“It is impossible to prepare for everything.”
Jin knew those would be the first words Evelyn said when she woke up. She'd look over at him, see the obvious guilt on his face and then proceed to give him a long-winded rant about how his distress was a waste of energy – or something of the like. She was always thinking about the other person in the room first. If someone in a discussion didn't have a cool head, then it was a pointless discussion from the start.
Jin clenched his fists as he stared down at his friend. They'd been through everything together since the war twenty years ago. He remembered when the monsters closed in around them when they first entered the breach. They had faced an endless wave of flesh and terror that sought to brutally end them. Soldiers fell in droves to claws, foul magic and inhuman strength, but they had held firm and survived thanks to more than simple luck. There was no one else he could possibly trust with such conviction.
Since then, they shared each other's burdens and worked together for a more peaceful country that valued its people's voices. The risks were always there to achieve their goals and ideals, but the true danger didn't hit home until it smacked him right in the face.
Jin had sent his most reliable field agents to keep an eye on Altham Volkest's spies in order to ascertain their true intentions involving the outworld adventurers. Even then, he still didn't disclose all the crucial information to his people. He didn't trust them enough when there were others in higher positions to influence them through more malicious means.
He started to wonder if his caution had actually been a mistake. If they had known about the task he gave Evelyn, perhaps they might've had ample opportunity to do something.
When the strange alchemist had shown up at the Spire, Jin was ready with a barrage of questions. It was as if his role as Field Master had suddenly taken over, and he would utilize everything at his disposal to find whoever was responsible. He was lucky that Bevka was in the same room to talk some sense and analyze the situation.
Jin closed his eyes and released a breath to calm himself. He pushed aside the past, the conspiracies and the people involved that were outside the room he currently stood in. All that mattered now was that Evelyn would recover.
Her labored breathing had calmed somewhat, thanks to the miraculous remedies and technology crafted by the alchemist. She lay on her back on the office's couch with her head propped up by a pile of cushions to stabilize her. The wounds in her side and stomach were sealed by a white paste, another strange concoction Jin assumed was born from alchemy.
“Do we know anything about this man?” Jin finally asked. They had already filled him in on the events that transpired in the eastern demihuman district.
The white-haired alchemist shrugged. “Only that he is a powerful spellcaster. I've never seen him before.” He made a strange sign with one hand and traced a tattoo on his cheek with two fingers pressed together.
Jin looked questioningly to the shrouded woman standing near the door. She simply shook her head, and he noticed the tucked mounds on her head shift slightly beneath the hood. The plain white mask she wore incited plenty of unease. These two were not people to be trifled with under any circumstances, but Jin considered them allies at the moment.
A demihuman who looks like an assassin, Jin thought. And a strange alchemist. He examined the other man's tattoos and the self-inflicted cuts on the back of his hand. He didn't need to be a field agent to figure out that this man's style of alchemy was a rarity.
“There are too many enemies with too many different agendas,” Bevka said. The old spellcaster sat at a mahogany desk with a mountain of books that nearly concealed him. Two towers of materials were pushed aside so he could view his guests. “The division within the High Council will form a choke-hold on this city. These unknown adversaries will wait for those inside to suffocate.”
“Which is why I removed GRIM from the equation,” Jin muttered. He stared back at Evelyn with a somber look.
Bevka seemed to read his demeanor like the many books that littered his study. “She knew the risks better than you did. You have no reason to blame yourself.”
“She will heal,” the alchemist assured him. He unstrapped one of the pouches on his hip and extended it to the field master. “Give her one of these vials each day for the next week. It will help with the punctured tissue and prevent internal bleeding. You won't always have a spellcaster on hand.”
Jin stared at the bag uncertainly for a moment. He trusted the alchemist in regards to his healing, but not knowing the contents still incited a bit of trepidation. He finally took the pouch when Bevka urged him on with a quick nod.
“Perhaps you'll let me analyze one of those before the week is out.” The old spellcaster made an uncharacteristic chuckle. It was surprising to see the man so animated, especially with one of his former students lying injured in his office.
“Do as you like,” the alchemist said. He spared a glance at Evelyn before he stepped away to see himself out.
Jin didn't move to stop him. He still considered questioning the mysterious man, but such a notion seemed pointless. He would give up nothing. And honestly, the alchemist didn't owe him anything. Jin was the one with the debt. It was best to leave such prodding for another time when they were all on equal terms. He had no doubt that they would cross paths again.
The alchemist stopped at the door and turned to regard them one last time. His fingers drummed the doorknob as he hesitated. “Do you trust Evan McCarthy?”
Jin eyed the man coolly, slightly taken aback by the question. “For the most part. Why do you ask?”
The alchemist shook his head. “Because I want to trust him. Your thoughts might persuade me, even if just a little.” He motioned for the masked woman to follow as he made his exit. She did so wordlessly and quietly eased the door shut behind them.
Jin stared after them. The click of the sealed door seemed to initiate a stoppage of time. It was an unfamiliar piece of perception. The days seemed to go on and on with so little progress. And for what? His friend had nearly died for a cause that yielded nothing but a mountain of suspicion. It didn't matter if the suspicion in question was well-founded. It came down to whether acting on it was worth the price.
“I'm guessing you don't always share your real thoughts with her,” Bevka said. Jin noticed the old man analyzing him like a hawk. A deep frown formed more wrinkles on his already-weathered face.
“Even after all these years,” Jin admitted. “I guess she's the same.”
Bevka looked to his side at a space on the desk obscured by one of the book towers. He reached behind the mountain of texts and revealed the strange dagger that Evelyn used to fight the powerful spellcaster. One of the orbs on the handle pulsed a dull silver that indicated it was filled with traces of dead mana. The other held lengths of swirling crimson.
Jin didn't know anything about the dagger, but Bevka clearly took an immense interest in the weapon.
“Those emotions must be discarded,” Bevka said as he rested the dagger back on the desk. “When she is fully recovered, you will lay everything out. You're both being wasteful.”
Jin walked over to Evelyn and sat in the chair next to her. He was relieved when he saw her chest rise and fall with a steady rhythm. Her pretty face wasn't any less pleasant, even with the extra cuts that accompanied the scar trailing her cheek and across her eye. She never let the past overwhelm her after she received it all those years ago. She always had the looks of others to give the scar fuel for those memories. She only cared about what the few people close to her thought, and she drew an indomitable strength from it.
“I always act like I'm sure of everything,” Jin said. He kept his eyes locked on Evelyn as he spoke, “I am only ever half-certain. Evelyn is the other half that convinces me that what I'm doing isn't just the best option, but the right one.”
Bevka remained silent for a time and laced his fingers over his mouth. His disgruntled demeanor softened. “You young people these days have so much angst. It's beyond aggravating.”
Jin stood and was about to make a retort, but the old spellcaster raised a hand to silence him. “That being said, you're better than most. And if Evelyn is on your side, well, how can I question her judgment?”
Jin's lips parted as he stared at Bevka. It was strange how the right words could hold so much weight. When he first met the old, disgruntled spellcaster, he had been convinced that this would be a person whose presence would only serve to exacerbate everything he worked towards. Now, Jin felt that this man was someone who deserved his full trust, and it was all thanks to the person lying beside him.
Jin relaxed his stance and inclined his head slightly to show his appreciation. He looked down at the woman who made him the man he was in that moment, and what he would be tomorrow. Thanks, Evelyn. Looks like you saved my ass again...
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Alphonse planned to leave the city in two days. One day would have been preferable, but he'd made a promise to meet Anya at the Guild Union. Evelyn's warning convinced him to act with the utmost discretion, so the promise would have to be subjected to a bit of compromise.
They'd made it out of the eastern district undetected. As usual, plans changed, and never for the better. It was mostly a drastic shift to the timetable. Time always proved itself unpredictable with its passage, and even more capricious with its deceptive usage.
Alphonse, Kirie and Asa immediately gathered their backup supplies from a location that they'd previously rented around the time of GRIM's founding – a small storage area tucked away in the lower district. It included the typical necessities for travel: extra clothes, potions, small weapons, tools and so forth. They were supplies that didn't hit them too hard in the wallets if they were discovered and pilfered.
Alphonse also wanted to return to Ash's tea shop on his own before they departed the city. The mysterious spellcaster revealed that there was clearly more to GRIM than what appeared on the surface. Ash and Kureha deserved at least some sort of explanation, but it was too soon to reveal details about the Construct Contract. He couldn't afford to lose Ash as an ally.
After taking care of some more miscellaneous matters, they bought a room for an evening stay at a nearby inn. There might have been one of those watchers that Jin Hanlon mentioned lurking around the area who observed the battle. It didn't matter what time of day it was for the city guard and High Council. If they wanted to come knocking at their residence behind the Guild Union, then they would show up from the early hours of morning to the latest in evening.
Even so, Alphonse found himself awake most of the night. He gazed out the single window of their room and examined the empty city street. The curtains were drawn most of the way with only a slit about an inch wide that provided a view. Thankfully, no guards had passed by for the first few hours.
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His weakness weighed on him when he recalled the fight with the other contract holder. He had never felt so powerless. If the spellcaster truly desired it, everyone in the battle at the eastern district would've been dead.
Why did he hold back? Alphonse wondered.
Someone with such immense power wandered Hovestile freely and anonymous. It didn't seem possible. Surely word would have spread by now about a powerful spellcaster before Anya and her group encountered him near Lamfell.
He had killed all those people in the small village in order to raise the dungeon. At first, it seemed as if he was preparing the monsters inside to attack the surrounding area or the capital. It was a logical explanation for revealing a dungeon in such a terrible manner, but the spellcaster specifically stated that he wanted adventurers to enter the dungeon and complete it. He wanted them to defeat whatever lurked inside.
If the spellcaster thought adventurers could finish the dungeon as they were now, then why didn't he just do it himself? The power residing in his mana pool seemed strong enough to level an entire district of the city if he so desired. Alphonse could only assume that something prevented him from doing so.
Alphonse clawed at the side of his head. He wanted to smash his head against the wall and knock himself unconscious. He was convinced he would never fall asleep otherwise.
He lowered his hands slowly as another thought occurred to him, He's a contract holder. He must have made a deal to get so strong. That means he probably has some sort of handicap.
It was a reasonable theory. He didn't know how long the strange spellcaster held the Construct Contract. With such a ridiculous mana pool, perhaps he made a deal that allowed him to increase the rate of casting magic. Alphonse had sacrificed his mana pool entirely to receive his contract. It was plausible to do the opposite and make it larger by trading something.
Alphonse also recalled a moment during their fight when he managed to pierce the spellcaster's defenses. The result was only a shallow laceration on the thigh, but it had been nowhere near the femoral artery. Now that his mind was free of adrenaline and any distractions, he was certain of it. The wound had bled profusely and spurted as if someone were giving a ketchup bottle some quick squeezes. It was as if the damage had been amplified.
He figured Asa might know what kind of delayed spells were still on the spellcaster's armor when he received the injury. One theory might bear some fruit if any of them involved defense or some form of healing.
There was one thing they knew for certain: the spellcaster wanted them alive, at least until they finished the dungeon.
We'll get stronger, Alphonse thought. He curled his fingers slowly into a fist and relaxed them as his mind cooled.
It was time to shift their focus. Traveling south to La'abrine would allow them to take on quests with less influence from the higher-ups in Forgedalk. They would also be able to confirm if there were also discrepancies with quests that originated in the port city. The dungeon in Lamfell would be under the military's extensive scrutiny, and research would be conducted by the Spire to ensure another mana surge wouldn't occur. It gave adventurers an excuse to not enter the dungeon for a while. However, if Jin Hanlon wanted them out of the city, then it was possible their enemies were searching for some sort of loophole.
Alphonse looked over his shoulder and observed the two catgirls laying sprawled out on both beds, fast asleep. Kirie lay on her back with her shirt pulled up to just under her breasts with her lean abdomen showing. She scratched at it and murmured something in her sleep that involved cooking. Asa slept in a horribly uncomfortable position with her face flat into the pillow and arms stiff at her side. Alphonse still couldn't understand how they slept in such awkward positions, and Asa was especially strange. Sometimes he wondered if she might suffocate herself with the pillow, but the rhythmic rise and fall of her upper body was easy enough to see with her pale shoulders contrasting in the dark.
If I didn't know them better, I'd say they were lost causes. Alphonse chuckled. The catgirls always had a way of lifting his spirits just by being around.
He resolved to use their borrowed time to improve themselves. They had Evelyn and Jin to thank for it.
He pulled out the letter Evelyn gave him after the battle in the plaza. He'd already read it, but the words made him more optimistic.
Sender: Bevka Oquist
Receiver: Guild Leader Evan McCarthy of GRIM
Intention: Quest (Type- Escort)
This letter is of the purpose to request the completion of an escort mission. The quest location is the port city of La'abrine.
The quest receiver's objective is to meet with an unnamed client at the Guild Union's La'abrine branch. An escort will be available to guide the quest receiver, and the meeting time will be within one week of the receiver's arrival in the city.
After successfully making contact with the client, the receiver will wait a minimum of two weeks before proceeding back to the capital city of Forgedalk. Three weeks maximum will be the limit for delay. A messenger will be sent if an increase to the maximum delay is necessary. Please reserve time each day to visit the Guild Union La'abrine branch for any of these possible missives.
The client will also inform the receiver of the specific location in Forgedalk designated as the meeting place for quest completion.
For the receiver's benefit, a personal wagon and any requested amenities, within reason, will be provided to assist with safe passage. Present the added contents with this letter at the eastern stables for proof of purchase. Any other requests will be fulfilled and payment ensured at future date.
Names are left confidential for the safety of those involved.
-Quest rewards: Five hundred gold coins
Spellbook- Healers: Buffs and Debuffs First Edition
Three Weapon Reinforcement Vials
Mana Break Dagger
Alphonse had first noticed that the quest giver wasn't under Jin Hanlon's name, which meant that this Bevka Oquist was someone that the field master trusted. He figured this person must have influence to alleviate some of the pressure on Jin and Evelyn.
Alphonse had to admit, the quest rewards were enticing enough. There was something for each member of his party. The dagger really made him curious. His first assumption was that the weapon prevented spells or active skills, but he would have to inquire about it at La'abrine's main library. Five hundred gold coins was a generous amount for the objective. Quests that involved fighting trolls or other large monsters usually had rewards around thirty to forty gold, depending on the number of enemies.
He reached for the envelope and tipped the remainder of the contents into his hand. The first few were normal copper coins with a small note attached. It read: “First drink is on me.” It seemed rather curious that Jin would provide extra money in such a small amount. There must have been some underlying meaning.
Well, nobody likes escort missions. Maybe it's a pity payment. Alphonse silently laughed at the random thought.
The last item was a disk about the same size as the regular coins. The disc was thick enough for some letters that were carved on the inside, but even his heightened perception didn't help much to read it.
He rose from his chair and approached the two catgirls. Kirie had rolled over and was hugging her pillow tight as she muttered something inaudible in her sleep. Asa's arms were spread out and took over the entirety of her own bed.
A thought dawned on him as his eyes darted between the twin-sized beds. There were only two beds in the room. There were two catgirls.
"Sonuvabitch," Alphonse whispered. "Where am I supposed to sleep?"
He looked at the couch positioned in the corner next to the window. It seemed like a decent spot if he wanted to keep watch outside every once in a while. It also faced the door with a low table in case he needed cover if anyone broke in.
Ugh, Asa put up alarm wards. It should be fine. He slapped his cheeks a couple times. All the precautions his father taught him just came naturally, but he would never fall asleep if his paranoia kept taking over.
Alphonse approached one of the beds when he checked the closet and didn't find any spare sheets. He attempted to retrieve an extra sheet from Kirie's bed. It was almost as if she sensed a disturbance towards her sleep routine, for she rolled over on the previously unused sheet and wrapped her arms around it in a bear hug.
Damn greedy catgirl! Alphonse thought. He looked over and saw that Asa only had one sheet, and he wasn't about to take her only source of warmth.
He pulled at the sheet that Kirie clamped closer to her body.
“I swear,” Alphonse whispered. “I will wake you up if I have to. I'm not having this shit.”
“Screw you,” Kirie muttered. For a second, Alphonse thought she was actually awake and messing with him, but she rolled over on her side and wrapped her body tighter in the sheet she was already using. She murmured some other disparaging comments, many directed towards him in whatever dream she was absorbed in.
He grasped the sheet in both hands with the intent of flipping her off the bed. He was about to pull with all his might when he realized at the last moment that something was different about the catgirl. He couldn't quite place it at first, but the absence of whatever it was froze his arms in place.
Wait a minute... Alphonse released the sheet and took a step back. His eyes were seized by the double-edged axe propped against the wall, just within arm's reach of the bed. He walked over to Asa's bed and looked at her staff leaning against the nightstand.
This was the first time he'd ever seen them sleep without their weapons. They were still smart about it and kept them close at hand as a precaution. Their sleeping positions still looked unappealing, but they almost seemed relaxed.
He stood there for a full minute as he wondered what incited this shift in habit. He eventually figured that it probably didn't matter. It was a good change.
Alphonse smiled and rested his hand on Asa's head. She turned to face towards him and nuzzled into his palm as he pet her. She breathed a quiet, content sigh, and her cat ears flicked happily a few times when he gently scratched her head.
Alphonse reluctantly removed his hand, and he heard what sounded like a purr of displeasure from her, as if telling him not to stop.
Guess I'll keep watch a little longer, Alphonse thought.
He approached the room's small desk and quietly pushed it along the floor so that it was closer to the window. He then removed a quill and some ink from his bag. He closed the curtains fully as an afterthought.
“I invoke the Construct Contract,” he whispered.
The book appeared in his hand with the typical, quiet cloud of light particles. He settled himself in the chair and began writing a more detailed outline of his plan for the next couple days.
After about an hour, he dismissed the contract when he felt sleep begin to overtake him. He rested his head in his arms and gave the catgirls one last glance before he passed out in his seated position.
----------------------------------------
The faint light of dawn outlined the city's northern district. A shadow cast by the Spire's towering dominance competed to obscure most of the university buildings.
The spellcaster limped within the slow-crawling blackness and weaved unsteadily through the narrow alleys between the structures.
A bell sounded somewhere in the distance, signaling the official start of a new day for the university's students and instructors.
The spellcaster clamped a hand over his sliced thigh, the wound he received from the other contract holder, Evan McCarthy. The blood spilled forth profusely once again, despite the healing magic that issued from his palm. The leg favoring his one side buckled as he applied too much weight. He fell into the side of a building and used his free hand to support himself.
It had been a long time since someone managed to injure him. The spellcaster relied on his vast stores of magic to protect his fragile body from attacks. Even with his mastery of body protection, he still somehow sustained damage.
The alchemist and members of GRIM proved themselves worthy opponents. The tactics from GRIM were unorthodox and relied solely on teamwork. They naturally complemented each other's attacks and prepared defenses that anticipated the actions of their foe. The delayed protection spell from Asa, implanted on Kirie's blade, was the first bit of evidence. Then there was Kirie's active skill, used for the sole purpose of holding him in place to allow a stealth attack from Evan. That sort of planning didn't happen before or in the midst of combat. It was simply second-nature.
Then there was the fox demihuman, Ashliv Diavelia. He'd expected such tactics and agility from someone of her background. But using her sling to conceal a weapon, and to have such accuracy with just the movement of the wrist, now that was something he hadn't expected.
They were all full of surprises, but he also speculated that their shortcomings would be painfully obvious when they were isolated from each other.
The spellcaster winced as more blood spewed from his thigh and left specks of red in his long beard. The healing magic failed to cooperate with his body's weakened ability to self-sustain.
I should have exercised more caution, he thought. But now I know their decision might be for the best.
He submitted to the continuous blood loss and slid along the stone wall. A fog fell over his vision as he collapsed. After a few strained gasps, he planted his hands on the ground and forced himself to a seated position. The Construct Contract appeared at his bidding and opened to a specified page. He didn't want to use the complicated spell written inside, but at this point, he saw few alternatives.
The adventurers must finish the dungeon.
He knew time was short. The Many-robed One was still in the labyrinth with his followers. But if he should emerge before the dungeon was completed...
The spellcaster shivered at the thought. He'd rather die first before laying eyes on that terrible being again. If destroying every village on the continent was the price to pay for stopping him, then so be it. If the price was submitting his body to further suffering, then he would gladly do so.
He began the spell's incantation and watched as the skin of his thigh pressed together. A spray of blood spewed forth briefly before he clamped his fingers around the stretching area. The skin around the wound dried and wrinkled like a raisin before he released it.
The spellcaster stared up at the sky and watched as the myriad soft colors shifted with the sun's rays. A tear crawled down his cheek as he recalled the destruction of Lamfell. He heard the screams filled with horror and anguish, drowning out the avalanche that consumed them.
So many innocent lives, he thought.
The howl of the voracious dungeon echoed in his head. It reminded him that this would not be the last.