The following day, Phaestus, Dite, Queen Ami, and a few elven guards were riding large birds north through the forest toward the border of Moona. Phaestus brought Dite over the night before along with Luna, Ruby, Rorroco, the children, and a couple of maids inside the Haven. The flight took thirty minutes, and they landed at the border. Before them was a single path between two mountains. It was just wide enough for three to four people to walk through shoulder to shoulder.

Queen Ami had grown considerably since the day before. She now looked to be seven or eight years old, able to move about on her own.

"Now then, I hope that you can save the demon-kin of their plight." Queen Ami requested of Phaestus and Dite.

"We will." Dite answered her.

"Thank you, Queen Ami. I will return in a week to pick up the requested items if we can wrap this problem here up quickly enough." Phaestus shook her hand.

"Yes. We will have said items ready. I wish you both the best of luck. May the blessings of Lystmour be with you both." She bowed her head to them as they did the same.

The Queen and her guards mounted their birds and took flight back to their home.

"Alright. Let's go save another kingdom." Phaestus said jovially.

Several hours later, at the gate to the capital city of Moona, two dark elves approached the guards.

"Names and purpose?" The guard asked them. She was a large demon-kin with purple skin, most of her features hidden under her armor.

"I am Eric. This is Micah. We arrived here not long ago for a job request for here in the capital." Eric said, handing the guard their identification documents.

Using her [Molding] magic, Micah changed his appearance to look like a dark elf like herself. The two of them dressed as regular travelers.

"Ah, I see. Well, the toll will come to two silver." The guard said.

"Two silver?!" Eric was surprised at the cost.

"Yeah, yeah, pay up or leave. I don't make the decisions, alright?"

Eric acted begrudgingly to pay, but he spent the two silver. They received their passes, and they headed into the city.

Much of Moona seemed to be formed using stone. Most of the buildings appeared to be built slightly larger than they were used to in the allied kingdoms. It reminded Eric of his time in Dunlap due to the more significant giant population there. The demon-kin of Moona were varied in the way they looked. Some had tails, horns, wings, tusks, or other odd features. Most of them were humanoid with two legs, but the number of arms would occasionally change. The city's atmosphere seemed depressed, like everyone was unsure if they should leave or stay in the city.

"So, what's next?" Micah asked, determined to help her fellow demon-kin.

"We need to gather information. Let's seek out your family here. They should be able to help out." Eric replied.

They glanced inside several taverns until Micah dragged them into one.

"This one's perfect, trust me." She said, pulling him inside.

He followed her up to the main counter, where a large, muscular demon stood behind the bar.

"Cook fire is currently out. Sorry bout that. I got some room temp shepherd pie, though. It wouldn't take much magic to warm it up." The demon commented flatly and gruffly.

"Sure, sound delicious." Micah responded to him cheerfully.

"A large copper for a slice and a single drink. Five if you want the whole thing for the two of ya." He put the bowl he finished cleaning up on a shelf.

Micah set down five large copper.

"Hmm." The demon headed into the back.

"I know you are a great judge of character. Why this one?" Eric whispered to her curiously once the demon was in the back.

"He is the straightforward type. Not to mention his first words were an apology for not being able to provide fresh food. This guy cares for his customers. I think we will find out what we need to know from him."

Eric nodded his head to her explanation.

A couple of minutes later, the muscular demon returned with the piping hot pie on a plate, two extra dishes for them to use, as well as a couple of bowls with small berries in them.

"The berries?" Micah asked.

"Niti berries, nice and sweet. I chilled them. They taste better that way. Drinks?" The demon picked up the coins Micah put down and pocketed them.

"Two mild meads, please, one watered down for my husband, please." Micah responded, hugging onto Eric's arm.

"Gotcha." The demon headed down the counter to get their drinks.

Eric served Micah a slice of the pie first and got his own after.

"Hmm. Good man." The demon said, setting down the mugs of mead before them, commenting on Eric serving Micah first.

Eric took a bite of the pie.

What the-?!

"This is delicious! The balance of vegetables to meat, the spices are perfect! Let's see, black pepper, a pinch of salt, you drained the meat before adding it to the mashed potatoes, didn't you?" Eric said to the surprised demon.

"Heh. You know your food. I did drain it. Get mushy if you don't." The demon gave him a grin.

Eric reached into his pouch and pulled a clove of garlic he shifted from his Haven.

"Do you know what this is?" Eric asked, handing the clove over to the demon.

"Yeah, minka root. Has a strong flavor. Vampires love the stuff." The demon replied, sniffing the clove. "This is a good one."

"You should try dicing a few of the cloves and adding it to the meat when you cook it. Hmm, for this pie, a few cloves should be enough, but you could add more." Eric showed the demon the easiest way to get the clove shell off.

"Hmm. Thanks. I think your wife here wanted to ask me something?" The demon turned his head to Micah.

Eric looks over at Micah, who has a wide, teasing smile on her face.

She is so going to tease me about this later… Eric thought, his face getting hot.

"Thank you for noticing. Do you know of any prominent dark elf families in Moona?" She asked the muscular demon.

"Only one. Yuldo. Best to keep clear, though. They are one of the families on that damn chopping block." The demon cook said with disdain.

"What do you mean?" Micah asked, trying to keep her worry in check.

"New to town? Damn king lost his mind. Be imprisoning all kinds of folk. Sayin' that they be traitors. I blame that weasel, Tolber. Ever since he came back, he's had the king's ear. King does anything Tolber suggests. Damn weird it is. You two seem like good folk. Might be best for you to leave Moona and never come back." Sadness could be seen in the burly demon's dark purple eyes.

"Where could we find the Yuldo household?" Eric asked.

The demon hesitated to say but let out a sigh. "Haaaaah. I'm guessin you gonna try to help them. If ya capable of fighting off a large military force, then I say help them. If ya can't handle more than six trained soldiers, you best leave. Their estate is on the Northside. Their symbol is a horned raven. Eyes are always on it. I warned ya."

The demon turned and headed to the back after telling them to leave the dishes when they were done. Eric shifted the remaining slices into the Haven while he and Micah finished off the rest of their meal. Eric left a silver as a tip, and they left for their next destination.

Eric and Micah walked through several back alleys until their goal came into sight. The estate looked like it had been beautiful and well-kept once, but now it looked disheveled with the trash and graffiti on the grounds.

"Heretic. Traitors. Die. Certainly sounds like the work of the church." Eric said, casually looking over the estate.

He and Micah were sitting at a nearby shop within eyeshot.

"How did the area outside look?" Micah asked, keeping an eye out for anyone checking them out.

"Twelve people. All keeping an eye on the estate."

Eric had deployed some Beholder Eyes into the air and had the girls in the Haven control them while updating him on the area's status.

"Can you jump us inside?" Micah asked.

"Should be able to. It is well within the distance of my abilities."

Eric and Micah stood and headed off to a location out of sight. Using his Haven abilities, he shifted them inside the estate.

Eric and Micah appeared in what looked to be a parlor. The air was heavy, with eight very surprised dark elves looking at them.

"Tanya?" A middle-aged-looking dark elf woman said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Tanya? That's mom's name. Are you my grandmother?" Micah asked hesitantly.

"Oh! My little Micah! You're here! I always knew you were alive! When I heard you were born so long ago and that you disappeared, I feared the worst!" The woman embraced Micah lovingly. The two ladies began crying together while uttering how happy they were to see the other.

An older dark elf man dressed as a butler approached Eric.

"Pardon me, sir, but could you explain what is happening here?" The butler asked, on guard.

"Ah, real quick, though. [Truth Seeker]." Eric's eyes lit up a golden hue.

"W-what? What need is there for that spell? Also, no chant?" The confused and surprised butler sputtered.

"I wish to ask a simple question before proceeding. Are any of you against this household or supporters of the Church of Light?" Eric asked.

"What!? How dare you! No one of this house supports that damnable church!" The butler retorted.

"Thank you for your answer. The rest of you, please." Eric said, determined to make sure they were safe.

The rest of the people in the room shook their heads or replied with a 'no.' Eric ended up focused on one young-looking dark elf man.

"You lied. Let me ask this then, do you support the Church of Light."

"Absolutely not!" The young dark elf snarled at him.

"Truth. So you are against this household then?" Eric continued.

The young man went silent.

"Young master?" The butler was shocked.

"It is alright, Ruwa. I have known of Gaoul's true feelings." Micah's grandmother stood, wiping her face with a handkerchief.

"Lady Lucia?" The butler turned to the grandmother.

The young man stood abruptly. "Fine! You're right! This household is weak! The demons of old had it right! We are superior to all the other races and should stand at the apex as this world's rulers! We-!"

"[Hibernate]." Eric cut the young man off with a spell, causing him to crumple to the ground, to the surprise of the other in the room.

"Don't worry, he is just in a deep sleep. He will stay asleep until he is forced awake. He will be fine without food or water for several days. Hopefully, we will be able to save this kingdom in that time." Eric explained his actions.

Lady Lucia asked the servants to take the young man to his room and lock him inside.

"Now then. I believe introductions are in order?" Lady Lucia turned to Eric with a smile.

They were all sitting in the parlor with many of the servants from earlier present. Eric finished getting Lady Lucia up to speed over the last few days.

"I see. I am thankful our longtime allies, the elves, have not abandoned us. So you have come to help? I am thankful for the offer, but I do not know what you can do. I do not wish for Micah to be put in danger." She reached out and squeezed Micah's hand.

"Do not worry, grandmother. We have the support of Duke Hephaestus and his family." Micah replied reassuringly.

"What?! The one the church claims to be the grand heretic?!" Lady Lucia exclaimed in surprise.

Micah laughed at her grandmother's comment and turned to Eric.

"Hear that? You've been upgraded to 'Grand' Heretic." She smiled at him teasingly.

Eric sighed heavily, "Seriously?"

With a flip of his hand, his outfit changed to that of Duke Hephaestus.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lady Lucia. I am Duke Hephaestus of Lenmos. Micah is actually Aphrodite, my wife. We have come here to stop the Church of Light's plot to take control of Moona. What we need is information at this time. Can you get us up to speed on the current situation?" Phaestus casually asked his question.

Lady Lucia and her people were utterly stunned by the massive support that had just appeared in their parlor like a miracle.

"I... I thank you, your Lordship." Lady Lucia bowed her head to him.

"Well, you have done well for yourself, Micah." Lady Lucia commented teasingly toward Micah.

Micah smiled widely.

"Oh yes, yes I have." Micah with a sultry tone, making Phaestus look away shyly.

Well, I think I see where she got a part of her teasing nature… Other than Lady Vannil…

Lady Lucia had several documents and books brought to the parlor for Eric, who changed back and Micah.

"It was around four years ago when the imp-kin, Tolber, returned to Moona. His father was one of the councilmen to the oni-kin, King Albaha. A year later, Tolber's father died of a mysterious disease. I personally believe that Tolber poisoned his father to gain control of his household. Once in power, he took over his father's role on the council of the king. Within six months, the king seemed to change. It seemed like any idea, no matter how horrible or detrimental to the people it may be, that Tolber offered, the king would support it. The rest of the council was able to block or keep the worst of them from coming to pass. But then the king became worse and worse until we were unsure who the country's true king was. We did everything we could to find if Tolber was threatening, blackmailing, extorting, or had some kind of leverage over the king but turned up nothing. Eventually, we became desperate. Six months ago, we attempted to kill Tolber. It failed... terribly. Tolber had a few insanely powerful guards. During these last six months, the king and Tolber have been ousting various council members. Many have already been imprisoned, some executed, their families crushed. Our Yuldo household was the oldest and strongest here. We are the last ones. They spread false rumors of us, keep us under watch at all times, and I feel that they will be making their final move soon to destroy us. Once we are gone, there will be nothing to stop Tolber." Lady Lucia finished her summary.

"What do you think, Eric?" Micah asked him.

"Sounds a lot like the case with the Queen Mother of Merluka and Ruby. Tell me, is there anything that the king is always wearing? Carrying? Or perhaps something odd that Tolber always has with him?" Eric asked Lady Lucia.

"Hmm, I am not sure. His majesty wears jewelry regularly but is not always the same. His clothes change, and he does not always carry his scepter…." Lady Lucia fell into deep thought.

"My lady, what of the rumor I heard a while ago?" The butler Ruwa spoke up.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Rumor?"

"Yes. Allow me. There was an odd rumor that became more of a joke saying that the king loves his crown so much he sleeps and bathes with it on." Ruwa finished.

Lady Lucia thought for a moment before speaking once more.

"It is plausible. Wait, do you believe something was done to the crown?!"

Eric nodded.

"Then it is very likely the source. Tolber's father was known to be quite the skilled jeweler. The king would often have him do repairs or changes to it for him. The last time he did anything with the crown was a little over three years ago!" Lady Lucia connected the dots.

"After Tolber had been home for nearly the year. That is where we will find the Mark of Domination." Eric added.

"So, how do we want to do this, Eric? Sneakily fix the crown?" Micah offered.

"No, we must do this publically! The people must know of this betrayal by Tolber and to clear the king's name!" Lady Lucia countered. Her anger at Tolber beginning to boil over.

"I understand your desire Lady Lucia, but the problem is those powerful guards of his. If I am correct in my guess, they are most likely Heroes." Eric warned.

"Why not use Yilan's aura? If you keep her hidden under a cloak, you could weaken Tolber's control over the Heroes." Micah countered.

Eric was proud of her idea.

"Alright, public… Do they have anything public planned soon?"

Just as Eric asked the question, they could hear the front door being destroyed, and a maid ran inside the parlor.

"My lady! The royal guard are here! They say they are here to arrest you! You need to run!" The maid cried, securing the door behind her.

"No, this is perfect. Eric, take Micah from here. I will surrender to the guards. Knowing Tolber, he will push for execution as soon as possible. You can do it then since both the bastard and the king will be present." Lady Lucia stated, fixing her outfit and moved toward the door.

"But grandmother!" Micah started.

"No buts, Micah! Please. Go now."

Eric wrapped his arm around Micah's waist and shifted them into the Haven.

"Papa." Ruby met them out at the table in the backyard that the screen and controls for the Beholder Eyes were.

"Don't worry, Micah, the guards are not mistreating her. They seem to hate the fact they have to do this to her." Rorroco commented from the table.

"Your grandmother is really dignified, Micah…." Luna observed as Lady Lucia stood tall and proud as she was escorted out of the estate.

Several people in the area yelled and threw insults along with rotten food, but the royal guards raised their shields and protected her from being struck.

"Ruby, remember those faces for me, please. I will deal with them later." Micah said darkly, sending chills through the rest of their bodies.

"W-w-will do, big sis!" Ruby quickly took up a place at one of the Beholder Eye controllers and made sure to note down as much information as she could and take pictures using a digital camera.

Eric took control of one Beholder Eye and kept watch over Lady Lucia as she was escorted back to the castle, hoping to see the face of their enemy.

"Well, well, Lady Lucia Yuldo. It has been too long." A thin man with reddish skin, a couple of small twisted-looking horns protruded from his forehead, and a forked tail came from his rear said.

"Tolber, you wretch." Lady Lucia replied with venom in her words.

Tolber merely laughed in her face.

"Lady Yuldo, you have been convicted of treason against the crown and its people. Tomorrow, you and your cohorts will be sentenced to death by live execution." He said mockingly.

"Hmph. You believe you have won, but the people will not stand for this, nor will my allies." She narrowed her eyes at him, her face showing her disgust.

Tolber reached up and took hold of her jaw. The guards became tense, seemingly wanting to throttle the man for his disrespect to her, but were too fearful of the four masked guards behind Tolber.

"You have no allies! They are either gone or will be joining you on the chopping block tomorrow." He sneered.

A dark and dangerous light appeared in her eyes. Tolber reflexively pulled away from her, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.

"T-take her away!" He sputtered shakily.

The guards were glad the pathetic man was cowed by Lady Lucia and escorted her away.

"Damn, damn, damnable woman! We will see how proud you are when you feel the cold steel on your neck!" Tolber ordered his guards to follow him and headed into the castle.

Tolber entered an extravagantly decorated room that seemed to contain many ancient-looking artifacts. A man with jet black skin, a single white horn protruding from his forehead, royal attire, and a golden crown upon his brow sat casually on a simple chair on the side.

"Oh, Tolber. Welcome back. How did things go with the traitor?" The man asked.

"Quite well, your majesty. She is being taken to the dungeon as we speak." Tolber replied, sitting at the fancy desk and chair.

"Great! I am so glad you offered to take care of the safety of the kingdom. You are such a greater man than I." The king replied with a wide smile.

"You honor me too much, your majesty. I am but your humble servant. Now, you desire to marry your daughter to me." Tolber's words seemed to be laced with magic.

"Oh, uh, um, yeeesssss." The king seemed to be in a confused stupor before shaking it from his mind.

"I... would love to marry you to my daughter, but she is still hesitant. Please allow me to speak to her again." The king spoke with sadness in his voice.

"V-very well. Go and speak to the princess. Order her if you must." Tolber replied.

"Ah, thank you, Tolber, I shall do so at once." The king stood and left the room.

A simple knock came to the door after the king left. Tolber had the person enter. It was a human man in simple clothing who sat down before the desk.

"How are things progressing, Tolber?" The man asked.

"Nearly there, my friendly judicator. Lady Yuldo is now imprisoned, and the execution is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."

"And the princess?" The judicator asked.

Tolber spits on the ground. "The damn king's mind is still resistant to the matter of marriage to her. Are you sure that thing is strong enough?"

"It is. Stronger minds may take longer to take effect. Be sure to keep influencing the king's mind on the matter once a day, no more than that. Pushing his mind too hard would break it, putting the Queen in control, which we do not have the means to control her yet." The judicator replied.

"I cannot wait for that. The princess is quite the beauty herself, but nothing can beat that sinful body of the Queen."

Tolber's face shifted to one of lust that would make any onlooker shudder in disgust.

"Q-quite. I will continue to have my agents suppress the people so that we have no interruptions tomorrow. Tomorrow must succeed for us to have our clear path." The judicator warned.

"Yes, yes." He replied dismissingly.

Before the judicator could continue, a knock came on the door.

"What is it?!" Tolber shouted.

A servant stepped in. "Um, master Tolber, your… 'guests' have arrived. They are awaiting you in your private chambers…."

A dirty grin spread across his face.

"You may go." He said to the servant as he stood.

The servant quickly left the room.

"We are not done here!" The judicator stated.

"We are. I cannot keep my 'guests' waiting." Tolber left the man in the room alone, taking his guards with him.

The judicator gritted his teeth angrily before pulling out a palm-sized orb.

"Connect me with the Cardinal." The orb glowed briefly until a male voice came through it.

"What is it?" The Cardinal asked tiredly.

"Your holiness, must we work with this trash? Instead of prioritizing the mission, he spends his time playing with whores!" The judicator cried, his frustration spilling over.

"Now, now, what is the end goal?" The Cardinal asked calmly.

"We… We take control of the king's mind. Deal with any heretics against our lord and his eminence. Marry the..." The judicator cringed. "Asset, to the princess. Mourn the passing of the king. Crown the asset. Take control of the new king. Take control of the people for our glorious conquest." The judicator replied to the Cardinal with resignation.

"Correct. Once the asset is under your control, do whatever you wish with it, but keep the asset alive. Is that thought enough to soothe your frustration?" The Cardinal asked.

"Yes, it is your holiness. I thank you. Praise be to God of Light. Praise be to his Eminence."

The judicator ended the call with the Cardinal, unaware of the hidden observer floating in the corner of the room.

The following morning Lady Lucia and several other, noble-looking demon-kin were led from the castle dungeon to the city's central plaza, where a stage awaited them. Many apprehensive people stood about, wondering if the rumors were true about the executions, hoping they were false. The nobles were led up onto the stage in shackles. Cries of dismay sounded from the crowd as the Tolber stepped onto the stage, followed by his masked guards and the king.

"Would you like to make the announcement, your majesty?" Tolber asked him.

"Yes. My people! Today, with a heavy heart, I must inform you all that we have been betrayed! Before you are several nobles, who have turned against Moona and its crown! But do not fear, nor despair! For it is thanks to the effort of my trusted advisor, Lord Tolber, that these traitors have been exposed!"

The people seemed to want to shout out in protest. The people knew or had met with many of the nobles on the stage, knowing they made considerable effort to stay connected with the people.

The city and royal guards were surrounding the platform, facing outward toward the people. In the guards' faces, the people could see that they did not like what was happening, but out of fear, the guards held their tongues. They knew how dangerous the four masked guards next to Tolber were. They knew that if anything happened, the people would get dragged into danger, which was something the proud nobles upon the dais did not want.

"Bring forth the first traitor!" The king cried.

The guards did not move.

"You heard the king's orders did you not?" Tolber growled at them.

Lady Lucia took it upon herself to step forward. Walking proudly up to the execution block. As she stood before it, she turned her head toward Tolber.

"I only say this once. Surrender yourself, and I will see to it that your death is quick." Lady Lucia said with finality.

Tolber laughed in her face.

"You would make demands of me?! Enough! Proceed!" Tolber ordered.

The guard clenched his eyes shut and reached out toward her, only to hit an invisible barrier.

"Huh?"

The guard began to check the air only to find she was completely protected. A look of elation came to the guard's face.

"She is protected!" He cried.

"What? You, do it!" He said to one of his masked guards.

The woman did not follow his command but began to act strange.

"What are you doing?! Execute her!" He shouted.

"She won't be following your commands!" A new voice shouted.

The guards parted and allowed two people to approach the dais. Both were wearing hooded waistcoats of different colors, one black, one charcoal gray, and beautiful orichalcum masks that obscured their features.

"Who the hell are you?!" Tolber demanded to know until he noticed the man holding a golden sword.

"A-assassins! Kill them!" Tolber cried in a panic, but no one moved to his orders.

"Hmm, what do you think, your majesty? Do we seem like assassins?" The masked man asked.

Tolber looked over to the king, and his face rapidly drained of all its blood.

"W-where's the crown?!" Tolber squeaked.

The king was holding a fancy-looking pearl that was the size of his palm. Grabbing and shaking his head, he seemed to be in pain. A moment later, he opened his mouth toward the sky, and a large amount of black mist poured out into the air, vanishing into nothing. Breathing heavily, he looked at the masked man.

"Who... are you?" The king asked, regaining his senses.

"Greetings, your majesty." The masked man bowed his head. "I am Duke Hephaestus of Lenmos. I received reliable information a few days ago that the Church of Light was looking to take control of Moona. From what I figured out, that man up there was working with a judicator of the church. They were using a cursed mark on your crown here to steal your will, your family, and your throne." The Duke began fiddling with one of the gems on the crown, popping it off.

"Ah, there is it, right behind the ruby." He showed the king the mark.

A look of pure fury and hatred twisted the king's face. Turning his rage toward Tolber, he shouted for the guards to arrest him immediately. The guards looked toward the masked guards.

"You don't have to worry about them! Actually, why don't you four come down here? You will feel even better." Phaestus called out.

The four masked people moved off the dais over to him. The guards seeing this immediately and roughly seized Tolber. The shackles were removed from the nobles of Moona and clapped onto Tolber without remorse or restraint.

"Papa! We got the other guy!" Three more women in hooded waistcoats of different colors, crimson, white, and sapphire, approached while dragging an unconscious human behind them.

"Excellent, Ruby. Your majesty, this is the judicator I mentioned. There is also a small warehouse in the southeast sector that is full of unconscious church supporters. I would recommend having them also arrested." Phaestus informed the king.

The king nodded to Phaestus' recommendation and ordered one of his guard captains to take a regiment of guards to arrest them all. The people of the town were dumbfounded with the near-instant flip of the situation. The king seeing their confusion, spoke to them.

"My people! With the heaviest of hearts, as my mind is becoming clearer, I realize I have made you all suffer greatly. Allowing myself to be controlled shows that I am not worth-."

"Your majesty!" Lady Lucia cut in.

She and the other nobles knelt before him, bowing their heads, "Welcome back, your majesty. We have awaited your return."

Their respect for him stopped his self-deprecating thoughts. He smiled wryly and turned back to the people.

"I am sorry for what I was about to say. There will not be an execution this day! The noble people you have come to love and respect are not traitors to Moona! The only traitor is Tolber Silliken! I hereby strip him of all title, station, holdings, and assets! After discussing it with my trusted advisors, we will decide a…." He let the silence hang in the air for a moment while giving a cold stare at Tolber. "Proper punishment." The king's words were like daggers that caused the pathetic man to clear his bowels. The people rejoiced that their king had returned.

The king sat upon his throne, staring at the mark on the crown in his hand. The Queen and princess standing closely by his sides. Lady Lucia and the other nobles flanked the royal family's position. Phaestus, Dite, Athena, Ruby, and White stood before him.

The king sighed. "Before this day, if you had told me this little mark would rob me of my will, I would have called you insane. But after experiencing it myself, it is all the more terrifying." He tossed the crown upon the floor.

"I thank you, Lord Hephaestus. My kingdom owes you a massive debt that we may never be able to repay."

Phaestus chuckled. "There is no need for that, your majesty. Assisting your kingdom was, in turn, helping the allied kingdoms on the main continent."

"Yes, the plans of Dawn. Haaaah. We had hoped that the sea and Fog of the Lost would protect us from them, but that was naïve of me. The Church of Light nearly led our people to extinction if not for the help of the elves." The king stood and walked up to Phaestus, extending his hand to him.

"Thank you, Duke."

Phaestus took his hand and shook it.

"It was our pleasure, your majesty."

The king smiled at Phaestus' candor nature.

"Well, I have been far too long to properly be with my family. I wish to spend the rest of the day with them. Please, Duke, stay the night here in the castle. It would mean a lot to me."

Phaestus smiled and accepted the king's request.

In the room that they were given, Eric and his family were spending time with Lady Lucia. Lady Lucia was having an emotional overload as her grandson Leros was walking adorably to her.

"Grammy!" He said as he purposely fell into her lap.

When Lady Lucia heard that he could walk already, she wanted to see it herself.

"Ahhh! Good job, little Leros! You are such a talented boy!" She snuggled her cheek against his as he laughed.

Micah was also on the ground opposite her grandmother with Ruby just outside the middle, playing with her little sisters.

"Haahh. If only your mother was here to see this. She would be so proud of you, Micah." Lady Lucia said as Leros went to perform his next round of walking.

Micah smiled sadly, "Yes, I do wish she was here. But I am sure she is watching in spirit."

Lady Lucia looked at her granddaughter in confusion.

"What do you mean in spirit?" She asked.

"What? Oh, right, you might not know… Grandmother, I am sorry to say, but before I escaped enslavement, I heard that mother had… died." Micah's sad response only furthered Lady Lucia's confusion.

"Hold on a moment." Lady Lucia then pulled a pendant from her abundant cleavage.

It was a small, red stone on the end of a thin golden chain. After a moment of the lady channeling her magic into the stone, it lit up brightly.

"Ah, it seems that she is in good health this day. When I checked yesterday, the shine was not this bright." Lady Lucia held the stone up for Micah to see its glow.

Now the roles were reversed. It was Micah now who was confused by her grandmother's response.

"A-are you saying... mother is alive?" Micah's question caught in her throat.

Leros recognized the change of the atmosphere and changed his course over to his sisters.

"Yes. All these years, I have had spies in Goun searching for her. I planned on doing anything possible. Even if I had to turn my household destitute, I would bring your mother home. I also had been trying to find you as well all this time, but I had no way to track you." Lady Lucia explained.

Micah stood and grabbed Eric desperately. She tried to choke out her request, but he knew what she wanted, hugging her shaking body tightly.

"Lady Lucia." Eric started. "Could you tell me more about that stone?"

"This? This is called a bloodstone. It is something that parents use to know the health status of their children. It works by applying a drop of the child's blood to the stone." She explained.

"Would I need to be a blood relative to use it?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"Might I borrow it? I have an idea but need to consult my master whether or not I might be able to do it."

"Please, grandmother! Trust him. I have seen him make the impossible possible so many times. I have faith that he may be able to help us find her." Micah begged.

Lady Lucia was taken aback by the unwavering look in Micah's eyes.

"I see." She said with a smile.

Lady Lucia stood, walked over to them while unclasping the necklace.

"If Micah has so much faith in you, then so shall I." She handed the pendant over to Eric.

Before Eric shifted out to the Haven, his family stated their desire to be there as well. With a warm smile, Eric shifted them all into the Haven.

Eric entered his workshop, followed by Micah and Lady Lucia. Ruby, Rorroco, and Luna went to put the children down for bed. Eric closed his eyes and put his hands together in prayer.

Master Hephaestus. I would like to request your assistance.

A moment later, the god of fire, Hephaestus, appeared in the workshop.

"So, what ya be needing help with, Eric?" The god said with a wide grin.

"Thank you for coming, master. Could you take a look at this?" He held the bloodstone out to him.

"Hmm. A bloodstone. Looking to do something with this?" Hephaestus asked.

"Yes. This stone is calibrated to Micah's mother, who is alive. I wanted to ask if there is a way to use this to track her."

The grin on the god's face widened. "Ah, you are looking to make a scrying tool?"

"Yes." Eric responded with an equal grin.

Hephaestus let out a hearty laugh. "Gahahahah! I never get tired of working with ya."

Hephaestus picked up the god hammer that was on the anvil. He held it up with one hand, leaving room on the handle. The hammer began to glow a golden hue.

"Right. Take hold of it along with me and close your eyes."

Eric followed his master's command.

"Now, open your mind to the will instilled in the hammer."

Doing as he was told, Eric felt information flow into his mind. The golden hue of the hammer faded, and Eric opened his eyes.

"I... had no idea Will Forging could be used like that." Eric blinked in surprise.

Hephaestus laughed once more. "Yes, it can. It is a bit of an advanced use, but I think you would be able to do it by now. Now, show me what you got." Leaving the hammer in Eric's hand.

Hephaestus stepped back, opening the path between Eric and the anvil.

Let's see, gold is not a lousy magic medium, but let's add in some mithril for effect amplification and orichalcum circuits for tuning…

Eric shifted a couple tiny ingots of each metal he thought of. Then using [Fire Control], he heated the two metals and the necklace.

Instilling his will into the hammer, it glowed a dazzling gold.

"This is amazing." Lady Lucia barely whispered.

Eric brought the hammer down. CLANG!

The two magic metals liquefied and twisted into the necklace. The gold was imbued with mithril, and tiny orichalcum circuits formed on the surface of the bloodstone. After several minutes, the golden glow died down, and the forging was complete. Hephaestus picked up the necklace.

"Heh, damn good work." He said, admiring the work.

Eric stiffened at his comment.

"You did good, Eric. I'm proud of you." Hephaestus handed the necklace over to his student.

"I, uh, thank you." Eric stumbled over his words.

Hephaestus gave a wide grin. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to be gettin' back home. Call me again if you need help."

With a wave goodbye, Hephaestus disappeared in an orange flash. Micah held out her hand excitedly, but Eric did not turn to her. He seemed in a daze, staring at the place that Hephaestus was.

"Eric?" He started at her calling out to him.

"Oh, uh, sorry." He seemed choked up as he turned to her in a fluster.

"Ahem. Here, just channel a bit of magic into it and should work." Eric said, collecting himself.

Micah could see there was something off with her husband and took his hand.

"Eric, what's wrong?"

He sighed heavily with a tense smile.

"Heh, pretty dumb of me to think you might not read me like a book for once."

Eric leaned back on the worktable behind him.

"I never really spoke too much to all of you of my family back in my old world. It was not for the reason that we were at each other's throats or anything like that. They were a good, loving family. I got along with my siblings and parents quite well. But, there was one thing I never got. My father was a lawyer. My mother, a history teacher."

He looked about his workshop.

"They never understood this. My work in this place. Hehe. I never made much money from my work, but it was enough to get by. It felt like they were… disappointed in me." His face tensed as he choked back his emotions.

"Why?! The things you have done here are things that NO single person would ever be able to do!" Rorroco cried out.

"Things were different there. No magic. No Church of Light. No monsters. Also, I did not have the blessings of my beloved bumbling goddess." Eric smiled toward Luna.

Luna was conflicted as to be insulted or happy, so she held her tongue.

"I loved my family. But I believe they thought my mind would have been better used elsewhere or to finish my degree in engineering."

His eyes drifted back to the space where Hephaestus stood.

"His words…" Eric choked up, his eyes beginning to water. "Meant more to me than I could have imagined. To be acknowledged. For someone who feels, like a father, to say that they are proud of me…."

Micah, Ruby, Rorroco, and Luna crowded around him, hugging him warmly.

"By the gods, this feels somewhat silly, an adult becoming like this." Eric returned his family's embrace.

"If anything is silly, grandson-in-law, it is what you just said. Adults also desire acknowledgment. Most of all, from those most important to us. You have every right to be emotional over this happy moment." Lady Lucia cut into the moment. Eric smiled at her warmly and thanked her.

"Thank you, Luna." He whispered to her quietly.

The following morning Micah held out the scrying tool and channeled her magic into it. The stone lit up and swung lightly westward.

"It is showing she is that direction." Everyone looked in the way the stone swung.

Eric looked at the scrying tool.

"She is very far away. The pull is supposed to get stronger the closer we get. My guess is that she may still be in Goun." He explained.

For a brief moment, Micah seemed to not like the idea of returning to the place, but she shook it off, becoming resolute in her goal.

"When do we leave?" She asked.

"We will meet with the Moona royal family to inform them we have pressing matters to attend to. We will return to Lenmos briefly, then we will set out from Meerka after checking with some friends for help. This infiltration will have to be handled delicately because we don't want to risk the contract between countries."

Micah agreed to his plan. Eric changed them into their noble personas, and they left the room to inform the king of their departure.