The tall, ogre-like man named Paul ran straight toward the group.
In just a few moments, Paul reached them.
"So fast!" Fenrin exclaimed, startled by how quickly the giant man moved.
Paul immediately picked up Fenrin with a speed that left Fenrin unable to react.
"I am now your escort, bodyguard, and shield, little boy!"
Paul laughed as he placed Fenrin onto his shoulder.
Old Man Grim attempted to converse with Paul.
"Sir, we are the five who have been watching over him. Can you hand over your token to verify your identity?"
Grim held his hands forward in a cupping motion while his face turned pale.
The reason for this was how swiftly Paul had taken Fenrin away. If he were a spy, Fenrin would already be dead or captured.
Paul was not just brawn; he had noticed this fact himself. "If I were a fake, this kid would be dead. How incompetent are you to ask me for the badge after I've already taken him?" He said as he adjusted Fenrin on his shoulder, where he sat comfortably.
Grim's smile froze. "You are correct, sir; this is our mistake."
Paul's face fell, and all five of the awakeners immediately turned pale, sweat drenching their clothes almost instantly.
All five of them immediately went into a kneeling position. "Please forgive us! We were simply too incapable of handling someone of your strength!"
Paul scoffed. "The five of you reacted to me. I watched your eyes follow my movements. Although you were a bit behind, you could have easily shielded the kid."
As he said this, he pulled out his axe. "This kid is a future powerhouse of the entire country; if something happened to him, even if ten thousand at your level died, it still wouldn't balance the scale!"
Fin immediately pleaded, "Please spare me, sir! I am inexperienced and only followed Grim's lead! I was mistaken to follow such an incompetent person; please forgive me!" Fin shouted as he sobbed.
Grim was shell-shocked; he couldn't even mutter any words to escape! He was completely frozen.
Paul smiled with bloodthirsty conviction.
"Forgiven!"
As Paul shouted this, he immediately swung his axe and killed Grim on the spot.
Grim couldn't even react in time! He was decapitated, his face twisted in fear.
The other four were just as paralyzed; they couldn't even let out a gasp of air.
It was simply too sudden! None of the four looked away from Grim's decapitated corpse, blood splattering everywhere as their eyes remained fixated.
After a few moments, Paul's face shifted to a neutral state after savoring his kill. "All of you leave my sight at once."
None of the four even reacted. After Paul noticed this, his face returned to a smile.
He shouted, "Are you courting death!? I said, Leave!"
As he said this, he raised his axe and decapitated another awakener—the oldest one—turning the man's head from a vertical to a horizontal position.
The three remaining awakeners immediately bolted, one even attempting to dig underground!
Paul swiftly reacted and pulled Fin from beneath the earth.
"Kid, you're my bag carrier from now on." Paul's smile did not fade; in fact, it grew even larger!
Fin stuttered in response, "Y-y-y-y-ess, S-sir!"
Fin's face was as pale as could be, looking even worse than the two who had died!
Paul smiled and said, "Good."
This entire situation shocked Fenrin as well, but for different reasons! He was not contemplating how cruel and insane Paul was; instead, he was admiring his strength and the depth of ren cultivation!
"How is he this strong? He didn't even use any elements? I thought Ren was about controlling elements; if that's the case, how is he this fast?" Fenrin's thoughts made sense since Garmr never explained that there was a method of ren that could boost your physicality!
As Fenrin's heartbeat began to slow, he realized that this person was likely going to kill him!
"This person just killed two awakeners for asking his identity; it's very likely that he is indeed a spy and is planning to kill me," Fenrin thought to himself.
However, he concluded that there was nothing he could do! If this person wanted him dead, he was already a goner—there was no fight to be had, not to mention the option of running.
Fenrin reflected for a moment, about to beg Paul not to kill him, but Paul instead captured Fin and labeled him as a bag carrier.
"Maybe he actually isn't a spy?"
Fenrin jumped down from Paul's great height. Although he wasn't a giant, it was still quite a drop for a small child like Fenrin.
"Why did you kill them?" Fenrin asked with a blank expression.
Paul's face fell into a frown. "Kid, what do you care? Don't tell me you're just some pansy who got lucky with the 'Death' element."
"No, I don't care, but aren't they part of the government? Why didn't you kill them all? Now they're just going to run and report you; it simply doesn't make sense."
As Fenrin said this, Paul's frown transformed into a vicious smile!
"Hahaha, kid! You're perfect; you really suit the 'Death' element." Paul's smile never faltered.
"The reason I didn't kill them is that the government gets on my back if I kill too many people."
Paul continued, leaving no details out.
"The government is very accepting of strong individuals; they don't care if you kill a few nobodies, especially if you have witnesses to vouch for you."
Paul laughed as he slapped Fenrin and Fin's backs.
The reason Paul killed them was not that the awakeners were incapable, but simply because he enjoyed killing! Fin provided him with the perfect excuse to kill someone. Although he overdid it with the other awakener, that's why he took Fin as an unwilling bag holder—to use him as a witness.
During this time, Fin thought, "Why the hell did the capital send a ruthless demon to escort Fenrin? Do they want another demon or something?"
As Fin was thinking, Paul seized the moment to explain Fenrin's circumstances.
"From now on, I will be following and escorting you until we arrive at Blue Rose Academy. I will allow you to gather your things and say your goodbyes for today, but tomorrow we will leave early in the morning."
Paul's expression showed that no matter what Fenrin said or did, he could not be persuaded otherwise.
Fenrin immediately thought of his parents and asked, "Can I bring my parents with me?"
Paul, without hesitation and as if he expected the question, immediately shut him down.
Fenrin's face contorted with anger. "If you don't allow my parents to come with me, I'll end my life one way or another."
Paul's annoyance was plain. He didn't bother hiding his expression. "Your parents are common trash. If you brought them along, they would face great scrutiny; they would almost certainly be ridiculed daily."
Fenrin's face softened. "That's very considerate of you... but I think my parents will do just fine."
Fenrin was incredibly attached to his parents; they were his only connection in life, aside from himself.
Paul's demeanor drooped even further. "Kid, I'm trying to be nice, but if you're being so insistent, let's make a bet to decide whether I allow them to come."
Fenrin responded quickly. "What's the bet?"
"We will bet on their reaction when I tell them you awakened the 'Death' element. If they become afraid of you or are upset, then I will not allow them to come." Paul smiled as he arranged the wager.
Fenrin's face brightened upon hearing the conditions. "Fine, but if they are happy for me, then you must allow them to come!"
Paul's smile turned sinister. "It's a deal."
As the two shook hands, both wore smiles for different reasons.
The three of them walked around the town looking for Fenrin's parents when Garmr showed up.
"Hey kid, tell him that I'm your dog," Garmr asked through their telepathy.
Fenrin pulled on Paul's shirt while looking up at him. "That is my dog; I can bring my dog along, right?"
Paul's face remained neutral. "I don't care. They allow pets at Blue Rose as long as they have some intelligence."
Fenrin smiled as Garmr followed the three of them.
After Garmr followed for a bit, he spoke telepathically to Fenrin. "Kid, I hate to tell you this, but you're not going to win this bet."
Fenrin's face did not change. "That's just because you don't know them."
After about an hour of walking, Fenrin finally spotted his parents, who were wandering around asking if anyone had seen him.
As he saw them searching for him, he turned to Paul.
"Looks like I'm going to win this bet," he said with a smug expression as he looked at Paul.
But Paul's smile did not fade; in fact, it grew even larger!
As Garmr watched Fenrin's smile upon seeing his parents, even a cold-blooded ancient demon like him frowned.
Garmr noticed his strange feelings and pondered, "Why do I feel sad for this kid? I've never felt sadness for anyone before..."
As he contemplated this, an image crept into his mind: "Loki..."
"Loki must have done something to me. It's not just the fact that I feel sympathetic toward him, but I also happily converse with him, even teaching him."
This conclusion was very likely because Garmr was a demon. All demons are unsympathetic; they do not have emotions, even toward their own offspring!
As Garmr was lost in thought, Fenrin shouted for his parents.
When Jack and Rem saw Fenrin, they were overjoyed. However, as they noticed the giant man behind him with an axe stained with blood, fear washed over them.
Fenrin saw this and immediately told Paul to leave, but Paul firmly rejected it, insisting he needed to be in close proximity at all times.
So the four of them approached the anxious parents.