Nian peeked through Sarius’ robe and instantly drooled at the sight of the crowd.

“So many delicious looking humans… ahh, I’m starving.”

Sarius frowned at the beast.

“Nian, don’t forget. You can only eat those who try to threaten you, otherwise…”

“I know. I was just casually saying it.”

It was already late at night. Any normal person would have been surprised to see this many people still active at this time of the night and most especially in this area which is the shadiest place of the city.

However, Nian and Sarius were far from normal.

“Are you sure I can’t eat them? They don’t look like good people to me.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Listen to me or I’ll throw you back in the lake.”

“Tsk, fine.”

After Nian became somewhat well-behaved, Sarius sighed and walked straight ahead, checking his surroundings at the same time since he was a bit curious about what these people were doing in this place. Although he was looking around, his face was locked in one direction and only his eyes were moving about.

He noticed that they all came out of the same place. Most of them were in a group and there were very few who came out alone.

‘Hmm… the secular world’s world of crime.’

“Kid, are you lost?”

Sarius felt a hand rest upon his shoulder and stopped. Not only him, but people from other groups also halted their steps and turned their gazes on him, trying to watch a show.

The one who held Sarius’ shoulder didn’t seem to mind this kind of attention from others or perhaps he was already used to doing things like this since there wasn’t even a bit of hesitation in his action at all.

“What a handsome lad! Who would’ve thought we would find such a good kid in this place? Boss, we hit a jackpot!”

The burly man excitedly looked at his group of seven companions who were slowly walking their way towards him.

“His skin is even fairer than a maiden’s! Those rich noblewomen will surely pay a high price to buy this boy toy off!”

Everyone in the group burst out laughing. The sole exception was the one in the middle, who happened to be the group’s leader. His brows furrowed as though he was doubting something but nonetheless, he remained silent and took on the stance of an observer.

“Kid, you only have yourself to blame for having such bad luck. Be obedient and come with us and maybe we’ll sell you off to a good looking noblewoman. Being their plaything is not bad at all! You would probably thank us by then! Hahaha!”

He laughed and tried to pull Sarius towards him but to his surprise, the youth who was so tiny in comparison to his large build didn’t even budge at all! He frowned.

"Hey—!"

He stopped speaking when Sarius coldly glanced at him.

At that moment, his face lost all colour as though he had seen a ghost! His knees quivered for a second and he suddenly fell on the ground like a marionette that had lost its puppeteer.

"Bro? "

"What the?!"

"Are you okay?"

His companions were shocked. They instantly reacted and took out their weapons, surrounding Sarius as they glared at him menacingly.

"You! What did you do to him?!"

Although they had no idea what happened and why their friend suddenly fell like that, they felt it had something to do with the youth since he was the only one near to him other than them.

The boss, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open in astonishment. When he saw his subordinates going to attack, he quickly raised his right hand and shouted, "Stop!"

"Boss?"

He heaved a sigh of relief when his subordinates did as they were told.

"Back off."

They all turned to him in confusion and a bit of displeasure. Nevertheless, they all complied and returned back to his side albeit unwillingly.

"This gentleman… how may I address you?"

"You're pretty smart."

Sarius didn't answer and just looked at him casually.

"You guys can go but this one stays here."

“This…”

The boss had a look of difficulty in his face as if finding what he said to be something near impossible to do.

“What?”

“He’s one of my men. I can’t abandon him.”

Sarius narrowed his eyes. He immediately knew what he was trying to do.

The boss was building up the image of someone who will never forsake his subordinates so that those under his wings will be more at ease. Furthermore, their loyalty to him will just increase.

If he had instead done what Sarius had said, they will start having doubts on working with someone like him who can unhesitatingly abandon his own people. Some might even leave and there was also the possibility that they will harbour thoughts of betrayal in their mind.

“I see...”

The boss was actually sweating buckets on his back right now.

To secure his position, he might have inadvertently offended the youth. Although he already gauged his reaction in mind and that he was less likely to attack them, he couldn’t be too sure of that!

Only now did he realize how stupid he was after thinking it through. He was about to take his words back when he heard Sarius say.

“...however, he’s already dead. Would you risk your life for a dead person? If so, then I applaud you for your camaraderie.”

“Dead?”

“Go ahead and check.”

The boss looked at the fallen man and took a deep breath. He thought that he had just fainted but he actually died! Moreover, they didn’t even know how it happened!

His subordinates also felt complicated and finally understood why they were stopped by the boss. Had they really attacked, they wouldn’t even know how they died.

With this realization, they couldn’t help but secretly take a peek at the youth’s figure in fear.

The boss suppressed the trepidation in his heart. With a grim face, he signalled to the others, “No need to check. We’re leaving.”

Sarius watched the group leave silently. Afterwards, he observed the surroundings from the corner of his eyes.

As expected, the majority of the crowd who he had initially felt that harboured ill intention towards him had now been discouraged and started to disperse. Still, there are quite a few left who thought too highly of themselves and weren't discouraged.

Sarius turned his gaze to the corpse on the ground.

“Nian, you can eat this one.”

“I thought you dislike killing humans?”

“I don’t like killing in general but if there’s anyone who threatens me, then I will kill regardless of who they are, whether they be human or not. Unless I have some reason not to.”

Nian snickered.

“Threat? Even if there were thousands of him, he would still be far from threatening you. He was no threat but you killed him!”

“Let me tell you something interesting, Nian. Had I been a normal person, then what would happen to me? What this person was saying would have been my fate. I wouldn’t be able to fight back at all and I will be sold off to some noblewoman for money.”

“Hahaha, that is indeed interesting! You as a slave? How funny!”

“Furthermore… by killing him, the others here would know that I’m not someone they can afford to offend and leave me alone instead.”

The beast stared at Sarius in amazement.

“Is this what they called ‘killing two birds with one stone’? Were you planning this from the start? I didn’t know you were so good at scheming as well!”

“I’m not. It’s just a coincidence. Anyway, aren’t you going to eat? If so, I’m gonna bury him.”

“Tsk, fuck off! It’s been a while since I’ve last eaten a human.”

Nian hopped out Sarius’ robe and landed on the ground. His tiny figure began to expand rapidly in size. A few seconds later, he was already as big as a small house.

The onlookers were stunned silly.

Nian’s face came close to the corpse. He took a sniff and quickly swallowed him whole at once.

Seeing this scene, the people in the area scurried away within a few breaths. Even those who still wanted to make a go on Sarius diminished all thoughts and ran. The place became deserted in a split second.

“It’s nowhere near enough but it’ll do for now.”

After eating, Nian’s size reduced until he was as small as he had been earlier. He then returned inside Sarius’ robe and began complaining.

“Ugh, why didn’t you kill his companions too? Weren't they also a threat since they are in cahoots and didn’t object to selling you off? Haaah, I could’ve eaten more in that case.”

Sarius smiled and explained.

“Hindu pantheon puts much importance to the law of karma. Every action will have a reaction. A good deed will always produce good fruit while bad deeds result in bad. For the sins they have done, they will naturally have to bear the corresponding consequences.”

Nian stoically looked at him.

“Uhm, yeah. I get it. I totally understand. Anyway, can you please stop talking in a scholarly way? It disgusts me.”

The corner of Sarius’ right eye twitched.

He was about to give in to the urge that was telling him to throw the beast back in the lake when the said beast spoke again.

"Isn't that the idiot boy from the lake yesterday?"

Sarius instantly spotted who Nian was referring to since excluding the two of them, there was only one person left in this area.

It was Vihaan who was walking groggily. His body was full of injuries which were worrying but what Sarius was most worried about was the boy's eyes which had become dull.

No doubt something big happened to him.

Unknowing of the presence of Sarius and Nian, Vihaan walked aimlessly in the dark.

The boy didn’t know what to do with his life anymore. The death of his mother made him numb to everything. He was numb to pain, numb to life and numb to death.

He wished he had died instead.

Looking back to his past, life wasn’t exactly full of happiness for him. They were oppressed by other people a lot for their status and they lived in poverty. Still, even if it was hard… as long as he had his mother, he can and will endure anything.

His father died when he was still a toddler. Now, his mother…

What is still the point of living?

He was all alone in this world.

No mother, no father, no family.

Maybe he should just... die?

Vihaan tripped on a rock and was about to fall face-first to the ground. He could see the earth coming closer to him but before he landed on his face, he felt someone supporting his body.

He instantly recognized who it was.

“Noble… sir?”

“We met again.”

…

Under the night sky, the wood continuously gave out a crackling sound in the fire. Sarius and Vihaan sat in front of a small mound that was located in an area outside the city.

The only source of light they had was the moon illuminating the sky and the fire near them which also served as a protection from the cold, at least in Vihaan’s case.

Sarius sat behind the boy and had his hands at his back. His hands were glowing in a shade of blue which rapidly healed Vihaan’s wounds at a rate visible to the human eye.

While all this was happening, the three remained silent: Sarius because he was healing the boy; Vihaan who was staring at the mound; and Nian who was peacefully resting inside Sarius’ robes.

The silence continued for a few minutes until Sarius took off his hands.

“I'm done. This should be enough.” Sarius said and then frowned.

Although the boy’s injuries were more or less healed, his state was far from good. It was beyond his healing ability to wake the boy up from his stupor. After all…

It was much easier to heal one’s injuries than to heal one’s heart.

“Noble sir…”

Vihaan slowly turned around. His face, tired. Eyes devoid of any will to live.

“Why do people die?”

His mouth faintly quivered as he spoke and his voice wavering. Before Sarius could answer, he asked again.

“Why did mother kill herself?”

A lone tear escaped from the corner of his eyes. He bit his lips, desperately suppressing his emotions.

“Why do people live? Why am I alive? What’s the use in living?”

His face was already wet with tears. The memories of his mother surged forth in his mind.

“Mother…”

Sobbing, he painfully clutched his chest and had trouble breathing.

“It hurts… it hurts so much. Mother...”

Sarius sighed sadly. He gently took the boy in his arms, hugging him tightly.

Vihaan flinched for a moment before wrapping his arms around Sarius and burst out.

He finally let out his emotions and cried with all his heart.