"I see. What about Airidah and Nafain? What can you tell me about them?"

[I guess this much is fine since you'll meet them soon. They were like brother and sister to me once, but life had taken us on different paths. Airidah is consumed with her task of watching over the dead. I long for a time we can meet and discuss old histories, like we used to...

As for Nafain... well, it's a shame he's become so bitter. Lives like a recluse deep in the woods. He refuses to meet. Probably hates me because I brought the church here...](Donan)

"Speaking of this matter, can I ask why did you bring the Cathedral to Scosglen?"

[Heh. It's not like I am unaware... People either praise me or curse me for that decision. There is no middle ground. Druids like Nafain think I've given away their land to the Knights Penitent. What other choice do they think I had? After the Days of Ash, we needed help to rebuild and protect Scosglen. The Cathedral was ready and willing... I couldn't risk the lives of so many for the wishes of the few...](Donan)

"Mhm... I would've done the same in your place. Speaking of the Cathedral... I bring dark tidings from the Fractured Peaks..."

Taking a few minutes to explain what happened recently with Inarius, Lilith, and Rathma, Michael didn't hide any details. He wanted the Horadrim to step in and help them out, just like he told Helen.

Surprisingly, new information came to light, resolving some confusions the Necromancer still had about past events and their occurrence.

[Rathma is dead!? I... I brought the Prophecy to Inarius so he could unravel its true meaning. I never expected he would kill his son because of it...](Donan)

"You cannot be blamed for that. Rathma had already foreseen his death; therefore, everything that had occurred after was in his grasp. He accepted and embraced his death, as well as everything that would happen because of it..."

[...even if that's the case... the very thing Inarius wanted, this infernal key to Hell, is also in Lilith's hands? It must relate to her search for Astaroth... Please hurry and look for her trail. I'll see what I can find in my books. Maybe there is a connection, but we have not seen it yet.](Donan)

Nodding at the man, just as Michael was prepared to leave and search for Lilith's whereabouts, Wilfred, the Steward of the manor, approached him.

"You seem troubled, Sir."

[The attack on the Firebreak Manor has left many wounded, and our healing supplies are almost exhausted. Could you please travel to Cerrigar and ask Corman, the Alchemist, to send anything he can? And tell him to hurry; every moment is vital!](Wilfred)

Just as the Necromancer was about to turn him down, the Sanctuary intervened.

[ Side Quest issued - A Plea for Aid

Objective: Speak with Corman, the Alchemist in Cerrigar. ]

Helplessly accepting the request, Michael was taken to the Waypoint of the Firebreak Mannor. It was one of the few Waypoints directly linked to a close city that didn't require Wanderers to first travel to Cerrigar to imprint their energy signature into their Waypoint before being able to move between these two locations.

At least, that's how the Steward explained it. Helpless, Michael was shoved into the Waypoint, and he found himself exiting into an unfamiliar place.

He was planning to open the MAP and find the Quest Marker's position when a woman Knight stopped him.

[You are a new face in the Cerrigar. State your business, Wanderer.](Knight)

"Eh? Oh, sure! I was urgently sent from the Firebreak Mannor after they endured an attack from the Blood Clan goatmen. Lots of people died, and even more were injured. I received a Quest to find Corman the Alchemist and request his assistance."

The woman introduced herself as Iveta and was apparently transferred to the city after guarding Eldhaime Keep for over a year.

Her and the other Knights' jobs were to watch for strange or new people entering the Cerrigar and stop potential troublemakers.

She was a lovely lady, but she kept complaining about the housing problems in this city.

[By the Light, I miss Eldhaime. We slept in proper barracks... here we share with the livestock.](Knight Iveta)

Looking at the 'architecture,' if it could be called that, Michael agreed with the woman. Most buildings were made out of wood with straw roofs. Probably, during every rainy and windy season, the people here had to rebuild.

'Maybe I should invest in a building company. Have them walk around the major cities and get paid to build mini-skyscrapers. I wonder how hard the Sanctuary would zap me if I said that aloud...'

Fortunately, Michael was led to Corman, while Iveta stayed a few steps behind, wanting to confirm that he wasn't lying about his purpose here.

After explaining the situation to Corman, the man nodded.

"... that's why Steward Wilfred desperately needs healing supplies."

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[Poor man must have his hands full tending to so many wounded. I'll pack everything I can spare and send it to him immediately.](Corman)

To the Necromancer's surprise, the Side Quest ended just like that. He watched with Iveta as the Alchemist gathered his potions and elixirs in a small parcel and sent one of his 'employees' to the Firebreak Manor to deliver them.

[ Side Quest complete - A Please for Aid

Reward 1: 2,462 experience points

Reward 2: 1,440 gold coins

Reward 3: Herb Cache. ]

Scratching his head, Michael had Iveta join him on his way to another Quest Marker that popped up in Cerrigar after he finished his previous one.

Explaining his purpose to the Knight woman, she followed behind him curiously. Reaching their destination, they found a man pacing back and forth anxiously as if trying to reach a decision.

[Cori? Did something happen?](Iveta)

[Miss Iveta? *Sigh* I'm far from home and worried about my parents.](Cori)

"Far from home? Then your parents are not in Cerrigar. Why are you here? Trying to make a new life for yourself in a bigger city?"

[*Sigh* Yes. The Downs is my home, but Sanctuary is dangerous these days, and my parents... my poor old parents are getting on in age. I tried convincing them to move here, but they refused stubbornly. Damn it! Who will protect their home? There are no Knights there! I would check on them myself, but the roads are perilous lately.](Cori)

[That's true. More goatmen have been spotted recently in the vicinity of the city.](Iveta)

"I see."

[Wanderer, perhaps you could go to my father, Phelan, and see if they need me or anything else? The least I could do is make their lives slightly better at their old age...](Cori)

Michael accepted the request, and a surprising thing occurred immediately after.

[ Side Quest issued - What Ails Thee

Objective: Speak with Phelan in the Downs. ]

Just as the Sanctuary issued the Quest, the Necromancer received a party invitation from Iveta, the Knight. Looking at her questioningly, the woman smiled.

[I finished my shift some time ago and was bored in the city anyway. You don't mind me tagging along, do you?](Iveta)

[Thank you so much, Miss Iveta!](Cori)

Pondering for a while, he accepted the party invite and saw that the woman was level 45. Furthermore, judging from her staff and armor, she was a Mage Class, similar to the Inquisitors he had seen previously.

He wasn't particularly worried that the woman might betray and stab him in the back while outside the city since he had plenty of ways of dealing with someone lower-level than him.

Inspecting the MAP, the duo found the Quest Marker northeast of Cerrigar.

[We'll follow the eastern road and then move up north at the crossroads. It's the safest way.](Iveta)

"Before we move any further, you should know that I am currently receiving Preferential Treatment from the Sanctuary. So even the easiest of Quests might turn complicated as a result."

Surprisingly, the woman wasn't worried about it and said that she often parties with other Wanderer Knights Penitent and that most of them receive this 'curse.'

So, it wasn't anything new to her. Michael was baffled at the revelation, especially since everyone thought only a handful of people 'suffered' from this fate.

'But to think that many Wanderers in the Cathedral's employ are in a similar situation... that would explain Inarius's confidence in invading the Burning Hells. The church's apathy to dying faithful can also make more sense now. Only those who manage to survive after going through many tribulations are strong and can be used. Tsk! I am increasingly disliking them, even if this is only an assumption on my part.'

The duo walked on foot to their destination, attempting to clear as many monsters on the way as possible.

Seeing that it was only 2:40 PM, Michael agreed, and he allowed Iveta to vent out her stress. His minions would block and encircle the monsters while she wrecked them with spells.

They even found an active Cellar that was overrun by goatmen. After clearing it and getting some gold coins and a Rare item each, Michael asked about Iveta's Class.

"Sorry if I seem nosy. It's the first time I've seen someone attacking with pillars of light descending from nowhere, even underground."

[It's fine. I'm a Battle Priestess. It's only a First Class Awakening branch of the Priestess job. But I'm getting close to Level 50. At that point, I can go through the Second Class Awakening and become an Inquisitor.](Iveta)

Fortunately, the Quest Marker was only about fifteen minutes on horseback from Cerrigar, so even if they walked and killed monsters on their way there, they arrived in about half an hour.

Moving through the Fetid Farmlands to Blycroft, the duo saw signs of a struggle once they closed in on the Downs farms. Rather than just a struggle, after seeing the corpses of many goatmen ripped apart, they hurried their pace and arrived at the Quest Marker, where they found Cori's father, Phelan, talking with a young Druid.

Everywhere around the house, there were corpses of goatmen who died miserably, as if something more bestial than them tore them to pieces.

Iveta and Michael looked strangely at the young Druid. Phelan was an average farmer, and only a Wanderer had the necessary strength to complete such a task.

[Your thrice damned wardstones didn't do much, Druid.](Phelan)

[*Sigh* I already told you, they must all be placed to be effective.](?)

[Bah! I haven't time for this. I have a farm to run and this... mess to clean up. Those dumb pigs are already starting to gnaw at the corpses of the goatmen. The sheep and cows are terrified... Stupid wardstones!](Phelan)

[They will work, Phelan. You must trust me.](?)

[Hmpf.](Phelan)

The Necromancer and the Battle Priestess looked at Cori's 'old and feeble' father and couldn't find any resemblance between them. Cori was polite and submissive, while his father was... well... rough.

Suppressing his twitching mouth, Michael intervened before the old man started cussing the young Druid.

'That Druid just ripped off over twenty goatmen on his own. Where does Phelan's confidence stem from? *Sigh* Old people really don't conform to reason...'

"My apologies for coming unannounced, Sir Phelan. Cori sent us. He was worried about you."

[Ah, you spoke to Cori? Hmpf, can't believe he even remembers he has a family.](Phelan)

[...](Iveta)

"..."

[I had to throw the loafer out of the house months ago because he refused to work. Didn't hear a peep from him 'til now. He's better off in Cerrigar, and we are, too.](Phelan)

Stunned speechless by the machine gun-like Phelan, the duo listened quietly to the man's sermon, caught between laughter and tears.

Fortunately, after the old man vented enough, the Side Quest was completed.

[ Side Quest complete - What Ails Thee

Reward 1: 2,462 experience points

Reward 2: 1,440 gold coins

Reward 3: Random Cache. ]

Nudging Michael slightly to draw his attention, Iveta pointed in a particular direction. The Necromancer looked above Phelan's head and saw a Quest symbol.

Turning back to Iveta and silently questioning what she wants to do, the Knight shrugged and smiled. It appeared that she wanted to venture a bit before returning to her tedious job in Cerrigar.

"We saw the fighting marks left on the ground and the corpses around the farm. What happened?"

[Damn bloody goatmen attacked again! What does it look like?](Phelan)

Seeing the snickering Iveta, Michael realized that he walked into that one. It was a stupid question, given that even a child could recognize the monster's characteristics.

Even the Druid distanced himself from them, expecting Phelan to explode again.

Coughing awkwardly, the Necromancer prepared himself for another sermon. Fortunately, they got lucky this time around.

[*Sigh* I'm sorry, stranger. That was unkind of me. This was the fight attack this moon. Not sure how many more we can survive. That Druid over there, Artair, brought some wardstones. Supposed to keep the filthy goatmen out. If you're up for some honest work, I could use a hand with them.](Phelan)

[Sure. Only those three?](Iveta)

[Mhm. I'll pay you, of course, but keep an eye out. There's bound to be more of those damn things roaming about.](Phelan)

"Don't worry, we'll look into it."

As Iveta grabbed the wardstones and stored the two meters-tall pieces of rock in her inventory, Michael prepared for his usual interrogation session.