James was taken to Ferdinand's office as soon as he arrived at the house. He had to wait in the outer parlour while Jones gave the guild master a run down on what happened, and then he was ushered in to join the guild master for a drink by the fireplace.

Although it was cozy and private, James recognized an interrogation when he saw one. The guild master asked some very pointed questions, and James was sure to answer each and every one of them clearly. The only question he avoided was where he was before going to the warehouse. For an answer, he told Ferdinand that he had a meeting with someone 'not in this world.' If nothing else, it reminded the guild master that James was involved in more significant issues than the local assassin's guild.

James also floated his idea on changes to the current arrangement with Glezda and the guild. Ferdinand was cautious at first, but when James explained his plan, Ferdinand agreed. It was more straightforward than what was currently in place. The shipments would occur once a week instead of daily. They would occur between Glezda and the Baron. The Baron would pay Ferdinand two thousand gold a week for doing the introductions. James would keep the money generated by Glezda, and the Baron would supply the enchanted items that Glezda required. James even agreed to purchase the enchanted items Ferdinand had already arranged at cost. The 'at cost' was a sticking point for Ferdinand, who was first and foremost a merchant. But Rocko had to point out to James that he didn't have to take them at all. Once James realized that he was doing Ferdinand a favour and not the other way around, the transaction went much smoother.

Once that was resolved, James returned to his room and agreed to be there tomorrow for the funeral and ceremony. His room was quiet and dark, and since he had Darkvision, he didn't bother lighting a lamp. James was made aware that there were at least a dozen family members in the rooms around him, and as a result, there were extra guards. He checked to ensure the bathing room was unoccupied and enjoyed a relaxing soak.

When he was done, he asked a guard to let Lady Veronika know he was there. He hoped she would show up to visit, but realized it was almost midnight and she was probably asleep already or visiting with family. Sitting in the parlour, James checked the timer on the Figurine. He had to wait thirty hours from the last time he activated the Figurine before summoning Onyx back, so that meant he would be able to Summon Onyx back in the morning. He didn't want to wait for a second longer than was necessary.

Sadly, Veronika didn't come to visit him before he went to bed, but her Lady in Wait did pass on a verbal message saying that she would attend to him before breakfast. James wasn't sure what that meant but it sounded like fun.

Crawling into the bed was blissful. The bed here was much better than the one in the Dungeon. He would have to bring Glezda some extra furniture for her to copy. Beds, desks, sofas, love seats, etc. She could start her hotel.

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James was woken up by a light tapping at his bedroom door. He was pleased to see that it was his favourite assassin when he opened the door. Veronika slipped into his room and returned his hug. As he went to kiss her, she turned her head slightly so that his lips landed on her cheek.

"Why are you up so early? It is still dark outside," James asked, his eyebrow raised in concern.

"Haven't gone to bed yet," Veronika whispered, wrapping her arms around him.

James leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "Then you should get some sleep. It will be morning soon."

Veronika made a sound but didn't say anything for several minutes. With a sigh, she leaned back and kissed him on his chin, "It is going to be a long day today. I hope you are ready."

"Ready for what?" James inquired.

"Many people are going to inquire about your intentions with me. Especially considering the fact that you have a room in our house," she explained.

James thought about that, then shook his head, "What do you propose?"

Veronika smiled, "Cute. What I propose is to tell people the truth. That we are just friends."

James raised an eyebrow, "We are just friends?"

Veronika sighed and took her arms from around his waist, "Let's be honest, James. You mentioned it last week. You are not going to be here in nine months. You may die at any moment due to this Challenge. I need to distance myself emotionally from that."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

James cringed, "I was hoping to survive longer than a few months."

Turning back to him, she gave him a steely eye, "How?"

"What do you mean," he asked.

"How do you plan on surviving until the end?" She asked. "Does it include screwing around with me? Or does it involve training, practice and gaining levels?"

James frowned, "Your right. We did discuss this. But you didn't want to have that discussion at the time."

Veronika nodded, "That's true. But I do now. I am not so blind as to think that we have a future. It is not because of you or me, but because of the situation we are in."

James nodded, "That is true. So you propose that we tell people we are just friends?"

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "and in 9 months, if you are still alive, come see me." This last part was said with a mischievous grin. Standing on her tippy toes, she kissed him and then turned towards the door.

James wasn't sure how to react to this, but it made sense. Pausing at the door, Veronika turned back to him and gave him a weak smile, "Thank you."

James returned the smile but didn't trust his voice. Once the door was closed, he sat down on the end of the bed and tried to figure out what just happened.

"Didn't see that coming," Rocko said from behind him.

James jumped up and spun around, "Seriously?"

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After Veronika left, James Summoned Onyx. She was very excited to see him: her tail couldn't stop wagging the entire time they spent greeting each other. James wasn't sure if she remembered dying, but he figured he would find out when she returned to the Dungeon and saw Glezda. A guard knocked on the door to ensure everything was okay and informed James that breakfast would be served soon. Washing up quickly and putting on some presentable clothes, James headed down to them for breakfast.

The breakfast room was filled with children yelling and screaming. Fortunately, a guard directed him to the dining hall, where the rest of the adults had breakfast away from the kids. Veronika greeted him when he entered with a kiss on the cheek. The only other person James recognized was Ferdinand, who was socializing at the head of the table with several of the older members of the family. Veronika sat at the end of the table, opposite her father, and James sat to her left. She quickly introduced him to the man on her right, who turned out to be Juan Carlos, her brother.

James didn't pretend to understand the seating arrangements but sat where he was told. Ten other adults were at the table, six men and four women. But across from him was Juan Carlos, and he occupied all of James' attention. Juan Carlos was a man in his late 30s with a muscular build and a wide waxed handlebar mustache. The mustache jutted out a few inches on either side of his nose. It appeared to be a fashion thing because James noticed a couple of the men were sporting competing lip hair, although Juan Carlos looked to be winning.

Nothing exciting happened during the meal, and James was updated on what the plans were for the day. By the time breakfast was cleared away, people were heading off to their rooms to prepare for the ceremony. Rocko filled in James' details on what to expect for the next couple of hours. The ceremony would occur in the Temple of Merchari, the greater god of Trade, Money and Profit. The first half of the ceremony would be held in public with anyone in attendance who wished to attend. Rocko helped James know what to do during the ceremony, as he was expected to know. Ferdinand and Veronika had told the rest of the family that James was a successful merchant staying with them as a guest while he concluded his business in the city.

The second half of the ceremony would be held in private for just the immediate family. James had already been informed that he would not be required to attend and had decided to no intrude on the family's grief. James got to see Alexandro's mother and was surprised by how haggard she appeared. Veronika explained that the past few years had not been kind to her, and the past week had worsened.

After the ceremony, everyone would retire to a nearby tavern which would provide a meal for all the attendees and allow for some socialization. Juan Carlos stuck with Veronika and James for most of the day, making James feel like the third wheel. James wasn't overly worried, as his role here was clear, and he had no issues.

That afternoon, some of the family returned to the Del Torro home and enjoyed some quiet time while the others remained in the city for their reasons. James took the opportunity to slip away from the house and travel to the Dungeon to bring Glezda up to date on the situation with the Baron. James was pleased that Onyx greeted Glezda as she usually would, indicating that her memories were intact. Glezda didn't seem to have an issue with the changes to the schedule, especially once James explained the attack on him and the death of Sasha. She did seem more concerned for his well-being than for the change to the schedule. James was pleased that at least something was working well today. Since he would be busy most of the evening, he asked Onyx to stay with Glezda, and he returned to the Del Torro residence.

Dinner that evening was with a smaller group than at the tavern, but the dining hall was still packed with more than 30 friends and family. The dinner was grand, and the social gathering afterwards was pleasant. James noticed that the large group split between males and females early on. The women went with Veronika to the parlour for 'tea,' while the men went to the study for brandy and cigars. Ferdinand pulled out a few bottles of the 'good stuff' and passed glasses around. James knew this was BS as Ferdinand hid the 'good stuff' in his office.

James stayed long enough not to be considered rude for leaving. Making sure he spoke with Veronika before leaving, he retired to his room and headed to the Dungeon. It was late evening but still early, so James changed his mind and decided to check in on the Baron instead. This required a two-hour trip, but when he arrived, he had convinced Rocko to purchase the Power Astral Anchor for 40 Advantage points and set the new Anchor outside the city proper but still close to the town. This was the worst part of travelling. Maybe he would have to invest in a horse.