The closer they got, the taller the walls loomed overhead. A pair of guards stood outside the gate, each one emitting a Rank 1 aura. Ike eyed them, a little hesitant, then edged a little closer to Ket and Tana. Good thing I ran into these two. I would’ve had a hard time getting through the gate alone.

“Welcome back,” the right-hand guard greeted them.

Ket nodded. He passed through. Tana followed, and Ike stepped forward after them.

A spear dropped down and blocked his way. Ike jumped back, startled. The guards stepped out, keeping him from entering. The right one narrowed his eyes. “Don’t recognize your face. New here?”

Ket turned back. “He’s with us, Ryan.”

“Is he? Does that get him in, hmm?”

Ike looked at Ket. The hell’s going on here?

Ket sighed. “Ryan. Don’t be a hardass. You don’t get to haze everyone who walks in the door.”

“It’s a tradition,” Ryan said, clicking his tongue.

Tana had been quiet all this time, but suddenly she spoke up. “Let him pass.”

Ryan sighed. “Well. If Her Majesty demands it…” He lifted his spear, and a second later, so did the other guard.

Ike blinked. Her Majesty? Is Ryan being sarcastic, or is Tana the queen of this little city?

No…surely they wouldn’t have sent their queen as the messenger, right? But then, it is a very small city. The city lord might not show them any respect, as low Rank and small as they are, unless they sent their highest ranked, and Ranked, official.

And didn’t she just mention that their queen died? That is, the highest Rank individual in Abyssal. Yeah…yeah. She might actually be their queen. Or princess, or something. I don’t know how their hierarchy works.

“Mark yourself lucky, kid,” Ryan said, narrowing his eyes at Ike.

Ike nodded at him. He looked the man in the eyes, refusing to be intimidated. And if you come after me, I’ll give you a beating to remember. I’m not falling for that bullshit anymore. You’re Rank 1, the same as me.

Loup trotted toward the gate. Both of the guards pointed their spears at her.

“She’s my dog,” Ike said. He looked at Ryan. “You aren’t afraid of dogs, are you?”

“That’s not a dog. That’s a wolf!” Ryan snarled. “A wolf monster, at that!”

“Ryan,” Ket snapped, his patience gone. His hand curled into a claw, and black energy glowed faintly over his fingers. For a second, Ike caught a glimpse of the man he’d used to be, back when he was a mage—the way his eyebrows curled and his eyes narrowed, the vicious hatred for a relatively minor offense.

Ryan’s nose wrinkled. “Using your power to lord it over me? I see how it is.” He lifted his spear, unbarring the way.

The other guard followed Ryan’s lead. He glanced at Ike apologetically.

Just following orders, huh? Ike snorted under his breath. I know your type. Using someone else’s authority to enjoy the ability to abuse others, while taking none of the blame. You don’t get a pass.

They entered the town. Ike paused a moment, keeping Loup at his side. “Don’t run off now, girl. Someone might mistake you for a monster.”

Loup looked at him. She sniffed his ankles, then huffed and followed beside him.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

They walked down the main street. At this hour, things were quiet. All the shops were closed, and the few stands that sat at the roadside were empty. They walked alone.

Ike glanced around. I wonder if there’s a square or a corner somewhere, where I can set up my tent? Then again… He twisted his lips. That sounds like an excuse for Ryan to come beat me up. Maybe I should sneak back over the walls and sleep outside.

“Would you like to stay with us tonight?” Tana offered.

“Huh? Oh—uh, sure,” Ike said, nodding. Solves that problem. He scratched the back of his neck, barely resisting the urge to look at the castle that dominated the town. So? Am I about to stay in the nicest digs in town?

“Right this way.” Ket waved for him to follow as he cut down a narrow alley. Full of anticipation, Ike followed.

Rather to his surprise, Ket guided them to a run-down house up against the wall. It was built of stone, and constructed better than his uncle’s villa, but that was about all he could say. The roof was missing tiles. Ivy covered one wall, so thick it completely coated two of the windows. The tangled remains of a garden crumbled in the small yard in front of the house. Water stained the thick wooden front door.

Ike gazed up at it, his brows high. Not the palace I expected. Did I guess wrong? Maybe Ryan was just being sarcastic, after all.

Ket walked up the stairs and unlocked the door. He pushed the door open, letting Tana enter first, then followed her in. Ike followed at the back, Loup walking at his side.

Inside, the bare stone walls and floor had a mustiness to them. The air was still, as if no one had entered the space in some time. Ket snapped his fingers, and a dozen balls of light materialized overhead, putting the dust, cobwebs, and disrepair in sharp contrast. In the dark, the hallway had looked unkempt. In the light, it appeared as if no one had touched a broom in the last half century.

Ike licked his lips. Yep. I’m definitely picking up that Tana is not the current ruler. “How long were you gone?” he asked, half joking.

Ket glanced at him and smiled. He looked around him, nostalgia in his gaze. “It has been a long time, hasn’t it? I haven’t been back to my house in decades.”

Oh, this is Ket’s house. He glanced between Ket and Tana. In other words, Tana’s status is still up in the air. But then, if she was the queen, she wouldn’t stay in some random mage’s house, right? There’s definitely something weird going on here. Something I haven’t quite grasped.

“The rooms are on the second floor. Tana has the suite at the end, and I sleep in the room beside it. Anything else is available to you,” Ket offered. “If you need anything, just let me know. I have plenty of things in storage.”

“Thanks,” Ike said.

“The doors lock and the rooms are warded, so you should be safe inside,” Tana added.

Ike frowned. “Is there that much danger in this part of the Abyss?” If so, then why did they build the town here? I was safe enough sleeping under the stars with a wolf back toward the waterfall.

Tana and Ket exchanged a glance. Tana stepped forward. “It’s not…this part of the Abyss, so much…”

Ike’s eyes flickered between their faces. Understood. So those weird feelings I was getting about Tana’s situation aren’t all in my head. Abyssal might be a small town, or clan, or whatever they call it, but it’s still a nest of mages. And that means power struggles and infighting.

“Thank you for getting Ryan off my back. And thank you for offering me a place to stay,” Ike said, giving them both a short bow.

“Please, don’t worry about it,” Tana said with a benevolent smile.

“Before you thank me, at least let me clean the place up,” Ket replied. He looked around, then walked forward, to a small, circular space where the hallways intersected. There, he clapped his hands.

The sound rolled through the walls. It ruffled Ike’s hair as it passed, and he closed his eyes, squinting against the force of it. When he opened his eyes again, the entire space had changed.

The cobwebs and dust were gone. The walls gleamed, as if they’d been made of polished stone all along. Overhead, the balls of light distributed themselves and changed tone, from a harsh bright white to a warm yellow. The air became fresh and clean, all the must and stillness gone from it. Tapestries Ike hadn’t even noticed on the wall stood out in vivid colors, inviting him to take a moment and peruse the hunting scenes they displayed. He stared around him, flabbergasted. “What was that?”

“A handy little skill, that’s all,” Ket said with a small grin. He gestured them on. “Come on. Let’s set our packs down, and I’ll see if I can’t cook up a bit of dinner for us.”

“Oh, for dinner…” Ike dug into his pack and pulled out a hunk of rooster meat, wrapped in the rooster’s own skin. He’d cut it off while he was stripping the feathers. Of all the meat, it had exuded the most mana, and he’d been loath to leave it behind, especially when he didn’t know when he’d be able to get back to the rooster. It would be a shame to let it rot. But it would make for an excellent guest gift, given that Ket was letting him stay here for free…or so he hoped. “What do you think about this?”

Ket’s eyes widened, and so did his grin. He waved his hand, and a gust of wind stole the meat from Ike’s hand and landed it in Ket’s. “Give me a few minutes. I have some spiritual herbs that would pair nicely with this. We’ll all have full stomachs and full cores by the time the night’s over!”

With that, they parted, Ket to the kitchen and Ike and Tana to their respective rooms.