《Escaping the Box》 Chapter 1 Leylin had been inextricably shunned by his father even in his most distant memory. His father, a gifted mage and respected noble of the Varius House, should have spared no effort to raise him as his heir. Instead, he was ignored. Thinking that his father''s apathy was a result of his personal faults, Leylin worked from a young age to improve his mind and body. Sitting in a dusty library, he focused on the book within his hands. Laura, an adorable young girl at the age of five and also Leylin''s sister, approached. She asked in a whiny voice, "Leylin, when are you going to stop studying?" "You know that I always study magic until lunch, Laura. I can play with you later," replied Leylin. "You say that, yet after lunch, you''re gonna study politics," she said, pouting. Leylin felt bad since it had indeed been quite awhile since he had last played with her. "Well... I guess I can play with you. Just for a little bit," sighed Leylin. "I knew you wouldn''t be able to resist me," giggled Laura. "Oh? And what makes you say that?" asked Leylin. "It''s because I''m so adorable of course," said Laura with confidence. Laura and Leylin shared the dark hair and blue eyes that were characteristic of the Varius House. It was easy to tell that they would grow up into good-looking young adults. "Who taught you that haughty attitude? Uncle must be pampering you too much again," said Leylin, teasing. "Alright my Queen. What should I do as your humble jester to entertain you?" "We should steal desserts from the kitchen," said Laura with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Sweets are a lady''s best friend and worst enemy. Treat them with respect when you get older," joked Leylin. "What are you talking about? Come on, let''s go," said Laura grabbing his hand and pulling him. Everyone from the Varius household lived on the manor grounds. It consisted of beautifully tended gardens and a series of large brick buildings. The buildings served a wide range of purposes from domestic to academic. As the son of Duke Varius, Leylin had free reign within all the facilities. But, he spent most of his time studying within the libraries. Magic and strategy were his two favorite subjects, but he wasn''t an expert. Having no tutor, Leylin had to rely on himself to learn. He studied magic and strategy because they were useful during times of war and peace. The kingdom would always need strong mages and strategists to forge the future of the nation. Aiming to become a powerful noble, Leylin studied with all his energy. He studied daily to gain the attention of his father, but he remained aloof. The Varius house was one of the seven main houses that worked to manage the country of Lavania. The seven houses were all powerful, but each had their own weakness. These weaknesses were exploited to keep each house in check. Leylin had not yet been told about the Varius House''s weakness. Traditionally, the weaknesses of all the houses were passed down when the heir became of age at 17. Leylin was nearing 17, but he was not yet proclaimed heir to the Varius House. Finally giving in to Laura, Leylin stopped working. "I''m going to try and ask Uncle Falt if he can convince Father to send me to a magic school. If I succeed, I can be useful and help father with the country''s affairs," Leylin said. "You are plenty amazing at magic already though. You don''t need to move away for that," Laura whined. "It''s an option to better myself, so I can become useful to father," comforted Leylin. "But I would miss you if you left," said Laura. Leylin grabbed her tiny hand, grateful for her company. She was the only other person besides his uncle who felt like real family. "Alright then, let''s go have some fun. Even though we got caught by Head Chef last time, this time I learned a new trick to get past her," said Leylin. "What is it, what is it?!" Laura excitedly asked. "It''s a surprise. You''ll see soon," replied Leylin. Laura watched silently with an excited expression. Her imagination ran wild as she followed Leylin. When they arrived outside the kitchen, Leylin signaled for Laura to be quiet as he began to focus. Magic exists everywhere in Leylin''s world. Reading books in the library, he learned that magic was not spontaneous. From a superstitious standpoint, magic created spells out of thin air. But, this was not what occurred scientifically. Rather, it was the manipulation of a particle similar to an atom that created the effect of spells. This particle was called mana, after the name of the food given by The Creator to the first humans. One of the easiest spells to use was summon fire or ice. Spells that altered the appearance of an object were harder. Even harder were spells altering the physical properties of matter. Finally, Creation is the last type of spell, but only The Creator was able to use it. Leylin already reached the level of altering objects'' appearances. Slowly, Leylin manipulated mana to camouflage himself and Laura. "Where did you go Leylin?" asked Laura. "I''m right here. Don''t worry. This is the trick that I came up with, invisibility. Cool huh?" said Leylin. "Yeah!" she exclaimed with awe. Although he said invisibility, they blended in with the background like chameleons. This kind of "invisibility" was difficult to achieve. It required the user to constantly change the camouflage to match the background. One slight mistake, and they would be discovered. "Come on. Let''s move slowly," said Leylin. They snuck into the kitchen, avoiding bustling chefs as they quickly prepared food. Despite the chaos, each chef had an organized goal. The food was cooked with the greatest efficiency, giving testament to the scary Head Chef. "Quickly, quickly, Duke Varius wants this first prepared for the guests in less than two hours! We can not afford to make any mistakes whatsoever!" screamed the head chef. "Guests? What for?" whispered Leylin. "Daddy said that people from the other houses are coming for a meeting," replied Laura. "Do you know what the meeting is about?" he asked. "Nope," Laura replied. Leylin decided that he would sneak into the meeting. It would be a good example for handling future country affairs. He wanted to learn everything he could to please his father. "Alright, let''s keep going," he said. Laura sneakily grabbed one of the puddings that a chef recently completed. Leylin grabbed his favorite dessert, apple pie. Pausing a moment, he camouflaged the food as well. "No one will ever know that it was us," Leylin said laughing mischievously. Sitting in one of the main gardens on a bench, the two quickly ate their desserts while watching the scenery. "A whole pudding to yourself Laura? Slow down before it''s too late," Leylin teased. "But it''s so good..." Laura said, dejectedly. "I can solve your problem with magic," Leylin said with a mysterious glint in his eye. "Really?" "Yep, just close your eyes." While Laura had her eyes closed, Leylin quickly ate a few bites. "Ok, you can open them now." "What happened to my pudding?!" exclaimed Laura. "I caused it to disappear with magic of course." "LIAR, you ate it!!" "No, your brother is the greatest mage who ever lived." "Not true! You''re just a big jerk!" The two continued their teasing and playing until, while relaxing in the sun with full stomachs, they peacefully fell asleep. Chapter 1: Part 2 Leylin crept past the guards watching the dining hall entrance and made his way to the corner of the room. Six other people, the heads of the other noble houses, sat around the table. An opulent feast steamed in front of them, but they were not in the mood to eat it. They had grave expressions as they began their discussion. "So, it has once more come to this time. We need to decide what to do with the Incarnation." A woman with blonde hair and green eyes took the initiative to begin the conversation. "The Incarnation is nearing its prime." "We should kill it now. This time the Incarnation has found its way into a very optimal host compared to the past. It would be dangerous only to restrain it. I wonder if Duke Varius will be able to do what must be done since it is related to him." Traditionally, the houses would imprison the Incarnation within Pandora''s Box. "I will. After all, we exist for this very purpose. This time, it will be much easier because it happened to show up on my doorstep," replied Duke Varius. Leylin struggled to understand the conversation. He would need to do more research. "Since the threat level is higher this time, we will take a vote. Should we kill the Incarnation, or should we imprison it? After all, imprisoning it would give us more time to prepare before it reincarnates again. Yet, it would be too risky in case it escapes." They agreed to take a vote. Four of the house heads voted to follow tradition, while two others and his father voted to eliminate. "It is decided. The host will be imprisoned within Pandora''s box. We leave it to you Duke Varius." "I will carry out my duty to protect Lavania as I have always done," he said. With the conclusion of the formalities, the nobles began eating. Leylin left the dining hall confused by their discussion. He decided to search through the library for any information on the Incarnation. He walked through the rows of shelves, examining the spines of each book as he passed. The library was stuffy and smelled of old books. It was usually empty, so the maids rarely came to clean. Despite this, Leylin grew fond of it over the years. He suddenly stopped, his interest piqued by a specific book. Its cover had been singed to the point that he couldn''t read the title and some of the pages were burnt. He opened the book and began to look through it. "The Historical Observation of the Incarnation and Its Many Forms? That''s a mouth-full," Leylin said as he read the title page. According to the book, the Incarnation was the soul of the Creator reborn into the body of a human. Many religions who continued to worship the Creator awaited his return. They hoped he would lead it into an eternal golden age, but the Incarnation had yet to appear. Leylin wondered why his father and the noble houses were trying to stop the Incarnation. After all, the official religion of Lavania worshipped the Creator. Still not grasping the situation, Leylin decided to ask his uncle about it. He walked past the bookshelves, taking in their scent one last time. Walking through the garden, he headed towards his uncle''s chambers. The servants bustled about, trimming bushes and watering flowers. He came to the residential wing of the manor and entered his uncle''s room. His uncle, reclined in a fancy chair, smoked a cigar while reading. "Do you know anything about something called the Incarnation, uncle?" asked Leylin, observing his face. His face changed briefly before he replied, "I know that Creationists believe that the Creator will come back to our world in the form of a human. They call it the Incarnation. I have never had much interest in that though, so I don''t know much." "I see," said Leylin, "Thanks for your time." Leylin walked out of his uncle''s room down the long corridor. "He''s lying," he concluded. In the split second that his uncle''s face changed, it displayed guilt. While Leylin walked through the corridor thinking, a servant approached him. "Your father has summoned you. Follow me." Confused by his father''s sudden attention, Leylin followed excitedly. The servant led him to a part of the manor that he had never explored. It appeared to be much older than the other buildings. Paint peeled on the ceiling and cracked tiles littered the floor. Antique paintings were hung on the walls, but their frames were falling apart from rot. The servant opened a large oak door into what appeared to be an office. Dominating the center of the room was a desk where his father sat. The room was sparsely decorated and stacks of paper cluttered every available space. "Sit," commanded Duke Varius. Leylin quickly sat, feeling nervous due to the first word that his father had spoken to him in years. "Let me tell you a story. Long ago, an entity formed from mana in the universe. This entity, being mana, was able to command it in ways that we can not even imagine. With this power, the entity gained a sense of pride, a sense of self-entitlement. Realizing there was no one to marvel at its power, the entity decided to create the first humans. There were originally seven, and each was painstakingly crafted from mana. Their only purpose was to worship this being. In the beginning, they complied with the being''s demand. They truly believed it to be omnipotent. One day, however, the seven humans found a box floating through the cosmos. They didn''t know how it appeared there, so they concluded it was formed from mana. Out of curiosity, the seven opened the box. After opening it, they gained what the omnipotent being dreaded them having, ambition. Out of the box came seven ''sins'' that distracted them from their commanded task. One of the humans gained pride, pride in his own ability. A pride that prevented him from kneeling to someone else. One of the humans gained greed, wanting to own everything. A greed that made him want the power that the entity controlled. One of the humans gained lust, becoming disinterested in everything other than sex. A distraction so powerful that he could not continue to focus on worshipping the entity. One of the humans gained anger. It was a righteous anger that burned because of the injustice of his purpose. One of the humans gained gluttony, no treasure or food sating his want for more. One of the humans gained envy, a jealousy so acute that he could not be near anyone who was more powerful than him. And finally, one of the humans gained sloth, wanting to pursue his own desires for eternity. These seven humans, realizing their own ambitions, plotted together to overthrow the Creator. Together, they were able to kill the Creator. They and the rest of the human race could continue to follow their own desires. They failed to realize one thing though. The Creator was capable of inhabiting the body of a newborn human. The original seven feared that the Creator would return and enslave them once again. To prevent this, they entrapped the ''hosts'' into the bo, and they called the prison Pandora''s Box. The seven original humans used the same method as the Creator to reincarnate. They passed their souls into the bodies of their descendants, so they could entrap the Incarnation for eternity. I am one of those seven humans." Leylin listened to this point wondering what this had to do with him. "And you are the host for the Incarnation that must be trapped within Pandora''s Box." "Wait, wait. You want to imprison me in there until I die? You''re my father! What kind of father does that to their own son?" exclaimed Leylin. "Weren''t you listening at all? I''m not your father. I took over his body after my former host, your grandfather, grew old, and I will eventually take over Laura''s body as this one grows old. Simply put, your father no longer exists." Leylin sat in silence, stunned by the words of this man. In a quiet voice, Leylin whispered, "But what about all of the training I did...was it all for nothing?" "Yes," Duke Varius replied emotionlessly. "Well, perhaps not entirely for nothing. Within Pandora''s Box exists a world vastly different than ours. Your training might help you survive a little longer." Duke Varius pulled out an ivory box. It was adorned with gold leafing and carvings mythical monsters. "I haven''t even done anything wrong," stuttered Leylin. "Hmm," Duke Varius contemplated, "I guess you could blame it simply on ''bad luck''. Let''s hope your luck isn''t as bad on the other side." He slowly opened the lid and a strong wind began to blow through the room, causing papers to fly into the air. Leylin could hear eerie moaning coming from within the box. The sound rose to a cacophony of screaming and howling. Leylin felt a sensation like his soul being ripped from his body as a large, dark arm reached out to grab him. Finally, it seized and dragged him into the depths of the box. Duke Varius relaxed, "It is done." Chapter 2 A young Leylin walked through the hallways of the Varius mansion. A kind looking older servant walked up to him. "Leylin, your mother has finally given birth." "Really?! I want to see her! I want to see her!" "All right, follow me." In the background as they were walking, Leylin overheard some whispers. "He didn''t even show up to see the birth of his daughter. How cruel can someone be?" "Did he have more important things to tend to?" "More important than the birth of your own child? What could be more important than that?" "I don''t know. He has to attend to the affairs of our country, so something very important must have come up." "The Lord''s behavior has been too strange the past few years. Maybe the child isn''t his, and he is avoiding the Lady because of that. Her activities must have been hidden to not shame the family." "What are they talking about?" asked Leylin. "Oh, nothing important. Spend more time working and less time gossiping!" chided the servant. The two girls quickly dispersed, trying to look busy. "Come on, let''s hurry." They continued until they came to a remote part of the Varius mansion. The servant opened the door, which made a terrible scraping noise as it slid along the floor. They walked into the room, which was dimly lit. It was also very hot and humid, and the floorboards buckled in many directions. There were no windows within, so no natural light shone into the room. On the bed, covered in moth-eaten sheets, lay Leylin''s mother. She was a very gaunt woman, her skin sagging and deep circles beneath her eyes, none of her former beauty visible. In her arms, she held a sleeping baby. She looked at the baby and the room as if she no longer cared about anything that was happening around her. "Mother...." Leylin walked next to the bed and gazed at her. She was no longer the mother that he once knew, cheerful and kind. "She refuses to eat anymore. Your father ordered to place her in this hideous room. We nearly had to force her to eat, so the baby would have enough nutrition to live." The servant moved forward to take the baby from Leylin''s mother. "What would you like to name her, Madam Varius?" A sliver of consciousness appeared in her eyes. "Laura." After that, she said nothing more and continued to stare straight ahead. "I''ll give her to a maidservant for care. Madam likely can''t produce much milk." The servant quickly left the room with the newborn Laura. Leylin, unimpeded by the dismal atmosphere, approached his mother to tell her about his day. "Guess what, guess what?! Today I started learning magic with uncle, and he says that I''m talented and that I could become a great mage some day! When I become a great mage, I''ll be able to make you and father both happy right?" "Make me happy?" Leylin''s mother glanced over at him. "The only thing that would make me happy is if your father returned to normal." "I can change him back to normal when I become a great mage too!!" exclaimed Leylin. "You can''t change a person with magic. Your father will never change back!" his mother said, irritated. Leylin''s mother was steadily becoming more and more stressed. "After you were born, your father started ignoring me! He started to become a bit closer again, a year ago, but after I became pregnant, he began ignoring me once more!! It''s your fault that he stopped loving me, yours and that damned Laura!!!" Madam Varius threw the sheets off, revealing her skinny form. In her white nightgown, she appeared to be a ghostly specter from hell. Her hands reached out to grab Leylin like claws, wrapping around his neck. Leylin choked as she squeezed his neck like a vice. "It''s all your fault!!! It''s all your fault!!!" she screamed over and over. "N-no," Leylin choked out. The life in his eyes faded, and he collapsed to the ground. Madam Varius looked around the room laughing maniacally, but Leylin stood up. His body emitted a holy, golden light. "Why are you shirking aside what you yourself have created? Your depression and despair come as a result of someone else, so don''t blame it on this child. Since he is important to me, I will remove you so as not to hinder his growth," Leylin said in an emotionless voice. He walked forward, his arm reaching out. Madam Varius shrunk back from his reach like a cockroach hiding from light, but she was caught anyway. When he touched her, Madam Varius crumbled into a golden dust, reflecting the light. "Ugly as you are in life, you will be beautiful in death. Your mistake was placing all your importance on one thing. You had more to live for than just your husband, but you failed to realize that." The dust fluttered through the air and settled onto the floor. Leylin sat down on the ground. "Now to erase this child''s memory of this incident." - - - "Madam Varius commit suicide?" "That''s what Duke Varius said. He has taken Leylin into his chambers for a long time. I guess he wants to calm him down." "Why would she do such a thing? Especially so soon after having Laura..." "She probably had Laura as her final purpose in this life and then decided that it was time to move on. She was a wonderful and beautiful woman. It''s very sad what happened to her." "We need to do everything we can to comfort Leylin and raise Laura as best as possible." "Yes!" - - - "So you''ve finally revealed yourself. Right under my nose as well," said Duke Varius. He looked at Leylin sleeping in his office. "I''ll deal with you soon enough," he said as he gazed at an ornate box upon his desk. "Everything will go as planned, as it always has and always will." Leylin began to stir from his sleep, so Duke Varius ordered some servants to take him to his room. He told another servant to message the other Noble Houses about what he discovered. With that, he gazed out the window at the manicured gardens of the Varius estate, "The human race will always be safe. I''ll make sure of it." Chapter 3 "So brother decided to go to a magic academy..." Laura sighed. "Yep, Duke Varius called him into his office to tell him that he approved of his wish," said Uncle Falt. "Well, I suppose that means he has broken through to father, if only a bit." "Don''t be so hard on your father. He used to be a wonderful man. He loved everyone from the noble Kings of distant countries to the lowly servants in the manor. Your mother, even, was servant girl. He fell in love with her one day after helping her clean up a broken vase. He helped out of the kindness of his heart. Your mother, at the time, didn''t realize that he was the Duke''s son. They talked freely to each other without the restraints of class, and he fell for her unique charm that not even nobles could imitate. Yet, when he inherited your grandfather''s position, my brother suddenly changed. We used to be so close because our father was so distant, but I suppose it''s a side-effect of the position. He even began neglecting your mother." Leylin and Laura''s mother commit suicide soon after giving birth to Laura. She suffered from depression due to neglect by the one she loved most. Leylin was only close to his mother during his childhood. During her struggle, he was raised entirely by the servants. "Don''t you wish that he was like his old self?" asked Laura. "I do, but he has a much more important job now than coming to visit his brother. I just don''t understand why he would repeat the mistakes that our father made," replied Uncle Falt. Talking about her father made Laura once more think of Leylin. "I miss Leylin. I hope he comes back soon..." said Laura. - - - Leylin felt as if he was floating through empty space. He was surrounded by a murky black smoke, suffocating him. Out of the darkness, he was suddenly posed a question. "Aren''t you enraged by the fact that you are stuck with this fate? Everyone else pursues their own whimsical dreams while you suffer." "..." He looked around but was unable to identify anyone in the darkness. The voice echoed as if it encompassed everything around him, but he also heard it as a whisper within his mind. "Give in to your righteous rage and use it to fuel our power. You will surely be able to do whatever you like within the world." "What power?" asked Leylin. "The Power of God!" "Ohhh, something so amazing. What side-effects happen to be included?" A deep, eerie chuckle resounded. "That''s something you will find out when the time comes. I won''t force you to make a decision now. You will need me someday, whether you like it or not. Oh, and welcome to Hell." With those last words, the murky smoke cleared. A vast ocean of twinkling lights, like stars in the darkness, was revealed. Out of curiosity, Leylin reached out to touch one of the "stars" closest to him. When he poked it, a jolt of energy traveled down his arm and throughout his body. After, Leylin felt as if his soul was being sucked against its will somewhere else once more. His vision faded, and when it cleared, he sawthat he was in the middle of a forest. Yet, the forest was unlike anything he had ever seen at home. The trees had large purple trunks that exuded a foul gas and pitch black leaves that stifled any light in the area. The ground was dry and cracked with no fauna other than the strange trees. The weirdest thing of all was the fact that it was completely silent. There wasn''t even the peep of an insect. He looked around and simply picked a direction to walk in, hoping he would find a town of some sort. After walking for an hour, he came to the edge of the forest. In front of him lay a large plain. It had the same dry, cracked earth of the forest. Despite the region being arid, a village had been built nearby. Leylin continued toward it. Within the town, most of the buildings were made of wood, and a few of the more important looking ones were made from clay. The townspeople wore thin, light-colored clothing to resist the scorching heat. Although there was no farmland, the villagers looked fairly well-nourished compared to what Leylin expected. As he walked down the road, all of the villagers stared at him. The townspeople viewed him with suspicion because they had not received visitors in a very long time. It didn''t help that his clothing was conspicuous as well. "Halt!" A group of guards in leather armor stood in front of Leylin. The captain of the group stepped forward. "Where are you from, and what is your name?" "My name is Leylin, and I''m from Lavania." The guard captain stared at him with a bit of confusion. "Where is Lavania? Have any of you heard of it?" asked the captain. The rest of the guards shook their heads. "It''s very far from here. You probably wouldn''t know of it," added Leylin. The captain nodded. He thought about what he should do about Leylin. The town never had visitors, and it was suspicious to have one now. But Leylin hadn''t done anything illegal, so he couldn''t imprison him. He decided to threaten him as a precaution and observe him. "Ok, don''t do anything fishy. I am the Law here, so I will exercise it to the fullest extent if needed." ''Intimidation tactics... so brutish,'' thought Leylin. "I''ll make sure to be on my best behavior," The captain nodded as if he had done a good deed. He felt slightly bad intimidating a kid, so he decided o help him a bit. "The inn is towards the South of town by the way. It''s a bit vacant since we never have visitors, but it should be sufficient," said the captain, helpfully. Leylin thanked him and headed in the direction indicated. He wasn''t sure how he would pay for the inn, but maybe he could work something out with the owner. As he walked along the road, the inn stuck out compared to the other buildings. It was larger than the rest and made of baked brick. A wooden sign above the doorway read "Patty''s Inn and Bar". Inside, there was a large hearth for cooking. Although it wasn''t overly fancy, the inn had a cozy atmosphere. Strangely, no one was around except for a young girl behind the bar. "Hi, I''m looking for the owner of this place. Could you bring me to him?" asked Leylin. "I run this inn," the girl said, bluntly. Leylin was surprised. Few women were able to own property back home. There, the majority of the land was owned by nobles who rented it to commoners. The peasants would farm the land and pay a portion of their crops for the rent. The nobles treated owning land as a God-given right. They were entitled to it all because they were supposedly recognized as rulers by the Creator himself. Leylin looked down on this belief. Being raised by servants, he grew up hearing stories about the nobles'' treatment of this "rule". Many commoners were wrongly accused of not paying their rent. As punishment, they had to give all of their harvest and livestock to make up for it. Rarely, the punishment was justified, but the majority of the claims were false. These "accusations" were particularly common during times of frequent feasts. After processing his surprise, Leylin recovered. "Oh... What is your name?" "Emily. What can I help you with?" she asked. "I need a room, but I don''t have any money. I was hoping I could work in exchange for one," Leylin said. "I do have a few things you could do to stay a few days, but you will have to find a more permanent income if you want to stay longer," she said. Emily pointed to a door behind the bar. "This is where we keep all of our meat. I need you to butcher all of it by tomorrow evening. When you are done, you can stay for three days." "Ok, thank you very much!" Chapter 3: Part 2 Leylin followed Emily into the storage room. Hanging from hooks in the ceiling was a large assortment of animals, some he had never seen before. There were larger versions of bears and felines, but they seemed to be more fierce, more deadly. Their claws were sharper, and their hides were armor-esque. Aside from the animals he recognized, there were different monster-like creatures. They reminded him of descriptions he read in of long-extinct creatures. In the past, creatures like Chimeras, dragons, and orcs roamed the Earth. They were hostile in every way towards humans as if it was instinct. "Wow, I''ve never seen anything like this before!" he exclaimed. A small chimera washanging at the back of the storage room. It had two heads, one of a jackal and the other of a lion. The body had wings as well. The chimera was smaller than described in books, so Leylin assumed it was a child. "Really? Have you been living under a rock? These things terrorize villages all over Petram." Emily said. Leylin noted the name. Any information could be helpful in the future. "Where I''m from, we don''t have any of these," he said. "Lucky you. Mind if I move there? Sounds like heaven," said Emily,sarcastically. Leylin didn''t mind her snarky comment. To her, itprobablywas unbelievable to have a world without monsters. Changing the topic, he asked, "How do I butcherall ofthese?" "I''ll show you." Emily rolled up her sleeves and walked to a toolbox. Opening it, she grabbed a large knife and approached a table in the middle of the room. On it lay what looked like a dead cow "Normally, the first step would be to drain the blood, but I have already done that. Next, you need to flay the hide. It can be very tough to cut through the first few times, but you will get used to it." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With surprisingly high expertise, Emily cut along the abdomen of the cow, revealing its entrails. "Discard the guts and organs over there. As for separating the meat, cut along the bone in the direction of the muscle fibers. This separation will be good enough." After demonstrating, Emily pointed to a monster resembling an octopus while shivering. "That thing is considered a delicacy here. Just cut off the tentacles and discard the rest. As for the chimera, there''s no point in butchering it because predators are too tough to eat. Just check if it has a mana stone and get rid of it as well." Mana stone? Leylin had read about them as well. Supposedly, they were found within the monsters. Ones with these stones were much stronger and had special abilities compared to those without. Wondering why the stones increased monsters strength, humans researched them. Eventually, humans discovered that the stones were concentrated mana. The mana within the stones was also very easy to use, making it possible to easily modify the structure of objects. With this knowledge, they were able to create fortresses in days and even alter their own bodies. Most humans chose simply to strengthen themselves, but some chose to completely change how their body functioned. They became hard to discern as human. By adding wings, fangs, claws, and many other modifications, they became stronger and faster. This was the reason humans managed to fight against the monsters. "I realize this is a lot of work, so you can stay here until you finish. After, you can stay the three days I promised to you," Emily said. Leylin was touched by her kindness. He was a complete stranger to her, yet she was willing to help him. Although she seemed off-putting, she was soft on the inside. "I''ll do my best!" Chapter 3: Part 3 Emily''s POV After finishing her explanation, Emily went back to the bar. She leaned on her elbows and sighed. Business for her inn had not been good since the war started against the orcs. People struggled as taxes increased, so they could only afford the basics. Some of the townspeople would visit during holidays, but that was not sustainable. Emily saw Leylin as an opportunity. Although it was suspicious for a traveller to visit during a war, she was willing to risk helping him. After he found work, Leylin would have to pay for a room at her inn, allowing her to stay open. It was a win-win situation, and it helped that she felt good doing it. The only risk was that the war had become more dire over time. If Leylin was conscripted, there was nothing she could do to stop him from leaving. She held onto the hope that the Queen''s Army wouldn''t need to visit a remote place like this. Thinking ahead, Emily began to consider how she could help Leylin find a job. She considered introducing him to the Bounty Board, but a lot of those jobs were dangerous. Many involved finding murderers, making it very risky, but the reward for completing a bounty was high. Others called for the subjugation of deadly monsters, which ironically was safer. This reward also attracted a lot of competition, and many of the people drawn were distasteful. A lot of the bounty hunters were worse than the monsters and people they hunted. They would turn against their partners, so the reward would be all theirs. Considering these things, Emily decided that it would be best to think of something else. Sadly, she couldn''t think of any available jobs, and she did not have enough funds to hire him herself. Reaching this predicament, she gave up. Introducing him to bounties wouldn''t hurt if he understood the risks. She still worried that he might be harmed. That would devastate her because she would believe it was her fault. Emily stood up, decisive. She checked on Leylin before leaving. As she opened the door to the storage room, she saw him butchering a sheep. He let out muffled curses as blood spilled on him, but he continued working diligently. Seeing this odd side of him, Emily found it slightly endearing. After observing him for a bit, she left. Walking down the road, she waved and smiled to the other townspeople. They called out to her "Good afternoon, Miss Emily," and so on as she moved. The villagers'' attitudes toward Emily were a stark contrast compared to their suspicion of Leylin. Arriving at the Bounty Board, Emily saw one warrant that dominated the space. Issued by Her Royal Highness on the 12th of February, The murderer known as The Tailor is suspected to be involved in the murder of 22 people in the Town of Dry Springs and surrounding establishments. It is suspected that The Tailor is a lich masquerading as a human, specifically its victims. The Tailor is wanted dead, and any citizen who completes this task will receive a reward of 10 Gold Pieces from the Royal Treasurer. Please note, the expected danger level of this bounty is severe. ''Nope, that one is way too dangerous,'' thought Emily. She looked at the other, less notable bounties. A few ordered for the subjugation of some minor monsters, one that Emily assumed was a joke said, "Looking for a wife! Reward: ME!" After giggling for a bit, she turned her attention back to the serious requests. The rewards for these were pitiful, only a few Bronze Pieces each. Regardless, there was no other choice. Emily headed back to the inn after handpicking a few of the easier ones. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Chapter 4 POVof "The Tailor" A man sat in the shade, staring at the inn that Emily owned. When she walked out, his excitement visibly rose. "Ahhhh, Miss Emily is so beautiful and kind and succulent! I want to feast on her flesh as she looks at me with love!" The man followed her with his eyes as she walked down the road. When she left his sight he turned back to the inn. ''I''ve been trying to get her attention with so many different "suits" and tactics. Yet, this random outsider suddenly appeared and got close to her! I shouldn''t be frustrated, but I am. I need to think of it as life sending me a boon. Emily, you will be mine very soon,'' the man thought. The man planned to turn Leylin into his new suit to get closer to Emily. He smiled as he thought about his plan. As he grinned, part of the skin peeled off of his face, revealing a stark white skull. He quickly covered it with his hand. ''Damnit, I need a new suit. This one is in tatters and isn''t even worth patching. I guess now is as good a time as ever to replace that boy.'' The creepy smile returned to his face at that thought. He looked longingly in the direction that Emily left in earlier. ''Ah, Emily. Your eyes are so beautiful! I''m certain that they will taste better than the sweetest candies I ever ate when I was alive!'' - Leylin POV Leylin became tired after working for so long. His arm ached from the repeated slicing, but it was a good pain. It was a sign that his muscles were getting stronger. Taking a break, he decided to check the chimera for a mana stone. Placing his hand on its body, he sent a pulse of mana to get an idea of what it looked like on the inside. Interestingly, the chimera''s bones were hollow. Even more surprising was the fact that only the lion head of the chimera had a brain. He couldn''t sense anything at all within the jackal head. Cutting it open, Leylin found a small, squishy sphere.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ''Mana Stone?'' he thought. ''It is squishier than I expected, almost like organic tissue. "Stone" must refer to its shape.'' When he sent mana into the stone, it disappeared as if it was absorbed. Leylin contemplated hiding the stone from Emily, but that went against his morals. He already owed her a debt after all. The mana stone had a shiny exterior that was slightly translucent. Inside, he could vaguely see something swirling, and he guessed that it was concentrated mana. Leylin wasn''t sure how to prove his hypothesis though, so he would have to think about it some more. Finishing his brief break, Leylin used a wheelbarrow to haul another cow to the table. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the workshop changed. The smell of rotting corpses wafted through the air, and the monsters and animals began to stir. They all stared at Leylin with grotesque faces of glee. "You have presented me with the perfect opportunity! For that, I should thank you!" they all said, their voices overlapping. Looking around nervously, Leylin was confused. ''Illusion?'' he thought. ''If I can find the source of it, I can escape.'' But, he had never seen such a powerful illusion before. Although he was knowledgeable, Leylin had no real-life combat experience. He lived a pampered life up until this point despite his less than ideal parents. The animals cackled at Leylin, amused by his helplessness. Blood poured out of their orifices, which created a steadily rising pool. Soon, the level reached his waist, filling the room much faster than he could think. Frantically looking around, Leylin tried to find the source of the illusion. Not letting him gain any advantage, the tentacle monster wrapped around his legs, locking him in place. Its mouth laughed and spat blood in his face, enjoying Leylin''s horror. The blood rose further until it covered his mouth and nose. Eventually, Leylin reached the limit for how long he could hold his breath and began to inhale blood. It filled his mouth and lungs, bringing a metallic flavor and causing him to choke. Chapter 4: Part 2 Excerpt from "The Case Study of the Serial Murderer ''The Tailor''" The investigation of "The Tailor" initially began due to a series of murders occurring in the town of Dry Springs and surrounding establishments. The first suspected victim was found on January 6th. The body had no evidence of blunt or penetrating trauma, but it was found completely lacking the epidermis. Due to the lack of force used, it is believed that "The Tailor" is a mage. The epidermis was later discovered in a rotting state with evidence of sewing along the sides where incisions were made for its removal. These murders have similarities to ones that occurred in Northern Petram over the course of last year but ended when the body of a mutilated girl was found, which is noteworthy because, until that point, all victims were male. On her corpse, the coroner observed teeth marks as if her flesh had been eaten, and the majority of the tissues on her body were removed in this manner. From this evidence, it is suspected that "The Tailor" is an undead mage, or lich, who uses the skin of his victims as a disguise. The motive of the murderer is not yet known aside from instinctively being the enemy of humanity. After several more bodies were discovered in this manner, the unknown murderer was given the codename "The Tailor", and the Queen issued a bounty for his subjugation on the 12th of February. The Queen also sent a small squadron of soldiers to assist the Bounty Hunters. They are expected to arrive on the 30th of March. - - Leylin''s POV Leylin finally thought of a solution. He felt dumb for not thinking of it sooner. Crushing the mana stone in his hand, he forced the mana that rushed out of it into his eyes. A sharp pain radiated through his body as he manipulated it. Leylin read a few passages about how to use mana stones, but he had no real experience with them. This caveat made his actions very risky, but he had no choice. Leylin recalled a passage from an ancient book. "The modification known as the Oracle''s Eyes award the user a number of benefits. They allow the user to see through basic illusions, to amplify detail, and to have better low-light vision . The modification is performed with the use of a sufficiently high quality mana stone. By strengthening the muscles around the eye, they can be used to adjust the curvature of the eyeball, producing a zooming effect. In addition, increasing the light receptors within the eye adds the night-vision effect. These two improvements allow the user to see through tricks of lighting associated with illusions. However, the mental aspect of more powerful illusions must be overcome by the user alone. Despite this, the modification will provide a much greater chance of breaking the illusion." Enduring the pain from the mana as well as from choking, Leylin rushed to finish. When he opened his eyes, his surroundings remained unchanged. But, one thing was different. In front of him stood a man staring back at him. Discreetly preparing a spell, Leylin maintained his horrified expression and even acted as if he had given up. Suddenly, his arm shot out, launching a ball of fire at the man. With no chance to dodge, it hit him squarely in the chest. The room returned to normal immediately when the man was hit. Strangely, the rotting smell was the only thing that remained. Relieved, Leylin approached his enemy. He noticed that the man''s skin burned very easily, revealing a stark white skull and a body of decaying flesh. The "man''s" skin was thin and discolored. Finally, Leylin realized this man was a lich. Surprised, he tried to recall all of the knowledge that he could about them. ''They are the bodies of powerful mages who rise from the dead. Retaining none of their memories, they terrorize humans due to corruption from mana. It is theorized that mages are affected because of the high concentrations of mana that they command, but it is not limited to them alone. Humans who die in mana concentrated environments can also become undead, but not as powerful,'' Leylin recalled. Chapter 4: Part 3 The lich eventually recovered from its sudden surprise. It did not expect to find a mage in this small town. Realizing it made a grave mistake, the lich attempted to flee, but Leylin blocked his way, firing another ball of flames. A sinister smile arose on his face. It created a stark contrast to his normally genial appearance. "Now it''s my turn. I''ll give you an illusion of my own!" Placing his hand on the lich''s head, Leylin commanded mana to invade its mind. To the lich, he morphed into the worst devil it could imagine. Leylin''s skin darkened and large, leathery wings grew out of his back. His teeth lengthened and sharpened into points. "D-demon!" the lich stuttered. "You like this? I certainly can do the impression of a demon well, can''t I? It would be a shame if I couldn''t, to be honest. I made them after all..." The illusion of Leylin then began to rip apart the lich''s body. The most interesting thing was that the lich could feel the pain, something it had never felt since it raised from the dead. It was supposed to be impossible to feel anything at all. Because of the the newness of the feeling, the lich underwent excruciating torture. "This is what you get for messing with me!" The lich''s shrieks of pain rose until it began to weaken. Finally, the lich fell back, dead. Outside the illusion, nothing appeared to be wrong with the lich''s body. His life ended in the same manner as his many victims. Slumping onto the ground, Leylin felt exhausted. He realized that he was drenched in sweat from the encounter. Sitting there, he attempted to recollect his mind and calm down. After some time, Emily returned. "Leylin?!" Seeing Leylin in an odd state, she grew worried. She noticed an odd smell when she entered the storage room, but she didn''t think much of it. Placing her hand on his forhead, she tested his temperature. She thought that he might have become ill. He seemed to be burning up and was covered in sweat. Emily rushed over to a bucket of water and ripped a piece of cloth off of her dress. After dipping it into the water, she wrung it out and carefully placed it on Leylin''s forhead. Leylin watched her delicate motions. Perhaps her care for him was how she treated everyone, but it stirred his heart. Her worry actually had a higher impact on him because it was how she would treat anyone. He realized that this girl was truly a kind-hearted person through and through. It reminded him of something his father told him before he became duke. Leylin said, "You know, one of the few memories I have of my normal father is from when I was much younger. He told me that it actually wasn''t a coincidence that he met my mother. He had observed her before and found her absolutely stunning, both in personality and in looks. My father waited for the right opportunity to approach her. He didn''t want to leave the impression of her superior nor someone who was just being friendly. He said to me, ''If you find a girl that you like, don''t approach her with the intention of being friends then steadily become something more. You have to jump in with the intention that she will be yours and you will be hers. Only in that way will you succeed in finding the love of your life.'' I hadn''t thought much about what he said until now." "What do you mean?" asked Emily. Laughing in a self-deprecating manner, Leylin replied, "It''s fine for now. I realize it''s a bit soon, and we don''t know each other very well, but I hope you are willing to give me a chance." "I -I don''t know...." she said. Exhausted, Leylin fell unconscious. Ensuring that nothing was wrong with him, Emily finally had the time to observe her surroundings. Immediately noticing the lich, she jumped a bit. After her brief fright, she quickly recovered, displaying her mental fortitude. She remembered the bounty she saw earlier. ''It is suspected that The Tailor is a lich...'' and a lich certainly lay dead in front of her. She also recalled, ''the expected danger level of this bounty is severe.'' Staring at Leylin, she asked, "What exactly happened here?" - - - POV of The Captain of the 23rd Squadron The Captain stared out at the horizon. A small dot in the distance indicated that his squadron was nearing Dry Springs. He and his men were tired from the weeks of nearly non-stop horse riding that was required to get there. His men had been complaining about being assigned to this mission, but he saw it as a blessing to leave the fronlines. That way he wouldn''t lose any of his fellow brothers in battle and they could relax somewhat. "How much longer until we get there? I''d rather be at the frontlines than ride this godforsaken horse for another second," said a man in disheveled leather armor. The Captain looked at him disapprovingly. He was ''new blood'' as they called it. He lacked the wisdom to realize that he would most likely die on the battlefield and that this trip was actually a respite. It gave them several benefits as well. They could conscript more men to strengthen their squadron and gain merits for the kingdom by vanquishing the murderer. The Captain could only hope that the man would grow through the tempering of the battlefield. "I mean, what''s the point of even helping these bumpkins? They can barely pay their taxes and are so malnourished that they wouldn''t be worth giving armor for battle. All they are good for is fodder," the man continued. "Shut it! One more word and you will be the one cleaning the horses'' stables when we arrive," the Captain commanded. This man was more dumb than he thought. Many of the people here were already decently trained in fighting. There were no other sources of food except monsters and wild animals in the Dead Forest. Because of this, they had to fight to survive at all. The fact that the town still existed for so long spoke magnitudes about their abilities. He had high hopes for this visit. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 5 Emily''s POV Emily dragged Leylin to one of the rooms in the inn. The room was nicely furnished for an inn that was in a small town. There were paintings of landscapes hung on the walls and a comfortable rug covered the floor. The floor had the red tinge of mahogany and was carefully sanded to prevent guests from receiving splinters. The bed was fairly large and had a neutral-colored blanket. The blanket and sheets smelled as if they were recently washed, and everything was clean and taken care of as if Emily expected her inn to fill up at any moment. Pulling Leylin''s upper body, she laid him on the rug. She doubted that she could lift him onto the bed, so she stripped the blanket from it and covered him. Finishing this task, Emily went back to the storage room to look at the lich. "I read earlier that there was a bounty for a lich.... I guess Leylin isn''t as weak as I thought," she thought. "This situation needs to be handled carefully. He may have escaped this danger, but once anyone catches wind of this, it could attract unwanted attention." Grabbing the knife from the table, she took in a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to do. Cutting into the lich''s chest, she exposed what should have been its heart. The viscera of the lich was completely rotten, so the stench within the room became more dreadful. After gagging for a moment, Emily composed herself and looked at the lich''s chest. Instead of its heart, there was a round sphere. "Mana stone...." she said. In truth, mana stones were rare, and Leylin was simply lucky to find one within the chimera. Usually, the stones would dissolve, leaving behind a hollow cavity, when the monster died. Because of their rarity and usefulness, they were insanely expensive. ''With this, I won''t ever have to worry about shutting down!'' she thought. A trace of greed entered her eyes, but it was quickly followed by guilt. "But, this isn''t mine to keep...." Running back to Leylin''s room, she placed it into his pocket. With the mana stone out of her hands, a weight appeared to have lifted. Sighing in relief, her eyes drifted to his sleeping figure. She noticed that he was definitely handsome, almost too much so. "He''s too forward," Emily said with a slight blush around her ears. Leaving to avoid more embarrasment, she went to the Bounty Board to see the exact details of the reward. Issued by Her Royal Highness on the 12th of February, The murderer known as The Tailor is suspected to be involved in the murder of 22 people in the Town of Dry Springs and surrounding establishments. It is suspected that The Tailor is a lich masquerading as a human, specifically its victims. The Tailor is wanted dead, and any citizen who completes this task will receive a reward of 10 Gold Pieces from the Royal Treasurer. Please note, the expected danger level of this bounty is severe. "10 gold pieces..." she mumbled. That amount of money was twice as much as the average person could make within an entire year. It appeared Leylin would experience a sudden windfall. "The only problem is redeeming the reward," she thought. It wasn''t literally expected for Bounty Hunters to get paid from the Royal Treasurer himself. Normally, there were Bounty Offices, which were funded directly by the Royal Family that paid hunters. Unfortunately, Dry Springs was so small and insignificant that the Queen only warranted this board. To redeem any bounties, you had to travel to the closest city. Once Leylin did that, he wouldn''t have any reason to come back to this small town with his newfound riches. Her inn was cheap compared to hotels in the city, so she was confident that Leylin would come back if he only completed small bounties. Sadly, with that sum of money, it wouldn''t be a problem for him to live comfortably in the city for a long time. "I''d lose my only potential source of income...." Emily thought dejectedly. With a look of determination, she took the paper for the bounty anyway and headed back to her inn. - - - POV of the Creator (tbh I''m pretty sure you guys should know what Leylin is by now, but in case you don''t, he''s the incarnation that I mentioned in earlier chapters.) The Creator observed Leylin using mana to confirm that he was fine. He observed that Leylin was just exhausted because he had sent a large amount of mana through his body. It also didn''t help that Leylin used a mana stone. "Dumb kid. Does he think he can do anything? If I hadn''t interfered, he would have blinded himself! You don''t know everything just because you read some random, obscure passage in a book," the Creator thought, sighing. "I admire that kind of nerve though...." The Creator was slightly impressed with Leylin''s ability to think in dangerous situations. "I''ve chosen an interesting successor this time. Only time will tell if he is worthy of my powers." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 5: Part 2 Leylin woke up to someone shaking him. Looking around, he saw Emily kneeling next to him with a look of worry. "Are you ok?" she asked. Leylin jumped up. "Yeah, I''m fine. What happened to the lich? One moment, I was shooting fireballs at him, and now, I''m here," he said, perplexed. "The lich is dead. Maybe you exhausted yourself so much that you blacked out." "Maybe...." Leylin recalled one other time that he blacked out. The situation was similar. One moment, he was facing danger, and the next, the danger was gone. "Now that the lich is dead, you need to redeem the reward. To do that, you need to go to the City of Viribus. It''s a few days journey from here." Emily said, handing him the note for the Bounty. "Once you get there, go to the main Bounty Office. You will need some proof that you killed the lich, so I had the mayor write a letter vouching for you while I was out. He owes me a few favors for helping out townspeople in need every now and then." "Thanks! I don''t have to go immediately though right?" "I guess not.... Don''t you need money?" "Yeah, but it isn''t urgent. I can stay here until I finish my work right?" A bit surprised, Emily nodded, "You''ve been slacking though. You only have a few finished and its been an entire day." Emily got an odd enjoyment from teasing him. He had an odd way of making people feel comfortable. ''Maybe it wouldn''t be so bad after all, courting him,'' she thought.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Ah, I just haven''t gotten used to it yet," Leylin said sheepishly. Giggling, Emily said, "It''s fine, it''s fine," In her mind she added, ''Take as much time as you need.'' "Come on, I''ll cook us some dinner, free of charge," she said. Leaving out of the room, Leylin observed the inn more. Outside of the room, there was a hallway with roughly ten doors. The floor of the hallway had a luxurious red runner from end to end. On the walls, there were painted portraits of what he assumed was Emily''s family. Following behind her, Leylin asked, "Where is your family?" Pausing a brief moment before continuing, Emily said, "I was adopted, and this is my adoptive Mother''s family. She was an old maid, so she really could have been my grandmother, but I didn''t care. Her name was Patty, which is why this place is called ''Patty''s Inn''. She took me in one day when she noticed me begging on the street." Arriving in the kitchen, Leylin helped Emily prepare the food for cooking. Continuing, Emily said, "She told me she always wanted kids, but she never got married because she devoted all of her time to this inn. She used to say ''I don''t need a husband. I''m married to this building, and it protects and provides for me more than any man could.'' It was just a joke she used to tell, though. I''m not really sure why she never got married, but she probably had her reasons." "What happened to her? Why isn''t she here?" "I don''t know. She just disappeared one day. Most people think she is dead.... Anyway, after she was gone, I took care of the inn. I wanted to protect what she loved, but sometimes, I wonder if it''s even worth it." Leylin noticed that Emily sounded a little bitter. Unsure how to comfort her, he continued slicing beef for dinner. "Anyway, let''s talk about something less depressing. What do you plan to do with your reward?" she asked. "I''m not sure. I need to find a way to get back home, but I''m just taking things one step at a time. I suppose I will need a steady income firstly. I don''t really have a lot of skills aside from magic," Leylin said. "You''re a mage?" Emily was surprised. Becoming a mage required talent and a lot of knowledge about the mechanics of mana. She assumed he was some kind of fighter because he was able to travel safely through Petram, which was riddled with monsters due to the war with the Orcs. She was surprised that he was a mage because a majority of them came from Noble familes. Raising one required a highly expensive education. Even with training, there was no guarantee that the mage would be talented because manipulating mana was highly intuitive. "Are you a noble??" Emily asked. Chapter 5: Part 3 "Are you a noble??" Emily asked. "No, I used to be a servant for a noble family. I had the opportunity to read books there and taught myself about magic," Leylin smoothly lied. He felt guilty for misleading her, but he couldn''t explain the truth. Leylin wasn''t even exactly sure what happened. "What made you come here then?" Emily inquired. "It wasn''t entirely by choice. My family didn''t exactly enjoy having me around, except my younger sister and uncle." "Don''t you miss them though?" she asked. Leylin realized he hadn''t yet had the time to process what happened until now. Too many things had occurred in such a short time that he was almost overwhelmed. Thinking about everything, he realized that he missed Laura and Uncle Falt very much. "Yeah, but I can''t see them anymore. At least, I can''t for awhile," Leylin sighed. ''We''re pretty similar, both alone,'' thought Emily. Seeing that Leylin finished preparing the food, Emily grabbed it from him. She chose beef as the main part of the entree, and his job was to cut it into strips. Emily lightly seasoned each strip with spices that he didn''t recognize. Placing them in a skillet, she browned the outsides of each piece skillfully. A pleasant fragrance began to fill the kitchen as she cooked. "I''m impressed with how well you prepped these. Have you cooked before?" Emily asked. "A little bit," Leylin said. Her question brought back memories of the Cook. Before he learned magic, she would catch him stealing food from the kitchen. As punishment, she would force him to work in the kitchen. When he tried to claim that, as a noble, he shouldn''t be punished, she would say, "Being a noble doesn''t excuse this kind of behavior! I don''t care who you are or where you come from, that doesn''t mean you can''t act like a decent human being!"Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Of course, Leylin never stopped his actions, but he really respected what she said. She taught him a really good life lesson. He felt wronged though. When his younger sister took food, the Cook never said anything. She would even go as far to dote on Laura and cooked her favorite foods anytime she asked. If only God had made him cuter, Leylin would have avoided a lot of suffering. "I used to work in the kitchen when I got in trouble," he added. "A man of many talents I see," Emily said. "Well, I don''t know about that. You''re pretty talented. You''ve managed to run this entire place by yourself!" Leylin said, smiling. Emily nodded while thinking, ''I''m failing though.'' After cooking the beef strips, Emily placed them to the side to cool off. She then grabbed some small, purple mushrooms out of a cupboard and began frying them in the fat leftover by the beef. Not recognizing the mushrooms, Leylin asked, "What are those?" Pointing to the mushrooms, Emily said, "These are found in the Purple Forest. They grow on the trunks of the trees there. Normal vegetable like onions, broccoli and carrots are rare because we can''t grow them. I''ve only had them a couple of times when a merchant passed through." Plating the food, Emily finished making dinner. She picked up her food and indicated for Leylin to do the same. "Follow me," she said. Leylin tagged along as she moved toward a door at the back of the kitchen. Opening it, Emily revealed a set of stairs that lead upwards. She climbed up to the top and pushed open a trapdoor. Dim sunlight poured through, and she continued to the top and out into the open. Leylin followed and saw that the stairs led to the roof of the inn. In the middle, there was a table with a set of chairs. "I come up here to eat and relax. It''s also the perfect place to watch the sunset," Emily said. They sat down and looked toward the horizon. The sun was slowly sinking below it, causing the sky to be mixed with beautiful purples, yellows, and reds. But even more beautiful than the sunset was Emily. The light accentuated her beautiful face and caused her eyes to shine. Enjoying the scene, Leylin began to enjoy his food. It wasn''t too spicy but had the perfect amount of flavor. The meat was tender and juicy, and the mushrooms were surprisingly good. They had a semi-sweet flavor like corn but was slightly more savory. "So is this a date?" Leylin joked. "Hmm, maybe," Emily said. "Really?!" "Maybe means maybe. Don''t get your hopes up," she teased. Looking back to the horizon, Leylin noticed a dot that was growing in the distance. "What''s that?" Quick Update I don''t want to just leave you guys without knowing anything. I have finals next week, so I will be studying a ton and won''t be able to update. I will try to fit in one more part this weekend, but I''m not sure if I will have time. I''ll make it up and update a bunch the next week since I won''t have school. On another note, I will be taking a vacation later this month, so I will probably not update then either, but I will pre-edit/write chapters and schedule them for release, so this doesn''t happen again. Thanks for understanding!Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.