⁠—Several weeks prior.

Grinwald Osleus was in a foul mood.

The wizard sat at one of countless bars within the Britonian capital of Apexia. A bead of sweat was upon his brow, though the weather was dry and cool this time of year. Across him was a rather unassuming man.

The man in question had dark brown hair, sporting a style you'd see anywhere. His similarly dark brown eyes were chocolate-colored in hue and neither wide-set nor narrow. His smile, while not perfectly straight or dazzlingly white, was still pleasing to the eye. The beginnings of a beard were upon his face, and his cheeks lit up ever so slightly whenever he joked around with the bar wenches or other patrons. His features were astoundingly plain, yet there was some sort of magnetic pull to his words.

Simply put, people tended to gravitate toward the man.

"So anyway, Grinwald, I was saying before that you really need to see my daughter. She's growing up to be the cutest thing ever. I dare say even that old King's daughters might pale in comparison one day! Hahah!"

The man's cheery tone rang out as he downed another gulp of ale. For a while longer, he gushed to the wizard about his wife and daughter, beaming the entire time. He then rolled his neck before standing up and motioning toward Grinwald.

"You said you had some business with me, yes? Let's find a more relaxing spot to chat, eh?" the man motioned toward Grinwald, who gave a stiff nod. The man was all smiles.

Grinwald followed behind, as the man in front hummed a merry tune. Grinwald watched the man's back. He was clad in a white, flax shirt; form-fitting, leather riding breeches; and a pair of dark boots that went just below his knees. A golden, chain necklace was around his throat and a wedding band around his ring finger.

The longer they walked, the more the bead of sweat on Grinwald's brow increased. His heart was already hammering away in his chest.

"Watch out!" a boy's voice came.

*Thud!*

"Ow!"

Grinwald and the man paused, as a young girl had collided into the man while she was running from a young boy a short distance away. She was floored, rubbing her head in pain. Her shin had been scuffed.

The man turned to look at the young girl, who was clearly only five or six years old. A smile was on his face.

"Are you alright there, little missy? Quite a bump you took," he reached out, helping her up, "You should be a bit more careful."

She bowed, "I-I'm sorry, mister, I didn't see you there."

The man reached into his shirt and fished out a small tin, before cracking it open. A medicinal scent wafted out.

"Let's see about fixing your leg up, shall we?"

Less than a minute later, a silvery cream had been applied and rubbed into the girl's wound. The pain and redness receded, then the bleeding stopped. The young girl and boy looked at her leg in awe.

"Wow! Thanks, mister! It feels better already!"

The man laughed, "Of course! Now, why don't you two get back to playing? Go on, run along!"

He patted the girl on the head and sent them on their way, a smile still on his face. The children quickly turned and tottered off without another word. He turned toward Grinwald and sighed.

"Good seeds need to be carefully tended, wouldn't you agree?"

Grinwald replied uncertainly, "A-Ah. That's very true."

The man chuckled again, before looking up at the blue skies and taking in a breath of fresh air.

'What a splendid morning,' he thought quietly to himself.

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—A short while later, in a remote building.

"GYAA!"

"So anyway, what brings you to these parts, Grinwald? Bit far from the east, eh? How's our lovely Lucretia been?"

A hoarse scream punctuated the conversation, causing Grinwald to frown at the source. A person was shackled to the table. Grinwald's distracted nature was not unnoticed.

"Don't mind my work," the man casually pointed to the half-dead person strewn about, "We're here to talk about you, Osleus. How fares the assignment I gave you? Do you need a hand?"

Grinwald looked at the missing stump of his left arm, ripped off at the elbow joint. The pun was not appreciated, but he soldiered on regardless.

"Yes, quite so. After my blunder with Lucretia, I found myself a bit lacking. She lost her temper. Is Meridia available? ... Unfortunately, I can't fix this myself."

The man paused with a thoughtful smile, "Ah, yes, I suppose the old girl is a bit handy in situations like this. Always had a good grip on healing magic."

Grinwald's face contorted in unvoiced displeasure. The man paused to chuckle at his own joke, before reaching for a larger set of pliers. A snapping noise came, followed by a bubbling, muffled shriek. The man wiped his brow on a rolled-up sleeve, before reaching down to grab the soon-to-be corpse's face.

"Think about your answer. I'll be back soon," the man whispered. He took off a pair of rubber gloves and threw them in a bucket, before turning toward Grinwald and motioning toward the door.

The two ascended a set of stairs and went through a few locked doors before proceeding back up to ground level. Within a blandly decorated room, they took a seat and resumed their conversation.

"Captain Traydor⁠—"

"⁠—Please, Grinwald, I've told you before to call me John," waved the man.

"... John, then. If it makes no difference to you, I'd like to visit Meridia as soon as possible and return to ... supervising Lucretia. You've seen the result of when I neglect her."

The old man waved the stump of his arm forth, before continuing.

"I've written the report, which I'm sure you've reviewed already, so I'll get to the point. I believe the situation not quite as severe as we first anticipated, but would ask to station additional agents in the region. It appears we've stumbled upon a Deviant. I intend to study it, should that be the case."

The man named John tapped his foot for a minute and rolled his shoulders, reflecting over the information he'd been provided so far. He had objections and questions, but the explanation offered had been ample enough to assuage fears of invasion and the like.

John replied, "That's fine. Report back to me monthly, or when you find anything of note. I've already twisted a few arms, just to be safe. Security in the Eigach region will be given higher priority. I'll forward your findings to the King and submit a proposal."

The two sat in silence for a moment longer, while John tapped his foot. With a smile, he chuckled at the old wizard, who was on the edge of his seat.

"Care for a drink, Grinwald? You seem tense. You should relax a bit! Stress is bad for your health, after all."

Grinwald finally noticed he'd been on edge, gripping his chair with his remaining hand. Some of the tension left his back as he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed his brow.

"Y-Yes, you're quite right. If that is all, then I shall visit Meridia at the Church and be on my way?"

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The tone implied questioning. A grin remained on John's lips. He shrugged, "As you wish."

The wizard rose, making his way toward the door. As his hand touched the knob, a voice came from behind him.

"Make sure to keep a good leash on Lucretia. And no more accidents, eh? Having to clean up messes cuts into time spent with my family, Osleus. I'm already a busy man, you see. All work and no play makes me a bit grumpy! Haha!"

Grinwald's back stiffened yet again. With a shaky hand and a few words, he departed.

"I'll commit it to memory."

And thus, the wizard was gone. He left the deceptively plain building and headed toward the more opulent side of the city. John continued sitting there, running his fingers along his wedding band. He rose, taking the ring off and putting it in his breast pocket, before heading downward yet again.

"Ahh, the things I do for King and country," the man bemoaned, quietly wishing he could return home already. These long hours in service were depressing.

As his footsteps echoed upon the wooden steps, the soon-to-be corpse stirred and began fearfully moaning through a gag. Yet those moans would never see the light of day, as they reverberated in vain off the physically and magically reinforced walls.

With a charming smile on his face, John plucked a set of shears off the table and donned a new set of gloves. He looked over at the room's other occupant.

"Let's try this once more, shall we? You seem to be rather tight-lipped, my good friend! We'll play a game and I'll offer you a fabulous prize. I'll count backward from twenty. If I make it to zero, you are free to go! Fantastic, right?"

John pulled a small vial and a rag out of his shirt. He didn't tell his temporary companion, but few had made it below sixteen.

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With a scowl on his face, Grinwald continued toward the Church. Thankfully, visiting the old woman known as Meridia wasn't nearly as stressful as visiting the Blades' Captain. He could never figure that man out, and his voice drilled into Grinwald's ear like a worm or snake. Having his thoughts muddled like that bothered the sage horribly.

Frankly, Grinwald would rather deal with Lucretia's childish temper and troubling behavior than be in the same room as John Traydor. As simple and accommodating the man might appear, that was only on the surface. Traydor was as two-faced and compartmentalized as he'd ever seen. Grinwald couldn't wrap his head around that man, even on a good day, let alone today. Grinwald had much weighing on his mind.

The wizard had spent a great deal of time investigating the toy he'd found within that Dungeon. He'd paid the price, too. After three days of unintentionally ignoring Lucretia, she'd shown up at his study in the most foul of moods. An errant thought had entered Grinwald's head, wondering how Lucretia had managed to traverse two-thirds of the country so quickly.

After some brief and lovely conversation, Grinwald's arm was ripped off, and the woman was splattered quite vigorously against a nearby field. Naturally, Grinwald could apply healing to his wounds. He might have even been able to reattach the limb, had it been undamaged.

'Undamaged' being the keyword. His arm had fared about as well as Lucretia's face, following the blasts he'd sent her way. Unfortunately, and unlike Lucretia, his arm possessed no such regenerative properties and was turned into smoldering charcoal.

The following week had been spent continuing to investigate and prod his new toy, though this time with dampened spirits. He'd found a few interesting tidbits and concluded in all likelihood, it was indeed a Deviant that had been in that cave.

That or his toy was more broken than imaginable. He didn't think that was the case, though. Perhaps if more time had passed he'd be less confident in his information, but it shouldn't have gone insane so quickly. Now, it merely came down to unraveling the strings and keeping an eye on the region.

Deviants were prone to attracting attention, so it was more of a waiting game. If Grinwald was unlucky, the monster would end up food or prey for something else. Regardless, his curiosity burned as he tried to imagine a monster that would willingly destroy a Dungeon Core. He'd simply never heard of such a thing before. It was most unusual!

Cores were almost literally the lifeblood of monsters. They provided them with Mana and a rich environment to grow in. A monster destroying a Core was like shooting itself in the own foot, wasn't it? Unless there was an additional reason or outside influence forcing the situation. Possibilities flowed within the wizard's head, trying to unravel the mystery. Sure, Caprians or the like might still be at fault, but that was a rapidly slimming chance.

Grinwald had already set about gathering information. It wasn't difficult for him, given the resources provided, along with his own capabilities. Magic, a smidgeon of charisma, and a bit of renown did wonders.

Now if only he could stop babysitting that insufferable whore Lucretia, he'd be much more relaxed. Perhaps he could submit a request? Doubtful. Then there was the matter of his students, who he'd been half-forced to leave unattended. He pondered his affairs silently to himself, having approached the Church that Meridia held services at.

A while later, Grinwald was much more relaxed. He sat at a rather ascetic table, sitting on folded knees across from an old woman dressed in similarly simple garb. The room itself had little to note. A cotton bed, a single window with drab shades, a copper kettle atop a porcelain tray. The most precious possession by far was a bookshelf spanning an entire wall, filled to the brim. The woman was obviously an avid reader.

Grinwald looked at Meridia, who'd been sipping a cup of tea and furrowing her brow at him.

The Grand Priestess, as they called her, wasn't much for words. She appeared in her 70s, yet Grinwald heard she was 'much, much older'. Though her back was slightly hunched, she still got around just fine. Her white hair was pulled back in a simple bun, and her hazel eyes ran up and down him. In contrast to the numerous wrinkles on her face, the priestess' eyes were still as sharp as anything.

Meridia was arguably the tamest of the Black Blades. She was basically retired at this point. After all, she was old enough to be someone's great, great grandmother. It wasn't as if she was a walking timebomb or force of nature like several of the other members. She was just a tad cranky and had a tendency to smite those she truly detested.

Despite the fact she could still kill him with a prolonged touch or a few chants, he wasn't worried. He'd have to be an idiot or asleep for her to best him. The old gal was up in years, and her strength had been waning. She was a bit difficult to get used to, but Grinwald would take her any day over their Captain. At least with Meridia, he didn't have to worry he'd be dead before realizing what had happened.

The conversation was rather short and without all the hidden undertones and implications he'd previously experienced. Grinwald explained his situation and requested the woman's help. An afternoon later, the wizard was flexing his newly regrown arm and wincing at the pain from the procedure. The sensation was odd, but he'd be good as new within a week.

Meridia pointed at the donation coffer, which had prompted Grinwald to loosen his purse strings generously. She'd then calmly shooed the old sage out of her abode, causing him to feel a bit lost.

Grinwald and Lucretia had been staying at an inn within Apexia's commercial district, so he quickly departed back. The demoness' appetite seemed to be sated since their last incident, but he wasn't keen to test her patience. They'd both 'apologized and made up' since then, but there was an insurmountable rift in his common sense versus hers. He downplayed his distraction and couldn't understand why she'd reacted so violently, while she was still sour over his abandonment and didn't know why he cared about an arm so much.

Such was their dynamic.

Grinwald found himself back at their room, where Lucretia was reclining on a mattress, plucking away at a fruit's skin with one of her knives. She eyed him hungrily as he entered their room.

"Took you long enough," came her sultry tone, "I've been waiting in bed for you all afternoon!"

Lucretia teasingly raised a leg, pivoting it outward and then back, before rolling sideways on the bed and shaking her hips a little. Given her rather scantily clad form, the view afforded was rather bountiful. Had Grinwald been 30⁠—no, ... 20 years younger, the sight would have certainly captivated his interests.

Well, this was also assuming the one showing him such a lustful scene wasn't Lucretia. It being her certainly put a damper on things.

With a stony face, he informed her that they were leaving shortly and to pack her things. The silver-haired woman gracefully flipped off the bed, before collecting a few knives and garments she'd tossed haphazardly throughout the room. With an exaggerated flourish, a knife in her hand, and a mocking tone, Lucretia bowed before him.

"Your wish is my command, O' wizened taskmaster."

Grinwald wasn't amused.

Upon receiving his bland stare, Lucretia was left to ask what their next move was. Grinwald explained they'd be increasing scouts and garrisoned information gatherers around the Berrios-Eigach region, with fewer such agents radiating further out. Given the timeline, it was entirely possible their quarry had exited Brita entirely and moved to the northern elven kingdoms, into the Direlands, or even went to go bother the beastkin to the east. Inversely, this also meant the Deviant could have headed to the West.

A small part of Grinwald hoped that was the case. After all, he was a curious man. He enjoyed studying things he didn't understand, and such a beast was undoubtedly one of them. Perhaps he could even add it to his collection, should it prove valuable enough. He just had to pray it hadn't run away or been killed.

"Have you finished, Lucretia? I'm teleporting us now."

"Mm, I'm having trouble 'finishing'. Perhaps you could lend me a hand, Grinny? I'd settle for nibbling on some fingers," she smirked, smacking her lips.

The man's face twitched, as his earlier meeting with the Captain resurfaced. Truly insufferable, the both of them.

Upon finishing their preparations, Grinwald's thoughts turned to how best to utilize Lucretia in this matter. She'd become a noose around his neck, and he sincerely doubted he'd have any use for her combat prowess as initially intended. Had this been a conspiracy belonging to an enemy nation? Perhaps she'd retain usefulness. But Grinwald was absolutely confident he could handle a fledgling Deviant.

With a sigh, he finished directing his Mana and chanting the spell that would fling them halfway across the country. The firm image he envisioned in his mind held true, and the two quickly found themselves back within the reaches of Berrios. Having just visited Apexia, this little town felt so quaint.

Feeling fatigued, he pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed his brow once more. His age was weighing upon him more than he cared, but he'd made good strides since coming upon his new toy. It had surely afforded him a few weeks, and he didn't intend to squander them.

Mentally summoning the layout of the town and surrounding area, he devised a plan of action. He'd wrangled some information out of the local mayor, along with a few strands from examining the ex-Dungeon. He planned on speaking with some of the individuals involved in the original incident. Should they not be forthcoming, he had other ways to gather information.

In the end, it was only a matter of time, he felt. And Grinwald Osleus was well acquainted with the Goddess of Time.