Death's Favorite Child

4. Family Visit

In the following weeks, Lord Thanatos nurtured himself back to health and started training his body and mind. He slowly built up his stamina and strength, following a strict regime he used in his past life to train young agents. Although the boy's body was in bad shape, he had a good physique and a solid base. It seems this boy trained hard in martial arts and weapons before his attack last year. Muscle memory was there, which made things much faster.

At the same time, he used the sanitarium's library and his interactions with the staff to get familiar with this world and prepare for his inevitable return to social life. Politics, geography, economy, social structure, international relationships, everything was new to the boy but not unfamiliar. The Captain had studied hard in his previous life to rise at the top of the organization, and this world's inner workings were not much different from historical power structures back on Earth. It seems human nature was the same in parallel words as well.

The Director was still in shock. The boy was recuperating faster than anyone else. He introduced new concepts like 'physiotherapy', 'nutritional supplements' and 'rehabilitation', unknown until now in this world. The results were irrefutable. The boy's strength and stamina raised rapidly and his body started to fill in, mainly with muscles. He now had a lean physique and his sunken cheeks recuperated with a more healthy posture.

On the other hand, the number of dead assassins gradually increased after the first night with the maid. The latest attack was the most brutal. A group of 5 highly trained assassins, rumored to be from the infamous Black Roses guild, snuck into the sanitarium. By the time the guards reached Lord Thanatos' room, they were faced with the most gruesome sight of their life. Some of the guards were hardened retired soldiers that have seen war, but it didn't stop them from curling up and vomiting. Every assassin was killed uniquely, as if the boy was experimenting and toying with them. One had his heart crashed with no apparent external injury. Another had his eyes explode, and his brain destroyed. A third one, hand his limps and neck twisted in unnatural ways. The sanitarium's physician secretly entrusted the Director that most of these injuries shouldn't even be possible. It suggested a person with deep knowledge of the human body and a complete lack of reservation for killing. This fact chilled the blood of the Director and all the sanitarium staff.

"Lord Thanatos, your paternal uncle has requested your presence. You should immediately report at the Directors quarters," an unfamiliar servant sneered at the boy and left. He didn't greet or introduce himself and was by any means rude.

The Captain knew what this was. He was a boy and was considered to be weak. Since they failed to kill him, this was an effort to subdue him and assert dominance. However, the Captain never cowered in his life. He knew how to handle these situations.

The boy entered the Director's room, finding a middle-aged, overweight man talking with the Director. Behind him, there were two unknown guards, obviously commanded by the uncle, and on the right of the room was the servant that called him.

"Boy, so you really are alive," said the uncle with disappointment in his voice.

"You don't greet your uncle? Such audacity. Come here and pay your respects!", he shouted putting his fat hand forward with a big ring on his third finger. He has obviously expected a sign of fealty and subordination.

The boy ignored the uncle and turned to the servant that had called him to come.

"Who are you?" the boy asked with a steady and dominating voice.

The Director flinched. These people didn't know what this boy was capable of. But he had already seen the bodies of assassins loitering the sanitarium. He knew how this would play out. These two guards couldn't even aspire to stop the young Lord.

The Uncle was flustered, but before he could respond, the servant replied,

"I am the new Head Servant of the Thanatos family," and looked down at the boy. He had taken over the position of the butler after the boy had already been attacked. He was a close friend of the uncle that would be the new Baron after the boy's inevitable demise.

"So, you work at my house, and you dare disrespect me? As the legal Head of the Household and the Baron, it's my responsibility to discipline such behavior," Lord Thanatos stated.

Before anyone could comment, the boy moved at lightning speed and his knee hit the servant folding him in half. The boy's hands slipped around the servant's neck and, with a swift move, a crack was heard and a thud of the lifeless body hitting the floor.

This was done so fast that the guards, uncle, and Director didn't even see his movement.

"You... You...", the uncle stuttered and walked backward only to crash on the guards.

"This garbage has been judged by the Lord of the Thanatos house for insubordination and found guilty. His penalty is death. Does any of you object to the Baron's ruling?", the boy stood over the servant's corpse glancing towards the two armed guards and the Uncle.

The two guards were by no means weak. They were the strongest guards of the Thanatos family territory. But at that moment, they froze and felt their knees buckling. They knew that a wrong move or even a misinterpreted sigh would mean their death. The legal Lord of the House, this boy, had every right to dispense punishment -- even death. The Royal Laws would be in his favor. Even more, the Lord could reduce their families into slaves on a whim. The boy moved so fast and killed without reservation or pity. They were clearly outmatched. They lowered their eyes.

The stench of urine came from the uncle. This servant was his close friend, confidant, and advisor. He was also the one that introduced Uncle to the famous assassin guild! Yet, the guild gave up on the job last week and returned all the money. They said something about 'cutting their losses'. Yet, the servant was now dead, the guards were quivering, and this boy could clearly snap the Uncle's neck in an instant. The Uncle had never trained in martial arts, so he was unable even to defend himself.

The boy walked to the uncle that was sweating, trembling, and gasping for air.

"Lord Thanatos, sir..." the Director tried to diffuse the situation, certain of the Uncle's upcoming demise. But he shut his mouth and his heart stopped when the boy glared at him.

The boy reached and took the ring with the family crest from the Uncle's hand. This was the ring of the Baron, his father's ring, and the proof of the title. So, it rightfully belonged to the boy. He slipped the ring on his finger that magically adjusted to fit perfectly.

"I'll return home in two weeks. I expect a complete financial report of the territory and all the expenditures of the last 12 months." the boy said coldly and looked at the Uncle.

The Uncle hurried to leave the room, thankful to be alive.

"Did I dismiss you?" the boy's cold voice sounded, freezing the uncle and the guards that were now sweating profusely.

"Any evidence of corruption or misappropriation will weigh on you, Uncle. And the punishment will be severe."

The Uncle felt a knot in his abdomen, and he held his breath. He didn't dare respond. Even as the head of the branch house, and the boy's paternal uncle, he knew that the Lord could discipline him severely, even with death. 'How did this boy turn out to be so cruel and heartless?' was all the Uncle could think. His brother, the previous Lord and boy's father, was kind-hearted and soft -- which allowed the uncle to misappropriate funds to live a luxurious life.

"You may leave. Take this garbage with you," said young Lord Thanatos nodding towards the servant's corpse.

The guards and Uncle stumbled on each other and left the room, the building, and the facility grounds running. The fear enveloping them didn't dissipate until the next day. The Uncle left the area and headed straight to the family territory. The situation was hazardous. He had to gather support; maybe some of the other Lords in the area might offer him some guards. Maybe the Duke... He only had a few weeks to prepare.

The boy excused himself and left the Director's office -- with the latter wondering who was the biggest monster between the two, the boy or his uncle?