Ione looked away from them. They were a constant in these short years, and despite her attempts to communicate, they never answered.

Instead, she looked at her rewards.

INBOX

7,500 EXP

40 attribute points

Lucky Ring

Broccoli of Beginnings

…

Accept Rewards?

She took the EXP and the 40 attribute points, knowing that it was only a matter of time before each would be used. A laugh bubbled up out of her throat as she read the last reward, wondering what it could mean. As far as Ione was aware, she had never seen broccoli at the orphanage. She thought it would be rare to have foods that were called the same thing on earth, especially since this world was fantasy incarnate, only, slightly more fucked up.

Slightly.

Her thoughts drifted inward; Ione did think she was fucked up, more than slightly. It would have been easy to kill Umin with a quick break to the neck, but no, she had a flair for the gory dramatics, despite her misgivings. She didn't even think to ask where Osmen was, only focused on the satisfaction his bloody death would bring. Maybe that was why she disregarded traditional weapons; her flair for using random items seemed to lend credence to the idea that she favored using random items that were most available to her, rather than a sword on her hip, or a shield on her back. Regardless, she mourned the opportunity to ask where the blonde girl was, but she might have something better,

The journal.

She laid in bed and flipped through its pages. It was risky to have brought the accursed thing in the orphanage, but it was nice to have some better reading material rather than the drivel they had in the library. Years back, Coranne had brought her in after she had finally gained access, only to realize that the reading material only focused on childcare, and then later, after she started school, her privileges included books on classes and skills, that, unfortunately, didn’t tell her anything new.

The journal was quite boring, actually. The beginning portion focused on the old man’s ramblings about Gostra and then something interesting caught her eye:

Promising candidates:

Yaddis Gunderland- Meadow Grove

Unine Hinney- Evergreen Hills

Ozmen Portunda- Sunlit Homestead

* Dated one week ago

Those are the most stereotypical fantasy village names I've ever heard. A loud snort erupted from her nose.

She knew she needed to procure a map of Whisperwind Valley, and reading this information made her lack of one all the more prevalent. She wondered if she had enough time to go back to Umin’s church, but decided against it. The deed was done, and no use crying over spilt milk. The page was promptly ripped out, and placed in her clothes.

DING! Quest Obtained! Please refer to the quest tab to get a detailed explanation.

The girl quickly glanced and she saw it was a quest to find Osmen; 3,000 EXP, 20 attribute points, and a Pill of Serenity. Nice.

Ione wished she knew what the 'promising candidates' comment meant, but she knew she would figure it out in time.

She snuck out briefly just to throw the journal into a void crystal and then made her way back.

As she meditated, she couldn't help the brief lapses of concentration to giggle excitedly at what was to come.

~~~~~

In a deep period of meditation, she had come to awareness when someone was hurriedly coming her way, thanks to [Spatial Awareness]. Ione assembled herself under the covers and pretended to be asleep just as the door was unlocked and Henra rushed inside.

“Ione?” The young girl heard frantic footsteps make their way to her bedside. “Wake up, please. Something’s happened.”

The white-haired girl turned around and pretended to wipe her bleary eyes. “Huh? What’s going on?” She yawned.

“Something, I need to bring you to Mother Belan’s office immediately.”

“But why?” She questioned as she swung her legs over and stood up.

“Don’t question it!” Her expression was frazzled and the beat of her heart was running a mile a minute. Henra was quite scared.

Ione gave her a bored look. Done with the theatrics. “Sister Henra, I haven't seen Mother Belan in 4 years, I don’t think it would take much to actually tell me what’s going on.”

The woman gave her a short look before she calmed her breathing, then shook her head. “I don’t even know where to start. There was a…head found in the hallway in the nuns quarters and no one knows who could have done it.”

“A head? Who’s?”

“Father Umin’s.” The Sister said, with gravity.

Ione pretended to be shocked. Her mouth dropped open and she exclaimed, “Father Umin?”

The nun nodded vigorously, then quickly walked to the doorway, “I’m not going to say anything else. Put your sandals on, and then we’ll go.”

Ione nodded, and soon they were in Belan’s office.

This time, Ione didn’t sit in the chair and Belan gave a nasty smirk. “You may leave us Sister Henra, thank you.”

The woman gave a small bow, and then left, leaving Ione and Belan facing each other, after 4 long years.

“Been a long time, huh?” Ione said. Her casual tone wiped the smile off Belan’s face.

Her face had deepened in their wrinkles, and she appeared more frail. Time and hatred was not doing her any favors.

“Yes. It has.” She leaned back in her chair. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

“I think I’d like to stand, thank you.” Ione replied.

The old woman's face contorted. “That was not a suggestion.”

Ione sighed. It would be stupid to sit in that chair, but if she didn’t, then Belan would realize that the contract didn't affect her. With both [Planning] and [Survival], there was a third option.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She saw Belan’s victorious smile bloom as she walked to the chair, and before she sat down, she wrenched the seat off the ground and violently threw it against the wall, turning the piece of furniture into an enchanted pile of trash.

Ione turned back to a fuming Belan. “Well, I guess there’s no chair to sit on now.”

The frail woman rose to her feet, her face a mask of blankness, and she slowly walked around the desk to where Ione was standing. The height difference was startling and whatever intimidation Belan thought she had was slapped in the face by the smiling expression that decorated the tall girl’s face.

When Ione started puberty, something she had dreaded, she was accosted by growing pains she had never experienced before. With [Pain Resistance] it rendered the ache painless, but it was startling to see her rate of growth from between ages of 9 and 14. Now, she estimated that she was about 6 feet, and she was still growing, to her amusement. Given the approximate height of her father, and the typical heights elves are, she wagered she’d cap out at around 7 feet.

So, she looked down her nose at Belan, and she knew that infuriated the old woman.

“You are a conniving, impertinent, and bold girl,” She said in a whisper. “I would have your head if you weren't useful. But, unfortunately a head has already been taken today.” She walked around and sat down in her chair again. “Sit on the floor, like the dog you are.”

Oh, I am definitely going to kill you slowly for that remark.

She lazily sat down, with one leg bent up and the other stretched out. With an expectant look, Ione turned her head towards Belan, who's mouth frowned.

“What’s going on?” Ione questioned.

The old nun rubbed her temples. “Father Umin’s head was found in the hallway at the nuns wing this morning. Would you happen to know anything about that?”

“No, and why are you asking me?”

“My reasons are my own." Then she pivoted the conversation. "Do you have the contract on you?”

Ione narrowed her eyes. What was the old biddy thinking?

“Yes.” She fished it out of her tunic pocket and unfolded it. The young girl had made sure to carry it everyday, to remind herself to view it just in case there weren't any random additions.

“Wonderful.” The nun hummed. “I would like to make some amendments.”

Ione nodded.

“Now, you told Henra you had one quest and that it was to go to the Elven domain, correct?”

“Yes, I got it after you told me about what you had planned for me.”

“Right. Well, I'm going to amend it to say that you are forbidden from accepting quest rewards and from killing beasts or beings of any kind.”

Ah. There it was. Since Belan couldn't secure a higher leveled contract, she thought to keep Ione low-leveled by amending the document to bypass the level restriction. Ione figured Belan would do something like this, so it didn't come as a surprise, but, that would have given her a death sentence if she didn't have the abilities she did.

“That would probably kill me. You know that right? If you want to use me, only to turn around and do something like this, you might as well kill me now. There's no way that you don't know, if I tried to run past the fighting going on, that I would survive.”

“That's because you will be accompanied by Hubrik.”

“Is that the shadow person's name?”

Belan nodded. “He will escort you off the battlefield and you will give him periodic updates of their war parties, their numbers, their goals, and whatever else may be useful.”

Yeah, sure, okay. Like that's ever going to happen. Ione knew she would go to the Elven Domain at some point, but not anytime soon. Once she got her class, she had planned to grind some levels at a dungeon before she set out to do something about the war. She didn't know yet exactly, she hadn't planned that far ahead, and she needed more people to help her. While she liked to think she could be a one woman army, realistically, that was not going to happen in such a short time frame.

The conversation drifted to the finer details of her assignment, and she watched as Belan added in the new stipulation to the contract. Ione hid her grin.

Although, she had but one question before she left. “How did you pay for the enchantment?”

The nun peered at her. “What?”

“Wasn't it expensive? The enchantment? You said you paid good Yora for it, but I assume Mothers’ don't really receive adequate compensation.”

“You're right about that.” Belan huffed and straightened up with a look of someone who was going to brag about themselves. “My parents were officials on the high council before their passing, and when they had passed I inherited everything of theirs while I was also an official.”

Ah, she was bragging about her parents. One of those people.

Ione tilted her head and asked, “you were an official?”

“I was, before I realized what it really entailed. I thought my qualities were best suited toward the war effort in another manner, being a Mother.”

Ione quirked a brow. She's an absent, racist mother, that's for sure. “How did you become an official?”

“With the gracious help of my parents.” The nun gave a short answer.

“How did you become the Mother of this orphanage?”

Belans lips thinned. She knew where Ione was going with this and didn't answer.

“Was it also your parents?” Ione questioned.

“Enough of the questions.” Belan did with a snarl.

Ione held up her hands in mock surrender and Belan gave a weird look. “Put your hands down, you wicked thing. I didn't tell you that to make your assumptions, I told you so you understand who I am. I'm deeply loyal to my nation, in every way, and if you make me look like a fool, I have friends in some very, very high places.”

Ione didn't give a shit. She actually wanted to meet her friends.

“High places, as in Golden Heights?”

“You do not need to know who they are. But they certainly know of you.”

Ooo scary.

Her interest in the conversation was waning while Belan seemed to get more incensed.

“And you would do well to remember who I am once you leave. You can’t escape the contract until you are done with your mission, do you understand me? You will have Hubrik taking notes of your progress. Do not even think about enlisting the elves for help and you will not reveal anything of our numbers either. I will add that to the contract as well. You would do well to remember my kindness after your horrid actions. I could have had you killed, but I saw a greater use for you. Do not think you can look down on me for what I have given you.”

Okay, lady, calm down. Apparently Belan didn’t like the implication that her parents had everything to do with where she was today. Ione would have been happy for her if she wasn't a horrible person, but as it stood, all Ione could think was that Belan was a lazy piece of shit. Ione was too, but not in the way the old woman was. She wanted to laugh when Belan mentioned kindness, but she supposed it would have been by letting her live. Ione was very aware of how close she came to death in that moment before she signed the contract. It’s why she reacted so strongly to being told to sit down in the chair, and she wasn’t going to have a repeat.

“Yes, very kind, very grateful,” Ione said in a monotone voice.

Belans look could have melted ice caps. “You better hope the tracker doesn't look in your direction.”

“Why would they? I didn’t kill Umin.” Ione said.

DING! Lying Tier 2 LVL 3-> Lying Tier 2 LVL 4

“Hm. well you wouldn't have been able to, regardless.” Belan shook her head. “Leave.”

Ione quickly stood up and then walked out of the office. She saw that Henra was waiting for her, and kept walking. The nun fell in step and started to outline their day, as if it differed from any other day and Ione couldn't care less. The young girl was feeling antsy for a reason she couldn't explain, and she wanted to get to her class as soon as possible. It was only a month away, but she knew it was going to be a long, long month.

The girl was tired. She was tired of using [Deception] all the time, tired of pretending. She wanted to be free. It was nice to have the free food, housing, and what little education she was given, and while it was fun fucking with Belan and Henra, it was time to move on.

The next in line for Belan’s position would have been Vanria. The letters Coranne had sent throughout the years detailed who would be the next Mother once the old woman kicked the bucket, and unfortunately the nun who Coranne had beef with was on the chopping block.

Ione tried to reason with herself. At least I didn’t kill her. Yet, even that was weak. She knew what she did was fucked up, but if she were to try and leave the orphanage in better hands, it would be in the hands of someone she knew and trusted and she couldn't think of a better way to do it without framing Vanria. She had to follow the bounds of the contract outwardly.

She thought of a saying: ‘The road to hell was paved with good intentions.’ Though, she was sure she already had a one way ticket.

~~~~~

The weeks passed slowly. Vanria was caught with the body under her bed and was swiftly whisked away to Golden Heights to undergo a tribunal. Ione hoped they wouldn’t kill her, one look into her memories would have told them she was telling the truth. For all they knew, she could have been mind controlled to kill Father Umin, as well as the other nuns, if they deemed her capable enough to do so, absolving her of responsibility. Granted, she didn't know what seeing mind control looked like in the mind, if implanted memories were a thing. She hoped she never had to.

Soon enough. It was time for her Choosing Ceremony. The one thing she was most excited for in Terrestria. As she was escorted to the church by two burly men that exuded power, and Mother Belan, Ione could only think:

This is fine.