“The turning point of the siege was reached with the creation of the Magi's dominion-powered weaponry. These were not mere upgrades to our old weapon systems but a brilliant feat of arcane engravings inside massive cylindrical construction made of precious and exotic materials wrapped in layers of strong and resilient metals. They harnessed and focused lenses of pure spiritual power, propelling them across vast distances of space at speeds that were unprecedented by our previous standards.

The first of the arcane cannons, as they would be called, was installed along the mobile defensive barrier. Its effect was immediate and devastating to our enemies.

While it took no less than ten Magi and a Grand Magi to provide the power and incantations to fire a single shot before they succumbed to exhaustion, the lance of power fired from this single weapon cut through any creature it passed, planet-sized or as small as half a human with equal ease.

When the tenth Arcane cannon was installed, the enemy was unable to reach our ships before they were cut down, but the price was high. Many Magi and a few Grand Magi paid the ultimate price to empower these creations of destruction.

With the enemy held in check, the construction of the fortifications was again underway in an acceptable manner.

Soon, the weaponry empowered by the twin stars will take the burden off the Magi`s vigil and allow our forces to once again strike at the heart of the enemy.”

- Elistar Iscariot, Grand Magister during the second Kingfisher dynasty.

Egmont and Hartwin had almost seemed absurdly relieved when I left them with clear instructions about the coming days and our subsequent trip to Murktown. Since they were taking care of Albert and Saskia, I rented a floor in the left wing of the Grimshield Inn that seemed to cater to merchants and not Hunters looking to let out some steam. I gave them ten silver to take care of anything out of the ordinary since the rooms came with breakfast and dinner.

I also left instructions with the adults that if they didn't hear from me in a few days when the rent ran out, they were to take the silver and start up a new life. Unsaid was that if they wished to leave before that, they were, of course, free to do it too. I wanted to create a foundation for the children to build on later. Maybe their life could become slightly easier than what their parents' path had been. I was by no means their guardian or their lord, but it would be up to them to take that chance.

If it should become an issue with whatever lord was responsible for the village they came from, I wouldn't mind taking him to the blood grounds to make the matter an issue one way or another. I was in a sour enough mood just thinking about it, so I just might do that anyway when a year had passed.

Nodding at the guard at the gate, I took the long way down to the leafy forest ground. It still amazed me that quite a few chose to glide down the ropes hanging over the outside of the fort wall. My conclusion was that some people were dropped on the head one time too many during their childhood and developed an addiction to smashing into the ground. It was really sad to watch so many people have damaged mental faculties.

With a shake of my head, I continued down the pathway of death. Okay, so maybe my fear of heights wasn't completely gone.

There were a lot more people exiting and leaving the fortress at this time of the day, and to my horror, I discovered it was etiquette to walk on the right side of the walkway, so those going up the walkway stayed close to the three. That meant the poor, miserable souls walking down the walkway had to fumble their way down while holding the railing in a death grip.

At least, that was what I imagined as I walked down step by careful step. That a stream of people were walking around my part of the railing just meant they were fools.

Finally, having made it to the bottom of the tree, I took a moment to fan myself with my new hat. I had been sweating like a priest at the wrong temple, but I made it.

In memory of my last hat, I purchased a new hat with an even wider brim and a larger feather. This one also came with an enchantment to keep it dry. I considered it a well-spent twelve silver. All in all, I was down 54 silver from the knickknacks I had bought together the food and keeping the four abandoned people in a somewhat safe.

It is not ideal, but I regarded resting in a bit more comfort worth a few extra silver. It's strange how coins mean so many different things to different people. To me, it had been something I hadn't thought about until recently. A gold or a hundred gold, its only value lay in how much was on the table when my turn came and if I detested the person or people I was playing against when playing cards. It's not a very good strategy in hindsight, considering I detested most people.

“You couldn't find a bigger hat for that head of yours, or are you still hoping it will draw attention away from the beak you keep following around?”

“Mira, you heading out already? I would have thought it took a bit longer to find someone foolish enough to fall for your whims at this point. It's a group of those brain-damaged people that throw themselves down on the ropes, isn't it?”

Turning around, I was a bit taken aback. At least she had spent her time and money well. A new chainmail that went all the way down ending a couple of hands spans from the ground; it even had a coif, and she had an arming cap on. I spotted a helmet dangling from her belt.

She had a wicked-looking war hammer strapped to her belt. I'm almost positive the beak on that thing would carve through anything but a knight's plate as if it were paper. It was a good choice for a hunter, better than her mace had been.

Then there was the oversized backpack, similar to my own, and like my shield, she had strapped hers on the backpack. I'll be damned. She looked professional. That was until she said. “Do you like it?” While giving herself a twirl with her arms stretched out as if showing off a new summer dress.

“You look like a proper, successful hunter. It's a good look on you, even if your…assets seem to want to escape despite the chainmail and belt.”

“I came into some coins recently, you know. Figured I'd spend some of it upgrading my equipment. The chainmail is a loaner until they make one that better fits me. It shouldn't take more than a day or two. I'm not complaining, though. Feels like I can wade through a thousand goblins and laugh at their ugly bums.”

“Well, congratulations on your windfall. If you weren't already a valuable member of a team, I'm sure they would fight each other to get you to join. Looking ready to smack some heads and take bounties. So where's the team?”

“Yes, about that, You're it.”

Inside, I let out a sigh. Trying not to explode was difficult, but despite the occasional barbs being sent between us, I had to admit she did go beyond and above what I had expected during our last agreement.

I knew she was a fighter, maybe not when it came to monsters, but I did have some idea about her background and rising above the place fate chose to place you at birth took effort and guts, especially if it sent you to the bottom of the barrel like the shanties were. There was no doubt in my mind that Mira would make an excellent member of any team that gave her half a chance to prove herself and receive the training she needed, especially with the prospects of her eventual domain Awakening.

Sadly, she was cursed with a female warrior's worst curse. Beauty. Even worse, it was one without the backing of true power, so I could well understand why she treated temporary teammates as she did. It was a defensive mechanism as much as anything else. None of this would matter once she reached her Awakening, but until then she was basically living at the whims of whoever gave her half a chance. For some strange reason, the injustice of it all made me furious. I was not her guardian, but I felt a smidgen of sympathy for her plight.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

The thing is, I already went through all of this earlier, and my conclusion was no then, and unless something drastically changed about my circumstances, it would still remain no.

In the end, it came down to keeping my bum safe and looking out for myself. I never claimed to be a saint. Letting her down again would be rough because I could see straight through that fragile smile, and I could only hope I didn't break something.

“Look, Mira. I” was all I had time to say.

“No. No, I'm not. We are not doing that again. You are not doing that again…”

I could see her nostrils flaring as the pregnant pause kept going.

“The thing is, you said you don't trust me, fine, only time will bring trust if that's how you choose to look at life. You also said you trust me to me, well, make me feel safe in my own damn camp, and I won't need to play people against each other. Do you have any idea how often I get to sleep through the night during a hunt or quest without having to threaten to cut someone? No? /Then make sure I can damn you. I only know that you don't keep giving me those looks, keep slobbering out slimy remarks or try to slide your paws where they don't belong. Sure, you're not exactly a sweet talker, but you don't try to make it into something else, either. Then you claim there are certain things you don't want people to know. Fine, we can do something about that. Trevor!”

Wouldn't you know it? The giant could be quiet when he wanted to because I hadn't noticed him at all as he made his way from behind the walkway.

In the seconds it took him to join us, I tried weighting the pros and cons of what this change in my plans would mean, and I don't know if it was the hormones of youth making me feel invulnerable or if I actually did want someone I could perhaps learn to trust over the coming year. Still, I decided that maybe there was some merit to what she said. Life was difficult enough when done alone, so why not get an extra set of hands?

“Mira, Alucard.” The giant nodded at each of us in turn.

“This is highly irregular, but the idea was humorous enough that I will approve it.” I think he tried chuckling, but it sounded like a bear trying to clear its throat.

Trevor removed a leather-bound folder from under his arm and opened it. Balancing the entire thing in his left hand. Luckily, it only seemed to contain two sheets of paper.

“Now, this has, as far as I know, never been used for this before.”

Brandishing a piece of paper in his right hand, he said, “A guild-enforced non-disclosure agreement. This is something we use when working with companies that do not handle things that demand the security of a blood oath. While it still makes it possible to breach the terms of the agreement, the price for doing so would be expulsion from the guild and prosecution. We do not allow such things to go unpunished.”

Waving the other one, he continued.”Here, you have a team registration form. It has the same rules and stipulations as regular forms when it comes to chores, loot distribution and buyouts, but with the addendum, any new members will have to agree to sign the same NDA.”

Well, damn. It's not like any of that would actually help me if she decided to blabber about anything she saw me do or learned about me. It was more a matter of showing that she was aware that she shouldn't say shit and do her best not to. It basically came down to my gut feeling about Mira.

Maybe it was her speech or how she stood staring at me, almost defiantly but all too close to the edge. That was it. I was looking at someone about to abandon all hope, and despite my egotistical, selfish life until now or perhaps because of it, I fantasized for a moment that I could actually sponsor her and help her reach the goal of becoming an Awakened.

Besides, wouldn't that mean I could introduce myself as a rescuer of damsels in distress? Even if that damsel is a foul-mouthed degenerate. Then again, so am I from time to time, and I have developed this unseemly reflex of sticking or slicing my sword into things that annoy me. Not the most accepted of social behaviors.

I wondered what Trevor's stake was in this. However, he actually came across as a genuinely empathetic human being who cared about the people around him from the interactions I had seen so far.

In the end, he was an administrator of the Hunters Guild. The power he wielded wasn't something to look down on, and the guild would always want more Awakened in their fold.

In a guild that operated internationally, like the Hunter Guild, the number of Awakened hunters the guild could call on represented raw power on a scale few, if any, kingdoms could match; the Runien imperial forces were one of the few exceptions. Luckily, that monster was too entangled in never-ending border wars and rebellions to bring its full force down on any one state.

“Alright.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Alright, as in alright, let's team up, or alright, thanks for the explanation. See you.”

“As in, let's team up.”

Adults shouldn't squeal like that. It was just wrong. They most certainly shouldn't try to choke someone between their personalities, especially when wearing chainmail. I sweat, and I lost two layers of skin before I managed to get free.

“Oh, are you blushing, Alucard? Was it that difficult to make a good choice? You won't regret this, you know!”

“Sure, the next time you express your happiness about something, could you do it less painfully? Stomping my head into the ground comes as a viable alternative.”

“Hunters, Alucard still need to sign the team registration, and you, Mira, need to sign both.”

Taking a look at the form, I noticed that it seemed easy enough to follow. Everything was to be divided fairly, from chores to loot. There were stipulations for hiring porters and camp attendants that brought a smile to my face. Who says you can't run around and wrestle monsters in style?

Team Mira, eh? Sneaky, little lady. I couldn't help but smile at the gesture, but I also could guess how much the gesture would mean to someone who had been freelancing for so long without finding a group they belonged to.

“Congratulations, you have reached the minimum requirements to form an official team. Let's see here…Team Mira. Now go and show what you are worthy Hunters of the guild.”

With a wave of his hand, Trevor started his slow way up the walkway again. It was fascinating to watch when I noticed almost every guild member going to or from the fortress stopped to say a few words or just shake a hand. Who are you really, Trevor? Most guild administrators or workers don't receive that sort of veneration and camaraderie.

Turning back, I almost jumped out of my skin. “Mira!”

She had been standing almost on top of me with the widest grin I could only hope never to see again. It was terrifying.

”What? Come on, team. Where are we heading? I would have something planned, but I have been busy, and I saw you being sneaky, looking over maps of dungeons.”

Still, a bit very, she looked like a bottle of sparky wine someone had been shaking furiously for half an hour, I said. “Dungeon #277. It's just a few hours away. I planned on just running for the floor exits until level 36. It's unknown how many more levels there are, but there has been no report of anything after the 36th level. More importantly, it's a stable dungeon, so there should be camping grounds on every ten levels, and other hunters should be there if things turn crazy. Hopefully, we can get some levels done below the 36th before sun up. As I understand it, the best loot comes from levels that have never been cleared or not cleared in over a decade.”

Mira, having done a full turn, seemed to be taking everything I said seriously. Gone was the jumping, bubbly overindulger of hugs.

“Two things: I doubt we will be able to reach the 36th level within a day. Not even if we run for it. Then, there is the fact that each subsequent level is more dangerous.”

Nodding at what she said. She was right in most of what she said. What she didn't know was that I was so close to being able to start integrating my abilities it hurt to think about. Even if the one I was imbued with my domain was a complete dud, the three rare crystals should hopefully increase my power a lot. We weren't running a dungeon Awakened bothered with, so her concerns were valid from her point of view.

I guess we would find out if my ability choices would make as much of a difference as I thought they would. After all, one thing was memories. It was quite something else getting your hands dirty by doing shit. I saw no reason to bring it up until it happened, so I was fine with it either way. If we spent a day or even two in the dungeon longer than I expected, it wouldn't really change anything as long as I made it to Murktown in the next six days.

“I'm fine with it taking longer than necessary, but if you don't get that flabby bum of yours moving soon, we won't make it at all.”

Giving her a big smile, I started jogging. Time to test your constitution, girl.

“Flabby! I'll have you know I can bounce a copper on it. Not that that's something I would normally do…”