Both Grey and the mysterious rogue stared with animosity at each other.

“You!” Grey pointed his finger and shouted accusingly towards the intruder.

The idiot wFas now trapped. Grey mowed a step back closer to the stairs to guard them and cut rogue’s only escape.

“Where is Shamila?” The rogue matched the tone with an accusation of his own.

“Who?”

“Do not pretend to be innocent. Monster!” The rogue glanced at the cages.

“Oh… I don’t ask for the names of my food. She is likely dead.”

“Monster!”

A tiny frame sprung from behind Grey. The mini-mage had finally caught up.

“Do you want me to toast this bandit?” A flame formed in Elri’s palm.

“Do it!” Grey smiled at the convenience of not having to spend his own mana.

“No! You don’t understand, he’s…”

A fireball flew towards the rogue. The rogue clasped a trinket in his left. Right before the fireball could hit a protective dome was deployed all around the rogue. That was not all, the rogue had managed to throw his dagger even before all that.

Grey could barely register the speed at which the dagger flew. If it was aimed at Elri, like it should have been, she would be dead. Instead, it flew towards Grey. Out of reflex, or maybe by sheer luck, Grey moved his arm to block the dagger. The tip of the dagger having to face Grey’s sturdy arm plate at an odd angle caused it to slide off. In other words, Grey managed to deflect the mithril dagger. An amazing feat.

However, the dagger bounced right towards Elri and right into her chest. The blade pierced deep into her. It would have pierced right through if not for the handle getting stuck in the ribs. In the end, the dagger did hit her anyway.

“Ahh!” Elri cried in pain and collapsed to her knees.

“Tch.” The assassin clicked his tongue.

“Bastard!” Grey didn’t appreciate the trick.

Of course, charging the rogue was an option, but he would need to leave the stairwell. And most likely this was what the rogue wanted. Plus, there was a protective dome guarding the rogue against ranged attacks.

However, Grey had a trick of his own. He was about to put the strength of that dome to the test. With a stretch of an arm and a pull from his core, energy began to gather between his palms.

The assassin's eyes bulged in surprise. Elri too wanted to say something but only a nasty cough accompanied by blood escaped her mouth.

“Eat this!” Grey launched his now iconic blue beam. It never failed him.

The protective dome strained spewing sparks of mana as it tried to cope with the attack.

“Impossible!” The rogue yelled in disbelief.

He went into one of his many pockets to pull out a peculiarly looking stone. Another magic item of sorts.

Grey smiled confidently. Unless it was another magic shield, the rogue will have little use for that enchanted pebble.

The leather-clad rogue raised the stone dramatically above his head and activated the consumable item with a shout. “Recall!”

A bright flash of light filled the protective dome right before it shattered. The blue beam left unobstructed continued towards the wall, blowing brick and mortar apart to punch a massive hole into it.

“Shit! How?!”

Somehow, the rogue managed to escape. How? – Grey had no clue. He scanned the room suspiciously, sniffing for the rogue. Grey approached the spot where the rogue was just seconds ago. Nothing. No, the spot wasn’t empty. Various trinkets and an assortment of knives were scattered all around. Some half melted by the blue beam. Oddly there were also a pair of enchanted boots right where the rogue used to be; still warm and sweaty. It was almost like the rogue was spirited away to someplace else. But then, why only some of the items remained? – a mystery Grey couldn't solve just yet.

With the threat gone, Grey quickly glanced at the cages counting his food. All there, trembling behind bars. And only then did he turn back towards the redhead. She was laying on her back unconscious; blood staining her blouse. Elri was dying.

Grey looked at her fragile state for a good moment. Elri, must have seen the captives, seen the human blood and remains tainting the cages. Not to mention the kidnapped women he held here imprisoned against their will. But…

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He had to save her. Or else he will be held responsible for the young noble’s death. Elri's limp body was picked up from the ground. Grey looked at the stuck dagger wondering if he should pull it out, but in the last moment he reconsidered.

“Hey, you! Bring the healing potion.” Grey commanded one of the two guards who were standing there with stupid looks on their faces.

“But boss…”

“What!?” Grey roared at the defiant minion.

“Didn't you ban healing potions?”

He did… he did do that. Both health and especially mana potions were forbidden in his lair since Grey reviled the foul substance. Else, it could taint his food.

“The she-devil must have some hidden away. Go search her room!”

The two beastkin clambered up the stairs in the rush. Grey followed with the runt in one of his hands. She was developing an awfully pale complexion. The scent of her sweet blood assaulted his nose making him quite peckish, but this was no time for dinner.

“Boss, there is none.”

“I can’t find anything either.” The other added.

“Did you look properly?” Grey asked having doubts. “Never mind.” He showed the two out of his way and headed towards the exit in a hurry.

If he didn’t have a potion he just needed to get one. So he sprinted towards the market. The locals raised a few eyebrows at the sight but none really dared to reprimand him.

Once out of the slums and at the decent part of the city there was more of a reaction.

“A potion. I need a healing potion!” He shouted at the crowds of people while running.

Yet, there were no volunteers to offer him help. A healing potion was an expensive item, so people were reluctant to give it to a stranger, even if they were in dire need. Maybe if the commoners knew that it was for a lady of noble birth their reaction would be different.

Grey could feel the life leaving that tiny body in his arms. But finally, he was at the street market.

“A potion!” He shouted at the elderly man dealing in some sort of concoctions.

“A potion?!” The man parroted “She is already half dead, what use the potion will be? Get her to the temple!”

Despite his words, he did give Grey a healing potion right away. Grey tossed a few coins at the merchant, poured the potion on the wound and continued running. Grey frowned at the foul substance and the stench it made while it sizzled around the dagger stopping the bleeding.

The bleeding was taken care of, but Elri was barely breathing and her body felt cold.

“The temple.” Grey spoke to himself. He wasn’t very fond of the place.

After some more running, he had finally reached the tall building and its arches which supposedly welcomed all believers. Well, everyone except for beastkin.

The guards were already shouting something to Grey.

“She is a noble! She needs a priest” Grey shouted back.

The guards surrounded him. Their animosity towards Grey was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Get her help. Now!” Grey offered the limp body.

One of the guards grabbed the girl and ran to the temple. The others kept the encirclement around Grey.

“What?” Grey asked in annoyance. “I didn’t do it.” He also offered them his peacekeeper's badge.

They lowered their weapons but the angry looks remained.

“We’ll see about that.”

Grey grumbled under his nose. Humans just had the talent to annoy him endlessly. He waited patiently for the outcome. And finally, a priestly woman stepped outside.

“Let him go!” She seemed annoyed at the guards. “He saved her life.”

The guards broke the encirclement.

“Come, I bet you want to see her.” The blonde woman beckoned.

Knowing that she made it was enough. He had other stuff to do. “No, it’s fine.” He refused.

“No need to be shy. I insist.”

An arm behind him gave a rude push. Obviously, the guards didn’t like hearing the priest having to repeat herself.

“Alright then.” Grey glared at the guard, who just made a nasty scowl.

Elri was laying on a stone slab, still pale but with some complexion back on her face. Weak breaths escaped her mouth.

Her eyes were closed but then the lips parted. “Thanks.” She said quietly.

“Shush, don’t try to speak. You are still to weak.” The blonde priest scolded. “Thank you for saving this young child. The gods will reward you.” The priest smiled at Grey.

Atfer getting a better look at her he recognised the woman. She was the one who had lifted his wasting curse.

“You know, gods work in mysterious ways.” It sounded like she was about to begin a long sermon. “The dagger was poisoned, but it was the poison that saved her life. It slowed her heart rate and bought those few precious minutes for you to get her here. Worry not, I have cleansed the poison and stabilised her condition.”

“I see…” Grey had nothing to tell to this priest. “I shall go then.”

“Wait!” The woman grabbed Grey by the arm.

She looked at him as if wanting to tell him something but at the last minute she hesitated and let his arm go.

“May the gods be with you.” She said instead.

Grey nodded and walked out of the temple.

He wasn’t happy about this. About any of this. His lair was invaded, the she-devil was who knows where and the runt probably saw too much. There was a big mess to untangle.

“Just who that rogue was?” Grey thought to himself out loud.

The man dropped quite a few items. Maybe those could be used as clues to tell his identity. So he had to go back and go over the items properly. But most importantly he had to clean his lair. Involving a noble meant that the city guard was bound to come and sniff around in his place. He needed a new place to store his food, even if temporarily.

The half-elf was still missing, so he ordered his men to go and look for her. In meantime, Grey went over the various things the rogue left behind. There were a set of throw daggers, poisoned darts, lockpicks and other stuff a rogue would carry; mostly junk Grey had no use for. And he was no sleuth or diviner to use these items to find the culprit. But there were a pair of awfully smelly shoes.

He did what he had to, and at least he will be able to sniff the man if he ever gets close again. Also, he could, like a hound, use his senses to see where the rogue came from but there were more urgent matters to attend to.

He gathered the minions the she-devil had hired and began issuing orders.

“You, you and you. Are on cleaning duty. You, you and you will be coming with me. You and you…”

He had to act quickly. All the signs of having a slaughterhouse in his basement had to disappear. Not to mention various illegal goods stashed here. And the captive women to deal with.

Grey gathered some stuff, disguised three of his men and the captives as adventurers and headed towards the city gates. It was due time to visit the orks.

Was he running away from having to deal with the guards himself? – maybe. Push comes to shove, he’d never lived in this house. Witnesses? – liars. The contraband? – Not his.

He was just a peacekeeper who came to investigate a ruckus and found a burglar. One thing led to the other, and bam, Elri got stabbed.

That was an alibi with more holes than the poor man's cheese.