Demons’ Den

Melas: Book Three

By MelasD

Table of Contents

Contents

By MelasD

Table of Contents

Disclaimer

Part One: Sanctuary

Chapter 1: Voyage

Chapter 2: Stormy Seas

Chapter 3: Course of Action

Chapter 4: Jahar’taw

Chapter 5: Sanctuary

Chapter 6: Moving Forward

Chapter 7: Adrian V – Summer Vacation

Chapter 8: Adrian VI – Business

Chapter 9: Adrian VII – Curse

Chapter 10: Adrian VIII – Heresy

Chapter 11: Doing What You Do Best

Chapter 12: Mountain Village

Chapter 13: Springs of Recovery

Chapter 14: Estia – Demon

Chapter 15: Estia II – War

Part Two: Demon

Chapter 16: Elara

Chapter 17: Library of Taw

Chapter 18: Bunker

Chapter 19: Dark Meeting

Chapter 20: Problems After Problems

Chapter 21: Party

Chapter 22: Over

Chapter 23: MTC

Chapter 24: Mines

Chapter 25: Triple Threat

Chapter 26: Estia III – Motivation

Part Three: Escalation

Chapter 27: Inventions

Chapter 28: The Stand

Chapter 29: Vengeance

Chapter 30: Vulnerable

Chapter 31: A Witch’s Offer

Chapter 32: De-Escalation

Chapter 33: Chaos and Destruction

Chapter 34: Family

Chapter 35: Estia IV – The Cult

Chapter 36: A New Abode

Chapter 37: Introducing Yourself

Chapter 38: Confrontation

Chapter 39: Might is Right

Chapter 40: Estia V – Imbecile

Chapter 41: Friends Again

Chapter 42: Another Offer

Chapter 43: Estia VI – Failure

Chapter 44: Adrian IX – Change

Chapter 45: Interlude VI – The Calm and the Storm

Author’s Note:

Read More

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2021 MelasD / V.A. Lewis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form possible without permission from the author or publisher. For permissions, contact the author or publisher through email at delta201@melaswebserial.com

Cover art version by Tsuurot Artistry

https://melaswebserial.com/

To hear news about my books and Melas stuff, subscribe to my newsletter here: https://melasdnewsletter.ck.page/

Part One: Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Chapter 1: Voyage

The air was cool. It was not a freezing temperature just yet, although Ginah found it to be rather cold for her taste. Growing up in a tropical climate had her accustomed to warm weather all year round. And if it wasn’t warm, it was raining.

Right now it was neither. And because of that, Ginah wished she was below deck drinking a warm cup of tea. It was still spring in the Taw Kingdom— it was going to be summer soon, and Ginah was glad for it. If they had arrived in the Dwarven country in the middle of winter, Ginah was certain she would not be able to even be outside right now.

The pirate Captain buttoned up her coat with a sigh. I need to buy warmer clothes, the mundane thought crossed her mind as she cast her gaze towards the horizon. It was morning. The sun was just rising, and its light was glimmering off the distant waters.

Ginah was just beginning to contemplate going and getting another layer of clothing when footsteps approached her from behind. She turned around, and greeted the Dwarf.

“Gennady, you’re awake early,” she said, nodding at him.

“‘Course,” he snorted. He held out a bundle of cloth to her, which she accepted gratefully. “Here ya go.”

“Oh, thank you.”

He grunted in affirmation, before following her gaze along the ocean waters. “We’re getting pretty close to Jahar’taw. Haven’t been there in years.”

“Never been there,” Ginah remarked. “What’s it like?”

“Too cold for ya Humans,” he said, shaking his head. “And it’s cramped, imposing, and ya don’t ever feel like ya have personal space there.”

“Doesn’t sound very welcoming.”

“It’s not,” the Dwarf sighed, leaning on the wooden railing. “But it’s my home.”

Ginah simply nodded at that. She wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. Despite having known him for a while now, she never really got to know him proper. It was not because either of them actively avoided each other— Gennady seemed rather sociable, and Ginah wasn’t averse to interacting with others either.

It was just that the two of them only spoke to each other about important things. And they had gotten into arguments before, back when Ginah wanted to abandon Melas to the Church. But that was all in the past now. So the two just stood there in silence.

The deck of the ship slowly began to fill up as crew members began to wake up and go about their duties. Most of those in her crew— the most elite fighters who had been with her since the beginning— followed her in this trip. Still only two dozen joined her; compared to the hundreds she had been in charge of back in Luke, this was a small amount.

But most of them had been noncombatants. They didn’t want to leave their city. That was where they had been born. Even for Ginah, it had not been a simple decision to make. It was not easy to simply get up and leave your home. Only the most daring of them did. Like Sevin. He was not a fighter, but he had nothing left for him in Luke. So he came with them.

Ginah didn’t see Sevin milling about above deck. He was either still asleep, or down below working on his tinkering skills. Not that he was needed to help keep the ship afloat. Perhaps he might have been able to work the mana cannons. But that was not necessary— Elda was very much capable of handling it herself.

So the pirate Captain continued steering the ship with the helm as the current started to pick up. The waves turned choppy, as some storm clouds began to form heavenward. It was not unexpected. The winds and weather could change anytime at sea.

Ginah simply prepared for it. Nothing bad would happen. She was used to dealing with this. She called out to the others above— those like Lisa who were simply basking in the sun— to go down below. Then she turned to Gennady.

“Do you know where Melas is?” she asked.

“No clue,” he said, shrugging. “Probably below deck— sleeping, studying, or practicing her magic.”

“It’s probably better for you to go down below. Check on her— make sure she doesn’t go up and accidentally slip and fall off the ship.”

The Dwarf nodded and started down the stairs, almost stumbling and falling as the waves whipped at the ship. He caught himself, and went down slower. Ginah turned her attention back to captaining the ship.

They had not run into too many sea Monsters in this voyage, which was actually very fortunate. Ginah would have thought there would have been more incidents considering the current season, but apparently the Monsters just weren’t very active this year.

Or maybe it was just luck. And if it was, Ginah knew luck didn’t last forever. So she had to be cautious— in case they got attacked.

—--

Gennady heard the patter of the rain fade away as he went below deck. His heavy footsteps drew the attention of Lisa who was standing in the hallway, talking to Jack. Lisa waved at him, and Jack just grunted.

“Lisa, how are ya doing. Jack, good to see you’re still in a terrible mood like always.”

“Shut it, Dwarf.” The man scowled, folding his arms. “I’m not in the mood for your yapping today.”

“When are you ever in the mood to talk to me?” Gennady rolled his eyes. Jack scowled even harder, but before he could respond, Lisa stepped in front of him.

“Gennady— how’s my favorite Dwarf doing?” She smiled, offering the Dwarf a hand. “Well, you’re the only Dwarf I know. But still, that’s factually correct, right?”

“Hah!” He accepted the hand, and patted her on the back. “I like you, Lisa,” he said, grinning. “Even if you’re just being friendly with me for my contacts.”

The young woman waved her hand dismissively. “What? No— come on, Gennady. You’re so much fun to be around! Especially when you irritate that grouch over there.”

“Whose side are you even on, Lisa?” Jack asked, sighing.

“No one’s,” she said, backing away from the both of them. “Whoever can get me the most money in the moment, actually. Which makes it anyone.”

Gennady chortled and Jack just buried his face in his palm. When he was done laughing, the Dwarf turned to Lisa and asked her, “Do you know where Melas is at?”

“Melas?” The two exchanged a glance. “Nope,” Lisa said, shrugging. “Haven’t seen her all day.”

“I see.” He rubbed his chin as he thought of where she could be.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.” Gennady shook his head and started past them. “Just wanted to tell her to avoid going outside. It’s raining, and we don’t want her to be thrown off board by the wind.”

This time, it was Lisa who rolled her eyes. “Oh please. She may be a child, but she isn’t that small.”

“Gotta make sure, y’know?”

“Well, why not check her room?” she asked. “That’s where she usually holes herself up when she isn’t outside.”

“Right, I’ll go check. Thanks.”

Gennady waved the two goodbye and continued down the hallway. He passed by an open door and stopped as he spotted Sevin. The young man was sitting on a cloth blanket, and was inspecting a small device he had made. He sighed, and placed it down on the ground—

And its mana crystal fell off, and rolled out the door. Sevin yelped as he jumped up to get it, but caught himself when he saw Gennady standing by the doorway. The Dwarf picked up the Lesser mana crystal and held it out to him.

“What are ya doing, lad?”

“Me?” He accepted it gratefully as Gennady cocked a brow. “I was just working on this thing. It’s like a lamp, but not actually a lamp since it concentrates the light in a single spot. I was thinking it would be good for exploring caves and stuff y’know? I had that thought when we were staying at that cove… a lamp shines a lot of light, but when you’re trying to find—”

Gennady cut him off with a wave of his hand. “That’s not what I’m asking you, lad.” He pointed at the mana tool on the ground, then at the mana crystal. “What are you doing trying to work on it during a storm? You’ll mess up its runes!”

“What? Oh—” Sevin sputtered out an excuse before the Dwarf just smacked lightly on the back.

“Save your words, Sevin. Just make sure to be careful with your mana tools. Especially when it’s still a work in progress— that’s when they’re the most fragile.”

“Yes Master Gennady.”

The Dwarf nodded, content with his answer and with being addressed with the proper respect he deserved. Melas refused to call him that— she just couldn’t properly acknowledge him as an expert in his craft, despite knowing that he was one. Probably due to the poor introduction the two had when they first met. Speaking of…

“Have ya seen Melas?”

“Melas?” Sevin paused, frowning. “I don't think I have. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, lad,” Gennady snorted. “Why does everyone think something’s wrong just because I’m looking for her?”

The young man scratched the back of his head. “Uh, I don’t know—”

“That’s a rhetorical question,”  the Dwarf interrupted him, shaking his head. “I’ll just go find her.” He started back away from the door, then stopped right as he remembered something. With one last comment, he turned around. “And don’t use Dwarven speak, lad. Saying ‘y’know’ as if you’ve used it all your life. You’ll just sound weird to us Dwarves.”

“Oh, uh, right.”

Then Gennady left the room.

It was shortly after when he reached Melas’s room. He banged on the door a few times, calling for her to no avail. He pushed on it lightly, and as expected it opened up without resistance. So she’s not in her room, huh?

He stood there, stumped, running his fingers through his beard. He was just about to turn around and start loudly calling her name as he walked down the hallway when he caught sight of Elda.

The female pirate was just turning round the corner. Gennady did not know her well, per se. But she knew Melas— even if just barely, considering they had gone on raids together again the Elise back in Luke. It didn’t hurt to try asking, so he called out to her.

“Hey Elda!” he said, strutting up to her. “Do you know where Melas is? She isn’t in her room.”

“Melas?” She cocked her head.

He quickly explained. “Yeah, just wanted to tell her to stay indoors. There’s a storm brewing, and I don’t want her to accidentally go outside.”

“I really don’t think that’ll be a problem,” she said, scratching the side of her head. “But if you really want to know, she’s in…” And she told him.

Gennady smacked his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of checking there?”

—--

I sat in the lunchroom, gobbling down on the plate in front of me. Well, I had been gobbling it down. That was until the ship began to rock and sway as the weather outside took a turn for the worst.

Despite having been on sea for a while now, I still wasn’t completely immune to getting sea sick; I could survive the choppy waters of a thunderstorm as long as I didn’t do anything too physically exerting or… eating.

So now I was sick. Sea sick. And I was struggling to eat.

It wasn’t enough to completely deter me from having my meal. I was hungry— I had stayed up all night and had little to eat the night before. So I was going to eat my lunch. I grabbed a bucket, just as a precaution, and returned to my meal, slowly trying to scoop up the rest of it into my mouth.

I took a bite, and a loud noise startled me out of my seat.

“There you are, Melas!” Gennady bellowed as he entered the room.

I felt the half eaten part of my meal jerk in my stomach, and clasped it tightly, stopping myself from puking. I turned and glared at him. “Don’t yell at me!”

“Sorry,” he said, walking up to me. “I was just looking for you.”

Sighing, I wiped my mouth before quickly taking another bite out of my lunch. “What did you need me for?” I asked, feeling my forehead crease.

“Nothing.” He looked at me straight faced. “Just wanted to tell ya to stay indoors cuz it’s raining.”

“Is that it?” I raised an eyebrow as I gulped down a swig of water. I lowered the glass back down as he nodded. “You don’t have to tell me that. I could tell.” I gestured at the room as it rocked.

“Just wanted to make sure you knew,” he said, reaching to smack me on the back. “I’m your bodyguard after all.”

I tried to dodge, but I was sluggish from motion sickness; his palms struck my back, and I scowled. “Is that all?” I asked. “If that’s all, can I return to my meal in peace?”

“Go ahead and eat, I won’t bother you.”

Or so he said, but he simply grabbed a drink and took a seat next to me. Resigning myself to his company, I resumed eating my meal. Gennady quickly downed his ale and slammed the cup down on the wooden table.

“So,” he started, turning to me with his foam covered beard, “how has your tinkering been progressing? Made anything good lately?”

“Other than simple tools? Nope.” I had been practicing magic. I had even learned a new spell— I realized that I had been neglecting my Thaumaturgy, which was the most varied school of magic I knew, so I had been using my knowledge of tinkering to aid me in it. It had worked out rather well if I had to say so myself.

“C’mon lass, is that really all you’ve done all this time?” Gennady shook his head and leaned his back on the table. “You’re making me look bad as your teacher”

I took another bite. “I have an idea— a design for a weapon— sketched out. But it requires delicate and fine precision, which I can’t do in this ship with all this swaying.”

“You’ve got to learn to keep your hands steady,” he said simply. “Not when there’s a storm like this. I don’t expect you to be able to continue your work through an earthquake like me. But on a normal day with some minor shaking? You can do it, lass. Sevin certainly has learned how.”

“That’s not the problem,” I sighed. I pointed a thumb at the bucket next to me. “Focusing my eyes on a steady object makes me nauseous.”

“Oh.” He paused, folding his arms. “Yeah, can’t help you with that.”

“Didn’t think so.” I dug my fork into the last of the fish and scooped it all into my mouth. Finishing my meal, I unsteadily stood up and turned to the Dwarf. “So, are we anywhere near the Taw Kingdom yet?”

“We’re pretty much in their waters by now,” he said. “But if you mean close to Jahar’taw? We’ve still got a little bit more to go before we reach there.”

“Think we need to make any more stops in any ports?” I asked, giving up and slumping back down to my seat.

“Not unless it’s completely necessary.”

Nodding, I glanced up to the ceiling and exhaled deeply. “That’s good.”

Gennady smiled and placed one hand on my shoulder. “Don’t need to worry so much, lass,” he said reassuringly. “We’re almost there. It’s the final stretch.”

“I know.” I looked over to him with a sidelong glance. “I just hope nothing goes wrong. Things just…” I trailed off.

Memories flashed in my mind. Everything that ever seemed to be going right always went wrong for me. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world; I was still alive. But still— when I had thought I could actually be friends with Rin, Shang, and the other Beastkin, I was rejected by them. And when I thought I found a home in the Dark Crusaders, I finally saw through Victor’s manipulation and that he was actually a monster.

I wanted to be comfortable with Ginah’s Crew. They had helped me defeat Saintess Lilith who had been trying to capture me to the Holy Xan Empire after all. But this almost seemed like the high before the fall— where things in a story, after going right for a while, would start to fall apart.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. This is not a story, Melas, I told myself. This is real life. Stop being so paranoid. I did not make a very convincing argument to myself, but luckily for me, Gennady was there.

“Just because things always go wrong, doesn’t mean they always will,” he opined. “I know you’ve been through terrible things, Melas. But if you keep looking for something dark to happen, eventually you’ll be right, and that won’t make you happy. However, if you choose to look for a brighter future, you’ll also eventually be right, but it’ll make you happy.”

I paused, considering this. Then I scoffed. “Is that really your advice?” I asked, staring at him. “I had expected someone as old as you would be able to give me better wisdom than that.”

“Hey.” He put his hands up defensively. “I’m smart, not wise. You’re expecting the wrong thing from me, lass.”

“What if I don’t think you’re either?”

“Oh is that how it is?” Gennady crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Then I guess I won’t be teaching you any more tinkering.”

He glared at me, and I stared back defiantly at him. This lasted a moment, before we both broke out into a laugh.

“Who am I kidding,” he said, standing up to grab another drink. “I couldn’t not teach you even if I wanted to. You don’t have the most talent, but you’re dedicated, I’ll give ya that.”

“Thanks.” I grinned. “Now let me pay you back by teaching you how to be less of an alcoholic.”

“Only by your standards as a Human! An alcoholic for a Dwarf is someone who drinks himself to death!”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Only if you die.” He took a large swig from his newly produced mug of ale. “And as you can see, I’m still very much alive.”

He chortled at his own joke, and I giggled too. I felt my face soften and my body relax a bit; the tension wasn’t completely gone, and somewhere in the back of my head the worries remained, but I was feeling better now.

As much as gibed him for giving me that obvious advice, it actually helped. He was right: it was easy to lose track of the good things and focus only on the bad. So instead, I focused on the good right in front of me.

Gennady finished his drink once again, and placed it on the table. The boat rocked, almost causing the plates and the cups to fall off. We barely caught it in time, stopping a minor accident from happening.

“That was close,” I said, wiping at my brow. “Ginah would’ve scolded us for that.”

“Yeah,” he concurred. “It’s quite a bad storm this time, huh?”

I felt my stomach wretched as the boat jerked once again, but with a few deep breaths I managed to make the feeling go away. “I hope it ends soon— in fact, I hope we reach land soon. I can’t wait to walk on solid ground.”

The Dwarf nodded. “Honestly, other than the constant storms, I’m surprised with how smooth our voyage has been.”

I paused, turning to him as he continued. Is he…?

“I’ve taken a few boat trips between Taw and Laxis before y’know. I’ve even gone further past Laxis, and never once have I been on one where no Monsters attacked the ship during this season.”

Narrowing my eyes, I felt my mouth open.

“So even with the storms, at least there haven’t been any Monster attacks, right?”

No—

I was too late. The ship rocked once again, but this time everything tilted. The tables and chairs slid to the side, knocking over the plates and mugs we had just saved. I stumbled, barely catching myself from falling as Gennady fell over.

“What was that?” he asked, turning to me. But I did not respond.

Instead, we heard yells coming from the hallway. People were shouting and running around in a panic. Gennady and I hurried to the noise, and we found Elda shouting at the other crew members as they frantically scrambled past her.

“What’s going on?”

“Monster attack!” she yelled at us, as the ship was rocked once more. There were more shouts, and Elda ran up the stairs to the above deck.

Gennady was just about to follow her but he stopped. I grabbed him by the arm and he turned to face me. Meeting his gaze, I spoke slowly.

“You just had to [jinx] us, didn’t you?”

“...what?”

I ignored his confused questions and rushed after Elda and the others up the stairway, up into the heavy downpour up above.

Chapter 2: Stormy Seas

My feet flew up the steps of the stairs before I finally reached the doorway at the end. I shoved the wooden door open and burst out into the deck of the ship. The clamoring of the pirates was nearly drowned out by the heavy fall of rain on the ship. There was a crack of thunder as the boat rocked, nearly knocking me off balance.

“You alright?” Gennady caught me, stopping me from falling and steadying me.

“I’m fine,” I said, grasping his arm with my right hand. “Come on, we’ve got to help them.”

My Dwarven companion nodded, and the two of us ran past the scurrying pirates in search of Ginah. I managed to pick out a few voices and yells as we waded our way through the storm and chaos.

“Man the cannons!”

“Where is it? I don’t see—”

“Just be prepared to fire you fools!”

“It was a Cephalo—”

We ran up to the captain’s deck of the ship, where Ginah was working the helm through the rough sea. She had one hand on her Energy Whip, with the other steering the ship. She turned as we approached.

“It’s a Monster attack,” she said, gripping her weapon ever-so-slightly harder. “A big one.”

“What do you think it is?” Gennady hurriedly asked, pulling out an array of his mana weapons. He held a ball shaped item up, paused and glanced around at the rain, then pocketed it quickly. “Don’t want to electrocute everyone here,” he muttered under his breath.

“I think it’s a Cephalonx,” Ginah replied, casting her gaze to the sea. Our ship rocked as a large wave struck its hull. “We have to be careful. If it decides to attach itself to the bottom of the boat, it could bring us all down.”

“Then we just have to take it down before it does.” Gennady held up a spear gun with a mana crystal attached just below the tip. He whirled around to leave but I stopped him.

“What’s a Cephalonx?” I asked, frowning.

“It’s a giant squid,” he said, spreading his arms out wide. “An A Ranked threat in my book—”

“I still don’t know what that is!”

“It’s strong. That’s all you need to know.” Genndy paused, as if remembering something. “And watch out for its tentacles. They’re barbed with poison. It’s not the most deadly one out there, but if you get cut by it too much, you probably won’t be able to help out.”

Hearing that, I nodded and followed after him as he rushed over to the bulwark of the ship. The rain came down at me like a veil, pushing me back as I held on tight to the wooden bannister. Gennady didn’t need to do that— he was far more sturdier than me. He simply leaned over and assessed the damage to the ship.

So far, it was only superficial damage. And looking at it, I thought that this Cephalonx must have dragged its tentacles across the hull, scratching the wooden surface. I saw a shadow move in parallel to the boat and pointed.

“There!”

A spear made out of ice was conjured from the water vapor and raindrops in the air. It shot forwards at the shadow, leaving behind a trail of thin white mist where it went. Just as the Frost Javelin broke the water surface, the shadow disappeared and my spell hit nothing.

“Damned it!” Gennady lowered his weapon and whirled around. “It went under the ship. We need to draw it back up!”

“How do we do that?” I turned to face him.

“We need something that can hit it under the water— I can’t use my Shock Orb. The chain of lightning it creates is too risky in this weather. It could still hit one of us.”

I paused, mentally going through the spells I had. “Would a Lightning Strike work?” I asked, gesturing at the sky. “Think it’ll draw out the Cephalonx?”

The entire boat shook as it sounded like something impacted it from down below. I heard more yells and screams— Jack was here now too, and he had his short swords drawn. But he couldn’t help either. I looked at Gennady as his brows creased.

“I… I’m not sure. Maybe if it’s close enough to the surface—”

“We’ll just have to try then,” I interrupted him and raised my staff up to the sky. I felt the mana pulsing through the air; magic was the manipulation of reality, but if the conditions of reality were just right, it could make my spells more powerful.

Lightning crashed down from the sky, breaking into the water surface. Electricity spread through the sea around the boat, and it zapped every living thing within it. I waited for the boat to shake once again as the Cephalonx detached itself from the ship— or at least, recoiled in pain. But nothing happened.

Gennady put a hand out. “It must have pushed away from the ship just now. Just before you did that. You need to time it right. The next time it tries to attack the ship from below, summon another Lightning Strike.”

“Got it.” I lightly brushed at the mana in the sky and the air, holding onto it like it was a holstered revolver, but not drawing it just yet. I waited, and when I felt the ship shake once again—

“Now!” he exclaimed.

I drew the mana. I cast the spell. And bang.

A flash filled the air and ringing filled my ears. The water sizzled with lightning for just a moment, with wisps of smoke rising from the sea surface. When suddenly a shadowed figure quickly approached and broke out of the ocean.

The Cephalonx came rushing at the ship, its ink black eyes filled with rage as its long green tentacles ripped at the wooden hull. It was about the size of our ship, and it nearly toppled the ship over with the attack. My butt found the floor as the ship rocked back. I glanced up as I heard more shouts. Elda was screaming for the cannons to be aimed and fired at it.

Somehow, for whatever reason, the eyes of the Monster focused on me; it apparently knew that I was the one who cast the spell. All of its tentacles flared up behind it— all twelve of the tentacles. Twelvetecles?

Whatever they were, they were dangerous, and they lashed out in my direction. I tensed, preparing a barrier to protect me. But before any of them could read me, Gennady shot his spear gun straight at the Cephalonx’s triangular head.

The tip of the spear barely pierced the giant twelve limbed Monster. Normally, such an attack would have done nothing. And it did do nothing— by itself.

The mana crystal on the spear flashed. A brilliant red glow filled my vision for a moment, before a combustion of flames engulfed half of the Celphalonx’s face as the spear came flying back into Gennady’s weapon by the rope it was attached to. The flames burned at its skin, slowly making its way down the rest of its body.

It reeled back, trying to extinguish the flames with its tentacles. But all that did was burn its long spiked limbs as well. It emitted a high pitched screech in pain, forcing me to cover my ears as it ducked back into the water.

I sent spells after it. Two Frost Javelins and a few Magic Missiles managed to strike it before it fully submerged itself, but it was still alive. I ran up to see where it went— to see if it was fleeing— but Gennady pulled me back.

“Be careful, lass,” he said, grasping my arm. “It’ll probably come back any moment. Cephalonx’s are vindictive. They won’t stop until they catch their prey. And this one was only trying to put out the flames. Too bad it won’t work.”

“What do you mean it won’t work? Isn’t it underwater right now?”

“It is, but that won’t help. That fire will burn you even if you jump into the ocean. It’s my sea Monster specialty weapon.” The Dwarf proudly gestured at the spear gun. The glow in its mana crystals was out though, and he quickly dug into his pocket. “Just have to change these—”

Before he could finish, the water next to the boat shot up as the Cephalonxreturned with a vengeance. It was still on fire; in fact, more of its body was lit ablaze now. And that only made it burn with more anger. It brought one of its tentacles down at us, and we both barely jumped out of the way.

It was not done with just that. The tentacle did not recede back into its body. Instead, it swept at us as we were getting up.Gennady reached for another gadget at his side, but I was faster. I pointed at the incoming tentacle and the air rippled. A Wind Blade shot out at the giant tentacle just as it was about to hit us, severing it and leaving a part of it on the deck of the ship.

I was just about to sigh in relief when I noticed a shadow come over me. I glanced back up and saw a tentacle looming over me. I readied another Wind Blade and—

The ship rocked and my stomach lurched. And that was just enough to make me lose concentration for just a moment. A moment that let the Centalonx strike me. I braced myself for the inevitable strike and poisoning, but blinked as the tentacle was sliced in two.

Jack stood in front of me, his dual short swords gleaming as lightning flashed in the distance. The former smuggler brandished his blades, before jumping on to the bulwark of the ship and leaping at more tentacles as they came for the ship. He swung his blade, and more bits of tentacle rained down.

That was enough to attract the Cephalonx’s attention. It cast its gaze at him, and as it did, a voice resounded behind me

“Fire!”

There was a series of loud explosions as the mana cannons loosed large blue bolts of energy at the Monster. The blasts made it stagger and splash in the water, flailing its tentacles in a frenzy as it was struck by more explosions.

Gennady’s fire continued to burn at it, but at this point that was more of a nuisance than anything. The Cephalonx turned its head in the direction of Elda and the other pirates standing by the cannons. A hole in the side of its face opened up— the siphon aimed in their direction— and an orb of noxious liquid shot out at them.

I sent a Fireball to intercept the liquid— whatever it was— and it exploded midair. But before I could even prepare another spell, the Cephalonx shot out another orb. And another. And another.

Elda and the pirates scrambled out of the way of the attack as it spattered on the wooden deck of the ship. Immediately, the floorboards began to sizzle, slowly being eaten away by whatever acid that was it had produced. If that had hit them— it probably wouldn’t have killed them right away. Probably horrifically scarred if they didn’t get a healing potion on them soon. Which was still a terrible thing, but otherwise they would survive.

Either way, the Cephalonx missed its attacks as Elda continued dodging and jumping around the ship. It opened its siphon once again, but this time she was faster. She instantly produced three throwing daggers on her hand and snapped it into the hole on the side of its face.

Again it screeched, and in that moment I unleashed a Burst Cyclone onto its burning face. The wind exploded and cut at it, tearing into its skin and spreading the flames even further around its body. But it was still alive.

“What is that thing made out of?” I asked in disbelief.

It struck at the ship once again, further angered by all the damage it had taken. But it wasn’t even slowing. Jack sliced up all the tentacles that came close to the ship while Elda flung more daggers to keep the rest back. I turned to Gennady.

“You’re the expert— how do we take that thing down?”

The Dwarf and veteran Hunter hesitated. He chewed at his beard as he spoke slowly. “I told you lass, it’s an A Ranked threat. If we keep at it, it’ll eventually die. But the damage it’ll do to the ship…”

I had been practicing my Thaumaturgy, but none of the spells I had been learning were ready yet. I could try to use them but… it was too risky. Right now, the only thing keeping it distracted was me. I grit my teeth in frustration as I sent more Frost Javelins at the Cephalonx. “Don’t you have anything in that bag of yours that can take it out?”

“My Annihilation cannon still hasn’t gotten a replacement Greater mana crystal for it after the last time you used it— other than that, there’s the Draught Sword which isn’t useful unless we get up close to it, and the Shock Orb is too dangerous…” The Dwarf’s eyes widened. “Actually, I have an idea.”

“You do?”

“Just distract it for me. I’ll take care of it, trust me.”

“Are you sure?” I narrowed my eyes.

“‘Course.” He snorted, pointing a thumb at himself. “I’m a Hunter. I’m used to taking down Monsters in dangerous situations.”

I hesitated, glancing between my friend and the Cephalonx. Then I nodded. “I trust you. I’ll distract it.”

“Alright— and try to draw it to use its acid!”

I made a noise in affirmation, then I ran away from Gennady, towards the center of the ship as glowing balls of light came into existence above me. The Explosive Orbs hovered in circles around my head, before they flew in the direction of the squid-like Monster. They flashed, detonating on impact and turning its attention to me.

I paused, and with a hand tightly on my hat, I aimed my staff at it. The mana in the air coalesced around my staff, as the spell circle came to form. The Cephalonx’s eyes flickered, noticing the spell. Lightning Strike. It was wary of it, and it somehow knew I was casting it.

Its tentacles bounded at me, but Jack intercepted them. He stopped them from reaching me, and I nodded to him. Electricity crackled in the heavens, and a lightning bolt came crashing down at it.

The Cephalonx’s entire body jolted from the attack, stopping it momentarily. But as I prepared to cast the spell again— slower this time, as I felt exhaustion slowly set it alongside the nausea from fighting in a shaking ship— it broke free from its paralysis.

It drew its limbs back, facing me with its hate-filled face. Its siphon opened up, preparing to launch its globule of acid at me—

“Gotcha!”

Gennady ran forward and tossed three palm sized glowing balls into the opening. Distance was never an issue in my mind; I knew the Dwarf was physically strong— it was a given with the size of his arms. But accuracy? I never expected him to throw them as precisely as Elda was with her daggers.

The Shock Orbs entered the siphon without an issue, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then the Cephalonx drew its head back as if it was choking on something, before there was a flash of light from within.

The Monster tossed and turned with its body, before it was seized up by an invisible grip. Then it began to vibrate violently as smoke poured out from its siphon, until eventually, it stopped.

It did not move. It didn’t even react to the flames on its body anymore. The mana cannons that hadn’t stopped firing at it finally stopped, the pirates manning it realizing that the Cephalonx was dead. Its insides burned and electrocuted by Gennady’s Shock Orbs. And we watched as the Monster’s body sunk to the bottom of the ocean, still burning, as we sailed away from it.

I wanted to sigh in relief; my shoulders sagged as the immediate danger was finally gone. Then Gennady called out to me as he approached me from behind.

“Did ya see that lass? I have a pretty good arm eh?”

He brought a hand up and my eyes widened. I brought a hand up and tried to take a step back.

“No, don’t—”

But it was too late. Gennady smacked me in the back.

And my lunch came hurling out.

“...that’s the second time you’ve puked in front of me. Maybe you should stop eating so much.”

“Shut up.”

“As a Hunter, you’ve got to think outside of the box. Use your tools in unconventional ways. That’s the only way you can succeed as well as one. Monsters— those as dangerous as the Cephalonx— typically are built so you can’t just brute force them. Not unless you have some high grade mana tools… or a Tier 5 or 6 spell in your case.”

I took a sip of water and sighed. I was still slightly sick even after emptying my stomach, and the storm wasn’t letting up just yet, so I didn’t want to make myself feel worse. I turned to the Dwarf, biting back my usual quip about how the Tiers system wasn’t really used by most experts in magic, and shook my head.

“I don’t know any of these ‘Tier 5’ spells. I’m trying to learn one right now, which I think might be equal to a traditional Tier 5 spell. However, creating a spell from scratch— well, not really from scratch, I know roughly the feeling of what I want thanks to using your Annihilation cannon. But I can’t exactly just copy it, so I’m trying to create a weaker version of that Annihilation spell, and it’s just hard.”

I closed my eyes, thinking of the amount of time I had spent up above deck and pointing a finger at the sky with both no results, or bad results. I continued.

“But the strongest spells I know aren’t at that level yet. So that was all I could use at the moment.”

Gennady scratched his bearded chin. “Certainly, the spells you can currently cast are indeed powerful. A Fireball is kind of murky in what it is— some people believe it’s a high Tier 3 spell, while others argue it’s a low Tier 4 spell. But the others? Lightning Strike, Frost Javelin, and Burst Cyclone— even if it’s a spell you made yourself— are all Tier 4. Unfortunately, none of them were able to fully pierce through the Cephalonx’s thick skin.”

“I realized,” I said, leaning my elbow on the table and resting my chin on my palm. “What was I supposed to do?”

“Use your head more, Melas.” He tapped at his temple. “Think of creative ways to combat Monsters. That’s what Hunters do. It’s not like fighting people— they are unpredictable. But Monsters? They’re Monsters for a reason. Sure, some of them are smart and actually capable of thought. But most of them will always fall into some pattern you can exploit.”

I tried to work my head; my mind thought of the various other things I could have done differently in the fight. But perhaps it was because I was still sea sick, my brain produced nothing of value. “Why do I have to learn this, anyway? Do you think I’ll still be a Hunter once I’m in Jahar’taw?”

The Dwarf raised his burly shoulders in a shrug. “Dunno,” he said. “But like you would say— better to be safe than sorry.”

“Right, right.” I rolled my eyes, and relaxed my posture even further. I wanted to just lie down and sleep; I was tired from the fight. However, just as I was about to do just that, someone else entered the cafeteria.

Lisa walked in as I stood up. The young woman was wearing clean, white clothing. She wasn’t like me, who was now dressed in my ragged leather armor since my purple robes and cape were drenched in rain. She hadn’t taken part in the fight, since she was a noncombatant. However, her blonde hair was slightly ruffled from being thrown around as the boat was rocked from the battle.

“There you are— are you two busy?” she asked, cocking her head.

“Gennady was just trying to go over the battle we had earlier. To help me improve. But we’re done now, and I was just about to head to bed.” I waved my arm in the general direction of my room, too tired to even gesticulate properly.

“Well, you might want to put that off for just a moment,” she said. She looked over at Gennady and winked at him. The Dwarf blinked.

“Oh, are we already— and the storm has passed?”

“It just did.” Lisa turned around to leave. “Come on, Melas.”

I glanced between the two of them, confused. But Gennady just ushered me forwards. “It’ll be your first time. You don’t want to miss it.”

“Hey!” Lisa said, walking just ahead of us. “It’s my first time too!”

He snorted. “But you’ve probably seen pictures. Melas hasn’t.”

“Fair enough.”

“What are you two talking about?” I asked, holding in a yawn from coming out. I weakly tugged my arm back from the Dwarf’s light grip. “Can’t this wait till later?”

“Probably. But we’ll have to wait until we’re passing by another port. And that’ll require more waiting.”

I just looked at him in confusion, before giving up. My brain wasn’t fully working at the moment, and I couldn’t be bothered trying to parse whatever Gennady and Lisa were skirting around.

“Fine,” I sighed.

The two led me up the stairway, back above deck. However, when the door was flung open, I was not met with the dark, cloudy skies of before. Instead, it was a clear, blue dome that hung overhead.

I covered my eyes for a moment, as my vision accustomed itself to the brightness. It was still afternoon— I had known that, since I was just eating my lunch a few hours ago. But to see the difference between what was essentially night, and what was now very obviously day, was still slightly jarring.

I was still blinking and staring up to the sky when I heard Lisa gasp from my side.

“Amazing,” she breathed.

She was staring in awe at something in the distance. I looked around the deck of the ship and realized she wasn’t the only one.

Elda, Ginah, Sevin, and even Jack had stopped what they were doing, and turned their attention at something off to the side. Their gaze remained locked at whatever it was they were staring at. And I was just about to ask if everyone had been hit with some sort of petrification spell when I felt a hand rest lightly on my shoulder.

“Look,” Gennady said, pointing over at the horizon.

Slowly, I turned my gaze in that direction and froze as well. In the distance, I saw objects. Large rectangular objects that filled the distance, coming in different colors. They came in shades of orange, red, gray, brown— they were bricks?

That was right, they weren’t just objects. They were objects made out of brick. Brick… buildings? No, that was not the right word. They were large. They protruded out of the ground at over a hundred feet each, reaching for the sky.

They were skyscrapers.

And among these skyscrapers, there were smaller buildings of course. And there was some smoke coming out of a few factories, but they were barely even noticeable. I only saw them when I actively looked for it. But it was a city.

A city on land.

It took me a moment to realize this, and for a moment, I didn’t register anything wrong with the sight. It was a city made out of tall skyscrapers that rose up over ten floors. What was wrong with it?

Then it slowly began to sink in— the understanding of where I was. Of what I was actually seeing.

“Capture this sight with your mind. Ingrain it in your memories. For you will never see such cities anywhere else in the world.” Gennady slowly started forward, going in between me and the city. Then he turned around and he spread his arms out wide. “For it is the Taw Kingdom! The land of Dwarves! The country of innovation!”

Then he paused, and a nostalgic smile spread across his face.

“And my home.”

Chapter 3: Course of Action

The Taw Kingdom. My destination— the goal I had been working towards ever since I had left the Free Lands. Ever since I had lost my mother and became a slave a year ago, I had been wandering around this world aimlessly; I had nothing planned for myself other than to survive from day to day.

But after I had met Felix, the Plague Doctor, he told me to seek out the Taw Kingdom. He told me to find King Adilet and seek for his sanctuary from the Church. It was by pure chance I had met Gennady on my way there. And now, after getting embroiled in a crime war, as well as after fending off a Saintess coming for my life, I had finally arrived.

It was… kind of underwhelming.

I mean, sure: it was definitely a sight to behold for someone in this world. The port cities we had passed by were actual cities; they had tall buildings that rose up to the sky, built in a uniform, grainy layout to pack as many people in one place as possible. To someone who lived in the haphazard cities of Laxis— or even the ‘medieval-esque’ towns of the Free Lands— it was something different and unique.

But I had seen cities before. I had seen lots of cities before in my previous life. From New York City to London, I had been a well rather traveled girl even compared to my friends— that was why I enjoyed traveling. So seeing these hubs of industrial complexes was not something that completely captured my fascination like it did, say, Sevin.

The young man was typically someone who would typically choose to stay indoors whenever possible, but ever since we caught sight of the Taw Kingdom, he stayed up above deck whenever he could just so he could be there whenever we were in view of one of Taw’s cities.

“Do you see that, Melas?” he asked me with alacrity, pointing at the nebulous city skyline in the distance, practically hopping on his feet.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Not unless you’re asking me if I can see the vague outline of shapes in the distance? Then yes, that’s all I can see.”

Sevin sighed wistfully as he rested his chin on his palms. “I wish I could get a closer look of the city. Can’t we stop in one of the ports just to restock on goods?”

“Ginah told us that it isn’t necessary. Plus she doesn’t want to run into any trouble— if she’s recognized as a pirate from Laxis, or if I’m somehow sought after by local members of the Church— things could get bad for us before we even reach Jahar’taw.”

He sighed once again, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. I saw this, and chewed my lips uncertainly. I hadn’t meant to make him feel bad; I was just answering his question, but perhaps I was a bit too blunt. I opened my mouth slowly.

“You know, I think Gennady has a spyglass on him,” I opined. “Maybe he can lend it to you for a minute?”

“Really?” He jumped to his feet in an instant. The young man whirled around and ran off, waving back at me. “Thanks! I’ll go find him.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” I lazily waved back, raising an eyebrow at that. He’s kind of like a kid, huh?

Technically, I was a kid, but he was more childish than I was— not that I cared. I guess I could understand his sentiment; this was the first time he was seeing a sight like this. Of course he would be slightly ecstatic.

I watched as Sevin swung open the door to go below deck, and almost ran into Jack. The former smuggler nimbly stepped to the side, letting him down the stairs.

“Damned boy.” Jack shook his head, sighing. “What’s got him in such a rush?”

“He’s just excited,” I said, walking up to him and nodding a greeting.

He scoffed. “Excited? For those dull Dwarf cities? What a fool.”

“What’s wrong with them?” I asked, frowning. “You’ve got to admit, they are quite a sight.”

“Perhaps for someone seeing them for the first time. But once you’ve been there, it gets dull. Fast.”

I couldn’t really argue with that, so I just shrugged; I glanced at the Taw Kingdom in the distance, then back at Jack. “You’ve been there before, right? Jahar’taw.”

He grunted in affirmation. “What does it matter?”

“I’m just curious,” I said, rolling my eyes. “This isn’t an interrogation. I just want to know what it’s like there.”

“Other than being full of greedy businessmen and generally smelling like shit?” He cocked a brow, looking down at me. “It has a lot of Golems.”

“Golems?” I asked, perking up at that. “As in Iron Golems or…?”

“All kinds of Golems,” he said. He held out his hand and began listing them out. “Iron Golems, Stone Golems, Steel Golems”— he indicated the floor of the ship— “and even Wooden Golems.”

“What do they do? Are they just… there?”

“No.” Jack leaned his back on the wall right next to the door as he explained. “They’re there for anything and everything. From law enforcement, to Monster extermination, to simply serving people. They make up the very foundation of the city— that’s why Jahar’taw is called the Golem City.”

“That’s the first I heard of that,” I remarked.

He shrugged. “Can’t hear of everything, can you?”

“I guess.”

Jack looked at me— at the uncertainty on my face. And he frowned. “What’s wrong? Getting second thoughts about the city? Or…” He narrowed his eyes dubiously. “Or getting second thoughts about your promises to us, realizing that you can’t keep them?”

“What?”

I was taken aback. I met his skeptical gaze, feeling my lips draw into a thin line. Unlike Ginah or Lisa, I remembered that Jack was coming with us mostly because they had no other choice and because he saw a chance to resolve whatever issue he had with Dwarves there.

I hesitated; there were a plethora of responses I could give him. I had made promises to Lisa and Ginah, but not to him. So I gave him the answer that only mattered to him.

“It doesn’t matter to you, does it?” I asked, cocking my head.

He furrowed his brows. Pushing himself off the wall, he started off to the other side of the ship. “You’re right. If you can’t help us, I don’t really care. However—”

He paused right in front of me.Jack turned his neck, meeting me with a sidelong glance.

“Don’t you dare do anything to hurt me or Lisa, got it?” he said dangerously.

I simply nodded. “Loud and clear.”

“Good,” he grunted and headed off.

I eyed the man as he left; he wasn’t being a jerk, per se. I could understand completely where he was coming from, so I didn’t spit out a retort. I, myself, wasn’t so sure whether I could keep my promises to them. I had to try— to trust that it would work out with Gennady’s help.

But as of this moment, I barely had an inkling of a plan. And I was pretty sure I should have had a plan fully outlined at this point. I had been busy practicing my magic— trying to get better at protecting myself— so trying to formulate some concrete course of action had mostly escaped my mind, and when I did remember, I kept putting it off.

Now though, we were within distance to the goal. To when I could no longer be idle, and had to start being proactive once again. Following Sevin, I went down in search of Gennady.

The Dwarf was not hard to find; he was, of course, in his room working on some blueprints for the design for his mana bike. I passed by Sevin on my way to him, and the young man was excitedly running in the opposite direction with a spyglass in hand. We exchanged a quick greeting before I entered the room.

Gennady looked up.

“Here to rob me of my valuables too, are ya?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

“Just here to chat,” I said nonchalantly walking up to him. I looked over his shoulder, inspecting the sheets of paper he had strewn across his desk for a moment. He waved a hand.

“Don’t bother trying to understand it. You won’t— it’s mostly advanced science and engineering, mixed with some tinkering to convert liquid mana into fuel.”

I raised my shoulders in a shrug. “I was just curious.”

“So,” he started, shifting on his seat to face me, “what do ya want to chat about?”

“Uh…” I wasn’t sure where to begin. So I sat down and was just up front with it. “Can you really help Ginah’s Crew out?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I promised her that you’d be able to introduce her with people who can help her. Who can help her, and help out in Laxis— or at least, the city of Luke.”

“Ah.” Gennady made a sound of comprehension. He ran his hand through his scraggly brown-red beard. His green eyes sharpened as he thought for a moment. “I have… contacts. A lot of them, ‘course.”

“But how many of them do you think would really be able to help?” I asked the real question; there was a difference between knowing someone who could help, and knowing someone who would help. And judging by the face Gennady was making, I didn’t think he knew too many of the latter.

“Most could— but most wouldn’t. You have to understand, us Dwarves are very open, laid back, and willing to take risks. But we’re also not the most generous species in the world. If you want to appeal to us, you have to give us a logical reason to do so.”

“But you’re not like that, aren’t you?”

“I’m not,” he said, nodding. “But I’m also not in the Taw Kingdom for a reason.”

I paused, looking him over. “Didn’t you say you left the country on good terms?”

“I did. The King still likes me. The Prime Minister still likes me. And I have lots of friends all throughout the country. But I left because I disagreed with some of the things they did.”

“Well, what did they do that you didn’t like so much it made you leave?”

Gennady sighed. He grabbed his metallic flask from his side pocket, and took a swig from it before he leaned back on his chair. “I told you, didn’t I? They let that mad Human Bertrand take my job.”

It was not the first time I heard Gennady mention this name. In fact, I had heard of him even in other contexts, unrelated to Gennady at all. But I wasn’t sure why Gennady held this ‘grudge’ against him. So I raised an eyebrow as he explained.

“Bertrand. Scientist Bertrand. One of the top Scientists of the Holy Xan Empire— responsible for many of the new machines produced by them in the last few decades. And one of his ideas, he thought was so brilliant, it would undergo development instantly even before he made his proposal to Emperor Xavier. He prepared a team. Spent platinum on the resources needed for it. Then when he went to the Emperor to show him this idea— Xavier rejected it. The Emperor of the Holy Xan Empire banned its development.

“That was a massive blow to him. To his credibility as a Scientist and innovator. One of his proposals— what he considered to be his most ingenious ideas— was not only rejected, but outright prevented from being made all throughout the Empire? It was ridiculous. He could not believe it, so he went ahead with its production anyway.”

I listened to this, my mind connecting the dots of what I had known previously. Bertrand came to the Taw Kingdom— he went there seeking… asylum?

“He was found out, wasn’t he?” I snapped my fingers together.

“Correct,” Gennady said, nodding. He got up, pushing himself off his seat as he began to pace back and forth in his room.

“Bertrand’s secret project was found out by the Emperor. He was to be tried and punished for his crimes. But he was no fool— he knew that that would happen. So he had already prepared to flee to the Taw Kingdom. He had struck a deal to come here for protection, and to replace me as our head Scientist. I objected, of course.”

He scowled, shaking his head.

I wagered a guess. “And that’s why you left, right?”

“That’s part of it. I still remained there— in the Taw Kingdom even after being replaced by a political fugitive from another continent. But when I heard of his ideas. When I found out of his project, the one that got him exiled from the Holy Xan Empire? I realized they were right. That project should never be undertaken.”

“What’s so bad about it?” I asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes. “Was it something truly that terrible?” I had flashes of ideas— things from my world. Was it Human experimentation? Or rather, experimentation with sapient species? Or was it some other atrocity?

Judging from the haunted expression on Gennady’s face, it seemed I wasn’t too far off the mark.

“He called it the ‘Light Project’. He thought to name it after the Goddess of Light, for he saw it as something to combat powerful spellcasters. Or Monsters. That was the pretext he gave us. But now that I think about it, it was probably for something else.”

“Abominations,” I whispered the word.

“Yes,” he said, closing his eyes. A dark shadow came over his gaze, as he took a deep breath. “The timeline fits with what the Holy Xan Empire has been saying as of late about the Abominations.”

Gennady opened his eyes, and he met my gaze.

“And to destroy these Abominations. To deal with this threat, Bertrand wanted to create a… super weapon.”

My eyes widened and I stood up. “A super weapon? Like a weapon capable of mass destruction?!”

Was he really talking about something like an atom bomb? How was such a thing even possible— unless it had something to do with mana? With magic? Theoretically, a spell that could cause such destruction was possible from what I read.

Gennady nodded slowly. “You probably don’t understand the implications of it, lass. I’m sure you think it’d be better to have such a weapon— to fight off the Abominations, or even without them, to deal with vast hordes of Monsters. The others in Jahar’taw thought that too, but—”

“If such a weapon were to be developed, they could also be used against other countries. Against other people. And the damage done would be something never seen before, right?”

He blinked and stared at me. “Err, yes,” he started, then stopped. “Well, such destruction has been seen before. Like by the Demons and the Demon Lord during the Third Holy War. It took a thousand years for all the species in the world to even recover from that. But that doesn’t mean such a thing should be allowed to occur again.”

“I… see.” I scratched the side of my head. “And that’s why you left, right? Out of protest.”

“And to work on my bestiary,” he added, raising a finger. “But that is correct. And now, I guess I’m returning, aren’t I?”

He chuckled to himself, almost as if he was trying to distract himself from the subject; I bit my lower lip, unsure of how we even got to this subject. A weapon of mass destruction, I thought, slightly unnerved. That’s bad, right?

Honestly, while I realized it was a bad thing to have… whatever this super weapon was, it was none of my business. I mean, just because it existed, didn’t mean it would be used en masse as evinced by how my world hadn’t blown itself up during the Cold War. But I could understand where Gennady was coming from— the impact of such an invention could change the world entirely.

Whatever the case was, I tried changing the subject away from the dour mood.

“So, uh, about your friends,” I said, going back to what we had been talking about beforehand. “Know anyone who can help out Luke? Bring investments, factories, jobs— anything.”

Gennady glanced over at me, seemingly broken out of his trance. He took a moment to gather himself, and cleared his throat. “As I said lass, not a lot. But I might know one or two people who might.”

He took a seat on his bed, and he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Hm, yes,” he muttered to himself. “Erzhan might do it. He was always that kind of a lad.”

“Erzhan? Who’s that?”

“One of my friends,” he said, turning to face me. “A good lad. Very open minded. Too open minded, that he would sometimes make a fool of himself. He’d get into trouble because of that, but his heart is always in the right place.”

“And you think he’d listen to us?” I asked, perking up.

“It depends. You’d probably have to convince him. But if you can make a compelling enough argument— he’d do anything.”

That sounded good. But he was just one man. “Are there any others? In case things don’t work out with him.”

Gennady began listing names. “Lashyn would require a lot more convincing, but she would always listen to any proposal you bring to her. Akerke, on the other hand, is very generous, but I’m not even sure if he can help you. Last I heard, his company was on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“Is that it?” I frowned, but quickly qualified myself to not sound ungrateful. “I mean, that’s more options than nothing. But is there really nobody else?”

“Sorry lass,” he said, shaking his head. “Dwarves just aren’t that type of people. We take calculated risks. No matter how you frame it, going to Luke right now and trying to expand our business there is nothing but a bad gamble.”

“I understand,” I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “Things can never be easy, can they?”

“You know just as well as I do that that can never be the case.”

I nodded, looking back down.

“When can you arrange for us to meet them?”

“It depends on when they’ll be available. But I probably can at least get you and Ginah to speak with one of ‘em lot within a week of our arrival.” He paused, then eyed me carefully. “Honestly, I’m more worried about getting you a meeting with Adilet. He’s my friend, but he’s a really busy man.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I have a letter. From someone who he owes a favor to. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m expected by him to arrive. He won’t lay out a red carpet or anything for me, but I’m sure he’ll at least see me.”

“If you say so.” Gennady eyed me almost dubiously, but did not comment further.

I had been dubious for the last half year since I had met Felix, but now all the doubts were gone. He had given me the letter— he had been confident when he had done it. And he had nothing to gain from lying to me. It logically wouldn’t have made any sense for him to send me this way.

So I was no longer skeptical; what mattered more was whether I would be granted sanctuary or not. And after hearing that Bertrand story, I was actually more confident in my chances.

“Don’t forget,” the Dwarf added with a raise of his hand, “Ginah and her crew are pirates. Sure, they only operated in Luke, but we probably have to explain their situation to Adilet too.”

“Right.” I plotted out our course of action in Jahar’taw. “So once we reach the Capital of Taw, the first thing I want to do is speak with the King. I have a letter— and I also have you just in case things don’t go smoothly. We get Ginah and I cleared to stay in the city, then we connect her with your friends.”

“And Lisa too. She keeps pestering me about my underground contacts. I do have some, but they aren’t as prominent or numerous as my lawful network.”

“That too. But it is only third in my priority list.” I looked over at Gennady— at my friend who had helped me throughout everything so far— and paused. “And, uh, thank you. Again. For all of this.”

“‘Course, lass. I’m supposed to be your bodyguard after all.”

“I know. But you didn’t have to do any of this for me in the first place. So, thanks. Truly.”

“Don’t get sentimental on me! This time, I’ll be the one who pukes.”

I rolled my eyes. “If you insist so badly. Fine, I’ll stop.”

He snorted, and I started for the door. “I’ll tell Ginah about this, so she knows what our timetable will be like.” I stopped, looking back at him one last time. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to pay you back?”

“If you want to pay me back, learn more spells, lass. Let me study them, so I can make better tools. Other than that? Nothing. Now go— shoo! I was working on something before you came in here!”

He waved a hand, ushering me to leave. I put up my arms, and backed up out of the room. Then I closed the door behind me, going back upstairs to find Ginah and speak with her about our course of action once we were in Jahar’taw.

Chapter 4: Jahar’taw

After speaking with Gennady, I found Ginah to tell her about our general course of action once we reached Jahar’taw. She seemed slightly dubious— skeptical even. But she was hedging on me keeping my word.

“And we won’t have any problems with being there, even though we’re pirates?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. I’ll speak to the King. No matter what, I can gain his audience. That I know for certain.” I had made a deal— a Witch’s deal, you could say— with her. And I was going to do what I could to keep my part.

That wasn’t enough to reassure her, but she was convinced I was telling the truth. “If you say so,” she said.

Having said my piece, I was about to take my leave, but the pirate Captain stopped me. She cast her gaze to the horizon as I gave her a confused look.

“Is something the matter?”

“No.” She shook her head. Then she raised her arm, pointing at the distant sky. “But look. You can see, the weather is clear— will be clear— up here in the north. There will be no more storms. No more delays. Get ready, because we’ll reach Jahar’taw soon.”

I nodded. And for the next few days, I readied myself. Mentally so, as well as made plans. Gennady showed me a rough layout of the city; apparently there was the main city where factories and businesses operated, as well as the outer city comprising some outlying farms as well as the harbor.

It was the second most populated city in the world, right behind the Capital of the Holy Xan Empire, Xanderia. Last he heard, there were almost three million people living there, probably breaking the three million barrier now!

Since the outer city was more sparsely populated, to maintain some secrecy, Gennady planned to get us a warehouse to stay in there. At least until we knew we wouldn’t run into trouble in the city.

We agreed to try and meet with Erzhan first, after I spoke to Adilet. I had Felix’s letter with me, as well as help from Gennady, so that could be done. With all that in mind, I had thought I would be prepared for our arrival in Jahar’taw.

It was just another city, after all. A city with skyscrapers, sure. But a city. There couldn’t have possibly been anything special or standout about it to me, right?

I was wrong.

A few days later, I stepped out onto the deck of the ship with Gennady and Sevin to be greeted by a light buzzing sound. It wasn’t the noise of an insect or a bug, but the tiny specks in the blue sky sure seemed like one at first.

“What is that?” Sevin asked over my shoulder.

“No idea,” Ginah harrumphed, letting go of the helm and folding her arms. “But it has been following us for the last 30 minutes.”

Gennady frowned, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve never heard of a flying Monster that made such a noise. Here, wait, let me grab my spyglass—”

I ignored them, and just stared at the distant objects. A fourth voice broke off from them, approaching me from the side.

“Something wrong, Melas?”

Lisa cocked her head, looking at me inquisitively. Realizing that I had gone fished eyed, I quickly blinked and focused on the young woman.

“No— it’s, uh, nothing.” I shook my head and rubbed at my eyes. I glanced back up, trying to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me.

They weren’t.

Planes flew above head, soaring through the sky. Two of them. They both had wings, of course, and a rotor attached to the nose of the aircraft.

I just looked on as they continued tracking us through the waters.

“I think they’re following us,” I managed to muster a thought.

“Are you sure—”

Lisa was interrupted as Gennady swore loudly, before erupting into a full blown guffaw,

“Sacred piss! That mad lad actually did it! He actually went ahead and did it!”

“What are you talking about? Explain,” Ginah demanded.

The Dwarf stopped hopping in circles, turning to face the pirate Captain; he handed his spyglass to her, pointing up with alacrity. “Tha'ss'a a plane! A damned plane, I tell ye! An aircraft!”

“What?”

Ginah, Sevin, and Lisa blinked. The young man coughed, and raised a hand meekly.

“Do you mean like a flying ship?”

“Nae, lad! It doesn’t need a Superior mana crystal or antigravity runes! It flies on aerodynamics! A large, mechanical glider!” Gennady gesticulated, stretching his arms out wide.

“A… glider?” Ginah gave him a blank look. But this time, Lisa was the one to answer.

“It’s a flying device. Jack told me about it— Dwarves are obsessed with flying, and keep going on and on about using gliders to fly.”

Gennady folded his arms indignantly. “You just don’t understand the ingenuity behind it— c’mon Melas, at least you see how amazing that is, right?”

All heads turned to me, and I bit my lip. Why’d you have to draw attention to me?

Well, it was not like anyone would believe I was reincarnated from another world. Or that it mattered much to me anyways. So I gave an honest answer.

“I… never heard of those,” I admitted. Not in this world, at least. “But I think I understand what you’re saying. It’ll revolutionize travel, right?”

“See? She gets it. And she’s only ever been to the Free Lands—  the most backwards place in the world— and Laxis, which— no offense— was never a place of innovation even before the embargo by the Holy Xan Empire two decades ago.”

The Dwarf raised an arm, pointing at the planes as they suddenly sped up and flew at a distant city in the horizon.

“These are the future of travel. Maybe not now, but in a hundred years? Two hundred? Flying ships are expensive. Costly. And require too much mana crystals for any other nation in the world to procure on the regular. But planes? They’re like flying cars.”

I saw Lisa and Ginah exchange a dubious look; even Sevin wasn’t fully convinced. But Gennady went on, grinning like a madman.

“You won’t see it now. ‘Course not. I didn’t see it at first, but Erzhan told me it would work. And now he has proven it has.”

“Erzhan?” I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that who we’re supposed to be meeting with?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “Don’t give me that look. Us Dwarves are never just that simple— he may be a businessman, but he’s also insane.

Gennady strutted over to the edge of the ship as we approached the city. I got a clearer view now of it; the city wasn’t as big as I thought it would be, although it was still larger than Luke. Behind the city was a mountain— a rather large mountain that peaked over the clouds.

His eyes twinkled as he gestured past the buildings, at the mountain. Then I realized, what I had seen wasn’t the city.

“This? This is Jahar’taw.”

As we reached the docks of the city, the glittering ocean water changed in color, turning to an odd vibrant red that streaked the entire shoreline. Apparently much of the sand and soil around the city was mixed with clay, giving it the unique color I’d have only expected to see in a vast desert.

And while I didn’t notice it earlier, the city was indeed large. What had appeared to be Jahar’taw was only the outer city. Gennady was being literal when he said that.

The city was built into the mountain I had seen from afar; there was a large opening to the side of it, and I could see several networks of roads and railways leading into the mountain from the harbor and the outlying farmlands and factories.

I stared in awe at this sight. The mountain was hollow. Or at least, it was partially hollow. There had been a large cavern there once, with a massive deposit of mana stones and liquid mana that they had mined away. Then refining those mana stones into mana crystals, they reinforced the walls of the cave and expanded it by such vast amounts it could now fit a city within.

I was still admiring the sight, having changed my mind with how unimpressed I had been with the Taw Kingdom. This was not possible in my world, even if tall buildings weren’t new to me. I felt the ship jerk as we finally came to a stop.

The moment our ship anchored itself, a group of Dwarves came down the gangway and stopped us. They were accompanied by two large humanoid figures— Golems, made of clay, with a mana crystal protruding out of their chests.

Ginah went down to speak with them.

“Halt you ship, lassie. What business do you have with the city?”

“We’re just traders. Merchants coming in to do business here. Is something the matter?”

The lead Dwarf— a rather rotund woman, even for a Dwarf— ruffled her coat and snapped. “Merchants? What be yer wares?”

“Just some—”

She cut Ginah off. “Ye be bound from Laxis, ain’t ye?”

“Yes, we—”

“If we find any enuim in your ship, yer going straight ta jail, got it?”

The pirate Captain gritted her teeth, stopping herself from shouting back at the Dwarf. “Yes, of course,” she started, glancing at the Golems and Dwarves at her side. “And I take it you’re the Harbormistress here?”

“Harbormaster. Unlike ya Humans, us Dwarves dinna care about damned—”

I could tell Ginah was reaching the end of her patience. She was not a bad person, but the Harbormaster was not giving her any room to speak— and that would annoy anybody. I was relieved to finally hear the heavy footsteps come from behind me as Gennady came out of the ship yelling.

“Oi! What’s with all the commotion? Why can’t we leave yet? I’m getting sick and tired of waiting.”

Immediately, the Harbormaster gasped. “Gen— Gennady Usenov?!” She stepped back, shocked at seeing him as a susurration ran through the Dwarves companying him.

“Gennady? As in tha inventor o' tha Steel Golems?

“He made mana core's more efficient dinna he?”

“Tha blooming Gennady? Thought he left!”

My head snapped to Gennady. He looked back at me, a grin plastered on his face. “What, lass? Surprised that I’m famous, ain’t ya?”

“No, I—” I started, shuffling my feet uncomfortably. My gaze slowly slid off his face, averting to the side. “I have no idea what they just said. Was that even in the Ordinary Language?”

He stared at me for a moment, then sighed. He turned to the Harbormaster and shouted down at her in his Dwarvish accent.

“Be that ye, Batima? Dinna think ye were still tha Harbormaster here.”

“Aye, it's me!” the Harbormaster, Batima, bellowed. “Yer looking gray, ain't ye? 'S been a while!”

Gennady strutted down the gangplank, spreading his arms open to greet the female Dwarf. Ginah blinked as they hugged each other, and loudly smacked each other in the back several times.

“You know her, Gennady?”

“Aye!” he said, facing the pirate Captain. He paused, clearing his throat before speaking in a more slower voice. “I’ve known her for as long as I can remember. We’ve been friends since we were this small.”

He held his hand up to his waist, indicating how tall he had been back when he was a kid. Ginah narrowed her eyes. “Oh. Didn’t know you had friends that were so…”

“So much of a stuck up?” He glanced over at Batima. “Well, she’s a wee bit of a bitch, but she’s my friend even so.”

“Oi! Watch ya mouth, you stone faced fool.”

The Harbormaster punched him hard on his shoulder. Gennady let out a loud ‘oomph’, before exploding into laughter with her.

I walked down over to the group, as Ginah just glanced between the two Dwarves in resignation. “I don’t think I want to deal with this,” she sighed.

“It’s a good thing,” I said as I passed by her. “A blessing, I guess.”

“Why’s that?”

I simply smiled, then turned to Gennady. “Hey Gennady,” I interrupted him as he began chatting with Batima.

“Yes?” He looked away from her, still with a wide grin on his face that emphasized the crow’s feet wrinkling the side of his eyes.

“Is this your friend? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Melas.”

Batima paused, her face losing some of the alacrity that had been there, although she wasn’t scowling as she had been when she spoke with Ginah.

“I’m Harbormaster Batima.” She proffered a hand as she spoke in an over enunciated way. I shook it, then she turned to Gennady.

“What are ye doing with a Human girl, Gen? Thought you would be busy completing that stupid project of yours.”

He snorted. “It’s not a stupid project. And I’m here because I’m done with that project. I finally finished the last of my bestiary.”

“You did?” She gave him a blank look, and he just waved a hand dismissively.

“‘Course I did. It was a long undertaking, but I finally did it. And when I was done, I met Melas here—”

I cut him off, stepping forward. “And I led him to Ms Ginah who hired him to protect our vessel through the stormy seas. And it worked out since he wanted to return home, and we were looking to come here for business, right?”

I turned to Gennady, giving him an obvious look. I could see him mentally snapping his fingers as he nodded.

“Right, that’s what happened. These merchants were just headed here, and since I was too, I thought I could offer my services to ‘em. Worked out well in the end— was a mostly uneventful voyage.”

“That’s odd, I’d have thought the route here from Laxis would be too dangerous, even for you.” Batima furrowed her brows.

He shrugged. “Not the first time you’ve been wrong about me, eh?”

The Harbormaster just rolled her eyes, as I frowned having picked out what she said. “How did you know we came from Laxis, anyway?” I asked.

“Oh, that?” She glanced over past the red waters, into the ocean beyond. “We had some planes flying out this morning spot you. Ships coming from that direction are either our own Dwarven boats— which yours clearly isn’t. Or from Laxis. And since you’re a bunch of Humans, we simply put it together.”

“But there won’t be any problem, right?” I looked over at Gennady. “We’re just merchants. And I don’t think the Taw Kingdom has an embargo with Laxis. So it should be fine.”

“There better not be any problems,” he said, crossing his arms. “C’mon Batima. I’ve been with this lot for months, they’re good. Trust me.”

“We’ll have to carry out our inspection as per procedure. But I won’t pester you guys any further, since I haven’t seen you in a while and you’re insisting.”

“Thanks.” He winked at her. “I might just buy you a drink for that.”

“Aye, I’ll take up that offer. But next time.” She spun around, addressing the Dwarves with her. “Alright lads, do your job.”

The other Dwarves behind her— many of them less stocky than both Gennady and Batima, but still rather burly— shuffled up the gangplank into the ship. Ginah stepped to the side as they did, before going up to me as Gennady and Batima began to catch up.

“So that’s your cover this time?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

“Just for now,” I said. “It’s better for the both of us, right?”

Nodding, she lowered her arms down to the side. “I guess.” She peeked over at Gennady who was boisterously exchanging words rapidly with the Harbormaster. “So I guess he wasn’t lying when he said he knows people.”

“Mhm.” I made a sound in agreement.

“Are you surprised by it?”

“A little bit,” I admitted. “I didn’t exactly doubt it, but I thought he could’ve been over exaggerating slightly.”

“Huh.” The pirate Captain turned back to me. “I heard from Sevin that he was famous. Apparently he’s mentioned in books too.”

“He told me that too.”

“And you still didn’t fully trust him?”

I looked back up to Ginah, meeting her hazel eyes. “Not at first. But I’ve learned that I’m not always right. So I’m glad that I trusted him now.”

“I see.” Ginah looked away from me, and rested a hand on the hilt of her Energy Whip. “Well, I hope I’m right about you.”

I turned to her, but she was already stalking off to follow the Dwarven workers into the ship. I muttered under my breath.

“I hope so too.”

As Gennady promised, he situated us with a warehouse to stay in for the time being. It took us a while to bring all of our important valuables here; members of Ginah’s Crew were coming and going, taking carts back and forth from the dock to the warehouse, unloading everything they needed for now as Ginah found a place to store the ship for the time being.

I tried not to draw too much attention to myself for now, so I simply stayed in the warehouse with Sevin, who was showing me his most recent invention: a flashlight. He called it a tubelight at first, but I convinced him it was a stupid name and he accepted that flashlight was a far better name after a short conversation.

Then night came and we all had our dinner together. I was just resting after the long trip. But I knew that everyone had their eyes on everything I did; we were finally here, in Jahar’taw, and I was staying indoors.

But they didn’t say a thing. And I knew they were expecting me to do something— whether it be keep my promises, or run off somewhere— they didn’t know. However, I knew what I was doing. I had already spoken to Gennady about it.

The Dwarf hadn’t been with us since he showed us to the warehouse and got us in, but he finally returned after I finished my meal. He marched straight to me, holding up two small pieces of paper.

“Here,” he said, handing one to me.

Blinking, I accepted it and inspected what I had been given. “This… is a ticket?”

“Yep. It’s for a train ride to the inner city. I know it’s not that far, but trust me, you’d rather take the train in then walk for miles through the busy streets in the morning.”

I pocketed the ticket and nodded. “So,” I started, looking back up to him, “the meeting went well, huh?”

“‘Course it did.” He pointed a thumb at himself. “I told you not to worry about it, didn’t I?”

A voice broke in from the side as Sevin came over, having overheard the conversation. “Meeting? What meeting?” He looked between the both of us. “What are you guys talking about.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” the Dwarf said, all too sarcastically. “I just got Melas here an audience with King Adilet after speaking to a few people. Nothing too much, y’know.”

The young man stared at him, shocked. “Wait— how…” Sevin trailed off.

“And I arranged it so we’ll be meeting tomorrow morning.” The Dwarf nodded at me, and I pushed down on the nervousness building my stomach.

“Right, just as we planned,” I said.

Sevin lightly slapped his face a few times, breaking himself out of his light trance. Then he shook his head, collecting himself. “Can I come too? I’ve always wanted to see the Taj Palace. And the House of Or’taq too! In fact, there’s so many things I’ve always dreamt of seeing in Taw. Bring me with you, please?”

Gennady snorted. “Hah, no. Go by yourself when you have the time, lad. Melas and I aren’t going there as tourists. We’re in Jahar’taw for business.”

Chapter 5: Sanctuary

I felt my eyes open as I heard a light knock coming from the door to my room; my thin cloth blanket rustled as I pushed it off me, getting up and off my ruffled bed. I glanced out the window, seeing only a small inkling of light from the sunrise leak through the tall rooftops around us.

It was morning, and I had barely gotten any sleep.

It might have been because I had been making plans all night— going through all the various ways the meeting with King Adilet would go wrong, and how I could respond to them— or it might have simply been because I was nervous. Either way, I was tired, but I still forced myself up.

I dragged myself over to the door as the knocking grew louder. “Oi! You awake, lass? We have to—”

I swung it open, dodging to the side as Gennady’s closed fist whizzed past my face.

“Oops.” The Dwarf grinned, retracting his hand and scratching the back of his head. “Ye shoulda given me a warning.”

I sighed. “Why would I need to warn you that I’m opening the door, when you’re the one calling me to it?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “So you don’t get a fist to the face?”

Shaking my head, I turned back to my room. “I’ve got to get ready,” I said, pulling open my bag. “I’ll be out in a bit.”

“You sure?” Gennady looked me over and furrowed his brows. “You look tired. Did ya not sleep well?”

“Nope.”

I pulled out a rectangular piece of paper. Well, it was a piece of paper holding another piece of paper within it— an envelope. And within it, was Felix’s letter for the King of Taw.

The Dwarf ran a hand through his scraggly beard. “You sure you wanna meet with Adilet today? I’m sure I could postpone it to a week from now, get you accustomed to the city and everything before the important meeting.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, turning back to him. “I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be. Might as well get it over with now— if things don’t turn out well today, it won’t turn out well any other day.”

Gennady hesitated at the door, almost as if he wanted to add something, but decided against it. “If you say so.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.

I waited until I heard his footsteps disappear, then I slowly sat back down on my bed. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and waited a moment, feeling my heart pump blood through my arteries. Then I exhaled.

“And if things don’t turn out well today, I’m not sure what I’ll do. So it has to go well. After all, it is my birthday.”

I didn’t really believe in luck or fortune; I had met a god before— a jerk god— and he had killed me to ‘save’ the life of some kid. So if the world did not function on chance and probability, it was fate that determined things, and not luck.

But nevertheless, I would have liked to believe luck was a thing. Sure, it was probably coincidence that had my birthday be the day I had arranged to meet with the King of Taw. But if it was luck that caused this, I hoped that luck would prevail today as well.

Gennady led me out of the warehouse and into the misty streets of Jahar’taw. It was spring— right in the middle of it— yet I was still covered by a light blanket of chilly air as I stepped outside. I was wearing my Witch outfit. I had my pointed hat on over my head and my purple cape thrown over my  robes. But over that, I also had a light brown coat on to keep me warm on this early spring day.

I followed behind the Dwarf through the gray gravelly road, hearing the light crunch of our footsteps in the silent street. We were in an emptier part of the city— far enough from the harbor that we took a short wagon ride to get here, but not exactly in the inner city yet. In fact, contrary to what it seemed like with the towering mountain before us, we were still miles away from the inner city.

That was why Gennady had gotten us a train ticket.

“We just have to turn this corner, and we’ll be at the station,” he said, pointing down a junction.

I nodded, stepping behind him as we made our way down the street. I glanced back at the tall mountain to the north, peaking over the clouds. “And the train will just… lead us straight into the mountain?” I asked, still trying to process this fact.

“‘Course. And it’ll drop us off right by the Or’tag. From there, it’ll be a short walk to the King’s palace.”

I followed the railway that went part way up the mountain, before cutting straight into a large artificial opening.

“I just don’t understand. How doesn’t the mountain just collapse into itself?”

“That’s because it isn’t a mountain,” he said simply. I stared at him, confused, as he explained. “It’s an inactive volcano. At some point in the past, it had been active. But now it isn’t. So we built into the caldera, expanding it and all we had to do was reinforce the sides from collapsing on us.”

“It’s a volcano?” I asked, frowning. “Isn’t that dangerous.”

Gennady scoffed. “I just told you it’s inactive. So it was a volcano. Right now, it’s just any old mountain.”

“And how do you know that for sure?”

We stopped right at the train station and he turned to me. “You worry too much, lass” he said, shaking his head. “If it were active, our miners would’ve found some molten rock. No magma, means it's safe. And it won’t collapse on us— it’s not even that large. Only about… say, ten thousand feet tall at the peak?”

I grimaced, realizing that I was being overly paranoid again. These Dwarves had been living here for thousands of years, of course they would have considered these problems.

The two of us entered the station, and stood at the waiting area as I saw Dwarves fill the room. The sun was rising above the horizon now, the thin layer of mist had dissipated. People were finally getting up to go about their day, but not many of them had business in the inner city.

I would have thought my presence, as a Human amongst Dwarves, would have drawn more attention to me. However, people were either too tired to care, didn’t notice, or it wasn’t as much of a unique sight as I had thought.

The train finally came rolling into the platform, slowing with a screech from the rails, before the doors opened and we poured in.

“So if it’s built into the caldera, that means the inner city still experiences day and night cycles, right?”

“‘Course,” Gennady snorted. “If it was dark all day, we’d lose our minds, lass. Who would want that?”

“Makes sense.” I took a seat next to him, following him as he pulled out his ticket for the conductor who was making his way down the rows of seats. “I just had a different mental image of the inner city.”

“What? You thought we lived in some sort of cave?”

“Uh, yes…?”

Gennady shook his head, leaning back on his chair. “That’d drive anyone mad— no, that’s not how it works. The inner city has always been exposed. Been that way since King Adilet first moved the Taj Palace when the inner city was still under construction.”

I blinked, almost forgetting to hand the conductor my ticket; the conductor grunted, breaking me out of my stupid and waved his hand. I handed him my ticket, and he punched a hole through it.

“Wait— the King was around when the inner city was built?”

How old was the King? I didn’t think anyone living past a thousand years old was possible without magic. And as Gennady explained, I realized it wasn’t.

“C’mon lass. Dwarves can live up to 150 years old. In fact, the oldest recorded Dwarf lived up to 162. And the inner city was only built a hundred years ago.”

“Huh?” I felt my jaw drop, before glancing out the window. I pointed at the mountain with the large hole in it. “You mean you built all that only a hundred years ago?”

“Yes.” He cocked his head and looked at me as if I was being crazy. I slowly worked my mouth.

“H— how?” No. There was a better question. “Why?!”

“The Mana Revolution,” he said simply. “Before, we had a lot of industry going for us, sure. But only when the Mana Revolution happened, did we really grow. Before that, the city was just the outer city and with only a quarter of the current population. That had been our Capital for thousands of years. The city was called Taj then. It was only after we built into the mountain— Jahar— did we rename the city to Jahar’taw.”

The train began moving, and he looked up at the ceiling as the hanging lights rattled.

“As for why… well, why not?”

“What?” I just stared at him.

Gennady folded his arms. “It’s a sign of strength, I guess. Our contribution to the Final Holy War cost us a lot of lives, and the life of the previous King too. So Adilet wanted to do something in his father and the dead’s memory.” The Dwarf gave me an odd look. “What’s wrong?”

“But that’s…” Dangerous. I sighed, slumping back down in my chair. “Nothing,” I murmured. “I’m just being paranoid again.”

The rest of the train ride was uneventful; I had been in trains before, back in my previous life, so there wasn’t much for me to comment on. It was powered purely by mana, which was apparently expensive to upkeep. Gennady explained how locomotives generally had a hybrid engine, fueled by mana rather than the typical natural resources I was used to.

I looked out the window as we passed through the various pastures and sparsely spread out factories between the harbor and the mountain. I found my eyes glazing over this sight, just waiting in anticipation for us to reach the inner city. A real mountain city. That thought had me both excited and nervous at the same time.

And when the train started climbing up the mountain, I sat up in my seat.

“Excited, aren’t you?” Gennady remarked, to which I simply nodded.

I placed one hand on the glass window, staring as the farmlands grew smaller— not into specks— but still more distant nonetheless. Then the train jolted, jerking back into an upright position as we reached a plateau. Darkness descended over the train, only the light from within letting me see, as we entered a large tunnel. After a minute in this veil of shadow, the train burst back out into the open.

I blinked my eyes, adjusting it to the light of day as we came into a busy street. The roads were teeming with life: cars and carts busied their way through intersections; food vendors and street sellers had their stalls up and running; and miners mixed with factory workers as they rushed to their jobs.

It was a completely different sight to the empty outer city; everyone was hustling to their jobs this early in the morning, filling the roads rather than out tilling in the fields. I stared at the blur of crowds as we zipped past them.

“That’s a lot of people,” I pointed out the obvious.

Gennady spoke from over my shoulder. “I told you, this is the second most populated city in the world. And a majority of us live here in the inner city.”

“Still,” I said, looking back at him, “it’s one thing hearing about it, and another when you see it for yourself.”

“Well, you should get ready then.” The Dwarf placed a hand on my shoulder, pointing at a large white building at the center of the city, past tall brick buildings that rose up dozens or even hundreds of feet. “Because you’ll be experiencing the rush yourself when we go there.”

When we got off the train and onto the platform, I understood what Gennady meant. I had been to New York City before in my previous life, but I had never taken the subway, and now I understood what most of them felt.

It was like being in a wave you had no control over— I was being ushered out of the station even without realizing it. Then, once I was out in the streets, I was swamped from both sides by large crowds of Dwarves rushing about their day.

And I would have been carried away by the swarm of busy city workers had Gennady not pulled my arm and pushed through the buzzing crowds.

“Oi, move out o' tha way! Coming through!”

He grunted as he shoved oncoming Dwarves aside, like flies being swatted down. We squeezed through these clumps, edging between the sidewalk and the road as cars drove past without care of the pedestrians.

“Watch where yer going!”

“Move it!

“Stop blocking the road, ye brain dead fools!”

It was a city, alright. People hurled insults at each other, whether they were walking, riding on the back of a cart, or driving a car. In fact, there were a lot more cars than I had expected; I had thought there would be roughly an equal number of carts and carts in the streets, but from the looks of it, there were more people on cars than on traditional vehicles.

We rounded a street corner, finally breaking away from the crowd's push. I finally felt like I could breathe again once we escaped the suffocating mass of people. I hadn’t been in a crowd like that in my (current) entire life!

Gennady led me down an emptier road, towards the large white building he had pointed out earlier. It was almost like a mansion, except with a central domed room in the middle, and two protruding towers at the side corners. We stopped right at the gates of it, and the two guards positioned there called out to us.

“Halt! What business do ye have here? This is the Taj Palace, only official guests are allowed within the premises!”

“Good thing we’re official guests,” Gennady snorted. He waved a piece of paper at them. “Here, take this to yer boss or whoever is in charge of guests.”

The Dwarf guard who spoke up eyed it dubiously. Slowly, he reached out and grabbed it. He read the contents of it, paused, then looked back up at Gennady.

“You’re… Gennady Usenov?”

“Tha'ss'a right.” My Dwarven companion folded his arms. “Don’t believe me? Check it in with yer higher ups.”

“No, I—” the Dwarf guard started. “I mean, yes. I believe you, but it’s just protocol, Sir.” He cleared his throat and turned to the other guard. “Take this to the Captain. Verify that it’s true.”

The other guard nodded and entered the palace through the gate. We waited for him to return, and as we did, the first guard turned back to Gennady.

“Are ye really that Gennady?” he asked, sounding more curious than anything. “The great inventor of Taw? The one who made the first Steel Golems?”

“Yeah,” my Dwarven companion said, pointing a thumb at himself. “The one and only.”

The Dwarf guard seemed awed by that, but I only looked at him confused.

“What makes a Steel Golem so special? Aren’t they just… golems made of steel?”

“Bah, they’re only made of steel because that’s the cheapest ‘strong’ metal I could use.” He shook his head. “No— they’re special because of the way they’re designed. Other golems require the use of an external weapon, but I decided that that was inefficient and expensive. What happens if they’re disarmed? Steel Golems are built with weapons, so they don’t have this problem. And their cores are well protected, more so than even Iron Golems. It requires a lot of tinkering knowledge to make them, so don’t even think about them for now.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I have other things in mind right now.”

“Ah, you mean your c—”

Gennady was cut off as the other guard returned. He nodded at the first guard, and they pulled open the gates. “You can come in.”

“Finally!” Gennady threw his arms up and strutted right in. “Come on, Melas. You coming?”

I hesitated right before the gates. I stared down the walkway cutting through the garden into the Taj Palace. I chewed my lip uncertainly, apprehension suddenly overwhelming me. But I resolved myself.

“Yes,” I said. It’s time to meet King Adilet. And depending on how the meeting went, I could maybe finally live in peace.

An attendant brought us from the lobby with the marbled, tiled floor to an office a few floors up; we walked through the carpeted hallways until we stopped right before a grand double door with two tall golems standing guard beside it. They were Emerald Golems— not because they were made out of emerald, but because the green mana crystal that made up its core shone with the same brilliance of the jewel.

The attendant knocked on the door, and a regal voice came in response.

“Come in.”

Pushing the door open, the attendant stepped aside as Gennady and I stepped into the room. I found myself glancing around the large office, decorated with display cases filled with jewels along the sides of the room.

A Dwarf stood in front of the desk at the end of the room. He had a long white beard that went down past his chest and a widow’s peak that stretched halfway across the top of his head. His arms were behind his back at parade rest as he nodded at the attendant and the attendant left.

“Adilet! My lad, how are you doing!” Gennady simply strolled over to the King, spreading his arms open as he approached.

I blinked at this casual gesture. Is he that close to the King too? I thought, watching this. I was proven wrong in a second.

Adilet reached out and caught Gennady before he could smack the King across the back. Sighing and shaking his head, Adilet turned to face him. “Master Gennady, it has been a while since we last met. I trust you haven’t forgotten the proper formalities one must assume when addressing the King?”

I had expected Adilet to have spoken like the other Dwarves, but to my surprise, he spoke slowly, clearly enunciating each word. Unfortunately for him, he must not have spoken clearly enough as Gennady just grinned and pulled his hand back.

“C’mon Adilet. We’ve known each other since we were wee lads! Well, you’re graying by the beard now— guess ruling over a kingdom does that to you, eh?” He paused, as if in thought. “Although Prime Minister Balta was never so uptight. Maybe it’s just your personality then.”

He guffawed and slapped Adilet on the shoulder. The King ignored the gesture, replying almost apathetically. “Balta is no longer the Prime Minister. The Miners Party has lost their majority seats in the House of Or’tag while you were gone.”

Gennady deflated. “Wha— really? Aw, I liked him as the Prime Minister. Who’s in charge now then? The Inventors Party?”

“You’re well aware that won’t happen,” Adilet said, staring blankly at him.

“Right— well, one can wish, can’t they? Did we at least get more than ten seats for once?”

“On the contrary, the last two elections since you left have the Inventor’s Party lose two seats. No— the Builders Party is now the majority, having formed a coalition with the Farmers Party.”

“Those guys? Gah, that’s expected. Of course the main opposition has to win, if not the majority party.”

“Not much has changed politically since you have gone.” Adilet shook his head, turning to face me. “Now to why you’ve arranged a meeting with me so soon after your return: is this the guest you wished to speak with me about?”

I immediately straightened, caught off guard that the attention had suddenly shifted to me. “Uh... oh, yes Sir! I mean— your majesty…?” I quickly bowed my head, before changing posture to bow my entire body.

I... was not prepared for this! I was going into this meeting expecting Adilet to be another Gennady— or just another laid back Dwarf! This was a proper king. I had never met a member of royalty before. How was I supposed to address or act around them?!

Adilet chuckled, still maintaining his impassive aura, but waving a hand off. “You need not worry with bowing or other gestures, child. As long as you are respectful— unlike the man who brought you here— you will not get in trouble.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.” I bowed my head again, then turned beet red as I realized he just said I did not need to do that. I quickly got back up, as Gennady cleared his throat.

“Adilet, this here is Melas. She’s come here seeking sanctuary as she’s being hunted down by the Church.”

“Yes,” he said, looking me over. “You outlined that in the notes you had sent to me.”

Gennady looked over at me, as if cueing me to speak. I quickly spoke up, nodding as I did. “Yes— uh, your majesty. Gennady has escorted me here to Taw, as I have heard your Kingdom has offered protection to individuals with similar circumstances as I have, in the past.”

“And what is your circumstance? That you are a spellcaster— a heretic that the Church seeks to persecute?”

“That is correct, your majesty.” I bit my lip, realizing how inane that sounded. So what? I thought. So what if you’re being hunted? Why should he help you?

That was exactly what Adilet went on to say.

“If you are being persecuted by the Church, Ms Melas, why should I help you? Go to the Dark Crusaders— go seek for their help. They may be our enemies, but I am aware of their creed: to offer safety to every spellcaster and heretic in the world. Why not turn to them?”

“I can’t,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I mean, I did, your majesty. But things happened, and now they’re going after me too.”

“Ah.” The King of Taw settled back, leaning on his desk. “So you want me to protect you from not one world power, but two of them?”

“That’s not true— your majesty,” I quickly added, almost forgetting to address him with his title. “They don’t have to know that I’m here. I can change my name— dye my hair. Stay hidden away from public view. Just as long as I’m not at risk of losing my life here either.”

“And what do we have to gain from that, Melas?”

I hesitated, and Gennady stepped in.

“C’mon Adilet. You’re a good man— I know you are. Why are you being so difficult right now?”

“Because,” the King said, pushing himself off the table, “this has more to do than just me. It is the safety of our kingdom.”

“You’ve offered sanctuary to those even more wanted than a little girl!” Gennady pointed accusingly at him. “Remember when that Bertrand caused a huge diplomatic issue and you still brought him into our nation?”

“We had something to gain from protecting him,” Adilet simply replied. “I don’t see what this little girl can do for us.”

I looked between the two Dwarves— as Gennady stood up for me. I opened my mouth, stepping in to defend myself. “I’m a powerful spellcaster,” I said, raising a hand. “Gennady mentioned you had a division of spellcasters before. I can do whatever they did for you, but better.”

I had been hesitant to say that; I didn’t like that I was offering myself up as a weapon once again. I was a person, but if I wanted to truly live as a person, I would do whatever was necessary. I didn’t want to do it, however I had decided that a while back.

“That is not enough,” he said, furrowing his brows. “Maybe you can do that for us, but that is not enough. Give me a reason, Melas. Tell me, why should I help you?”

I did not know what to say. I had given him my last resort option; I wasn’t a fan of fighting, but I was willing to do it if it was needed. However, if it was not needed— I had nothing else to give him. I couldn’t do anything for Adilet, let alone his entire kingdom.

But I still had something.

I hadn’t offered Adilet everything just yet; there was still something I could give him. Something that I had with me all this time— even before I met Gennady.

I slowly reached for the letter in my pocket, and Adilet raised an eyebrow. “Finally pulling Felix’s letter, I see.”

I paused, staring at the King. “Wait— what?”

Adilet walked around his desk, taking a seat on the large red chair placed behind it. He smiled, pulling up a piece of paper from the cabinet. He placed it on the desk, sliding it over to me. “Here, read it.”

I looked down at the piece of paper there, and while I hadn’t recognized the handwriting or the message on it— it had been written out in a typewriter— I did recognize some words in it.

The Witch.

On the run.

Give her sanctuary.

From your dear friend, Felix.

I glanced back up at Adilet, staring at the sly smile that crept up his face. “You— you knew?” I sputtered.

“Of course I did. The moment I heard Master Gennady’s message, I knew who you were. The things described in both— and considering that Felix had been in Laxis too, last I heard from him— allowed me to piece things together even before you stepped into this room.”

“Wait, Adilet,” Gennady piped up from the side. “Are you saying you only agreed to meet with me so soon because you knew about her, and not because you wanted to meet with me?”

“I did not say that,” Adilet said, looking back at the Dwarf Tinkerer. But the small grin never disappeared from his face as he continued. “However, it would not be a lie to say I had hoped to delay meeting with you for as long as possible.”

“Aw, c’mon lad!”

“Don’t ‘come on’ me. If you weren’t so frivolous to have left in the first place, I’d have been more happy to have met with you every week.”

Gennady scowled. “You know why I left.”

“And I know that I stand by my decision to permit Bertrand to stay in our country as head Scientist was correct.” Adilet craned his neck, looking over at me with a smile. “Just as I will permit your friend the same.”

I jerked, almost dropped Felix’s letter. “You— you will?”

“Of course,” he said,

“Are you sure you don’t need to read this?” I asked, holding up Felix’s letter. “I mean— I took great care of Felix’s letter. And he said to give it to you.”

Adilet laughed, and took the letter. “I guess I could give it a read, in case there’s anything he wants to tell me that he hasn’t yet. But worry not, Melas. I had made my choice from the moment he contacted me. Didn’t he tell you? He saved my daughter from the Noxeus. I can only do so much to repay his favor with my own, and this is within my powers.”

“But I’m the daughter of the Fiend!” I protested, not sure why I was protesting. This was too good to be true, right? There had to be some kind of catch to this.

But there wasn’t.

“And you’re not the Fiend, are you?” Adilet said, looking at me with one eye. “Perhaps your mother had committed atrocities in her life, and perhaps she didn’t. I’m sure you don’t see it that way. However”— he raised a finger, pointing it at me— “you have not, have you?”

I hesitated. I wanted to tell him that I had killed people— that I had done terrible things I never would have dreamt of in my past life. But I knew I had to do it to survive. So I said nothing.

Adilet smiled.

“It’s settled then.”

He turned around, calling for his attendant to enter the room. The attendant did, drawing a blank piece of paper and held out a pen as the King made his declaration.

“By my authority as the King of Taw, I will provide you, Melas the Witch, sanctuary and protection from any countries, nations, or groups that seek to persecute you for your past or your practices. Not as a weapon of the Taw Kingdom, nor as an asset. I hereby grant you political asylum.”

I listened to his decree, and felt my legs go weak. He had given me a chance— a chance to simply live in his country as a regular person. Not to fight for him as some sort of soldier, or some kind of tactical advantage. But as a person. I was overwhelmed.

Because, after a year of fighting for my life with no hope in sight, I finally saw a better future. And I was so incredibly happy.

Chapter 6: Moving Forward

It wasn’t the most euphoric thing in the world. Certainly, having the chance to live a life where I was not watching behind my back constantly was actually a very normal thing. That was how I lived my previous life, after all.

But for the me in this life, it was an incredibly liberating feeling. I left the Taj Palace with a skip in my step; I could almost feel the endorphins pulsing through my veins— and I wasn’t even sure if endorphins were transmitted via the circulatory system!

But the bliss. Knowing that I hadn’t been traveling in vain— that my paranoia was just that: paranoid. It made me feel so happy.

Gennady eyed me with an odd look as I waved him forward.

“Come on,” I called out to him. “Why’re you so slow?”

“You’re in a good mood, aren’t ya, lass?” he commented, taking his sweet time to catch up to me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, grinning cheekily at him. “Too old? Is that why you’re so slow?”

“Hah, no.” The Dwarf shook his head as he stepped up behind me, the two of us finally out of the gates to the Taj Palace. “You’re actually scaring me. Makes me want to keep a distance away from you.”

I snorted, walking two steps ahead of him. I continued until we got close to the main street, still full of life like I had never seen before in this world. Then I stopped. I turned around, hesitating only for just a moment.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at Gennady. “For everything. All of this— I can’t be more grateful.”

My Dwarven companion paused, eyeing me. He sighed, shaking his head. “I told you before, haven’t I? It’s no problem at all! And you’ve already thanked me once.” He strutted up to me and slapped me across the back. “Come on, let’s go back. And stop scaring me with the way you’re acting.”

I rolled my eyes and followed him back to the warehouse.

—--

Ginah Stormpest— or just Ginah, actually, since she had forsaken her family's name— did not like the looks she was getting here in Taw. Apparently Humans weren’t too rare in the city, since that was just how cities worked; yet she wasn’t exactly in the city.

The warehouse which had been made into the living space for her and her crew was located a quarter way between the inner city and the outer city of Jahar’taw. That meant she would go to the harbor and be treated like any other sailor, before returning to the warehouse and getting stared at for being Human.

It was… odd. She wasn’t really the type to look at someone else differently if they were a different species. In fact, she did not share the same qualms the smuggler Jack had against Dwarves— if you were a good person, you were fine to her. But she could still understand all the gazes she was attracting as she headed back to the warehouse.

“Come on, boys,” she said, turning to the three members of her crew that accompanied her to the harbor in the morning. “This is the last of our stuff. Just got to get things nice and cozy for our new home for a while.”

The pirate Captain wasn’t entirely sure how much she believed those words of hers. She had chosen to take Melas’s ‘deal’, as the girl called it, and even went as far as to come to Jahar’taw with her. But now she had to wait and see if it all paid off.

An hour after Ginah returned to the warehouse, she saw Melas and Gennady return as well from their trip to the inner city. The pirate Captain went to greet them and paused as she saw an uncharacteristically happy girl.

“I take it the meeting went well?”

The girl grinned. “It did— it went extremely well. I… I didn’t even need Gennady in the first place!”

“Oi!” The Dwarf smacked her across the shoulder. “You’d never have made it here without me, and don’t ye forget that!”

The two chuckled, and Ginah herself felt a slight smile draw across her face. It was good that Melas was in a good mood. The pirate Captain had known her for a while, and she noted how uptight the girl could be. But now, she was far more relaxed.

“So, any word on me?” Ginah asked once the light chatter died down. “Can my crew stay, or will we get in trouble?”

“Ah, that.” Melas exchanged a glance with her Dwarf companion. “Well, we spoke to King Adilet about it— mentioned it briefly— and he said you won’t be subject to any possible criminal activities you may have committed in another country. However, that doesn’t mean you will be immune to being persecuted for breaking any laws in the Taw— even if he wanted to, he couldn’t protect you beyond a pardon.”

Ginah sighed, shaking her head. “That was about what I expected,” she said. “At least we can move freely, right?” It was better than nothing— being reassured that she wouldn’t be just arrested outright.”

“Right,” Gennady confirmed, nodding his head. He scratched his beard and looked at her. “Also, I’ve spoken to Erzhan. Managed to get a meeting with him set up by the end of the week. Just a casual chat y’know, let him get to know you first.”

“Mhm, we can’t be too imposing with him right away.”

The two turned to the girl who spoke up. She blinked as they stared at her.

“What?”

The pirate captain glanced at the Dwarf then back at Melas. She took a deep breath and scratched the side of her head. “I… don’t think you should be coming,” she said.

The black haired girl cocked her head, slightly perplexed as Ginah explained her reasoning.

“I mean, you told us that you would help arrange meetings for us— with Gennady’s help, of course. And you’ve already done that. You showing up in these meetings is just… well, kind of awkward you know? Considering…”

She waved a hand at Melas, who seemed to only just take a good look at herself. “Oh,” the girl said, almost as if she didn’t know she were a child.

“Sorry, Melas,” Gennady piped up, placing a hand on her shoulder, “I know you want to help since you made your promise, but it’s not like you can do much there. You’ve been through a lot— but you’re still a kid.”

She scowled. “I can help.”

“You can fight,” Ginah said, nodding her head. “However, you don’t have to fight. If I had initially known you were a child a few months ago— sorry, I wouldn’t have accepted your help in the first place.”

Melas paused and stared at her as she continued.

“It’s a good thing, actually. I still feel sort of bad making you fight for us. You get to live in peace now, no? Just… live like a normal girl.”

“I can’t just go back to living like a regular girl,” she replied, folding her arms.

“So do you want to go back to fighting every day of your life?” Ginah asked the question as her gaze bore into the black haired girl.

The pirate Captain looked up, remembering something from her past. She had never been given a normal childhood— her father had ensured she would grow up to be a warrior: a pirate like him. One who always defied authority.

But that was not Ginah. That had never been Ginah. And it was perhaps Neville’s biggest mistake to raise her to be that type of person— because she eventually defied his authority and killed him.

She turned back to Melas.

“You’re here now. And you’re safe, right? This was what you wanted.”

“I…” the girl trailed off, averting her gaze to the side. “Maybe. Lilith could still be up there. The Church could still come after me. And the Dark Crusaders too.”

“C’mon lass,” Gennady chimed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You were doing so well acting like a normal girl today. You’re being paranoid again.”

She sighed, placing a hand on her head. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll just leave you two at it. It makes sense, right? There’s no reason for you to bring a child to some business meeting.”

Ginah nodded and turned back to the Dwarf. “So I’ll meet with him and introduce myself and my circumstances?”

“Bah, don’t worry about that. I’ve already given him some context. He’s a good lad, just trust me—”

—--

Sevin looked up from the torch— that was the name Melas suggested— as the aforementioned girl stepped into the room. “Hey,” he greeted her,

“Hi.” She peered over his shoulder. “You’re still working on that?”

“Yeah, I’ve got the design and everything down, but I feel like it could be more efficient. Too much light is escaping from the sides— and the current runes eat up too much energy. Master Gennady said I should rework it.”

“Mhm, he always has something to say about our tinkering, doesn’t he?” she chuckled and took a seat.

“How about you? Are you going to start work on your thing?” He cocked a brow as she took out a handful of Inferior mana crystals and her carving needles.

“My cluster bombs? I showed you my blueprint for it, didn’t I?”

The young man nodded. “I’ve seen it— and even Master Gennady thinks it’s feasible. I just never would’ve thought of that. Destabilizing an Inferior mana crystal to explode— intentionally- but setting a delay on it with a shell.”

“And it’s composed of smaller Inferior mana crystal shards. So once the main body explodes, the others will scatter and blow too.”

“Where’d you even get the idea for it?”

Melas shrugged nonchalantly. “Flowers, I guess?”

“Ah, right. I read about that once. It’s really an interesting process, isn’t it?”

“Mhm.”

“I wonder how they do it.”

“Who knows?”

The two worked on their individual projects in silence until Sevin looked up.

“Is something wrong, Melas?”

The girl lowered the mana crystal and sighed. She glanced to the side and spoke slowly. “Well, not really— I mean, kind of?”

The young man gave her an odd look as she just sighed again.

“Sevin, what do you plan to do here in Jahar’taw?”

He paused and considered this question for a moment. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking it over before he got his answer. “Improve my tinkering, I guess? Master Gennady is already teaching me, but I can still get better. You know— he has a lot of contacts. He can probably get me to meet with the top Scientists in the country!”

Sevin looked back down and raised an eyebrow at the girl as she chewed her lip. “You really know what you want to do, huh?”

“Of course. I always had a dream to come here. Being here right now— it’s surreal.”

“You’ve reached your dream, then?” Melas asked, meeting his gaze.

“Yep.”

“I see. Well congratulations,” she said, smiling.

“Thanks— oh, before I forget, how did your meeting with King Adilet go?”

“Oh, it went great—”

—--

“I win!” Lisa grinned as she threw her cards down to the table. She eyed the three members of Ginah’s Crew she had just beaten and opened her hand. “Now pay up.”

The men grumbled as they forked over a silver coin each. Elda called out from the side.

“Told you lot you shouldn’t have played her! Damned smugglers have to impress their clients, so they learn tricks like this.”

“Hey,” Lisa said, turning to the pirate with crossed arms over at the kitchen counter. “I’ll have you know, I have to purposefully lose most of the time for my clients.”

“Didn’t say otherwise.”

She snorted as the pirates slowly left the room. The young woman leaned back in her chair, grinning as the coins gleamed in the palm of her hand. Then she jolted back as the door swung open and Melas entered the room.

“Oh hey Melas. You’re back already?”

“Mhm.” The black haired girl made a noise as she walked over to the chair across from her. “Were you gambling?”

“Yeah, a card game— you wouldn’t get it,” Lisa said, pocketing the coins. “How’d the meeting go?”

“Good. I can stay here. I’ve been granted political asylum— it doesn’t even have to go through the House. That’s fully within King Adilet’s power and his power alone.”

The young woman hopped off her seat, strutting around the table to Melas’s side. “And that’s good, isn’t it?” she asked, cocking her head as she leaned in. “I expected you to be… elated.”

“I am!” Melas said, standing up. Then she hesitated, looking away from Lisa’s narrowed gaze. “I’m very happy. It’s just… am I supposed to pretend nothing that happened… happened?” I can’t just go and live a normal, average life now, can I?”

“Why not?”

The girl let out an irritated breath at Lisa’s blank look. “Because,” she said, raising a hand pointing at herself, “I don’t actually know how to live a normal life. My mom was— she was my life here in this... in the world. I barely interacted with anyone in my village. So I’m not really sure what to do now…”

Melas trailed off as Lisa considered this. She sunk back onto her chair and folded her arms. “I see…”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to bother you with my problems. I just… don’t really know what to do now that I’ve reached my goal.”

Lisa nodded along, listening intently. She looked at the girl who almost reminded her of herself before she had met Jack right now. She smiled as Melas finished.

“You keep talking about doing something different. But why must you do that?”

“What do you mean?” Melas cocked her head.

“I mean you can just continue doing the same things as before,” Lisa said, leaning back on her chair. “Why must you change things up? Sure, you’re in a different place, but you could always just continue doing what you do. That’s what I’m doing.”

“What are you going to do here in Jahar’taw?”

Lisa shrugged nonchalantly. “What I usually do— if it isn’t smuggling, it’s something else that’s illegal.”

Melas stared at the young woman with a frown. “You know I can’t help bail you out if you get into trouble, right?”

“Same thing with Luke. And before I came to Luke— when I was still living with my family as a poor, noble girl.” Lisa grinned as she blinked.

“Wait… you were a noble?”

The young woman just nodded, before continuing on without giving a proper response. “So, why must you do things differently now that you’re in Jahar’taw? You’re safe— it just means you can do what you did previously with less worry, right?”

“...maybe.” The black haired girl glanced down, as if in thought.

Lisa shook her head. She’s not going to find resolution just yet, she thought. But Lisa had already said her piece, so she was not going to force Melas to find it now. She changed the subject.

“What did you come to speak with me about, anyway?”

“Oh.” Melas blinked, glancing past her at the kitchen. “I just wanted to grab some food.”

“Oh.”

—--

I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as the clock ticked on without stopping. I was elated. I was happy. I finally found my peace.

But after the high of experiencing the joy of just relaxing ran out, I was now simply exhausted. So I relaxed, choosing not to move my body now that I had reached my goal. It was an amazing feeling— accomplishing what you set out for. It made you feel good about yourself.

That was why people always set goals; that was why people felt good when they did things; and that was why completing a goal was always praised. However, one thing that was never mentioned when it came to achieving a goal was what came next—

“...what do I do now?”

I asked myself the question as the clock continued ticking.

Chapter 7: Adrian V – Summer Vacation

Adrian lay in the bed of his room, staring at the ceiling. There were many things weighing on his mind, most of them simply inane thoughts. But sometimes, he wondered to himself what Melas was doing; it had been a year now since he last saw her, and he wasn’t even sure if she was alive.

If she was alive, Adrian knew he would eventually find her. He came to Xander’s Academy for that very reason— to study in this rich institution and rise up to the top. He was prepared to face many obstacles and hardships. He did not think he would have been just accepted when he came here. He had been bullied and he had been alienated. And he overcame that. But one thing Adrian did not expect— the one thing that Adrian had not prepared himself for— was the problem he faced right now.

“I’m so bored,” the boy sighed.

It was the summer holidays for the Academy and he had nothing to do.

It was a problem that afflicted everyone who ever found themselves deviating from their regular schedule, replacing it with an absurd amount of free time. He knew should be studying or training, but he was just tired today. So he was simply going to lie sweating on his bed as the summer days melted away—

The door to his room kicked open as Alice marched in with Faizan in tow. The Half Elf boy was being dragged across the floor as she grabbed him by the arms to Adrian. She let go of him, and placed her hands on her hips as she stood in front of Adrian.

“Well, you’re in luck then. Because we are going on vacation.”

Adrian blinked.

“...what?”

—--

Adrian was not sure how he ended up on a coach making its way out of Xanderia, heading all the way to Ghab-Ha. Sure, the series of events that led to this happened with the boy present. He was there from the very moment this vacation was impulsively planned by Alice, who had heard Faizan was heading with his family to visit his mother’s home, before she decided that they should go along with him.

The brown haired boy did not expect anything to come from the plan, so he accepted without a thought. However, when they actually spoke to Faizan’s parents, they were all too eager to accommodate the two friends into their trip.

So now Adrian found himself riding along with the Callistus family as their carriage sped to the Elven country. It was a carriage being pulled along, not a mana car as it would have been too expensive to make the trip. It was cheaper to ride this way, Adrian was told. When he heard that, he thought it would be a two week trip at the very least. Little did he know that the ‘horses’ they would be using would, in fact, not be horses.

Instead, they were using Unicorns.

Adrian pressed his face against the glass window of the carriage, trying to get a glimpse of the majestic white beasts that he only ever heard about in stories. He was still in disbelief that he had been allowed to touch one. And more than that, he couldn’t believe that they were the ones used for travel.

It seemed almost like an insult, to Adrian. But it was not. The Unicorns were not any more intelligent than a horse, even if they were incredibly beautiful and fast. They were far more aggressive however, so Adrian was only allowed to touch the one.

But in spite of that, Adrian still wanted to see them again. All he could see from where he sat, however, was a white blob plastered just ahead of the carriage as the world blurred around them. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. A voice spoke out and he straightened.

“I’m glad,” Alima— Faizan’s mother— said, as she placed a hand on her lips. “I’m so glad Faizan was able to find some friends his age.”

“Mother…” The Half Elf boy’s face grew red as he looked up at the woman sitting across from them.

“I just thought that you would struggle in Xander’s Academy. You know, I told your father not to let you into the school. The noble children there are spoiled brats— no offense” Alima glanced over at Adrian and Alice.

“Of course not, Lady Alima.”

“In fact, I’d say you’re right.”

The Elf woman smiled, turning back to her son. “But Graham insisted that you follow in his footsteps. He believed you were strong enough to overcome anything you would face in the Academy. I’m so glad I trusted him… I’m so proud of you!”

Faizan slumped back on his seat, rolling his eyes. “I wanted to go to Xander’s Academy, mother. Even if you and father told me not to, I would have found a way to go anyways.”

“And that’s why I’m so proud,” Alima sniffed as she wiped a tear from her eye.

The Half Elf boy groaned as his mother continued to dote on him. Adrian watched this happen, bemused. He had never expected Faizan to act this way with his parents— Faizan always appeared to be so… shy.

Adrian felt himself smiling as he saw his friend slowly open up. But the moment was interrupted as he was nudged by Alice from his side. The girl leaned over to his ear, whispering.

“It’s nice, but don’t bring this up later. He’ll get embarrassed.”

“Of course I won’t.” Adrian stared at Alice, raising an eyebrow. “Why would you think I’d do that?”

She cocked her head. “It’s just that, sometimes you’re… a bit blunt, you know?”

The brown haired boy frowned. “Wait, what does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

—--

It took only a few days, but Adrian found himself stepping out of the carriage amongst vast foliage that stretched out everywhere he could see. An armored man— a bodyguard of the Callistus family— proffered a hand, helping him down.

Behind him, Alice and Faizan followed suit, with the bodyguard nodding at the latter. “Master.”

“Thank you, Aalam,” Faizan said to the man as he bowed.

Adrian narrowed his eyes. He’s an Elf? The brown haired boy couldn’t tell as the bodyguard was covered head to toe in armor enchanted by mana crystals. No— are all the bodyguards Elves?

Alice tapped the boy in the shoulder, making him turn around as a figure approached from the front of the carriage. Graham Callistus, Faizan’s father and patriarch of the Callistus Barony, approached the children. He had a gray, withering face that Adrian initially thought was odd for a man with a single child as it was only befitting someone well into his 50s, before Adrian remembered that Faizan was a Half Elf.

Even if the man had Faizan when he was fairly young, he would still be past his 40s. Because, even if Faizan didn’t act that way, Adrian remembered that the Half Elf Boy was almost a decade older than him.

“Father,” Faizan greeted. “Thank you once again for letting my friends accompany me on this trip. We greatly appreciate it.”

“Yes,” Alice hastily agreed. “We’d like to thank you for your generosity of not only allowing us to intrude on your family vacation, but to also accommodate us in the journey itself.”

The girl pushed Adrian’s head down, forcing him to bow along with her. He scowled but said nothing, simply following her lead.

Graham laughed, seeing this. “Of course, of course. Now be at ease, I don’t expect you children to be so stiff around me.”

Adrian straightened, nodding. “Thank you, Sir.” He gave Alice a sidelong glance, but she just sighed. “We’re delighted that you took us along.”

“Now come,” Graham said, gesturing the children forward. “We have much to travel. The road ends here, but Ma-Dina is still up ahead. We walk.”

The three children followed the Baron as his retinue of guards spread out around them. Adrian glanced around as the shrubbery grew thicker and thicker around them. The lumbering trees rose up high, creating a canopy that blotted out part of the sun. It was getting dark— but it was still in the middle of day. The brown haired boy found a slight chill creeping up his spine as Faizan casually conversed with his father.

“Where has mother gone, father?”

“Alima went ahead with a few of our bodyguards to let them know of our arrival. She’ll be waiting for us there.”

“I see. Will uncle Bashar be there?”

“Hm, that I do not—”

“Hey,” Alice whispered, tugging at Adrian’s shirt. He turned around and cocked a brow.

“Something the matter, Alice?”

“No— it’s just that, it’s getting kind of dark here. It’s a little bit creepy. Do you think it’s safe? What if there are Monsters…”

Adrian looked at the girl as she cowered beside him. He tried to speak reassuringly, although he wasn’t exactly sure how to do so. “Uh— it’s… fine? I mean, uh, just because it’s dark there doesn’t have to be Monsters?”

Alice actually took a step away from him as he spoke, giving him a blank stare. She sighed, folding her arms. “I know that. But don’t you think it’s a little…” she trailed off.

“Dark?” a strong voice replied. Adrian and Alice glanced up at Graham peering at the two of them. The Baron smiled. “Don’t worry, Alice. And you too Adrian. The trees here have branches that stretch out to each other, holding each other, and covering the sky. But look—”

The two looked ahead, staring at where he was pointing. There was a small blue glow zipping through the bushes. The tiny beacon of light halted right next to some leaves, staying there for a moment, before dancing off once again.

“Faerie Flies.”

Adrian’s eyes widened as he saw more of the tiny blue insects, glowing with an ethereal light appear all around them. They each shone with a dim light that would not have revealed anything in the darkness, yet together, they would have lit up even the darkest of nights.

“Beautiful,” Alice sighed wistfully, seeing the Faerie Flies whiz around her. She held a hand out and a few landed on her fingers and buzzed. “Hey, that tickles.”

“First time seeing them, huh? Well, they’re always a sight to behold.”

“Are they dangerous at all?” Adrian asked, turning to Graham.

“Not at all. Look— they haven’t hurt your friend, have they?”

Adrian watched as Alice giggled and slowly shook her hand, making the Faerie Flies disperse, before they regrouped around her hand. She turned to Faizan to show it to him, but the Half Elf boy just held up a hand full of Faerie Flies and grinned.

“That’s enough playing with them,” Graham said. “You’re giving them too much fun and they’ll be sad once us visitors are gone and they’ll be stuck with those who are used to them again. Come now, we’re close to Ma-Dina.”

The children stopped, following the adult as he led them through a thick thicket of trees, before it thinned out to an opening in the forest. In the very heart of the rainforest— Adrian found himself blinking as he was once again met by the bright rays of the sun.

But he wasn’t blinded by it. He had already accustomed himself to light from the darkness with the Faerie Flies. He was blinking because of the sprawling city he saw ahead of him.

It wasn’t like any city he had ever seen. And Adrian, while a village boy, had seen many cities on his way to Xanderia. Those cities had buildings made of brick. They had structures that rose up to the sky. But never anything that was ever built into nature itself.

Houses made of trees— not wood— but of the trees itself sprouted out of the ground. Buildings were built into mounds, digging up the ground to create shelter out of the earth itself. This was not a city, it was almost like a large village!

But it wasn’t small. It was hardly small. The opening in the forest stretched out for quite the distance, and with it, so did the city itself. There were no towering blocks of stone, but there was a collapsed Elysian Tree lying to the right of the city. It was hollowed out, used as a form of dormitory for many to live in. Next to it was an empty plot of land with targets strewn about. Some kind of military barracks? Adrian thought. Or a school?

The brown haired boy wasn’t really sure. In fact, he didn’t even know what he expected coming into Ma-Dina. He was told by Faizan that it was the city Alima grew up in, and that was pretty much it.

But now, even at the very edge of the city, the very periphery where nature was at its thickest, there was light coming within the large trunks around Adrian. There were structures built above too— with vines tied together to hold them together. They had made no walkways above to connect them to one another, but Adrian saw Elven boys running up to a tree and easily climbing up the side of one.

Adrian considered himself physically fit, but he still thought it was impressive, with the height of the trees and the fact they had to do it every single time.

Of course, not all the structures in Ma-Dina were made to coexist with nature. There were regular huts and houses made of brick and stone built alongside them. But they were minimal— used sparingly and only necessarily at best. And even then, they were covered in foliage.

“This… this is Ma-Dina?” Adrian asked, turning to Faizan. The Half Elf boy nodded slowly.

“It is,” he said as his lips quirked up. “And this is where my mother’s side of the family resides.”

—--

“Welcome!”

The door to the large tree house was thrown open. It wasn’t built atop a tree, rather it was simply a hollowed out tree that was turned into a house. Faizan ran over to the Elven man who was standing there, arms spread out.

“Uncle Bashar!” he excitedly said, hugging him.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite nephew. Come here, boy.” Bashar laughed as he rubbed the boy’s head. He paused, turning to the two other children behind Faizan. “And who are these children?”

“They’re my friends, uncle— Adrian and Alice.”

“Good evening Sir Bashar,” Alice said, lifting her dress up in a slight curtsy.

Adrian looked at this, seeing the girl’s sidelong glance at him. He sighed and bowed stiffly, speaking monotonously. “Hello Sir, we are grateful that you have allowed us to come into your home… or something.”

He mumbled the last part, unsure of what to say. Alice glared at him, giving him a look that made the boy fear for when the adults left and he would be faced with another lecture on manners. But Bashar just smiled, waving a hand dismissively.

“We’re not a noble family, young Alice, Adrian. We don’t use titles or do formality here.” As the Elf spoke, he glanced up at the other man waiting behind the children. “Right, Graham?”

“Of course not Bashar,” the Baron said, a smile plastered on his face. “It’s always a pleasure meeting you.” And not a moment after saying that, he continued. “Where’s Alima?”

“Ah, my sister is currently upstairs speaking with our father,” Bashar replied, gesturing for them to go in. “Come, let’s speak inside, shall we?”

They entered the warmly lit room; candles and lamps were scattered throughout, keeping the room illuminated where the sun’s rays seeping through the holes and openings on the tree trunk could not.

Faizan stepped forward, running ahead of Bashar. “Mother’s with grandfather?”

“Yes. He’s really excited to see you, Faiz. We’ve all been waiting for you to visit since we heard you were going to the Academy. Unfortunately, you enrolled before we could even speak with you.”

“Yes— father told me that you guys would want to see me after I was already attending classes.”

Bashar laughed. “Of course he did. Come on, you can go upstairs and speak with Harith before he falls asleep from your mother’s blathering. And fetch her too while you’re at it, I’m sure she has forgotten we exist.”

“Ok.” The Half Elf boy ran up a set of wooden steps to the second floor, leaving Adrian and Alice behind with the two adults.

Adrian fidgeted, exchanging a glance with Alice. What should he do? He never really knew how to act around adults that weren’t his parents! Luckily for him, it seemed that the adults were too distracted talking to each other to notice him.

Bashar slapped Graham on the back as Graham grabbed Bashar by the shoulder. The two entered the next room together, followed only by Aalam, the bodyguard from earlier. Most of the bodyguards for the Callistus family did enter the house, instead stationing themselves around the perimeter and on guard.

“They don’t like each other,” Alice noted, staring at the two adults as they laughed next to a library of bookshelves.

“What do you mean?” Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow. “They look like they’re getting along just fine to me.”

“They’re not. It’s all fake— you can tell by the way they’re acting. They’re hoping Lady Alimah comes down soon so she can defuse the situation.”

Adrian looked at the two men chatting along. One was a Human Baron with a pale complexion like him, while the other was an Elf. One of the Elves he had never seen until recently with their blue skins and pointed ears. They looked incredibly different, but they radiated friendliness. “I really don’t think so, Alice. If you want, we can ask Faizan whether they get along.”

“Don’t be stupid! Of course Faizan doesn’t know. That’s the reason why they’re pretending to be friends— you won’t understand. You don’t know politics.”

“I’ve seen enough in the Academy.”

“No you haven’t. You’ve only been there for a year. Just trust me on this, ok?”

“Fine,” Adrian sighed, folding his arms. “But what does it matter if they don’t like each other?”

“It means,” Alice started, wagging a finger, “that this trip was impromptu. It’s not a vacation— and it never was meant to be one.”

“What do you mean?” He narrowed his eyes.

“I mean there’s a reason they came here! And I don’t know? They let us come because we’re Faizan’s friends and we can distract him while they handle the adult stuff? But it’s a mystery— there’s something to be solved!”

She stepped back as he just gave her a blank look.

“What?”

“You read too many books, Alice.”

“No I don't— ok, maybe I do. But it’s true!”

Adrian shook his head, turning to face Graham and Bashar as they exploded into boisterous laughter again. It seemed almost… force. And now the boy could almost see where Alice was coming from. But unlike the girl who seemed eager to get to the bottom of this, Adrian couldn’t really care.

“You’re the one who got me roped along into this trip. I’ve come this far, but I’m not getting involved in what’s likely a personal family matter which we have no business off.”

“But I’m curious.” She clasped his hand, peering at him with her big blue eyes as her locks fell right behind her. “Aren’t you?”

Adrian considered this, looking up for a moment. Then he looked back at her.

“No.”

No matter how much Alice protested, Adrian wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t interested in this. He liked the girl— he considered her his friend. But just because they were friends didn’t mean he would try to learn more about a stupid and probably boring drama between adults. And that was the end of that. Or at least, he thought.

Because unfortunately for Adrian, it was only just the beginning of things on this trip.

Chapter 8: Adrian VI – Business

Later that night, Adrian found himself sitting at the dinner table surrounded by Elves. He was seated with Alice and Faizan, of course. And to his right— past Alice and Faizan— were the Half Elf boy’s parents. But that wasn’t all. In addition to Bashar, apparently Alima's family decided to invite other guests— family friends— for their first reunion dinner after not seeing them for so many years.

He couldn’t help but stare at these Elves. He had never seen a full Elf before. In fact, Faizan was the first Half Elf he had met. And he had been taken by surprise at his friend’s appearance when he first saw him— before they became friends. Now though, the brown haired boy found himself in the same predicament.

Adrian knew he shouldn’t be staring. But he couldn’t help it. Everyone here had blue skin and pointed ears! And it was not like they wore much to cover their bodies. Unlike Xanderia— where women wore dresses that fell to their ankles, and the men tailored suits to their entire body— the Elves wore shirts with sleeves that reached only as far as their elbow, while the women wore dresses that hovered just above their knees. And he wasn’t really able to tell one Elf from the other— the only one he could really make out was Bashar, who had long black hair, just as Melas did, and...

He glanced over at the head of the table. There sat the one who arranged it all. Ilyas, father of Bashar and Alima, as well as the oldest in the family. Not a patriarch— Elves didn’t have a concept like that. But he was their elder, so he held a level of respect from the others in the table.

And yet, he was really old. Adrian knew that Elves could live long lifespans— Half Elves less so— but Adrian never once thought he would ever see a decrepit Elf. He could imagine them. He could envision what they looked like. However he never once imagined one to look like Ilyas.

The old Elf moved his hand ever so slowly to reach his plate. He grabbed the pair of chopsticks, lifting it up and grabbed a piece of meat with it before putting it in his mouth. That was, of course, how people normally ate. But the amount of time it took Ilyas to do it, Adrian had already taken three bites out of his food. And the boy was a slow eater!

The conversation at the table mostly stemmed around how Alima had been doing outside of Ghab-Ha. It was not the most intriguing or important chat— Adrian found himself bored, playing with the wooden sticks Elves used as utensils. Alice lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Adrian, what are you doing?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“Hm? Oh I’m bored.”

“I can tell! And so can others! You’re being disrespectful.”

He frowned, glancing around the long log table. He noticed a few looks— subtle looks— of disapproval. He turned back to Alice as she continued.

“We’re here not just as Faizan’s friends. We’re the Baron’s guests. If we behave inappropriately, we could alienate him from their family even further!”

“You’re really pushing this ‘they don’t like each other’ narrative, aren’t you?” Adrian said, sighing. He straightened, nodding at her. “Fine. I’ll behave. What’s Faizan doing anyways?”

He looked past her, trying to make out what his other friend was up to. He saw the Half Elf boy smiling and laughing as Bashar cracked a joke. They were all embroiled in a conversation, mostly directing questions to Faizan and Alima.

“So how did you feel when you left him in Xanderia?” someone asked the woman.

“Oh I was devastated. But I knew he could take care of himself. Look, he even has two wonderful friends with him.”

Heads turned to Faizan, then to Alice and Adrian. The three children froze up at the sudden attention.

“Uh, hi.” Adrian waved hesitantly. They waited for him to continue, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. Alice noticed this, quickly picking up after him.

“I’m Alice, and this is Adrian. We’re Faizan’s friends from the Academy. We do apologize for intruding to your reunion.”

Adrian expected Ilyas to be the one to speak, but instead Bashar turned to the children.

“Of course, we spoke earlier. But I’m curious, how are you two enjoying Ma-Dina so far?”

“Sorry, Sir, we haven’t been able to explore much of your wonderful city, but from what we’ve seen, we’ve found it amazing.”

He laughed, leaning back on his chair. “Of course you would. We’re nothing like Xanderia— where are you two from originally anyway?”

Faizan piped up. “Alice is from Xanthe. Her father is a merchant from there. But Adrian— you're from the Rem Republic, right?”

Adrian nodded slowly as the country’s name was mentioned. Bashar folded his arms, rubbing at the stubble on his chin.

“All the way from Vitae, huh? That’s far,” he commented. An Elf— one of his friends— nudged him.

“Don’t you have a friend in Vitae right now?”

“Yes, but I don’t believe he’s in Rem. He travels a lot, and I do keep occasional contact with him. Last I heard, he was in the northern part of the continent.”

“Oh, I’ve never been anywhere outside of my country before I left,” Adrian said, shuffling his feet. He wasn’t sure whether he should say it— these people were well traveled and had been around. But he spoke anyway. “I’m from, uh, Villamcreek. Ever heard of it?”

More than one head shook from side to side, indicating how obscure his home had been. He sighed, disappointed but not surprised. He liked Villamcreek— his home— and he would have liked to talk about it more, however even Alice never really understood what it was like to be in a village.

Bashar cocked an eyebrow. “Villamcreek— yes, I’ve heard of that. It’s a small village in the outskirts of the Rem Republic, yes? Right by where the Incen Mountain Range cuts across

Graham had known of Villamcreek by name, but no more than that. And yet, this Elf knew where exactly his home was too? That made him perk up a bit more.

“You know about it?” Adrian asked, not too excitedly but still rather curious.

“I’ve been to Rem before— I visited their academy in Remheart. A student I met there was from Villamcreek.”

“Really? I don’t think anyone from our village went to Remheart since Mr Walden.”

“Walden!” Bashar snapped his fingers. “That’s who I had met.”

Adrian blinked. “You know him?”

“Of course. He’s an interesting fellow. Always had an interest in us Elves and the vital role we played in defeating the Demon Lord.”

There were a few murmurs of agreement— the boy saw everyone in the room stand up straighter, as if it was they who had fought in the Final Holy War. He thought that none of them were old enough for that, but apparently someone was.

Alima turned to her Ilyas, patting him lightly on the hand as he slowly ate his food. “Father, you were there, weren’t you? During the Final Holy War.”

Adrian and Alice stared at the withering man. He pulled the chopsticks away from his mouth, craning his creaking neck as he faced his daughter. They met eyes for a moment, then—

He started chewing. Adrian blinked as the old Elf continued chewing. He glanced around at the others, trying to see if they were seeing this too. And Alice clearly did. She was just as perplexed as he was.

But no one else cared. Alima waited casually, as though the long lull between replies was normal. Only Graham seemed slightly put off by this, however he waited too, as he expected it but was just not used to it.

Finally, when Ilyas was done chewing, his eyes widened fractionally and he opened his mouth. “The Final Holy War...?” He cocked his head.

“Yes. Back when the Great Hero Xander was still around. You remember Xander, right?”

Ilyas slowly blinked, taking this in at the pace that Adrian thought was even slower than the snail they were being served for dinner. Then he frowned.

“...Ghaleb?”

He looked past Alima, straight at Faizan.

“Uh, grandfather?”

“Is that you, Ghaleb?” The old Elf pushed himself off his chair and stumbled towards the Half Elf boy. Alima tried to catch him as he almost fell, but he brushed her aside.

Faizan looked around in a panic as Ilyas grabbed him by the shoulder. Bashar stepped up behind him. “Father, that’s not Ghaleb—”

“My oldest boy, you’ve returned to me.” Ilyas held onto Faizan as the boy squeaked. But he paid it no mind as he continued. “Your brother and sister have left me, but you’ve returned, just as I always knew you would. They don’t listen to me anymore. They see me as senile. But you— you…”

He trailed off, before his face went blank. He muttered to himself in confusion.

“What… where… where am I?”

Bashar placed a hand on his shoulder. “Father, come on, I think it’s time for you to go back up and rest.”

The old Elf nodded as he got up. “Of course, Bashar. I… where did…”

Alima gently lifted Ilyas by the shoulder. “It’s fine, father. Let’s go.”

“I... “ he trailed off.

The two siblings slowly brought him up the stairs, leaving the dining table silent. And even when they returned, the jovial atmosphere from before did not return.

“Faizan, we need to talk,” Alima said, leaning over the Half Elf boy. He still looked a little bit in shock, but he managed to muster up a nod.

“Yes mother.” She led him by the hand out of the room and gently closed the door behind her. Alice jumped out of her bed, running over to Adrian’s side of the bedroom.

“I told you something was up!”

He blinked, looking at her big blue eyes as she spoke excitedly.

“There is something going on here— this wasn’t just a regular vacation! Look at how

Adrian shrugged. “He seemed old, especially for an Elf. He’s probably sick or something.”

“As if,” she scoffed. “Did you hear what Ilyas said? He was left behind by his children. Why would he say such a thing if there wasn’t something going on?”

“Because Alima left to go the Holy Xan Empire and marry Graham?”

“Ok, then what about Bashar?”

Adrian pursed his lips. “I don’t know? He left him to go downstairs and greet us earlier this evening? Look— there is absolutely nothing bad going on.”

“I didn’t say there was anything bad, I just said there was something. Come on, Adrian, look at the full picture— Graham and Bashar don’t get along, Graham tried to keep Faizan from coming back to Ma-Dina for as long as possible, now this? I think there’s something going on with that man.”

“You’ve known him for a total of one night, and you’re coming to this conclusion? Don’t you think you’re being a little unreasonable, Alice?”

“How about you? Where’s your sense of mystery, Adrian?”

“Back where I left my business, and as far as I can see, my business isn’t anywhere near here.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “That’s a terrible joke.”

“But it’s true,” he countered, folding his arms. “This isn’t for us to have anything to do with, Alice. We’re children.”

She grinned, jerking a thumb at herself. “Children who will grow up to be the best in the world at what we do— we’re from Xander’s Academy. Do you think the Great Hero would have ignored a situation such as this?”

“...yes?” Adrian gave her a confused look. In the first place, he wasn’t sure what he thought of Xander. He had, like all the other children in Villamcreek, looked up to the Great Hero at first. But after what happened with the Church and Aria— he did not know anymore.

Alice sighed. “Fine. Maybe he wouldn’t have gotten involved in a family squabble like this. But it’s clear something’s going on. And if you don’t want to find out what it is, I will!”

“Wait, where are you going?” he called after her as she started out of the room.

“Eavesdrop— hear what Alima is talking with Faizan about.”

“Can’t you just ask him about it later?”

“No— he’s obviously not liking this situation. We shouldn’t bring up any of this to him. Just act normal. I’m sure you will, but I will too even when I get to the bottom of this.”

Adrian watched the girl leave the room, as the wood door swung shut. He waited for a few moments— he tried to put his mind into something else. But he couldn’t. So he got up and followed after her.

The brown haired boy saw Alice turning around a corner and followed after. But just before he could reach the juncture, a door swung open in front of him and a man came walking out. Bashar blinked as Adrian halted in his steps.

“Uh, hi.”

“Ah, Adrian was it?”

“Yes, uh, Sir?” Adrian wasn’t really sure how to refer to him. He had said Elves didn’t do titles— and that was true. But still, the boy felt that referring to him by his name was too… familiar.

“Were you headed somewhere? I’m sure I can help direct you around the house just fine.”

“No, I was just… going to the toilet.” Adrian bit his lips, cursing himself for using such a stupid excuse. What are you, six? Can’t you come up with a better lie?! He cringed, hoping that he would not be called out for it.

Thankfully, adults believed anything a child said as long as they weren’t aware that something was off.

“Well I’d be happy to show you the way.”

Adrian drew his lips into a thin line, although he said nothing. He nodded stiffly, before following the Elf man down the stairs.

“We don’t have any… plumbing like you do in Xanderia. But I’m sure you’re used to relieving yourself in other ways back in Villamcreek, right?”

“We use outhouses, Sir.”

“Of course. So do we. The only difference is that our outhouses are inside the house.” Bashar chuckled as Adrian gave him a blank look. “Come, let me show you.”

The Elven man pulled open a door, revealing the inside of an outhouse. There was a small ditch on the ground with a bucket of water to the side. Adrian immediately pinched his nose and backed up.

“But the smell—”

“Look up.”

Adrian glanced up, seeing a hole in the ceiling. Because it wasn’t a ceiling. It was just a section of the large tree that had been naturally hollow in the first place.

“We use nature as it is. See how convenient it can be when you don’t overcomplicate things?”

The boy slowly nodded as Bashar smirked.

“Now I’ll leave you to it. But don’t take too long. Alima gets upset when she can’t use the bathroom when she needs to.”

The Elf man turned around to leave, leaving Adrian to do his thing. So the boy closed the door, took a deep breath, and—

He waited for a bit. He counted the seconds passing in his hand, before he finally got up and left the outhouse. Because there was only one thing the outhouse was used for, and that was to do your business.

And Adrian had absolutely no business in this place.

Chapter 9: Adrian VII – Curse

For the next few days, Adrian found himself exploring the city of Ma-Dina. He was in awe at the sight of it all— he had seen what it was like when he first arrived, but only from afar. The house was close to the outskirts. But now, Adrian was now walking down the edge of the city, but through the very center of it.

The brown haired boy glanced around with his mouth hanging wide open as he stood at the center of a busy intersection. Elves were all around him— many staring and pointing at the Human boy— as they went about their day. And the way they did that was very different from the way Humans did.

In Xanderia, he would see people getting on mana cars or taking a horse and cart to get around. There was also a short-distance railway system in the works— inspired by the one that was apparently in Jahar’taw, Capital city of the Dwarven Taw Kingdom— which would have made traveling around the city much easier. But here in Ma-Dina, there was none of that.

They didn’t use mana tools. They didn’t use technology. They used their own natural abilities.

Adrian watched as the Elves leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Adult Elves threw themselves off tree houses, swinging with vines from one building to another. The traffic which was usually limited to the ground went up and above what Adrian could see.

And it was not like the ground was empty of people either. Elves were sprinting about, with their own sectioned off parts of the street for those going at full speeds. Of course, most regular Elves were walking like normal. But still, the very sight of those unusual modes of transportation brought Adrian to stare in admiration for a moment.

Apparently it was something Elves were proud of too. The person accompanying him spoke proudly aloud.

“We’re the most natural city in Ghab-Ha, staying true to the Elven roots of being one with nature and living on your own abilities. Maybe that’s why those Human-lovers in the Capital— in Ras-Almal— look down on us. Because we refuse to change.”

Bashar paused, glancing up, then down at Adrian.

“No offense, of course. There is nothing wrong with loving a Human— my sister proves that herself. But to the point of obsession. Now that is when I find it is overstepping some bounds.”

“Yeah,” Adrian mumbled a reply, not sure what to say. He had been the one to ask Bashar to show him around the city more properly— he had wanted to explore since Faizan had been rather down after what happened on their first night here. And Bashar seemed to have taken a liking to Adrian since he found out he was from Villamcreek. The thing was, however, Adrian didn’t know if he liked the man.

Sure, Bashar was nice to the boy. He had been helpful and even kind to him. But it was in these moments where the Elven man went on about his heritage where Adrian began casting doubts about him.

It was… off putting, to say the least. And yet, Adrian still asked Bashar to show him around. And the reason behind that was the girl who was not here at the moment.

Alice had asked Adrian to bring Bashar out of the house. Apparently she was ‘onto something’. What that meant— the body didn’t know. However, with Faizan still upset over the dinner and Alice out of the picture, he should have been glad he at least had someone to accompany him. Except...

He was starting to think that Alice might have been right.

“Elves. We're an amazing people, no? We don’t over rely on mana, instead choosing only to utilize mana tools only when absolutely necessary. It is an admirable way of life, to not always be consuming resources for such simple wants.”

“I guess…” the boy trailed off as Bashar looked at him approvingly.

“Faizan tells me you’ve never left your village until you came to Xander’s Academy. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Adrian said, nodding slowly.

“Then you’d understand what it’s like. To come to the city and see so much… waste.” The Elf man spoke, holding disdain in his voice.

The brown haired boy hesitated, looking around the Elf city. There were very few vehicles; almost everyone traveled by their own two feet. It… reminded Adrian of home. But he shook his head.

“It does— but I think it’s different too.”

“Oh?” Bashar raised an eyebrow, turning to him as they walked down the dirt road with grass and plants growing along the side. “How so?”

“The Elves here— you guys can use mana tools, but you don’t want to to stick to your traditions. But in Villamcreek, we have no choice. We are too poor and far away from the big cities to get anything that could possibly help us. If we were given the opportunity… we would take it.”

The Elf frowned. “Hm, that is an interesting perspective.”

Adrian shrugged. “But I believe it’s true.”

They continued their way back to the house— they had been out all morning and it was lunch time now.

“You know, Walden had a rather unique point of view,” Bashar said, casting his gaze to the sky. “He believed that one should practice asceticism.”

The boy blinked. “Like the Orcs?”

“In a way. But not the same way they do. An Orc’s way of life comes from his repentance for the sins his people committed— for siding with the Demon Lord throughout the Holy Wars. But Walden does it not out of any things he has done, but because he believes a simple way of life is best.”

Adrian nodded. Walden did return to Villamcreek even after receiving an education in the Capital of the Rem Republic. He could have very easily stayed in the city, but he came back.

The boy paused for a moment, remembering his parents. They missed him— he had exchanged a few messages with them over the past year, the most recent one being when he told them he was going to visit Ghab-Ha with his friends. And while he missed them too, he wondered if, after he was finished with his education and found Melas, he would return home to Villamcreek.

He had a plan. A rough plan. But a plan nonetheless.

If Adrian could become a powerful individual within the Holy Xan Empire, he could offer Melas protection. And if that didn’t pan out, he could always run away with her after he finds her. That was the basic idea he had.

But did that include his home? He didn’t really know. He shook his head.

“I see what you’re saying, Sir, but I don’t know if that’s something everyone wants. Sometimes, things have to be complicated and you can’t do anything about it.”

Bashar furrowed his brows. “Only if one chooses to complicate it. Understand, Adrian, that things are only ever as complex as you see it. If you see a tree as a tree— it is just a tree. But if you see a tree as something more— as a source of food, wood, shelter— it becomes something more.”

The boy blinked. He had never once considered that. He looked at Bashar as the Elf continued.

“Now that’s what us Elves do— we see a tree as something more than just a tree. But compared to the Humans in the Holy Xan Empire, we are simple. They see trees as sources of food, wood, shelter, paper, agriculture, and even land. They break everything down into what can be used, and not what is. Such a materialistic way of life— I can’t accept it.”

For a moment, Adrian saw something light up in his eyes. Then it went away as he realized he had gone too far again.

“But I guess we have no choice, right?”

Bashar smiled, and Adrian simply nodded. The conversation shifted back to casual topics as they arrived back at the tree house. They swung open the door, only to be met by a worried Faizan running up to them.

“Uncle! Uncle!”

“Faizan? What’s wrong?”

The Half Elf boy tugged at Bashar’s shirt as tears streamed down from his eyes. Adrian watched his, not sure what was going on. The older Elf leaned over at Faizan.

“Tell me what’s wrong— what happened?”

“It’s grandfather— he…” Faizan trailed off, sniffling as he spoke. “He’s gone..,.”

It was a gloomy gathering that met later that evening. What had been supposed to be a jovial vacation was quickly sullied from the first night of their arrival. Adrian wondered why things went this way— it was better for things to be boring! At least when he was bored in his room, he wouldn’t have to deal with serious adult things like this.

And there was a lot to deal with. The cremation of Ilyas took an hour. Death was something to be mourned, but the rite for it should be quick. The Goddess would embrace their souls faster that way— at least, that was what Adrian was taught by the Church.

He thought Bashar would be against the practice since it was a Human one— but the Elven man remained quiet throughout. This was in sharp contrast to Alima who was crying alongside Faizan as Graham stood behind them with his head bowed.

Adrian didn’t know what to do. He stood beside Alice who had said nothing the entire time. Only when it was over did she turn and whisper to him.

“Don’t sleep tonight. Meet me in the bathroom after Faizan goes to sleep.”

He wanted to protest, but decided this was not the place for it. Nor did he think Alice was foolish enough to press her investigation if she really was onto something.

So later that night, the boy did as he was told. He waited until he was certain the Half Elf boy had fallen to sleep. Only then did he hear a light shuffling of feet. He glanced up and saw Alice heading out of the room. He waited a few moments before going after her.

He went down, quietly closing the door behind him before finding the bathroom. The door opened with a creak and he almost yelped as a hand grabbed him and pulled him in.

“Shush! Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?” Alice spoke in a hushed voice.

Adrian blinked as he took in the light from the mood above. “Uh, no?”

“Huh, you’re right.” She shook her head. “We need to talk.”

“I assumed so,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “Why else would you have asked me here.”

She sighed, ignoring him. She reached for something in her pocket. She pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper— one that had been folded numerous times.

“What’s that?” Adrian asked, frowning.

“This,” she said, holding it out for him to see, “is what I found while snooping through Bashar’s office.”

He stared at the writing scrawled onto it as she handed it to him. He narrowed his eyes. “That’s… the Venerable language? What does it say?” He couldn’t read it that well— he was falling behind in that class in the Academy. The only one after history, which he specifically chose not to do well in.

Alice lowered it slowly, taking a deep breath as she shut her eyes. “It’s instructions on how to cast a spell. It’s magic, Adrian. Black magic.”

Adrian paused as she gave him a grave look. He met her blue eyes which told him everything she felt about it. He opened his mouth—

“So?”

“What?” The girl frowned, lowering the paper. “Did you not hear what I said? This is magic— this Bashar is a heretic! It’s heresy!” She tapped a finger on the page emphatically.

The brown haired boy bit his lower lip. He remembered a girl and her mother— and the Saint and Inquisitors that attacked them without any reason. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything, but he spoke out anyway.

“Just because someone does magic, it doesn’t mean they’re bad.” He folded his arms.

Alice blinked. “Adrian, are you serious?”

“I am,” he said simply, putting a foot down. “And you can’t change my mind.”

The blonde girl’s mouth hung open for a moment. He might have lost a friend here, but— he was right. He knew he was right. Alice scowled.

“Fine, whatever!” she sputtered. Adrian paused, not expected that reaction. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. “But that doesn’t matter, because this is bad.”

She shoved the paper to him.

“Look at it.”

“I can’t read—”

“You don’t have to read, look at that diagram.”

Adrian stared, frowning. “What— oh.”

On the paper was a drawing. There was the shape of a white magic circle made possibly by chalk? But that was not what was important. What mattered was the figure lying in the center of it.

A withered shell of a man was drawn. It wasn’t a real man, just drawing. But the husk of a body that

“It’s a curse, Adrian.” Alice spoke, her voice quivering. “He put a curse on his own father.”

“...what?”

The brown haired boy looked at her, dumbfounded. She flapped it in front of his face.

“It’s a curse.”

“I…”

He glanced at her, still processing this. He killed his father? Why would he do that?

“Why—”

“That’s what I want to find out too,” she said, meeting his gaze. “I haven’t told anyone yet. We need more proof— and we need to find out what he’s planning.”

“Wait, you haven’t told anyone?” he asked, aghast.

“Yes. No one will believe us—”

He cut her off. “You have proof right here!”

Alice crossed her arms. “But we don’t know why he’s doing this.”

Adrian shook his head. “That’s not for us to find out, Alice. That’s—”

The boy paused, hearing a sound from outside. The two glanced at each other.

“What’s—”

“Sh.”

They hugged the ground, peaking through the cracks underneath. Adrian couldn’t really see— it was dark outside with all the candles extinguished. There was a hushed discussion in the room. Two figures stalked through it.

Adrian couldn’t make out any details, not even if they were Elves or not. It was only when one of them lifted their hands and conjured a small ball of light could he finally see. Alice held back a gasp as she saw the magic being cast— even Adrian was caught off guard. But they managed to stay silent.

Adrian could not make out both of them. Only one was illuminated by the light enough so that his face could be seen. And the boy recognized the man— Bashar.

Bashar nodded to his companion before they dispelled the spell. Then they left the room, leaving through the front door. Only when Adrian was certain they were gone did he finally speak.

“W-we need to tell someone, Alice.”

“No— we need to follow after them. Before they get away!”

“Why?”

“Because they planned something. They planned this. Something’s happening right now. We need to stop them.”

Adrian shook his head. That was so foolish! If they went after Bashar, they would surely get caught and nothing would come from it. But Alice was so certain that something was wrong. If he couldn’t get her to change his mind, he could just get her to compromise.

“Then we do both,” he said hurriedly. If what Alice was saying was true and it was really something dangerous, then she should not go. He had seen his friend get hurt because of him before. He would not let that happen again. “You go upstairs and tell Graham and his guards, I’ll follow after them for as long as I can.”

Chapter 10: Adrian VIII – Heresy

Adrian stalked through the shadow of the night alone. The foliage around him, while beautiful during the day, morphed into something completely different at night. He would normally be able to rationalize it away— the darkness did not hide Monsters. That was something little children believed.

And yet, his current state of mind did not exactly help his logical thought process. He was afraid. Not just of some random Monster that might not even exist— he was also afraid of the figures he saw creeping up ahead.

There were two of them. One of them, the boy was certain, was Bashar. The Elven man who had looked after him during his vacation thus far in Ma-Dina. And the other? Adrian wasn’t entirely sure.

He could not make out the figure's face, but he assumed it had been one of the other Elves who came to the dinner gathering a week ago.

It would only make sense. Who else would Bashar be meeting.

And while this meeting might not have any malicious intentions— at least, Adrian hoped Alice was wrong in that regard— they had to be meeting for a reason. And the boy was going to find out.

He quietly followed along, trying his hardest not to make a sound. The two figures weren’t moving at a rushed pace. They seemed to be treating their midnight trek as some sort of leisurely stroll. That allowed Adrian to make as little noise possible. However, he dared not go any closer.

He continued keeping his distance, trying to eavesdrop on whatever he could hear from them. Surely they weren’t planning anything bad— but he just had to make sure, right?

All the boy could make out, however, were bits and pieces of their conversation.

“...it....then...Ilyas.”

“That’s...and...curse.”

Adrian felt his lips purse. He wanted to rub at his ears, but there was no denying it. They had to have been somewhat culpable for what happened to Faizan’s grandfather. The question was: why?

Why did Bashar kill his own dad? The brown haired boy could never imagine himself doing such a thing. It was such an alien thought— to harm a loved one.

But in the first place, was Bashar even loved? It seemed like there was another son— one that Ilyas had cherished more than both his remaining children. And yet, it could not have been an act of envy, as the other son, Ghaleb, was dead.

So what could it have been?

Adrian felt a chill crawl up his spine. Was he possibly planning on killing the Baron, Graham? Did he want to take his revenge against Humans for whatever reason? For courting his sister?

It made no sense. That wouldn’t make sense! Why would he do that!

It was just Alice’s ramblings about some secret conspiracy and plot getting to the boy’s head. There was no way that could be true. But the facts remained in front of him.

He was following Bashar as they walked through the empty, natural streets of Ma-Dina. There were no Elves about— no street lamps but the luminescent Sprite Bulbs sprouting alongside the trees and bushes here. And even then, it was dim. No more than enough to let you see where you were going.

The two finally arrived at whatever destination they were headed to. It was a large, thick tree that was hollowed out. But no one lived in it. An abandoned… tree?

Adrian saw them go in, once again creating the magical ball of light that fascinated him. Was that really magic? The spell circle that formed in the air out of nothing— the symbols that resembled the Venerable Language— all that came from a person?

He could not believe such a practice was considered heresy. It was almost beautiful to him. There was no wonder the mother of Melas, Aria, practiced it. But even so, such a thing could be used for evil, right?

That was what he saw here. A magical curse inflicted on an old, aging Elven man. It was also what he followed now. Down into the tree. There was a hole burrowed down into an underground bunker.

Was this made by magic too? No— it was dug out by hand. He saw the flickering light of the spell up ahead, around the corner.

Adrian peeked over, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening. He saw shadows moving. There were crates and barrels strewn around, but what stood out to him was the drawing in the center of the floor.

It was the exact same chalk diagram drawn on the paper Alice had shown him! Bashar really cursed his father! And now, they were trying to destroy the evidence. It made the boy take a step back, as he heard one of the men chant.

Fire burst out of a magic circle on his hand, aimed at the ritual circle on the ground. Then he moved to the barrels, the crates, and—

Adrian felt his ankle get tangled on a root and he tripped. The boy fell to the ground, landing on his bottom as he rubbed his side.

“Who was that?”

He glanced up in a panic. He had to get out of here fast! Before they find him. He whirled around to escape, but the figures bounded after him. He stumbled up the dirt path leading up as he tried to get away, but was caught by the shoulder.

He screamed, whirling around as the figure grabbed onto him. He tried to take a swing—

“Adrian?”

And the boy looked up. He stopped screaming, blinking his eyes open and shut a few times. Then he rubbed them. That was not Bashar. Neither was it an Elf.

“...Graham?”

“Adrian, what are you doing here?” the Baron asked, furrowing his brows.

“Wha—” He was speechless. He stared between the two adults. The two men who had looked after him. “What’s going on?”

Bashar sighed, rubbing his temples. “Well, it seems we might have some explaining to do—”

The Elf was interrupted as shouts broke in from up top. There was a clambering as armored men charged into the tree bunker. Alice rushed forward with Alima by her side, alongside the bodyguards of the Callistus Barony.

“Adrian— huh?”

“Brother, Graham, what are you two doing here?”

As it turned out, Alice had been wrong the entire time. Well, she was not entirely wrong. She had dug deep into what Bashar was doing and found evidence of magic.But her conclusion had been off basse.

“It is a curse,” Bashar said, nodding. “But not one we inflicted. It was one we were looking to cure.”

“Cure?” Adrian blinked, glancing between Graham and the Elf. “What do you mean?”

Ilyas has been cursed, but he was not cursed by his family. That would have been ridiculous. There was, however, a faction of Elves that disliked Ilyas. He had fought in the Final Holy War— and while many Elves saw their participation as a source of pride, some saw it as total humiliation. Because they believed that that was when Ghab-Ha had become subordinate to the Holy Xan Empire.

The old Elf had been both then liked and vilified by the Elves in Ma-Dina. And especially after he allowed his daughter to wed a Human noble two decades back,

“I dabbled in magic when I was young,” Graham said, before raising a hand. “It was during the Fiend’s time, and I knew of other noble children than me who thought it a good idea to copy her. The result of such foolishness led to the tightening of heresy laws. I quickly stopped before I became an adult, but I considered myself rather proficient in spells, even if a bit.”

“And I asked for his help,” Bashar added. “That was why he came here.”

Alice stared at this, aghast. Even Alima was shocked— not because she found out her husband was a heretic. Apparently she had always known. She was surprised she wasn’t told that this was the real reason behind the trip— that Ilyas had been cursed.

“Who did this?” she asked, gritting her teeth. “Who would try to cause such harm to our family?”

“It’s the Mutea-Sib Sect.”

“Who?” Adrian blinked.

“They’re a group of Elves— ones that have a strong affiliation with the Dark Crusaders. They were founded by some associates of the Shadow’s Evangelium after they fell.”

Alice piped up for the first time in a while. “Why haven’t I heard of them?”

This time, it was Graham who replied. “Because they’re not well known. They’re only a few hundred at most. Maybe even a thousand. But hardly a threat to the Holy Xan Empire. And they’ve kept their attempts at assassinations to only Ghab-Ha.”

“And they attacked father?” Alima frowned, her brows arching darkly over her eyes. “Why?”

“Because they could.”

They targeted prominent figures to prove a point. To prove that they were dangerous. Adrian could not understand this logic— wouldn’t they want to remain as inconspicuous as possible to not draw the ire of the Inquisitors or even Saints and Saintesses?

But apparently they wanted that. They wanted to enrage the Baron— get him to raise this issue in the Holy Xan Empire, and force them to bear down on Ghab-Ha even more. They wanted to sow chaos. But Graham would not rise to it.

“I’m sorry, Alima,” he said, hugging his wife. “I tried to save your father. I really did. This spell we did— it was a ritual we found that was supposed to dispel curses. But this one— it was a curse of degradation. It makes the recipient go insane, lose their mind, and slowly wither away.”

“So that’s why he brought up Ghaleb. Even after he left us…” the Elf woman trailed off.

“Yes,” Bashar replied as he nodded. “It made father reverse the reality of the situation in his head. It’s a terrible way to go, but it was not painful.”

“How so? He was suffering!” Alima sputtered.

“Graham’s magic helped suppress that part of the curse. That was all we could do.”

She sobbed. “You told me he was ill. Why didn’t you— either of you tell me this?!”

“I’m sorry.” Both men said it at the same time. They loved her— they did not want to hurt her. That was why they came together in secret. Even though both men disliked each other.

Yes, Alice had been correct in her assessment of their relationship. Neither were fans of each other— Bashar was a proud Elf. Perhaps slightly disdainful, but not beyond reason. Whereas Graham was a noble. He could respect Elven culture, but he could not respect any overt disrespect to his station.

So Alice had not been wrong when she told Adrian that there was something going on. But her belief— the idea that it had been born from this initial reasoning— was merely based on the novels the girl had led. And Adrian had believed it too, because it was just that: a child’s imagination.

Two children’s imagination that led to the investigation of the truth. A truth with no villains and no resolution. There was tragedy, and nothing else.

And sometimes, they learned, that was simply the course of life.

On the return trip, Alice was more aloof. In fact, she had been that way ever since she found out that Graham used magic. They made her promise not tell anyone— just as they did Adrian. And they did. They didn’t even tell Faizan about it.

But that didn’t change the fact that she knew. And he knew. But while Adrian was taking it in stride, Alice was genuinely shook by the fact.

“I never knew that…” Alice whispered.

“Did you say something?” Adrian asked, turning to her.

The two were back in the dorms of the Academy. They had seen Faizan off— he would go back to his father’s estates for the rest of the summer, leaving Adrian and Alice to themselves.

“No, I just—” She hesitated, biting her lower lip. Then she sighed. “I always thought magic was evil— the root of all evil. Created by the Devil. I mean, I know that that was never in the religious texts we read. But I always assumed it had to be so— the Devil created Damnation, so why not magic?

“But now, I have so many people telling me at once that magic isn’t actually evil. That the nobility— even if it’s a minority, it’s still a significant portion of them— practiced magic in the past. And I just… don't know. Why would they do that? Isn’t it bad?”

She turned to him, face filled with uncertainty.

“You defended magic, didn’t you? You said it wasn’t all bad. Why?”

Adrian paused, considering this. Truth be told, he didn’t really know why it wasn’t bad. He just knew that Melas and her mother had been good. And apparently they had been spellcasters. So if they were good and they did magic, magic could not be bad. That was his rationale. But he couldn’t tell Alice that. All he could was tell her what he knew, and that was…

“I don’t know either,” he said, meeting her gaze. He didn’t blink or look away, although Alice was taken aback.

“What?”

“I mean I do not know why magic isn’t bad. I don’t think it’s good either— I just know it can not just be bad.”

Her lips drew itself into a thin line. “But why do you think that?”

“That—” He hesitated. She folded her arms as he responded. “I can’t tell you.”

“You always say that!” Alice pointed at him. “You can never tell me anything— you have so many secrets!”

“I can’t.” He averted his gaze. She sighed, slumping over the bed. Adrian shifted uncomfortably, and there was a moment of tense silence. But eventually, the girl broke it.

“Fine,” she said, sitting up. “You can’t tell me. You can’t tell me like you always can’t.”

Adrian expected her to get mad— to angrily leave the room. But instead, she walked up to him. She leaned over close, grabbing his hand. “Alice, what—”

“You can’t tell me now, and I will accept that only if you promise you will tell me all these secrets of yours in the future. Why you came here. Why Saint Theron brought you here. Why magic isn’t bad. What is it you want to achieve in this school— because I can tell you don’t exactly like most of the student body in Xander’s Academy.”

Adrian backed away from her. “I can’t—”

She held on, leaning closer. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Adrian looked at this— at her. And he felt his cheeks burn up. He wasn’t sure why. Was it hot in here?

Regardless, he slowly nodded.

“I promise.”

Chapter 11: Doing What You Do Best

It had been a long year for me; a lot of things had happened thus far. I had fought Monsters and monsters. I had run from my problems and ran head on to them. But most importantly, I had survived.

Somehow, things had always gone my way. Perhaps it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but it certainly did not end with my death. And while I might not have always been happy for it then, I now felt bliss at my life.

I was free from responsibilities— Gennady had taken me as his ward. Of course he would. He was a kindly man like that, choosing to help bring me here to the Taw Kingdom. He had gone above and beyond to help me, and I appreciated that.

It had been a month since I was granted sanctuary to the country by King Adilet. It was a decree that was not exactly made public— however the most important or relevant people were supposedly told that the ‘Witch’ was now being harbored in the country.  Who that meant— I didn’t really know. Apparently the Prime Minister was one such figure, although I had never met him before.

There was no outcry to the news, which I had been worried was a real possibility for a bit. Now, I felt more reassured, even if I spent my days more adrift. I didn’t have a main goal for the moment. Living here in Jahar’taw was not like trying to get here: I could practice my magic and tinkering, but I wasn’t even actively doing anything else.

“So what you want to do here is set it so that there’s a delay from when you manipulate the mana crystal at the surface, to when it affects the core of it.”

Sevin, the young man from Ginah’s Crew, spoke as he pointed at the spherical object in my hand. I furrowed my brow, trying to see what he was indicating.

“But I did create a delay— that’s why it isn’t just exploding when I’m still holding it in my hand.”

“Yes, but it’s not going to create multiple explosions. It’ll be all clustered up in one spot— which is what your name for it implies, but isn’t actually what you intend, right?”

Slowly, I nodded. I held up the sphere, eyeing it carefully. “I think I get what you’re saying.”

“And if you try and use it as it is now—”

I threw the Cluster Bomb as far as I could. It landed on the dirt ground, dozens of feet ahead. Sevin yelped.

“What are you doing?”

“Testing it—”

The sphere encasing shards of mana crystals blasted out, leaving a medium sized crater where it landed. Then I saw the twinkling mana shards flying through the air. I waited, expecting to see where they detonated. Numerous smaller explosions blew apart the ground even more— but just as Sevin had predicted, it only made the medium sized crater into a larger one.

“You were right,” I said, stating the obvious.

“Of course,” he snorted, rolling his eyes. “The design, while practically sound, is flawed. You need to polish up your fundamental understanding of how tinkering works.”

I was nodding along, then I paused. I looked the young man over and grinned. “You know, you’re starting to sound like Gennady.”

The young man flushed. “Wha— I mean, I should be honored. Master Gennady is a genius inventor and Tinkerer. But somehow, you managed to make it sound like an insult.”

I shrugged. “Take it how you will.”

Sevin shook his head, glancing back at the warehouse. We were standing at the back of it— there was an empty plot of land— undeveloped land. It wasn’t even the grassy fields or farmlands that stretched out all around us. This adjacent plot of land was littered with weeds and holes on the ground. And that was because this was where Gennady would test out his own personal inventions in the past— when he had not been working for the kingdom.

Now, this was our testing grounds. The warehouse was our base of operations. And in a sense, this was our… home.

It was weird, thinking of a place as my home. When I first came into this world, I refused to call anything here my home. It was not my world; it was not Earth. But then my mom changed me— she loved me unconditionally. She raised me with pure love and affection, that my icy heart could not help but thaw. So I called the roof I had lived under ‘home’.

I had almost been against calling this warehouse— this place with Gennady, Ginah, Jack, Lisa, Sevin, and everyone else— my home. But I thought of how stubborn I had been, and how I eventually changed. It made me realize that I did not have to reject the present to hold onto the past.

After all, there was no going back to how things once were. This was how things were now, and I had to live with it and move forward no matter what. I could not escape from what was ahead of me, so I had to face it, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted right now.

I took a deep breath, turning to the young man. “I’ll be going back,” I said, starting past him.

“Going to improve your Cluster Bomb design?” Sevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Maybe later. For now, I’ll work on magic. Then— eat.”

Lisa approached me as I dug into the hot meal laid out in front of me. She took a seat across from, plopping her elbows on the table as she rested her head on her palms.

“Enjoying yourself, I see,” she commented, smiling.

I chewed for a moment, savoring the taste of the food in my mouth, before I answered. “Mhm. Food is great— anyone who doesn’t like food is some kind of monster.”

The young woman shrugged. “I like it, but I can live without it.”

I stared at her. “Uh, you can’t. You literally can’t.”

“It’s a joke. A joke.” Lisa waved a hand casually, leaning back on her seat. “So, you wanted to speak with me?”

I nodded, placing the fork down. I had been practicing magic earlier— on my own, in my room. But then I had a thought. It wasn’t one which I had considered prior to this, although that was because this hadn’t been high up in my priority list. Especially since I had spent the last month… relaxing.

I hadn’t been completely unproductive; I just wasn’t actively doing anything.

“I need your help,” I said, facing the young woman.

She cocked a brow. “You know, Melas. I’ve been glad to help you in the past—”

“I’ll pay.” I placed a small bag of coins in front of her. Lisa immediately perked up.

“Of course, what can I do for you?” She tried to whisk it away from me, but I stopped her, raising a finger. She glowered, folding her arms. “Aw, you won’t even let me see what’s in it.”

“It’s 5 gold coins and 18 silver.”

“So 6 and a half gold.” Lisa lost some of her previous excitement. “A regular job, huh?”

I scowled, putting it back on the table. “It’s probably more than I should be paying you for this.”

“And what is this job?”

“It’s not too difficult— I just need you to gather some information.” I took a deep breath as I began to explain myself. “I’ve been practicing my spellcasting, right? But I feel like it has kind of… stalled. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been improving. I’ve even learned how to do this.”

I raised a hand to my chest, feeling the mana flowing through the air; it shifted, forming into a protective aura around me. It was a thin one— one that fit my body perfectly.

“Woah.” Lisa blinked, staring at me as the magic circle on my hand dissipated. It was easy to pre-cast this spell— and other than being vulnerable to Dispel Magic, it had no downsides to doing so. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

“I taught myself,” I said simply. “I saw Saintess Lilith had something like this— a kind of protective aura around herself from her miracles. If I could pair this up with the same kind of mana armor she had too— or some kind of cheaper design— I’d be able to take quite a few hits before I’m even in danger of dying. Obviously, this is far weaker than hers, but this is still better than nothing.”

I had worked on this for a while now; I had given up on trying to recreate a miniature version of the Annihilation cannon which was actually based on a Tier 6 spell. I winced, realizing I just thought of things in terms of Tiers. Guess Sevin is not the only one being influenced by Gennady, huh?

Nevertheless, it seemed that it was indeed a powerful spell, and simply turning it into a weaker spell was no easy task either. As much as I tried to emulate the feeling, I couldn’t just do that. I could teach myself, but it was far more difficult than learning from a book or a mentor. Unfortunately, I had no access to either of them, but I could acquire the former somehow.

“It took me a month, and I learned only two spells. I know it may seem like a lot for most regular spellcasters, but that’s a bit… too slow for me. I know I can learn faster. I know I can be stronger. So I need you to find me anyone in Jahar’taw’s underworld who has access to any spell books. Preferably those on Thaumaturgy, Pyromancy, Aeromancy, or Geomancy.”

Lisa nodded along. “And you want me to get you to meet with the people selling these things??”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t. Because…”

“Ah. The Dark Crusaders.”

“Right.”

We said nothing more. There was no reason to; Lisa knew my history with them. And Taw was a place where the Dark Crusaders had significant influence in the underworld. Far more than where we had come from— Luke’s only Dark Crusader agent had been Bahr, who was acting more out of his own interests than anything.

“I just need you to find these books on my behalf, and I’ll tell you which one to buy. I’ll pay for them myself, of course.”

“These are expensive, you know?” she said, giving me a look. “They’re super expensive. And difficult to find. Probably more illicit than drugs.”

I sighed. “And I’ll give you a cut too.”

Lisa grinned. “Order’s up. You got it, boss.”

“Don’t call me ‘boss’ ever again.”

“Sure thing, Madam.”

I ignored that comment, instead choosing to stand up as I finished my food. “And, uh,” I started, averting my gaze from her, “you say that these books are expensive, right?”

“Yeah, why?” The young woman frowned.

“Uh…” I trailed off, trying to figure out how to say it. I shook my head, deciding just to spit it out. “Do you have any idea how much they might cost?”

She blinked. “Oh, of course. Probably… 50 gold on the low end?”

“50 gold?!” I sputtered. “I can only buy like... two books!”

“Or one decent one,” she added.

I slumped back, sighing. “That’s way out of my price range…”

Lisa deflated. “So you’re not going to be paying me?”

“No, I…” I hesitated. I wanted to get better at magic— I wanted to learn even more. I had to protect myself, in case Lilith was truly alive and came after me again. But I would be broke if I bought all these spell books. If I…

I narrowed my eyes.

“I have an idea.”

“Huh?”

“Lisa, how have you been doing in terms of making contacts in the underworld?” I asked, turning back to her.

“Not too bad. That Dwarf— Gennady— wasn’t too much help. But luckily for me, I am experienced with all these stuff… also, Jack apparently knows a thing or two about Jahar’taw. So he helped a lot.”

“Well,” I said, folding my arms, “if you can find sellers of these spell books, what do you think about finding buyers? It’ll help you build up a client list, and you can get a cut too.”

“Selling them?” The young woman scratched her chin. “I mean, I don’t have anything against it. Maybe Jack might— we’ll have to ask him. But I’m always open to making some gold.”

I grinned. “I guess you’ll be making a lot of gold then.”

Lisa looked me over, at first dubiously. Then her usual smile plastered itself on her face. “I knew it was a good investment to help you!”

“...investment?”

“It’s a joke. A joke.”

Later, Lisa stared at the pile of books I pulled out of my bag and placed on my bedroom’s mattress. Her eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and I was pretty sure I could hear the sound of gold coins clattering echoing in her brain.

“If each of these sells for at least 50 gold, we’d be able to make… at least 600 gold through selling them all!”

I wagged a finger. “You will only be earning a cut from it. Let’s say… 10%?”

“That’s too little— 20%!” she protested.

“15,” I said simply. “Take it or leave it.”

“Fine.” She folded her arms, all-too-unconvincingly pouting.

“So it’s a deal then.” I nodded. I glanced back at all the spell books, feeling a slight tinge of sadness knowing that I had to part with them.

They were inanimate objects— books I had stolen off a dead man. But they were the only thing to keep my company for nearly half of my year alone. But I still parted with them.

“Also,” I added, “if you can somehow trade one of these books for another one of a similar school of magic or the same one, then I’d rather you do that then sell them.”

“Wait, where would my cut be then?”

“I’ll pay you, don’t worry.”

She nodded with alacrity. “Sounds good to me then.”

With that settled, Lisa took note of the books I had and headed off. She would find buyers and sellers of these grimoires— these tomes of magic that would circulate through the underworld and probably end up back with the Dark Crusaders. But I didn’t care.

Magic was magic. It was a tool just like anything else. If someone used it to do something bad, it was not because magic was evil or because of these books. It was simply because the person was bad.

And so, I had a deal with Lisa. I was probably going to be paying her a lot of money. And that was fine with me considering our friendship. However there was a problem here that I had to resolve nonetheless.

I didn’t have enough gold for all this.

True, I could pay just enough to scrap by. But I probably needed more gold in the future if I wanted to get more than a handful of books. And I definitely needed more gold in general.

I had taken the last month in stride, being more relaxed than I should have been. But now, I finally decided it was time to act once again.

And, well, as much as I didn’t like doing it, I had to. I was going to do what I did best. I grabbed my repaired mask out of my bag, and headed out of the warehouse, starting in the direction of the Hunters Guild.

I was going to fight.

…

Wait, where is the guild again?

I found Gennady hammering on a piece of metal in the basement of the warehouse. There was a fire lit towards the back corner of the room, lighting up the dark green goggles he wore over his eyes. I looked at him with a cocked head.

“What are you doing?” I asked in a curious tone.

“Me?” He turned to face me, lifting the goggles up to his forehead as it left a mark over his eyes. “What does it look like? I’m smithing.”

“I can tell that much,” I snorted and shook my head. “I meant why are you smithing? You’re not a blacksmith! I mean, I know Dwarves are stereotyped as smiths. But you’re not one.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “They are? Where did you ever hear that from?”

“No, nevermind.” I sighed, focusing on the topic at hand. I had come here for a reason— Elda had told me he was working on something down in the basement. And since I needed his help with something, I came searching for him. “Gennady, I… need to know where the Hunters Guild is.”

“The Hunters Guild? Couldn’t ya have gone to any random Dwarf and asked for directions from them?”

“Yes, but they’d ask me questions because I’m a child. You wouldn’t, so it’s much easier if I asked you.”

Gennady shook his head and stood up. He grabbed for something that was resting by the fireplace as he muttered under his breath. “Damned girl, making trouble out of nothing…”

He grabbed an object and held it up, tapping one of his gloved fingers on it. He nodded, seemingly satisfied with whatever it was before turning back to me.

“You’ve actually come at the right time. I had just finished making this for you.”

I blinked and stared at the object. “Is that a mask?”

“What do you think it is? Of course it’s a mask!” He scoffed, wiping at the gleaming object as he held it up. “I made it for you, since your previous one broke when Lilith attacked you in the docks of Luke. It’s made out silver and steel, enchanted and tinkered with to be lighter and stronger than your ordinary metal.”

“You made that… for me?”

“No, I made it for myself— of course I made it for ya!” The Dwarf shook his head as he walked up to me. He smacked me on the back as he placed the mask on my hand. “I knew you were probably wanting to go back to your job as a Hunter eventually. So I decided to get this made for you before you bought another useless mask for yourself. Here, take it.”

I held the sheening silver mask on my hand as Gennady smiled. I looked up at him— at the kindly look on his face— as I hesitated. “You didn’t have to do this…”

“But I did, so take it and don’t argue about it!”

He dragged me along with him as we left the basement, climbing up the stairs to the first floor of the warehouse.

“But why?” I asked, still surprised at the act.

“Because,” he started with an annoyed look, “I knew it’d leave you speechless like a bumbling idiot. So come on, let’s get going!”

“Wait.” I paused, turning to him as he pushed open the door. “Where are we going?”

“To the Hunters Guild,” Gennady said simply. “You said you wanted to get going to the Hunters Guild, right? I’ll show you there.”

“You’re going with me?” I blinked, once again caught off guard by him.

“Yes. I can’t have you getting yourself killed in some dumb Monster extermination job after all the effort I took to bring you to Jahar’taw, now can I?” He grinned, pointing a thumb at himself. “I’m going with you whether you like it or not.”

When Gennady told me he was coming, I had been hesitant at first. But I realized it would be for the better— he was a more experienced Hunter than me. I could actually pick up some pointers on how to fight a Monster with him there. Maybe then I didn’t have to rely on my magic to fight C Ranked Monsters and above.

He’s definitely getting to me, isn’t he? I thought with a sigh. I’m actually thinking in terms of Ranks now.

However, we passed by Elda on our way out. The former elite pirate was playing a game of cards with other members of Ginah’s Crew as they lounged by the front door. She heard about what we were doing before offering to join us.

“I’m getting bored of doing nothing but stealing money off these fools,” she said, standing up. “I wanna knife something, and I don’t care if it’s a Human, Dwarf, or Monster. Let me join you.”

“But you’re not a Hunter.” I frowned.

“Yeah, and you’re a kid.” Elda shrugged. She certainly looked capable of handling herself— she had tanned skin which indicated she spent most of her time out in the sun, as well as a few scars visibly on her exposed shoulders. Her hands were always wrapped in bandages, and whether that was for aesthetic reasons or because of the dagger she was currently twirling between her fingers… I was pretty sure it was the latter.

She pocketed the dagger and rested the back of her head on her hands, her dirty blonde hair reaching no further than her thumbs that lay on her neck.

“Plus, Ginah probably wouldn’t want you to get yourself killed. So I should look out for you.”

“I’m not going to get myself killed,” I retorted and rolled my eyes, hearing it for the second time today. “Fine. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have you join us.”

“Aight. Lemme just grab more of my throwing knives then we’ll be solid.”

As Elda went up the stairs leading to the second floor of the warehouse that had been turned to our living quarters, Sevin came down rubbing at his eyes. He blinked as he saw me dressed in my leather armor and my mask on.

“Going somewhere, Melas?”

“Mhm. Trying to make some money for stuff. Going to see if there are any Hunter jobs for me to do.”

He blinked and quickly turned around. “Wait, let me get my tools.”

“What for?” I cocked a brow.

“I’m going with,” he said simply. “It’s a perfect time for me to test out this new weapon I’ve been making.”

“That’s a good idea, lad.” Gennady grinned, leaning on his very own Annihilation cannon that he had apparently repaired and got working now. “Nothing beats firsthand experience when it comes to using your inventions. Especially when it blows up in your face!”

“Are you sure?” I asked the young man, ignoring the Dwarf. “It’ll be dangerous.”

“Don’t worry.” He started up the stairs before turning back and smiling. “I’ll make sure to stay out of the way for the most part. I’m part of Ginah’s Crew too, you know? I may have never been a fighter, but I’ve always been able to take care of myself.”

I drew my lips into a thin line, not sure whether this was a good idea. But before I could say anything else, he paused right at the foot of the stairway leading up.

“Plus, I don’t want you to almost kill yourself and not be there to help you, Melas. After what I heard happened first with Bahr, then with Lilith, I think you need someone there to tell you when not to pick a fight.”

I scowled.

“What’s with everyone and assuming I’ll get myself killed?” I threw my hands up in the air. “I’ll have you know, I am quite capable of taking care of myself. My survival instincts are stellar.”

Gennady guffawed next to me. “Hah, good one lassie.”

So our party of four walked out of the warehouse soon after, with me glowering as I led the way; I had not expected to go with so many people— in, fact I had been expecting to have left our warehouse alone. But now I was towing with me three people who thought I had no sense of self preservation.

And… maybe they were right. More often than not, I had been forced to rely on magic to keep myself alive, which considering the stigma against it, was definitely not the best sign of a good survival instinct. So I begrudgingly but gratefully accepted their offer to come with me to the Hunters Guild.

Strangely enough, the location of the Hunters Guild was not in the inner city of Jahar’taw. It lay in between the mountain and the harbor, close to where the train station had been. In fact, it was relatively crowded with buildings here— houses and structures that rose high up cluttered around this area, making it far more densely populated than the outlying farmlands nearby.

There was no need for a Hunters Guild in the inner city nor was there a need for one in the harbor; both places were incredibly well guarded. There were Enforcer Golems patrolling the streets to curb both crime and possible Monster attacks. It made no sense for Hunters to even gather there.

Meanwhile, the farmlands were barren of life— well, in a way. Dwarves tolled the fields alongside their machines. Automated plows, powered only by mana crystals, drove down the pastures in the distance. Some golems made of clay, designed for simple manual labor, worked alongside their Dwarven creators; most did simple tasks like carrying their load, but others were more complex and could harvest the fields themselves.

We passed through these sights before we reached the Hunters Guild. Dwarven Hunters crowded the building, spilling out of the front door like a tipped over mug of ale. And the stench of alcohol permeated throughout the building; both women and men drinking this early in the day.

I donned my mask and pulled up my hood long before we even left the warehouse. However I adjusted the metallic object on my face— there was a layer separating the cold steel from my cheeks, cushioning it to easily lay there. It felt light. It was even lighter than my previous mask made of a String Scorpion’s shell; and that had been light too!

A few faces turned to our group as we entered the guild hall. Then they immediately averted their gaze, covering their eyes from my glinting mask’s silver sheen. I probably need to paint over that, huh? I thought idly to myself as I somehow managed to divert more attention our way by blinding any poor folk who looked in my general direction.

I had expected a Dwarf city’s Hunters Guild to be far more rambunctious than a Human city’s Hunters Guild, but other than the overwhelming scent of alcohol, that wasn’t the case—

“Oi, is that Gennady?” a voice called out, and I sighed.

Spoke too soon, didn’t I?

“That’s right, that’s Gennady Usenov!” the voice cried out. Heads turned, shielded their eyes from me, before focusing in on my Dwarven companion as he grinned.

“What’s going on, lads? Missed seeing me in the guild with you lot?”

He strolled forwards, undeterred by all the gazes locked onto him. He spread his arms out wide as some Hunters stood up.

“C’mon, I know you missed me.”

They Hunters in the guild paused, staring at the ostentatious display; there was a moment where the attention of the guild was entirely fixated onto Gennady. Then it broke with a riotous laughter.

“Hah! The fool finally returns!”

“We didn’t miss ye at all, ya crazy damned inventor!”

“Stick to yer machines and keep yer stupid ideas away from our guild!”

They hurled a volley of curses and insults in his direction, although no one actually threw anything at him like I had expected. The individual voices of the laughing Dwarves were lost in the crowd, and I walked up next to Gennady.

“Seems like you’re well liked here,” I commented under my mask, but not bothering to mask my sarcasm.

“Of course!” He stood taller with his broad chest puffed out. “I’m Gennady Usenov, famed inventor, Scientist, and Hunter after all.”

“Yer hardly a Hunter ye damned twat!”

I looked at the stone faced Gennady— their insults seemed like they barely even reached him. If I didn’t know him better, I would have assumed he actually thought they were praising him. I quirked a brow.

“What did you do to make them hate you so much?” I asked as we walked towards the job board.

“Nothing. I just tried implementing my idea of Hunter Ranks here. They obviously loved the idea.” He waved at a nearby woman who shook her head and turned away.

“Look, he’s even got a Half Dwarf with him now. And Humans too. Disgusting.”

“Hey, shut it! My wife’s a Human!”

“And I have a Half Dwarf son, ye damned fool!”

I glanced back at Sevin who I noticed was shrinking under the scrutiny. He looked at me for help, but I just shrugged. “At least they aren’t racist, right?”

The young man nodded slowly as he clung next to Elda. The former pirate seemed to take the insults more in stride, even sending back her own at the crowd of Dwarf Hunters. Her comments were met with a mix of jeers and cheers from those who just joined in the ruckus for the fun of it.

I looked through the job board for a moment, then frowned.

“Something wrong, Melas?” Gennady asked, raising a brow.

“No— let’s talk to the receptionist.”

We went to the receptionist desk, manned by a burly Dwarf who stood a head taller than me. He crossed his arms and gave Gennady a look before turning to me.

“What do ye want?”

“I’d like to inquire about the job board. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s every job that is available in the guild currently, right?”

“It is,” he grunted with a nod. “Other than some special jobs we have stowed away for exclusive clients. Mostly escort jobs. What bout it, lassie?”

“I see,” I said, turning to the job board with a frown. “I’d have thought there would be more jobs for Abomination exterminations. I hear their spread is barely being checked in the Rem Republic. Is the Taw Kingdom that much more effective at handling those Monsters?”

“Well the guild does put up a hefty bounty for any Abomination lair we find, and along with the rewards the government itself is offering, most Hunters are quick to sweep up those jobs and complete it— or die trying.”

I nodded, placing a hand on my chin.

“What’s wrong, Melas?” Gennady cocked a brow.

“Just seems awfully strange,” I said aloud for those nearby to hear. “I thought this guild was full of real Hunters. And yet, all of you are sitting here and drinking beer while there are dozens of regular Monster extermination jobs just up for the taking. Most of them nearby.”

There was a pause— a lull in the circle around us. I smirked as I caught a glimpse of a few Hunters exchanging awkward glances with each other.

“I’d have thought Hunters would take up any job to kill Monsters, not wait around to be the first one to grab a big money job. But when there are villages and towns out there being plagued by Kobolds or Mountain Gaunts, everyone is just waiting for the next Abomination mission to pop up. Interesting.”

With that final comment, the silence broke. A group of Dwarf Hunters stood up and jeered at me as I walked back to the job board and grabbed a piece of paper I had noted. Another group shouted at them to sit down, saying that I had a point. The job I picked out paid the highest and was rated the most dangerous out of all the others; it was an emergency mission that required us to travel a short distance away from Jahar’taw.

I returned to the receptionist and spoke politely amongst the loud arguments behind us as I handed him the slip of paper.

“We’ll do this, please.”

“Of course. Just sign this here and…”

Eventually, we left the Hunters Guild as the arguments died down. A few Dwarves were mad at first, but soon enough everyone got bored about the event for the day; I knew calling them out would cause a stir or even a shake, but I didn’t expect anything more than that. Those who wanted to actually help others would do it by themselves; those who did not would continue doing what was most economical for them.

As for me? I simply did what I did best: I did both. What was beneficial for me and what was beneficial for others.

Gennady leaned over my shoulder, looking at the job I had taken and whistled.

“Whew, ye sure about this lass? We could’ve taken an easier job to start off.”

I shrugged. “I’m sure with the four of us here, it is more than enough to take down this Monster. It has been attacking the village of Qala’taw for the last few months, and no one has done anything to stop it. Dozens of people— villagers, traders, or just visitors— have gone missing. And the Guardian Golems deployed in the city were completely destroyed.”

“That… sounds dangerous.” Sevin spoke hesitantly. “Guardian Golems were destroyed? Maybe Master Gennady is right, we should do another job.”

“Bah, that’s just the fancy term for Clay Golems. Ones made for fighting. Although this definitely sounds dangerous. They’re thinking it’s a Horned Ursa or something similar.”

The young man paled and stepped back. “A... Horned Ursa?!”

Elda blinked and perked up. “A Horned Ursa?!”

I glanced over at her. “You’ve fought one before?”

“Nope,” she said, fiddling the dagger on her belt. “But I’ve always wanted to see one. I hear they’re big. I’d like to stick a knife into its eyes.” She grinned savagely.

“They’re big alright,” I said, remembering a night from over a year ago. “I’d like to see if I can hold my own against one now too.”

Gennady shook his head. “That’s an A Ranked Threat, y’know? I’m only a B Ranked Hunter.”

“And I can cast magic.” I waved a hand off nonchalantly. “Plus you’ve got your cannon working again—”

“I’ve got it back to the condition it was before you broke its mana crystal. It still ain’t working. Although if you do what you did and overloaded its mana again, you can probably get it to work. Don’t want to waste another Greater mana crystal.”

“Sorry about that, again. I’ll pay you back when I can.”

“It’s fine.” He laughed as we left the Hunters Guild, starting for our mission location just a few dozen miles to the southeast of here. “I just find it funny how you were so convinced you aren’t reckless with your life earlier, but now you’re going straight to fighting a Horned Ursa.”

I paused, staring at the Dwarf as he smirked. I opened my mouth to protest, then held back. I sighed.

“Point taken.”

The first step to recovery was acceptance. The second? I had absolutely no idea.

—--

The cloaked figure watched the party of four as they made their way out of Jahar’taw. They boarded a train, taking them past the green pastures and away from the mountain city that lay dormant in the horizon.

The cloaked figure did not do anything. The cloaked figure simply watched with keen interest, noting the mission Melas had taken. A Horned Ursa, the cloaked figure thought, stepping down from the roof. The cloaked figure landed lithely— quietly— making no noise. The cloaked figure remained unseen.

Dwarfs walked past the figure, chattering about in their incomprehensible accent that made the cloaked figure’s ears bleed. The cloaked figure would have rather been anywhere else in the world. But the figure had a job to do.

And the cloaked figure was going to do it.

Chapter 12: Mountain Village

The place we were headed to was called Qala’taw. It was a small village up in a mountain 80 miles southeast of Jahar’taw. It was quite the distance; that might have been the reason why no Hunter had taken the job yet. But with transportation technology, it became a quick, few hours trip to reach the village.

The train stopped at a station just at the foot of the mountain. Our group of four trekked up the path leading to the town, wary of any Monsters that could burst out of the trees. It was getting colder the higher up we went; I regretted deciding to save some money and not hiring a coach to bring us up the mountain.

Snow blanketed over the tree canopy stretching up the undulating crests ahead. Winter came early at such a high altitude, and the air became more and more difficult to breathe. I lifted up my mask for a moment, breathing deeply and watched as a thin mist plumed out of my mouth.

“It’s cold,” Gennady observed.

No shit sherlock, I retorted mentally.

“You lot sure you can take it?” He turned to Elda and Sevin, both of whom were shivering as they grasped their arms around their chest in a hunch. The two exchanged a look— the young man’s teeth grinding into each other preventing him to speak, and the woman too proud to say otherwise.

“Here,” I said, raising a hand. A ball of fire burst into life between us, immediately warming our group as they all jumped back.

“Wait, Melas, you know that if anyone sees this you’ll get in trouble, right?” Sevin said, pointing at the magical flames.

I grinned as I held up a mana crystal. I made the spell circle vanish, keeping the magic pre-cast in the air and tilted my head.

“Magic? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just using my mana tool here to create some fire to keep us warm.”

“But that’s…”

“I know,” I said as I shook my head. “It’s pretty complex. The runes are mine though— no peeking!”

Gennady stared at the mana crystal as Sevin gave me a dubious look. But Elda just laughed.

“You’re really reckless aren’t you, Melas? It’s no wonder you helped us back in Luke when you had no reason to.” She lifted a hand and patted me on the head. I scowled, fixing my hair as she retracted her hand. “I’m glad Ginah decided to trust you and come here.”

The woman started forward and gestured for me to come with her. I glanced back at Sevin and Gennady standing in the cold.

“You guys coming?” I asked, grinning as I lifted up the ball of fire. “Or do you want to freeze down there?”

We arrived at the mountain village not long after, the road leading up to the settlement completely empty. Gennady had known about this place, even though he had never been here before. He knew it was considered to be rather rural for the Taw Kingdom’s standards, but he did not expect it to be barren of any travelers.

No guard stood on edge of the city; there were no walls protecting it from outsiders. We simply walked in, drawing in the attention of a single Dwarven man entering shelter.

It was snowing up here. And yet, the Dwarf wasn’t dressed in any particularly thick clothing.

We trudged through the soft blanket covering the earth as I inhaled an icy breath and snuffed out my flames.

“That’s enough for now,” I said, turning to my friends. “The job requires us to find the village chief.” I quirked an eyebrow. “I had no idea Dwarves had village chiefs. I would’ve thought you guys had mayors or senators.”

“We do,” Gennady snorted and immediately shivered as the cold air entered his lungs. “But only in the towns and cities. Some parts, like Qala’taw, refuse to change. They refuse to adapt. Even when it’s dangerous.”

“And how is living in a more communal way dangerous?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t mean that—”

The Dwarf’s words were interrupted as suddenly, the ground shook; the entire mountain began to vibrate. A wave ran through the sea of snow, breaking it up as I grabbed hold of the nearest solid object to me. My hands found the side of a wall as I called out to the others.

“Earthquake! Get—”

“No!” Gennady shouted over me. “It’s not an earthquake. Look!”

I turned to where he had pointed, my gaze finding itself aimed at the sky. I saw plumes of smoke and ash rising up to the sky, emerging from the peak we stood on. I covered my ears as I felt the shockwave coming, the sound bellowing from the ash explosion. An eruption? We had to get out of here. But the pyroclastic flow would—

I paused, realizing that the shaking had stopped. The loud boom that had resounded throughout the area now nothing more than an echo in my ear. I hurriedly looked over at my companions.

“We need to get out of here, now!” I said, voice betraying fear. But Gennady just shook his head.

“No, lass. It’s over, don’t need to panic.”

“Don’t need to panic?” Sevin stared at him, aghast. “Master Gennady, what are you talking about? If the volcano continues erupting—”

“It’s not erupting,” a voice said, cutting him off. The young man whirled around and yelped as a figure stood behind him. The Dwarf from earlier— the one who had been near the edge of the village— approached us. He bowed his head lightly. “Or rather, it has already erupted.”

“What do you mean? That was…” I frowned, eyeing the man from under my mask. I had worn it again before reaching the village as a precaution.

“The worst of it is over. For this week, at least.” The Dwarf spoke slowly, not in the same usual fast way Gennady or the other Dwarves I had met so far spoke in. “Come, you are Hunters looking to exterminate the threat to our village, yes? I am the village chief, Birzhan. I will answer any of your questions and find you lodging.”

Birzhan was a well-aged man. And I did not mean he had aged well, rather he had simply aged a lot. He was apparently over a hundred and fifty years old— over two decades past the average lifespan of Dwarves. When Gennady found this out, he nearly didn’t believe it; he thought that Birzhan was lying.

And I was inclined to agree with him. Except Birzhan’s appearance made a convincing argument.

The village chief was wrinkled throughout his body; he looked like he had spent the last ten days swimming in salt water, only having just gotten out of the sea when he came to us. His hair was wrinkled, tied into knots around the side of his head, with a widow’s peak that stretched to a bald top that would have carried with it a sheen if not for the forehead creases that went up with it.

He was clean shaved however, lacking the typical beard of Dwarves. And neither did he speak in the Dwarvish accent. Apparently that was not a trait of Dwarves, but a result of the slang that city Dwarves spoke.

“So it’s not an eruption then?” I asked, tilting my head more out of confusion than anything.

“It can be considered one. However it is not a dangerous one. Even the more violent eruptions our village has experienced in the past year did no more than spew out some lava into the sky. And it never reached us. Not once now, and not once in the last thousand years our village has been here.”

Sevin paled. “Wait, doesn’t that mean this is an active volcano? You do realize a real eruption can level the entire village, right? Why don’t you guys just move away?”

“We have no reason to,” Birzhan said as he turned his creaky neck towards the Human man. “These eruptions are harmless. It has only killed two in the last decade. Less than even the cold winter has thus far.”

“Well, if the weather is that harsh up here too, you should probably leave for a city,” the young man murmured.

I shook my head. “Cities aren’t safe either, Sevin. And these eruptions… I think I’ve heard of them before. I believe that they’re safe.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what they were called, but I remembered reading about volcanoes that would frequently erupt ash, cinder, and even lava at times, yet people still lived near them. They were active— very active— but there were never huge eruptions from it. It’s no different from the frequent weak earthquakes I felt in California.

Or at least, I would like to think that. Another reason why I decided not to press Sevin’s issue was simple: I can’t be bothered.

I was sure there was a rich, compelling cultural history that led Birzhan to remain even when half of his village was empty due to his people leaving for the nearby cities. Gennady’s previous comments had alluded to that. But I didn’t care for that.

I came here for one reason, and one reason only— I needed gold. And if I could save some lives doing it, it was all the better for me.

Gennady however, chose to grouse. “But cities have protections against Monster. Not small villages like this.”

I glared in his direction, trying to get him to quiet down. But he scowled and turned away. Birzhan blinked.

“Ah, you’re Gennady Usenov, right?”

My Dwarven friend paused. “What about it?”

The village chief stood up from his chair in his home and walked up towards Gennady. Then he stopped right before the master Tinkerer and bowed his head. “Thank you.”

Gennady stared, not saying anything. Birzhan continued.

“You were the one who had King Adilet send us those Guardian Golems all those years ago, no? I had not thanked you for that yet.”

“Wha— you remembered?”

“Of course,” he said as he raised his head. “Why would I not? Those golems protected our village for many years. They saved many lives. I owe you a debt I cannot repay.”

I watched as a red shade came over Gennady’s face. He slowly lowered his head.

“I only did it because you guys wouldn’t leave your damned mountain.”

“And go for another mountain, yes? We would not. But you still sent the golems anyway. That is all there is to.”

Birzhan slowly got up and returned to his seat. I nudged my Dwarf friend and grinned. “Getting embarrassed now, are you?”

“Shuttup, lass. Aren’t you here for a reason?”

“We are,” Elda said as she stood up. She turned to me and shot me a wink. “I’ll take care of this. You’re far too considerate for what others have to say. I’m not. I’ll be upfront.”

She turned around as I registered her words. Before I understood what was happening enough to stop her, she was already speaking.

“Old man, we don’t care about your village, we just want to know about that Monster attacking it.”

“Ah, of course…”

Birzhan explained the situation to us. The Monster had only come to the village once, and it destroyed all the golems guarding it then. Since then however, it stayed to the surrounding forests, sporadically attacking those coming up the mountain.

He wasn’t sure what Monster it was, although he had guessed that it was a Horned Ursa due to its size and ferocity. He was not well versed in Monsters, and a Horned Ursa was one of the most well known ones there was.

Honestly, it would have helped him if he was a little more knowledgeable on the subject; I highly suspected the reason why this job had been left alone for so long— other than the whole Abomination ordeal— was because it mentioned a Horned Ursa.

If he described a weaker Monster of the same size, some Hunters might have given this job a chance.

“What do people come up to your village for?” I asked with a tilted head. I did not mean for it to come across rudely, but I immediately realized it could be interpreted that way. Luckily, the Dwarf did not take it that way.

“Many reasons,” he said as he nodded his head. “Many people of all kinds come for many reasons of their own. But if you must know, they come here for rest. For healing.” Birzhan paused, a grim look coming over his face. “And with a Monster slaughtering those who make this trip, our village is no longer seen as such a place. Our Springs of Recovery have been left unused. No one has come here in a month.”

And that’s why they won’t leave. I sighed, leaning back in my chair. The reason for why they stay here came out anyways, without having to prod for it.

I just hoped it wasn’t something that would be a problem later on. But from what it was dubbed, I highly doubted it would be. Maybe we can relax in those springs after we’re done. I’d love to just soak in the water for an hour… or a few hours.

“It is only 20 gold. All that we can offer. We’ll pay you 10 now, and 10 later. But please, kill them Monster.”

I smiled as I stood up, accepting the small bag of coins Birzhan handed me. I looked at it, then at him. I pocketed the money into my side and nodded.

“Don’t worry, we’re Hunters. We’ll get the job done.”

…

“Uh, only you and Gennady are Hunters. Elda and I are not.”

“So, what are we doing?” I asked, turning to Gennady. The Dwarven man smiled.

“We’re hunting.”

“By just being here?”

“Yep.”

“...and it’s supposed to work?” I quirked an eyebrow, looking at him dubiously.

He nodded and shrugged nonchalantly. “Of course. You’ve never been hunting proper, have you? This is what we do.”

I wanted to believe him, I really did. However, I glanced around at the empty forest. “Are you really sure about this? This seems like a thing hunters do. Not Hunters.”

“Look, do you trust me, Melas?’ Gennady turned back to me with a boring gaze— in both meanings of the word.

“Mhm.” I made a sound in agreement. “But this just doesn’t seem… appropriate.”

“You think it’s dull, don’t you?” he finally asked.

“I know it’s dull. We’ve been lying here doing nothing for the last three hours!”

The Dwarf shook his head.

“If you’re so impatient, fine. We’ll head back for now. But what do you suggest we do to draw out the Horned Ursa?” He gave me a look. I sighed.

“If we knew it was a Horned Ursa, I’ll be fine with this,” I said, glancing down at the heavily enforced bear trap he had set. “However we don’t. And we’ve been here for so long, Elda got bored and went back to the village with Sevin.”

Gennady snorted. “They don’t have the patience because they aren’t Hunters.”

“I appreciate your advice, Gennady. I really do. You’ve helped me through so much. But I think we should go back for now. Rethink our strategy for tomorrow, alright?”

“Can’t appreciate genius, the lot of you,” he murmured under his breath. “But fine. Let’s go.”

I smiled back at him. Then I looked down.

“So, uh, can you give me a hand and untie me? I’m not exactly good with heights.”

“Just cut it.” Gennady grinned and flicked a small dagger at his ropes. He fell to the ground with a thud, then raised the weapon. “They always say the best bait is live bait, but it seems the fish didn’t bite today, eh?”

“Wait no—”

The dagger went flying, cutting the rope holding me up in half. I dropped to the ground next to him, staggering, but managing to stay standing. I looked back up at the branch hanging 30 feet off the ground.

“I hate heights.”

That had been a horrible plan. Gennady used us as baits for the Horned Ursa. We were dangling off a tall tree branch, as if that would stop the giant Monster from reaching us.

Well, technically the distance between us and the ground wasn’t what the Dwarf thought would keep it back. He was planning on me using magic and using his own mana tech tools to hurt it, and lure it into the bear trap he had set up. It would not have been ‘trapped’ by the bear trap, per se. However, it certainly would have impeded its movements for a moment, allowing us to launch a salvo of attacks on it.

I’d have preferred another strategy though, which was why we were returning to Qala’taw.

“Finally grew some brains and left, huh?” Elda greeted us as we stepped foot into the inn we were staying at. It was not a large inn by any measurements; it was quite small, and completely empty apart from the Dwarf innkeeper that wasn’t even here right now.

“More like I grew tired of hanging off a tree,” I muttered under my breath. Gennady snorted.

“You lot just aren’t made up of what it takes to be a Hunter. I’m a Tinkerer and a Scientist, but I’ve learned how to hunt. And that is what you have to do. It requires patience.”

“Sorry, can’t be patient when dealing with Dwarf crap. Like refusing to move away from an active volcano.” Elda grinned.

I grimaced, thinking that the former pirate took it too far. However Gennady simply smirked back. “At least we aren’t trynna fix a broken system of government by robbing merchants.”

“Aw, how cute. The little man is trying to banter—”

“Alright, that’s enough,” I said, glancing back at Gennady to confirm he wasn’t offended. He wasn’t— he seemed to still be taking it in stride. But I wasn’t just going to let it devolve into a possible tense real argument. “We’re just taking a break for today. Tomorrow we’ll investigate.I trust Gennady, and if we find out the Monster is really a Horned Ursa, then we’ll do what he suggests. For now, we find out more.”

Elda shook her head. “You’re no fun.”

“Seriously. What a killjoy.” The Dwarf sighed over exaggeratedly. I rolled my eyes and turned to Sevin as he entered the common room of the inn from outside.

“Where have you been?” I asked him with a raised brow.

“Just asking around. Questioning the locals about what they’ve seen and whether it fits the description of a Horned Ursa.”

“Been productive, eh lad?” Gennady laughed. “Guess you’re really my better student, huh?”

“Shut up,” I scoffed, ignoring the Dwarf. “What did you find out, Sevin?”

“Well, other than the fact that the Monster looked like a large bear, nothing really. It has completely mauled everyone it has attacked, leaving very little behind.” Sevin hesitated and glanced between me and Gennady. “I’ll be honest, I agree with Mel— Aria’s assessment. I don’t think it’s a Horned Ursa.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t a Horned Ursa,” I said. “I just wanted to be sure before we do anything. However, why don’t you think it’s one?”

“For starters, no account I’ve heard about the Monster includes the most important part of a Horned Ursa— it doesn’t have horns.”

“Are you sure?” I gave him a dubious look.

“Yep. No mention of horns, at least. I’ve also sketched out the descriptions of what I’ve heard and shown it to various people who claim to have seen the Monster. But look, I purposefully left out the horns and they all didn’t even notice it.” He lifted a piece of paper with a pencil drawing on it. Gennady, Elda and I peered at it.

“This looks like a bear,” Elda commented. “Like a regular bear. Not even a Monster.”

“Exactly my thoughts,” Sevin said. “So I don’t really know whether we should believe them when they say it’s a Horned Ursa.”

“That’s not possible though.” Gennady frowned, glancing up at the young man. “There’s no way a bear would be able to destroy all the golems we’ve stationed here. Maybe one or two would be overwhelmed, but all of them?” He rubbed at his scruffy beard. “That’s not possible.”

I considered this for a moment; it definitely seemed unlikely for a regular bear to be doing all that this Monster supposedly did. So we knew for sure it had to be a Monster. I turned to Gennady.

“Could you pull out your bestiary? Find any Monsters that fit the description of a bear.”

“I can think of a few, but nothing that would be this dangerous.”

I nodded and pulled out a chair. “Right,” I said as I sat down. “We’ll piece together whatever information we can today, and tomorrow we’ll go out and try to track this Monster down. But first—”

I raised a hand, calling over the innkeeper behind the bar.

“We eat.”

Our group of four left Qala’taw the next day, going down the dirt road that supposedly had the most sightings of the Monster. I glanced back for a moment, looking at a building in the distance separated from the main village area. It went higher up the mountain, closer to the volcano, but still enough of a distance away that the ash explosions wouldn’t reach it.

I saw steam drifting up into the sky and knew that was where the supposed Springs of Recovery was. I really wanted to go there, just to relax— maybe take a nice clean bath. However, I promised Birzhan we would take care of their Monster problem before I used it. It was a simple trade, quite skewed in his favor since entry to the hot springs wasn’t actually that expensive.

But he said I’d be able to use it for free forever, so I graciously accepted his offer. I wasn’t sure how often I’d visit this place, due to being next to an active volcano and all, but I wasn’t going to turn down a possible vacation location for the future.

We continued down the dirt road, keeping a careful watch for anything that could be lurking behind the trees just in case the Monster decided to show up. Gennady, however, paid attention to the tracks and footprints on the ground— as a Hunter, he was aware of what was made by animals and what was made by Monsters. I never would have thought a Dwarf would be a good tracker, but apparently he was.

Seeing him bend over and carefully inspect any suspicious trails was pretty funny too.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked as he straightened.

“Nothing,” I said, suppressing a smile. “Found anything yet?”

“‘Course not!” the Dwarf snorted. “Did ye really think we’d—”

“Shush.” Elda snapped her gaze to the side warily. Immediately, Gennady, Elda, and I spun in the direction of some rustling bushes. Sevin was a step behind us, but he readied his weapon all the same.

I felt the very tip of a spell rest on my finger, however I conjured nothing yet. Instead, I reached for a pouch on my belt and grabbed one of the Cluster Bomb spheres I had prepared. The bush stopped moving as the last of the snow fell from its leaves. A pair of glowing eyes looked up at us—

“Oh, it’s just a Kobold.”

We stared at the small dog-like Monster as it growled at us. A small group of four surrounded us from all around. I sighed.

“And I thought it was something actually dangerous.”

The Kobolds leapt at us, and in an instant a knife stuck out of the head of the first. The second fell to the ground, littered in holes through its body. The last two were blown apart by my Cluster Bomb, not even a threat. Sevin just stared as the three of us took care of the Monsters without even trying.

“You guys…” he trailed off.

“Come on, let’s get moving,” I said, looking up at the location of the sun in the sky. “I don’t want to freeze out here for nothing.”

So we continued on; we ran only into animals and Kobolds. No other Monsters showed themselves, which was rather odd. According to Birzhan, Qala’taw was native to quite a few Monsters which weren’t showing up. And that was quite odd.

The only time we found a group of Monsters that weren’t Kobolds— well, they were being feasted on by Kobolds. The large, rhino-like creature lay dead alongside its kin. They had been torn apart— shredded. All that was left of them were now being chewed out by the small dog-like Monsters.

A single Cluster Bomb obliterated the Kobolds.

“A Triosp,” Gennady observed. “They’re B Ranked Monsters— there’s no way these Kobolds took them out.”

“Think the ‘Horned Ursa’ bear thing did this?” I asked, frowning.

“Probably. But this doesn’t look like the work of a Horned Ursa.”

“Why not?” Elda gave him a dubious look. “As far as I can tell, some large Monster attacked some other large Monster and killed it. I don’t see how it disqualifies a Horned Ursa.”

The Dwarf Hunter shook his head. “Look at its corpse. It had been killed, and left uneaten. That was why the Kobolds were here. They aren’t very smart, but if there’s food, they’ll take it. Horned Ursa’s however, are intelligent.”

The woman shrugged. “It’s probably just mad. Being intelligent doesn’t mean you don’t make stupid decisions from time to time.”

“That’s true,” Gennady said. “However for months on end? That’s unusual.”

“Weren’t you the one who insisted it was a Horned Ursa? Why are you changing your stance now?”

“I’m not changing my stance. I’m reassessing the situation.” He turned to her with a frown and folded his arms. “What about you? You haven’t had anything constructive to say since we came here.”

“I’m just here to throw knives at things,” she said simply.

“Then maybe stick to doing that and keep your mouth shut, eh?”

“What’s wrong, Dwarf? Can’t keep up some banter—”

“Guys,” I sighed, interrupting them. “Can we not argue, and instead focus on the task at hand? Look, more Kobolds are coming.”

“I think I can argue and fight at the same time quite well,” Gennady snorted, raising his hunting rifle. Elda grinned, flicking a knife onto her hand..

“Probably too old for that.”

I just stared at them, blank faced as they flung their projectiles at the oncoming Kobolds. Sevin was faster this time, scurrying for his own rifle and firing it at the Monsters. He missed most of his shots, but landed a few and even killed a handful of Kobolds.

This pack was relentless. Over a dozen of them charged us at once. The pack leader took a few blasts to the face, undeterred by my Shock Pistol’s supposedly deadly bolts. I lowered the weapon and tossed another Cluster Bomb at the charging group.

The explosion blew apart the nearby Kobolds. The leader was sent flying in the air. The last of the Kobolds fell, dead.

“Hah, did you see that? I took out half of them on my own—”

“Only because they’re so weak. All you had to do was point and shoot—”

I ignored the two as they continued bickering. Aren’t I the kid here? I thought as I rested my forehead on the palm of my hand. I only looked up when I felt someone prodding at me.

“M-Melas?” Sevin tapped me on the shoulder quickly.

“What is it?” I asked, blinking. I narrowed my gaze as I saw what he was pointing at. Amongst the pile of dead Kobolds, I saw a figure moving. It was the pack leader— its body was convulsing.

Or at least, I thought it was convulsing at first. Because of that, I just watched as it suddenly shifted. The rough-skinned body of the Kobold morphing as thick, gray fur grew out of its sides. At this point, even Elda and Gennady had stopped, having noticed what was going on.

The ‘Kobold’ slowly picked itself up, pawing one clawed hand to the ground as it grew larger and larger, now towering over us at nearly 12 feet. Its canine head turned rounder as its fangs detracted, but its front legs grew longer as they almost became arms. Its eyes flashed red as it faced us in the middle of its dead kin.

Well, they weren’t its kin. Not anymore.

“Uh oh.”

“What is that?” I asked as I raised my pistol and aimed it at the Monster.

“That, lass,” Gennady started and turned to me, “is a Werebeast. An A Ranked Monster, just like a Horned Ursa. I guess we found our culprit after all.”

It charged us with a ferocious roar.

Chapter 13: Springs of Recovery

The Werebeast continued growing larger. Its body doubled in size every moment that passed as it shaped itself into a terrifying bipedal creature; it stood on two clawed legs as it raised its clawed hands up in the air as bone-like spikes jutted out of its elbows. Needle-like brown brown fur now covered its body, somehow growing out of its flesh in an instant. And a dozen more eyes popped out of nothing.

I didn’t just stand and watch this transformation. Instantly, I grabbed a Cluster Bomb and hurled it at the Monster’s feet. Gennady and Elda were a step behind me, both sending a bolt of energy and a knife at it respectively. The Werebeast knocked the projectiles from the two aside, then kicked the Cluster Bomb away.

The explosions resounded in the distance as Sevin gulped. “Uh, this is a problem, right?”

“Less talk, more action!” I yelled, dropping all pretense of using mana tech and conjuring a Fireball. I hurled the spell at the Werebeast as it charged us, and the blast knocked it back momentarily. And it was just a moment, because it toured through the plume of smoke the instant after and continued barreling over to us.

Gennady dug into his pockets and produced a small cylindrical object. He threw it in the air and instantly, a noxious gas burst out at the Werebeast. The gas enveloped it, seemingly stopping it in its tracks. It writhed and turned, roaring a terrible sound through the forest.

“Step back and don’t inhale it!” Gennady shouted at us as he covered his nose and backed up. “Attack it from afar while the gas dissipates. It should take only a few seconds at most— I’m not sure how long or if it will actually paralyze the Werebeast, but throw everything you’ve got at it!”

I nodded, not needing to be told twice. I created a pair of Stone Spears as the Werebeast twisted on the spot. The magical projectiles launched at the Monster, but broke on impact— its thick skin too tough for even the earth.

After a few tense moments, the Werebeast seemed to break free from the paralytic effects of the gas. The veil around it that had been holding it back was torn apart like strings. I backed up even further, sending a Lightning Strike down at the Monster.

The sky flashed and thunder rolled through the snowy hills. But the blast didn’t even make it flinch. It came charging at us once again, just in time for Elda to toss a dagger at its eye. It roared, prying the weapon off one of its many eyes.

“Come here, you furry fuck!” she taunted it, breaking off to the side. I cringed at the insult, but focused instead on casting magic at the Werebeast. I sent a Fireball to it as it chased the woman, ripping apart trees like they were weeds on grass.

“Get back Sevin— stay behind me.”

The young man had been firing his rifle at the Monster in a panic, but now he was fumbling to replace the mana crystal on it. It used Inferior mana crystals, and ate through it quickly. However each bolt it shot was nearly as powerful as a Magic Missile. Barely scratching the Werebeast though.

“Hey Gennady, think your Annihilation cannon will work?” I called over to the Dwarf who had produced what looked to be a spear, but with two prongs at the end. Electricity shot out from the long taser looking thing, blasting the Werebeast from afar. It stumbled right as it tried to swipe at Elda, who had managed to take out two more eyes.

“Definitely not,” he said, grimacing. “And I wasn’t prepared to fight a Werebeast, so I didn’t bring anything that could penetrate its thick skin. It doesn’t have a regeneration like a Horned Ursa, but it’s far more durable.”

I sighed, feeling annoyed as more Fireballs bounced harmlessly off the Monster. I shook my head, instead focusing on what would work. I haven’t actually used this spell in a fight yet, but… here goes.

Even though I had been enjoying myself in Jahar’taw, I had not been relaxing. Even when I had been on the ship coming from Luke, I had been practicing my magic. Magic which I hadn’t gotten to test out proper. Now, it was time.

I pointed a single finger in the direction of the Werebeast. I felt the mana in the air accumulate at the point just beyond my finger, closing my pure magical eyes as energy coalesced into a sphere. It was about the size of my palm at first, not too large and not too small. However, I focused on the energy, compressing it into a tiny ball.

When the pressure on the ball felt too much to handle, I released it. A beam of red light burst out, drilling a perfect hole through the trees between myself and the Werebeast. The magical attack came at it incredibly quickly.

The Monster whirled around, spotting the growing light in the distance. It roared, then saw the magic, and threw its weight to the side. The beam nicked the side of its elbow— its bone-like protrusion was sliced cleanly off by the powerful spell.

“What was that?!” Gennady asked me, staring aghast.

“That,” I said as I panted, “took a lot of energy.”

“Well you better find some more before it eats us all!” he yelled, loading his harpoon gun and shooting it at the Werebeast.

It roared, charging at me in anger. Its eyes were fixated on me and only me. They burned with anger— with fury. It easily knocked aside the harpoon Gennady shot its way, although the enchanted tip still lit it ablaze.

I backed away from my friends, knowing that it was focused only on me currently; I pre-cast half a dozen Explosive Orbs as the Werebeast reached me. I activated my Aura Shield and rolled under its feet. The blasts resounded behind me, sending the Monster staggering forwards.

It whirled around, even more angry than before. “What does it take to kill you?!” I screamed, hitting it with a Burst Cyclone

The blast of wind blades tore apart its fur, cutting deeply into its thick skin. And yet, it still loomed over me with the same ferocity as before. I raised my dagger in a panic, shielding my face as a second barrier and third barrier came over me. The Monster swiped once, breaking through all the shields in the single hit.

I flew back, struck by the impact but not directly hurt from it. I heard Gennady scream as my head spun. Sevin scrambled to my side while Elda flung more knives at its face. I looked up at the Monster, roaring and swiping at the agile woman.

It nicked her on the shoulder, causing her to stumble for a moment. The Werebeast was about to follow up with another strike, however Gennady tossed a sphere in the air. The object glinted— then it flashed with a ringing bang.

I realized what was coming, and quickly covered my eyes before it even went off. I got up, opening my eyes as the Werebeast swung its arms in a blind frenzy, still discombobulated. I raised a finger, feeling the spell drain me of my energy again.

The beam of energy shot out, this time striking the Monster right in the chest. It reeled back, its skin burned and it screeched a terrible sound. I did not hesitate— I immediately followed up with a Frost Javelin, aiming right at its eyes. The Werebeast raised a claw to block the projectile, however I edged it just around its arm. The Frost Javelin struck true, piercing the burned flesh with the searing cold projectile.

The Monster locked eyes with me for a moment— well, it locked multiple eyes with me. Then it turned to Gennady as the Dwarf loaded his harpoon back onto the harpoon gun. Next to him, Elda was being tended to with a healing potion by Sevin. She got up, readying her throwing knives in her hand while the young man cocked his rifle.

It paused for a moment, as if it was suddenly capable of thought. And maybe it had always been capable of thought. But it didn’t matter. Survival instincts kicked into the Monster’s brain— it tried to turn and flee.

“Don’t let it escape!” Gennady bellowed, firing his harpoon at it. The projectile barely missed, nicking its shoulder and setting it ablaze again. “Damned you!”

I focused on the ground just ahead of the Werebeast as my friends pelted it with projectiles. I felt my body straining as I released the earth, collapsing it into a pitfall. The Monster stumbled and fell into the pit.

It was not a massive pit. It would’ve been able to climb out of it in an instant if it weren’t injured. And it actually crested the vertical incline faster than I could even cast a second spell. However, Gennady was prepared for it.

He tossed a trinket at it, which exploded into a web of energy bindings. It caught the Werebeast mid climb, wrapping around the Monster and causing it to fall back down. This was the moment I needed. As the Werebeast hurriedly tore off the bindings keeping it down and scrambled up the hole, I tossed every single Cluster Bomb I had down at it. Then I knocked it back down with a quick Fireball.

The Werebeast fell, and the Cluster Bombs— dozens of them— exploded at once.

I grinned as I watched explosion after explosion blast the ground apart. Loud bangs resounded throughout, and I stepped back and away from ground zero. Was it enough to kill the Werebeast? Probably not. Did it eat through my entire stock of Cluster Bombs and half my gold coins? Definitely.

However, as the smoke cleared up and the Monster lumbered out of the pit, it was slower now. And I took the time I needed to recuperate— to prepare.

“Death Ray,” I said, grinning.

A beam of light cut through the smoke, then dug straight into the much slower moving creature’s skull. It took the brunt of the hit— and collapsed.

Gennady stared at it— at the hole it bored through the Wereebeast’s face as it fell to the ground, dead. Then he turned to me. “...not gonna lie, Melas. But that’s a terrible name.”

“What about Death Beam?”

“Even worse.”

“End Lazer!”

“Stop it.”

I sighed as I got up. “Well, I can’t think of anything else. Unless you can suggest a better name, I’ll stick to it.”

Gennady furrowed his brows. “I think you should just go without a name until you can figure out a good one for it.”

“Mhm, maybe,” I mused with a thoughtful look. I glanced to the side when I heard the sound of leaves rustling. “Looks like they’re back.”

“About damned time.” The Dwarf got up after me as Elda and Sevin returned from the village. The young man was explaining to Birzhan about our encounter as the woman walked beside him, not bothering to contribute at all.

“...it was not a Horned Ursa— look, there.”

They reached us and Sevin pointed down at the crater where the Werebeast lay. The old Dwarf’s eyes widened as he took a look at the corpse while Gennady and I strode over to them.

“Seems like you gave us misleading information, old man,” my Dwarf companion said with a chuckle. “Might want to recompense us some more.”

“I…” Birzhan trailed off. “Of course, I apologize for our mistake. We shall scrape together what we can—”

“Wait, wait, wait—” Gennady flushed. “That was a joke, you bloody fool. We don’t need extra coins for this.”

“We don’t?” Elda blinked.

“Even if we do, we won’t be taking any,” I said with finality in my voice. The woman just shrugged and shot me a grin.

“Was a joke.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not a funny one,” I murmured under my breath. She gave me a mock glare and I ignored it. I turned to Birzhan and smiled beneath my mask. “This is the Monster that has been terrorizing your village. It has been disguising itself as a Kobold— so it probably caught most travelers unaware before it transformed.”

“How did such a beast come to our home?” he asked, voice quivering as he regarded me.

“Gennady thinks it’s because of all the volcanic activity. I know you said that eruptions here are the norm— but you’ve got to admit that the one in recent years are unusual. He thinks that because the animals around the area have been fleeing— migrating away— it has left the Kobolds starved and hungry. And one of them must have mutated into a Werebeast.”

I looked over at my Dwarf companion and he nodded. “Werebeasts— or any Were-Monsters— aren’t ordinary creatures. They are when Monsters just shift. Randomly evolve. They become something else entirely that is much stronger than their previous forms. And it also has diminishing returns depending on how strong the Monster is in the first place. For example, a Kobold— one of the weakest Monsters out there— becomes a Werebeast, an A Ranked threat. Meanwhile Crymson Wolves become Werewolves, B Ranked threats.”

Birzhan’s eyes widened. “Are you saying that even the animals are migrating away from Qala’taw? It can’t be…”

“Unfortunately,” Gennaady said with a shake of his head, “I think you need to consider moving your village away from Qala.”

“But…” Birzhan spoke softly.

I grimaced as I saw his facial expression contrast. I didn’t really like this. Aren’t we doing something good here? In the first place, we came here almost like heroes, to slay the beast terrorizing their lands. But now we are forcefully evicting them from their homes— in the name of what was best for them, sure, but it wasn’t what they wanted.

I sighed as I watched the visible hesitation in the old Dwarf be pushed aside. Instead, he focused on our reward.

“I understand your concerns, Master Gennady. And thank you for your help in exterminating this Monster. We’ll consider it. For now, let’s focus on your rewards—”

I perked up, excitedly speaking over him. “I want to take a bath!”

The explanation when we returned to Qala’taw was long and somber. The village wasn’t very well populated, so the word spread quickly. By the time nightfall came, everyone knew the news of their beloved mountain settlement: it was going to erupt.

And it wasn’t just a small eruption— like the constant ones that they had endured for the past century. Apparently it was going to be a big one.

They weren’t sure why volcanic activity had picked up in Qala after being in its current state for so long; Gennady did seem like he had an inkling of an idea, however he said nothing of it to me.

“So, is that it?” I asked the Dwarf as we returned to our small inn. He shrugged.

“Dunno. What happens next is up to them. I can speak to King Adilet— or talk to a few ministers. But that’s about it. Whether they choose to stay or evacuate is up to them.”

Elda nodded. “It’s none of our business to tell them what to do. We can give them advice, and they can choose whether to take it or not.”

I blinked, looking at the reaction of my friends. “But there are hundreds of people living here.”

“Well, that is a bit generous. There’s maybe less than 500 people living in this village. Most of the young Dwarves leave for the city when they’re old enough anyway. Qala’taw is a village of old people. And old people are stubborn.” The Dwarf scowled as a thoughtful look crossed his face.

I gave him a curious look, wanting to question more on that, but shook my head. I bit back the obvious retort of ‘but aren’t you old too?’ and spoke up in defense of Birzhan and his people.

“Just because they’re old and stubborn doesn’t mean they deserve to die,” I said, steadfast.

“You’re right.” Gennady snorted, “That’s not any sage wisdom. You don’t have to be a Saint to see that.”

“Then why are you just letting it happen?”

“Because unless we hold them all at gunpoint and bring them out of their homes, they will never leave, lass.” His brows arched darkly over his eyes. A morose gaze came across his face. “I know you’re worried. And I had been too— for so long. You’re too nice, Melas. But that’s all we can do for now.”

“The Dwarf is right for once. Good job, your big brain isn’t just for show.” Elda grinned at him.

“Oh shut up, Human. Is that what we’re doing now? Referring each other by our species? I thought you were better than that—”

“I…” I hesitated. Was he right? Probably. I had only just come here— only for the gold too. Why was I trying to play the hero? Stupid conscience, I scolded myself. “Sevin, what do you think?”

I glanced over at the young man who was mulling over a piece of meat on his plate. He twiddled his fork before blinking, finally realizing that I spoke to him.

“Me?”

“Mhm. Should we really just leave without doing anything else?” I asked, giving him a pleading look. What did I really want him to say? I didn’t really know. Unfortunately, he didn’t give me the answer I wanted.

“I… think we should listen to Master Gennady,” he said hesitantly. “It’s the only logical course of action. We came here as Hunters, right? We did our job. And… it’s not like we might even be right, right?”

I grimaced and he murmured an apology. I sighed. “Fine. If that’s what we’re deciding with, we’ll do it.”

It didn’t make me feel good; maybe there were other things I could do back in Jahar’taw to help them. Gennady said he was going to speak with King Adilet after all— and the head of the country itself should be able to achieve more than I could. I was just here trying to do some good and help myself.

“However,” I said and raised a finger, “we’re not going to leave just yet.”

Elda raised a brow. “You got something you want to do?”

I grinned. “I’m going to take a nice, long bath.”

It wasn’t that this world didn’t have baths— that people didn’t wash themselves or clean themselves after a long day’s work. No, they definitely did. It just wasn’t comparable to the hygiene I had experienced in my previous life. So the opportunity to bath in some magic— or mana— hot springs was quite appealing to me.

I wasn’t going to bathe with either Sevin or Gennady of course, and Elda was not interested. So I left them at the inn and spoke with Birzhan— he directed me up the beaten road to the Springs of Recovery and sent me on my way.

I walked alone, cresting the incline by myself. The air grew thinner up here, but it was no longer cold. The steam from the hot springs came emanating even from a distance. Wisps of steam filled the air like a thin bridal veil blotting out the sun.

I walked up with my dagger by my side and my mask on; I wasn’t aware of what Monsters could be awaiting me here. Even though I was told it was safe, I still took some precautions.

For example, if there was anything here that would attack me I couldn’t handle, I would send a Lightning Strike down or a Fireball into the air. Gennady, Elda, and Sevin would keep watching for it. So I trusted that everything would go fine—

I stepped into the veil of the Springs of Recovery, about to dip into the hot springs. And a voice spoke up, cool. Calm. Angry.

“Hello, Melas.”

I spun around and saw a figure standing in the mist. It was feminine, a shadow in the curtain of steam. Yet, I knew who it was.

Saintess Lilith— the azure haired woman— strolled forward slowly. She had a smile plastered on her face, and her spear hefted over her shoulder with her one arm.

Oh you’ve got to be kidding me! I whirled around and raised my hand. Mana coalesced on my fingers…

Then vanished.

The Saintess continued her slow walk forward, uncaring. But her body flashed a moment before I felt the magic disappear. It dissipated, a familiar feeling that I had battled before.

“...Dispel Magic?” I stared at Lilith, aghast.

“Mm, did you really think I wouldn’t learn a trick or two since I last saw you?” she said, stopping a few dozen feet ahead of me. She lifted her spear and twirled it to her side.

What do I do? I thought, eyes darting around me. The best option I had right now was to entertain her talk as much as possible— that was how it worked, right?

I opened my mouth.

“I—”

Lilith dashed forward and my eyes widened. In a single step, she closed the distance and thrust her spear forward. I barely stepped to the side, dodging the attack in the nick of time.

She raised her spear over me as I backed up, but the ground under her shot up. Nothing I could throw at her would hurt her, however I could keep her back.

The stone pillar tossed her into the air for a moment. She flipped and spun to face me as I brought a hand up. A Fireball launched out, then two, and three.

The first one vanished, the magic being torn apart by whatever antimagic miracle she used. However, the other two exploded far above the mountaintop, visible for anyone watching. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the village ahead. I wasn’t sure how Lilith even tracked me here, but I had to get help. I could not beat her alone.

I only managed to step five feet ahead of me before a hail of large icicles, each the size of my body, sprayed down at me. I threw myself to the side, avoiding the first attack, before raising multiple barriers at once to defend from the incoming beam of energy.

It tore through my barriers, but they held out just in time for me to get up and out of the way. I glanced over at Lilith who was now running at me, back on the ground, with energy coalescing around her spear.

I pointed a finger at her and my own beam of energy lashed out at her. Lilith’s eyes widened, and she stopped performing her miracle. Instead, she deflected the magic attack with her spear. It bounced off, striking a nearby rock wall and shearing it in half.

Rubble fell into the hot springs and sent a pillar of water up into the air. Water droplets came raining down, blocking my vision as I tried to flee again. I took another step forward, with Explosive Orbs conjuring all around me, but they blinked out of existence and a tendril of water grabbed me by the leg.

It whipped my leg up and my face fell flat onto the ground. I dispelled the miracle from the Saintess, but as I crawled back to my feet, my head snapped back as the butt of her spear struck me.

A foot stomped down on my hand as I tried to raise it, and the tip of a spear ran through my leg. I glanced up at the woman standing over me. She had an insane look on her eyes— her face twisted and crooked as she reveled in my pain.

I squirmed under her feet, groaning as I tried to conjure a Lightning Strike. It crashed down on her, but it bounced off the aura of protection around her. Energy— mana— flowed through her body as her spear glowed. She slowly lowered a hand and lifted my mask.

I glared at her.

“Let me go!” I yelled, spitting on her face.

She didn’t even flinch— the crooked smile still pasted on. “Why should I? I have you where I want you.” Lilith spoke mockingly, unbefitting of her status as a Saintess.

“How did you even find me? I did everything right! I laid low, and stayed away from trouble. H— how…”

I whimpered as I felt the sharp pain from lifting her spear back up. Blood dripped down onto my leg and spilled out. I wanted to curl up in a ball and scream, but she jabbed the butt of her spear down onto my chest and kept it there.

“You seem to be in pain, Melas.” Lilith cocked her head. “I don’t get it though— that doesn’t look too bad. Maybe I should cut off your arm and see what happens.”

“Go and f—”

She stepped on the wound on my leg and I screamed. Then it turned to a whimper as she pressed on it harder.

“I tried to be nice, Melas. I wanted to bring you in. I wanted to let you be tried by the courts. But now? I think I might just kill you here.”

“Nice?!” I sputtered and snapped my gaze up at her. “How is that nice? I would have gotten executed! Why would I want that?!”

“Aw, that’s too bad for you. But that’s just life, unfortunately. Things happen regardless of what you want. Or did you think I want to be doing this? That I want to be a Saintess?”

She leaned closer to me, her smile disappearing from her face.

“No.”

She shook her head, murmuring to herself.

“All I ever wanted to do was love who I loved. Lived my life. But the Church chooses these things for you. And you could have just accepted it.”

I stared defiantly back at the Saintess.

“I will never just roll over and die.”

“But you’ll still die,” she said simply. “Now, whether it’s by me or by being crucified and burned is up to me. And I feel like I should I kill you right here—”

The Saintess was interrupted as suddenly a black beam of energy crashed down onto her. It sent her flying to the cliffside, emanating a low hum as it did. I watched as the Annihilator spell continued blasting her as she screamed a guttural cry.

Just in time. I pushed myself up, turning to see the source of the attack. Stalling really does work—

Then I stopped.

A cloaked figure stood before me. It was not the Dwarf I was expecting, nor was the figure holding a weapon. Instead, they had both hands up and a magic circle before them.

They… used the spell?

That was right, the cloaked figure used a Tier 6 spell. They blasted the Saintess back, and was now conjuring another large spell circle in the air. Lilith glanced up, cursing and swearing until she saw the figure and the magic being cast.

“What in Hell—”

A storm of black flames came crashing down onto Lilith. The Saintess screamed as her own red energy fought back. But she was quickly overwhelmed.

“Aghhhhhhhhhh.”

“The Flames of Hell.”

The cloaked figure spoke simply, as more and more black fire swirled around the screaming Saintess. I blinked, staring at the cloaked figure. Is that—

A blast of fire and ice came from Lilith, before being incinerated by the flames. But in that brief reprieve, I saw a figure blur. Lilith leapt from the cliffside and ran, screaming as the fire beat down on her.

Then, the Saintess was gone.

And it was just me and the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure watched Lilith disappear before turning to me. I looked at the figure, mouth open wide.

“Mom—”

“Hello, Melas.”

An unfamiliar voice spoke over me. It was clearly a woman’s voice, but it did not sound like my mother at all. It was deeper— more rough.

“We finally meet. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity.”

The cloaked figure stepped forward and I backed up. “W-who are you?”

“You don’t recognize me?” The figure tilted her head. Then slowly, she lifted her hood and my eyes bulged at what I saw.

Golden eyes. Obsidian skin. And crooked horns—

A Demon.

A Demon stared down at me, a smile on her face. She walked forward and brought a hand forward.

“I’m Elara. The one who saved you back in Bys. The one first chased Lilith off back in Luke. The one who has been watching over you all this time. And...”

Her eyes glimmered as her slit-like pupils thinned. Her voice grew excited as she helped me up. I got to my feet, and immediately felt my knees go weak as she continued.

“And the one who will help you get home.”

Chapter 14: Estia – Demon

The cloaked figure walked through the silent gilded halls of the large mansion. Paintings, portraits, and marble statues decorated the walls lining either side of her. She glanced up at one of the portraits— two luminescent yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. Before her hung an expansive canvas: it was a map of the world.

On the left side of the map was the continent of Soli, to the right was Vitae, and in between was Drake Island. Soli was, by far, the largest continent of all. The Holy Xan Empire was said to have conquered the entire land mass, but the cloaked figure couldn’t help but laugh at that thought. Conquer it? she thought, looking down at what lay below at the South Pole.

Hell.

One thing that the Holy Xan Empire never wanted you to know was that Hell was a part of Soli; it was the bottom half of the continent that could only be entered through crossing the Gates of Hell— a dangerous mountain range that was so small and narrow one wouldn’t think it was even a mountain range. It was a thin piece of land connecting Hell and Soli, so the Church convinced the rest of the world that they weren’t connected. That it was the work of the Demon Lord— that his magic conjured up earth, creating that dangerous terrain.

The cloaked figure shook her head. Ridiculous. Perhaps if the Demon Lord had been that powerful, he never would have fallen to that vile Xander.

She traced a hand through the map, her finger finding its way to Vitae. She stopped at the country she was in. The Puer Kingdom. And she saw the level of detail it had on it. The cloaked figure smiled and ripped that piece of the map out.

Even though it had just been a tiny part of the map, it was large enough to wrap around her body. She rolled it up and tossed it into the bag on her back. The map disappeared, almost as if it had been thrown into the void.

The cloaked figure ignored the mess she left behind— the tattered map fell off the wall, collapsing over a sculpture and covering it. Was this inconspicuous? No. Was she trying to be inconspicuous? No.

The cloak over her head was not to hide her identity; it didn’t matter if people found out who she was. She had it on for a different reason.

Her lips curled up as she pushed open a wooden double door at the end of the hallway. Light engulfed, revealing a large open room with a long dining table in the middle. There sat a dozen figures— all dressed in golden and purple garments laced with luxurious white cotton.

“Greetings, gentlemen.”

The cloaked figure spread her arms out as an angry man stood up.

“You!” he bellowed, pointing a finger out. “Who let you into my manor?”

“I let myself in,” she said simply, crossing her arms.

“The audacity…” His brows furrowed and he slammed his fists down onto the table. His guests winced, and the children paired with each of them all sunk back into their chairs. “Guards, kill her!”

The cloaked figure narrowed her eyes as the armed men surrounding the table drew their weapons. But she ignored them. Instead she focused on the little figures at the table— at the way they were dressed.

“I only came here to kill one of you. But it seems I have a lot more scum to exterminate, don’t I?”

She shook her head, walking forward as the first of the guards reached her. One swung a large polearm at her— its enchanted axehead glowing as it came down.

The cloaked figure pointed, and the man flipped in the air. He crashed into the ceiling, his own weapon lodged through his chest. Then he dropped back to the ground, unmoving.

The other guards hesitated, staring at their dead friend. But the cloaked simply raised her hand and gestured for them to come.

“What are you waiting for? Your master ordered you to kill me, didn’t he? Come, dogs. Try and get your prey.”

“Kill her!”

The man shouted louder, his face contorting in anger. The other guards rushed forward— none of them taking out any guns or rifles; this was the extent of their mana tech. Swords, shields, platemail— all enchanted. But nothing special.

The cloaked figure twirled past a swinging longsword and ducked under the thrusting spearhead. She spun around and all the guards around her recoiled an invisible force sending them back.

“What in Hell is going on?” a disbelieving voice said. There were more shouts as suddenly, somehow more fell dead from some unseen attack.

The assailant was swinging her arms— she was striking at the oncoming guards. But they shouldn’t have been falling. They shouldn’t be dying. Each of them should be able to kill a Chimera— alone!

Some of her attacks didn’t even connect. Yet a man’s head went spinning back. What is going on? the face of the man standing at the table seemed to scream.

The cloaked figure reveled in this. She knew she could have killed all the guards with ease, yet she took her time methodically taking them down one by one. The reason for her actions was simple; it was the same reason she wore the cloak. The same reason she waited to reveal her face to her enemies.

Intimidation.

She slowly walked past the corpses strewn about all around her. The people gathered at the table were pale faced now— none of them daring to say a thing against her. Even the man who had once been standing— so full of anger— was whimpering in fear. He may have even wet his pants. She smirked.

Then she threw her hood back. And they gasped. Their eyes widened, and some dropped down to their knees and began to pray. It was not just the symbols covering her body that struck fear into their hearts— it was not the spell circles that sat on the palm of her hands. No— more than that, she was...

A Demon.

Dark gray skinned. A single long, curved horn protruding right above her forehead. Gleaming yellow eyes, and pitch black sclera.

That was what the Humans saw. The terror in their eyes fueled her. One of them whispered, crying.

“Demon… the horrors from Hell!”

“I am not a Demon,” she said simply, raising a finger. “I am Estia.”

And a volley of black bolts struck down the Humans. They died, screaming, begging for mercy. Even when none of them showed a shred of decency all their lives.

Estia smiled as she watched them fall.

Estia did not stick around for a moment, even after killing all the aristocrats and rich merchants in the room. She did not try to reassure the children, or find them a place to live. No— there was no future for them in the Puer Kingdom. Perhaps her show force would inspire some of them to create their own future, but she highly doubted it.

Plus, no matter what she said, they would have been afraid of her. They would have scorned her for what she was, ignoring the fact that she just killed their abusers and rapists. It was not her first time doing this, after all. She knew how it went.

Maybe if she were a Human— or a Saintess… no. There was no point thinking about it anymore. She would just return back to the Infernalis. Her job was done and her target was killed.

So she left the mansion, rising up and above the sky. No wings sprouted from behind her back, yet her feet touched the air as she soared through the darkling heavens. Estia felt the wind blowing against her face, a smile plastered on her cheeks.

She couldn’t wait to go back. The Great Desert of Vitae was a few hundred miles away, at the eastern border of Puer, so it would take at least a week to get there on foot. But with her Flight? It would take her two days at most. One if she neglected sleep.

And she did neglect sleep. She was excited to return. Oh how she longed to have gone back and not walk amongst the Humans— the vile monsters responsible for the eradication of her race.

You see, Demons were ‘extinct’. They had been plentiful once; thousands of years ago, before the first Holy War had even erupted. Then through time and through the attrition of war, they were slowly wiped off the face of the world.

No true Demons remained— none but one. And Estia was not one of them. She wasn’t a true Demon. No, her single horn and her gray skin was proof of that. She was only Half Demon.

Her mother had been a Demon, and her father had been Human. Such a relationship— how scandalous! What heresy! And yet, that had been the case.

If she had been a full Demon, she would have two horns. Long horns that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone who saw her. And obsidian black skin that would send Humans, Elves, and Dwarves running.

Of course, most who saw her wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between her and a true Demon, as evinced from earlier. And it was not like there were any other Demons around, so she might as well just call herself a Demon.

Estia smiled to herself, just remembering how the noble Humans called her one. “At least their lives are good for something,” she muttered to herself as the sun rose over the horizon.

She continued flying through the air, breaking through the white clouds of day until it turned to night again. Then as the moon firmly placed itself high in the sky, she arrived.

The Infernalis.

It was the headquarters of the Dark Crusaders. The elusive location where the terrorists would hide. And it was literally elusive.

The Infernalis was not located in a single place— it was evermoving. It was never static. Even the members that walked through its halls were never the same. And that was because—

They simply moved.

They didn’t need a castle to stay in. They didn’t need a fortress to hole up in. They didn’t need to move in the shadows. Because they could create the shadows. They could create the fortress. They could create the castle.

After all, they had magic.

Estia saw the Great Desert up ahead, the brown sand mass stretching beyond the horizon. And right where the desert started was a large orange plateau. She landed there, right where an oddly shaped pillar of stone rose up.

The stone pillar was not made of magic— it was a naturally formed structure. It was a coincidence this was where she landed, actually. She just needed magic to figure out where to go. And where her magic told her to go was down.

The earth opened up underneath her, and she fell down into the darkness. Then the ground closed above as her descent slowed. Runes at the bottom of the pit pulled her down gently until her feet lightly tapped solid ground.

A man stood before her, arms behind him in parade rest as he smiled. “I sensed you were coming,” he said.

“Kores!” she exclaimed, running up to her mentor. The other Demon hugged her as she threw her arms around him.

“I assume your mission went well?”

“Very well,” she said as they let go of their embrace.

She stared up and down, taking in the sight of another Demon. Half Demon, a voice in her head mentally corrected her. He had similar dark gray skin as her— and a single horn too. However, instead of jutting out in a curve above his forehead, his one was straight and out of the side.

“How have things been going here in the Infernalis?”

“The usual. Arguments. Discussions. Planning. And never getting anything done.”

She laughed as she followed him down the tunnel. Balls of light floated right below the ceiling, evenly distanced and illuminating the hallway for the two as they walked through the Infernalis.

“Anything that I don’t already know?” she asked as they passed by one of the many rooms lining the sides of the corridor. Most of them had been storage rooms, meeting rooms, and other such resources needed to keep the organization running.

However, a few of them were dorms— sleeping areas for their members. She paused as she caught sight of a group of Goblins she didn’t recognize. “Who are they? New Acolytes?”

“Yes. Newly ordained Disciples.”

Estia eyed a scowling Goblin sitting by himself in the corner of the room and shrugged. “They don’t look too impressive to me.”

“They’re not supposed to be,” Kores said, glancing back at her. “They’re new. None of them have had a chance to prove themselves yet.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “When I joined the Dark Crusaders, Dark Acolytes were vetted harshly. Only the best could become one. Whatever happened to that?”

“We grew bigger, Estia. Things change. We have the chance to actually do something in this world— not just perpetuate the death and suffering the Holy Xan Empire has created. Not just be another failure like the Shadow’s Evangelium was.” The Demon spoke softly, his eyes were dark and faraway.

Estia hesitated. “You… you worked with them, didn’t you? You were part of the Shadow’s Evangelium.”

“Yes.”

“The Imp. The Fiend. The Reaper. What were they like?” She managed to muster up the courage to ask the question.

“They… were hopeful. They believed in a better world. But when they couldn’t get what they wanted, they became vindictive. Vengeful. They caused a lot of destruction, Estia. They fought a war they couldn’t win— they only wanted to die. We’re not like them. We can never be like them.”

She frowned and stopped. “But it’s a war, Kores. You said it yourself. We can’t win just by sitting around and trying to appease the Church.”

“I’m not saying we appease the Church,” he said, turning back to her. “I’m saying we do things differently. We make allies rather than enemies.”

Estia opened her mouth— and stopped. Kores put a hand out, shaking his head.

“We’ve had this discussion many times before, Estia. However, now’s not the time for it. I know you disagree with me, and I do disagree with you. But all that matters is that we work together.”

Sighing, she nodded and walked after him. “Fine. But I’ll change your mind one day.” She grinned and he chuckled. “What are we in a rush for anyway?”

“There’s a meeting. All the other Heralds and some Apostles will be gathering. And I want you to be one of the Apostles there with us.”

“Wait, why’s everyone meeting? What’s going on?” Estia blinked, slowing to a stop.

Kores smiled as he faced her. “A Dark Sage has returned to the Infernalis. One of the founder of the Dark Crusaders. Jasmin the Voodoo.”

Chapter 15: Estia II – War

Estia had always heard of Jasmin the Voodoo, but never seen her firsthand before. As old as the Half Demon— Demon— was, she only ever joined the Dark Crusaders recently. Plus, she was considered young for her species, even if she was technically twice as old as the Dark Sage.

But age did not matter; age mattered to Goblins, but not to her. What she found captivating— what led her to respect others— was power. And that didn’t just mean physical or magical strength. No, they had to command authority. Their personality itself had to be powerful too.

If they were strong and let others control them? That was not power. They had a glaring weakness that no amount of strength could overcome. Real power came in what you were capable of doing and what you actually did.

That was why Estia considered herself powerful. She had been weak once. Someone stronger than her had controlled her once. But not anymore— she broke free from their control. From their grasps. And now she was her own master.

She joined the Dark Crusaders out of her own volition. She wanted to rise up their ranks of her own free will. She was not beholden to them.

Although she would— try to— listen if Kores told her to behave in a meeting. Show her best side to those gathered there. She was only an Apostle, in a room full of Heralds and even one of the Sages.

Estia found herself staring for a moment— only a moment— when she entered the large meeting hall. There were Orcs, Goblins, a few Humans and Elves, and a single Beastkin gathered in the room. The only two Demons here were herself and Kores.

No Dwarves. Those were the most difficult to work with— they didn’t want to join the Dark Crusaders, but they would always offer their services in exchange for the Dark Crusaders’ resources. It wasn’t exactly the most unfair working relationship, but Estia did not trust these kinds of agreements. They were opportunistic— susceptible to backstabbing.

Estia found a seat at the round table, next to Kores as his direct subordinate. He was a Dark Herald, and he thought it would be useful for her to join in on the discussion. There were mindless chatterings happening all around the room as everyone settled into their places. Jasmin the Voodoo sat on a high chair at the head of the table. Estia knew it was her because of her signature long black dreads on what would typically be a Goblin’s bald head.

She turned a single yellow eye in the direction of the Demons before casting her gaze to the rest of the meeting room. Jasmin stood up and the room quietened.

“Greetings, members of the Dark Crusaders. Let us spare time from pleasantries and get down to business.”

Straightforward, Estia thought. I like her already!

First, they began talking about the Abominations— the newly revealed Monsters that have spread throughout the world.

“How were they able to keep such a big secret from us for so long?” Onir, a Goblin Herald, asked with bulging red eyes.

“It’s because our information network in Soli is lacking,” Alkasim said simply. The only Elf in the room— and one of the only full Elves in the Dark Crusaders— tapped a finger on his chin. “Our division is small. Our resources are meager. We need additional support if we don’t want to be blindsided by the Church again.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” a female Goblin laughed. “You only want to spend our resources on a suicide mission. No matter what you do, you won’t get your Elvish brethren to rebel against the Empire. They’ve always been dogs to the Church since the world began.”

Alkasim snarled, a spell circle forming on his hand, but Jasmin brought down her staff.

“Enough,” she said, glancing at the two Heralds, readying to duel each other. “Both of you bring up good points. I will consider expanding the resources of Alkasim’s sect in Soli. However, I will not allow it to be wasted either.”

The Elf sat back down, satisfied, while the other Goblins glared at him. Estia couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Immature, she thought, mentally sighing.

Even here in the Dark Crusaders, there was politicking. Everyone worked to serve their own interest— while having only the same vague goal of dismantling the Church and its doctrine. Personally, Estia didn’t mind the politics unless she was there to see it.

All you have to do to be heard is prove yourself. No need for any of this talk. Action is the loudest voice.

The conversation moved on to the situation in the Free Lands; there were less vocal opinions about it. Everyone agreed it was an opportunity. Apparently some Humans were angry that one of their Disciples with potential was killed there. By the daughter of the Fiend.

Estia narrowed her eyes. Hm? Why would that happen?

“This Melas… she’s a threat, no?” an Orc said, harrumphing. “She refuses to work with us, and from what I’ve heard from those who met her, she’s conniving. Her betrayal came unwarranted.”

“But why would she do it?” This time, it was Kores who spoke. “Surely, there has to be an ulterior motive for it. She’s still being hunted by the Church, after all.”

“We don’t know what she wants, we just know she’s our enemy,” Onir said simply. A few seemed to agree, however Estia noted how Jasmin’s lips fractionally curled down.

Interesting.

Finally, they spoke of the matters at hand.

“The Puer Kingdom,” Jasmin said simply, turning to Kores. “How progresses the insurrection?”

“They prefer to call themselves a… revolution.” The Demon man spoke slowly, strumming his fingers on the blackened table. “The people are unhappy with how the aristocracy of their kingdom has been running things. They’re trying to rile them up— but even with our support, the people are still unwilling to act. I’ve had Estia here carry out a few assassinations to show what an alliance with us can do… but they’d prefer support from the Taw Kingdom.”

“Hah, they want help from the Dwarves!”

“Do they really think those fools care about anything but their inventions?”

“Maybe if they had a mana mine—”

There were a few snickers, mostly coming from the Goblins. Especially those who had grown up in Taw. Jasmin nodded at Kores, then Estia.

“Very good. We need more allies. We have a few small kingdoms unofficially backing us— and have gained the goodwill of some of the Chained Cities. But Puer is large. If we can get a foothold in their country, it would only aid our cause. Good job.”

Estia felt a flush of pride wash over her— she held her chin up, higher than usual, as the meeting went on. Until finally, it was adjourned.

None of the Apostles contributed much to the meeting. They were only there to observe. However, once the Dark Sage left and the Heralds began to leave the room, the Apostles had their very own meeting.

They were students— underlings to the Heralds. But they were at the very top of the Dark Crusaders hierarchy. They had their own divisions. They had their own groups they were in charge of scattered throughout the continent.

So they spoke on the matters and how it related to them. A few Heralds stayed back to simply watch— see how things played out. And perhaps they would judge those who have grown significantly, enough to become Heralds.

But that was rare. And Estia didn’t expect much from it. Not unless you left an impression on them.

Today, Jasmin stayed behind with Kores and Alkasim. A Goblin, a Demon, and an Elf. They left their original seats on the table and stood to the side of the room. Estia glanced around, recognizing other Apostles she had met before.

There was Kajal, Mishik, Aryaan, Adam, Aleid, Joshua, Chenglei— Goblins, Orcs, Humans, and Beastkin. It didn’t really matter to Estia, however, considering that she didn’t like most of them.

They were all so narrow minded, all only focused on their plans and goals.

Adam was the first to speak, the Orc placed his red arm on the table as he leaned forward. “Our Dark Commander in Rem has requested reinforcements. Apparently, the Republic has seen a surge of pressure exerted on them by the Holy Xan Empire— especially after the Fiend was discovered in their lands. And Orcs are not the most inconspicuous lot. Mishik, your Goblins in Elios and Felan are not preoccupied, no? Give us the help we need.”

“Help you?” Mishik laughed. “My men are occupied with supplying the allies we need, which the Voodoo has emphasized the importance of.”

“They’re slacking.”

“That’s—”

“We have no traction in Anibes.” Chenglei spoke over them. “The Beastkin are the least prejudiced against our magic, and yet we refuse to recruit them to our cause. If there is anything that could be spared, it is better directed at our people.”

“The Beastkin aren’t prejudiced against the Dark Crusaders, but they aren’t for it either. When the Shadow’s Evangelium began recruiting—”

“Who cares about the Evangelium. They’re gone.” Mishik slammed a hand on the table. Estia frowned as she watched her goblet full of wine wobble and almost fall. She glanced up at the Goblin and Mishik continued. “As much as everyone in the Dark Crusaders weeps for the death of the Fiend— for her strength— she was a coward and a traitor. Don’t forget she was one of the ones who led the destruction of Xantioch, alongside the Imp and the Reaper. Even the Voodoo, as young as she was then, knew how foolish of a move that was.”

“And why is that foolish?”

Estia spoke up for the first time in a while. Heads turned to her as she sat there, a hand on her goblet as she twirled it on the spot.

“They were at war, were they not?”

“Are you really justifying one of the biggest reasons for the failure of the Shadow’s Evangelium?” Mishik narrowed her eyes.

There was a murmur of agreement from Chenglei and Aryaan.

“Hrn, I don’t believe anyone thinks it’s justified. Would you care to explain yourself, Estia?”

“I can’t see how her statement can be construed in any other way.”

The Demon snorted and kicked her legs up onto the table.

“The moment the Church attacked the Shadow’s Evangelium when they had been peaceful advocates of magic, was the moment they declared war on them. Such actions are necessary in times of war— sacking, pillaging, and even razing cities to the ground are not uncommon.”

“How barbaric. Truly you belong in the same camp of warmongers like Bahr had been—”

Alkasim narrowed his eyes but Mishik went on.

“Such a path would only lead to destruction. It happened for the Shadow’s Evangelium, and it will happen to you.”

“I am well aware of what the Shadow’s Evangelium did wrong, and I can assure you it was not their warpath against the Church. We have the same goal, no? To destroy such a disastrous institution.” Estia grinned as she awaited the expected response.

“Then why are you advocating what they had done?” the Goblin asked, furrowing her brows.

“I am not,” Estia said simply. “What they did was destroy everything around them— not just the Church. They became self destructive. They didn’t care for spreading magic or saving any peoples. Instead, all they vied for was revenge. And I’m not foolish enough to make that mistake.”

She paused, remembering something. It was just a flash, then it was gone. Estia stood up, shaking her head as she prepared to leave when Mishik laughed.

“You? Not foolish?” The Goblin smiled and leaned back on her seat. “I’m sorry, but you need wisdom for that.”

Estia paused midstep. Slowly, she turned around and looked at Mishik’s mocking face. The Demon knew this was a provocation— she was being taunted. And yet, she took it.

She walked forward, reaching into her Dimensional Storage and stopped right in front of the table. “Let’s prove who here is truly wise, shall we?”

Estia pulled out the map and laid it onto the table. Mishik raised an eyebrow. “What’s this, the map of Puer?”

“How perceptive,” the Demon said, a sly grin on her face. “It’s the map of Puer— I took it when I was there.”

“A petty thief, too.”

“You’re wise with your words, Mishik. But tell me, are you wise in the ways of war, strategy, and tactics?” Estia picked up her goblet and placed it on the center of the open map. “If you are, take the goblet without touching it— without using your spells and your hands. Use only your wit and your wisdom. This is not just a challenge for you, Mishik. Anyone who’s willing to try it, go and try it.”

“You want us to take the goblet without touching it? And without magic?”

“Ridiculous. That’s impossible.”

“We don’t have time for your foolish games, Estia.”

“If it’s such a foolish game, then why don’t you just solve it now?”

Estia turned an inquisitive glance to Mishik. The Goblin scowled and crossed her arms, refusing to say anything else.

The Demon looked around the room, trying to meet the eyes of all the Apostles sitting at the table. None dared to look at her, instead clicking their tongues and averting their gaze. Kores was watching on with a frown, while Alkasim had a bored look on his face. Meanwhile, Jasmin looked interested.

She wanted to see what Estia was going to do next— what she wanted to say. Good, the Demon thought, a smile spreading across her face. Attention grabbed. And now—

“If you don’t want to prove how wise you are, then let me do it myself.”

Estia brought an arm out— and picked up the goblet. Slowly, she brought it to her lips as a grin spread across her face, then downed the drink.

“You…” Mishik stared.

The Demon finished her drink and sat it back down on the table. “Done. Simple enough, was it not?”

“But that broke the rules of your game!” a voice protested.

Estia glanced back at her, a savage grin plastered on her lips. She spread her arms out wide and spoke clearly for all to hear.

“I told you to show me your wisdom, your wit, and your merit. Prove yourself wise in this game of war and strategy, before I even laid out the rules of the ‘foolish game’. Well, guess what? There is only one rule in war and that is: there are no rules in war.”

With that said, the Demon turned around and marched out of the room. The other Apostles erupted into an angry jeer, shouting after her and hurling insults at her. But Estia did not care— it did not matter to her. Because today, she proved herself their superiors.

Part Two: Demon

Demon

Chapter 16: Elara

A Demon stood in front of me— she was a true Demon. One with dark skin like the night sky and devilish horns protruding from either side of her face. Staring into her eyes, I found a pair of golden coins hovering within the void of her sclera; it reflected the terrified look I held on my face.

She removed her cloak’s hood and revealed a smooth head, covered with nothing but blood-red tattoos reaching down past her neck. Only her face was unblemished by the strange symbols marking her body. I took a step back as she inspected me— bending down to match my height.

Elara smiled sweetly and cocked her head.

“Well?”

“W-what?” Blinking, I tried to remember what she had just said. She was telling me about something— she said….

And the one who will help you get home.

“No reaction?” she said, shaking her head. “Aw, I was hoping you’d have been more excited to hear that.”

“What are you talking about?” I snapped and raised a hand. A small magic circle formed, glowing with an intensity that was only betrayed by my shaky voice. “Why would I want to go back to Villamcreek? I have no reason to go back there!”

“Ah. That’s not what I meant.” She chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes. “Then what did you mean?”

The Demon gave me the same sweet smile as before, standing up and straightening her back. She walked forward, approaching me with a dangerous aura. “What I mean, Melas, is that I want to help you get back to your real home.”

“M-my real home?”

“Yes,” she said and stopped just ahead of me, “to [Earth].”

I stared at her. My eyes widened and I finally understood what she meant. There was no double take— no more confusion. I can go home… to Earth?

I was simply in disbelief.

“...why would I want to do that?”

—--

Gennady downed the mug of ale and sighed. He raised a hand, waving down the barmaid— a young female Dwarf who must not have been any older than Melas— and raised his mug.

“Oi, Miss— another!” he called out.

The barmaid rushed over with a squeak. He assumed she was the daughter of the innkeeper. They had the same orange hair and hazel-green eyes. She quickly poured ale back into his cup and stepped back. He nodded and murmured a ‘thank you’ before downing his glass again.

The Dwarf was halfway through his mug when he realized the barmaid was hovering over the table, waiting for him to finish. He stopped and waggled his brows.

“What do ye want?”

“Uh, you’re…. Master Gennady, right?” the barmaid asked hesitantly. He nodded.

“That I am.” He instinctively reached for his glass to take another sip. He caught himself and continued. “And you are?”

“Ayakoz.”

“So, Ayakoz, I’ll ask this again: what do ye want? Can’t you see you’re eating into my drinking time?” That pun was intention— he hoped to get a chuckle out of the nervous girl. But instead, she jumped and spoke hurriedly.

“Right, Master Gennady. I heard from my pa that you told us we’ll have to be moving away from Qala’taw. That Qala will blow and destroy what’s left of the village. Is… is this true?”

Gennady sighed and downed the rest of his mug. “Yes, Ayakoz. That is, unfortunately, the truth.”

“But— why?” She stared at him with round eyes. “Qala has sent ash and lava into the air for all of my pa’s life, but it has never once taken out the entire village.”

He shrugged, leaning back into his chair. “Because that’s just how it works. It’s an active volcano, and the past eruptions have been small. But eventually, there will be a big one. And it seems the Monsters and animals have all realized this too. Your village chief told me himself— food hasn’t been as easy to get this year. That’s why.”

“I… see.” Ayakoz deflated. She lowered the jar of ale down, clasping at it with both hands. “...what do we do?”

Gennady sighed harder and gripped his mug. “Another round!”

“R-right.”

She filled his mug and he drank a quarter of it. Then he slammed the mug down and he turned to the girl. “Listen,” he said and raised a finger. “When you leave Qala’taw, bring you and your pa to Jahar’taw.”

“Jahar’taw?” She blinked. “But that’s the Capital city!”

“I know it’s a large city— I know that you won’t be used to living in such a place. But I’ll ensure that the House of Or’taq offers you and your family a good place to live and a good job. So talk to your pa— tell him to come there.”

“I… but what about everyone else?” Ayakoz asked, still apprehensive. “Everyone else in the village— Birzhan, the chief!”

“Tell them the same offer goes for them,” Gennady said simply, leaning back on his chair. “They can listen to me, or find refuge in whatever city or village they want. I can only talk to the people I know in government and try to get things done. But that’s it. Now shoo. I’m drinking.”

“Yes, Master Gennady!”

She hurried off and finally left him in peace and quiet. The Dwarf sighed, rubbing at his temples as he took another sip of his drink. The moment was interrupted by a grating voice.

“Haa… it seems like the big, old Dwarf has a big, old heart.” Elda stopped right in front of his table and placed her hands on her hips. She grinned. “Sup. Care to share some with me?”

Gennady scowled and pulled his drink protectively to his chest. “Absolutely not.”

“Aw, but you were so kind to her. Why not share some of the love with me?” The Human woman pulled a chair out and sat down. She kicked her legs up onto the table. Then she called out to the Ayakoz for her own drink.

“She’s a wee lass. ‘Course I’d treat her better than you, you old hag!”

“I’m barely even 30— that’s like preteens to you Dwarves,” she snorted.

“Hardly. We’re not Elves. And even for them, 30 is a young adult. Only Demons stay adolescent for that long.”

“Good thing they’re all gone.”

“Not all of them.”

The barmaid returned with another jar and mug, pouring a drink down for Elda. The Human woman raised the mug and nodded at the girl. “Cheers.”

Elda took a moment to down the ale before putting it back down on the table. She turned to Gennady with a foam covered mouth and smiled.

“Not going to ask me what I want?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I know what you want,” Gennady scoffed. “You’re here to pester me, aren’t ye?”

“Hm.” Elda tilted her head back and mused for a moment. “Perhaps. But not really.”

The Dwarf frowned. “Then what do you want?”

“I don’t know.” She glanced off to the side— her hair tied to a horsetail swayed for a moment. Then she turned back to him and leaned forward, playing with her bangs. “I was just thinking, since Sevin is out keeping watch and Melas is busy, why don’t we spend some quality time together.”

“Oh?” Gennady blinked. Then he finished his mug and grinned. “Thought you looked down at me for being a little man, didn’t you?”

“Well, why don’t you prove otherwise?”

She stared at him, a piercing gaze locked into his. She walked a hand forward, tapping on the wooden table separating them. He snorted.

“Ye—”

Sevin burst into the room, panting.

“Guys!”

The two blinked, broken from the moment. Gennady stood up, having realized something had happened.

“What? Out with it, lad!”

The young man glanced up, a panicked look on his face. “It’s Melas— she’s in trouble!”

—--

“I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what tricks you’re playing here or how you know about [Earth], but my friends are coming. I suggest you leave.”

I raised my hand dangerously, the spell circle on it glowing even brighter as the Demon stepped closer. She smiled.

“You know that won’t hurt me,” she said. “But I am kind of hurt by your words. Do you mean to tell me that you don’t know who I am?”

“How should I know?!”

“I told you my name and everything!” Elara pouted, crossing her arms like a kid. I didn’t buy it.

“And? It’d be like telling me your name is John or Aria! How should I know who you are?”

The Demon sighed, shaking her head. “It seems my reputation must have fallen after all these years, huh? No matter. I told you, I was the one who saved you in Bys. And I’m the one who saved you again now. I am your carer— the one who protected you in Luke, chasing off Lilith. Your savior.”

She spoke as she raised her hand, magic coalescing around her fingertips. My eyes widened as I recognized a familiar feeling of dread and terror pass over me— a large amount of mana gathered around her hand, creating a spell, and sending warning signals throughout my head.

“That— that was you?” I paused, realizing the other thing she had said. “Wait, you were the one who helped destroy Bys— who let the Abominations into the city?”

I stared at her as she happily nodded. “Yep. That was honestly not that difficult. I didn’t even need to let the Abominations in, they would have torn down the walls themselves. But I realized you were in trouble, and I wasn’t allowed to reveal myself to you just yet, so I decided to cause a distraction—”

A beam of light burst out from my fingertips and struck Elara in the head. She blinked as the spell bounced off a protective barrier around her. “Why did you do that for?”

“You’re with that false god!” I shouted, reaching for my dagger. “You’re— wait, Elara? I remember now. Aren’t you supposed to be the daughter of the Demon Lord? Why are you working for that evil god, huh?!”

“Ah. So you do know who I am.” The Demon clapped her fingers together softly. “And you know who I work for. It makes things much simpler then.”

“Stop ignoring me!” I sent another burst of magic at her, this time followed by a volley of Stone Spears. The magic was easily blocked by the Demon as she cocked her head.

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“Why?” I asked, gritting my teeth. “Why does that fake god keep ruining everything I have? He took my previous life— and now he wants to take my new life back from me?!”

“I—”  Elara stepped back, taken by surprise. She was actually shocked for a moment. It was the biggest reaction I had gotten from her. Then her gaze darkened. “Our God is not fake, Melas. You’ve met Him yourself, didn’t you?”

“I met him when he killed me,” I snapped, “so I’m sorry if I couldn’t tell if he was a god or a devil.”

The Demon frowned. She raised a hand and I tensed. But she simply rested her forehead on her palms. “Don’t let my Lord hear that. He’s much more… zealous than me in his devotion. But nevermind that— I thought you would be happy, you know? I’m giving you the chance to get away from this terrible world back to your own.”

“This world is only terrible because he keeps interfering.” I spoke sharply, still tense.

“The persecution of us spellcasters was not caused by our God, Melas. Nor was He responsible for the death of your mother. Or your period of slavery. You’ve suffered so much.” She walked up to me slowly, proffering a hand. “Come with me. I will not force you. I wasn’t even allowed to show myself to you until you grew older. But now that I was forced to, I’d like to make the offer He has tasked me with giving you: will you return to [Earth]?”

I eyed the hand dubiously; she was giving me a chance to escape this cruel world. I hesitated, feeling my fingers twitch. Then I shook my head.

“No.”

Elara blinked and lowered her hand. “Why not? This world has nothing for you. You have no reason to stay here.”

“Neither does [Earth],” I said, glaring at her. “My life was taken from me. Unless your god can somehow turn back time and undo what he had done in the first place, I have no reason to go back and start a new life. I have my friends here, and I will stick with them, no matter what.”

I owed them many debts— they had given me so much. If I abandoned them now, I would be nothing more than a selfish coward. I could not live with myself for doing that. I stared defiantly at the Demon and stood my ground.

“I don’t know what your god wants. But I know he isn’t just being nice to me after being the cause for all my suffering until now. So tell him that whatever game he has prepared for me? I will not play it. And if you want to take me with you—”

I conjured dozens of Explosive Orbs, Frost Javelins, and Stone Spears above me.

“You’ll have to make me.”

I watched as her face contorted; she considered my declaration, tapping a finger on her chin. She lowered her hand as I prepared for a fight. But she simply sighed.

“I see,” Elara said. “Oh well. There’s plenty of time. I’m sure you’ll change your mind in the future. Until then, I’ll always be here for you.”

The Demon turned around and began to leave. I blinked. “Is that it?” I asked hesitantly.

She paused mid step and craned her neck to face me. “What else is there to it? I’m not going to make you come with me. This is an offer for you and only you. I know you’re suspicious, but that’s all there is to it.”

“I don’t buy that.”

“You don’t have to.” Elara spoke simply, wagging a finger as if she were talking to a kid. “It is what it is.”

The ground beneath her began to glow a dark purple. My eyes widened as I felt the amount of mana gathering underneath her feet; it was some sort of teleportation spell? And it was powerful.

It did not scream danger, but it still made me feel small. Despite how far I had progressed so far, my magic was nothing compared to hers. She glanced over to the side, as if someone was there, but looked at no one.

“You can’t tell anyone I was here,” Elara said, pausing right behind a thin mist cloaking over her— drops of mana-rich water spattering her face like a bridal veil.

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. “Why not?”

“Because,” the Demon started with a smile, “I’ll have to kill them. And I don’t think you’d want me to kill your friends, do you?”

The threat cut me straight to my heart; I felt my hands go weak as the words rang in my ears, leaving its mark so that I would never forget it. It was a simple fact— one that I should have known the moment I came to this world.

I would never be free.

I simply stared at the Demon as she eventually disappeared.

Gennady, Elda, and Sevin found me standing alone at the Springs of Recovery shortly after Elara left. I stood there with hollow eyes as they huddled around me, questioning me and asking if I was alright. I smiled weakly at them and explained what happened with Lilith— that I had been attacked by the Saintess.

I omitted everything about Elara, lying to them about how I chased off Lilith myself. That my new spells were more effective than I thought, and how her having only one arm played into my favor. These lies kept them placated.

They believed me, because why would I lie? It was not like I had lied to them ever since we first met by hiding my identity.

...maybe they suspected something. They had only ever been kind to me, but they had to have seen through some of my deceit. Or maybe the facade of being a kid was enough of a disguise for me.

Nevertheless, they didn’t question me any further when I requested we return to Jahar’taw as soon as possible. I didn’t stay to even have a short bath in the Springs of Recovery. We left that moment, packing our things and hiking back down to the train station. And later that day, we returned to the Capital city of the Taw Kingdom.

Chapter 17: Library of Taw

Since we returned to Jahar’taw, I had mostly been taking easy jobs with the Hunters Guild— it wasn’t because I wanted to take jobs that were considered ‘easy’. It was because all the jobs available that didn’t involve Abominations or leaving the city were simple things like investigating Kobolds in the sewers or guarding crops from Giant Worms.

Yes, Giant Worms.

I stared at the undulating white creature as it wriggled on the ground, pinned by my magical bindings. It was the size of a large car. It was taller than me standing up while it was lying flat on the ground. I grimaced as disgusting green liquid spewed out of its mouth while it bared its sharp shark-like teeth at me.

I glanced around the empty field and nodded to myself.

I sent a Fireball down its throat and it exploded in a goeey mess. I wiped the slime off my mask and began to leave the field.

“Job’s done,” I said to the Dwarf farmer waiting back in his house. He gave me a dubious look.

“Really? Ye dun took care o' tha Giant Worms?”

I nodded, casually pretending I understood anything he said apart from ‘Giant Worms’. “They’re all dead. Left a bit of a mess. But I’m not being paid to clean it up.”

“Ah, thank ye lassie, ye did a good job. Will get me lad ta clean tha mess up.” He smiled at me and I smiled back.

I knew I was wearing a mask, but I didn’t care; I liked being expressive with my facial expressions, so I did it anyways. Plus, there was no one to judge me for doing it except for me.

Not unless there’s someone else stalking me with some kind of x-ray magic.

I sighed as I left the farmer’s house, after having collected my payment for the job. That’s right, I thought and glanced around the empty street with only the occasional cars driving by that was surrounded by only fields of crops. There’s someone watching me no matter what I do.

It was an incredibly unsettling thing to realize; not only had Saintess Lilith tracked me down to Qala’taw, having followed me for God knows how long, but Elara had also been following me from the very beginning.

I was being stalked— every move I made was being monitored. I felt a shiver of fear run through my body, but managed to steel myself. I’ve managed to get by just fine without knowing that, what difference does knowing now make?

I returned to Gennady’s warehouse an hour later, having walked the whole way back. I continued to feed myself lies just as I fed lies to others. No— now that I know this, I need to do something.

I nodded and glanced up at one of the glass windows of the three storeyed building. She’s there. Good.

I entered the warehouse and greeted Elda on the way in— she was chatting with Gennady. They were engaged in their usual banter, although it was more rowdy than with just the two of them since many of the ex-pirates were participating.

“Oi, Melas,” Gennady called out waving a mug of ale. “What ye been up to? Didn’t see you this morning.”

“That’s because you weren’t up this morning.” I rolled my eyes, pausing right before the stairway up. “How’s Sevin? Ginah?”

“Sevin’s been busy tinkering as usual,” the Dwarf said and gestured vaguely outside of the warehouse. “Ginah’s been… uh…?”

“Aren’t you the one helping her with your partner, Erzhan?” Elda snorted, kicking her legs up to the round wooden table. She turned to me and waved a hand dismissively. “The Captain’s fine. She’s just been busy helping him with some stuff.”

“Stuff?” I cocked my head.

“Yeah. Erzhan hired her as a bodyguard for a month, remember? And he was more than impressed with her fighting skills. So now he’s gotten her and a few of the best of the Crew as a part of his private army.”

“I see.” I nodded knowingly. Glad she’s doing fine. I started heading up the stairs and did double take. “Wait, private what?!”

“Private army.” Elda repeated herself with a straight face.

I raised a finger slowly. “Uh, isn’t that illegal?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Both the Dwarf and the Human pirate gave me an odd look. I hesitated, feeling a nervous sweat build on my forehead.

“Because… he owns a company and isn’t a noble?”

“Bah.” Gennady shook his head and laughed. “Companies all over Taw have their own private armies. The nobility in Taw barely even exists beyond formality now— I can barely name five families that even have any influence beyond their gold.”

“But what does Ginah do then?” I asked, frowning.

“Just protecting Erzhan’s goods as they’re transported in and around Jahar’taw. If he’s pleased with her performance, he says he’ll look into putting her as the head of his forces that’ll be bringing minerals and natural resources to Laxis.”

I opened my mouth, but Elda chimed in and jabbed the Dwarf on the shoulder. “So you do know what Ginah’s doing.”

“I forget, alright woman? Leave me alone.”

“Hah, of course you did old man.”

I sighed, deciding not to say anything else. So things are going well, huh? Gennady did tell me Erzhan had been looking to open up some factories in a place with cheap labor. I walked up the stairs and found the room I was looking for.

I entered it and found Lisa waiting there, flipping through the pages of a leatherbound book. She didn’t even notice me push the door open. I cleared my throat.

“Ahem.”

The young woman blinked and glanced at me. “Ah, Melas.” She slowly closed the book and smiled her signature smile. “You’re back.”

“I am, clearly.” I shot her a grin and she stood up, bringing the book with her.

“These tomes you keep asking me to buy,” Lisa started and gestured at another two books on the table beside her, “they’re quite interesting.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be… heretical stuff?” I asked, raising a brow. “As in, painting the Church in a bad light and praising magic?”

“Well, I never liked the Church in the first place. Didn’t I tell you that?” The young woman shook her head and continued. “No, I don’t really care about what they have to say about the Church or magic. Their interpretation of the Goddess of Light however… it’s fascinating.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that they believe in the same Goddess as us, you know? The Goddess of Light— except, She’s the Goddess of Darkness. And it’s not because they believe She’s evil. It’s the opposite. They believe that She’s one responsible for creating both good and evil. She’s a bringer of balance and not just what’s good.”

“Don’t tell me you’re becoming a fanatic now,” I said, sighing.

“No,” Lisa laughed and waved a hand off. “But what they say does make sense. The Devil can’t possibly be the bringer of all that’s bad because he’s no longer in this world. He was banished by the Goddess when she brought an end to Damnation. So why is there still evil, see?”

I was about to retort with something snide, but I paused. Bad things happen… because someone is behind them. Maybe if I was still who I was before I died, I would have believed it was all chance. But now I knew that someone was the cause behind my suffering.

A false god.

I felt myself shudder as I considered what that meant. A false god and a Devil. Could they be the same?

I shook my head, snapping myself out of my own ruminations as Lisa went on and came to an end.

“...so it’s not actually evil. It’s just what’s necessary to bring about balance— and the fact that they call Her the Goddess of Darkness is just a symbolic thing. They don’t think She’s evil or anything like that. Honestly though, they should have thought of another name because I always assumed these heretics believed in an evil version of the Goddess.”

“I don’t think the Dark Crusaders need a better PR team,” I muttered, remembering a man I thought was good, but actually manipulated me to simply believe that he was. “So, these are the books I asked for?”

“Yep. Just as you asked— everything you can find about Thaumaturgy. Jack helped me out a bit. But he’s still wary of contacting too many of his old friends in case his enemies here realize he’s back.”

“Enemies?” I picked up a book and leafed through it. Yep, this is Thaumaturgy, alright. Everything written in it was so abstract— the concepts were so nebulous. And magic was supposed to be enchanting, irrational; however this went beyond just not making sense. At least Geomancy, Pyromancy, and the other schools of magic had some sort of science behind it. This was pure mana manipulation.

“He wasn’t… exactly friendly with the Dwarf underworld.” Lisa grimaced and I nodded.

“That’s expected from him.” I flipped through a few pages and stopped. This is… Arcane Clones? The name caught my eye because I thought it would let me create fake versions of myself. However the spell was actually just a mimicry of other spells in different magical schools. So, if I learned this, I could create a Fireball that wasn’t actually made of fire but mana itself. Or a Frost Javelin that was actually a Mana Javelin. Interesting.

“No, it isn’t.” Blinking, I glanced up at Lisa as she defended her partner. “He only came to hate Dwarves after living here in the Taw Kingdom. I think it might have something to do with Goblins, actually. Because he knows quite a lot of them.”

“He does?” I gave her a dubious look. She shrugged.

“Apparently. That’s how I found that book you’re holding. The other two were a lot easier to find, but I assume they have less of those ‘spells’ you want.”

“Mhm. This grimoire has Tier 4 and Tier 5 spells. The others only go up to Tier 3, and maybe one or two Tier 4’s.”

“Didn’t you say that nobody uses the Tiering system for magic?” Lisa smirked, crossing her arms. “I should tell Gennady that he’s rubbing off on you.”

I ignored the comment and closed the book. “Thanks Lisa,” I said, nodding her way. I turned around to leave the room but stopped right at the door.

“Did you need something else?”

“Uh…” I hesitated, chewing my lower lip. “Do you think you can find me any grimoires or books about… space magic?”

“Space magic?” The young woman blinked.

“Or dimension magic. Something like that?”

“...I mean, I can look into it. But, uh, I don’t even know what that is.”

“Didn’t think so.” I sighed and rubbed at my temples. “Just try to see if you can find out anything about it. But don’t worry about it too much.”

I waved at her and left the room.

It had been eating me up since the day I met Elara; the Demon promised me a chance to return to Earth. And while I rejected her offer, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by it.

Was there really a way to travel through worlds? Surely with magic something like that was possible, right?

I didn’t know for sure, but I had to look into it. That was why I was standing here, in the middle of the bustling street of Jahar’taw’s inner city. Gennady stood next to me, arms folded and a scowl on his face.

He had led me here— we weren’t in just any street corner of the mountain city. We were next to the House of Or’tag, a few streets away from the Taj Palace. And while both grand buildings stood out in the mostly dull brick city of Jahar’taw, with their lavish decorations and vibrant colors. There was another building that stood out, particularly in this part of the city.

It was the Library of Taw.

Jutting out of the ground before me, the monumental structure stood out like a plateau; it was not tall, but it was large. The entire block of land ahead of us was taken by the building supported by white marble pillars that was antiquated in this modern (for this world) city.

It seemed like a building I would find in the Free Lands, and yet it was here in Jahar’taw.

“Why must I come along with you to this damned place,” Gennady complained with a huff.

“Because you said you had something to do in Or’taj. And we’re right next to it, aren’t we?” I turned to him and smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. You can just show me around for a bit and then you can go off and do your business with the government.”

“I’m not doing business with the government. I’m arguing with them. You should come to one of their assemblies, Melas. It is a mess.”

The Dwarf called me by my real name as he led me up the steep, white stairway to the library. I didn’t care that he used my name, since I wasn’t in disguise or anything. I just looked like an ordinary girl to anyone who saw me.

“If there’s anything about Space Magic, it wouldn’t be here,” Gennady said, harrumphing as he waited for me at the top of the stairs. I reached him shortly after— not out of breath, but still surprised by how far I had to walk.

“I’m not looking for Space Magic specifically. How about enchantments? Or tinkering some kind of… portal gun?”

“That sounds stupid.”

I shrugged. “Why do you hate the library so much anyway? I expected a Scientist like you to love a place of knowledge like this.”

“I hate it because this is where he usually resides.” The Dwarf grit his teeth as he pushed past a crowd of busy Dwarves leaving the large building.

“He?” I cocked my head.

“Bertrand,” Gennady said, turning back to face me. “The Human who took my job.”

The Library of Taw had a lot of books. No, seriously, it had a lot of books.

Unlike the libraries of Earth where half the building was just there for show or for other administrative stuff, the Library of Taw was purely a place of books. Rows and rows and rows of shelves stuffed to the brim with leatherbound pages, newspapers, or just articles from the past created a giant labyrinth that I could barely even navigate through.

The print press industry had made reading and writing commonplace in Taw, but I did not expect them to have more books than even a University library!

Also— the fact that the print press already existed meant that I couldn’t bring any inventions to this world! Maybe if I had actually gone to University, and hadn’t been murdered while I was in High School, I’d be able to do something in this rapidly growing world!

So now, I just stuck with what I had to do. And that was to survive. And maybe learn about Space Magic.

Because I had been intrigued by what Elara said; I was not going to… try to get back to Earth. Or at least, go back permanently. My life was already gone.

However, if it was possible for me to somehow cross through dimensions as a soul and be born here thanks to some jerk god, it should be possible for me to at least take a look back, right? Maybe I can check up on my family, see how they’re doing. Will they be 13 years older on Earth right now? Or does weird space-time stuff mean they’re suddenly younger or older? Or how would that work?

It hurt my head, so I didn’t think about it. Instead, I had Gennady lead me through the Library of Taw so I wouldn’t get lost.

“You’re looking for books about space stuff, right?” The Dwarf guided me past a few corners— I was pretty sure we were going in a circle until we came across a large, regal double door. He stopped and gestured at it. “Everything beyond here holds the real academic books and journals you can find in this place. If there has ever been any research into space manipulation through mana tech, it’d be in here.”

“Am I even allowed in there?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Nope,” he snorted and faced me. “Not without me. That’s why I’m here.”

He pushed the door open and entered a small, gilded hallway. The walls were lined with Steel Golems— their decorated plate-like armor gleaming under the golden mana lamp above. A single Dwarf stood up from a cushioned chair and turned to us.

“Halt. Did you read the sign outside? Public visitors are not allowed in this part of—”

“Bah, you still working this boring job Balta? It’s me, Gennady!” My Dwarven companion laughed and stepped forward.

The guard— Balta— blinked. “Gennady? Is that you?”

“Yeah it’s me,” Gennady said, grinning. “This lass and I want to pass through to the private section of the Library. We got some books we’re looking for.” He strutted forward uncaringly, then stopped mid step as one of the Steel Golems lowered their weapons at him. He blinked and Balta bellowed.

“You don’t have a permit, you bloody moron! You’re not allowed in here!”

“I’m… not?”

“‘Course not! You haven’t been part of the MTRD team for a decade. What in Hell made you think you could come in here and not get attacked by our damned Steel Golems?” Balta scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re as mad as you were before you left.”

“Oi— I’ll have you know I’m even more mad than before.” Gennady crossed his arms and gave the other Dwarven man a mock glare. I glanced over at him.

“MTRDT?” I cocked my head.

“Ah, the Mana Technology Research and Development of Taw.”

“That’s one long acronym,” I pointed out.

“Well, it is. And that’s where I used to work. But I guess since I’m not, they ain’t letting me in.” He shrugged and turned around. The Steel Golems relaxed, and Balta shook his head, sighing.

“Are we going to give up and leave?” I wrinkled a brow and eyed my Dwarven companion.

“What do ye want me to do about it. Balta is being a prick—”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“And these Golems won’t listen to me even though I invented them. It sucks, doesn’t it?” He gave me a morose look. I frowned.

“But aren’t you with the government or something?”

“Nope.” He spoke cheerfully. “I’m just friends with Adilet, remember?”

“Mhm. Can’t he give us permission to use the Library though?” I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged.

“Maybe,” Gennady said. “Or maybe not. But we’ll have to go to the House of Or’tag since he oversees those damned pointless debates.”

“I’ll meet you there after I’m done.” I glanced around at the vast library behind me. “I’ll take a look around to see if I can find anything.”

“Good luck, and don’t get lost. Find a librarian if you do— they’d be wandering around somewhere.” Gennady turned and waved at me.

“I won’t,” I promised, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to keep it.

“And… I was right.” I sighed, running my hand against the wall. Except, it wasn’t a wall. It was a shelf full of books that extended up two dozens of feet up to the ceiling. And it covered the entire wall. “I’m lost.”

I pulled my hand back as I came by a ladder. It was made of wood, and it followed the length of the wall-shelf full of books, presumably allowing someone to climb up and grab the book they wanted. It seemed dangerous at first, however, I saw a Dwarf using it and it was safe because of the mana tech built into it.

Apparently, there was some kind of tinkering done which made it so it couldn't fall off the ladder. Some kind of gravity runes inscribed into the mana crystals protruding from the bottom and the top of the ladder. And the main reason why such a complex tool was built to keep someone from hurting themself from just climbing was because it wasn't just used for climbing—

I pushed the ladder and it wheeled forward. No matter how you look at it, this is not stable at all. But mana tech was like magic. And with magic, one would be able to keep themselves from falling even when being pushed around while on a tall ladder.

It was an overly complex tool though, that much was true. I shook my head and muttered under my breath. “Why couldn’t they just build this place like a normal library…”

“It’s because Dwarves hold their crafts to high esteem,” a smoky voice said.

I turned around and blinked. A man stood before me— a scraggly old man. Probably in his 60’s. He was dressed in a loose fitting brown suit, and his tie was disheveled. He had messy gray hair, and while he didn’t have a beard, it only revealed his wrinkled cheeks for all to see.

His left shoulder leaned into his right as he hobbled over with a hunch; the most proper thing about this man was the regal cane he used to support himself with his right hand. His other hand held a thin black pipe with a scentless smoke wisping off it.

And while these were all quite notable features, I didn’t really pay attention to it. In fact, the only thing I really took notice of was the fact that he was a Human.

I didn’t hold any pointless conversation or pretend to be dense. I simply eyed the man and spoke up. “You’re… Bertrand?”

He paused mid step and waggled his brows. He laughed heartily and took a puff of smoke from his pipe. “Why yes I am. It seems my reputation precedes me. And here I thought I’ve done a good job keeping my face off the media.”

“Oh I didn’t recognize you or anything. I just knew that a Human Scientist worked for Taw, and that you frequented this library.” I spoke truthfully— there was no reason for me to lie, after all. It was rather obvious.

“Ah… of course,” he laughed, shaking his head. “And you, you’re Melas, correct?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I am,” I admitted. “How do you know about me?”

“I’ve heard a little bit about you. From Adilet.”

“The King? Wait—” I paused. “How much did he tell you.”

“He told me about your circumstances. About your… secret.” Bertrand smiled kindly at me; I took a step back, however he waved a hand off. “Oh don’t worry about that. I am not prejudiced against such trivial matters. That had been one of the reasons I left the Holy Xan Empire.”

“And not for any other reason?” I gave him a dubious look. He just shrugged.

“Perhaps there were other disagreements. However, not all of them are very flattering. I’m sure Gennady has told you himself.” His eyes twinkled and I stared.

“Wait, how did you know?”

He smiled and I smacked my forehead.

“Right, the King.”

“Of course,” Bertand said and placed both his hands on his can just under his chest. “So, Miss Melas, I heard something about being lost. Might I help you with finding your way through this labyrinth?”

“Oh, you’ll do that for me?” I asked, suddenly feeling embarrassed with how rude I just had been with him. So much for trying not to be so paranoid. Gennady had talked quite a bit about why he didn’t like Bertrand, but he never called him an evil person once. Or warned me about him. So why did I have to be so suspicious?

The old man nodded. “Are you looking for anything in specific? As you said, I frequent this library, so I know how to navigate around it like it’s my own home.”

“I, uh, sure. Thanks—” I bit my lower lip and managed to muster up an apology. “And sorry for being rude earlier. It… happens sometimes.”

Bertrand chuckled. “A few words aren’t enough to hurt me. I know I may look brittle now, but I’ve weathered many verbal storms throughout my life. And I’m still here.” He gestured for me to follow him. “Now what were you looking for?”

“Uh… about that…”

I told Bertrand that I was looking for books about Space Magic— he didn’t seem prejudiced against spellcasters, and he already knew my secret. He inquired why I needed such books, but I did not elaborate.

“I know of some books here, about runes that could affect space itself. But only a few of them are publicly accessible.”

“Could you show them to me?” I asked uncertainly.

He smiled. “Of course. Come, I’ll bring you to them.”

I bowed my head gratefully at him and slowly walked next to him. He didn’t exactly have a limp, however he didn’t exactly walk quickly either. Eventually, we reached a section of the library I didn’t recognize— the walls were no longer lined with books, and this looked more like a modern library. As in, very minimalistic.

“Here,” Bertrand said and pulled a book from a gray shelf. “This has to do with enchantments that can alter space. Nothing too drastic— it contains things like expanding a small area of space within a certain boundary or linking two different places in space to each other.”

“Wait, do you mean things like creating dimensional storage or teleportation?” I blinked and stared at him.

“Yes, it is a rather advanced theory on tinkering and enchantments. You’ll need a little bit more time to study it— perhaps ask your friend to teach you some things. But you can bring it back with you, to borrow.”

“Haa… a little advanced?” I sighed but steeled myself. I held the book to my chest and bowed at him. “Thank you, Bertrand. For your help.”

“Anytime, Miss Melas. If you’re ever interested in chatting, you know where I frequent.” The Human Scientist nodded my way and turned to go.

I watched him leave and looked down at the leatherbound book in my hand. Space, Dimensions, and its Applications. I sighed.

“Time to read I guess.”

A few hours later, I left the Library of Taw with the book in a bag and headed for the House of Or’tag. I was stopped by the guards on the way in, but when I told them I was with Gennady and said my name, they let me in since he told them I was coming.

I strolled through the halls of what was the main governmental building of the Taw Kingdom. It was dimly lit for whatever reason— only a few mana lamps placed every so often to give a light ambience of illumination. It was dark now. The sun was setting and I was very much lost.

Until I heard the booming voice escape from a large set of double doors just up ahead.

“Order! I said order you bloody fools!”

Wait, is that…? I recognized the voice; it was almost unfamiliar, however I knew who said that.

I peered through the cracks of the door and saw an expansive room filled with tables and desks set in opposing sides of the room. In the center was a podium. Or a kind of nave. And there stood Adilet, the king of Taw.

“Settle down, and we can have this meeting adjourn at a proper time!”

A babble of voices slowly quietened and I spotted Gennady sitting in a corner with his arms crossed. I didn’t know he was into politics— or wait, is he? He seemed like he was accompanying someone, rather than actually participating in any of the arguments and discussion going on.

A voice broke up and a woman stood up, raising her hand.

“Your majesty, I must interject—”

“Sit down, Kamshat— and no, that’s not because you’re a woman. You do not stand when I’m standing!” Adilet spoke over her, his voice reverberating throughout the room.

The woman, Kamshat, blanched and sat down with a harrumph. Another Dwarf sitting behind her shouted.

“Oi you bloody twat, you can’t just dismiss the Farmers Party like that!”

Adilet frowned.

“You do not use that language while in the House of Or’tag, Anuar! The Farmers Party may have sway over the Builders Party, but not over me!”

There was a cheer— a babble of arguments. But Adilet swung a hammer down, loudly banging against a metal plate. I winced and covered my ears. That’s not a wooden hammer, that’s literally a smithing hammer!

Angry voices came from the Farmers Party— and what I presumed was the Builders Party. Some called him out on his use of vulgar language just beforehand, however he swung his hammer again and they silenced themselves.

“You lot are overly excitable. Especially over this contested topic on what we should do about the Puer Kingdom’s infractions over our land. We shall adjourn this meeting and finish this discussion tomorrow. Dismissed!”

With a final swing of the hammer, Adilet turned around and left the room. There were some protesting voices— minor quibbles breaking out as the members of the House of Or’tag began to pour out of the room. However, the meeting ended and they did as they were told.

I stepped to the side as Dwarves of all kinds began to exit from the double doors. There were a few Humans and Goblins, and a single Beastkin. I raised my eyebrow at that— however decided it wasn’t too unusual for such a vast city like this to have at least one anomaly in it.

They all gave me weird looks as they passed through, but I heard a handful— one of  them being the Dwarf woman from earlier, Kamshat— point at me and whisper my name. A few of them gave me dismissive looks, others sympathetic, but Kamshat and what I assumed were the members of the Builders Party glared at me.

Not everyone likes spellcasters then. Gennady, Adilet, and Bertrand are just weirdos. But they were good weirdos. And I appreciated them for it.

I caught Gennady as he left— being one of the last people to exit with his friend. He smiled when he saw me. “Oi Melas. Meet Erzhan. And Erzhan this is Melas— the one who Ginah’s been talking about.”

“Erzhan?” I blinked then quickly bowed my head. “Thank you for helping out Ginah. Seriously, I appreciate it.”

The Dwarf— one of the younger ones I had personally met, but still looking at around 50 years old— smiled. He had bright orange hair and deep green eyes. As well as a shorter beard than most. “Ah, Melas. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

He held out a hand and I took it. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“And I’m sure we’ll be able to acquaint ourselves much better in the future. However, as of now, I have to go. My lovely Bakyt is waiting for me at home, and this meeting ran rather late.”

Gennady snorted. “You can say that again.”

I waved goodbye at the Dwarf man then followed Gennady as he led us out of the House of Or’tag. “I overheard some of the conversations in there. Is something happening with the Puer Kingdom?”

“Bah, those madmen. We’ve never had the best relationship with them, fighting border skirmishes from time to time. But they’ve been extremely aggressive against us as of late.”

“Why is that?” I asked, peering at him.

“We think it’s because things are getting unstable with their current king. People aren’t liking how things are, and he’s losing influence. So he’s trying to use war as a means to unite the country together by making us, an old enemy, to be the bad guys.”

“That’s bad, isn’t it?” I pointed out the obvious.

Gennady nodded, a grim look on his face. “Indeed. And what makes it even worse is that some people in the House of Or’tag are suggesting we use the Mana Bomb— that super weapon Bertrand has been developing— to test out its efficacy on them. And maybe prevent war altogether. But they don’t know how many dead innocent civilians that would cause.”

“I’m assuming it’s the Builders Party and Farmers Party suggesting that?”

“Uh, yes.” He furrowed his brows. “How’d you know that?”

“They seemed to be the type.” I shrugged. “Well,” I said and looked heavenward, “I hope things don’t turn for the worst.”

.

.

.

That was definitely not going to happen. So I quickly changed subjects to something else so as to not jinx myself.

“By the way, I met Bertrand in the library.”

“Wait, what?!”

Chapter 18: Bunker

I sat on the fluffed bed, just above the wrinkled blanket, scratching my head as I leafed through the thick tome half-sunken into the cushioned mattress. I paused at a page which showed depictions— illustrations— of what it was trying to tell me. However, I didn’t understand half of what it said.

“Geomancy is difficult,” I muttered to myself.

“‘Course it is. Did you really think magic would be so easy?”

I jumped and snapped in the direction of Gennady. The Dwarf was standing there with a grin on his face and his hands on his hips. I scowled.

“When did you get in?”

“When I opened the door,” he said, chuckling. “Can’t believe ye missed a noisy Dwarf like me sneaking up on ye.”

“My wards tend to keep my mind at peace so I don’t worry about checking under my bed for every waking moment of the day.” I shook my head and then said dryly, “And I’m not surprised you had to go in by the door. Any other way and you’d get stuck halfway through.”

“Hey, are you calling me fat?”

“What do you think, Mr Genius Scientist?” I shot him a smirk as he feigned anger.

“Alright, that’s it, get out of my house!”

“It’s not even your house. It’s a warehouse. And it’s owned by the government, but they’re lending it to you.”

“A warehouse is still a house! It’s in the name!”

I shook my head, laughing. “So, what did you want from me?” I asked, trying to put on a serious face.

“Well, I wanted to tell you that Lisa is looking for you, but maybe I won’t.” The Dwarf huffed and crossed his arms with a cross look.

“You’ve already told me.” I grinned, getting out of bed. “Now, where is she?”

“She’s downstairs gambling with the pirates— or should I say soldiers now. Since Ginah’s working for Erzhan and all.”

“He seems like a good guy. I hope it works out for them. I’ll try and help out whenever I can.”

“But you can’t now because…” Gennady waggled an eyebrow.

“Because I’m worried that an insane Saintess might kill me in my sleep. That’s why I learned all those ward and barrier spells— honestly, they weren’t difficult, just took a long time to set up.” I sighed, remembering the many hours over the course of the last few weeks where I had to constantly erase and redraw the runes with magic. It’s a good thing I learned tinkering first. That’s a really good basis for magic, huh?

Nevertheless, it had been three months since my encounter with Lilith in Qala’taw. Since then, my days had been spent doing Hunter jobs— usually on my own, but sometimes with Gennady or Elda— and studying magic, either from the times and grimoires Lisa had been getting me or…

“You went to the Library of Taw again yesterday, didn’t you?”

I sighed, glancing up at Gennady. So that’s the real reason why you’re here. Nodding, I responded, “Yes. Just to read a few books. And I didn’t even see Bertrand this time.”

Ever since I told him about my brief encounter with the head Scientist of Taw, he had been acting like an… ex. Or a jealous lover. And it wasn’t even towards me— but towards Bertrand.

“Really? You didn’t meet him? That’s a shame. I mean, didn’t you say he wasn’t feeling too well last time? I hope he’s getting better…” the Dwarf murmured more to himself than to me.

I shook my head. Aren’t you and Elda supposed to be a thing? Why are you so concerned about Bertrand.

I started for the door, ignoring his rambling to himself.

“You know, I thought you hated Bertrand.”

“What?” he sputtered, staring at me with wide eyes. “Of course I do! Bastard took my job and wants to create a super weapon! I hate his guts!”

“Then why are you so concerned about him? Shouldn’t you be cursing him instead?”

“Of course not!” Gennady scoffed and took a step back. “Despite my misgivings with him, he’s a genius. An actual genius. It’d be a shame for innovation to lose him because of stupid back aches!”

“He doesn’t have a simple back ache. He fell down some stairs and injured himself. Last I heard, King Adilet is procuring the best healing potion to get him back to 100%. They don’t want to risk a subpar potion to make him even worse.”

“Well, keep me updated on the situation. I don’t want to find out a week after he’s died if he died. Trust me, that’s not a good time to hear about someone’s death.”

I waved a hand dismissively and started out of the room. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

I found Lisa waiting for me as she just lost a game to Elda. She was pouting and had her hands on her hips as the other woman gleefully took the stack of coins from her.

“You cheated!”

“Not like you don’t always cheat either,” Elda snorted as the coins jingled together in her pouch. “I just cheated better this time.”

“But at least I cheat well! All you did was a sleight of hand trick which everyone could see!” Lisa protested, not realizing how foolish she was sounding at the moment.

“Yeah, well, too bad for you.”

Jack was here too, and in addition to his face being twisted into the permanent scowl he always wore, he was also shaking his head at his partner’s reaction. “You lost, Lisa. Just accept it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side? That was our silver!”

“Actually,” I started as I walked up to them, “that was my silver. How are you doing Elda, Jack?” I nodded at the others and they murmured a greeting.

“It stopped being yours the moment you paid me!” Lisa threw her hands in the air, annoyed that no one was on her side.

I smiled and placed my hands behind my back. “So, what did you need me for?”

The young woman smiled and got up. She glanced over at Jack and nodded. “We need to talk to you. About a potential… meeting you might have to have.”

I looked between the two of them with a raised brow but they gestured for me to follow them instead. It as only when we were standing out in the hallway did I speak.

“What’s this about?”

“It’s about all these books you’ve been asking us to get,” Lisa said, turning to face me. “Jack has been the one setting me up with his past contacts— many of whom are quite connected in the Jahar’taw underworld. And my requests to buy books on magic… heresy… has attracted some attention.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of attention— the Dark Crusaders? Inquisitors?”

Jack grunted and folded his arms across his chest. “Both.”

Oh, you’ve got to be— I sighed and rubbed my temples. “I assume this means that the Dark Crusaders and the Church are going to investigate us but meet each other somewhere in the middle and duke it out instead?”

Lisa chuckled. “That’s pretty funny— but no. That’s not going to happen.”

“Of course it isn’t.”

Lisa walked up to a nearby window and glanced around. She closed it, and I immediately felt warmer as the mana heaters lining up the corridor were left in full force. “I hate the cold,” she muttered before walking back to me.”

I gave her an odd look and she shrugged.

“It’s winter. And I don’t want snow to come in.”

“But it’s not snowing?” I frowned and glanced outside. Then blinking, I realized what she meant. “Ah. Mhm, good idea.”

“You’re bad at this, you know?”

“I’m not the one who has been committing crimes and doing illegal activities for the latter half of my life.”

“Right. You’re just the one who has been wanted by all the major powers in the world for the entirety of your life.” Lisa grinned at me.

I threw my hands up. “I wasn’t even wanted— it was my mom! And she didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Alright, alright, calm down.” The young woman sighed, still smiling. “So, as we told you both the Dark Crusaders and some spies from the Church are inquiring about you, yes?”

“People who want to kill me are searching for me, correct.” I nodded in an overexaggerated manner.

“Well,” she said, turning to Jack, “we’ve thought about this, and we don’t want to get involved and die either.”

“Mhm, makes sense.” I accepted it without a comment. I reached into my pocket and produced the remaining pay I had for her and Jack. “I know your line of work is dangerous, but I’ll still pay you what I owe you even if we end the contract now—”

“Woah, woah, woah, calm down Melals. We’re not cancelling the contract.” Lisa shook her head and placed her hand on my palm. Then she raised a brow. “Although we’d gladly accept payment now if you want— maybe as a tip?”

“Uh… no.”

“Should have expected that.”

“What are you suggesting then, Lisa?” I faced her apprehensively.

She gave me a not-too-reassuring wave of the hand. “Nothing, really. I’m thinking that we should approach the Dark Crusaders. Show them your magic to reassure them that you’re not part of the Church. Nothing too extreme.”

“Wait— Lisa!” I stared at her, aghast. “You know I’m wanted by them!”

“Nope,” the young woman said simply. “Melas is wanted by the Dark Crusaders. Not Aria.”

She gestured at the mask tied around my waist. I covered it defensively, giving her a dubious look. “That’s… dangerous.”

“Everything we’re doing is dangerous,” Jack retorted from the side. “We’re risking our necks for you doing this.”

I bit my lip at the glare the man gave me. But Lisa shook her head.

“Now, Jack, we’re getting paid for this. It’s the best source of income we have!”

“We’d have more if you don’t gamble it all away.” He groused and leaned against the wall.

The young woman huffed and placed her hands on hips. “Now you’re just being a grouch.” She turned to me and smiled. “Listen, Melas, I like you. And I like your money and connections. But if we can get the Dark Crusaders on our side, we can use them against the Church like you said.”

“But if they find out about me—” I started but cut myself off.

“You realize it too, don’t you? You’ll be found out if we do nothing and let them dig for information themselves.” She lifted a finger. “But if you feed them false information yourself, it’ll be harder for them to figure you out.”

I felt my hands tense up as I clenched my fist. “That’s risky.”

Lisa shrugged. “No risk, no rewards. I’ve told them you’ll meet with them in three days. You can make your decision before then. Don’t worry, I’ve told them you’re a Goblin who prefers to keep her identity hidden. They’ll be curious, but I’m sure they won’t pry too hard.

I opened my mouth but she wasn’t finished.

“If you say no, I’ll just tell them you couldn’t make it. But that’ll arouse more suspicion.”

I stared at Lisa as she began to walk off. Jack followed after as she waved back at me. “Just let me know, alright? I’ll need to earn back my gold.” She spoke simply as she returned to Elda for round two.

I watched her leave— the door close shut— before I took a deep breath.

“Now what do I do?”

There was one thing for me to do— the first thing I had to do. I spoke to Gennady. We discussed what was best, and decided that Lisa’s plan would be best… if it worked. However, we had to take precautions.

So he led me to a secluded spot. Near the edge of Jahar’taw. Right as the white snow of winter slowly began to float down, I began casting my magic.

There was one thing in this world I excelled at the most. I might not be the best at it yet, however I was getting there. And as long as I continued working harder— if you continued digging deeper and deeper, eventually, you were going to strike gold— and I would become a master at magic.

Until then, I would have to be satisfied scratching at the surface.

I felt the mana in the air— Geomancy was a difficult but simple school of magic. I could use it to dig a hole, simple as that.. But to expand the hole? To cover it up without having it collapse? It required a lot of work.

It was a start. But for now, I reinforced the ground and left a few small holes poking through the earth, letting air come in. Then Gennady and I stood beneath the ground, with magical lights illuminating the dark soil room.

“This is pretty shit,” Gennady said honestly.

“Mhm… smells terrible too,” I agreed. Then I turned to him, and smiled. “But it’s a bunker, just in case anything happens to the warehouse. We can hide here instead.”

The Dwarf crossed his arms. “Well, nothing better happen to my house! I’ll be pissed, you know!”

I smiled, laughing. “Take your anger out at whoever destroys it. I’ll be here hiding from them, safe and sound.”

Chapter 19: Dark Meeting

Time had passed and time had gone. Spring had come at full force, bringing with it an end to the frosty season. The misty mornings turned to a dawn of new life— flowers bloomed, animals came back from their hibernation, and critters now filled the nook and crannies that once were so dusty and empty during the cold weather.

The agrarian sector resumed its processes, no longer impeded by the harsh winter storms that had come at an unusual time last month. And industry too, while hardly as set back by snow, came back to the forefront of Dwarven daily life.

The streets were not packed with ice, but packed with life. The city bustled with people going about their business, rushing to and from their duties in the factories or the fields. The docks too were brimming with a sea of Dwarf men and women, unloading cargo from ships that could now enter Jahar’taw.

I wasn’t sure what brought the brief cold front to this boreal country in the beginning of spring. It made me delay my plans to create a bunker in the outskirts of the city, hidden within the forestry close to the farmlands. However, I was now glad that I now longer had to traverse through layers of sleet that covered the brick surfaces that made the roads and walkways of the city.

Right now, I was marching towards the inner city within the mountain of Jahar, brushing past busy Dwarves on the way to the train station. I had my mask hidden in a bag around my shoulder. I was going to the city alone— to meet with Lisa and Jack there.

We could not go together. Just in case either of them were being tracked. So, what I had to do was arrive in the city and get dressed, change to ‘Aria the Hunter’, and then meet up with the two. Then that was where I would get nervous.

I was going to the city— going with Lisa and Jack— to the underworld of Jahar’taw. Dealing with criminals was not my forte, even if I had some experience with it over the past few months. But to make matters worse, I was going to meet with the Dark Crusaders. One of the many groups that wanted me dead.

Sighing, I plopped myself onto one of the cushioned seats in the train as it readied itself to depart for the inner city. An elderly Dwarf couple— one whom I had seen make this trip many times before— nodded at me, recognizing my peculiar black hair and the distinct fact that I was a Human girl traveling on my own.

I smiled back, courtesy not forgotten even with the stress and worry building up inside of me.

The train left and soon arrived at the next train station. Then the one after and the one after that, before finally cresting to the top of Jahar and entering the caldera of the inactive volcano. The coach passed through a dark tunnel before rumbling to a stop. Its wheels screeched against the metal tracks as excess steam was screamed off, and I stepped out into the train platform, looking around.

The city spread out before me in its vast, sprawling glory. It was something straight from the industrial era— after, even. If I had still been on Earth, I would have thought this to be a city in the early 20th century. Towering brick buildings patterned down the perpendicular streets of Jahar’taw, allowing me to easily slip into the hustle of the city life and disappear down a dark alleyway.

I set up a quick detection spell, ensuring that no one was nearby, before changing my attire to a dark leather hood and my enchanted mask. I hid my distinct black hair under the hood and donned the mask on my face. Only my silver eyes hinted to my identity, yet the sheen of the metal cover would distract anyone from noticing it.

Lisa and Jack were waiting for me where they said they would be. What was ostensibly a restaurant serving Goblin food at first revealed itself to be a den from criminals to hang out. The basement there was where the two former smugglers were hiding.

A Goblin of slightly shorter stature than me stopped me from entering the basement. But all I had to do was show him a flash of magic, and I was let in.

In the dark, musty room, I found the only two Humans waiting at a round wooden table. They were amongst Goblins, two Beastkin, and a single Elf there. I took a seat next to them and gave them a curt nod.

“Lisa, Jack.”

“Aria,” the young woman said, smiling. “Good to see you made it. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

That was a lie. I glanced about and leaned over the table, whispering softly. “This place… it’s where you’ve been procuring my books for the last two months?”

“One of the many places.”

“I see.” Nodding slowly, I took a good look around the room; it wasn’t like the gambling and drug den back in Laxis— it seemed to be more… specialized than that. Everyone here seemed to have dealings with magic or heresy instead.

“If you’re wondering about the Dark Crusaders, they don’t have any foothold here,” Lisa reassured me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Their presence isn’t as pronounced in Jahar’taw, although they have been trying to gain some influence as of late.”

This was a place for gangs, underground hideouts, and criminal groups to gather and discuss magic. And considering that spellcasting was one of the most prominently banned activities in the world, places like this— neutral zones that service towards such illicit behavior— do pop up quite often. However….

“That’s not who I was worried about,” I muttered.

Lisa raised a brow, but Jack grunted. “The Church then. More specifically, that bitch.” His voice was loud enough to be heard by others, but he was vague enough that we could have been talking about any woman in the Holy Xan Empire.

“Well, don’t worry about them here. Maybe they have spies, maybe they don’t. But we’d know if she’s here. After all, a one armed mad Human isn’t such a common sight to pass off.”

“And you’re sure?” I gave the young woman a dubious look.

“Of course.” She waved a hand off. “I have my network and we’re keeping an eye out. Now come. We have to go to the meeting spot with the Dark Crusaders. Remember what to say, alright?”

She made it sound like we had a speech ready, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. All we had planned to do was have me show off my magic to them— placate them into knowing that we, as their customers, weren’t part of the Church. Because the very act of learning magic was considered heresy, and even to use it to deceive others was punishable by… well, not death. But it was punishable.

Gesturing for me to follow them, the two got up from their table and started back towards the outside of the den. We went out a side exit, entering in a dirty alleyway with only a drunk Dwarf passed out on the floor a couple feet away from it. I frowned as I took a closer look at the unconscious man.

“Was he… beaten?” I asked, looking over at Jack and Lisa.

The man grunted. “Probably tried to enter while drunk. They don’t let Dwarves in.”

“Ah.” That was all I said. Leave it to Jack to find an anti-Dwarf den.

Shaking my head, I followed after them as we navigated through the underworld of Jahar’taw. I would honestly have been intimidated if I were by myself— the stares coming from gruff Dwarves milling about the side streets and the occasional groups of Goblins turning their beady, yellow eyes towards me sent shivers down my spine. The pipes that ran across the buildings let water drip to the ground, giving off an eerie ambience that made me feel like I would get jumped just from looking at someone wrong.

Eventually, we came to a stop before an abandoned looking building. It was old and worn down, its brick base crumbling through the passage of time, but I knew it was the perfect place for criminals to gather. Or terrorists. I exchanged a look with Lisa as she spoke.

“This is the place.”

“Let’s go in then,” I said and stepped forward. She cocked her head.

“Not even going to ask me if I’m sure?”

“Nope. It’s definitely the place.”

Lisa shrugged and waltzed up next to me. “I can’t believe you’re even more confident than me.”

“I just want to get it over with.” I glanced back at the dark alleys and empty streets behind us, something told me I was being followed. But that was a feeling I had everyday since Lilith attacked me in the Springs of Recovery.

Our footfalls echoed through the abandoned building as we made our approach through the rundown corridors with little to no light in them until we reached a main lobby area. There, we headed up a grand set of stairs to a second floor. It opened up to a dark large room with brick columns holding up the rest of the building scattered sparsely apart.

I frowned. Maybe this isn’t an abandoned building, but a building that was abandoned under construction.

The open air layout of this floor sure made it seem like it.

I took a step into the second floor and immediately felt a sensation of mana being gathered around me. I backed up warily as Jack drew his two blades, noticing something was off too. I brought a hand to my Shock Pistol— then caught myself and instead began preparing a Fireball.

“Show yourself,” I called out, eyeing one of the magical auras I felt behind a nearby pillar. “If this was a trap—”

“It’s not a trap,” a voice sharply cut me off.

I slowly lowered my hand, although Jack wasn’t that stupid and still kept his guard up. “Who are you?” His voice was low and threatening. Of course, he knew who we were supposed to meet with. And while them being the Dark Crusaders was the assumption I would have normally made since they were using magic, I had just come from a den of spellcasters or magic-interested individuals.

I was more cautious now.

“Calm down, that was just a test.”

A figure appeared in the darkness ahead of us. They were fast. Nimble. Just like the Goblins I had met when I first strolled into the Dark Crusaders’ camp in the Free Lands. Their voice— his voice— resembled Karna’s too, however despite the fact that he was supposed to be uneasy about me, he was far less hostile than Karna had been then.

More Goblins appeared behind the first, all of them donning different kinds of Dwarven clothing— all wearing vests or suits. Not the kind of scant and rough armor the Goblins under Gerritt had donned.

The foremost Goblin— the one who I had sensed casting magic— stepped forward. He was tall for a Goblin. About my height, give or take. And he narrowed his luminescent eyes at me as he took me in.

“You’re the client Lisa has been talking about?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but quickly replied with a grunt instead. “I am.” You’re a Goblin, Melas… Aria. Don’t let them think otherwise.

“I see.” He looked unconvinced as he cast his gaze to the young woman beside me instead. “This is the person who has been buying all the books we’ve been trying to sell and failing for the past year. A child?”

“I am not a child.” I glared at him under my mask. I turned my head up, discreetly casting a weak light spell right at the edge of its eyeholes. “Insult me again and you’ll regret it.”

“Hmph.” The Dark Crusader crossed his arms. “It seems like you really are a Goblin. But why the mask?”

“None of your business.”

“Oh really?” He gave me a dangerous look. “Tell me, Ms Random Goblin, what exactly can you do against me. Are you aware of who you’re speaking with?”

I bit my lower lip. Well, this is tense right off the bat. However, I gave him an uncaring shrug instead of backing down. This is what Goblins do, I told myself.

“If you’re so important, why would you be meeting with a ‘Random Goblin’ such as myself?” I posed the question back at him.

This, for whatever reason, seemed to grate on the Dark Crusader’s nerves. He took a step forward— but Lisa quickly spoke up, getting between us.

“Alright— everyone is getting to know each other. But we’re all business partners here, right? Aria here has been buying dozens of gold coins worth of spellbooks from you guys.” The young woman shot me a wink and turned back to the group of Goblins ahead of us. She clapped her hands together. “And you all know Jack here, of course. He was the one who introduced me to you!”

I raised a brow at that. Jack’s affiliated with the Dark Crusaders? I had no idea.

The Goblins grunted one after another, with that enough to seemingly defuse the situation just a bit. Jack grunted too, and my eyes widened.

So that’s where he picked up that habit. And his hatred for Dwarves… It all made sense.

Now was not the time to inquire into his past; I spoke up, sounding dissatisfied but amenable.

“I am aware of your station, Dark Crusader. Or should I say, Dark Acolyte. I noticed that spell you were casting when we stepped foot into the second floor. A Disciple?”

The foremost Goblin paused, his frown changing as he nodded approvingly. “Why yes I am.”

I bowed my head slightly. “I apologize if I was disrespectful, but I’m sure you know how uneasy a meeting like this can be.”

“Of course.” He tapped a finger on his chin. “Aria, was it?”

“Yes.”

“I am Mahir, a Disciple of the Dark Crusaders. It seems we started off on the wrong foot. I apologize for that too.” The Dark Acolyte bowed his head slightly before straightening. “I was sent here to inquire on your… intentions behind your purchasing of our goods.”

I snorted and raised a hand, letting a ball of harmless light sit there for all to see. “As you can see, I am not with the Church.”

“Of course. But I have taken a look at your records— the ones you have with the Hunters Guild.” Mahir gestured at another Goblin to hand him something, and a sheet of paper was passed over to him. “You’re Aria, as Lisa had told us. A Goblin as you’re telling us. But also… a Hunter.”

“I am.”

“And you’re a Hunter that… uses magic?” He gave me a doubtful look. I shrugged.

“That’s how I do my jobs,” I said simply.

“Is that so?” Mahir squinted at me. “And why would a Goblin do jobs that help those Dwarf scum that have only put our people down.”

“It pays good money.”

“And all that matters to you is money?” he posed the question to me, as if it was something that was difficult to answer. Truth be told, it wasn’t.

“It isn’t all that matters, but it is one of the most important facets of our life. Why else would you be concerned about doing business with me, Disciple Mahir? It is for the gold I provide, is it not?”

I cocked my head at him, waiting for a response. He paused for a moment, thinking it over. “Perhaps,” he started, “but we are here for reasons beyond just that.”

“And what is that reason?”

“To recruit members, of course. But I see now that there’s no point in trying to recruit you.” He spoke simply, and waved a hand off. “Very well then, Aria. We shall continue to do business and no more than that.”

“But Disciple—” a voice beside him broke out. “Any new member we bring in will help your position out in the Dark Crusaders.”

“I don’t care about my position, I care about our cause.” Mahir shot me a sidelong glance. “And I can see clearly that there is not an ounce of our beliefs in her.”

“Is that meant to offend me?” I cocked my head.

“I intend it to be such, but I don’t think you’d perceive it as one.”

“Of course not.”

“Here.” Mahir reached into a bag on his side and produced a book. A spell circle formed on his hand as it floated over to me. I caught it, blinking.

“What is this?”

“A token of our business partnership, and nothing more than that. It elucidates more on Geomancy, which last I heard from Lisa you’ve been looking for, but it also teaches about our cause. Perhaps if you ever change your mind, you can join us. Until then.”

The Goblin turned around and stalked off. I held the book in my head, confused, as they disappeared and from the room one after another.

It was only when the last of the Dark Crusaders left did Jack relax. Lisa clapped to her hands, delighted.

“That went better than expected.”

“It did,” I sighed in relief.

I looked over at the man as he watched the area where the Dark Crusaders had been, wanting to ask about his relationship with them, but decided now wasn’t the time.

I put the book I was given in my bag after giving it a brief scan for anything magical about it, before deciding it was safe.

“Let’s just go back,” I said. “I thought we would have gotten into a fight with them or something, but luckily it didn’t come to that.”

We slowly made out way out of the building, taking the normal exit rather than jumping out of the side of it like lunatics.

“You’re too paranoid, Aria. Everything went fine!”

“Mhm.”

I smiled to myself, feeling cathartic that things were working out just as we were leaving the building. Then suddenly, an explosion blasted apart the floor ahead of us. A Fireball went off, followed by a flurry of crossbow bolts.

I threw myself to the side, getting to the ground as I erected an Earth Wall ahead of me. Jack grabbed Lisa and was already hiding behind cover as the bolts struck the brick and earth. Panic surged through me as thoughts raced across my mind.

Did they come back to attack us? Was this a trick?

I paused, seeing the figures moving in the shadows beyond my barrier. The loud shouts they were making— their accents.

“Oi, make sure you get the lad and give him a good beating!”

“Tha’s what he gits for comin’ back ‘ere!”

I frowned.

Dwarves? But… why?

Chapter 20: Problems After Problems

Explosions resounded around me; the sound of crossbow bolts hitting brick and wood was lost amidst the chaos. I found myself lying prone, hiding behind the barrier of earth raised by magic as dozens of angry Dwarves closed in on us.

Narrowing my eyes, I turned to Jack, having heard the things they were saying. “Are these friends of yours?” I called out, preparing a spell circle in my hand.

The former smuggler— and the criminal who had originally come from Taw— turned to me with a scowl on his face. He had both his blades drawn and he was protectively hovering over Lisa behind a concrete wall. “Friends? I don’t know this lot. But if you must know, they are attacking us. Maybe do something with your fancy magic so I can get close and slice them up.”

“Right,” I murmured and raised my hand. There was no hiding it now. I would normally have preferred to keep my magic on a down low, but these Dwarves charging at us— they weren’t strangers to magic.

I watched as one of them with a long, red beard brought his hands together, mouthing words inaudible from this distance and creating a red sphere of fire. A Fireball. Or a rather weak spell.

The Fireball shot out and disappeared in an instant. I lowered my left hand that had just cast Dispel Magic, and brought my right up and pointed it at the Dwarf spellcaster.

His eyes widened and he was torn apart in an instant. My Burst Cyclone was too powerful for him to even defend against. He had tried to put up a barrier— a fire aura— but it stood no chance. Quickly ducking back into cover, I narrowly managed to avoid a flurry of mana bolts to the face.

“Alright, now that their spellcaster is taken out, all I can give you is some covering fire!”

“That’s more than enough,” Jack grunted, standing up.

Focusing my mana into the air around me, I created dozens of Fire Arrows at once. Mixed in them were Stone Spears and Frost Javelins. A hail of projectiles landed in a wide spread around the area— however I wasn’t entirely sure if I hit anyone.

And I would have rather not known.

The first volley had been a show of force. What came after were mere Fire Arrows, just enough to keep whatever Dwarf crossbowmen or rifler from firing at Jack as he charged down the courtyard to them.

They hide behind piles of bricks and construction work, trying to avoid my Fire Arrows. And that let the man reach them in an instant, without much resistance. There was a shout as I heard Jack’s footfalls slowly echo in the distance, and the sound of sword slicing flesh.

Thudding sounds filled the background and more crossbow bolts were loosed— the fast release of air from the strings twanging as they fired at Jack in a panic. Mana bolts too came at him. But it didn’t matter.

I stepped out of cover once the sound of fighting ceased. There was no longer any Dwarf left standing. Only Jack stood triumphant there. And he had his foot on a squirming Dwarf, blade drawn and pointed at his neck.

I glanced over at Lisa who was peering over her cover, eyes wide. I gestured at her to stay back before walking forward to meet Jack.

The man had already begun his interrogation of the Dwarf, his face twisted into an even meaner scowl than usual.

“Who sent you?” he growled.

“A-as if I’ll tell you!” the Dwarf squeak, his voice betraying his words.

Jack slowly lowered a blade, digging slightly into the neck of his captive. Blood came out, dipping the tip of the sword in the red liquid. I flinched slightly. That’s got to hurt.

“Tell me who sent you and why they did it,” Jack said, eyes mad with anger. “If you do, I’ll give you a quick and painless death.”

The Dwarf opened his mouth but I spoke up first, frowning. “Wait, you’re going to kill him either way?” I asked in astonishment.

Jack grunted, casting a quick glance over at me. “They tried to kill us, Aria. It was a botched attempt. They clearly had been following us since we left that den— look. He’s the same Dwarf who had pretended to be passed out drunk on the floor when we left.”

That was true. I was wondering why the Dwarf looked familiar. Shaking my head, I put a foot down. “We’ve already dealt with the immediate threat. We can’t just execute everyone who has ever tried to kill us. And I don't think that's fair to him either, right Mr…?”

“Z-Zhanat,” the Dwarf gulped as the blade was pressed even harder onto his neck.

I took a step forward and glared at Jack. “So that’s enough.”

The man stared at me for a moment, gritting his teeth. He obviously did not want to listen to me; out of all the people I had met since Laxis, he had been the one who liked me the least. However, he eventually acquiesced.

“Fine,” Jack said. “But if he refuses to tell us who sent him, I’ll give him a slow and painful death and you can’t stop me.”

I nodded. “That’s… acceptable.” I didn’t think it was.

Slowly, I turned my attention to Zhanat who was still wriggling at Jack’s feet. Sighing, I lowered myself to meet his gaze as he gave me a defiant look— or tried to, at least.

“Zhanat. I don’t know what you and your… buddies… were thinking when they attacked us. Clearly you knew you were out of your depth with the Dark Crusaders since you waited for them to leave before ambushing us. And you even had a spellcaster in your group too. But as you can see,”— I raised a hand and instantly created a Fireball— “I’m quite competent in magic too. I’ve done my best to secure your life, so please work with me and tell us why you did this.”

The Dwarf stared at me— or rather, at the mask I wore— then at the magic I had created. It was a Tier 3 spell according to Gennady, and I had conjured it in an instant. That might not have seemed like much to anyone who knew nothing about magic beyond its heretical nature, but to anyone who knew more than that, it was impressive.

And it was a threat.

Zhanat swallowed hard, and after a minute of rumination, he made the logical decision.

“D-Didar sent us,” the Dwarf finally sputtered. He looked over at Jack and spoke hurriedly. “He heard that you had returned to Jahar’taw even after he threatened you never to come back. So he sent us to take care of you.”

“Didar?” I raised a brow and turned to the former smuggler.

“That bastard.” Jack kicked Zhanat and I flinched at the sudden violence. I raised my voice with a warning.

“Hey, that’s enough.”

He groused and faced me with a furrowed face. “Didar did not threaten me to leave. I spared his life and this is how he pays me back?”

“Focus,” I said, facing him. “Who is Didar?”

Jack’s scowl deepened, the creases on his face only growing longer and rougher. Folding his arms, he opened his mouth—

And Lisa spoke out from behind me.

“Didar… that was your partner back when you were here in Jahar’taw, wasn’t he?”

I blinked and turned back to face the young woman. She approached us with an apprehensive smile, casting quick glances to the curled up Zhanat on the floor. I lifted an eyebrow.

“His partner?”

“Yes,” Lisa said with a nod. “Back when he had connections to the Shadow’s Evangelium.”

I stared at her. “...what?”

Jack was older than Lisa— I had known that since I met them. It was pretty tellable from just how they looked. But I never expected Jack to old enough to have been around for the Shadow’s Evangelium. And in fact…

“Why didn’t you tell me this?” I bit my lower lip, suppressing a shout. I was barely holding myself back from snapping at him.

I had told him of my true identity. Back when we were in Laxis, I admitted the truth about my origins to everyone. Yet, despite knowing that I had every reason to know that, he kept it a secret from me.

And Lisa too.

Feeling my hands tense themselves into balled fists, I stared at the two criminals. I felt almost… betrayed. But Lisa being Lisa, she tried to give me a placating smile and raised both her hands.

“I didn’t know this until recently— Jack only just told me about it a few months ago!” she said, casting a quick glance at her companion. Instead of throwing him under the bus, however, she defended him. “But that’s the reason why he decided to help you after finding out about your past. And he thought it was best to keep it from you in case you wanted to… pry for information.”

“And she never would have found out about it if you didn’t say anything,” Jack growled at her.

“I just think it’s best that she knows.” The young woman turned back to me, trying to speak reasonably. “M— Aria, this isn’t something we should discuss for now. Let’s go back first— before any city guard gets called here and we get into trouble. Gang fights aren’t too uncommon in this part of Jahar’taw, but ones involving magic are usually far rarer and clamped down on harder.”

Clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth together like I was trying to sharpen a dull rock, I glanced up at Lisa once more. Something bubbled up inside of me— a hot feeling wanting to burst out. However, I didn’t want to burn any more bridges. I was tired of that version of myself.

So, I felt my shoulders sag, freeing myself from the tension that was gripping my body with an ironclad fist.

“Alright,” I said, stepping past the two. “We’ll… talk about it later. Let’s go back for now.”

I heard Lisa sigh in relief and Jack make a grunting noise. We were just about to leave when a small voice piped up from the side. Zhanat stared up at us, wide eyed and with a nervous expression.

“D-does this mean I can go too?”

I gave him a blank look, not even hesitating to respond.

“No.”

Once we returned to the warehouse, we handed Zhanat over to Elda to deal with. She would have him tied up and kept somewhere safe for now— as a former pirate, she was unsurprisingly skilled at doing that. I avoided talking to Lisa and Jack until Gennady returned. He had been with Ginah and Erzhan in a parliamentary session at the House of Or’taq. However, he decided to return early as the meeting ran long.

When he came back, I told him about the events of the day. Not about the faux sense of betrayal I felt— that did not matter to anyone but me. What mattered was the possible threat of a criminal organization going after us.

“Didar?” Gennady sputtered, turning to Jack who was sitting across the table. “Are you saying Didar is after you?!”

“Yes,” I said and leaned over to meet the Dwarf’s gaze. “Do you know who that is?”

“Absolutely not. I just came back to this city, lass.”

“Oh.” I receded into my seat, embarrassed by how I fell for his snark.

Gennady shook his head and crossed his arms. “So, who is this Didar?”

Jack looked like he was mulling over whether to snap at Gennady for being a Dwarf or snap at Gennady for making a joke at a serious discussion like this. Eventually, he settled for neither and explained.

“Didar was a Dwarf I worked with back when I had lived in Jahar’taw. I had been a petty thief then, but he introduced me to the greater underworld that went beyond just stealing and surviving, as well as beyond the city itself.”

“So he was some kind of crime lord back then too?” I asked with a frown.

“No. He was a thief just like me. And I had caught him robbing from me.” Jack sank back into his seat, speaking almost nostalgically. “He was never a good thief, never good at even being much of a criminal. But he had goals. Aspirations. A larger vision for everything. And I followed him for that.

“This was over 30 years ago. We were young then. And we challenged every other gang or criminal group we could find. We never won, but we always somehow survived. And sometime during this period, the Shadow’s Evangelium came to the Taw Kingdom.”

I felt my brows slowly arch over my face, casting a dark shadow over my gaze. Mom… I wanted to ask questions. But I said nothing.

“This was before the change. When the Shadow’s Evangelium was still a minor faction, when their goal was to protect every spellcaster or heretic out there. They were trying to find a way to help any oppressed Goblin in Jahar’taw, especially those who performed magic. And they reached out to any group in the city to help them. They all refused, not trusting these outsiders. Everyone except for Didar and I.”

“You reached out to the Shadow’s Evangelium?” I gave him a dubious look. “To the ‘evil spellcasters’ trying to kill everyone not affiliated with them?”

“We were desperate,” he said simply. “And as I said, this was before they earned that reputation. Before Xantioch.”

Nodding slowly, I sat back down into my seat. “So, what happened then?”

“It was simple work. We just had to help them locate anyone in Jahar’taw who practiced magic. Or Goblins who were unhappy with their circumstances in Taw. Those who left their homes in the Sharan Enclave to the Dwarven country, hearing it was good for work— full of opportunities— but finding none.

“And as the Shadow’s Evangelium grew in notoriety, so did we. We became a powerful faction here in Jahar’taw. Supported by spellcasters of great strength. We were well known in the underworld then, achieving everything we wanted when we were younger. Until Didar betrayed me.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course. I had known this was going there from the very beginning, but I was curious to hear how this betrayal happened.

Jack took a deep breath, placing his hand on the table’s edge and gripping it tightly. “Because of our actions— of the growing influence of the Shadow’s Evangelium— the House of Or’taq began clamping down on spellcasters hard. Before, magic had never been a prevalent part of underworld activities. But after we came about and drew out all the Goblin spellcasters to our side, other gangs and groups had to adapt.”

From the side, I watched Gennady nearly spit out his drink as he had been about to swallow a mouthful of ale. He wiped his bearded mouth and faced Jack.

“You don’t mean—”

“Yes,” Jack said as his grip turned iron. He splintered the wood and I flinched back. “The Taw Kingdom decided to suppress this rise of spellcasting with spellcasters themselves. They started a program— something they deemed to be rehabilitory in nature— and used captured spellcasters to combat those still out in the streets. They had a large bounty on every spellcaster out there— a hundred gold coins for everyone who was even capable of casting magic to be turned into them.”

“And Didar decided to go for it, didn’t he?” I predicted.

Jack stood up and angrily knocked over the table, spilling the drinks and food laid out. “That bastard did more than that! He turned them all in, then told the Shadow’s Evangelium it was me who betrayed them. And this was after the change. They thought I did it, and they were going to kill me. The Reaper nearly had my head— the Imp ordered her to. But only the Fiend stopped them and saved my life.”

“My… mother did?” I blinked, standing up, not even bothering to wipe myself down from the ale splashed over my clothing.

“Yes,” he said, turning to face me. “She did.”

I stared at him for a moment as Gennady grumbled about his furniture and mugs being turned over. Rubbing his temples, the Dwarf shook his head.

“And that’s when the magic division of the Taw military was formed, huh? When we suddenly got hundreds of spellcasters gifted to us overnight. Back when it was still a thing.”

“It was,” Jack said and left it at that.

I had a feeling there was a story to it— something that I probably should have asked about. But judging from the grim looks between the two, I did not want to hear about it.

I glanced between Jack, Gennady, and Lisa, who was also in the room but mostly silent. Feeling my face twist into a scowl, I found myself tapping a foot on the ground in thought. “So this Didar— he’s a jerk, obviously.”

“More than that. He’s a psychopath who’s willing to only do things for his own gain. And now he’s coming after me.” Jack spoke through clenched teeth. I nodded.

“And he’s a big shot now, isn’t he?”

“Yes. I briefly looked into him when we arrived. He’s the leader of a large gang that controls most of the western underworld of Jahar’taw. He has connections in the House of Ol’taq too. After what he did back then.”

“Of course,” Gennady snorted. “Damned politicians. This is why I hate politics!”

Tapping a finger on my chin, I walked past the three people in the room towards a window. I stopped right by it and turned around, face defiant.

“Well, we have a big shot too with connections with the King himself.” I gestured over at Gennady then pointed to myself. “And whatever spellcaster he has with him— they probably can’t be better than me. This seems like a hassle. And I absolutely hate hassles. So, I say we nip the problem in the bud.”

“You don’t mean—” Frowning, Jack looked at me with a wrinkled forehead.

“Yes,” I said and stepped forward. I spread my arms wide, letting magic flow through both my hands. No particular spell cast, but power emanating there. “We should pay this Didar a visit and make it clear that we don’t want him coming anywhere near us.”

The three people in the room stared at me. For a moment, no one said a thing. Then finally, Lisas laughed.

“Honestly, Melas. You must’ve really been through a lot in the Free Lands if you’re wanting to take such bold actions at your age. But I agree. We can’t just sit around and let this asshole push us around.”

Gennady scoffed and crossed his arms. “Maybe if we take care of this lad, Jack would stop having his panties tied in a twist over the existence of Dwarves. I don’t get what his issue is.”

Jack looked around the room, working his jaw slowly. I smiled and spoke before he could say a word.

“That’s settled then. We’ll talk to Elda and the others. But I’m sure they’d be willing to help you out too.”

Finally, the former smuggler found his voice. “What do you get out of this? We can’t pay you, Melas.”

I shrugged. “We get rid of an annoying jerk who’s hurting a lot of people in the city and coming after us. I don’t see how we have anything to lose.”

He hesitated, but I swept through the room and halted right by him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I spoke reassuringly.

“You helped me deal with Lilith back when she was coming after me. I owe you one too. We’re not just going to abandon you in a city where people are hunting you down just because it’s a hassle.”

I paused and tilted my head up.

“Besides. You may come off as a jerk at times, but you’re not really one, are you? At least, my mother didn’t seem to think so.”

Jack met my gaze, his eyes growing wider. Then slowly, he nodded. “Right. Thank you.” That was all he said.

I had felt betrayed at first. Unhappy about the secret being kept from me; it still bothered me, in fact. However, both Lisa and Jack had helped me out a lot. I’d be a terrible person if I left them out in the snow now that they were in trouble.

Besides, I thought as my lips curled up, hearing about my mother was all the payment I needed.

I walked out of the room, resolved to deal with this issue as quickly as possible. Perhaps once this was resolved, I could deal with the problems I had at hand. Like Space Magic.

Just as long as nothing else that’s troublesome pops up… I mused, knowing full well I had just jinxed myself.

—--

In the House of Or’taq, there was a debate going on. It was a petty debate— about whether there should be a subsidy passed to help out the farmers in Jahar’taw. After all, a winter storm in the middle of the Spring was not a normal thing to happen. So they needed some help, right?

Ginah thought the answer was obvious. Yes! Please, just get this over with. Unfortunately, what should have been a five minute discussion was dragged out into a whole day’s worth of meeting, with a clash between the Miners Party and the Farmers Party.

She had never had the highest opinion of politics. The former pirate Captain, now head guard of Erzhan’s Company, thought of politics as a morally bankrupt, corrupt, and shady landscape that made the underworld look like child’s play in comparison. However, she now had another thing to attribute to it.

Boring.

Politics was abysmally dull. She just wanted to leave the room already. Get out of here with a slam of the door. But she was employed by Erzhan now. So she had to remain at his side as he snored his way through the meeting.

Sighing, Ginah tapped a finger on Erzhan’s shoulder. Her Dwarf boss was literally sleeping as Adilet shouted down an angry member of the Farmers Party. As Erzhan jerked back awake and the woman withdrew her hand, the door to the meeting room was thrown open.

She blinked. That’s never happened before. All heads turned to the cause of the interruption. A Dwarven woman rushed into the room and ran up to Adilet’s side. The King frowned as Kamshat bellowed from the side.

“What’s this interruption? Can’t you see we’re having an important meeting here?”

Adilet however, waved a hand, making her sit down. He cast his gaze towards the door, his face furrowed as he nodded. “Come in,” he said simply.

Ginah raised a brow, curious as to what was going on. She had been certain that the no-nonsense King would have instantly put an end to this interruption, but he was allowing it to continue. Maybe he’s bored of this discussion too?

Soon enough, she learned the reason why Adilet was being so docile. Strolling into the meeting room of the House of Or’tag were a dozen figures. A dozen figures, all dressed in plate armor adorned with protective enchantments. Brilliantly glowing mana crystals decorated every segmented part of their armor, giving their already gilded suits an even more fancy look.

Ginah’s eyes grew wide as she recognized the symbols they wore. The Holy Xan Empire? And they weren’t just regular diplomats. The other emblem they bore was famous. Everyone knew who they were.

“Holy Knights,” a voice whispered from more than one place in the room.

The former pirate Captain found herself shrinking behind Erzhan, despite the fact that the Dwarf was only three quarters her height. But she didn’t have too much difficulty hiding herself as multiple people in the room stood up in protest, erupting into an explosion of noise.

“Why is the Holy Xan Empire here?”

“This visit was not announced!”

“You can’t just interrupt a meeting of parliament to your own liking!”

Adilet sat on his elevated chair, the podium letting him see straight through the open door. Ginah watched his face contort as a final figure made its way into the room.

Ginah, too, found her face changing. But for different reasons. Fear.

Saintess Lilith strode into the room, making her way to the front of the group of Holy Knights. She stopped right at the front, not even bothering to look around the room.

A sinking feeling built up in Ginah’s chest, before swallowing up her heart as she saw the one armed woman come to a halt. Lilith gave Adilet an innocent smile as she bowed.

“King Adilet of the Taw Kingdom, the Holy Xan Empire has heard of your persistent issues with the Dark Crusaders, and now the situation you have with the Puer Kingdom. This delegation of Holy Knights and I, Saintess Lilith, have come to your kingdom to aid you in dealing with the terrorist threat.”

She slowly drew herself back up, meeting the King’s gaze. The smile on her face twisted, being replaced by an insane, maddened look.

“I do hope your Kingdom gives us the hospitality and the autonomy our generous delegation deserves and needs to perform our duties.”

Chapter 21: Party

“So, Lilith is in Jahar’taw.”

Ginah’s words drew my head from the bowl of beef stew. I glanced up, feeling my mouth hang open and some of the red hot sauce drip out. The pirate Captain grimaced and gestured at my face.

Quickly wiping my mouth with a napkin, I turned back to her and repeated what she had said. “Lilith. As in Saintess Lilith.”

“Yes.”

“The one armed monster who nearly killed us all just half a year ago.”

“That’s the one.”

“The crazy woman who’s trying to hunt me down—”

Ginah placed a hand on the table and cut me off. “Look, you and I know who Lilith is. Yes, that’s that one. And yes, she’s in this city.”

I stared at the woman for a moment before glancing around the room. Unfortunately, I was in my own bedroom, eating my lunch as I studied a tome on Thaumaturgy, so there was no one here stare in shock with me. The spellbook was provided by Lisa who had procured it from the Dark Crusaders. And some of my food had spilled onto its pages.

“H-how?” I finally got the words out.

Sighing, Ginah took a seat next to me and shrugged. “I don’t know. But she made a big, flashy entrance to the House of Or’tag. And she didn’t come alone. She has a group of Holy Knights with her.”

“Holy Knights? As in—”

“Yes, those Holy Knights.”

I brought a hand up and began rubbing at my temples. Murmuring to myself a quick ‘I knew I had jinxed myself’, I got up and closed the book. “Alright, Lilith is in Jahar’taw, and what is she doing here?”

Ginah raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“She can’t possibly be here for me, right?” I paced around the room, speaking more to reassure myself than anyone. “At least, not officially. I am under the protection of King Adilet. So she has to have some ‘other’ reason to be here.”

“Right,” Ginah said and crossed her arms. “Well, officially speaking, the Holy Xan Empire is here to act as diplomats to foster a better relationship with the Taw Kingdom, especially after things between them turned sour over the asylum of their former Scientist Bertrand. They’ll be helping the Taw Kingdom deal with the Dark Crusader threat that is said to be burgeoning within the Kingdom. However, obvious restrictions have been placed on their agency to move and travel around the city.”

“What kind of restrictions?”

“The kind that would be useful to you.” The pirate Captain leaned back on two arms and smiled. “I’m sure the King was thinking about you when he placed them. All it took was the Miners Party and Builders Party agreeing for once— something which only happens when it involves the Holy Xan Empire.”

I sighed, feeling reassured. “Alright,” I said, placing a hand on my chest. “What do you think we should do?”

“As for me, I’ll continue to help Erzhan with his company. He’s already bought a plot of land near Luke in Laxis, and we’re readying cargo to move there once construction of his factory is complete. They’re going to be manufacturing basic mana tools— ones which are sorely needed in Laxis. And I’m going to be helping with delivering the cargo safely there.”

“Won’t that take a few weeks?” I narrowed my eyes.

Ginah faced me with a slightly sorrowful look. “Yes.”

“Oh.” I nodded slowly, understanding. I watched the pirate Captain avert her gaze, contemplating whether she would have to explain more. But she didn’t need to. I knew what she meant. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you.’

I sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Well, good luck then.” I smiled at her, and she stared back at me. She spoke softly.

“Thanks. You too.”

Ginah left and I found Gennady a while later. The Dwarf had returned from the House of Or’tag, having tried to dig into the history of this Didar while Lisa had tried interrogating our captive even further. Neither produced the results they wanted, but they did come back with results.

“That bastard’s got some of the top ministers of the Builders Party in his pockets. He’s the reason why they managed to overtake the Miners Party in the last few elections!” Gennady slammed a mug of ale down on the wooden table, nearly toppling it over as the drink splashed all over.

Lisa casually wiped at her face with a piece of cloth. “Yes, and our friend, Zhanat, tells us that the entire western underworld of the inner city of Jahar’taw belongs to him. He’s also got connections with many of the aristocrats living there. He brought in large amounts of money to help ‘invest’ and ‘develop’ the shops and houses there.”

“How in Hell did he even get all that platinum from—” Gennady sputtered as I walked up next to him.

Heads turned to face me. Jack and Elda who sat off quietly to the side and Lisa and Gennady who had been talking. Lisa raised an eyebrow.

“Something wrong, Melas?”

“I take it Ginah hasn’t broken the news to you guys?”

They exchanged a few glances and Gennady furrowed his brows. “What news?”

“Oh, fun news,” I said and took a seat, “just that the Holy Xan Empire has made an appearance here in Jahar’taw led by Lilith, and they’re probably after me.”

“Huh, I see.” The Dwarf stroked his beard as the others nodded comically.

They faced each other for a moment as I placed both hands in a cup shape on the table, preparing to move on. Then Gennady stood up and snapped.

“She— what?!”

“Lilith is in the city?” Lisa frowned, tapping a finger on her chin. “My contacts didn’t tell me anything about this.”

“Wait, why didn’t Ginah say anything to me?” Elda narrowed her eyes.

“Apparently they arrived just yesterday. And they made a pretty discreet entrance up until their flashy showing in the House of Or’tag.” I spoke casually and leaned back on my chair. “News will probably spread soon, if not spreading already.”

“I was just in the parliament!” Gennady crossed his arms. “I didn’t hear about it.”

“You probably didn’t ask.” I grinned back at him.

The Dwarf glared at me at first, unamused by my joke. Then a small smile broke through, showing on his lips. He guffawed and sat back down. “Alright, lass, ye got me.”

I laughed too as order was restored, until Jack finally asked the question I had been waiting for.

“Why are you so relaxed, Melas?” He looked at me with a tilted head. He wasn’t so much confused, more perplexed at why I had been so calm. And I was too— almost.

Why am I so relaxed? I raised my chin and tapped a finger on it lightly. “Well, it’s probably because they can’t do anything right now.”

The four of them gave me a dubious look, however I quickly explained myself and Ginah’s reasoning.

“You see, I’m under the protection of the King of Taw himself. The Holy Xan Empire may be able to do some… underhanded tricks to get me. But they can’t do anything too overt. Why else is Bertrand still alive, see? And that’s why Lilith waited for me to leave the city the last time around to come after me. So, she can’t just kill me without a reason. She’ll have to find a way to do it without anyone tracing it back to her, or have a justification for it.”

This line of thought made sense. However, I knew better than to try to rationalize the actions of a madman— or, madwoman.

“Maybe despite all that, she’ll try something. However, for now, we’ll focus on our more immediate problem,” I said, looking over at the layout of the city. “Unlike Lilith who will be severely limited in terms of what she can do, this Didar has powerful people in the country supporting him— as Gennady said— and is very powerful himself— as Lisa said. We’ll take care of them first.”

Everyone slowly calmed down— they still had questions for me, however the topic returned to what it was initially.

“Do we know anything about Didar? Anywhere he frequents— things he likes doing?” I asked.

“Zhanat says that he hangs out quite often in one of his many brothels,” Lisa replied, quietly sipping from a cup of coffee. “There are a lot of them, but I’m sure we can catch him in one of the more luxurious places. Especially since that’s where he’d likely entertain guests.”

“We’re going straight for the leader. Cut off the head of a snake. Nip the problem in the bud.” I repeated a few more sayings I knew in English and translated them to the Ordinary Language.

“That’s certainly a few ways to… describe it.” She glanced down at the map and picked up a pen. She circled a few spots— one in the northwestern part of the inner city, three in the southwestern part, and two in the midwest. “As you can see, the northwestern part of the city is the most undeveloped, which means he doesn’t actually have very many contacts there willing to risk working with him. He’s trying to gain their favor by setting up a few small investments, but so far, I don’t think it’s working out.”

“And what about the southwest and midwest? Also, what are these spots you marked?” Elda barraged the young woman with a few questions. The former pirate had been convinced by Gennady to help us too— along with a few other of the former pirates. But most of them were busy with Ginah’s job. Sevin included.

“They’re the best brothels he owns.”

“And the place we’ll most likely find him, right.” I carefully surveyed each location and the areas surrounding it. “And since they’re in the parts of the city he’s got the most hold over, they’re the most dangerous to attack.”

“That’s why we’ll have to be quick and swift.” Jack grunted. “Take him out before his lackeys can come and stop us. After that, we’ll be clean to get away.”

“So, what? We just scout out the areas until we catch him by luck and attack him?”

“That’s looking to be our plan right now,” Lisa finally said, giving me a hesitant look. “I know it’s not the… cleanest plan in existence. However, we have no other choice. You’ve ever heard of the Beastkin saying? If a tiger wants to catch a boar, it’ll have to wait by a lake.”

“What if it’s a Horned Panthera?” I raised a brow.

“It’ll probably just catch its prey by running them down— but the point stands.” She looked at me seriously. “Look, I know you’re a little bit… paranoid at times.”

“A lot of the times,” Gennady chimed in.”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding, not disagreeing with the Dwarf. “However, we can’t live life risk free. If we want to do this, we’ll have to do this quickly. Before our other problems catch up to us all at the same time.”

“Like Lilith.”

“Yes. Like Lilith.”

Slowly taking this in, I cast my gaze back down at the map. If we can take care of Didar before Lilith even becomes a problem, maybe we’ll be able to deal with her too then. I sighed and closed my eyes.

“Alright, when are we doing this?”

“We’re starting tonight.”

“Of course,” I muttered under my breath. Standing up, I placed both my hands on the table and swept my gaze across the room. “However, if we’re going to do this, we’re not going to do something stupid like splititng up and getting all of us taken out one by one. We’re sticking together.”

“How are we supposed to catch Didar at one of his brothels then?” Elda asked with a frown. “Won’t he only go to one at a time?”

“Mhm,” I agreed and faced the former pirate with a smile. “Which is why, for the next week, we’ll be picking only one brothel and be camping it out until he shows.”

The logic was simple.

We chose only one brothel to camp out simply because the number of brothels were too numerous for us to watch without splitting up into groups of two or even one. That would endanger us, especially if a single group got caught.

I, personally, thought it was better if we stuck together. But it was also sound logic that once we were together, we stayed in one spot rather than constantly moving around. If we kept switching between brothels, checking different ones in different days or different times of the day, we would potentially miss Didar if he arrived in one just as we left.

So, that led to my plan.

“The brothel which Didar is least likely to go to is in the northwestern part of the city,” I said, placing a finger on the map. It showed an less developed part of Jahar’taw, although it certainly was quite densely populated as it was. “He has the least influence there, and I doubt he would risk going there unless it were the most extreme of circumstances.”

Crossing out the area with a marker, I moved down, to the southwest.

“The southwestern section is considered a popular red light district. That’s why there are three of his most luxurious brothels within that part of the city. However, this also means it’s the ones we’ll least likely find him in.”

“Why’s that, Melas?” Elda asked, furrowing a brow.

Gennady snorted and smacked the woman in the back. “Because if we’re going to catch him mingling with politicians, they won’t want to be caught in a place that’ll ruin their reputation. Especially not those Miners Party bastards— there constituents won’t forgive ‘em.”

She shook her head in disgust. “Politics.”

“That’s why,” I said, tracing my finger across the map to the last two locations, “we’ll be going to one of these last two spots.”

“In the midwest,” Lisa confirmed. “There’s the Merryview Tavern which is disguised as an ordinary bar, but actually a brothel underneath with a smidge of drug dealings. And then there’s the Blazingheart of Aizat. It’s a lot less subtle about what it actually is, since brothels aren’t exactly illegal in Jahar’taw, just looked down upon.”

“Between these two, I believe it’s best for us to keep a lookout on the Merryview Tavern.” I nodded at the young woman. “Especially since Didar probably would not want to attract too much attention to himself. Even if he’s got a few politicians in his pockets, he’s still a criminal at the end of the day. He does his business discreet— that’s why he disguised the brothel as a regular bar in the first place.”

Gennady agreed, “I think Melas is right. If we’re going to catch a crime lord, we’re only going to do it in his den. Especially if he’s entertaining these politicians as often as I think he is.” He glanced over at Elda who just shrugged.

“I’m fine with anything.”

“I think so too.” Lisa nodded.

Then it was left to Jack. The gruff man had his two shortswords sheathed by his side. He grunted as he stood up, placing both hands on the table. “As long as I get to kill Didar myself, I don’t care.”

“It’s settled then,” I said with a nod. “Now, we get to the boring bit. Waiting.”

It was more than just the five of us who went to scout out the Merryview Tavern; Elda got some of the other pirates to help out. A few of them which I was barely acquainted with like Mason or Avery lent a hand by keeping watch when we couldn’t.

Because of the possible threat of Lilith, I decided to spend the week hiding out not in the warehouse, but in my own bunker I was dubbing the “Witch’s Hut”.

“But it’s not a hut!” Gennady sputtered, stalking after me through the underground lair I was furnishing with my earth magic.

I grinned and waved a finger back at him. “It’s not, but with magic, anything is possible.”

“...that’s not how it works at all!”

Ignoring the angry Dwarf, I resumed working on my Witch’s Hut. It was very crude and ramshackled for now. But it was expanding. And I was using just a tiny bit of the gold I’ve been earning on making it nice and neat.

But most of my time spent outside of the bunker had been lurking the streets of the inner city of Jahar’taw. The hustle and bustle of the city life brought miners, factory workers, and other laborers busying about made it difficult to move, but it made my presence a lot more subtle.

Even if I was a little Human girl.

All I did was pretend to be a Goblin. Which didn’t earn me any respect from the Dwarves passing by me.

“Oi watch it ye stinkin’ Gob!” a man yelled as he bumped into me.

I rolled my eyes. I tried moving but you still came my way, I thought as another shoulder clashed with mine.

Elda, Lisa, and Jack were off in an alleyway to draw attention away from themselves as Humans, but Gennady stuck close to me as I walked up to a nearby cafe. I stopped, slightly adjusting my masks as I met the eye of the waiter out front.

“Table for two, please,” I said.

The waiter spat. “Fuck off.”

I wiped the saliva off my mask and opened my mouth—

But Gennady came in and saved me. “Oi, this is my friend. Watch who ye’r talkin’ ta, ye bastard.” He spoke in a heavier accent than usual, while dressed in leather-y clothing, almost like a miner.

The waiter glanced at him up and down, and stopped at the dirty marks on his face as well as his hair tied into ponytails. He scowled. “Fine. But she can only stay as long as you’re around. The moment you leave, you’re taking her with.”

And we found a seat with a good view of the Merryview Tavern moments later. We stayed until evening fell, and the moon rose above. The city located in the caldera of the volcano grew dark, but was lit up by the dim street lights that cast an orange glow across the brick streets.

The streets cleared out for an hour, before the factory workers, laborers, and miners returned. This time, they were dressed in different clothing. Clothes for their night out.

They filled the taverns and bars closely interspaced from each other, only amplifying the riotous clamor from each one as they were multiplied. I followed Gennady out of the cafe and into a nearby side street while the other three relocated to a different spot. Avery and Mason arrived some time ago, but they were mostly keeping watch on us. To warn us of anything. They weren’t getting involved otherwise.

Some time close to midnight, just as we were starting to think nothing was going to happen, Didar finally showed up. It had been a week’s worth of waiting. And now, by pure chance, he was finally here.

A subtle procession ran through the crowds moving through the streets. It seemed like they almost parted for the gilded car that rolled gently to a stop in front of the Merryview Tavern. I watched as a fancy looking Dwarf stepped out of the car followed by a group of Dwarves in suits, each accompanied by a woman. And they weren’t just Dwarven women too— some were Beastkin, and others were Humans.

No Goblins though. Racists. I shook my head. Or is it speciesist?

Well, I didn’t really think it was racist or speciesist. I just didn’t like these people and would insult them for any reason possible. After all, from the reaction Gennady had on his face, I was fairly certain these were some of the ministers he mentioned that Didar had in his pockets.

“Let’s go, shall we?” I nodded at him and we slowly left the alleyway and sunk into a side street around the building. We met the others there, all waiting for us already. Jack and Elda. Lisa was with Avery and Mason, as she couldn’t fight.

They had already secured the back entrance, taking out the bouncer there. Our plan was simple. It really was.

All we had to do was kill Didar.

We walked down the single stairwell that led to a storage room in the tavern. From there, we proceeded to make our way to the secret brothel in the basement. They were directly connected, so it was not that difficult. The problem was not standing out.

The way we entered led us through various hallways, all lined with private rooms to entertain the customers in. It wasn’t the main room for the regular customers, and a handful of the brothel workers were milling about.

We had to wait for each of them to pass before continuing on. And when one came our way, we broke up further into two groups once again. We split off down different hallways, looking as inconspicuous as could be. Fortunately, we weren’t in any staff-only areas so we weren’t questioned.

Finally, we found the room Didar was in. He had taken the biggest room for himself, of course. And had multiple escorts entertain the guests with him.

We eavesdropped on the conversation. Briefly. Gennady’s face furrowed as he heard what was being said. While I didn’t really understand or care, it seemed important.

“All this gold you’re offering us, Didar, and for what?” a voice asked, seemingly amused.

“Oh no reason at all,” Didar, I assumed, said casually. “You just have to convince your party to go against the bill. If they pass it— just imagine the amount of labor they’ll force out of the already overworked miners? Your constituents, Ruslan, think about them.”

“Certainly the Inventors Party will gain more influence from this. And that only gives the Builders Party more power with their coalition.”

“I never liked that idea of a superweapon in the first place. I can’t believe Adilet has let that mad scientist go this far with his projects.”

“Exactly.” Didar spoke in a triumphant tone. “And if his proposal on an increased golem presence in the city passes— which, I remind you is the main part of the bill which he’s using to tack on that nasty project of his— my businesses will… suffer. And the gold which I could possibly give you all will dry up.”

“We wouldn’t want that.”

Didar laughed, sounding as though he was settling into a more comfortable position. There were some moans and a few other explicit sounds I’d rather not describe. I turned to Gennady, raising an eyebrow.

“They’re trying to reject the defense budget proposed by the Inventors Party,” Gennady whispered. “It has received almost unanimous support so far, except from the Miners Party. Even the Farmers Party agrees that the Puer Kingdom’s increasing aggression needs to be checked. What are these bastards doing?”

I hadn’t asked. And while I wanted to comment on it, I didn’t want to take any risks. So, I just shrugged. “Then let’s take that Didar out and bust these corrupt officials.”

“Wait, are you saying we just barge in now?” he asked, frowning.

“Why not?”

He narrowed his eyes. Jack grunted in agreement. But before either of them could act or disagree. Someone in the room made a sound.

“Did you hear—”

I stepped into the room, and flashes of light appeared above me. A few guards jumped into action, but the Magic Missiles blasted them back. I pointed straight at Didar who was fumbling for a weapon underneath a table. But a snare wrapped around him before he could grab it.

I grinned.

“Party’s over.”

Chapter 22: Over

“Party’s over.”

I grinned as my snare caught Didar, the energy bindings wrapping around his plump body and keeping him in place. I cast my gaze around the room, at the other Dwarves indulging in… less than decent activities. These were supposedly politicians; ministers from the Miners Party, apparently.

A few other guards stood around them, circling the tables and chairs strewn across the room defensively. They reached for their weapons and I wagged a finger. “Don’t even try it,” I warned as a spell circle shone.

The threat coming from a little girl like me would probably have elicited a laugh had I not just blasted a group of guards apart with my Magic Missiles. Frost Javelins— the sharp projectiles made entirely out of misty ice— came to existence just above my head. Their pointed edges snapped in the direction of each guard as I took a step forward.

“I’m just here for Didar,” I said in a cool voice. I was lying, of course. Gennady was here for his own reasons, but the Dwarf was still hiding back at the corridor. Jack had joined me the moment I rushed into the room, while Elda simply poked her head around the corner for moral support or something. “The rest of you can go.”

“You!” Didar snapped, looking at Jack. “How in Hell are you fucking alive? I thought I had you killed!”

The man drew both of his shortswords and returned the greeting with a glob of saliva sailing across the room. “You’ve tried and failed plenty. But I won’t.”

The Dwarf sneered. “Oh, will you?”

I blinked as suddenly there was a flash of light. My control over my spells faltered— did someone just cast Dispel Magic on me?

I spun around, seeing the source of the spell. My eyes grew wide as a man— a Human man— held up what appeared to be a remote. There was a finely crafted jewel resting at its tip; its mana crystal. And whatever runes inscribed onto it had the same effect as Dispel Magic.

Drawing my dagger, I was about to throw it at him when the lights went out. The mana lamps around the room were hit by the same attack. My magical bindings holding Didar vanished and the Dwarf hobbled to his feet grabbing the rifle next to him.

“Die, Goblin scum.” He pulled the trigger and I began to move. I threw myself to the side—

And a metallic object struck my face. A bullet— a metal bullet— struck my tempered iron mask, its impact knocking me back. More shots were fired, loud bangs going off as Jack exploded into a whirlwind of blades.

I heard metal impacting metal as I struggled to get up, my head aching terribly from the attack. That was… a gun? A REAL gun?!

The lights flickered overhead— whatever that remote was allowed it to disrupt all mana flow in the area. It didn’t completely grind it to a halt like Dispel Magic did. In fact, the only reason it had even ended my control over my spell was because I kind of stretched myself too thin by casting multiple Frost Javelins at once.

I wasn’t able to concentrate on keeping them from dissipating.

But it was almost like some kind of mana EMP. An… Eliminate Mana Presence thing-y. I slowly groused to my feet as another Dwarf walked into the room. Gennady was smacking the back of his rifle, muttering curses to himself. “Stupid damned gun, why won’t you work?!” His eyes snapped in the direction of the man holding the remote and he scowled. “You bloody moron!”

Gennady hurled his rifle at the man. I thought it would have just flopped on the ground before him. But it actually struck the man hard, loud enough to be heard over the gunshots in the background. The remote flew in the air for a moment before a dagger smashed through it, destroying the item.

“Nope,” Elda said, flipping a throwing knife on one hand. “Not going to deal with that.” She spun around to the charging bodyguards of the Dwarf ministers. A maniac grin spread across her face as she turned them into pincushions— although she made sure not to target any of their vital organs. I didn’t see the point— they would have bled out if they weren’t tended to soon.

Having my magic restored back into me, I glanced up at the angry Jack approaching Didar. His dual short swords flashed through the air, cutting apart the oncoming bullets easily. There was no stopping him or his wrath from reaching the Dwarf.

I raised my staff, about to help him when I saw a flash from the side. The same man from before whipped out another mana tool. One that I was, again, unfamiliar with. He threw it on the ground and I blinked.

Light enveloped my vision. An actual FLASHBANG went off. Just like the one the Plague Doctor used— except it wasn’t alchemical in nature at all! It was purely done through tinkering.

No sound accompanied the flash, however, and I managed to stumble back, forming a barrier around me in case anyone decided to strike while I was blinded. The white vanished soon after— and I saw Jack stumbling back, bleeding from the shoulders.

One of Didar’s shots grazed him. Enough to force the Human man to pour a healing potion on himself.

I glanced around for our Dwarf target, only to see him scampering out of the room with the man who had been using those weird tools. Scowling, I readied a spell just in time for one of the guards in the room to jump me.

Snapping to him instead, I blasted him back with a wave of pure mana. It sent him flying to a wall as I readied a flurry of Frost Javelins above head. Most of my spells were specifically for killing, not incapacitating. However, I could at least direct these projectiles to maybe not kill them.

There was no point to it. But I did it anyways.

The crystalline, misty spears danced through the room. They each found a partner, following them across the wooden floorboards. As the Dwarven guards were distracted, Gennady approached the cowering, corrupt ministers at the back of the room.

Prostitutes and escorts accompanied them, but my Dwarf companion gestured at them to shoo. Then they left and it was just the politicians. “You— you’re that mad scientist who supports Erzhan!” one of them called out in an accusing voice. “Let us go!”

“Yes I am,” he said, his brows snapping together. “And none of you here are leaving this place until the guards arrive.”

As Gennady dealt with that problem, Jack, Elda, and I pursued Didar and the Human man with him. The hallway he sunk through led to a back area, which was cramped and tough to fit through. How the plump Dwarf managed to squeeze through it eluded me completely as even I struggled to make it through.

The rows of boxes on either side pressed against my skin, pulling me back as I took each step. Reaching out for the figures in the distance, I sent another volley of Frost Javelins after them. One of the figures grabbed the other and pushed them back. My spells struck the shadow, and they fell dead while the other disappeared.

When we finally reached the figure, we saw it was the Human from earlier. Didar had used him as a meatshield just so he could escape.

“Damned him,” Jack cursed with a fierce growl. He spun around the corner, gaze sweeping around. But what lay before us was a labyrinth. Four corridors— four paths for us to take. And only three of us.

“What do we do?” I asked, facing the other two. “Should we split up?”

“We’re deep in his territory, splitting up is a terrible idea.” Elda shook her head. “It’d be like trying to find the captain of a ship by putting each of us in entirely different sections. We’d die.”

“We can’t just give up.”

“We won’t,” Jack sharply said, spinning on his heels and walking back. “We’ll find him again. Or he’ll find us. But as for today…” The former smuggler grimaced as sheathed his blade. “He’ll live.”

When we returned to Gennady, he was holding off a group of armed guards at the door trying to break in; an ice wall had been put up. One of his mana tools had done that. But they slowly picking their way through it.

“Oi, ye sure took yer sweet time!”

“We couldn’t find him,” I said simply as I pointed at the doorway. The ground shot up and shattered the ice and replaced it with a much harder barrier. “We should get out of here, now.”

“What about them? We’ve gotta bust them lot.” Gennady gestured at the group wrapped up in energy bindings.

I glanced over at Elda and Jack. The latter shrugged while the former raised her hands. “Don’t look at us, we don’t come up with the ideas.”

Sighing, I looked around the room and paused at the floor. A shudder ran through me as I tried to ignore the mild groans of agony from those lying on the floor. But I realized that the entire building was made of brick and concrete. Geomancy.

“I’m not going to fight our way out.” I pointed my staff and the floor caved in. “So, let’s just get straight out of here with them and get this over with.”

Gennady stared at the hole then at a group of tied up politicians. He flexed an arm. “Well then, let’s get to carrying ye non idea thinkers!”

It was much simpler than trying to make a bunker; all I was doing now was trying to dig a hole. It really didn’t take too much effort but a little bit of time. And once we were through and back in an alley, I collapsed the tunnel.

“Alright,” I said, crossing my arms. “I think we’re in the clear.”

“Then you three wait here, I’ll go to the nearest guardhouse and return in a bit.”

I nodded and he was gone. Once he left, some of the tied up Dwarves began to speak.

“You can’t get away with this!” one of them sputtered. “You broke the law! Magic is forbidden! Do you really think you won’t get in trouble too?”

I shook my head. “Maybe I will. But I can’t stop Gennady from doing what he thinks is right.” Then I leaned against the alley wall, trying to listen if anyone was coming after us. It didn’t sound like there was. “Plus, I am probably immune from that law… probably.”

I wasn’t sure how far Adilet was going to go to help me if I got in trouble for my magic; he promised me sanctuary, but he didn’t think I would get into a mess like this. I didn’t either, but I should have expected it.

Gennady returned soon after and the Dwarves were taken into custody. I slipped away before I could get into trouble, and returned to the warehouse. I waited for a few hours for the others to return. But only Jack, Elda, and the others came back.

“Where’s Gennady?” I asked, frowning as I glanced up from my plate. I was eating my dinner. It was an exhausting day, and nothing but a good meal would help me recover my energy.

“Busy with government stuff,” Jack grunted, stalking past me.

I raised a hand and stopped him. “So,” I said and looked between him and the others, “what do we do now?”

“We wait.”

I set down the fork and crossed my arms. “We can’t just wait. Didar is out there, and now he knows we’re after him. He won’t just stay idle.”

“And we can’t do anything about it,” Jack said simply. “He’ll be more careful now. Cautious. Especially since the House of Or’taq is probably going to be after him. Maybe he won’t come after us— but if I know anything about him, it’s that he’s a vindictive bastard.” With a final scowl, Jack decided it was time for him to retire. He left as I frowned, before Lisa approached me.

“Sorry about him… again. He’s a bit of a grump.”

“I’ve come to notice that, yes.” Sighing, my chair creaked as I leaned back against it. “Doesn’t he know we’re doing this to help him? Can’t he just accept it and not be such a jerk?”

“Well, he could,” Lisa said and sat across from me. “Or he could feel bad about bothering others with his own problems and try to push them away so they won’t have to deal with it.”

I raised an eyebrow dubiously. “You sure assume the best in people.”

“I know Jack. He’s not a bad person.”

“I didn’t say he was. I’m just saying he’s being a jerk right now. Everyone can be jerks. Me and you included.”

“You’re not wrong about that. Well, let’s just hope we can get rid of that main jerk bothering all of us right now before he strikes back.”

“Agreed,” I said as I picked up my cutleries and resumed eating.

Chapter 23: MTC

I began to grow worried when Gennady hadn’t returned after a whole day; he was supposed to be at a meeting in the House of Or’taq. However, since I didn’t exactly have any way to enter the parliament, I could not actually check up on him.

When morning came, I set out to the Library of Taw to find Bertrand. The Scientist would have been able to get me into places I normally wouldn’t be allowed, right? Unfortunately, he wasn’t in his usual areas, perusing the tall shelves of books as he leaned on his walking stick and puffed on his pipe.

I gave up searching for him after an hour, then went to check my bunker just in case something happened which forced him to flee to that secret location; that wasn’t the case. He was not there. So, I returned to the warehouse and found Gennady back, downing a mug of ale as he hurled insults and complaints.

“—and that idiotic Kamshat won’t cast a vote.” He slammed a hand on the table, clattering the plate before him. Elda poked him on the side.

“Oi, don’t waste the food.”

“But they’re so damned stupid!” Gennady let out a loud grunt. As if he was physically in pain from something. Except, he wasn’t, and he was just furious.

I walked in on this and stared at him. “You’re back,” I pointed out. “What happened?”

“I am,” the Dwarf sighed, rubbing at his temples. “And I’ve been up all night in the House of Or’taq because we can’t pass a damned resolution.

“The Miners Party are still deliberating on what to do with their overtly corrupt officials, waiting for more details from investigations to come out. And the Inventors and Builders Party don’t have enough votes to expel them from parliament! If they keep their seats, we can’t hold a proper trial for them because they have partial immunity!”

I cocked my head. “That’s… dumb.”

“It’s politics.” Elda crossed her arms from behind Gennady. I narrowed my eyes— the two were sitting awfully close. She leaned back on her chair and spoke matter-of-factly. “You don’t go into a room full of politicians and expect anything ‘smart’.”

“Bah!” Gennady waved a hand and stood up. “Whatever. And now Bertrand is involved too, because apparently that Human you saw throwing all those fancy tools?” After a moment’s pause, I nodded and he continued. “He was using mana tech being developed by that mad Scientist.”

Frowning, I peered at Gennady dubiously. “You think Betrand is involved in this whole thing?”

“If I know Betrand?” He stepped forward and shook his head. “No.”

“Then what happened?”

Gennady snorted, stopping right by the stairway leading up. “He probably had his inventions stolen from him somehow. You’ll have to ask him yourself.”

“But he’s not in the Library of Taw,” I said, raising a brow. “Where else am I supposed to find him?”

“Isn’t it obvious, lass? Visit him in his damned laboratory! I know I’ll be in mine.”

Apparently, Bertrand frequented another building which he had never told me about; it was the  Mana Technology Research and Development Center of Taw. Or the MTC’s (for short) main building.

It was not exactly open to public visit, but Gennady gave me a pass. As long as I was able to find Bertrand, I would be able to ask him for a tour around the facility. Also, I would be able to ask him some questions about how his inventions were stolen. Perhaps that could clue me into more about Didar and his group.

The large brick building stood at the edge of the inner city of Taw. It was girdled by high walls with mana crystals interspersed every so often to create some kind of an electrical barrier. The guards at the entrance let me in after I showed them my invitation from Gennady, before I asked for directions to find the Human Scientist.

I walked through bright, mana lamp lit hallways until I found his office. His name was written on a plaque in front of it. I gently rapped upon the wooden door, finding my knuckles striking a rather hard surface. I narrowed my eyes. Wisened Wood? I didn’t sense any enchantments coming from it, so that was probably it.

The door creaked open after a moment, and a wrinkled face peered at me. Bertrand didn’t have his signature pipe sticking out of his mouth, although his room had the telling smell of a smoke. “Melas?” He gave me a blank look. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on you,” I said with a smile. “We haven’t spoken in a few weeks, and I heard about what happened from Gennady.”

“Ah.” He pulled himself out of his office, hobbling forward. “There is nothing to worry about from me. I have stood my ground in the House of Or’taq, if they have any gripes, they should direct it towards the Miners Party.”

“What exactly… happened?”

Sighing, Bertrand leaned against his cane and explained as the door behind him slammed shut. “It seems some of the members of parliament thought it were wise to spread confidential information which I have shared with them. Experimental technology, not yet fully tested, have had their blueprints copied and sent to… various groups.”

“What kind of groups?” I inquired with a cocked eyebrow.

“The kind of groups which I’m sure you’re familiar with.” He offered me a knowing smile. I ducked my head and murmured.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bertrand started forward and gestured for me to follow. “Since you’re here, I’ll show you something. But if you have any specific questions you’d like to ask, there’s no need to mince words. I am not one to take offense to anything that could typically be considered too prodding.”

Shrugging, I decided to take his word for it and ask the question that was on my mind. “How did Didar get access to your tech?”

“Didar… ah yes, the one who had been bribing those members of Or’taq.” He nodded and waved a hand. “Those politicians who stole from me probably sold to more than one customer. And he might have been one of them. However, the question here is not how he got access to it. It’s why he did.”

“What do you mean, exactly?”

“Have you been keeping up with recent events,” Bertrand asked in a curious voice. When I nodded, he continued. “You see, the Taw Kingdom is the largest Dwarf country in the entire world, but it was not always this way. It used to be four different nations, before they merged into one. And after having quadrupled in size, it grew to become one of the most technologically and culturally advanced nations. You know how this makes its neighbors feel, right?”

“They are scared?” I guessed.

“Correct.”

We passed through an arched entrance, leading us to an outdoor area as we walked under a sheltered path. To our left, there were Dwarves holding up guns and pointing them at targets. They took aim and fired, and loud shots echoed through my ears, making them ring and reflexively cover them.

Guns? I thought with a frown. Real guns. Just like the one Didar had. Each shot took a far longer amount of time to reload than a mana rifle. But they were far deadlier. Far more effective, especially if they became as efficient as the modern day guns I was used to.

Bertrand spoke as we passed through the testing grounds of weapons. “They view the Taw Kingdom as a threat. So, they, too, banded together to form their own nation. The Puer Kingdom. A relic of the past, almost. One almost as barbaric as the remaining Free Cities in the Free Lands.

“And yet, despite the fact that the Taw Kingdom has made no attempts at expanding its borders in recent years— our economy is too reliant on trade for that— the Puer Kingdom has been pushing us to war. And it seems this Didar has quite the connection to be able to sell our tech to them.”

“Wait,” I said and stopped right as we were about to enter another section of the facility. Back indoors. “You think he’s been selling your mana tech to the Puer Kingdom?”

“Oh, I don’t think. I am aware.”

“How do you know for sure?”

Bertrand brought me to the door of a large room guarded by two golems. He ushered me in, and the golems didn’t seem bothered by my presence. “Because they found messages exchanged between Didar and Puer. The man with him likely was a bodyguard sent by Puer to protect him in case something happened.”

“I see… by the way, where exactly are we?” I finally decided to ask. My eyes slowly swept across the room— I noticed enchantments, runes, strewn across the walls. There was a lot of protection set up here. So much so that I wasn’t even sure if I could break in here even without an army coming after me.

“You’ve been investigating into Space Magic, haven’t you?”

“I have.” I blinked then took in the sight of a contraption standing at the center of the room. It held up an odd object. It almost looked like a… box? Except, there was a tear in it. A piece of space was inside of it. “What… is that?”

“That, Ms Melas, is a Dimensional Storage Box.” He walked up to it and grabbed what looked like a magnifying glass with a red tint. “This is what the Taw Kingdom procured a long time ago. Back when the Heretics Corps still existed. They got it from one of the many spellcasters from the Shadow’s Evangelium. And inside that tiny box, it can hold a hundred tons of weight.”

My eyes grew wide at the number. “W-what?”

“We’ve been investigating it. It is created through a form of Space Magic, specifically to compress space into a smaller volume, but keeping its initial capacity. We’re trying to replicate its effects, but alas we’ve had little luck.”

I looked at the Dimensional Storage Box for a moment. Then I turned to Bertrand. “Why are you telling me… showing me this?”

“You said you were interested, and I believe it would aid us both if you can somehow decipher or understand how such an object works.” The Scientist grabbed a large stack of paper and handed it to me. Then he took the Dimensional Storage Box itself, covering the hole with a lid, and handed it to me. “Here, take it.”

“Are you sure?” I eyed Bertrand with slight wariness and slight confusion.

He smiled. “We’ve learned nothing from it after having it with us for years. But if you do learn something, be sure to tell us. It would tremendously help Taw.”

“I… thank you.” I accepted his gift— surprised I even got one despite just coming here for information. I did not learn much. Just that the Puer Kingdom was involved with this somehow. Not that it mattered to my investigation into Didar.

Bertrand escorted me out of the Mana Technology Research and Development Center of Taw. However, on the way out, I passed by an area which was even more heavily guarded. Dozens of golems stood guard outside a large door, reinforced with glittering mana crystals. Superior mana crystals perhaps.

I glanced over at it and turned to Bertrand. “What’s in that room?”

“That, Ms Melas, is the reason why your Dwarven friend dislikes me.” He spoke simply. I nodded.

“I see.”

His words were kind and his gift was generous, but I had forgotten the reason why Gennady disliked the man so much. It was not because Bertrand took Gennady’s job— instead, it was because of what he brought to Taw.

A superweapon.

One that could potentially change the course of history. Of war.

And hearing him talk about Puer— of the flaring tensions— made me suspect that he was not entirely innocent in leaking his mana tech blueprints.

I returned to the warehouse after, carrying the Dimensional Storage Box, and proceeded to stay in my room investigating it for the rest of the day.

Chapter 24: Mines

I stared into the abyss and saw the abyss staring back into me; the vast void spread out like the emptiness of space. It was a cosmic web of magic— mana was woven together into a fine fabric, interlaced with a complex embroidery— and this process was repeated again and again a thousand times over.

Rubbing at my eyes, I pulled away from the Dimensional Storage Box. It almost drew me into it. The magic— the intricate design that went into creating it— was almost enchanting. I did not know what drove Bertrand into giving me such a gift, however I could see why he thought I would be interested in it.

Because it made me feel so small. And I found that calming.

With a clack, I shut the box and stood up. There were always things happening around me; the fact that I could sit back and think that I was nothing more than a speck of dust in the universe soothed me. I mean, it was something that was true. The reason why I had died in the first place was because that false god thought my life was worthless.

However, after meeting Elara last month, I was no longer so certain. Regardless of the implications of that meeting, there was only one thing for me to do now. And that was to deal with both Didar and Lilith.

My gaze swept around my room, searching for anything I could possibly use to help me deal with my problems. Some kind of stone that would kill both birds at once. Or perhaps a holy grail.

I found none.

I was not in the warehouse; I decided to bring the Dimensional Storage Box to my bunker where it would be safer. My room as it currently was was rather sparse. No decorations hung from the stone walls, and only a few furnitures were spread throughout the room— the most notable being the mattress I sat on.

Everything here was reinforced. A few mana crystals shone, their scintillating light illuminating the room alongside the weak light spells I anchored to a few objects. Those enchantments protected my bunker alongside my own magicks which made this location very difficult to assail.

I exited my room and walked out into a spacious hall. This was where I would practice my spellcasting. A few targets were set up, however they were not torn apart like the ones that had been practiced on back when I was with the Dark Crusaders. Because these were not for testing my destructive abilities.

I knew my own capabilities, and as I was right now, I would crush them all with a single spell. No— these were for practicing my Space Magic. I had learned a lot from studying the books acquired by Lisa. Not enough to cast any kind of teleportation spell, but after spending a whole week looking into the Dimensional Storage Box, I knew enough to cast basic spells.

I raised a hand and pointed at one of the targets. A spell circle formed, intricately patterned with a lattice of diamonds ever increasing as it spread out from the center. The world around one of the objects contorted— it was almost like its image was being spun into a single point. And from that point, what appeared to be shards glass bloomed out, creating a fractal flower.

Relaxing as I let the spell maintain its form, the magic circle disappeared and another one came to take its place. I hurled a Magic Bolt towards the target and it swerved. It was almost like it was flying through an illusion. The spell struck off to the side, missing its mark entirely.

“Fracture Side,” I said and let out a heavy sigh. “A difficult spell, but in the vein of Space Magic that leads to what I want.”

“Don’t talk to yerself, lassie. It’s weird!” a voice called out from behind me. I spun around and held up a hand warily. Gennady stood there, shaking his head. “Also, you’re too paranoid, aren’t ya? It’s just me.”

“When did you get here?” I asked, relaxing as I raised a brow.

“Just now.” The Dwarf had a few sheets of paper under his arms. He plopped them down onto a nearby table as he settled onto a seat. “Got this from the Hunters Guild. Thought you’d be interested in a few of these jobs.”

I looked over them, blinking. “Kobold extermination near Ela’taw, investigation into Abomination sighting in the Kalzat Mine, guard duty for the Lisko family— these are rather mundane jobs, don’t you think?”

“But look at the rewards,” Gennady said, smiling.

“Wait… one hundred gold coins?” I sputtered and took a step back. I leafed through the stack quickly; the rewards offered were exorbitantly high. “Four hundred gold coins just to look into the Abominations?”

“That’s right. Ain’t that a steal?”

“I…” I bit my lower lips. That would have paid for about two months worth of tomes. I could focus entirely on dealing with Didar if I did just one of these jobs. And they were close by too. However…

I don’t want to deal with the Abominations. After my encounter with Elara and knowing that the Abominations are related to the false god, I would be pretty much throwing myself to him if I went after them; sure, it was not like they would attack me. And it would help a lot of people. And—

I sighed. “I’ll do it,” I finally said, having convinced myself to do the ‘right’ thing. Again.

“There’s no need to worry about Lilith this time, too.” He leaned back against the chair, shooting me a grin. “The House of Or’taq is making her chase after a few underground spellcasting groups in the outer city. Especially after the whole affair with Didar— a few of his men were found out to be heretics. So, that's a perfect excuse. Plus, Lisa’s keeping track of her. We’ll be fine if we just leave Jahar’taw for a little bit.”

“Right.” I nodded and looked at the job details. “And it’s not like they’re asking us to deal with all the Abominations. Just to look into it.”

It was decided. I would take this job. Even if there was a bit of risk to it; I could not just sit around forever.

“Wait, where is Kalzat Mine anyway?”

“This is Kalzat Mine?” I stared at the small cave entrance held up by wooden arches.

We had gone up to the inner city of Jahar’taw before going to the eastern side of the city. There were a lot of shops selling mana crystals and other such mana tech tools. However, at the very edge of the caldera were several tunnels which led down into a steep decline.

Gennady led me through one of the large tunnels before it split into a few different passages. The passage we had gone through was barred off and protected by guards; however, after showing them our Hunters Guild identification, they let us in and we were now at another entranceway.

A few torches lit up the side walls as a steep decline brought us further down into some underground cavern. I saw glinting pieces of stone occasionally marking the walls, however they were not mana crystals. I had no use for trinkets.

Well, I would have liked to have some jewelry. But if I just took these myself, I would have had to refine them and turn them into pendants to wear myself. And that was not something I knew how to do. Even if the gems here looked pretty.

“This mine used to be where Jahar’taw sourced most of its crystals,” Gennady explained as we stalked through the dark corridor. The only thing illuminating our path was the torch he carried, any sconces from before disappearing behind us. “Whether it be amethyst, diamond, sapphire, ruby… almost all of its gems came from this deep mine.”

“And since the Abominations showed up, you guys just abandoned it?” I asked, frowning. “I didn’t know it was that recent.”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “The Abominations have only been spotted a week ago. And its reward is so high because they are regarded as a priority threat by the king and the House of Or’taq. However, the reason why this mine was emptied out is simple.”

I cocked a brow, but before Gennady could answer, I got a response from the world around me.

The ground shook. A light tremor ran through the cavern. It was not terrible— definitely not a kind of earthquake which would topple houses. Or even be felt by most people aboveground. In fact, it barely even ran through the cave.

And yet—

“Watch out!” I called out and rolled back. A large chunk of rock broke off from the ceiling and collapsed onto the ground where we had been standing. Gennady ducked out of the way just in time and wiped at his brows.

“Yeah… that.”

“Cave-ins?” I asked, blinking. “Collapses?”

“That’s right,” he said and adjusted the helmet he was wearing. “The rock formation in the area makes it prone to collapsing. We’ve lost too many miners down here that we eventually banned mining from this area.”

“Isn’t this dangerous for us?”

“Ye have some Geomancy, don’t ya?” he answered my question with another question.

“I guess?” I shrugged and continued forward. I pointed at the ground and the collapsed part of the ceiling flew back up and reattached itself before growing harder. “But I can’t guarantee we can get out of any situation we might find ourselves in.”

“You don’t need to tell me that twice.” Snorting, Gennady stalked ahead, his pack smaller than usual, carrying with him only what was necessary to flee.

I wanted to lead the way considering that Abominations did not attack me. But there was not much I could say to Gennady to convince him, with any possibility, why they acted that way.

So, I remained silent. We continued crawling through the cave, some occasional tremors causing a few collapses. One time, I bumped into a wall which caused a few stalactites to drop near me.

There was not much to see; it was dark and it was damp and filled with only our footfalls. “Are tremors really that frequent down here in the mines?” I asked Gennady after another shaking ran through the passage.

“We’ve had an increase in earthquakes here in Jahar’taw recently,” he replied with a furrowed brow. “More than when I was last here. Which… I have opinions on. But no, this is unusual. I don’t think it’s a tremor causing this.”

“Then what is?”

A dark shadow cast itself over his face. The realization sunk into me. If just both of our bumbling movements were enough to cause some stalactites to fall, then something else could have been causing it. Especially if this something else numbered in the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands.

I felt a shudder run through my body. The ground shook once again, cracking a hole on the side wall. A soft noise drew my attention. A familiar noise.

It was something I had recognized— something I had not heard in a while. A chirping, one that was almost ominous in its inflection. A high pitched, piercing noise which chittered out and marked the fall of a city of millions.

This was it. This was what we came here for. The Abominations were here, somewhere in this cavern. I took a few steps back as Gennady went to investigate the crack.

Sound was leaking from the hole. He lightly pressed his hand against the wall and narrowed his eyes. “If we just go a little bit further down, we’ll be on the other side of this wall,” he said. “We just have to get some proof of the presence of Abominations and we can leave.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked worriedly. “Wouldn’t they pursue us?” I did not want to get into contact with any Abomination, even if it was not too dangerous for me. “And what happens to them once we leave?”

“Maybe it’s dangerous for us, but that’s our job as Hunters,” Gennady scoffed and began producing a few of his mana tech tools. He paused as he eyed what looked to be a zapper. “And once we leave, we’ll report it to the Hunters Guild, which will in turn report it to the House of Or’taq. Then…”

He paused and took a deep breath. I cocked my head as he took a moment to respond.

“Bertrand will take care of them.”

Gennady made the statement. It was obvious what it implied; that Bertrand was going to use one of his experimental weapons or mana tech tools to deal with the Abominations.

I would have preferred this, honestly. Getting into an engagement with Abominations was not fun, even if they did not attack me. Especially when the more intelligent ones were around. I could still hear their chittering— like the sounds of a thousand birds chirping at once, mixed in with the grotesqueness of an insect. There were a lot of Abominations here.

Certainly, just from the sounds alone, I was pretty sure there were more here than the ones Gennady and I dealt with back in Laxis. I nodded at him and started forward.

“It’s good,” I said, steeling myself. “At least we won’t have to fight.”

“We just haveta find the source of all these Abominations, eh?” he snorted. “No biggie, right?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring his sarcastic remark. The cavern shook once more. Whatever payload or device they were bringing down here was sure to collapse the entire mine. But it mattered not to me. They probably thought of the effects it would have to the city above.

Or was it even above right now? We had traveled quite far— perhaps they reinforced the ground, or we were far enough away from the city that it didn’t matter. Regardless, we pressed on. We brought ourselves further down the tunnel.

A Dwarf and a girl. This seemed almost silly to anyone who was watching this. Looking at you, Elara, I mentally said, glancing around. If things went awry, I knew she would save me. However, Gennady would die.

So, I glanced over at him as we turned a corner and the noises grew louder. “Stay back.”

“Oi, you’re not the one with the camera here, are ye?” He held up the clunky device. It was powered by mana crystals, of course. However, I had taken a brief look at it, and I thought the mechanisms were similar to old-timey cameras back on Earth.

I produced an open hand. “Then give it to me.”

He shook his head. “No can do. I ain’t gonna let you get yourself killed, Melas.”

“It’s Aria.” I tapped a finger on my mask.

“I’m going with you.” He fixed me with a serious look.

I chewed my lower lip. “Fine,” I sighed, spell circles forming around me. I began pre-casting. Explosive Orbs, Frost Javelins, and other projectiles. No Geomancy. I did not want to mess with the geography more than I already had. Perhaps to try and prevent a cave in. But not for offensive spells— it would erode the foundations of the tunnel even more.

The chitterings grew into what almost sounded like shrieks. I could see bits of blue sticking out of the walls, lighting up the tunnel like some kind of bioluminescent fungus or moss. There was a cry— an ear piercing sound. I narrowed my eyes as the end of the tunnel glowed brightly. As if there were some bright light source there.

Gennady followed a step behind me. I held out my hand, creating a translucent barrier, preparing myself for whatever Horror or Atrocity was there. We stepped out into a large cave chamber, and we saw—

Abominations. The blue bulbous creatures. Their yellow cores shone, glowing brightly, illuminating the room with their wicked light. They wore the corpses of dead men and women. Children and the elderly. It did not matter what species of animal, monster of sapient being offered itself to them.

Dwarves, Humans, some Elves and Goblins, Monsters, giant worms, dead rats. The Abominations took them all. They were alien to this world. There were so many of them. And there were so many Monsters fighting back.

My eyes grew wide as I took in the sight. Large, undulating, red centipedes crawled out of holes in the wall. The clicking of their feet much softer than the chittering of the Abominations. However, their speed far outmatched the blue creatures.

And they were not alone. I saw the ground break— the cavern shaking and bits of the ceiling crumble down— as large badger-like creatures dug their way out the ground. The dirt gave way, splashing up like they were emerging from water. And they swung at the Abominations with their vicious claws.

Other Monsters like large worms, oddly-shaped insects, and even bats charged the Abominations. It was a large scale battle. Almost a full blown war. I stared with Gennady, both of us breathless, unmoving before this sight.

Then my senses returned— the survival instinct kicked in. I snapped at Gennady. “Take the picture!”

He took a step forward, raising the camera— click. Our job was finished. Now all we had to do was leave. The Abominations were distracted, and they did not attack me either. We could escape—

And a large centipede fell behind us, wrestling with an Abomination in its mandibles. It snapped the Amalgam in half and cast its gaze upon us. I took a step back. And it snarled at us.

“Stupid Monster! Aren’t you supposed to be fighting the Abominations?” I sent a Frost Javelin its way. It slithered around the attack, climbing up the walls of the cave. Its feet dug into the stone— and the ceiling collapsed.

I stared at  the giant centipede as it fell along with the earth and rocks ahead of us, burying the passageway with a loud rumble. Then I cursed.

“You’ve got to be kidding—” My Frost Javelin pierced through its carapace, skewering it in an instant. Behind us, I heard the chitterings of the Abominations growing louder. The fight intensified. More Monsters joined in, as the entire chamber shook.

“Melas, can you clear the cave with your Geomancy?” Gennady asked in a hurried voice.

I faced him, eyes narrowed. My lips twitched. I hesitated. “I—”

Another tremor ran through the large room. Parts of the ceiling collapsed. Rubbles fell behind and in front of us. This entire cave system was going to fall.

But the Abominations— these underground Monsters— they were all going to be fine. They would survive; they were built for this. Not us.

“Grab my hand,” I said, extending an arm to Gennady.

The Dwarf blinked. “Wha—”

“Just do it!”

The ceiling opened up, sending large boulders falling down as a giant ant queen emerged, coming down on the Abominations. I held my barrier up like an umbrella. It shielded me from the rain of earth that would have surely crushed me otherwise. Gennady grabbed hold of me. He clung to my arm as a spell circle formed on my staff.

I aimed at the ground below us, and it shot up. A pillar of earth rose up, going against the falling dirt and debris; it felt like the entire world was collapsing around us. I watched as the giant queen ant ripped apart multiple Horrors— the bloated Abominations exploding into their acidic mess. It sizzled into the skin of the giant queen ant, but it did not melt through its armor.

Rocks the size of trees came falling at me. I knew my barrier would not withstand the impact. I pointed at it and sent Explosive Orbs up, blowing them apart before they could reach me. I covered my mask as we approached the tall ceiling.

“Gennady!” I called out to him, beginning to focus my magic on digging a hole through the earth.

He noticed what I was doing and nodded. “Got it!” He pulled out my Cluster Bombs from his bag and began flinging it up. The explosions sent out plumes of smoke, nearly blotting out my vision. But I could sense the magic.

I could feel the earth without seeing it. And the stone gave way. It molded out like it was made of clay, forming the shape I wanted it to. A loud screech drew my attention back down for a moment.

My eyes darted in the direction of the giant queen ant. I watched it fall, its green blood spewing out of its chest. And a shining figure landed on top of it. An Atrocity.

The intelligent Abomination that was almost like a person. Its bulbous sac was more like a skin that covered its body, the yellow core scintillating with a brilliant radiance. Its red eyes flickered over to me for a brief moment— looking at me with a keen sense of understanding.

Then it bounded over at the next Monster. It tore through them just as I tore through the earth. I focused my attention back up into digging. Gennady breathed.

“That Regina Formica was an A Rank threat…” Shaking his head, he turned back to me. “How did that Atroccity kill it so easily…?”

“I don’t know,” I said as the sounds of fighting grew muffled. The ground below us continued to rise as I bore our way up. “However, I hope that whatever Bertrand plans on using to clear out this place works.”

“For once, I’m glad that mad Scientist is on our side,” the Dwarf agreed.

It took a while, but we eventually ascended all the way up to the surface. I was panting, exhausted, but not completely worn out from the affair. Not like after the first time I had fought the Abominations with Gennady in Laxis. It was a sign that I was growing stronger— I did not think I would be able to perform this feat if I was the me back then.

We emerged amongst some tall, dark trees. Were these pine trees? They were something similar, at least. I lay on the grass for a moment, just sighing deeply. I could feel some mild tremors— very minor. It was definitely not something that would be felt by those in Jahar’taw.

“Where are we, anyway?” I asked Gennady.

The Dwarf was sweating. His hands were shaking as he picked himself off the ground. “I… it seems we’re to the south of the inner city.”

“Then let’s get going.” I shook my head and started forward. “Let’s just get this over and done with.”

“That’s a good idea, lass,” he said. “I wanna lie down for a while after this.”

We reached Jahar’taw not long after. The sun began to set, but it was not very high up in the sky when we left the mines. We were covered in dirt and grime, so we looked like we were miners coming back from work.

That just meant we blended in casually with all the others in the evening crowd. When we got to the Hunters Guild, Gennady submitted all the evidence we had. They told us they would process it and send it to the House of Or’taq. And then?

Bertrand would deal with it.

I was curious about what that alleged ‘mad Scientist’ would do to deal with the Abominations. So, after I rested up and a few days passed, I made a visit to the MTRDT. I gave the excuse that I was going to give him a report on the Dimensional Storage Box, anyways.

The older Human man was overseeing some kind of project— I could see Golems moving in and out of a room, carrying heavy boxes full of materials. I heard clinking— light seeped out of the corners of the box, revealing the mana crystals inside.

I raised a brow as I approached Bertrand. “What’s all this for?”

“Ah, Melas, I appreciate what you and Gennady have done. It makes my job far easier.” He turned away from the Golems, letting them do their job. “This is what we’re using for the Mana Bomb.”

“Mana Bomb?” I frowned. “You mean that super weapon you’re working on?”

“Working on?” The aged man shook his head. “No. It is complete. This?” He gestured at the glass window— at the bomb they were constructing. “It’s a scaled down version of it. It will be what we’ll use to deal with the Abomination problem.”

“Isn’t it a bit close to use such a powerful weapon?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Wouldn’t it reach the city?”

“Not at all.” Clasping his hands behind his back, he hobbled away from towards the window. His eyes were fixed on the bomb as if it were his own child. “Other than some smoke and debris visible in the distance— and maybe a mild tremor. There will be no issue whatsoever.”

I stared at Bertrand’s back. The black suit was so loose on his frame. He looked so frail, his shoulders hunched on one side. And yet, for a brief moment, I saw what Gennady saw in him.

When the payload was delivered to the site of the Abominations a week later, I felt a tremor run through the earth. Despite the fact the outer city was even further away from where the Abominations were, I felt my bed shaking as I was lying and trying to sleep.

They carried out the operation at night. So as few people would be disturbed by it as possible. And yet, I could feel the aftershocks of such a powerful weapon.

A super weapon.

It was something from Earth. Something which, if I were in another world and I were another person, would be brought by me. I did not— I tried to keep my knowledge to myself. And yet—

And yet…

The world progressed regardless of my influence. Because it did not revolve around me. It never did.

Chapter 25: Triple Threat

News of the obliteration of the Abominations spread around the city fast. I heard murmurings— rumors of the earthquake that rocked Jahar’taw in the middle of the night— reach even the outer city. There was nothing I could say about what actually happened to anyone.

Everyone whom I knew was informed about it by Gennady. We did not have to keep it discreet, but we saw no reason to spread the information around. An inferior, scaled-down version of the mana bomb was tested underground, and it proved to be effective. An entire lair of Abominations was wiped out in a single night, and all the Monsters battling them gone too.

I found my bunker in a bit of a ruined state when I got there. I had to check on it, because I knew it would have been hit hard by the earthquake. It was not incredibly sturdy. There were enchantments in place to keep it from collapsing. But I was not worried about its ceiling caving in. My worries lay in the furniture and decorations I put up.

“No!” I gasped as I saw the broken shards lying on the floor. I picked up the expensive vase I had bought— the flowers it had carried within it— and I sobbed. “My flowers… my vase…”

“Oh, shut it, will you?” Elda snorted, glancing at me from the target practice range. She flipped a knife and tossed it straight at a stone dummy. “It was only 15 silver, wasn’t it?”

“15 silver is a lot of money,” I retorted. Spinning around to face others in the room, I let out a heavy sigh. “If you’re going to visit my hideout, could you at least not make a mess?”

Sevin glanced over at me from his seat. He lowered the sandwich back into the plate. “Oh, uh, sorry.”

“Not you.” I shook my head and pointed at Gennady. “Him.”

The Dwarf was seated across from the young man— he had his legs kicked up onto the table as he leaned back against the chair. He was munching on his own sandwich, while downing a mug of ale. He slammed the cup against the table, spilling his drink. I glared at him as he faced me. “C’mon lassie, I’ve been ‘ere enough times, haven’t I? It’s practically my second home!”

“It is not,” I said crossing my arms. “For one thing, you don’t even pay rent.”

“Neither do you!” He grinned back at me.

“...point.”

I sighed once more, cleaning up the broken vase before dragging my feet towards a door. This was supposed to be my safe space. Or something like that. But it had been invaded by these interlopers. So, I escaped to the only place I had left: my room.

As much as I liked to jest, the three of them were in my bunker for a reason. I had requested that they come, simply because I would rather not be alone these days. There were multiple threats to my life at the moment. The first and the most obvious one being Lilith— she was the most direct threat because she was absolutely insane.

I felt a shudder run through my spine, just thinking about her crazed face. The insane eyes she would direct towards me made me shiver. Even if she was not actively trying to murder me because of whatever reason— other than the fact that I almost killed her, but she was trying to kill me even before that— I did not want to be around or even near her. Can I get a cease and desist against her? Would that work?

Probably not.

The second threat to my life was Didar. The Dwarf crime lord was not as much of a problem to me, as he was to Jack and Lisa. However, the two were not here, so it was less of an issue since he would go after them instead. Although, I was sure they were fine. They were used to living that kind of a life.

Today was just a day for me to rest, lay low, while all the politicking of the real world went on above. I picked up a spell book, and the third issue arose in my mind.

My life was not actually endangered by this one. Or— by her. Regardless, I was concerned about her and what she would try to do to me while I was alone. Elara. The Demon who saved my life from Lilith.

She had never shown herself to me before. Not when others were around. The first time I had seen her was in the Free City of Bys. She destroyed its walls and let the Abominations in to swarm the city. Was she there, the entire time? Watching over me?

I was hungry. I was hurt. My entire life was miserable, and she never once helped me. No. Even though she claimed she was trying to help me— despite saving me from Lilith— she could not possibly have had good intentions. If she did, she would not have just watched me suffer.

That was not to mention that she was probably affiliated with those three strangers in the woods. The ones who ostensibly saved my life initially, before I woke up as a literal slave— again, I was seeing a pattern. If they really did worship that false god, I wanted no part of them.

I made that decision as I leafed through the tome. This was a book about the theories regarding Thaumaturgy. It was not detailed regarding the actual practical applications of it— not like the Thauma— however, it was meant for advanced spellcasters. Those who could perform an adequate amount of spells and were hoping to experiment more.

That was exactly what I was doing. I believed that was the level my magic abilities were at. Gennady had appraised me once before. He believed I was a capable B Rank Hunter, or even an A Rank. I had been around him for so long I was starting to understand what all those ranks meant. And that meant I was good.

I continued my studies, occasionally raising my hand to cast a spell. I manipulated a Magic Missiles so that it would change shapes into spikes instead of a ball. There was a lot I could do— the book posited that Thaumaturgy was the most diverse school of magic. And I certainly could see that.

Can this be applied to Tinkering? It was something to consider. Mana crystals were limited in their physical form— the amount of inscriptions I would have to spend hours laboring over was too much for me to become a master at it overnight. If I spoke to Gennady however, I was certain we could conjure up something useful out of this.

Perhaps we could repurpose old mana tech tools into something useful. Some kind of way to recycle. I mused about it for a moment, before realizing I had been engrossed into my reading for a few hours. The noises I had heard from the main room— the clamor of my friends— had died down.

I pushed the door open, only to see a dark room. The mana lamps had been dimmed. Sevin was soundly asleep on a chair, head resting on the table. Gennady was passed out on the floor, drunk and  with his belly showing. Elda had made herself extra comfortable. She pulled some sheets I had stored away and laid it out for a makeshift bed for herself. I must have been reading for longer than I thought, because it was night now.

A small smile crept across my face as I looked at my friends. You could’ve just gone back, I thought, shaking my head. But no— they stayed because they were worried about me. And knowing that made me happy.

“I still don’t get how you were able to make all this with magic,” Sevin said, stretching as we stood above the bunker.

I shrugged. “I’ve been practicing.”

“Not as much as with yer Tinkering, lassie,” Gennady scoffed, arms crossed.

Elda rubbed at her forehead. “Can we just go? I had such an uncomfortable sleep last night.”

“You’re not the one who slept on the floor!” the Dwarf sputtered.

She ignored him and started back in the direction of Jahar’taw. We were just out of sight of the city. Once we were past the forest, we could see the tall buildings poking out. A light buzzing sound made itself audible just as we got close.

I saw a speck make its way from the inner city, exiting the side of the volcano, before coming our way. I blinked as an aircraft flew overhead, much to my surprise. It was headed away from the city, past the undulating hills rather than the sea. I raised a brow.

“First time I’ve seen one go this way,” I remarked.

A few more aircrafts soared past as Gennady shrugged. “Probably due to the stirring tensions in the border with the Purer Kingdom.”

We arrived at the edge of the outer city. Farmlands made themselves visible to us— the crops were growing again now, after the recent winter storm, thanks to mana tech. Large mana tech plows harvested grains and other foodstuff. Animals were oinks, honks, and crows in the distance, as they were herded by their farmers.

It did not take us long to return to the warehouse. I absently adjusted my hood over my mask as Sevin pestered Gennady with questions. “But Master Gennady, if war really is brewing in the horizon, shouldn’t we prepare?”

“Why should we?” the Dwarf scoffed. “We aren’t involved in the military.”

“Captain Ginah said—”

“Oi, brat, call her Ginah now. She doesn’t want to be called Captain no more.” Elda elbowed the young man. He rubbed at his side, hurt.

“I’m literally an adult.”

“You act like a child to me.” She laughed as he scowled. Gennady just threw up his arms.

“Regardless, this doesn’t affect us. It may affect trade, which would put a damper into Ginah’s mood— but it’s not a problem unless war really is declared.”

“Do you think there will be war?” I asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

Gennady sighed. He rubbed his hands against his temples, before turning to face me with a grave look. “If you want my honest opinion, lass?” He waited for me to nod before continuing. “Yes. I believe war with the Puer Kingdom is inevitable.”

“I… see.” I had nothing else to say. The others continued their chatter. They discussed what it meant to them if the Taw Kingdom did go to war. For me— it would not have mattered much. I just wanted to live a simple life. Perhaps it was too much to ask, but I did not want to deal with issues beyond the scope of a normal person.

I certainly did not care for things such as war or politics when I was 12 years old back on Earth. A creeping feeling ran through me. The offer I had been given. I shook my head and shook away the thoughts.

I made a few sounds of agreement as Gennady addressed me a few times.

“Mhm. Mhm. Sure.”

We reached the warehouse soon after. The ex-pirates filled the room, milling about without anyone to supervise them. A few of them seemed like they came back from a busy tavern the night before. I waved at them and greeted them, before asking about Lisa.

“Have any of you seen Lisa or Jack?” I settled my bag of books down. I was finished with quite a few of them, and I could probably have them resell it for me.

“They left for the city this mornin’,” one of them answered.

“Do you know where they went?”

“Yeah. They actually told us to send for you. To meet ‘em at the Snowy Stew’s restaurant.”

I narrowed my eyes. That was the den for spellcasters— the restaurant serving authentic Goblin food. “Do you know why they need to speak with me?”

A brawny man shrugged. He played with his long blond hair tied into braids. “Dunno. Said something about the Dark Crusaders— they need to speak with you guys or something.”

“Oh.” I felt my heart jump in my chest. One thing I had completely omitted in the considerations of what was a threat to my life— it slipped my mind entirely. The fact that I was still wanted by the Dark Crusaders. Even if I was in disguise right now. It was always possible that…

Did they find out about who I really am?

It was with a dour mood in which I carried myself to the inner city of Jahar’taw. The mountain of Jahar seemed like a hulking, massive obstacle which I did not want to climb. I still did, anyways.

Because I had to.

Jack and Lisa had asked for me. They would not endanger me, right? Unless they did not know that it was going to be dangerous, either. The Dark Crusaders had called for me. They might have suspected something was up. It was my paranoia speaking again, but it was entirely possible that they figured out who I really was.

Melas. Daughter of the Fiend. The child of Aria. Valeria Aimy Corinna’s only offspring.

But more than that. I was Melas. The murderer of Victorianius Valens, a Dark Acolyte and Disciple of the Dark Crusaders. He was not the only Dark Crusader I had killed. But he was the only one I knew.

I didn't even know if the Dark Crusaders wanted me dead. I just knew that I had betrayed them. And I would not want to know what a terrorist organization like them did to traitors.

I shook my head as the mana train crested up to the top of the mountain. We entered the caldera, being engulfed by a brief moment of darkness, before entering the bustling, sprawling city within. We stopped at the station, and I stepped out onto the platform. I pushed my way through the crowds, mask not yet worn. Then I slipped into an alleyway, quickly pulling up a hood and bearing the metal on my face.

Good thing it’s enchanted to be lighter, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have even been able to look straight. I shook my head as I crawled through the dark alleyways of Jahar’taw. I was less worried about running into thugs, then I was into somehow, magically running into Lilith.

I could deal with any ordinary criminal without a problem.

I finally arrived at Snowy Stew’s restaurant and entered the basement after a quick check-up. I found Jack and Lisa waiting there, drawing some eyes from all the Goblins within. They were Humans in a Goblin establishment. Sure, they were not the only ones. But they certainly stood out.

I approached the pair, giving them a curt nod as I spoke. “What’s going on?”

Lisa smiled her usual smile as she greeted me. “Hello, Aria. Glad to see you arrived on time.”

On time? I thought with a frown. They did not give me any timetable to meet them. She probably was putting up a show for any eavesdroppers. “Of course,” I said simply. “Are we to leave for our meeting now?”

I paused for a moment. And quickly added a Goblin’s grunt.

Jack— whether it was out of instinct or on purpose— grunted and stood up. “Let’s just go.” He stalked off, and we left the den.

We had arranged for a different meeting area with the Dark Crusaders. After our last spot was compromised thanks to Didar, we had to find a more inconspicuous spot to speak with them in.

Mahir, the Dark Acolyte we spoke to from before, waited for us in an old warehouse. It was a storage depot— some kind of mana tech facility. Not government owned, considering it did not have the MTC’s markings on its front.

He nodded at us as we arrived, before leading us through assembly lines with many Goblin laborers working their jobs. Finally, we arrived in a private room and the door shut behind us. A dozen other Goblins waited behind him in the room as he turned to us.

Lisa was the first one to speak. “Disciple Mahir, why did you request to speak with us?” She raised a brow. “Has there been any issues? I believe our payments have been made on time, without a problem.”

I casually rested a hand at my waist— on the gray-steeled dagger— ready to draw it at any point in time. Thankfully, the Goblins did not seem on edge.

“There have been no issues,” Mahir started, “not from your side, at least.” His gaze turned towards the room of boxes around us. “You noticed that we’re in a factory, correct?”

I nodded— that was obvious. Lisa and Jack did too. “This is one of your Dark Crusaders’ undercover operations,” the man pointed out.

“It is,” Mahir agreed. He crossed his arms, his face twisting into a scowl. “We do not do this just to gain a foothold in Jahar’taw, of course. As you may know, the Goblin population in the Taw Kingdom is one of the highest in the world. While creating jobs for them may earn us some goodwill, nothing matters to us more than helping our own kind.”

I wanted to roll my eyes. Did they really just invite us here to spread the good word about their organization? Because I had seen the depths of what they did. The darkness they allowed to flourish. I did not agree with it.

“Quit beating around the bush,” I growled. I was trying to sound like a Goblin would. “Why did you call us here?”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Our operations have recently been… disrupted.” There was a deliberate tone of voice here. As if he did not want to continue. But he had to, anyways. “I am not sure if you’ve heard, but there have been a delegation from the Church sent to Jahar’taw.”

“We heard,” Lisa said, drawing her lips to a thin line. She looked worried. But more worried than she normally would be— just to put up an act. “We have been monitoring the activities of Saintess Lilith and the Holy Knights closely. Just to ensure they do not intervene with our group. But, of course, we highly doubt they’d be interested in a group as small as ours.”

“That is, unfortunately, not the case for us.” Mahir shook his head. “That Saintess scum has been targeting each and every one of our cover operations. Even innocuous factories like this are assailed. Hundreds of Goblins are put out of jobs. In the name of what is right and just. In the name of the Church.” He spat, and the glob of saliva went sailing to a wall. “Don’t they realize they’re only bringing more people to our side?”

Was that not a good thing? I was pretty sure he was upset about it; however, shouldn’t he be pleased? Perhaps they really do want to help their own kind, I thought.

Lisa stepped forward, diplomatic as usual. “While I understand things must be hard for the Dark Crusaders right now, especially with the renewed presence of the Church in Jahar’taw, may I ask how this affects us?”

“It means we won’t be able to keep up our end of the deal,” the Goblin admitted. He gestured at a Dark Crusader behind him, and was handed a pouch. “Here.” He offered it to us.

I narrowed my eyes as Lisa took it. “What do you mean? What’s this?” I glanced between the two, confused.

“We made a deal with them, Aria,” the young woman explained. “A bulk order of spellbooks and tomes. They would provide us with a range of selections you would choose. But it seems they can’t deliver…” She eyed the coin pouch, as if counting. “Half of what we purchased. So, they’re returning our gold.”

“Wait—” I raised a hand. “But we made a deal. Can’t we offer you something more?” The Dark Crusaders have been our sole supplier of spellbooks for a while; Lisa and Jack had not been able to acquire any from any other sources, especially since we had gotten into an altercation with Didar.

“I understand you have your own… problems.” Mahir spoke slowly, tapping a finger on his round chin. “And while we would like to offer our clients help, we are in a tight situation ourselves.”

“But…”

“The most we can do for you— as a sign of our goodwill— is tell you that the Dwarf crime lord that has been causing you problems. Didar?” He looked at us as if to confirm, and we nodded. “Since the Church has been clamping down on our activities, the House of Or’taq are actively tightening in on them. Especially after their connections with the Puer Kingdom was discovered recently.”

I played dumb. I pretended like I had no idea about what he was talking about. “Connection with the Puer Kingdom?”

“Yes. It seems like this Didar has been bribing officials from the government, getting them to sell their secrets to Puer. This was a major scandal a few weeks back. And now, with increasing tensions between the countries, they’re trying to put an end to Didar’s business.”

“I… see.” I gave him a small nod. “What do you think of all this? Are you… familiar with the Puer Kingdom?”

“The Dark Crusaders have no affiliation with the current monarchy of Puer,” Mahir grunted, almost in disgust. “They’re our enemies. They’re worse than criminals or killers. They are scum that should face the wrath of the Goddess.”

I knew he was referring to the Goddess not in the typical Goddess of Light way which the rest of the world saw. Rather, the Dark Crusaders believed She was a Goddess of Darkness. But the mental image of a kind and loving Goddess smiting pedophiles was pretty funny.

I just wished it was not actually as gruesome as I remembered, and that I did not have traumatic memories from being nearly sold to child-loving slavers.

“We appreciate the forewarning, Disciple Mahir,” I said with a light bow. I had to be respectful. “Are we not to contact you any longer?”

“Perhaps if the business you wish to deal with is more discreet and less troubling…” he trailed off. “We have allies coming to aid us, soon. So, do not be afraid to reach out to us. I am not gleefully cutting our deal short. Do not get it twisted. It is with great reluctance I have to deliver this news.”

“It is fine. Thank you.”

Lisa and Jack both bade their farewells too, and we were off. I was not sure when, but I had relaxed halfway through the meeting— despite the fact that at any point in time, things could have gone sour. I really let my guard down. And yet, even as I left the factory and returned to our warehouse, there was no attack.

No ambush.

The meeting had gone smoothly. It was not a meeting I wanted— nor were its results good for me. But I came out of it mostly fine. And that was all that mattered, right?

Plus, the tidbit about Didar was interesting. It seemed like the reason why he was so reticent in attacking us— especially after being so open initially in targeting Jack— was due to the pressure they faced from the House of Or’taq. Perhaps I could relax just a little bit.

The world was moving. Things were happening. It was not like I had to be on my toes twenty-four-seven, right? I paused as I entered my room. I saw the mess I had. All the opened books. The half built mana tools. The myriad of projects I had planned.

No. I steeled myself. Things are happening, that is why you cannot stop. Or else the world will catch up to you. I had many worries in my mind. Elara. The three strangers. The Abominations. Those were what I feared the most. Nothing else was as pressing of a threat, right?

Chapter 26: Estia III – Motivation

The dim fire hanging on the side of the dark, stone wall crackled. Beads of wax rolled down the side of the candle, but the figure sitting on the desk did not look up. They read the missive in their hand— the scribblings of the scribe who had received the message via spell.

Then they leaned back as their dark gray skin was limned by the candlelight. “Go to Jahar’taw, huh?” Estia wondered out loud. Then a savage grin spread across her face. “The opportunity to kill a Saintess with my own two hands… as if I would ever pass it up.”

She got to her feet, paper held in hand as she pushed the wooden door open. She was not at the Infernalis. This was a random inn she had stopped by, on her way back. Sure, Estia could simply fly back in less than a day.

However, sometimes, she just wanted to have fun. The innkeeper stood at the bar, chatting with the one drunkard who was still up even this late at night. He glanced over at Estia, and called out.

“Hey, Miss! It’s not safe out at night—” He froze in fear as Estia lifted her hood, glancing back at him. The drunk man rubbed at his eyes as the innkeeper dropped the glass mug he had been wiping. “D-D-D-D…”

Estia snorted. “Demon, yes.” She snapped her fingers, and all the candles and torches in the inn went out. An ear-piercing scream left the innkeeper’s mouth, even though Estia did nothing. That was expected. She knew the pathetic Humans would react that way— and that was why she did this.

She enjoyed seeing the fear in their eyes. The realization that Demons were not extinct. It filled her night with joy.

The Demon leapt up into the air, being carried by he magic as she soared through the sky. The wind blew against her face as she left the little town of Amanis. It was a border town between Puer and Taw. With the current tensions and looming war, she was certain this town would be deserted in a few months. Perhaps even weeks.

The piece of paper she held in her hand flapped as she flew through the sable dome, soon reaching the edge of the Great Desert. Now, she thought, looking back down at the message. I just have to find a Disciple to bring with me, huh? In other words, this was a babysitting mission.

The question was: who should she bring?

Estia arrived back at the Infernalis, her mission hanging in her mind. She wanted to head straight to Jahar’taw. She could not wait to get her hands on a member of the Church. And a Saintess too?

If she could, she would have flown straight to the Taw Kingdom without looking back. But she had to return to the Infernalis because she had to find an apprentice. This mission she was assigned served to hone her skills.

Not her strength. But her… empathy skills? Teamwork skills? She was not entirely sure what Kores, her mentor and the only other Demon here, was thinking when he sent her the missive.

She navigated through the stone hallways illuminated by magic, before finding him not long after. He was in a more cavernous room, looking over a group of confused Goblins as he spoke to them. Was this some sort of inauguration process?

Estia knew that Kores was oftentimes in charge of inducting new members into the Dark Crusaders. However, she never really saw it herself. Too often, she was away from the Infernalis. And she was not brought into the organization via ordinary means.

Once Kores was finished with his speech, she approached him, an annoyed-but-not-really look on her face. “What is this?” She produced the message she received.

He frowned. “That’s the message I sent you, Estia.”

“What’s this crap?” Estia emphasized, pointing a finger on the ending part of her message. “Why must I bring a Disciple with me?”

Kores’ eyes widened in understanding. “Ah,” he made a sound. Then he scratched his chin. “That is a stipulation added by other Heralds, at the request of their Apostles.”

She frowned. “Did Mishik demand this?”

“More than a single Apostle made the request, Estia.” He shook his head. “And I agreed to it because I thought it would be good for you.”

Scoffing, Estia crossed her arms. “You know as well as I do that if I can’t deal with a Saintess, a single Disciple won’t be able to make a difference.”

“I’ve clearly stated what it would do for you in the message.”

“And I still don’t get it.” She glowered. “Why would I need to work with someone weaker than me?”

“As opposed to someone stronger than you?” Kores raised a brow— his single horn almost being pushed back with it.

“Someone of equal strength to me. Or I could go on my own,” Estia offered.

Kores sighed. “I am sorry, Estia. However, I will not reverse my decision. You will have to do this with one of the Disciples here in the Infernalis. Otherwise, I will not allow you to take this mission. And I may pass it on to another Herald, for their Apostle to take instead.”

She paused, her forehead creasing. “You’re going to give this mission to Mishik, aren’t you?”

“...if she is available, I will.”

“That’s not fair!” Estia pointed accusingly at Kores. “How can she even be available— isn’t she preoccupied with her task all the way on the other side of Vitae?!”

“I am disinterested in your rivalry with that Goblin, Estia.” Kores spoke firmly. He gestured for her to follow him. “And neither do I think you will go against my orders, will you?”

She followed him, her face twisted into a scowl, but she still followed him. “Of course not…”

It was not that she was too reticent to confront Kores over something she did not like. It was just that this was an opportunity she could not pass up. And also— she respected him. He was the only other Demon currently in the Infernalis. There was no reason for her to be antagonistic towards him.

Estia was led to another chamber within the labyrinth of tunnels. Here, she saw a training session being carried out. Disciples— Goblins, some Elves and Beastmen, as well as a handful of Humans— were gathered here. Some of them were seated on the floor, studying a tome, while others were more proactive and testing each other in combat.

A Goblin backed away from a Cat Beastkin. The latter was using enchantments to enhance her claws. She moved like a blur, dancing between the deluge of spells the Goblin threw at her. Flipping over a Fireball, she landed right on the Goblin and thrusted her claws on his face.

The fight was over. The attack stopped. More fights like this were happening within the large, expansive room. There were separate areas for each battle. It was almost like a gladiator pit. The ones Estia had seen when she traveled the Free Lands.

Or is it the Chained Lands now? Last she heard, most of the big Free Cities had fallen. Either to Abominations, or to the slave revolts.

There was a Human and a Goblin locked in battle. They were both casting Dispel Magic with one hand, and another spell with the other. It was not a true fight— but more of a drill to train their skills and their refinement over mana.

Estia scoffed. As if that can help them in the battlefield. She knew how often new Disciples would freeze up from inexperience. It was unfortunate that the Dark Crusaders prioritized talent over hard work and power.

She remembered hearing of some incredibly talented Human noble from the Soli who was brought into the Dark Crusaders. He was going to be a Herald, they said. He was sent to the Free Lands when the Abominations broke out— and apparently he died to a little girl.

The daughter of the Fiend. But a little girl, nonetheless.

There was not much potential to be seen here, for Estia. Even as Kores ushered her forward. “Pick out a Disciple of your choice. They will be assigned under your watch. Ensure that they do not die, no matter what.”

Their presence drew some eyes— a few definitely heard what he said— but otherwise, no one approached them. It was not uncommon for such things to happen. The way the Dark Crusaders functioned in the first place gave a lot of agency to each faction in the group. And even more so to each Dark Acolyte.

Estia cast an uncaring gaze across the room. No one here caught her interest. She was meaning to just pick a random Disciple and be done with it, when an explosion caught her eye. She cocked her head in the direction of the powerful spell.

An Orc slammed a fist to the ground, sending a small shockwave out. He frowned as a Goblin scurried away from the attack, a bow held in hand, circling him. The Orc harrumphed and pillars shot up out of the ground.

It was not anything special. A single Scatter Columns spell. It was slightly impressive that he could cast it as a Disciple, but Estia did not find herself particularly surprised. There always was one or two talented individuals in a group like this. It was enough for Estia, at least.

She just needed to choose someone. Raising a hand, she pointed at the Orc. “He’ll do—” She paused.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the Goblin draw his bow back. An enchantment covered the arrowhead, but it was not one for piercing or for exploding, like most others here would use. Raw strength— power was what talent gave.

It was not the type of conniving Estia cared for. She respected strength. She knew it was important for an individual. But she understood that wits was just as important. Authority too. And this Goblin walked with authority. Even though he seemed to be outmatched, he moved with the confidence that he would win.

That captivated Esta. She felt her eyebrows cocking up as the Goblin loosed the bolt. It flew at the Orc, only to vanish. The Orc frowned, taking a step forward— and stumbled back as the bolt stuck itself through his shoulder.

He roared in pain. The Orc took a step forward, creating a boulder, and tossed it at the Goblin. But the Goblin shot it out of the air. This time, his bolt did explode, and it turned the stone into a rain of chunky earth.

Just as the Orc was about to cast another spell, the Goblin tugged at the air. A shimmer appeared where he pulled. It was a rope— it had been turned invisible? Or at least, camouflage with the dark cave walls. The arrow on the Orc’s shoulder came flying back at him, tearing his wound open, causing a deluge of blood to pour out.

The Orc cried out in pain, but tried to press forward. He took two steps, before he fell, crying as he clasped at his shoulder. Estia nodded, almost approvingly. A curse, then. Not an enchantment. The Goblin fooled the Orc by layering their invisibility enchantment over their bleed curse. It was not the greatest show of genius, but it was a tactic that worked. Especially with such an overconfident opponent.

“I want him,” Estia said, pointing at the Goblin.

Kores looked at the Goblin as he stalked off. An Apostle— the only one in the room— came over to the Orc, and quickly undid the curse, offering him a healing potion. “Perhaps he is a bit too vicious, however not a bad choice.”

“Do you know him?”

“His name is Karna,” Kores explained. “He was stationed in the Free Lands, under the supervision of Victorianus Valens.”

“I… don’t really care.” Estia shook her head. “Just tell me about his abilities. What can he do?”

“He was never especially talented, according to his Dark Commander. However, once Victorianus Valens was killed, he was recommended to become a Dark Acolyte. He failed his first test, but showed rapid improvement when he was tested again only two months later.”

“So, a hard worker?” she pointed out.

“Indeed.” Nodding, Kores raised a hand and called out. “Disciple Karna, your presence is required.”

The Goblin stopped fiddling with his bow and slung it over his shoulder. He walked over to the pair, a frown on his face. “Did I do something wrong, Herald? I believe I used my abilities to win fairly.”

“You did. Perhaps you could have used a lesser curse to beat your opponent. Otherwise, we are not here to repimand you.”

Karna raised a brow. “What am I needed for, Herald?”

Estia stepped forward, a smirk on her face. “I am Estia, Apostle of the Herald Kores. I have been given a task to travel to Jahar’taw. To exterminate members of the Church, harassing our operations there.”

He paused. “...you’re joking, right?”

She shrugged. “Does this look like a joke?”

“No— I…” he trailed off. Karna took a moment to steel himself, grunting before facing her gaze. “This task… I would be honored to work under you, Apostle Estia.”

Peering into him, Estia asked, “Even if it means facing a Saintess in combat?”

The Goblin’s eyes went round for a moment. But his answer did not change. “No, Apostle Estia.”

She glanced back at Kores. He did not seem to have any comments. He probably wants to evaluate how I handle this. Shaking her head, she patted him on the shoulder. “Enough of the formalities, Karna. I am aware that Goblins prioritize such titles, but they mean nothing to me. The only thing that matters is action. And I do hope your actions match your words.”

He bit his lower lip. “Yes, Apo— Estia.”

“Now come. We are leaving.”

“Right now?” He blinked.

“Of course.” A sly smile spread across Estia’s face. “I will not waste any time. This Saintess has been killing too many of our people in Jahar’taw. We shall put a stop to it as soon as possible.”

Karna hesitated. Then he nodded. She started away from Kores, waving goodbye to him. The Herald did not respond other than crossing his hands behind his back in parade rest.

He watched her leave as Karna followed behind her. Once they were down a few hallways, Estia glanced over at  the Goblin.

“Tell me, Karna. Kores told me that you saw a rapid rise in strength recently. That you have been working harder than you ever have before. Is this true?”

“To a certain extent, it is correct,” Karna said. “I have always wanted to become a Herald. Maybe even a Dark Sage. But those goals were always so… intangible. I worked hard for it, but I never pushed myself to my limits, until I bled every single day.”

“Then what happened? What sparked this change?” She gave him an inquiring look.

He turned his gaze to the palm of his hand. “Because I wanted power. I had seen what true talent was— and I realized how weak I was. And that gave me a goal. One that was in front of me. A tangible one.”

Estia raised a brow. “What exactly is this goal?”

Karna shook his head, grunting. “The daughter of the Fiend— that traitor. I will be the one to kill her.”

Part Three: Escalation

Escalation

Chapter 27: Inventions

The biggest problems I faced right now was Elara the Demon. I knew she was watching over me at all times, supposedly as my protector and guardian. However, I felt anything but safe knowing that she was even close to me without me noticing her.

Right now, two of my possible enemies— the Dark Crusaders and the Church— had each other tangled up in their own messes. So, I did not have to worry about them too much; I could shift my focus on what I could do.

And that ranged from tinkering to simple magic training. A lot of my free time was spent in my bunker— while I was not out working as a Hunter. I was not in excessive need of gold, since I no longer had access to a constant supply of spell tomes with the Dark Crusaders occupied. Lisa was not ecstatic about the news, losing her main source of income: me.

With my time freed up to pursue other endeavors, I returned crafting my masterpiece. The very mana tech I had lacked thus far— a working shower!

“Alright, so if I arrange the symbols in this order, I should be able to create hot water, right?”

“No, no, no!” Gennady threw his hands up in the air. “You’re putting too many fire symbols into your rune! You don’t want to make fire, you just want to make it warm!”

I scratched the side of my head and erased the symbols from the parchment. I drew another design, but again, he harrumphed. “You’ve got it wrong again— you didn’t even draw the fire symbols right this time!”

I blinked. “Where?”

“Right here— there’s a small smudge…”

Anyways, there was a lot I had to work on, especially since I had been neglecting this particular skill of mine. But eventually, I managed to find the perfect combination of water, fire, and air symbols to create the perfect rune for a shower. The earth symbol was not needed, apparently.

“It works!” I celebrated, pumping a fist up in the air.

“Congrats.” The Dwarf rolled his eyes. “You managed to create your first non-lethal, simple mana tool.”

“What?” I sputtered, facing him in shock. “I’ve made many non-lethal mana tools before!”

“They were never original.” He shook his head. “Not like this.”

I drew back, crossing my arms. That was rude. But Gennady was normally rude, so I let it slide. Instead, my eyes lit up as I saw a potential opportunity. “Wait, if this is an original creation, does that mean I could patent this and sell it?”

Gennady paused. He rubbed at his beard slowly, considering this. “That’s… a brilliant idea!” he exclaimed. I straightened, excited.

“Really?”

“Yep!” He nodded, face eager. “You can do that—”

That drew out thoughts in the deep recesses of my mind— if I could possibly make passive income from this invention… something from my world… My hope was snuffed out in an instant as Gennady snapped.

“—if you didn’t want to make any money!”

“Hey!” I protested. “What do you mean by that?”

“This is such a terrible invention, Melas. Who in Hell would want to buy this damned thing?”

I crossed my arms, defensive. “You can shower in private. No more public baths.”

“What’s the damned point of it then?”

“...what?”

“The whole reason we don’t just have a private bath in our homes is because we enjoy going to public baths. It’s the whole socialization aspect of it, ya damned fool!”

“Oh.” I deflated. I felt my plans of using my basic, Earth knowledge to somehow live an easy life in this world slip away from the palm of my hands.

Gennady rubbed at his temples. “And such a simple design too— did ya think we were just incompetent for not thinking of such a thing before?”

I shrunk back. “Uh… no?”

He sighed, spinning around and leaving the room I designated as the bathroom. I followed after him and left behind my greatest invention, that was apparently only something I cared about.

I saw Sevin sitting in my living room, looking at his own blueprints for one of his own mana tech ideas. He was muttering something under his breath, when Gennady pointed a thumb at me and bellowed.

“Lad, get a load of this—”

He explained the situation to the young man, much to my embarrassment. Sevin did not laugh at me, however I could tell he thought that was a ridiculous idea.

“Honestly, Melas,” he started as I steeled myself for what he had to say, “your Cluster Bombs are inventions that would be much better patented than this… shower. I reckon you could get quite a few companies coming to you to buy your design.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And why would companies be interested in them?”

“Because, by the way they’re designed, they’re very useful for fighting underwater Monsters. Remember that Cephalonx?”

“The giant squid Monster?”

“Imagine how much easier it would have been to draw it out if we could just drop a bomb down into the water, creating a spread of explosions. It’d be like throwing a wide net— of blasts— and you’d catch the Monster with at least one of the smaller explosions from your Cluster Bomb?” Sevin spoke, waving his hands about wildly. “Many of the companies here in Jahar’taw would buy your design straight from you. Especially with the reliance on maritime commerce here.”

Now that was a decent idea. I faced Gennady, curious about his thoughts. His face scrunched up slightly. “I think you’re right, lad. Erzhan has been complainin’ to me lately about tha damned sea creatures messing with his shipments.”

Sevin tapped a finger on his chin. “I think that’s why Ginah’s been gone. She was asked to be the head guard for one large cargo that was heading for Laxis. To deal with the Monsters at sea, since she was a pirate Captain.”

“Right,” Gennady agreed. “If you’d really like, Melas, I can arrange a meeting for you with Erzhan. Or some of my other contacts.”

I glanced between the two men. “Wait, are you guys serious?”

They nodded, much to my surprise. I shuffled my feet, almost uncomfortably. “I… I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with that. Selling weapons just seems…”

The Dwarf’s glare cut me off before I could even finish. “Look, lass,” he said as he took a deep breath. “You’re not going to be playing the whole naive and innocent card on us, will you? You know just as well as we do that real life ain’t about any of that fluffy and cozy stuff.”

“Right…”

I hated to admit it, but after being enslaved, working with terrorists, and fighting alongside pirates, I might not have had the moral high ground— if any moral ground— to claim that selling weapons was bad. I still hesitated.

“I’ll think about it, alright?” I eventually said. “It’s not like I’m in any rush to earn gold.” If I really got desperate, I did have some more ideas— things from my world… which were not really ideas to be honest. Just plain plagiarism.

But I was not really looking to do much right now. Simply not being murdered by the Church, the Dark Crusaders, or that trio and the Demon under that fake god was enough for me.

Was I being too passive? It was a possibility. But this was my period of winding down. I had a busy two years since my mother was killed. I didn’t want to wrack my brain for something that was entirely unnecessary. Money was no object to me.

I survived the Free Lands without any such worries. I was certain I could do the same if anything ever happened that compromised my status as a Hunter. Even if King Adilet suddenly changed his mind and exiled me from the country, I knew I could hold my own against any ordinary, daily threat like a lack of food and shelter.

I tossed aside any pressing matters for now, heading up and out of my bunker to return to Gennady’s warehouse. I had spent most of my time here in the recent days, mostly studying my magic and keeping away from trouble. Well, that was if studying meant staring at the Dimensional Storage Box and not understanding anything about it.

I really wanted to get a grasp of Space Magic. Fracture Side was a good spell for me to know, but there was a lot else I could extrapolate from this. Other than that, I had learned a few magicks which were a bit more mundane. Telekinesis was a close relative of Space Magic— Levitation, the first spell I learned, worked as quite the useful base for this field of magic.

However, I was tired of simply working every day. I had to get some fresh air from time to time. Plus, I needed to keep myself up to date with how things progressed in the world at large. Especially with the clash between the Dark Crusaders and the Church. That was something I really had to keep in mind. If Saintess Lilith wiped the Dark Crusaders from Jahar’taw, she would be free to come after me unimpeded.

I needed the Dark Crusaders to remain strong against this common enemy of ours— even if the Dark Crusaders was my enemy too. That thought made me consider giving them some support or aid, if I could. I knew it was dangerous, but Lilith was the greatest threat, considering she was entirely mentally unstable.

I could reason with the Dark Crusaders. The fake god had a plan for me. But Lilith? She was insane.

I stalked through the forest back to Jahar’taw, followed by Gennady and Sevin. Hopefully those Holy Knights with her would be more than enough of a deterrent to keep her from killing me outright. It was wishful thinking. And I did not believe in wishes, so I would have to speak to Lisa and Jack, hear what they had to say about the current situation.

We reached the edge of the outer city, passing through farmlands and the vast, sprawling fields as we made our way to the small gathering of buildings located where our warehouse was. The area between the mountain of Jahar and its port was quite sparse of life. There were a few, scattered areas where houses gathered, but it was never more dense than a small town.

Ours was one such area. We had neighbors— albeit not many— but they were not extremely close to our warehouse. In fact, most of the structures here were relatively interspersed quite far apart. And many of the others were storage houses too: used by the farmlands to store their harvest, before its transportation to the inner or outer city.

It was not, and had never been, a busy street. I knew that, but my eyes narrowed as my gaze settled on the empty buildings and the clear roads. A prodding feeling jabbed at my stomach. “Something’s off,” I said, turning to Gennady and Sevin.

The young man was clueless, but the Dwarf frowned too. “Aye, lassie. You noticed them?”

I shook my head. “I… did not. What do you see, Gennady?”

“Shadows. Lurking in the dark.” He adjusted his belt, resting a hand on his mana tools in a nonchalant way. “Tall, spindly.”

“You mean Humans?” I felt my heart jump. Was it the Holy Knights? Was Lilith here?

I took a step back, drawing my dagger.

“We have to—”

“We can’t run, Melas. What about the others?” The Dwarf gave me a look. I bit my lower lip— I knew he was right. I steeled myself, pressing forward instead.

“Be on guard.”

Magic clung to the tip of my fingers. I was nervous, apprehensive, but I had to consider my friends. I wore my mask, prepared for battle. There was no one else here. No one but our enemies. So, when the first bolt of blue energy shot towards me, I held up a hand, casting a simple barrier. It caught the attack as Gennady snapped his rifle up, blasting a man in the head.

The Human fell from a rooftop, dead. I stared suspiciously at the corpse. Wait— would a Holy Knight fall so easily to a simple shot? I looked around warily. This could not be the Church. Who could they be—

I paused as I saw a bulkier figure slipping behind a wall. Was that a Dwarf? My eyes widened as I realized who these attackers were. I had been so focused on my more dangerous problems, I completely forgot about the one that would be right at the forefront, even if he spelled less trouble than the others.

Didar. And… I glanced over at the dead Human. The Puer Kingdom.

Chapter 28: The Stand

I stared around, alert, knowing that we were flanked from all sides. I held a barrier up— it was magic, for all to see in public— and yet, I did not care about that. I could deal with what that meant later. Right now, I just had to survive through this.

Didar was here. He had his men attack our warehouse. I had almost entirely forgotten about him. I had dismissed him as a threat.

He’s affiliated with the Puer Kingdom, I told myself. He’ll be busy with the Taw Kingdom itself. Unfortunately, it seemed like he was vindictive.

He came here with his men— not just his gang members— but people from the Puer Kingdom too. I spotted a few Humans lurking about. They hid themselves behind walls and fences, ducking down below rooftops, trying to keep away from view.

Not all of the warehouses here were actively used; in fact, some of them were abandoned. And our enemies were taking advantage of this. Or at least, that was what I hoped. If it were anything more sinister…

I shook my head, focusing on what I could right now. We had to ensure that our friends were fine. These guys were not attacking us. Not right off the bat. One of them tried, and they saw what happened to him.

“Find the others first,” I whispered over to Gennady. My barrier was still erected, protecting us. “We have to make sure they’re fine.”

“If these damned bastards destroy my property—” he cursed, clenching his fist.

We proceeded through the empty street, the magical dome over us moving as we did so that we crawled forward almost like a tortoise on land. I caught sight of our warehouse up ahead. Its doorway looked slightly damaged, which brought the tide of fear within me into a rise. I feared for the worst...

But I had to make sure. A few bolts of energy shot our way. The blasts rippled against the barrier, but did not break through. My magic now was far better compared to the past. A single barrage of fire would have torn down whatever I could put up, but now I could stand up against these attacks.

A flash caught my eye. A bright spear of light soared our way. My gaze snapped at it— I could sense the mana radiating from it. It was powerful. A spell? It definitely came from a Dwarf who was hiding from a window.

I grimaced. It would have torn a hole through my barrier. I could have reinforced the protections, but I knew then he would just send another one. That my magic would be overwhelmed. Dispel Magic could have worked. However, was I certain?

Raising a hand instead, I cast a second spell. Fracture Side. I did not need to block the attack. All I had to do was divert it just a little bit. And the spear, sizzling with energy, curved around the barrier. It sailed straight towards the warehouse. And a bulky figure burst out of the door.

I didn’t recognize the thing that charged out of Gennady’s warehouse. I mean, I did know what it was. It was quite obviously a Golem. Just not any kind I had seen before. It moved with a single wheel, rather than with legs like most of the other Golems I had seen so far.

“So, they activated my security measures, eh?” Gennady remarked from behind me.

“You have security measures?” I stared at him, surprised.

“Of course I do— what, do you think I’ll leave my damned warehouse unguarded?” He shook his head, pointing forward. “Come on, we can make a break for it inside!”

The Golem charged straight past us, drawing the fire in its direction. It held up a shield-like arm— mana crystals decorated the metallic surface, enhancing its protection, so that the mana bolts would not penetrate its defenses.

The spear from earlier impacted the Golem’s shield. Energy— like sparks— crackled out, breaking off to the side as the Golem deflected the attack. It raised a hand, the barrel of a rifle visible in its palms, and fired a cylindrical shell.

The shell launched out straight at the warehouse across the street. It crashed through a window and detonated. A green explosion tore a massive hole in the side of the third floor building. Wasn’t that dangerous?

“Isn’t that dangerous?” I turned to Gennady.

“All of this is dangerous, lassie!” he snapped. He hurried past me, leaving the confines of my barrier, and rushing into the warehouse. “What part about all of this don’t you get? Now hurry and get inside already!”

Sevin and I followed right after him. I let my barrier dissipate, holding up my dagger on guard. The three of us hid behind a wall, away from the battle ongoing outside between the Golem and our assailants. I heard another blast— the ground shook. And I corrected myself.

“That’s not what I’m saying. The storage buildings around here… they’re for grain, right?”

The Dwarf blinked. “Yeah. And wheat, and other crops. Why?” His eyes grew wide. “Oh—”

A loud explosion resounded behind us. It didn’t just shake the ground— it almost threw me off balance. Thankfully, Gennady caught me and stopped me from stumbling back out into the open.

“Fucking… I better not have to pay for that!” He pulled me in, going further into our warehouse. I glanced back once, seeing the opposing building collapse. It was not very structurally sound in the first place, but the battle and the explosions definitely didn’t help it stay standing.

The sounds of battle grew muffled the further into the warehouse we went; we passed through familiar corridors, most of it undisturbed, until arriving at the large hall near the front of the building.

I saw a few bloodied bodies lying on the ground. Much to my relief, they were all Dwarves I didn’t recognize, and they had knives jutting out of their chests.

“Elda!” Gennady called out, rushing to the woman’s side.

She was standing in the middle of the room. She turned out, blinking as he hugged. Scowling, she pushed him off. “Oi, get off me— where in Hell were you three?”

“We were in Melas’s bunker,” he explained. “We had no idea about this. What’s happened?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she snorted. “These fuckers showed up and started blowing shit up. We’re lucky that this place is reinforced well.”

Gennady glanced over to the left— a stairway lay fallen, now a pile of rubble. “It was reinforced. I had spent a lot on making it defensible. Gah.”

“I mean, hey, thanks to that we’re alive.” She grinned.

Sevin stepped forward. “I apologize, Master Gennady, if I am cutting into your flirting—”

“What?” both Gennady and Elda sputtered. The young man continued.

“But I think we have bigger issues right now.”

We glanced out through a hole in the wall— a crack that showed what was beyond. And I saw the Golem getting blasted by a volley of Fireballs. It was ripped apart, the flames engulfing and destroying it. I clicked my tongue as Gennady cursed.

“Those damned… that Golem needed a Superior mana crystal!”

“Save your whining,” I interrupted him. Spell circles formed in the air around me, letting out a thin trail of mist as icy spear-tips poked their heads out of the magical glyphs. “We’ve got a lot more problems to deal with.”

The Frost Javelins launched out. I controlled them as they danced through the air— it was like using Mage Hand. The basic Telekinetic spell I first learned. Even if I couldn’t see exactly where they were at, I could feel where they were going. I almost intrinsically knew what was around it. The make-up of the mana on the walls let me send it through the hallway we came from, before bursting out of the front door.

I could see and feel the mana bolts coming for the Frost Javelins. They were trying to shoot down my spell. I weaved them around the flurry of projectiles. It was like I was a seamstress, delicately guiding the needle through the threads, careful not to bore too large a hole in the cloth.

The first of the Frost Javelins ran through a running Dwarf. His blood-curdling scream could be heard even from here. The second caught a Human man, and another a Dwarf woman. I could feel them hit their targets— most of them struck through. A few missed. One was even dispelled by the Dwarf spellcaster from earlier.

However, as the last of my Frost Javelin found a large group gathered behind a warehouse just neighboring ours, a… Dwarf? Someone pulled out an object and fired at the Frost Javelin. Before I could even react, the Frost Javelin was smashed into smithereens. I blink as I lost control of the spell.

Was that... a bullet? A real bullet? I narrowed my eyes. “I think I found Didar.”

“What makes you say that?” Gennady asked as I began conjuring more Frost Javelins. It was not easy— these spells were one of the better magicks I knew. That meant that casting them was not only difficult, but doing so in bulk?

That took a lot from me.

“I don’t know. There was a large group of them over there—” I pointed somewhere to the left. It was the plot of land next to us. I was pretty sure the building had previously been abandoned, but it seemed Didar pulled some strings to empty it out. “And they had guns.”

“Everyone here has guns.” Elda rolled her eyes.

“Like real guns.” I wasn’t sure how to explain myself. So, I just shrugged. “The ones which they had last time around.”

“Ah.” Gennady’s eyes lit up in recognition. “One of Bertrand’s damn tools, huh? Well, I’ll show ‘em just how inferior his weapons are to mine.” He started down a small hallway. One which led to the basement. “Hold them off for a bit, will ya? I’ve gotta grab a few things.”

I crossed my arms. “Wait. What about the others? Where are Jack and Lisa?”

“I’m right here,” a deep voice came from the top of the broken stairway. Gennady stopped, looking up to see Jack. The man leapt down, landing lightly next to the Dwarf.

“There he is— can I go now?”

“Go and get your things, Dwarf.” Jack started past Gennady, drawing his dual short swords.

“Aight, thanks!” Gennady scurried off.

“Where’s Lisa?” I gave Jack a questioning look.

“She’s safe. With the others.”

“I told Mason and Avery to bunker up further within the warehouse,” Elda piped in. “With, what, half of our boys with Ginah? And most of the others out in the city, there’s not much they can do here but protect Lisa.”

I hesitated. “Can we deal with Didar by ourselves?”

“I mean, I had a few Golems helping me earlier.” She glanced over at a pile of broken bits and mana crystals. “They’re all destroyed now.”

“Gennady will complain about that later,” I muttered under my breath. I looked over at the young man standing next to me. Sevin was nervous— he held a rifle with a shaky grip. I address him, “Do you want to go help Mason and the others?”

“I—” He bit his lower lip. He anxiously glanced between Elda, Jack, and I. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. “No. I’ll help you out here.”

“Alright.” I finished conjuring the Frost Javelins right as I heard shouts break out from the front. There were sounds— shuffling— coming from the side too. “They’re coming in. Ready yourselves. We want to keep them back until Gennady comes back—”

There was a bang. Jack grabbed me, pushing me back as he slashed his blade out. The metal bullet was sliced in half, tumbling through the air until it struck the back wall. I saw the Human Human who fired the shot trying to pull back. He had taken aim from in between the cracks on the walls.

But before he could escape, Jack flung his sword. It flew straight through the air in a blur, faster than a crossbow bolt even. It jammed itself through the man’s chest, and he fell.

“No,” Jack said, holding up his one remaining blade. I stared at him as he straightened. He wore a determined look on his face. “Didar came here to finish me off. We’re not just going to fight to survive— he’ll keep coming back over and over again.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” I eyed Jack warily.

“We end this, today. Either I kill that bastard, or—” He turned back to face me and spoke sharply. “Or I die to him. There’s no other option.”

Chapter 29: Vengeance

“Jack.”

The young boy glanced up from the water below the docks at the calling of his name. A Dwarf stood before him. A boy Dwarf— roughly of the same age.

“Didar,” Jack said, his feet still swaying over the splashing waves. “Did ya need somethin’ from me?” He was a Human, but he had a Dwarvish accent. His parents tried to raise him with a ‘normal’ accent. However, when he was out in the streets, he couldn’t afford to stand out more than he already did.

“Ye— guess what?” Didar had sidled over next to Jack, plopping down a small notebook to inspect. “I snatched that dumb Ainar. Guess what’s inside o’ it?

“You stole this? From Ainar?” The notebook was filled with names— not the names of people, but of locations. Jack flipped through it, eyes growing wide. “These are where his stashes, aren't they? Where he keeps his contraband!”

Didar winked and got to his feet. “Whaddaya say? Wanna nick some o’ his stuff and sell ‘em back to him and his boys? I reckon they’d give a good price for it, especially with their own supply missin’.”

Jack stared at the Dwarf boy, not saying anything back. The pair had met by complete chance— they had both picked the same night to try and rob the same shop, only to end up working together when they nearly got each other caught by the enraged shopkeep. Since then, they were inseparable.

While Didar had always been the more resourceful of the two, Jack had been the brains of their operation. And he realized now how stupid that was. “Are ye a fool?” The Human boy shook his head, disapproving. Before the Dwarf boy could speak, he raised a hand. “We don’t just sell it to him and his goons— we sell it to others too! Otherwise, they’d think we don’t got any other buyers!”

“Yer a genius, Jack!” Didar smacked him on the back, laughing. “See, this is why the two of us will always make the best team, aye?”

“Aye!”

—--

Jack stood in the present— in a warehouse under siege. Didar waited somewhere beyond. At least, that was according to Melas. The girl had her mask on, but she spoke with certainty when she said that the Dwarf was out there.

And that drove him to act. He started past the staring group— Sevin, Elda, and Melas— heading for the empty hallway. He could hear the heavy footsteps echo doing the corridor; there were probably dozens on their way in. More out there.

He tightly gripped the hilt of his sword. A short sword. Not recommended for combat against many. But that was all he had— it was what he was going to use to kill that bastard for betraying him. It was only when he heard his name being called did he stop.

“Jack,” Melas said, drawing his attention.

“You can’t stop me.” Jack’s voice was cold, as harsh as the sudden blizzard that had taken Jahar’taw not long ago. “I’m going to kill him.”

“I know.” She stepped forward, Frost Javelins hovering above her head. “However, you can’t do it alone. Don’t be a fool.” The spells launched out as her words cut him from his trance— the burning desire for vengeance within him was momentarily quelled.

Shouts— screams of pain and agony— came from behind him, from down the hallway, and he looked back. “I am not a fool,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Then we shall fight. Together.” More spell circles formed around the girl. She pointed her staff, warily aimed down the corridor. “Get ready. They’re coming.”

Growling, Jack turned around and saw the figures moving in the dark. They held their rifles— mana tech, not the type of gun that fired steel. But the blue, flashing bolts. He sliced apart the oncoming projectiles, pivoting and spinning as he danced across the floor.

The world was a blur around him. He thought he saw the spells being cast by Melas, the knives being thrown by Elda, and whatever tech Sevin had throwing back at their enemies. However, his focus was entirely on the mix of Human and Dwarf standing down the corridor.

Jack ran forward and exploded into a whirlwind of steel and metal. He sliced apart their weapons, tearing through them with his wild swings. They fell all around him. He would not stop until he saw Didar. Until—

A blast was sent down the hallway. It engulfed him and the other men within it. He heard a cry from Melas before the fire took him.

—--

“Jack!”

I yelled, running forward. The inferno washed over the corridor like a wave. It was a storm of fire, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. It wasn’t magic that caused that explosion. Perhaps some sort of mana tool was fired into the warehouse. But once it combusted, there was no longer any mana behind it.

So, I could not dispel it. I could only use my own magic to create a barrier, letting me wade through the flames. I reached Jack who was curled up into a ball. His clothes were burned. His right arm was charred— blackened, almost as if it had been turned to coal. I grabbed him and dragged him back as I saw another of the spherical objects launching our way.

It came through the front door, rolling for a moment before it shone brightly. Another blast took the corridor. It sent me flying back, my barrier absorbing most of the impact. I landed next to Sevin who hurriedly tried to help me up, uncorking a healing potion on his side.

“How is he?” The young man’s worried voice was barely audible through the ringing in my ears. I simply dropped Jack to the ground, letting Sevin tend to him as I turned my attention back to the hallway.

Its side walls were cracked— more than just fire damaged its foundations. The explosion seemed to have whittled away enough of its support, forcing the wall to crumble away, dropping the ceiling of the hallway crashing down. Dust and debris filled the air as I covered my eyes.

“They’ve just created a barricade against themselves. It’ll be enough to buy us some time.” I glanced over at Sevin who was tending to Jack’s wounds, then to Elda. “How are the side entrances to the warehouse?”

“Reinforced,” she said, picking up a knife off the ground. “However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to break through.”

“Especially if they have spellcasters on their side.” I shook my head. Sure enough, I heard an explosion coming from the side of the warehouse— the structure was enchanted, protected by both a sturdy infrastructure as well as whatever mana tech enchantments Gennady could put together.

However, it could still be breached. And the repeated attacks— they felt like Fireballs— must have eroded enough of the defenses for it to be destroyed. Another blast shook the building and I scowled.

“Grab Jack and bring him inside,” I said in a rushed voice. “I’ll check on the damages, make sure that they don’t follow after you guys.”

“What about you?” Sevin looked at me with a worried face. “Are you going to go there all by yourself?”

I nodded. “I can hold my own. And I’m not an idiot who will bite off more than I can chew.” As much as a glutton I was, I knew when I had my fill. “Just go!”

Elda ushered the young man forward. He was apprehensive— I could see the hesitation in his movements. However, they did as I told them. When they were gone, I steeled myself with a deep breath.

“You got this,” I told myself. “Just don’t die. That’s easy, right?” After all, I did have a guardian angel… or Demon, watching after me. Although I couldn’t be sure if she was here right now.

I ran to the side of the warehouse, crossing through empty hallways until I found the garage. Its large double doors were torn open by a blast of fire, the black scorch marks visible on their sides. Hiding within the shadows, I crept forward and tried to make out what I could see.

I saw the tail end of a group of Dwarves start down a corridor. They were talking amongst each other— murmuring about killing someone. I wanted to pull back and warn my friends, however I noticed that they went down a different path. Towards the basement?

My heart jumped as I thought of Gennady. I hurried after those Dwarves, thinking that my friend and mentor was in danger. But I soon realized that they were after someone else.

“There is that damned traitor!” They huddled around a room I recognized. It had previously been a kind of fortified storage room, but it was now used as a holding cell.

Zhanat, the Dwarf we had captured, was locked within. His shaking voice escaped through the cracks of the door. “Guys? Y-you’re here! You’re going to save me… right?”

“You wish, you damned snitch!” One of the Dwarves banged the butt of a rifle on the doorway. He glanced back at the others. “Find the keys. Then we’ll teach ‘im a lesson he won’t forget.”

Shouting came from within. “Oi— I didn’t snitch! I swear—” But they didn’t listen.

They spread out and began searching the room. I bit my lower lip, seeing this. Should I just leave? I could do something, but… that would be risky. These Dwarves managed to break in. They weren’t just a bunch of goons. They had to be spellcasters.

However, I couldn’t just leave Zhanat to die, right? Even if he did try to kill me. It was different, trying to kill someone out of self-defense, and killing someone for revenge. And maybe they didn’t even want to kill him. They might have been planning to torture him first.

I remembered Victor. I remembered the crying of the women. And I made my decision.

“Oi, I think I found it—” a man started, but was cut off as a Magic Missile blasted him back.

I stepped out of the darkness, into the brightly lit room. Magic Missiles were appearing around me by the dozens. One of the Dwarves spun around, facing me with wide eyes. He pointed a hand at me.

“You… Inferno—”

I snapped a finger. “Dispel Magic.”

His spell circle winked out of existence. He stared at his hand, then at the Magic Missiles. “Oh no…”

The barrage of spells struck everyone within the room. They tried to create barriers— conjure up shields that would protect them. However, they were probably better off trying to dodge and roll out of the way.

Not that they tried. Perhaps it was because I had the jump on them, but they were not able to put up a fight. The onslaught of Magic Missiles were too much for them to handle. Or maybe it was because of how much I had improved in magic. I did have the potential to be the greatest spellcaster that ever lived, after all.

When I was finished with the Dwarven spellcasters, I walked up to the bolted door to check on Zhanat. He sounded like he was trying to peer through the gap beneath the door. “Oh Goddess grace us— you have to get me out of here. They’re trying to kill me!”

I stared at the bodies lying all around me. Then at the metal door. “No,” I said simply. “You’ll stay put here. I’m not going to bring you with me, only to have you betray us once Didar shows up.”

“Wait, but—”

“I only saved you because I was around. However, I’m leaving. So, you better pray to the Goddess that no one else was sent to torture you or kill you. I have to get back to my friends.”

I scurried back out, heading up to where Elda and Sevin went with Jack. But just as I reached a stairway, I heard a loud clap. No— it wasn’t a clap. I spun around, quickly casting Fracture Side. The bullet swerved around me, sparking off the wall and sliding on the ground with a clink. I narrowed my eyes, facing the assailant.

It wasn't Didar standing before me. A Human man— a group of them— confronted me from the other side of the corridor. Each of them held guns. Proper guns. They loaded it, stepping forward as I conjured a barrier from the earth..

“Why are you people from the Puer Kingdom doing this?” I called out, gritting my teeth.

“Isn’t it obvious, you Goblin scum?” A voice replied just as another shot went off. I ducked under my Stone Wall, readying Frost Javelins from my side. “This damned country— sheltering all you cursed monsters, hammering us with embargoes and tariffs because we won’t let you in? And now, they’re creating all these new technology for war? After all your aggression in recent years? Of course we won’t be fools and let them invade us first.” The lead man looked between the others around him. “No mana tech. She’s a spellcaster.”

“Right!” they affirmed in agreement.

They began running forward— I could hear their footfalls rapidly approaching. I exasperatedly stood up, ready to unleash my spells at them before they could get close. However, before I could, a Dwarven voice broke out from behind them.

“Ya fools think that tech is something special?” A large, looming figure stood at the other end of the hallway. Gennady sat atop a Golem’s body, where the head would usually be. He was piloting it, cranking a lever and swinging one of its massive arms forward. “Think again you damned idiots!”

A mana crystal at the tip of the Golem’s hand shone. A flash of light engulfed the room as a beam struck out. It hit the center of where the men were gathered, before exploding into a spherical blast. Everything in its epicenter was disintegrated. The wall, the ground… everything.

I shielded my eyes from the light, looking away until the flash was gone. I glanced up at Gennady, staring at him with wide eyes.

“What is that?!”

“Pretty cool, right?”

“What even is that?” I asked Gennady, wide-eyed.

“It’s my Tinker Suit!” He grinned, raising the metallic arm with the turn of a crank. It was like a joystick— there were more than one, but he pulled on the longest one. The hand pointed back at the Dwarf, forming the vague shape of a thumb aimed right at his head. “One of my masterpieces! A bit too bulky for my liking right now, but it’s still in its experimental stage!”

“How did you even... when did you…?” I stared at him, then at the Tinker Suit. It was over eight feet tall and five feet wide. It was shaped almost like a box, except for its legs which were short and thin, with knees bent back like the hind legs of a dog.

Gennady sat in its center— or rather, he wore it like some kind of armor? It definitely seemed like he was moving its legs with his own feet. However, the upper body required him to work the numerous controls just in front of him, so his shoulders and arms were free to move entirely. The rest of his body just sunk into the Tinker Suit.

I shook my head as Gennady sauntered up to me in the suit, a mechanical noise being made whenever its feet were raised. “Nevermind,” I murmured.

He came to a stop right before me. There was a slight gleam from the mana crystal right at the center of the Golem-like body. It was the main one— about the size of my head. A Superior mana crystal? Or perhaps even a Greater one. It wasn’t the only one though, just the main, visible one.

“C’mon, lassie,” he snickered, bringing the Tinker Suit’s arms to a fold. “I just saved your life— be more grateful, will ya?”

“Thanks.” I walked past him. I had to squeeze between the massy suit just to get to the other side of the hallway. “However, things are not over here. We have to get back to Elda and the others.”

“Where did they even go? Last I saw, you lot were gathered out at the front, but when I returned, all I saw was a pile of rubble.”

“Further inside,” I said, gesturing at a stairway. “Back to Lisa. To get Jack some medical attention.”

I set a single foot on the first step when Gennady called out after me, “Wait— are you sure we should do that?”

Glancing back at him, I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

“Gah, I didn’t mean it like that.” The Dwarf waved one of his regular hands off. He waved around him as he spoke. “I’m saying that that’s a bad idea. If we all gather around in one small location, then Didar can come down and kill us all in one fell swoop. Instead of dying together, we should split them up.”

I cocked a brow. “Wouldn’t we just die away from each other then?”

“Not if it’s you and me!”

I sighed, glancing back where I came from. “I’d argue against that, but it’s true.” There was a flicker— a flash of light from just over my head. A twinkling ball of light came into existence as a spell circle formed around my forearm. They appeared like stars in the night, dotting the sable dome overhead with their light.

Except these were not just a feature of the sky. They were very much real, created from my magic. Explosive Orbs. Not just one, but many of them. I pre-casted whatever I could. I didn’t stop at just these weaker spells, creating Frost Javelins and even Stone Spears too.

“Come on,” I said, gesturing for Gennady to follow. “Let’s do this.”

—--

“We’re at the top of the world, aren’t we, Jack?”

The boy— no, he was a man now. He barely qualified as one, legally speaking, but he was one. He glanced over at the voice calling his name.

Didar spoke in a more articulate manner now. He no longer had the heavy accent of a Dwarf, typical from living in the streets of a city. Was it because he was considered a ‘boss’ now? Or was he just trying to practice his accent for future transactions with political clients?

Jack didn’t know. He simply nodded. “We’re only the top of our small, little area of Jahar’taw, Didar. However, it certainly does feel like we’re at the top of the world.”

With a chuckle, the Dwarf leaned back on his stool, slowly picking up a mug. “There’s no need to rush things, Jack. Look here, I’ve had a few people reach out to me— there’s this group called the Shadow’s Evangelium. They need us for some smuggling jobs.”

“Smuggling jobs?” Jack furrowed his brows. “I don’t think we’ve ever done anything like that before.”

“There’s a first time for anything, right?” He downed a few gulps of ale before leaning forward. “If we want to really be at the top of the world, we’ve gotta expand our horizons. Do something more.”

Jack considered this for a moment— certainly, he enjoyed what they had now. He would be content if it stayed that way. However, if things did get better? He wouldn’t argue against that.

Getting to his feet, he walked up to Didar and placed a hand on the Dwarf’s back. “Anything you do, I’ll do it with you.”

A small smile spread across Didar’s face. He nodded as he stood up. “‘Course you will. We’re partners, after all.”

—--

Jack woke up, feeling a sharp pain jolt through his body. It was like he got stabbed by a thousand needles, all at once. He winced as he tried to get up— because of the pain he felt all around his body, and also because he was strapped down onto a bed.

“Is he alright?” a female voice asked. He recognized it immediately. Lisa.

The young woman peered over at him, eyes full of worry. Someone pulled her back. It was from another woman, but more laid back and with a slightly deeper intonation to her voice. “Relax, Lis, he’s fine. That healing potion we used was potent, and we made sure to remove any shrapnel from his body, cleaning the wound before we applied it.”

Forcing his eyes open, Jack saw the two women— Lisa and Elda— standing over him as he lay on a table. He was covered in bandages, which were also partially tying him down, preventing him from getting up. He groaned, and Lisa hurriedly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Jack— don’t strain yourself too hard. You were caught in a big blast. Elda says she can’t believe that you even survived it.”

That was right. Jack had been reckless. He had foolishly charged out, forgetting how much of a backstabbing scumbag Didar could be, and how the Dwarf was willing to hurt his ‘allies’ to get what he wanted.

“That bastard…” he managed to get out. “I’ll kill him.”

“Relax.” Lisa ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm him down. “You don’t want to hurt yourself so soon after recovering. Especially not right now.”

He blinked, glancing around the room. Where was he, even? Didn’t they send Lisa to the vault— it was a built-in bunker in the center of the warehouse where Gennady kept his gold and other precious minerals like mana crystals. The doors and walls were heavily reinforced, so it would have been incredibly difficult to break in.

And yet, here he was. “W-why am I here?”

“You got yourself hurt, dummy.” Lisa shook her head. “Elda and Sevin had to drag you back here.”

“And he’s pretty damned heavy,” the other woman snorted.

The young woman shot her a glare, before looking back at Jack. “Didar and his men haven’t gotten this far into the warehouse yet. We’ll be safe for a while. So, just rest up first.”

Her words were welcoming— her voice soothed the aching of his body. He wanted to just melt into the table, staying completely still for the next few weeks, pretending his problems didn’t exist. And he almost did.

But a blast snapped him awake. There was another explosion. Not anywhere close. However, it shook the ground, and it loosened the bandages holding him down. The man pushed himself up with a grunt.

Lisa and Elda had moved off to the side. Neither saw him struggling until he was already sitting on the table. The younger woman rushed to him as he took in his surroundings. He saw Sevin sitting in a corner, hunched over and biting his thumb.

Mason and Avery stood over the front of the room— the reinforced, metal doorway was covered in mana crystals with runes layered over them. They were not the only glistening objects in the room. There were many more of the gems, limned with energy, scattered about in cupboards and shelves, contained in glass jars, or simply displayed in an ostentatious manner alongside some interesting mana tech.

These tools didn’t seem to be very useful for the current situation. There was an odd-looking car. At least, it was shaped like a car, but it had a massive shovel on its back. There were also a few poles with rectangles on their ends, with bags attached to their sides.  Other such things which looked like they were useful for day-to-day life— perhaps even innovative— but not for the battle that was to come.

“Damned Dwarf. Couldn’t he have kept some of his weapons in here?” Jack shook his head as Lisa helped him steady himself. He frowned. “Actually, where is the Dwarf? And where is the girl too?”

Lisa hesitated, not meeting his eyes. She started, “I—”

But was interrupted by Sevin. “We don’t know.” The young man approached the pair, his lips drawn into a thin line. “Neither of them have returned. It’s been almost an hour. And… we’re not sure where they are.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. Again, the ground shook. Another blast from far off. That had to be—

“I think we should find them,” Sevin said, looking over at Elda and Lisa. “They should be back by now.”

“It’s safer if we wait. If we open this door, we’ll be exposing ourselves to whatever trap Didar could’ve left outside for us.” Elda crossed her arms, gesturing at the vault exit.

“But—” Sevin sputtered some kind of a response.

Jack didn’t listen to it. His mind flashed with a memory. Didar, his companion, his partner, betrayed him.

He left Jack to suffer the consequences of his betrayal. Letting others rot while he rises up to the top. As usual.

That was not Jack. He would never do such a thing. He wouldn’t hurt his allies for his own benefit. He swore against that. That was why he started forward. That was why he brushed past Sevin and Elda as they argued.

The two stared at him as he stalked towards the door. Neither said anything, but Lisa ran after him.

“Jack, what are you—”

“I’m going to find them,” the man said simply. He glanced back at the others— Sevin and Elda— who had broken off from their argument. Both wanted to speak, but he didn’t let them. “I dislike that mad Dwarf, but he’s the one who gave us a place to stay here in Jahar’taw. He’s the one who covers our asses when we get in trouble. And if he’s really the lunatic I think he is, he should have some kind of hidden passageway leading to this vault which he can take, in case of situations like this.”

Jack glanced over at Elda, then waved over at the rest of the room.

“However, he hasn’t returned, has he?”

The woman bit her lower lip. “Maybe he got caught up in something.”

“And that’s exactly the problem,” Jack said.

Elda shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Lisa reached out to grab his arm. He looked over at her.

“Lisa, we can’t just stand idly by, knowing that that girl is out there, possibly in trouble right now.”

“I… I know,” she sighed. Shaking her head, she loosened her grip and met his gaze. “I know I can’t. But what about you? Why do you want to help her?”

Jack hesitated. He remembered the anger— the betrayal he had felt from Didar. And the fear when the Nuckelavee himself, the founder of the Shadow’s Evangelium, nearly had his head. But a black-haired woman stopped him.

She pleaded for that Demon to stop. Begged him to listen to Jack’s words and let him go. Did she believe Jack? Or did she just pity him? Whatever it was— it was enough.

“Because her mother saved my life. When Didar left me for dead. And I’ll be damned before I let the daughter die to Didar now, because I refused to act.”

—--

“Watch out!”

I yelled at Gennady as I ducked behind a wall. The Dwarf hobbled over, still in his Tinker Suit, raising its bulky arms to cover him from the rain of fire. The spell bounced off his protections, and I poked my head out.

I saw the spellcaster standing behind the line of gunmen. They trailed their rifles my way, firing in rapid succession as I raised a hand.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The bullets trickled down from the barrier’s surface. I gritted my teeth as I pulled back, only managing to send one Frosty Javelin out. I felt my control over the spell weaken— and disappear. Dispel Magic. But not from me. From the enemy.

I sidled myself next to Gennady, using both the wall and the Dwarf’s massive Golem-body for protection, taking a brief reprieve. “Fuckin’ that plan didn’t work out,” he cursed.

We had tried to draw the attention of a small group of Didar’s men. We attacked a dozen of them who were shuffling in through another side entrance they had broken, before trying to slip away. But as we ran down a corridor, back towards the main entrance with the collapsed hallway, we ran into another group of them.

They encroached on us, chasing us close to the courtyard of the warehouse. And that was where we were at now. A group of riflemen and a spellcaster were stood off to the side, out in the courtyard, and another had us flanked from a garage area.

And Gennady and I? We had to make do with what we had. And that was magic— I created Earth Walls all around me. A shallow forest of stone pillars rose from the ground, making it slightly more difficult for them to hit us. But we were cornered. Surrounded from all directions.

I clicked my tongue as I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a Cluster Bomb, activating it before tossing it at Gennady. “Spellcaster!”

The Dwarf saw me throw it his way. He struck it hard, knocking it in the direction of the spellcaster and riflemen. The Cluster Orb detonated into various small explosions, buying me just enough time to peek out and send a Stone Spear at them.

It impaled the spellcaster, dropping him before he could even react. I sighed in relief as I retreated from the return fire.

“‘Spellcaster? Couldn’t you have given me more of a heads up than bloody spellcaster?”

“Now’s not the time!”

The blue bolts of energy struck at my walls from behind, while the metal bullets pelted it from the front, breaking my lines of defense down slowly as I desperately tried to build it back up. I could use Geomancy to reinforce the earth, but that would only be a waste of time, and be an unneeded distraction.

I began conjuring a Fireball. “Alright, now that he’s gone...”

There was a clink. A round object landed next to us. My eyes grew wide as Gennady glanced down at it. “What is—”

I kicked it as hard as I could. The only other thing I could do in time was cast a Force Barrier… cast a Force Barrier and pray.

I prayed that that jerk god really wanted to keep me alive. And that possibly Elara was going to save me. Because what came next was a flash of bright, red light. It blinded me. It forced my eyes shut. A heat engulfed me.

The same explosion— same tool that had taken Jack out— was launched at us. And I didn’t want to open my eyes to find myself dead once more.

The world spun around me. There was a loud ringing in my ears. My head ached— it felt like Gennady was pounding on its insides with a massive warhammer. I blinked as I tried to pick myself up, but my legs were on fire. I grimaced, reaching the scalding marks running down my knees.

The skin was burnt, almost to a crisp. I couldn't stand up. I tried. Only my upper body could move. I reached over to my legs, trying to move it with my hands, only to feel a stinging, sharp pain. A sound left my mouth— a gasp of air.

I crawled forward, trying to get a good grasp of my surroundings. I was half buried in dirt and debris. The Stone Walls I had erected were smashed apart. The only reason why I was still in one piece was thanks to my magic. I had managed to put up a barrier in time. Just before the cylindrical object detonated.

It couldn’t protect the entirety of my body. The Force Barrier wasn’t wide enough for that. So, I focused it on protecting my vital organs. Thanks to that, I survived. My mask had been blown away, and my clothes were torn and tattered. But I was alive.

I glanced over to the bulky machine standing next to me. Gennady’s Tinker Suit was scorched around the arms and the legs. However, it seemed he managed to react and cover himself up. The Golem-like body had taken the brunt of the blast. I didn’t even see a single mark on the Dwarf’s face. There were a few lines, which I initially thought were scars. I only realized a moment later that they were wrinkles.

He was worried.

“—lass!” My hearing returned a moment later. The white noise that had drowned out everything else receded, seeping into the background, making way for all the clamor and chaos around me to overwhelm my senses.

I clutched at my head as I saw another flash of light. Gennady spun around, the beam from his Tinker Suit streaking through the air in a circle. There were screams. Shouts of pain. I knew what Gennady could do, and I almost pitied our assailants.

Perhaps that was a sign of my delirious state.

“Oi, Melas, we’re getting outta here right now!” I felt a tugging on my shoulder. Then I found myself being lifted up into the air.

I blearily blinked my eyes as I saw the ground move away from me. Or was I moving away from the ground? “G—” No words left my mouth.

The heavy, thudding footsteps of Gennady’s Tinker Suit echoed in my ears as I saw the earth shifting around me. We were making our way back to the warehouse— the men and women who had been blocking our paths from behind lay dead. Bullets of both metal and mana shot our way. They impacted the back of the Dwarf’s suit, almost bouncing off, leaving small scratch marks where they hit.

My head lolled back. All I saw was a blur. And yet, when I glanced in the direction of the gunshots, I saw figures— more than before. One of them was short, stocky. He held a large rifle with both his arms, hefting it over his shoulders. The hole of its barrel was wide, and it seemed like the man holding it was lading a massive bullet into it.

I narrowed my eyes. Slowly, I realized what was going on.

“D-D...”

No words came out. But my mind screamed with panic and fear.

Didar.

Did Gennady even know he was there? I wasn’t certain. But the Dwarf was now stumbling into the hallway. The enclosed space that could collapse on us. It would even concentrate the blast on us. I gritted my teeth.

With every bit of strength I had left, I brought my hand up. I pointed in the direction of Didar. The cylindrical object launched out— it hurled through the courtyard towards us. A spell circled unfolded itself on my fingertips. The pleats unfurled, coming to life like a paper crane, creating a complex, intricate pattern of runes and symbols at its heart.

While it shimmered with a dim light, like a thin wire limned in the moonlight, I could sense the power emanating from it. A fissure tore through the air. It wasn’t just a faded spot, like with Fracture Side. No, this was something else.

The cylindrical shell was swallowed by the fissure. And it came right out, spat back where it came from.

There were shouts. Screams. I couldn’t make out what was being cried. It was all unintelligible. With the last of my energy expended, the world went dark.

—--

“It— it wasn’t me…” the words barely left Jack’s mouth. The hands around his neck grew tighter. He felt a cough simmering within him, but nothing came out. He couldn’t even breathe any longer.

Red eyes stared at him. Eyes of pure hatred. Unbridled fury, a range that could never be matched by any man or woman. Because what stood before Jack was a Demon.

He had skin, black as the night; crooked horns, pointing towards the sky. His armor— the gray plate armor— was covered in spikes. It was on his bracers. His pauldron had horns, just like his. But despite his menacing appearance, the name he was given by the Church was demeaning, it belittled his accomplishments.

It was the Imp.

The Imp— the leader of the Shadow’s Evangelium. The same group which defied the Church itself. And now, his anger was directed towards Jack.

“You traitor!” His words itself forced the Human man to choke.

Jack struggled to speak. He wanted to protest, but the Imp had refused to hear what he had to say. It was simple: before Jack could even say anything, someone else had talked to the Imp.

Didar, you traitor, he thought, cursing the Dwarf. It was not a whim— it was not an accidental betrayal. It had been planned for months.

In a single night, every spellcaster— Goblin, Dwarf, and Human— that had been under their protection was handed over to the Taw Kingdom. Jack didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. The Shadow’s Evangelium was already after him. And after a single night of running, trying to flee, they caught him.

The Imp. The Reaper. The Nuckelavee. The Fiend. The infamous members of the Shadow’s Evangelium— the most dangerous and evil of them all.

I knew we should never have worked with them. It was a pointless thought. Jack should have blamed Didar, but he could only focus on what was in front of him at the moment. He was going to die.

The grip around Jack’s neck went loose. He was dropped to the ground with a thud. He erupted into a fit of coughs. He looked up, confused, surprised... almost relieved? That was until he saw the girl walking forward.

An Elf— maybe a Half Elf— took a step towards him, drawing in the air. Her pointed ears twitched as a savage grin spread across her face. “Is it my turn now, Hajax~?” A black pole appeared on her hand. An ethereal blade came out of its end, creating a scythe.

The Imp paused. He craned his neck every so slightly, facing her. “Make it hurt,” was all he said.

The Reaper clapped her hands together, almost giddy with excitement. She skipped forward with the mannerisms of a child— except, sending far more terror down Jack’s spine than any other brat with a mouth.

Jack scrambled to get up, but a foot pressed down against his chest. It forced the air out of his lungs— he gasped, wheezed for air as the Reaper cocked her head.

“Aw~ don’t you just love it when they struggle?” She raised her scythe, and Jack’s eyes grew wide.

He tried to scream. He thought nothing would come out. But the most terrified, fearful cry left his lips just as the Reaper swung down. The guillotine fell. The executioner's blade came for his neck. And he was saved.

Black hair. A woman— young, younger than even him. She stood before the Reaper, stopping the descent of the scythe.

The Fiend.

“Hey— Valeria, what are you doing?” the Reaper sputtered.

The Fiend ignored her words. She shook her head, facing the Imp with a defiant gaze. “That is enough.”

The Imp glanced back at her. He said nothing. He spun back, leaving Jack behind. The Fiend— the others— followed after him, none of them speaking. None but the Reaper.

“Wait, are we seriously going to let him live—”

—--

Jack would never forget that woman’s face. The black hair she had— so unique to Humans. Some said it was a product of interbreeding with Elves. Yet, that was not what he remembered about the woman.

It was her face that was burned into his memories. He didn’t find her particularly breathtaking— perhaps others would, but he was not concerned about that. It was the determination. The look of defiance, even when she went against her group. That was the same face which he now saw, unconscious, carried by Gennady as he ran down the hallway.

“Oi, Dwarf, what happened out there?” Jack stopped him, swords already drawn.

Gennady gently placed Melas down as Lisa rushed up to her. She immediately began tending to the girl’s wounds, while Sevin stepped forward, glancing out the large hole ahead, rifle aimed at the ready.

“We got surrounded,” the Dwarf said, face grim. “She put up barriers all around us, but then—” He looked out, back where he came from. “I think Didar is out there, somewhere. Melas did something, and there was an explosion. A big one. Thanks to that, I managed to make it back inside.”

“Didar is out there?” Jack narrowed his eyes.

Sevin poked his head out, and gunshots rang out. The young man quickly ducked back in, scurrying away from the metallic bullets. “There’s at least a dozen of them still out there!”

“A dozen is nothing,” Elda snorted. She walked past Gennady, patting the back of the suit with a clink. “Take care of Melas and Lisa, will you, big guy?”

The Dwarf rolled his eyes. “Not much I can do out there. They did a number on my Tinker Suit.”

She grinned, gesturing for Jack to follow. “We can take care of just a handful of idiots, can’t we?”

Jack nodded, feeling his grip around the handle of his swords tighten. “Yes.”

“Give us covering fire, Sevin. Mason, Avery, come on.” The two former-pirates followed after her.

Jack was a step behind them. He entered the ruined courtyard at their heels, immediately faced with a barrage of gunfire. Elda tossed a throwing knife forward, jamming it straight into the barrel of a rifle. Mason fired back with dual crossbows, rapidly loading and loosing the bolts across debris and burnt grass at them.

Avery wielded an odd-looking spear. It seemed like the kind used by Beastkin in combat. She moved like a dance, twirling and spinning around the hail of gunfire, avoiding their golden light with the grace of a noble.

Jack was not trained in any kind of martial art. He was only backed by experience. Decades of combat. He had fought all his life— whether it was in the streets, or out at sea. He wasn’t a pirate, but he had been a smuggler. He had gone through the grinder, walked through broken rocks, and pushed past the flames all for this.

Didar.

The Dwarf who betrayed him.

His old friend.

Jack was going to kill him.

The bullets whizzed and flew past him. Was Jack deflecting them? Or did the attackers just have bad aim? He couldn’t tell. The world was nothing to him. All he wanted was to find Didar. He tore through their ranks, moving even faster than Avery.

He spun and spun, slicing apart guns and body parts. He took them apart, and when there was only one standing, he grabbed him by the collar, eyes filled with rage.

“Where is Didar?!”

The man, a Human, squeaked. “I-I don’t know! He was up on those rooftops— but there was blast, and—”

Jack let the man go. He marched past him, heading in the direction pointed out. It was a warehouse adjacent to theirs. There were a few men and women guarding the first floors. But once they saw what Jack did to the others, they fled.

Only a single spellcaster tried to stop him as he entered the stairway. Jack made quick work of him. He knew of all the tricks spellcasters had. He worked with many of them in the past. When he saw a Fireball in an enclosed space, he knew it was just a distraction.

He slid under the flames, going straight for the Dwarf spellcaster before he could conjure his snare. Jack went for his legs, and he fell, tumbling down the stairs.

No one else tried to stop him. They either ran when they saw him, or they had already run. Jack reached the last floor— just before the rooftop. But all he saw was a collapsed ceiling. Bodies lay in the rubble, from the fallen roof.

He narrowed his eyes. His relentless approach finally stopped. He dug through the corpses and the other bodies. What happened here? Was it done by Melas?

His thoughts were cut off as he saw a figure sticking out of the rocks. A Dwarf. One he would recognize anywhere.

Jack pulled Didar out of the debris, a sword aimed at the Dwarf’s neck. Didar coughed, panting and looking around in a daze.

Was he even lucid enough to know what was going on?

“J-Jack?” he asked, wide-eyed. “What are you… doing?”

Jack pressed the blade against his throat, only for him to back up.

“W-what?”

“Do you think I’d really let you live, after all you’ve done?!” the Human man snarled.

“After what I’ve done?” He had a blank look on his face. Rubbing his head, he snapped his eyes shut. “I… Jack, where’s the others? Why are you doing this?”

Was Didar delirious? Did he really strike his head that hard from the fall? Jack gritted his teeth.

“You…” He took a deep breath. “After all you’ve done to me, how dare you forget what you’ve done? You’ve taken everything away from me!” His words were full of venom and vitriol. It was like he had swallowed poison and held it in for the past two decades of his life before finally letting it out.

Jack stabbed one of his short swords down, just barely missing Didar’s neck. It sank through the stone as the Dwarf panicked and made a sound.

He hesitated, looking up at Jack. His mouth bobbed open like a fish. “Th-this…” he trailed off. He took a deep breath as Jack’s gaze bore into him. And he smiled. “Of course I didn’t forget.”

With a kick, Didar sent Jack stumbling back. He knocked the first short sword out of the Human man’s hand and drew it himself.

Jack scowled, annoyed at himself for falling for Didar’s trickery once more.

“You were always such a fool, Jack,” Didar laughed, stepping forward. “Did you seriously think I ever cared for you?”

“You used me,” Jack said, his one remaining short sword in hand.

“Since the very beginning.”

The two clashed blades. The pair had sparred many times in the past— it was never serious. They had never gotten into a serious fight. Jack always assumed that meant they were close; he never once considered it was because Didar wanted it that way.

“I thought of you as my brother. I left my family because of you!”

Sparks flew, spraying off the sliding metal. Their strikes echoed in the silent building. Their duel was even, although Jack was winning. He was always the more skilled fighter.

“And what a stupid decision that turned out to be.” Didar grinned, backing up against a wall.

Jack thrusted his blade forward, but the Dwarf stepped around it. He grabbed for a large rock, and flung it at Jack’s head. Deflecting it with the flat of his blade, Jack let his guard down for a mere moment.

And Didar threw himself at the Human man. It knocked Jack off balance. Both men dropped their swords, the weapons sliding off to the side as they wrestled with one another.

Jack struggled to get back to his feet, but was dragged back to the ground. The Dwarf was heavier— stronger. His thudding blows felt like they could break Jack’s bones. His body screamed in pain as Didar continued hammering at him.

“You—” Didar’s fist crashed into Jack’s head. “You never could think like me. You never saw the world like me.” Jack tried to punch back, but was beaten back down. “Every direction you took, you only saw a straight line. I didn’t. I could see the many diverging paths. I was never simple-minded like you. That was why you were left behind, all alone to rot.”

Left behind? Jack exploded in anger. He tossed Didar back, the Dwarf hitting against the wall. Stumbling forward, Jack reached for his swords.

“I wasn’t left behind. I was betrayed by you.”

“No,” Didar said, getting back to his feet, almost relaxed. Jack spun around, only to see the Dwarf standing over a corpse, holding a gun in his hand. “You were a burden. A horse with a broken leg. And that’s why you had to be put down.” Didar squeezed the trigger.

Before Jack could even pick up his blades, a gunshot rang out. Something dropped. And Didar clutched at his bleeding abdomen. “W-What…?”

Jack looked past the Dwarf. At Lisa who was standing by the stairwell, one of the guns used by the Humans from the Puer Kingdom held in her hand.

“Jack!” she called out, running past the falling Didar. She hugged Jack as he stood there, caught off-guard by her appearance.

“W-when did you get here?” he asked, in shock.

“Are you stupid?” She shook her head. “Obviously I just arrived. I ran ahead of the others. They went after those that fled. I came here after you.”

“But what about Melas—”

“Right here,” a voice cut him off. A girl stumbled up the stairs, steadying herself against the railings. Her black hair was a mess, and her robes were singed black. Whatever enchantment she had prevented them from burning off completely, already they were still tattered from the explosion she was caught in.

“And I’m here too,” Gennady said, following behind her, his Tinker Suit no longer equipped.

“You—” Didar croaked, looking at the three newcomers as if he hadn’t seen a person ever before. “W-w…” He was at a loss for words.

And so was Jack. The pair had been so caught up in their battle— lost in their own little world— they had almost forgotten others were around.

Jack didn’t say anything. He just hugged Lisa back. He had thought he was going to die. That after all these years, he was going to die just as he found Didar once more. To the Dwarf himself, no less.

So, Jack felt relieved. He didn’t even realize how much time had passed until the young woman made a sound.

“Uh, Jack, can you maybe… let me go?” Her face burned red.

He blushed, and quickly took a step back. “S-sorry.”

The pair stood across from each other, embarrassed for a moment. Then a voice interrupted them.

“Oi, I don’t want to interrupt your lovey-dovey moment,” Gennady said, much to the annoyance of Jack and the embarrassment of Lisa. “But what do we do about him?” He gestured at the fallen Didar.

Blood was pouring out of Didar’s stomach. Lisa didn’t strike a vital spot, but it would have killed him soon enough.

Jack looked at Didar, then at his two blades. This was his chance. He could exact his revenge right now, and no one would stop him. I can finally get my revenge— He picked up his blade. He walked slowly towards the bleeding Dwarf, coughing and trying to crawl away from Jack.

All it would take was a flick of his sword. Jack could end it right here, once and for all. Yet, the rage he felt from before was gone. The anger from being betrayed was gone. Why?

Was it because he discovered the truth? That Didar had never cared for him? Or was it something else?

Standing over Didar with a sword raised, Jack glanced over at Melas. He fixed her with a curious look, and she cocked her head.

“Are you going to stop me?” he asked her, blinking, as if he surprised himself with the question.

“Stop you?” Melas shrugged. She wore the same face as her mother. She truly looked like a younger version of the Fiend. But perhaps, she was slightly different. “This is not my fight. I would be a hypocrite to tell you not to kill someone, after I’ve murdered many myself.” The words almost caused her to wince.

Jack had hoped she would ask him to stop— stand before him with defiance in her eyes. But she didn’t. Yet, that was enough for him to understand what he wanted. Jack nodded.

“I see.”

He tossed his blades to the side. Didar stared at Jack. “You’re… not going to kill me?”

“I will not,” Jack said simply.

“But— why?” Didar let out a nervous laugh. “Is it because you’re too scared? Scared to get your revenge? Or are you feeling sentimental?”

“No, it’s none of those reasons.” Jack grunted, shaking his head. “You’ve done a lot of wrong. More than just to me. And now, you’re working with the Puer Kingdom to sabotage Jahar’taw. I shall let the House of Or’taq decide what happens to you.”

“You’re going to turn me in?”

“I am,” Jack agreed. “All this time, I had thought you did what you did for some reason. Whether it be because you felt threatened by me, or because you wanted more for yourself. But it’s because you never once cared for me. You never thought of me in the same way you did. You didn’t care about me. So now, I shall do the same.”

The man walked back towards Lisa, not facing Didar.

“No matter what fate they decide for you, I do not— will not— care.”

—--

Gennady explained the situation to the Golemguard and the other enforcers of Jahar’taw when they arrived. I stayed mostly out of it, back in the warehouse, trying to recover.

My body ached all over— even after receiving some medical treatment, I was far from fully healed. At least it gave me an excuse to stay away from most of the questions. I didn’t want to even think of trying to come up with a fake reason about why I, a kid, was caught up in this mess. Nor would I want to elaborate on how I contributed.

Sure, I was under protection by the King of the Taw Kingdom. However, that didn’t mean knowledge about me was commonplace.

When Gennady returned from the long talks, he visited my room to check up on me. I sat up on my bed, raising an eyebrow.

“So, what’s going to happen?”

“They’ll be bringing Didar and the other survivors in for questioning. Especially those who came from the Puer Kingdom.” Gennady plopped himself on a chair with a large mug of ale. “I’m not gonna lie, lass, but that was quite the mess. If the House of Or’taq can get what they want from them, then it may even lead to war.”

I sighed. “That doesn’t sound very nice.”

“It ain’t.”

“Then what happens next?” I asked, trying to change the topic. “To Didar and the other prisoners?”

“That lot?” He downed a large gulp before continuing. “Most of them will probably be given a lenient sentence depending on whether or not they speak. But for Didar and those in charge— they’ll probably be sentenced to death.”

“Mhm, thought so,” I murmured.

"Don't ya have anything to say about that?" Gennady asked, a curious look on his face.

I rested my head against a pillow, pulling my blanket over me as I closed my eyes. "Nope."

Chapter 30: Vulnerable

The road to recovery was not a quick one. Sure, this world had healing potions— and it had some level of medicinal knowledge, similar to mine during the industrial revolution. And yet, I couldn’t just miraculously heal from such extreme burn wounds all over my body in a day.

Even when I had lost my arms— when my mom had treated me after I fought the Chimera— I still wasn’t fully ready to run around right off the bat. The only time I had ever recovered from a serious, life-threatening injury in an instant was when those three strangers saved me from the Horned Ursa.

They had done something to me. I wasn’t sure if it was magic or a miracle. But they healed me, and they led me to be captured by slavers.

So, even if they did save my life, I wasn’t particularly grateful to them.

For now, I was stuck in my room until I fully healed. I was a child, after all. Sevin, Jack, and Lisa had ordered me to stay in the warehouse until my skin was no longer soft and squishy. Or… softer and squishier than usual. Gennady and Elda didn’t care as much.

Although the other ex-pirates did. I should probably stop calling them that and give them a proper name. They didn’t mind. In fact, they held the fact that they were pirates in pride. They still repped the fact they were in Ginah’s Crew.

Maybe trying to come up with a better name for them should be in my to-do list. After all, I was left to my own devices now.

And it just so happened that my own devices consisted of studying magic and furthering my Tinkering. Gennady had brought me a stack of very thick books he wanted me to finish reading in a week. I told him no, I wasn’t going to do that. But I was going to try and get through as much of it as I could.

It was one thing, spending all day reading something that was information-intensive just to say that I could do it quickly. It was another, trying to actually absorb what was being read, and applying it in a practical manner.

I was trying to do the latter, not the former.

I grabbed a handful of Inferior mana crystals, and were studying their surfaces to find good places to inscribe runes on them. One thing I had learned was that you couldn't always use just any mana crystal for any tool you wanted to craft.

You had to find the right one. Sure, you could do what the Tinkerers in the Holy Xan Empire often did. They ensured that no runes of symbols went on the mana crystals, only on the things that were connected and engaged to the mana crystals. But not only was that a lot more complicated, it also required finding mana crystals of the right size to fit the tool with all the inscriptions on its surface.

I was trying to come up with something simple, yet inventive; something that would actually sell. Not a shower which no one would use. The night was getting late. I was pretty sure almost ever had gone to bed at this point. And that was when I heard a soft knock. It sounded like shoes on wood, actually.

It didn’t come from the door, but from… behind me. “[Speak of the devil],” I sighed.

I sensed the magic a moment later. It was some kind of spell— Space Magic. I could tell. I glanced up from my desk. A figure stood before me, wreathed in the shadows. I lightly rested a handle on my dagger, eyeing the Demon that stood before me.

“What is it that you want from me this time?”

“Hello, Melas,” Elara said, ignoring my question. She wore the same cloak as she did before— the same one that seemed to mask all features underneath it when it fluttered over her body. But she had it neatly folded back this time; it revealed an elegant purple dress— one that was more befitting a formal occasion than this. It was daring, too. Its hemlines stopped short halfway down her thighs, revealing her obsidian skin, almost cracked with red lines. “It has been a while since we spoke.”

Getting to my feet, I regarded the Demon. Her two horns were the only things on her bald head. It was almost eerie; I would never see such a person back on Earth. “Why have you returned, Elara? I am not in danger— I was when Didar attacked us. Not anymore.”

“Yes. I noticed that you were in trouble. However, I surmised that you would be fine, and that intervention was not necessary. And if it were, I was prepared to save you at any point in time.” She shrugged. That was what she was like. Nonchalant. Uncaring.

I glared at her. “And what about my friends?”

“What about them?”

I scowled. I should have known that was what she would say; I still felt compelled to ask her about it, just to know for certain. It was something I intuitively was aware of— she wasn’t here for me, but from what she could make of me.

Never make a deal with the devil.

Taking a step back, I hid a hand behind my back. Whatever magic I could toss her way could easily be rendered null by her Dispel Magic. However, I had a few Cluster Bombs on me. Enough that I could hurl them all at her.

But there was a turn of the head, an inquiring gaze, one that seemed more entertained than threatened. “Do you wish to attack me, Melas? You know that I am far above what you are capable of dealing with, right?”

I clicked my tongue. “Of course I do.” She seemed almost relieved, glad that she didn’t have to apprehend me. Then I grinned. “That’s why I won’t take on you alone.” I leapt to the side, hurling the Cluster Bombs her way.

There was a sigh. A wave of the hand. The metallic spheres halted mid-air. Elara snapped a finger, and the mana crystals in their center flashed— and their lights winked out. Then the Demon took a deep breath. And It was like the mana inside of it was being siphoned out, flowing in a stream towards her.

Shaking her head, she turned towards me. “You cannot—”

Her words were cut off as my Frost Javelins lanced out at her. As I expected, they vanished from existence an instant later. I could barely put up a fight against her Dispel Magic.

But that was enough for me. I reached the door. I pulled at its handles. It swung open— and  I ran face-first into a wall.

I stumbled back, clutching at my face in pain. “O-ow… what the…?” I looked up, only seeing a void ahead of me. Nothing but darkness stood before the doorway. It was like a sable blanket had been thrown over the other side, covering the corridor ahead from me. Except, it was made of the hardest metal in existence.

Seriously, that hurt.

I tried to kick at the black wall, but thought better of myself a moment later. I raised a hand, conjuring a Fireball, but it was snuffed out. A chuckle came from behind me; Elara placed a hand on my shoulder.

I whirled around, stabbing my dagger at her neck. She caught it. “There’s no point trying to escape, Melas. I knew you were going to do this. I made preparations for it, just in case.”

I narrowed my eyes, sensing the magic in the air. It was overwhelming. I couldn’t feel at all before. But now that I focused— and perhaps it was because Elara unmasked it— I could feel it beating down on me. A cage. Just like the one I was trapped in in Bys.

No. It is the same cage. I had only become a slave because of her. Because of the three strangers. Because of that false god. I glared at Elara, trying to press the dagger closer to her neck. Her grip around my arms didn’t tighten. She simply pushed it aside, knocking my weapon away.

“You can tell,” she said simply. “You know the power difference between us is too great.”

“I am the greatest spellcaster in the world.” I spoke through gritted teeth. I took a step to the side, as if trying to circle around her. “That’s what your god told me.”

“You can be.” Elara nodded, placing a hand on her chin. “It will take a while, but you have the potential.” She gestured around her, smiling. “That's why I’m here.”

My eyes grew wide. The Demon did not bat an eye as she spoke; I couldn’t tell if she was lying. I stopped mid-step as she continued.

“I realized that I was too… forward… with my first offer. I know that you don’t trust me just yet— but I assure you, I come here with no intent to harm you, only to aid you.”

There was a pause. A skipped beat. Then I returned to my senses. “I have no reason to accept your offer. Your words hold no sway over me.”

The devil comes for those who are weak—

I stood my ground, but she was insistent. Indignant. She continued, “You are dubious, rightfully so.”

—and vulnerable.

“You think I am out after you, even when I am your protector. Your Guardian Angel, if you will. And I will prove it to you.”

That is why you should never accept...

“Which is why I came today bearing nothing but a gift.”

...what they offer you.

Elara produced a rolled up piece of parchment; it looked old, decrepit. I was certain it would crumble if I laid a single finger on it. And yet, the Demon didn’t treat it with care, tossing it onto my desk, with little regard for its state.

To my surprise, it simply landed and rolled to a stop. It was a lot sturdier than it looked. I frowned, turning Elara suspiciously.

“Take it,” she said.

“I don’t need whatever piece of paper you own,” I snapped back. “I have my own tomes and books to study and learn from.”

“But you see, Melas, this isn’t an ordinary scroll. It contains within it a kind of magic— an enchantment— that lets you master a single spell in a day.”

I furrowed my brows. “What kind of spell?”

“The Shield of the Sentinel,” she replied with a smile. “If your Dwarf friend were here, he’d tell you that it is a Tier 6 protective barrier. One that does more than shelter those within its confines, going as far as to heal them, slowly recover their wounds.”

“That’s…” I found my mouth hanging open. But I quickly gathered myself. Focus, Melas. That’s too good to be true. You’re not vulnerable. You’re not weak. Do not trust the devil’s words.

“You can do whatever you wish with it, Melas.” Elara spun on her heels, white specks— like feathers— gathering around her. The sable dome over my room began to disintegrate— almost like it was dematerializing, particle by particle, vanishing into nothing. “I shall take my leave. For now. And perhaps, when I speak with you again, you will have changed your mind by then.”

And she was gone. Once again, she left me standing alone. She infiltrated my room so easily; she found a way around all my protections— all my wards— without me even knowing she was here until she wanted to be made known.

This was the power of a Demon. A true spellcaster. One who had studied magic all her life. The daughter of the Demon Lord himself.

The pinnacle of magic. Could I ever hope to match her power? Yes, I reminded myself. Yes I can.

The question was: should I do it on my own, or accept her offer?

“Here,” I said, handing the small, rectangular object to Gennady.

The Dwarf pulled himself away from his work station, lifting a metal mask up, revealing a face covered in soothe. We were in the basement— where he was usually working, tinkering and doing whatever else he usually did down here.

He raised a brow. “What’s this?”

“It’s what I made last night,” I explained. “It’s nothing genius. I just thought it’d be a handy thing to have around, you know? And it’s relatively simple once I figured out all the runes needed for electricity.”

“Right.” He scratched his beard. Glancing behind him, he looked at a young man for help but found none, and proceeded to speak with uncertainty. “That… still didn’t tell us what this is, lass.”

I rolled my eyes, looking between both him and Sevin. “Do neither of you not know what this is?” I held the object up, tapping at a rune on its side. There was a crackle— a buzzing noise. “It’s a stun gun. It delivers a pulse of electricity through its target. You just have to jab it at their side, and any regular person will fall, immobile.”

Sevin’s eyes widened. “You mean it’s non-lethal?”

“It isn’t supposed to be, although it can be, yeah.” I nodded.

“Woah.” He was fascinated by that aspect of my invention— which threw me off a bit. I was expecting him to be surprised by my use of lightning at a lower amperage.

The Dwarf, meanwhile, was focused on another thing. First of all, he said, “Wait, you mean you didn’t sleep last night? Aren’t ya supposed to be resting?” Once I explained that I couldn’t sleep— which was only partially true, since a visit from a Demon made me too paranoid to willingly fall unconscious and lay defenseless— he moved onto the next question. “I thought you were trynna come up with non-weapon concepts?”

I gave him a shrug. There really was not much else I could say. “I’m surprised neither of you recognized it immediately. I saw something similar being used while I was a sla— while I was in the Free Lands.”

“Something similar to this?” Gennady blinked. Then a look of horror flashed across his face. “You mean the zapper?”

“Uh, if it is what I think you think it is, then yes?”

Sevin seemed to know about what Gennady was talking about. “The zapper— you created a torture device?!” He stared at me, aghast.

“A torture device?” I cocked my head. “No— look, it’s just supposed to be used to disarm any assailants stalking you down a quiet alleyway. It only hurts them a little bit. Enough to incapacitate them before you can run off and find someone to help you.” I held up the stun gun, activating it, and lightly tapping the Dwarf’s forearms. “See?”

“Youch!” he yelped, leaping back. “Yep, that’s a torture device, Melas. It can’t kill you— it can only hurt you. Slavers use the zapper to control misbehaving slaves.”

I remembered the zapper. It was what they had used to keep the Beastkin with me— Shang and Rin— back in their cages, so that they couldn’t just grab the slavers and strangle them to death. They did also use it to torture Shang for a while. So, I guess they really were torture devices.

“Well, this isn't a zapper, alright?” I said emphatically. “It’s a stun gun. You can’t even use it in the same way a zapper is used. Look, for this, you have to get up close and personal with them. A slavery would get bit or punched before they could even use this on one of their dozen slaves.”

Gennady still seemed unconvinced. Sevin was a little more open to the idea. The Dwarf shook his head. “I’ll try and pass the idea along to a few of my contacts. Maybe they’d be willing to hear your pitch. They’re always interested in forming a relationship with bright, new Tinkerers. It’s just… I’m not sure how receptive they may be to the idea.”

I sighed. “I know that, I know that,” I repeated myself, pocketing my stun gun. “Look, it really isn’t that different from Sevin’s Shock Pistol. The only difference is that this works more like a knife which you’ll have to use from close range.”

“Why is it called a stun gun, and not a stun knife then?” Gennady asked with a curious look.

I bit my lower lip. I didn’t respond. I guess it would be a more fitting name. I decided to change the topic as I regarded the Dwarf.

“So, any word about Didar? How about the Puer Kingdom?”

Gennady took a deep breath. He turned to Sevin. “Get me a glass, will you lad?”

“Yes Master Gennady.” The young man scampered off to fetch him a mug of ale. I watched him leave, glad that I didn’t let the Dwarf take advantage of me like that.

“It’s been a hot mess, lass,” he finally said, sitting on his chair next to his workstation. “Lots of information is coming out about the Puer Kingdom. Like how they’re planning a full-on invasion of the Taw Kingdom for years. That civil unrest is on the rise— some groups have been stirring trouble within— and they wish to use the guise of war to clamp down on all dissent, while creating a common enemy to unite against.”

That really wasn’t anything we didn’t already know. However, I guess it did confirm some speculations. “What is the government planning to do?”

“Well, first of all, they hope to weed out all of the Puer Kingdom’s spies running around the city. Which is bloody foolish, lass! Don’t they know that that’s not possible? Bah, idiots, the lot of ‘em.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. Sevin returned with his mug, to which he downed in a few gulps without even saying ‘thanks’.

“I know Adilet is trying to get these idiots to act more pressingly, but there’s always hold ups.”

“Politics,” Sevin chimed in, and I nodded agreeingly.

The Dwarf ignored us, continuing. “Because it’s such a hassle, I’ve been trying to ask anyone I know if they have any information about the Puer Kingdom, but they’re either all useless, or they’ve gone daft all at the same time.”

“Why not ask Jack or Lisa?” The pair were underworld specialists. Surely they would have known something.

“I did. And while Jack is done getting involved with this shit for now— which makes no damned sense to me— Lisa has asked all her contacts too. None of her associates have come up with anything of use.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What about the Dark Crusaders?”

“What about them?” Gennady heaved a heavy breath, resting his chin on his arm.

“Last I heard, they’re not happy about the Puer Kingdom for bringing the Holy Xan Empire into Jahar’taw. They may have some dirt they’d be willing to share if we ask them for information in exchange for some… favors.” I almost trailed off towards the end. That latter part was a suggestion which I wasn’t sure I felt very happy about.

Gennady seemed to agree. “I dunno about that second half, lass, but I think it can’t hurt to prod them about this. Although, I thought you had cut most contact with them a few weeks back? Are you just going to reach out to them out of the blue?”

“I was,” I said, shifting my feet uncomfortably. “I was going to ask Lisa to help arrange a meeting for me— I had… some questions of my own for them.” I remembered the scroll I had been given. The name of the spell, said by Elara. Was it really as powerful as the Demon had said? Would it really teach me such advanced magic in a day?

I could have opened it to find out, but I didn’t; Elara’s words weren’t trustworthy. For all I knew, there could have been some kind of curse in the scroll. If I opened it and read whatever inscriptions were on it, I may be placed under some kind of spell which entranced me to her cause— to the false god’s goals.

There were a lot of logical holes I could poke through those worries, but when it came to Elara, it was truly better safe than sorry.

I raised my shoulders in a shrug. “Since I was going to meet the Dark Crusaders anyway, I may as well just ask some questions for you.”

The Dwarf paused. He had a thoughtful look. Then he grinned. “That’s a great idea! Bring me with you!”

“Wait, what?”

Chapter 31: A Witch’s Offer

It wasn’t easy to contact the Dark Crusaders currently; they had their hands tied up with Saintess Lilith and the Holy Knights. My supply of magical tomes were cut off because of this. However, with Lisa’s help, I was able set up a quick meeting with them tonight.

The young woman couldn’t come with me. She was too busy dealing with Jack who was in a depressive state. He seemed to have gotten over a lot of his past issues after confronting Didar, but it also did reignite old problems he had. So, he was now a recluse. And Lisa couldn’t just leave him alone.

I did have a replacement. A particularly noisy replacement whom I wasn’t sure if I should have brought along. Gennady came with me, dressed in some ragged factory-outfit and a hood. His beard was dyed gray, and he walked with a hunched back to pretend he was older than he really was.

We entered the inner city of Jahar’taw by train as we usually did, before splitting off and reuniting when we were dressed in our individual disguises. I was, of course, Aria the Hunter. Or the Half Goblin, Aria. Either one worked. It didn’t matter what others thought of me, as long as I was not recognized as Melas, daughter of Valeria.

Gennady, on the other hand, was supposed to be Gen. He was a factory worker who discovered his innate talent for magic only recently, which drove him to quit his job and become a Hunter. Apparently, this was a real persona which the Dwarf had prepared with the Hunters Guild. When he first told me about it, I was in shock.

But he laughed at me and said, “What, lassie? Didn’t think I actually knew my way around the underworld, eh? I know that I may seem incompetent just cuz I like to goof off, but I’m pretty damned important around here!”

Regardless, I was now supposed to be helping Gen in honing his magical abilities. Gennady knew magic. He had demonstrated his abilities to me once before.

Lisa arranged for us to meet the Dark Crusaders in the same location as last time. The very same factory in a more… run-down part of the city. It was populated by Goblins; sure, there were plenty of Dwarves lurking the street corners too. But the proportion of Goblin to Dwarf here was at its highest, at roughly 40:60.

We were just arriving within the premises of the factory when I felt a tingling coming from behind me. It was the feeling of magic being used. I narrowed my eyes and spun around. I saw a familiar Goblin appear from behind a shadowed alleyway. He pointed a glowing finger at me as other Goblins surrounded us from all sides.

“Aria, you bring an uninvited guest. Who is this Dwarf intruder?”

I took a step forward, almost shielding Gennady with an arm. “This is not an intruder, Mahir. This is a… friend.” I licked my lips nervously as I said the last part. How would they treat him? As an enemy? No— they needed proof. I nudged the Dwarf on the shoulder. “Show them your magic, Gen.”

Gennady, to his credit, played the part of a scared, old man. He blinked, looking at me with wide eyes. “Wha—” he started.

I grunted, cutting him off. “I said, show them a Light spell.”

He flailed his hands around and nearly fell over. I caught him, propping him up so that he would stand straight. Murmuring an apology, he quickly raised a hand and focused on a spot in the air just above him. “T-this is a basic Light spell M-Ms Aria taught me.” With a flash, a spell circle appeared on the palm of his hands. A ball of light hovered over his head as Mahir narrowed his eyes.

“Is that enough proof for you, Mahir?” I faced him with crossed arms.

The Dark Acolyte didn’t give an immediate response. He turned around to consult with the other Dark Crusaders waiting with him. There really were a lot of them lying in wait for us. I stared around suspiciously. I have never been greeted by such a large number of them before. And they all seemed more wary than usual.

Is something going on? I paused and considered a very real but unsettling possibility. Is Lilith here? Were the Holy Knights spotted within the vicinity? But no— my concerns were misplaced.

“Humph, we weren’t expecting anyone else accompanying you buth the two Humans,” Mahir finally said. “However, since they told us that they weren’t showing up today, we thought you would be alone. You should have informed us that a Dwarf was joining us.”

“Well, he is a… recent addition.” I glared at Gennady with a sidelong glance. It was the truth. Only until I elaborated. “This is Gen, a factory worker from the southern section of the inner city. I only met him a few days ago. Just after I had Lisa arrange our meeting.” Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to Mahir. “He explained his situation to me, and I thought it would be best to at least bring him to speak with the Dark Crusaders since I have heard that you were willing to care for any spellcaster, regardless of species. Or am I wrong?”

Mahir scowled. “Don’t mistake our caution for apathy, Aria.” He gestured for us to follow, leading with a grunt. “We simply have had an eventful few days. You will see what I mean when you are inside.”

I exchanged glances with Gennady. He shrugged, as puzzled as I was.

We were led into the factory escorted by an unusually conspicuous group of Goblins. If there was ever a need to remain discreet— the Dark Crusaders placed it at the very bottom of their priority list. I raised a brow at this, not feeling the need to comment on it.

But Gennady had other ideas. “S-so,” he started in a small voice, “are ye guys always so… guarded? I was told that tha Dark Crusaders were far more secretive than this.”

I winced as he asked the question. Although he did play the part of the bumbling fool well, that was a bit too forward for me. The Dark Crusaders might not appreciate the question. But instead of snapping at Gennady like I expected, Mahir just sighed.

“We’d prefer to keep an air of secrecy, Dwarf. However, with the Church hounding us, we have to make some compromise.”

Compromise? I narrowed my eyes. What was he talking about? Again, Gennady thought to ask the question for me, rather than staying quiet.

“What, uh, kinda compromise are we talkin’ about?”

“The kind that ensures we aren’t all killed,” Mahir said, casting his gaze to the side. The factory was mostly empty— the assembly lines were no longer being operated. The Goblin workers that had once been here were not currently present. Only the Dark Crusaders were here, and they were here in full force. “Reinforcements, as you can clearly see.”

I nodded slowly, understanding. “You’re hoping to fend off the Church with your numbers, aren’t you?” Pausing, I placed a hand on the tip of my mask. “But with someone like a Saintess, I don’t think that’ll be enough.”

Ginah’s Crew were elite fighters. And even with myself and Gennady against only Lilith, we nearly lost to her. If there were Holy Knights there too— we would have surely been slaughtered. I didn’t doubt that Mahir was an experienced spellcaster. He wouldn’t be a Disciple otherwise. However, the other Goblins here… many of them seemed like they would be able to cast simple, basic spells at most.

This was not enough. Not even close. And Mahir agreed.

“We are not fools, Aria. We are aware that simple Disciples alone would not be enough to deal with a Saintess. That is why we have other help here.”

I wanted to prod further, but we finally arrived at our destination. We entered a storage room. One that wasn’t full of wooden boxes full of industrial goods, but with weapons and books stacked on top of each other.

“Now that is enough questions from your end.” Mahir came to a stop. He spun around, facing us with a furrowed brow. The door closed behind us as he peered at me. “What did you need of us this time, Aria? The Dark Crusaders may be willing to work and assist other spellcasters, but only to a certain extent. And since we have had business dealings in the past, we are willing to be amenable. However, that does not mean we will or can give you what you want.”

“We simply want information,” I said, my eyes glazing over the room. There were a lot of bows and arrows prepared. Many of them were glowing with different kinds of enchantments. Passive enchantments. The same kind I had on the dagger at my side. Although— what I had was more unique. The spellwork was basic at best, but it was not done using the blueprint of another enchantment. It was the ingenuity of an ambitious amateur. Someone who was trying to learn how to innovate rather than copy the work of others.

“Information can mean a lot of things.” The Goblin shook his head.

“It isn’t anything complicated.” With a deep breath, I ask my question as vaguely as I could. “I have heard about… things. Certain kinds of special tomes. Books that can teach you magic just like that.” I snapped as I said the last word. Mahir frowned as I fixed him with a look. “It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?”

“It does, doesn’t it?” His voice was neutral. He kept his face cool. Calm.

“And yet, I have heard about it from a reputable source.”

“So what?”

I sighed. “There’s no use beating around the bush, is there?” I pointed at Mahir, producing a bag of coins. Gold stuck out of its top, clear for him to see. I didn’t actually have that much gold on me. The bottom was loaded with bronze and silver. “I want one of those.” I put the offer out. Now all he had to do was take the bait.

But Mahir was silent. He didn’t bat an eye. He stared at me with a blank face. “I apologize, Aria, but I truly do not know what you’re talking about.”

I almost deflated. But it could be a ruse— and yet, what reason would he have for pretending? The only one who would benefit from lying was Elara. Still, I pressed him a bit more. “A grimoire. The same kind that we use to learn and master spells. Written by spellcasters of old. Except, it is imbued with powerful magic. One that can impart the knowledge within it into your mind in mere days. Such a thing should exist, no?”

Mahir placed a hand on his chin. His intrigue was evident now. “Certainly, that sounds like something that could exist.” He pursed his lips, murmuring to himself. “Although, that sounds like something that is incredibly rare. If it exists, I would never be told about it. And even if I did, I apologize, but a few hundred gold coins would not suffice for its sale.”

Gritting my teeth, I cursed internally, with enough passion that a pirate would be jealous of me. Why can’t things ever be easy? Ugh. If I wanted more information on that scroll Elara gave me, I would have to ask someone who was more informed about these things.

“Is that all you came to ask us about?” The Goblin eyed me with a raised brow. “Because if so, then I will have to ask you to leave now.”

“That isn’t all.” I glanced over at Gennady. He was acting scared. He was trembling slightly, back hunched, giving me a small nod. “My friend here has recently discovered an… aptitude towards magic. While he has no intentions of joining the Dark Crusaders right now— no offense.”

“There is none taken,” Mahir said with a grunt. “There are many spellcasters who are averse to joining our cause because of the connotations that come with. However, I can assure you, those are false and drastically over exaggerated by the Church.”

“Right…” I remembered a young man’s face. The sadistic smile he had as a woman screamed in the background. It was a fuzzy memory. I tried to forget the exact events, even if I made sure to remember what happened. Especially how I had been tricked and manipulated for so long. I wasn’t going to assume that Mahir was as despicable as Victor was, but it was better to err on the side of caution. “Again, my friend here, Gen, is simply undecided. It is all so new to him. However, he has one request.” I stepped aside to let him speak.

Gennady lowered his head nervously. “Y-yes. Y’see, I am but a h-humble, uh, worker in Jahar’taw. I am a family man. I stick to myself. But recently, things have been stirring up in tha city, y'know?” It was a backstory. One entirely made up, but plausible. “Bastard Humans have been causing a mess all around— they say they’re from the Puer Kingdom. And they broke into my home. Stole all me gold.”

“Hurry it up, Dwarf.” Mahir glared his way.

“I want to get it back,” Gennady finally said. “And I wanna make those bastards pay for stealing from me.”

“I’ll be helping him,” I added, standing to his side. “We simply want information.”

“Information, information, information,” Mahir sighed. “That is all you want, isn’t it? I don’t know much about the Puer Kingdom, Aria. Just like I know nothing about those grimoires you’re searching for.”

I drew my lips into a thin line. “Are you sure you know nothing at all? They’re the ones responsible for bringing the Holy Xan Empire into the kingdom.”

“Everything I know is what everyone else knows— unless your two Human friends suddenly went deaf, I’m sure they can tell you everything I can tell you about them.”

“We have gold,” I insisted. “Please, we just need some help.”

“I told you—” Mahir paused. He tilted his head back, as if remembering something. “Perhaps we have someone more… qualified to answer this question for you, Dwarf.” Mahir gestured for us to follow.

I glanced over at Gennady, apprehensive. He shook his head, taking a step forward. I followed after, not sure where this came from.

Mahir brought us to another room. He knocked on the door and took a step back, waiting for it to slide open. “I have guests. Do not be alarmed.”

I narrowed my eyes as I sensed enchantments on the door flickering out. Powerful, I thought.

“Come in,” he said as he entered first. “You are about to meet with an Apostle. Ensure that you are respectful.”

I blinked. Apostle? I felt my nervousness building up as I went into the room. There was no way that was good news, right? I stopped mid-step as a figure got to their feet. I thought they were shadowed, wearing a cloak at first. But no— their skin was almost black. The very same figure I saw a few nights ago. Except… they had only a single horn.

A Demon.

And behind that Demon was— I stared at the smaller figure. The Goblin who looked so familiar. His face was twisted into a permanent scowl. Hands dug into his pockets, standing silently to the side.

Karna.

Chapter 32: De-Escalation

My eyes grew wide as I caught sight of the Goblin standing before me. Normally, I would have been gaping at the Demon to the left. The one with the single horn and the obsidian-black skin. However, I just met a Demon a few nights prior to this. Seeing another one didn’t surprise me. Not in the way that seeing this Goblin would.

Because it was Karna.

The Goblin I had known a long time ago. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since we last met. Back when I first spoke to him, I was but a weak spellcaster, barely able to fend for myself, protected by the Dark Crusaders, and caught in a mentally abusive relationship with Victor. I was weak and afraid and broken, when I last saw him.

I only barely managed to gather the courage to act— to save those women. Even if they weren’t the most just people in the world, they didn’t deserve the fate which Victor was inflicting on them. I could understand killing to survive, but torture? Rape? No. I couldn’t justify it. I couldn’t rationalize it.

I was told not to act; I was told to turn the other cheek. But I had been in a free fall. I had ignored everything I once thought was wrong, reasoning that it was necessary. This was a different boundary. One, that if I crossed, would have spelled the end of the me from my past life.

So, I acted. I killed Victor. I betrayed the Dark Crusaders and fled. Because I knew what would have happened if I stayed. Even if I saw that as my heroes— as some kind of valiant rebellion against the evil empire— they were, in reality, a terrorist group.

It didn’t matter how much truth there was to the prior descriptions. I saw the kind of brutality they were able to carry out. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. And I was very much at risk of facing punishment for my past actions now.

Mahir took a step forward, bowing at the Demon.

“Apostle Estia, I apologize for my intrusion. I have brought with me guests. Friends of the Dark Crusaders.”

Estia? I raised a brow. So, that was what a Demon’s name was supposed to sound like. It wasn’t like Elara’s, which was a Human name. The pronunciation— the place where the tongue sat— was entirely different. More throaty.

“Disciple Mahir,” Estia greeted him with the same respectful words, but an apathy in her voice that betrayed the aforementioned respect, “why have you brought these outsiders to me?”

“They are spellcasters, Apostle,” Mahir explained as he straightened. “And they share common enemies with us. They have come to us seeking help.”

“But they are not of the Dark Crusaders, no?” She raised a brow.

The Goblin hesitated. The Demon’s animosity was quite clear.

Estia spun around, not even facing us. Waving a hand off, she said, “They are not our friends if they are not one of us, Disciple. We have no reason to aid them. Take them away from me.”

Her words sent relief down my spine. It allowed me to relax. I didn’t want to speak, in fear of having Karna single me out. And it gave us permission to take our leave before he could figure things out. Sure, I was wearing a mask and had a hood covering my head. And yes, I have grown quite a bit since we last met.

But I didn’t want to take this risk.

Not with him.

If he attacked me, I wasn’t sure how I’d react. It was different, fighting someone you knew and shared intimate experiences with. He was my friend. It wouldn’t be easy to fight him.

Even Victor, someone I grew to despise, was not easy to kill.

Taking a step back, I gestured for Gennady to follow after me. “Very well,” I grunted, trying to make my voice as deep as possible. “Let’s just go, Gen.” I tugged at his arm— and he didn’t budge. Oh no.

The Dwarf shrugged me off, instead choosing to approach Estia with a meek look. He twiddled his fingers together, speaking in a soft and scared voice. “P-please, lady Apostle, we have gold—”

“Will you join the Dark Crusaders, Dwarf?” The Demon crossed her arms, her red eyes glimmering with dangerous intent. “Or are you nothing more than a selfish, scared, little man, looking to only serve yourself by coming to us. Because, believe me, we have enough of those in the Dark Crusaders. So, you’ll fit right in.” Her face twisted into a grin.

Behind her, Karna narrowed his eyes. He looked over at us, and I gulped.

I hurried over to Gennady’s side, pulling him harder. “Apologies, Apostle of the Dark Crusaders,” I said hurriedly. “We shall depart immediately.”

The Dwarf tried to protest, but I wasn’t gentle with him. I yanked him to me, fixing him with a glare. He stared at me, slowly realizing that I did not want to be there. Nodding, he desisted, and we headed out of the room.

Estia turned back to the map of Jahar’taw, taking a seat. I eyed her warily, making sure she wasn’t some sort of vindictive psycho who’d just stab us in the back for fun. When that didn’t happen, I bowed to Mahir and exited from the large doorway.

We were down a few hallways when Gennady leaned over next to me and spoke in a hushed voice. “What was that about?”

“I… I’ll explain later. We just need to leave, now.”

Scowling, the Dwarf just listened, following behind me as I briskly walked past the empty assembly lines. The milling Dark Crusaders peered at us— not suspicious, just curious— as we navigated out of the factory.

“You better give me a good reason,” Gennady grumbled. “We learned nothing.”

“I’m not enthused about it either,” I said as I stepped out into the foyer beyond the factory. There was a fence girdling it, with a gateway just up ahead. “However—”

I paused as I heard footfalls approaching us from behind. I spun around, warily placing a hand on my dagger, not drawing it just yet. The footsteps didn’t come at us in a rush, however it approached with haste nonetheless.

I saw a small, shadowed figure approaching us. It was definitely not the Demon. It had to be a Goblin. I hoped it was Mahir— I almost begged for it. And, as expected, it was Karna.

My former friend walked nimbly, his feet carrying him twice the distance than it should have with each step. He came to a stop right before us, and Gennady greeted him in the same nervous voice as before.

“A-apologies, Disciple. Is something w-wrong?” he asked in a strained voice. It sounded like he was trying to speak without a Dwarf accent, but the accent still slipped out even through the over-articulated words.

I was grateful that I brought Gennady with me. Without him, I’d be forced to speak with Karna, and that might end with him recognizing me. Instead, I slowly shrunk behind the larger man, hoping that the Goblin paid no heed to my presence.

“You have brought no offense to me, Dwarf.” Shaking his head, Karna took a step forward and bowed. “Neither has your companion. I came here to apologize on behalf of the Apostle. I do not believe Apostle Estia’s hostilities were warranted.”

“Oh.” The shock in Gennady’s face was genuine. He didn’t know what to say, and neither did I. We both just exchanged a glance, before I nudged him to say something so we could leave immediately. “We, uh… thank you, Disciple…?”

“Disciple Karna.”

“R-right, Disciple Karna. But we are not worthy of your apologies.”

“Just accept it, Dwarf,” Karna grunted. “And there is no need to be afraid of me. You have shown me no disrespect. We have no quarrel until you do.” He let out a chuckle, raising his head, as if recalling a fond memory.

“Of course, and thank you again,” Gennady quickly said, realizing that I was growing more and more nervous. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll take our leave.”

The Dwarf slowly started walking back, and I tried to hurry past him. But Karna paused. His laughter stopped. His eyes sharpened as they fixed on something around my waist.

“Wait,” he said, and both Gennady and I came to a halt. “That weapon— let me see it.” He pointed at my dagger, and I winced.

Gennady blinked. “I apologize, Disciple Karna, but I do not have a weapon on me.”

“Not you, Dwarf.” Karna scowled. “Your friend. That Goblin over there. The weapon around her waist is… familiar.”

I froze. What was I supposed to do? He gestured for me to hand it over, and I could either comply and arouse suspicion, or refuse and arouse suspicion. Both outcomes were the same. They very likely ended with me being caught.

The question was: which of these choices decreased the probability of me being caught the most?

There was never an easy solution. I slowly raised the dagger, keeping it sheathed as I handed it over to Karna. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize it. It wasn’t like it was his most prized possession in the world that he’d instantly recognize, right? He did give it to me, right?

And yet, the enchantment on it was… unique, to say the least. Not good, but an amateur’s craft. Also, he probably had an eye for his own work, even after this much time has passed. After all, he did notice something about it which made him ask to see it.

Karna gripped his hand around the dagger’s hilt, his eyes narrowing. “Where did you get this weapon?” He knew.

I lied. “I bought it from a friend of mine.”

“Who is this friend of yours? Where did they find it?” he asked, his words being injected with more and more venom as they came out.

“I do not know,” I said, keeping my voice low and deep. Gennady looked over at me, slightly worried, as I gave my answer. “I can show you them, Disciple Karna, perhaps if we arrange a meeting—”

“Remove your mask,” he cut me off. His voice came out a hiss. I hesitated.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, remove your mask.” This time, it was a threat. Karna glared at me, raising a hand. A spell circle formed as Gennady took a step back.

“W-what are you—”

“Take off your mask, girl, if you wish to walk away from this alive.”

I looked over at my Dwarf companion. He opened his mouth, but I shook my head. “It’s fine, Gen. Relax.” Bringing a hand up to my face, I clasped my fingers on the underside of the metallic mask. I began to lift it. “There’s nothing to worry about, see?”

I snapped my fingers. There was a flash of light. My own spell circle went off, faster than Karna could react. Dispel Magic. His own spell vaporized off the tip of his fingers. His eyes grew wide.

“You—”

And Gennady slammed his elbow at the back of Karna’s head. I made a break for it.

“Come on, Gen!”

The Dwarf was a step behind me. We both darted straight out of the opened gates. I heard a cry coming from Karna— the footfalls of other Goblins rallying to his aid. I glanced back once, only to see an arrow whizz right by my face.

Raising a hand in the air, I summoned a wall of stone behind us, protecting us from any additional projectile fire that might hit us in the back. It wasn’t enough, of course. A flurry of Explosive Bolts blew it apart in an instant.

From the rubble and the dust, Karna leapt out, bow nocked and trained right at my head. I was prepared for it. I spun around, waving a hand to the side. He released his arrow, and it shot out at me faster than I could throw myself to the side. But it curved. It didn’t travel in a straight line, as most enchanted, magical arrows should.

Instead, it curved away and struck a wall. Fracture Side did its job, much to Karna’s surprise. He was flipping through the air, about to land, when I came to a stop and pointed at him. There was a flash. A spell shot out. It was like a rope, except glowing a bright blue.

His eyes grew wide as the bindings wrapped around him. I saw the words leaving his mouth, even if I couldn’t hear what he was saying. “Melas—”

I ducked into an alleyway, right after Gennady. More arrows shot out from the Dark Crusaders, but they couldn’t possibly give chase. Not unless they wanted to bring attention to themselves from the rest of the city.

“Come on, just a little further!” I called out as my legs sped up, bringing me to the other end of the alley. And just before we reached our salvation, a black wall shot up, blocking the exit.

I came to a halt, blinking, confused at where that spell came from. Spinning around, I saw the entrance which we came from was also covered by the same magical barrier. Then there was a shadow. It loomed over us from above. A figure stood atop the roof of the building boxing us in.

She stared at us with her yellow eyes, her head cocked to the side. Estia smiled as a spell circle formed over her, just above the single horn at the tip of her skull.

“So, you’re the daughter of the Fiend, are you?”

Chapter 33: Chaos and Destruction

Estia stood over us. Her arms were folded. She looked down at us with less animosity than before. In fact, she looked rather curious. Her eyes seemed to twinkle, like the stars in the night sky, except instead of gleaming a dull white, these were a bright gold.

“Melas, is it not?” she asked, still standing up on the rooftop. “I have heard about you. You have made waves throughout the Infernalis with what you did. To think that the daughter of the Fiend would betray us after we saved her and offered her our protection. It is… almost a twisted joke, really.”

I bit my lower lip. I wanted to snap back at her— tell her I didn’t betray the Dark Crusaders. But that would confirm my identity. I simply shook my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t?” She tilted her head up. “That’s odd. I could’ve sworn that I heard Karna shouting something about that back there. You were, weren’t you?” She glanced over to the side.

My heart jumped as I saw Karna leaping over the back wall. He landed without so much of a sound. His bow was drawn as he aimed it my way. “I did,” he grunted, his face seething with anger. “You’re a traitor, Melas. You know what you did.”

There was nothing I could say. Not to him. I only felt… oddly guilty. I had always known Karna would be upset about my actions, but to this extent? Anything else I could say would be an admission of who I was. I stayed silent as Gennady took a step back, almost hiding his hands behind his back.

“Goddess grace us! What is going on? Why are you two doing this?” He played the fool extremely well, but it wasn’t enough. No amount of talking would stop either of the Dark Acolytes now.

“You know, I hate liars,” Estia said, her hands dropping to her sides. She bent over to a crouch, eyeing both of us with a sinister look. “Since you’re both so insistent on your innocence, why not prove yourself? Take off your mask, Melas.”

I glanced between both the Demon and the Goblin. Their magic was flaring up. It was almost overwhelming. I felt a shiver run up my spine. My mouth opened.

“I—”

“Close your eyes, lass!” Gennady called out as he threw an object in the air.

I blinked, and both Estia and Karna stared at the object. Their eyes grew wide before they spun around. There was a split-second where the object hovered in the air. I expected to see a bright flash of light, even through closed eyelids. But the Dwarf grabbed me by the arm and took off running.

There was no light. Instead, a plume of gray gas shot out. A smoke bomb? We reached the black wall at the end of the alleyway, and Gennady nudged me.

“Up!”

“Got it!” I pointed at the ground, and a spell circle glowed. The earth shot out, slowly, a pillar of stone and brick carried upward. We crested over the dark wall as I glanced back one more time.

And I saw a glint. A black bolt, glowing with dark energy, flew at me, faster than I could react. The world stopped. I would die here. This was it. After all I’ve been through in this world, I was going to be killed by this Demon.

The arrow vanished. I stared on as nothing struck me across the chest. “What…?” I didn’t know what just happened, but I took the opportunity I could. I ran and leapt after Gennady, landing in the streets of Jahar’taw as a figure exploded from the smoke.

It was night. Most people were asleep, too exhausted to do anything from their long day at work. But this was the second largest city in the world. There was always bound to be someone out and about in its roads, even past midnight in a lesser populated area of Jahar’taw.

A pair of drunkards stumbled along the walkway to our left. A group of factory workers, probably just leaving their late shift, walked down the middle of the road. A single car was parked outside of an opposing alleyway, with a couple sitting within it. A few Goblins were hiding at the very edge of the backstreets. They were the first ones to see Gennady and I tumbling through the air.

I tucked my back and rolled, while my Dwarf companion just landed with a heavy thud. How his knees survived that fall, I would never know. Instead, the two of us just carried on running. We nearly bumped into the pair of drunkards.

“Oi, watch—” one of them started, only to pause when a dark shadow passed over him. They both rubbed their eyes, before dropping onto their knees. “Goddess… what?”

Estia was flying through the air above us. She had black wings sprouting from her back. They were ethereal, almost translucent, and she soared above Jahar’taw, uncaring of all the eyes she drew.

Karna was running on the rooftops beside her. He looked her way, speaking. I could only catch brief phrases of what he said.

“...Apostle Estia, we will attract—”

“Then let them come!” the Demon roared. She spread her hands wide as spell circles formed all around her. A hail of black arrows came down at me. They weren’t like the first one which was brimming with power. These were weaker, and yet, probably Tier equivalent to a Tier 3 spell each. “I shall show these puny Dwarfs the might of the Dark Crusaders!”

Death and destruction rained down from above. I brought a hand up, creating a barrier and holding it over me like an umbrella. It barely managed to repel the first volley of Estia’s arrows. What came next wasn’t as simple to defend against.

Fire wreathed itself around both of Estia’s hands. They formed discs which she tossed down at me. They swerved through the air, aimed straight for Gennady and I as we ran as fast as we could.

I pointed a finger at one of them, barely managing to dispel it, while Gennady tossed a Cluster Bomb up. The various blasts of the explosive managed to disrupt these discs, detonating them while they were still in the air. But more and more came, and only my Fracture Side allayed our demise.

The blasts resounded all around us. It shook the earth. It shredded the peaceful night streets of Jahar’taw. And it drew the attention of the guards our way.

A pair of Dwarf guards turned a street corner, running our way. They were accompanied by a Golem each. They called out something as they pointed our way, raising their rifles—

And a single flaming disc shot out their way. Their eyes grew wide. They hurled themselves out of the way, but the Golems were slower. It blew apart the Golems like they were made of paper. The Dwarf guards didn’t pick themselves up. They only stared on in fear as the Demon flying over us continued giving chase.

I raised my hands out to the side, conjuring two Frost Javelins. They streaked through the air, the very first counter attack I launched against Estia. As I expected, it was fruitless. The Demon blasted apart the first one the moment it flew out. She knocked aside the second like it was nothing, before bringing her hands together, creating a massive ball of fire.

“Grand Fireball.”

She held it over her head as it shone brightly, just like a miniature sun. Then she threw it down at me as I paused for a moment to stare.

“What are you doing, lass?” Gennady tried to yank me aside, but I stood my ground.

My mind had been racing with me the entire time I ran from Estia. I tried to fight back. I tried to flee. Both options were a waste of energy, weren’t they? After all, if I just accepted my death— I’d be free from all my suffering. And that, for good or bad, was not allowed.

Once again, the spell winked out of existence. The flames just… ceased to exist. Estia frowned as I crossed my arms.

“What’s wrong?” I taunted her. “Is your magic that weak?”

Estia narrowed her eyes. Then a mad grin spread across her face. “Do you really think your Dispel Magic will save you?” Bringing her hands together, she clapped and a spell circle flashed behind her. Its lines slowly intersected as this overwhelming spell came into existence.

Gennady tugged at my arms. “She’ll kill you—”

He is interrupted as a pair of ethereal chains were shot out. They nearly caught Estia within it. But the Demon flew out of the way just in time. She spun around, blinking.

“What…?” Then she paused. She stared in the direction the chains came from. She hovered in the air for a moment, mouth hanging open.

I glanced in the same direction. She really is watching me at all times, isn’t she? A cloaked figure stood on a faraway rooftop. But I knew who it was. I could tell from her obsidian black skin, a shade darker than Estia’s.

Elara.

“Who is that—” Gennady started, but was cut off by a guttural scream.

“You!” Estia bellowed, turning her attention towards Elara. A flurry of spells shot out in an instant. She directed all the fury at the other Demon, no longer even paying attention to Gennady and I.

Her magic tore down homes and ripped apart the streets of the city. But Elara just teleported out of the way. My protector now stood atop a tower, and Estia gave chase.

“What’s going on?” Gennady blinked.

I grinned. “Using my problems to deal with my problems. It’s smart thinking.”

“You’ve gotta tell me what’s going on later. Right now, duck!” He pushed me to the ground as an arrow landed where I stood.

Karna strung his bow as he stood at the edge of an alleyway. He wasn’t alone now. Goblins stood with their bow and arrows, each shining with magic, appearing from the side streets and back alleys.

I clicked my tongue and pointed. “Annihilate.” A red ray of brilliant energy shot out their way. It bore through the brick walls of the buildings around them. Most of the Goblins, Karna included, managed to duck under the attack. They could sense the power of the spell.

It was what I used to defeat that Werebeast back in Qala’taw. Since it was a variant of the Annihilation spell— a weaker, scaled down, and slightly altered version I created— I decided to name it a simple “Annihilate”. Not that the etymology of my spell names mattered right now.

It was a distraction. I knew that single spell wasn’t enough to deal with all these Goblins. I forced them back. They had to dodge out of the way. And that let Gennady and I run.

“Into that alley!” I called out as I heard shouts and screams in the distance. Explosions from Estia’s incessant barrage of spells against Elara. To my surprise, Elara didn’t attack the other Demon. Not even a single spell.

I couldn’t even speculate as to why that was.

I spotted more guards streaming down a junction after us right as Gennady and I disappeared into a dark alley. I heard the sound of gunshots— saw the flashes from the mana bolts— as they fired at the Dark Crusaders. A few of the Dark Crusaders stayed back to deal with the guards and Golems.

Karna ignored them. He was followed by a few other Goblins. They seemed like Acolytes. Mahir was amongst them as well. They didn’t just loose bolts and arrows our way. They used spells— they threw Fireballs, flung Wind Blades, used earth magic to try and block our way.

I made a sharp turn around the side streets. I countered their spells with my own, bringing up walls that would at least take them an extra moment to scale. Gennady dropped Cluster Bombs, the multiple detonations from the objects putting a bit more distance between us and our pursuers.

But Karna was relentless. He leapt through the blasts of a Cluster Bomb, his bow nocked and loosing an arrow trained for my head. There was no magic there. I thought I could have dispelled it— but no. Was it some sort of trick? He definitely had something planned with it, because it forced me to shift my barrier to my back.

His arrow bounced off the translucent shield. He shifted his aim up, towards the sky, and I was about to brace for the attack as I ran out of the alley back into the streets—

Then a heavy metal boot impacted my side. It sent me flying through the air for a moment, before I came thudding back down to the ground. Gennady blinked— and leapt back as a sword came for his head.

I gathered myself, trying to stand back up and see who attacked me. I froze at what I saw. Instead of more Goblins and Dark Crusaders— or even Dwarf guards and Golems— I saw Humans dressed in decorated armor. They bore the banners of the Holy Xan Empire embedded in their shoulder plate.

Three of them stood before us. And they raised their weapons, pointing at myself, Gennady, and the Dark Crusaders.

“Holy Knights, raise your swords, your shields, and prepare for battle! The heretics are wreaking havoc in the city— protect its citizens and slay these fiends!”

The Holy Knights bellowed. There were only three of them. You’d think they were hardly a threat, but they wore heavy plate armor, adorned with mana crystals of all colors and sizes from their chest to their boots. I could sense the power emanating from it. They weren’t as well armed or protected as an Inquisitor. But it was close.

And that meant a lot. Because Inquisitors were the peak of Humankind. The very precipice of what a Human could become without any magic or miracles. Holy Knights were right behind them, but they still used some of the greatest and most technologically advanced equipment in the world.

Dwarfkind would dispute that, of course. But if there were Dwarfs who could stand against a Holy Knight— Gennady would be one of them. However, he was not displaying much on that front. Sure, he was ill-equipped to fight them, but he was knocked away by the forefront Holy Knight.

I narrowed my eyes as I spotted a flash of black underneath the man’s helmet. Was that his hair? I shook my head, forcing myself back up. Our pursuers— Karna, Mahir, and the other Dark Acolytes— came to a stop. They drew their bows and prepared their spells as the Holy Knights faced them down.

“Disciples, Captain Nero. Should we fall back and wait for the Saintess?” one of them, a young woman’s voice, asked.

“Do not falter, Aly. We can’t let these heretics ruin the good city of Jahar’taw.” He drew his sword, slashing it down. A blade of red energy shot out into the alleyway, filling it with its bright light. Karna, Mahir, and most of the Dark Acolytes managed to avoid the attack. However, a single one of them were caught by the attack.

They were sliced in half, screaming, dead in an instant.

Don’t get hit by that, I told myself as I conjured a pair of Frost Javelins. Elara isn’t here. You’ll actually die. As if a reminder to what the Demon was doing, I heard a blast in the background. Estia pursued my protector through the air, her magic was raging like a wildfire. She no longer saw anything but Elara. I didn’t know what got her so mad, and I’d be glad that she wasn’t directing her fury towards me if not for these Holy Knights standing before us.

The one leading them was preoccupied by Karna and Mahir. The two Goblins flanked him from both sides. Karna loosed arrow after arrow, the projectiles swerving and twirling through the air, exploding as each struck the ground. The Holy Knight, Nero, backed away from the blasts, the shockwave from each should’ve sent him tumbling through the air, but the enchantments on his armor kept him steady.

Mahir hurled purple, glowing orbs at him from behind, but he struck them down, yelling, “Where are the others? Blow the horn, Jaime!”

The other Holy Knight kicked back a Goblin, fumbling for something in his pockets. He pulled out a horn and blew it. An ear-piercing, high-pitched sound came out, forcing me to cover my ears. It sounded like a police whistle, except ten times louder.

I watched as Aly struck Gennady across the face before the Dwarf could draw his own rifle. I grimaced, forcing myself forward, running at the Holy Knight and shouting. “Fireball!”

The Holy Knight spun around in a panic. But a Fireball didn’t shoot out. Instead, I pointed at the ground beneath her.

“Quick Pitfall.”

She leapt to the side as the ground beneath her sank. It nearly swallowed up Gennady too, but he managed to crawl away from it.

“Get up, get up!” I hurriedly pulled the Dwarf to his feet. He tried to dust himself off, but I yanked him to my side and conjured a wall of stone. An explosive arrow blasted it apart as I staggered back into Gennady’s arms.

I groaned as I tried to focus. The dust settled, and I saw a Goblin, a Dark Acolyte, conjuring a volley of Stone Spears. I pointed, dispelling his spell before it shot out towards me. The Goblin blinked, but I was already moving.

“We need to get out of here—”

I saw a glint. A halberd came crashing down at me. I barely raised my dagger in time to parry the swing. But Aly knocked it away with ease. The dagger went sliding on the brick floor, only for Nero to step over it as he charged Karna.

There was fighting all around us. I threw myself to the side as Aly reeled back for another swing. Gennady swung the butt of his rifle at the Holy Knight’s chest. She stumbled back, and I pointed at her.

The ground below her shone. A Stone Spire jutted out, tossing her straight up into the air. She screamed as she flipped and turned. Before I even had time to take a breath, I spun around and cast another Dispel Magic.

“How…?” A Goblin was mid-cast. His spell circle vanished, and I conjured Explosive Orb after Explosive Orb above me.

“Run,” I said simply, unleashing the spell in all directions. “Now, Gennady!”

The Dwarff and I both made a break for it. There were screams. Shouts. Sounds of explosions which echoed from afar and closeby. I spotted Holy Knights streaming out of nearby alleys. They engaged the Dark Acolytes, pushing them back.

Nero aimed his sword at us. “Apprehend them! Don’t let them escape!” he bellowed.

Just as the words left his mouth, a shadow overcame the Holy Knights. Only a dozen of them stood on the road. But a hail of arrows, dozens of them, came from the heavens. Reinforcements for Karna and Mahir.

I just barely turned the street corner when I saw a group of Dwarf guards and Golems come barreling down our way. I clicked my tongue, about to cast a spell, but Gennady grabbed me and pulled me into a nearby alleyway.

“Don’t attack them— they don’t know who we are. Follow me.”

I blinked. And sure enough, the city guards ran past our alley, almost ignoring us. One of them turned to stare at Gennady and I, but the sounds of fighting in the distance drew them away.

I heaved a sigh of relief. “Where now?”

“The entire city will be on lockdown soon. We’ll be caught if we’re still up and running around by then.” He shook his head, stepping deeper into the alleyway as an explosion boomed from afar. “We escape into the sewers.”

I followed after him. I have never been into the sewers of Jahar’taw. It probably reeked of garbage and excrement. I wondered how big the rats here got.

However, I was not averse to these little— or large— rodents anymore. Maybe if I hadn’t been through the Free Lands, seeing the dead bodies of those afflicted by the Noxeus, escaping from monsters far worse than a pest, I’d still be afraid of them. But I wasn’t who I was before I died.

Gennady pulled a manhole open, and without any hesitation, I leapt in.

I didn’t fall all the way down, of course. I grabbed the ladder, using its side to slow my descent. Then I pushed it off at the last second as Gennady landed with a thud past me.

The echoes of the battle up above were muffled now. We drew further and further away from it as the stench of the sewers overwhelmed my nostrils. I ran alongside the rushing water— its color a murky green.

Then I heard the manhole being pushed open. I spun around as a figure landed right behind us. I expected to see Karna standing there, the one who pursued us. But no. It was someone else. A man dressed in ornate armor. A Holy Knight.

The one they called Nero.

He pointed his blade at us.

“Halt, heretics! In the name of the Goddess of Light, the Holy Xan Empire will be taking you into custody.”

I exchanged glances with Gennady. He shrugged, and I shook my head.

“No.”

I pointed at the Holy Knight, and a Fireball launched from my fingertips. Nero gritted his teeth as he rushed forward. I expected him to try to dodge the spell, but he simply sliced it in half like it was nothing.

He approached us rapidly, dodging the Stone Spears I launched his way. Gennady tossed a handful of Cluster Orbs. They rolled at Nero’s feet, glowing as they alerted him of their detonation. With a single tap of his boots, the Holy Knight launched up into the air, flipping as he landed across from us, barring out path from fleeing.

“Don’t make me do this,” he said, voice warning.

I clicked a tongue. “If you don’t want to fight so badly, just let us leave. We’ve done no wrong.”

“You are heretics, working in accord with the Dark Crusaders. I cannot let you escape.”

“Working with the Dark Crusaders?” I blinked, then pointed an accusing finger at him. “Did you not pay attention to what was going on at all? They were trying to kill us!”

“It’s fine.” Gennady placed a hand on my shoulder. “Holy Knights are not known for their keen perception. That’s why they’ve been responsible for thousands of dead innocents, eh, isn’t that right lad?” He grinned as he faced Nero.

The Holy Knight narrowed his eyes. “Do not spread lies, heretic. This is your last chance.” His sword was overcome by a red glow. “Surrender, or die.”

I eyed Nero. The sewer was nothing more than a narrow corridor. Behind us, we could flee back to the fighting by climbing up the ladder to above. However, I’d rather not be a part of that utter chaos and destruction. Especially if Lilith planned on joining the foray.

The only way out was through this man. And I had very little aversion to killing members of the Church. Not after they killed my mother and tried to kill me without a thought.

Without an answer, I snapped my fingers. Burst Cyclone. The ground beneath Nero exploded with air and blades of wind. It knocked the Holy Knight back as he braced himself. He fought through the powerful zephyr.

I created a pair of Frost Javelins and they lanced out, twisting around the man. He cut them down mid-air, spinning, dodging my attacks as he ran up to me. His boots shone, boosting him as pushed himself off a wall, blade shining brilliantly as he swung at me.

He was a Holy Knight. He was the elite of the Holy Xan Empire. He wore the best enchantments, trained in combat by the most wide tutors in the continent of Soli. It was undoubtedly clear he was strong. Above a Disciple. Maybe equal to an Apostle.

But I was born to be the greatest spellcaster in this world’s history.

Nero’s eyes grew wide as my finger glowed. A red beam shot out, striking him mid-air. It tore apart all of his protections, a laser that would’ve killed any other man in an instant. His mana crystals cracked, all at the same time. His helmet went flying off as he fell on the ground, coughing out blood.

I blinked as I finally got a good look at the man, and as I noticed before, his hair was indeed black. I just stared at him as he picked himself back up to his feet.

“I…” he grunted, heaving his broken sword up. “...am Nero… Ash… Corinna…”

My eyes flickered. Gennady looked at me, his face knowing. Corinna. That was my mom’s family, wasn’t it? The very same one which forsook her. Who abandoned her, even when she did no wrong.

“And I—”

“Quick Pitfall,” I said, voice cool with anger.

Nero tumbled through the earth as the hole swallowed him up. It wasn’t the longest fall. He probably survived  it, but without his boots’ enchantments, he’d have difficulties getting back up.

“Come on.” I gestured for Gennady to follow after me.

“You’re not going to finish him off?” the Dwarf asked as we resumed our run.

I glanced back at him. There was a brief pause as I remained quiet. Then I sighed. “I want to. But there’s no point. We just want to escape, don’t we? He’d have put up a fight, his allies would come searching for him, and we’d get caught.”

Revenge— I couldn’t deny I sought it. I wanted to make those who hurt my mom suffer. And while the Corinna family was one of them, it couldn’t have possibly been Nero since he was far too young. He did nothing. To her, at least.

To me, he did a lot of wrong. And if he continued trying to apprehend or kill me? I wouldn’t be afraid to kill him if I had to.

We escaped into the sewers as the battle above raged on. I didn’t know what the results were. I just had to focus on getting out of this alive.

Chapter 34: Family

The sewers of Jahar’taw led us out down the side of the volcano’s caldera. We were close to its base, a powerful gush of sewage water pouring out into a nearby river. Gennady and I crawled down from the inner city, fleeing into the sprawling fields and into the outer city as the sun rose.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time. The Dark Crusaders found out the truth about my identity— in a sense. I never once admitted it, but they already came to their own conclusions. And it was the right conclusion.

The brief skirmish with the Holy Knights was also very much unfortunate, since it would most definitely lead to Lilith coercing her escort to investigate me and my activities.

We didn’t head to the warehouse. It just wasn’t safe. I didn’t want to bring trouble to my friends. Instead, I returned to my bunker, built specifically for this reason. I made sure no one was following after us, setting up a quick barrier to further reinforce the bunker’s defenses.

If someone like Elara saw the barrier— they’d laugh. However, I wasn’t worried about her. Just as she said she would, she saved my life. That other Demon— with the gray-ish skin— was very much preoccupied fighting her. So, those were two problems I could put out of my mind.

However, Karna, the Holy Knights, the Dark Crusaders, and Lilith were pressing matters. I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully, especially with all these looming threats encroaching on me. But when I collapsed on my bed, I was out in an instant.

I woke up and stumbled out of my room, rubbing at my head. I felt like I had a hangover— except, I didn’t drink. Sure, I used to go to parties back on Earth, those always had drinks, even in my High School. But I stayed away from drinks.

I just didn’t like how alcohol tasted.

Also, getting drunk wasn’t my thing. It was fun for a bit, then you woke up the next day with a massive migraine. Like I did right now.

“Ouch, my head is killing me.” I settled into a chair across from Gennady. The Dwarf had slept on the floor the entire night, but he was somehow in better shape than me.

Probably because he didn’t use magic. And his adult body was far more suited to physical activities compared to my kid body.

“Yeah,” he sighed, slumping his head over the table. “And you don’t even have any booze to help me recover.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Doesn’t booze make the headache worse?”

“Not for us Dwarfs.”

Scoffing, I stood up and pulled out a platter of dried food. “This is all I have, unfortunately.”

“You can have it, lass. I know how much you eat.” Gennady grinned, and I frowned.

“Are you calling me fat?”

“Maybe.”

I rolled my eyes, deciding to ignore his comment. “So,” I said, munching on a bit of meat, “what do we do now?”

“I don’t think we can return to the warehouse without drawing attention to it. We’ll be watched, lass. Everyone will be tracking everything we do.”

“Right.” I drew my lips into a thin line. “We’re stuck here then, aren’t we?”

Gennady snorted. “You’re stuck here. I’m gonna go back to the inner city, have a chat with Adilet. Then go back to the warehouse and tell ‘em what happened. Unlike you, I ain’t in any real trouble.”

I groaned as the Dwarf stood, heading out of the bunker. “You’re making it sound like I’m a child who just broke a vase or something expensive.”

“Kinda.” He smiled, glancing back at me one last time. “Just don’t get into any more trouble  before I return, aight?”

“Easier said than done,” I murmured, finding myself alone in my bunker.

I was used to being alone at this point. However, there was a difference between being left to my own devices without actively being hunted down by some of the biggest organizations in the world, and being left to my own devices with very little food in the pantry.

Seriously, I was hungry. Dried meat wasn’t going to cut it.

To put my mind off of the events of yesterday, I crawled back to my room, producing the various books I had on tinkering. I kept some things here in my bunker, including the Dimensional Storage Box given to me by Bertrand. I didn’t study it. Not today. I had enough magic in a single night to last an entire week.

I was working on a new mana tool. I was certain it would change the landscape of the world. It was… a toaster. Yes, a toaster. The kind you put bread in and it came out nice and crisp. Or depending on how much the toaster cost, black and burnt or white and untouched.

I had to figure out how much heat was exactly needed to toast a slice of bread. I knew that sliced bread— the greatest invention ever, apparently— had already been invented here, so I did have some prepared for experimenting on.

The toaster wasn’t the box I had in my world. It was more like a waffle maker. Due to the limitations of my own tinkering abilities, this was the best design I could create without making it a massive machine that couldn’t fit on a kitchen table.

You put the bread inside my mana toaster, before closing the lid on it. The runes within would heat up, toasting the bread for a minute, before it stopped. Then voila— a beautiful, crunchy toast.

“Now all I need is butter…”

“What are you doing?” a voice asked, and I whirled around with a Fireball.

Elara smiled and snapped a finger. My spell dissipated as I felt her Dispel Magic overwhelm my control over the ball of fire. “Hello Melas,” she said, cool as ever.

“When did you get here?” I glared at her.

“Just a moment ago.” She spoke softly, as if she wasn’t chased around the inner city of Jahar’taw for most of the night. “What’s that you have there?”

For whatever reason, I protectively hovered over my toaster. “It’s none of your business.” I couldn’t let her get my bread. “What happened in the city? Why did that Demon start attacking you? Is Karna still alive?” I couldn’t help but ask the last question— the Goblin was trying to kill me, but he was my friend once.

“Oh, Melas.” Elara let out a chuckle. She sauntered over to my bed, shaking her head. “Still thinking about others, even after all that’s happened. You’re too nice, you know?”

“I am not,” I said simply. “Now answer the questions.”

“Jahar’taw is fine. The city has survived worse disasters than a few spellcasters running around, throwing a few spells here and there, trying to get each other killed. No— it needs to be a calamitous event that’s far worse than what happened in Bys to bring down the home of the Dwarves.”

“So, are people safe?”

“As safe as they could be.” Which was to say, not really safe at all. I didn’t bite, but Elara didn’t dwell on it. “As for your friend, he’s alive… I think.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean ‘I think’? I need to know for certain.”

“Would you rather him dead?” A thin smile spread across her face, one that sent a shiver down my spine. She was a Demon. Even if she protected me. Even if she claimed to be my guardian angel.

“No. Do not lay a hand on him, Elara. I am being serious.”

Shrugging, Elara plopped herself on my mattress. “Whatever you say, I guess. So, have you reconsidered my offer yet?”

“Why would I need to reconsider?”

“Everyone wants you dead, do they not? Only my Lord wishes to keep you alive. Shouldn’t it be natural for you to swallow your pride and accept his grace?”

I crossed my arms, giving her a defiant stare. “The same Lord who’s the reason I became a slave?”

“The same Lord who’s the reason you weren’t eaten by that Horned Ursa two years ago, yes.” Her eyes flickered. The slit-like pupils bore into me, a gaze that was almost warning.

She didn’t appreciate it when I insulted whoever her ‘Lord’ was, huh? Typical.

“I will not work with you, Elara. No matter what you offer me, I have no reason to accept your offer.”

“Even after you used me last night?” The Demon cocked her head. “I’m not asking you to do anything, Melas. I’m just offering to teach you. Help you defend yourself better.”

“It’s different,” I said, gesturing behind me. “I’m not going to let you manipulate me into doing things for your own gain. It has happened before. I will not let it happen again. Now, using what I have to survive, on the other hand…” I paused. “Also, you still haven’t told me what your relationship with that other Demon is. She was bent on killing you. You can’t just brush that off as something unimportant. What did you do?”

Elara sighed. She looked like she really didn’t want to answer the question. And she didn’t, for a little bit. “Firstly, she’s not a Demon, Melas. She’s a Half Demon.” Getting to her feet, Elara faced me with a wry smile. “And the reason she hates me is simple but complicated: she’s my daughter.”

I blinked. “Oh.”

I didn’t prod Elara further. She wanted to leave, probably due to being uncomfortable with the subject. I never thought a Demon would have such relatable domestic issues— although, considering that Estia was trying to kill her, it probably wasn’t a typical family matter. Regardless, I saw no reason to ask any more questions.

In fact, I felt pretty bad. I almost felt compelled to sit Elara down, give her an ear, and maybe offer some advice. Not that I could say much. My family back on Earth never had that much of an issue. I was an only child. Dad treated me like his little princess, while mom and I would often go shopping and do other girl-only activities together.

I was privileged, in that sense.

Even when I died and was reincarnated, my mom (it felt odd referring to two different people as my mom, but it was fitting since I saw them both as my mom) treated me kindly. She was always so patient with me, even when I refused to accept anything of this new world. She broke me out of my shell. Gave me a reason to live.

Now, without any parental figure around, I was free to live my life how I wanted. Which was to say, I wanted nothing to do with any of these things which kept popping up. I just wanted to live my life, maybe help some people along the way, and maybe not have to worry about being murdered in my sleep every single day.

It was not much. But that was it, for now. I could discover more wants or needs in the future, however that was for later.

Gennady returned some time after Elara left. He wasn’t alone. He came with Lisa, Jack, and Sevin. They all seemed to be concerned about my well-being. With both the young man and woman being more forthcoming than the disgruntled older man.

I greeted them with the best smile I could put on. “Glad to see you guys are safe.”

“Are you stupid?” Lisa ran over and hugged me. “We’re the ones who should be saying that.”

“Nothing has happened in the warehouse then?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Not that I know of,” Sevin said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “A lot happened to you last night, huh?”

“It’s all over now.” I smiled. “For now, at least.”

I glanced over at Jack. He simply grunted, and I returned the sound. That was all that needed to be exchanged between us. I looked past all of my friends, focusing on Gennady.

The Dwarf had his arms crossed, a scowl on his face.

“Did something happen?”

“It’s nothin’, lassie.” He took a deep breath, stepping forward. “Actually, there’s good and bad news. Had a long meeting with Adilet. He insisted that you’d be safe, as you’re protected under Jahar’taw’s asylum laws. Which is the good news.”

“And the bad news?” I braced myself for something obscenely bad.

“However, he can’t exactly let you roam around as freely as you have before. Especially with the Church here within our borders. The Saintess is a bit nuts, y’know? She could act on her own volition if she sees you.” Gennady sighed deeply. “Which is why you’ll be staying somewhere safe. More secure. Protected in the MTC’s headquarters. Bertrand himself made the offer.”

I raised my head back. “That really isn’t bad at all.”

“I just don’t like that man!” Gennady scowled.

Chapter 35: Estia IV – The Cult

The girl crept through the cave, the tapping of her small feet muffled by the patter of the rain outside. She was a curious one, always so inquisitive. Mother knew that about her. It was one of her best traits, apparently.

But the girl was warned to stay away from the deeper depths of the cavern. Especially when mother herself ventured into it for days on end. The girl was explicitly told to never follow after.

However, she had grown too excitable. Her curiosity got the better of her, and now she was silently stalking deeper into the cave, in search of mother. She giggled. Surely mother would be surprised to see me, she thought. Never once did it cross her mind that this was not the right thing to do.

She poked her head into the next chamber, her single horn sticking out like a sore thumb. Two figures stood in the room. One of them was clearly mother, with her dark cloak and her two horns. The other was smaller figure. A child of roughly her age. Although she didn’t get a good view of them as mother suddenly appeared by her side.

“Elysia, what are you doing here?” Elara asked in a panicked voice. “I told you to wait for me to return.”

Mother’s reaction surprised the girl. Elysia thought she’d be happy to see her. “W-what…?” The girl stared at Elara, trying to muster up her words. “I-I was…”

“Is something the matter?” the child asked, walking up behind Elara. He tilted his head to the side, his white hair nearly glowing in the dark. He stared at her with golden eyes, almost lifeless. “Oh, Elysia is here?”

“I… am?” The girl glanced between Elara and the boy. Mother wore a strange look on her face, almost as if she was worried. “What’s going on, mother? Who is this? How does he know me? Why are you speaking with him?” It was a lot of questions at once, but she was a curious child. So, that was fine right?

Elara opened her mouth, but the boy cut her off. “My, my, Elara. I’m surprised you never introduced us even after two decades passed.”

“Introduced… us?”

“You mean you don’t know?” He cocked a brow. Then a smile spread across his face as her eyes grew wide. “I am Xander, Elysia. I am your father.”

Estia jerked awake as the words rang in her head. A shudder ran through her body as she threw the blanket off her. “Where—” She glanced around the room. There was no one there. “He’s not here.” Sighing, she rubbed her temples. Then the events of the previous day flashed in her mind. “Mother.”

Elara was here in Jahar’taw. Not only that, she was protecting the little girl that was apparently the daughter of the Fiend. Estia should’ve expected it— the Fiend must have been working with the Cult all along. Why else would she have betrayed the Shadow’s Evangelium, and refused to join the Dark Crusaders?

Estia stormed out of her room, looking at the milling Goblins— Dark Crusaders, but not even Dark Acolytes— standing around the factory hall.

“Where is Karna? Mahir? Abbad?”

They exchanged confused glances. One of them spoke out. “Karna and Mahir are in the meeting room. Abbad is…”

“Dead. Of course.” Scoffing, Estia headed straight for where the other two Disciples were residing. “Typical. This is why they’re not Apostles.”

She threw the enchanted double door open, finding both Goblins standing in the center of a crowd. They were giving a speech. She interrupted it.

“Karna, Mahir. I need both of your help.”

The pair paused. Estia glared at the perplexed Goblins surrounding them. They were giving a speech. Many losses had been suffered from the battle with the Holy Knights and the guards of Jahar’taw. With how low of a profile the Dark Crusaders have been keeping here, it was the first time many of them experienced such a large-scale battle. As such, it was also the first time they have experienced loss.

A speech was necessary to alleviate that heavy feeling. But Estia’s focus was not on that right now.

“Now.”

They weren’t happy about it. Karna, specifically, was upset about it. Mahir was more carefree, although he did still have the rather prideful personality of a Goblin.

“What did you need of us, Apostle Esta?” Mahir asked, his voice cool.

“Those under us will not be pleased unless there is a proper justification,” Karna said, not hiding his annoyance with her.

“It is justified.” Estia came to a stop before her own room. The drawings of a spell circle was made on the brick floor out of chalk and ink. “I need to speak with my mentor.” She gestured at the incomplete ritual. “I require the aid of your magic to cast the spell.”

Mahir’s chest puffed up a little. “Ah, of course. That is no issue whatsoever.”

Karna narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing.

“The ritual circle has three spots for a spellcaster to stand in,” she explained. “There, you’ll place both your hands on the floor and pour your mana into it to activate its effects.”

They did as they were told, no complaint from either hand. With a deep breath, Estia glanced between the two Goblins. Powerful spellcasters— at least on the level of a Disciple— were required to carry out this ritual. That was why she sought them out the instant she woke up. Estia had spent the whole night preparing it. All that was left was to push the button and it was ready.

“Now.” She spoke simply, and there was an outpouring of mana. A surplus of magic in the air. Then it all vanished in an instant.

Karna and Mahir drew back, panting, exhausted from what it drained of them. The ambient mana was gone briefly, a void that lasted for a mere moment before the surrounding mana rushed in to fill it.

A hole opened up in the air. It was like staring through a window. A black perimeter surrounded the hole, powerful space magic that kept it stable.

“Is this… it?” Karna stared at the abyss, and nothing stared back.

“It will inform my mentor that I wish to speak with him. Whether or not he answers— I’ll have to wait and see.”

“Heh,” Mahir grunted, stepping back. “That was easy work.”

“What did you need to speak with him about?” Karna asked, frowning. “If it is a matter to discuss with Herald Kores, it has to be important, no?”

“It is,” Estia said with a nod. “Unfortunately, it is not a matter I am allowed to speak to you about.”

Karna paused. He eyed her with scorn. “You cannot just leave us in the dark, Apostle Estia.”

“It is not something Disciples are aware of, Karna.” She met his gaze. The Goblin didn’t break away.

“Let’s just… go, Disciple Karna.” Mahir tried to bring Karna away from the room, but the other Goblin stood his ground.

“If this is about the events of yesterday—”

“Yes.” Estia sighed. She didn’t want to tell them more than they needed to know. But Karna was invested in this. After all, he was apparently one of the Goblin’s under Victor’s group when Melas betrayed the Dark Crusaders. “It’s about the girl from yesterday.”

“Melas?” Karna raised a brow.

“After what happened with the Disciple Victorianius Valens, she has been placed in the radar of the higher ups. Those, such as Kores, would like to be made aware of her and her movements. Especially knowing that she’s in Jaahar’taw and—” Estia paused. Would that be enough to satiate his thirst for knowledge? No, she had to throw a bone. Rabid dogs needed more than a bit of meat. “And that other Demon is with her. That is all I can say.”

Karna considered this. This was all Estia was willing to offer up. She didn’t want to, but Kores had emphasized how she had to learn how to work with others. And this was a compromise, right?

The Goblin eventually nodded, acquiescing as he stalked out of the room. “I see.” The door was shut behind him, and the enchantments soon activated.

Estia closed her eyes, sitting in a meditative position as she waited for the spell to respond. There would be a reaction soon. Kores knew that this missive from her was always important. And just as she expected, the hole flickered and light shone in from the other side.

“Estia. Is something the matter? How goes your mission in Jahar’taw?” His voice came out clear as day. This was magic. It wasn’t like the radio transmitters used to communicate over long distances where static murked the voice. And far superior to those merely audio communication devices, Estia could see Kores.

It was as if the other Demon was standing right before her.

“A lot of things have happened, Kores. I haven’t fought the Saintess yet, but other things have occurred. I.... she’s here.” Estia felt her hands tighten into fists.

Kores was perplexed. “She?” He paused, tilting his head back. “Ah, I have heard some reports about this. It seems that the daughter of the Fiend has made an appearance in Jahar’taw, yes?”

“That’s not it.” She shook her head, feeling her frustration grow. Why couldn’t she just say it? She felt like a child again. So helpless. Unable to act against her mother. But she changed. She was decades older than when she last saw Elara. She had even shed the Human name she had been given as a child. “My mother. She’s here. And she’s with Melas.”

Kores, her mentor, one of the very few Heralds of the Dark Crusaders, was taken aback. “The Demon King’s daughter is in Jahar’taw?”

“Yes,” Estia said simply. “I saw her. I fought her. She fled.” It was a better and more succinct description than ‘I flew into a rage and attacked her before she escaped’.

“And she’s with Melas?”

“They are on the same side as far as I can tell.”

Kores did not speak. He rubbed a hand over his chin, his obsidian black skin a shade darker than Estia’s. That was because he was a true Demon. Just like Elara. One of the last few left in the world.

He was centuries old. A Demon that survived the Final Holy War simply because he did not side with the Demon King. That was almost treasonous— but at that point, the Demon King no longer cared to battle. Those who stayed with him simply awaited their destruction.

There were already very few Demons left at that point. And Kores was one of these last ones who chose to flee— perhaps because he was younger or because he was a fool who thought the extinction of their kind could be avoided— instead of staying and dying.

“If what you’re saying is true—”

Estia nodded. “Then the Cult is working with Melas.”

The Dark Crusaders were not a unified group, contrary to the belief of the Church. They thought that they conspired together, that they planned all their actions together, but no. That kind of a hierarchical structure was maintained by the Shadow’s Evangelium. The Dark Sages who formed the Dark Crusader sought to avoid falling into the same pit as they did.

Personally, Estia didn’t see a problem with it. They claimed it was to prevent the idolization of a single figure as the leader and proponent of the group, rather than the general idea which they sought to pursue: the destruction of the Church and a new world order where magic was permitted.

But even that was not the only focus of the Dark Crusaders— a side effect of its decentralized nature. For example, Estia’s faction was a small subset of the Dark Crusaders which were invested in the Cult and its activities.

“The Cult,” Kores said, his voice heavy. “When you first spoke to me about them, I refused to believe you. I did not think such a group could’ve possibly existed. But when I consulted Jasmin the Voodoo herself corroborated your story, I knew you were telling the truth. That you truly were the granddaughter of the Demon King. And the daughter of the Great Hero Xander himself.”

A wry smile spread across Estia’s face. She remembered when she was nearly cast out of the Dark Crusaders for being mad. She was glad that Jasmin validated her. “Everyone believed that the Great Hero Xander was dead. Of course you didn’t believe me.”

“Instead, Xander faked his death to pursue his experiments. The ones which borne the very Abominations which now wrought chaos and death throughout the world. The ones that threaten the very empire he built.” Kores sounded more puzzled than anything. He tilted his head back. “But why?”

“I don’t know,” Estia said. She was there when it happened— when the very first Abomination was spawned into the world. Just remembering the wretched and horrific experiments Xander conducted made her sick. “But what we do know is that this Melas is part of the Cult. The very same one with my mother, and led by Xander himself. And the girl is not some weak spellcaster— she’s barely a decade old, and her magic rivals that of a weaker Apostle. In around two years, she went from being equal to a Disciple to an Apostle, Kores. We can’t just ignore this.”

Even if the Holy Xan Empire painted the Dark Crusaders as the evil terrorist group that threatened to destroy the world— that wasn’t what anyone in the Infernalis wanted. They lived in this world. The world held them with scorn and contempt. But they understood that they couldn’t just destroy it all.

No, that was never the goal of the Dark Crusaders. The liberation of spellcasters? The tearing down of the old world order which oppressed spellcasters and threatened them with death? That was the only thing the Dark Crusaders wished to eradicate.

The same couldn’t be said for the Cult. Because Estia had spoken to Xander. She knew what he wanted. She knew what the Cult wanted. It was a simple goal— one that could be summed up in a single sentence.

They wanted to kill the Goddess of Light.

And that would spell doom for the world as they knew it.

“You’re right, Estia. You have new orders, ones that hold priority over dealing with the Church.” With a deep breath, Kores spoke out. “Find Melas, the daughter of the Fiend, and bring her to me. She is still a child, so perhaps she may be reasoned with. But if she does not cooperate?”

Estia’s eyes flickered. “Kill her, I know.”

Chapter 36: A New Abode

A car waited for us in the train station of the inner city of Jahar’taw. It had the words MTC written on its side, with a pair of Golem guards standing in front of it. I ducked my head low as I entered it, followed by Gennady.

“Is all of this really necessary?” I wasn’t wearing my mask. However, I definitely wished my face was covered right now. It was very embarrassing, causing a scene.

“I did not arrange this,” the Dwarf snorted. “I was just told that your transportation would be waiting for you here.”

“Then why are you following me?”

“Because they need me to verify it’s you. I was the one who asked Adilet to ensure your safety, after all.”

“I guess that makes sense.” I didn’t have any sort of identification other than my Hunters Guild card. And it wasn’t like I could use it. It had my fake identity on it— one which was actively being hunted down by both the Dark Crusaders and the Holy Knights right now.

Sure, both sides also knew of my real identity, but at least they couldn’t act against me if I had the entire government of the Taw Kingdom watching over me, right?

Maybe I’m still too idealistic. Regardless, the Holy Knights had their hands tied if I was kept safe in the MTC’s headquarters. The Dark Crusaders could try something, but they’d have a very hard time trying to infiltrate one of the most heavily guarded locations in the entire city.

We reached the gated complex after half an hour of driving. It was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of Golems— not just the regular ones you’d see patrolling the streets. But these were large Golems, made of various tough metals. Dwarf guards halted our car as we exited the vehicle.

“Gennady Usenov.” He showed the guard an identification card. Gesturing at me, he continued, “This is Melas. The girl under the protection of King Adilet.”

The Dwarf guards exchanged a look. “Yer melas, huh? Yer a lotta younger than we thought.”

I kept my head low, almost hiding it under my purple pointed hat. “I’ve… been thought a lot,” that was all I said.

“Well, ye’ve got clearance ta enter.” They ushered me in. But they stopped Gennady. “Not ya, though.”

“Wait.” I blinked. “He’s my friend— and he’s also a Scientist, isn’t he? Why can’t he enter?”

“Because, lass, he does nae have a pass to enter.”

“But he brought me here!” I exclaimed as Gennady glowered.

“An’ he’s done his job. Let us do ours.”

The guards were insistent. Gennady hadn’t said anything in return. I was certain he knew this beforehand, but he hoped that they’ d have let him in because of his old title as head Scientist. I hesitated. “Gennady—”

“Let them through, guards,” a voice said from the side. Bertrand stood at the gates, leaning against his cane. “Melas, it is good to see you are well. I was worried when I heard about what happened.”

“Bertrand.” Gennady fixed him with a glare.

“It’s good to see you, Master Gennady.” The old Scientist hobbled over to us. He gave a reassuring nod to the guards. “They have my permission to enter.” Stepping to the side, Bertrand smiled. “Please, come on in.”

“Thank you for your help there, Bertrand.” I gave him a grateful look.

“It is no trouble, Melas. I’d prefer your welcome to the MTC to be more than accommodating.” Bertrand was rather old, and he did have a slight hunch, edging towards his left shoulder. He couldn’t walk too fast, so I slowly followed behind him.

“I’ve been here before, but only ever at the section dedicated solely to mana tech testing. This place is more…” I glanced around at the simple hallway, not incredibly reinforced as if anything in the rooms around us would blow up at any moment. It seemed more like a dorm, with a few rooms used for classes and studying.

“Yes, this section was built for research purposes. And as the trait of many Scientists such as myself and Master Gennady, we often would prefer to sleep and eat at our labs. So, this is where the sleeping quarters are located as well.” He smiled at the Dwarf following behind me, grumbling with his arms crossed.

“Don’t just make assumptions about me, boy.”

Wait, was Gennady calling this old man a boy? Actually, who even was older? Dwarfs had older lifespans, so it was entirely possible that Bertrand was truly younger than Gennady.

Snorting, Gennady came to a stop. “I conduct my research vastly different from you lot.”

“Ah, of course, of course.” Bertrand’s smile never slipped from his lips. He was calm and collected, a sharp contrast to Gennady’s brash and hot-headed nature.

“Why did you even help me get in, anyway?” The Dwarf didn’t bother hiding his animosity. “Is it to brag that you stole my damned job from me?”

“No,” Betrand said, ignoring the accusation. “I simply thought Melas would be more comfortable with her introduction here if she had someone she knew accompanying her.”

I nodded at him. “Thank you.”

He shook his head, laughing. “Also, Master Gennady, a friend of yours was visiting today. I believed you would have liked to meet with him.”

Gennady cocked a brow. “A friend?”

Bertrand pushed open a door, entering a carpeted room. In it sat two couches around a coffee table, with a Dwarf man standing before it.

“Gennady Usenov, you mad bastard!” He spread his arms wide.

“Akerke, is that you?” Gennady blinked, only to be tackled by the other Dwarf in a hug.

“You’ve been back in Jahar’taw for months, and you didn’t think to pay me a visit? Has old age really rotted your brain that far?”

He scowled. “I’ve been busy, Akerke. What are you even doing at the MTC?”

“I’m busy doing things for my business here too.” Akerke was a younger Dwarf. His beard wasn’t nearly as long as Gennady’s, with a deep shade of black that was rare even for Dwarfs.

“Just a man trying to make his living, eh?” Gennady laughed. He gestured at me. “This is Melas.”

I tipped the brim of my hat at him. “A pleasure, Mr Akerke.”

“Akerke is fine. Bah, don't’ remind me of my age with all that ‘mister’ stuff.” Akerke grinned and peered at me. “So, you’re the Melas I’ve heard lots about, huh? Had a run in with the Church and the Dark Crusaders yesterday, didn’t ya?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You know about that?”

“Everyone in the know knows about it,” he said as if that wasn’t obvious.

My shoulders sagged. “This is becoming a bigger deal than I thought it would be.”

“Ye didn’t think seeking asylum wouldn’t be a big deal?” Akerke snorted. He was big for a Dwarf, and he was louder than even Gennady. More boisterous and carefree too. “Come now, of course it’s a big deal! Although, compared to making an enemy of both the Church and that bloody terrorist group? I guess I can see why you thought it wouldn’t matter.”

I glowered. “The Dark Crusaders are…” They were a lot of things. I guess terrorist was an appropriate term. But it was misleading too. “They’re a lot of things. Not just terrorists.”

“Right, right. You’re a spellcaster, ain’t ye? Of course you’d like ‘em.” He paused. “Wait, aren’t they trying to kill ye? I thought you’d hate ‘em for being evil an’ all.”

“Not all of them are evil. Just some of them are.” Although all of them were indeed trying to kill me, which was rather inconvenient. Hence, this whole setup.

“Hrm, yes. That is quite an impartial take. You’re a mature one.” Akerke shook his head. “I wish I could think like that, but alas, they’re the reasons why business ain’t so well for me these days.”

“What’d they do?” I raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Oh, just what they usually do. They target my shipments, stealing our tools and selling ‘em for gold. I never invested as much into protection as other companies, since I usually played it safe. Thought I could save money. Turns out it was not the smartest decision for the Elusive Goods Enterprise, eh?”

Gennady smacked him in the back. “Your shitty name was why your company isn’t doing well. Elusive Goods? Hah, more like Elusive Customers.”

I winced at that comment. I thought Akerke would grow angry. He surprised me by chuckling and waving a hand off.

“Elusive? More like non-existent.” The younger Dwarf was completely unoffended. “It was a play on words. My company was the only place you could buy these tools. I even sold some of your your patents too.”

“What failures they turned out to be.”

Both laughed. I glanced between the two. They were old friends, catching up, hanging their arms around each other’s shoulders.

We took a seat as the conversation shifted. Akerke was curious about how Gennady and I even met. I told him a recount of the time I nearly killed him, and Akerke sighed.

“You shoulda finished the job.”

I couldn’t help but grin too. It was a relaxing conversation, one filled with inane chatter and some candy and tea added to the mix. The Dwarfs carried most of the conversation. Of course they did. I offered some contributions, mostly when they asked me questions.

Bertrand didn’t say much. But that was not unusual of him. The chat finally ended as Gennady stood up.

“Well, lad, I gotta head out now. And Melas probably has to see her room, acclimate to this new place, not just hole up in this room.”

“Of course, of course.” Akerke turned to me. “Stay safe, lassie. And show me some of your tools sometime. That toaster thing sounds ingenious. Maybe you might even pull me out of bankruptcy if you let me sell it.”

I shook his head. “Thank you. And I will.”

The two Dwarfs left the complex— they knew their way around it well enough that they didn’t need to be escorted out. Bertrand brought me to my room, at the corner of a hallway on the second floor.

I pushed the door open, revealing a dark room. And a shadowed figure pounced on me. I leapt back as a pair of gleaming, yellow eyes stared up my way. I drew my dagger in a panic, but I slowly lowered it when I realized what it was.

A black cat sat on the floor, its tail pointed up, its head tilted to the side. I stared at it. “What is a cat doing in my room?”

“Ah, there she is.” Bertrand started forward and picked up the cat. “Luna, was this where you’ve been hiding all day?”

“Luna? Is she your cat?” I sheathed my dagger and leaned over Bertrand’s shoulder.

The old man shook his head. “No, not mine. She’s a stray who wandered into the MTC once. She lives here now. We simply feed her and take care of her.”

I paused. “Wait, you just let a cat into this highly secure complex?”

“We don’t allow her near the other sections of the MTC. And she’s well-behaved, see?” Bertrand ran his fingers through Luna’s fur, and she purred. “There’s no need to worry for her.”

That wasn’t really what I was concerned about. That just seemed like a security oversight. What if someone transformed into a cat to infiltrate the MTC? Or wait, actually, was transformation magic even possible?

It probably wasn’t. I was just overthinking things, bringing preconceived notions from my world and applying them in a world where it was inapplicable. I never saw anyone perform transformation magic before. I would have heard about it by now.

Elara never brought it up. My mom would’ve just turned to a crow and flown away if Inquisitors showed up. That was a stupid thought.

Luna was just a cat and nothing more. My lips curled up as I watched Bertrand pat her. I was a Witch, wasn’t I? There was no reason for me to be suspicious of a cat. Witches and cats went hand-in-hand.

“Who’s a good kitty?” I offered Luna a hand. She looked at it. Then she swiped at it, scratching my fingers, and darted away. “Ouch.”

“Apologies, Melas, I should’ve mentioned: she’s not good with strangers.”

Well, I guess that was another idea from my world proven wrong. “I’m bleeding.”

“I’ll get you a bandage. Sit right here.”

The MTC was not like a hotel or an inn where I could get anything I wanted when I asked for it (as long as I had gold). I was living here in political asylum, offered protection from the Church and the Dark Crusaders, so I was served food and drinks on a tri-daily basis, but I never had much say about it.

The chef, a Dwarf woman by the name of Zubaira, was very insistent that I ate whatever she made exactly how it was made. She wasn’t a luxury cook by any means, but she believed in the culinary art of cooking a perfect meal and the manners that went with it.

“Ye can’t be havin’ the meatloaf without tha corn, lassie,” she said, emphatically stabbing a fork on the roasted corn. “Also, sit up straight! Yer slouching too much!”

“What am I, in prep school or something?” I muttered as I did what she told me to.

Zubaira scoffed. “Manners matter ta everyone, even a peasant.” She shook her head as she hauled her cart of food away.

“Thanks for the food.” I waved at her as she left my room. Her cooking wasn’t the greatest in the world by any means. The gravy was a bit too thin, and the corn was burnt and flaked with black. But food was food and food was good. So, I chowed down on what I had been given.

It had been a few days since I moved into the MTC. I spent most of the time thus far just relaxing, acclimating to my new surroundings. It was odd, not having to really go out and do anything to feel safer than I already was.

I’d leave my room, and there were already guards patrolling the hallways. Golems made of stone and metal stood in front of various doorways, protecting the laboratories and even libraries all around the vast complex.

I felt at ease. Far too relaxed compared to the past few months, what with Lilith, Didar, and now Estia and the Dark Crusaders. Just knowing that they’d have some difficulty killing me in my sleep put me at a calm. Of course, I didn’t just feel reassured doing nothing.

I glanced around at the walls, inscribed with various magical runes. Elara could probably break into the MTC without trouble. That was just how powerful she was. But I highly doubted anyone else I was worried about— Estia or Lilith— would be able to infiltrate the giant compound. If they did? I made some preparations for them. They wouldn’t be able to catch me off guard with the barrier I made.

Speaking of— I narrowed my eyes as I sensed something entering my room. It pushed the door open, all-too-quietly, and strutted in like it owned the place. I looked up at Luna. The black cat eyed me with its yellow eyes. “Yes?” I asked, as if it would even understand what I said.

Referring to the cat as an it felt weird. But referring to her as a she also felt weird. I wasn’t sure which pronoun to use, so I simply alternated between both of them.

Luna ignored my question. Which, rude by the way. If only there was some kind of cat-to-Human translation spell out there. Too bad it didn’t exist, just like transformation magic didn’t.

Instead of meowing or doing normal cat-things, Luna leapt up to the table and stared at me.

“W-what?” She cocked her head, and I cocked my head. “If you—”

The cat snatched a large chunk of my meatloaf and hopped off the table. I frowned and started to my feet. “Hey!” I dashed after her, but she scurried straight for the doorway. “Come back here!” I pointed, and a spell circle formed at the tip of my finger.

Luna continued running, reaching the doorway, only to suddenly begin floating up. She thrashed in the air as I gripped her tightly with my Levitate spell.

“Give it back,” I said with finality in my voice.

She tilted her head to the side, staring at me while upside down. I glared at her, and the door swung open. Bertrand stepped into the room, pausing. He glanced between me and Luna.

“I believe I have entered at a bad time.”

I sighed and let the cat down.

“I see you and Luna have been getting along.” The elderly man ran a hand through Luna's fur as she purred.

“Very well.” I rolled my eyes, leaning back against my chair. “If getting along means she doesn't like me for whatever reason.”

“She’s a bit brusque at first. She used to bite me anytime I tried to get close to her. Honestly, I think she likes you.” He chuckled as he set Luna to the ground.

I watched the cat scurry off, not wanting to be caught by my magic again. I turned my attention to Bertrand. “So, did you need something from me?”

“Ah, yes. I apologize for interrupting your meal, Melas.” He bowed his head slightly, but I waved a hand off.

“It’s fine. I was finishing up, anyway.”

“I simply wanted to inquire about your progress on deciphering the mana codes behind the Dimensional Storage Box. You have had it in your possession for nearly three months, I believe.”

I tilted my head back. Has it already been that long? Honestly, ever since I had to go through my childhood and being a baby again while being completely aware of everything that was going on around me, I have had a skewed sense of time. “I’ve taken a few cursory looks at it, but never figured out anything too substantive.”

“Ah, of course.” Bertrand didn’t seem surprised. “Yes, we’ve studied that odd box for a very long time, but its design is so… complex. I am uncertain of its origins. It seems like it could be a relic from the time of the Demon Lord.”

“Maybe.” I produced the Dimensional Storage Box. I brought it with me to the MTC. Holding it up, I squinted and peered into its intricate design of magic and mana. “It certainly looks old.” That was my very in-depth analysis of it.

Bertrand shook his head, standing up. “If you make any breakthroughs, do inform me. Or if you need any assistance— there are various papers and books written about the nature of this box. It is very much a fascinating subject to most scholars of manatech.”

“I will, I guess. I mean, it’s not like there is much for me to do here.”

He paused. “You could always look around.” He smiled before hobbling away.

It was all just science and tech stuff, wasn't it? What was there to look at?

“Oh.” I watched as two golems brawled with each other in the center of a ring. This was the testing facility of the MTC. I didn’t stand in an arena, but in a room with targets, explosive areas, and a fighting ring. This was how they tested the efficacy of their Golems in combat.

Right now, a Steel Golem was embroiled in a punching fight with a Gold Golem. I wasn’t sure what the point of a Gold Golem was— it was an experimental Golem, apparently. One that was built specifically for brawling fights. And it was beating the Steel Golem.

That much wasn’t too big of a shock to me, considering Steel Golems were designed to be built with weapons. Taking that away from it was practically maiming it. I found the clanging of their metal arms more distracting than anything else. A single Engineer watched the Gold Golem pick apart the Steel Golem.

“Yeah!” he cheered. “Can’t believe tha actually worked!”

“Does that not usually happen?” I raised a brow.

The Dwarf jerked and spun around, pointing at me. “Wha— when did ye get in here?”

I blinked. “For the past hour or so.”

“Wait, someone has been here this whole time?!” The Dwarf Engineer’s eyes grew wide.

“Uh, yes?” I shrugged, looking around me. “Am I not supposed to be here?”

“No, no. I just… how did ye even get in here without me knowing?”

“Through the front door?”

It was a series of questions which only prompted more questions from the previous question. After a certain point, there wasn’t really anything significant to be said. The Engineer shook his head, rubbing at his temples.

“I think I recognize ye. Ye must be that girl they brought in… Melas, right?” He offered me a hand.

I shook it. “Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you…?”

“I’m Aniyar.” He was rather mild-mannered for a Dwarf. I expected him to be boisterous, like Gennady. But after he shook my hand, he stepped back, almost receding away from me. “I’m just an Engineer, working on Project Gold.”

“Project Gold?” I raised a brow.

He nodded. “Yep. It’s a project for three new lines of Golems— Bronze Golems, Silver Golems, and Gold Golems. I’m one of the main ones in charge of the Gold Golems.”

“Oh, that’s very interesting.” I glanced over at the Gold Golem, standing triumphantly over the broken Steel Golem. “So, you’re the one who rigged it to do… all that?” I made a vague gesture.

“I am.”

“That’s amazing.” I smiled. “The fluidity of the Gold Golem’s movements is far more natural than any other Golem I’ve seen. Iron Golems are stiff, but they’re very strong. Steel Golems are more natural in their movements, but they’re usually weaker. It seems like you combined the pros of both into a single Golem.”

“You think?” Aniyar blinked. “How do you know all that?”

“I do,” I said, remembering my past battles with Iron Golems. “And I’m right, aren’t I?”

“You are.” He paused, glancing back at his Gold Golem. “So, are you interested in Golem-making and tinkering?”

“I was just taking a look around the MTC. I stumbled across this room, and thought what you were doing looked interesting.”

“Well, this room is used more than for Golem testing.” He gestured at a table full of gadgets to his left. “We like ta try out any new, experimental weapons here. It’s called a ‘testing room’, but it’s more of a ‘crazy experiments’ room” He gave a nervous chuckle, and I nodded.

“I see.” I glanced back to the exit. “Do you know if there’s any ‘food’ room?”

“Like the recess hall?” Aniyar cocked a brow.

“Yes, exactly like that!” My eyes lit up.

He shrugged. “There’s one in the east building. We’re in the west building. So, you’ll have to go straight across the foyer.”

I nodded. “Thank you!” I hurried out the door, before pausing and glancing back at Aniyar. “By the way, it was nice meeting you! See you around!” I waved at him and was off.

“Come back anytime— we’re be testing our Silver Golems next week!”

I gratefully accepted the slab of ground meat the lady at the recess hall poured onto my bowl. I grabbed a spoon and found a seat as I dug into my meal. “Delicious…” I was satisfied.

The MTC was a peaceful place. There was not much for me to worry about. Walking around the complex reminded me of going around the community college I attended for that one summer session while still in high school. It really was designed like a college campus. But that made sense. This was the leading place for technology and innovation in Jahar’taw.

Here, I was safe. Here, I could walk across a large courtyard and enter a building full of laboratories and for testing equipment. There was another building with a vast library to sift through. There was another building for the construction of the actual tools that were to be used— almost like a factory.

I could remain idle. I had been idle for a bit. But that was only a reprieve from that hectic night not too long ago.

“—after the events of last week, there have been reports of a rise in terrorist activity…”

I glanced up at the television as a reporter spoke over the scene of a destroyed factory. It looked like the factory where I met with the Dark Crusaders many times over. There clearly was a battle there. A crowd was gathered around it, and I thought I saw some familiar decorated knights standing around the debris.

I clicked my tongue as I set down my spoon. I came here to be safe. To be protected. But most importantly, so that my friends were not embroiled in any trouble I threw myself into.

Now that that was settled, I had to do something. Not about Lilith. I couldn’t do anything about her. But Karna. There was a misunderstanding. I knew he wanted to kill me, but we had been friends once. If I could just talk to him— maybe we could resolve this issue.

And maybe the Dark Crusaders wouldn’t be so vehement about killing me anymore.

I sighed as I raised my spoon, only for a black figure to snatch it from my hand. I watched as Luna stole my spoon, scampering off to the other side of the recess hall.

“Jerk.”

Chapter 37: Introducing Yourself

I stood right by the gates of the MTC, staring out into the busy streets of Jahar’taw. The inner city was busy as always. Dwarfs bustled about, rushing down the sidewalk for whatever job they had to attend to. Streetlights shone a bright yellow, powered by mana crystal, the mana tech which they so prided themselves in. Cars drove past slowly, not nearly as fast as the cars in my world could go, emitting a loud whirring noise which almost reminded me of a vacuum.

As diverse as the city already was— being split to an inner city and an outer city— the inner city was not a simple, uniform terrain. As I discovered not too long ago, there were other parts of the inner city which were far more… privy to activities that were not too gazed well upon by the law. They comprised mostly of the western parts, although crime couldn’t possibly be stymied even at the heart of a sprawling city such as Jahar’taw.

The eastern part of the city was definitely richer, however, with less reported crimes. At least, according to Gennady.

It was where Tinkers and Inventors and Engineers and Alchemists lived. They set up their shops at the first floor of their homes, usually using their basement for experiments and tests while the second storey was where their sleeping and arrangement was located. While that might not have sounded like the most extravagant lifestyle, they were somehow in the upper middle class of the city.

Because factory workers and miners lived in terrible living conditions, no matter the world or time period. They took up a majority of the southern section of the city, and that was where the smog in the air was the thickest. Granted, it was not comparable to certain countries or cities in my world. The use of mana tech actually made industrial activity more eco-friendly.

But those that carried out said labor still had to work arduously; I wasn’t deluded into thinking Jahar’taw was a paragon of basic rights which were so horribly absent everywhere in this world. And to further perpetuate the perception of a harsh working-environment, the largest population of Goblins in the inner city lived in the southern section, mostly working in factories.

They could be miners. But they weren’t good miners, compared to Dwarfs. Their physical strength was just too lacking. So, they were relegated to jobs at assembly lines or using machines. They weren’t treated well, either. Usually underpaid compared to their working Dwarf counterparts. Perhaps that was why so many of them converted to the Dark Crusaders.

My lips pursed at the thought.

There were so many innocent lives in the Dark Crusaders. Sure, they could be characterized as terrorists— I didn’t deny that. They were capable of cruel and terrible things. I, myself, was there to see the most vile acts of the group. But if I pretended that they never saved my life, that they were all-bad, then I would be nothing more than a massive hypocrite (to some extent, I probably was one, but I didn’t want to be more of one than what I already was.)

The very reason why I left the Dark Crusaders was because I couldn't look past their misdeeds. Victor— I wasn’t going to stand idly by and allow him to hurt others just for his own pleasure. So, if I couldn’t turn the other cheek to their sins, why should I look away from the good they’ve done?

Especially for me.

Karna was… had been my friend. At one point. Now, he thought of me as an enemy. And I couldn’t fault him for it. But I could try and clear things up. Right my wrong. And do it all before the Holy Knights and Lilith decided to purge the city of all Goblin presence.

It was in the news. Oh, I heard it. I saw it. I got to my feet as I heard a passing Dwarf beyond the MTC’s gates whisper to a friend.

“...honestly, as much as I hate tha damned Saints and their foolish Church, it’s a good thing they came when they did, eh?”

“Now, the question is, are those terrorists acting up because they’re here or—”

Those ‘terrorists’ were not acting up. Yes, the Dark Crusaders have been more active because of Lilith. But they never intended or planned to cause any rolling destruction that I knew of to Jahar’taw. Especially what happened that night: it was kind of my fault, to a certain extent.

Not entirely. But I could’ve tried talking. I froze up. I was scared. The only thing I knew to do then was to run. I had to speak with Karna. Clear up this issue with him, even if it was risky.

So, I stood up. I got to my feet, knowing I had to act. I wasn’t going to exit the MTC immediately. Especially not in broad daylight. But I was going to begin my plan. It was a vague plan. One that I knew I could only carry out because Elara was watching over me.

I reached the west building of the large complex, pushing a door open— and paused as a Dwarf nearly bumped into me. I blinked, murmuring an apology.

“Sorry—” I stared at the man and woman. “Do I know you?”

The Dwarf man furrowed his brows. Then he grinned. “Ah, you’re Melas, aren’t you? Yes, we met. Once, before.” He offered me a hand. “Very briefly. I am Erzhan. Gennady has told me a lot about you.”

“Oh.” I hurriedly shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Melas… although you already know that.”

He gestured at the woman standing next to him. “And this is my to-be wife, Bakyt.”

She bowed her head slightly. “Pleased.”

I wasn’t sure whether to shake her hand or return the gesture. I settled with doing both at the same time. “Likewise.” I glanced up, looking between them. “And congratulations… if that’s a recent development?”

“It is.” Erzhan laughed. “But our apologies, it seems we interrupted you in a rush.”

I raised my hands, shaking them. “No, no, no. I was just searching for Bertrand myself. I have to speak with him.”

“Ah, the old Human.” Bakyt made a sound. She was rather plump, even for a Dwarf. Although by the way Erzhan seemed to swoon over her, I assumed it made her only more attractive to him. “We were hoping to speak with him ourselves, but he wasn’t in his office.”

“He’s not?”

“No.” Erzhan said, pointing past me. “He’s in the central building. We were just heading there. Come, walk with us.”

I found myself being swept by the couple. I knew about Erzhan, from all Gennady talked about him. Also, because he had given Ginah a job while helping her with the situation back in the country of Laxis.

I knew he was a good man. His fiancee, I wasn’t so sure about. But if he was marrying her, she was likely not a bad person at all. I mean, she was fine with me even though I was a spellcaster. That was always good, right?

“What did you need to see Bertrand for?” I glanced over at them, and Erzhan smiled.

“Ah, just for a little project of ours.” The look he gave Bakyt made me think it wasn’t something for his company, but for them. “What about you, young Melas?”

“There is… a favor, I need to ask of him.” There was only something he could do. He was an Inventor, a Scientist. But most importantly, he was the head of the MTC. The one in charge of it all. With access to complex machines and tools.

There was some way he could help me find Karna, right?

“Secretive, I see.” Erzhan chuckled as he entered the central building.

It was shaped almost like a box, except with a curved roof. It reminded me of a cake.

He shook his head as I followed after him. “It is fine for you to keep your secrets. Just know that I have a very keen ear. Word gets around to me whether most like it or not, and from what I hear about you, I find you highly admirable.”

“You do?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Indeed. While I won’t comment on your actions here in public, to have gone through what you did and still be who you are? That is strong.”

I ducked my head slightly, feeling embarrassed at the praise. “Oh… thanks.” What else should I say? I didn’t like getting praised!

This main building was by far the largest of them all. It was crowded with Engineers and Scientists and simple laborers carrying boxes down different hallways. I have been here before. This was where I came to visit Bertrand in the psat, back when he gave me the Dimensional Storage Box.

“Do you know where Bertrand’s office is?” Erzhan inquired.

I cocked my head. “I do not believe so.”

He stopped right before a corridor with a gilded double door at the very end. Four more doors lined either side of the hallway’s walls, and mana tech lights flickered from the ceiling above. “Are you willing to wager a guess?” He grinned, and his fiancee snorted.

I looked at the room. My focus was entirely captured by the grand doorway at the end. But that couldn’t be it, could it? I pointed at the side. “Bertrand is quite modest. I believe his office is one of the ones to the side.”

“That is correct.” Erzhan started forward, pushing open the closest door to the right. “Bertrand!”

“Erzhan, Bakyt.” The Human man stood up. He grabbed his cane off his desk and took a step forward before spotting me. “Melas, too. What brings you three here?”

“We simply ran into each other on our way you.” Erzhan smirked. “It seems you’re rather popular.”

Bertrand let out a laugh. “Sit, sit.”

I awkwardly followed behind the couple as they took their seats. Bertrand poured us all cups of tea and coffee. I accepted simple water. Not the biggest fan of coffee, and wasn’t in the mood for tea.

“I believe you’re here about your deal with the MTC, Erzhan?” Producing a pipe from his pocket, Bertrand lit it and gave it a puff. “A shipment of fifty golems from Project Gold?”

“That’s right. We’ve been having problems with Abominations raiding our men leaving Jahar’taw. We’ve tried equipping them with better weapons, even having Steel Golems accompany them, but the Abominations are too numerous. We have decided that it is better to flee than to fight them if our shipments are attacked.”

I knew it was rude to interrupt adults when they were talking, but I felt like I needed to speak. “Wait, what about Ginah?”

Erzhan glanced over at me, blinking. Then he made a sound. “Ah, your friend. No, she’s fine. While sea Monsters have been more aggressive as of late, the Abominations aren’t truly a danger in the depths. The harsh environment is too much for them, I’d wager.”

I sighed in relief, but Bertrand shook his head.

“I wouldn’t say that so soon. The fact that Abominations have yet to be prevalent in attacking voyaging ships does not mean they aren’t a threat while in the water. They are not to be underestimated.” He looked at Erzhan, meeting his gaze. But he smiled. “As for Project Gold, unfortunately we’ve met setbacks—”

They discussed business for what felt like an hour. I grew almost bored by it, and it seemed like I wasn’t the only one. Bakyt turned to me as the two men spoke to each other about business.

“Tell me about yourself, Melas.” She peered at me, running a hand through her orange-ish red hair. “I have only heard about you, but never heard from you.”

I hesitated. “Oh, um, I’m just Melas? I… uh… what do I say?” I really didn’t know what else to add.

“Well, there’s plenty of things you can talk about, can’t you?” She leaned back on her seat slightly. “For me, for example, I’d say that I’m Bakyt Nazerev, one of the last few nobles in the Taw Kingdom. I adore balls and parties, with a taste for sweet things.” Placing a hand on her chin, she creased a brow. “How about you? What do you like to eat? What do you like to do? You’re a spellcaster, aren’t you? What made you decide to learn magic?”

“I guess I like food?” It was such a weird thing to say. “In general. Not any specific kind. And that’s because… the reason I learned magic is…” There really was too much to explain. But her interest seemed piqued.

“Well, go on then?”

I sighed. “I think I need some tea.” I began telling her about myself.

“Oh, you poor thing.” Bakyt pulled me into a tight hug as I finished my story.

I didn’t really struggle; I wasn’t against the affection. I quite liked it, actually. It felt nice.

“You’ve been through so much. It must have been so hard on you.”

I gave her a small nod. “It was. I—” I didn’t have anything to say. All I did was sigh as I leaned back against the chair once Bakyt let go of me.

Initially, I started to tell my story to only the Dwarf woman. But at some point, Bertrand and Erzhan finished their own conversations and listened to what I was saying. Erzhan seemed just as sympathetic to my plight as his wife did, but he probably knew a lot of these details beforehand. Bertrand was surprised by some points of my story, yet he just seemed tired.

“The world is always cruel,” he said, puffing his pipe. “For a child like you to go through such misdeeds, I cannot fathom it.”

“But you’ve seen it, haven’t you? Back in the Holy Xan Empire.” Erzhan glanced over at the old Scientist.

“I have, yes. Which is why I labor. It is why I work to make the world a better place. My creations— they’re always for the greater good.” Bertrand’s gaze turned unfocused. He sounded tired, weary.

I smiled at him. “Thank you. You’ve helped me a lot—” I paused, earning looks from the three in the room. I suddenly felt embarrassed. Slightly ashamed even. Because I came here to ask for even more help.

“What’s wrong, Melas?” Bakyt placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“I, uh…” I glanced up uncertainly at Human Scientist. “I actually came to ask for your help, Bertrand.” I didn’t want to speak about this in front of Erzhan and Bakyt— people I just met— but they seemed like they could be trusted.

I was too often too paranoid. Too afraid of others. But Gennady trusted Erzhan. He knew a lot about me. So did Bakyt now. They were influential people. Maybe they could help.

“I mentioned being part of the Dark Crusaders earlier, right?” They nodded, and I continued. “I had… a friend in the Dark Crusaders. A Goblin friend. He helped train me— teach me how to use magic. But after I killed that jerk I told you about, he now thinks I’m some kind of traitor to the Dark Crusaders. He… wants to kill me.”

“Ah. And this is what sparked the incident only a week ago, yes?” Bertrand raised a brow.

I nodded. “I ran into him, and he recognized me. That’s how the Dark Crusaders ended up chasing me halfway across the city.” That was an over exaggeration, but it felt like I ran for a while from Estia and Karna.

Erzhan furrowed his brows. “Wait, so this friend of yours tried to kill you?”

“Yes.” I bowed my head, feeling an eclectic of emotions building up inside. Shame. Anger. Fear.

“Can he really be a friend if he’s trying to murder you?”

“Erzhan!” Bakyt elbowed her husband.

“It’s true…”

“No, he’s right.” I looked helplessly down at the palm of my hands. “As things are right now, he’s not really… my friend. Not in any essence of the word. But that’s why I want to change that.”

Bertrand made a sound. He leaned forward, giving me a knowing look. “You wish to make amends.”

“Yes.” I should’ve told Karna what I planned to do. Keeping him in the dark was one of my biggest regrets. For someone like Gerritt the Orc or Ihsan the other Goblin, they would’ve forgiven me. They’d have understood the reason why I did what I did.

But Karna was a principled individual. He believed in loyalty and doing what was right the proper way. Killing Victor wasn’t the proper way for him. And keeping him the dark about it only added fuel to that fire.

“If I can speak with him—”

“You wish to convince him. Change his mind.” Bertrand nodded.

I pursed my lips. The three adults standing around me were rightly skeptical, even if empathetic. I tried to explain myself. “Look, I know it’s dangerous. Not just for me, but for those around me as well. That’s why I’m here. However, I can’t just stay here and do nothing. I have to face my problems. Maybe not Lilith. But my friend… my former friend. I just have to speak with him.”

Bertrand stood up, his shoulders hunched on one side, leaning heavily against his cane. “We cannot stop you or control your actions, Ms Melas,” he said. “Here, in the MTC— in this country— you have our protection. You are not our prisoner. You are free to do as you wish, and we’ll offer you what little help we can.”

“That’s right.” Erzhan folded his arms. “I can’t do much for you. But I have heard many things. Especially about the Holy Knights and the Saintess. They’re being carefully monitored by the House of Or’taq. I know their routine— when they’re given free rein.”

I glanced between the two of them, before I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder. “Bakyt…”

The Dwarf woman smiled.  “You wish to speak with him, do you not?”

“I do.”

“If he’s truly your friend, tell him everything you’ve told me today, and he will forgive you. If not, do not fault him. But be the one to forgive him instead.” She bowed her head deeply, whispering. “May the Goddess grace you.”

I paused. That caught me off guard. Jahar’taw— the Taw Kingdom in its entirety— was not the most religious place. There weren’t temples or places of worship lining every street corner. It was more… modern. But here. Even here. Everyone believed in the Goddess of Light.

There was a reason I didn’t. My encounter with Elara led me to believe in another god. A false god. One who was responsible for my death and playing with my fate. I didn’t believe in the Goddess of Light. But— I could appreciate the sentiment.

“Thank you.”

Chapter 38: Confrontation

The night streets of Jahar’taw was overcome with a thin mist. A fog that shrouded the smitheries, the factories, and the houses and the shops. Mana lamp lit up the night, copying the flickers of a flame. They cast ruddy smears on the blank canvas. A glow that came and went as the vehicle drove down the road.

I could see specks and motes of light. Flickers of flames seeping through the windows tinted white. It was just past evening. The sun had fully set. Yet, the light that diffused through the many, many miniscule globules of water created a holy orange aura. A solemn setting. One that fit the mood I was in as I left the MTC.

Bertrand had arranged this. He asked for a delivery truck to stow me in the back, so I could quietly exit the complex without it being known that I was gone. The Dark Crusaders weren’t influential here, but I was sure they had watchers somewhere. Same with the Holy Knights.

According to Erzhan, Lilith was currently preoccupied with a hearing. After she and her Holy Knights brought down a factory of Goblins that didn’t actually belong to the Dark Crusaders, the Workers Party— a smaller offshoot party that came from like-minded individuals from the Builders and Miners Parties— had demanded she cease her activities and leave the city.

Unfortunately, as public sentiment seemed to support the cracking down on the terrorists responsible for the attacks just a few weeks ago, it was highly likely that that wasn’t going to happen. Still, it gave me the window of time to act knowing that a chaotic night where I was hunted by multiple parties wouldn’t occur once again.

The driver reached the warehouse he was delivering a bunch of mana tech to. It wasn’t anything dangerous like weapons, but more simple tools used in everyday life. I thanked him as I offloaded myself, donning my mask and disappearing into the alleyways in the fog.

It was dangerous. But this was something I had to do myself.

I wasn’t stupid or deluded into thinking I could bear the world’s problems all on my own. I didn’t have a hero complex where I wanted to shoulder the burden of some grand purpose on my back, sacrificing myself for a nebulous idea of a greater good. If I needed help, I’d ask for help.

However, this was between me and Karna. My former friend. I already asked for help where I could— now, it was up to me to speak with him.

And it wasn’t like I was alone.

I glanced up from the alleyway I was in. There were pipes running down the brick walls of the buildings adjacent to me. These weren’t small buildings. Each was around four or five floors tall. And somewhere at these roofs, my ‘guardian angel’ was looking after me.

Elara. I was reassured that I would at least be saved by her if anything truly heinous occurred. Her power wasn’t limitless. But I believed I could fend for myself too.

I traveled alone. I returned to the very same underground bar Lisa had brought me numerous times to. I carried myself with the knowledge that the spellcasters and heretics there were very much aware of who I was.

I set down a dozen gold coins on the counter, sliding it to the bartender. “The Dark Cruasders are being pushed out of the city,” I said simply.

“They have, yes.” He accepted the coins, eyeing me from under his hood. “Very many of the gangs around here are rather happy about it. No longer will anyone have a monopoly on spellcasters in Jahar’taw.”

“Tell me where to find them.” I glanced back towards a group of Goblins staring at me from a distant table. “Or who I should have to follow.”

One of the Goblins stood up, heading for the exit. But the bartender shook his head. “Not them.” He nodded in the direction of a Beastkin slithering— literally— from the room. A snake Beastkin. With a long tail for legs that ran up to his waste. “That’s who you need to follow.”

I grunted and hopped off the bar, quietly following after the Beastkin. He wasn’t very inconspicuous, which ultimately made him rather inconspicuous. No one would expect a Beastkin to be the spy for the Dark Crusaders in an information gathering spot.

He was rather slick too, making sharp turns and traveling in circles as I crept behind him. He didn’t see me. He didn’t know I followed him. And he led me to a warehouse just at the very edge of the southern side of the inner city. I could see the entrance of a mine just beyond it— it looked like a place to store the minerals gathered from the mines.

I kept my head low and my hood up as I snuck around the back of the warehouse. There weren’t dozens of guards of Goblins out on watch, since that would make it clearly obvious to those hunting them that the Dark Crusaders were here. But I sensed the magic in its perimeter. They had detection spells and runes set up.

Quite advanced, but not anything I couldn’t deal with. A simple Dispel Magic disable it and I was able to enter the warehouse. I didn’t just waltz in for all to see. I climbed over a metal fence, hidden in the fog, before finally stepping foot inside.

I glanced around at the empty hallways, slowly stalking my way past the rooms. I saw sleeping figures. Goblins, snoring and unaware that I was even here. There were some Dwarfs too. And even Humans. The Dark Crusaders rarely ever bunched all of the same species together in one place as it would lead to conflict. But they had no choice. Not with Lilith and the Holy Knights breathing down their backs.

I stayed away from anyone who was awake or wandering the corridors. I searched the premises for as long as I could until I finally found him. Powerful magic was being exuded from a training hall away from the sleeping quarters, and only one person was in there this late at night. I knew who it would be, and entered quietly as the Goblin loosed arrow after arrow at targets.

“Karna,” I said, taking off my mask.

The Goblin spun around, narrowing his eyes.

“We need to talk.”

And he lashed out at me.

Karna lashed out at me. Not with a dagger. Not with an arrow. He charged me with his fist.

“You!”

He swung hard as I raised a hand. There was a flash. A barrier shrouded me, blocking his attack. It wasn’t a weak, simple barrier— the same one he easily tore through back when he trained me. I could cast spells far beyond the levels of a mere Force Barrier now.

The Goblin glared at me. “How dare you show yourself here! How dare you show yourself before me!”

“Karna,” I said, voice cool. “I’m not here to fight you. I only want to talk.”

“Talk?” he sputtered and leapt back. He drew an arrow as I braced for his attack. “There is no talk. Your actions have spoken loud enough!” He loosed the bolt, and I narrowed my eyes.

It was enchanted to explode. Not just a small blast. But one which would rival the strength of a Fireball. It would draw the attention of the others in this warehouse. I would, to put it lightly, be screwed if that happened.

I pointed at the arrow.

Fracture Side. Dispel Magic.

The light limning the bolt flickered out as it whizzed by me, and I spoke with slight exasperation. “Karna, I did not betray—”

He ran up to me and jammed a bolt into the barrier. It tore straight through the translucent yellow surface. I barely threw myself out of the way just in time.

I aimed a finger at him as I rolled out of the way, thick bindings shooting out at him. The Goblin was too quick. He dodged it with ease as I barely stumbled back to my feet. Before I even knew it, he was already pressing me with a pair of daggers.

I reinforced my barrier with multiple layers now, so it wouldn’t be as easy for him to break through it. I gritted my teeth as I spotted cracks and tears forming on their surface.

“I—” I paused.

This scene was very familiar; there was something about it which made me feel like it happened before.

Karna broke through my multi-layered barriers, and I threw a punch. It caught him off-guard. It caused him to reel back, not really in pain, but more so in shock. I quickly backed up and created another barrier.

His eyes sharpened as he faced me, no longer recklessly charging in. He circled around me, focused on me like I was some kind of a prey. Yes, this happened before, didn’t it?

I stood in a burning room. A wooden beam crashed from the ceiling as a young man stood across from me. The flames danced and leapt, slowly burning the building into nothing but ashes. The gray particles rose up, like a curtain that forestalled our fight. An intermission in the middle of a play.

I tried to speak, but he didn’t listen. My words were like the desperate cries of a baby lost in the woods. His handsome face twisted, turning ugly and cruel. The man who saved my life revealed himself to be the devil.

I believed, despite what the Dark Crusaders were doing, that he was good. That it was all a necessity. I only realized after I reasoned with him that I had been lied to since the very beginning.

Yet, some naive part of me still tried to plead. It only led to death.

Karna was not Victor. The Goblin was rude and prideful. He believed that the strong should rule the weak. But he didn’t think that it should be derived from pleasure.

To be strong was to be good. But to be strong— to be superior to others— one couldn’t unnecessarily cause harm to those who were inferior. That directly contradicted their conception of what was just. Benevolence, they believed, was a virtue.

It was the philosophy of the Dark Crusaders. Or at least, that of Gerritt and those under him like Karna. But not Victor: the Human man thought he could do as he wanted.

That was what distinguished the Goblin from that vile person. And that was why I would act now, to ensure the same outcome didn’t occur as then.

Karna nocked three arrows. He loosed them rapidly. Unenchanted bolts. Just for distraction. He mixed in magic with a few, and I couldn’t react. They moved too fast. I wasn’t able to discern them apart.

The first magical arrow pierced one layer of my barrier. The second blew another apart. And as the dust settled and the third came, the ground shot up and formed a wall of stone.

It was too late. The explosions would draw the other Dark Crusaders to him. But that was only if they could get to him first. His Explosive Bolt— not the spell as powerful as a Fireball— blasted apart chips from the stone wall. He drew an arrow back, preparing another spell.

But Frost Javelins lanced out. They swirled through the air, glinting under the lamplight. His eyes widened and he leapt back, rapidly firing his bolts at the dancing projectiles. They were fast. And he barely held them off while I stepped out from my cover.

“Fine,” I said. “If you don’t want to listen to me—” I heard shouts from outside. I pointed at the doorway, summoning a pillar of earth to block it. I met Karna’s gaze as Explosive Orbs formed around me. “I’ll make you listen.”

The Goblin snarled, making a dash for me. The balls of yellow light shot out by the dozens. He dodged around them as they shredded the earth. Powerful magic, each rivalling his own Explosive Bolts.

He moved with determinations, yet I could see the shock in his face. The surprise he was overcome with. It seemed like he was asking a simple question: how?

How was I casting such powerful magic? When we last saw each other, I was his apprentice. He was tutoring me in magic. I was a fast learner. He knew that. But to see the stark difference after over a year apart was something else entirely different.

Well, the reason was simple: I was born to be the most powerful spellcaster of this world.

That was it, really.

I hurled a Fireball into the mix. He couldn’t possibly evade it. Its blast sent him flying crashing into a wall. Just as he tried to get back up, a pair of bindings wrapped around him and restrained him. I marched up to Karna as he stared up at me.

“You— this isn’t—”

“Do you understand now?” I glared at him, crossing my arms.

“Understand… what?” Karna grunted, trying to break free from his bindings.

But I raised a hand and sent another pair of chains around him. And another. And another. “This,” I said, spreading my arms wide. “The difference between our strengths. I am stronger than you.”

The Goblin frowned. He eyed me with a moment of contempt. Then he paused as he understood the same thing I did.

“I could’ve killed you if I truly wanted.” I raised a hand, a spell circle forming on my fingertips. A red glow shone— a spell more powerful than anything he could counter.

Annihilate.

“And yet, I didn’t.” I let the spell dissipate. The Goblin hesitated as I continued. “If I truly held the Dark Crusaders— held you— in contempt, I wouldn’t walk up to you, defenseless, trying to speak with you.”

Karna had no words. His round yellow eyes just held me within it. His jaw was clenched, tightly shut. He was still torn. His reality was conflicting with his preconceived notions. And I understood that that was hard for him to accept right now. But what I needed was his ear, just for a bit.

If he refused to accept it, no matter what I said, then I would have no choice but to let him go. Not to kill him. But to give up any chance of saving our past friendship. However, I was going to try while I still could.

Sighing, I spoke softly. “I’m sorry.”

That earned a glare from Karna. He spat. “Don’t apologize for being stronger than me. It is only more humiliating.”

“No, not that.” I shook my head. I waved my hands exasperatedly as I tried to find the right words to say. “I know you’re upset with me over the Free Lands.” Was what I did truly a betrayal? I did what Karna himself wanted to do. Stop Victor. Free the victims. But— “I killed Victor. I did what I thought was right then. And I have no regrets about it, even now.”

Karna’s eyes narrowed. “You killed a Dark Crusader. A Dark Acolyte. Someone from the Infernalis himself. You betrayed us.”

“I did,” I said, nodding. “But I did more than just that. I betrayed the Dark Crusaders, yes. But an even greater sin I committed was betraying you. Betraying Gerritt. Betraying Ihsan. Everyone there who had been so kind to me. Who had accepted me when the world itself shunned me. A former slave, brought into your ranks, treated as an equal. A girl on the run. Given a home.”

The Goblin said nothing. He couldn’t possibly dispute me, because it was true. He thought about it. He felt it. For over a year.

“I acted on my own. You were my friend, and I didn’t even consult you. I didn’t tell you about what I was going to do. Nor did I return to clear the air after I did what I did. When I chose to act on my own, I betrayed our trust. When I ran from the Dark Crusaders, I betrayed our friendship.”

I slowly stepped away from Karna, letting my bindings around him dissipate one after another. He fell to his knees, still facing me, but he wasn’t trying to kill me any longer.

“You have hated me— faulted me— for over a year. All because I’m too scared and afraid of facing my consequences. Just like I always am.” I looked down at the palm of my hands, before letting my arms droop to my sides. “I… am sorry.”

That was it. I spoke no more. Karna waited silently, holding his breath as if I had more to say. I didn’t.

“...sorry?” He finally piped up when he realized I was done.

“Yes. I’m sorry. For betraying you. For hurting you.”

He struggled to get back to his feet. He placed a hand on a knee as he forced himself up, slightly burnt from the Fireball I had blasted him with. “You did all that, and you came back just to say sorry?”

“Yes.”

It seemed stupid, really. Like something a kid would do. And while I wasn’t a kid… I wasn’t really acting as an adult would either. At least, not in this situation. They wouldn’t infiltrate the hideout of a group of people threatening to kill them just for a measly apology. It was naive.

But I didn’t think any ordinary adult would have lived as long as I did under my circumstances. In fact, I probably shouldn’t be alive right now. I was being kept alive for a reason. So, I used that knowledge to my advantage. The only boon I had been given when thrown into this harsh world.

Karna straightened. His gaze sharpened fiercely— and it softened. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t grapple with what. So, the two of us just stood here in silence. I had made my peace, now it was time for him to make his. And I was perfectly willing to wait as long as was necessary to hear what he had to say in response.

At least, until the stone pillar blocking the doorway was blown open. I whirled around, readying my magic for whoever was through the door. I watched as Goblins and Beastkin and Humans drew away from the hole in the wall as a black figure stepped forward.

Gray-skinned. A single horn. A black sclera.

“Estia,” Karna breathed. “Wait—”

And the Demon raised a hand.

“No.”

A Grand Fireball shot out as my eyes grew wide.

Chapter 39: Might is Right

A sphere of blazing, roiling flames rolled through the air, burning it to exude its own toxic gas. The gray trail smeared my vision as the ruddy glow grew brighter. It filled half the room. It was as if it was a wall of fire in itself. And I knew I couldn’t dodge it. No magic of mine could protect me from its powerful blast.

The only hope I had was to use Dispel Magic. But would I be able to overcome the power of an Apostle?

I highly doubted it.

So, I braced myself. I stood before the impending flames, knowing— no, hoping— that the gambit would work out a second time. And it did. Of course it did.

The flames vanished. An unknowing force intervened. Elara was following me. But she didn’t reveal herself.

Estia narrowed her eyes as the crowd of Dark Crusaders behind her spread out in a circle around me. I gritted my teeth, faced with a small army, all by myself. Is that really all you’re going to do, Elara?

“Where is she?” Estia fixed me with a glare.

“How should I know?” I crossed my arms. “I’m wondering about that myself.”

“Don’t give me that,” she snapped, raising a hand. “I know who you work for. I know what you’re trying to do. You’ll never succeed. Your Lord is a fool.”

I paused, taking a step back. “I don’t serve anyone.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she evidently didn’t believe me. “Sure you don’t. Then why does that woman protect you?”

“I don’t know,” I said, sighing. “I’d rather her not be around me most of the time. But in times like this where I’m going to be killed by people too stubborn to listen, I feel quite happy to have her on my side.”

“So, you admit, you’re allies.”

I rolled my eyes. “If that’s what you want to believe, then sure.”

Estia raised her hand. I sensed a lot of mana gathering around the tip of her fingers. But not just her. The other Dark Crusaders with her readied their own spells.

“We’ll see how long she can protect you before showing herself.” A savage grin spread across Estia’s face.

I grimaced, readying my own barrier. But a voice called out.

“Wait!” A figure stepped forward. Karna stood up, glancing at me, then at Estia. “Who is this you’re talking about? Who is she? And what is this Lord?”

Estia pursed her lips. “It’s none of your business. Just know that this girl has to be eradicated.” The spell coalesced. More than just a Grand Fireball. It wasn’t fire that gathered together into a dense sphere. It was energy. Pure energy that radiated heat. I have felt immense power similar to this before.

Back when I had fought Lilith. But not from the Saintess herself. Instead, it came from the experimental weapon of one of my friend’s. Gennady’s Annihilation cannon.

This wasn’t a spell of Annihilation. But it was similar. It had to be at the same tier. It would kill me. Lilith barely survived even with her miracles and all the protections she had.

I hoped for Elara to show up, but again Karna spoke.

“It’s that Demon, is it not?” He raised a brow. “How would we know that this is not just a personal vendetta of yours, Apostle Estia? Your insistence on keeping this a secret from us is concerning.”

The Half Demon glared at him. “Are you questioning me, Disciple?”

“I am. And I am sure others are too.” He stood defiantly against her, much to my surprise.

Why is he helping me? I couldn’t really tell if Karna was on my side or simply against Estia; there was a lot of politics involved with the inner workings of the Dark Crusaders, after all. I opened my mouth to say something, but he continued.

“The Dark Crusaders is not an organization to care for your personal problems, Apostle Estia. When we were out fighting in the streets of Jahar’taw a week ago, you were fighting that Demon that laid no hands on our people. You let us die, as if we were expendable.”

“You—”

“That’s right.” A voice drew her attention from the back. Mahir stood forward— the Dark Acolyte who I had dealt with was frowning. “Many of us were slain by those Holy Knights, but you didn’t aid us. Even as we all poured out in support of you.”

“Do you even see us as people?” Karna pointed an accusing finger at her. “Or just pawns for your own game?”

I noticed the tide turning against her. Other Goblins were murmuring in agreement as they faced Estia. She sputtered, very much annoyed.

“Are you being serious? This is our enemy. She’s Melas! The one responsible for killing Victorianus Valens!”

“A Dark Acolyte Disciple,” Mahir said. “Just like Abbad and Bharat were, before you let them die.”

“Tell us then: who was that Demon? What has she done wrong against our people?” Karna folded his arms as the other Dark Crusaders edged away from her, parting like a wave. It was mostly the Goblins who acted. But the others— like the Beastkin and the Humans who were rarer— chose not to go against the crowd and followed suit. “We will not be left in the dark, Apostle Estia.”

“I—” She bit her lower lip. Then she sighed. “I can’t and won’t tell you that.”

“Then we shall not do as you order us.” He spoke with finality in his voice. The other Dark Crusaders didn’t aim their magic at her. They simply lowered their weapons and let their spells vanish.

“You have treated us like we are lesser than you!” someone said.

“We are your allies, but you’ve never saved us. We are mere pawns in your game, aren't we?”

“You were sent here to kill the Saintess! You’ve done nothing but run from her, coward!”

That seemed to get a rise from the Half Demon. Her gaze snapped to the Goblin who spoke, a fury that sent all those standing in that direction stumbling back.

“Fine,” Estia said, clicking her tongue. “If you wish to ignore my orders— even as your superior— then do as you wish. But…” She turned her gaze at me as the spell circle finished forming. “Don’t get in my way.”

I cursed, trying to conjure a wall of stone. But it wouldn’t be enough. I knew just as much. And someone else knew it too.

“Melas!” Karna called out as an icy wind shot out from Estia’s fingertips.

A figure appeared beside me, grabbing me by the shoulders. Elara was engulfed by a spell circle, one that seemed to warp space itself. It spread out to cover me as everything before Estia began to freeze in a cone.

“Wha—”

And we vanished.

The world spun around me. It was like I was flying through the air. Except, everything was a fractal mess. Like shards, floating through utter darkness, playing a scene through its reflection. I saw the House of Or’taq— Lilith stood on a podium, alone, as men and women from the parliament questioned her. The shard flipped, and the scene changed. A smith worked in his shop late into the night, hammering a piece of metal that barely bent with each strike.

I looked over at the other shards as they constantly turned over. A family sat together, having a late supper as a warm fire roasted underneath the chimney. A woman slept out in the streets, only a thin blanket shielding her from the cold midnight. Figures skulked around an alley corner, staring at a familiar warehouse with weapons.

A monster screamed and fell, being dragged through a dark tunnel by shadows.

An Amalgamation— the Abomination of thousands of bodies— lay in darkness, bubbles floating up from its side as it smothered an undersea creature.

A valley shook as a massive worm-like tail, larger than a building, disappeared into the ground, burrowing deep into the earth.

There was a flash. A shard that seemed more like a door shone brightly up ahead. I blinked as I was carried by Elara towards that glass doorway. It showed the top of a bell tower, overlooking Jahar’taw.

I opened my mouth to ask a question. But nothing came out. No words. No voice. It was like I was in a vacuum.

And we shot through the end of the portal. We landed on the brick floor on top of the bell tower. I retched, nearly puking from the nauseating feeling permeating through my body.

“What—” I grabbed my abdomen, steading myself against one of the pillars supporting the roof. “Just happened?”

Elara, in sharp contrast to me, barely looked affected. She shrugged as the portal behind her disappeared. “I saved your life,” she said. “A simple teleportation spell. It can’t bring you past, say, a hundred miles. That requires a more dedicated ritual. But we don’t need to get to another country for you to survive.”

“Why didn’t you do that earlier?” I scowled.

“Not even a thank you?” She sighed. “Of course not.”

I glared at her. “Why should I thank you for saving me? This is your fault again. Just like it was with the slavers. Just like it was with Bys. Estia wouldn’t be so hellbent on killing me if not for you!”

“I told you: I can’t intervene unless absolutely necessary. And direct intervention such as what I did just now should only be saved for the gravest of situations.” The Demon shook her head. “And as for my daughter… I apologize for that. I truly do. But she hates me, and as such, she hates you.”

“Ugh, I hate family drama.” I never had much drama with my parents in any world— other than when I was first reborn into this world. But I was a baby, and my Mom was never bothered by the whims of a moody infant. So, it wasn’t much of an issue. “What, was that spell Estia cast too much for you to handle?”

“It was… perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to dispel it in time,” Elara said. “If she chose to cast it sooner, I’d have some trouble. But there was quite a lengthy period of time before that happened when the Goblins turned on her. I must say, I’m impressed with what you did. Good job mending your friendship with Karna.” The Demon smiled.

“You’ve been eavesdropping.” I spoke flatly.

“Always.” She winked, and I groaned.

“Can’t have even a bit of privacy. Not with you around.”

“Because of me, you’re alive,” she said. “Especially with the Holy Knights beginning their assault. Be grateful there isn’t a repeat of last week.”

“Yeah, yeah— wait… what?” I spun around to stare at Elara. “What do you mean by that?”

“The Holy Knights heard your sounds of battle. They were out on patrol, and they’re preparing to launch an attack.” She tilted her head, confused. “Why?”

“But that’s impossible! Lilith is supposed to be in the House of Or’taq!”

“Oh, she is. But that doesn’t mean the Holy Knights are.” Elara glanced over to the south. I thought I could see the very same warehouse I came from. And I saw flashes of light— mana— coming from that direction. “There’s no need to worry,” the Demon said. “Without the Saintess there, the Dark Crusaders can repel them.”

I nodded. Maybe that was true. However— “Many of them will die.”

And that could include Karna.

“Take me back,” I said.

Elara frowned. “Are you stupid? You’ll have to deal with both my daughter and the Holy Knights! The reason why I brought you out here is so that that doesn’t have to happen.”

“I don’t care. I said: take me back.” I met the Demon’s yellow gaze, and she hesitated.

“No. I’m sorry. But I can’t do that.”

I paused. I looked at the Demon. Elara. My supposed guardian angel. Except, she didn’t care for me. She never cared to protect me. All she did was serve her Lord, whoever that was.

“Fine,” I said, marching forward. I glanced back at her once before continuing. “I should never have expected anything from you. You’re not here to help me. You’re only here to help yourself. But I’m not you. I’m selfish, stupid, and paranoid. That is why I’ll go back there and fight the Holy Knights.”

I stood at the very edge of the bell tower. It was a tall fall. I’d die if I fell from this height in my old world. But I wasn’t in my own world.

“Do you think that’ll change anything?” Elara just watched me. “My daughter will still hate you. People will still die.”

“I’m not doing this for your daughter or to be a hero.”

I took a step and began to fall. But I spread my arms wide before I did, making a declaration.

“I’m doing this because your fake god has no control over me or what I do!”

I aimed at the ground and wind shot out of my fingers. It was a strong wind. One that slowed my fall until I came to a stop. I stared up at Elara as she just stood there. Then I ran through the streets and the alleys of Jahar’taw, heading to the battle up ahead.

Chapter 40: Estia V – Imbecile

Estia stood in tense silence amongst the other Dark Crusaders. No— no these weren’t Dark Crusaders. They were traitors. They stood against her, even when she had ordered the execution of Melas.

And it was all because of Karna. That foolish Dark Acolyte had opposed her, all because she refused to impart knowledge to him that held more gravity than he could carry. It was ridiculous. She should’ve known that this would happen. In fact, she had told her mentor, Kores, that Karna would’ve only been detrimental to her.

She was right.

And she was in the right mind to kill him for his disobedience. The Half Demon raised a hand, directing her spell at the injured Goblin.

“You,” she said with a glare, “do you know what you just did?”

“I am aware.” He didn’t hold any apprehension when he turned to face her. Somehow, the Goblin was entirely calm. “I questioned your authority when you acted out of line. It is something I learned to do in the Free Lands.”

Estia’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve done more than that, damned fool. It is because of you that that traitor escaped.”

“I am not responsible for her fleeing.” Karna shrugged, almost uncaring. “Even if you had the aid of all of us here, that Demon you refuse to speak about would have saved her.”

That annoyed Estia because she knew it was true. Even after all these years, there was a gulf between the abilities of her and her mother. It frustrated her.

A spell formed on the tip of her finger as she aimed her hand at Karna. “Do you know what punishment awaits traitors like you?”

“I am not a traitor,” he said, defiant.

“Disciple Karna speaks the truth.” Mahir spoke up from behind him. There were murmurs of agreement coming from those gathered here.

“He is right.”

“If he’s a traitor, then we are all traitors too.”

Estia’s fury grew. How could they all defy her? She was tempted to execute all of them, but something else drew her attention. She heard shouts and screams coming from the distance. Explosions. Gunfire. And chaos.

Her eyes widened as she focused in the direction of the attack. Detect Magic. It relayed her of the spells being used. But it also showed a nebulous concept of mana being manipulated. Not by people, but by tools. It was occurring in great amounts that regular Golems and the guards of Jahar’taw couldn’t mobilize.

“The Holy Knights,” she whispered. She glanced around as everyone rushed out to the entrance, readying their weapons and their magic.

Karna paused right before he ran by her. “So, Apostle Estia, will you aid us tonight? Or do you plan on pursuing someone who’s harmless?”

She clicked her tongue and gathered the mana in the air, preparing for battle.

—--

I ran through the empty streets of Jahar’taw. My nose wrinkled as the wafts of sewer water rose up to encroach on me. It slowed my movement, just slightly. With all the pipes hanging off the side of the brick walls, it was no surprise everything here smelled like garbage. But still, I fought through it, headed straight to the explosions I saw in the distance.

The Holy Knights of Xan were assailing the Dark Crusaders. I understood that this was risky. It was almost stupid. I was absolutely an idiot. But just like with Victor, I couldn’t stand idly by.

It was no different from when I went alongside the Plague Doctor in Laxis, fighting for the sake of an orphanage full of children I had never met before.

I wasn’t a hero. Nor did I have any intentions of being one. I’d never seek out trouble. But if I saw wrongdoing before my eyes, and there was something I could do about it, I would act. As long as it wasn’t a hopeless, helpless situation.

Especially now that I knew I’d be protected by Elara. She vanished shortly after I leapt off the tower. But I knew she was following me, watching, always keeping an eye on my back. It was her job, after all. To keep me alive.

I didn’t like her. I didn’t like the fake god she served. But I was going to abuse whatever they have given me as much as I could.

Whether it was magic or it was their protection.

I reached the warehouse shortly after. The area was cordoned off by barricades and Golems— probably borrowed by the Holy Knights for this specific purpose. I leapt over them, uncaring that they tried to stop me. I saw flames rising up, smoke billowing a blanket above the entire area.

I saw figures lying prone on the ground, covered in blood. I pursed my lips. These had to be those keeping watch. They were slaughtered with what seemed like very little difficulty by the Holy Knights.

They weren’t just innocent bystanders. But they weren’t evil either. And Karna could’ve been one of them. I just hoped he was fine.

I was about to enter through the hole at the front of the warehouse when I spotted figures moving around the back. A few of the Holy Knights must have gone there to try and cut off any escape. Karna… he wouldn’t be one who’d try to flee. But I knew he’d try to help others escape.

So, I went around the back as I saw colorful explosions smear my vision. A dozen Holy Knights formed a semi circle around the back exit. They held off a hundred Goblins from fleeing into the mines ahead, cutting them down with ease.

I sent a Lightning Bolt down at one of them standing closest to me, instantly drawing the rest of their attention. That gave the Goblins the reprieve they needed to scatter around the Holy Knights barring their path.

The Holy Knight whom I struck drew back to her feet, removing her helmet. I recognized her from the night of a week ago. Her name was Aly. And she stared at me with rage in her eyes, a flicker of recognition at the sight of my mask.

“Cursed heretic!” She screamed as she drew a halberd, smashing it into the earth.

Spikes of ice rose from the ground at me, and I leapt out of the way, already conjuring a volley of Stone Spears by my side. They shot out rapidly, one after the other. She struck them out of the air as she edged forward, shouting.

“You nearly killed Captain Nero!” A Frost Javelin lanced around her, but she tapped the blade of her halberd and a sphere of flames exploded around her, melting the icy projectile. “He may not be here tonight, but I will kill you for him, and break your ugly, Goblin head wrapped in a ribbon for when he recovers.” There was spite— anger in her voice.

I stumbled back as I cast more spells— Fireballs, Explosive Orbs, and even Magic Missiles— sending them flying at her. She somehow managed to repel or dodge most of them. Only a few managed to sneak around her defenses and actually injure her. But her armor— the aura it exuded— protected her from most of the damage.

I found myself backing up against a wall, drawing my dagger as she loomed over me.

“Die, Goblin scum!” She swung hard, and I barely parried it.

It sent me flying back. I rolled on the ground as my dagger was knocked aside and my mask fell off from my face. The Holy Knight raised her halber, but paused as I lookedup.

“Y-you’re… a Hum—”

“Dispel Magic. Magic Bolt.” For only a second, there was a flash. The mana crystals adorning her armor lost their power. And there was nothing to protect her from the single Magic Bolt aimed at her throat.

She dropped her weapon, falling to her knees, grasping at her neck as she gasped for air. “Urk…”

Another Magic Bolt ended her suffering. I got up, no mask worn, a determined look on my face. The Holy Knights were now being overwhelmed. I saw Dark Acolytes attacking the remaining five as they were pushed back, with the bulk of those fleeing streaming for the entrance of a nearby mine. Would they find safety there? They thought so.

I didn’t escort them. Instead, I blasted another Holy Knight with a Fireball as he was locked in battle with a Disciple.

“Mahir!” I called out, and he blinked as he faced me.

“Aria? No— Melas?” He narrowed his eyes. But he didn’t attack me.

“Where’s Karna?” I asked, not bothering with pleasantries. I opened a deep pit underneath the Holy Knight before he could get back up. “Is he alive?”

“He is, the last I saw of him.” Mahir nodded, nocking another arrow onto his bow. “But he stayed behind. With the Apostle. There were too many of them for us to handle. I—” He hesitated as I bit my lower lip. “I’m not sure if he’s even alive anymore.”

“He has to be,” I said, making a break for it back to the warehouse. “Thanks. And don’t die.” I didn’t wave at Mahir, nor did I wait to hear what he’d say in return.

It was a battlefield out here. Arrows whizzed by me and explosions resounded all over. Fire rained from the sky, ice came from the earth. But I ignored it all. I already helped where I could.

I only had one goal: to save my friend.

—--

“What are you doing, fool?” Estia unleashed a flurry of gray flames at the three Holy Knights encroaching on her. They leapt back, protected by their armor and their equipment. A powerful shot rang out, and a beam of yellow energy nearly struck her. But she flipped out of the way.

An arrow came in return, loosed by a Goblin. One of the Holy Knights raised a shield, and a barrier covered the three as the arrow lodged itself on the metal surface. It didn’t pierce straight through, but the enchantment allowed it to do some damage.

“Get out of here with the others, you stupid Disciple!”

“I will stay,” Karna said firing arrow after arrow as he ran behind stacks of boxes. Mana energy gunfire came in return, but he barely managed to dodge most of them. “You’re the fool here for thinking you can deal with them all alone!”

They fought in the large storage room, with multiple hanging catwalks overhead, and boxes full of weapons and highly flammable materials that could explode at any moment. No one here had the sense or the mind to even consider the consequences of such a blast.

All except for Estia.

“Get out of here!” If Karna hadn’t stayed, she’d have been able to carry out her plan. Gather them all in this one area and blow them apart as she teleported away.

She didn’t know magic which could easily carry her as far as her mother did earlier. But she could fly off as she flickered in and out of existence every few feet. The Holy Knights wouldn’t have survived it. Not if they had some powerful mana tech tool to protect them.

And considering that even now, Estia was still killing them, she highly doubted that was the case.

She crushed the head of a Holy Knight without even touching him. His helmet dented under the pressure as she flew up, carrying his struggling form with her. Then she squeezed her hand, and the magical grip she had on him twisted. His neck snapped as he fell back to the ground.

A volley of black bolts struck down at a cluster of four of the Holy Knights wielding guns and bows. One of them, a poor girl who must’ve been too nervous, tripped and fell before multiple black bolts stuck out of her back and killed her in an instant.

“You Monster!” someone screamed, hurling a vial of green liquid at Estia.

It exploded in the air, almost catching her with a cloud of gas. A gust of air dispersed it before it could diffuse to Estia, and she landed back down.

Karna loosed another arrow, striking a Holy Knight true, injuring them as more came from the entrance with their weapons drawn. There had to be dozens of them here now. It was the opportune moment.

“Disciple Karna, I am your superior, you will do as I say or face the consequences.” Estia spoke with finality in her voice, but he shook his head.

“I will not leave. If you wish to kill me, then do so. But I am not so disloyal to abandon my ally, even when she points her blade at me.” He peeked out and hurled a Fireball, rather than firing another arrow.

Estia spoke exasperatedly. “That is not the issue. And nor do I wish to kill you.” She conjured a pair of black orbs and threw them out. They homed in on a pair of approaching Holy Knights before expanding rapidly and smashing the against the floor. “You are ruining my plan, you foolish Goblin. With you here, I cannot blast them all to Hell!”

“Blast them all to—” Karna blinked as a flaming arrow poked through the crate he was hiding behind. There were sparks. A lot of sparks. Then the first crate exploded. And another. And another. And…

“You imbecile!”

Estia shouted as she grabbed for the Goblin, the entire room bursting into a cascading set of blasts which culminated into one final, massive explosion that took half the warehouse with it.

—--

I made my way into the warehouse as I put my mask back on, pushing aside Goblins, Beastkin, Dwarfs, and Humans as they fled the scene. These were Dark Crusaders. The supposed terrorist group responsible for the most heinous of evil. Yet, they wore terrified looks on their faces. Many of them didn’t even have weapons. They were dressed in ragged clothing, clearly factory workers and miners who had to labor hard to make ends meet.

These people… they weren't evil. Maybe the organization as a whole was— I couldn’t judge. Not when I knew no one at the top. But the people here: I could see their character. I could tell that their biggest sin was their circumstance. Learning simple magic just to survive and feed yourself was no crime. And even if it were one, I couldn’t cast the first stone. Not after what I’d done.

But the Church thought it was so; they ordained themselves with the rights and powers of the judge, the jury, and the executioner. That was why they decided to kill all these poor folks.

The ones capable of fighting— the true Dark Crusaders that were depicted by the Holy Xan Empire— were the ones protecting them. Mahir fought at the front, engaged alongside a fellow Dark Acolyte against the Holy Knights. And while the Holy Knights were tough, they weren’t Inquisitors either. They formed battalions composed of a thousand men. And each battalion had multiple companies with hundreds of Holy Knights each. And one came here to kill the Dark Crusaders.

With my help, the Dark Crusaders pushed back the Holy Knights and were now fleeing into the mines, forced to permanently leave the inner city of Jahar’taw. I’d have gone with them, if not for my duty to my friend.

Karna.

He was still in here. I knew he was in danger. He was a foolish Goblin— loyal to the very end. Which was why he stayed behind, to fight with Estia against the Holy Knights during this misty night. Smoke and ash filled the skies; it would’ve continued burning until dawn and dusk, if not for the blast that took the warehouse.

An explosion came so fast, I barely had the time to react. I was running down a dark corridor when an orange light rapidly approached me. A wall of flames that ripped apart the floor and the ceiling alike. It shredded everything in its path, moving faster than the ear-shattering sound that accompanied it.

I raise a hand in time, summoning multiple barriers, curling up, preparing for the inevitable. It sent me flying back as I spun, watching the wheeling world crumble apart into debris and stone and dust. I landed face-first onto the ground, my mask probably saving me from getting a cool scar across my face.

Drawing myself to my feet, I glanced around at the destruction: the damage was undeniable. The rising curtain of smoke was now a massive pillar that blotched out the moon and the stars. It seemed to mix with the fog that had rolled over the streets of Jahar’taw, blanketing the city with an eerie darkness that’d leave bystanders and families who were woken by the loud blast completely unaware of what was going on. All they knew was an explosion had occurred. A small earthquake ran through the city. The cracks and mini crevices that formed expanded out from the large crater. It was a detonation of a lot of mana crystals, all at once. Those idiots! Why were they fighting in a storage warehouse where things could explode at any moment?

I coughed as the dust settled, forcing myself to my feet. “Karna…” My voice was almost inaudible to my own ears— my hearing still deafened from the blast. “Where is…?”

Stumbling forward, I caught sight of two figures lying at the very edge of the crater as a thick wall of smoke billowed up from the very center. A black glass-like aura shielded them, although it was falling apart in shards. I spotted the Half Demon and the Goblin there. My eyes widened as I saw Estia cradling a burnt body in her arms.

“Karna!” I ran up to them in a stumble.

Estia glared up at me as magic coalesced at her fingertips. “Stay back, you fiend!”

I clicked my tongue, halting. “I’m here to help,” I said and reached inside of my robes. Producing a healing potion, I held it up for her to see. “Look. I can help him.”

“Why should I trust you?” The Half Demon narrowed her eyes.

“Are you seriously asking this right—” I sighed. “You know what?” I marched forward, even as her magic increased in intensity. “I don’t care. Try and kill me. I’m here to help my friend, if you even know what that is.”

She hesitated, lowering her arm as I stopped right over the Goblin. Karna was covered in burn marks and scars. However, this healing potion was expensive. The fact that it came in a reinforced metal vial rather than a glass vial was proof that it was valuable.

“If you do anyt—”

“Shut up.” I bent over, pouring the healing potion slowly into his mouth. His wounds began to fade away, and his skin returned to a normal color. I was halfway through the potion when I tipped it back. I glanced over at Estia, her entire left side also covered in burns. She averted her gaze slightly, but I handed her the vial. “Here.”

“W-what…?”

“Take it. Karna will live. He’s just unconscious. But you look like you can barely even walk.” The Half Demon refused to accept the potion, so I forced it to her. “Take—” I paused.

The smoke that drooped over the crater began to thin out, and I spotted a shimmering light from the other side. Beyond the gaping hole on the ground, there was a light: over a dozen figures stood underneath a bright dome. A man stood with a lance raised, holding it like an umbrella, shielding those around him with a powerful barrier.

The Holy Knights survived the explosion; it wasn’t all of them. It was only those who could reach the man in time. He wore decorated armor— even more decorated than the other Holy Knights. He had to be a high-ranking member. Lowering his lance, the barrier vanished, and the Holy Knights slowly started forward.

“Are you serious?” I gritted my teeth. “That’s… we have to get out of here.” I reached for the Half Demon, hoping to help her up. But she swatted my hand away.

Instead, she took a swig of the healing potion, before handing the rest to me. “No,” she said defiantly. “If we flee, they’ll keep chasing us down. They will pursue us until each and every one of us is lying dead at their feet. I am no coward: this is war, and I will end this chase here.”

I blinked. “But everyone else has already left.” I glanced back. The last of the Dark Crusaders had escaped through the mines. “You can’t take them all on your own.”

“Yes I can,” Estia grunted.

I felt the mana gathering around her— it was almost palpable. The kind which would’ve made me fear for my life if I felt it directed at me. But it wasn’t. It was aimed only at the Holy Knights: our common foe.

“They have killed far too many of our kind. Why? Because we are heretics? Because their Goddess of Light commanded them so?”

She spread her arms wide as the Holy Knights slowly streamed down the crater, headed our way with their glinting armor and weapons.

“May the Goddess curse them. Show them damnation. For they have wrought pain and death to my people unbridled— driven us to extinction. They all die here.”

I followed slowly behind her as she started after the Holy Knights, trudging into the crater. They’d meet in the center, where remnants of the noxious gray gas filled the air with specks and motes. The heat was oppressive, yet there was something else: the mana here was abundant. The mana crystals that were detonated must’ve been converted to a more ethereal form, diffusing to our surroundings, giving us an abundant source of power to draw from.

Taking a deep breath, I felt power filling me. Estia glanced back once. “Grab Karna and run.”

“I can’t just do that.”

“Why not?”

I shrugged. “Because I’m an idiot, I guess.” Then I met her gaze. “Also, you’re not a bad person. Not like Victor. He was evil.”

Estia scowled. “You don’t know me.”

“Maybe. But you know your mother. And if she’s your enemy, you must be a good person, right?”

The Half Demon paused. We stood together at the bottom of the crater. It expanded hundreds of feet from one end to another, larger than any football field. The Holy Knights came to a stop a dozen feet before us; their leader held up his lance.

“I am Major Tiberius Acidalia, leader of the Alpha Company of the 5th Battalion of Holy Knights.” The mana crystals adorning his armor were somewhat cracked. Some of their lights flickered. Others were completely winked out. “Name yourselves, heretics of the Dark Crusaders.”

“I am Estia Jedidiah Rhea, daughter of Demon King Zes himself.” She threw her black cloak to the side. Underneath, she wore black robes, similar to that of a monk at a temple. Simple and plain. “And Apostle of the Dark Crusaders.”

Tiberius nodded. Then he glanced at me, expectantly. I chewed my lower lip, unsure if I should introduce myself too. I was afraid of my past— of what being known entailed. And yet, my history was different from what others thought of me, did it not? Sighing, I raised my dagger. I didn’t bring my staff here. I was dressed just as I was as a Dark Crusader. No pointed hat, no purple robes. A mask on, but my identity clear to all.

“I am Melas,” I said simply. Tiberius squinted, and Estia’s eyes darted towards me. “I was born in Villamcreek, the daughter of your average Aria, and a former slave.” Stone Spears gathered around me alongside Frost Javelins and Explosive Orbs. “I just want to live.”

The Holy Knights charged. My spells launched out, exploding and striking the dozen heavily-armored men and women. Tiberius struck a Frost Javelin out of the air, his own lance smashing through the magic ice like it was made of glass. Estia ran past me—

—--

And struck Tiberius with a spinning kick. The man had dodged it. Yet, the air flickered, and he stumbled back. The other Holy Knights raised their halberds and their spears, surrounding her with their glowing weapons.

A man swung wide with his great axe as a woman flanked Estia with a spear. The Half Demon sidestepped the heavy man’s attack, grabbing the spear’s shaft. With a single step, Estia pulled and closed the distance between herself and the Holy Knight.

The woman’s eyes widened before the Half Demon jammed a black bolt into her head. The Holy Knight fell as the man roared. Estia leapt back, avoiding his wild strikes while the other Holy Knights circled her. Bolts of mana came for her, even as she was surrounded. But she avoided them all. A volley of enchanted arrows came next. She pointed at they fell out of the air before they even reached her.

One, however, whizzed by, aimed for Melas—

—--

I raised a multi-layered barrier. The projectile smashed against the golden surface, breaking through the first shield, but not the second. I lowered the barrier as two Holy Knights came for me. They swung their great swords, tearing the earth apart with hallowed vindication.

My eyes were focused on the arcs of their swings. If one of them struck me, I’d die. The pair of Holy Knights charged at the same time, and I raised a hand.

“Stone Spire!”

The earth rose from between the two, splitting them apart. The first Holy Knight staggered forward, and I rushed him while aimed at the second man.

“Dispel Magic! Fireball!”

The sphere of flames engulfed the second man as he screamed and flailed, slowly burning to death. The first Holy Knight drew back, bracing himself for my attack. I raised my dagger, and he was prepared to parry it—

“Lightning Bolt!”

The sky crackled as a streak of whie light struck him from behind. He screamed, his protection failing from the accumulated damage of fighting against the Dark Crusaders. And I struck him across the neck. He gurgled and dropped to the floor.

More arrows zipped by me. One nicked me on the shoulder, and I glanced up. Three Holy Knights nocked their bows while two others raised their rifles, pointed at me from afar. Blood poured from the wound as I returned fire with my own Frost Javelins, sending them scattering. I stumbled back, reaching for my healing potion, Tthen I spotted Estia, pressed by Holy Knights from all sides.

“Jump!” I raised a hand, pointing at the ground beneath the Half Demon—

—--

Estia flipped into the air as a gaping pit opened up. Three of the Holy Knights fell into the shallow hole, while the other four managed to leap out of the way in time. She unleashed a hail of black bolts at the four.

Tiberius dug his lance into the ground, and a barrier overcame them. Her magic which could bring down even a Manticore with a single volley was like water against that mana tool. It had to have been powered by a Greater mana crystal. But Estia smirked.

She turned her attention to the three Holy Knights clamoring out of the hole. She raised her hands.

“Grand Fireball.”

It was like she held the sun in her arms. The three Holy Knights tried to flee. But no matter how far they ran, it didn’t matter. The blast tore apart the ground, incinerating them even as they tried to escape in all directions.

A second, smaller crater was formed at the epicenter of the first crater. The ground shook as Estia flew through the air, ignoring Tiberus, headed for Melas locked in long-ranged combat with the archers and riflers.

The girl rolled under the raining projectiles, hand raised—

—--

With a snap of the fingers, I released a Burst Cyclone at the very center of the archers and riflers. The Holy Knights were knocked back— not killed. But before they could gather themselves, Estia rained fire at them.

She threw discs of flame, swerving them through the air in crescent directions. Each of them exploded with the intensity of a Fireball. A Tier 4 spell, perhaps. But the Holy Knights shot them down mid-air. They exploded before reaching the group.

My eyes flickered as I spotted Tiberius charging at me with the other Holy Knights. Spell circles formed on both my hands. I aimed at both groups, breathing deeply, drawing from the excess mana permeating the air.

“Annihilate.”

Two red beams shot out at both sides. Tiberius raised his lance, and like it was some kind of conductor, it absorbed the brunt of the attack. I wasn’t sure why he formed a barrier— perhaps his weapon had a cooldown? Nevertheless, not all the other Holy Knights were so lucky.

My spell diced up half of those that remained. Bodies of Holy Knights dropped, cut in half and killed in an instant. The last of the archers and riflers fell. All that remained was Tiberius and the two Holy Knights by his side.

The man glared at me. “You will pay for that!” he bellowed, hurling his lance.

It came fast. I couldn’t dodge in time. I raised a wall of stone and multiple layers of multilayered barriers. But it tore through it all. It grazed me across the side, forcing a scream out of my chest.

I tightly gripped the my wound as my vision blurred. The lance didn’t lodge itself into me. But still, it left a terrible wound where it struck. I stumbled out of the way as Tiberius dashed after me, his training and his equipment letting him move far faster than me.

He grabbed his lance from the ground, raising it to finish the job—

—--

And Estia crashed into him. The Half Demon grappled with the Holy Knight Major. He punched her across the face with a gauntleted fist, and she spat out blood.

“Is that all you got? Is this all the Church can offer?!” She raised her own fist, dark energy gathering around her knuckles. She landed the blow on his chest.

Tiberius flew back, his face contorting in pain. His breastplate shattered under the hit. Chunks and bits of mana crystal went flying with him. She began to conjure a single burning black bolt. It wasn’t the same as the volley she threw. Those were weaker spells. Darkness Bolt. This was the Arrow of—

And a halberd struck her across the back.

“Agh!” Her enchanted robes held up against the hit. But it still hurt, even if it didn’t draw blood. Estia spun around, ducking under the followup swing. Two Holy Knights stood before her. She kicked the first on the knee, and leapt back from the second’s sword.

Somehow, it nicked her across the face. A red line formed across her dark gray skin. She dodged it. She knew she dodged it. But it had cut through the air. Estia cursed.

The Half Demon flicked a finger, and the halber Holy Knight went flying back. She charged the man with the sword. He backed up, slashing at Estia. She flipped around him. Still, the weapon tore through her cloak, leaving scars on her skin. But before he could spin around, she hurled the black bolt into his chest.

“Die!”

The man fell, his body seeming to burn from where it protruded from his body.

Estia didn’t stop there. She created another sphere of raging fire.

“Die! Die! Die!”

The Grand Fireball engulfed the man with the halberd. He couldn’t run. It was like a wall of fire closing in on him. He died in an instant.

Estia took in a labored breath. She was tired. But still, there was one more Holy Knight. The Half Demon turned to face Tiberius—

—--

And a lance stopped right before Estia’s eyes. She stared in shock as the weapon paused just before her face. She would’ve died right there. But Tiberius stopped. He dropped his weapon, falling to one knee. A Frost Javelin stuck out of his back.

I lowered my hand.

“T-th…” Estia was speechless. She collapsed next to Tiberius, trying to work her mouth. “You… saved me?”

I forced myself up from where I lay. I downed the rest of my healing potion as I grunted. “I did.” My flesh and skin knitted back together. It was an odd feeling. But a far better one than the numbing pain of a deadly wound across your hip. “Come on.” I offered her a hand.

“W-what…?” She looked up at me blankly.

“We need to get out of here. Before Jahar’taw’s guards arrive. Before Saintess Lilith gets here.”

Estia blinked, still in a daze. “I almost… died?”

But a voice drew her attention. Tiberius choked out as he spoke.

“I-I… failed.” His words were remorseful. He faced the sky with hollow eyes. “Captain Nero… I’m sorry.”

I glanced over at him. “Why are you apologizing to him?”

“H-he was always—”

“No.” I shook my head, walking up to the man. “Why are you apologizing to him? You should be apologizing to all the innocent men and women you killed.” I looked down at the palm of my hand, before squeezing it shut. “Maybe if you pray and repent now, you will be forgiven in death.”

Tiberius looked up at me in disbelief. “You’re asking me to pray for forgiveness?” His shock must’ve given him a brief second wind to speak. “You— a heretic? A murderer?”

I shrugged. “I’m not a good person. I know that. But you?” I gestured around us. “You claim to be a man of the Goddess. Tell me: what would She think of this destruction? Of this pointless death?”

“I-I…” he trailed off. Then his eyes focused for one last breath. “She will offer me salvation.”

And it was over.

Chapter 41: Friends Again

Tiberius lay dead, his faith still strong, even in his final moments: there were no regrets, no reconciliation. He believed what he did was truly right— a religious zealot till the very end.

It didn’t matter to me where his beliefs had lain; I had only been interested in one thing, and that was helping those around me while protecting myself. It was the reason why I killed Victor— now it was the reason why I killed Tiberius and his Holy Knights.

“We need to get out of here,” I said to Estia.

The Half Demon nodded, still in a slight daze for whatever reason. The city’s guards were coming, and I didn’t want to fight them, No— especially not them, if I could avoid it.

Estia ran ahead of me, but I paused for a moment, spinning around when a glint caught my eye. I spotted the lance of Tiberius fallen between the various corpses. It was shimmering, its Greater mana crystal at the tip of its shaft. It was valuable and small enough for me to grab.

It was one of the few mana tools here that still worked— that still had a working mana crystal, not destroyed from battle. I quickly ran back and grabbed the lance itself, hurrying off behind Estia. She carried Karna in her arms.

Behind us, I heard shouts. Voices called for us to stop. Useless cries which faded into the background, no different from the chatter and white noise of the crowds on a busy street on an ordinary day.

After all, I was used to running away.

We fled into the mines of Jahar’taw. But we didn’t just hide in the cave system; we would be found eventually. I didn’t know why I continued following the Dark Crusaders. I just had to make sure Karna was safe. And they didn’t really seem to shun me.

Not after I saved their lives.

I didn’t speak to Estia even as we navigated the dark tunnels. This mine had been owned by the Dark Crusaders— or at least, a sympathizer to their cause. They were used by Goblin miners, but now they were empty.

Everyone was fleeing. Not just into the mines. We continued on, a procession in the darkness, with the occasional dimly lit crystals lighting the path. We could use magic, yes. But the Goblins had dark vision.

While I didn’t have dark vision, I certainly had enough sense from working my way through darkness to follow the figures just ahead of me. It was damp, cold, and kind of musky. A shiver ran through my body, like the pricklings of insects crawling over my skin. And I was pretty sure the city’s sewers smelled better than this cave.

Or maybe now. I wasn’t entirely sure.

I didn’t puke, of course. I had seen terrible things, experienced the most grotesque of scenes. Not just with the Abominations overrunning Bys. But the aftermath— oh god, the aftermath was always worse.

The refugees who were overcome with disease and dysentery. The Noxeus plague which swept over the poor and the weak. Even things such as murder and torture and rape were common sights when I had traversed the Free Lands on my own.

I intervened when I could, but oftentimes, I’d stumble upon only the outcome. Dead bodies that had been lying, dumped and left to rot for days.

Look, I was used to disgusting things. That didn’t mean I was going to pretend that wading my way through the wet mines below the inner city of Jahar’taw wasn’t gross either.

At some point, the procession had to halt. Just for a brief break. I had lost sight of Estia and Karna at one point. She must’ve brought him to someone who could perform some ritual magic to heal him. I stuck close to Mahir, who covered the back of our group.

I nodded at him once we came to a stop, at a large cave chamber deep within the mines.

“Thank you.” I bowed my head slightly at him. “For supporting me with Karna against Estia.”

He grunted. “I didn’t do it for you. I just didn’t like the way that Apostle acted, treating us like fodder.” I smiled as he glanced away. “Also, you came back to help us just after. I always knew you meant well.”

“Hey,” I said, grinning, “I’d like to continue doing business with you guys, you know?”

Mahir chuckled. “Perhaps we will offer you better deals next time.” He paused, looking over at the sea of Dark Crusaders huddled together in the cave chamber. “...if we’ll even be in Jahar’taw by the end of this.”

“Where will you guys go?” I tilted my head to the site.

“We’re not sure yet,” he muttered, clearly distraught. “We have a footing just outside of the inner city. But now that public perception is centered on us— which has never been the case before in Jahar’taw— we’ll have to be a lot more covert. Especially since the Saintess is still out there. The Church will send her reinforcements.”

“Right… Lilith.” I shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the only reason why she was here was for me; it wasn’t something I had to tell anyone. I just felt a little bit responsible for what had been happening, even if I wasn’t truly at fault.

Emotions were a fickle thing.

“Have you seen where Karna went?” I asked, raising a brow.

“I believe Apostle Estia brought him to a little alcove right over there.” Mahir pointed out a corner where there was a berth of space from the crowds of Dark Crusaders.

I nodded. “Thanks. I need to check up on him— see if he’s fine.”

I know I had given him a healthy dose of healing potion which healed most of his injuries, but I was still worried. Anything could’ve gone wrong. I waded my way through the crowds, finally reaching the small open space where Estia and Karna were located.

The Half Demon stood just at the edge of a large spell circle on the ground. Two Goblins stood on either ends of the circle, casting a spell, chanting and murmuring to themselves. It was some sort of spell for healing.

I walked forward. “How is he?”

Estia glanced over at me, narrowing her eyes. “He’s fine.”

“That’s good,” I sighed in relief.

She remained silent for a moment. Then she finally spoke up. “Why did you come back?”

I blinked. I stared at Estia, who didn’t meet my gaze. Yet, I could tell that she was perplexed— puzzled. Confused by my actions. I shook my head. “I did it for him.” I pointed at Karna, who was lying at the center of the circle. He was awake and well, thank god. Just resting as they healed him. “I have a lot of problems— my own issues that I have to deal with. However, I can’t just focus on myself and what’s good for me. He’s my friend. I didn’t want him to die. And neither did he. So, I acted.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” she sputtered. Her gaze snapped towards me. “You could’ve died. Even if that woman is protecting you, she’s not invincible or all powerful! She couldn’t even save you when she was distracted by me, and I’m far weaker than she is.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But I’m still alive right now, so that’s all that matters right?”

Estia glared at me. “You’ll get yourself killed one day.” Clicking her tongue, she stormed off.

There wasn’t anything else to say to her. I sat there, watching Karna until he fully recovered. The ritual was complete, and the pair of Goblins healing him helped prop hip up against the cave wall. He looked up at me, staring, not saying anything.

I waited for the other Goblins to leave. Only when I was alone with him didn I get up and sit myself by his side.

“Karna…”

“Melas,” he managed to get out. “I’m glad to see you’re alive.”

“I should be the one saying that.” I reached over to hug him, and he shirked away. “Oh, sorry.” I had almost forgotten that he was brusque— those types weren’t too keen on physical contact.

“It’s… alright. My body is just sore.” He tried to relax but he couldn’t help but tense up, even as he shifted.

I smiled, watching him. The two of us sat in silence for a while. It was awkward. Neither of us had anything to say, yet we had many things to say. It was the paradox of a reunion. A proper, real reunion. We were just happy to see each other again, not as enemies, but as friends.

After enough time had passed, finally, I gathered the courage to speak.

“I know I already said it earlier, but I’m sorry,”I said. I gestured helplessly, trying to explain. “I was afraid. I felt like I was. I felt betrayed by Victor, so I thought the worst could happen. I should’ve stayed. I shouldn’t have run—”

“You idiot.” He lightly knocked me across the head. I blinked.

“Wh—”

“You’re not supposed to apologize when you have done no wrong. That is a sign of weakness.”

“But I did—”

He raised his hand, and I shrunk back. “Uh, alright.”

Karna nodded. “You have grown quite a lot since I have last seen you,” he grunted. “But you are still weak. Not in your magic. Very much so in your physicality. But especially your mind.” He tapped a hand on my forehead.

I wasn’t wearing my mask anymore. And he had rough fingers. They hurt a little bit. “Ow.”

“You doubt yourself too much, Melas. As you do others. But you doubt yourself the most. Perhaps that is why you are still alive today, even after all you’ve been through. You say you should have returned, rather than fleeing when you killed Victor. But even I know not how I would’ve reacted. Let alone the others in that regiment who looked up to him. Or the Infernalis themselves. That is why you survived, even if you may have offended me.”

My eyes widened as Karna spoke. He empathized with my situation. He truly did. He glanced up at me, his round yellow eyes giving off a very faint hit of a glow in the darkness. I felt my lips curling up, only to jerk back when he was the one who hugged me.

“You—” I paused. He let go of me quickly enough, averting his gaze. I couldn’t see his face, even though I really wanted to. He must’ve had to muster up quite the courage to do that, so I didn’t try to do anything to make him even more uncomfortable.

Instead, I changed the subject.

“So, you’re a Dark Acolyte now, huh?”

“I am,” he said, still gathering himself.

“A Disciple— the same rank as Victor. Wasn’t that one of your goals?”

“It’s the first part of my goal, yes.” Karna breathed in and turned to face me. “I went straight to the Infernalis, with the recommendation of Gerritt. You remember him, right?”

“Of course I do.” Gerritt had been the first person to show me kindness after I escaped slavery from Bys. Even though he was a hulking size—- being an Orc and all— he wasn’t rough or gruff, but a kind and gentle giant. “You, Gerritt, Ihsan, and Victor too at a point— you guys were my heroes. You saved me.” I had seen them as valiant rebels opposing an evil empire. The kind you read about in stories.

My idealism was shattered, of course. I knew now that the situation was far more complex than that. People were complicated. Morality was gray. What could I do about it?

“How are they?” I asked, eyeing Karna.

“Gerritt is still a Dark Commander, although he has been tasked with a larger regiment. Ihsan follows him, the slacker that he is, has no desire to become anything more.” Karna scowled, and I giggled. He sighed. “But they have both been fine. Ihsan does what he always wants, and Gerritt is helping many of the oppressed around Anibes.”

“That’s good.” I smiled. They were fine. Which relieved me. I had no idea what happened to them since I left. If Abominations had gotten them or not. “I’d like to speak with them too.”

“Surely not to apologize?” Karna raised a brow.

“Well…”

He snickered. “Of course you want to. But… they don’t blame you. They never held you in contempt for it. I’m sure you expected that of Ihsan, but Gerritt too believes you did the right thing. He was most worried that it would cause you trouble.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “He’s too kind.”

“He really is.” Karna seemed slightly displeased by it, which only made me giggle some more.

I was glad. Very glad. A voice, however, drew our attention. Mahir and Estia called for us to continue our march through the caves, before we were somehow caught. I got to my feet, turning to Karna. He tried to get up, but I offered him a hand.

He blinked, and I spoke. “Come on. Don’t push yourself when you’re injured.”

There was a pause. Then the Goblin accepted my hand. “You’ve changed a lot, Melas. And yet, you really haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing,” he murmured. “This scene is just… familiar.”

I cocked my head, but he pulled himself up with my help. We continued, following the procession as they left Jahar’taw’s inner city. We spent the rest of the time as we escaped catching up. Friends again. And for once, the world was right.

Chapter 42: Another Offer

The Dark Crusaders had been trapped in the tunnels beneath Jahar’taw for a day before they managed to escape through one of the many cave exits around the mountainous terrain. They waited until the cover of night before they left, and I split from them to return to my friends. I looked over at Karna.

“What happens now?”

“We may have to leave the city. Or we’ll find a way to stay and survive.” Karna shook his head. “Many of my kin live in this city, living in poor conditions. Something needs to be done about it. We can’t just leave them alone.”

“You will draw the ire of the Church and the city,” I said, glancing over at the inactive volcano in the distance. “What happens then?”

“Then we fight,” he grunted. “Then we survived. As we always do. It is as they say: we Goblins are pests. Rats in the sewers. They will never get rid of us. Not truly.”

“I… don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

He shrugged. “It is what we must do. It is our duty to follow.” He snickered. “Also, aren’t you the one who entered a building full of people who want to kill you? I don’t think you should be lecturing me on good ideas.”

“Hey!” I scowled. “I thought it through, alright?”

He gave me a dubious look, which was somehow worse than anything he could’ve said. I shook my head, smiling.

“I have to leave, Karna.” I looked over all the Dark Crusaders as they prepared their next move. Many of them were going to be brought away from Jahar’taw, out of fear of being hunted. Others were going to stay. The thing about their group was that they never had any centralized authority.

They could, at the end of the day, do as they wanted.

“I can’t stay here. I can’t stay with you. I have friends to go back to. I have a home now.” The Dark Crusaders could’ve been my family; there was a time when I thought that would’ve been my new home. I would’ve fought alongside them, lived with them, learned with them. But things didn’t go that way.

Gennady, Lisa, Jack, Ginah, Sevin… and more recently, Bertrand, King Adilet, Erzhan, Bakyt, Aniyar— and yes, even Luna the cat. I knew far more people now than I have ever known before. And they cared for me… to varying degrees.

“This is goodbye.” I sighed, but this was not a sad farewell. It was one that marked change, and paradoxically, a return to what once was.

“For now,” Karna said. He bowed his head slightly, and I returned the gesture.

It was goodbye, but not a permanent one. And it gave closure to our last departure from one another. When neither of us said a word to each other before I left to kill Victor. I started away from the hundreds of Dark Crusaders— there would’ve been thousands if not for all that had happened in the past week— and they didn’t face me with contempt.

Which was a relief. Mahir even gave me a small wave as I departed. Estia stood next to him, but she didn’t meet my gaze. I simply waved back at Mahir, before finally donning my mask and returning to Jahar’taw.

The warehouse stood in silence. Around it lay broken buildings, rubble that had yet to be repaired. Construction work had begun on some of the broken storage facilities and grain silos, but they weren’t being worked on today. I stepped out of the vast farmlands surrounding this little cluster of buildings, walking through the crunchy gravel road.

I halted right before the front door of the warehouse, a quick pit stop before I had to return to the MTC. They must’ve heard the news of what happened to the Holy Knights. I had to give them an update on what was going on. I raised a hand to push the door open, but it burst out, almost knocking me off my feet instead.

“Look, I’m tellin’ you—” Gennady paused, glancing over at me.

“Melas?” Elda blinked. She had been literally clashing heads with the Dwarf. “What are you doing here?”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “What are you guys arguing about this time?”

Gennady scowled. “She was sayin’ my damned Annihilator cannon ain’t gonna work even though I’ve already given it a Greater mana crystal! She isn’t even a Scientist!”

“I’m not a Scientist or whatever you are,” she snorted. “But I don’t think the problem with your Annihilator cannon was its mana crystal when it completely broke down the last time you used it.”

“It will work.” He crossed his arms.

I looked between them. Then I tilted my head back a bit.“Oh, I procured this.” I produced a glinting objecting from my pocket. The Greater mana crystal I had taken off Tiberius’ lance. I gave the lance itself to Karna, not needing the weapon. Because, lets face it, I wouldn’t know how to use it.

“That’s—” Gennady’s eyes widened. He tried to snatch it from my hand, but I drew back.

“Hey, it’s mine.”

“Bah, whatever.” He scowled. “I have my own, and unlike yours, mine is unused and brand new!”

“So, anyway,” I said, ignoring him, “I’m just here after, uh, what went down last night.”

They both raised a brow. I explained what happened as they brought me to the main hall. The warehouse was in better shape after Didar’s attack a month ago. Lisa, Jack, Sevin, and the others were there. And they nodded along as I finished.

“So, you’ll stay at the MTC?” Sevin asked, frowning.

“Until Lilith is dealt with.” I nodded. “Unfortunately, I fear that she may be more dangerous without a retinue of Holy Knights with her. Her actions will be more unstable. If I’m freely roaming around, she may just attack me without due cause. But if the kingdom itself is protecting me...”

“She still might try and kill you.” Lisa pursed her lips.

“Perhaps. But I’ll be safer there. And I won’t put your lives in danger.”

Gennady ran a hand through his beard. “I think this is a good idea. I may not like Bertrand, but he can keep ya away from that insane woman.”

“But when will you return?” Lisa asked, a worried look on her face. “The Dark Crusaders are no longer after you, and most of the Holy Knights are gone. You’ll never truly be safe, Melas. You can’t just hide with the MTC forever, can you?”

“I’d rather not.” I leant back on my chair. I glanced up at the ceiling. I knew that running from my problems wasn’t a smart idea. But this was different. “Lilith will come after me. I want to— I have to— deal with her eventually. But to do that, I have to get stronger. I won’t just cower away in the safety of the MTC. I will get stronger. Then I will face Lilith.”

“And what will you do?” The question came from multiple people at once.

“Kill her if I have to,” I said simply. “Or talk her out of it. I don’t know— I will just do what I must.” I snapped my eyes shut. “I’m just… tired.”

There was a pause. Silence. My friends surrounded me, and I felt safe here. But I couldn’t just stay here. I had to get stronger— live up to my full potential. Even if it was exhausting and tiring. The silence was interrupted by a clatter.

I glanced up, and Gennady set down a platter of food before me. It was a kind of chicken, covered in gravy and mixed with rice. My mouth instantly watered.

“Here.” He gestured to it. “Eat up. You’ll feel better.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Do you think I’m stressed out because I’m hungry?”

“Yeah.” The Dwarf grinned.

And I chuckled. “I hate to admit it, but you’re sort of right.” I picked up the spoon and began digging in. “Look—” I spoke as I chewed. “I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday at lunch. I’m just a little bit hungry, alright?”

That elicited a laugh from everyone around me. Even Jack couldn’t suppress a small smile.

“I’m not a glutton, alright?” I faked a pout.

Lisa shook her head. “You’ll be fine there.” The young woman placed a hand on my shoulder. “Goddess grace you, Melas.”

I hesitated. Then I smiled. “Thank you.”

I bade farewell to my friends, heading back to the inner city of Jahar’taw, and entering the MTC. The inner city had heightened security, even though the Dark Crusaders had practically vacated. The chaos and destruction from the day before was too much. Especially the explosion that had taken out multiple blocks of buildings, collapsing structures and injuring a few civilians.

Fortunately, that part of the city had mostly been abandoned, owned by the Dark Crusaders, and they had all been preparing to flee, so there were no fatal casualties. None other than the Holy Knights and the Dark Crusaders, of course. And while it was easy to discount their lives as something that actually mattered, I knew many of them had grieving families and loved ones, just as an ordinary citizen would.

I felt empathy for them. But I couldn’t do much. I only played my part by trying to stay out of trouble. Bertrand let me back into the complex, shaking his head.

“It’s a tragedy.”

“I… feel like I might be responsible for some of what happened,” I admitted, guiltily shifting on my feet.

“The Holy Knights acted even when they had no permission from the House of Or’taq.” He shook his head. “What happened last night was not your fault.”

I didn’t say anything. But he smiled.

“How’s your friend?” he asked kindly. “Did you manage to speak with him before he escaped the inner city?”

I blinked. “H-how did you know that?”

He shrugged. “If it had died, I’m sure you would be more overcome with regret and distress.”

“R-right…” That was the truth— as bad as I felt for strangers whom I never met before, I couldn’t help but be more sympathetic to people that were directly to me. Like Karna. “We spoke. We made up. And… I think we’re friends again.”

“That’s good.” Bertrand seemed reassured, even as he hobbled next to me. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Thank you.”

He brought me back to my room, saying, “Take the day off, Melas. Rest now. I’m sure there are many things you’ll find yourself preoccupied with in the future. But for now, just relax.”

I smiled as the door closed shut. I walked over to my bed, lying down and facing the ceiling in silence. I wanted to sleep. Or just lay there, quietly. But I knew I wasn’t alone.

“You can come out now,” I said, and a footstep echoed in the room.

A woman smiled. Elara. A Demon. “Was there something you wanted, Melas?”

“No.” I shook my head, sitting up on my bed. “But there’s something you wanted. There’d be no other reason for you to make yourself known to me. I could sense you. I normally can’t even tell that you’re around.”

“Perceptive. And you’re right about that.” Elara nodded. “First of all, I’d just like to say, I’m glad that you’ve finally reconciled with Karna. The two of you were always so sweet together.”

“He’s just my friend.” I rolled my eyes.

Elara shrugged. “Regardless, I’m glad you made up with Karna.”

“What do you really want?” I narrowed my eyes. “You didn’t just show yourself to make small talk. Tell me: why are you here?”

The Demon sighed. “I’m here to make you the same offer as before.” She shook her head. “To teach you magic. To help you deal with Lilith. I heard what you said. You want to get stronger. I can help you. Better than you can on your own. And there’s more than that. More than just Lilith.”

I raised a brow, and she continued.

“A war is coming, Melas. The Puer Kingdom and the Taw Kingdom. But not just them. Things are happening. All around the world, pieces are falling into place.” She didn’t say anything in specific, but I remembered the shards floating in that portal she dragged me through. The Abominations. The Monsters. “You cannot possibly deal with all that’s coming on your own. I implore you. Accept my help. I can help you grow stronger.”

She proffered me a hand. A deal with the devil, you’d say. But I’d disagree. She was a Demon. And I had made a deal with the devil a long time ago. That was how I ended up in this world.

What she said was alluring. Tempting. It drew me in. I felt my hand twitch. I slowly raised my arm.

Then I took a deep breath.

“No.”

And Elara closed her eyes. “Very well.” She vanished, leaving me alone.

Truth be told, I wasn’t going to accept her help. Not in the sense that I’d let her dictate when I did what I wanted to do. I knew that if I accepted her help when she came to me, I’d be falling into her trap.

There was something she had planned for me. And if not her, her master. Her Lord. That fake god.

If I took their help when they offered it, it’d be because they wanted me to get it then. Which meant I’d be once again bound to what they wanted me to do. I didn’t want that. I’d accept Elara’s help only when I wanted it. Only when I needed it.

I will accept it. But I would be the one to approach her about it. Just like I was doing now. I produced an object— one that I had kept hidden and safe. One that I had asked many about, and heard my first answer just this morning.

Estia was the one who explained how it worked. Even if she didn’t like me, she was obliged to answer this one question with honesty. It was a scroll, supposedly. But not just an ordinary scroll. One that would impart great knowledge to those who used it through magic.

And what Estia said about it corroborated Elara’s claims. So, I used it.

“I’ll get stronger. I’ll decide when to accept your help.” And I opened the scroll. The words inscribed on it glowed. The Shield of the Sentinel. A supposed Tier 6 spell. “Because this is my life to own, not yours.”

Chapter 43: Estia VI – Failure

“Elysia.”

A voice drew the attention of the little girl. She looked up from under her blankets, turning to face the figure that stood at the entrance of the cave. Elara, the girl’s mother, stood there.

She wore a weary face. Yet, when she saw Elysia standing up from under the ragged covers, she replaced it with a relieved smile. “I’ve returned,” Elara breathed out.

“You’re back!” Elysia ran forward, hugging Mother’s arms. “Look, look!” She tugged Elara forward. “I made something for you—”

Elara didn’t budge. Elysia paused. She glanced up at Mother, whose face was once again overcome with a sense of regret.

“I’m sorry,” Elara said.

“W-what are you apologizing for?”

“I can’t stay long.”  She shook her head, stumbling past Elysia.

Mother unearthed a clothed object before unraveling it. It was a box, night-black, and the girl sensed great power from it. She had never touched it once, although she was aware of it. She had been asked to keep it safe, buried, which she dutifully carried out.

“What is that?” Elysia asked with wide eyes.

“It’s a Dimensional Storage Box,” Elara explained. “And within it, it holds an object of great purpose. One that could change the fate of the world entirely. My Lord gifted it to me, to carry out his will.”

Elysia blinked, but Elara was already leaving.

“Wait!” the girl called out. “Don’t go—”

Mother looked back one last time, a rueful look on her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I promise I’ll be back soon. I will always be there for you. Just… not now.”

The girl raised a hand—

—--

And Estia woke up.

The Half Demon groaned as she drew herself from under her blanket. Well, it was not actually a blanket. It was her cloak, torn and tattered. And it did enough to keep the warmth on her. Not that it actually mattered with magic.

But Estia was tired. Very tired. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion. She had failed her mission. She was sent to kill the Saintess Lilith, yet here they were fleeing, having suffered great losses to the Holy Knights. Sure, the Holy Knights were mostly gone. But Lilith was still there.

And not just that— Estia failed her second mission. If it was just her inaptitude to kill her target, she wouldn’t have felt as humiliated as she did. But the target, Melas, a little girl barely twelve years of age, didn’t just survive all of Estia’s attempts to end her life. She also turned Estia’s own people against the Half Demon, and proceeded to save Estia from the Holy Knights.

It was utterly embarrassing. If this had happened to anyone else, Estia was sure she’d have laughed at their faces. Yet, it happened to her. So, she felt like the biggest fool at the moment.

“Come on,” a voice grunted, drawing her to her feet. Mahir crossed his arms as he stood over. “Today’s the day.”

“I know,” she growled. “You don’t need to remind me.”

Estia had escorted a large bulk of the Dark Crusaders out of Jahar’taw. The rest opted to stay, led by Karna. She somehow felt grateful for that. She just couldn’t stand to look at the Goblin’s face, even if he was being cooperative. He was the one responsible for helping Melas humiliate her. It angered Estia, especially with how he acted now, as if it didn’t happen.

The Half Demon started past Mahir, out and away from this encampment. They were now far enough away from any Dwarf city or chase party that they had time to breathe. And now, she was going to return to the Infernalis for their next instruction.

“You know where to go if any Dwarf search party comes here, don’t you?” Estia narrowed her eyes, preparing to fly off into the morning sky.

“We do.” Mahir nodded.

“Good.” With that, she took off.

Estia soared through the air, up above the clouds, not even a speck to the eyes on the ground. She flew higher and higher, seeing the landscape change long before she even came close to the Great Desert of Vitae.

It wasn’t difficult for her to find the spot which brought her down to the Infernalis. She had been here many times over— this had been their location for quite some time. They were almost due to change locations soon.

She sank deep below the ground, the light sky vanishing behind her. When she reached the tunnel below, someone was already waiting for her. She had informed them of her arrival.

Kores. Her mentor. And her friend.

The Demon smiled at her. “Estia, you are back, and you are safe.” A relieved smile washed over his face.

Estia nodded, not as excitable as she thought she’d be with seeing him. “Kores—”

“We have a lot to speak about, yes.” He shook his head. “However, come now. Let us save those discussions for later. For now, will you come with me?”

She blinked.

Kores led the Half Demon back to her room in the Infernalis, asking her to sit and wait for him to return. Estia was confused about what he was doing. Then she got nervous. And when he returned with a platter of foodstuff.

Traditional Goblins meals, mostly. But they were steaming hot. Estia furrowed her brows. “What is this?” she asked.

“You seemed tired,” he said, placing it before her. He had his own plate for himself, and he dug in. “Come, eat.”

She stared at him as he began scarfing down on a mixture of meat and yellow rice. Then he glanced up at her.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Why are you doing this?” She crossed her arms.

“Why am I doing what, eating?” He paused.

“You’re treating me like a child.” Estia scowled. She faced him with an annoyed look, getting up to her feet. “I don’t need a ‘hot meal’ or whatever this is to cheer me up. I failed, Kores, I am aware of that.”

He sighed. “If you have failed, Estia, it is me who failed as your mentor.”

She took a step back. “Wait, that’s not what I…” she trailed off.

Kores shook his head, placing his spoon back into the bowl. “I do not believe I have failed you, nor do I believe you have failed me.” He sat back, and she hesitated.

“Then what went wrong, Kores? I was sent to kill Lilith. To mentor Disciple Karna. And after, to kill Melas. But I failed. I failed in so many ways—”

He placed a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off. “You are tired, Estia. You are still young, and you have been placed with a great burden on your shoulders.”

“I am almost a half a century old,” she said flatly.

“A burgeoning age for a Demon such as yourself.”

“I am a Half Demon.”

“And yet, you have only ever found yourself with any agency until two decades ago.” Kores was insistent. “If you have lived most of your life accustomed to living a certain way, adapting to such drastic changes will be harder. And even here, as a Dark Crusader, you have been under my wing for far too long. I shouldn’t have forced this responsibility onto you all at once.”

Estia couldn’t help but feel that she was being treated like some sort of child. Although he was right— she was technically barely a young adult as a Demon. Even still, it upset her. She opened her mouth, but Kores continued.

“Estia,” he said, meeting her gaze, “I was around when the Demon Lord was still alive. Before the Final Holy War came to a close. I have experienced many things, seen the fall of empires and kingdoms, spoken to those who’d become great and those who’d perish an uncouth death. I believe that I have a keen eye on the potential of individuals, and you are hardly a failure, Estia.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I failed.” She bit her lower lip out of frustration.

“And that is why I want you to rest.” He smiled. “There are times where we fail. There are times where we fall down, our burdens too much for us to handle. And during those times, we have to get back up. But not without a moment of rest.”

Estia stared at Kores as he gestured at the meal he laid out. But she thought of those under her, left behind hundreds of miles back in the Taw Kingdom. “But I have… a duty. I am supposed to—”

“Ah, do not worry about them.” Kores waved a hand off. “I have already spoken to the higher ups. Jasmin the Voodoo herself will see to their safety.”

The Half Demon’s eyes widened. “Jasmin herself?”

“Yes.” He grabbed a bowl, offering it to Estia. “This matter goes beyond just our hands, Estia. It has drawn the attention of the Dark Sages. Especially regarding that girl.”

“Melas.”

“If it is as you said, and that she has ties to the Cult, this is a matter of utmost importance.” Kores wore a serious look on his face.

Estia paused. “...I’m not sure if that’s the case anymore.”

He raised a brow, and she explained.

“I have fought her, spoken to her, and she has vehemently denied any allegiance with that woman. She claims that she is unwillingly protected. That she only cares about surviving. But I am not sure how much of what she says is true. Yet, she returned to save me. To help us.”

“Indeed.” Kores rubbed a hand on his chin. “That is why there needs to be an investigation. And Jasmin has always been curious about her, especially her relation to the Fiend.” Shaking his head, he raised the bowl once more. “These are complex matters that can be discussed at a later date. That is why I suggest now to eat.”

“I…” Estia still was uncertain.

But he feigned a frown. “Will you not eat it because it was I who cooked it?”

She blinked. “Wait, that’s not—”

“I understand that my skills as a chef may not be equal to my abilities as a spellcaster, but I had hoped that it’d be edible enough for you to enjoy it.”

“No, no, no—” Estia hurriedly accepted the bowl. She dug into it. “I love your cooking. It’s…” she trailed off. “Wait, you didn’t actually cook this yourself, did you?”

“I did.” He smiled.

“Oh.” She hesitated. “It’s kind of bad, honestly.”

“Ah.” There was a pause. Then he laughed. “Seems like I have failed in cooking, did I not? But that doesn’t mean I shall stop making meals for you.”

Estia couldn’t help but snicker too. “Please don’t.”

It was a failure, no matter how Estia looked at it. The Dark Crusaders were at war with the Church, yet they had been defeated in Jahar’taw. She was the commander of the battle, and she had been sent fleeing out of the city and country.

But this was a single setback. War was not determined by individual battles. And Estia knew that she’d come back stronger from this. She believed that the Dark Crusaders would be victorious against the Holy Xan Empire in the end.

She had to study. She had to grow stronger. Learn from her mistakes.

And maybe, when the next time she was tasked in charge of a battle, she’d come out victorious. Kores had faith in her. Because of that, she had faith in herself.

He was the first person she had ever considered a friend. But more than that, he was her mentor. He truly cared for her. Sure, this battle was lost. But they both believed in their cause.

In the cause of the Dark Crusaders. So, no matter what happened— no matter what setbacks they faced— they both knew that there would only be one conclusion.

It was war. And Estia believed that they would win, no matter what.

But for now, she’d rest.

Chapter 44: Adrian IX – Change

The world was always changing. Things that greatly shaped your future could occur at any moment. This was a concept that Adrian grasped, even back in Villamcreek.

But to actually experience it— it was a different thing entirely. He never fully comprehended the implications of change back home. However, ever since a single event— the death of Aria— things had been rapidly changing around the boy.

The dull village he grew up in was now tens of thousands of miles away from him. The dull sights of farmers and peasants making their way through their cyclical days were replaced by the vibrant gilded halls filled with students rushing to their classes. And the joy that had colored his life was gone.

There was one thing Adrian looked forward to, almost every day of his life back home. A girl, roughly his age, with sable tresses and a pair of moonlit eyes. She lived in the outskirts of Villamcreek, so he rarely ever saw her, but when she strode down the dirt path, his gaze was always caught by the cool aura she exuded. He’d freeze in his tracks, try and muster up the courage to talk to her, only to sullenly return back to his home at the end of the day, disappointed in his own cowardice.

That was until he finally managed to overcome his shyness to speak with her. Melas. The daughter of Aria. The girl who vanished after her mother’s death.

This had been the greatest change in his life. It was what started the turning of the gears that led Adrian to Xanderia. It had entirely flipped his life over. Now, he was no longer a soft spoken boy with a playful penchant for humor. He was Adrian, one of the most talented students of his class. With his simple brown hair and unrefined demeanor, he surprised even his teachers with what he was capable of doing— with the inventions he made and the duels he kept winning. It impressed the noble children of the Holy Xan Empire so much so that they were starting to accept him.

“Adrian,” a haughty voice drew his attention.

Onia strode up to the boy’s desk accompanied by her own posse of friends. She was the daughter of a Duke— highly ranked amongst the nobility, so it was obvious that she had many friends. And it wasn’t like these were unknown children either. For example, Ilyse, the girl standing at Onia’s side, was the daughter of an Earl.

They had bullied Adrian when he first enrolled into Xander’s Academy. He was a commoner, while they were nobles. They thought he shouldn’t be around them. But Adrian didn’t scowl, nor did he purse his lips as they approached. Because this time, they were here as friends.

“I have a ball coming up in a month.” Onia slipped a piece of paper onto his desk. It was fancy— ornamented with gold linings. “It is for my birthday. This is a formal invitation for your attendance. You may bring a plus one to this event, but just know that the dress code is formal. Goddess grace us, if you come to it wearing rags…” she trailed off, and he raised a brow. She let out a soft laugh. “I am joking.”

“It may be a joke to you, but it’s very much a reality for me.” He gestured at his uniform. “This is the only piece of clothing I have.”

Onia’s jaw went slack. “I…” Then she sighed. “You may attend dressed in the school uniform, if you so desire. Just please don’t make a fool of yourself. My parents will be attending the ball, along with various other members of the high nobility.”

Adrian nodded. “Sure,” he said, unsure of what else to add.

She left, followed by her friends, headed out of the classroom now that the school day was over, and he just watched. That was the thing about change. It sometimes happened at a pace you couldn’t adapt to. The brown-haired body felt slightly uncomfortable around Onia, considering that she’d bullied him just a semester before.

Now, she and her friends accepted him. He didn’t know how to react to it; he pretended to take it in stride, however he honestly found the situation rather awkward. And it wasn’t just him either.

Alice stood hesitantly to the side, not sure whether to approach him. He looked up at the blonde girl as he stood. “Hey. What are you doing just waiting over there for?” he asked casually.

“O-oh, sorry.” She hurried after him. “I was just…” She glanced uneasily at the direction where Onia had gone. “I… just didn’t want to bother you and your new friends.”

And that was another thing about change. It had consequences. Sometimes subtle consequences. But Adrian noticed how he had been given an invitation, while Alice hadn’t.

The blonde girl was Adrian’s friend, but not Onia’s. The other noble children grew to respect Adrian because he excelled in class. Alice… had not.

Sure, she was talented. As a commoner, she managed to get accepted to the Academy for her genius. But being a genius in the rest of the world was only slightly above average here. Not enough to earn the respect of snobby nobles.

Adrian sighed as he left the classroom. “They’re not really my friends. Or… I guess they kind of are? But I consider you to be one of my closest friends, Alice.” He waved a hand off. “If they’re making you uncomfortable, I’d choose you over them any day.”

Alice blinked. Then she flushed. “T-thank you. That means a lot to me. But you don’t have to—”

He shook his head. “I’m being serious.” The pair spoke as they strolled down the decorated hallways of Xander’s Academy. “If you’re unhappy with it, I won’t even go to Onia’s party.”

The blonde girl’s eyes widened. “You can’t do that! That’d be very rude— you heard what she said, right? It’s her birthday! She’ll take great offense if you skimp out on it.”

“Ugh, that’s a pain.” Adrian scratched the back of his head. “ I’m definitely not going to go by myself. I’d feel too out of place. But if I bring you with me, they’ll just shun you.”

She hesitated. Alice stopped a few steps behind him, and he turned around. “You could… you could always go with Faizan, if you really want. I know I’ll just be…” She shifted slightly.

He blinked. “Hm. that’s a good idea, actually. I just sort of assumed he’d be invited. But since he’s a Half Elf… it’d also be a good way to help his reputation amongst the nobility, right?”

Alice stared at him. “O-oh… alright.” She took a deep breath. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Adrian smiled. “Thanks, Alice. You’re always full of good ideas.”

“Sure! I-it’s not a problem at all…”

It was a good plan. One he didn’t really think of. Adrian wasn’t enthused to go to the party, but if he did, he wanted to go with someone he really knew. And he had just spent most of summer vacation hanging out with Faizan and Alice. So, bringing the former would be a good alternative.

But for whatever reason, despite being the one to suggest it, Alice seemed a bit apprehensive now. Adrian found it odd. Adrian assumed it was probably because of her worry for Faizan. He was a Half Elf, so Faizan might’ve been discriminated against too. However, Faizan was also a noble, and could actually stand up for himself unlike Alice.

That’s probably it, Adrian told himself.

He’d be proven wrong over the next few days.

“Hey Alice, Faizan,” Adrian called out, approaching the girl. She sat on a bench just outside of the main building of the academy, flipping through a book, chatting with Faizan. “Are you guys busy? I was thinking of heading to the city today—”

Alice jolted as she saw him. She sat up abruptly, closing her book. “I-I’m fine…” She hurried past him, waving goodbye to Faizan. “I’ve got to study!”

Adrian stared at her as she ran off. “Oh, I can come—” He raised a hand, but she was gone. “What’s her problem?” He frowned.

“Midterms are coming up,” Faizan said, standing to his feet. “She was just asking me to tutor her.”

“She could’ve asked me.” Adrian furrowed his brows.

The Half Elf boy placed a hand on his shoulder. “So, what were you thinking of doing in Xanderia? I can show you around, but I’m more familiar with the noble district of the city.”

Adrian looked back. “Oh, I was thinking of just—”

The next time Adrian saw Alice, she was at the library, scribbling with intent on her notebook. He hadn’t been seeing her very often as of late. She’d quickly run off after classes, so they never had time to hang out.

So this is where she’s been. It was the library, as such he approached her discreetly from behind. He tapped a finger on her shoulder, whispering. “Alice—”

She yelped as she spun around. “A-Adrian? What are you doing here?”

“I was just returning some books I borrowed for revision.” He raised a brow. “Is something the matter?”

“N-no— I was just studying. I didn’t expect to see you…” she trailed off. Adrian was about to ask if she needed his help, but a librarian spoke up, louder than either of them had been.

“Please keep quiet in the library.”

Alice blinked. Then she hurriedly gathered her things, darting past Adrian. “S-sorry. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes. She was acting strange. He knew something was amiss. Returning his books to the counter, he paused as he remembered a similar situation. Nearly a year ago now.

Did Onia do something to her again?

Adrian marched to Alice’s room and rapped on her door. He had to know if she was fine, or if Onia had threatened her.

“Alice. Are you in there? It’s me, Adrian.”

There was no reply. But he saw the light seeping under the crack of the door. He tried knocking once more.

“I know you’re in there, Alice,” he said. “I just want to make sure everything’s fine with you. Can I please come in?”

There was a long pause. He waited, crossing his arms. Adrian glanced around the corridor, but no one else was around. Finally, the door creaked open as Alice peeked out.

“H-hey Adrian.” She spoke in a small voice. “What brings you here?”

“You’ve been acting weird lately.” He was blunt, straight to the point. “What happened?”

“N-nothing happened!” she squeaked, trying to shut the door. “I’m just studying, so please don’t disturb—”

Adrian jammed his hand between the doorframe, and grunted as it was crushed for a moment. Alice’s eyes widened.

“Goddess no— are you alright?

His face scrunched up in pain as he grasped his hand. “I… ouch… yeah, I’m fine.” He squeezed his way through the door as Alice backed up. “I’m here to make sure if you’re alright.”

“Me?” She hesitated as the door closed behind him. “I’m completely fine! What are you talking about?”

“Clearly you’re not.” Adrian looked around the room. He knew the kind of person Alice was. She was always neat and tidy. While she was a commoner like him, she was raised with the same class and grace as a noble. After all, her family was wealthy, unlike his.

And yet, her room was a complete mess. Books were strewn around, clattered all over the floor, while there were crushed pieces of paper spilling out of a small bin. Adrian frowned.

“What happened to you? What’s going on? And please answer honestly. I’m worried about you.”

Alice bit her lower lip. “I’m just studying. We have midterms coming up, and I was doing some last minute cramming sessions, and—”

Adrian gave her a flat look, clearly conveying how much he believed her story.

“I-I…” She pursed her lips.

“Alice.” He grabbed her by the hand. “I want you to tell me what’s wrong. Please.”

The blonde girl averted her gaze. “I was just… studying. To get to the top of the class. Because.. I wanted to prove myself.”

“Are your parents forcing you to do this?”

“No!” She waved her hands, rejecting the notion. “To the nobles,” she sighed. “I want to gain their respect, just like you did.”

Adrian snorted. “Those guys?” He folded his arms. “Who cares what they think. Look, Alice, if they’re bullying you again—”

“They aren’t,” Alice said emphatically. She tightened her fists as she stared at the ground. “But they might treat you differently because of me. And I don’t want that.”

“Alice…” His eyes widened as he realized what this was about. “That’s not—”

“Adrian, I know it’s… embarrassing, associating with me. And I’m grateful that you’re even willing to talk to me— that you care for me. But you don’t have to force yourself. It’s fine. I’ll just have to be someone that’s good enough to be around you.” She gave him a look of affirmation, and Adrian took a step back.

“That’s not…”

“It’s fine, Adrian. If I get to the top of the class—”

“Alice,” he cut her off, placing his hands on her shoulders. “That’s not it at all.”

“What?” She flushed, backing away from him.

Taking a deep breath, Adrian explained. “I’m not embarrassed to be around you, Alice. I didn’t want you to go to Onia’s party because I was afraid that they’d bully you. That you’d be uncomfortable amongst those nobles. I didn’t think you’d take it this way.” He closed his eyes, exhaling. “And that’s my fault. I didn’t think how you’d perceive it. I was being an idiot.”

Alice shifted slightly, practically hugging the wall with her back. “Y-you don’t have to feel bad, Adrian.” She tried to shake her head and smile. “I’m fine with this. Just take Faizan and enjoy yourself, alright? There’s no need to worry about me.”

“No,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I want you to come with me to Onia’s party.”

Her face burned her, even in the dimly lit room. “W-what? But I’m—”

“You’re my best friend, Alice.” He spoke insistently. “I don’t want you to feel excluded because I was being stupid, overthinking things.”

“Adria…” Alice was at a loss for words.

“And more than that—” He closed his eyes, blushing. “I want to dance with you. I’m not just going to go to a ball and dance with some girl I never met before. I don’t even know how to dance either. But if I had to dance with someone, it’d be with you.”

She blinked. Her eyes grew wide. And Adrian finished.

“So please, come to the ball with me. I’ll find a way to get Faizan in too. But I want you to come with me.” Adrian didn’t know why he felt so nervous to hear Alice’s answer. All he understood was that he was speaking from his heart. He wanted to go with Alice, which was why he was so annoyed with the nobles for the way they treated her.

He waited with bated breath as Alice looked away, her gaze shadowed over as she thought it over. Finally, she responded, almost like a squeak.

“Y-yes. I’ll go with you.”

Adrian let out a sigh of relief as Alice turned away. “Thank the Goddess—” He couldn’t even finish as she ushered him out of the room. “Alice, what are you doing?” he sputtered.

“I have to clean up! I have to—” She slammed the door shut, locking it. He heard a muffled squeal coming from inside. The girl was screaming in excitement into her pillow.

Adrian blinked. Then he felt his chest. His heart was racing, slowly calming. And he smiled. He was glad he managed to clear things up with Alice. He truly cared for her, and the fact that he thought he had upsetted her had made him angry at himself for a brief moment.

He strode away, leaving Alice’s room behind as he took in the Academy around him. If he had truly alienated the blonde girl, he was certain the rest of his time in the school would’ve been miserable and unbearable. His happy days would’ve come to an end once more, and he’d have hated himself for it.

“I’m glad we resolved it,” he whispered to himself.

That was the thing about change. Sometimes, it was so jarring, you noticed the difference between the past and the present, and it made you uncomfortable. Or, well, just plain confused.

But other times, change was subtle. It was so discreet, you’d never realized it happened. It’d only come to you in an epiphany, as you were walking down the hallway back to your room, and a random thought crossed your mind.

Wait. Adrian paused, looking down at the palm of his hands. He was happy. The time he spent with Alice— and not just her, but with Faizan, while also studying and learning in Xander’s Academy— had been nothing but memorable and joyous for the past few months. Especially after he got accepted by Onia, no longer bullied.

But that wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to be happy here. After all, when Adrian came here, he only came here for one reason. To further his goal. To help him find Melas, his long lost friend, and to exact vengeance against the Church and those who had killed Aria.

So, why was he happy here, amongst members of the Church? Amongst those who had killed Aria? It kept him up later that night as he tossed and turned in bed, unable to get a wink of sleep, questioning what exactly happened to have changed his feelings so drastically yet subtly.

Chapter 45: Interlude VI – The Calm and the Storm

I sat up in my bed, placing the Dimensional Storage Box down to the ground as I heard footsteps rushing around outside of my room. I was studying the various aspects of the box until I heard this ruckus. I pushed the door open, seeing Dwarfs scramble around as Golems march robotically down the hallway.

I caught sight of a familiar Engineer running by. “Aniyar!” I called out, dragging his feet to a halt. He turned to face me, blinking as I spoke. “What’s going on?”

“It’s…” Aniyar hesitated. The Dwarf glanced over at another group of Engineers, running, shouting at each other. He shook his head. “It’s finally happened. Tha damned Puer Kingdom finally did it.”

“Did it?” I cocked my head. “What’d they do?”

He opened his mouth, and someone barked out his name.

“Oi, Aniyar! What are you just doing standin’ there? Get to yer damned job!”

I nearly jerked back, caught off guard by the gruff voice as though a loose dog had tried to snap its jaw at me. Aniyar shook his head, starting past me.

“They finally did it,” he repeated himself. “They declared war.”

I stared at him as he went. “Oh,” I said, just standing there. “So… what happens now?”

—--

“It’s finally time,” a voice said. The source of said voice was a man, roughly in his forties. He had golden blond hair, blue eyes, and a face full of a neatly trimmed beard. His name was Holden Gaice, General of the Puer Kingdom’s First Army.

It had taken him decades to work his way up to this position. He had to associate himself with many less-than-pleasant individuals, just to land himself one of the most powerful positions in all of the Puer Kingdom. Even now, he was oft surrounded by unsavory men. His Lieutenant General was currently bidding farewell to his lovers— children who had been ripped from their families, taken from parents who couldn’t pay their taxes. Holden turned away from it, instead heading up to the wooden platform just ahead. It didn’t matter what others did. All that mattered was what he did.

He was now a decorated General. His life was filled with luxury, despite his many battle scars. And he was eager to fight for his country, prove himself once more capable of vanquishing their foes, and claiming more riches and glory to his name.

Holden stood before forty thousand men, on a podium that elevated him above them. His hands were behind his back, at parade rest. He bore luxurious silver armor, gleaming with mana crystals, before one of his Squires brought him a Voice Amplification Stone. It wasn’t like a megaphone or microphone that those Dwarves had. Those were inferior technology, making wasteful use of resources. He had seen the designs and blueprints of some of the Taw Kingdom’s secret weapons.

Anything they made could be replicated through simple mana tools easily enough. The overuse of other, unnecessary implements only made weapons such as guns harder to assemble. The only advantage it would ever provide was if the other side had weapons that could disable or counter the standard mana tech weaponry.

It was foolish of the Dwarfs. Such a foolish, foolish endeavor. One that would never reap any reward.

The General wanted to laugh. But here he stood before his army, and his laughter wouldn’t do much to bolster their morale. So, when he opened his mouth to address them, he didn’t cackle or show a hint of emotion. That was weakness. What he showed was strength.

“Men of Puer! Take up your arms, for now is the time for retribution.” Holden thumped a fist on his chest as his voice bellowed, a deluge over his men like a powerful wave. His army, to their credit, steeled themselves, letting his words wash over them, absorbing the essence of what was said, but not losing their ground. “The filthy Dwarfs to the north have hurled baseless accusations against our country. Their constant aggression towards our nation— towards our people— have gone on for far too long!

“Our forefathers came together in the face of their Dwarven madness. This country was built on their labor against the Taw Kingdom! And now, the Dwarfs have once again wickedly dared to threaten our existence. To bring us to ruin. We will not fall to these short, feeble men and their toys. They shall be crushed under our marching boots, like mere pebbles at our feet. Let us trample the Taw Kingdom, and bring an end to their wretched country!”

“Yes sir!” forty thousand voices shouted back at Holden.

They began their march, a clangor of metallic footsteps making their way through the hard soil. General Holden watched as his glorious army— the mark of all his achievements— entered the borders of the Taw Kingdom. This was the reckoning of the Dwarf country. It was time for Holden to once more show the might of the Puer Kingdom.

The First Army of Puer entered the borders of Taw with very little resistance. The fort stationed at Syek’eki’taw’s Valley was taken with ease. The mere thousand Dwarven men stood no chance against the forty thousand of Puer. The Dwarfs fled after only a brief skirmish, abandoning the strategic outpost.

It was so arrogant of the Dwarfs to think that their supposedly ‘superior’ technology meant that so few soldiers could stave off Holden’s forces. It was this hubris, paired with their own surprise at the declaration of war, that allowed the Puer Kingdom to so easily gain a footing within the enemy nation.

A combination of the foolishness of your enemy, and the cunning of your own. Holden had known that war would come— that all the diplomatic talk trying to reconcile both countries was nothing but a facade. He had readied his men for the day war would be declared, and he moved the moment it happened.

Now, his army marched further into Taw, leaving three regiments— about four thousand strong— behind at the fort to guard their rear. They were led by his most trusted colonels, so he knew that they’d warn him if he were to be flanked.

The villages and towns they passed as they marched on were abandoned, quickly evacuated, not that it truly mattered to Holden. Cities were what mattered in war. And he caught sight of Brinsi’taw no more than a week later.

Dwarf soldiers manned the walls and battlements, a small army ready to make a stand against Holden’s troops. The siege did not last long. The Dwarfs tried to put up a fight. They had turret towers which fired rapid, powerful blasts of mana into the First Army of Puer. But Holden had read about these weapons— he had been briefed by his country’s spies on the secret weapons held by Taw. He had already made a plan for it.

He had his trebuchets and cannons aim their enchanted munitions at these turrets, not focusing on the walls of the city. He directed his army’s attacks entirely on this brand new weapon of Taw, knowing its biggest flaw. That its great destruction capabilities was a double edged sword.

The defenses around the turrets were torn down quickly enough, the heavy, enchanted stone walls collapsing under the constant barrage of explosions. When the weapon itself— a large cylindrical tube connected to a tank of highly unstable liquid mana— was exposed, Holden simply had his best marksmen aim their rifles and their bows at it.

The explosions that occured after were entirely caused by the Dwarfs’ own inventions. Destruction that outrivaled anything Puer’s First Army could muster. It tore down the towers, bringing down the rest of the battlements and walls with it.

In just a month, Brinsi’taw was taken. A resounding victory, one which outmatched even his best accomplishments.

With this, his army’s vigor was bolstered, and General Holden continued their march. They razed the villages and smaller settlements, looting them for resources when supply lines grew thin, as his army began to take more and more of Taw’s territory. The Dwarfs barely put up a fight. They mostly fled the province, using frail tactics to delay the inevitable. They had their aircrafts and airships fire mana missiles from the sky, but those only hindered their pace, nothing more.

Eventually, Holden received word that Puer’s Second Army had arrived in Taw. He was to, together with General Darryl, take the largest city in the province, Ulken’taw.

Their forces combined to create an army over a hundred thousand strong. They set up camp before Ulken’taw, the weary men from First Army feeling an increase in morale from the reinforcements, while the soldiers of Second Army were still fresh and ready to battle.

“Congratulations, General Holden. It is thanks to your efforts, we have been able to overwhelm these Dwarven rats so quickly. When you return from this war, you will be lauded as a hero.” General Darryl nodded at him.

Holden Gaice raised his chin, relishing in the praise. “Thank you, General Darryl. I am certain you will make as much of a name for yourself over the course of this war. Our names will be recorded in history books, forever remembered as the greatest of our time.”

“Of course.” General Darryl smiled. Then he turned his gaze towards the city in the distance. He raised a spyglass, before frowning. “However, something appears to be amiss.”

“What is the problem?” Holden furrowed his brows.

“The battlements are empty. The city’s gates are left unmanned. Have the Dwarfs already evacuated Ulken’taw?”

“Impossible,” General Holden said. “They wouldn’t possibly give up such an important city so easily.” But his eyes widened when he realized it was true.

He sent scouts to investigate the city, and sure enough, it was empty. The Dwarfs had evacuated in a rush, leaving the city full of resources behind for the taking. A treasure. A gift for the Puer Kingdom.

“How foolish.” Shaking his head, Holden sat in his war tent. “They have given up this whole province to us. They will never be able to recover from this.”

“Let us not fret over the mad actions of the Dwarfs.” Darryl raised a glass. “Come, let us drink. To victory.”

They clinked their wine glasses, celebrating the night before they took the city.

Perhaps it was because Holden had too much to drink, did he have an odd feeling at the back of his head when he and his men entered Ulken’taw the next day. There was a buzzing in his ear, like an incessant fly that refused to leave him.

The two armies scoured the city, confirming that it was indeed truly completely abandoned. The things that had been left behind would solve the problem of a thinning supply line for Holden— one that had Holden stressed for the past two weeks before the siege. But now, not only did the Dwarfs solve the issue of a siege by simply leaving, they also solved the issue of supply lines for the Puer General.

“Foolishness.” He laughed, standing at the central plaza of the city. “Goddess grace us, and to think the Dwarfs are known for their genius. This shows that they are nothing more than bumbling buffoons.”

His men laughed with him, over a hundred thousand in Ulken’taw alone. Then a voice drew his attention. General Darryl called for him, pointing a hand to the sky.

“Holden. My men have spotted enemy aircrafts approaching over the horizon.”

The General of Puer’s First Army stared at the speck approaching through a spyglass. He blinked. Then he snickered. “A lone aircraft. These are used for scouting missions, Darryl.” He slapped the back of the other General. “There is no need to worry about them. Just fire your cannons into the sky, and they will be warded off. Although…” he trailed off.

The aircraft drew closer and closer. A single plane, flying at a higher altitude than usual, approached Ulken’taw without hesitation.

“It is quite the distance away for a scouting aircraft. And it is moving far slower than any aircraft I’ve seen.” He ran a hand through his beard. Then he squinted. “Wait, more of them are coming.”

These other planes came in a formation behind the first, slow aircraft. Almost like a retinue of guards escorting an important noble.

“Do you think this is a problem?” Darryl asked. “Perhaps this is some new type of aircrafts created by the Dwarfs.”

Holden just chuckled. “We’ve seen what Taw could muster. These Dwarfs aren’t capable of creating any weapon capable of stopping us. Even if they send a hundred planes to take back the city, it won’t be enough. After all, there is only so much they can do that high up in the air.” He waved a hand, barking an order to his men. “Bring those planes down.”

And the sky was filled with blasts and bullets. Mana cannons were shot into the air, exploding just below the aircrafts. Individual rifles tried taking pot shots at the plane, although most of them missed their mark.

General Holden clicked his tongue. “What are you idiots doing? Can’t you fools hit anything?”

The formation of planes were the first ones to arrive at Ulken’taw, overtaking the slower aircraft. Now that they were closer, they couldn’t avoid most of the mana bullets whizzing by them. One of them was struck in its engine, and it crashed from the sky. The others began falling too, but not before unloading various objects, each about the size of a man, down into the army of Puer.

Holden had expected blasts— fiery explosions to fill the streets of the city. But instead, he saw bright colors spreading out over the city. They had the initial spark of a mana missiles, yes. But then the smoke that spread out after wasn’t normal. Blue, green, red gas. They blanketed the streets as shouts and screams resounded all around Holden.

“Alchemical bombs.” His eyes grew wide. “Gates of Hell condemn us. Those bastards are raining poison and acid down on us! Take cover— find shelter within the buildings!” This was new. He hadn’t expected the Dwarfs to try this. He didn’t even think about such usage of an Alchemist’s concoction.

He watched as his men screamed, tearing at their faces, their body melting into the ground. Others coughed and panted, doubling over as they inhaled the toxic air, filling their lungs with death. They, too, fell. Pale corpses that littered the streets.

“Damn these Dwarfs.” He glared up at the planes as they made another run over the city of Ulken’taw, dropping more of their alchemical explosives, covering the streets with a carpet of noxious gas.

Hundreds of men were slowly killed, but most of them would survive. This was nothing more than an act of desperation by Taw, killing Holden’s man in such a cruel way, no less effective than regular mana missiles. All his men had to do was take shelter, and the efforts of the Dwarfs would be rendered null. Then he paused.

“Unless… that’s what they wanted.” His gaze snapped over to the slower plane. It was now flying over Ulken’taw, passing by the other aircrafts— only two left— as they finally left the city. “They were escorting it here. They want to protect it.” Holden scowled.

He turned to one of his lieutenants standing right next to him. He marched past a confused Darryl, grabbing the rifle from one of the lieutenant’s hands.

“Give me that.”

“What are you doing, Holden?” Darryl blinked.

“I’m going to make them pay for what they did.” Holden raised the rifle, carefully tracking the slower plane as it passed directly above him. He squeezed the trigger, firing a single shot. “I’ll make all their damned efforts go to waste!”

The bullet shot into the air, a straight line that punched through the back of the aircraft. A puff of smoke huffed out of the plane’s back. Then it began to spiral down.

“Got you.” Holden couldn’t help but sneer.

The aircraft would crash. Its escort planes failed their mission. Holden didn’t care what it was. Whatever ruse the Dwarfs had were for naught. He chuckled to himself, standing tall at yet another victory.

“Wait, what is it dropping?” Darryl pointed at the sky.

A bloated object fell from the butt of the plane. It spiraled its way out, falling straight towards the city’s central plaza along with the falling aircraft. Holden snorted.

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. This battle is already decided. We won, and nothing can change—”

As the last word left his mouth, the bloated object landed against the brick ground. Its tip touched the hard floor, and that was enough to set it off. It detonated— everything compressed and loaded into it being unleashed in an instant.

A curtain of flames closed on the city. The paved streets crumbled into the sky, and falling debris rose up like a plume of smoke. A blinding white sphere consumed everything within a mile. Its heat ate up the brick and the stone, an unstoppable wave of energy that radiated throughout the city.

It consumed Ulken’taw with a screeching silence. The monoliths and tall structures of the city were like falling droplets of sweat in the desert— it splashed on the ground, sizzling for an instant, before evaporating away. Buildings made of concrete and marble alike were vaporized into steam. The metallic armor that clung to flesh melted, and melded with the burning skin of standing corpses.

“—it.”

A single word left Holden’s mouth between the instant it took for the blast to occur, and for the decorated General of the Puer Kingdom to be incinerated by the swiftly expanding light. It scarred the earth with a deep crater as the entire city combusted into flames. Whoever that wasn’t immediately killed by the blast would be crushed by the collapsing rubble, or eaten by the raging fires washing over the city.

A hundred thousand men died that day. Both the First and Second Armies of Puer were annihilated by a weapon that was capable of such massive destruction. What had seemed like a resounding victory abruptly became total defeat, altered by a single Mana Bomb.

—--

In the MTC of Jahar’taw, an old Scientist sat before a seismograph as the room exploded around him. Messages were being sent and received by the hundreds. Data was passed along as television screens flickered to life. People all around the world were reeling from the shockwave of this event.

Countries from both Soli and Vitae directed a thousand questions to the Taw Kingdom. The Holy Xan Empire made a strong condemnation of the Taw Kingdom. Even a black-haired girl was left uncertain about the news. Only a single man felt truly satisfied and sure of himself.

Bertrand leant back on his chair, a small smile creeping up his face as he watched the fruit of his labor be borne. After months of debate and political discussion in the House of Or’taq about the ethics of it all, they had finally approved use of his most experimental and dangerous weapon. One that would forever change the face of warfare. And the first true trial of his Mana Bomb was tested against the oncoming forces of Puer.

It was an unmistakable success.

Author’s Note:

Thanks for reading!

After 8 months of writing, Melas Book 3 is finally over. It wasn't the perfect book. It took far longer than I wanted it to be. But ultimately, I feel satisfied with how it ended.

The scene in the final chapter has been in my head ever since I restarted Melas in February of 2020. I initially started writing Melas in November of 2019, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to take the story and stopped. But when I restarted it, I planned for a lot of things. Such as the Mana Bomb.

It spent over a year growing inside of my head, and it has finally grown enough to be put onto the page. I truly, truly, truly love Melas as a story. And I am so thankful that you guys have stuck with me throughout the story's journey. Stay tuned for Book 4, because it'll be an even better one!

Join my patreon to support me at https://www.patreon.com/MelasD to read rough first drafts of the latest Melas Book Four chapters as it is being written.

To hear news about my books and Melas stuff, subscribe to my newsletter here: https://melasdnewsletter.ck.page/

Read More

From the same series:

Abomination: Melas Book 1

The Witch: Melas Book 2

From the Deltaverse:

Salvos

The Netherworld: it is a hellish landscape inhabited only by demons, creatures born from the dark abyss. It is also the only world Salvos knows.

Joining the ranks of newborn demons, Salvos is thrown into the violent, anarchy-ruled landscape of that world. To survive, she will have to learn, she will have to adapt, and she will have to evolve. She will gain experience to reach new Levels of power.

Her curiosity aids her but her pride could be her fall. It is the nature of the Netherworld to avoid or conquer any threats faced. After all, the law of evolution is survival of the fittest, and Salvos is a survivor. And perhaps, eventually, she will leave this world behind for a better place. But is that what she even wants?

Do note that it's a slow-paced but action-packed litrpg!

This novel is an action-packed monster evolution litrpg fantasy following the adventures of a Demon girl! It is set inside a game-like world with Classes and Levels, but it is not inside the world of a video game. For the characters in the novel, the world is as real as the real world is to me and you. It is also technically an isekai, sort of a portal fantasy but not really, however I feel like it fits the genre well enough!

Curious Beginnings: Salvos Volume 1

A Demon’s Pride: Salvos Volume 2

The Plaguelands: Salvos Volume 3