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Lightbringer

Chapter 15

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"If I never see another rat again in my life, it would be too soon," declared Julia as the party passed through the busy streets of Oldaven on the way back to the Guild Hall.

"I couldn't agree more," Lucifer said.

There had been a whole cave full of giant rats beneath the warehouse and clearing it out had been a messy affair. When they returned from beyond the collapsed wall, they were absolutely covered in rodent blood and guts, looking more like shambling corpses than people. The girls had been particularly distressed about it.

"I'm glad they were ready for us with those buckets of water when we got out of that cave. We were able to wash off most of the muck right away," he added. The guards and workers had been well-prepared for their return. Had it been their own initiative, or had the warehouse manager instructed them?

"They probably didn't want us to track all that grossness through their warehouse," said Julia, scrunching her nose up. "Didn't really wash off all the stench though. We smell like something awful."

Lucifer noticed that the people of Oldaven were giving them a wide berth as they walked through the city. The smell that wafted around the party really was quite repulsive. A tang of iron mixed with the stench of rot and disease.

Julia ran her fingers through her still-damp hair, searching out tiny clumps and chunks that had nestled in. "At least you had a helmet and full armor on. None of the gunk really got on you or into your hair like it did ours," she said. She fished out a small chunk of rodent flesh from her hair and threw it on the ground with a splat. "Ugh, gross! This is going to take forever to get out. I'll be in the bath for hours!"

"Nothing wrong with a good soak in a bath," said Lucifer, glancing down at his armor. It looked clean, but there might have been some bits that did not wash out in the places he could not see.

Baths were always something he appreciated. A shower was good too, of course, and usually much quicker. More efficient. But soaking in a tub full of comfortably hot water was better when you needed to relax and unwind. There was a reason hot tubs were often considered a luxury.

Julia regarded him thoughtfully. "Maybe for you," she said, "But our bath isn't exactly nice. Besides, I don't like it when my skin gets all pruney. It just feels so weird." She stared at her palms and ran her thumbs over the tips of her fingers, some of which were wrapped with small bandages.

There were dozens of fresh bandages across her exposed skin, the wounds beneath courtesy of the now deceased rats. Thankfully, neither of the girls had been seriously injured in the fighting. Whether that was by luck or by skill, it was hard to say. Perhaps it was a little bit of both.

"I heard there's a spell for cleaning things…" Janna said quietly, almost as if she had verbalized her thoughts aloud by accident.

Julia spun around to face her. "Really? What's the spell? Do you know it? Why didn't you say anything about it before?"

Even Lucifer was intrigued, sparing a curious glance at the young mage. YGGDRASIL had no such spell that he was aware of, but there were thousands of spells so he might have simply overlooked it. He had not bothered to learn every single one. Even if there was such a spell, what use was it in a fight against monsters or other players? Though in this world, as he had discovered, his [Item Restoration] spell could technically be used for cleaning.

With that thought in mind, he eyed the girls' worn and tattered equipment. Their light leather armor pieces were damaged to the point that he doubted there would be that much of a difference if they stopped wearing them altogether. It was certainly within his power to completely repair their equipment, but he figured it was not worth the effort for such poor-quality items. Much better for them to buy new gear.

Janna ducked her head in shame, mumbling, "No… sorry… I don't actually know the spell… I just heard that it exists…"

Deflated, Julia shrugged. "Oh, well that makes sense. You wouldn't have kept something like that to yourself if you did know how to use it. But if you could learn that spell sometime…" she trailed off hopefully.

"I can try," replied the younger girl uncertainly.

Julia beamed at her, mood instantly shifting. "Awesome! I know you'll do your best!" she exclaimed with encouragement.

Janna could only nod in silence.

"Now what do you want to eat for dinner?" Julia asked her sister out of the blue. "With the bonus the merchant gave us on top of the job reward, we can definitely eat whatever we want tonight to celebrate our first successful job as adventurers!"

"You're hungry?" asked Lucifer, amused. "I thought all the blood and guts would have killed your appetite for a while."

Julia looked at him incredulously. "Of course, I'm hungry! After all that hard work, who wouldn't be?"

Lucifer shrugged. "I'm not." Though he did not say it was probably because he was no longer technically human and therefore not subject to the same biological needs as them. At least as far as he could tell.

"What about you, sis? Are you hungry?" Julia asked, turning to her.

The younger girl nodded again. "A little."

She spun back around to Lucifer. "See? I'm not the only one."

"But Julia is always hungry…" Janna mentioned softly, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Julia spun again, this time staring wide-eyed at her sister for a moment, betrayed, before looking away and crossing her arms. "Wow. Are you both trying to tell me I eat too much? I'm still growing, okay? That's why... And you're one to talk!" She suddenly pointed accusingly at Janna. "You eat just as much as I do!"

Janna's head whipped up. "No, I don't!" she said loud enough to be considered a yell, at least for her. Though it was closer to a normal volume of speaking. Perhaps realizing this, she turned a bright shade of pink immediately afterwards and returned to keeping her head down.

Even Julia was a bit taken back. "W-Well, okay then. But you at least eat as often as I do!"

"But not as much." Janna was back to her quiet voice.

"Fine! I admit that I eat more than you do, but I'm also bigger than you, so that's why. And it's not for any other reason like I'm fat or anything," Julia huffed, puffing out her cheeks.

Lucifer chuckled. "You're not fat at all. Where did you even get that notion?"

Julia narrowed her eyes at him. "You're just saying that to be nice since I mentioned it."

"Regardless of why I said it, it's the truth," he said with some mirth. She was really getting all worked up over nothing.

She turned her nose up and looked away. "Hmph! You know what? I guess we won't have a big dinner tonight after all," she decided suddenly.

Janna stared at her in genuine dismay. "Wait, that's not—"

"In fact, we can just wait until tomorrow to eat something since we apparently eat too much!"

"Juliaaa…" Janna whined.

Julia shook her head and ignored the younger girl's pleas as she walked far enough ahead that it would be difficult to hold any further conversation without catching up to her first.

Lucifer smiled, not that anyone could see it beneath his visor. "Are you and your sister usually like this at home?"

Janna, still pink from her outburst earlier, quickly turned red and hastened to walk beside her sister. Presumably, she was going to try and talk some sense into the girl.

Speaking of home, he looked up at the sky and wondered how Bezaliel was doing on his scouting mission. He had sent out the Angel of Shadows to scour the Frostpeak Mountains to the north for a good spot to establish a base of operations. Somewhere hidden, defensible, and easy to expand upon.

He considered messaging the angel to check-in but decided to wait until Bezaliel reported back on his own. The last thing he wanted to do was to come off as impatient or micromanaging. He preferred not to annoy the angel, especially since he had yet to find out if they could somehow turn against him. Besides, it had not been that long since he sent the angel out, so he should give Bezaliel more time.

Wherever they ended up settling on though, hopefully they would be able to build some proper baths.

x=x=X=x=x

Sir Black dismounted his horse, boots crunching heavily on gravel as he landed.

Behind him, three soldiers who were now his official bodyguards also dismounted. One of them helped the elf girl down after having ridden along. Normally, slaves would not be treated so nicely, and they would have been tied to the horses and been forced to walk behind, but this slave was to be a gift for Lord Rubeon.

He had already made the girl suffer enough, and he did not want to break her before he presented her to his lord. The lord's mansion was far enough away from the knight's home that she would have arrived sweaty, tired, and with blisters on her feet. Suffice it to say, she would not have been in any condition to be offered up to a noble lord, so she was allowed to ride with one of the soldiers.

After the harrowing events of the night the stranger with the golden eyes had intruded upon his home, Sir Black had taken out his anger and humiliation on the elf. Her screams of pain and pleas for mercy had gone a long way to improving his mood and restoring his confidence.

She deserved the punishment, of course. She had left him alone and asleep in that tub, and maybe she even colluded with the stranger to get him into that state. All things that she denied, not that it mattered. Thankfully, he had enough presence of mind to not go overboard, and the healers were able to fix her injuries well enough.

Then he had gone out and selected six of his better soldiers to act as his bodyguards. Three were to be stationed at his home at all times, while the other three followed him around wherever he went. He was unsure of how effective they would be against his foe, powerful as they seemed, but at the very least they should serve as enough of a distraction for him to either get away or to move in for a decisive strike.

The lord's mansion was a decent size, not overly large but at least four times bigger than Sir Black's own home. A few of the guards stationed outside saluted to him as he passed, fists banging against their chest plates. He barely acknowledged them.

He found Lord Rubeon in his study, already going over a stack of paperwork with his steward, an old and wrinkled man with thin white hair and a stooped back. His name was Galdo. The aged steward never took a liking to Black, not that the knight cared much, but they at least remained peacefully civil in front of the lord. He wondered how much the steward had said to their lord about the attack.

Lord Rubeon himself was old enough that his once dark hair was now all but gray, with thick silver brows over puffy brown eyes. He was large and tall, with big hands and a thick neck, although his voice was strangely high for his hefty size. The man had been a strong warrior in his younger days, but the soft years of lordship had slowly eroded his musculature until he was now more fat than muscle, not that anyone would say that to his face.

The pair looked up at Sir Black's arrival, and the knight immediately bowed at the waist, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Black!" greeted Lord Rubeon with a smile that stretched the many lines on his face. "You've finally shown your face."

"Sir Black," added Galdo, stiffly formal as usual.

"My lord," said the knight respectfully. "Steward Galdo." He stood straight. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you upon your return, lord. I was only made aware of your arrival a short while ago. I was under the impression that you were scheduled to return here tomorrow." His gaze settled on the steward, who no doubt had withheld the change of schedule from him, but Galdo's face was undecipherable.

Lord Rubeon's smile widened, eyes alight with excitement. "Yes, well things are moving quickly in the capital. I was told to return here with all haste so as to play my part in things to come."

"Beg pardon, lord," Galdo spoke in a raspy voice, "If you'd permit, I'd like to get started on the things we discussed right away. If we are to keep to the schedule…"

"Of course, of course. Go on, Galdo. Keep me updated on everything," said Lord Rubeon with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The old steward bowed low and then walked out of the room, barely sparing another glance at the knight.

"You and Galdo are still getting along swimmingly, I see," remarked the lord with a raised brow.

Sir Black shrugged. "I have no problems with the steward," he said flatly.

"Good." Lord Rubeon smiled again. He motioned towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Now sit and give me your report. What's happened since I've been gone?"

x=x=X=x=x

After collecting their earnings from the Guild, Lucifer's party picked their next job – a request to help deliver some packages to various locations on the outskirts of the city that had Lucifer wondering if courier services even existed in this world – and then briefly argued over how to split the money. Something they probably should have decided before taking their first job.

Julia wanted to do an even fifty-fifty split between the girls and Lucifer, but he was against that even though he would earn more money with Julia's suggestion. Instead, he suggested it would only be fair to split their earnings into thirds, which sparked a debate between the two of them.

Janna was mostly a silent witness, not wanting to get involved in the arguing, though Lucifer guessed that she was leaning towards Julia's view.

Eventually, Lucifer won out and they agreed to split the money evenly so that each member of the party received an equal share. Julia was clearly not thrilled about it. She thought Lucifer deserved more because he was clearly better skilled and more experienced and was likely going to do the bulk of the work, as he had done with the giant rats.

He understood her logic, of course, but he could not help but feel that the girls needed the money more than he did at the moment. Besides, once they made it to the higher ranks and bigger jobs, it would not be such a big deal anymore since their shares would be decent enough. In addition, he did not want to feel like he was taking advantage of the girls by taking the lion's share of the pot, so to speak.

Julia also ended up changing her mind about having dinner after calming down, much to Janna's relief, and even invited Lucifer to join them. He declined though, saying that he would join them next time because he had pressing matters to attend to, and they parted ways after agreeing to meet the next morning for the job they signed up for.

Once he got away from any prying eyes, he teleported high above the city just in time to watch the sun dip below the horizon, leaving behind a sky ablaze with brilliant hues of red and orange. Though it was not the reason he had transported himself up into the sky, he marveled at the view for a while, reminded of his new and exciting life in this strange and magical world.

Were sunsets always this beautiful? He could not remember the last time he had truly watched the setting sun in his old world.

That world was rife with pollution, rampant overdevelopment, and environmental exploitation and degradation. Most sunsets were tainted by haze and smog and obscured by towering buildings of metal and glass. That was, of course, assuming the dark clouds from the all too frequent storms did not completely block the view. Without a doubt, those sunsets paled in comparison to the one he was now witnessing.

After a while, as the light of day gradually faded and the fiery sky grew dark and cold, Lucifer turned his attention northward. There, twisting and bending south from the mountains and across the landscape towards the city, was the dark figure of the mighty Stonefrost River. At its closest point, the river was only a mile away from the city's Western Gate, where it curled around the city and continued southward unimpeded.

From where he was in the sky, Lucifer could see pinpricks of light from the few people who had settled along certain stretches of the river. But most of it was dark and undisturbed nature, and those places were excellent for testing out his powers in secret.

He already had a good grasp of his physical capabilities after several fights, both with humans and non-humans, though he could tell that he had yet to really exert himself fully. And while he had some idea of his magical capabilities, he needed to experiment further.

He had been putting it off for a while now since his arrival. After finishing his first quest in this new world, he felt too eager to wait any longer. Majestic wings unfurling behind him, Lucifer flew north away from the city and began to search along the river for what would essentially be his temporary training ground until he established his official base.

Despite the failing light, he could see clear as day, and it did not take him long before he was on the ground in the middle of a clearing on the western bank of the river. This part of the river cut through a small forest of trees that had sprouted amidst the fertile plains all around it. And at the heart of this small forest, he was sure to be unseen and undisturbed.

Though he was not foolish enough to leave anything to chance, of course.

"[Summon Elemental – Third Tier: Lesser Earth]."

These elementals were, as the name suggested, the weakest of their kind. They were normally around level 15 at most, depending on the summoner's skills, but because of his levels in his summoner classes, the ones he summoned were buffed up to level 20. Even then, they were basically low-level cannon fodder that he never used again once he passed level 50.

Lucifer felt the miniscule drop in his mana, which already started to regenerate, as the elemental took shape before him with the sound of crumbling rocks and shifting dirt.

Fully formed at about six feet in height, the elemental floated over the ground, making it look even taller. It was made entirely of various rocks and clumps of soil with a distinct chest, arms, and head. It looked like the upper half of a stone golem, except for the swirling pebbles and dirt that magically orbited its frame. With dark cracked holes for eyes, it groaned what was probably a greeting as it stared back at Lucifer, awaiting orders from its master.

Using the mental link between him and his summon, he ordered it to enclose the open area with earthen walls. The elemental let out a low growl of acknowledgement and then proceeded to raise its arms and spin around slowly as it worked its own magic.

The ground trembled and within seconds the earth along the edges of the clearing began to rise up until they were surrounded by a high wall about twelve feet high and three feet thick. Frightened birds took flight from the nearby trees, chirping and squawking in dismay at the commotion, and a few small animals hastily scampered away. Then all was quiet once more save for the constant sound of the river rushing by.

Lucifer smiled. "Excellent. Now I think we should add a pool over there," he said aloud, pointing towards the side closest to the river.

The elemental did not respond at all and they both remained still and silent for a few seconds. Perhaps the instructions were too vague, he thought. He repeated his words aloud once again, this time adding specific dimensions and instructions.

Finally, the elemental began to move, and in a matter of moments there was a circular pit thirty feet deep and twenty feet in diameter that was soon filling with roaring water from the river that it was now connected to via a small tunnel underground.

While the pool was swiftly filling up, Lucifer took the time to remove his armor and clothing. He used [Item Restoration] to completely clean everything before storing them all in his inventory and was soon standing completely naked in the dark.

Glancing at the lone earth elemental that floated idly nearby, and feeling a little paranoid all of a sudden, he decided to summon some wolves to patrol the surrounding area and make sure there was nobody lurking around.

Similar to when he summoned the snakes, he was able to summon a pack of ten adult wolves with the spell [Summon Beast – Second Tier: Wolves].

They all had smooth dark brown fur and amber eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, similar to Lucifer's own golden ones. The pack sat and panted as one, staring at him eagerly with their tails wagging gently behind them.

"Patrol the area outside the walls and let me know if you find anyone out there," he said as he walked towards one and petted its head, scratching behind its ears. The wolf let out a pleased growl.

When he stepped back, the pack howled and split up as they rushed off in all directions. He watched them arrive at the base of the wall, where they started to run around, growling and whining as they were apparently trying to find a way through. It was far too high for them to jump over and far too steep for them to even begin to climb.

Grimacing at his own lack of foresight, Lucifer ordered the earth elemental to create holes through the walls just large enough for the wolves to comfortably use, and the pack was out patrolling soon enough.

With the pool full of water, Lucifer tested its temperature with his toe. It was cold. Almost too cold. But similar to his easy tolerance of whatever the temperature of the air around him, Lucifer discovered that his body did not react the same way a normal human's would to the temperature of the water.

Without a second thought, he jumped into the pool with a splash. The cold water engulfed him completely, and as he stayed beneath the surface of the pool, he did not shiver in the slightest. Completely aware of the near-freezing temperature of the water, and yet seemingly unaffected, he returned to the surface and wiped the excess water off his face.

With a slight frown while treading water, Lucifer wasn't sure how to feel about his body's lack of normal physical reactions to drastic temperatures. It was as if no matter the temperature outside his body, his own body stayed the same. The sensation was strange, knowing the water was frigid cold and yet not really feeling that cold physically.

On the one hand, it was great because it meant he would never truly feel burning hot or freezing cold, outside a detached mental acknowledgement of such conditions. He would never face debilitating shivering or the fear and pain of touching something that was burning hot. Or even the feeling of being drenched in sweat – as far as he could tell, he was not capable of sweating, which was great.

On the other hand, it meant he would never genuinely enjoy the warmth of a fire or of another's presence next to him on a cold night. He would never really experience the refreshing coolness of a cold bath after a long and tiring day beneath the hot summer sun. He would also never feel the relaxing heat of a hot spring or bath, or the relieving coolness of a breeze on a hot day. And that realization made him kind of sad.

Bringing his legs up and floating on his back along the surface of the pool, he stared up into the starry night sky. Maybe this new life was not entirely so good after all.

x=x=X=x=x

"So, it's true, then. Someone actually dared attack us," said Lord Rubeon, leaning back in his chair. His lips twisted into a frown. "Have we been attacked again since?"

"No, lord. There was only that one incident," replied Sir Black, his thoughts turning to the visit he received at his home only recently. Technically, that was not an attack, so it did not count.

The noble sighed tiredly. "Well, the loss of a slave and a couple of men is nothing in the grand scheme of things. But I hope you've taken measures to punish those responsible?"

Sir Black swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "I have, lord." Technically also true, though the success of the measures were another matter.

"Good," said Lord Rubeon as he played with a golden ring on one of his long fingers. "I cannot stress enough the importance of the days ahead. We cannot afford any unnecessary delays or distractions. Make sure we're ready to repel any more attacks. Use whatever means necessary."

"I have already begun changing our patrol schedules and structures, lord. And I have doubled the training of the men. I assure you that we will be better prepared should another attack come."

The smile returned. "Good, good. I expected no less from you." He leaned forward, the excitement once again returning to his eyes. "Would you like to know what I've been tasked to do?"

Surprised, the knight replied, "I… cannot deny that I'm curious, lord."

Lord Rubeon was quickly on his feet and headed for the door. "Follow me," he said.

Sir Black breathed easier as the nervousness within him subsided. He had come here anticipating that the lord would respond more strongly than he did to the attack, but it seemed Lord Rubeon's mind was more preoccupied with other matters.

As they stepped out, Lord Rubeon paused and looked aside towards Sir Black's guards and the young elven slave, who all bowed in the lord's presence.

"What's this?" he asked.

Sir Black had almost forgotten about her. "She is a gift, my lord. For you."

"Is that so?" Lord Rubeon stepped towards the girl and with one of his big hands he grabbed her by the jaw, turning her head this way and that as he inspected her closely. The elf shut her eyes and let out a whimper but did not resist. Soon his hands traveled down her body for further inspection.

The nearby guards tried to pretend not to notice what was happening, shifting uneasily on their feet and not knowing what else to do.

"This was a good find, Black. An excellent find," Lord Rubeon noted with delight. "She must have cost you quite a sum."

This time, it was Sir Black's turn to smile. "Less than you might think, lord." He had expected Lord Rubeon to be pleased with the gift and he was glad to confirm that.

"She's from one of your… friends, then?"

"Yes, she is, lord." One of the perks of having connections to the criminal underworld.

"Thank you for this gift, Black. I shall put her to good use," said the lord, letting the elf go. Her eyes were damp with unshed tears and she sniffled, but somehow managed to contain herself for the time being. Perhaps worried that she would be punished for crying aloud in front of the master of this place.

Sir Black bowed his head. "You are most welcome, my lord."

Addressing one of the servants standing by in the hallway, Lord Rubeon ordered for the girl to be prepared and sent to his chambers when he called on her later. With that done, he led Sir Black away and they were soon descending into the basement of the mansion.

Most people, including the majority of those who lived and worked on the estate, had no idea that there were a number of tunnels and chambers dug into the earth beneath the estate. It had taken a considerable amount of slave labor over the course of a year to get it done, and all the work was done in secret.

The slaves who worked underground were brought in separately through Sir Black's contacts, leaving no paperwork trail. They arrived in the dead of night and, once they were put to work, they never again saw the light of day.

One of the tunnels connected via a secret doorway to the basement of the mansion, and it was through it that they now passed. Despite being one of the few aboveground who was aware of the existence of the tunnels, Sir Black had yet to actually explore it once it was finished. More importantly, he still had no idea what reason all of this was for.

Lit torches lined the walls, providing ample lighting as they navigated the tunnels. They turned a corner, and then another, before finally arriving at a set of heavy stone doors. Two guards stood at attention in front, and they quickly moved to open the doors as they approached, the sound of stone grating against stone echoing in the enclosed space.

Lord Rubeon swept an arm towards the opening door and smiled at the knight. "This is where the magic will happen," he said gleefully.

Beyond the doors was a large square chamber with a massive brazier in each of its four corners. The braziers were cold and lifeless for now, but there were piles of wood in each one ready to be burned.

Smaller standing torches lit the walkway that led from the doors to the center of the room, where a raised stone dais was surrounded by strange horned statues that looked like demons. As they drew closer, Sir Black confirmed that they were indeed demons. On the dais was what looked to be some kind of stone table or altar, and on top of that was a stand for an eerie red and violet orb.

Looking at it made the already chill air feel colder, and Sir Black averted his gaze quickly, though not quick enough to avoid shivering. There was something really wrong with that orb. He tried not to think about it.

Trying to focus on anything else, he further studied the chamber. Around the raised platform were several pits about three feet deep, and all around the chamber were grooves and channels that seemed to cover almost every surface on the floor.

All in all, it looked exactly like the kind of room in which cult rituals were performed. Sir Black had always had his suspicions, of course, but to actually see it for himself, there was now no question in his mind that Lord Rubeon was involved with some dark cult. The question was, which one?

It was then that he noticed something peculiar as he swept the chamber once more with his gaze.

Against the wall on the far end of the chamber, looking rather out of place and hidden in the shadows, was what looked to be a big statue of a man leaning on a fittingly large warhammer. And as Sir Black stared at it, trying to make it out clearer in the dim light, he could have sworn that it looked familiar. He wanted to take a closer look, but as he stepped towards it, Lord Rubeon spoke and drew his attention.

"I'm sure you have many questions," said Lord Rubeon as he walked around the dais, eyes fixated on the knight. "And they will be answered soon enough, I assure you. But until then, all you need to know is that it is from here that we will help bring about great change to our beloved Empire. It is from here that we will help usher a new chapter in history."

Instinct told Sir Black that the noble was by no means exaggerating, yet he had a hard time believing that whatever was to happen here would be able to affect the Empire, let alone the world, as much as Lord Rubeon claimed. The knight hesitated, then mustering his resolve he said, "What do you need of me, my lord?"

Lord Rubeon smiled again, and with the dim light of the ritual chamber casting shadows across his face, it looked incredibly sinister.

x=x=X=x=x

It was getting late by the time Lucifer left the newly established training yard. He had tested out several more summons – both natural and unnatural – and they all worked pretty much how they did in YGGDRASIL. Except they were actually lifelike this time around and had limited consciousness that he could mentally feel and connect with using the summoner-summon bond.

He also played around with some more of his spells, most notably [Create Item] and [Create Greater Item].

Like he had discovered before, with these two spells he technically could create almost anything he could think of. However, he found that his powers of creation were seriously limited by two things: his imagination and his knowledge.

First of all, his imagination had to be focused and strong in order to picture what he wanted to create in his mind, though he did discover that the picture did not necessarily have to be perfect. It only had to be good enough, and presumably his subconscious filled in the rest. The more complex the object, the harder it was for him to picture well in his mind's eye, and the more likely it was for the spell to fail.

Even with the challenges posed by his imagination, the more limiting variable turned out to be his knowledge. Or more specifically, his knowledge of how things worked. The more complicated an object he wanted to create, the more he had to understand how it actually functioned in order for the spell to successfully bring it to life, so to speak.

Simple objects were easy enough. Things like ceramics or silverware, or even furniture. Things with few parts, essentially. But when he tried to create more complex items with plenty of pieces and parts, many of which had to work in specific ways, like guns or machines, the objects ended up materializing, but they did not work like they should.

On the outside, these objects looked exactly like the ones he was trying to recreate, but once he took them apart, he discovered that their insides were either incorrect or incomplete. He supposed that in some ways it made sense that this would be a serious limitation on such an ability, what would have been called game-breaking in YGGDRASIL, yet he could not help feeling disappointed that he would not be able to create computers, robots, or vehicles from his old world.

At least not anytime soon.

Lucifer was no engineer. Neither was he extensively knowledgeable about science. It would likely take considerable time and effort on his part to study and research how to successfully create complex items, and he was not about to shut himself away for who knew how long just so that he could materialize things from his old world. Perhaps someday far in the future he would feel inclined to go down that path, but for now he would have to shelve this particular project and be content with producing simpler items.

On the plus side, he was able to confirm that his summons could use any of the items that he created, so long as he provided the proper instructions. Once again, he had summoned a band of skeleton warriors and, after having the earth elemental make a proper stone gate, he ordered them to use some shovels he created to dig a trench along the outside of the walls.

It would have been a simple matter for the earth elemental to do on its own, but this was a test of both the duration of the summon spell, to check if it was any different than it was in YGGDRASIL, and to see what happened with the summons over time after being given such a command.

As a secondary objective, this was also a test to see what would happen with his magically created items over time. Did these items have a time limit? What would happen if they got damaged? Would they degrade over time? These were but some of the questions he hoped to answer with this experiment.

He even left the wolves and the earth elemental there with instructions to alert him to any potential intruders, and to drive them off if they got too close. Though he did command one wolf to run as far and as fast as it could northward to see if there were any limits to the range of the link between summoner and summon, and to also test the endurance of his summoned animals. They were ordinary wolves made flesh by magic, so it stood to reason that they had physical limits. That was his theory, at least.

When Lucifer appeared out of thin air in the dark alley behind The Rose Moon Inn, dressed in his fine gold-lined white robes, he could still feel the faint presence of each summon at the edge of his consciousness. He could even feel the mana reserved to sustain the items he had created.

Satisfied that he should be able to sense the disappearance of his summons once their spells expired, he quickly made his way around to the front where he was surprised to find Otto on his way out.

Lucifer did not think the big innkeeper ever left the premises, particularly because he was the only one working at the inn. If Otto was leaving, who was there to deal with customers? Few that there were.

"My cousin, Karlan, who I believe you've already met," replied Otto to the question Lucifer posed as they both stood in the street. "He helps me once in a while when he's off-duty from the City Guard so I can go out and… deal with other matters." The big man looked away uncomfortably.

Lucifer's curiosity was piqued but he thought better than to ask for specifics. Though in that moment he wished he could read minds. "How long will you be gone?"

"Bah! Don't you worry," Otto said with a short laugh. "I'm not leaving the inn for long. I'll be back tomorrow evening, just in time to cook you another subpar supper."

Lucifer held his gaze. "Your cooking isn't bad," he said truthfully.

"Ha! But it ain't good now, is it?" Otto slapped his own thigh, looking thoroughly amused before getting a hold of himself. Clearing his throat, he said, "Look, I'd like to stay and chat, but I… really oughta be going."

"Of course," Lucifer said with an apologetic smile. "Don't' let me keep you. Have a good evening, Otto."

With a grunt and a half-hearted wave, Otto lumbered off, leaving Lucifer staring after him until he disappeared around a corner.

Karlan, standing behind the bar as naturally as if he were Otto himself, was indeed the City Guardsman at the Eastern Gate who had directed Lucifer to the inn when he first arrived at Oldaven. The big guard recognized Lucifer immediately when he walked in.

"I'm glad you decided to stay here, sir," Karlan said honestly, "I know it isn't exactly the best place to stay, but…"

"You were just trying to help your cousin out," Lucifer finished the thought for him.

Karlan nodded, embarrassed. "Aye."

"I don't mind the place," Lucifer spoke truthfully as he cast his gaze about the room. "It's very affordable, which is what I was looking for. Though it could stand to be cleaned and fixed up a little."

Karlan laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I can't argue with that."

"Why doesn't your cousin fix it up some more? And maybe hire someone else to help him out while he's at it?"

"It's… complicated," responded Karlan in a tone that said he was not going to explain why. "Besides, I'm sure you can tell that money is a bit tight for my cousin. I've mentioned pitching in more to help Otto out, to get this place back on its feet, but the stubborn bastard refuses me every time."

"He does seem like the sort who doesn't want to rely on others for help," noted Lucifer.

"Aye. Not for free, at least. Not even from his own blood." Karlan took a deep breath and leaned forward with his palms flat on the counter. "But that's enough of that talk. My cousin told me about your arrangement. I reckon you'd want your meals for the day before you head up to your room."

Lucifer understood that he was being politely asked to move along, perhaps because the man was worried about saying something he should not about Otto's situation.

"Yes. Two meals, if you please," Lucifer said with a smile.

x=x=X=x=x

The lamp on the nightstand was lit, casting much of the cozy room in a yellowish light.

Unsurprisingly, Lucifer found Kiah on her bed with her lower half beneath the covers, looking like she had barely moved all day. Her eyes latched onto him and the bowls he carried as he drew closer, and her belly growled loudly.

Guilt ate at him having left her here without anything to eat all day. "How are you feeling today?" he asked, offering her one of the bowls and setting the other on the nearby nightstand.

She shrugged, careful not to spill any of the stew on herself. "Okay, I guess…"

Lucifer took a seat on his bed and watched her eat. The stew was hot enough that she couldn't wolf it down too quickly, but she was doing her best to get it into her belly fast without burning herself.

"You should move around some more, at least," he said. "Getting rest is important, but so is keeping active."

"I stood by the window," she informed him after swallowing a mouthful of stew, glancing in his direction before returning her attention to her bowl.

"I suppose that counts," he said. At least she was moving around even a little. "Any particular reason?"

She thought for a moment, already almost halfway through her meal. "I wanted to see."

"See what?"

"Everything," she said simply, then her mouth was filled with more stew.

"Didn't you see everything when we went out together before?"

She shook her head. "Yes, I saw a lot… but also… not really," she paused. "It's different when I look from here. From the window… nobody can see me, but I can see them."

"Ah." Lucifer stood and stepped up to the window himself, peering out at the view, which consisted of the street below, the buildings across, and the mouths of a few alleys. "See anything interesting?"

"Not really," she said, brow furrowing a little. Her bowl was nearing empty.

"Have you ever considered going out on your own?"

"No," she was quick to say, but then she bit her lip and shrugged. "Yes," she said, much softer. "Sorry."

He glanced at her. "No need to apologize," he said reassuringly, "There's nothing wrong with thinking that. You must remember that you're no longer a slave, Kiah. That means you are free to go wherever and do whatever you want… within reason, of course."

She paused in her eating, digesting more than just the stew.

Lucifer continued, "If you want to leave the room and walk around the inn, you can. If you want to walk the streets of the city, go for it, though I recommend you don't stray too far from the inn. And if you even want to leave the city and travel far, I won't stop you. But I strongly recommend you wait until you are fully recovered before doing any serious traveling, and that you tell me before you go so that I can help you properly prepare for your journey."

Kiah slowly shook her head but said nothing else, leaving him wondering what the gesture meant. She continued to devour the last remnants of her stew while Lucifer alternated between looking outside and stealing glances at the elf, wondering what she was thinking. She was certainly a little livelier today than she had been previously, which he took to be a good sign.

"This stew is good. Better than before," she finally spoke again, resting the empty bowl on her lap and licking her lips.

Lucifer smiled. "Is it? I'll be sure to tell Karlan. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to know how much you liked it." Even Otto would probably admit to his cousin's cooking being better.

"Karlan?" she cocked her head to the side, looking lost.

"Otto's cousin. A City Guardsman most days, but he's taken over innkeeping duties temporarily until tomorrow while Otto is away," he explained quickly. "I noticed that he put a few more ingredients into the stew than Otto normally does, so that's probably why it tastes better."

If Lucifer had to guess, the guardsman had bought some extra ingredients with his own money to use in the stew. A small enough gesture that Otto couldn't possibly get too angry about. Perhaps even the kitchen stocks were all replenished too, with the reason being that Karlan needed it well-stocked to run the inn while Otto was away. The innkeeper probably did not really argue with that either.

Kiah rubbed the edges of the empty bowl with her thumbs, and Lucifer gestured towards the other one resting on the nightstand.

"Go ahead," he said encouragingly. "Eat some more. I'm sure you're still hungry."

She did not hesitate to swap out her empty bowl, already getting used to eating both helpings of whatever food he brought up from the innkeeper. When she was finished a short while later, she stacked both bowls on top of each other on the nightstand.

"Thank you," she said, gently wiping her mouth with the silk navy and gold handkerchief he had given her before.

Lucifer, staring back out the window, watched as a couple of drunkards stumbled about on the street below, both too drunk to really help the other walk straight, and yet they still tried.

"I'm sorry I got back so late," he said, "You must have been starving."

"It's okay," she replied quickly, looking ashamed. She clutched at the handkerchief in her lap.

"The job took longer than expected… and other things came up." Like his sudden desire to finally do some testing.

She reached up and tucked some strands of hair behind one of her pointed ears. "It went… well?" Her hand lingered by her ear, where she gently rubbed the tip between her fingers.

"The job? I'd say so," he replied. "We got it done and made the client happy. Earned a little extra for our efforts too. It was rather… disgusting though. You ever see giant rats before?"

Her hand returned to her lap as she nodded. "Sometimes… we would find a few of them at the… at the farm."

"Then you'd probably understand," he said, "There were dozens of them. Large as cats, with sharp claws and teeth. And there was a whole nest of the filthy creatures beneath the client's warehouse. It was, as Julia said, super gross."

Kiah shuddered at the thought, then she glanced furtively at Lucifer who was staring out the window again. "How is… Julia?"

"She's a bit scratched up, but she'll be fine," he told her, "She was talking about you, you know."

Kiah's eyes widened. "Sh-She was?"

"Yep. She was wondering why you weren't partied up with us since she thinks you have healing magic. It's useful for someone to have that in the party."

The elf frowned. "But I don't have healing magic."

"I know," said Lucifer with a sigh, "And I'm sorry I lied to her about that. It was the only thing I could come up with on short notice. I'd rather not reveal the extent of my powers to anyone just yet. You know that." He had explained the situation to her once Julia left after being rescued, and the elf seemed to understand.

Kiah's stomach rumbled again, though this time it was because of all the food that currently filled it. Maybe she had eaten a little too fast.

"You know," Lucifer said, "If you're hungry during the day you can go on your own downstairs to ask Otto for your meals. You need not wait for me." He spoke softly so as not to make it seem like he was lecturing her or anything. "You remember Otto, right? He's nice, in spite of his intimidatingly large stature."

She nodded. "I remember."

"Right now, the jobs I'm taking at the Guild… they seem easy enough that they can be done within a day, as long as we set out early enough. But I'm sure there will be plenty of jobs in the future that will take longer than that, not to mention other things that I might be doing, and I don't want you to starve to death waiting for me to come back. Okay?"

Of course, Lucifer could always use Gate or Teleport to return quickly to make sure the elf was fed, but he did not want her to rely on him completely to survive. That would not be ideal. He preferred not to have to babysit the elf for too long.

Kiah shifted on her bed, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging them. "Lucifer. Can I… ask you a question?"

"You already have," he teased, grinning.

The elf did not smile. Her gaze remained fixated at the foot of her bed, and he saw that whatever she wanted to ask was important to her. He sat back down on the edge of his bed and waited patiently.

With a deep breath, Kiah said, "Can you teach me healing magic?"

x=x=X=x=x

Halfway across the city, Janna was applying another batch of healing salve to her sister's wounds. The salve felt cool and sticky on her fingers as she gently massaged it along numerous cuts and scrapes. It had an earthy smell to it, with a bit of sharpness that resembled mint, she thought.

Julia lay on her back, slightly damp and completely naked with nothing but a towel wrapped around her head and her eyes closed as if she were already asleep. Her breaths came in smooth, regular intervals, broken only by the occasional hiss that escaped her lips as her wounds stung from the fresh application of the salve.

For the most part, her sister was relaxed. Most people would be after spending several hours in a hot bath, the water bordering on cold by the time she stepped out of it.

"I think I got a few splinters from that stupid tub," Julia had complained when she got out. "Ugh! And I'm all pruney!"

Their bathroom was more like a closet stuffed with bathroom essentials, like a toilet, sink, and bathtub. And the bathtub in question was barely larger than two barrels put side-by-side and was made entirely of wood. Not a good kind of wood either. It was the cheapest wood their father could find that was good enough to be water-tight and, at least initially, water-resistant too. But they all agreed it was better than nothing, because without one they would have been forced to go to the public bath a few blocks away every time they wanted to wash themselves.

The girls shared a tiny room only big enough for a thin nightstand next to a rickety old bed pushed into one corner, a dresser tilting to one side by the foot of the bed, and beside that was a small desk with a cracked vanity mirror and a creaky chair. A boarded-up window was on the wall next to the bed with a hammer resting on the sill.

Their parents might have said something about how dangerous it was to leave the tool where it might fall on them in their sleep, but they rarely saw their parents these days. And with the hammer right there, it was easier for them to take a few of the boards out whenever they fancied a look out into the world from their bedroom, or if they wanted to get some fresh air. Especially in the hot summer months when the room got incredibly stuffy.

Janna was just finishing up when her eyes felt suddenly drawn to the rhythmic rise and fall of her sister's bare chest. Even though they were not actually twins, being a year apart, Janna was not blind to how similar they looked to each other. Their close physical similarities made it difficult not to compare herself to her sister, and in this particular comparison the differences between them were quite pronounced.

Julia was developing well enough along, maybe enough to be called perky, whereas Janna barely had anything to speak of. She absently clutched at the shirt over her chest, because unlike her sister she actually put something on after her turn at the bath, and she wondered if she would be like her sister a year from now. Would a year really make that much of a difference?

She looked down at her own flat chest and then glanced back at her sister's, biting her lip. Julia's were filled out enough to grab some of. Curiosity got the better of her and she found herself reaching a hand over to them, hoping to get a feel for what it was like to actually have breasts.

It was alright if she touched them a little, she thought. They were sisters. It was not like they had not felt each other up a little before, and they saw each other naked all the time, but when she was an inch away from touching them, Julia suddenly stirred, and Janna drew back her hand so fast she nearly fell off the bed.

"Mmm… you done, Jan?" said the older girl sleepily.

Heart beating loudly in her chest and heat filling her cheeks, Janna blinked and looked away as Julia arched her back and stretched.

"Y-Yeah," Janna managed to reply, "All done."

"Good… I was practically asleep already," she said, yawning and then blearily opening her eyes to look at Janna. "You okay?"

Janna nodded. "I-I'm fine."

"Mmmkay…" Julia unwrapped the towel from her head and threw it somewhere onto the floor, then she sat up long enough to slide herself underneath the thinning sheets. "You should get some sleep, sis." She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Don't forget we told Lucifer we'd meet him early in the morning." She yawned again and then fell silent save for the steady sound of her soft breaths.

"I didn't forget," said Janna as she slid off the bed and gathered the bandages and the jar of healing salve to put away in her pack. She also took the time to fold her sister's towel and drape it over the back of the desk chair so as to get it off the floor.

When she returned to the bed, Janna turned off the magic lamp on the nightstand and got under the covers with practiced ease despite the sudden darkness. She was usually the last one to bed.

"Good night, Julia," Janna whispered, turning towards her sister.

"Mm… night…" came the mumbled reply, then Janna closed her eyes and found herself quickly falling asleep.

x=x=X=x=x

Sergeant Tara Shemp walked along the top of the wall that separated the city from the cemetary, hands tucked behind her back as she did her nightly rounds. She nodded every now and again to the men and women under her command who stood guard. Sometimes she exchanged a few words or listened to a story or two, but for the most part she walked quietly through the night.

The cemetery had been largely peaceful since the last Guild Exam, with only a few shambling skeletons that were easily dispatched. A lot of negative energy had been used up that night, and it was nice to not have to worry so much about the undead. At least for a little while. If only there was a way to permanently get rid of the negative energy buildup. A shame that the Temple could not come up with anything for that purpose.

Later, she was nearing the end of her rounds and was deep in thought about ordering some new equipment for the guards under her command when one of the guards in question came running up behind her, sweating and out of breath.

"What's happened? Explain yourself," she demanded, annoyed that her mostly quiet night of peaceful thinking was suddenly interrupted. All manner of potential incidents crossed her mind, each one more troublesome than the last. She hoped it was nothing too serious. At the very least, it did not sound like there was any fighting in the vicinity, but maybe the trouble was far enough away that she could not hear it.

"Sorry, sergeant," said the guard, doubled over from his exertion. "There are serious-looking people from the Temple here to see you." He paused, gasping, "They said it's urgent, and when I mentioned you were out for your evening rounds, they told me that it couldn't wait and to fetch you immediately."

"Did they now?" She arched an eyebrow at him. It was unlike the Temple to be so pushy, especially with the City Guard. They usually kept to themselves and, if necessary, operated with patience and respect when it came to working with the City Guard. It must be something serious after all, she thought.

"Sorry, sergeant," he repeated, "They wouldn't take no for an answer. And I… I didn't know what else to do. They looked like they were on serious business."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "You're alright. Let's go see what it is they want so badly that they're out here bothering me about it at such a late hour."

Meanwhile, east of the city, Sir Kenrick Black was settling in for the night when he heard the thudding of galloping horses and the sounds of men shouting coming from the courtyard out front.

Panicking and wondering if the golden-eyed stranger and his companions had decided to come back and finish the job after all, he scrambled into his armor and managed to buckle his belt by the time the butler knocked urgently on his door.

"What is it?" he growled as the butler bowed from the doorway. "Are we under attack?"

"No, sir. It was a messenger who arrived bringing urgent news. One of the men stationed in the western fields."

Breathing hard, Sir Black scowled. "Well? What's the message? Spit it out, man!" He reached for his sword and began buckling it around his waist.

"Sire, there are apparently people from the Temple questioning guards, slaves, and farmers. Rousing them from their sleep, even."

"The Temple?!" Black exclaimed in bewilderment. "Questioning them about what?"

"He doesn't know, sire. He says that he left as soon as he saw what was happening."

"Useless," grumbled the knight, shaking his head. "Get my horse ready," he snapped with a glare, and the butler swiftly bowed and left.

Sir Black was at a loss as he continued to ready himself at a less frantic pace now that he knew they were not under immediate attack. What in the world was the Temple doing questioning their people this late at night?

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