Chapter 39: Chapter 39
'A noble is always a noble, no matter the circumstances, and must reflect it in everything he does'. These were the words he lived by. With practiced movements, Earnan straightened out the fabric of his simple but well-made suit and took another glance at his pocket watch.
'Only twenty minutes till the meeting.'
An elf like him could tell the time of the day by looking at the sky, even if it was cloudy, but the magictech device was useful for more precise planning, and he couldn't have been happier when his master presented him with such a gift.
His master, Lord Blue Planet, had a meeting with one of the other Gods to discuss the liberation of the elven homeland. His homeland. There finally was a way to get rid of the mad king, as even he could not stand against living Gods.
Few despised the Elf King as much as he did. That monster took everything from him. Once an earl of a small peaceful region far away from front lines, he had had everything: the respect of his people, a beautiful, loving wife, and a wonderful daughter.
It was when the king's servants discovered his daughter held a rare talent that things took a turn for the worse. There was no way of resisting the summons to bring his daughter to the capital and present her as a concubine for the king. However, the headstrong girl chose a different path for herself and ran away from home. The last memory of them together was a fight. He could only hope she found a good life for herself somewhere else.
Predictably, the king didn't take the news well, and Earnan's wife was taken as tribute against all the established laws. At that time, a married woman was exempt from becoming a king's concubine.
Earnan gritted his teeth at the memory.
'That bastard will pay for what he did to my family. If there is any justice in the world, he will pay for all the lives he has ruined.'
The sound of the door opening returned the former earl to the present. Lord Blue Planet emerged from his room and greeted the elf with a smile.
"Good morning, Earnan."
"Good morning, my lord. I have prepared the conference room for the guests." Earnan said with a deep bow.
"You don't have to be so formal. Buku is not here yet." said the elemental, chuckling.
"I apologize my lord, but, as your assistant, it is my utmost duty to show you proper respect."
"Now you sound like someone from the Great Tomb itself."
His butler's training was enough to keep his emotions in check and not smile at the highest of compliments a servant of a God could receive.
"Thank you for the praise, my lord. Shall we?"
"Of course, lead the way." Planet said. There was no helping it. He was one of the Gods and had to get used to this treatment. At least Saibh still treated him like a normal person when no one else was around.
Earnan led his master to the small castle's conference room. The speed at which the castle was built was a small miracle in and of itself, but a necessary one. When most of his kind living in the empire found out about the God that liberated elves from the hell of the Slane Theocracy, they flocked to the small town, hoping to be closer to the God who shared their values, and thus everything in the region had to expand in order to accommodate them.
Not that he and the rest of the elves didn't respect other Gods as well, but the God of Nature was the closest one to their former beliefs and lifestyle, making Blue Planet the most worshiped God among the former slaves. Some of the more vengeful ones had chosen the Goddess of War, or even the God of Murder, as their patron, but they were few in number.
With great satisfaction, he opened the doors and presented the perfectly set up room. Every surface was cleaned to the point that it shined. Every chair was put in a precise spot. A row of elven maids was ready to cater to the needs of their masters and twenty members of the honor guard stood at the walls, holding the ceremonial halberds.
"Don't you think this is a bit much?" Planet asked quietly.
"Not at all, my lord. We must give the Goddess of War and her apostle a proper welcome."
Blue Planet, not wanting to argue again, just sat down in his seat. All this just screamed 'pompous' and felt like something the upper classes from Earth would do, but there was no helping it. Being one of the new Gods came with certain expectations, and naturally one of them was to be treated like a God.
The moment the dark void opened, Earnan tensed up. To see such magic in practice was not something one could easily get used to.
Lady Bukuma came through first with a confident stride. Earnan had to admit that the statues didn't do her beauty justice, but he was still unnerved by her heterochromia. The sign of royalty. Could it be that the elven king owed his power to the Goddess herself? No, it simply couldn't be.
With speculation best left for another time, Earnan knelt, same as the rest of the elves.
"Rise! It's good to see you, Planet." Bukuma said.
"Likewise Buku."
Earnan got back to his feet and froze in place when he saw the person beside Lady Bukuma. Those eyes! The girl clearly noticed his stare and scowled as she and the Goddess walked past the stunned elf. In that moment he became sure of one thing; the Apostle of War was a child of the Elf King.
For a moment he considered the possibility this was some kind of setup, that he and the other former slaves could be given back to the one he despised the most.
"Is something wrong Earnan?" Blue Planet asked, concerned.
"N-no, my lord." He answered, turning around.
"You look like you have seen a ghost. Come sit down."
Silently, Earnan took a seat beside his lord. The apostle was looking down at her lap, visibly upset. Bukuma leaned in and whispered something in her apostle's ear and the girl smiled a bit before her expression changed back to a neutral one.
Not wanting to leave a wrong impression about him, Earan stood up and bowed. "I apologize for my behavior."
"It's fine." Zesshi said, looking up at the older elf, "I want to see that bastard suffer too."
'I shouldn't blame her for having the same eyes as that monster. A child should never be held responsible for their parent's actions.'
Earnan sat down once again and turned his attention to Bukuma, who tossed a thick folder to Blue Planet.
"Ulbert's agents got the basic information about the Elf Country." Buku started as Planet picked up and opened the folder. "To call it a country is an overstatement. For the most part it is composed of smaller states that pay tribute to the king who does nothing but just make offspring left and right."
"Where do we start then?" Planet asked as he looked over the documents and stopped at the map of the region.
"That marked state in the northern part is pretty much entirely controlled by a rebel group called the Family. The Elf King has gotten tired of them and sent a large force to eliminate the opposition with an estimated time of arrival of three days. This is your opening to gain their trust and use them as the front of our operations there."
"So the plan is to drop me off there? On my own?"
"Of course not. First of all, Ainz will give you a world item just in case; we are not taking unnecessary risks. Second, Zesshi is coming with you as she is the one who will confront the Elf King with my oversight. She is permitted to deploy Nazarick's legions if the need arises. Also, Pero is lending you some of his devotees for more discreet operations."
"That's it?"
"Consider this your field training. If something goes south, I will just arrive with the army myself and take over the entire country. Besides, I think you will become patron God of all elves either way, so what better way to earn their devotion than getting hold of their homeland and bringing it into the greater Empire?"
"And Ainz is ok with such an approach?"
"Yes. Why would he not be? I don't think you will cause a mass bloodbath and kill half the country. Either way, you are not going without soul-gathering crystals. Ulbert and I will observe how you are doing, just in case."
Why this rebel group called themselves the Family was no secret to Earnan. Most of its leadership was discarded children or former concubines of the Elf King. Once he deemed them not worth his attention, they were just tossed aside and left to fend for themselves, often without means to provide for themselves.
Even when he was still a noble, there were rumors floating around about such a group existing. Chances are that the Elf King had tossed aside someone with sufficient leadership abilities and enough spite to go against him openly, causing this group to gain more political power.
With Lady Bukuma leaving soon after, Earnan led the Apostle of War to the guest quarters.
"I hope the living arrangements will be up to your standards, and permit me to apologize once again for my behavior."
"I said it is fine! The sooner we are done the better."
"Of course. I wish you a pleasant rest and take my leave." Earnan said as he closed doors behind, leaving Zesshi alone in guest quarters.
Soon she would finally make him pay. Her mother had promised she would be the one who takes him down. Demiurge had prepared a full program for her father already. He would pay for everything. During the last few months, so much had changed in her life that revenge was not at the forefront of her thoughts anymore.
For now she had three days to prepare and be ready to crush the Elf King's forces, alongside Lord Blue Planet.
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With her best friend's encouragement, Ankoro finally decided to put some effort into becoming the Goddess of Compassion and Protection. There was one problem however, the Empire ensured no one was in danger and in grave need of help. It was a nice revelation of course, but it still dampened her mood a bit, as she couldn't find anyone needing her help.
Wandering around the castle and pretending to be busy at least got Buku off her back, but it got old rather fast.
Well, she technically wasn't being completely useless, as she organized warm drinks for the soldiers that were training in the courtyard. Hot tea during the freezing winter was a gift of the Gods in their eyes, even though most of them were considered the best among the best and had endured much worse to gain the honor of having a position in the castle.
On one such day, after bringing the much-awaited hot nourishment, Ankoro wandered around the immense courtyard and found a young woman sitting by herself on a decorative stone block in one of the smaller gardens. She was rather underdressed for the cold weather and was noticeably shivering from the cold. Her bluish fingers also worried the werewolf.
The woman seemingly didn't care as she just stared in the distance with a blank expression. Ankoro hadn't seen her before, but she clearly needed help. She quickly approached the sitting girl and asked,
"Hello, hey… um… is everything alright?"
The girl snapped out of the trance, looked up at Ankoro, said "Yes," quietly, and continued staring at something in the distance that seemingly only she could see.
The girl was clearly distraught about something to the level that she didn't care about freezing to death. Ankoro quickly took out one of her warm winter coats from her inventory and put it around the girl's shoulders with a swift motion. This action was far too forward for her, but a necessary one.
Since there was still leftover tea in her infinite thermos, and a few spare teacups in her inventory as well, Ankoro basically pushed the cup into the girl's hands and filled it with tea.
Getting out of the trance again, the girl offered a weak smile and said "Thank you."
"Y-you shouldn't sit outside for long. It's cold."
"I know, but it is calm here and nobody bothers me."
"I-is someone bothering you? We can get the guards…"
The girl's face lit up in surprise as she said hastily, "No, not like that," and added after a long sigh, "I guess I just needed a place to think. I didn't mean to make anyone worry."
"Friends trying to do what's best for you, no matter what you say?" Ankoro asked. She felt a strange connection with this girl but couldn't explain why.
"Yes," the girl said, looking into the cup and taking a sip. "They mean well, but they can't help me. I don't think anyone can."
Ankoro sat beside the girl on the cold stone block, waiting for her to continue. After a few minutes of silence, the girl spoke up again to fill the uncomfortable silence.
"I shouldn't hold you up like this."
"I-I have nothing important to do. But If I'm bothering you, I-I can just leave."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you are bothering me. It's just… Ever since Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown declared the new faith, I have been losing mine. I know it's easier for everyone here. Their Gods just walk among them, but mine… I think my prayers are going to no one."
"Oh… But why would it matter? I mean, if you believed before, then what M… Ainz said would not change anything? He didn't say your Gods are fake."
"I don't know. I…" The girl fell silent for a moment. She didn't expect a random non-human to try to help her and not push the new religion on top of that.
"Thank you." The girl said and suddenly blushed a bit, stood up, and hastily said, "Where are my manners? I am Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Ankoro stood up as well, "Ankoro Mocchi Mochi, it's nice to meet you."
Lakyus had heard that name somewhere before, but thanks to her distress, all the recent events had passed in a blur. The reality of her sitting outside for a long time slowly set in as the hot cup warmed her fingers, slowly returning them to normal color, and the thick coat provided at least some protection from elements.
"I think we should get back inside," Lakyus said, as she handed back the cup and tried to take off the coat.
"Keep it. You can return it later."
"Thank you for your kindness. I will find a way to repay you one day."
"Don't worry about it. I'm happy to help. Are you sure you will be alright?"
"Yes. My friends are probably looking for me." Lakyus said, looking around as if expecting either the twins or Evileye to pop out of nowhere.
"Ok… but if you need anything, please find me. I think that the rune system can help you find where my room is." Ankoro said and, shyly waving goodbye, walked off.
Only then did Lakyus notice that the kind werewolf had guards following behind her.
'Just who was she?' The young priestess wondered as she slowly walked to the nearest entrance. She needed to warm up soon to not make her friends too worried.
The non-human residents of the castle didn't pay attention to her as they passed by her in the wide hall. The warm interior of the castle quickly returned her body to a normal temperature, making the thick coat uncomfortable to wear. Lakyus took it off and rolled it up, continuing her walk with no particular destination in mind.
"There you are!" a familiar voice shouted as Lakyus stopped and turned around, and was greeted by the sight of one of her friends, Evileye. To see her vampire friend without a mask still took some getting used to, but at least she didn't stand out among the monstrous denizens of Nazarick.
There was no denying that Evileye was noticeably happier to not be restricted anymore, but at the same time, her mask was the thing that let Lakyus ignore the fact that her friend was a monster her religion condemned.
"Where have you been?" the small vampire asked, running up to her.
"I went out for a breath of fresh air."
"Dressed like this?"
The red bodysuit and the light armor she wore were not enough to protect her from the cold winter air, understandably making her friend worried about her wellbeing.
"I am fine."
Evileye looked at her with a skeptical expression and chose to not comment on it anymore. "Rigrit is waiting. She ordered dinner for all of us."
Even though food was not the main thing on her mind, Lakyus decided to play along and not worry everyone even more. And, despite her mental state, she had to admit that the food was always excellent and only the best chefs of Re-Estize could even hope to rival Nazarick's cooks.
As they walked, her gaze fell on one of many statues depicting the new Gods. A werewolf! That must have been a coincidence. Although it could have been one of the Goddess' followers who gave her the tea and coat.
'She couldn't have been the same werewolf, right?'
"You coming?" Evileye asked, noticing that Lakyus had suddenly stopped in front of a statue.
"Yes." she answered, snapping out of her contemplation.
The feast that awaited them was lavish, to say the least. Gagaran was already stuffing her face and ignoring any kind of table manners, as usual, with Rigrit keeping up with her, despite her high status within the Empire. Tina and Tia sat a distance, blending in with the environment and eating on their own.
"Lakyus, you are finally here." Gagaran shouted with a full mouth. "Eat, so the food doesn't go to waste."
She nodded and put the coat on a nearby hanger, drawing Rigrit's attention.
"Getting gifts?"
"Oh, that? No. It was lent to me as the weather is rather cold outside."
"Oh, you are making new friends? That's nice to hear." Rigrit said.
"Yes, that reminds me, do you know how to use those searching runes? I want to return this coat to its owner."
"Yes. Who do you need to return it to?"
"A werewolf named Ankoro."
Rigrit cocked her head to the side and asked, "You got that coat from Ankoro?"
"Yes," Lakyus said and started to get worried because of Rigrit's surprised expression.
"Girl, do you know who Ankoro is?"
Lakyus panicked, as not only Rigrit but also her friends looked at her weirdly. Did she miss something important? Why were they so freaked out? That werewolf couldn't be the same as…?
"N-no."
"I'll try to get you an audience, but no guarantees. Are you sure it was Ankoro?"
"S-she introduced herself as Ankoro Mocchi Mochi. I-is something wrong? Who is she?"
"You got to pay more attention to what's happening around you, evil boss," Tia said. "Ankoro is one of the new Gods."
"EHH!?"
"It's official. Lakyus is befriending the evil Gods now. Kinda fits her character." Gagaran let out another laugh.
"She was very kind, actually."
"I guess she and you would get along. I haven't met her myself but from what I heard, Ankoro is the Goddess of Compassion and is rather reserved and rarely interacts with anyone besides her few friends and personal servants." Rigrit said, "But if she talked with you, she would probably not turn down and request an audience."
'It was a Goddess. I talked with a Goddess.' That simply couldn't have been a coincidence. In her moment of need, a God answered, but it was not the one she expected. Maybe it was a sign. There was one thing she was sure about though: she wanted to meet the kind and friendly werewolf again.
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The daily bickering and political nonsense was getting more tiring each day. Despite her now elevated status of being the true 'Holy Queen' because of the high-tier angel that constantly followed her, Calca's position was by no means getting better. If anything, Roble was facing more problems each day.
Two-thirds of the paladin order was now stationed on the wall as the beastmen attacks were getting worse and worse. Three different coastal villages were wiped out by mysterious sea monsters. The nobles split into two factions, with one getting more fanatical and pushing for harder enforcement of the country's official religion and the other advocating for diplomacy with the monster Empire of Nazarick.
Today's fistfight between two out-of-shape nobles would have been a hilariously entertaining sight if not for an increasingly grim situation and the clear sign of instability within the kingdom.
And then there was her own inner turmoil. If in the past she could have talked with her closest friends, the Custodio sisters, but in this case it wasn't an option anymore. How could she tell them about the vision she was shown, the truth about their 'Gods'? With a tired expression she listened as one of the southern nobles presented his argument for increased isolation from the rest of the world and open hostility towards the monster sympathizers. During the middle of the speech, a courier arrived with a sealed letter.
"I have heard this before. No matter our beliefs, we cannot antagonize the Empire of Nazarick. We can barely protect our own borders as is. Another conflict was not an option, especially considering that the Slane Theocracy has yet to answer a single letter." Calca said as she accepted the letter.
She broke the elegant seal and skimmed the letter.
"Court is dismissed. We will continue this tomorrow."
"But your highness…"
"We will continue tomorrow!" Calca said, raising her voice and putting an end to any opposition to her statement. With the angel taking a step forward, the nobles quickly left the throne room; only Queen Calaca, the angel, and the Custodio sisters now remained.
"Is something wrong, my Queen?" Kelart asked, seeing her friend's worried expression.
"Neia Baraja is coming home."
"Isn't that good news?"
"As the Apostle of Life and Death. She has become the most devoted follower of the undead emperor."
"That heretical bitch!" Remedios exclaimed.
"Calm down, sister. We already knew she had served Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown rather extensively."
"I will put that heretic in her place personally if I have to…"
"Remedios! Your tantrum is not helping!" Calca shouted. She slowly dragged her palm over her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can go."
"Your highness I cannot abide by such…"
"Remedios! Leave, NOW!"
The paladin grandmaster stopped in her tracks seeing the Queen's furious expression and stomped out of the throne room.
"I'm sorry for my sister's behavior. I know she means well." Kelart said while shaking her head.
"She will get us all killed. Do you understand that Neia represents Nazarick now? What do you think will happen if she is killed by that…?" Calca pinched the bridge even harder. "I'm sorry."
"You seem to be under a lot of stress, my queen?"
"Kelart, you can drop the formalities." Calca said and walked closer to the window that overlooked the capital of the Roble Holy Kingdom. The lack of snow made the streets look gray and abandoned, as if the city itself was dying, perfectly reflecting the mood of the young Queen.
Her closest friend walked up to the windows and stood next to her. "I know you far too well for you to hide things from me, Calca. There is something you are not telling me."
Could she tell her friend? How would the high priestess react if she would have seen the same vision? There may be no way back if she revealed the truth she had seen. The desire to share her turmoil with someone, anyone, boiled inside, threatening to explode if not relieved in any way.
Calca turned to the angel hovering nearby and said, "Leave us."
Angel nodded and blinked out of the throne room, leaving two women alone.
"Soon after we sent Neia to deliver the message, one of Emperor Ainz's closest servants visited me. A real angel of the highest order." Calca started. "She was the one who gifted me the angel following me."
"So that thing… Is it a spy or your handler?" Kelart asked, not that she already didn't suspect from where the angel came.
"It was a gift. As long as I don't order it to act against its true masters, the angel will do my bidding."
"You know I have always supported you, no matter what. To see you not trusting me… hurts, Calca. I have stood by your side all this time."
"It's not that I don't trust you… You are my closest friend. I am afraid to lose you."
"What happened? Let me help you."
"That angel, she showed me a vision… about the six great Gods." Calca paused as Kelert listened intently.
"They were just powerful mortals, nothing more. Our entire religion is false."
"Are you sure it wasn't some trick?"
"I felt it to be true. I wanted it to be false, but I couldn't deny it."
Kelart put a hand on her friend's shoulder, saying, "We can't reveal this to the public yet. It may end the country."
"I know. But what can I do? We can't fight Nazarick and Neia is coming home."
"Hmm… Do you think Emperor Ainz is a real God?"
"The angel who serves him claims he is a God."
"If you can't beat them, join them. We will talk to Neia in private. Get her on our side. If she is the head of a new religion, then there is no better moment to join than when it is not fully established."
"People will rebel! It will tear our homeland apart!"
"They will when they find out, but isn't it better to at least save part of your kingdom and keep the throne than wait for beastmen to destroy it? It is only a matter of time until those beasts overwhelm us. Even my sister will not be enough to stop it. You and I already know our religion is false. We don't have to make it public at first. Work your magic. Get an audience with the undead emperor, ask for his protection."
"How can you accept it so easily? All this time, I wanted to deny it."
Kelart smiled. "If you already know the great six were not real Gods then there is no point stressing about their worship. We simply look for real Gods and it just happens that the Empire north of us houses the entire pantheon. They are the true Gods of our era. How they will be seen after centuries is not for us to decide."
"That's it? Just switch? What about the Kingdom? What about your sister?"
"As I said, we don't have to switch openly. We just need to get Neia to help us. My sister… it pains to say it, but she will not hold her position for long. I hope you will permit her to remain in my care?"
"You know she will attack Neia on sight."
"Yes, she will. If it comes to worst, I will protect Neia. Even in her zeal, Remedios will not strike me down if I act as a shield."
"I just hope we will not doom our nation by siding with the new Gods."
"I don't think there is any reasonable choice left either way. I will stand with you, my Queen, till the very end if I have to."
"Thank you Kelart. I am sorry for not trusting you enough before."
It was a gamble to put trust in the more monstrous, new Gods, but at the same time, Calca couldn't deny that it likely was the only way to save at least part of her kingdom. The southern nobles would openly rebel at such decisions, but their resistance was nothing compared to what would happen if a war with Nazarick would break out. The Katze plains massacre was a testament to their overwhelming might.
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The cold winter was not the best time of the year to travel, but the recent events compelled Gazef to return to the place where it all started, Carne Village. There he was saved by, what at the time he considered, mysterious strangers with great power.
The solitude of a lonely road put his mind at ease, even if his body felt the harsh winds, even through the thick winter clothing. His horse, protected with a coat of his own, also didn't mind the freezing cold. The next resting station should have been an hour away, according to the map.
It felt strange to not worry about an ambush, as it was a constant danger until Nazarick took over. The purge of all gangs roaming the countryside was swift and brutal. The new regime did not dabble with pointless bureaucracy. There was no prolonged bickering under them. Just one fell swoop and the gangs all over the empire were wiped out without a trace.
Not only were the roads safe now, but they were even paved with smooth stone blocks. How many times had he heard that the taxes were collected for this exact purpose, but all his life, not once, had he seen any kind of improvement done to the roads under the rule of various nobles? Of course, he hadn't visited every single province of Re-Estize, but where he had been, the situation was the same.
The rhythmic clops of his horse hitting the stone were the only sounds interrupting the tranquility.
'This world is not made for good men.' The phrase the Goddess of War told him resounded again and again in his head. Gazef knew what truly was meant with those words. This world was not for fools, and he had been a fool. All his life, he had been a fool. The trust in his king blinded him to what was happening. For years, he had seen Barbro growing more arrogant and careless, and yet he had said nothing. For years, he had seen Renner being neglected and said nothing.
His King was a weak-willed man that brought his home to the state it had been in. One order and Gazef alone could have crushed almost any opposition Ramposa had. All he had to do was to crush Boullope publicly and there would not have been any strong opposition anymore. If he would have executed a few of the most corrupted nobles then the rest would have fallen in line. Ultimately, it didn't matter. The new Gods would have arrived either way.
What is a man before a God?
The emperor of Baharuth wisely bowed before their might, sparing his nation from their wrath. A wise man should know when to kneel and when to take a stand.
Only taking brief stops to warm up and feed the horse, Gazef reached Carne in the evening with the sun already close to the horizon. He stopped at the field where his life was saved. Many of his men had died there. The gray grass still felt filled with their spilled blood. If not for the Gods, he would have died there, killed by those who claimed to protect humanity.
This is where everything changed. This is where he came to make a choice. If he was to swear loyalty to the Goddess of War, he needed to be sure he would follow her no matter what. Gazef knew he owed his life to the Gods, and that was a debt he hadn't repaid yet.
Gazef dropped to his knees, and after a moment of contemplation, said out loud,
"I am sorry, my King, for not fulfilling your last wish, but I have to choose a new path now."
He was a warrior at heart and there was no greater honor for a warrior than to serve the Goddess of War.
Bonus story - Recruits.
The large merchant cart slowly drove towards the large city gate. For its driver and the four passengers, this was the first visit of Nazarick's capital. With the recent changes, being a traveling merchant was far less dangerous and a lot more lucrative. With no bandits on the road, there was no need to hire bodyguards, and instead, various adventurer teams flocking to the capital were paying for the travel themselves.
With no monsters and criminals on loose, the countless adventurers were left without a job. A large part returned to the numerous, recently built villages and took the farming jobs, but those few who yearned for something more now tried to join the sects of the new Gods.
His four passengers were no exception. A gruff-looking warrior, a young caster, a slim-looking twitchy guy playing with a throwing knife, and a girl with an uncharacteristically enormous hat, covering her hair and ears completely, strumming the strings of a lute and humming softly. Unlike her companions, who all looked like a rather typical adventurer team, the slender girl gave a rather unforgettable impression.
Once she started to play, small orbs of light circled around her, dancing to the tune of her melody and reacting to her enchanting voice.
"Oi Lia, could you stop your noise?" the warrior grumbled.
The girl ignored him, turning her attention to one of the orbs who had stopped right in front of her face and said,
"A brute like Valod doesn't like my music, huh? You do like it, though?" the orb shook in response and then circled the warrior, seemingly unhappy about his comment.
"Not this again. Get your damn pets away from me!" Volod shouted as the rest of the team laughed at his expense.
"Then apologize," Lia said sternly as she continued to play the lute.
"Fine, I'm sorry. Just get them away from me."
"Apology accepted." She said with a smirk and the moment she stopped playing her lute, all the shining orbs disappeared.
"Our last trip as a team and you still can't stop bickering." the caster said as he shook his head.
"Well, we can all join the Lord Peros sect." said the man playing with a knife.
"No! I don't want to become a killer, Erna." Lia protested.
"We already talked about this. Each of us is picking a different God so there is no point going as a team anymore." Volod said.
"A shame. Those spirits of yours sure can do the job." Erna said with a smirk.
"They don't like hurting people." Lia said.
Reaching the recruitment center was not a hard task. As registered adventurers, they were not held at the city gate and got inside smoothly. In the commotion, Lia lost her team, but they had already said their goodbyes. She was on her own once again. Almost on her own. The spirits never truly left her, but for others, they only became visible when she played music or was singing.
Ever since she had to run away from home, they were her friends and protectors, never leaving her side. They were the ones who urged her to join the sect worshiping the God of Nature. Lia would have preferred to just be a bard once again, but her friends were never wrong, and putting trust in them had never been a poor decision.
After a long walk through the capital, she reached the right building and, after quickly fixing her hat, went inside, embracing her new destiny.
Edited by Edgy and Aterro.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone