In a large, imposing building at the edge of Corban’s entertainment district, the dull buzz of multiple voices and clatter of tableware filled its main hall as people slowly filtered into the room before sitting down in small groups. Streaks of golden sunlight fell from the second story windows across the balcony, wooden railings and grand staircase before finally landing upon the various booths and raised platforms that surrounded a circular bar at the hall’s centre. Multiple ornate doors lead from the second story walkways, and a single grand entrance stood opposite the stairway on the ground floor. The booths on the ground floor, some of the wooden tables at their centre containing poles that raised all the way to the second story ceiling, were covered in dark red leather, marred by the occasional questionable stain or tear.

It wasn't long before two men, wearing white jackets, entered the hall through a side door that had been concealed almost perfectly against the wooden panels that covered the ground floor's walls. With them were two large carts stacked high with food.

The top layer of the carts contained cooked meats, mostly sausages, bacon, and what looked like steaks. There were also multiple jugs of milk and juice. The middle layer included various cereals and grains, as well as some fruits while the bottom only held containers with names written on their labels.

Without much thought or fanfare, the two men quickly unloaded the cart's contents onto the bar at the centre of the room and, after a few polite words with the man behind it and a few women sitting nearby, started to leave.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, the middle-aged man standing behind the bar smiled as he watched a group comprised of young children, most seem to be around the age of five, get up from their seats and creep towards the food. Placing the glass he had been cleaning onto the bar's centre island rack, he slowly turned to face them with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face. "What's this? Trying to jump the queue?"

The seven children, three boys and four girls, that had been steadily approaching froze. Their eyes scanned the man's face before, one after the other, their faces broke out into broad smiles.

"Aww, come on Uncle Sam." The small girl that had spoken pouted, placing her hands on her hips in a similar fashion to the man. She had patches of orange-red fur on her arms and neck, almost the exact same colour as a woman sitting nearby. "You let the big kids go first yesterday and our mums the day before. You even said that it would be our turn today."

"Did I?" Sam scratched the stubble on his chin as he looked up. The few women and even some of the older children sitting nearby all grinned or chuckled as their eyes floated between the man and small children.

"Yes. You promised." The small girl stomped her foot. However, moments later, she started to smile. "Only bad men don't keep their promises. I thought you were a good man. If so, you won't break your promise. Right?"

Sam's eyes rolled upwards as he turned to face the woman whose hair matched the patches of fur visible on the girl. "Asha, what have you been teaching your child?"

The woman looked at her daughter as she let out a sigh. A look of worry etched on her face. "Dear, I told you. Good men are rare and Sam's exceptional even amongst them. So..."

Asha's lips twitched as a few of the other women nearby started to chuckle. "You have to make sure he doesn't realise what you are doing or else you will hurt his feelings."

"Asha!" Sam shouted, but seeing the table of woman burst into laughter. He could only shake his head. "Damn foxes."

"Hey!" Asha, even though Sam had spoken quietly and she was surrounded by laughter, heard the remark and pouted similarly to her daughter. Seeing this, the already noisy room erupted into laughter drowning out any retort that Sam could have made.

Sam sighed loudly as he scanned the room. Apart from the few men sitting in the corner near the entrance in guard uniforms, there where four groups of women and three groups of children. The women, while appearing lively and energetic, were all displaying various signs of tiredness while the children seemed to be separated by age and continuously bickering amongst themselves.

"Give it up, Sam. You're outnumbered. And we all know you are just teasing them to pass the time." The only person that wasn't sitting at one of the booths, excluding Sam, was a blonde haired woman who was mumbling into the counter as her head rested on the bar's hard, oak surface. Due to the streak of light hitting her from the side, the edges of her hair seemed to give off a mysterious, almost divine, golden glow.

"Gisse." Sam sighed again, his shoulders slumping somewhat as he turned to face the woman. "Even you are turning against me now?"

The woman lifted her head slightly, revealing her bright, green eyes and a small smile. As she stared into Sam's eyes, the edges of the smile started to tug upwards. "It's not my fault, Sam. Honest. It's the demon blood in me."

"Don't give me that crap." Sam swatted Gisse with the towel that had been on his shoulder moments earlier, causing the woman to lower her head and released an exaggerated groan.

The children who had been waiting nearby cheered at sight and charged forward. Before the time it took Sam to take a deep breath, they had claimed their meals and returned to their booth without giving him another look. After the children were seated, the others started to get up in twos or threes and move toward the counter.

"You know, the rules are actually there for a reason. If we spoil them, it will make it harder for them in the long run." Sam leant on the bar close to Gisse, using his fingernail to pick at a stain that hadn't been washed away.

"And we respect that." Gisse's voice was muffled by the arms her head had been buried into. "We are just teaching them how to survive in a world where the strong make and break those so-called rules."

She lifted her head slightly so she could peek at Sam. "Plus, we all know you're a big softy. It's why we trust you. We might be nothing more than slaves in the eyes of others, but you treat us like family. Most importantly, you treat them like they are your own."

Sam shook his head but didn't refute Gisse's claim before picking up another glass from the tray at the side of the bar and starting to dry it. "Of course. I might not be related by blood, but I brought most of them into this world. Seen them grow and develop. In my mind, you all are my family."

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"Even though we are nothing more than slaves and whores?" Gisse snorted loudly, yet her eyes never left Sam's. Her gaze seemed to sparkle with intensity, and Sam found it hard to look away.

"Of course. Family is family." Sam stopped drying the glass, a flash of sadness momentarily crossing his face. "How many times do you have to ask that same question?"

"Until I understand what motivates you." Gisse's green eyes continued to glow mysteriously, even in the bright sunlight.

Sam shook his head, his eyes becoming vacant for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face as his gaze fell upon the oldest group of children who appeared to be in their early teens. "The Sect selection is only a week away. Hopefully, some can get in and become outer disciples. If not, the guard tests are in a few months."

His eyes fell upon two children sitting next to each other, and his smile faltered. They looked much thinner than the others, and the girl of the pair seemed to be blind in one eye.

Gisse sat up, the baggy jumper seeming too big for her as it drooped down her right shoulder slightly. Her eyes followed Sam's line of sight until she saw the two children. Turning back to Sam, Gisse frowned. "Urg, it's like this every bloody five years. You get so worked up over their futures you end up pulling out your own hair. And for what? We all know if they fail completely and are too old to try out next time, you will buy out their slave contracts and let them work here or at the nearby shops. It might not be a good life, but its a life none the less."

Seeing Sam refuse to look in her direction, Gisse chuckled lightly. "Why do you think you get so many 'benefits'? You look after us, and we look after you."

Sam shook his head. "Just don't let the kids know. Only under pressure can they display their true abilities and skills and have a chance of breaking out of this kind of life."

Gisse waved her hand at Sam, only stopping when he put a few slices of bacon on a plate and placed it in front of her. "Urg, for an ex necromancer, you worry about the living too much. Whatever will be, will be. You can't save everyone."

"You know... Most people that turn to necromancy don't do it out of hatred of the living." Sam shook his head as he returned to cleaning the glasses. "And please be careful with what you say. Abner is almost guaranteed to get into the Sect with his skills so you might not be worried, but think of the other mothers. You have already alienated yourself with how you always speak your mind.

"The truth." Gisse interrupted between mouthfuls of bacon.

"Or at least how you see it." Sam swatted her with the cloth again, this time catching her hand and making her drop the slice of bacon she was about to stuff into her mouth. Seeing Gisse quickly grab the bacon and stuff it in her mouth before smiling, he sighed. "There is a reason they say the demon of truths bloodline is the most hated."

"So what if it is? I am who I am. And if my son is better than their kids, they can only blame the gods. What does it have to do with me?" Gisse finished the food, pushing the plate away, before licking her fingers clean. "Plus, he isn't that lucky. He might have dual element affinity, but they are opposites. He has to work twice as hard as other people, especially as his primary affinity leans towards darkness and we are trapped in this place."

"You sure you haven't got some of the Pride Lord in your bloodline?" Sam said as his eyes scanned over the women sitting nearby. While they seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, he spotted a few frowning or glaring at Gisse when they thought he wasn't looking.

Gisse's smile faltered for a moment before she placed her head back on the bar and loudly sighed. "You know as much as me. My father summoned my mother as a familiar. Six months later, I was born, then she ate my father's heart and returned to wherever she came from, abandoning me in the process. If my abilities didn't indicate I was from the truth demon's lineage, I would have been burnt alive or sent to one of the sects laboratories."

“Still testing me?” Sam smiled, patting Gisse on the back of the head lightly. As he did, faint grey energy, sprinkled with hints of green and gold, floated from his hand and onto her head.

“Of course. It’s in my nature.” Even though it couldn’t be seen, a small smile appeared on Gisse’s lips as Sam patted her head. After a few pats, her muscles seemed to relax as she yawned loudly.

“Didn’t get a good night’s sleep?” Sam cringed slightly as the words left his mouth. A few of the women who were collecting their second servings raised their eyebrows or tutted before walking away.

"You're joking, right? Ever since that bloody golden demon hunter general whatever her face is called appeared, I haven't had a free night to myself." Gisse snapped, her tone much colder than before, as she abruptly sat up. "Bloody men and their fantasies. Just because some powerful woman comes along with 'demon' in their title and golden hair, they think that any blonde with demonic blood is being they must conquer at all costs.

“And... where the hell is that little shit. I bet he has gone past the beginner area and started hunting outside the barrier. He's always complaining about the grass worms and cravens not being enough of a challenge for him."

She leant forward, locking eyes with Sam. "Do you know what I caught him with the other day? A grade two splitter core. The boy is growing up in a whore house, with demon blood in his veins, and all he can think about are monsters. Anyone sane would think there was something wrong with him."

Gisse slammed the counter with her fist as she ground her teeth. "The only reason he is hunting those unintelligent beasts is to gain knowledge and skills for when he can join a dungeon or exploration party so he can find real monsters. I was tyring to put up with it but now he has been gone for two weeks, a week longer than he promised."

"I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'm going to break his legs and force a woman onto him. That should clear his head and get him to realise there is more to this world than monsters and growing stronger."

"I don't actually know what to say to that logic." Sam closed his eyes as he grasped the bridge of his nose. "I get that you are worried about him, and think that dungeon diving or exploring is too dangerous, but... your solution is just-"

"Of course I won't really break his legs." Gisse huffed, releasing a faint green gas. "But I can still look for a partner for him. If he finds someone he likes, he won't want to be out there risking his life. Instead, he might settle down and focus on something with more meaning. As long as he can live a long, happy life I will be content."

Sam smiled, slowly putting his hand on Gisse's shoulder. "Don't worry. He's a smart kid and will be fine. I sent Gald and Bert out to look for him last night. They should be back within a couple of days at most."

Gisse face, which had been slightly warping in her anger, relaxed a bit as she smiled weakly. "Thanks, Sam. I swear, I thought life was hard before having a kid. It only gets worse as they grow up. At least when they are babies, you can contain and control them. I wish I had some elf blood in me. That way, I could have kept him safe for much longer."

It was at this moment that Sam and Gisse frowned at the same time. Along with a few other women, most displaying animal-like traits, and the guards, they slowly looked towards the room's opposite corner where two figures were sitting in the shadows cast by the balcony above. In front of the pair was a small pile of plates, as well as two of the jugs, that had mysteriously left the counter at some point.

One of the figures was wearing a thick, black cloak. The hood covering their face did not affect their ability to eat in the slightest as a small, pale hand quickly relieved the plates of their contents. The other person was a boy with blonde hair, his face covered in dirt, who was timidly smiling at Gisse. After a few, awkward seconds, he raised his hand slightly to wave. "Hi... mum."