【Zhou Jia】self-punisher.

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The aging parts were covered with a dull patina, and the pocket watch that was rubbed by the boy's fingertips was engraved with obvious initials.The gold-plated dial keeps being opened and closed, making a crisp sound.The fireworks dancing in the darkness reflected his face on the glass surface with several scratches.

When the clock struck midnight, the hands of the pocket watch were still three clicks away from the coincidence. It seems that its original owner forgot to tell him that the watch was slow by 3 minutes.Arjun clasped the pocket watch in his palm, and cast a faint glance towards the corner where the flames could not reach.

"come out."

The figure that emerges from the void is only knee-high for adults, but wears a nondescript set of dresses and accessories that would have been outdated 60 years ago.The small, shriveled hand holding the brim of the top hat was bluish-purple, and a brooch that was completely out of proportion to his figure was being proudly fastened in a conspicuous position.He mumbled his mouth a few times, lowered his head and made a sound of awe.

"As expected of the little master, you can be so keenly aware of my existence."

"You are no longer my servant." Arjuna glanced at the eye-catching brooch, "Before you speak, please carefully consider the position you represent when talking to me, Baro."

"Master... Mr. Indra often pointed out Baro when he was alive, saying that Baro always made mistakes that shouldn't be made." The elf timidly changed his name, "He gave Baro the greatest punishment, but Ah Your Excellency Zhou Na... Barrow came back this time to bring you useful information."

Loyal and cunning, strong and cowardly.This kind of creature had never won Arjuna's favor, and he hated this little elf who always followed his father triumphantly, even though he was always respectful to him.Up to now, he is also convinced that this little thing is only loyal to his dead father.

"Oh, then show your worth in front of me." Arjuna raised his chin towards the elf.

"Baro knows that you went to the mausoleum of Mr. Indra with that noble young master a few days ago, where you met the reborn, great Mr. Indra..."

Arjuna glanced at the elf who was talking endlessly because of nervousness.He was following him, and he was not afraid of being discovered by him. It seemed that the poor guy still treated him like a child.

"The pocket watch that Mister gave you...Baro once saw it." The elf swallowed, hesitatingly peeking at the little master's reaction from the corner of his eye.But the latter just looked at him coldly, and had no intention of speaking.He could only lower his head and grip the hat tighter, "The young master's father...Mr. Surya, together with the master, cast a terrible spell on it."

His nerves were so tense that he unconsciously blurted out and changed back to his old name, but Arjuna didn't correct him.The elf shivered, recalling that night full of blinding lights and chilling spells.He has lived for a long time, and that gentleman is the third master he has served, and he is also the heir to the family that makes him most proud of his chest.Until that day... Mr. Surya, with a deep description, came to that mansion.Mr. Soulier was a close friend of the master, and it was not surprising to see him, but Barrow had never seen such a worried expression on his usually calm face.

"Isn't it a little too hasty?" The master ordered the servant to take the little master out of the study - the little master had just been born for three months at that time.He was not surprised by Mr. Suliye's sudden visit, so he found some excuses to drive out all the servants present. "Baro..." The master glanced at him, "Go and deliver the letter I wrote last night to the ministry."

The short Baro raised his hand to get the letter from the table, feeling that Surya was watching him from behind.He carefully put away the letter paper, almost knocking over a bottle of ink next to him when he lowered his arm.His brain suddenly swelled... He made such a big embarrassment in front of the distinguished guests, which damaged his self-esteem as a house-elf.The more busy he was, the more error-prone he was. After tidying up, he almost hooked off Surya's coat hanging on the back of the chair.

"You go out." The master interrupted his rambling desperate apology and ordered him to leave the room.Fortunately, Mr. Surya didn't pay attention to the temporary chaos in the room, but paid special attention to the time indicated by the wall clock on the wall.

Before going out, he glanced back cautiously, and saw that Mr. Surya was taking out dazzling treasures one by one from his coat.As an elf, his natural love for wealth made him firmly remember this scene in his mind.These things are obviously blessed by magic to look so charming.

"What do you see."

"Pocket watch, earrings, scrolls, rubies..."

The elf stretched out his slender fingers, gesturing at the appearance of those treasures.He didn't see the end, when the bloody brilliance of the gemstone flashed before his eyes, he heard the muttered whispers from Mr. "The content of the prophecy only indicates that only one of these two children will survive in the end...Why are you so sure that Karna will die?"

But he didn't have time to convey this sentence to the little master.A deep and cold voice made the elf turn his head and look behind him in horror.

"Are you planning to—betray me?"

----

Thin frost covers every extended window sill, as if the magic that can stop time only preserves the youthfulness of the interior of the house, and the exterior is as dilapidated as the neighborhood.Pulsatilla lightly pecked at the ruined rafters, and the afterimage of the burning fire in the room was reflected in the clear pupils, and there was a flickering red dot jumping in the middle, shining more dazzlingly than the flame.

Gilgamesh played with rubies with his fingertips to pass the time, and looked sideways at the statues left in this spacious showroom.Compared with such cumbersome gadgets, Surya seems to be more inclined to collect calligraphy and paintings, so this separate themed showroom has only a few collections, and it looks like an ordinary living room at first glance. .

The little briquettes that flew back after them at some point—the cheap little owl raised by Karna, was snoozing comfortably in the antique bowl worth tens of millions above the fireplace, with its gray-black tail curled up into a cute little tuft.He stretched out his fingertips to stroke the tail feathers of the little briquette, and the owl, who was quite bad-tempered, didn't bother to argue with him at the moment, and reluctantly moved a few inches away.

The same goes for the owl, and so does the tabby cat that I got from somewhere. Every time I see Karna's new pet, Gilgamesh will suspect that this guy has a certain degree of masochistic tendencies.The little briquette he teased several times in a row finally blew up its tail, and when it was about to fight back against this ignorant human being, a burst of pungent smell made it forget what just happened, and flew out of the window in an instant. He bumped into a pulsatilla.

"cough……"

Karna brushed away the billowing smoke from his eyes, and there was a distinct pain from his fingertips, but at this moment he completely ignored the scalded flesh and a string of blisters.The cracked glass ball, or the prophecy ball, rose from the inside of the mica-colored liquid to evaporate acid mist. The pocket watch melted like wax when it was touched, and the collapsed surface peeled off the small parts that sealed the interior.With the release of the confined space inside the pocket watch, the burst of powerful magic almost distorted the ripples of the air.

"It's still very early for you, Karna." In the memory of that bright afternoon, hands wrapped in the warmth of his father's palm.The lake-blue eyes curved happily, "As my child, you are born with the talent of prophecy. The prophecy ball is too dangerous, and there are demons sealed in it... It can be said that, Our job is to exchange information with the devil."

"Reparo!"

After the bright light mist dissipated, the wound on the burnt part was also repaired as before.Karna moved his fingers and thanked his friend standing in front of the door gratefully.Gilgamesh's eyes fell on the shattered glass ball, but he didn't ask anything.Just tap the magic wand to push all the windows open with a "wow", and the freshly blown wind swept away the sour smell left in the room.

"You have to take care of it, Karna." He threw the owl in his hand lightly, "This damn thing has almost exhausted the bottom line of my patience."

Was the pocket watch destroyed?Karna was not sure what effect this had, but indeed Arjuna's judgment was correct. As a close friend with Indra, his father played a subtle role in the whole incident.But he didn't understand why his father sent himself to be raised in an unrelated farmer's house, and after that he dispersed all the servants and followers, living alone in this lonely and empty house.

The cold wind that poured in engulfed the scattered snowflakes, and the snorting sound of the two horses resting in the courtyard could be heard from afar, and further away were the lights scattered in every house like stars.The luxurious building inside is like a shell left after being wormed, or an empty coffin where even the soul has been abandoned, without the slightest warmth.

Under the curtain that falls with the wind, a large portrait of the father is displayed.At this moment, the blurred shadows in memory are drained of all moisture, becoming clear and sharp. "Merry Christmas, Father." He whispered reverently toward the portrait, hoping that this moment would reach a soul that may no longer exist.

"Merry Christmas."

The small gift box wrapped with a ribbon was thrown in front of him, and when he opened it was the pudding from the dessert shop that he saw just passing by. Before Karna could take out the gift he had prepared, he heard the door being knocked out There was a muffled sound.Ozymandis, who emerged from the ruins, is directing the accompanying maid who has conjured up from nowhere to decorate the dining room downstairs. The strong aroma of roasted turkey can be smelled from a distance, and he thinks that Cal An intensely spicy special curry that Na will love.

"...It seems that Mr. Reindeer has arrived." Karna turned his head to look at Gilgamesh who looked worried.Apparently the house was about to have one of the busiest Christmases ever.

-TBC-