A boar monster lay dead at Farley’s feet, her spear dripping red blood.

My body… feels so light.

In the past, without Viers’ mysterious strengthening, she would not stand a chance against a monster of this caliber but now, she killed it without much effort.

“I’m done here. Paina?”

“Here. I’m done too.”

The lesser versions of the boar she’d just beat were taken care of by Paina. Drowned. It was the second monster den they cleared today. Just like her, Paina had gotten much stronger than before. But…

“You seem troubled. Still thinking about your fae counterpart?”

“Pinaca is dead. Her soul is gone and what’s left is an empty shell. It’s logical I should inhibit it but my heart sometimes has trouble coming to grips with it. I wonder if it's really right of me to take over her body.”

“Frankly, I just think it’s a legacy from your past. Your past has ties to the fae. You triumphed and inherited things from them. Do you not like your body?”

“Because I like it I have complex feelings. But enough about me. How about you?”

“What about me?” Farley confused.

“Not only me having inner turbulence. You also have a lot on your mind lately. Let me guess. Your demon eye, father, and sister?”

Farley tried to stop a wry smile from forming but she failed. Just like Paina, she was adapting to her new circumstances. She and Paina both had new bodies that were different from the previous one. Furthermore, Paina had gotten a new affinity and she had gotten a demon eye. Getting used to them took time.

The two talked while looting their hunt. No meat would go to waste. With the lantern magic item Viers lent to them, they also were able to collect souls for him.

“My eye won't be an issue. My control gets better by the day.”

When not in use, Farley now was able to return her eye to normal appearance. The red eye color was no longer the default look.

“Your father? What happened last night?”

“After discussing it with Gwen, we’ve decided to send him off to the afterlife. Yesterday was our final closure, Paina.”

Viers had her father’s soul this whole time, since Luxore’s destruction. He let Farley decide what to do with the man after he had no more use. Now her father was truly gone from this world.

“I see. Are you both doing alright?”

“For me, it feels liberating. An ungrateful daughter, right? Gwen, however, is sad.”

“Let’s hope Luca’s presence can help with that.”

“Mm-hm. Let’s go back. Check up on Dia’s work.”

On the way back, Paina played her flute. The refreshing melody accompanied them on their way home, Luca’s home. As guests, the least they could do was to gather their own meal.

Paina, Farley, Gwen, and Dia were not acting with Viers at the moment. They were at Pecan Village, Luca’s home. They had stayed in the Biome for a while and things were starting to get dull so they went to the outside world. Mostly for Gwen. Unlike them, Farley’s little sister was too young for Pathseeker training and was bored out of her mind. At least here she could interact with her friend. Viers also supported this.

Farley and Paina continued their training while also culling the monsters around the village, Dia revitalized the tree that repelled the monsters and would join Viers later, Gwen and Luca were happier in each other’s company, Viers’ hidden retreat if anything happened was safeguarded, everybody wins.

“You know, I miss being able to float and pass through things as a soul,” Farley said. “Be mindful about that in battle, Paina. I almost tried to become incorporeal to create an opening earlier.”

“Lots has changed, my friend.” Paina smiled and materialized her fae wings and rose a few meters from the ground. “But fortunately, I can still fly.”

“Cheater.”

***

“Master, look!”

Boram pointed at a man fallen on the road. Boram dismounted and found the man severely injured and bleeding from the gut.

He’s still alive but with a wound like that…

“Master, should we?”

Help him? Viers wasn't able to answer immediately. Hearing the conversation, the man regained consciousness.

“You’re… Ghagh…”

The man was coughing blood, his lungs were punctured, and he was on the verge of death.

“Hang on, sir,” Boram said.

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“I am… beyond saving… rather… help… the v-village. I… beg you…”

The man breathed his last.

Boram sighed in regret then closed the stranger’s eyes.

“...Let’s go, Boram. The village he talked about must be beyond this path.”

“Yes, Master.”

Boram put the man’s body inside his inventory item then the two of them galloped forward.

The sound of mayhem was becoming clearer. The two left the horses behind in favor of stealth. What they saw was a village being sacked. Corpses littered the street. Even the women and children were not spared.

The pair saw the perpetrators. Around twenty people.

“Bandits,” Boram said with disgust.

“Perhaps, but this kind of mass killing is not a bandit's way of doing things.”

Sure enough, there was one among them who used the deaths to gather power for their own ends.

A cultist perhaps? That guy is pretty strong.

“Shall we end them, Master?”

“Are you acting because of your feelings, Boram?” Viers looked sternly.

“I…”

“You’re too eager. It is a dangerous thing to act without thinking about the consequences. The villagers are already all dead and those people are pretty strong. If you jump on them right now, it will result in a big battle for sure.”

“I can win,” Boram said.

“You might, but it will not be without cost, isn't it? How many times has it been, Boram? In case you haven't noticed, the kingdom is full of troubles. Will you fix every problem in this kingdom you encounter? In past instances I've allowed you to act as you please but not today. They are too close to your power level for you to crush them with impunity.”

“Forgive me, Master. I was brash.”

After some time, the mysterious group left. Viers and Boram approached the ruined village with their steed in tow.

“There are other ways we can help. Let us lay them to rest.”

“Understood, Master.”

Viers and Boram gathered the bodies and created a fire to cremate them, including the body of the man that Boram encountered earlier. Among the dead, there were Pathseekers. They'd fallen in battle to defend their home.

The rite was done with respect.

Naturally, Viers also respectfully gathered the souls of the departed. Later, after he munch-munch them a bit, he would help the souls pass on to the other side.

The ‘done with respect’ part was important.

There existed Arte or Profound Codex that would get stronger with indiscriminate killings. What happened in this village wasn't special.

While the pyre still burned, a contingent of knights approached on horses with breakneck speed. They had run their steed ragged and when they arrived, they saw Viers and Boram burning the dead.

“You bastards! What have you done!?”

A young knight about 15, perhaps a squire, pounced upon them with a blade in hand.

“I know things must be a shock for you but there’s been a misunderstanding,” Viers calmly said while jumping back to evade.

“You two will face justice by my hand!” The Level 1 fiercely said.

Viers snorted and Boram stepped forward in front of him, ready to defend his master. Before the firecracker attacked, an older knight stopped him.

“Kilk, stand down!” His words were laced with power.

“But Captain-”

“Forgive the recklessness of my squire, stranger.” The older man removed his helmet and carried it with his left arm. “I’m Locke, a knight under the Baron of Mausser, leader of this company. May we know what happened here?”

“Hail, Sir Locke. I’m Avel, a humble traveler. I’ll be glad to inform you.”

Viers told the knights what happened, giving a detailed description of the attackers, with their power estimate.

“I see. It’s regrettable we didn't arrive sooner. Thank you for doing this service to the departed,” Locke said.

“I’m sorry we couldn't do more.”

Viers said so and not really meant it.

Boram said so and meant it.

“So you two just watched and sat on your thumbs?” the saddened squire said.

“Squire Kilk, control yourself,” Locke sharply said.

“I know, okay? I know… But you still should have done something!”

Viers and Boram returned no words.

After screaming with a teary face, Kilk knelt on one of the bodies and sobbed. Viers heard he called the dead woman, mother.

“I pray you can forgive the lad, young Avel, young Boram. This was his village,” Locke sighed heavily. “None of them deserve this.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, sir.”

The knight captain sent a pair of his knights to pursue, hoping they could find the trail of the ones responsible. The rest stayed in the village. The following cremation was done according to the Latias custom.

“On the road, I’ve met many tragedies like this one, Sir Locke. Why is the condition in Latias so bad?” Boram asked.

“It saddens me to say this but that is indeed the case.”

“How come?”

“Because King Lahar is dead, lad, and the throne is empty. ”

The knight captain watched the burning pyre with sad eyes, as if remembering the time gone by.

“Latias wasn't always like this. There was a time when this kingdom was safe and prosperous. During the golden age not too long ago.”

“As a traveler from another land, forgive me for being frank but I cannot say the reign of King Lahar can be linked to any kind of golden age,” Viers interjected from the side.

“Right you are, lad. I talk about the reign of King Lahar's predecessor, King Luthor. King Lahar only reigned for six years but the son easily crumbled the tower his father had carefully raised.”

“I still don't understand,” Boram frowned.

“It’s a simple thing, disciple. When someone leads poorly, the men under him suffer,” Viers said.

“So King Lahar is a bad king?”

“Aye,” Locke said. “But do not say it lightly, lad. When the wrong people hear you saying things like that, they might cut your tongue.”

“King Lahar is dead so who’s the new king?” Boram asked again.

“The king’s hundred sons and daughters still fight for that title,” Locke said with a tired tone. “It has been two years.”

“A hundred children? Whoa…” Boram was amazed.

“The other nobles are also busy playing the game of power and so the people do not receive the proper attention. The result is what you saw, disciple.”

They watched the pyre in silence. Viers was hoping he would get more info. Such things he already knew from the soul-searched Latisians along the way.

“Captain, a word.”

“Excuse me, you two.”

Locke was called by a knight and he retreated to talk privately.

But Viers had super ears.

Apparently the knight had found evidence the attackers were hunting someone.

“Could the rumors that there's a royal around these parts be true?” Locke muttered softly.

…A member of the royal family? Hmm, a news worth hearing.