I exhaled the blue grey smoke of the minty medical tobacco that Nafir had pointed me towards. I’d asked him if he knew of any tobacco I could smoke simply for smoking's sake without any health issues following. This world might develop slowly but what that meant in the end was that things were thoroughly explored.

They’d figured out smoking was harmful in two decades and figured out ways to allow for smoking without health issues. Apparently what I was smoking now was something of a medical plant to stimulate the body by providing several needed nutrition for those using mana achieved through inhalation.

I’d been skeptical at first but Németh, Verona and even Zalruk told me it was fine, I took up the habit of smoking this particular variant. Apparently it helped fight the tiny bit of corruption mana might cause to a body when it used as much mana as I did. I’d grumbled when even my nightly study sessions were counted, which counted for most of my fatigue.

Thankfully two days of solid rest and leisurely smoking without using mana at all was enough to help fight the effects but I’d put in a weekends deal with the council to help fight any build up from mana usage and fatigue.

While I wouldn’t be as susceptible to it’s effects as others, not only due to my beloved of mana title and also my regeneration factor. Apparently what was helping me the most was the meditations I did while trying to cultivate mana instead of chi. My exercises had sped up the effects of the elder physique and the changes it was doing to my body along with the purifying effect upon my internal mana it did. My muscles felt like coiled steel springs as they hid under a physique that made me look like slightly broad shouldered sprinter almost at the point of looking like all of my muscles were on display.

Thankfully I had enough skin and fat, I guess, that made it only really noticeable if I flexed a muscle over what they’d normally do. I’d had to create another gear or seal on my body because of that.

I had to have a way to limit my body to that of a normal elf my level, then I had another limit that made me about as strong as a proper vampire with my skills could do before going into the elder state. I felt silly limiting my body into gears or whatever but I wasn’t used to the explosive speed and sheer strength that the elder physiology was pushing onto my body.

If I didn’t limit my body in any way I could fight a speed based warrior type of at least level one hundred to a stand still. Granted I was overpowered but that was only against those with the very basic classes, some rare or even super rare ones like heroic icon could fight me to a stand still with both of us being at the same level. Sometimes it was the class that made the monster not just the individuals training or skills alone.

I shook my head and drew in another puff. In such a dreary room it was easy to get distracted. A small room with just about enough room for a table the length of a man to lie on with three more seated around it. All stone floors, walls and ceilings I was again reminded of how much the cathedral of light reminded me of Notre Dame.

I had half a mind of singing ‘doctor, doctor tell me the news’ when I finally met this healer Nafir had arranged a meeting with but I was just bored. I still felt nervous about the agreement I’d reached with Emperor Augustus. A part of me wished his wife well in giving birth to a healthy child but I was also worried about the effects I might have incurred into the unborn child.

I’d used just the barest of soul energy to help strengthen the burgeoning soul and I’d purified it as best I could as well. I’d feel kinda bad if the soul wasn’t born pure as they should be. I grimaced a bit at some of the rabbit holes my imagination took me to for differing consequences to my actions.

Then I snorted a little and leaned back into my chair as I looked up and took another drag of my pipe.

“I’m a hopeless hypocrite like the rest of them.” I smiled as I spoke, exhaling the smoke at the same type causing my voice to grow deeper than usual. Then I heard it. The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway beyond the only door into the room. However it was strange, there was only a single person heading here but she was muttering something like she was talking to someone else.

I focused mana into my ears and closed my eyes to further focus as I also reached out with my mana senses.

“I still don’t understand why I gotta heal someone's soul. Is that even possible?” The woman asked into the air.

Once I focused my ears enough with mana I got the tail end the response to her question. “It is the duty of my herald. My dear I am the god of the hearth, home and health. You must understand that you won’t be having many of these adventures you keep talking about as you seem to think you will.” It sounded like a fat man, I could tell by the distinct ‘buh’ sort of sound of his b’s. That little titbit I’d learned from a stand up by Patton Oswald and had given it a bit more thought to actually learn the distinction out of boredom.

“Why couldn’t I get a cool god? Like the god of badassery or heroes or something.” The woman harrumphed before she went quiet along with the voice next to her as she came up to the door.

I began to focus the same type of mana into my eyes as I had into my ears. I had just discovered how to see gods when they can only appear to their heralds. I remembered how Aona had discussed it with me on how it worked when she began to appear before me outside my dreams to help me out earlier in my journey.

Now I got to put it into practice, like dialling two dials on a radio to pin point a signal.

The door opened up and in walked a gorgeous woman, like someone had decided to take the best parts of a young Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and the dignified way Eva Green carried herself and blended it all into one package. Long deep black hair with beautiful naturally tan skin and large green eyes and the body of a comic book super heroine. I was immediately suspicious.

No one was that perfect, rather deities were usually that perfect. “Hmm and who might you be?” I asked with a raised eyebrow as I looked at her. Ignoring the pudgy god floating next to her like the Disney version of Bacchus just a lot more homely. Like the image of the ultimate house wife had been forced upon a pudgy little guy that reminded me a bit of Santa Claus. His hair was in a long monk cut as the top of his head was bald and he had a slight bushy beard that was steel grey instead of white with a few locks still retaining a dark brown colour.

“I am Camille Vannier, Nurse sister of his holiness Fovtavious.” She said smoothly, her voice like honey upon the ears, as she bowed gently and humbly before me.

I stared at her with suspicion in my eye, I could use this as an excuse to heal my eye saying it just happened along with the healing. It wasn’t easy to get used to a messed up depth perception quickly. I decided on replying instead of letting the air hang in silence. “I am Baron Aesir, a visitor to this fair city.” I said as I bowed my own head but I didn’t get up.

I noted the slight look of annoyance the woman had on her face as she was about to rise once more but it was gone before I had a chance to get a good look at her. So she was sculpted then? A herald like Freya had been?

This Camille went over and took the seat for the doctor and looked at me with curiosity. “So what brings you to the hospis ward of the cathedral of light?” She asked then respectfully and humbly as she bowed her head once again.

“I imagine what brings most to this ward.” I responded almost dryly, it should be obvious I thought.

Camille’s jaw clenched almost imperceptibly before she spoke again. “I meant what ails you, Baron Aesir.” She spoke gently and I was now sure the whole saintly type appearance to her was all an act. There was something far shrewder hiding under that thin veil.

The pudgy not Santa floating in the air behind her studied me curiously if not intensely, his rosy cheeks making me want to pinch them for some reason. I’d practised with O’Malley and Sutekh on training my sight with something called visual acuity made it so I could see everything clearly before me instead of the more focus on a small area of your sight. I’d naturally developed a lesser variant while I was human simply out of survival instincts when facing fast or tricky opponents.

That allowed me to focus on both this Fovtavious and Camille at the same time. “My soul.” I decided to reply before there was too long a pause between Camille’s question and my response.

She cocked her head a little. “Your soul? But you look fine to me.” She said puzzled and I wanted to sigh and shake my head at such a stupid observation.

Thankfully the god decided to educate Camille. “A beings soul can be harmed without any harm coming to the body. These are among the most grievous injuries and the hardest to heal.” He said into her ear in a slightly lower than conversational tone.

Camille seemed to simply pause for a second like she’d thought over what she’d said before speaking again, clever. “I’m sorry, I mean to what severity are the injuries to your soul?” She asked still keeping the humble act.

“Extensive… I’m dead in a month or two without healing.” I said with as deadly serious tone as I could muster. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t as terrified as I should be of my soul just up and dying on me but I guessed it was also due to just wanting it all to be over. I shook my head a little to shake the thoughts off and looked at the slightly shocked looking Camille. Even Fovtavious was staring at me before he hurried her along to see what the true damage to my soul was.

I stood up and gestured for her to keep her seat before taking a few steps back from her. I made sure she could see I was careful over her every move before I manifested my soul on the outside of my body. It was a product of the soul manipulation skill as it granted the user the ability to manipulate raw souls as well as knowledge on how they worked in general. Like ingrained ancestral memory you were piecing together with practice.

Both woman and god went pale and horror stricken, to my surprise Fovtavious began to weep as he stared at me. I was rather confused at that but didn’t let it show on my face. “Who did such a thing?!” The god cried as he began to rub his eyes like a child trying to stop it’s bawling, I wondered how he survived in the same pantheon as Aona. He seemed… too meek.

“T-that is what I’d consider….” Camille began before she visibly swallowed. “Extensive damage.” She said and I noted the worried look she gave the god at her side. I narrowed my eye at that.

“Can you heal it or not?” I asked almost letting my annoyance show in my voice.

Camille steepled her fingers over her mouth and began as silent a conversation as I’d ever thought possible with Fovtavious. I couldn’t make it out properly as I wasn’t close enough that even my own heightened senses could pick it up, then I noticed the small ripple of mana between her fingers.

I smiled internally, she figured I might be able to tell if something was up if she hadn’t done something like that but sadly with mana infused into my eyes I could not only see the tiny shimmer of the privacy barrier but who she was talking to as well.

“I’m afraid with my current skills I cannot.” Camille said lowering her head to me.

Hearing such a flat out no caused my blood to boil and I walked slowly to the table she sat at and stared down at her. “Then what good are you?” I asked without thinking, the way her expression went to shock as if struck by my words made me feel a little guilty.

The gods rarely took the wholesome normal people of earth to this one, no they wanted the damaged ones, the fucked up and jaded. Those could at times be easier to manipulate than others after all, all it took was the right angle.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “What level are you and what level do you need to be at to heal me?” I then asked and she looked confused.

Fovtavious seemed to realize something and quickly spoke to her. “Tell him your level is ten and that you need to reach level eighty to fully heal him! You can slow down the damage to a crawl right now but only at eighty will you get access to the skill that can fully allow me to channel divine magic through you and into him to heal him! This is an opportunity Theo!”

I raised an eyebrow at hearing that and almost spoke the name aloud. I had to make sure that this herald who had such a doting god follow her not know who I am. I’d need to get in contact with Selma and Freya to not only ask if they wanted to go level with me and this Camille, but to also let them know of her and that I didn’t want my identy to travel past those that were in that room when I revealed it.

I internally cringed at my own behaviour, I’d just been thinking that my identity shouldn’t leak out and yet then I blather it out to the damn Emperor.

Thankfully I had, earlier had Ashes and Dust investigate the emperor and his true character behind the scenes. It had been sheer luck that Empress Sabirah had a condition specifically described when I was taught more in depth about the soul crafting skill and its capabilities. I suspect it wasn’t just coincidental and just might be the only real way they can help in the mortal plane of this world.

I was just glad the man had honor and valued his word enough to be a good man while being a good ruler at the same time. Some of the ‘black’ faction of nobles viewed him as a weak king because of this but if what I’d found out and the mission I had been tasked with by Augustus their view just might change.

“I am a level ten Saint healer… I require to be at level eighty to fully heal you but I can slow the wound down right now.” Camille then said as she swallowed and then looked at me with a firm gaze.

“Oh?” I asked with a slight smirk growing on my lips. “And why should I trust you? The gods you follow don’t have the best history of honor after all.” I asked, my plan to at least plant a seed of doubt in Camille towards the pantheon of light, a seed that might save her life one day.

She looked at me with confusion and scrunched up her nose a little like she’d just caught a bad smell. Fovtavious on the other hand looked flabbergasted and angry. “How DARE HE!” He boomed with the same fury as I’d heard many an actor voicing a booming voiced angry god.

I didn’t react but I gave Camille a narrowed eye as she winced from the sound, though my ears were ringing just a little. That annoying sound that followed a flash bang squealing away as an undercurrent to everything I heard.

“What do you mean by that?” Camille on the other hand asked her eyes cautious as I looked at her. Perhaps she’d seen or heard of the others or suspected this Fovtavious wasn’t all he seemed to be.

“Well… the head god of your religion murdered another and used his bloodline descendants as disposable fodder to further the Wolfsgard empires growth. I would think you might be the most affronted given the god was originally a mortal from your world.” I said calmly though I felt how I almost growled it out .

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To my surprise it wasn’t just Camille who stared at me with wide eyes but the pudgy god as well. “Ask him what he means. Who is the god that did such a heinous act?” He asked with indignation, his tone gave me the impression he wasn’t in the know. Would that mean that just Aona and her three friends were the extent of those types of gods in this pantheon?

Once Camille had asked me on behalf of Fovtavious I narrowed my eyes. “Who is the head god of the pantheon of light?” I first asked as I sat down and curiously made sure to have a view of both Camille and Fovtavious, the god was the type to wear his heart on his sleeve so I doubted he ever played poker.

Camille’s response was almost automatic in her reply. “Atgen, The great god of judgement.” I raised an eyebrow at that, Aona told me she was the head of the pantheon and she was worshipped like that in Wolfsgard too.

“Hmm seems I am misinformed then. In Wolfsgard the head of the pantheon is Aona the goddess of justice and light.” I answered then and Fovtavious exploded.

“That impudent two faced!” Was only the least of the curses and oaths of damnation that spilled from the pudgy gods enraged mouth. It was kinda cute, like a fat little bearded baby throwing a tantrum, though with the vocabulary of a scholarly sailor that was for sure. He was very… creative in his word choices.

Camille winced a little every time Fovtavious’s voice rose above conversational tone and she knew I’d noticed it already. I simply gave her an expressionless stare.

She caved first. “Yes I’m in contact with a god.” She blurted out having grown increasingly uncomfortable with my stare at her and the vitriol the pudgy floating Santa next to her spouted.

“Then tell him to shut up.” I said with an amused smirk as I saw Fovtavious stop spouting his curses and begin to glare at me. “If what I’m saying is true then wouldn’t that mean that this god you are in contact with has to be careful from now on?” I then asked.

The two didn’t even hide it now as Camille leaned to the side with one hand cupping her mouth like she was hiding the fact she was whispering to Fovtavious right next to her. “Is Aona that dangerous?” She asked and the sad nod that the god gave made my heart flutter as I saw the seed of doubt in her eyes grow.

“Then what should we do? I mean I don’t want to get in the middle of gods fighting it out!” She hissed out in a whisper and I was once again glad for the enhanced senses now that the elders physiology was providing my natural body with.

“I’ll sit on this information for now… I know I can trust Etarr and Enja with this and they’d help me out investigating this.” Fovtavious said and I grew slightly panicked. If the gods were to become more preoccupied with one another for me to move with less subtlety on the mortal plane and still go relatively unnoticed then Enja couldn’t be told. It would kill this discord before it even began, simply because she was apparently hopelessly unable to keep a secret.

Being the perpetually drunk goddess of music and beer would do that to anyone I’d say.

I cleared my throat a little. “Since you are still in contact with your god now, rather obviously at that… or your just dreadfully mad.” I deadpanned before waving my hand at the annoyed look that came upon Camille’s face. “Either way I should say that this same rumour I’m sharing with you mentioned that Aona might not be alone in her endeavours, after all didn’t Ymros, Revesis and Thohana also bless the last hero she summoned to this world. After all Robert was the last descendant of the murdered god so there might be very little in the way of evidence.” I said and noting the more cautious and considering look that came upon Fovtavious’s face I felt satisfied with my intervention.

“Your god might be low enough in rank to not be involved in this so perhaps if he could try to move to other pantheons with gods he could trust? Since Revesis is thought of as the head of the pantheon here then perhaps there is something similar to Wolfsgard is about to happen here?” I then finished and Fovtavious looked very worried now.

Then I saw something that made me revise my opinion of the god. He turned to Camille and said softly and sombrely. “Camille leave the church of light here. I think you can trust this Baron Aesir with your safety and continued levelling if only for him to save himself. I need to investigate this and I fear I might not be able to protect you while I investigate.” He said and Camille looked scared.

“What?! B-but what about me? H-how will I survive?” She asked almost pleading.

“Did you die before you arrived here?” I asked suddenly and the woman stiffened as she snapped her head towards me.

She bit her lower lip and then seemed to muster herself and spoke. “I died of cancer back home. Fovtavious offered to allow me to reincarnate here to help heal others or to move on… I chose to come here. It’s been half a year since then.” She said as she stared at me, most likely realizing she now had to try and convince me to let her stay with me or for me to provide some form of protection for her.

I placed one hand to my chin and looked her over, her own choice and for someone that died of cancer to choose to come to this world to heal others? I decided to take the sure fire measure and pulled out a straight black dagger from my storage. I noticed how both tensed up at seeing the blade in my hand and then both looked confused as I handed Camille the dagger, hilt first.

“I want your soul oath that what you just said was true. About your past and that it was your own willing choice to come to this world to heal others.” I said frankly and I heard Fovtavious snort and mutter something about how the trust was gone from people these days.

After I was done explaining how to perform the soul oath she cut her finger and as the first drop of blood was allowed to leak onto the blade she spoke. “I swear by mine soul that I came to this world voluntarily and of my own free will with the intention to help those I could and to heal who I can.” Upon the last word that came from her lips the blood burst into white flames and the cut on her finger healed instantly while the blood simply evaporated.

“W-what does that mean?” She asked a little spooked by the effects of the oath’s procedure.

“If the flame was black I’d have taken that blade in your hands and cut your throat.” I said with an icy smile before I gently took the blade from her hands. “Luckily you were telling the truth and I can now see that you are trustworthy. I invite you to my manor in the city to stay once you leave the church… judging by your reaction to speaking to your god I suspect he told you to leave it.” I said and pre-empted her question that I had seen she was about to ask.

“I have two philosophies in life miss Vannier. First is that I repay kindness and generosity two fold and insult and injury ten fold. Second, I am like life. I only give one chance. Do not squander it. Silly words I know but these are the philosophies I live by.” I said with a charming smile and offered her my hand.

Camille looked at me dubiously, most likely laughing inwardly at my words before she narrowed her eyes at me. “Will you help me be able to stand on my own?” She asked as she took my hand and I simply continued the charming smile and nodded at her.

Then I frowned. “Though I’d think a god would know not invade someone's personal space.” I said this time narrowing my eye and glaring at the general area the pudgy man maybe two centimetres from my face was.

He gasped in surprise and backed up then stared at me as I narrowed my eye slightly like I was seeing something but couldn’t make it out.

“You can see me?” He asked dumbfounded.

Then I shook my head and looked over at Camille once more but not before muttering that something must have been my imagination, internally smiling at the gods frown and puzzlement. “Here.” I said as I took one of my simpler rings and emptied its storage into my soul space.

“This is a storage ring the size of a large chest. I believe one from your world described it as character inventory though I’m not really sure what he meant by it.” I said internally chuckling at my own words, it wasn’t anything like what I’d said.

Taking the ring Camille frowned a little as the ring was larger than her finger but when she slid her index finger into it the ring shrank and conformed to her finger. She looked very happy for a moment before frowning again and looking up at me. “Why give this to me?” She asked with an almost dubious look.

“Simple really, given that you will be essentially a part of a live in adventuring party living at my manor. You’ll need that for the journeys to come and well it’ll also help you pack much faster.” I said with an amused grin, I liked Camille. To me she seemed to be one of those that earnestly wanted to help people but was still sceptical enough to actually look a gift horse in the mouth so to say. Smart but not overly I felt, hopefully she had common sense that worked for this world.

Fifteen minutes later I found myself sitting at the back most pews in the main hall of the cathedral. The funny thing I found about cathedrals in this world compared to back on earth was that their size was larger and with added space for a barracks of sorts for holy warriors and battle oriented clergy along with their normal guards. Many were bases for a knightly or paladin order or two while at the same time performing the rites and masses needed for a normal cathedral.

My mood however was sour as I had to look up at the four gods I suspected had a hand in my blood fathers death. A word the council used for the creators of bloodlines like mine.

A Large statue of Revesis stood centremost in alcove behind the cathedrals altar. He wore full plate armour that covered him from head to toe. Standing in a heroic pose with his hand on the pommel of a sword whose tip was right beside his foot. In the other he held a grand war banner whose tip was into the wall behind him. A chimney I suspected as a fire was burned inside the statues head which made its eyes light up in orange light.

On his right was his wife, Thohana the goddess of commerce and wealth. Her statue like the others was made of marble and where Revesis’s had been black with gold accents to his armour, hers was white. In one hand she held an abacus and the other a small pouch with gold coins inside. She wore a strange sort of fantasyesqe business suit robe thing. Like she wore the upper parts of a suit that ended in a long dress thing. The buttons were gold along with a few trims to her clothing and a golden monocle with a diamond like lens.

The whole affair made me want to gag, it was such a waste of money and craftsmanship. On the other hand I also saw the message just these two statues conveyed. The church of light was strong, wealthy and powerful. I’d have to tread carefully around Veta, despite having my deal with the emperor I couldn’t see him taking my side against such a powerful entity like the church of light.

Of course what had my mood sour was the statue of Aona slightly to the left of Revesis and behind her was Ymros. Ymros as the god of order and honour was always dressed in the guard captain uniform of an empire, though stylized in heroic fashion. Holding a spear in one hand and his helm in the other he had a square jaw and the rugged but handsome features of fantasy heroes. Frankly the man reminded me of Gaston from beauty and the beast if I was to be honest, had the same build too.

She… She was still as beautiful as ever. That visage of homeliness and approachability that had drawn me to her at first. The artist had even included the way her neck met her shoulder and that small dimple that her clavicle created there. How her chin was just slightly too small for her narrow face making it teardrop in shape. I got lost in her form, like I’d always had when we’d been alone. Had it all been fake? Had all of it been just some elaborate game to her? Had the feelings only been true from me?

I sighed and let my head fall into my hands. My left hand felt wet and I realized I’d been crying without even knowing it. I drew in a breath through my nose to clear it and wiped at my face with a handkerchief I had in the inner pocket of my jacket.

“Are you all right?” I heard a comely voice ask me and I looked up at the head priestess of Aona standing in the corridor that the pews created down the middle of the cathedral. She began to back away from me as my eye turned hard and I had to catch myself after I heard the low rumbling growl that had begun in my throat.

I stood up abruptly and walked away from the woman that had clearly been caught off guard by my hostility. “No, not from you.” I simply spoke coldly and made my way to the entrance of the cathedral were a slightly flustered Camille was waiting for me at the top steps.

“I’m sorry did you wait long?” I asked her with a forced smile as I offered her my hand and began to guide her down the steps.

“N-no, not at all just… sort of the first time I’m leaving the cathedral in months.” She said a little hesitantly, looking at me side eyed with a complicated pondering look on her face.

“Felix?” She then tentatively asked as we had turned to a street heading towards the academic quarter of the city. After I let out a simple ‘hmm?’ as a response she continued. “Are you all right? I mean really?”

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow and made my curiosity known on my face to urge her to continue, so she did. “I mean I spoke to Fovtavious about your injuries and… well he told me that the level of damage your soul has it would be like being burned alive every second you're awake.” She asked me tentatively and with a slight pitying look on her face.

I hummed a little and constructed my response. After my meditations and how much I’d learned to control my own mind I’d found something like a string of memories. Those twenty years I’d supposedly been asleep hadn’t been fully asleep. I’d been in that state you sometimes go into when you are so dead tired you have trouble holding your head up straight but you still have just the slightest awareness of the world around you. I’d been in that state for twenty years in some sort of void with nothing around me. Remembering that I decided on a truth, not a full one but a truth none the less. “You can get used to anything after twenty years.”

The rest of the trip was silent, I didn’t say anything else because I didn’t feel like it and wasn’t prompted. While Camille had a complicated expression on her face the entire time while she looked at me occasionally from the corner of her eyes.

I think she might have been having some second thoughts but those went out the window when we walked up to my manor. The whole thing was like someone decided to mix Persian flair manor houses with Iranian and Roman manors as well. All built out of stone the colour of damp sand with tiles running on every floor making the main pathway made out of large marble tiles look like carpeted floors somehow with the tiles climbing up the walls a bit as well.

A large enclosure of artistically made walls surround the manor and the land around the manor as well. With a sizeable and well cared for front lawn with a fountain in front of the manor.

“T-this is your house?” Camille asked me as she stared with eyes so wide I was afraid they’d pop out of her skull.

“Yes, and now this will be where you will stay and train to stand on your own.” I replied with amusement.

She just looked from the manor to me with her mouth hanging open. “Are you some rich sheik or something? I’m not going to be joining some harem just so you know.” She then said firmly at me and I couldn’t help but chuckle heartily.

“What?” She asked a smile tugging her lips at my laughter.

“I can barely understand one woman, I’m not crazy enough to try and have multiple. Your sex isn’t known for sharing either.” I said with a teasing smirk at her which only made her blush brightly before I guided her in through the gates.

As we approached the manor I noted the royal guards on either side of the manor’s entry doors. I was about to ask before a shriek next to me made me look to the side as Akasha came from the side garden riding on Garms back with a wide smile.

“Aurabella, what did I tell you about using Garm as your personal mount all the time?” I asked with a stern look but the corner of my lips was threatening to curve upwards as Camille was using me as a shield from the large black wolf riding girl.

Looking at Garm he seemed to enjoy letting Akasha ride on his back as he simply trotted along and came up to my side. I patted Akashas head first before I gave Garm a scratch behind the ear as Camille just stared. “Ah I forgot to introduce them didn’t I? This is my daughter Aurabella and one of my shadow wolves Garmur. Aurabella, Garmur, meet Camille Vanneir, she’ll be staying with us for a while and training with you, Markus and the others.” I said while proudly scratching Garms head.

“O-one of?” Camille said swallowing before nodding to Akasha who was scrutinizing her with suspicion. “Hello Aurabella. Its nice to meet you.” Camille’s smile was a little strained until she felt Garm lick her hand, I smiled a little at how she hadn’t even realized Garmur had moved his head without moving his body while Camille had been focused on Akasha.

“C-cold.” Camille said startled by the lick and looked down at Garm who simply looked up at her.

“Shadow wolves are a type of undead… rather close to living dead or even living beings. The difference is that Shadow wolves come into existence when the soul of a wolf or dog strong enough to become one finds a master worthy to lend their loyalty to.” I said with a fond smile as I scratched under Garms chin. I knew how to make more shadow wolves like him and I intended to but Németh and the others had been surprised I’d managed to make them.

Apparently a Necromancer has to be supremely gifted and talented with the use of souls in their creations and have to earn the loyalty of the proto-shadow wolf to create a full blown one. I was rather certain it was my bloodline at work and not me being some supreme necromancy genius, after all a bloodline is a powerful leg up on others in this world.

“An undead?” Camille said looking horrified from Garm and then up at me.

I smiled gently at her. “I’m a spirit doctor, I’m what you’d say is an anti-necromancer. Like how a death knight is the opposite of a paladin I am the opposite of a necromancer. I use similar powers to a necromancer in service of others, healing and helping spirits move on. Stuff like that.” I said gently before shrugging at the second part.

“Aurabella, who’s visiting us?” I then asked as I looked down at Akasha.

“Oh Right, Emperor Augustus and Knight Commander Theodore are here to visit you father.” She said looking up at me and I placed my hand to my chin while humming a little to myself in thought.

“I wonder what has compelled this visit?” I muttered as I walked to my manor, Camille hyperventilating behind me.