After recovering for a short while Varei looked at Tepo, asking:

“So, what do we do now? Explore the forest from another direction?”

“No way!”, opposed the young man strongly. “I won’t do any more work for those b*stards!

Let’s go! We will leave the dungeon!”

“You’re right. Daring to trick this dragon spirit…”

Varei shook his head as he trotted towards another mirror. Tepo patted his black coat before following behind his partner.

Passing through a few rooms, the duo arrived back at the portal.

Immediately an idle church member approached them, wanting to ask for their gathered information. But he was left standing in confusion as Tepo sent him a murderous look before leaving through the portal.

With a rapid change of scenery Tepo and Varei arrived back in the World of Nine Suns.

Only the church’s guards were in the room. They didn’t show any change in expression as Tepo and Varei suddenly appeared.

“Let’s go!”

“Mhm.”

The two warriors didn’t waste any more time and immediately approached the corridor.

Suddenly a low sound of metal clashing could be heard. Tepo’s eyes narrowed as two spears blocked his path.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“Friend, please understand that we can’t let you walk around without a guide!”

Tepo stared at the guard who had just spoken.

“Then get me a guide!”

“I’m sorry, but our guides are busy with clearing the dungeon right now!”

“Is this how you treat your ‘friends’? You are not letting me leave?!”

“Not alone, no!”

“So, are we just here to slave away for you?! Are you for real?”

“What did you just say?”

Suddenly anger mixed in the guard’s voice. The ten other guards took a step forward, weapons appearing in their hands.

Tepo gritted his teeth, assessing his options. He eyed the guards, but he realized that he was in someone else’s territory. Even if he could overwhelm those present, reinforcements would arrive quickly.

“Nothing. I said nothing.”

Pressing those words out between his teeth, Tepo turned around and obediently entered the portal again, rage boiling in his chest with nowhere to vent.

He didn’t give anyone time to talk to him and directly rushed into a random mirror.

Followed by Varei he arrived in another room, where he stooped and took a few deep breaths.

“How DARE they? Tepo, let’s fight our way out! This is unacceptable.”

Tepo looked at the angry dragon spirit, not able to deny that he also had those thoughts. But his rationality won out in the end.

“I wish we could. But we are still on the church’s territory. Guards are everywhere here.”

“What if we just leave with [Spirit Form]?”

“The portal ripples when someone passes. If their guards aren’t slacking off, they’d know that something is going on. It’s not worth the risk.”

“So, are we actually forced to work here?”

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“No way! Let’s head for a room with only a few connections and train there. I definitely won’t help the church.”

“Right, right.”

With a new direction the duo didn’t delay and immediately left through a mirror.

It didn’t take long until they arrived in a small room with only three mirrors and one painting on the wall.

Satisfied with the quiet environment the duo directly began to train, forgetting about everything else.

An entire day passed without much action. Tepo and Varei were interrupted a few times but didn’t care about others’ opinions and went back to train.

Inwardly though Tepo got increasingly confused, wondering why it took so long to solve the dungeon.

Suddenly, however, the young man’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Tepo? Are you… really training here?”

Tepo opened his eyes in surprise. He didn’t know what to feel as he found Yerive arriving together with Droa’va.

“Did you guys come for me?”

“Yes. Someone gossiped, saying that people have begun slacking off. Honestly, I didn’t believe them at first when they described your appearance…”

“Yerive is right.”, added Droa’va with a disappointed voice. “We thought you came to help us.”

“Hmpf!”

Suddenly Varei made his displeasure known, attracting everyone’s attention. Droa’va looked at him in confusion.

“And who are you?”

“Hmpf. You are not worthy of knowing my name!”

Tepo shrugged his shoulders as Varei raised his head proudly, not bothering to explain.

“Ok guys. I don’t know what’s going on, but could you please continue to help? Motivation is already waning, and you are setting a bad example!”

Narrowing his eyes, Tepo stared at Droa’va’s face. He stayed silent, looking for any change in expression, but the woman’s concern appeared genuine.

Yerive felt awkward, addressing Tepo as well:

“Droa’va is right, Tepo. Didn’t you agree to help me? What happened?”

“You know I will always be there if you need me, Yerive! But here I’m not helping you, but a church! And I’ve had enough of it!”

Tepo tried to keep his voice solemn, but a hint of anger mixed in as he thought about everything that happened.

Suddenly Droa’va felt like she had had enough of it. The usually joyful woman took a step forward, pointing her finger at Tepo, speaking in a raised voice:

“You stubborn fool! I don’t know where your aversion comes from, but if you don’t want to have anything to do with our religion, why don’t you just leave?!”

Jumping up, Tepo also felt it increasingly difficult to suppress his emotions.

“I wanted to! But your guards held me back! Because this is how you treat your ‘friends’! We are only here to slave away for nothing!

All of this, while you church members happily take everything valuable from the forest!”

“You… what are you saying?!”

“Tepo!”

Yerive and Droa’va were taken aback by Tepo’s accusation. They were genuinely confused.

“What? Want to deny it?!”

The young man stared at Droa’va, rage in his eyes.

“I… have no idea what you are talking about…”

“Ha! Of course! Then what is this?!”

With those words Tepo took out the recording metal, throwing it at Droa’va. Although he put a lot of strength into it in his rage, the woman caught it easily.

With suspicion in her heart, she played the recording.

Tepo and Varei could watch as Yerive’s and Droa’va’s faces fell with every word. Disbelief was in their eyes. At least they didn’t look like they knew what was going on in the forest.

Droa’va didn’t even dare to listen to the end. Like a cursed object, she threw the recording metal, letting it slide on the ground.

“This… Tepo. This has nothing to do with the church!”

Tepo let out a chuckle, disappointment in his voice:

“Of course.”

“Yes, you have to believe me! These are their individual actions! I will file a complaint as soon as the priests return, ok?”

“Individual? Sure, it’s always individuals…

Yerive? Something to say?”

Tepo stared at his best friend, hoping to convince him. But he felt his throat dry up as Yerive looked at the ground in shame, staying silent.

“Really, Yerive? After everything I did for you…?”

Abruptly Yerive lifted his head staring at Tepo with complicated eyes:

“Everything YOU did for ME? What did you do?

You brought me here, to a place where everyone looks down on me. You promised a lot but never did anything! I had to fight for myself!

Only the Church of Guiding Nature helped me! You didn’t even realize that I managed to change my force with their help! My training speed is faster than ever!

But you keep to yourself all the time! You are only interested in your own advancement!”

Tepo’s mouth opened but he couldn’t get out a word. Thinking back, Yerive’s words held some truth.

“However, this doesn’t change the fact that the church is using us, Yerive! We…”

“NO! Why are you so stubborn?! I told you the church was good to me!”

Tepo was taken aback by Yerive’s sudden rebuttal. In another situation he would be glad if his best friend showed so much confidence.

However, he couldn’t back down this time. Not only for himself, but also for the low chance that Yerive might become an ‘outsider’ sometime in the future.

“Yerive, listen…”

“No. You are overdoing it Tepo!”

Tepo’s words were stuck in his mouth as Yerive cut him off. He gritted his teeth. Droa’va spoke up but Tepo was fed up at this point.

“Tepo, please…”

“NO! Droa’va, I don’t want to hear it!”

Feeling like this conversation led nowhere, Tepo turned around abruptly and touched the mirror closest to him.

As Tepo disappeared, Varei let out a scoff and hastily followed.

The room turned quiet, a tear slowly running down Yerive’s cheek.

Droa’va was shaken as well. She slowly lowered her arm, taking Yerive’s hand in her own.

“Don’t worry, babe…

He just needs to cool down. Let’s bring this recording to the priest. When Team Blue Hyacinth gets their punishment Tepo will see that the church doesn’t tolerate such behavior!”

Yerive bit his lip, nodding slowly. He pressed Droa’va’s hand before letting go and picking up the recording metal form the ground.

His emotions were incredibly chaotic as he silently looked at the small device in his hand.