The Devil Slayer & The Steam Prince Volume1

Chapter 28 Promotion Season Part5

Gray's POV: it's the morning after the promotion trial and I see Seth walking oddly downstairs but I just brush it off as him not fully awake. As me and the team walk out the door to go on jobs he runs past us popping a whole peeled orange into his mouth and I could see his fists full of granola bars. He just stops and so we watch to make sure he's okay, he just tosses over his shoulder a note, as he looks back at us to make sure we caught it I see his eyes look foggy and glassed over, I don't mean just because he wears glasses. He then sinks into his shadow form before I can call him over.———————————————————————
"Did anyone else notice Seth's eyes were glassed over and he was walking odd earlier." I say as I look at my guild mates. "Now that you mention it yeah that's a bit off for him, I hope wherever he's going he will be ok." Lucy says as she fixes her side ponytail. "He's fine according to his note he's going back to the Whitman family manor to take care of some traditional business." Erza says as she holds the note in front of everyone. I just let it go and try not to be curious even though I can't help think of what he told us about his upbringing after his mom passed away.———————————————————————
Seth's POV: I just casually walk off the train to the awaiting horses as Aaron was the only staff member to pick me up and so when I replied to the scroll I asked that if only one staff member came for me I'd be allowed to ride horseback rather than sit in a boring carriage. I just look at the shooting star on the horses forehead and smile as I stroke the side of its face. "Hi Comet, it's good to see you boy, Come on let's get going." I say sweetly to my horse and he just neighs happily in reply as I climb on top of him. I just give Aaron a smug smile as I gently kick the stirrup against Comet's side, Comet then takes off and soon Aaron is chasing after me on Lily.———————————————————————
Soon I get to the gate and stop Comet and wait for Aaron to catch up. Once the gate was open I click my tongue twice. Comet understands and walks and so Aaron does the same to Lily and so our horses walk side by side all the way to the barn. Once the horses are in their stalls I give Comet a soft kiss on his cheek as I was happy to ride with him again. After getting changed I just stand in moms music room as I knew I was summoned for a pair of statues to be made of me. In all my poses I make sure my guild mark is visible and so I look over my left shoulder. I circle my favorites and then check off the two of the favorites that I wanted to be made.———————————————————————
As I leave the house and sit in the carriage to go back to the station Aaron sits across from me and can see something is going on in my mind that has me deliriously preoccupied. "Seth what's going on." Aaron says as he finally gets my attention. "I was just wondering what the statues would be like and how dad would react if Gray was standing with me and we were a pair." I say as I look down and off to the side as I couldn't believe I was still thinking of the ice mage and concerning myself with what my father's opinion would be. By the time I'm back at the guild I notice Erza is eating cake by the bar like normal and so I just tap her shoulder and silently hand her the wax sealed letter Aaron told me to give to her. I then walk up to my room and sit on my bed as I felt empty of any and all emotions.———————————————————————
Erza's POV: I just received a sealed letter from Seth so I open it and discover it isn't a letter from Seth but in fact it's a letter from Aaron who is Seth's personal butler of estate. "Ms Erza, I hope this letter finds you well, I apologize on behalf of the family and staff of Whitman estate that the young lord couldn't go into detail of why he was summoned to appear before us today. Each male of the Whitman family undergoes a tradition of posing for statues to be made of them to be built by the entrance, This time has arrived for the young lord and yet tradition states they are not supposed to speak of it until they unveil the finished statues. In the carriage ride I noticed his eye color seemed to darken and become glassed over as well as I took note his eyelids seemed to turn blue, the blue is new to me but the darkening of his eye color and glassing over of his eyes is something I am familiar with, I remember seeing it during times he felt empty and either saddened or growing distant from something he played a pivotal role in. I ask you to keep a watch on this and to inform me if you might know what caused this to happen. Faithfully and loyally serving the whitetail deer, Aaron." I read the letter and then fold it back up.———————————————————————
"I might be able to show you what happened during the trial that made our newest member turn into water." A ethereal voice says. I look over by my side and it's first master Mavis Vermillion. I just nod in acceptance and she shows me what happened to Seth before I faced him and Gray in the trial. I then see what Seth's most saddening fear is and understand why he turned to water in battle and why his eyelids were blue while he was with Aaron during the carriage ride. I just write a quick reply and seal it to be sent to Whitman estate.
I then go up to Seth's door. ———————————————————————
"Whoever it is just go away, this is your only warning." He says from inside. "Are helpful secret keeping idols the exception to this warning." I say sternly. "Very well you can come in." He says cold and distant. I just walk in and sit on the edge of his bed. He was sitting up by the pillows and has his head in his hands. "First master Mavis showed me what happened to you in the trial." I say while I look at his wig collection. "I know your afraid of what his answer would be and based on his actions you feel he only sees you as a little brother when your unwell." I say with concern in my voice.———————————————————————
"So then why are you in my room." he grumbles. "Just to make sure you don't do anything stupid while you brood." I reply sternly. "It hurts Erza, it hurts me inside." I hear him say in a sad tone. "What hurts tell me and we can try to find something for it." I say as I get worried. "It hurts me inside that I can't get Gray out of my mind and I can't stop concerning myself with my father's opinions. I want it all to stop and go silent." He says as a stream of tears rolled down his face while looking at me. I just sit and rest him against my side so he can let it out.———————————————————————
Eventually I'm down in the game room with the team. "How is he." Gray says as he asks about if I ever checked in on Seth as I was one of his idols he could talk to. "Why is it any concern of yours." I answer sharply as I glare at him from the side of my eye. "Okay easy guys let's just give this some time and Seth can tell us himself." Wendy says timidly. I just return to playing darts.———————————————————————
As I throw the darts for what feels the hundredth time I thinking what would Seth do if something like the dragon raid of the grand magic games happens again or Gray was cornered, or if he was poisoned and the only way to get the antidote was to kill a team member and the jerks who poisoned him figure out he has feelings for Gray and play on that. I then think he'd rather sacrifice his own life to keep Gray alive and not betray the guild. "Hopefully that doesn't happen." I say aloud not realizing others could hear me when I thought I was talking to myself.———————————————————————
"Hopefully what doesn't happen Erza is something on your mind." I hear a familiar voice say behind me and see it's Bisca, I tell her softly everything I was thinking and everything that brought these thoughts to mind. "I think he would too but I hope for his sake that never comes to pass." Bisca says warmly. I just smile at her as I drop the darts in her hand and go up to my room to polish my sword collection before bed.