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 8: Inquisitorial Welcome

Elt's journey back to the capital had been uneventful, at least compared to their journey to the village outskirts. That being said, he wouldn't exactly say that it was boring. After their interactions, the walls between himself and Wilmarina had thawed and at least in private, they were able to speak to each other casually again.

Once again, Mersé let him ride in the front with her so he spent the rest of the ride next to her. They took this time to catch up, talking about what happened after the unceremonious discharge of his parents.

Wilmarina apologized for what happened, but Elt just shrugged it off with a smile. It wasn't her fault, and he harbored no ill will towards her. Even still, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty since it was the ring she asked him to make that caused all their problems.

She asked him about his condition, asking him if he was really alright and every time she asked, he would answer that he was with a small smile.

She was unconvinced, but she dropped the matter after she tried to pry a few times.

The two continued on like this until they reached the Capital. Before they parted ways, however, Wilmarina had one more thing to do.

Leaving their horses at the front of the barracks, they were left relatively alone. It was mid-day, just a bit past 12 and so the capital was probably busy. Wilmarina would need to report back to castle Salvarision soon, so she only had a bit of time left to spend with Elt. The next time they talk, it would be the same as it always was.

She stood right next to him, waiting for him to finish tying the reins of his horse to a post. Once Elt was done did Wilmarina take something out of her pockets.

"...Here." Wilmarina stated, holding out a handkerchief. Unlike the one he returned, the one she held out was noticeably less expensive and it was somewhat worn down. Not surprising considering the cheap quality of the cloth.

Elt's eyes widened at the sight before he slowly took it. His blue eyes scanned the contents before he turned his eyes to Wilmarina.

"You had it with you all this time?" He asked. Wilmarina looked a little embarassed, she placed the tips of her fingers together before she spoke up.

"Yeah… It's important to me too, and it helped me out in a lot of situations." She confessed.

Seeing it, Elt gave a small smile as he held it. He was happy, even if this would be their last interaction it was still one where he was left satisfied. And from the looks of it, Wilmarina was happy too. If only things were just a little different.

"Promise me…" Wilmarina spoke up.

"Huh?" Elt stated as he turned to her.

"Promise me that this won't be the last time we get to meet, that I'll see you again as Mary." She stated.

Elt paused at that. He didn't really know what to think, he wasn't one to keep promises unfulfilled. The handkerchief was a testament to that fact. But… with how things were, this one mission was usually a once in a lifetime chance for them both.

But… how could he say no to her after everything.

They spoke, they sparred, and they reconnected with one another. To end it like this would just be unsatisfactory. He didn't know how long it'd take, it might take another decade before they talked to each other like this again but…

"I promise you… and next time we'll make garlands together again." He stated with a small smile, one that Wilmarina mirrored. It looked kind of sad, but hopeful in a way. She nodded at that, unable to say anything else she jumped at him with a hug. A tight one that a few of the soldiers witnessed with wide eyes but said nothing else.

"Ma-Mary… we're in public!?" Elt stated out loud. Wilmarina just smiled at that, hugging him tighter before she spoke up.

"Let them see, maybe just this once…" She spoke in a soft whisper. Looking on at her, Elt relented and hugged back.

After a few seconds, they both let go. Wilmarina got back on her horse, from down where Elt was from she looked like a fairy tale hero.

She smiled at him, one filled with hope and a promise that they would both keep.

"See you later, El." She stated one last time.

Elt smiled, the sun shining down on his face and his blue eyes softening as he did.

"Til next time, Mary." He stated. With one final nod, she rode off to castle Salvarision.

Elt stayed to watch her leave, looking on as her form got smaller and smaller until she could no longer be seen. He sighed a bittersweet one filled with hope before he turned to the barracks.

He still needed to meet with Mersé for one more time before his mission officially concludes.

Afterward, he'll return and spend the rest of the day with Sasha, Primera, and the rest of the Orphans.

Little did he know of the coming trouble he was about to face.


Elt was expecting a lot of things when he entered Mersé's office. He expected to talk about the visions, he expected to show her the notebook he had been keeping, he even expected to get teased about his interactions with Wilmarina.

He did not expect to be grabbed and have a hand cover his mouth as he entered the room. Mersé looked on at the doorway, checking outside in case Elt was followed.

"Mersé! What are you doing!?" Elt spoke, or at least tried to speak. All that came out of him were muffled voices, it only caused Mersé to tighten her grip on his mouth.

"Quiet… you might've been followed." She stated. That caused Elt's eyes to widen before she looked outside.

Seeing nothing, she let him go before she closed the door and locked it. She wasn't taking any chances, whoever it was there was a possibility that they were still here.

It all began when she entered the room, she had noticed immediately that something was off.

More accurately, it was a lot tidier than usual. Someone had entered her room, from what she could guess, someone or something was searching her office. It was all but confirmed when she discovered her wine being replaced by a newly brewed one.

It wasn't her men, they were out for an expedition when all of this had occured. That meant only one thing, an outsider had infiltrated her barracks without consent.

She was searched and there was only one reason she could think of as to why. She's pretty open about herself and the unit, she has little to hide and so there was little to investigate. That was until Elt suddenly had a massive boost in power until Elt began seeing visions of things he couldn't explain.

It was stupid to think that he won't be discovered. Too many people saw what he was capable of, and rumors were bound to spread.

"What do you mean by 'followed'?" Elt asked as he looked on at Mersé.

Mersé didn't say anything, instead of moving to where she stored her wine before taking it out and showing it to Elt.

"Do you know what this is?" Mersé asked.

"Oh- yeah, it's the wine you have hidden and drink whenever you feel like it," Elt muttered.

At that did Mersé shake her head. She held it out to him, urging him to take it before she spoke again.

"Look closer," Mersé ordered. Elt's blue eyes turned to her before he turned it to the wine. Slowly taking it, he inspected its contents before he widened his eye a bit.

"It's… brand new…" He stated.

There were signs of wear or tear from the labels, but unlike Mersé's it didn't look like it came from age but rather from deliberate action. The cork was sealed shut and there was no sign of it being pulled. The contents were full, which was impossible considering that every time Mersé bought one she would immediately drink from it to claim it as her own, as strange as that would sound.

"You know what that means, right?" Mersé asked.

Elt pondered on it a bit. The only reason someone would've replaced her wine was if someone lost it. But everyone and he meant everyone in his unit was too afraid to even touch the wine. Everyone knew the consequence of such an act.

And from his interactions with them, he knew their fear was genuine.

This meant that someone from outside the unit found it. But the only way that someone would find it from outside the unit as if they deliberately searched her office. There were only a few reasons he could think of as to why someone would choose to search one of the offices of one of the most feared and respected heroes in the nation.

"I'm guessing nothing else was taken," Elt stated which elicited a nod from Mersé.

That settled it, the only reason someone would search this place was if they were looking for information. But now the question was what type of information it was.

If it was information that was of strategic importance, then the neighboring barracks would've been a better target. If it was something on Mersé herself then it would've been pointless because information about Mersé would've been readily available anywhere since she wasn't one to hide who she is.

That left only one type of information left.

"They were looking for me, weren't they?" He asked.

Mersé nodded. She looked on at Elt with a stern expression before she spoke up once more.

"For the time being, I think it'll be for the best if you stay here," Mersé stated, which understandably caused Elt to protest. Staying here wouldn't be ideal for him, he needed to go check on Sasha and Primera.

"Mersé… I can't do that." He stated. Even if it was an order, he couldn't exactly keep it. After his one-week break, he knew how hard it must've been for Sasha. He also needed to look after Primera, staying in the forest for that long without much interaction would've been lonely for her.

"It's an Order, Elt." She noted. At that, Elt just shook his head and argued. Order or not, he couldn't accept it.

"There has to be another way, plus… I can handle myself, it'd take a high-level hero like you or Wilmarina to take me on." He stated.

"It's not that, Elt. It's also about the attention you'd receive and the effects your state could hold. Your newfound strength is the issue here, if it's found out and confirmed then there's no telling what could happen to you." Mersé argued back.

If Elt was discovered, either by the Order or someone else then the ramifications could be immense. At best, he'd be seen as a new hero and would become a pawn to be used by one of the many factions vying for control in Lescatie. At worst, he'd be branded a heretic and be hunted down.

Either way, it wasn't an ideal way for him to live and she doesn't want him to go through any of that.

But knowing him, he'll foolishly defy her if it meant looking after someone he cared for. She knew that keeping him here wouldn't work either, even if it was the safest bet.

In that case, instead of playing defensively, they'd go on the offensive. Instead of hiding Elt, they'll go and find the seeker. If they had the balls to go to her office and drink her wine, then there's a likely chance that they'd be following them as soon as they made it to the public.

It was reckless, stupid, but that was just how Mersé rolled. Staying still and playing defensive was never something she was patient enough to do, anyways.

"I promised to treat you to a drink after your one-week break, right?" Mersé asked. That she did, it was just that his one week break had ended on the cusp of a mission. Therefore she wasn't able to fulfill that promise.

Two birds with one stone, fulfill that promise and go catch the seeker.

"Yeah, but… is that really important right now?" Elt asked.

"Yep, sometimes after a stressful day at work, ya need to wind down. What better time than now, it's on me as well so you can just drink to your heart's desire." Mersé stated with a smirk as she placed her hand around Elt's shoulder and grinned.

Seeing it, Elt sighed and accepted. Whenever she did that, it usually meant that he had little choice on the matter.

"Alright, fine… when are we going?" Elt asked.

"Tonight, stay here until then," Mersé ordered. Elt nodded at that, just for today he'll grant that request.


This was a scene Elt was quite used to by this point in time. He sat within a tavern, the bard playing tunes as he went as the rest of the occupants were doing whatever they so desired here. Some drinking their hearts out at the bar, a few chatting with one another at tables, and some are even rough housing in the corner. The rowdier ones had to be kicked out but otherwise, it was a lovely scene.

There was a calming orange hue that permeated from the fire within the chimney, and chandeliers covered the roofs as the candlelight illuminated every corner of the room. Deer heads decorated the walls while the barkeep tried their best to keep up with the orders.

Overall, it was a scene that Elt was comfortable in, and at times it made him forget the sorrows that plagued his life.

He leaned back onto his seat as he drank a cup of ale, the lightest they have currently. He didn't exactly want to get drunk, and from the looks of it neither did Mersé . Strange, this wasn't like her. Usually, she'd go for the strongest drink, she was just as rowdy as before but comparing what she usually drank to what she was drinking was like night and day.

"Mersé are you… alright?" He asked. That caused Mersé to turn to Elt before she gave him a cheeky grin.

"Better than fine, if anything it's you who needs to loosen up. You just got back from a mission, Elt… go and relax a bit." She stated.

Elt rose his brow at that but shrugged. He could use this to wind down a bit after the mission, mulling over his problems all at the same time could spell trouble. He drank a cup of his ale before he wiped his mouth with his hands.

He looked around the tavern, looking on at the sights around him. Leaning onto the table, he let himself relax as he bathed in the calming hue of the tavern. His eyes scanned the place, being met with familiar sights of bards, tavern goers, and overworked bartenders. He smiled at the sight before something caught his eye.

On one of the windows, leading outside the tavern, he saw something staring at him.

Something black, with red eyes staring straight into his soul. He widened his eyes before he wiped it with his hands. When he looked back, it was gone. Was the alcohol getting to him? Maybe this was a product of his visions? Or maybe he was being watched? With what happened earlier, he was inclined to believe the former.

He was about to tell Mersé , but then he realized that she was probably a bit tipsy. He knew her enough to know that communicating with her in this state would've been difficult. As such, he held his mouth shut and opted to tell her later when she wasn't drunk.

He took another sip of ale, the alcohol clearing his mind a bit before he leaned back into his seat. He took in the ambiance once more, only to realize that things got quiet… too quiet, especially for a tavern like this one.

Looking around, he noticed that everyone had stopped what they were doing. The bard stopped playing their tunes, the rowdy drunk men were silent, and even the ones fighting in the corner had ceased. They were all staring at the bar, curious, he turned his head towards it and he immediately realized why everyone had just stopped.

The tavern had plenty of troublemakers, from rowdy customers to thieves, to certain troublesome heroes who brought her entire unit with her to cause a ruckus. Out of all of those, there was only one type of customer that everyone would be wary of.

An Inquisitor.

Church Hounds of the Chief God, while Heroes served as the Chief God's most beloved servants then the Inquisitors were their most hated. And for good reason, they were the ones who did the Chief God's dirty work, they were the ones tasked with taking out heretics, and they were the ones who arrested and executed those the Chief God deemed unfit.

And right now, one was sitting right in front of the bar. He wore the markings of an Inquisition, The modified crucifix of the Inquisition lined his coat and there was a rosary wrapped around his wrist. He had a Zipangese-style blade on his hip, hanging loosely on his waist and yet positioned in a way in which he'd be able to pull it out quickly.

This was bad, looking on at Mersé , Elt could see that she thought the same. But there was no way out of the tavern, at least not without the Inquisitor noticing and so they were forced to sit there and hope that the man would just leave.

He didn't, after he received his order of ale the inquisitor got up and turned to his table. He was young, only a year older than himself if Elt had to guess. He didn't know that The Inquisition accepted people as young as he was, but with Mimil being a 12-year-old hero he guessed that it wouldn't be too odd.

The Inquisitor made his way to their table, looking on as he flashed a small smirk that sent a shiver down Elt's spine.

"Mind if I join you? You look like a nice group to hang around." The inquisitor asked. Mersé looked on at the inquisitor before she spoke up.

"Look around you, buddy. There are other seats open for you to sit on. Didn't think anyone of your kind would be drinking here of all places." Mersé stated. That elicited a few gasps from the patrons.

If any other Inquisitor heard what Mersé just said, they'd usually have the one who said it arrested.

But with Mersé , things were different. Mersé , for all intents and purposes, was a Hero. When it came to influence and power, she held sway here in Lescatie at a level roughly equivalent to that of an Inquisitor. The tension between the Inquisition and The Order Heroes in the nation had been on a steady climb.

So this scuffle wasn't anything new, but this was the first time the patrons would see it in action. The Inquisitor did something most didn't expect, he didn't lash out nor did he even perk his brow. Instead, he laughed… a soft giggle at first before it turned into a full belly laugh.

"Fair enough, I could say the same about you. I didn't expect a hero like you to be here; usually, they have a stick up their ass and are more often than not up in their stupid ass high-class parties." The Inquisitor stated with a shrug.

"Glad we could come to a consensus on the stupidity of those parties, now hurry up and get your ass in another seat," Mersé stated. At that did Akito shake his head, he looked on at Mersé before he spoke up once more.

"Isn't that kind of rude, I just want to have to take a seat at your table." The man stated with a look of fake hurt.

"What's rude is you insisting on sitting here when you obviously don't belong. Why don't you go back to your little doghouse and bark at some other moron." Mersé stated, her lone eye narrowing as she looked on at the man.

The man just rose his brow before he let out a light chuckle. After that, his face turned more serious as he looked on at the hero before he spoke.

"Nope, sorry, can't do that, I'm afraid I'm gonna need to have a little chat… with your friend over here." He stated, turning his head to Elt who looked at him as soon as he finished speaking.

That… was not good. There was only one reason he could think of. Then it hit him, it was them, wasn't it? It was the Inquisition snooping around in Mersé 's Office, the one who replaced the wine. The Inquisition was frankly, the worst possible group whose attention he caught. Being one of the highest authorities in the Order, if they saw it fit they could have him executed.

But with Mersé here, she had the authority to deny their request. But at what cost, however? If the Inquisition so desired, they could use this scuffle to get her arrested along with the rest of the unit. They did it before, but who says that they won't do so again. It was between him and Mersé , and in his opinion, he wasn't worth all this trouble. He'd be able to handle himself anyways, best if the rest of the unit wasn't involved.

He was about to stand and follow the man, getting up only a few inches before Mersé 's hand stopped. She looked on at him with a reassuring smile before she turned back to the inquisitor. She rose her brow before she spoke again.

"And if he refuses?" She asked. At that did Akito laugh, he placed a hand on his hips and he gave a short dry laugh before he spoke again.

"You do realize that there's a consequence to defying a member of the Inquisition, right?" The man asked. His red eyes opened slightly, revealing his crimson red orbs in full. Mersé sat unperturbed, she didn't care what happened to her. No one bullied her unit, not even the Chief God Damned Inquisition.

If she had to face them all by herself, for Elt and her men? Then so be it, she'd rip their entire organization a new one if it meant protecting those she considered family.

"I do, but the thing is… I don't really care. No one bullies a soldier of mine into doing something they don't want to. If Elt doesn't want to talk, then he doesn't have to." Mersé muttered, narrowing her eyes at the inquisitor who just stood there dumbfounded by her actions.

He sighed as he looked down and shook his head.

"Commendable effort, really… but…" Akito muttered before he raised his hand and snapped it. With just one snap, the whole tavern moved. People from all around the tavern pulled out their weapons. Blades, knives, even crossbows and flintlocks before pointing them at Mersé and Elt.

"I'm afraid that it's important." Akito continued.

Mersé looked around, her face unchanged and unwavering. She wasn't scared, not one bit. And for good reason too.

"Walked right into a trap, didn't we?" She asked rhetorically.

"It was easy, to be honest. There was a pattern to how you usually do things, one that I've figured out. After a long mission, you usually wind down here with a companion. Knowing you, you wouldn't exactly let me question your friend here and so… I brought a bit of help." Akito stated.

Inquisitorial Agents, unofficial members of the Inquisition that were usually employed by Inquisitors. When an Inquisitor needed manpower, they could quite literally just pull anyone from the street and they would have to follow lest they face their ire. Of course, just pulling random civilians from the streets isn't usually an effective source of manpower. As such, most Inquisitors study who they want to use before asking them for their services.

And usually most are forced to serve, unless they had power or know someone of great power to counter the Inquisition's own influence. Lescatie just had a way to fuck with the little guys, didn't it?

"Still, using a bunch of gang members from the slums to do your dirty work… how fucked up is that?" Mersé commented.

The ones Akito hired weren't just some no-named civilians he pulled from the streets. No, he hired gang members from some of the slums most dangerous and infamous gangs. Hardened criminals who were used to killing and violence.

"Really fucked up, but we Inquisitors already have a shit reputation… so why not use it?" Akito noted with a wry grin. He then pulled out his own sword, it's blade gleaming in the light of the tavern. Pointing it at both Elt and Mersé , he looked on with a serious look before he spoke again.

"One more time, you can either come with us the easy way or… I'll have to drag your ass out of the tavern and we're gonna have to do the interrogation in a torture room." He noted, lifting the blade up until it was right in front of Elt's face.

Mersé 's hand grasped the blade before she slowly pulled it away from Elt. Glaring at Akito, she gave a more vicious smirk before she spoke up once more. "Maybe you should've done more research… if you had then…" She spoke up before she snapped her own fingers.

Soon, more men from the tavern moved. Pulling out their own weapons, blades, and crossbows before they pointed it at the agents and at the Inquisitor himself. Soon, a knife found its way to Akito's throat, not enough to cut into it but enough to send a message.

It was Mersé 's unit, they were all here and Elt didn't even notice. It was the clothes, he realized. They were wearing a completely different set of clothes than what they were usually known for wearing. not only that, most of them had kept their faces hidden during their entire stay here with cloaks or careful positioning. Mersé thought this out, it was something both Elt and Akito had realized at the same time.

Mersé would do anything in her power to keep her unit safe, and on that end, they were willing to do the same for her and their comrades.

Akito remained unfazed, his eyes scanning the new arrivals before he sighed.

"Really… all this effort to stop a simple interrogation," Akito noted.

"If it was just a simple questioning, then you wouldn't have needed these men now, wouldn't you?" Mersé asked.

"Touche…" Akito noted before he looked around and clicked his tongue. There was no getting out of this, and it would've been foolish to cause a scene out here… well… more of a scene, he supposed. Best to leave before things worsened, as reckless as he was he knew that it would've been disastrous to push on like this. He needed to reconfigure his approach, the usual 'inquisitorial welcome' as he dubbed it wouldn't work with Elt it looked like.

"Stand down boys, missions over." He stated as he placed his blade back in its sheath. Soon, the rest of Mersé 's unit did the same. Slowly sheathing their own blades and backing down to ease the tension.

He looked on at Mersé with a grin.

"You have balls, woman. I like that about people." He stated with an amused tone laced within his voice. Mersé gave her own grin as she leaned onto her chair.

"Way more than you, it looks like. If you're gonna bring this many people to harass a single soldier next time, you better be prepared for the worst beat down of your life." Mersé threatened.

"Yeah, yeah… don't worry, I'll be a good boy next time. Promise." He stated, raising his hands up with a small grin before he looked on at the rest of his agents. "Alright, get a move on… we've caused enough of a scene. Let them have their fun for tonight, you're all dismissed." Akito noted before he turned around and walked a few paces before he stopped.

"Oh, and one more thing… If you tell anyone about this incident, I'll personally cut your head off... Understood?" He asked the agents.

All the agents paused, fear gripping their hearts before they all nodded dumbly. If there was one inquisitor they knew not to piss off, it was Akito. He was much like Mersé in that regard, he cared little for the traditions and laws. If there was something he felt that he needed to do, he would've done so without the consent of his superiors.

"Good, have a nice night then... Lady Mersé ." He stated with a small grin before he walked off. The rest of the agents followed suit, not saying a single word until they were a fair distance away from Mersé and her unit.

Once they were left alone, Mersé heaved out a heavy sigh before she wiped the sweat building up on her brow. Even though she knew that what she did was potentially a bad idea, she felt as if she had little choice in the matter. While this little interaction hadn't confirmed that the Inquisition was the one snooping around her office, it did prove that they knew something. At least, enough for them to approach Elt directly.

Speaking of, Elt didn't know what to make of the whole affair. He was scared, terrified of the ramifications of what just occurred. Mersé had just challenged an Inquisitor, one that would surely cause an uproar within the Inquisition if the organization as a whole found out.

looking on at Mersé , Elt could see that she was nervous too. The Inquisition wasn't exactly something you could threaten like that, not even for a hero like her. Still, at least now they knew to watch their backs.

"Mersé ... I could've just gone with them... it would've saved you the trouble." Elt muttered out loud. It would've been the better outcome in his opinion, Mersé looked on at Elt before she gave him a light smack on the head.

"Ow... What was that for!?" He asked, his face contorting to confusion at the act.

"Idiot, you're one of us. If the Inquisition wants to fuck with you, they fuck with the rest of us. Alright?" Mersé stated with a reassuring grin.

If it was for Elt or her unit, she was ready to face the worst that the Inquisition would offer. And from the looks of it, the rest of Elt's unit was in agreement. No one messes with one of their own, not without getting through them all first.

"Besides, going with that particular inquisitor would've been bad for your health," Mersé stated as she drank a cup of ale.

"Why? Who was that?" Elt asked.

"Judging by the Zipangese style blade, the brown hair and red eyes... that's Akito the Blood Dancer." Mersé stared out loud.

This caused Elt's brow to raise. He wasn't particularly knowledgeable on these topics. He knew the Inquisition was something that he'd need to look after, but as far as he knew the individual inquisitors themselves weren't of great renown.

"The... Blood Dancer?" Elt asked.

"Out of all the Inquisitors, he's considered as one of the most dangerous in the organization here in Lescatie. Most of his interrogations often end with the person he's questioning losing a limb or two." Mersé noted as she drank some more ale.

"But the reason he's called the Blood Dancer is because of the way he fights. Whenever he pulls out his blade and gets into combat, he moves like a dancer, weaving and stepping around his opponent and making their blood splash around in a... somewhat tantalizing display to be honest." Mersé continued.

"Luckily, it's quite rare for someone to be interrogated by him directly. This is mostly due to the fact that he only interrogates someone when it really interests him. But... the fact that he wanted to interrogate you..." Mersé trailed off.

It wasn't hard to follow that thought to its direct conclusion. He managed to get the attention of one of the most infamous Inquisitors in Lescatie. A fact that was quite the alarming thought.

"So what do we do now?" Elt asked.

"Originally, I'd ask you to stay in the barracks for your own safety but... if it's the Inquisition then the barracks would do little to protect you." Mersé muttered.

"The only advice I can really give you is to watch your back. Hmm... While it isn't a hundred percent safe, staying at the barracks would be your safest bet." Mersé continued, rethinking her strategy a bit.

"In other words... we're in a really bad spot..." Elt stated out loud as he placed his head in his hands.

"Yeah... Sorry Elt, I wish I could help a bit more but... There's nothing we can really do about this." Mersé stated, patting Elt on the back apologetically.

"No... it isn't your fault, it's just... a frustrating situation all around." Elt stated.

He thought he could finally get a good rest after the mission, but from the looks of it, things here in the capital were a lot more hectic than in the countryside. He kind of missed fighting the Amazons now, at least then he had a clear direction on how to go about it.

He thought about his next approach. Unfortunately, with an Inquisitor after them, there was little they could actually do outside of just having Elt run away from the capital. It was just a bad situation overall, and there wasn't much they could do to keep him safe.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea either, if Akito wanted to he could blacklist our entire unit." Elt continued.

Mersé pursed her lips at that, Akito wasn't really known for blacklisting units so they should be safe on that front. The problem was that it isn't a 100 percent guarantee. They needed a way out, a temporary solution to keep Elt safe.

Mersé took a deep breath before she sighed. They needed to think of a solution, one that would give Elt the most security. Then, the thought hit her...

"What if you stayed over at Mimil's college for the time being?" Mersé asked.

Elt widened his eye at that. "I'm pretty sure the college doesn't usually let people like me in. Plus it might trouble her so..." Elt stated before Mersé shook her head.

"Listen, Elt, Mimil's already deep into this as well. Sure, the college won't just let anyone in but with Mimil's influence, she'd be able to let you in. The Inquisition holds sway over most of Lescatie but the college rests firmly in the hands of the Senate and the Noscrim faction." Mersé stated as she cupped her chin in thought.

"The last time The Inquisition wanted to investigate someone from the college they were chased away by the Senate and their heroes. In other words, it should be safe enough for you to stay in for the time being." Mersé stated.

It was a product of the infighting within Lescatie. The College of Lescatie was considered one of the Senate's strongholds, ruled over by a number of Aristocrats who don't hold a high opinion on the Inquisition. They wanted full control over the college's curriculum and the students that studied there. They made a monopoly on the advancements and discoveries made within it to further their own goals.

The internal bureaucracy of the college was intense, and any outside force is usually met with scorn and force. For better or for worse, Lescatie was a political mess but for Elt and Mersé it was the only way Elt would be kept safe.

Despite this, Elt had a few reservations about this course of action. For one, this would mean that he'd be possibly giving Mimil trouble with the Inquisition. She was already facing enough stress as a hero, he didn't feel that it was right for him to impose this on her when she already worked so hard for his sake. Secondly, it would mean that he would be using one of the Noscrim Faction's assets. While he loved Wilmarina, he hated her father for what he had done to him and his family.

To use something that was under his control like this would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Still... it was the only option that made sense, but he couldn't help but feel bad for taking it.

"Alright... so... I'm guessing that you'll be writing a letter to Mimil?" He asked.

"That or she'd make her way to the barracks, whichever comes first," Mersé stated with a shrug as she finished her drink.

"So what would I be doing until then?" Elt asked.

"Hmm... well... to be honest, staying in the barracks might be a bad idea. If The Inquisition really wanted you then I wouldn't really be able to do anything. Right now, it looks like it's just Akito." Mersé stated.

Akito also had quite a reputation. Much like how she didn't care about her reputation as a hero, neither did he give a shit about his own reputation, nor does he give a shit about the Inquisition as a whole. So there was a chance, a slim one but a chance nonetheless that it really was just Akito who was interested.

Still, Mersé wasn't sure if she was willing to risk it. Elt's condition was already a hassle to deal with, and now they had to deal with a bunch of inquisitors. She missed the days when the biggest thing to worry about was a monster invasion, now she had to deal with Elt's visions, his newfound strength, and the Inquisition.

"What about Sasha and the Orphanage? The Inquisition has a reputation for targeting people with relations to the ones they're trying to catch." Elt muttered out loud, worry dripping in his very voice.

It was one of the reasons why the Inquisition was hated within Lescatian Society. They weren't above the use of such dirty tactics. When a target was someone beyond their reach, they would often hold their loved ones accountable as well.

"That's usually up to the individual inquisitor, Akito isn't really known for using underhanded tactics," Mersé stated as she cupped her chin in thought.

Akito was brutal in his approach but he also had a sort of honor code. He would try his best not to harm the ones around his target unless absolutely necessary. Right now, he didn't think the situation was that dire in that Akito would do something so vile.

"That's not a guarantee though..." Elt muttered, frustration in his voice as he spoke.

Mersé nodded at that, he was right after all. He had just seen him use a dirty trick to try and get Elt to come with them. He was already acting out of character, what was it about Elt that he knew that would make him so interested?

"I need a drink after this..." Mersé muttered.

"Me too... though, I thought you were already drunk?" Elt stated out loud.

"I know what I said, Elt," Mersé stated with a pout before she leaned on her seat.

They were gonna need to plan this carefully, one wrong move, and Elt could get himself arrested... or worst.


Mimil has had a very, very long day. Between juggling her research into the strange lore in Lucas's books, investigating Lucas himself, and teaching the child magic, she's found her schedule to be quite stuffed. And now she's found out that The Inquisition of all things had tried to interrogate Elt.

It took quite a considerable effort to not bash her head on the wall. What in The Chief God's name was going on? These past few weeks had been the most hectic in her life and from the looks of it, it wasn't slowing down.

Nothing made sense anymore, she felt as if the world she used to know had been flipped upside down.

And so here she was, sitting within her lecture room, letter on her desk as her face rested on two hands.

"Master... you're staring at that piece of paper too much." Her apprentice stated as he made his way toward her.

"Hit me on the head... I have to be in some kind of nightmare..." She droned.

"That's no good, Master. Pushing yourself like this is unhealthy... I suggest giving yourself a small break... and by small, perhaps a few days' worths." Lucas stated out loud as he looked on at Mimil. His hands were on his back, and his eyes had a curious glint in them.

He was somewhat worried, recently she's been gradually becoming more exhausted. It was quite visible on her face, a 12-year-old shouldn't have that many bags under their eyes. Lucas knew that she was quite the hard worker, but this was absurd, even to him.

"What's within those letters, anyway? Is it really of such importance that you'd be slamming your head against your desk like this..." Lucas asked.

Indeed, halfway through his speech, Mimil had just begun slamming her head on her desk.

After a few more slams onto the desk, Lucas finally had enough and pulled her chair out of the way. He looked on at her before he cringed slightly at the sight.

'...Forgive me master, but I'm sure you'll thank me for this one day.' He stated before he pulled out a pouch from his pockets.

It was something that he came with when he entered this world, to aid him in his coming quest. It was in limited supply, so he was tasked to use it only when absolutely necessary. And right now, he deemed this as necessary for both his and his master's sake.

He looked on at the pouch, a white powder that somewhat twinkled in the light. He took a bit into his hands before he moved to Mimil. He then blew a bit of it onto her from behind as he watched it do its magic.

Soon enough, Mimil's eyes became heavier and heavier and soon she fell right into a deep slumber.

"That should last for an hour or so if the master is left uninterrupted that is," Lucas stated before he moved towards her front and grabbed the piece of paper that was now laid on the ground.

Curious, it wasn't meant for him but it was causing his master great distress. As such, it was up to him to get to the bottom of this so she could rest and become a more effective teacher.

His blue eyes scanned its contents before he read the letter within his mind.

'Dear Brat... brat? how uneloquent... anyways...

Dear brat,

Bad news, your big bro's got the attention got the Inquisition. Not all of them, mind you, but the one whose attention he caught? It isn't good. Because of that, I'm requesting that he stay within that college of yours until all of this blows over.

signed, Mersé Dascaros.'

Big Bro, there was only one person that could be.

While he himself wasn't sure whether or not his master's big brother and The Tarnished were the same people, he had highly suspected it to be the case. With him coming here, then there would be a great chance for them to finally meet face to face. Still, there were risks, obviously. He had suspected that his master was suspicious of him, and rightfully so. He was a stranger in a strange land, he knew not the world and so he'd appear odd to anyone who came from here.

Still, with the bureaucracy that permeated the college, Lucas knew that it would take quite some time for him to be allowed in here. A slow process that could take days, weeks, to even months before a conclusion could be made. His master's influence could speed things up, but with him here she was already pushing how much she could truly get away with when it came to letting 'commonfolk' into a place of prestige like this one.

As such, he needed to go and observe him directly until he was allowed inside. This letter had confirmed one thing, Mimil's Big Brother had returned from his mission and now Lucas now had the opportunity to initiate contact. He gave a small sigh, he would need to leave his master for the time being. Pushing her chair back to her desk, he let her head rest on the wooden surface before he placed a cloak over her body for warmth.

"Forgive me Master... but I'll be leaving for the time being, I'll return soon, but until then, this is where we shall part ways," Lucas muttered as he gathered a few things from her office. His books, her prescribed readings, and even a little wand she gifted him when he did his first spell. Flattered, he honestly was but he'd probably never use it in a practical sense.

He had his own wand, after all.

Taking his things he prepared to leave, he took one last look at his master's sleeping form. Shaking his head, he walked off and into the night. He needed to go meet this Tarnished one.


Elt walked out into the street, he was wearing a different set of clothes and a hood covered his face. Despite Mersé 's Orders, he just couldn't stay in the barracks. The Inquisition had a reputation, when they couldn't get to their target directly they often went for those they were close to. It was cruel, but Elt couldn't argue its effectiveness. The Inquisition could never touch the heroes without reason, they'd never be able to touch Mersé , not Sasha, not Primera. But, the Orphanage? The Orphanage was fair game to them and Elt couldn't risk them getting involved.

And so he moved, to check on the Orphanage and to see if everyone was alright. It was in the dead of night, and the only light source that was visible to him was the night sky and the few candles that were spread across the households in the slums. The air was damp, and he could feel the cold with each breath. It was silent, eerily so and Elt couldn't help but feel that he was being watched.

The Inquisition? Perhaps, but he couldn't be too sure. If it was truly them then they would've already tried to apprehend him as soon as they found him moving alone. His head suddenly snapped to the top of one of the buildings, its sign moving back and forth due to the wind pushing upon its wooden frame.

He breathed a heavy sigh, he was being too paranoid. He took his bearings before he continued on his walk. It was empty tonight, oddly so. There would at least be a few passerby civilians. A beggar sleeping on the side. He would also often hear a quarreling couple in the corner of one of the houses. But none, the street was empty and was making him feel worse.

Finally, he made his way to the orphanage and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still standing, and by this hour the children should be fast asleep. Even still, he remained cautious. He took a step into the church, checking to see if he was followed, seeing none he opened the door before he made his way inside.

He was home, thank the gods. He closed the door before he moved inside. He checked the rooms of the orphanage, seeing the children fast asleep he breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Where have you been?" A somewhat harsh voice spoke out which caused Elt to jump a bit and almost pull out his blade before he saw who that voice belonged. He breathed another sigh of relief at the sight of the green-haired elf.

"...At the barracks, it's nice to see you again Primera." He stated with a small yet somewhat nervous tone. Primera caught that, her eyes widened before she crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"What's with that tone, are you alright Elt?" She stated with a raised brow. To anyone outside, her tone might've seemed a little harsh but Elt knew her enough to know that she was worried for him, and rightfully so. He didn't know how to explain that he was being sought after by the Inquisition of all things. Doing it directly might cause her to do something somewhat drastic, she may isolate herself in her forest most of the time but when their lives were threatened Primera didn't hesitate to pull her bow out.

Still, the last thing he needed was to get more people involved in his problems.

"I'm fine, mostly at least. The mission took a bit of a toll but we managed." He stated. The news of what he did hadn't reached the capital yet it looked, good. They didn't need to worry about what to do if the rest of the nation hears of what he could do yet.

"Is that so?" Primera asked somewhat questioningly before she nodded. "You're not hurt, aren't you?" She asked once more.

"Well... I got cut a bit but nothing a healer couldn't fix." Elt stated with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Then get changed and look after the kids, I'll be going back to the forest," Primera stated. The only reason she was here was that Sasha needed someone to look after the kids while she was out. She honestly had no idea what Sasha was doing late at night, and she was getting worried because of it. Still, she trusted Sasha enough to look after the kids until Elt came home. Now that he was here, he could take over and she could continue on with her life in isolation.

It was a bitter thought, but one she felt was the most fitting one. She was an abomination, a half-breed, someone the rest of the city would've looked at with either scorn or amusement. She hated herself too much, and because of it, she couldn't stand being in the comforting embrace of her adoptive family.

With that in mind, she turned to leave but then...

"Wait... Prim..." Elt began, his hand grabbing her own hands firmly to prevent her from moving a step further. Her eyes widened before she looked on at Elt, she was about to yell at him before she stopped herself. His face was... tired... for lack of a better term. He looked tired most of the time, and with the low blood pressure, he was often fast asleep whenever he had free time.

But this time, this time it looked a little different. It wasn't the same tired look he always had, no. It was... she didn't really have any words to describe it, but it reminded her of someone who was carrying the responsibility of the whole world on his shoulders and was cracking under the pressure.

"...I... need to tell you something." He muttered, hesitating slightly with his words. He scratched the back of his head with his other hand, the one holding her own losing its grip before he let her go. Shame, she wanted to keep holding his hands like that.

"What do you need to tell me?" She asked. Crossing her arms and leaning on the wall as she spoke.

"I... might be gone for a few days... So I need to warn you of something." He muttered. He hesitated slightly with his words, feeling out every syllable before he spoke them out.

He took a deep breath, Primera looked on at his form with worry hiding in her eyes. Something was up, something that could cause Elt of all people to hesitate like this.

"Primera... I'm being sought after by the Inquisition." He explained, preparing for the fallout that would come next. And indeed, it came with a fury that he had hoped that he was prepared for.

"...What!?" She spoke up, a growl in her voice as she did. The Inquisition... he was being sought after by the Inquisition. Why? Did he do something wrong? No, she wouldn't believe it. There was simply no way she could. Elt was too much of an idiot, a caring one to do something that would piss the Inquisition off. Still, she knew of the extremely poor reputation the Inquisition held in Lescatie but she wouldn't argue that they didn't earn it.

The Inquisition was ruthless, she's seen what they do, what they've done, and what they'll continue to keep doing. She's seen entire families burnt by their hands, families split together for the simplest of so-called sins.

Alright then, she's decided. She was a hero, a really good one at that. She'd get the Inquisition to leave Elt alone by force, to hell with her own reputation and self. If it was for Elt, for her family then she would do anything in the world for them. She'd deny it with all her energy, but deep in her heart and mind, she'd scream out that she truly did love them all.

No one fucks with her family, not even the Inquisition.

"Prim, Wait... what are you-" Elt muttered as Primera moved around to find her bow.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm making sure that those fucks leave you alone." She stated as she found her bow. Afterward, not even bothering to listen to Elt's explanation if he even had one, she reached out for the door only to be stopped by Elt. His hand preventing her from moving a step forward, she was about to argue only for her to stop once more after seeing his face. It was stern, almost pleading with her to stop what she was about to do.

"Primera, please... I don't want to involve you with this, I just wanted to warn you about it so you'd get a heads up if they ever come knocking." He stated. He didn't want her to help him, but he supposed that he should've expected this reaction. If he found out that Primera was being chased by the inquisition then he would've probably done the same.

Even still, he'd rather not get more people involved here. Especially since the people who know are already high-ranking members of the Order.

Primera looked on at Elt's face before the grip on her bow somewhat loosened. She was conflicted, but she knew that what she was about to do was rash. She let her emotions overcome her again, luckily Elt was here to stop her before she did anything stupid. Even still... she wanted answers.

"...What could the inquisition want from you of all people, I doubt a moron like you would be of any threat to them..." She questioned.

"I-..." Elt held his tongue. There was only one reason he could think of, but telling her that would probably cause her to act even more. He needed to think this through, unfortunately... Primera managed to catch his moment of hesitation, her brow rising in response.

"...What did you do?" She asked, crossing her arms as she leaned in on the wall.

"I... I... well... I don't really know..." Elt muttered, placing a hand behind his head as he gave a long sigh. He was just stuttering at this point; it should've been simple, come here to check on the kids and see if they were okay, and once he confirmed it, warn Primera then leave.

Primera looked on at this before she decided to move. Elt wasn't going to talk it looked like, and so she decided to go and find out herself. She forced her way to the door, reaching out towards the doorknob only for Elt to catch her hand.

"Pr-Primera, please! I don't want to involve you in this..." He stated with a struggle as he tried to stop her from doing anything drastic.

Primera was about to protest when she noticed something. Elt was stopping her from moving a step forward... Elt... a normal human being... stopping a hero from pushing on with sheer strength. It gave her a clue about what the Inquisition might've wanted, so instead of protesting or forcing her way through, she spoke up instead.

"...How are you doing this?" She asked.

At that moment, Elt realizes his mistake. His eyes widened as he did, his hand letting her go as he took a step back. 'Shit... Shit... shit...' He thought to himself with a gulp. What was he supposed to say to her now, that he suddenly had the power to take on heroes?

"...I- It's a long story..." He muttered. There was no real point in trying to hide it, doing so might just make her act hastily.

"...Tell me," Primera demanded.

"Well-" Elt began only to stop when he heard a knock at the door. Quickly, the two moved their heads towards it both reaching for their weapons. It wasn't Sasha, that much they knew. If it was, she wouldn't be knocking, she'd be entering the building.

They both made it through the door before they checked through the window. Peering around, they saw no one through the window... odd...

"Yo, did I stumble into a lover's quarrel?"

!

Suddenly, the two grabbed their weapons before turning around. Elt's blade pointed at the man and Primera had her bow trained on the intruder. In response, the man put his arms up before he spoke up.

"Hey, Hey, Hey! Take it easy, I just wanted to talk... sheesh," The man spoke up as he gave a small sigh.

Elt knew who it was immediately, the brown hair, inquisitor's coat, red eyes.

"What do you want from me, Akito?" He spoke up with a cold tone.

In response, Akito grinned before he waved his arms around mockingly.

"Wooo... scary... relax, I'm not here to hurt you or anything like that," Akito muttered as he placed his hands in his pockets, walking around the place with Primera and Elt still having their weapons trained on the man.

"Glad to know that I'm well known around these parts, makes my job a whole lot easier, you know." Akito began, attempting to ease the tension a bit. He walked through the room, running his hand through the dusty chimney before he rubbed his two fingers together, spreading the ash on his fingertips.

"So this is Sasha Fullmoon's Orphanage, not gonna lie I thought it'd be a little more... glamorous, guess she really is as kind as people say. Then again, I suppose she has the right to be kind since she's a hero and all that." Akito stated with a shrug before he turned to Elt and Primera.

"How did you get in here?" Elt asked, sword firmly pointing at Akito as he spoke. Akito looked on at the two before he pointed at an open window nearby with its lock broken.

"Your window lock's weak, get better ones. It only took me a single swing to break it" Akito noted as he shrugged.

"We don't want you here, leave," Primera commanded, her bow ready to launch a barrage of arrows at the man.

"Listen, I would if I could but I really do need to talk to Elt here. It's important, and I think you might wanna have a listen as well." Akito stated as he looked on at the two.

"How do we know that this isn't a trap? You don't have men waiting outside the orphanage to hold it, hostage, do you?" Elt asked.

"Listen Elt, I'm not Albain, I'm not the type to burn down entire villages because I just see one monster within it. I'm a killer with standards, not a mere church dog." He stated with a shrug.

Despite his less than stellar reputation, he wasn't really the type to go and burn down villages and hunt down heretics without much concern. That's nothing more than a stereotype perpetuated by the radicals within the Inquisition who do practice that and the Noscrim Faction who did everything in their power to drag the name of their organization through the mud. He wasn't going to say that they don't exist, they definitely do, but a majority of them were a lot less radical.

"...Albain?" Elt asked, his brow raised and his eyes looking on in confusion.

"Not important, let's just say that when it comes to the stereotype he's the one who fits the bill the most. In any case, he's not handling your interrogation, I am. This is for your own safety too." Akito stated.

"How would I know that I won't lose a limb or two because of this?" Elt asked, his blade still pointed squarely at Akito.

"...I'm chopping Noscrim's dick off after this..." He whispered to himself before he shook his head. "Kid, that's all propaganda. It was just that one time and in my defense, asshole fucking deserved it." He muttered with a blank look.

"Really? Propaganda? I've seen what your Inquisition has done to innocent villages, I've seen the mass executions and burnings that took place." Primera spoke out harshly.

To call what she'd seen propaganda was an insult to the lives she'd seen lost. That was no mere propaganda, The Inquisition was ruthless and unforgiving. Brutal beyond belief and feared for good reason.

How dare this man claim that this was nothing more than propaganda.

"Alright, I'll admit... we have a few radicals in our ranks. They're usually responsible for their fair share of... going overboard." Akito muttered before he shook his head.

"But the rest of us are a lot less radical, I promise you." Akito stated. Elt and Primera looked unconvinced, at that did Akito sigh before he placed a hand on his blade.

"Look, I'll show you that I mean no harm... alright?" He stated, picking his sword up before tossing it away from him and holding his hands up.

"See? I'm at the mercy of a hero and a soldier and I don't have my sword nor my men here. I just want to talk to you, can I do that?" Akito asked.

Elt and Primera looked at one another before they weighed their options. From the looks of it, Akito was defenseless and he had no one with him. Even if he did, a bunch of gang members from the slums would never be able to compete with a hero like Primera. With a single nod, the two dropped their weapons: Elt placing his sword back in its sheath and Primera letting the arrow drop before loosening her grip on the bow.

"Alright, we'll talk... what do you want to know?" Elt asked, Primera crossing her arms as she waited for his response.

"I'll cut to the chase then..." Akito trailed off before he looked on at Elt and Primera with a stern expression.

"There's a high likelihood that you're being stalked by a monster."


Author's Notes:

Alright, this chapter's a bit shorter than usual. As such, I don't really have much to say, so this Author's Notes would be pretty short.

It took me a while to get into the flow of a few scenes here. Some of them didn't turn out the way I wanted to and so were either redid or scrapped. I had to rewrite over 5k words since I just wasn't satisfied with it. In any case, I am satisfied with how the chapter turned out, so it turned out pretty good.

And that's about it to be honest. I don't really have anything else to add here so I guess I'll just leave it at that. The next chapter is already in the works and would be done in about a few days or a week. Depending on how busy I am.

As always, leave your criticisms, concerns, complaints, and reviews in the Review Section. My PMs are free as well, if you want to make use of that instead. With all that said and done...

Whamo Out!