Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.

Chapter 26: Backroom Dealings

A white goat stood opposite a doll. Her head tilted, her violet eyes staring into the doll's blue ones and vice-versa. The air turned tense; even when the two sat in silence, it was clear that there was a mental clash ongoing between both parties. The silence was the only sound that either could hear; the ambiance of the café was drowned by the tense atmosphere.

Finally, the white goat spoke. "A bold claim, but I know you enough to know that one was enough to push you. How do you think you'd fare against all of us."

The audacity of such a statement was not lost on her. Her race was considered to be one of the strongest, perhaps even the strongest in some instances. With their physical and magical might, few could truly match a single Baphomet's abilities.

The boy should know this, and yet he was bold enough to make this claim. It fueled her amusement and curiosity. From what her sister told her, she and the boy were similar. But right now, she couldn't exactly make the connection.

"Easier said than done, true. But if you know me as much as you claim to, then you should know the merit of my words." Lucas retorted with narrowed eyes.

Touche, she'd give him that much. Among the things her sister told her to be wary of, he was specifically noted as one to be avoided. If her sister claimed that much, then there had to be some merit to his claim. She didn't know of his capabilities, but being a seeker of knowledge, she wished to learn. But right now, her sister's life takes priority over knowing whatever the hell this thing was.

"Very well then, doll. But on to my original reason for coming here." She continued on.

Lucas sighed, eyes looking up as he thought of what to do next. He had something she wanted, and giving it to her might prevent any future troubles with her. But again, this could be a trick meant to deceive him. If he gave her the cure, then the possibility that they'd have to deal with two different baphomets becomes likely.

It was a high-risk situation. Refuse, and the baphomet before him would be a guaranteed enemy. Accept, then there was a chance of having to deal with two of them. There had to be something he could offer her that would guarantee that both would not wish to fight.

"What guarantee do I have that your sister would not come back should I grant her this cure?"

"You have my word and hers; she nor I will not harm you nor your lord," Shiro answered.

"Your word holds little weight,"

"Neither do yours, but at least I am willing to take the risk." She retorted,

He paused there as he thought this was getting nowhere. He was made to be a doll, a servant, not a negotiator. He needed someone more knowledgeable when it came to negotiation. He had done the same thing with the Inquisition, but this was a little different. He planned his answer carefully, thinking of an offer that would serve to benefit him and his lord the most.

He wished his master was here; from what he could tell, she was superior to him when it came to these types of things. But this was a matter that didn't concern her, so he'd rather not get her involved. If the Baphomet was telling the truth, then there was little need to worry.

But that was the problem; he couldn't tell if she was lying or not.

His eyes wandered around, thinking of a possible compromise that both parties could comfortably accept.

Then, he had a thought…

A possible compromise that would benefit him the most. He would be acting out of his Lord's orders, but if it could benefit them in the end…

"In that case…."

A red-haired warrior moved through the forest ground, his steps more casual than usual. The trees surrounding him acted as a path for him to follow. How many times has he been here? How many times has he taken this exact route to meet with a certain green-haired elf? Too many times and not enough.

Usually, he did this whenever Lescatie had a mission for Primera. Out of everyone, it seemed as though only he and Sasha could contact her. With Sasha being busy most of the time, both due to her hero work and now because of the orphanage in the woods, it was usually up to him to find her.

But right now, he just wanted to spend some time with her. To fulfill his end of the deal and take her out to Lescatie. He took a deep breath, looking up at the blue sky shaded by the towering trees. Walking through the forest was a familiar sight to him. Luckily there weren't any giant bears to try and kill him here…

He thinks…

With nothing around him but the trees, he took this moment to think and reflect. It's only been a few weeks, and yet his life has changed this much. He was powerful now, capable of matching the strongest heroes, and his potential hadn't even peaked. At full capacity, he'd be able to take on even the Gods. It was absurd to him that if he told a younger version of himself that, he'd probably be asked if he was okay.

'Poor naive child, what did it take to turn you into a monster?' Elt thought to himself,

He sighed; no point in thinking about the past. What's done is done; he just needed to live with the consequences. Elt was being selfish; he knew that he was. He desperately wanted to believe that things would just go back to normal, but even he was aware that this wasn't the case.

The Law of Causality states that every action would branch out into a new instance. He wondered what path his own would follow. Would he be granted his peace, a life with comfort with those closest to him by his side?

Or would he be cursed to remain as a forlorn soul, fighting and slaughtering those for a goal that wasn't even his.

'Why am I thinking about that now? I have the day off; I should just enjoy myself.' Elt thought,

And so he continued on; not once did he even look back.

Stopping by a clearing, he looked up to see if Primera was nearby. This was usually where she stayed. It was quiet, serene, and a beautiful place. He could see why Primera chose to stay here most of the time.

Clearing his throat, he yelled out, "Primera, are you there?!"

Silence,

Looking around, he tried to spot if she was in the trees. Seeing nothing, he crouched down before jumping onto a branch, moving up until he found himself atop the trees. Once there, he continued to look for her before…

"Hey," a voice called out,

Elt yelped, his hand instinctively reaching towards his blade only for it to grasp empty air. Right, he left it back home. Looking behind him, he was met with the familiar face of a green-haired elf. She had her arms crossed and looked less than amused.

"You know, you've got a little more annoying recently. Those powers of yours are a nuisance to deal with." She commented,

Despite her harsh words, her tone was… warmer than usual.

"Sorry, but they're useful every now and then. At least now I can catch up with you." He started with a signature smile,

"Idiot," she muttered, causing Elt to sigh. "I'm the one who needs to catch up…" she whispered.

Elt heard it, but chose not to comment. Moving his hand into his pockets, he turned to face her before he spoke. "So, I guess we should get going."

Primera nodded along, "Lead the way,"

With that, the two left.

…

Atop the rooftops of Lescatie, a woman stood watching two figures move through the streets. Her heart-tipped tail helped her form hang onto the roof; her red eyes peered down as a mask covered her face. She wore a loose kimono that did little to hide the skin beneath.

This was one of the Kunoichi employed by the fourth-born, Shizumi. Her purpose here was simple, gather as much information on the red-haired without incurring notice. Seemed easy enough, especially since there were two of them. Kiniro, the other Kunoichi, had gone off to go and find other bits of information about the boy from other sources.

Unlike the Baphomet, they were far more discreet. They didn't leave a single trail, and even in broad daylight, there were few that could detect their presence. That being said, Lescatie as a nation was one of the more difficult ones to traverse. She always had to watch out for heroes and the like, especially since they had the biggest chance of detecting her.

So far, she managed to go on unnoticed. Proof of the skills she's developed over the years.

Skills that she now made use of to tail the young man. She had to admit, from what she could see, he was pretty plain. There was a certain charm to him, one that, as a succubus, she could appreciate. But for some odd reason, she just isn't attracted to him as a partner.

Odd…

Shaking her head, she continued tailing them. Using her tail, she climbed, swung, and ran around the rooftops silently.

She watched the crowd stared at the two of them strangely. Obviously, the sight of an elf here was strange to them. The usually isolationist race was a rare sight, and only a handful of humans would ever even gaze at one.

Shizumi had information on the elf, at least. Primera Concerto, an elven archer whose precision was said to be godlike. On the surface, she was no different from any of the other heroes, but her talent could not be dismissed.

She continued to watch them both. They entered through shops, taverns, and even churches. Simple sights that any other Lescatian would've been accustomed to, but Primera seemed to be enjoying herself.

She didn't show it outwardly, but the warmth that Shizumi could feel within the elf's heart was something that could only mean one thing, love.

It was adorable, and it made Shizumi a little envious. She wanted to find that someone, too, someday; it's what all monsters have been striving for ever since Lilith ascended the throne.

She continued to observe them,

…

Elt and Primera continued on their little get-together. Honestly speaking, the two were just somewhat wandering aimlessly around the place. Entering whatever seemed to interest them. Most would be reluctant to move casually around the poorer parts of Lescatie; after all, crime had been unchecked here.

But considering who Primera was and her reputation around here, few would dare. Plus, Elt knew most of the people here, and he got along with them well enough. Even still, it wasn't the most glamorous of places to tour around…

But this was what Primera wanted, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. Elt could at least tell that much, even if she hadn't smiled that much during their little date… get-together…

He wasn't exactly willing to call it that,

At least, not yet…

Regardless, here they stood in front of a stand in Lescatie's markets. Located in the richer areas of the lower districts, it was better to say that this was where the middle-lower class division was located. In front of them was a brown-haired vendor waving an extremely crude and rustic metal ring around.

From the looks of it, she's also managed to gather quite the crowd. "-Behold! The ring of destiny! Only 20 silver a piece, supplies are running short so get yours quick!" She yelled out, watching with a barely hidden grin as she stoked the crowd's interest with her… admittedly poorly made item.

"You might be wondering though… '20 Silver for that crude ring? What kind of scam is that!?' Well…" She began looking left and right, her head dramatically swaying from side to side before she leaned in. "Let me tell you a little secret, this ring was said to be magical…." she whispered,

The crowd looked immersed; some were naturally skeptical while the others were eating the story up. She had around 40% of them in her hands, but she needed to get the rest to make a good profit. And so she pulled out her other stratagem.

"I can see that a majority of you are down in the dumps, did your girlfriend leave you? Lost all your money gambling it away? Maybe you're dreaming of something bigger but don't have the necessary tools to afford it." She continued, her eyes scanning the crowd.

Some within the crowd looked away, faces flushed with embarrassment or shame.

"Then do I have the solution for you! These rings are made with a rare meteorite from space! Capable of granting one great fortune! But don't trust my word for it; trust the money I made!" She stated, pulling a large pouch of coins on the counter as many within the crowd leaned forward.

"Let me tell you my tale of woe; my… tragedy turned to a road to superstardom! When I was a meek child, I had nothing to go off on, no money, no food to put on my plate… no… no family to call my own…." She muttered the last part.

Elt raised his brow. Despite the obvious attempt to scam the crowd, there was some truth to her words.

"I was a lost little girl, all I had were rags on my body and my faith in the Chief God! I prayed and prayed… then suddenly, from the sky, a comet crashed down in front of me. Within them are the rings you see before you… lost and confused, I heard a voice call out… it told me to wear the rings. And with it, my fortune turned!" She stated, waving around her money before she turned to the crowd once more.

"And that ends my tale… but I see that some of you doubt my claim." She uttered,

"But skepticism would be a natural thing for you all… so I have a proposal; I'm willing to sell these things half off! Only ten silver a piece! Mere pocket change compared to the good fortune you'll receive." She offered,

That left more of the crowd enamored.

Elt deadpanned, and looking at Primera, it was clear that she was much the same. This was a barely hidden scam, with a spun story to drive sales. If she did this anywhere else, she'd be called out and ridiculed but out here in the slums… people ate up her words. Some of them might be actors. But once you get in the crow, peer pressure will take hold.

He didn't know if he should do something about this, considering that this girl was basically scamming people of their money. But before he could act, a familiar brown-haired and red-eyed man walked up to her. "Oh, is that so?" He said, his tone was laced with amusement and… is that irritation Elt could hear?

"A-Akito…" the brown-haired girl began, and immediately the crowd took a step back. Akito had quite the reputation here. He was an infamous Inquisitor, one the slums feared more than any other.

"No, no, don't mind me… I just want to see what all the fuss is about." Akito continued, taking out ten silver. He tossed it to her before grabbing one of the rings. Inspecting it, his eyes narrowed before he pocketed it. "...Well, Kara, it looks like you're safe for now."

Kara looked pale, her eyes scanning the crowd before she spoke up. "O-Of course, wh-why wouldn't I be…." She continued on before Akito turned to her once more.

"I'll make a small suggestion, though, try not to use cheap copper for these rings next time." He started, lightly pressing onto his ring and cracking it.

Kara understandably looked a little nervous. "W-What are you talking about? Those are… obviously from meteors… sent by the"

"Don't finish that sentence; it's not good to do so in front of an Inquisitor." Akito threatened, causing Kara to gulp.

"The… the-...I-uh… well…" In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Kara tried to think of an excuse. Finding none, he decided to use the tried and true method that a Ratastokr like her was formidable in when faced with danger.

A technique that was so secret yet so effective that there was little that anyone could do against it.

Having had enough, Kara decided to grab the rings and pouch of money. "S-Something came up; I'll be off!"

With that, she ran off in a certain direction. Never underestimate the ability to run away from all your problems. It was the one thing Kara was good at besides scamming people and manipulating information.

Elt and Primera tilted their heads at the display. They knew that Akito could be kind of an ass, but this just seemed unnecessarily cruel. It was a scam, an obvious one at that, but he could've handled that better.

As for the crowd, they looked confused. Unable to really say or do anything and fearing the inquisitor before them. All they could really do was disperse and get back to business.

'Do they know each other? I mean, they called each other by name, so I guess so…' Elt thought,

Eventually, the red-eyed man spotted the two. Walking up towards them, he raised his hand to greet the two. "Yo, strange seeing you two here, Red, Knife-ears."

Primera tilted her head, a frown forming on her face. "Knife-ears?" She uttered, head tilting.

He laughed slightly, "Relax, green, just a little nickname I came up with. So, are you two new to this side of Lescatie or something?" Akito asked, walking towards the two. "Cause you kinda look like lost tourists."

Elt nodded, "Primera asked me to show her around, but… I guess I'm just as clueless as she is in a few areas." He added with a shrug.

Akito placed his hands in his pockets. His eyes looked at the two, a look of slight confusion on his face. Tilting his head, his eyes suddenly lit up slightly. His signature smug grin crossed his face, but now there was a slight teasing undertone. "Ho? What's this… I would've never expected it."

Akito moved forward, his arm moving around Elt as he pulled him close. "Woah, hey!" Elt yelped out.

"Never thought you had the balls. Should I be proud?" He asked,

Elt deadpanned, unsure of what Akito was trying to insinuate. "...What are you talking about?"

Seriously, this was kind of weird for him. He was just here to fulfill his promise to Primera; he didn't really think about the implications of what he was doing. Primera, however, did. The moment Akito said those words, her face turned a bright red. "I-It's not like that, dumbass!" She suddenly yelled out.

Moving in, she pulled Elt away from his grip. The grin on Akito's face only widened, and a small chortle escaped his lungs. "Relax, I'm not here to steal him away. I don't swing that way, you know," he stated with a shrug.

Once again, Elt was left completely in the dark. A brow raised, his eyes turning to Akito before he sighed. "Look… Akito, it's…." He began, his eyes turning to Primera. If he was still the boy he was before his journey, he would've been completely oblivious to this fact. But after everything…

"It's nothing; forget what I just said." Elt then added,

Akito's brow rose, his hands moving to his hips. He thought about what he said, his eyes scanning his form before they turned to Primera. "...Is this a date?" He asked bluntly.

Primera's eyes widened, her form reeling back as a blush formed on her face. "What- No! There's no way that a human and elf could-" She suddenly paused. Her eyes gave way to a look of conflict before she shook it off.

Akito sighed, his arms crossing before he spoke. "I see… you two are hopeless," he whispered.

He shook it off, though, his eyes moving to the two before something seemingly caught his eye. His eyes turned upwards onto the rooftops, causing both Primera and Elt to look in that direction. Seeing nothing, the two then turned to Akito with a look of confusion on their faces. "What are you-"

"-Nothing, I thought I saw a rat on the roof." He answered, his hands moving to his pockets before he walked forward. "Well, don't let me ruin your little get-together. Have fun, and don't get too frisky; you're still kids, after all!" He yelled out before he ran off.

"Wha- hey!" Primera yelled, but it was too late. By the time she turned her head towards him, he was gone.

An awkward silence then covered the two, their forms just awkwardly standing there before Elt sighed. Holding his hand up, he offered it to her. "...There's one more place I want to show you if that's okay…"

Seeing this, Primera gave a meek smile. She reached out, her hand pausing in hesitation before she clutched it. "...Sure, let's go."

…

Shizumi hid behind one of the rooftops, her form frozen as thoughts rang through her mind. That Inquisitor, did he see her? No, no way… she was trained to avoid situations like these, trained to the point where not even heroes could ever find her. If heroes couldn't spot her, what chance did a normal human have?

But even still, just for a brief second, it felt as if their eyes met. She pondered her next move. It was possible that her mind was just playing tricks on her, but continuing on could be risky. If she's discovered, the Lescatie would be alerted to her presence, and by extension, the presence of her mistress.

'Maybe I should retreat for today…' she thought. After all, she now knew where her target lived and his daily routine. Finding him again should be easy. It's not worth risking the entire conquest on one boy. She was about to turn and leave, but before she could…

Clang!

Steel clashed with demonic silver, a kunai catching a blade mere inches from her body. Pushing her assailant away, she looked up to see the familiar red eyes of the inquisitor. Akito's eyes bore straight into her, his katana gripped tightly. "Well, looks like my eyes weren't playing tricks." He commented, standing up as he held his sword forward.

"I never would've guessed that one of your kind found themselves here," Akito added,

Shizumi narrowed her eyes, her hand gripping her kunai tightly. "How did you spot me?" She asked; kunai gripped tightly as her tail moved to find a spot to tether itself to.

"And why would I tell you that? That's my secret to keep and yours to never know. But I am willing to trade information. If you tell me who your master is, I'll tell you how I spotted you." Akito said,

Shizumi narrowed her eyes further. As beneficial as this information could be, the cost of revealing her mistress' presence would be disastrous. "Pass, this information is too sensitive for your ears."

Akito narrowed his own eyes. "I see, well… at least I know that they were of importance. I'm assuming that it has to do with those red gems on your body." He uttered,

She looked on at him in shock, 'how did he-' "And there's my confirmation, thanks for the information." Akito taunted.

Shizumi realized her mistake. In that one instance, she had inadvertently revealed the existence of her master to him. It was an error on her part, one she needed to fix. There was only one option for her; he needed to be eliminated. From what she could sense, he could still be overcome with lust. Just a few strikes from her kunai, and he should go down.

As for Akito, the connection was made as soon as he saw it. It was the same red gem he found on that Baphomet. Put two and two together, and you'd get yourself a hypothetical answer. That Baphomet wasn't alone, that much was now clear.

But now that he's revealed that much, it looked like he made himself a target. That being said, it was foolish of her to fight him here. They were in a crowded area in the middle of the day. This scenario worked to his advantage; if they caused too much commotion, then the others would certainly notice.

As such, he knew that the kunoichi only had one chance of striking him. One fell swoop of her blade to try and silence him without a prolonged battle. She had one chance, and if she failed she had to retreat. Either way, he already won.

A tense silence filled the room for only a second, and yet that single second felt like an eternity. Suddenly, the succubus moved. Kicking herself forward, she brought her Kunai up in a short but effective burst.

If this were anyone else, they would've been overwhelmed. It was a strike perfectly designed to pierce. This girl was certainly skilled, that much Akito could tell.

But alas, this was a bad match-up for her.

Of every monster out there, the Kunoichi was the one that Akito was used to the most. Most of it was due to his time in Zipangu. Among the monsters he faced, the Kunoichi were among the first he's ever encountered, they were the first he's crossed blades with, and they were the first monster he had ever slain.

He knew their tricks, their abilities, their culture, and even their mindsets.

With a mere swipe of his blade, he cut off the one portion he was targeting. Blood spilled out; demonic energy flowed in. The two grunted in both plain and pleasure.

Both were strikes meant to take down, one through lust and the other through death. But once the dust settled, it was clear that neither had achieved the goal they set out to accomplish. Shizumi clutched her wound, her eyes glaring at Akito before she used a smoke bomb to escape.

Akito gave a wry grin, fighting back the lust and demonic energy using talismans and careful breathing. He straightened his back, his eyes turning to the ground as he spotted his real target. In that one instance, he cut off a piece of her clothing, specifically the red gem.

Walking towards it, he placed another talisman on it to seal any demonic energy it may contain before picking it up. His red eyes scanned the crystal, mentally noting everything down to the most minute detail.

It looked like an eye, a symbol, perhaps? Something like a noble crest or a signifier, much like their modified crosses. This required further investigation. Looking down the street, his eyes peered to where Elt and Primera were.

They were being targeted again, but by who? The Baphomet? Perhaps, but he couldn't be too sure.

Pocketing the gem, he stretched his arms before he spoke. "Looks like I'll be visiting that damned squirrel again… but…."

His eyes turned to the horizon, "Maybe I should warn Elt first…."

The sun shone down on a cloaked figure above Castle Salvarision's walls, his green eyes scanning each corner carefully so as not to get caught. His form jumped from rooftop to rooftop, skillfully and carefully calculating each step to stay unnoticed. It looked rehearsed, almost as if this entire thing had been pre-planned. In a way, it was, but not entirely.

Many would think it foolish to trespass into the headquarters of Lescatie's greatest order. Among those who would think so is Albain himself. It was stupid, idiotic, borderline insanity and yet here he was. He wondered what made him this way. Had the years he spent as Inquisitor finally gotten to him? Perhaps it was due to Merridith's disappearance and his obsession with finding her. Or was it due to that red-haired boy and his strange abilities?

Duty? Obsession? Faith? It was all these things and none. Despite presenting himself as rational, Albain was perhaps the most irrational person on this planet. Fueled by rage, channeled through logic and cold fury. He was a paradox of a human being, one that would be difficult to understand.

Through this, he had himself a goal for this entire operation. He would scour through their archives and their castles to try and find anything relating to what he assumed.

They were smuggling monsters in here. That much was mere speculation on his part, but it was speculation he couldn't shake off. Ever since the raid, things have gotten…

Stranger, over the last few weeks or so.

He shook his head; those thoughts could be analyzed some other time. Right now, Albain has a mission to fulfill and the power to foresee it. Years spent as an Inquisitor granted him skills almost unmatched, and using these skills, he would get to the bottom of this entire thing.

Finding a slightly open window, he crawled into it before landing on top of a ledge overlooking a large hall. The rumors were indeed true; Castle Salvarision was just as grand inside as it was outside. Alas, he spared not a single moment to admire the architecture… he needed to find their archives somewhere.

According to old building plans he managed to nab a few years back, it should be located somewhere near the lower levels. Those plans were partially the reason why he was confident enough to try and risk doing this. Without them, he might've never even considered doing something so reckless.

Looking down, he spotted a few guards just walking to and fro. Servants cleaned the halls and even served drinks to any passersby. The banners of the Order of the Ice-Flower were lined around the hall, as expected of their main headquarters.

Taking a deep breath, Albain continued on. Silently stepping until he made his way to the archives seemingly undetected.

Unknowing of the hollow eyes staring at him from a distance.

…

Reaching the archives was… somewhat easier than expected. Most of the force was out on a mission, and only an ample amount of guards were left in place. Right now, he skimmed through each document to try and find anything on this cross. He took out letters, books, and archives before copying as much information as he could inside a notebook.

He ignored the ones that didn't catch his interest, like the battle reports. But he took note of almost everything else, financial reports, letters, supply requests, and even the profiles of notable individuals.

He took note of as much as he could, more information than a normal man should be capable of knowing, and yet…

Nothing, there was absolutely nothing to indicate any of what he suspected. But that was to be expected; information that damning wouldn't just be laid out here. It'd be hidden and kept somewhere less conspicuous.

Even still, it was also possibly hidden in plain sight. Coded and unable to be inferred without the knowledge to decode it.

Regardless, it was clear that he wasn't gonna find the information here. That was just one of the many spots he planned to visit. The next one should be a little more guarded, considering that it was located near the higher levels. Walking out of the archives, he found himself inside a darkened stone hall.

The torches surrounding him were unlit, a deliberate choice on Albain's part to conceal himself. It made it difficult for him to see, but he had a sufficient amount of vision to carry this out without much issue.

Once more, his steps were careful. The darkened halls are akin to the blackened abyss parents often told their children about to ward off unsavory behavior. Albain was used to this abyss, he was used to this darkness. It was the prerequisite to becoming an Inquisitor, one that all in the organization would be forced to face during their tenure.

But even when used to the blackened abyss, Albain couldn't help but feel a little wary. There was something off; things were going a little too smoothly. The decrease in guards was one thing, understandable considering the fact that most of their order was out on a mission. But for him to waltz into this place unhindered, it was suspicious.

That and he felt a strange pressure, one that was far more evident near the deepest depths of Castle Salvarision. It was suffocating, to an extent Albain could never describe. It felt… far more demonic than even the monsters he faced. Continuing on his walk, the eerie feeling only got stronger and stronger.

'What is this? Was it magic? Demonic energy? No… it was neither of these things, yet far more. It was the same feeling as when…' Albain thought before he suddenly paused.

With widened eyes, he finished the thought with his words. "...As when Elt defied my will…"

It was connected; it had to be. He wasn't particularly magically inclined. While he certainly had skill, he simply lacked the 'sense' that prodigies like Mimil Miltie had. Regardless, even without it he could tell that there was something going on here. It could be his next lead.

Going against his instincts, he followed that feeling until he eventually made his way to what appeared to be a large open space in the middle of the castle. It branched out to multiple paths, all leading out to a section in Salvarision. But this is where the feeling of sheer discomfort was strongest. It wasn't hard to pinpoint where exactly it was coming from.

In the center of the large space was a hole, one that wasn't there when he first entered through here. Walking up to it, he looked down. All he saw was the darkened abyss beneath, but deep down, he felt a weird tug.

It was as if whatever was down there was calling to him.

Seeing enough, he decided to go and leave. As much as he wanted to see what laid beneath, jumping down a steep hole was foolish. He had everything he needed right now; he'll just find some other way to get his answers.

Alas, fate had other plans.

"Ugh!" Albain grunted,

Before he could even get up, Albain was suddenly kicked into the hole by an u known figure. Falling down, Albain was struck multiple times before he suddenly came crashing down with multiple long wooden planks.

Hissing in pain, Albain slowly got up. His eyes focused on the path laden in front of him, the darkness covering every inch of the ground. It was hard to see, even more so than the archives. So this was what lies deep beneath Salvarision; for a moment, Albain wondered if Wilmarina knew this. He then scoffed at the thought.

Noscrim's lapdog of a daughter would've never known what this was. Despite her talents, he could tell how mentally weak she indeed was. That strong disposition of hers was a facade, he should know…

His own was one, too, after all.

Still, getting back on topic. Albain found the pressure here to be even greater than the one above. 'What… is that?' He thought out, his mind pausing as he tried to find the right words. Recovering from the fall, he looked up to try and see how far he had gone.

His eyes narrowed. Judging from the light, he was a long way down. He couldn't pinpoint an exact number, but it was clear that he wasn't getting out by climbing through. With no other option left, he moved forward.

Moving to the wall, he tried to see if he could find a torch hanging nearby. Luckily for him, there were a few. Grabbing one of them, he used magic to light it up.

Walking through the darkened halls, Albain felt the feeling grow stronger and stronger. Whatever it was, it was certainly down here. Unfortunately, there was nowhere else for him to go through here…

'What is this place?' Albain thought to himself. This wasn't in the plans he acquired. A hidden room, then? Something kept secret, much akin to the secret doorways and passages nobles often had just in case. But this… felt a little different.

Before long, however, another feeling overcame him. His nose twitched, a putrid yet familiar scent crossing his mind. It was a smell he was used to, one he was often the cause of.

The scent of death,

There were corpses down here, a wretched stain on Salvarision's regal look. It made for a great metaphor for how rotten Lescatie truly was inside, but right now, this rot was all too literal. Continuing, he was met with the first actual change of scenery.

Up until now, it had only been damp stone and some foliage. As he continued on, however, the halls grew wider and taller. Soon enough, he was walking through a hall as spacious as the one above it. The only difference was that it lacked all the grace and subtle displays of power. Torches lined the walls, crudely carved stone stood above, and as he walked, he could feel the pressure get stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, Albain stopped. His eyes widened as he looked down at the ground beneath. Barely illuminated by the torch in hand, he could see a reddish-brown dry speck of dust below. Walking towards it, he ran a finger through it to collect a sample.

Inspecting it closely, his suspicions were confirmed.

'Dried Blood… possibly a month old… perhaps longer,' He thought, rubbing it to see how it would react. The dust in his hands crumbled, falling down his tips and onto the ground below. Someone was possibly killed here; this alone should be enough to incriminate the entirety of the Order of the Ice-Flower.

Did Wilmarina know? As was said before, she most likely didn't. Her father, however, was a different story. '...so this is where the strange feeling came from… but…' He continued his thought. 'What manner of things are the Noscrim Faction up to?'

With only one way to find out, Albain decided to push forward.

As he continued, dried blood became a frequent occurrence. The dark reddish-brown substance became redder and redder. It indicated that there were more recent victims here. If one of them lived still, he could use this to gather as much information as possible. But as he walked, the volume of blood gradually got larger and larger.

Eventually…

Drip

He paused; the sound of dripping liquid echoed through the silent halls. Looking downwards, he moved his foot away. It revealed blood… fresh blood flowing down a trail. A clear trail lay before him. Albain's stoic face remained, but deep inside, he was somewhat conflicted. Taking a deep breath, he followed the trail.

The sound of dripping blood became louder and louder. With him being able to hear it, it shouldn't be too far off. Eventually, he found another change of scenery. Rustic metal bars separated him from the rest of the trail. It was thick, almost the size of his forearms with little space in-between.

He tilted his head… what exactly could these metal bars be hiding from him? His theory from before came to mind. The Noscrim faction was possibly smuggling monsters in here. That mere speculation from before had now become a possible truth.

What happened next, however, all but confirmed it.

"AAAAH!" A loud, screeching noise could be heard from within. Instincts taking over, Albain took a step back. Just in time too, as a large elongated claw crashed into his cage.

The metal bars rattled, the echoing of metal resounding through the halls. Once that sounded, the silent halls roared in a cacophony of cries and screams. But these screams and cries… they weren't of pain, nor were they of anguish.

Rather… it was a scream of bloodlust, of an animalistic and bestial matter. It was a roar that the modern-day monsters shouldn't be capable of…

Looking into the cage, Albain's eyes widened at what he saw.

Its furred claws gripped the metal bars. Yellow wolven eyes stared down at him as if he were prey. From that alone, he could tell that it was a werewolf.

However… this werewolf was nothing like the ones he dealt with back in the wilderness of Lescatie. Its primal eyes had no lust within, its sharp teeth bloodied and snarling. Saliva dripped down from its elongated snout as it stood taller than any of the modern-day werewolves he was used to.

It was a sight he was often told of in propaganda, a sight that shouldn't exist in this day and age.

It was the sight of a true monster, untainted by the demoness and returned to its more primal and bestial nature.

It crawled on the ground, moving back and forth as its lupine eyes stared at him. Albain took a step forward, keeping just enough of a distance to not get himself attacked. Upon closer inspection, he found something peculiar.

There was a golden glow on its side, a… rune of some sort? It didn't look like any he was used to, but it gave off a strange feeling. Looking around the cell, he found where the trail of blood originated from.

The body of a man, mauled and eviscerated. A fresh kill, with dried tears covering his face. He wasn't alone… there were other bodies, men and women alike. All of whom were thrown in to feed this thing possibly.

As he stared, a few questions popped up in his mind. Questions of how this was possible, what they did do to these people, why they did do this, And what they had planned were chief among them.

That strange pressure from before had strengthened considerably, but even now, he knew that this was not the source. Moving forward, he continued on passing a few more cells. Each cell contained a monster like before, but some were from a completely different species than the werewolf.

He spotted more werewolves, harpies, orcs, and even amazons. All of whom reverted back to their pre-demon lord state. Or more accurately, their original chief-god-designed state. As he continued down, he felt a suffocating feeling envelop him. His head started spinning, his eyes growing dim, and his consciousness fading with each step.

Whatever this pressure was, it was growing stronger by the minute. Eventually, he found himself at the end of the hall. If thick metal bars separated him from the monsters, then a large metal door prevented him from peering inside whatever lay beneath.

A golden rune covered the doorframe. A symbol Albain was unfamiliar with. Reaching out, he tried to open it but to no avail. He looked up, seeing a small gap he could peek through from his side of the barrier.

Looking through, he was met with the source of that intense pressure from before.

Locked away deep in the darkest depths was a monster… but not one he was familiar with. It looked short, with white hair and deep red eyes. Slits formed its pupils, chains covered it from head to toe. The golden runes that covered each monster from before were placed around this thing in droves. The number of bodies and blood present around it made the sights from before look like a mere child's painting.

He could faintly see antlers atop the thing's head, and knife-shaped ears on its side.

Albain thought he had lost the ability to feel fear, but seeing this… thing? Whatever it was made a shiver go up his spine.

Eventually, it looked up. Its eyes stared deep into Albain's own. Without even opening its mouth, he felt as if that thing was grinning at him.

"I see you~!"

An unseen wave washed over, knocking him back a few feet, taking a deep breath as he looked at himself to see if there was anything wrong. Seeing nothing, Albain let out a small sigh of relief.

Getting up, he dusted himself as he looked on at the doorway.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the skeletal figure walk behind him.

Before long, the figure pulled Albain into a chokehold. Albain struggled, using his knowledge of close quarters to try and escape. But it was no use, the man's grip was akin to that of a hero's. No amount of human strength is getting him out.

Soon enough, he lost consciousness.

…

"M-Merridith… a pleasure to meet you, Master Rejulia!"

"Who's this? Wait… aren't you that servant girl?"

"Albain… will you be okay without us?"

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Rejulia. I loved your performance back in the gala."

"You must understand, as my son, you must be able to do anything for our family… no matter how undesirable it would seem."

"Albain… what happened to you?"

Splash

Cold… that thought crossed the Inquisitor's mind. His consciousness returned slowly after, his eyes groggily opening as he was met with a different sight. 'Where… am I?' He thought, his green eyes scanning the room slowly. It was small, with a few tables in the corner. Books lined the shelves just by the side, and maps were pinned to the wall.

He was bombarded by memories, disjointed and disconnected. Yet even so, it was those memories who made him who he was. They were bittersweet, a glimpse into a time before he became who he was…

All because of a single trip with his father to an unknown land. Shaking his head, he snapped out of his involuntary self reflection to try and see what was going on. Looking around, he tried to find a way out.

Attempting to get up, Albain was stopped by a metal shackle connecting him to his chair. Looking down, he saw that his feet were bound as well. He tried to conjure magic to try and get out, but he found that he was unable to cast a single spell.

'A ward then… a particularly strong one too.' He thought.

He took a deep breath, calming himself down as he thought about what lead him here. From his descent down onto that place, to his discovery of what the ice-flower kept hidden deep beneath Salvarision. He paused, recalling that thing bound by the end of the dark depths.

'What was that thing…' He thought

It was a monster, that much was certain. But it was a monster he had never seen or heard of before. He didn't know any monsters resembling what that thing was. It had antlers on its head, eyes red as crimson, its white hair was pale, body was small and childlike.

'A Baphomet?' he thought before he shook the thought away. No, Baphomets had goat horns, not antlers; their feet and hands were furred as well, resembling that of goats. That thing's hands however were akin to a human's. Even the feet were akin to a normal human's.

There were only one species he could think of with varying looks and white hair with red eyes. It was possible, but if it was true, then… No, that species was too much for any normal man to handle. And if it were true, then how on earth did the Noscrim faction manage to get one into the bottom levels of Salvarision?

Regardless of what it was, it was clear that this thing was dangerous. The werewolf alone was enough to get the entire faction executed, but now he had the information necessary to annihilate the Noscrim Faction's reputation as a whole.

But…

'They must know this as well…' Albain thought,

Soon enough, a door opened from behind. From it, Albain could hear multiple footsteps walking forward. From the sounds of it, he assumed that there were three people. Perhaps more…

"Albain Rejulia," A voice began,

Albain recognized it immediately. "20 years old, a high-ranking Inquisitor and son of Alaster Rejulia. Inducted into the organization at the age of 15, you quickly rose up the ranks and gained a reputation of infamy." the voice continued,

"...Are you stating my obituary to me, Noscrim?" Albain asked. A sharp tone laced deep inside his voice.

"Nothing so grim, Lord Rejulia. Merely stating the facts presented to us." Noscrim answered calmly, walking forward until he stood opposite Albain. There he was, the de-facto ruler of Lescatie and the shadow head of the strongest Order in Lescatie.

Walking up to Albain, Matthias Noscrim pulled a chair from the corner before he placed it opposite Albain. Sitting on it, he sat with his back straight and his eyes staring at Albain's own. Albain's sharp glare ran opposite to Noscrim's cold and calm gaze.

"I assume you have questions," Noscrim began,

Albain raised his brow, "I do, but if you were smart, then you wouldn't answer anything." Albain retorted,

Noscrim laughed lightly, "True enough, if faced with information this grand it would be wise for me to keep it from you. But I also know that the information you managed to grab was enough for you to incriminate me entirely."

Albain paused. He had a point there; whether or not Noscrim decided to give him more information was irrelevant. What Albain discovered on his own was enough to incriminate him and the entire Noscrim faction. Even still…

"You would answer me even if it means jeopardizing your entire hold on this country?" Albain asked,

Noscrim tilted his head, "Jeopardizing my hold on this country? Ah, I see… you're mistaken, Lord Rejulia. I have no control over this country."

"Bullshit," Albain swore.

No control over this country? That was the most hilarious thing Albain's heard in his life. Noscrim had control of the largest knight order in the nation. He had the king in his pockets, whispering in his ear like the devil he is. He had the backing of multiple major nobles, all of whom had tighter control of this country than the damned king himself.

Noscrim lightly sighed, "But it is true, I have no control here… I am merely a tool in the coming of a new age." He cryptically said,

"...And what do you mean by that?" Albain asked,

Noscrim paused, leaning forward as he stared deep into Albain's eyes. "Tell me, Lord Rejulia… is there hope for this Order?"

Albain paused; what did he mean by that? Was there hope for this Order? As in… the Order as a whole or the one he controls? It was a vague question, but Matthias seemed to have caught on to his confusion.

"Perhaps I should clarify. Is there hope for humanity in this ever-changing and increasingly demonic world?" He asked again,

Albain mulled it over. The Order as a whole, then. The idealist would say that there is hope for humanity. That one day, their fortunes would change, and they would be able to force back the demonic hordes of ravenous and lustful beasts. But he was a realist, and realistically speaking…

The Order had no chance.

Before he could answer, Noscrim answered for him. "You know it too, don't you? We're fighting a losing battle. For every win, we suffer ten losses. For every monster we slay, ten more would replace them. The Order is on its last legs, and we are doomed to fall without change."

"And your answer to that is to return the monsters to their original state? You do realize the dangers of having monsters deep within Salvarision, right?" Albain retorted,

"It's a mere part of the bigger picture, a small fraction of what we have planned." Noscrim calmly answered.

"A mere fraction? What about that thing? What is that? It didn't look like any monster I'm familiar with?" Albain asked,

"Ah… yes, you managed to find that. You need not worry about him, I can assure you that he's under our control." Noscrim calmly.

Under your control? Did he not see the bodies surrounding that thing? If you need to keep that thing locked up 24/7 with magic runes from head to toe just to keep it immobile then how much control do you truly have over that thing?

Then… another thought hit him.

There was something off about what Matthias Noscrim said, something he hadn't considered.

"...You said 'he'?" Albain asked,

Noscrim nodded, "Yes, 'He'. Through methods exclusive to ourselves, we have created the first male monster since the ascension of the current demon lord. We thought it prudent to make it male so that the demon lord's influence over him would be lessened."

"How much power do you hold over that thing?" Albain asked,

"Plenty, you need not worry about him. Clover is perfectly under our control." Noscrim answered.

"Clover?"

"We named him after that character in the tragedy, a fitting name considering what happens in the story," Noscrim explained,

"How did you even manage to do this… to make that?" Albain asked,

Noscrim paused as if his mind was mulling over the possibilities. Looking up at the man, he took a deep breath before he decided to reveal it. "Tell me, what do you know about Demonic Energy?"

Albain paused, "...It's the monster's equivalent to our mana. It's their life force, the construct that holds them all together in a metaphysical and conceptual manner. It influences who they are, what they are, and how they function today." he answered.

"Indeed, it is also far more contagious than our mana. It's influenced directly by the demon lord, and it's what gives the monsters today their lustful disposition." Noscrim continued,

"But answer this… was it always like this?" Noscrim implied,

Albain rose his brow, mulling over the implications. Demonic Energy used to be less contagious, far more primal. In the days of the Old Demon Lords, it was this same energy that gave the monsters their bloodlust. Then, a realization hit.

"You managed to recreate a more primal version of demonic energy?" He asked,

Matthias nodded, "We merely regressed it back to its original pure state. After that, we needed to find a way to produce more of it… so we decided to feed it to a host."

"It took multiple tries, and we used males in order to reduce the risk of the demoness influencing it. Eventually, we succeeded… his hair turned white and his eyes turned red, features said to be possessed by the Demon Lord Lilith. But other than that, he's completely free from the influence of the Demon Lord." Matthias added,

"And using the Demonic Energy he produced, combined with our specialized magic. We now have the ability to level the playing field. Monsters would monsterize us humans, so in exchange, we do the same to them."

Albain stopped. All of this sounded absurd, completely and utterly out of the left field. This information was just insane, and he would've called Noscrim himself insane if he hadn't seen it himself… no, even then he would still call Noscrim insane. What drove him to create that thing? What made him decide that this was a good idea?

"Do you realize how insane you sound? How utterly absurd this is!? You essentially created a pseudo-demon lord to counter monsters with!" Albain couldn't take it.

"I agree, without the full context, then this would seem pretty absurd… no, even with it the whole story would still be absurd. But as I said, this is a mere fraction of what we have planned… what we're capable of. The Order is on its last legs, a more radical way to fight is necessary." Noscrim answered calmly.

Even now, he was in full control of this conversation. He seemed so sure of himself, almost to the point where Albain would've believed him. His tone wasn't arrogant, it was knowing. He knew something Albain didn't, something that gave him the ability to create something this absurd without much fear of the consequences.

But still, there was one more thing he needed to ask.

"Why are you telling me this? There is no point in revealing this information to an enemy." Albain asked through gritted teeth.

It didn't make any sense. Albain was his enemy, the son of the man leading the charge against him. He had every right to kill him, and yet here he was answering every question with utmost sincerity… or at least, perceived sincerity. There was a less altruistic intent, one masked cleverly under the charisma Matthias held.

"True, I have no reason to tell this to an enemy… but, are you really my enemy?" Noscrim asked,

Albain paused. He wasn't the enemy? Has Noscrim not been paying attention to what he did in the past week?

"I know what you did to House Morrigan. As unfortunate as that was, their downfall was largely their own fault. I hold no ill will towards you because of it… besides, I can see it in your eyes." Matthias continued,

He leaned forward, his golden irises seemingly glowing as they bore down on Albain's green eyes.

"You hate your father as much as I do," Matthias said,

Albain stopped… he was right. Albain hated a lot of things. He resented the hand he was dealt with, the world he was born into and the cruelty he felt as if he had to commit. Beneath this cold and unfeeling visage was a lonely and broken man shunned by all around him. Out of all the things he hated, his father stood at the forefront. It was he who had pushed him here, and it was he who turned him into the monster he was today.

"...Let's say you're right… even if I do hate him, as you claim, you have no guarantee that I would ever help you," Albain stated,

"True, which is why I'm offering this to you," Noscrim stated,

"Let me make this clear, Albain Rejulia." He began, using his full name to note the difference in their current status. "You trespassed into this place; you broke into our archives and did so without the consent of your organization." Pulling out a small blade, Noscrim pointed it at Albain's neck.

"I have every right to kill you, to throw you down into the river for you to drown in. I can do so without fear of reprisal because you are the aggressor here." Matthias added, pushing the blade into Albain's neck until it drew blood.

Before he could push any further, he suddenly swung the blade down onto the chains, breaking them. With his hands freed, Albain looked up in surprise as Matthias stood up. "This Order is broken, dying, and in ruin…" Pocketing his dagger, he held his hand out for Albain to shake.

"So choose, Albain Rejulia. Help me fix this broken Order or die a traitor's death." He offered,

"Choose wisely, and I shall grant you the one thing I know you desire," Noscrim added,

Albain paused,

His face was as stoic as ever, but deep within he was conflicted. So this was the charisma and ability of the de-facto head of Lescatie. It was terrifying, no wonder he has the king under his control. He knew that there was more malicious intent behind what Noscrim wanted, but there was some truth in his desire to see change. Who was this man and what did he want?

And did he truly know what he desired?

It was possible, Noscrim had tabs on every one of note here. One of those people included him, to the point where he somehow knew about his story all the way to his hatred of the one he shared blood with.

And there was no doubt that Noscrim had a hand in Merridith's current state. It was impossible that he wouldn't have known that House Morrigan had a witch in their midst.

With those thoughts, Albain gave Noscrim his answer.

Author's Notes:

Well, that took a little longer than usual.

First of all, if you haven't heard I have a new fic! It's called Red Inquisitor and you could find it in my profile and in QQ as well. It's pretty experimental for me, but I'm having fun with it so far. So if you like this story, I recommend that you check it out as well.

I'll be updating it next,

Anyways, onto the story proper. I revealed a lot of things here. Most notably is what the Golden Order was doing with the monsters and the newest threat Elt and the gang have to fight off in the future. He's also related to another threat in Elden Ring, the clue could be found in how Albain found him in the first place.

Writing Matthias is… pretty fun, actually. I've done a serious dickhead with Albain, so I thought I'd try to do the charismatic dickhead with Noscrim.

This and the next chapter should be the last time Elt and his side have a bit of downtime. After this, he'd be thrust right back into it.

Anyways, that's all I really have to say here. Leave your reviews, comments, reactions, criticisms, etc. here!

Have a nice day!

Whamo out!