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A boy that was no older than fifteen came trotting up in between the adventurers and Erin. He carried a sword by his waist that bore the insignia of Aeryo by the hilt. “Stop this madness. This is no time for us to be fighting against each other,” Caelan admonished the two parties.

“You know this band of shams?” Erin asked with a narrowed gaze.

“Yes, Lady Erynthea. I am acquainted with these people but I can assure you, they’re no shams.”

“No? The brother of this arbalist assaulted the mother of this girl here and left her to die at the hands of a Demoid. If he’s no sham, then I fear for the future of the adventurers.”

“And I see you have already killed the one responsible, so there’s that. Let us leave it at that, shall we? Now it’s really no time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves.”

“...You have changed, Caelan.”

The boy chuckled awkwardly. “Mister Cassius had reprimanded me severely for my last blunder…”

Erin’s gaze then went back to the arbalist and his companions, who were all glaring at her.

“My lady, please stay your blade,” Caelan entreated.

“...How did you come to know them?” Erin asked as she dispelled her sword.

The Arbalist and his companions also reluctantly lowered their weapons.

“By circumstances. His Grace has dispatched the Aeryons to aid and provide relief to the city in the middle of its ruination. We have formed a haven at the square closest to the guild where the survivors are taking refuge. This gentleman and his companions were out in search of his brother and I was sent to assist them.”

“I’m afraid it’s all your efforts are all for nought,” Erin remarked.

“So it seems… There you have it, my lady… Now, can we head back? It’s not safe to dawdle in one spot for long. If any Demoids are nearby, they would be able to hone in on our scent.”

The arbalist’s glare did not leave Erin. “I’m not leaving my brother behind.” Saying so, the arbalist went to retrieve his brother’s body, intentionally bumping shoulders with Erin as he walked past her.

Erin said nothing in return and simply embraced the girl firmer in her arms and whispered words of assurance to the girl.

****

The return journey to the haven was short and without any thrilling events. The walk took them only an hour and they arrived before a makeshift gate that was fashioned out of numerous metal objects. It functioned like a drawbridge where a person controls a wheel lever from the inside to open and close the gate.

“This was all built just a few hours ago?” Erin asked.

“Yes,” Caelan answered.

“But how?”

“Mages. It wasn’t easy but His Grace had the patience and the resources to make sure the barricades and gates get completed before any great misfortune ensues.”

“Gates? This isn’t the only gate?”

“There are four gates.”

Caelan whistled a tune in front of the gate and seconds later, the gate began to open, revealing a scatter of camps and hundreds of survivors within. There was also a small group of individuals waiting for them with their weapons trained.

“At ease. It’s just us,” Caelan said to the guards.

The guards lowered their weapons and heaved sighs of relief.

The dark-skinned guard, who appeared to be the leader of the guards, approached Caelan. “Thank the divines. You’re finally back, Caelan. How did it go?”

The boy smiled melancholically and let the man see the result for himself. Initially, the man was delighted to see everyone come back in one piece but when he saw the body slung over the arbalist’s shoulder, he knew they failed. However, his delight returned when he saw Erin walking at the furthest back, carrying a little girl in her arms.

“A-a Fae?” he stammered. As it had been an arduous day, the sight of a beauty was most welcome. But before he could introduce himself, Caelan snapped him out of it.

“Roth!” Caelan jostled the southern man.

“Y-yes?”

“Go get the healers. The little girl is in shock.”

The southern man gave Erin one last glance before running into the camps to get the healers. Meanwhile, Erin parted ways from the arbalist and his companions but not before exchanging strained glares. Erin then handed the little girl over to a maid she recognised from the manor, who was now dressed in clergy garments.

“Aedan set up all of this in just hours?” Erin asked as she wandered through the haven, passing through various camps that were set up with different functions, with Caelan as company.

“His Grace did, my lady.” Caelan nodded. “About the adventurers from before… it’s best that you settle your feud with them as soon as possible. We don’t want any disorder here more than there already are out there.”

“I’m not apologising to them, Caelan, if that’s what you’re asking me to do.”

“But you killed his brother, my lady.”

“On reasonable grounds. Even if I didn’t kill his brother, I would never let that man enter such a place. He raped a woman while her daughter watched and then he fed the mother to a Demoid. You want me to apologise for killing such a man?”

“I understand, my lady, but for the sake of peace, you should—”

“If that’s the price of peace, then the peace isn’t worth it. Enough about this, Caelan. Do not speak to me about them again. Just be thankful that I said nothing of their ignorance of the brother’s crime.”

Caelan sighed exasperatedly and nodded his head. “As you wish, my lady…”

“What of my companions? Do you know where they are? And where’s Aedan?”

“Your companions are out there in the city, searching for you while also rescuing survivors and culling the threats. As for His Grace, he left an hour ago with Lady Aera. He went to look for you, my lady, I believe.”

“Is there any way for me to establish contact with them?”

Caelan nodded and produced a cyan gemstone from his pocket.

Erin raised an eyebrow at the gemstone. “This is… a Mana Cell?” She mused her Appraisal’s information aloud.

“It’s used to store Mana, usually. But in this case, it’s Spirits that are being stored in this Mana Cell. His Grace had foreseen you might stumble upon this refuge while they were out. You can contact them using this.”

Erin took the Mana Cell and headed for her tent which Caelan gave her the directions to. Though the haven was quite messy as it was built very hastily, Erin still managed to find her tent as it stood from the others blatantly. While the other tents were pitched with common cloth of pale colours, hers was a white cloth embroidered with cyan fringes and there were the insignias of Aeryo on all sides of the tent.

Erin sighed at the ostentatious tent and entered it before she garnered any more attention than she was already doing so. Though she disguised her appearance with Twilight Veil, her beauty couldn’t be concealed and still attracted the attention of many individuals as she walked through the haven.

Contrary to what the exterior might suggest, the tent’s interior was not as decorated or florid. The furnishings were basic and the available everyday tools and utensils consisted of only the essentials. There wasn’t even a proper bed but a mere stack of cloth piled above a bed of hay, though Erin wasn’t complaining. She didn’t even plan to stay here for long.

Just as she sat down behind a study desk, a girl’s voice came from outside the tent. “Lady Erynthea, I brought some food and clothes for you.”

“Come in,” Erin replied.

The girl came in, placed the tray of food on the table beside the bed and the clothes on the bed itself, and quickly left the tent without making a single instance of eye contact. Erin could hear how hard the girl’s heart was thumping and her skin was flushed.

At first, Erin suspected the girl was up to something malicious but when she noticed a mirror in the tent and saw her own reflection, Erin understood why. The state of her garments painted her in a very harlotry light. She was showing quite a lot of skin with how tattered her garments were. Half of her bosom was practically exposed for all to see and her midriff was simply unconcealed. Her thighs were also near-entirely bared.

Despite how the heavy density of the filth and dirt she was covered in, it barely diminished her beauty, sensuality, and sultriness. Even Erin herself was aware of that. She was proud of it but also a little afraid of it. Many people had been known to meet an unfortunate end due to a woman’s beauty and she didn’t want to become such a cause one day.

Erin quickly changed her garments with the ones the girl had just brought in. Her new garments fit her incredibly well as if they were specifically tailored for her. When she realised her garments were made of Faerie Silk, she was convinced these garments were indeed tailored specifically for her.

After she got changed, she went back to the study desk and started writing out a message on a small paper parchment, detailing that she was safe and had found the haven Aedan set up. She made a copy for each of her companions. She then took out the Mana Cell. Following the instructions from her Appraisal, she poured some of her Mana into the Mana Cell. The stone lit up and began diffusing the essence of the Spirits. Erin then cast Summon Familiar with the aid of the diffused Spirits and had the Familiars deliver her message to her companions.

Though she wanted to leave the haven as soon as possible, she knew over-straining herself would only slow her overall progression in saving the city and finding her companions. So she decided to get some rest on the simple makeshift bed laid out in the tent.

****

“What the hell happened!?” Rylan Grid screamed at a subordinate of his once he heard the report regarding the incident at his secret base and also the current of the city.

“Darius is dead, subjugated by the Venerers. As for the city… all of our spies, agents, and associates, everyone who had taken the Demonification potion had all gone mad and mindless. None of them is sound of mind. They had all lost their marbles.”

“But how can this happen?!”

“Milord… it’s definitely because of Marduk,” answered another subordinate.

“That’s impossible. We made sure that he would not have control over the Demoids. The fucking Warlock assured us. We paid him a fortune for that assurance!”

“The Warlock might have been working for Marduk all along.”

“Damn it… Damn it! Damn it!” Rylan cried as he flipped his desk over and repeatedly stomped on the floor to vent his frustration. “...What of the Arch Mages?” he asked once his wrath had dissipated to some extent.

“The Arch Mages are currently busy with maintaining the barrier that surrounds the noble district. They are also being hounded by the other nobles to triple their efforts to ensure no unforeseen circumstances would happen.”

Rylan snorted. “It’s Marduk we’re dealing with here. Unforeseen circumstances are bound to happen.”

“M-milord…” a subordinate called out hesitantly.

“What is it?”

“The capital has already been informed of Sephordia Valley’s state.”

“What!? By who!?”

“By the High Lady of House Valdrun, milord. We just received a confirmation letter from the capital that they are sending reinforcements our way.”

“That damn bitch! She’s in cohorts with Marduk, isn’t she!? She wants to take over the valley…. That fucking— Traitors… Traitors and betrayers everywhere!! These fucks… I’ll kill them all…”

“T-that’s not all, milord…”

“More bad news?” Rylan inquired with a furious glare.

The subordinate nodded meekly. “It’s regarding the commander of the Venerers…”

Rylan widened his eyes. “No… it can’t be… Tell me my guts are wrong…”

“I’m afraid you’re not wrong, milord. She is in the know too and our scouts had informed us that she’s currently rushing here and she would be arriving on the morrow.”

Rylan sighed in resignation and slumped to the floor. “I’m ruined…”

“You definitely are, Lord Grid,” said Ruyo who had somehow appeared at the doorway of Rylan Grid’s study.