A week after the court fight Nallos had met before the throne and been raised to the marquee position taking all of the Fuden family assets for his own family, he tried to convince me to come along but I refused since I didn't want to get involved too much.
Maarten and his father had both been sentenced to work in the mines for 2 years for attempted murder and political corruption while Rory became independent doing work for the adventurers guild.
Eloy retired after he received a large sum of money from Nallos as thanks. I also got a reward of 500,000numa but continued my journey as an adventurer so I could find my family somewhere in Searig.
I simply enjoyed that time taking it easy hearing about the new stuff finds of the cavern not taking any requests until I met a silver-haired boy and blue-haired man in the streets during my recovery. "Excuse me! Are you by chance the demon incursik?"
I looked up at him curiously as he looked down at me not wearing any of my battle gear or mask "sorry but no. I'm his partner cayde but I'm we're not taking any requests currently so if you want an adventurer, go to the guild and you'll find someone." I tried to leave to head towards my apartment but he quickly stopped me from calling out.
"Ah, I'm sorry I think you've misunderstood. I was hoping my disciple and I could have a quick chat somewhere quiet. Demon to demon of course." I looked at the tall man thinking it was some sort of act until he lifted his hat to grow horns through his blue hair.
I was shocked as this was the first time I'd ever met any demons other than my parents and how he figured I was also a demon, I agreed and led them to a desolate part of Entrana where no one comes
"I must say you do know your way around." The teacher was not even skeptical of me as I led him to the alley making me question how he survived in Laegii so long. Or was he simply that strong he thought he could deal with me if I tried anything.
Not knowing how to be polite to them I spoke nervously "Okay I have to admit, this a first for me meeting other demons so I'm not sure how to act."
"I understand. The demons of Laegii are very good hiders, usually unable to be found unless they reveal themselves as you have."
What does he mean 'of Laegii?' It wasn't just how he talked but everything about him that made me keep my guard up.
"Firstly, I would like to introduce myself and my disciple. My name is Arne and this little one's name is Ulf." I was perturbed by their Viking names slightly but bowed respectfully as they did. "I've heard you are not one to beat around the bush so I would like to get to the point immediately."
"Thanks for doing your research on me old man." His disciple chuckled slightly but he just ignored me. "We are part of a coalition of demons who are looking to reunite our lost brothers and sisters across Laegii and establish a home for ourselves. I would like to invite you to join us and help in our search and future endeavors that will be great boons to us and it would be extremely meaningful if you aided us with your strength."
Bluntly and quickly I shot him down "I refuse."
"Thank you for your compliance we wil- wait you refuse?" The blue-haired man looked at me confused along with his disciple who asked "could you give us your reason? Most demons usually agree immediately."
"Unfortunately I'm not 'most demons' so your gonna have to step your game up but, it's quite simple really." They stared questioning what I must be thinking
"When you say you want to establish a home for the demons, that means going to war with one of the kingdoms to take it to live in doesn't it?" Their brief silence after I asked confirmed my suspicion.
Arne stepped forward putting his hat to his chest "I'm afraid that is the case but we do have somewhere to call home already, though you wouldn't believe me if I told you where it was."
"Correct because I don't want to hear it." They looked at me with a pang of slight guilt in their eyes "look it's not that I don't want to join my kin it is just that I've got more pressing matters to deal with. I promise not to tell anyone of this but make sure I don't see you again" beginning to walk away the blue-haired man stood in my way.
"If you come with us we can help you overcome these challenges Cayde." His voice held genuine courtesy I could tell he was a good man making me slightly sorry for what I had said
"you see the length of my hair correct?" The two looked at me confused as I pulled my long arm length side ponytail forwards "this hair has only been cut a few times in my life and I will not cut it until I've completed my goal, my goal is also something I plan on doing alone. I thank you for your help but I don't need it. If I ever get tired of being alone though I will look for you."
Arne seemed to smile at me acknowledging my determination "very well then, we shan't push this matter any further then." His disciple and I looked at him weirdly questioning why he gave up so easily "I hope the next time we meet lad you will have completed your goal and not wearing that peculiar mask of yours."
"Thank you for respecting my wishes, Arne."
"It's no trouble. Come now Ulf, we should head home." Lupra's head popped out of my shoulder as she watched the two leave alongside me, all I could think of though was just how big the scale of that war would be though?
Could it end up sweeping the entire continent? If so I need to find my family before it all starts so I can protect them.
I may be considered strong for now but I don't know who else in laegii is stronger than me hiding, I need to get stronger faster! I need more allies!
I headed back to the guild trying to think of a good plan to get stronger but all that I concluded was the problem with my underdeveloped body.
If I was an adult with my current mana I'd potentially be able to take on a large army myself since the mana circuits would have gotten longer and wider alongside my age.
There's nothing more I can do with them now except coat them in attrium to strengthen my corruption magic though that in itself is almost pointless with how minuscule the results are.
The thought of completely changing the circuits to attrium using alchemy crossed me but then I remembered the carnage I could do with a small amount of attrium and I realized I might overload myself if I did so turning me into a colorful explosion probably as strong as three nukes.
When I then arrived at the guild Shelia was frantically calling for me the moment she spotted me "Hey Cayde come over here I need to tell you something!"
Getting pulled out of my thoughts by Shelia I saw she was holding a sheet of paper waving it in the air grabbing my attention as I headed over to her desk. "What's so important that it's gotten you so excited?"
She lowered the piece of paper revealing a big smile across her face "you got a personal request from the smith guild leader in Dargon!"
I was shocked when I heard this, why would a big wig dwarf be looking for me? "Care to tell me what the job and reward is?"
"It doesn't entail the reward but it says that your job is to use your aspect with the creepy vein thingy you used to kill the dragon wyrm in the cavern on a mountain." I looked at her worried slightly from the lack of context in the request thinking it was a fake "other than that it says that once you meet them at the port of Dargon they will explain everything in further detail."
I stared at her dubiously as if I was already denying it "It's a 2-week journey just to get to a boat from here and then another 4 days by boat. I'm not sure it's something our 'mutual friend' would want to do."
"But it's from THE master smith Torren Halter!" They're a dwarf that's made their name well known from crafting several enchanted blades, some becoming even royal treasures with how powerful they were! It is possible that after hearing what you can do cayde they want to build an enchanted blade for you!"
The excitement in Shelia's voice conveyed just how much she wanted me to go along with her pleading eyes.
I then collapsed unable to refuse the beautiful maiden any longer "fine... ill do it." She screamed in excitement to my answer "but...! I'm using the guilds portal system then." She looked back at me annoyed by my attitude speaking in a mocking tone "do you get seasick?"
I stated matter of factly "No. I just don't want to waste my time going on a six-week journey for an unspecified reward for a possibly fake request."
We kept glaring at each other waiting for the other to back down until she finally gave up running her hand through her blonde hair. "Fine. I'll notify Ulter and we'll prep the portal so wait here until I come to get you."
She quickly scurried up the wooden staircase to Ulters office to talk to Ulter. Lupra jumped out of my chest stretching her paws out on the wooden floor.
We waited together for a few minutes until Ulter came down the staircase with a depressed Shelia who didn't say anything other than "let's go Cayde." I looked at Ulter whose fox ears were fidgeting happily along with his smile.
We then entered a black door in the sidewall of the guildhall and entered a dark room with a rectangular stone doorway lying against the black wall. "This will take you to the port town once I've input the coordinates little cub."
Ulter stepped forward pulling off a black tarp from a hidden stone altar with rainbow glowing stones which he shifted meticulously changing their colors until they were half blue and half orange.
The portal stones glowed with strange runes matching some of my ashreaver tattoos as it whirred to life, I questioned why the same runes were up there but lupra gave me a simple answer as she nudged my leg asking for attention "it's magic papa, the same runes can be used for various purposes."
I was slightly estranged by the somehow mature-sounding lupra but before I could dig into it Ulter spoke: "This will take you to the port town but you'll have to find your own way back on the other side so that I don't get into too much trouble cayde."
"I'm sorry cayde I tried to convince him to let you come back through the portal but he said I'd lose my job alongside Ulter." Shelia bowed down in forgiveness while Ulter simply sighed at her theatrics
"it's alright. I'm just glad my prior six-week journey has now become three weeks." The two then waved me off as I passed through the blue portal alongside a tiny lupra putting on my bone-white laughing bird mask and black hooded white coat.