《Hallowed Magus》


 HM 1: The Hallowed

    On a stormy night, torrential drops of water fell from the sky with occasional roars of thunder as if the wrath of Neptune rained down upon the kingdom. The entire forest had turned into a murky marsh, and the fauna took shelter in caves in fear of being struck by the occasional lightning and thunder.


    Suddenly, a loud cracking sound reverberated through the rain and thunder. Multiple trees fell over with a cascading effect as violent lightning tore through the sky and struck the falling trees, setting them on fire. A slouching humanoid silhouette turned visible from within the burning trees; it had one lopsided arm that dragged along the ground with each step taken. The flames seemed to attract another lightning to an adjacent tree and further illuminated the creature¡¯s hideous visage. Its grayed skin looked especially horrific, with shadows circling around its profile and a misty darkness coagulating within its torn-apart chest.


    Opposite the monster stood a blonde man wearing simple leather armor and a silver longsword in one hand. The monster roared at him before charging as the man dug his feet into the muddy ground and held his sword with both hands. He intercepted the lopsided arm that the monster swung at him with his sword and ducked under the subsequent bite of the monster, running his sword along the length of its arm. Following a pained roar from the monster, he immediately slashed his sword at its back, leaving a deep gash in its wake. The monster roared in pain and jumped away, eying the man with vigilance and hate.


    ¡°These guys are always such trouble,¡± he mumbled, noticing the misty darkness in the monster¡¯s chest rushing toward its arm and back, rapidly healing the wounds he¡¯d inflicted on it.


    With a thought from the man, a faint glow appeared along the spine of his sword, illuminating the intricate hilt that no common artisan in the kingdom could have made.


    ¡°Time to end this,¡± he said, approaching the monster as it grew slightly fearful in the face of the man¡¯s power.


    The dangerous feeling emitted by the man made the monster apprehensive, and it responded with an aggravated shriek. The darkness solidified around it into armor as it attacked with its lopsided arm once again. This time, already expecting the movement, the man dodged its arm and thrust his sword down, chopping it off completely. The wound sizzled, burning painfully as the golden energy from the sword attacked the monster¡¯s body. It roared in agony, and the unyielding darkness started acting immediately, suppressing the effects of that energy as the amputated arm thrashed around.


    The man didn¡¯t waste any time allowing the monster to heal and stepped behind it, slicing it through its spine as the darkness moved even more hastily, making the arm float in the air as it attempted to reattach to the monster.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡± The man stabbed his sword through its back at a specific spot. ¡°Third ¡­ seventh ¡­ twelfth ¡­ fifth ¡­¡± He continued stabbing the monster in specific spots, making the darkness recede with each subsequent stab. By the twelfth stab through the monster¡¯s back, the darkness had completely disappeared as the monster slumped powerlessly back down to the ground.


    Just as the tension left the man¡¯s shoulders and a sigh escaped from his lips, an arrow tore through the rain, directly aiming for his heart.


    He barely stepped to the side, letting the arrow graze his left shoulder as he turned around.


    ¡°I should have expected this ...¡± he mumbled. ¡°Such a downtrodden place has nowhere near the corruption to lead to the birth of a vrykor.¡±


    He quickly turned around, only for another arrow to shoot him, still aiming for his heart. He calmly raised and swung his sword to parry the arrow, letting it stab the ground beside him instead.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He called out, only to receive another arrow that he deflected effortlessly with his sword. ¡°Last warning.¡± His tone took a deeper turn as the gold energy in his sword intensified, forming a layer over the entire sword that made veins of energy appear on the surface, surging through it as if seeking escape.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± The footsteps of a man clearly sounded out through the blaring rain and thunder. ¡°To have such achievements in the practice of aura when you are barely in your late twenties. The School of Viritra certainly lives up to its name.¡±


    ¡°Bold of you to assume that,¡± he laughed in response.


    ¡°I am well aware of the mutations inflicted on those who join these ¡­ schools, especially Vritra,¡± the assailant seemed a little amused. ¡°But I¡¯m not assuming, my dear Leo.¡±


    Lightning struck a nearby tree, illuminating the newcomer¡¯s silhouette. The moment Leo noticed his face, he took a sharp breath.


    ¡°Rizevim ¡­¡±


    ¡°At your service, sir,¡± Rizevim bowed with an arm extended outwards and the other tucked in front of his waist. ¡°Unfortunately, your time as a wandering vagrant is now over. I require the seal.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you scare me, Rizevim?¡± Leo spat out. ¡°Last I remember, you were still looking for a way to break your aura out of its cocoon.¡±


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    ¡°It has been over a decade since your departure, sir,¡± Rizevim said, drawing his sword as it immediately started glowing golden, with veins all over, similar to Leo¡¯s sword. ¡°I may not have your talent, sir, but I¡¯m not that useless.¡± His respectful address sounded anything but as the man¡¯s sword cracked apart with a sound louder than that of the thunder that accompanied the rain all around them, turning completely gold. ¡°Surrender, please.¡±


    ¡°It seems that there¡¯s no way out for me.¡± Leo smiled with a wild glint in his eyes as he drew a dagger from his belt with his wounded arm and threw it at Rizevim, who calmly dodged it.


    Before he was able to taunt Leo, a pained grunt from behind him made him pause.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that kid from before, Rizevim,¡± Leo said. ¡°It was foolish of you to bring an uninitiated to this battle. And a woman at that. It¡¯s as if you are delivering her to my hands.¡±


    ¡°Yes, who doesn¡¯t know of the licentious nature of Xander the Hallowed,¡± he responded with an ironic laugh. ¡°She is irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°Really? I could¡¯ve sworn I saw your expression change when she grunted. I used aura, you know? She could be bleeding to death at this very moment. Are you sure that you want to focus on me?¡±


    ¡°As I said, irrelevant,¡± Rizevim said, raising his golden sword as Leo quickly grabbed a small vial from his pouch and emptied its contents onto his sword. ¡°As long as you can hand me the seal, I will let you live.¡±


    ¡°This is my last bottle. I¡¯ll have to make a trip across the entire kingdom to restock after this,¡± Leo said to himself as his expression curled into a pained grimace. Suddenly, the energy surging through his sword turned from gold to red, giving rise to an oppressive feeling.


    ¡°It seems that you plan to fight me to the death for that irrelevant seal,¡± Rizevim said.


    ¡°Maybe it has sentimental value,¡± Leo said, laughing to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to snatch it from your corpse then.¡±


    Rizevim took up a battle stance as his gold sword illuminated the surroundings with its bright light. It was a direct contrast to the bloody veins all over Leo¡¯s sword, with a gloomy feeling that would send shivers down a normal person¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I do want to ask, why are you here?¡± Leo asked. ¡°Why now, specifically?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really, my dear child,¡± Rizevim chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s because ¡ª¡°


    Before completing his words, Rizevim¡¯s figure shot through the rain, reaching Leo without delay to slash his sword at him. His move was already anticipated, and Leo¡¯s sword was already raised in a position to parry the attack before Rizevim reached him. The subsequent clash of their swords resulted in a shockwave that momentarily blasted away the rain around them and carved chunks of wood out of the trees.


    Rizevim¡¯s expression showed his sheer disbelief at how Leo was able to parry his attack ¡ª the sheer force behind it enough to slice through a metal beam, but he didn¡¯t let it affect his movements as he rapidly slashed at Leo again, this time a horizontal slash that Leo was forced to duck under.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can rely on borrowed power,¡± Rizevim snarled with a sense of frustration, releasing a flurry of quick blows at Leo, forcing him on the defensive as their battle decimated the nearby trees by the mere shockwaves released by their clashes. Suddenly, Rizevim kicked Leo¡¯s side, forcing him to step back before grabbing a dagger from his belt and throwing it at him. Leo sidestepped the implement, only to be met with Rizevim¡¯s sword. While he was able to use his sword to barely deflect the attack, the tip of Rizevim¡¯s sword grazed his arm. He hissed in pain as Rizevim capitalized on the opportunity and moved forward once more.


    Leo¡¯s eyes grew colder as he grunted loudly. His sword abruptly glowed red, giving the illusion that the veiny red glow had broken through and covered the entire sword. Suddenly, the parry that Rizevim expected to end in an advantage for him pushed him back instead. Leo didn¡¯t give him any time to recover and slashed his sword at his arm, forcing Rizevim to step back to keep his arm attached to his shoulder. Still, the traitor was left with a nasty gash on the shoulder of his dominant arm because of Leo¡¯s abrupt outburst.


    ¡°Step down, Rizevim,¡± Leo said, his emotions unreadable from his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. For old times¡¯ sake. Take your ward and retreat.¡±


    ¡°Heh ¡­¡± Rizevim sneered, holding his shoulder that was still dripping blood. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Leo.¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡± He asked. ¡°What prompted this? After more than a decade at that?¡±


    ¡°There are forces at play here that are beyond your comprehension, boy,¡± Rizevim grunted as he seemed to bite something within his mouth. A pained grunt escaped his lips as his wound rapidly healed, though the healing didn¡¯t seem to be free of side effects by looking at his expression.


    ¡°You know, Rizevim ¡­ Ever since I was little, I¡¯ve hated it when people treat me like a kid.¡± Leo¡¯s words had an undertone of bubbling fury. Just as Rizevim raised his sword, Leo was upon him, slashing at him. Rizevim¡¯s parry failed, a clear indicator of his weakened state. His sword slid along the flat part of Leo¡¯s sword, throwing him off balance. Leo gained the upper ground with ease as his sword slashed Rizevim¡¯s hand, forcing him to drop his sword and cutting off three of his fingers.


    ¡°Ahh ¡­¡± Rizevim hissed, immediately stepping back and pulling out another dagger from his belt, holding it in his non-dominant hand.


    ¡°One last chance. Tell me why,¡± Leo said. ¡°You may yet live. If you are thinking of outlasting the effects of my drake, then you¡¯re out of luck. You know what I am, what kind of battles I fight, and the endurance required to win such battles.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that the number of draconic schools in the world has halved since the last century,¡± Rizevim spoke while in pain. ¡°You truly are all freaks. Come! I will not surrender, LEO!¡± Rizevim charged at Leo with his dagger in hand. It glowed a similar gold as his sword as he reached Leo and blocked the casual strike.


    ¡°You truly have a death wish, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± For the first time since Rizevim appeared, there was a sense of defeat in his words. He got close to Leo and tried to stab him after deflecting his sword strike.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± Leo responded casually as if Rizevim hadn¡¯t just broken through his defenses and gotten close enough to stab his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll grant your wish.¡±


    The intense glow of Leo¡¯s sword illuminated half of Rizevim¡¯s body as he moved at an inhuman speed, stabbing Rizevim before the man could even take another step.


    ¡°Still not going to tell me?¡± Leo asked as Rizevim fell to the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯ve ¡­ truly grown up, boy,¡± he spoke while coughing blood. ¡°But it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t know. I hope ¡­ I hope that you can come home once.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± he said before stepping away. ¡°I have other things to deal with.¡±


    ¡°One other thing.¡± Rizevim stopped Leo. ¡°I hope you can take her ¡­ My daughter, Zerath. Take her to a town. Just leave her with a healer. Don¡¯t let her die in this dreary place ¡­ please ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing that ¡­¡± Leo responded by shaking his head. ¡°Goodbye, Rizevim.¡±

 HM 2: The Magus

    On the roof of a monumental tower that rose higher than the clouds, a man wearing regal attire¡ªa cloak with intricate gold embroidery and a crown made of otherworldly materials¡ªsat on an elevated platform with his legs crossed and his palms extended outwards as he chanted unintelligible words and phrases. An ethereal energy continued rising from his palms, spreading all around him.


    A tired sigh escaped him, and he opened his eyes, stopping his chant as the ethereal energy stopped rising from his palms.


    ¡°Did we succeed?¡± He spoke out to no one in particular. Suddenly, a man wearing an oversized robe of dark colors, with his head hidden behind a large hood, appeared on the roof. He knelt deferentially the moment he appeared, addressing the imposing man who was still calmly seated on the platform.


    ¡°No, sire. The traitor¡¯s flame has been extinguished.¡±


    ¡°And the bait?¡±


    ¡°Negative, sire.¡±


    ¡°Troublesome ¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t even bother to turn around to respond. ¡°Damn that non-interference treaty. A dying duke and I have to run through all these loops to take that territory.¡±


    ¡°Sire, if I may ask ¡­¡± The deferential man spoke. ¡°Why is it that we must abide by the non-interference treaty? Who in the guild would be willing to oppose a distinguished one such as yourself? Honestly, I believe that someone would be more than willing to help you with this task just for a chance to curry favor ¡ª¡°


    ¡°Winston,¡± The man interrupted. ¡°Do you know what the status of a Distinguished One signifies? What that title represents. How one goes about attaining it.¡±


    ¡°A mage must toil and research for decades, centuries even, enhancing their craft, innovating it, and bringing a revolutionary change in how the community views their discipline.¡±


    ¡°And do you know why the non-interference treaty only focuses on the Distinguished Ones and not on mages and apprentices such as yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, sire,¡± Winston responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the status of a Distinguished One is far beyond just that. It is too early for you to understand what it truly means to have such a status. But we have the power to rend mountains into nothingness, vaporize seas, instantaneously travel to any location within our world at will, and more. If such beings were to start acting against mortals, the devastation would span kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The apprentice was deep in thought. ¡°Then, sire ¡­ If I may ask. Why do you want a simple duchy in the first place? What is the point if a Distinguished One is so far beyond a mortal?¡±


    ¡°All in due time, Winston,¡± the Distinguished One chuckled. ¡°You must first achieve the classification of a mage before trying to think of the path further.¡±


    ¡°I am still in doubt, sire ¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°If a Distinguished One is so far beyond mortals ¡­ What is the need to act from the shadows like this? Who would even find out if you were to act to pluck an insignificant mortal life away?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t respond and instead stood up from his seat. His regal cloak flowed from his back all the way down to the floor while his silk garments gleamed in the moonlight. He turned to look at his apprentice, who found himself mesmerized by the black eyes, with the pupils showcasing a star-like pattern with spokes. Those eyes seemed to pierce through the apprentice¡¯s soul before the regal man finally spoke.


    ¡°Curb this arrogance, Winston,¡± he spoke flatly. ¡°You may be under my tutelage but have no illusions about your position. You are but an apprentice, a squire. In case one day you are hunted by the very mortals you have started to despise, do not expect any support from me. To me, just like them, you are also mortal. It is your privilege to have been allowed entry into my magic tower to practice under me. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sire.¡± The apprentice stuttered with apprehension, transfixed in his spot and unable to look away.


    ¡°You will go to Antonine to serve as the court mage for King Domitian.¡± The mage¡¯s words made an expression of horror appear on his apprentice¡¯s face. ¡°The empire is in turmoil, and you will subtly influence the king¡¯s decisions concerning the fate of the fallen duchy.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, sire!¡± Winston said in agitation. ¡°Please¡­please don¡¯t send me there¡­¡±


    ¡°I would have sent you regardless, Winston. Your current training has reached a point of saturation, and unless you become an official mage, there is little more I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°A mage would never lower themselves to the point of directly joining politics ¡­¡± Winston spoke with a tremble in his voice. ¡°It is humiliating ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is my purview,¡± the man nodded nonchalantly. ¡°But you are a mere apprentice. And mages joining politics is nowhere near as low as you think. Many mages of the guild covertly support the noble houses of not only Antonine but the neighboring kingdoms as well. You must understand, Winston, that the entirety of civilization relies on the presence of mages. Otherwise, those below Distinguished Ones will become obsolete, unable to even survive.¡±


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    ¡°Please, sire. Allow me to advise King Domitian from the shadows.¡± Winston lowered himself even further than his kneeling position and pressed his forehead against the ground. ¡°I would be disgraced among my peers if I were to be appointed as a mere court mage.¡±


    ¡°My decision is final, Winston,¡± the man spoke apathetically. ¡°Pack your things. The journey will take you two days on horseback; prepare accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Can ¡­ can you, at least, tell me why?¡± Winston asked. ¡°Why can a Distinguished One not act against a lowly mortal from the shadows? You say that civilization itself will collapse without the presence of mages to oversee everything. Then why is it that an army cannot be made to act at your behest? All it takes is a word from the presiding authority of the Mages¡¯ Guild, and your subjects would compete amongst themselves as to who could execute your will first.¡±


    The man sighed tiredly a second time on the same day. ¡°To you, I am the greatest authority in the land, aren¡¯t I, Winston?¡± He said rhetorically. ¡°But the non-interference treaty is in place for a reason. And I am not the authority responsible for overseeing it. You are both too young to understand and need your arrogance curbed. The best solution is for you to become one of these lowly court mages that you so disdain.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª¡°


    ¡°Caelus.¡± A thundering voice resounded through the sky. ¡°How about a chat?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression suddenly changed, losing the calm¡ªsomething that Winston had never seen happen. The apathetic guise he had maintained in front of his apprentice was suddenly torn. ¡°Go down. Start packing; you are to leave at the first light of dawn. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°But ¡ª¡°


    ¡°Quiet, Winston.¡±


    The man suddenly waved his arm, teleporting Winston away in an instant.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Caelus?¡± A feminine voice sent a shiver down the Distingished One¡¯s spine. ¡°You seemed hurried to get rid of the kid.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Libitina,¡± he said, resuming his calm countenance as he turned to look at her.


    The woman, identified as Libitina, was wearing an intricate black gown that went down to the floor, dragging some fabric behind her. Her attire had an ethereal quality to it, constantly emitting a dark aura that filled one with dread and the threat of death. She had a tiara on her head, and her raven black hair fell down her shoulders to her waist. An obsidian medallion with a formation of ten skulls at the joints of a pentagram shimmered on her neck and had an attractive quality to it, constantly tempting one to look at it.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want his presence to foul your mood,¡± Caelus continued while looking at her politely, making sure not to let his gaze wander despite the temptation. ¡°I am aware of how you react when met with an ¡­ unabashed man.¡±


    ¡°There was a storm in Eastern Antonine today,¡± she said, not looking at Caelus and instead focusing on her well-manicured hand¡¯s fingernails.


    ¡°Well ¡­ It¡¯s only nature,¡± Caelus said.


    ¡°Seraphem, Solomon, and a large part of the northern frontier were all obscured by an unnatural cloud,¡± she said. ¡°Try again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like what you are insinuating, Libitina,¡± Caelus said. ¡°I have abided by the treaty since it was established. Why would I break it for no reason now? The weather does not make any difference; it never has and never will. What purpose could a storm serve, huh? Drowning a village?¡±


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± she said. ¡°But I don¡¯t like taking risks when it comes to the treaty.¡±


    Libitina disappeared from Caelus¡¯ field of view, instantaneously appearing in front of him as his eyes showed an expression of panic. She extended her arm with a relaxed calmness as Caelus tried to resist, forming a shimmering barrier in the path of her hand. She tore through it as if it were paper and dug her sharp nails into his stomach, followed by pushing her entire hand through.


    A pained groan escaped his lips as he met her eyes. ¡°I. Did. Not. Break. The. Damn. Treaty.¡± Each word took him considerable effort to enunciate through his gritted teeth. Even in the face of his life flashing before his eyes, he was defiant, showing a confident demeanor.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± she pulled her hand out of his stomach, leaving a gaping wound. Her hand had no traces of blood from Caelus, but there was an ethereal darkness surrounding it, being sucked from him. As she pulled her hand away, the mystical tether broke. She uncaringly turned around, showing her back to him as she stepped away from him. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t hurt to make sure, right?¡±


    ¡°Are we done?¡± He asked flatly, ignoring her ironic tone of voice as he pressed his palm over his wound and concentrated his energy. The wound closed rapidly under his magic.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said before turning around to address him one last time. ¡°But Caelus. Be warned. We are closely monitoring the situation in Antonine. If either you or your peers have thoughts of breaking the treaty, you will have me coming for you. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Libitina. You have my word. The Distinguished Ones are not desperate enough to break the treaty over the faith of a single duchy. I will make sure that your words are conveyed to the rest.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Libitina nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t think I permitted you to heal your wound, did I?¡±


    Caelus¡¯ brow twitched in anger as his eyes burned with indignance. ¡°Yes ¡­ My apologies.¡±


    No matter how unwilling he was, he used the same magic that he used for healing to reopen his wound, wincing at the pain he felt.


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°You can play with the weather, but make sure you don¡¯t flood places like this time. Antonine is still a developing nation, and such situations can cause a significant loss of life,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s bad for business, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm ¡­ Your cloak,¡± she said. ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡±


    ¡°I did ¡­¡±


    ¡°Impressive. I like the intricate stitching and how you weaved it all with magic. It must provide quite a boost to your capabilities,¡± she said with a smile that grew wider by the second.


    ¡°You can have it. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Caelus¡¯s face was also getting more expressive as the grimace on his face became prominent. He knew what Libitina was doing, and unfortunately, he was forced to play along with her game.


    ¡°Really?¡± She smiled gleefully. ¡°Thank you. Ceres will love it. Let me take it off your shoulders.¡±


    She started walking to him calmly while looking into his eyes. While Libitina was showing amusement and glee, Caelus only had wrath and indignation in his eyes as she stood face-to-face with him. She rested both palms on his shoulders and slowly traced them along the surface of his cape before unlatching the pins from his shoulders.


    ¡°I appreciate the gift,¡± she whispered, close enough to him that their breaths mixed. She pulled the cloak away from him and folded it over her arm. Leaning further forward, she whispered intimately, ¡°You can heal yourself now. I fear if I stay any longer, you will bleed to death.¡±


    Before he could respond, she disappeared from his field of view, nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Sadistic bitch ¡­¡± He cursed under his breath, promptly healing his wound with his magic.

 HM 3: Xander (1)

    The man came from the south, from Cooper Gate. He was on foot, leading his laden mare by the bridle. The sun was lowering from its peak, and the ring surrounding it had grown faint, signifying the advent of winter. It was late afternoon; the streets were deserted with nary a child or dame on the streets, the merchants had closed up their stalls, and the only sounds heard nearby were from taverns and inns. The weather was still warm, but the man had a dark cloak on his shoulders, already drawing attention in this weather, but it was his hair of gold that truly made him seem beyond a simple hunter or merchant.


    The man led his horse to the closest inn. A sign at the door read, The Old Corneal Tavern. He paused below the steps, listening to the hubbub of voices inside as if contemplating whether or not to enter. After a few seconds, he led his black mare to the side of the building and hitched her to a pole beside the other horses.


    The innkeeper raised his brow at the oddly dressed man who had just entered the tavern. That wasn¡¯t the only pair of eyes he drew. The previously loud clamor of conversation dropped to a lull as only a few drunks continued unbothered. Whether it was the thick cloak draped over the man, his bulky frame, the head of gold hair, or the sword strapped to his back like one would do for a bow or quiver, the man was far from inconspicuous.


    The stranger stood stiffly in front of the innkeeper, his blue eyes scanning the shelf behind him for something better than random non-descript bottles.


    ¡°What?¡± The Innkeeper said with a rough accent.


    ¡°Beer.¡± The man seemed to have the weight of immeasurable disappointment on his shoulders as he spoke.


    ¡°You too lowly to have the common folks¡¯ drinks, yer majesty?¡± A man sitting at the bar snarled.


    ¡°Something like that, I guess,¡± the outsider responded, taking off his cloak before sitting beside the man. Suddenly, the silence in the tavern grew far more oppressive when the insignia on the back of the man¡¯s leather tunic was revealed. While slightly obscured by the sheath of his sword, the intricate embroidery of the curled-up dragon was clear as day.


    ¡°You little shit ¡­¡± The man beside him was the only person who didn¡¯t see the insignia and got offended.


    The innkeeper immediately swopped in, unwilling to antagonize the man any further. He quickly grabbed a mug and scooped beer from a tankard behind his counter.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your beer, sir. My apologies that our drinks are not to your taste,¡± he placed the mug before the outsider.


    ¡°Hm,¡± the outsider grunted faintly in response.


    ¡°You think you can ¡ª¡° the man beside him was unable to continue speaking as someone came up behind him and grabbed his mouth to shut him up. Another bulky man approached them and helped drag the man out of the tavern.


    Everyone was tense, scared to even breathe loudly, while the innkeeper seemed to be standing on broken glass as he waited for the outsider¡¯s next command.


    ¡°I want a room for the night,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have a stableboy? Make sure my mare is cleaned and groomed for the morn.¡±


    ¡°W-we don¡¯t have a stable boy ¡­¡± The innkeeper spoke apprehensively.


    The man simply looked at him with an impassive expression.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll take care of your mare myself,¡± he said. ¡°N-no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°And the room?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any vacancies ¡­¡± he gulped fearfully as if the sword on the man¡¯s back would instantly decapitate him.


    ¡°Then make sure that when I come back here, I have an empty room and a hot bath prepared. Do you understand?¡±


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    ¡°Y-yes ¡­¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± the man left half of the beer in the mug before standing up and turning to leave, draping his cloak over his shoulder once again on the way.


    As the man stepped out, closing the door behind him, the conversations not only resumed but intensified significantly. He noticed some people on the streets, hurriedly moving away from the tavern, no doubt to spread the word of his presence in the town.


    The sun was close to setting, and the man silently looked at the sky as if contemplating something. His focus was broken by the sound of hooves striking the ground when he noticed two armored men on horseback approaching him.


    They stopped some ways away from him before dismounting their horses and getting down on one knee before him.


    ¡°Greetings, Ser Hallowed,¡± both of them spoke in unison. ¡°The Castellan of Lausanne invites you to the castle for a drink.¡±


    ¡°Let me get my horse.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Greetings.¡± The Castellan was clean-shaven with a full head of graying hair. He wore silken robes and held an ornate staff in his hand. ¡°I am Louis Septimius, the Castellan of Lausanne.¡±


    ¡°Septimius ¡­ How are you related to the Marquis?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I am a subject. However, by blood, he is my nephew. How may I address you, Ser Hallowed?¡±


    ¡°Xander,¡± the Hallowed responded.


    ¡°Xander ¡­ A name fit for a Hallowed such as yourself. Suppose you don¡¯t mind me asking about your accent. It is southern. Phoenicia, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Solomon,¡± Xander responded.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies, Xander of Solomon, I always get the western and eastern accents messed up.¡± The Castellan seemed all too excited by the man¡¯s succinct responses. ¡°Marvelous. Tell me, Ser Xander. Would you like to come into my abode for a drink?¡±


    ¡°I have time to kill.¡±


    ¡°Then please ¡­¡± The man invited Xander through the castle doors as the procession of a squad of knights who had come along with him dispersed. ¡°I do hope you can forgive the gaudy nature of my invitation, Ser Xander.¡±


    ¡°Just Xander is fine, Castellan.¡±


    ¡°Then you must address me as Louis as well, Xander.¡±


    Amidst the small talk, the two walked up a flight of stairs as the Castellan led his guest to his study.


    ¡°Tell me, Xander,¡± Louis was enthusiastic as he moved to the bar and picked up two cups made of clear glass, a luxury only afforded to the noble. ¡°What kind of drink would you like? I have the finest wines from Avalon if that suits your taste. Or whiskey from Perusia if you want something harder.¡±


    ¡°Alexander might be a namesake of mine, Louis, but that¡¯s all. My heritage has nothing to do with either Alexander from those kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°My apologies for assuming,¡± the man apologized immediately. ¡°Then how about the royal wine straight from the heart of Antonine, the capitael?¡±


    Xander grunted in response, which the Castellan could only consider a positive response.


    ¡°This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime drink, Xander. You must try it.¡± The man sat opposite Xander and placed the filled cup on the table in front of the man. ¡°I promise that this wine will leave you slavering for its taste once you have it, dulling the flavor of all other drinks in comparison. Drinking them in these cups of clear glass only makes the experience bewitching.¡±


    Xander showed an amused smile on his face, making the castellan smile widely, believing that Xander had taken his flattery to heart.


    The blonde man picked up the glass in front of him and gently swirled it, moving its contents around before bringing it close to his face to take a sniff.


    ¡°Let me tell you, these cups aren¡¯t something easy to acquire. Only the most prestigious among the nobles even know whom to talk to for these items. And the cost is enough to bankrupt the coffers of a baron or count.¡±


    Xander continued examining the wine, leaving the Castellan with a budding impatience that he needed to quench with a drink.


    ¡°To Xander of Solomon, the Hallowed.¡± Louis raised his glass gleefully, toasting the man in front of him before taking a sip from his glass as Xander continued sniffing the wine. ¡°Truly, heavenly wine.¡±


    A chuckle escaped the blonde man, making the Castellan pause in his actions as he noticed the man¡¯s full glass.


    ¡°Do you look down on my finest wine, Hallowed?¡± He snarled.


    ¡°Bear in mind your audience, Castellan,¡± Xander spoke in a measured tone. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want an unfortunate incident to befall this fine castle, would you?¡±


    The aging man felt the Hallowed¡¯s piercing blue eyes sear into his soul and froze in place, unable to even muster an apology.


    ¡°I was going to tell you that you were duped. This,¡± he raised the glass in his hand, ¡±is the same as the piss water that the tavern calls wine.¡±


    ¡°Preposterous!¡± The Castellan exclaimed as the intensity of the Hallowed¡¯s gaze lowered. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°Believe what you want, Castellan.¡±


    ¡°You speak with such confidence as if you have drank with King Julian himself ¡­¡± The Castellan slowly lost his boldness as he looked at the indifferent eyes of Xander.


    ¡°Let us move on to business.¡± Xander didn¡¯t bother to take a single sip from the so-called clear glass cup. ¡°What do you need from me? I plan to leave tomorrow at the break of dawn. I will help you as long as it does not interfere with my timeline.¡±


    ¡°I believe you will be more than willing to push back your plans, Ser Hallowed.¡± The Castellan¡¯s tone became completely formal. ¡°For my request involves,¡± he leaned forward, looking to his sides as if about to speak of a taboo topic, ¡°a fallen mage.¡±

 HM 4: Xander (2)

    The Castellan¡¯s proposal had left Xander thoughtful as he grabbed the reigns of his horse from a stableboy. There was no procession of soldiers on horseback to lead him back to the inn as opposed to their respectful invitation. But there was no need for such.


    Xander had refused the Castellan¡¯s hospitality and remained steadfast in his plans to rest at the inn.


    ¡°Easy, girl,¡± he patted his horse¡¯s mane, calming the steed before climbing on top. ¡°Hup,¡± he spoke before lightly yanking the reigns to bring the horse into a trot. He passed by multiple stationed guards as he approached the drawbridge. Each of them, without exception, straightened up the moment they noticed him approaching, not a hint of slouch in their postures.


    Wordlessly, Xander crossed the drawbridge and made his way back to the village. The conversation with the castellan had taken long enough that the sun had already set, Io was already at the full moon, and Leda was a faint waning crescent at the end of its cycle.


    ¡°A quarter lunar cycle has already passed since that storm,¡± Xander mumbled to himself.


    A rough breath escaped him as he lightly kicked the side of his mare, speeding her up into a canter ¡ª the fastest viable speed when riding within the town.


    Within minutes, Xander and his mare stopped in front of The Old Coneal Tavern. Suddenly, the door to the tavern opened with a bang, startling his mare. It whinnied sharply, rearing up and pawing the air with its front legs.


    Xander growled, tightening his legs around the midsection of the mare as he held its saddle with one hand and placed his other on its head. A faint gold glow was visible from between his fingers as he spoke calmly, ¡°Easy there ¡­ easy girl. Just a door.¡±


    Immediately, Xander¡¯s steed calmed down, standing upright once again, and snorted, shaking its head.


    Xander dismounted, patting its mane as he spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll work on your attitude in time. Right as I figure out a name for you ¡­¡±


    Once sure that the horse was calm, he turned his attention to the terrified townsman. In response to the horse¡¯s agitation, the man had fallen on his ass, terrified ¡ª not of the horse, but of the horse¡¯s owner. He was terrified of the consequences of inciting any semblance of displeasure in the Hallowed.


    Xander shook his head. ¡°Get going. You¡¯ve soiled yourself. Best find some clean linen.¡±


    The man quickly got to his feet and scampered away. The expression of solace on his face showed just how grateful he was.


    Xander¡¯s mare snorted before he could sigh for the umpteenth time for the day.


    ¡°To be disdained by a horse.¡± He shook his head, patting the horse¡¯s head and leading her to the stables and stationing her in a stall that had just been scrubbed clean. As he was pulling down her saddle, someone¡¯s footsteps distracted him. Turning around, he noticed the tavern¡¯s owner walking in.


    ¡°Is the stall to your satisfaction, Ser?¡± The owner asked.


    ¡°You did good. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Vizor,¡± he responded. ¡°Please, allow me to take care of your mare¡¯s needs. A hot bath is already prepared upstairs in our best room. My daughter will lead you in.¡±


    A lull permeated the stables as Xander silently looked at Vizor for a solid minute, making the man squirm uncomfortably. ¡°Whatever you need from me. Talk to me in the morning. I wish to relax for the night.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°T-thank you, thank you, Ser Hallowed ¡­ I understand.¡± The man¡¯s attempts at currying favor seemed successful.


    Xander left his horse in the hands of the tavern¡¯s owner as he entered the building. Unlike his previous arrival, the conversations were much more hushed and suppressed, as if his mere presence in town had made the people more cautious of their actions.


    As he observed the common area, a young woman, barely even twenty and modestly dressed in a full gown that barely showed off her collarbones, approached him.


    ¡°Ser Hallowed,¡± she spoke with a soft voice, ¡°please follow me to your room. I have your bath prepared.¡±


    As he nodded, the woman started walking, with Xander following her. His gaze inadvertently descended to her swaying derriere.


    ¡°He already said that he has a request for me. The least I can do is to enjoy the hospitality.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were a virgin ¡­¡± Xander was leaning against the headboard of the bed as the innkeeper¡¯s daughter snuggled up against him, only their lower bodies covered by a thin quilt.


    ¡°To have the opportunity of giving my first time to someone of Ser¡¯s stature is my honor~¡± The woman cooed out gently, her entire body covered in sweat as she took audible breaths. She traced her finger over a scar on the side of his arm and frowned thoughtfully. ¡°I thought that Ser would have more scars. It seems that you are truly a noble personage, even among your peers.¡±


    ¡°Hardly.¡± Xander chuckled at the woman¡¯s attempt at pillow talk. ¡°I have Vesta¡¯s Hearth to thank for that.¡±


    ¡°Is that a place? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± She asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve never even left Lausanne.¡±


    ¡°Not far ¡­¡± He mumbled as his hand moved, cupping some soft flesh.


    The girl leaning against him squirmed and asked. ¡°Tis¡¯ only the second moon of this year, and winter already seems close.¡±


    ¡°Not until Lysithea, at least,¡± Xander responded. ¡°The harvest of Thebe will not be harmed.¡±


    ¡°Lysithea? Thebe?¡± The girl asked cluelessly.


    ¡°The moons. Thebe is the fifth moon, and Lysithea is the seventh,¡± Xander said. ¡°The previous moon was Io, and the current one is Leda.¡±


    ¡°The moons have names?¡± The girl asked curiously.


    ¡°Would you like to know?¡± Xander¡¯s eyes opened as he looked into the girl¡¯s glistening brown eyes.


    ¡°I would,¡± she whispered as her hand trailed along the Hallowed¡¯s chest, her fingers lingering on his sculpted abdomen before lowering even further. ¡°Would Ser Hallowed like for me to continue my services?¡±


    Xander¡¯s hand rose up to the girl¡¯s face, gently cupping her chin as he traced his thumb along her pink lips. He didn¡¯t speak a word and kept looking at her. After a few seconds, she seemed to understand something, and her eyes widened in surprise and slight apprehension.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be good ¡­¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Try,¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about the moons. If your performance pleases me, I will consider your father¡¯s request in the morning.¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t quite recognize the glint in the eyes of the Hallowed, but his words were enough for her to find courage as she shifted her body and leaned down.


    ¡°The common people simply refer to the moons by numbers like the first moon, seventh moon, and so on. But in scholarly circles, each moon has an assigned name.¡± Xander leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, calmly enjoying the girl¡¯s service.


    ¡°The first is Io, the start of the year. Then we have Leda and Callisto ¡ª the second and third moons. Adrastea and Thebe, the fourth and fifth, are the harvest moons. Here in the Northern Frontier, harvesting is done in Thebe, while in the south, namely Seraphem, Solomon, Pendragon, and Phonecia, Adrastea, the fourth, is the harvest moon.¡±


    ¡°Elara, Lysithea, Mimas, and Tethys ¡ª six, seven, eight, and nine ¡ª they are the moons of travel. That should be this tavern¡¯s busiest time of the year. Though with winter¡¯s advent, that¡¯s going to take a blow. Dione and Iapetus ¡ª ten and eleven ¡ª are again harvest months. Dione for the South and Iapetus for the North. Lastly, we have Pandora, twelve.¡±


    He rested his hand on the girl¡¯s back, tracing his palm along her spine before resting his hand on her head. She groaned in response.


    ¡°Of course ¡­ This lunar system is only valid for this hemisphere of Alfian and only includes Antonine, Perusia, Avalon, and Germania. Places beyond the Endless Sea and the Desert follow a different system because they don¡¯t see the same moons as us.¡±


    Xander was sure that the girl barely understood half of what he told her. But that was fine. Considering the pleasured grunt that he responded with, he was pleased by her services.


    ¡°Thank you for indulging my curiosity, Ser Halllowed~¡± She spoke as she rose up, her face bearing no traces of her actions just moments ago.


    ¡°What a freak ¡­¡± Xander smiled. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve had practice ¡­ Though the night is just beginning. I don¡¯t plan to leave you so early.¡±


    With his words, he grabbed the girl¡¯s arms and turned her around, prompting a surprised yelp from her lips, which was immediately followed by a loud squeal as he took action.

 HM 5: Xander (3)

    The morning sun illuminated the empty common area of the tavern as the owner, Vizor, stood respectfully in front of Xander as his daughter served breakfast to the Hallowed.


    ¡°Sit Vizor, break bread with me, and tell me what it is that you went so far as to send your virgin daughter to pleasure me for the night. You are aware that I will not be taking her with me, right?¡±


    The Hallowed¡¯s sharp tone sent a shiver down the tavern owner¡¯s spine. ¡°N-not at all, Ser. I merely wanted Ser to be in a pleasant mood when you awoke.¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± Xander said, his piercing blue eyes compelling the small tavern owner to sit with a thump on the closest stool. Adjacent to the man, the Hallowed¡¯s eyes moved down to his plate. ¡°Now speak.¡±


    ¡°Please save my daughter¡ª¡° Xander shook his head before the man even finished his sentence.


    ¡°Save it. I just said that I am not planning to repay your daughter¡¯s virginity by taking her as some sort of concubine. I made it clear to her last night, and I¡¯m making it clear to you now.¡±


    The man¡¯s resignation to the Hallowed¡¯s words was limited, going by his facial expression. ¡°I understand that, but please ¡­ just take her away from here.¡±


    ¡°And dump her in another town? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Please ¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have an actual request, I¡¯ll be off.¡± Xander stood up, pushing his chair back as it dragged on the wooden floor under him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why?¡±


    ¡°I do not care whether she has an undesirable suitor or is supposed to be a virgin sacrifice for a priestess of Libitina,¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this story play out more times than I care to count.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that ¡­¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Tonight ¡­ they will take another ¡­ Three years, this has gone on. Three whole years where four virgins are taken every moon. The last was taken seven days ago, on the Third Quarter of this moon. Tonight is the second New Moon, which means another will be taken,¡± the man broke down, uncaring of the presence of his daughter as he fell to Xander¡¯s feet. ¡°There are only so many virgins of age in this town, Ser Hallowed. There have been signs ¡­ signs that my daughter was going to be next. Your arrival is like a boon sent from the heavens to us. Please ¡­ please let her not die to whatever monster is plaguing this town.¡±


    ¡°Three years ¡­¡± Xander didn¡¯t seem moved in the slightest by the man¡¯s pleas and analyzed his words objectively. ¡°How has no one from the guilds taken action?¡±


    ¡°They have, Ser ¡­ They have. But it''s useless. No one ever returns. And every passing day, I sleep in fear that my daughter will be the next to be taken.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that now, however, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. I am not the only one with such an idea. Every time, without question, the targetted individual has been taken, regardless of whether she lost her virginity after the appearance of the signs.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Xander grunted at the groveling man at his feet. ¡°Stand. Clean up after yourself. Your Castellan has already requested that I deal with this particular issue. There will be no abduction tonight. You can rest assured of that. Same with you.¡± He turned to the red-eyed woman at the side with whom he¡¯d spent the night. She was suppressing her sobs, but it was clear that she was just as overwhelmed by fear as the owner. His expression softened as he looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will be fine. I am going after the source of these disappearances.¡±


    ¡°My name is Susan ¡­¡± The woman suddenly spoke. ¡°You never asked for my name, Ser Xander.¡±


    ¡°So it seems,¡± the Hallowed grinned. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Take care of yourself and your father, Susan.¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, the Hallowed found himself in the same study as the previous day, with the Castellan sitting opposite him. The hearth was filled with embers of wood and coal and radiated its heat through the room, warming it up as the two men conversed.


    ¡°So, where is the source of these disappearances that you have started encountering?¡± Xander asked. ¡°And what is the basis of your assumption of a fallen mage? As opposed to any old monster.¡±


    ¡°It cannot be a monster¡­ It¨Cit is conscious, has a system of abduction, and limits itself to virgin women.¡± Louis, the castellan, spoke with a tremble.


    ¡°What you describe is closer to a monster, however. Any monster worth its salt works on a pattern.¡±


    ¡°Please trust me, Ser Hallowed.¡± Louis was noticeably more formal today than the previous day. ¡°I am not lying to you.¡±


    ¡±Maybe so,¡± Xander said. ¡°But I cannot act upon your word alone. Do you have witnesses? A location? Families of the victims? I want to see everything and make an informed decision for myself. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I will call in the victim families immediately,¡± the man said. ¡°As for the witnesses, there have never been any wittnesses left alive. The fallen ¡­ it takes only the targetted women and leaves any guards and witnesses dead. No one has ever seen it.¡±


    ¡°Any specific location that you suspect it comes from?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The Castellan refused.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Xander paused and looked at the man in charge with a piercing look. ¡°You claim with such confidence that it is a fallen mage who takes those virgins, yet you fail to give me any concrete leads.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡­¡± The man stuttered, unable to come up with a satisfactory answer as the Hallowed¡¯s piercing gaze dug into his soul.


    ¡°You are hiding something from me, Castellan,¡± the Hallowed spoke coldly.


    ¡°F-fine.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Yes, I was not completely truthful. But only because I am oathbound to not reveal anything about its identity. What I have already told you already borders on breaking my oath, and I cannot risk telling you anything beyond.¡±


    ¡°Oaths without a contractor are useless¡­¡± His eyes widened in realization of the severity of the oath mentioned by the Castellan. ¡°This involves the Ducal family, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man¡¯s silence was enough of an answer for Xander.


    ¡°I will start with this castle,¡± Xander said. ¡°Tell your men to not bar my entry anywhere. I do not like it when my investigations are obstructed.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, Ser Xander,¡± the man nodded. ¡°They are at your disposal if you require anything.¡±


    Xander didn¡¯t respond and closed his eyes as if focusing on something.


    When he opened them back up, his blue eyes had gone gold as the irides became indistinguishable from the sclera. The view in front of him turned darker and slightly colorless as the Castellan himself looked like a gray silhouette with no distinguishable features other than his body shape.


    ¡°Let us see,¡± Xander said as he turned to move out of the study and approached the lower rungs of the castle.


    ¡°Where are we going, Ser?¡±


    ¡°Basement¡­ Dungeons, whatever you have in there. Those places are rife for corruption.¡±


    ¡°While I completely support your process, Ser Xander,¡± the Castellan struggled to keep up with the pace of the Hallowed, ¡°looking for a monster is a waste of time. I can guarantee you that the being abducting the virgins here is no monster.¡±


    ¡°Still dealing with corruption, Castellan,¡± Xander said. ¡°Which way?¡±


    The Castellan ended up serving as the guide for the Hallowed, who slowly scoured the entire castle for any traces of corruption.

 HM 6: Xander (4)

    Xander spent the next few hours searching around the castle, combing through old records, inspecting hidden chambers, and even questioning a few of the more talkative servants. Yet, despite his efforts, he found nothing concrete¡ªjust old rumors and whispers that had been passed down from one terrified resident to the next. Ultimately, his search led him back to the Castellan¡¯s study, where he now sat in a high-backed chair, nursing a glass of wine with a brooding expression.


    ¡°Is there any other method to locate the source of the anomaly, Ser Xander?¡±


    ¡°The only other way is to wait for that monster to come for the girl tonight,¡± Xander said.


    ¡°It is said that this week¡¯s target is the daughter of the tavernkeeper of a small inn,¡± Louis said. ¡°The tavern that you are staying in.¡±


    ¡°The Old Corneal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the place is called,¡± Xander said. ¡°Never mind. We will have to wait for the monster to come for her.¡±


    ¡°Will it be more difficult in that case?¡±


    ¡°Far worse. The monster will be in its element when hunting for prey.¡±


    ¡°Is there no other way?¡±


    Xander didn¡¯t say anything in response and continued brooding.


    Louis sighed, sensing that further questioning would yield nothing. ¡°So¡­ I shall get back to my duties. Do let me know if there is something you require of me.¡±


    Xander didn¡¯t say a word until the man stood up and hesitated for a moment before vacating the room.


    A few seconds after the Castellan¡¯s departure, a man entered the study with slow, deliberate steps. The lack of a knock made Xander raise a brow at the man¡¯s conduct.


    ¡°Ser Hallowed,¡± the man spoke in a deep, firm voice.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xander turned to look at the newcomer. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind giving this servant some time to tell you something? Something about the previous lord of this castle and city.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did Louis send you here, or are you here of your own volition?¡±


    ¡°Myself, ser,¡± the man said. ¡°He is unaware of my actions.¡±


    ¡°Speak, I¡¯ll humor you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Ser Xander. I served under the previous lord. He was no benevolent leader; if anything, he was stingy with his resources and¡ª¡°


    ¡°I care not for these trivialities. What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± the man said. ¡°A few years ago, the man disappeared, said to have been assassinated. The family reacted as expected, putting out bounties for the perpetrators, but it all died down within a few months without any resolution. Lord Louis was appointed to this castle soon after that happened.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°If we go by the exact time frame, did that previous Castellan disappear three years ago?¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right¡­ I remember the records, mere days after his disappearance, these abductions started. They have gone on for three years now. Four every month without fail. This city used to have a population of over a million at its heyday, but currently, you wouldn¡¯t even find a hundred thousand residents here because everyone evacuated because of the bad omens surrounding this place.¡±


    ¡°Three years for a decent low-tier city to turn into a barely functioning rural village,¡± Xander said. ¡°Intriguing. So you assume that this assassinated lord of yours is the monster that I am looking for.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say as such definitively, but Lord Louis has never attempted to contact any forces to take care of this issue. The only ones who have attempted to go against that¡­monster are those hired by the people who live in this town.¡±


    ¡°Yet, he enthusiastically invited me into his castle the moment word of my presence in Lausanne spread. Not only that, he has made it seem as if he is staking everything on my actions.¡±


    ¡°The commoners have tried many things. The first attempt was when they realized that the Castellan had no intention of calling for support from the Marquis behind him. They tied a virgin woman to a stake, believing that if they sacrificed her, the monster would leave them alone. Tens of people surrounded her on the night of the new moon and burnt her to ashes. The following morning, her charred remains were nowhere to be found, and everyone who participated in the event was found dead with horrified looks on their faces.¡±


    ¡°Charming.¡±


    ¡°Things got worse after that,¡± he said. ¡°A sellsword company, fifty armed men, were hired to protect an affluent merchant¡¯s daughter. The following morning, all fifty were found dead, with the daughter gone. People, in their desperation, have tried many things; the worst was during the eighth moon of the previous year, where twenty men raped the innocent virgin girl in hopes of tainting the monster¡¯s target, discouraging it from coming after them. They were all found dead in the morning, with the woman nowhere to be found.¡±


    ¡°What if it was consensual? I can imagine a father wedding her daughter off in hopes of letting her survive.¡±


    ¡°The man is killed and left to rot, and the woman is taken away, never to be heard from again. Even if the woman does something out of wedlock and is no longer pure, the monster still kills the man who took her purity and takes the woman.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xander smiled a dangerous smile that sent shivers down the man¡¯s spine. ¡°Is that the case? This seems more the work of a hunter than a monster who relishes virgin blood. Tell me, how old was the youngest woman that was taken?¡±


    ¡°There was a fourteen-year-old once early on,¡± he said. ¡°After that, most people with young daughters left the city. Unless one has a major stake here, they won¡¯t stay. Except, of course, opportunists. To them, it¡¯s cheap land. What I don¡¯t understand is why these people don¡¯t send their daughters away. Do you know it, Ser Xander? Why some people stubbornly cling to their kids, even at the threat if imminent death.¡±


    ¡°A mix of stubbornness, ignorance, and unfounded confidence,¡± Xander said. ¡°They don¡¯t even consider that something like that could happen to them.¡±


    ¡°I have given you all the information that I possessed, Ser Xander,¡± the man said. ¡°I cannot speak for the Castellan, but I would very much like for this city to be rid of this threat.¡±


    Xander didn¡¯t say a word up until the man left the room.


    ¡°This Castellan seems fishy to me,¡± Xander spoke to himself. ¡°This whole situation screams of a scheme¡­ But for what exactly? Could they be unaware of the Hallowed Plight? Could be. On the other hand, if the previous lord was indeed embroiled with dark magic, it is possible that they are targeting my power to use as a catalyst for something. I don¡¯t like getting embroiled in the politics of these noble houses. Next thing I know, that guy who just told me these things is from a rival march.¡±


    Xander sighed a tired sigh and stood up.


    ¡°As much as I would like to ignore this and leave, I am duty-bound to see this through to the end, at least until tonight.¡± He left the study and made his way out of the castle on his still unnamed mare. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the time to restock on my potions either.¡±

 HM 7: Xander (5)

    The Hallowed didn¡¯t go back to the tavern until nightfall. He spent most of the day moving through the town, trying to locate any traces of the perpetrator behind the terror that the town had endured for three years.


    When he reached the tavern, he noticed the girl with whom he had spent the previous night serving the guests with a smile on her face, with no traces of worry about being abducted by a terrifying monster that none of them understood or knew anything about. He had a complex gaze as he looked at her from across the room before making his way to the bar.


    After giving the room a once over, he went up to his room where he had kept his bag that contained most of his belongings¡ªthe more valuable things went inside the leather pouch attached to his side. He quickly went through his bag and grabbed a roll of parchment and a quill from it.


    ¡°Not even a fucking desk¡­¡± He said with annoyance as he grabbed a small bottle of ink and put it inside his pouch while carrying the quill and parchment downstairs. Before anyone could be affected by his presence, he exited the tavern and went to the side of the tavern, to the stables.


    He slowly came up to the stall where his mare was stationed and patted her neck. She whinnied at him, bringing her muzzle close to his face.


    ¡°Easy, girl,¡± Xander said. ¡°I have something for you, okay? Come on, turn to the side a bit.¡±


    The mare turned her head to the side, and Xander unrolled the parchment on her neck, using it as the base to jot down a message. Within a few minutes, he finished up and rolled up the entire roll of parchment before fitting it into a small pocket under the saddle of his mare.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said, grabbing the reins of the mare and making it look forward. His eyes gained a gold glow that shone in the darkness, illuminating his mare¡¯s fur. The horse whinnied weakly as its black eyes also turned a mild gold. It blinked, and they returned to the previous black, but with a faint yellow outline around its pupils. At the same time, on its forehead, the insignia of Xander¡¯s school appeared, displaying the intricately designed curled-up dragon.


    The Hallowed stepped back and unlocked the stall¡¯s door before leading his mare out.


    ¡°You know what to do, girl. Don¡¯t stop; make sure you get there in time.¡±


    The mare snorted in response before breaking into a canter as it expertly made its way out of the city.


    ¡°Are you sure about that, Ser Hallowed? We don¡¯t get a lot of horses of such caliber,¡± a soft feminine voice got Xander¡¯s attention. ¡°To send her away just like that seems like a waste. The first person who sees such a majestic horse on the road will vie to claim it first thing.¡±


    ¡°Did you need something, girl?¡± Xander asked the girl who had given herself to him the previous night. Whether out of desperation or a will to entangle him with the monster, only she and her father knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s already night,¡± she said. ¡°The people know what¡¯s about to happen. They¡¯ve emptied the tavern.¡±


    ¡°Understandable. Go back, I¡¯ll be with you in a moment. Once you are entangled with such a monster who loves hunting, the only way to deal with it is to kill it. Otherwise, it will chase after you no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The girl suddenly sobbed. ¡°There was no other way¡­ We thought that the Lord was going to discourage you¡­¡±


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    ¡°Save it,¡± Xander said. ¡°Knowing that there is a monster here, I have to take care of it, regardless of the requests of your Castellan. What you did is understandable. You did it in self-preservation. If anything, your actions entangled me with that monster, allowing me to hunt it more easily. Go back and rest. It¡¯s going to be a long night.¡±


    The girl felt a vast distance between her and the man she was talking to. A distance that seemed overwhelmingly insurmountable to her, leaving her wordless and melancholic. Quietly, she retreated as Xander stayed outside the tavern, looking like he had no plans to go back inside for his bag.


    Soon, the moons were at their peak, Io in the full moon state that it had shown since the fourth day of the previous month and Leda, invisible and slowly tilting in its axis to show the waxing crescent. At its pace, within a few days, it would be a full moon just like Io. Lastly, the third and current moon, Callisto, cast nothing beyond a faint shadow in the sky in its new moon state that was only visible because of Xander¡¯s enhanced eyesight.


    All of a sudden, some kind of mist appeared in Xander¡¯s surroundings, distorting his view of the starry sky. It quickly thickened, significantly reducing his visibility. Xander easily sensed the flow of an ethereal darkness around him as he observed it approaching the tavern. He moved swiftly, unsheathing his sword from its scabbard as he went into the tavern. The mist had already permeated through the building, making it difficult for one to see even the tables and stools in the tavern¡¯s common area.


    He quickly made his way upstairs to the only room with the presence of human life. Everyone else had already vacated the tavern, keeping as much distance from the keeper¡¯s daughter. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream came from the room that he was approaching, making him increase his pace significantly as he kicked the door open.


    There, sitting on the bed with a terrified expression, was the woman that Xander had just talked to a few hours ago. She had a quilt tightly wrapped around her figure as she looked at the surrounding fog, petrified in her spot.


    Xander didn¡¯t offer any words of consolation as his eyes glowed gold, accurately tracing the movements of a dark shadowy energy moving through the fog. It weaved around in intricate patterns, leaving traces of darkness all over the floor, walls, and ceiling as it spread all around.


    ¡®A formation¡­ It truly is a fucking damnat¨©. This corruption is creating a teleportation circle, with everything inside this room as the target. That¡¯s why they are freely targetting me without hesitation. They won¡¯t have to be worried about Hallowed Plight affecting this region if I am teleported away.¡¯


    Xander¡¯s glowing gold eyes moved to focus on the terrified girl in bed and narrowed as his suspicion was confirmed.


    ¡®I have to kill her to prevent this circle from finishing¡­ The strange occurrences that signify the damnat¨©¡¯s next target stem from its attempts at forming an interface.¡¯


    Even if Xander used his aura to interfere with the coalescing darkness, it would keep going and recover as long as the medium lived.


    ¡°We are going be teleported to an unknown location, do you understand, girl?¡±


    ¡°Susan¡­¡± She squeaked out.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name¡­ It¡¯s Susan. I told it to you before.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fucking matter, come here and give me your hand. This formation will complete in any second now.¡±


    Despite her shaking legs, Susan slowly made her way to Xander. By now, the mist had covered the room completely, making it nigh impossible to see anything. The only way she could navigate through the mist was by following the Hallowed¡¯s voice. Still, her movements were slow and hesitant, eventually leading to him grabbing her hand as she released a weak squeal.


    Xander didn¡¯t react, and the woman felt a regal warmth emanating from that hand that invoked a deep insecurity in her heart. As if she was not even worthy enough to be looked at by such a royal personage. Yet the warmth was the most comfortable feeling in her entire life, as if nothing would happen to her as long as he was with her.


    As the girl was lost in her thoughts, suddenly, the gray mist morphed into a black shadow. Her eyes widened, and she screamed in a panic.


    The black shadow wrapped around both her and Xander, hiding their figures within. A golden glow shot out through the small gaps within the cover of the shadowy darkness, only to be covered by even more shadows. Everything disappeared in the next instant.


    Without the source of the dark energy, the entire building was left deserted, with no more traces of the mist to be found.

 HM 8: Xander (6)

    The sky above was a vast, ink-black void, untouched by clouds or color, where the stars appeared still, distant and unmoving. They were the only source of light in this dark, desolate landscape, with no air to make them shimmer, no wind to blow away the fine gray dust that covered the barren, lifeless desert all around. The ground was uneven and scarred, covered in craters that stretched far beyond the horizon. Some distance away, a massive slanted rock jutted out of the ground, with intricate carvings all over its surface. It released a faint dark mist that spread all around the surroundings, assimilating with the ground.


    A few feet above the ground near the carved rock, a dark shadow appeared as golden light burst out from within. The disturbance sent fine gray dust swirling around in weightless arcs as it floated in the air, slowly moving back toward the ground. The burst of light warped and twisted with energy as two figures materialized within.


    Xander fell on his feet and tightened his grip on Susan¡¯s hand, supporting her as she stumbled. The same golden light as the explosion was released from Xander¡¯s skin, giving him an ethereal and unapproachable aura. A frown of guilt, mixed with hints of dread, appeared on his face as he turned to look at Susan beside him.


    Her eyes were bulging, with bloody veins forming in the whites of her sclera that turned entirely red as her vessels exploded. Her mouth was wide open in a failed gasp as all of the air in her lungs was ripped away, not allowing her to release a single sound. Particles of frost formed on her skin as it glistened under the faint starlight. Moisture was the first to be sucked out, leaving her skin cracked and dry. Her blood boiled due to the intense pressure difference, rupturing her veins and escaping through her cracked skin. It froze the moment it was exposed to the vacuum. Her entire body froze within seconds as the heat within was sucked away by the relentless void. Her last action was a faint twitch of her fingers that were still tightly grabbing Xander¡¯s hand as she turned into a frozen sculpture on the moon.


    The silence was oppressive to the single survivor of the vacuum of the moon as he was forced to watch the woman he had brought here die in such a horrific manner without him being able to do anything.


    Xander didn¡¯t process the events until the hand he was holding turned as hard as rock, making it impossible for him to free himself without breaking Susan¡¯s fingers. He was unresponsive as the woman he was supposed to protect from the monster was killed because of something that he did.


    Soon, his face hardened as he freed himself from the grip of the frozen woman, breaking her fingers in the process. He couldn¡¯t do anything for her by staying here.


    ¡®How was I supposed to know that we would be teleported to the moon¡­ I just wanted to shift the coordinates by a hundred or so meters.¡¯


    Suppressing his guilt about failing to protect the woman, Xander looked at the massive slanted rock with intricate carvings all over its surface. As he focused on it, he noticed waves emanating from it that occasionally hid the stars around it, making them glimmer. The tower intermittently released dark energy in bursts that spread all around it.


    ¡®Damnat¨©¡¯s tower¡­ As much as I hate to say it, my decision to interfere with the coordinates was correct. If we had landed inside that tower, I wouldn¡¯t have any way to take care of the perpetrator behind all this.¡¯


    Xander didn¡¯t turn back to look at the girl¡¯s frozen form and made his way toward the slanted rock structure.


    His sword was already drawn as he approached the tower, and the golden glow that covered him also spread his sword, slowly condensing, making his implement brighter and brighter. With each step he took, his sword¡¯s glow started illuminating the moon¡¯s surface. It made the spreading darkness visible to the naked eye as it imbued itself into the gray ground.


    ¡®If anything, I can at least avenge this innocent soul by killing the perpetrator behind all this¡­ If only things could¡¯ve been that simple. The best case scenario is to cut a deal with him and have him send me back to Antoianne, or at the very least the Alfian Realm.¡¯


    As the glow of Xander¡¯s sword intensified, it started condensing further into the spine of the sword, making the glow somewhat subtle as the spine turned from metallic silver to pure gold. The color spread further, looking like cracks were forming on the sword¡¯s surface.


    Xander stood before the rock in less than a minute despite his slow pace.


    There were no visible entrances or trapdoors in his vision that he could use to get inside the place. It was nothing more than a massive rock, more than a hundred meters tall, jutting out of the ground with countless carvings all over its surface.


    He raised his sword higher and gripped it with both hands as a look of intense concentration appeared on his face. The golden glow surrounding the sword intensified as Xander¡¯s expression turned furious. His mouth opened wide, and he released a loud scream, completely inaudible in the vacuum of the moon, yet his sword was what expressed his thoughts as it glowed bright enough to appear as a small sun on the dark side of the moon that had no illumination.


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    Xander looked like he was pouring everything into the sword as he raised it high above his head and jumped. He swung it down just as he was about to touch the surface of the rock. A massive arc of golden light was released from the sword that went through the rock formation, cleaving it in half and even cutting through a chunk of the moon¡¯s surface as well. The half closer to the ground collapsed completely, while a chunk broke out of what remained and also fell, leaving merely a quarter of the rock standing.


    ¡°Holy fuck¡­¡± A soft, almost otherworldly voice reached Xander¡¯s ears directly as if a woman was speaking right beside him. ¡°You Hallowed don¡¯t joke, huh? To destroy my Magic Tower with a single slash like that. Thankfully, you haven¡¯t yet fully matured. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve been toast.¡±


    A sudden wind was produced from the center of the cleaved rock formation that suddenly blew away all of the dust and rocks, clearing up Xander¡¯s vision. In the middle, with a shimmering barrier surrounding him, stood his target. A woman with inky black hair and black irides in her eyes, wearing a long robe that went down to her feet as a dark shadow slithered around her.


    ¡®The damnat¨©. She looks nothing like the previous Castellan¡ªhe was a man, for one¡ªthe last victim, perhaps?¡¯


    Xander¡¯s eyes narrowed predatorily as he located his target. Still, he didn¡¯t attack the woman and descended slowly after destroying the massive structure.


    He didn¡¯t look out of breath after such a move, but hints of fatigue were naturally visible on his face.


    ¡°Smart, you don¡¯t want to come into my domain, somewhere you think I¡¯m prepared,¡± the woman said calmly, yet hints of condensention were easily discernable from her tone.


    With his words, dark shadows shot out of the woman¡¯s figure, intent on capturing Xander, who rapidly swung his sword, accurately locating the shadows with his golden eyes as he sliced through them.


    Each slice from his gold sword cut an approaching shadow off entirely, making it dissipate away with no traces. His movements were fluid and swift as he kept cutting through endless shadows that were intent on capturing him.


    ¡°It should be an honor for me to be able to witness the sword of a Hallowed in action. Yet all I can think about is what I would do when I possess you.¡±


    The change in Xander¡¯s gaze was captured by the woman.


    ¡°Oh, yes. You were the target of this, Xander the Hallowed. While I planned to switch to that poor girl whom you left to die, my real target has been you since the moment you appeared in my city. To think I could have the chance to possess a Hallowed just filled me with giddiness.¡±


    The shadows shooting out suddenly started circling him, gathering before they shot toward him, intent on capturing him by overwhelming him with numbers, yet the Hallowed didn¡¯t relent and continuously sliced through them like butter.


    As the seconds passed in the stalemate, Xander slowly looked to have the upper hand as the shadows started dwindling, yet the woman had no expression of panic on her face.


    Almost a minute passed before Xander noticed that the woman wasn¡¯t in her previous position anymore. Instead, she was much closer to him. Her hands were extended toward him as she mouthed something mysterious. He couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying, but he knew that he had to interrupt her.


    With a furious shout, he released a powerful arc from his sword, eradicating all of the shadows that were surrounding him. More of them quickly started approaching him from the remnants of the destroyed magic tower, yet he got the moment that he needed to approach the woman. Without hesitation, he slashed at her. A barrier appeared in the path of his sword as she continued chanting. It shimmered from his attack before breaking completely as the darkness surrounding the woman acted up and gathered in the path of his sword, slowing his slash even further.


    Without a moment¡¯s delay, he pulled his sword back and slashed again, cutting through the darkness.


    Suddenly, he was yanked back as the shadows caught up to him, preventing him from decapitating the woman. Before he could cut away the shadows surrounding him, they pulled him closer to the remains of the tower. He released his aura in a burst and slashed down the shadows that were entangling him before they pulled him into the tower. The shadows continued relentlessly pursuing him with a much greater vigor as he pushed himself to slash through them.


    Getting a glimpse of the woman, he saw a deep horizontal gash across her chest that bled black blood, yet she looked undaunted as she slowly approached him while continuing her chanting.


    Suddenly, her chant started reaching his ears, similar to how she was transmitting her voice to him before.


    ¡°Usurpatio Vitae, Invasio Animae, Raptus Corporis!¡±


    A sudden burst of darkness erupted from her as Xander went on for a final stand, releasing all of the aura contained within his body as he exploded with a golden light, driving away the approaching shadows. He didn¡¯t hesitate and shot toward the woman, driving his sword through her heart. He didn¡¯t stop and pulled out out before slashing again, chopping her head off immediately.


    The backlash to Xander was almost instantaneous as his legs buckled, almost causing him to fall down as the golden light that protected him from the vacuum flickered, causing frost to appear on parts of his skin. He had a look of intense pain on his face as he pushed himself beyond his limits to maintain his protection.


    As he struggled to survive, he noticed countless black lines slithering out of the woman¡¯s dead body, spreading through the moon¡¯s surface around him. Even turning his head made him groan, but he could see the black lines creating a formation around him. The woman was the source, and he was the target of this formation.


    ¡®I was too late, huh¡­¡¯


    Xander lost all strength and finally fell down on his knees, slouching as he barely kept himself alive.


    He had no energy to escape the magic circle and no more cards to play that could keep him from being possessed.


    With effort, he fished something out from the pouch that was connected to his leather armor.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve listened when he told me to go home¡­¡¯


    The thought came to his mind naturally as he looked at a cylindrical seal in his hand. It was a wax seal, one that was used by his father on official documents that required the man¡¯s identification. That stamp displayed the crest of his family on it, the side profile of a lion roaring at the heavens, and under it, an open book; both those things were encased within a hexagram, which was the boundary of the crest.


    The dark circle was completed, with Xander completely helpless against it, unable to do anything.


    Soon, he lost consciousness, allowing the dark energies to consume him.

 HM 9: Ceres

    She wore an intricate white gown that went down to the floor, with the fabric bunched up on the obsidian floor beneath her. Her attire looked ethereal, emitting an aura of light that made her look angelic and full of life; merely looking at her would be enough for someone to feel rejuvenated, as if new life was breathed into them. She wore a tiara on her head, and her golden blonde hair fell down her shoulders to her waist. A golden medallion with a formation of ten suns at the joints of a pentagram shimmered on her neck with an attractive quality, constantly enticing anyone who looked at her to focus on it. Her entire being looked as if it was bathed in holy white light, making her look unapproachable and distant from all life, nevertheless full of life. Yet her face was marred with a slight frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fond of all these dark and dreary interior design choices that Libitina has¡­¡± She spoke to herself while observing her surroundings with judgement. ¡°Would it kill her to put a plant in here?¡±


    She was in a massive hall made of a glistening obsidian rock; the pillars were decorated with skulls that increased slowly while moving closer to the end of the hall. That was where the throne stood. Made entirely of skulls that were finely grafted to make a comfortable seat. There was no roof to the hall, giving a free view of the endless starry void that existed above. Some were stars, some were shiny orbs of light¡ªmoons that reflected the light of the sun, and some were orbs that were positioned in such a way that they didn¡¯t receive the light of the sun, appearing as dark orbs that hid the stars behind them.


    She had a disappointed expression as she closely examined the intricate carvings all over the walls leading up to the throne.


    ¡°She has such a talent in interior design, and she uses it to express death and destruction. She doesn¡¯t even help me do my tower like this.¡±


    She continued mumbling to herself with dissatisfaction, passing time by expressing her thoughts with words. She calmly walked around as if frolicking in a garden and not the terrifying, skull-laden throne room of a dangerous entity.


    As she continued passing time, seemingly without anything to do, she noticed a particularly bright glimmer in the night sky. As she looked up to examine it, she discerned it to be a bright white light emitting from a moon that was behind the Alfian Realm¡¯s shadow, covered in darkness.


    ¡°That¡¯s Luna, right? What a bright light,¡± she spoke, raising her brow. A faint glimmer appeared in her eyes, only to disappear with her following blink. ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    Her lip curled slightly on one side as her eyes narrowed curiously. With a faint movement of her hands, her gown started fluttering as she took to the air. In the next instant, she shot toward that dimming source of light. Leaving Libitina¡¯s Magic Tower and the Alfian Realm behind her.


    She traveled at such a speed that time seemed to move back in her eyes. The dimming source of light slowly brightened as she got closer to it. By the time she stopped, it had completely disappeared.


    ¡°Ugh, dummy,¡± she said and smacked her head just as she stopped. ¡°I should¡¯ve teleported. Chronos is going to annoy me now.¡±


    She seemed slightly annoyed but looked intently at the coalesced darkness that was stirring. In the next moment, a white light burst through the darkness, releasing smoke that drove away the dark shadows all around the source. That light grew to a blindingly bright intensity, yet she kept intently looking at it without pause as it slowly dimmed, revealing an unconscious man on the surface of the moon. His skin shimmered with a faint gold sheen that protected him from the effects of the vacuum on the moon.


    ¡°Poor soul,¡± she said, slowly floating toward the man. ¡°It would have been better to die. You wouldn¡¯t have had to endure this curse any longer and could have come into our embrace instead.¡±


    As she landed on the surface of the moon, her gown fluttered and gathered around her as if being corrected by someone and spreading appropriately behind her.


    ¡°He¡¯s cute,¡± A man¡¯s voice entered her ears from behind her. ¡°Are you planning to take his heart?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± She shouted and jumped over the unknown unconscious man, putting him between the source of the voice and herself. ¡°Cronos. You startled me.¡±


    ¡°You startled me, Ceres. What are you doing moving beyond the speed of light? Do you know how troublesome it is to deal with a Doppelganger Paradox? Why would you not simply teleport? Moving beyond the speed of light is both a waste of energy and inefficient and increases work for me¡­¡±


    She looked to the side, into literal nothingness, and opened her mouth.


    Yap Yap Yap. Chronos is a bit of an overprotective mother, if you will. We Exalts hold a terrifying power, Authority. And Chronos holds Authority over Space and Time. Naturally, someone who has witnessed our births and deaths and all of their possible iterations is going to have some sentiments toward us. Don¡¯t think of him as a paper tiger, though, okay? He is the strongest of us all. Objectively. If Libitina and I are the governors of all that is magic, he is the one who oversees even us and more. All right, he¡¯s finally done with his lecture.


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    Chronos didn¡¯t seem to notice any of the actions made by Ceres as he concluded his scolding lecture.


    ¡°Will you please pay more attention to such things in the future?¡± The man asked Ceres.


    ¡°I got it, Chronos,¡± she nodded with an earnest expression. ¡°I just got curious about this bright light that suddenly appeared and acted without thinking. I¡¯ll be more cautious in the future, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Too earnest¡­ You were doing that thing again,¡± he said.


    ¡°What thing? I wasn¡¯t doing anything¡­else.¡±


    ¡°Ceres¡­¡± Chronos spoke threateningly.


    ¡°What? I wasn¡¯t doing anything. I was just listening to you speak.¡±


    Chronos narrowed his eyes and looked at her threateningly for a few seconds as Ceres maintained an innocent expression on her face.


    Tell them I look cute.


    Ceres maintained an innocent expression that made her look like a cute angel who could never lie to anyone.


    To go above and beyond~ thank you.


    ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t cause trouble for me anymore. Paradoxes are dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said with a nod.


    Chronos shook his head with disappointment before pausing at the unconscious man.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Is there something special about him? He released enough light to rival a miniature star just a few seconds ago. That thing in his hand is probably what released that.¡± Ceres pointed at the intricately carved cylindrical object in the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous is what it is,¡± Chronos said after some hesitation. ¡°One who already is cursed with the fate of a Hallowed, but now he also has this thing on his shoulders. Let us leave, Ceres.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± She asked curiously, her eyes darting between Chronos and the unconscious man.


    ¡°That bright light was emitted by the release of a terrible thing. That thing is the key responsible for it. He has countless descendants, but this man is the first who was not only the target of the Hallowed Curse but also held the key at the moment of his death. A terrible thing has been unleashed upon the world.¡±


    ¡°What is so terrible, Chronos? I don¡¯t sense any malice from his heart. While a bit more on the pragmatic side, his soul is pretty high up in terms of honor.¡±


    ¡°It is best left buried in the past, Ceres. Leave him be. Let his life end here. Otherwise, a massive storm would ravage Alfian. You do not want that to happen, do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no¡­ but he didn¡¯t do anything. You know how much I hate letting people die.¡±


    Chronos looked at her with a mix of helplessness and amusement. ¡°You realize that it is a part of your job, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Libitina¡¯s thing, Chronos. I give life.¡±


    ¡°Do as you will, girl,¡± he said. ¡°Just keep my words in mind when he overturns all sorts of status quos throughout Alfian.¡±


    ¡°I think that will lead to prosperity. The Magus Association has gotten too unruly recently. That Caelus guy recently killed more than a million people in a recent storm because he wanted to play with the weather.¡±


    ¡°His target was more than just playing with the weather, child.¡±


    ¡°Of course it was,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°He took the appropriate precautions to make sure his actions were sufficiently hidden. You won¡¯t tell us, and I don¡¯t want Libitina to kill him based on a suspicion.¡±


    ¡°If you save this man,¡± Chronos brought the conversation back to the main topic. ¡°Whatever he does in the future is on you. Keep that in mind before you take any action.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Ceres smiled. ¡°Look at how cute and handsome he is. How could he do anything bad? If he has the kind of power you are warning me about, he might even make those fakers apprehensive.¡±


    ¡°If one day he pursues you, make sure to let Libitina handle things. You are too soft.¡±


    ¡°Pursue?¡± Ceres widened her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? He is never even going to see me. I¡¯m just going to send him back to his last spatial coordinate. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Remember my words, Ceres. That is all I ask,¡± he said.


    ¡°Fine, whatever you say, Dad,¡± she said sarcastically as Chronos''s body started shimmering, and he disappeared into a mass of particles. ¡°Show off. He knows I haven¡¯t learned how to teleport like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I showed it to you, Ceres. So you can learn it.¡± Chronos¡¯s amused voice reached her ears directly, making her brow twitch.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s so special about you?¡± She spoke as her eyes glimmered while looking at the unconscious man¡¯s body with intent focus.


    Seconds passed, and a frown appeared on her face. She waved her hand over him, and a faint green light was released from it, illuminating the man¡¯s body completely. She tried almost everything, yet the expression on her face didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ What the hell is special about you? You are nothing more than a typical Hallowed, with a slightly higher talent than the average guy. Even if you become an Exalted Warrior, you might barely be able to hold off a real mage, but that¡¯s all. Still, Chronos can¡¯t be wrong. This power is either something that doesn¡¯t exist right now or is just too far beyond my means.¡±


    After failing to find anything satisfactory, she sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°Whatever, since Chronos told me to stay away from you, I have to entangle you with myself somehow. Consider this your lucky day, mister nameless Hallowed.¡± She waved her arm over the Hallowed, but nothing visible appeared. ¡°You get a free blessing of an Exalt.¡±


    She suddenly let out an amused giggle. ¡°It would be amusing to see what happens when you encounter one of Libitina¡¯s devout followers. Can¡¯t miss that. A monitoring spell should be fine as well.¡±


    With an addition made to whatever spell Ceres had cast on the unconscious man, she pointed at him, and he disappeared.


    ¡°I should get back to Libitina¡¯s Tower¡­¡± Ceres also disappeared, leaving the barren moon lifeless, save for a single icy human sculpture near the unconscious man. It went completely unnoticed by the two entities, or if they noticed it, they couldn¡¯t be bothered to care.