Placing a Mark or Two

I opened my eyes to the rays of the sun shining down on me from above. I looked up from my seat to the ceiling and noticed sunlight coming through the cracks. I fell back on the words of Madoise from before about the fact that it's warm and dry but if I can see sunlight above it's not going to be that dry soon. A small shower of rain and I'm going to be swimming in my own room. That would be sort of fun but I'd prefer not to ruin my already ruined sheets. I need to find a mason today or send a letter to Mr. Blacksmith back home to help me, because I'm not dealing with this when the rain comes.

I stood up from my chair and cracked the bones in my back and limbs. "Before I start the day it's best to stretch," I yawned softly before getting into the morning routine. If it's morning that means I've missed dinner. Such a shame, but I wasn't really looking forward to dinner here. I looked out my window as I stretched my rear a bit. I'm not used to riding on horseback for prolonged periods of times and it shows with how raw my rear end feels right now. It looks to be dawn… Meaning I overslept. I would have thought they would send someone for me, but I suppose I was wrong. I'm just not good enough to get that courtesy I suppose, and here I thought I made a good first impression. I smiled a bit at my joke. Yesterday wasn't that good and the only good part of it was when I met the madam. Her image is burned in my mind until death takes me.

I heard a knock at the door and after that the sound of someone attempting to open it. I grinned and walked up to the door. I gripped my sword, which I used to bare the door, and pulled the door open. Outside through the space I made I saw a slightly ruffled Madoise. He must have been attempting and failing to open the door for a moment now, because he was really panting a bit. I guess Boan is known for having a lack of respect when it comes to privacy if he's just going to try to pry my door open without me knowing first. Then again if might have been knocking for a while now and got worried when I didn't answer it. That could be it.

"Morning," I greeted the man and he coughed and got hold of his bearing. "Late sleeper I see." That grin from before was gone. It seems I've done something unexpected and what man likes unexpected variables in the matter of their perceptions of another? Not that many I'm afraid. I don't mind a bit of mystery to a person because it's fun to figure people out from the subtle or blatant queues they reveal. Trends are especially easy to spot if you pay enough attention and yet some don't understand this concept. This man has a few that I've spot right at the get go. Ones that made me a bit guarded with my secrets and habits now, because if I got his mind mapping right, he's more than likely going to spy on me whenever he has the chance. I'll grant it to him but only when I view it as inconsequential to my status or actions. I need to give me something to report.

"Did you sleep well?" Madoise asked as he caught his breath from his early morning exercise for the day. "Well enough. Bit of a heavy sleeper," I looked around the hallway for a moment before opening the door fully. I stood in front of him, not allowing him entry and looked down at him. "Are you okay," I asked. "You seem a bit winded today. Did you just finish a bit of training?"

"Not exactly," the man grinned at me but it was a bit strained. "I've been knocking for quite a time," he brought us back to this subject. "Sorry," I apologized. "I'm a heavy sleeper like I said."

"Heavy enough to lock the door?" He noted bring up his exercise from a minute or so before.

"More for your protection than mine. Apparently, I'm a restless sleeper that punches and kicks in his sleep, but don't tell anyone. It's our little secret, yes?" That conniving smile of his returned. "Heh, so people of the capital are just people after all. I wonder if the king is any different than a country bumpkin," Madoise said in an ironic tone. It seems he has mixed feelings about the capital much like the prefect. That's another note for records. "I hear there's a forest which none can enter. Is this true?" He's talking about the Giropon Woods. I've been there a couple times to get furs from the monsters who reside within to sell them. I turned my head to the side a bit. "I've heard of them. Apparently reconnaissance teams have been sent there numerous times but none have returned," I said in a spooky voice with twirling fingers.

"Oh, Lord, protect us. How scary~" He said with a grin at my joke.

"There's also rumors that demons reside in this forest as well," I said in all the seriousness I could muster at such short notice.

"No way," he said quickly. "They were all wiped out," he reminded me of the 'truth' that was spread around by the higher echelon of men to the commoners to keep their interests contained and people ignorant but happy. I smiled when he said this and leaned on my door frame. "If that's true who do you think it was that gave the rebel army their black magic?" Madoise began to look a little uncomfortable now. "You mean the Inland Rebel Army?"

Everyone has heard of this army as least once or twice. They are an armed insurgency started by the nobles who clamor red for the revival of aristocratic rule in retaliation for King Hagel the First's Knighted Bureacrcy. After ten plus years they're still at a stalemate, staring each other down.

"The rebel leader is Wackenheim, the Hero's kin, correct?"

"So they say. He's quite infamous without his father's name. I hear he's quite the swordsman as well. So good that even the best of the Knights in the Royal Guard pale in comparison." I wouldn't mind fighting him. It might be fun. I know I can wipe the floor with most of my class, not that they would know because I let them win all the time, and that's not accounting for use of magic I've learned. I wonder how someone like Wackenheim would stack against me. I'd more than likely get my butt kicked from dusk til dawn but it would still be a good learning experience if they don't kill me.

"I say the only sword that matter for us men, is this one." Madoise had a dirty smile as he pelvic thrust the air. How did this man become steward again? I shook my head and Madoise cleared his throat before continuing. "Breakfast is in the main hall only. Only the prefect and his wife eat elsewhere." I rubbed my head as Madosie left out the door. I collected my things, before leaving. I don't trust new surroundings until my mark is made, and as of now, I'm not comfortable with my current foot hold. Best I work my way up from the bottom before tackling anything too high up. "First things first," I said and looked up to the ceiling. I pointed at it, "you need to get fixed."

This is Boan.

Different from Shoenburg, the capital.

I realized that while I was a student at the academy I was allowed to eat high quality white bread every day. People are divided in class and so is bread. White bread is said to be the best. Next was the darker, rye breads, which only servants normally ate. The worst tasting bread is made from bran. That was typically given to animals. I would never punish Odin by giving him bran bread. I would eat bran bread before giving it to Odin only because I'm human and it's exceptionally good for you. That taste is lacking but I survived two weeks on it once when I got lost in the Forbidden Forest and came out all the sturdier. In the main hall, we were treated to dark bread, not bran bread. I noticed a plate of white bread being escorted away from the main hall. I'll assume the white bread is served to only the prefect and his wife. Being treated like a servant instead of a Knight, regardless of the fact that I graduated from the knight academy, sadly isn't that much of a shocker to me. Despite my position as the direct aid to the prefect, I'm still treated like a neophyte. Such is life though. This is just something I'm going to reconnoiter later.

While dark bread isn't all that good I don't really mind it. My mother used to make some dark bread with little bits of fruit and jelly in the center which I would go crazy over just to sink my teeth in. This bread tastes fine enough same with the food. I dipped it in my fruity drink a couple times to make it easier to chew. I got a little more creative enough to just drop all my bread and meat into my cup and stabbed it a couple dozen times. I turned into a slop and grinned at the looks of disgust I caught from many of the guards. It turned worse when I put my cup to my lips and swallowed the grog. I reveled in the looks of abhorrence and shock I saw in their eyes that grew when I licked my lips and smiled at them after. I love messing with people. It's so much fun. That taste and the consistency was by far the forth worst I've had when the sugary sweetness and bitterness of the fat him my tongue then swirled within my esophagus but worth it.

"H-Hey there chief, were you followed?" A guard who was sitting next to me asked. "What do you mean?" I asked the man. "Nothing," he said quickly.

"No, you should really be careful at night," another guard said who's sitting across from me. "There's a monster around here."

"You mean the prefect?" I joked.

"Wahahahah!" The guard across form me burst into laughter. Him and the guard to my left as well. "The prefect, gahahaha!" I smiled a bit at this and leaned back in my seat.

"So what sort of monster is this, if not the prefect?"

"A real monster heheh," the guard across from me said between his chuckles. "Male or female," I asked. I had to know because I kill most of the male monsters and animals without much hesitation. Females on the other hand, it depends.

"A woman for sure," the guard across from me said. "Keep your cross close," the guard to my left added to that. So, it's one of those superstitions of a monster like ghosts or ghouls. The only reason they tell you to take out the cross is because of the undead monsters usually. Then again, these men don't know demons and monsters like I do, and I know for a fact that crosses mean nothing to a demon or a monster, unless made of silver. I have a silver sword meant to banish demons, it has the sigils and everything, so I doubt a demon would even think about attacking me during my time here.

I waved off the two guards and took to my feet. "Don't worry about me. Monsters don't scare me," I waved off their worrying. "This one should. If she gets you to do 'that'." I rose an eyebrow at the 'that' that guard meant, but I doubt its anything serious.

Since I'm finished with my food I might as well get with Madoise for that tour. I followed Madoise quietly as we walked the halls. I followed when he called more than likely to have us "tour the outer grounds" starting now. What the guards from before told me though left me a little suspicious of what might be going on around here. Suspicious enough to question the little steward instead of remaining oblivious.

"Madoise, is there, a monster in this castle?"

"Whatever do you mean?" He asked coolly. Now I'm really suspicious. He said that a little too easily and lightly. "That's just what I heard around the grapevine," I said in a way not to direct his ire to anyone else. "I'm sure what you heard was just superstition. It's nothing to be concerned about." I thought the same but a collective mind is one that's faintly wrong and those men all believe that a monster is stalking the darkness of this town. It's funny how Madoise evaded from answering my question instead of just answering then. I suppose asking this man is a waste of time.

"Noted," I sighed and in more ways than one.

We walked to the stables and Madoise picked himself a horse. A pretty woman in a simple working dress placed the saddle on the house and helped him on top. She noticed me and bowed to me. I put on a lazy smile and walked up to her. "Morning ma'am," I bowed my head to the woman. "Morning sir knight. Which horse would you like to take out?" I looked around to the horses in the stables and frowned. Like I noted from yesterday they looked to be scantily fed. They aren't malnourished, but I can tell that by what they are feed they aren't given the food they need to be truly hale and hearty.

"Mine," I said quickly. I rose my fingers to my lips and blew a loud whistle. The woman blinked at me. "You have a horse Sir knight?"

"Please, call me Lute ma'am." The woman blinked and smiled at me. My easy-going nature has a good way of helping people approach me and it worked in this instance. "What's the name of the young woman that works at the stables?" The woman isn't that young. She's probably around the same age as Roxanne. She's very down to earth in comparison with dirty blond hair tied back in a ponytail. He chest isn't large as holy hell like I usually see but I don't really mind. I'd say she's average in the chest department and much taller than Roxanne. She's around my height actually. Maybe that's why I'm speaking to her like an equal more than most women I converse with.

"My name is Evelyn," she introduced herself with a polite curtsy that left me a bit taken back. Most common flock don't know courtesies like that but it seems she's one of the few. "Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. What are the odds?" I said in fake annoyed tone. Evelyn giggled a bit ang pushed my shoulder. She looked shocked and a little fearful for a moment but my increasing smile seemed to help calm her down. "Sorry Sir Lute, I didn't mean to…" I waved my hand in shaking fashion. "I want you to talk to me like anyone else. I may be a knight but I lived in the country most of my life. I'm not like a pompous noble git," I snorted when the memory of one specific noble came to mind. Evelyn giggled a little more. She relaxed a little more in front of me and faced me fully.

Her skin isn't as white as Roxanne's, mainly because she works for a living outside. Its faintly tanned and creamy. I'd say her age only shows in how she looks at you and not her physical appearance. She's quite a looker. "What did you mean you have a horse?" I pointed to the right and from that direction my pale mount approached enthusiastically. Odin slowed to a trot up to me and I pat his forehead. "Oh my," Evelyn marveled at my horse. I'm proud of him and how he's grown. I'd kill an army before I see him gone from my life. "This is Odin. I've raised him for four years since he was a yearling." I pat his strong cannons for legs. They're strong and he's seems energetic despite the long trip we made in half the time.

"He's… magnificent." Compared to the horses here, that's an understatement. Evelyn rose her hand but stopped just an inch away. "Go ahead," I compelled her forward. "He seems like you."

"How do you know?"

"Well, he hasn't kicked you yet," I chuckled a bit. She smiled and placed her hands on his back and poll. "You raised him?" I nodded. "Well you see I heard about a beautiful stable keeper in Boan some years ago and wanted to impress her." Evelyn giggled with her knuckled on her lips. Her cheeks turned scarlet though. "Please Sir Lute. I'm sure you have much to do, other than flirt with an older woman like me."

I looked up to the sky as if lost in thought. "Hmm. Explore the city," I rose my left hand. "Talk to beautiful stable keeper." I rose my other hand. I tested the weight of my choices and unpredictably my right hand fell and my left rose.

Evelyn smiled again at me. "Well, you've certainly impressed me but you have much important things to do than talk to me." She gestured to Madoise. "I really don't, but I'll be back to talk again, if you don't mind." Evelyn shook her head. "I'd… I'd like that Sir Lute." I took Evelyn's hand and kissed to top. She rose her hand to her cheek in a futile attempt to hide her blush. "Until next time then."

I mounted up and ushered Odin forward. I noticed a narrow of Madoise's eyes as I rode up to him. "You seem comfortable with that woman," he noticed but I played it off. "I'm a gentleman, what can I say?" I rose my hand. "Shall we?"

Odin ran circles around Madoise's horse. My horse is probably the best in the land from what I saw. He in fact asked me where I got this horse and told him politely to mind his own business, tactfully of course. I know that look. Men have tried to take my horse before and I've placed my boot firmly between thy butt cheeks for their attempt. You don't take three things from a man. His companion, his sword (either one), or his mount. You try to take one you're asking, no begging, for trouble.

We approached a steep hill that overlooked the town. Sort of like the one I was on top of on the way to Boan. I stopped for a moment and took a long hard look at this view. I can see Boan castle in the distance.

"You have good skill with riding that horse…" "You can't have my horse," I finally sighed at the short little man. "By the way, can we patrol this whole area today?" Madoise frowned but shook his head. "No, that wouldn't be possible. It might be useless land, but there's a lot of it. We'll need today and tomorrow." If I was alone with Odin I could transverse this land in under a day but I guess I'm not in any hurry. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I reached into my bag and pulled out my journal and made a couple more notes to send for later to my friends and Mr. Blacksmith.

Things here are bad. Not the worst I happened to picture but it's not good regardless. By the time we reached the fourth castle it was dusk already. I saw how sparse the fields really are. With how the farmers struggled to produce what little they could, I could feel their anxiety and fear. I made many memos for later and I have many letters to make and send out via messenger hawk for later. Money to be transacted and deals to me made to help these people along. I know a few farm hands that I can pray and make a couple shrines for to beckon a goddess to help revitalize the soul of the land. I can also create some magic powder to breathe some life back into the soil as well. I need to get the potato down here. Bread from it is amazing. It might take some time but with this duty station I have nothing but time. I just have two men standing in my way right now.

Madoise asked me a couple times about it my notebook, but I brushed him off more times than I should to keep writing. I wrote even while we were on the move riding into Boan. Madoise was talking to me but I just gave him a 'ahhuh' or a 'hmm' in response as I wrote down my thoughts. I wrote down much more when I saw the steward suddenly get surrounded by villagers.

"Help us!"

"I don't want to live in a demon town!"

"Glynn was killed yesterday. His spirit was completely sucked dry…"

I stopped writing and looked up from my book. "You!" I pointed at the man in the crowd. The villager looked up to me fearfully but desperately. "Just ignore them." I ignored Madoise instead and dismounted. "You said your friend had his life sucked out of him, right?" I asked the man as I stepped up to him with my bangs covering my eyes.

"Yes," he said quickly. "He was… skin n bones. A husk." That narrows things down a bit. A woman, a demon, and sucks the lifeforce out of humans.

"Does it target women?"

"No! Only men," another villager spoke out. The really narrows it down. A female demon who targets only men and turns them into husks. That's a mermaid or a succubus. Since this is a mountainous area I doubt it's a mermaid.

"Please Sir Knight, help us!"

I rose my hands up and whirled around to quiet the crowd. "The way a demon like this works is that it targets men more in the open or stands ahead of their peers. If she doesn't wish to be seen she won't be. I'm sorry but the only way any of us can stop her is if she loses interest in the target or repelled."

"Then what should we do?"

"Before night falls take widdleweed, the sort you give to pigs or in the cliffs around Boan, and crush it down into powder. Add a drop of blood of your women and water to the powder until it turns into a paste. Then frame outside of your doorways and your windows. This will repel her. I, myself will not do this to lure her to me instead. Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, Sir knight."

"Thank you."

"I hope this works."

"It will," I responded. "Just do as I said, return to your homes, and wait for the next day." The crowd started to disperse peacefully. I sighed and walked back and took Odin's reins. I pulled him along to the Madoise and past him. "Shall we," I said with my book open, jotting down more notes.

I dropped off Odin with Evelyn. I had too much on my mind to speak to her and made my way into the castle. I'm going to need more information on this demon if I'm going to trap it. I think the best person to get information from mine be… Roxanne. I felt a grin curse my lips and made my way to her room. I knocked on the beauty's door and waited.

"Who is it?" I heard her heavenly voice from within.

"Lute," I called. "Please come in!" I smiled and pushed open the door. I saw her standing next to her bed with that same smile on her lips. "Sir Lute, it's good to see you again."

"While I would love to exchange pleasantries Lady Roxanne, and much more, but I'm here on business." I walked in and closed the door behind me.

Her expression turned a little perplexed. "What business?"

"It's about the demon in this land."

"D-Demon?" She looked away with a troubled face. I nodded. "I've compiled together that this land is cursed with a demon of desire." I walked past her to her vanity. "A succubus to be more precise."

"A succubus?" She questioned. "They take the form of an extremely beautiful and alluring woman and use sexual or extremely intimate contact to suck the life out of men via their penis or mouth. It's a one way ticket to heaven and then hell. Can you tell me how many men have died because of her?" Roxanne still wouldn't look at me. "I don't believe it's a demon Sir Lute." She's a terrible liar, but she wouldn't do this without good reason. "Many people come up with a superstition of demons but an illness has taken the land for the past six months." It's an illness I've yet to see then other than a couple colds and fevers that can be treated with a few potions my mother taught me to make.

She stopped there, but I understand what she's saying. If deaths you can't explain happened you blame demons and ghosts. This I understand well enough. "But let's forget that. Tell me about the capital," she swiftly changed the subject. "What's a popular slang right now?" Her smile returned at the topic on the capital.

I sighed and pushed off the vanity. "I would have to say… 'metabo', maybe?"

"Metabo?" She tilted her head with a confused but interested expression on her pretty face. "People use metabo to mean fat." Her expression of confusion turned into one of glee. "Teehee. Such a strange word. Anything else?"

I thought on it for a moment. "Recently we have a drink called 'coffee.'" I shivered at the bitterness of that drink just from the mere mention of it. "Coffee?" In past lives I'm sure my ancestors avoided the stuff like it was the plague. The same extends to now with me. "It's from a new continent, but everyone complains it's too bitter." I shivered again.

"Is it really bitter?"

"Yes."

"Do you like bitter thing?"

"Nope," I said simply. "It's one of the few things I don't like." Her expression suddenly turned sad. "Right… I don't either… I also don't like… lonely nights."

That really came out of nowhere.

"Lonely nights eh? If you need a guard I can order one to watch over you. I'd do it in a heartbeat." Roxanne giggled a bit. "I'm sorry about that. I was just rambling."

Sure she was.

"So why do they drink this 'coffee'?" she continued on with our prior subject. "It's a 'pick me up'. Sort of wakes you up, gets you energized… And is also effective for those long nights when you need to stay up."

"Ohh," she flushed as her eyes glazed over me. I cleared my throat but the pheromones blasted out and hit me like a cart of bricks. "S-some nobles drink it, while complaining about the bitterness," I added in with a roll of the eyes. "Teehee… So it's popular now?" I made a wishy-washy motion with my hand tilting it left and right. "In a way. I know some of my class that drank the stuff," and I'll never understand why. "And did you try it?"

"No. I didn't."

"Ohh," she looked a bit disappointed. "That's too bad. I hope you can try it someday."

I felt she was suggesting something. I've been getting the "We're playing the game" vibe since we first met and it's only becoming emboldened the more we converse. If we're playing this game I might as well go along with it. "I might if its push on me." I said with a smile. "I'm always willing to try new tastes and the like."

"Hehehe," the giggled again. "Hopefully in the future you can."

"Without a doubt, I know I will… Lady Roxanne." I bowed to her and turned to leave until we heard a knock at the door.

"Madam, dinner is served." Roxanne's eyes lost their glaze and her suggestive smile faded away. I felt her eyes burn the door even though they weren't focused on me. "Come in," she said tenderly but with a twinge of impatience. It was Madoise with a small tray in hand. "Oh, so this is where you were Sir Lute." He tried to sound and look surprised, but he seemed to have expected this. I noticed a bit more bread on that tray than normal as well.

"He was telling me about the capital," Roxanne said that sounded like an excuse more than anything. I think Madoise noticed this for his smile mirrored his devious thoughts even I can see flashing in his eyes. "Well, isn't that nice." His eyes flowed from me to her.

"I was…"

"Madoise," Roxanne said, interrupting me before I can finish like she knew exactly what I was going to say before I had a chance. "Can I have you bring Sir Lute's meal here?"

"I don't mind," he said slyly. At least try to hide it you son of a bitch! "But what would the prefect say?"

"I only want to talk a little longer." Madoise's smile grew. "Well, if that's the case… I'll just pretend I didn't see anything." That's a lie. It's best I leave before anything crazy could happen. Surely Lady Roxanne would have noticed this. "Sorry, Madoise." Or maybe not. So innocent for a woman so old. "Not. At. All." I wanted palm my face but I stayed out of this the best I could.

"Oh. Bring some white bread too."

"Sure thing." Madoise bowed his head and left out the door. His eyes lingered on the two of us as he closed the door completely. That annoying smile was still on his face. "Rye bread must be tough so please have some white bread while you can." I smirked. "You must not have seen how I eat my bread then." She looked at me quizzically but I just waved the topic off. "Thank you though. I appreciate having something nice to eat." Roxanne looked down again. "I eat and eat, and only my breasts get bigger."

I just about broke my bearing and laughed. She's really trying, isn't she? While I would love to place my vices before my virtues at times I'd rather placed my ser-vice to my country as a knight first. This will have to wait. Still, that doesn't mean I can follow along a bit more in this. "Thank God for that," I murmured. She looked at me and I quickly clarified. "I-I think it's wonderful that they get bigger."

"Really?" She looked at me keenly. "But my husband, he doesn't think so."

Then he's a fool.

"He won't even…" I rose my hand up to stop her. This was extremely disrespectful but I had to stop her right then and there. "I'm sorry," she said nippily. "It's not your concern."

"It's fine Lady Roxanne." She sat down on her bed and took a long breath. I watched her massive chest rise and fall with her long breath and couldn't help but stare. I walked to her vanity and grabbed her stool. I sat it in front of her and then sat down as well. "If you need to talk and get something off your chest I'm here to hear you out," I suggested to her. "I may be a knight of the crown but I'm a knight for the people first before anything. I'm your knight and if you need something please don't hesitate to tell Lady Roxanne."

She looked up to me with a sad smile and twiddled her fingers a bit in her lap. "It's just… I've been so sad recently but…" She shook her head. "It's better to not know, isn't it?" Her heart broke as memories of something tragic flashed past her eyes. I couldn't guess what might have happened to hurt her like this but I'm thinking it's tied to many of the queues I've picked up with our few interactions.

"Know what?"

"It's nothing… I have to go pray later." I hummed and looked away. It's personal with her and it's affecting her enough to try to latch onto me. It's a bit sad but such is human nature. "Are you… uncomfortable with faith?"

"No," I said honestly. "But I don't believe in god or gods for that matter."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's not a god I see when I look out the window. When I look up to you. When I ride my horse. When I fight a monster. I see a city built by man. I see a beautiful woman that shines brighter than any god. I see rocky mountains and nature continuing on its nature cycle. I see a foe I need to fight and defeat if I wish to live. No god is out there or in the sky above." I looked up from my hands to Roxanne. "All I see is us and our surroundings. I see life formed everywhere I go because of us. We, as men, change this world more than anything. I know what I say might be sacrilegious but it's just I'm more down to earth. If my head goes up to the clouds then how can you truly see what is in front of you?" I looked up the ceiling with an ironic smile on my lips for I'm anything but joyful with what I have next to say. "That, and even though we believe in the gods, many of them have stopped believing in us."

I shook my head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bore you."

"Teehee, I found your point interesting actually," she tried to sound happy from my input but I feel my words might have struck her in her core. It showed when her eyes turned downcast. "That last statement you gave sounded so sure that I'm not sure what to believe now."

"As long as you don't report me to the church I'll be very much appreciative." Roxanna smiled againand took my hands in her own. I looked up to her into her beautiful eyes and her into mine. I just about lost myself into them, but I'm not stranger to seduction. I smiled at her and kissed the tops of her hands. "Best I go. I need to do more research on this demon."

"Sir Lute?" I stood up and walked to the door. I heard a knock as the door and found Madoise outside with another trey and a bowl of white bread. I took a plate and a couple pieces of white bread. "Good day Madoise. Lady Roxanne."

"Sir Lute, you don't have to go."

"We can talk later milady. I have work I have to do." I bowed to the both of them and walked to the main hall.

This was a bust so I have to ask the men instead then.

I walked up to a random guards and questioned them lightly and pieced it all together bit by bit as I went. I have a demon so I kept my charms close. I have my swords at the ready and need to prep my sigil on cloak.

Tonight, I might have to go on The Hunt and see if I can barter with this demon. I'd hate to fight when I don't want to.

A/N: I wonder just how deep I wish to take the whole Boan Arc before the capital. I have much I'd like to do but unsure on how to do it. I guess I'll figure it out. Thanks for reading.