Birthday gift

Middle Wind Month, 15th day, 7.00

He did not recognize where he was.

A great migraine rumbled in his head, his body ached so much that he struggled to make the slightest effort, his vision was still clouded with pain and it took him a few seconds to focus on the images that were placed in front of his eyes.

He was lying on a bed carved in wood on a particularly comfortable mattress, different from the low-quality and hard stone he was used to. The room he was in was bare: only a small drawer positioned next to him and a bookcase full of jumbled paperwork gave a little color inside.

As soon as he became fully conscious of himself, he noticed the bandages that enveloped his chest, and his last memories began to become clearer.

[I remember that arrow that hit me and then nothing more. What happened after? Where I am? And Ruri? Is she fine? I have to look for her.]

He tried to get up but the pain was still too great, trying to fully lift the upper part of his body he found himself back attached to the bed, out of breath.

"Come on, come on. I cannot stand still without doing anything. I have to find Ruri."

Appealing to all his inner energy, he strived to use a martial art to at least try to get out of bed. He managed to set foot on the floor but his determination had to collide with the harsh reality: he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes with no more energy to move.

He was about to scream for help when a man walked through the door holding a bowl that gave off a tempting scent.

"You shouldn't move in your conditions. It is already incredible that you are still alive!"

Noticing his face, he realized that his benefactor was an elf like him, probably of a similar age to his. White hair gathered in a pigtail framed a face with a single red eye busy scrutinizing him as if he could discover every hidden detail with just a glance. But his most obvious feature was the long scar that started from the center of his forehead and reached a few centimeters from the right side of the lip, passing through the missing eye socket.

The stranger placed the meal he had brought him in the small drawer and helped him get back on the bed with extreme ease.

"I can't stay here. I have to find Ruri!" He didn't even thank him, too worried to even remember his manners.

"If Ruri is the little girl who was with you, you don't have to worry. Unlike you, she wasn't hurt and now she is resting in the next room."

A great feeling of relief dispelled all the anxiety that had accumulated in the past seconds. Only the shame of not even thanking that mysterious elf remained.

"Sorry, you've done so much for us and I haven't even thanked you. I have no words to describe my gratitude. If I can do something to repay my debt, all you have to do is ask."

"It does not matter. Now eat or you will faint again, but from hunger this time."

He began to eat what had been prepared for him by the mysterious stranger: a leg of chicken browned in a hot broth of a mixture of vegetables. He hadn't bitten into something so good in weeks and after having finished, he felt his strength slowly begin to return.

"I'm Fredem anyway. Pleased to meet you!"

"Sorry, but I'd rather avoid revealing my name to strangers."

"Even more mysterious." Fredem thought. In other circumstances, he would have been irritated by his interlocutor's terse replies, but the thankfulness for the rescue outweighed any other emotion he would normally have felt.

"Could you tell me what happened? I remember we were waiting for the smuggler I made contact with; but in his place I found an ambush by the soldiers of the Theocracy."

Since the war between the elven kingdom and the Slane Theocracy started, escaping the country had become even more difficult: some individuals had begun to exploit people's desperation by offering themselves as guides to traverse the forest and reach a safe nation like the Baharut Empire; behind a hefty fee, of course. Fredem did not have great faith in their work but, with the war turning more and more against them, his options had been reduced to the bone.

"Most of those smugglers, as you call them, are in the pay of the Theocracy. They procure easy prey that can be resold in slave markets. I guess you spotted the trap and tried to get to safety, but one of the pursuers nearly punctured your lung with an arrow. Frankly, it is a miracle that you are still alive. If I hadn't passed nearby, you would now be dead and the girl would have ended up being a maid for some rich merchant, if not worse."

"And the pursuers? What happened to them? Isn't there a possibility that they are still looking for us?" The fear of ending up on display as an animal in the theocracy markets began to take over; if he had been alone, he would have preferred to cut his throat rather than be captured.

But he had a duty to do: protect his daughter at any cost.

"You have nothing to fear. In the conditions in which they find themselves they will hardly be able to do anything."

Fredem was amazed by the implications of that statement. The Theocracy had one of the most dangerous armies in the world: every single man received training aimed at the full exploitation of his potential, the command line was free of any form of nepotism and the internal organization was a perfect mechanism of efficiency without defects; probably their soldiers were in better condition than some of the wealthiest elves in the capital. The comparison with the disorganized and lacking in leadership troops of the elves was merciless; were it not for the natural defenses that surrounded their kingdom and for the methodical and slow pace with which they were advancing, Fredem was certain that they would already have reached the point of besieging the capital.

That the stranger had managed to get rid alone, judging by the absence of companions in the shelter, of one of their entire team showed how exceptional and different he was from the common villagers who made up a large part of their nation.

"What will happen to my daughter and me now? I would like to believe that you helped us out of your good heart, but given the times that are happening, I find it hard to imagine that it is so simple."

The other stared at him with that single red eye of his for a few seconds, then made a remark that Fredem knew would come soon.

"So that little girl is your daughter. I guess she took the eye color from her mother. Or am I wrong?"

Fredem's eyes were a banal black, like hundreds of other elves. But Ruri instead sported two different irises: one blue and one white. In most cases, this could only mean one thing.

"Mock me if you want. I don't care what people think. I raised her and her siblings as if they were my own children. It is I who first saw them walk, who taught them to read and talk, who read them bedtime stories. And I was the one who was close to them when their mother, my beloved Verte, decided to end it all. Before she swallowed that poison, I promised her I'd make sure they would be safe. And I failed, only Ruri is left alive now."

Thinking back to the last few years brought back feelings that he thought he had long ago repressed and that now needed to pull out: a mixture of pain and regret for not being able to save all of them.

The king did not limit himself to scattering his seed with as many women as possible to generate a disproportionate number of heirs but also imposed on them deadly tests to develop their potential.

Before the war began, he uncontrollably threw his offspring into the jaws of the beasts of the forest; this had given rise to unpleasant complications since, by increasing the amount of meat at their disposal, the most ferocious ones had begun to survive and reproduce much more easily than the others. In recent times, however, he had decided to use the soldiers of the theocracy as guinea pigs for his experiments; experiments which in most cases resulted in complete failure. Ruri's brothers had suffered the same fate, without him being able to do anything to prevent it. This prompted Fredem to bet everything and seek salvation in another land.

"I understand." His savior did not give much weight to his words, as if he had heard a story similar to his so many times that he was completely desensitized. "Tell me, what was your occupation before all of this?"

"I was a captain of the guard at the royal palace, I served about two hundred years before leaving that place."

"Oh, this is interesting!" For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, he showed a hint of emotion. He continued to run his finger slowly over the scar as if this helped him think. After a minute that seemed interminable, he spoke again: "Listen to me carefully, this is my proposal. I have some properties in the territory of the Argland Council State. I can find suitable accommodation for your daughter on one of my farms. She will have to work hard and will not live like a princess but will be fed, educated, and treated with all respect and care. But in return, you will become mine."

"How do I know that what you are saying is true?"

"You cannot. My word will have to suffice for you. Some of my men can use [Message] magic; as soon as the child is settled, I will make sure that you can contact her once to check the situation. However, if you prefer, you can try your luck on your own. I have heard that the king's bastards have become luxury goods not only in the theocracy."

Fredem sifted through his remaining options and realized that the chances of finding something better were really slim.

"I understand. As long as Ruri is safe, I will follow your orders without question."

"Perfect. So how about starting now?" The elf with the scar approached the bookcase in the room and pulled out three packets of paper from inside which he handed to Fredem along with a strange golden pen that he pulled out of his pants.

"On one of these packages, you will have to write any information you can think of about the king. Not only the skills you've seen him use but all the observations you've made over the years in his service: his habits, what irritates him and what makes him in a good mood, his tics, his way of speaking. You don't have to overlook even the smallest detail. After you have finished, you will have to copy the exact content on the other two, word by word. When you have recovered, you will head 50km west from here, I'll give you a map to help you find the way. There you will find a hidden village in the wood; get in touch with a woman who calls herself Agravaine. You'll deliver one of these packages to her, I will keep the other two, and will put yourself at her service: take orders from her as if they were mine. One last thing: the ink of this pen has been enchanted with particular third-tier magic that makes it invisible sometime after it has been used on a piece of paper. Don't worry: Agravaine knows the magic to make it visible again. Everything's clear?"

Fredem did his best to memorize the number of instructions he had received, still a little shaken by the awakening and the pain of the wound.

"You want to kill him, right? You want to kill the king!"

The number of times he'd seen someone try to assassinate the king over the years couldn't be counted, but the result had always remained the same.

"Let me clarify. I don't just want to kill him. I want to see him on the ground pleading and desperate, as he screams in terror hoping someone will help him! Only then will I be satisfied."

Although his face continued to remain calm, the scar began to throb as if it had a will of its own, independent from that of the man.

"What makes you think you can do it? The king is invincible. Nobody can beat him."

"Believe me when I tell you that in this world there are beings even scarier than him, and I will be able to find one of them. Even if it had to take a thousand years; even if I had to offer my soul to a demon; even if I had to get down on my knees to lick the feet of the Cardinals of the Theocracy; even if I have to sacrifice every man, woman, and child in this nation, I will eventually be able to achieve my goal."

His hate was not that of an ordinary man, but more akin to of an angry slave who, after years of mistreatment, decides to rebel against his master.

"What will happen once you manage to take him out?"

"I do not care. What happens after I kill him does not concern me. There is a concrete possibility that you all will become the dogs of the Theocracy, so I ask you one last time: are you ready to give me all of yourself? "

There was no person in the world that the former captain hated more than his old king and nothing would have made him happier than seeing him lying on the ground bleeding like a pig, but he had to admit to himself that their ruler was the only hope they had of being able to win the war with the Theocracy.

On one hand, the salvation of his people; on the other the possibility of avenging his Verte and ensuring a peaceful future for his daughter. He was amazed at how easy the choice was.

"I'm with you. We are already the king's slaves, it would only be a matter of changing masters. And then with his death, there is tiny, faint hope of mending relations with the humans of the Theocracy. After all, this mess started when that worm decided to satisfy his cravings with that human woman."

His benefactor showed genuine curiosity at these last words.

"It is not the first time that I have heard of rudeness done by the king to a very important person of the Theocracy but the information I have accumulated over the years has turned out to be fragmented and confused. But you were there when it happened, weren't you? Please, tell me everything you know."

Fredem clearly remembered the events that had led to the outbreak of that bloody war; the disgust of some of the scenes he had witnessed was still present in his mind as he had tried over the years to forget them.

"It's not a pleasant story. Let's see, it all started about one hundred and forty years ago. At the time, I had just been promoted to captain of the palace guard. Every day I watched disgusting shows but I pushed myself to support my family. There weren't many alternatives and, foolishly, I thought that working on the palace would lessen the chance of Verte being targeted by the king again. It was there that I met that woman for the first time. Faine, she was called. She was the bodyguard of a Cardinal who had come on a diplomatic visit. But I don't think she was a normal person, she had to hold some important position within the Theocracy since the other members of the delegation sometimes seemed to respect her more than her superior. She was very kind; I guess she knew how to use some healing magic because many times I saw her dressing the wounds of some of the king's concubines. Sometimes I exchanged a few words with her and she seemed genuinely interested in my family and my children, in particular; she even gave me some colored stones to give them as a gift from her saying that nothing made her happier than thinking of a child's smiling face.

And she was strong, strong like few others. While she was visiting, a hunt was organized which ended in an attack by a pack of hungry Ankyloursi. When the wild beasts attack us usually the king takes care of them only when he wants to, many of my old companions could have been saved over the years if only he had been less careless. But that time there was no victim; Faine got rid of them with impressive speed without making any effort. I believe it was at that moment that our beloved ruler developed some interest in her. Sorry, could I have some water? My throat is dry."

The elf, completely immersed in the story, left the room for a moment, returning with a small glass filled to the brim with water that he handed in his hands.

"Please, continue" He said after realizing that Fredem had quenched his thirst.

"Yup. Then, when the king decided that he would make her his, he decided not to take half measures. He quickly exterminated the other men who were in the delegation and tried to possess her but this time it was not as easy as for his other victims. Faine tried desperately to resist but was completely useless against the summoning of the king."

"The Behemoth. I've heard of it; it seems to be invincible."

"Yes, I don't think there is anything stronger than that hideous being. Anyway, after the battle, he broke her arms and legs; and well, you can imagine what the king did. Her screams echoed throughout the building, some nights I can still hear them. She remained our prisoner for a few months; I brought her food sometimes and she was in a sorry state. We might as well have not tied her; it was as if her mind had taken refuge somewhere else to escape the pain. After a while, a special body of the Theocracy arrived to free her. I and all the other guards didn't do much to stop them, quite the contrary. We were sure she was pregnant and we didn't want to condemn that future baby to the same fate as his brothers and sisters."

"Did you say she was pregnant?" His interlocutor exclaimed with a note of surprise. That news must have shocked him deeply since by now Fredem had concluded that he hardly let himself be carried away by his emotions for matters that didn't regard the king.

"Yes, in the last few weeks the signs of pregnancy were evident. I don't think we were wrong. Even the king was convinced of it."

The elf began to run his fingers over his scar again only this time much faster, a vaguely familiar grin began to appear on his face.

[This could be the news I've been waiting for,] he thought, [let's see, if the fact happened one hundred and forty years ago, the child will hardly be a teenager now. Half-elves usually tend to inherit the longevity of pure blood. The mother was most likely one of those infamous Godkins. If the child inherited the powers of both parents, what might he be able to do? Accursed Cardinals, keeping such a weapon hidden! Calm down, calm down Logem, it might even turn out to be nothing. Maybe he was never born, or he died in childhood, or he didn't show any particular gifts. I have to investigate. But where do I find a suitable human to infiltrate the upper echelons of the Theocracy? I need someone unattached, with the skills to climb up the steps of the Black Scripture, totally devoted to me. Eh, easier said than done, it will take me some time to find the right person.]

"Everything is fine? You haven't said anything for a few minutes." Fredem asked worriedly.

"Yup. Yes, I'm fine. I have to be honest, saving you turned out to be more useful than expected. Make sure you also write down this story you told me in those envelopes. Now rest a little, we have a lot of work to do!"

[I will have to act calmly and coolly. Who knows what kind of monster I might find myself in front of?]

Lower wind month, 4th day, 17.00

[Calm. I can't afford to make mistakes or it will all go wrong. It takes maximum precision.]

Antilene had all the muscles of her body stiffened, the operation she was about to perform required concentration, a single mistake would have been fatal.

[After all this work, I can't afford to make a mistake. Concentrate Antilene, concentrate!]

She had spent all morning and most of the afternoon trying to make the perfect cake for her birthday. After several not exactly brilliant attempts she had managed to prepare a cream cake that vaguely resembled those found in all the patisseries of the Slane Theocracy; only the final touch was missing: to use the icing to form the word "Happy Birthday" on the surface of the cake. To do this she was using a new fashion tool recently introduced in the world of Theocracy's cuisine: the body was formed by a sort of triangular-shaped bag whose tip ended in the decorative nozzle from which the icing came out. To have precise writing you had to apply the right pressure so as not to overflow too much icing and ruin the lines of the letters.

In the end, the result was more than satisfactory and the half-elf admired her creation with satisfaction.

[I doubt it's as good as those Aunt Nazaire made, but I hope it's at least edible.] Since her old caregiver passed away, the quality of her diet had deteriorated considerably, the cooks who had succeeded had turned out to be almost all unsatisfactory for her tastes and it had been a couple of years that the half-elf had decided to provide for herself to the kitchen. At first, her ability with food was found to be very lacking but her obstinacy had led to a constant improvement and by now the stomach aches were almost completely gone.

She took a knife from the cupboard and cut a small slice for a taste, to her surprise the flavor turned out to be better than she had imagined.

[Maybe next time I should cook the dough a few seconds longer but the taste is not bad at all. I have to congratulate myself. Now, I have to find someone to share it with, I certainly can't eat it all by myself.]

As she pondered with whom she could share her creation, there was a knock on the door. Opening, she found herself in front of the body of a middle-aged man with a still muscular physique, a pair of thick gray mustaches that would have attracted all the attention of anyone who observed his face.

[Ah, the cardinal of the earth. What was his name? Mezel? Mosel? If only they didn't change so often.] She tried to come up with the name of the man in front of her but she just got a lot of confusion, so she decided to shoot a name at random, hoping for the best outcome.

"Ah Cardinal Morel, please take a seat."

The man looked at her astonished for a few moments, as many in that place seemed to be assailed by terror every time he spoke to her. What a pity, the defenders of humanity who shivered like frightened chickens in front of a girl of just fourteen years old. In human years, that is.

"It's Merel, Lady Zesshi!"

"Excuse me, you are new and I have not yet memorized your name."

"In truth, I have been holding this position for two years now; but don't worry, I just dropped by to bring you the report of the month."

"Have you finally killed my father?"

It had been many years now since the previous pontifex, that Clement she had met at her mother's funeral, had started the war against the kingdom of the elves and the results were nowhere near satisfactory for her. Continuing at this rate, she would have to personally assassinate the king.

"I'm afraid not. But you will notice, as you read those documents, that we have made important progress. It's only a matter of time before your wish is granted!"

"Okay, okay. I'll calmly watch them later. Now, are you sure you don't want to go in? I made a cream cake which, I'm not saying this to brag, didn't turn out bad at all!" She tried to persuade him by showing her friendliest smile but the man, strangely, began to get agitated even more than before. Now even someone less observant would have noticed the shaking of his hands.

"Nono, I would not like to take advantage of your hospitality. And I must necessarily reduce the sugars."

Antilene doubted that a slice of cake would bring any problems to such a well-trained body but did not want to investigate further.

"Ok, don't worry. But can I ask you to tell any of the Black Scripture members in the cathedral if they feel like going up here to get a piece of cake? You know, I'd like some company."

"Sure, sure. Although many of them are very busy at the moment. But I'll make sure they at least get the news. Now, with permission, I have binding commitments that await me."

After he left, the girl began to carefully study the documents that had been given to her. The war was always progressing in their favor but not much progress had been made in recent months, the situation remaining essentially unchanged.

The information gathered on the surrounding kingdoms was instead more interesting: in recent years the Re-Estize Kingdom had begun to present an ever-greater increase in corruption and internal divisions that had undermined its stability; on the contrary, the Baharut Empire, although still not entirely devoid of struggles between the emperor and the nobility, seemed to be heading towards an opposite path to its neighbor.

There were also summaries of the reconnaissance operations carried out by the Windflower Scripture such as the current struggle between Minotaur's kingdom and the Demihumans' Commonwealth; and the subdivision of the clans present on the Abelion Hills.

The report concluded with the more detailed part, concerning the Argland Council State. Officially, a treaty of peace and cooperation had been officially signed between the two nations while both the citizens of the Theocracy and those of Argland continued to hate each other cordially. The respective embassies worked tirelessly to calm the mood and prevent the outbreak of a new conflict. But in the shadows, the special units of both states continued to operate undercover to expand their influence. The Theocracy Topside also had begun to suspect that Platinum Dragon Lord had abandoned the country completely and taken refuge permanently in the old capital of the Eight Greed Kings, given its total absence from the politics. Still, it was only a remote possibility and they couldn't afford to act recklessly and incur his wrath.

In any case, there were many suspects that their adversary had formed an information network even in the current kingdom of the elves and had compiled a list of those who were probably its undercover agents to be captured or, if there were no alternatives, to eliminate at any cost.

Not that she had that chance in her current situation.

By the time she finished memorizing that data, it was evening and no one had arrived yet.

[It seems they were too busy to waste time here. It's my fault, I can't expect them to spend time with me rather than think about their duties.]

The girl looked at the cake still completely intact on the kitchen table and thought it would be a shame to make it go bad. She took a roll from the archive of her room containing a tier zero magic suitable for storing food at low temperatures, not before having cut a slice that was carefully placed in a white box.

[Before the day is over, I should come by and offer him a slice. For sure I will find him in the treasury.]

Her intuition proved correct as the lights in the treasure room were still on.

The masked man was bent over a small wooden desk, intent on writing something that seemed very important, judging by the attention he paid to it, on a thick tome bound in manticore skin. Despite being absorbed in his work, he immediately noticed her walking through the large door; over the years, Antilene had resigned herself to the possibility of taking her teacher by surprise to play a joke on him.

"Oh Antilene, what did you come here for? I thought this was your monthly day off. Or was I so focused on my work that I didn't notice the passage of time?" He asked her as he continued to stare at the pages filling them with ink.

"No, I just came to bring you a little present. But don't tell me you're still writing the life of that old Holocaust Scripture captain who died a few days ago."

Whenever someone important within the Theocracy left this world, Rufus began writing an abridged biography of their life. His personal library now contained innumerable stories of the most important exploits not only of Cardinals and influential members of the Scriptures but also judges, economists, writers… Almost five hundred and fifty years of history were enclosed there and the half-elf had read nearly all of them. Only the one dedicated to a certain person had not yet browsed, postponing it to a date to be defined.

"No, I finished that job. Now I'm dedicating myself to a magical researcher who died this morning: his work was instrumental in making scrolls containing fourth-tier magic."

The achievement of that discovery had placed the Theocracy in clear advantage over the other surrounding nations since, at least according to their information, the latter still had problems producing efficiently rolls of the third tier.

"Now, to what do I owe this particularly generous thought of yours? Is it some special occasion?"

"Um, actually today would be my birthday. I thought about celebrating together if you like."

Now that she said it aloud, she felt a little embarrassed; having disturbed her master for something so futile showed that, after all, she was still a child.

"Oh, forgive me but it had slipped my mind. Sometimes I seem to lose conception of time in this place. Of course, I'd like to celebrate with you."

He put his pen and book on a shelf on the desk and then took the box that her pupil held out to him; when he opened it, he was little surprised to see its contents.

"Oh, a piece of cake. Don't tell me this is one of your usual tricks for seeing my face."

The half-elf's face took on a guilty expression, if it had been possible the word "busted" would have appeared on her forehead.

Rufus had proved reluctant to take off his mask to reveal his features, even after countless attempts by the girl to reveal the secret, but he thought that perhaps it was the right time to put an end to that farce.

"I suppose it's time for you to know the truth, after all, you are the only one who hasn't seen my face yet among the Black Scriptures. Consider it as a birthday present. But you must promise me to remain calm and to keep this secret until death!"

"I promise you, master!"

A strong excitement to finally be able to see the true appearance of her teacher began to take possession of her; it still did not seem true that she would finally be able to satisfy that desire to know that had been brewing for a long time.

When the man took off his mask and lowered the hood of his robe, a putrid face peeped out; rotten skin, almost entirely absent, left most of the bones of a hairless skull exposed. The empty eye sockets glowed with blinding white; probably the mask he usually wore was built to give the illusion that he was equipped with a pair of pupils of the same color.

"I knew it!" Antilene exclaimed. "You are Surshana, right? This explains many things."

Undead had an instinctive hatred for the living and, although she thought it was not entirely impossible that there was someone out there who went against that trend, the clues she had accumulated over the years all led to a single conclusion: Rufus was Surshana. That was why he knew so much about his abilities and knew so many stories about the gods. It also explained why all the upper echelons of the Theocracy who were aware of his existence showed so much respect for him and how he had lived for so long. And how he managed not to eat and sleep. There was honestly no other explanation.

"I'm afraid your hopes must be broken. I am not Surshana but a direct creation of his. To make things easier for you to understand, you might think of me as a son, even if that's not entirely correct. I am usually also appointed as his first disciple."

The truth was not as surprising as she had expected but she was satisfied nonetheless; and then, even though he wasn't quite Surshana, Rufus was still the closest thing to a god she'd ever seen. Being his favorite pupil was as if she were also the disciple of a divinity.

"It does not matter. You are still extraordinary! The son of a God! I am even more proud to be your student now! Although I guess this slice of cake was not the best gift."

If his body could have blushed, Rufus would have had to look away in embarrassment. Fortunately, his condition had some advantages.

"The goddess Igarda used to say that nothing was more important than a gift that came from the heart. So even if it is impossible for me to eat this royal of yours, know that I still appreciate it very much!"

"You have known them. The six Great Gods, I mean. How were they?"

The undead was seized with a strong nostalgia at the thought of his old masters; once again he blessed his condition, knowing that otherwise, he would have burst into a cry of tears.

"They were perfect. Strong. Beautiful. Compassionate. Intelligent.

Alah Alaf with his incredible sense of justice and love for the law, was responsible for the first written law code of the Theocracy, did you know?

Imirduo with his overwhelming passion for art and the creation of new things. You already know that it is to him that we owe the architectural style used for the buildings of the Theocracy.

Ragusa, so impetuous and passionate. She was a force of nature; as soon as she put something in her head there was no way to stop her. But she was so devoted to her people that she would gladly have given her life to save even the humblest of peasants.

Igarda's kindness and sweetness knew no bounds, I don't think I've ever seen her without a word of comfort for those she loved.

Nekole with a carefree character, nothing could disturb him. He was the soul of the group and always knew how to get everyone back in a good mood.

And finally, Surshana; humans were afraid of him because of his looks, but he didn't care. I'm sure he didn't even think twice about sacrificing himself for the salvation of the Theocracy from the conquest of the Eight Greed Kings. He was my creator and I loved him!

In my eyes they were flawless, even if they had any, I would never have noticed them."

When he had finished speaking, Antilene found nothing to say. Every word seemed disrespectful to him and she hoped her silence would suffice as a sign of respect for her master's speech.

Realizing that his pupil didn't say a word, Rufus decided that the time had come to cheer the air with some news he had in store for her; he went to one of the archives in the room and pulled out two scrolls.

"I wanted to wait for tomorrow to tell you but while you are here, I would say I can anticipate this good news. I managed to convince the Cardinals that the time had come to entrust you with an assignment outside the Cathedral to gain experience on the field. Look here." He showed the girl a map depicting the territory of the Theocracy, bringing her attention to the mountains to the south. "The inhabitants of some villages on the border mysteriously disappeared a couple of weeks ago; we sent a reconnaissance troop but it did not return. We've set up a small team with some Black Scripture members to see what's going on, and I want you to be a part of it."

"So, I can't go kill my father?" Antilene was very disappointed; she hoped she would finally be given the chance to carry out her mother's revenge but instead, it was just a boring mission that probably only involved some demihumans who had grown brave and decided to attack the Theocracy.

"Not yet. I know you are thrilled to take him out, but the elven king is a formidable opponent. Sending you now would be foolish and reckless. For now, think about accomplishing this mission successfully, and then, perhaps, we can talk about it again."

"Uff, alright, I understand. I will do my best! Listen, Rufus, after this mission do you think you can convince the Cardinals to stop those special training that they make me do?"

In recent years, a method had been devised from the upper echelons of the Theocracy to eliminate the arrogance of some of the Black Scripture recruits: a rather simple system as it consisted only of a simulated battle to the death between her and the newcomer.

So far, they had all ended up with his opponent lying on the ground bleeding and full of terror towards her. She didn't particularly like it: fights always ended up being one-sided and boring; in addition, she believed that the feeling of fear towards her persisted for a long time. Being feared wan't very pleasant.

"We have already talked about it. I know that it is not a job that satisfies you particularly but knowing how to recognize the danger and not underestimate the enemy are essential qualities that greatly increase the possibility of survival. In a certain sense, it is as if the chances of them dying on a mission are diminished; it is a selfless gesture to be proud of! It also had advantages for your training as it allows you to observe different fighting style. Remember that no one is invincible, not even you!"

The half-elf felt ashamed for having put her personal feelings before the life of her companions; she realized that still had a lot to learn about how the world worked.

"I'm sorry. I will take my role more seriously in the future!"

"Do not worry. Resuming the discussion, the mission will begin in three days. We will take the opportunity to review some notions on combat. Before leaving you will be given a scroll containing the magic [Message]; if the situation becomes dangerous, do not hesitate to use it. I will come to rescue you immediately. Among the team members, there is a spellcaster capable of using teleportation magic but it is always better to have a few more options. Your safety is more important than the mission. Everything's clear?"

Antilene did not need to have it repeated twice, she doubted that there was someone stronger than her, except true dragon lords, but the world was large and unknown dangers were threatened. Especially if that story they told her about the "waves" were true.

"I understand. I will complete the mission smoothly and you will be proud of me!"

Yes, it would have worked out perfectly. She would return triumphant and then head to the capital of the kingdom of the elves. Just a little longer and her dream would come true.