Chapter 23: Devil is in the Details

Chapter 23: Devil is in the Details

Leland was the first on guard duty after the boys reached their inn. They didn’t believe thieves would be so bold as to attack them in their room but who knew at this point. With all the absurd things that had happened lately, Leland decided they couldn’t be too careful.

While the others were sleeping, it gave him plenty of time to see how his spells progressed after the lion-toad battle. Grimoire in hand, Leland read through the new entry and its accompanying spells.

You have assisted in killing a Mutated Mana Lion.

An appropriate reward has been added to your Legacy.

Fracture has increased to rank 6.

80% chance to break a random bone in a single target.

Curse of Collapse has increased to rank 4.

Exhaust the target for 80 seconds, lowering their speed by 20%

Harbinger Halo has increased to rank 2.

Contract lasts for 120 seconds.

Leland’s eyes widened at how long Harbinger Halo could be activated. With a single upgrade the contract duration doubled. There was no guarantee that that pattern would be maintained but the potential still brought a flutter to his heart.

At some point Glenny woke up, thus allowing Leland to fall asleep.

In the morning, the first thing the group did was purchase a greater mana potion and head towards the nearest Lord of Magic shrine. Leland was purposely cryptic about why he needed to do such a thing but he also promised to tell them once he was sure they weren’t being watched. The threat of thieves spreading unearned information was decently high, especially since Glenny found two separate parties following them.

“Do we need to take them out again?” Jude asked, cracking his knuckles.

“I do not believe so. They are staying back, likely only scouts for the more powerful.”

Leland frowned at that. “Then shouldn’t we beat them up? If they are scouts then we don’t want whatever they learned getting back to their bosses.”

Glenny only shook his head. “No. Think of it like this: I can see these scouts and am only a low ranked rogue. If the boss deems it necessary to send someone with better ability, then I will have no clue if we are being followed.”

“Ah, keep your enemies close,” Jude filled in.

“Exactly. We should deal with the Magic Lord shrine and spend the rest of the day in the inn. It will be boring but it’s the safest option until Alkin is ready to leave.”

The others agreed and eventually they entered a small magic shop on the edge of the magic district. Leland stepped up to the counter and rang a small bell. The shopkeeper came out from behind a curtain, wiping mana residue off his hands with a dirty towel.

Leland nodded. “It’s not always going to be that simple. The Lord of Magic was doing a favor for my Lord. It was an example of what is possible with this sort of thing.”

Jude and Glenny sat back. “What Lord are you going for next?”

“I’m thinking of the Lord of Spirits.”

“Not something cool or dangerous? I’m in favor of you taking from the Lord of Berserkers,” Jude waved off.

“Maybe later,” Leland answered. “I need something to bargain with, but I figured that saving Alkin brought me more favor than not.”

Glenny slowly understood. “So it's like a contract? One you can negotiate.”

“Exactly.”

“Well what are you going to ask for?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know.”

For the next hour, the boys talked about different things Leland could contract from different Lords. When it came down to it, until Leland found out more about what was possible, they went with simple things. A fire spell from the Lord of Flame, a water one from any of the Water Lords, a healing spell would be important. If spells were off the table for now, maybe a passive regeneration ring or lifeforce regeneration ring.

In the end, they spent the entire evening in their room discussing. With a late dinner in their bellies, they fell asleep while taking lookout shifts.

The next morning came with a surprisingly easy escape. It only took a few hours to find Alkin, purchase mounts, and ready themselves for two weeks of travel. They were set back a decent chunk of coin but a quest was a quest. It was still profitable and frankly the boys wanted to leave Liontrunk. Too many eyes, not enough worthwhile investments.

“Did you find the lawyer?” Leland asked.

Alkin’s shoulders slumped. “No. Not even my Guild posting helped. She’s a ghost.”

“What exactly is the issue again? I know you said your mother was in debt but what kind exactly?”

The young Master Onryo deliberated for a minute, deciding exactly how much he could share. “My House paid a large lump sum to the Royals to have their Inquisitors investigate House Icewillow. Their findings, while fruitful, also left a large void in the economy of Shoutwell. We are slowly taking their place but we needed more capital.

“So, my mother took out many loans, all of which we could pay back. The issue arose when my eldest brother, the heir to the House name, started getting into trouble. He decided the best way to launch House Onryo into future prosperity wasn’t financial means but instead magical. He spent most of my family’s reserves on items, potions, tonics, even a miracle elixir or two in hopes that it progressed his magic more than what was standard for our family.”

“And I take it he failed?” Leland asked.

“He was killed drinking an experimental potion, but yes.” Alkin paused for a moment. “A lawyer would help clear his debts now tacked on to my mother.”

Glenny spoke up, “Was your brother on to something? Would his plan have worked?”

“Evidence points to yes, but we’ll never know at this point.”

Jude leaned back, pulling out his harmonica as they stepped out of Liontrunk and onto the dry path. Before playing he said, “If only there was a way to talk to your Lord. You could just ask him yourself.”

As two separately pitched versions of the same note came out of the magical harmonica, Leland couldn’t help but thinkthat sometimes Jude was a genius.