“Stick around? Why should I?” Velaruux says, looking down at me.

   “I-I mean— those guys back there, who knows if they’ll go after you now that you’re free,” I reply. “I can’t imagine they’ve got good intentions, either. Evidenced by the fact that they tried to kill us.”

   We all stand at the base of the mountain several hours after our initial encounter with Mephistopheles and Gorgon. Right now, Velaruux seems intent on going our separate ways. This would prove devastating if... whoever the opponent is somehow recruits him into joining them. The Bloodstained Hero made it seem like he was a formidable foe in his timeline.

   “I will tell you this, young Cyrus,” says Velaruux, leaning in and placing a muscular arm over my shoulder. “When I am resurrected, I only receive the tools required to fulfill my summoner’s wishes. In your case, I was given healing abilities beyond human standards. And so—! ...I have no means to defend myself.”

   “W-Which is why—“

   “That is why I have Kiplam, here!” Velaruux exclaims triumphantly, popping up and clapping Kiplam on the back. “Kiplam is a master of the Thief skillset! He would sense them coming from miles away!”

   “And what happens if you do die?” I say. “You’ll just be resurrected and everything we did here will be for nothing.”

   “Fret not, young Cyrus!” he claps. “I cannot recall a single time where I have not been indebted, but now my freedom is absolute! I do not intend to do plainly forsake such liberation any time soon!”

   “That... doesn’t make me feel any better...” I mutter. “But it’s... not in my place to deny your freedom...”

   “Surely not, for I am free!” he cheers. “Ah, such a thing I have not once uttered in my many millennia of life! Though I have spent most of said time as a corpse, to be fair... How old would I be in life...? Well I have lost count.”

   “Great for you. Take it easy out there. Things are probably way different than you remember.”

   “And many thanks for bearing such a close-minded ambition, Cyrus Avette!” he waves. He meant it as a complement, but I can’t help feeling insulted...

   So there he went, a man with technically limitless power. I’d kinda hoped Velaruux had some sort of secret gold stash he’d be willing to part with. Especially because we left my sack of cash at the inn we stayed at, which they seemed to ‘misplace’ sometime during our three weeks in the forest. I’m not going to bother finding out who took it, as it wasn’t really my money to begin with, but that also means I’m flat broke again.

   In other news, I found out soon after returning to the Capital that the information that a dragon had taken residence in the mountain was completely false. Instead, after we disappeared the real door opened— and what did they find? The bones of a dragon that died a few hundred years ago sitting on a pile of gold coins. The place was emptied out in a matter of hours with everyone there taking basically half their own weight in gold home with them. No hero title was awarded as a result, but I don’t think anyone complained. They each made a small fortune then.

   It’s been three days since returning, and Nora still won’t talk to me. I’m not so dense as to refute that it’s due to what Velaruux spilt, but I also have no real way of talking to Nora about it. I don’t even know how she feels, so I can’t exactly assuage her anxieties myself. And I haven’t seen Lasphalia since back then, so I don’t know how she took it, either. I could very well have just effed up two of my already few decent relationships since coming to this world. And it isn’t even my fault...

   “Oy, little bird!” I hear from the hall.

   I open my eyes and slide out of bed.

   Oh yeah, since I don’t have any money I called in a favor to a certain blacksmith. Han was interested in the knife Kiplam gave Nora, so I asked if we could stay a while in exchange for letting her examine it. Turns out her underground lair is a bit more expansive than I thought, and has dozens of dusty old guest rooms hidden behind inconspicuous stone doors. It only drives home how much of a big deal she was in her youth. Come to find out, she was just as respected as the royal family themselves.

   “Oy, birdie! I ain’t gonna ask ye twice!”

   “Yeah, I’m coming,” I mutter. I throw the bed sheets roughly back into place, and when I turn I realize Nora is still in her bed beside mine. Even though she won’t speak to me, she’s still never left my side. It makes me think that there’s still hope I can salvage our relationship yet.

   I carefully wake Nora and tell her that I’ll just be out in the main area with Han. She nods, but as usual doesn’t say anything. I put on the rugged clothes that I’d came to this world in. With that done, I open the door and greet Han.

   “A little early still, isn’t it?” I ask.

   “It’s noon,” she replies. “An’ I have news on tha dagger ye showed me.”

   “Really? Well, let’s hear it,” I say.

   “C’mon out to the smithin’ area,” she says.

   I follow Han out, where I see the dagger stood on a pedestal. Admittedly it’s the first time I’ve gotten a good look at it. I barely saw it, and Nora didn’t mention it after the fact. It’s the same red dagger Kiplam had concealed in his cloak. It’s roughly geometrical, with a hollow center in the shape of a distorted diamond with its base elongated. The black hilt bleeds pulsing vein-like things that crawl up the red blade edge. Honestly it looks evil as all get-out.

   “It’s a magiblade,” says Han. “Though I s’ppose that’s obvious ‘nough.”

   “I take it... a magiblade is a blade infused with magic?”

   “Righ,’ well this’un is special,” she continues. “Ancient magics made it. Ye’ll find these all over, but none that’re still workin.’ Yers is like a damn time capsule, mint as it were made. Older‘n this country, easy.”

   “Well, Nora did get it from someone who’s apparently a few thousand years old,” I mutter. “That’s... a story for another time.”

   “Nah, heard all ‘bout it from ol Abe, don’t bother,” she waves.

   “Really? You mean you’re in contact with that guy?”

   “Course. Known ‘im since before the war,” she says.

   “Jeez, next thing you’ll tell me is the buffoon William Breadkneader is your cousin,” I sigh.

   “Breadkneader? Now that’s a name I ain’t heard in a while.”

   “You mean you actually do know him?” I ask. “Then again... he did seem to jump at the mention of you. I guess that’d mean he’s made contact with you at least once.”

   “He was a whiny lil shrimp, that Breadkneader,” Han scoffs. “I trained ‘im once. He’d cry every time I stabbed the straw dummy. Prolly how he turned to be a merchant, the poor whelp.”

   “That’s a lot of coincidences. My whole goddamn world’s like a spider’s web now,” I say. “Anyways, we were talking about the knife, so how about we get back to that. Is it safe for Nora to use or is it, like... cursed or something?”

   “It drains the life energy outta anything it cuts, so it’s up to yer moral compass, that.”

   “Sounds dangerous. Y’know, I was attacked by this thing,” I say. “But thinking of Nora... If she accidentally cut herself with it, she’d—“

   “Prolly die, she would,” Han nods.

   “Think I could sell it?”

   “I’ll give ye back the jeul I took fer that sword o’ yours. Plus ten percent.”

   “Sounds enticing. But then again, it’s Nora’s, so I’ll have to run it by her,” I say. “Um... wanna hold onto it another day? We’re finally headed back to the guild. Thinking of doing some minor quests, that kinda thing. Come to think of it, we have yet to actually take a quest, so...”

   “Say no more, I’ll take good care of it while yer out,” says Han. “Meanwhile, I think I’ll—“

   From somewhere above, that creaky shed door opens and closes. The sound of it echoes through the massive hall.

   “Apologies for the intrusion, Hanselle. And sorry to say my visit doesn’t concern you, but your house guest instead.”

   The Admiral appears from the stairwell and begins to walk towards us.

   “H-Hey Admiral,” I mutter. “Um... you came to see me?”

   “No, I came to retrieve you,” he says. “And the girl too, if she so inclines.”

   “I was just about to head to the guild hall, so mind if I meet you there?” I ask, rubbing the back of my neck.

   “We are not going to the guild hall,” he replies. “I should be clear that this is a summons of the highest order. After three days of discussion, it has been concluded that our findings in the mountains are to be thoroughly examined as potential threats.”

   “Well, I wouldn’t consider Velaruux a threat, but when headless people talk and beings from hell call themselves ‘gentlemen—‘ Yeah, we should probably be a teensy bit on edge.”

   “And rightfully so. Therefore— Excuse us, Hanselle, but we must be off.”

   “No worries, Admiral. Catch me up’n all the juicy tidbits when ye get back, hear me?”

   “I’ll go get Nora,” I say.

   Ten minutes later, the three of us, Nora, Admiral, and I, have just passed the furthest up the city’s spiral I’d ever walked. I can actually see the gate to the Third Rung, a giant door of solid gold with white fancy trim. Supposedly it’s where all the nobles live, and I’ve already got a feeling everyone up there treats everyone below like trash. It’s just how the trope goes, after all. I can basically predict the structure of its hierarchy by basing what I’ve seen from here on similar games or tv shows. That’s just the kinda world this is.

   “We will be among important company,” says the Admiral suddenly. “Be on your best behavior, but more importantly, be on your guard. The meeting organizer will believe us, but the rest prosper in ignorance. That said, it is our job to tell everything we know in as much detail as possible.”

   “The monster Gorgon withheld most of its power,” says Nora. “I thought I would say it now so you weren’t surprised, Admiral.”

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   I’m surprised she chose this moment to speak up again.

   “He wasn’t? How so?” asks the Admiral.

   “Oh yeah, you said there could be something like a ‘second stage,’ right Nora?” I say.

   “As a Nexis, I am able to see beyond what is physically visible. I can read the outermost contents of one’s soul. And his was an overwhelming mass of black energy. It felt... primal, unrefined. Had he chosen to use that power... We would be dead.”

   “As a Nexis...” mutters the Admiral. “I may not know much of the seclusive Nexis clan, but never have I heard of an ability to visibly see such entities within one’s soul. Like my power, I can only feel one’s energy. Never see it.”

   “...I was never told it was a trait of the Nexis, either,” she replies, looking down. “But I could only assume it was what all other Nexis have, because I haven’t seen another of my kind since I was very young.”

   “Curious...” the Admiral nods, a stern countenance growing on his face. His eyes drift off into the blank distance for a moment, but immediately after snap back to and the look on his face disappears.

   “Admiral!” a voice calls. Here comes a young man in loud metal plating bouncing toward us, using one of his hands to stabilize the circlet on his dark-haired head. He’s got a pretty fancy-looking sword on his hip. Must be a knight of some sort. Weird part is he looks way younger than me, though.

   “Felm, greetings,” says the Admiral.

   “S-Sir, this way, please!” Felm exclaims, raising a hand in salute.

   “That way? As in... the way we are already headed...?” I mutter.

   “S-Sir, Admiral, Sir, I have been tasked with escorting you to the place of meeting, Sir!”

   “Worry not, young Avette. The one who organized this conference is very cautious near times of initiation. And Felm here, despite his looks, is actually a captain of the royal guard. Nowadays, merely greeting him is a privilege.”

   “He’s that important, huh...” I mutter, slowly glancing over to him.

   The guy’s gotta be no older than me. Actually, there’s a chance he’s even younger. He’s got a head of shaggy dark hair with even darker highlights in it, and a pair of blueish-green eyes. His face is more on the dainty side, but somehow masculine all the same. Or maybe it’s just his armor. Were I into men, I’d probably think he’s very attractive. On the other hand, I doubt that timid nature of his does him any favors with the ladies. Not that I’m any better.

   “N-Not at all, sir! In fact, it’s an honor to be your escort! Yours and your—” Strangely, Felm freezes just a moment as he looks to Nora. “—And your partner—! I-It’s an honor!”

   “Felm was one of my trainees. The one who organized this meeting probably knew this. He is very considerate. Wouldn’t you say, Felm?”

   “Y-Yes!” he replies. He glances at Nora once more.

   “You’ve been talking a lot about this ‘organizer’ guy, Admiral,” I say. “Who is he, anyways? Some kinda noble?”

   “It is best you waited until he introduces himself, young Avette,” the Admiral replies. “It is not much further, only up the Third Rung a ways. It will not be long.”

   “A-As he describes!” Felm affirms. “Come. I-I do believe the organizer is waiting.”

   Felm walks us up to the gate of the Third Rung. Every once in a while while guiding us, he quickly looks over his shoulder. I’m not certain, but I think he’s looking at Nora.

   The guards at their posts salute us and motion us towards the gate without any fuss. Felm holds out his hand, and suddenly the closed doors slowly swing open. As I get my first glimpse of what lies beyond, I realize just how much of a difference there is between the second and the third.

   The white brick road follows a lazy curve around a set of beautifully-constructed buildings made out of marble and laced with gold highlights. There is a patio restaurant that would put any five-star Paris establishment to shame, and the same with the three or four cafes and bakeries that are on that same strip. Beyond that all I see are gardens and mansion properties, each more elegant than the last. This rung truly is only for the richest of the rich. It’s even more believable based on who I see walking around, and how elegantly they’re dressed.

   “That is the meeting place, that building over there,” says the Admiral. “From here until we sit down, I ask that you remain silent.”

   “Alright, I think I can manage th—“

   “I said silence!” the Admiral snaps.

   As we approach the building, I notice two armored soldiers guarding a particular door. Despite my limited  intuition, I can clearly tell that’s the way we’re headed. It’s a decent way from any of the stores and eateries, and clearly has a different vibe going for it.

   “A-Admiral of the Adventurers Guild, Admiral Leufgarde-Rosencrantz!” Felm exclaims, hobbling in front of us.

   “Business?” says one of the guards.

   “A very abrupt convening,” the Admiral replies. “Ensure we are undisturbed.”

   “Very well, Admiral,” says the second guard. “The rest should be waiting upstairs.”

   The Admiral nods, and the first guard moves to open the door.

   “I-I will take my leave—!” Felm exclaims. “An honor to meet Cyrus Avette and his partner!” He again glances at Nora before stiffly turning around and walking off.

   “We should best move onward as well,” says the Admiral, approaching the open door.

   Before I know it, I find myself in a room with at least fifteen others around a large round table. Pierce, Lilith, and Lasphalia are seated together, and the rest are people I don’t know. Just as I move to sit, a man stands up and extends a hand.

   “A pleasure, Cyrus,” he says.

   He’s almost plain in a way, but kinda has this charm to him. He’s gotta be in his late forties at oldest, but all that really shows is his silvery hair that even then looks good. He wears this kinda buttoned-down vest with a symbol I’ve seen all throughout the city, this simple golden crown design sitting in the middle of a sword. Some of the people in the Second Rung wear it, but now that I think of it all of the nobles wore one. This guy’s probably a noble, as well.

   “The pleasure is all mine,” I reply. The Admiral shoots me a look, and I remember that he told me to keep quiet.

   “Please, you and your companion have a seat beside the Vice-Admiral,” says the nobleman, gesturing to a pair of chairs. I nod and say nothing more as I slide down into the one next to Pierce. Nora sits beside me, but the Admiral remains standing. Nobody says anything about it, so I leave it alone.

   “Finally, the lot have arrived,” mutters a tired-looking man. He’s bald, but with a ring of brownish hair, and wears a monocle. “Do get on with it, now. Time is of the essence.”

   “I take it you’re this meeting’s organizer?” I ask the monocled man. Instead, the charming nobleman steps forward.

   “Actually, that would be me,” he replies, waving politely. “I suppose you both are the only here who I have yet to familiarize myself with. That said, allow me to introduce myself, Cyrus, young Nora. My name is Claudius Von Seynith.”

   ‘Seynith, huh...?’ I think to myself. ‘Seynith... Seynith... Why does that sound so f— Wait...’

   “Better known—“ says the Admiral, “as Emperor Claudius Von Seynith, seventh ruler of the Seynith Dynasty.”

   “You’re... S-So... Wait... Wh—“

   “That is not what we are here to discuss, Admiral. Here, I act as merely an observer,” says Claudius, shaking his head. “And as we know, the potential for something much bigger is afoot. That is why we gathered all who witnessed it, yes?”

   “Of course, Your Highness,” the Admiral nods.

   “Good. Now why don’t we start from the beginning. What happened that day?”

   After telling Emperor Claudius everything we witnessed, there was little energy left for idle talk. We didn’t leave anything out, but it didn’t seem we needed to.

   “A creature made of pure evil... and a man who lived with his head severed...?” says Claudius after we’re done.

   “They work for someone,” says Pierce. “Their ‘master.’ Though they said next to nothing of them. Only that they now have a keen interest in Avette.”

   “Is that true, Cyrus?” asks Claudius.

   “My powers, really. The monster knows more about them than I do, or at least that’s how it sounded,” I say.

   “And yet we have no way of knowing their intention, only that they had originally wanted to resurrect this

  ‘Velaruux,’ who—” says Claudius.

   “Who basically took off with a wink and a nod, yeah,” I reply.

   The Emperor takes a moment to think to himself. He folds his hands and begins to tap his foot on the hard concrete floor. “...Then this news plays into the false reports of a dragon in the mountains. Much of this was intentional.”

   “Intentional?” I ask.

   “Yes,” says Claudius. “Two of of the Guild’s most trusted scouts were sent out. They returned with news that a dragon had roosted in an abandoned dungeon. Following the failed raid, they were called up for questioning but were nowhere to be found. Further investigation revealed signs of desertion. Their dwellings were emptied, and had been for almost a week.”

   “They set it up, you think?” I ask.

   “There is no way of knowing for sure unless we apprehend the suspects,” Claudius replies. “I only thought you should know.”

   “Great,” I say. “So we’re doing something about this, right? We shouldn’t just—“

   “We will do no such thing,” says the man in the monocle, taking a stand. “I think I speak for the noblemen as a whole when I say there are just too many uncertainties to take action. Can we really trust these rapscallions? Their leader over there hasn’t necessarily had a good track record for being completely honest. All the way back to the War, even! They are mercenaries, they trade in lies.”

   “Trade in lies, huh?” I mutter. “I wish I had a clever remark for that, but at this point it’d be a waste of breath. I’ve never met any of you nobles, and I know for damn sure you never saw me till now. So how the hell do you—“

   “Ignore them, Cyrus,” says Claudius, raising a hand. “Their knowledge spreads no further than the perimeter of these gilded walls. Not one of them have a hardship to their name, and yet their presence at this meeting is required by a law I have no control over.”

   “Why you—“

   The Admiral slams a fist on the table, causing them all to jump. He looks up at the nobleman with a heavy glare. “Wyrmton, is that any way to speak to your... Emperor?” he says.

   The monocled nobleman grits his teeth and sits back down. “If these fools weren’t here, oh I’d—“

   “Indeed, Wyrmton. What the Admiral has just said was no lie, despite your prior beliefs.” Claudius eyes the man, who seems to now be acting aloof. Emperor Claudius turns back to us. “I’m afraid this is all the time I am able to expend on this meeting. For now and until we figure a strategy, it is business as usual.”

   As the Emperor stands, everyone around me, save Nora, gets off their chairs and pounds a fist to their heart.

   “For the glory of Seynith,” says the Admiral.

   “That was pretty damn short,” I mutter to Nora just as we step out. “And did it seem like those nobles had literally no respect nor recognition for the literal emperor for the province they live in?”

   “I did notice that, yes,” Nora nods. She doesn’t say anything more, so I infer that she’s still mad at me.

   “Cyrus Avette,” I hear from behind us. I turn to see Lasphalia walking towards us. “May I have a moment of your time?”

   “U-Uh, hey, Lasphalia,” I sputter. “U-Um, yeah— sure.”

   “This way please. It won’t be long, so the girl can stay here.”

   “Okay,” I nod. “Hey Nora, could you please just wait a moment? I’ll be right back.”

   Nora scoffs, but reluctantly nods her head.

   I follow Lasphalia into a semi-open corridor between the building we just came from and some sort of parlor. The one building stretches over the alleyway, making a long arch down to a door at the far end. The parlor side is completely open to the air, with intermittent pillars being all that’s between me and a luscious garden of exotic plants. I kinda idle against one of the pillars as I look out into the beautiful mid-afternoon glow.

   “This is about what occurred in the dungeon the other day,” says Lasphalia. I turn to look her way. “My profession is one that expects great deals of me at all times so long as I wear this uniform. With it, there are certain emotions I cannot afford to bear.”

   She purses her soft lips, and slowly removes her glasses from the bridge of her nose. She looks at me through a pair of eyes that I still can’t quite read, the mystical formality of her aura seeming to draw me in closer.

   “—But a thanks is in order, regardless,” she says. “As I said, I cannot afford to dwell on relationships at the moment. So think of this as merely a reward for your hard work.”

   “U-Um, Alright...?”

   She leans in close, so close that her lips brush against my ear.

   “My body is yours for this night,” she whispers.

   I leap back in surprise. “C-Come again?!”

   “A joke,” Lasphalia replies. “The real gift... is this.”

   She moves close to me and brings her hand to my cheek, holding my face as she leans in. She lightly tilts her head and draws her lips softly to mine. I’m jarred by its suddenness, but I quickly decide to lean into it, pressing back with an even force, my own lips against hers. The feeling sends shockwaves down my spine, butterflies fluttering in my stomach, fireworks going off in my brain. My senses are on full alert, absorbing every moment of this occurrence into my larger subconscious. The feeling of her hands on my face, the warm air from her nose— I strive for this moment alone to remember it all.

   When we finally part, she steps back and returns her glasses to the bridge of her nose. With that, she’s returned to her usual self.

   “I hope such was sufficient in compensation. But please do not expect any more of me. This is all I have to offer you,” she says. “The truth that I neglected to face was that you alone saved my life. After realizing your feelings, or rather— having heard them from Lord Velaruux, I decided this may be the best course of action. Now, I will return to being your advisor and secretary to the Admiral. I know not what the future holds, but for now I hope this will tide you over as you strive to reach your goal.”

   “Y-Yeah, u-um... I think... Yeah, th-thanks.”

   Lasphalia leans up against the wall opposite to me with a pondering look on her face. “It’s strange...” she says. “The idea of a kiss used to feel repulsive to me. Though my ideas of romance were quashed early on after witnessing the true nature of man. The only time I had ever kissed someone was when it was forced on me by the vile cretins I called clients.”

   “But... what do you think now?” I ask.

   “I think... that maybe—“ She stops herself and shakes her head. “No, I am not at liberty to say. Or perhaps I do not know. Regardless, this is where I return to being no more than your advisor and secretary to Admiral Leufgarde-Rosencrantz. And as your advisor, I suggest you fill your name with quests befitting of a self-proclaimed hero.”

   “Yeah. I-I’ll do that.”

   She nods. “Now go. Your companion is waiting.”

   As I reunite with Nora, I give her a nervous smile. She looks at me with a strange glare, but doesn’t say anything.

   “I’ve made a decision,” I say. “Wanna know what it is?”

   She nods.

   “From now on, I’m putting my goal before all others,” I say. “I’m gonna be a hero, and I’m gonna show these guys what it really means. I won’t let romance get in my way any more. So sorry if that bothered you.”

   She turns to the side, averting her gaze for just a moment. When she looks back, she just nods.

   “Good. With that in place, let’s make a name for ourselves. And by that I mean... let’s take some quests so we can afford to eat tonight...”

   Nora sighs, and again nods.