Royse settles his head over his palm. He ruffles his hair in exasperation as he tosses the paper to the pile.
There was nothing about Juli Hubel.
Viscount Dex Hubel and his wife were known to travel in different regions. 18 years ago, his wife had found out that she was pregnant, resulting in the couple to halt their travelling.
She died after giving birth to Moran. Dex Hubel stayed here in Estrela until his son turned 2 years of age. The family resumed their travelling and between that time they adopted Juli.
That was the only intel he could find. Where they found the boy, Royse didn't know.
This was a lot more difficult as the family never stayed in one place, only until now when the 2 enrolled in the academy.
Pieces of information were scattered and he knew the Hubel family took precautions when it came to travelling. Royse was aware that getting hold of anything about them would be challenging.
He bit his lips and sighed, slouching on his chair.
He needed to know what happened back in the gathering. When he suddenly felt a pain as he stood beside Juli Hubel, something in his mind told him that it was necessary for him to find out.
Fixing his posture, he organizes his thoughts and plans ahead. Since he's unable to gain anything about them, then observing them would be his last option. Hopefully he'll pick up pieces of information through their conversation.
A sigh escaped his lips as he realizes this job will take a while. Add that to his never-ending to-do list.
It also didn't help that they were in their 3rd year. Royse only had a year to gather intel!
He flopped on his desk as he lets out a muffled groan.
Maybe he should just give up. This intuition of his might be wrong anyway.
As he closes his eyes a cough took his attention. He looks up with his chin still planted on his desk.
Mark stared at his young master, unbothered by his appearance. "If the young master is searching for any information regarding the Hubel family, then perhaps Carl Blythe can help."
Royse grimaced at the name.
"No. If I ask that guy about anything then he'll just relay it to the twins." Then if worst comes to worst, the princes will seek out the Hubel family, though he doubts it would lead to that. But just in case, Royse didn't want any chances of it happening.
"Young master trusts me it seems."
"Mark-san, somehow you've been commenting more about my words." Royse narrowed his eyes at the older male.
The butler didn't seem to mind and remained an unfazed expression.
"See! I remember when I used to be little you cooed at me and doted! How can you change so drastically!"
Mark simply turns his head, ignoring the redhead's words.
Royse huffed as he straightens his back and crossed his arms. "Well not once did Mark-san relay to the twins about my info gathering so it's safe to say that I trust you regarding this matter." He declares.
That seemed to have done the trick. The butler turns his attention to the redhead and strode forward to serve him another cup of tea.
Royse knew the butler appreciated his words.
"Then shall I assist in finding more about the Hubel family?"
He shook his head as he takes the cup with his fingers. "No need. I'll consider your suggestion in asking Carl."
Mark became surprised. Quirking his brow, he gazed at the young master sceptically. "Will it be alright?"
"Obviously not but if there's anyone who knows about this stuff, it would be Carl. He has access to pieces of information that I don't. I'll just need to create a reason if he asks anything." Royse explains before sipping his tea.
If there's anything that worried Mark, it would be how Royse always rushes straight towards danger. The butler was aware that the young master tended to take a risk so long he gets his goal.
Another thing that added to his worry would be the fact that the people around Royse tended to be quite protective of him. He knew these traits would more or less become an issue between them in the future.
Mark silently sighed. He remembers when he was assigned to this job. He held no expectation and only followed through with his orders.
Needless to say, he was taken by surprise. To think things escalated so quickly. So many things happened and he couldn't believe that the young master would be such a headache. He was adorable at first but if only he knew how stubborn Royse would grow into.
Mark was already busy protecting, signing, cleaning, organizing to the point that he forgot the most important thing.
Distinguishing the hidden spell within the boy.
They didn't know if that spell was the cause of the young master's every collapse. Whichever it was, they needed to find out.
And Mark wasn't strong enough to appraise it.
So much for being a lvl 7 combat mage. This was the first Mark ever had trouble on a job. Whatever was cast upon Royse was something they won't be able to find out, not unless the grand mage returns.
'Just where is that old man hiding off to?!' Mark tsked at the thought and returns his focus on his job.
Royse noticed the sudden irritation that his butler emitted and remained silent, not wanting to add in to the older male's fury.
---------
"Is Carl-senpai here?" Royse asks a student outside the entrance of a classroom.
With a shake of their head, the redhead nods in understanding. He starts walking away, thinking of the places Carl would usually be in.
"If it's him, then most likely he's there." He murmurs.
With a destination in mind, Royse starts heading in that direction. He heads up the staircase and watched the students lessen with each floor he passes.
Finally stopping by a door, he pushes it open. What greeted his sight was the blue sky.
He ventures around the rooftop while calling for his friend.
"Carl, I know you're here." He announces.
A silent breeze wafted by him, fluttering his hair. Closing his eyes, he feels a presence drawing close to him from behind.
With a huff, Royse abruptly turns around, taking the pink-eyed male by surprise.
The older male pouted. "Failed to surprise you again."
Royse brings his hands over his hips. "You do know it would take a while for you to succeed." He grins.
Carl shrugs. "Worth a try though." He walked over to Royse's side. "So, mind if I ask why you were searching for me?"
"Do you know anything about the Hubel family?"
The older male quirked a brow. "I think I have some intel about them."
Royse's eyes widened. "Really?"
Seeing his expression, Carl smiled and leaned down on his face.
Oh this was not a good sign. Royse knew the male was interested in his question.
"For Royse to ask me, it seems you couldn't find anything about the Hubel family I presume." He spoke in a teasing tone.
Royse stepped back and frowned. "There are limits with the amount of intel I can get." He admits.
"I understand truly." Carl straightened himself and continued to stare at Royse. "Though it's quite intriguing. For you to ask for my help, you must be curious about the Hubel family."
Royse gulped as he knew what Carl was implying. With a sigh, he gave his reason. "And what of it? In terms of connection, the Hubel family exceeds ours. Yet It's odd for them to not use it to their advantage, staying silent instead."
Carl hums. "I believe you though I have a feeling that's not the full story." He grins. "Well then, if you want my help then it's only right to ask for yours."
Royse's brow twitched. "Please tell me this help doesn't involve another one of those incidents."
The older male laughed and shook his hand. "No, this time it's not."
"You always say that, sooner or later I may no longer believe your words." Royse crossed his arms.
"I promise you. If you help me, then I won't pry any further with your research on the family."
The redhead sighed. He ruffles his hair before gazing back at the older male. "Care to brief me what I'll be doing?"
Carl gave a wide smile. "There's this student that's been hanging out with me lately, I was wondering if you want to join us~"
Royse looked at Carl suspiciously. "I won't ask but at the very least, please give a better excuse."
The older male laughed. "Ok ok, I just need your help in fending off this student." He explains before walking away.
"Sounds easy enough." Royse followed after Carl, exiting the rooftop. "Might I ask who this student is?"
"His name is Cain, son of baron Callan Monroe."
Royse recognized the name. They became quite famous when their debts were revealed in the news. It lead the family to be in a difficult situation and until now, they were still finding ways to earn enough income to pay the rest.
"So his son is a student here."
"Yes, and it seems he's quite determined to make connections while he's at it."
The redhead held a teasing grin. "And you are his target."
"Indeed, though I am flattered." Carl then made a Chesire grin. "I am also disappointed that his approach is quite boring."
"You-" Royse furrows his brow as his sweat drops. "Don't tell me you plan on playing along with the guy."
The older male laughed. "Of course, would be a waste don't you think??"
The two slowly descended the stairs. Carl waved his hand towards his fans which earned him an echo of squeals.
"Having him hope and then by the end, crushing his expectations."
The redhead groaned. "You truly are a headache."
The older male held a satisfied smile. "Only Royse says that~"
"It's not a compliment. Also, this Cain student should be working hard in maintaining a good character given their situation, yet for you to say that... I suddenly have my doubts with this person..." Royse trailed.
Carl breathes a laugh. "Oh you'll see what I mean."
When they arrived back at Carl's classroom, a student was standing in front of the entrance. When he spotted the pair, he waves his hand and strode towards them.
"Carl kept his words, to think I would have the privilege to speak with the young master Royse. Please to meet you, I am Cain Monroe."
The student offered his hand.
Royse's expression changed into his business smile. He returns the gesture and shakes the student's hand.
"Royse Frostenden. It seems Carl-senpai made a promise." Royse glanced at the older male and became ticked off by the grin plastered on his face.
Cain nods and laughed. "Yes, I heard that the two of you are close. Carl offered to introduce you."
The pink-eyed male avoided Royse's gaze.
"If you'd like, my family has an establishment, would you like to visit there after school?"
Carl brings his hand over Royse's shoulders and pulls him. "Gladly. I'm sure Royse would like it." He speaks.
The redhead refrained from sighing and simply nods.
For once, Royse didn't want classes to end. He found himself focusing in class as a distraction to help him forget that he was going to spend his time after school with that Cain guy.
When the professor bid his farewell, Royse took his time packing his textbooks. He turns towards the window and became envious of the students entering their carriages, heading back home.
Accepting his fate, he heaves out a sigh and finally exits his room. He wasn't surprised when Carl and Cain were waiting for him outside.
Maintaining a smile, he greets the two who in turn returns his gesture.
"The ride there won't be long. I'm sure the place will be your liking Royse." Cain states as he leads the 2.
The redhead left all the talking to the older male and only spoke when needed. He kept his usual smile, simply observing Cain.
From the way the student spoke, Royse felt himself pitying him. It was evident that Cain was trying hard to gain their interest. The redhead could feel himself wince at how desperate the student seemed.
When they arrived at their destination, the manager of the establishment greeted them with a bow.
"Greetings, master Cain."
The said male waved off his hand. "Is the table ready?"
The manager nods. "Yes, everything has been prepared."
Cain smiles and turns towards the pair. "I welcome you both to our family's establishment."
The manager leads them to the door and opened it for them.
Both Royse and Carl surveyed their surroundings as soon as they entered. From the outside it appeared simple, but upon entering, the place was lavishly furnished. Walls with gold linings and hanged paintings that screamed wealth. Many unnecessary decors were placed, making Royse wonder who was in charge of the interior design. Everything was in shambles. There weren't any theme and seemed as if a toddler just decided to throw whatever looked expensive in the place.
A sigh was trying to escape his lips. Royse could see why the Monroe family was in debt just from seeing this place alone.
Servants each pulled a chair for the group and gave them a menu.
"Please, I can guarantee you that our shop has the best meals to offer." Cain boasted.
Reading the menu, Royse became nervous. He knew many shops had attempted to copy his recipes, it seems this establishment was also the same.
And he had to be frank, many failed to fully copy it. Most recipes were difficult to recreate and needed someone to supervise them if the chefs were doing the instructions correctly.
The redhead didn't have any expectations when it came to this.
Carl was also aware and became amused at how Cain was fully boasting about their dishes.
Royse decides to choose the safest option. "I'll have a sandwich."
Cain became disappointed. "It seems Royse has little appetite. Our desserts are also quite splendid, perhaps you'd like to try?" He recommends.
With a smile, Royse rejects the offer. "I try to keep a balanced diet." He reasons.
"I see..." Cain trailed before glancing over the other male. "How about Carl, have you decided?" He asks with expectations.
The pink-eyed male smiled. "I'll have this." He points over the omelette rice.
Cain nervously laughed. "Very well then. As for me, pasta sounds good." He gave his order to the waiter.
The waiter bowed and took the menu before returning to the kitchen to deliver their orders.
"So, Royse, I must ask, what do you think of our shop?" Cain asks with interest.
"I can see that your target customers are noble's." Royse replies, dodging the question. Although he said that, they were the only customers right now. His intuition told him that this place probably didn't have the best dishes.
A waitress strode towards their table and served appetizers and poured each of them a glass of water.
Cain laughed and nods. "Of course, my father always prioritizes the attention of the nobility." He turns his head over the decors. "As you noticed, those paintings are one of a kind, it was absolutely difficult obtaining it. Oh, and if you notice there, that's a famous vase that came from the east. My father was able to win it from the auction house."
Cain continued to boast and spoke praises of his family with a haughty expression.
Royse had his fair share of encounters like this, still, it was tiring trying to keep in conversation with these kinds of people.
The redhead glances over Carl and noticed how his eyes held a gleam as he listened through Cain's words.
While on the topic of keeping conversation, Royse had to admit people like Carl were a lot more tiring to deal with.
A heavy footstep took their attention. They turn their head at the source and was greeted by a new figure.
Royse kept his surprise to himself as he recognized the man.
Cain beamed and stood up from his seat. "Evan, glad to see you. Come, allow me to introduce you to our esteemed guests." He brings his hand over the man's shoulder. "This is our worker, Evan. I'm sure you are aware of his kind acts recently."
"Oh, so this is the famous worker. Please to meet you, I am Carl Blythe."
"Royse Frostenden."
Evan scratches his head in fluster. "It's an honour to meet you both. Though compared to mine, I'm sure my accomplishments are nothing compared to everyone."
Evan then looks at Royse and blinked. The man couldn't help but find the redhead familiar. He was sure this was the first time he met the famous young Frostenden...
Seeing how he was staring, Royse tilted his head and smiled. "Please, no need to be humble. It is only right to give recognition to where it is due."
The man stuttered and broke his gaze. "Then I gratefully accept the words." He bows.
The redhead kept his smile and glances over the male beside him. He sees Carl eyeing the man with interest.
"So, sir Evan is responsible for building the playgrounds?"
Cain's eyes gleamed after hearing Carl's words. He huffed as he placed a hand over his chest. "Yes, Evan is talented among our people. He is capable of doing many things, building a mere playground is an easy task for him." He states proudly.
Royse noticed the man being in discomfort with his boss's words. Not that he could blame him.
"Quite amazing, perhaps in the future, sir Evan will reach higher heights." Carl settles his cheeks over his palm, maintaining his gaze at the man. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Cain nods in agreement, on the other hand, Evan seemed to become nervous.
The man swiftly turns towards Cain. "Young master, I believe I should get going. I still have a lot of things scheduled for the day."
"Of course, you may take your leave. I'll see you around Evan."
With a bow, the man hurriedly left the group.
Cain took his seat. "Evan is a busy person. I'm sure he will become an important figure for our kingdom."
Carl laughed at the words. "Quite an expectation." He comments.
"Of course. My father says the same. He deems Evan as an important part of our household."
"I see."
Soon, their orders arrived.
Appearance-wise, the chefs did well. All that's left was the taste.
Taking the sandwich, Royse took a bite.
He grimaced at the taste.
He kept his expression to himself and tolerated the taste. The bread was dry and was hard to chew. The meat was too oily for his liking and the vegetable filling were soggy. The mayonnaise was a tad bit too salty as well and the tomato was over riped.
Needless to say, Royse knew he won't be able to finish his meal.
He peers over Carl and noticed his meal. Royse tried not to react when he saw the rice filling.
It was soggy as well and had some soup base. Royse wonders if the taste would be better than his.
Checking the pink-eyed male's expression from his first bite, Royse noticed the subtle twitch of his eyebrow. He knew the older male was suffering the same pain as him.
Smoothly, Carl takes his glass of water and downed it. His lips trembled as it maintains a smile.
Cain on the other hand didn't seem to mind the taste and was satisfied with it.
Ah, the dude's tastebuds must be broken by now.
"Is the food to your liking?" Cain asks.
With a forced smile, Royse replied. "I believe there could be improvements. I'm sure the chef is capable of serving better dishes in the future."
Cain nods. "Indeed, the chef here is chosen by none other than my mother. She loves his cooking and highly recommended him to my father."
Oh boy, that meant the whole family's tastebuds weren't functioning properly.
"My father is hosting a gathering this coming weekend, perhaps Royse and Carl would like to attend?"
Carl narrowed his eyes at the offer. He retracts his hands over his side.
The redhead noticed Carl and glanced underneath. He sees the older male using his fire attribute to form words.
Reading his message, Royse returns his attention to the other student. He smiles at the male. "I appreciate the offer Cain-senpai."
The male became delighted as he hear his words.
"Then-"
"Sadly, I am quite busy. As you are aware, not only am I handling the tasks given by the academy, I am also preoccupied with my business." He cuts off Cain's words.
Being rejected, Cain coughed as he regained his composure. "O-of course. As expected of Royse, he's indeed busy." He nervously laughed.
The redhead smiled. "Thank you for your understanding."
"How about this, maybe you'd like to visit my family's other shops. Maybe tomorrow?" Cain desperately invites.
"Carl-senpai had spoken to me beforehand, that is why I was able to attend for today."
Carl smiled at Royse's lie.
"If you'd like, please send a letter of invitation. Consider it making an appointment, though I can't promise that my schedule will be free. A miracle it would be if I did.."
Cain blinked in surprise as he processed Royse's words. Carl became impressed at the bluntness and stopped his laugh from escaping his lips.
Continuing his meal, Royse didn't spare a glance to the other student.
Cain felt his sweatdrop. "I-I see. Then I'll order my maid to send you one..." He trailed, realizing he won't be able to persuade the younger male.
They ended their meal in silence. Cain sent them off, offering them a ride in which the pair declined and decided to travel on foot.
Finally in a good distance away, Royse heaved out a sigh that he was holding. Carl chuckled at his tired state.
"You good?"
The younger male nods. "Yeah. Remind me to avoid that guy from now on." He comments. "Just hearing his voice might give me a migraine."
"He's amusing but it does seem that he's quite excessive in his attempts."
"You think."
The two walked on the busy streets. Royse bought a couple of treats for them to cleanse their palette. Carl ate his treat happily, earning him a laugh from the redhead.
"I can see why there're no customers there. I didn't know that someone would dare to sell those dishes." Carl comments.
"Well that family seems to have broken tastebuds. Sooner or later, their establishment will fall." Royse states.
"And another problem to their debt." Carl added.
The two watched as the people went their way. Royse finished his treat and licked the remaining cream on his finger. "By the way, I'm curious about your message from a while ago. What do you mean by 'Mission accomplished'?"
The older male turns his attention towards the redhead. "Ah, that. Yeah, Cain was just someone I needed to get me to meet my actual target."
Royse tilted his head and thought of the said target. "Could it be that Evan guy? Why though?" He asks in a hushed tone. It was weird thinking about it.
"Yep. I mean, wouldn't you be curious about the current talk of the town?" Carl smiles as he ate the remaining of his treat.
"You're not wrong, but you could just ask the two princes regarding it right? Why go the hassle?"
Carl shook his head. "Tsk tsk tsk. Where's the fun in that?"
The redhead looks at the older male incredulously. "So it's for your own entertainment."
"Ping Pong~" Carl waved his index finger in a playful manner. "You have to agree, watching the whole conversation was pretty ridiculous."
"More like painful..." Royse retorts. "Now that the jobs done, you better give me the intel just as we agreed."
"Of course, I wouldn't forget that. I'll send it over to you and as I promised, I won't ask anything about it."
"Good." Royse straightens his clothes. "Then, I'll be heading first. I'll see you tomorrow school." He walks away.
"Yeah, see you Royse~"
The redhead waved his hand before disappearing into the crowd.
Carl huffed as he wiped his hand with his handkerchief. "Now that that's done, time to continue the real agenda." He stretches his arms before gazing at a certain alleyway.
----------------
"So this is their information..." Royse murmurs.
Night came and Royse read the delivered letter in his room. With the lamp his only source of light, Royse made sure to read the contents carefully.
He settles his forehead over his palms as he feels his sweatdrop. "Dex Hubel, a former knight that went by a different name."
Apparently, the family kept a different image from the public. The reason for their travelling wasn't for mere sightseeing, rather they were travelling for military purposes.
Dex Hubel isn't associated with the king of Valhaven and stayed neutral. That was until he was caught up in the famous incident in Sko Cria.
That was the only intel written on the paper.
Royse sighed.
It seems he'll need to do more digging.