Chapter 66: The Cockroach Problem, Kind Hearts and Help

The process isn't dissimilar to getting a tattoo. The needle bursts out ink from its tip and into the dermis of the skin, quick, effective and lightly painful. 

The orb works in the same manner except the orb focuses the mana and spits it out the recorded pattern onto the skin and maybe something else. 

Unlike a tattoo, it isn't gruellingly long and only takes a few seconds to a minute as it spits out the pattern Maylin formed over and below the orb itself onto my wrist, solidifying the shape with every pump.

It hurts for a bit afterwards with the area a bit reddened by the experience. Maylin puts the orb away, stuffing it back into the floor boards from whence it came.

"Wait, I never asked how much this cost."

A smile spreads over her lips and she takes on a mock contemplative look, "How about a hundred gold coins!"

I stare blankly at her as she pronounces this amount and soon, she can't take it anymore; she bursts out laughing.

"Oh, don't look so concerned, it really doesn't cost much. Two gold coins is all."

At this amount I catch myself thinking about it. She's the proprietor of this place so I can imagine it actually costs a lot more than two gold tokus every once in a while, to run this place.

And the outside, with the tents, the fires and propped up kitchen cooking soups all year long for over a hundred people living in this underground space, I know it's not nearly enough.

So, I wonder, what does she actually do to maintain this place? To not have people starving and to bribe the undoubtably many officials who come in periodically and threaten the secrecy of their little hidey-hole. 

And so, I ask, "That can't be near enough for you to be proprietor of this place, how do you fund this thing? This charity."

She has on an aged, wizen smile now, "It's not a charity, these people, these elves are my responsibility, they depend on me to help them in any way I can as they can't begin to help themselves. This Kingdom stomps on our will seals away our talents."

She breathes, sinking back into her chair, "I barely made it out as a young elf all those years ago, when the war was over and Ire was taking its due from us, but I escaped nonetheless, I made it out and I trained and mastered my magic until I got strong enough to make a living off of monsters." She sighs, "I'm a Hunter."

"A Hunter? From the Hunters guild?"

She snorts, tiredly, "What other?"

"But you're an elf." It's pointing out the obvious but I felt I needed to in this case.

"There are many ways to remain hidden and work as a Hunter in this Kingdom. The Hunter's guild doesn't share the same policy or hatred against elves Ire does so it's easy to find safety and refuge so long as I've got coin."

"I've learned a lot of lessons during my younger days." She keeps mentioning her younger days and I can't help but wonder how old she is, I mean, she's over fifty that's for sure. Perhaps she's double her daughters? At least a hundred and twenty.

A bit of mirth and irony comes onto my face as I think this; I remember, this body is over a hundred as well. It seems we're age mates here.

"Does the Hunter's guild share the Synagogues view as well?"

It's one thing if they defy the Kingdom, they're in for their own profit and heavy pockets, everyone does this at some point or another. That's what crimes are. 

But it's a different story entirely when you bring in the Synagogue, their religion, beliefs and values. 

These things are just some of the few reason a man can kill, the few reasons a man can be a brute, unwilling to see a reality of peace and coexistence.

When it comes to this, I may still not be safe in Aste. No one has recognized me yet but, if I go around grinning in organizations that work in tandem with the one that wants me dead, well…

"The Synagogue? You have a problem with the Synagogue? What are you, an apostate?"

I shake my head and try to goad the answers out of her, "I just need to know for sure, Maylin. I've been fighting the Cultists at Carbina and from what I hear the Synagogue doesn't like me helping the people it has condemned." 

It's not a complete lie, it's true the Synagogue excommunicated Leriva and her domain, it's also true they don't want her or anyone next to her receiving help or relief from the Cultists that plague them

At this she nods her head, understanding, "Well, I understand why you might want to avoid the Synagogue then. The Hunter's Guild…" 

She pauses and sighs, leaning forward with her chin in her hand, "Some of them might share the same sentiments, faith is fickle and everywhere you go. There will always be someone who thinks you an infidel or vice versa. I'd be careful, turn on some illusion magic if you know any."

I bite my cheek hearing this. Illusion magic? No, I'm strictly Necrotic. Not very useful in everyday problems but alas, it's what I chose.

"I'm a bit surprised to hear you're fighting the Cult in Carbina though, are you a Mage there? Perhaps the Mayor?"

Chuckling at the assumption I wave her question, "No, I just stumbled upon the place in my travels and they needed my help, they still do."

Tilting her head at me she asks, "Then what are you doing here?"

"Finding help. They are still surrounded by two more Gamma warriors of the Cult, and they've adapted to my spells. I was hoping to find another Mage here or a Hunter." 

My eyes flicker to hers, "Would you accompany me back? You're at least an S-rank Mage, Maylin, they won't be any trouble for you. It'd be like killing a cockroach for you."

Now she laughs hysterically at me. I let her calm down a bit before asking why it's so ridiculous for her to join my fight.

"I can't help you for a number of reasons, Asher."

Impatient and ego bruised from being laughed at, "Well, what are they?"

"The most important reason is the fact that I'm just as powerful as you say, maybe even more so," she smirks. 

"How can being powerful be a problem?" I shake my head; it doesn't make any sense.

"The Cultists adapt to their victims and attackers' abilities; they've been around doing this for a while too so they've nearly got all the powers they need to beat down on anyone they fight a second time." 

She pauses, "Now, imagine if I come into this fight, and destroy the Gamma warriors, it'll be great in the short term for me to do this but in the long term, when the next warrior shows up…"

A gasp escapes me as I realize what she's trying to say, "They'll be as strong as you?"

"Yes, or at least, invulnerable and completely adapted to the techniques and tactics I used to defeat them the first time. This is why the Following sends out only B-ranks to exterminate the Gamma warriors. The Synagogue handles these matters best, I think it's best to leave it to them lest you make their job even more difficult than it is."

Shaking my head, I reject her words, "No, not when they're willing to sacrifice an entire village just to teach one person a lesson."

"They're willing to do a lot more than that and to many more people, Asher." She says grimly.

Right. The elves.

Getting off the chair I get ready to say my goodbyes. She sees this and gives me the last bit of advice regarding my new citizenship seal. "Don't infuse the seal with mana until the redness fades away, shouldn't be long, I know you're on a timeline."

"Right," I nod, "I'd love to have a means of communication but this gem is only for storing mana." I groan gesturing at my ring.

She smiles but doesn't seem fazed, "Don't worry, you'll be going with Kaylin, anything you need help with, so long as it isn't Cultists, she can help you with."

"Oh yeah, that's true…Wait what?"

Blinking my eyes rapidly I try to reconcile if she mentioned Kaylin coming with me or not. "Your daughter is coming along with?"

She laughs yet again at my expense, "Well, yes, unless you don't want her to? She's a capable Mage, more capable than you are perhaps." She winks.

I have no doubt her daughter would be more proficient in magic than I. Elves just seem to play the cheat sheet when it comes to learning and understanding magic if Maylin is any example to go by.

"I'd love some extra help but…aren't you worried about Kaylin getting found out? Of her being…sealed?"

She loses her smile at this, her lips thinning into a tight line, "That's precisely why I want her to go with you." She says firmly. 

"My blatant unpreparedness today, with you figuring us out showed me I can't simply wait around for the Synagogue or the Kingdom to come knocking on my door. I cannot negotiate the terms of my daughter's freedom, Asher."

"Well, how do you know you can trust me?"

A grin sits on her face, "Well, money is obviously not a problem. And since you're running from the Synagogue and by proxy the Kingdom, if anyone comes for Kaylin, they'll take you too."

"Pragmatic." I comment.

"Not entirely. I know I can trust you to take care of Kaylin because of what you're doing for Carbina, people you simply stumbled onto." 

She sets a hand on my arm and looks into my eyes, "I know you don't think it, I know you'd like to say the opposite and do selfish things to prove it, but you're not a bad person Asher. You are kind and it shows."