I arrive at Azelinus' living room and Helen is there to greet me.

"Hey honey, back so soon!" Yeah, I know, the Count was super fast. "How was it with the Count?"

"I seem we got a building job for a lot of gold. I'll give you the details later. And speaking of troublesome stuff, I want to take you, Zahariel and Marcy ahead to check with Sebastian if everything is ready to receive the family."

" What did he want you to make, a castle?"

"Hehe. Are you a psychic?"

She just looked at me as if it was the most obvious thing.

"After the work at the guild, it was pretty obvious. Where will it be built?"

"Near the dungeon. He wants to put a garrison there. But the gold was not the only reason I accepted. Sit down, have a cup of tea."

She reads my face and the tone of my voice like a book. It is hard to lie to her but it feels even harder to tell the truth sometimes.

"Is it that dire?"

"Yes. Especially for you. Are you prepared?"

Marcy arrives at the kitchen. "What are you two doing here with these gloomy faces?"

"Good. Maybe it is better to get everyone together."

Beowulf: Zahariel, could you please come to the kitchen.

Minutes later Zahariel comes. It seems he was helping Bredda nurse Sofia. "Sorry, I was changing the baby's diapers."

"No problem. Listen, I have some dire news to tell you." I retell them the conversation with the Count.

"Wow, that is heavy. That ritual is not something many people know how to do. Master never even mentioned it before he dug his fangs on Helen."

"I intend to secure the boy so nobody can harm him, get the funds to bring Mirfield back on its feet, make sure the demons can't reach the dungeon, weaken the guild and get contacts with the nobility of this country."

 "You are going to get the kid before he reaches Colchester, right?" I'm sure Helen has mind-reading abilities she won't tell us.

"Yes. I'll get you back to Mirfield before I try that, though. If things go south, I don't want to involve you. Since he is coming in three days, they are already on the road. We need to leave today."

"If you get the boy before he comes here, you won't learn about the ritual." Marcy points out.

I pat Helen's head. "Do you think I'll let that boy suffer any longer if I know I can do something? Once you are safe in Mirfield, I'm going to get him as soon as possible."

"But everyone needs to pack their things. We need to make a baby nursery in Mirfield first. I think leaving today is too early." Complains Zahariel.

"About that don't worry. I intend to take everything as it is. They can have the servants move the things later."

"And by everything, he means taking the whole house," Helen explains to Zahariel.

"It is paid for, right? Instead of going through the trouble of putting it up for sale at the commercial association, it is better to just take the thing with us. I can expand the hill village if they don't need it anymore. Come, let's talk to Azelinus."

I took Helen to the warehouse and then we headed for the commercial association. It didn't take long to find Azelinus. He was talking to several merchants. Perfect.

"Son, daughter, what brings you here?"

I set my voice a little louder than what is needed. I want eavesdroppers. "Father, some things happened, and we need to depart for Mirfield earlier. I was granted an audience with the Count, and he commissioned a forward garrison near the dungeon. We will be busy building a fort the next days."

"I see. I was just finishing arrangements to put the house and warehouse for sale."

"About that, I want to keep both for myself. I will compensate you properly."

"Then we can depart as soon as we pack. Gentlemen, if you can excuse me."

"Hold my hand. Let's go. {Teleport}!" The cat was already out of the bag. The hero can teleport. Bite me.

I teleported the usual three first and let them sort things out with the household staff.  During the return trip, I went to the meadow and dumped heavy materials like quartz, rocks, and logs on my yard.

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"I can't believe we are going to Mirfield in the snap of a finger," Comments Bredda.

"Hold tight then. Because we are." And we teleport to Mirfield. Sebastian was waiting for us with several maids.

The butler bows, "My lord, Sir Azelinus, Sir Bertramus, Ladies Hildegard, Bredda and little Lady Sofia. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you. Please make yourselves at home, and don't hesitate to call upon our services. Please let the maids escort you to your accommodations."

With everyone on their way, I return to Mirfield. Time to get the house. Not only I have more expertise in doing this kind of thing, but now I can reduce the weight in an area with gravity magic. Now that the structural integrity greatly surpasses the weight, I just cut it off from the ground by making an elemental and store the house with everything inside without a hitch. And then I heard someone clapping their hands. I turn around and find Imayne.

"Imayne? Why are you here?"

"I came to thank you for taking care of me. And also to offer you my services again."

"I'm sorry but I don't remember the first time we talked about you working for me."

"We did talk about it four times in your dungeon. Yvonne, you, and me. But I am really grateful for healing my body with your 'troll powers' and leaving me in that inn. It saddens me that I am the only one to survive, but everyone will live forever with me."

Well, she got me. But I erased her memories, how did she recover them? "Nice try. Care to share your secret?"

She spreads out her arms in a sign she wants to hide nothing.

"I have a special skill, [Dreamscape Library]. It allows me to spend a lot of time in my dreams reviewing any experience I had in my dreams, even unconscious in the form of storybooks. Even the ones erased by magic. I can read things from when I was a baby. I could see you putting me in that inn room and leaving. You even tucked me in the blanket, so nice of you to do it."

"That was a very thorough answer. I was expecting fewer details..."

"You would kill me if I lied to you."

"Not exactly. I don't kill without a reason. But why tell me that much?"

"I need you to believe me! I never held any grudge against you! You can read my mind, dominate my body, do anything. But I need you to take me with you."

"Why do you want to come so bad that you would put your life at stake revealing that much?"

"I owe you this perfect body you fixed. I suspect that the guild's destruction was your doing based on the timing of the events, but I was part of the organization that attempted against your life. But the real reason is that life in this town is deadly boring. You are going to exotic places, doing exciting things! I bet a day in your life has more excitement than a year working at the guild behind a counter!"

"That is not a very good reason."

She gets agitated and yells.

"With ILLITERATE MORONS that don't care a thing about their history or the value of books and just want to get under my skirt. You are a hero, hailing from a world that values culture! I need to be a part of it."

"And what do I get from hiring you?"

"Access to more than five thousand books I had in my hands during my travels. From the kingdom capital, from the guild, from the elves. And I know where to find the thing you desire the most."

"What is it that I desire the most?"

"Before you become suspicious, I didn't have the answer when you asked in your dungeon room, but I checked hundreds of books this night and I've found it."

"And did you find it?"

"Yes. I know where to learn Soul Magic."

"Can I trust you?"

"That is a question that has no proper answer. Unless you can detect lies without fault. But what do I get from betraying you? Is there anywhere I can hide from you in this world? Tell me!"

"Never mind, it was a stupid question. How do this 'Dreamscape Library' works?"

"When I fall asleep I find myself inside a huge library. In the books, there is everything about my own life. I can relive every thought I ever had, everything I ever experienced. And I can spend as much time as I want in there. When I'm done I just will myself to wake up."

"And the 'five thousand books' thing, you can re-read them, did I guess right?"

"No. I just need to hold the book once, even if it is closed. Locked ones are problematic though. They appear locked as well."

"And can you talk to people you've met in there?"

"No. I read books. People only repeat the same words and expressions they once did. I can't interrogate people in my dreams."

"Good. I will give you a test then. If you pass, I'm going to accept you. If you fail I will bring you back here and let you go."

"No killing? That is awfully kind of you for someone that knows your secrets."

"You never betrayed me. And the secrets are less and less secret as time goes. Kareena was wielding a troll-slaying sword. Why would she have it?"

"Because you look awfully like a troll hybrid. It is the regeneration thing. But what is the test?"

"You need to tell me everything about the 'Curse of Faithlessness' and how to break or lift it. If you ace this test, I will do as you want."

"I'll try my best."

"Take as long as you want. But in the meanwhile, I want you to work as a receptionist at the Mirfield guild."

"The one you destroyed?"

"No. The one I created. You will understand once you get there." I stretch my hand to her "Hold my hand. {Teleport}!"

I have an anchor at an empty room in the Mirfield guild now. Should've done that earlier. I knock on Mercy's door.

"You can enter without knocking, Beowulf." She calls me from inside. I open the door and enter with Imayne. She probably used presence detection.

"Mercy, I hired Imayne here to work as the guild record keeper and librarian. Make sure she earns her keep. But first, we need to replace your card."

As expected, Imayne figures out what is happening, "You made your own copy of the guild!"

"Yes. I have even monsters using the guild functions now. But that is for later." I destroy her mainstream card and replace with a bootleg one. "You can freely change jobs with the card when inside the guild field. And much more. You can have Soren teach you."

She raises her head and a faint glimmer can be seen in her eyes, "Soren? Did Soren survive?"

"Yes. Go downstairs, she should be working at the warehouse as usual. Before you go, there is a thing I want you to do. Please compile a list of all jobs you know and their requirements. Especially the ones not available at the Guild."

"Yes, I will! Thank you, Beowulf!" And off she goes. I didn't think she would be so happy to know Soren survived.

I wait until she is downstairs to close the door and talk to Mercy, "I don't fully trust Imayne, but she has a special skill, she is like a living library. Try and get the most knowledge you can from her. And beware. She can remember anything that goes around her, even when she is sleeping or unconscious. Wiping her memories is pointless too. She can be a huge asset, but also a liability. I don't want to have to kill her."

"You are quite something, Beowulf. I tell you I need receptionists, you give me these exceptional girls. Can I ask you for a hunky man that is not a total jerk?"

"Mother, there is no such thing."