A Cold Gaze

I flinched. I knew it the moment I saw her face – she looked like Vincent. She had the same features, though I wasn't sure how they had gotten translated into the game so well.

"From your reaction, I see that you figured it out already." She said with a faint smile.

"What are you to Vincent and Joshua?" I asked. Was she their sister? She looked too old for that.

"I'm their cousin." She said as she took a sip from her tea. "They don't know I'm in the game, so don't hold this against them."

I shook my head. "Wait," I mumbled. "Then why are you spying on them? You know they're good friends with Erik."

She chuckled. "I'm making sure they survive this game." She raised her hand and a tiny flame appeared at the tip of her fingers. "I'd be useless on the battlefield." The flame flickered before disappearing.

Somewhat annoyed, I directed my gaze at her. Was I the only one who still couldn't use magic without the interface? "So, you decided to open a shop and… what?" I asked.

She chuckled. "I don't trust this game, Kai Friseal." She said as she once again leaned forward. I spotted that green spot again. What was that? "And I don't like seeing my dear little cousins trusting Erik with their lives."

I flinched. "They've known each other for a long time."

She nodded. "But they'd never been in this situation before. No one has." She sighed. "I don't want them to worry about me on top of everything else they're worried about." Her voice suddenly turned cold. "So, I'm sure you'll understand when I ask you to keep this secret."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you insane?" I asked. "Their cousin is here, and you want me to keep that a secret? Go greet them when they return, or I'll bring them here myself."

Taken aback, she glared at me. "You-" She started to speak with a furious expression, but I cut her off. "You're their family. They don't need your spies watching their every move. They need your support; they need to know they can count on you."

"You're looking through rose-tinted glasses Kai." She hissed.

I laughed. "Maybe. But I'm alive, aren't I?" I rose to my feet. "You're taking this too seriously," I said as I shrugged. "This is a game, remember? We're in a game. You don't need to scheme against everyone to get what you want." I stepped towards the door.

"Do you think your words will be enough to stop me?" She asked, also standing up. My lips formed a wicked smile as I turned to face her. The room grew colder as I used my aura for the first time since I left the torchlight woods.

"You will talk to them today, or I will bring them here." I said, locking my gaze on her. "You said I'm like a demon. Don't make me become one."

Her face went pale as she shivered. I didn't wait for a response, I reached for the door, opened it, and left. Thomas was waiting at the foot of the stairs. He bowed and bid me a good day as I walked past him.

Only when I left the premises and stepped onto the gold brick streets of Baile Chailce did I breathe out a sigh of relief. Had I gone too far? Had I gotten too angry?

No, I didn't think so. She'd been hiding herself from Vincent and Joshua, instead using her resources to spy on them and Eric. She didn't need to be useful in a fight to spend time with them.

I clenched my fists. I didn't want to be the one who broke the news to the Kestler brothers, so I really hoped Victoria would come to meet them. With a deep sigh, I shook my head and started wandering the streets.

"Asher?" I reached out to the smug sorcerer after a short while. It took him a few second to respond. "Did you find the man?" He asked. His voice was groggy.

"She's a woman, but yes." I replied. I quickly explained what went down and what she asked of me. "Anyways, did you learn anything more about this world's history?"

"Nothing worth telling yet." He replied, then I felt the connection sever. It was a weird feeling that I still hadn't gotten used to. A thought nagged at the back of my mind. Why was he in such a hurry?

I wondered the city aimlessly for a while. Eventually, my wandering brought me to the centre of the massive city. There was more than just the divine pillar here. I stood at the top of a long, wide set of stairs. They led to an enormous open plaza. The white, probably marble tiles shone brightly under the sun.

At the centre of the massive plaza stood the Divine Pillar. It resembled an obelisk, made purely out of gold. I couldn't help but stare at it with my mouth agape. It was massive, I could barely see the tip of it as the sun's reflection blinded me.

There were groups of people gathering in the plaza, though the non-Ereth population seemed to take care to stay as far away from the Divine Pillar as possible. I watched the plaza for a while before finally descending the stairs and stepping onto the white marble tiles. I couldn't even take one step before a pair of halberds blocked my way. I flinched as two Ereth guards entered my vision. I hadn't noticed them standing guard anywhere, where had they come from?

"Your identification, please." The one on the left said. I summoned my interface and showed them my status panel as my heart beat incredibly fast. Why were they stopping me?

A few moments later, the one on the right nodded. "You may pass, Keeper of Souls. Do take care not to approach the Pillar." He said as they lowered their halberds.

"Thank you." I said, trying my best to keep my voice steady and passed by them, finally entering plaza. Feeling their gazes on my back, I started walking towards the other edge of the large area. I didn't dare take a single step closer to the pillar.

As I walked near the low wall surrounding the plaza, a woman ran up to me. She was not an Ereth, though I didn't think she was a player either. She handed me a piece of parchment. "You're here to help us, right?" She asked with shining eyes. "Will you join the tournament?"