When Arwin and Lillia headed out into the common room the next morning, Madiv and Esmerelda’s argument had ended. That really shouldn’t have been something of note. Arguments weren’t meant to last more than a few minutes or an hour at the most.

It seemed that nobody had ever bothered telling Madiv and Esmerelda that. Only about an hour before falling asleep, he’d managed to pick up on the sounds of muted curses and irate words in the common room. They’d gotten loud enough that even Lillia’s magic wasn’t completely repressing the noise.

Arwin would have gotten up to do something about it if he hadn’t been so comfortable. That may have been a mistake. The sound hadn’t stopped until he’d fallen asleep, so he’d fully expected to find Esmerelda and Madiv still going at it when they woke up.

Fortunately, the only person in the common room was Anna. She sat at the counter fiddling with a small wooden cube in her hands and glanced up at Arwin and Lillia as they emerged.

“Some night, wasn’t it?” Anna asked with a wry smile.

Arwin winced. He’d forgotten that even though the magical darkness extended upstairs, it wasn’t anywhere near as intense as it was inside Lillia’s room. Everyone else had probably heard a lot more than he had.

“Sorry,” Arwin said. “I really should have stopped them.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to sleeping when it’s loud. Rodrick snores like a runaway cart bouncing down a cobblestone street,” Anna said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it. At least it sounded like they were having fun.”

“That’s not exactly my idea of fun. It sounded like they were about a second away from ripping each other’s heads off.”

“Nobody does anything they don’t like for that long if they aren’t having fun,” Anna said with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. It sounded like they managed to come to an agreement by the end of it all. I guess we’ve found ourselves a supplier.”

Arwin resisted the urge to let out a whistle. He wasn’t sure who he was more impressed — or disappointed — in. Madiv had basically just bullied an old woman into doing what he’d wanted, but Esmerelda had spent the entire time trying to sell something they really didn’t want.

I just hope they settled on a price that is actually reasonable for everyone involved. I’m not spending fifty gold a bar on Brightsteel, but I don’t want to drive Esmerelda out of the city because she can’t afford rent.

“Oh, stop worrying for a few moments,” Anna said. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re going to gray before I do, and I’m older than you.”

“You are?” Arwin asked, blinking. “How old are you?”

“Wow. Not even a second of hesitation.” Anna let out a playful laugh. “Twenty-eight.”

“But she doesn’t look a day over twenty,” Rodrick’s voice came from the top of the stairs. They all glanced over as he started down, hair sticking out in every odd direction. “Wait. Maybe that’s a bit too young. I’m too old for a twenty year old. People aren’t going to give me weird looks, are they? Maybe I’ll have to age you up to a twenty-four-year-old. Sorry, hon.”

“People will look at you weird anyway, Rodrick. That isn’t my fault. I’d suggest you might as well lean into it, but I don’t know if Milten could handle you leaning into your oddities any more than you already do.”

“Hey, I’m not that weird,” Rodrick said defensively. He pulled out a chair by the counter and sat down beside Anna, giving Arwin and Lillia a nod of greeting. “I only dress in other people’s clothes occasionally.”

“You see? This is what I’m talking about,” Anna said. “Did you return them this time? I swear, if I find another woman’s clothes—”

Rodrick hurriedly cleared his throat. “They’re not in the inn.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed. “Where are they, Rodrick?”

“Alleyway.”

“Ah. Good enough.” Anna shrugged, then returned her attention to the wooden block in her hands. It was some sort of puzzle. Arwin and Lillia exchanged a glance. It definitely felt like they’d just overheard something they shouldn’t have.

“So… if Esmerelda and Madiv came to an agreement, does anyone know where they are?” Arwin asked.

“Probably setting up for a wedding,” Rodrick said with a snicker. “Gods above and below, could you imagine what would happen if they were married? If there was a championship for bickering old couples, they’d win it without even showing up.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I overheard Esmerelda saying she was heading out to source some supplies. She was not pleased with our requests,” Anna said. She shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll get over it soon enough. All the talk about fancy magical stuff is funny… but I don’t think any of us need it. Especially with how ominous she is about it.”

“I did notice that,” Arwin said. “I think she’s lonely. I met her in an old run-down shop in an alley. It didn’t look like anyone had been there in a long time. Esmerelda is probably trying to make herself valuable and interesting. Sourcing normal metal isn’t really glamorous.”

“That could be it,” Lillia said. “She definitely likes talking. That much is obvious.”

“I guess we should humor her a bit,” Rodrick said. He paused for a second, then grinned. “And we should make a house somewhere outside of the inn where all business deals have to be done. Don’t shit where you sleep and all that.”

“Maybe at the other end of the street,” Anna suggested dryly.

“An entirely auspicious spot.” Rodrick gave them a sage nod, then yawned. “Man, yesterday was tiring. I’m out of shape.”

“Did you even do anything other than go out for a walk around town?” Lillia asked.

Rodrick coughed into his fist. “Look, we don’t need to get into semantics. I was gathering information about the Ardent guild. They’re not a threat right now. Probably gearing up for something in the near future. I don’t know exactly what yet.”

“Very specific.” Lillia scrunched her nose.

“Better no information than wrong information.” Rodrick shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’m keeping tabs. That doesn’t mean I know everything they’re doing, but they’re definitely having a little trouble at the moment. Logistical issues. That kind of thing.”

“Don’t bother,” Anna said before Arwin could say anything. She shook her head and sighed. “When Rodrick gets like this, it’s impossible getting anything out of him. Just let him do his thing. It works.”

Arwin nodded. He trusted Anna — and he trusted Rodrick. Something told him that Rodrick was doing a whole lot more than just walking around the city and listening to rumors. But, if Rodrick didn’t want to talk about it, then he wouldn’t press. Arwin was certain the warrior would tell him when the time was right or once he’d gathered enough information.

“In that case, we should probably get on with the day,” Lillia said. She blew out a breath of air as a flicker of frustration crossed her features. It only lasted for an instant before she tilted her head to the side in thought. “Actually, do you mind waiting before you start on your work today, Arwin?”

Arwin blinked. “Huh? Sure. What’s going on?”

“I need to make breakfast for everyone. It looks like Reya and Olive aren’t up yet, but I’m sure they will be soon,” Lillia replied. “But after that, I want to shadow you. Maybe I’ll pick up on something while I’m watching you that’ll help me get over the hump I’m stuck on.”

He nodded. That was as good a reasoning as any. “I’ll wait in the smithy, then. I need to figure out what I’ll be doing today anyway. No point just making a ton of mass-produced armor right now.”

With their plans set, Lillia headed back into the kitchen while Arwin made for the smithy. He unlocked it and headed over to the back. It was dark and cold, the hearth unlit. Arwin tossed some [Soul Flame] into the hearth and leaned against the wall.

What could I work on to help Lillia? Something that she can take inspiration from. Maybe some form of kitchen utensil? I’m not sure if that would actually give her inspiration or just be a gift.

Arwin’s thoughts were hindered by the rhythmic thump of the heart he’d taken from Jessen’s monstrosity still pulsed away in the corner. It had definitely weakened in intensity since the day he’d gotten it. Evidently the heart didn’t have an infinite store of energy.

That’s probably a good thing. Perhaps that’s what I should work on today. Maybe we can both get some kind of inspiration from the heart. If not, I’m pelting it into a wall and letting her cook it.

Unfortunately, an answer as to the heart’s purpose still hadn’t come to him. It was far too big and squishy to fit into armor or any normal-sized weapon. He let out a low hum and leaned against the wall, tapping his finger to the beat of the heart subconsciously.

He was still doing that when Lillia stepped into the back room of the smithy several minutes later. Arwin, so lost in his own thoughts, nearly jumped out of his own skin in surprise. Lillia let out a snort of laughter.

“Sorry. Is now a good time?”

“You’re meant to ask that before stepping in,” Arwin grumbled. He shook his head. “Yes. Now is good. In pursuit of trying to think of a way to help you, I got caught up on the stupid heart we took from that dungeon. I can’t figure out what to do with it… but it’s unique. Maybe it’ll give us both some inspiration.”

“That’s a good idea!” Lillia nodded empathetically, then waited for a moment. “So what are you going to do with it?”

“No blasted clue.”

They both looked over to the bag with the heart. Several seconds of silence passed.

“Maybe you could use it to power something?” Lillia mused. “Like a heart powers a body. You could make some weird contraption… thing.”

“Contraption… thing?” Arwin mirrored, a smile pulling at his lips, but the idea actually held a little weight to it. The more he thought about it, the more viable it felt. “Maybe I could make bellows. It’s pumping, so that would lend itself to a repetitive motion. That could actually work. I’m just a bit worried that it’s weaker than it was before. It seems like the heart has a limited life. Maybe it would be better if you just cooked it?”

“Well, it’s organic,” Lillia said. “It probably needs some form of energy source to keep going. Could you just infuse it with magic?”

Arwin started to nod. Then he paused, his eyes widening.

“What is it?” Lillia asked.

“It’s organic. You’re probably right about me being able to put magic into it… but what if you did that instead?”

“Me? I can only imbue food. We aren’t trying to eat the heart.”

“Don’t do it directly,” Arwin said, a flicker of excitement entering his voice as he gestured over to the corner of the room. “It’s a heart. It needs food. What if I made it a way to consume energy from food that you make?”

Lillia’s eyes widened to match his. “You want to make a bellows that literally eats food?”

“We could make it together,” Arwin said. “You could do more than just watch or help me swing a hammer. It could help both of us. Sure, it’s a bit creepy, but—”

“Say no more,” Lillia said with a delighted grin. “I’m in. Let’s make an abomination of nature.”