Novels2Search

Chapter 25: A new quest

Getting to Tirion and Lysa's place proved more interesting than expected. The Shadow District wasn't exactly well-mapped, and the directions I'd been given sounded like something from a riddle quest:

"Take the third left after the Weeping Lady statue, then two rights at the purple lanterns, and if you see the upside-down house you've gone too far."

Inspect didn't help much here. Every alley looked the same, and the interface kept highlighting useless things:

Suspicious Cat (Definitely plotting something) Strange Door (Probably leads somewhere) Ominous Graffiti (Written in a language you can't read)

I'd already gotten lost twice, ending up in what looked like some kind of mushroom market. The vendor had been insistent that his glowing fungi could "reveal your true destiny," but I had enough trouble with my current destiny, thanks.

Finally, I spotted what had to be the right place – a modest two-story house with dark stone walls and tinted windows. A small garden occupied the front, filled with plants I'd never seen before.

I was about to knock when the door opened. Estella stood there, grinning like she'd won a bet.

"You're late! Let me guess – you tried to use the main road instead of cutting through the Cemetery of Temporary Inconvenience?"

"The what now?"

"The shortcut! Everyone knows the best way to get anywhere in the Shadow District is through the cemetery. The ghosts give great directions." She grabbed my arm. "Come on, Lysa's tea is getting cold." She pulled me inside. "Wait till you see what Tirion did with the place. Who knew bunny warriors had such a good eye for interior decoration?"

The interior was... surprisingly cozy. Dark wooden furniture, yes, and the expected assortment of ominous candles, but also comfortable-looking chairs and what appeared to be hand-knitted cushions in deep purples and blues. A weapons rack held Tirion's spare shields alongside Lysa's ceremonial staves, arranged carefully side by side.

And there, on one of the sofas, was a carrot-patterned pillow.

"Noctus! Glad you made it." Tirion emerged from what I assumed was the kitchen, wearing a black apron with 'Kiss the Bunny' embroidered on it. "I see Estella found you before you wandered into the Maze of Mild Peril."

"The what-"

"Don't ask," Lysa called from the kitchen. "That maze has a terrible sense of humor."

I followed them into a cozy dining room where a round table was set with delicate black porcelain cups. Steam rose from them in spiraling patterns before dissipating.

"Please, sit," Lysa emerged with a plate of cookies."

"Did you know," Estella said, already dropping three sugar cubes into her cup, "that Tirion stress-bakes? Lysa told me the whole house smelled like cookies last week after their adventures in the caves."

Tirion's ears drooped slightly. "I don't stress-bake. I merely... process combat experiences through culinary experimentation."

"He made four batches," Lysa added with a fond smile. "The neighbors were very appreciative."

I picked up my cup and sipped the tea. The taste was... impossible to describe. Cool and warm simultaneously, sweet and bitter in ways that shouldn't be possible.

"Good, isn't it?" Lysa looked pleased. "It's a family recipe. The secret is harvesting the tea leaves at exactly midnight from a philosopher's grave."

"I thought your family were merchants?" Estella asked, reaching for a cookie. “why exactly did merchants need access to philosopher graves?”

A small smile played at Lysa's lips. My grandmother always said the best merchants know things they shouldn't. Besides," she took a delicate sip, "you never know when you might need to negotiate with the dead.”

The conversation lulled as we enjoyed our tea. Finally, Tirion set down his cup. "So, what are your plans now?"

"Well, I need to replace my sword first," I gestured at the remains of my broken blade. "After that, I'm hoping to track down the Oracle."

"The Oracle?" Tirion's ears perked up with interest. "Why are you seeking them?"

"We're searching for information about the night," Estella interjected.

Tirion and Lysa exchanged looks. "The night?" Lysa asked carefully as she set down her teacup. "That's... an unusual interest… Why are you interested in it?"

Even Estella turned to look at me curiously. I realized I'd never actually told her why I was pursuing this quest.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," I finally said. "You could call it destiny, though I hate using that word." I traced the rim of my cup, watching the steam curl into the air. "When I was on the surface, I witnessed things that didn't make sense. People turning into monsters under a sun that never sets."

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Ada's transformed face flashed through my mind, the way her skin had crackled with light, how her eyes had blazed with an inhuman radiance. The golden locket felt heavy in my inventory. I had to suppress a shudder.

"And then I received a message from the heavens that told me it was my divine duty to restore the night. At first, I just went along with it because..." I left out a laugh. "Well, what else was I going to do? But then I saw more. That old man in Ada's camp, begging for death before the light could take him. Children playing with petrified humans like they were dolls. 'Light poisoning,' they called it, like it was some natural disease and not the result of their precious God's eternal day."

I looked up to find them all watching me intently. Even Estella's usual smile had faded, replaced with a focused look of concern.

"You know, before I came to this place, back in another life..." I stared into my tea, watching my distorted reflection fragment in the dark liquid. "I had to do bad things. Things I wasn't proud of."

An image flashed across my mind, four bodies sprawled on a cold warehouse floor, blood pooling beneath them. That man was beside me, pointing at the remaining lady cowering in fear in the corner. The memory hit me like a physical blow, and I could almost smell the copper tang in the air again. My hands trembled slightly around the teacup.

"Sorry," I muttered, setting down the cup before I could spill it.

"I was good at what I did," I continued, my voice hollow. "Too good. But it was destroying me, bit by bit. Then I escaped and got a second chance. A chance to be someone else, to be someone better." A bitter laugh escaped me. "I thought I'd just play the hero for once, you know? Live out some power fantasy playing a knight where I get to save the world instead of... instead of what I was."

I looked up, meeting their eyes one by one. "So yeah, maybe it started as just another quest line. But then I saw more.” My voice grew stronger, harder. "Now I need to know the truth. About the night, about this world, about why people have to suffer under endless light while their leaders call it divine punishment.”

The tea's steam twisted in the air as I met Lysa's eyes. "Maybe restoring the night isn't about destiny. Maybe it's just about making things right."

Silence filled the room, as no one knew how best to respond. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to understand either. Maybe I shared a little too much. Sensing the awkwardness, I tried to lighten the mood.

"Though at this rate, I might not make it that far," I said, trying to keep my tone light as I examined my dwindling funds. "I'll go broke just keeping myself armed. At least the rats didn't charge me for breaking my sword on their bones."

Estella snorted into her tea, while Lysa's expression softened slightly. Tirion set his cup down with a thoughtful look that made his whiskers twitch.

Then Estella spoke, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "You know, in dance, we learn that sometimes stepping back is what makes the next move possible." She gave me a slight smile, different from her usual playful grin and lifted her teacup in a small salute. "Here's to second chances, then."

I nodded and returned her smile, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders.

"Whatever you went through, it’s all in the past now.” Tirion said. Here in the Undercity, everyone has a fresh start. And speaking of fresh starts... if you're looking for gold and information about the night, I might have something that could help with both." He reached into his inventory and pulled out a quest scroll, spreading it carefully on the table. "You might be interested in this quest."

I eyed the document suspiciously. The last time someone offered me a quest, I ended up fighting a million rats. My Slayer of Rats skill was still mockingly active in my status window. "A fetch quest?"

"Better." He pointed to the guild seal at the bottom. "Official commission from the Adventurers Guild. The Tomb of the First King. Recently uncovered in an excavated tunnel, and they're paying premium rates for the first team to retrieve a treasure within it."

Estella leaned forward, nearly knocking over her drink in her excitement. "The First King? As in, the founder of the Undercity? That's not just a quest, that's actual history!" Her eyes had that dangerous sparkle that gave me a bad feeling.

"And what exactly are we looking for in there?" I asked.

"The crown of the First King. An ancient artifact of considerable power, according to the old texts." Tirion answered.

"Power?" That caught my attention. "What kind of power?"

Lysa answered this time. "The legends say it was the source of the First King's strength, that whoever wears it gains the right to rule the Undercity." She paused, her voice taking on the careful tone of a scholar. "Though these are mostly tales passed down through generations. No one today would recognize its authority. The Adventurers Guild's interest is purely historical."

She set her drink down, her expression growing more serious. "But there's more to these stories than just politics. The ancient scriptures spoke of the First King's reign and how he led a crusade against the God of Light. They say he possessed secrets about the night, knowledge that the God of Light wanted buried." She glanced at me meaningfully. "That part might be more interesting to you."

I paused, weighing my options. More hints about the night were tempting, especially from someone as significant as the First King. But I was already done with Agatha quest. That seemed like a clearer path to complete the night quest. Starting a new quest now felt like getting sidetracked.

"And the pay is good," Tirion added, clearly reading my hesitation. "Very good. Guild's offering both gold and reputation points. Enough to get you any sword you need."

Adventurer Guild Quest Explore the Tomb of the first king Reward: 400 gold Additional: Guild Reputation +500

400 gold. Even split four ways, that was 100 gold each. In sword terms, that meant... I did some quick math. A hundred common iron swords. Enough to last me a lifetime… I hope. It was a tempting offer.

I ran my fingers over my Nightsky blade, feeling the microscopic nicks and scratches on it.

Nightsky blade Durability: 70% Warning: Durability decreasing Maintenance required soon

The durability was still dropping. For the sake of not being a weaponless knight. I should probably get some gold soon. At this rate, I'd end up being the first Knight of the Night to fight with his fists. Not exactly the dramatic image I was going for.

“What do you say, will you two join us on this quest?” Tirion asked, looking between Estella and me.

Estella leaned forward, practically bouncing in her seat. "Come on, it'll be fun! When was the last time anyone got to explore the First King's tomb?"

I glanced at my sword one more time. Between my dwindling funds, my deteriorating weapon, and the prospect of both ancient knowledge and a hefty payday... well, maybe a small detour wouldn't hurt.

"Fine," I said, trying to sound reluctant despite having already made up my mind. "Let's do this."