ARCHDEUS

THE KEEP CLEAN(1)

It's the night before Alex's homecoming. Liana gracefully sat on the red sofa with a golden frame. He drank the tea with his little finger up. He was in his room. Only he is there but not only he is there.

"How's it?"

Liana spoke with an empty air. However a black silhouette slowly appeared in front of his desk on his knees. The silhouette came from the figure of a black-robed person covering his entire body including his face.

"He'll be here tomorrow afternoon. We are still analyzing his progress. Soon we will report to you the results."

The black-robed man gave a brief report.

He was an assassin who was the type who was very good at sneaking, stealing, or killing quietly. There are several types of assassins such as thief, saber, and reaper.

Liana nonchalantly gave a short order.

"Observe him. If he has anything that would threaten the succession position of the inheritance then report immediately."

"Good Mistress!"

"Go!"

The figure slowly began to fade and disappear in the air. Liana looked at the empty air and she snorted.

"Heh .. a piece of trash is trash."

Liana reckons even if Alex gets good grades in training, she won't threaten Jared's position enough. After all, barracks were very different from the Military Academy.

"Ah .. right, another year Jared will be in the Academy."

Liana smiled brightly. How lucky he was to have a son as talented as Jared who was even able to enter the Military Academy by invitation without selection. He can imagine five years later after Jared graduated, then his potential compared to Alex is like heaven and earth.

"Yes ... Alex, let's see how you're gonna endure it."

Liana grinned and went back to drinking her tea. He was in a good mood not caring about the arrival of the family trash.

***

Alex was finally able to breathe in the scent he had long missed.

The house!

He could finally achieve his dream.

Sleep on!

And he can achieve his wish.

The cake!

"Justin!"

Justin patiently stood beside his master. He still greeted his master with a smile as gracious as possible.

"Justin! The cake!"

As expected.

"Young Master wants cake and tea!"

Justin shouted at the two female servants who were far behind them. Both saluted and went to take what they were told.

These two people were in the garden of the house. The place was spacious and beautiful, many flowers of red, yellow, white, and blue bloomed. Every day this park will always be well taken care of. Alex sat on a chair with a black iron frame and a wooden table with natural motifs. Alex wore his casual clothes, a loose-fitting brown cream-colored robe accompanied by a neatly folded cloth (shadow robes of Greek philosophers).

"Justin!"

"Yeah Young Master?"

Especially!

Justin has to be patient with all of this. As long as his young master was absent, he was ordered as Jared's servant. During that time, he experienced humiliation that he had never experienced before.

[What's wrong with this food? You want to make me vomit?!]

[Bring me my sword!]

[Help me practice! Lift your shield!]

[Damn! Banish my clothes! Take it ... take this]

[Call the ..]

He initially did not realize how lucky he was before. For the first time he was grateful to have a lazy and weak master.  That was why when he finally met his master after being separated by a semester, he almost cried happily. Fortunately as always, Justin knew how to control his dignified face.

"As long as I'm gone, do you shower every day?"

Damnit damnit! It's inspection!

Justin's smile suddenly collapsed.

How could there be a human being who could take a bath every day! I'm not a fish!

Justin couldn't possibly shout at what was on his mind. He can lie, but he doesn't want to. How could a loyal servant like him dare to think about it. But if he tells the truth, he will get a counseling session of two credits.

"Justin?"

Alex was a little impatient with Justin's answer. He had now been quite familiar with the characteristics of this little dog. If he doesn't answer immediately it means he's in a dilemma. Alex's face stiffened.

Justin knew the change in mood of his master. He rushed to his knees and frantically shouted.

"I'm sorry, sir! Forgive this filthy servant! Servant didn't mean to break your orders."

Alex looked at Justin sharply. His voice turned cold and filled with intimidation.

"Then why don't you take a shower?"

"Th-that ...."

I'm lazy, I swear!

Justin didn't say that. Actually besides he was lazy, the number of tasks he got from Jared made him often forget time.

This is not a lie but Justin says it with some seasoning of deep sadness.

"Hmm .. Who told you to do all that work?"

Justin suddenly choked. If he says all this was caused by Jared, doesn't it mean he's like pitting his master. But since the water had spilled, he had to say everything.

"As long as the Young Master is gone, the servant is assigned to Young Master Jared. He travels often and is active in training."

Alex looked in silence before he finally turned his face away from Justin.

"Yeah right, he's a proactive person different from me who is like a buffalo who resignedly slaughtered."

Justin felt as if he had just compared his master to someone else.

No. .. Not that! Yeah you can't compare to someone like him but at least you're more human!

Justin was still kneeling stiffly. His gaze still fell to the ground, he did not dare to look at his master's face at this moment.

"That's it, forget it. I lost my mood, get up! I hope you don't forget to take a shower. If not, I'll bathe you.

"Okay Sir! Thank you so much for your greatness."

Justin stood back up but he was stiffer than ever. It was hard to believe he had managed to escape from this anger of his master. Perhaps this was because the gods helped him escape from this problem.

Not long after, two maidservants arrived presenting several pieces of cake and a cup of tea at the table. Alex starts by cutting a cake full of cream and a strawberry on top. Using a spoon, he began to eat it, piece by piece.

"Hmm .. as expected, sweet is indeed the blessing of God who descended on the earth" said Alex.

"You are right Sir. Sweetness and beauty are blessings of God falling to earth."

"Yeah, but you're still forgetting some."

"What is it, sir?"

"Sleep and sleep are also the pleasures that God gives you."

"...." - ".Justin gave a complicated expression to Alex.

 What-what?!

"Ah .. by the way about boker, my xylospongium stock is out. Can you buy a new one? You can buy it for you too, I'll pay for it."

Justin suddenly stiffened and his face pale. Well, Alex didn't miss that face change. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Don't tell me you are too"

Damnit damnit! Caught!

Before Alex finished his sentence, Justin had already gotten back on his knees and was screaming in despair.

"I'm sorry, sir. Servant disobeys your orders to replace xylospongium every time it is used."

Prak!

Table slammed. This time Alex's patience has reached its limit. He stood up so suddenly that his chair fell. The two service women who were standing behind to the two rushed over and straightened the seats back up.

"Young Master please calm down."

The two women's ministries also knelt following Justin in front of them.

Justin gulped his saliva and his eyes were glued to Alex's furious face. He had never seen Alex anger like this before. Is it just because of an ass cleaner that she's gonna lose her job? Obviously he wouldn't let that happen!

"My gentlemen, please forgive me servant."

"SILENCE!"

"!!!"

The deep voice was so terrible that Justin and the two female servants' bodies were goosebumps. Justin was cold, he could no longer hide the fear on his face. His eyes trembled and his mouth tried to let out a voice pleading for the generosity of his master. But the atmosphere and pressure he received from Alex made his mouth dry and could not make a single sound.

"Are you that dirty?"

Alex could not help but give a look of disdain. If it was anyone else then Alex wouldn't have forced it. But one who has been under his wing must obey his words and views.

"Justin, I'm disappointed."

Justin closed his eyes with sadness. He had never imagined a mere butt cleaning being able to make his credibility crumble in the eyes of his master.

Fucking xylospongium!

Justin cursed whoever he was who created this nasty ass cleaner.

"Tell Justin, are you so brave to appear before me with the filth attached to your body? Are you so brave to give me a cake with your dirty body? Do you think I'm that low?"

Justin's body seemed to shrink in fear when he heard that. He had never thought about it before but he did not dare to say that he was a clean person (physically speaking).

"N-no, my lord."

Although Justin's voice was hoarse and his eyes were teary, Alex showed absolutely no easing of his emotions. His anger still overflows.

Don't you ever think why you can stay by my side? Did you never think why I always stayed away from other servants, my brothers, my father, and even my mother? Don't you think the reason I ordered the chef to wash his hands every time I made food for him? Of course because they're dirty! 

You could say in this house, no! Even throughout this world (Midgard), only Justin is able to be so close to the Almighty. Alex could not think of how brave and ungrateful this fellow was to him.

"Justin, follow me."

Alex leaves without seeing Justin and the two maids. He with a haughty look walked away from them.

Justin stood up and followed Justin from behind but unlike his usual days, he kept a longer distance from Alex. Justin's premonition continued to shout that this was something bad but for the sake of calming his master, he still obeyed what he was told. As for Alex, he was thinking of imparting discipline to this mischievous underworld.

What is the punishment? I smell hmm ..the aroma is delicious. What yaa??