Siegfried remembered his first meeting with that man. No. He was a boy at that time.
He used to be noble and lived with his parent in a mansion before. Siegfried had shown a talent for swordsmanship since a young age. His parent noticed this and hired multiple teachers to develop those skills. His ability bloomed further under many experienced tutors.
His life changed when his parent died in a carriage accident. Wealth, responsibility and title fall onto his shoulders. Siegfried was too young to bear everything. His uncle helped him and took control of the problem as a guardian. He promised to give everything back when Siegfried reached adulthood.
His uncle treated Siegfried well but spent too much gold for himself. Things were fine until his family ran out of money. He sold a lot of lands, dismissed servants and pawned many items to pay his debts.
Siegfried could not allow his uncle's bad habits to affect the family. He tried to find an alternative to make more money. Siegfried eventually established a guild to gather information. He obtained gold from that small business, but it was not enough. The expense was greater than the income.
Siegfried worked hard to pay off some debt. Upon looking for information for a client, he discovered a terrifying truth. Siegfried stumbled on an assassination offer. He found out his uncle used the same service once. Siegfried's parents death was not an accident. It was orchestrated.
Siegfried was sixteen when he murdered his uncle. He had no choice but to flee away or get arrested. Siegfried erased his trail by joining the mercenary on a stormy day.
His skill in swordsmanship proved to be worthwhile. He received a great title as a slayer among mercenaries. Yet, his achievement was muddled by his behaviour. Siegfried was a rude, alcoholic and misbehaved man. He lived as a shrewd mercenary without a home. Instead of saving money to rent a room, he would spend it on booze and women. That man had no self-preservation as a human. He lived a miserable life without purpose.
That life went upside down when that boy appeared. It only took one glance to know he had a high status. His blue clothes were decorated with golden thread and cufflinks made of red garnet. Two buff knights were standing behind him.
Siegfried ignored the bodyguards and glared at the kid. "Scram, kid. Go back to your home."
That boy chuckled. "My, how rude. It is just like the report." He stood in front of Siegfried with a smirk on his face. "Do you want to work for me?"
His eyes glinted with the spark of pride and greed. No children should have such a look. Siegfried somehow was intimidated by that gaze. He was not an ordinary child.
Siegfried was frowning. "What do you want?"
That boy threw a pouch in front of him. Siegfried opened it and was shocked by the amount of gold. It was more than enough for him to live for a year.
"If you work for me, you can get five times more than this pouch. You can even kiss your mercenary job goodbye."
He could not believe his luck. "Why me?"
That little boy chuckled. "You have the same eyes as me."
Siegfried should have rejected the offer, but avarice blinded him.
His first job was to establish his guild further. He must collect and give every kind of information to his new superior. It was an easy task since he had the experience. His financial status became better, but it was not enough. That boy promised him five times gold. He only laughed when Siegfried mentioned it.
"Be patient. You will get your reward after the next job."
They made a cult called Paradise Star to worship demons. The boy told him it was only a ruse to make more money. Siegfried's job was getting hard after they established the cult. He smuggled firearms into the country, created a drug den and kidnapped people. Nevertheless, the result of his crimes did not betray him. Siegfried swam in the sea of gold, gaining so much authority and wealth from his deeds.
He never expected his way of living would shift. Siegfried saw a little boy sitting in the dark alley during his walk on a cold night. He was dirty and wore a rag. One look and Siegfried learnt nobody took care of this kid. Children like that usually did not have a home or ran away from abusive households. Siegfried was chuckling at the easy target. A kid like him was worth plenty for perverts.
Siegfried walked closer and tried to be friendly. "Hey, kid. Are you alone?"
The boy glared at him. He revealed a hidden knife in his pocket and attacked him. Siegfried had no time to dodge.
"Shit!"
The assault grazed his thigh. That boy now went lower and stabbed his leg. Siegfried was lucky he obtained some pain resistance during his time as a mercenary. He maintained his balance and threw the kid on the ground. Other than the element of surprise, Siegfried was superior in any way. That man sat on the boy to prevent him from escaping. The child struggled with the weight above him.
"Aw, aw, aw! Get off me, Old Man! You're heavy!"
"Old-"Siegfried gasped. "I'm not that old!"
That man grabbed the kid with his right hand. He was light, a symptom of underweight. The boy did not fight back since his chance to win had gone. He had a feeling being reckless would only make his condition worse.
Siegfried grasped the kid's ability. The boy must survive the harsh alley for a long time. He had potential. It would be a waste to sell him.
"What's your name?"
The boy was pouting but answered the question. "It's Adham Whitesmithe."
It was the first time he felt a pang of guilt.
Whitesmithe. Siegfried recognized that last name. That name appeared on the report he received from his underlings. The orphan was the result of his actions. The members of Paradise Star were desperate for money and killed a couple inside a house. Their kid escaped on time because his parents covered him. He had been missing for two years.
Siegfried put Adham on ground and knelled down. "Do you want to come with me?"
"No way! What if you are a pervert or something?"
Siegfried sighed. "It's not like I can bring you home since I only own a room in an inn. Guess you will have to stay in the orphanage."
"You're just going to drop me and disappear."
Siegfried caressed the boy's head. "Listen, brat. I cannot visit a lot because of my job. However, I promise to see you once in a while."
Siegfried remained true to his words. He visited Adham in the orphanage and taught him many things. While Adham learnt how to read, write and count from the church, Siegfried taught him how to wield weapons, fight and survive. The distant little boy eventually became attached to his guardian.
"Do you have any dreams?"
Siegfried asked him that question when he turned fifteen. Adham was thinking long about the answer. "Hmmm.... I want to repay the church and orphanage. The hag in the church needs some helping hand. The younger children must get more food. As the older brother, I can't let my younger sisters and brothers starve."
Siegfried was stunned hearing his answer. "Don't you have something more grandiose?"
"Not really. I am a free man! I don't want to be tied or work for someone. My life will be fine as long I can eat and have a roof to sleep. Although...". Adham glanced at Siegfried with a flustered face. "I guess I want to be as cool as you."
It was the second time a pang of guilt hit him.
Siegfried was a hypocrite. He appeared as a modest guild leader, but it was a façade to hide his crimes. He was a selfish man who murdered, kidnapped and sold drugs and weapons for gold. The burden of his sin went deeper as Adham grew older.
Siegfried did not want Adham to be part of Paradise Star. He allowed the young man to choose his own life. Adham became a mercenary just like Siegfried in the past. However, the child walked a distinct path from him. Adham grew into a kind and passionate young man. He was hot-headed but well-known due to his friendly nature. He repaid the orphanage by helping the place where he was raised.
Looking at Adham made Siegfried realize how foolish he was. Siegfried began to resent his past. Rather than murdering his uncle, he could get the man arrested for his crime. Siegfried could collect enough proof to make his uncle land in jail. Instead of running away and joining the mercenary, he could take care of his lands as a noble.
All he could do was lament his mistakes.
Siegfried, who used to have no attachment, grew terrified. He had more valuable things to protect than before. He gained loyal subordinates who would defend him with their own life. Adham, whom he took for pity, became precious as he was his son. His superior noticed this and used it as an advantage to chain him down. Siegfried had no choice but to be a hound, following orders and hunting for his master.
The appearance of Helena Blackmoore changed everything.
He had no idea why that young woman looked out for Paradise Star. She was not interested in joining the cult or sniffing it under the Royalty's order. Helena investigated Paradise Star for her own reason. It was the first time he encountered such a look on a noble lady. Her eyes were full of curiosity, bravery and sagacity, yet had a tinge of sorrow and anger. Siegfried saw a glimpse of hope within her.
He gambled his life and put all in on the bet. That man aided Helena multiple times during her investigation. Siegfried hid Helena from Paradise Star and allowed her to escape Sirius. The result was satisfying. That woman broke into one of the trafficking hideouts, infiltrated the drug den and saved an officer from death. Helena Blackmoore somehow exceeded his expectations.
Siegfried decided to end everything by doing one last move. He surrendered to the enemy when Sabbath was surrounded by the knights. Yet, Helena aided him. It was simply irony. He used her for his benefit, but she tried to save him.
Adham's behaviour must have rubbed on him when Siegfried looked back at his unusual conduct. His younger self would not be that selfless. The old man stared at his dark prison and closed his eyes. It was the price of his sins. He had accepted his fate a long time ago. If that man had one regret, it would be Adham. Siegfried could not say his last word to him.
"You look pathetic."
The cell door opened. The boy Siegfried met in the street had become an adult now. He looked at Siegfried with mixed expressions of contempt and disappointment. The older man smiled weakly toward the young man.
"You are not here to release me, aren't you?"
The person in front of him sneered. "Don't expect me to show mercy when you betrayed me."