at the end, it will lead to someone spilling information or an organization of people's dirtiest secrets.'' Magnus grinned.

"You mean to say you opened a natural topic about wanting to see the Merchant Guild, until it turned to metal lizards that ended with me spilling information about the Merchant Guild?" Nanlamig na lamang si Rigo nang mapagtanto kung ano ang Charming Method na tinutukoy ni Magnus.

It was as smooth as butter. Rigo thought Magnus was having a tantrum when he said that he wanted to see the Merchant Guild, however, he wasn't. He did ask about metal lizards for a purpose. He let the natural conversation flow between them until it baited Rigo to spill something about the Merchant Guild.

''D-don't ever say that I said something about the Merchant Guild—''

''Carry me, Rigo.'' Magnus smiled.

Huling buntong hininga ang ginawa ni Rigo bago siya kumuha ng buwelo upang buhatin si Magnus mula sa kaniyang bisig. Ramdam niya pa ang pangangatog ng kaniyang mga tuhod dahil sa kaba.

He wrapped his arms around the kid's waist and carried him. Isang huling tingin din ang kaniyang ginawa sa hinanda niyang tea na hindi uli ginalaw ni Magnus.

''What's wrong?'' Rigo asked. Habang buhat niya sa kaniyang bisig si Magnus ay sila'y lumabas ng kanilang silid.

"Why do merchants exist? What do they do?" Halos pabulong na sambit ni Magnus habang nakakapit sa bisig ni Rigo.

Rigo almost felt his heart drop because when Magnus asked a question, he already knew the answer.

"Merchants belong to Merchant Guilds. They work with hunters who hunt rare species. Merchants are the ones who extract rare items from these animals." Simpleng saad ni Rigo habang sila'y papalabas ng silid.

Magnus pouted and tilted his head. ''How does one join the Merchant's Guild?''

Isang diretsong tingin na lamang ang ginanti ni Rigo sa kaniya. He has no choice but to answer Magnus's question. "It requires a lot of strength and knowledge. It may sound like a simple job, but it's not."

"But I didn't say it's simple.'' Magnus smiled.

Nagwagi ang katahimikan sa kanilang dalawa nang sila'y makalabas na ng silid. Today, Rigo is tasked with picking up the items that Magnus ordered from the Merchant Guild.

Dalawang paraan lang ang maari nilang gamitin upang kunin ang kanilang order. They can either pick up the items at the Merchant Guild's location or have them delivered.

But knowing Magnus, he'd rather pick it up himself and potentially cause some mischief along the way.

Mula sa loob hanggang sa paglabas nila'y nasa bisig niya pa rin si Magnus. Of course, this wasn't new to Rigo, as he's always accompanied Magnus. And besides, Magnus's height and weight weren't a problem for Rigo right now.

Ngumiti't nagbigay galang ang kanilang kutsero bago sila pagbuksan ng pinto. Rigo carefully helped Magnus into the carriage before climbing in himself.

''Are you sure you want to pick up the items you ordered?''

''You know I'm lazy but I want to see the Merchant Guild!'' Magnus started bouncing on the seat. Pumalakpak pa ito habang humahagikgik. The carriage started moving, causing Rigo and the coachman to become anxious.

''Where are we going? Merchant's Guild! Where are we going? Merchant's Guild!'' Magnus started singing in a tone they couldn't recognize. Sunod itong pumalakpak at kahit ilang beses pang sabihin ni Rigo na 'wag itong magulo habang nakasakay sa kuwarhe ay wala silang magawa.

Magnus will do everything he wants. He wouldn't care about what people think. He wouldn't give a fuck. Mainly because for Magnus, he is the best. Para sa kaniya'y siya ang may alam ng lahat sa mundong ito. That's how some people view him, while others view him as a narcissist and entitled one.

''You should take this corner.'' Magnus smiled. Abot langit naman ang buntong hininga ni Rigo dahil sa wakas ay nakaupo na ito sa upuan na parang isang mabait na bata.

The coachman looked at the narrow alley that Magnus pointed to. "Here?"

Isang malawak na ngiti ang ginanti sa kaniya ni Magnus. Rigo eyed him too. Napalunok ang kutsero't walang magawa kun'di sundin ang tinuro ni Magnus. They were greeted by a dark and steep alley. Humigpit lalo ang kaniyang hawak at siniguradong sana'y walang mangyari sa kaniyang kabayo.

''Where will I turn next?'' Tila kabadong sambit ng kurwahe't nanlaki na lang ang kaniyang mga mata nang humagikgik si Castor.

''Why are you asking me? Mukhang alam mo na kung saan at alin ang dapat puntahan. You already did two correct turns.'' Napalunok na lamang ang kutsero dahil hindi niya lubos akalain na napansin pala ni Magnus ang kaniyang ginawa.

The coachman glanced at Magnus and saw him playing with a tiny ball that had been given to him. It was the same ball. Ito rin ang paulit-ulit niyang nilalaro tuwing siya'y nag-iisa o wala sa mood maglaro ng wooden blocks.

He tried his best to think that it was just a kid, but he couldn't understand how a kid could suggest a shortcut to him. And how could a kid notice that he had made the correct turn without glancing at him?

''You're in correct street, Flo. The Merchant Guild's Headquarters right now can be found at the middle of a triangle street.'' Pormal na saad ni Rigo sa kaniya. The coachman swallowed hard, but the moment he glanced at Magnus, he smiled.

''I wonder why it's in the middle of a triangle.'' Magnus pouted.

''It's for their safety. Pinili nila ito para nama'y mabilis silang magtago. The Merchant Guild needed to go from one place to another. And choosing the triangular area of a street is the perfect way because they can withdraw anytime,'' The coachman said.

''Flo. Stop spilling too much information—''

''Bingo! You heard that, Rigo?! That's the correct way on how to do the Charming Method!'' Natutuwang pumalakpak si Magnus habang ang kutsero nama'y nagtataka kung bakit tila tuwang-tuwa ito.

There are two ways on how to perform the Charming Method. You can also start by having a rigged conversation that leads to seduction and manipulation to gather information. Too bad Magnus is a guy to perform this.

''We're here! We're here!'' Natutuwang sambit ni Magnus. Halos lumabas ang puso ni Rigo mula sa kaniyang dibdib tumalon pababa si Magnus. He ran and Rigo followed him and panicked.

And yet Magnus didn't speak to see a new face in the Merchant Guild. It was a girl with ginger hair, fair skin, and freckles. She is standing beside him, and Magnus smirked when he saw Samuel standing in front of them.

''Tell me, why do you have Lady Morgana's ring?'' Samuel gritted his teeth as he tried to keep calm. Ilang beses na siyang pinakalma ni Seisu dahil kanina pa ito nag-iiskandalo sa loob ng Merchant's Guild.

"Look, Rigo! She has a ruby necklace too! How come she has an expensive necklace if she works at the Merchant's Guild?" Magnus pointed to the woman's left arm to add fuel to the fire.

Dali-daling kumaripas ng takbo si Rigo para lamang takpan ang bibig ni Magnus. Samuel's forehead knotted while Seisu stared at him. Sa unang tingin pa lang ay alam na ni Magnus ang mga susunod na mangyayari. When it comes to Lady Morgana, Samuel is the most sensitive.

At the end of the day, Samuel wasn't labeled as Morgana's loyal knight for no reason.

𝙒𝙊𝙈 𝙎𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙎 #4 | 𝙏𝙊 𝘽𝙀 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙐𝙀𝘿...