It has been some days since Blue Pine town had found peace. First a crimewave, then demons stalking the streets and finally zealous madmen running around everywhere. Now, at long last, the town is without fear or worry. Public order is restored, and people can freely walk the streets. At worst, they could not worship and venerate the gods at the town’s temple.

  Today, it was raining. Outside the Albrinter estate a caravan was being loaded with various supplies despite the rain. The caravan was going to be north bound and head to Longcrest city, the capital of the Irvan Kingdom. A handful of servants and some loyal guards were making their preparations for the long and muddy journey.

  Inside the warm estate, there was some last minute packing. Particularly, Ren and Sardon Albrinter were in one of the rooms in the estate. Sardon was going through his collection of muskets.

  “If I may, why the sudden interest in muskets?” Sardon asked.

  “I got the marksmanship skill.” Ren says.

  “Hah! My girl!” Sardon chuckles to himself. “So, for the completion of your quests and the aid you provided us, you get any pick from my collection.”

  Sardon lays out some muskets and pistols for Ren’s perusal.

  “I recommend these. They’re the latest flintlocks you can find.”

  Ren grabs one of Sardon’s muskets and inspects it eagerly. Her hands moved like a seasoned professional, that or she was faking it convincingly enough.

  “Muskets are hard to come by. They can’t be made by blacksmiths like all the swords and armor that was big way back in the day. Sure, a musket needs to be made of metal, blacksmith or otherwise. Even so, a musket needs to be put together by a clockmaker. You would not believe how few clockmakers are around. Plenty of blacksmiths are still keeping up their craft, but not moving on to the next hottest thing.”

  After looking them over Ren picks a musket.

  “That’ll leave some poor guy dead. Musketballs tear through plate armor like a dream.” Sardon says. “Not only are clockmakers the ones who have to use their precision tools to put guns together, alchemists need to produce the black powder. It’s amazing what alchemists can do once they try to do something other than turning lead to gold.

  “Cool.” Ren says.

  Sardon gives her a disappointed look before speaking again.

  “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

  “No. I heard it. I just don’t care.” Ren says without any concern for the young man’s feelings.

  “Well, that hurt more than I thought it would.”

  Sardon blinks for a moment and gives her a confused look.

  “Wait! Where did the gun go?” Sardon asked. “I just gave it to you.”

  “I put it in a pocket dimension.” Ren says.

  “Wha- how?!?!”

  “With my new skill, Thieve’s Sleeves. It’s a thief skill that stores objects in an extraplanar space. The only condition is that mortals aren’t observing you when you use the skill. That’s why a lot of thieves wear cloaks. So they can hide things under there.”

  “Wait, what’s this about mortals?”

  “The skill only works if mortals aren’t observing you. You can use it if only immortals are looking at you.”

  “Wait, why specifically mortals? Or immortals?”

  “I don’t know. But I get access to extraplanar storage, so I’m okay with it.”

  “O- okay. I’ll take your word for it.”

  Sardon reaches over a table and grabs some more materials.

  “Don’t forget the bullets or powder flask.” Sardon says as he hands over a pouch and bronze flask.

  Ren takes them, rolls her wrists so that they are out of Sardon’s sight and they vanish. Almost like a street performer hiding something up their sleeves.

  “Huh. Well, the skill is aptly named.”

  Ren and Sardon begin to head out of the estate and into the rain.

  Lutz and Luard were outside standing in the rain, with only umbrellas protecting them. As they do, two figures approach them. One of them was carrying a chest. From beneath cloaks that guard against the rain, the figures pull back the hood as they call out to the men. It is Mona and Vivi.

  “Wait! Mr. Albrinter!” Mona calls out. “Please! Let me come with you!”

  “You’re Mona Hazel, yes?” Lutz says. “Why, may I ask?”

  “Well… it’s Ren.” Mona says. “I think- no, I know that a dark influence is possessing her. An awful entity that wants nothing but anarchy. One that drives those it claims to find the closest ruler in a bid to kill them. So I want to seek help in Longcrest city, from the capital. Surely, someone there is capable of helping Ren. Please! I beg you!”

  Mona pleads with the two men. There is a brief moment of pause after she speaks. It is Luard who finally breaks the silence.

  “That makes way too much sense.”

  “Wow. Okay, before we do that, can I ask how you know this?” Lutz asks.

  “The truth is, Ren has a dangerous item I had before I came to this town. A hairpin. It pressed dark thoughts into my mind. It made me a great assassin. Eventually, it demanded I slay our queen. Before I could give in to those thoughts, I gave it to the temple and they sealed it underground. Later I learned that Parnidot unsealed it. Gave it to one of his officers. Then Ren killed that officer and claimed it for herself thinking it was loot from an adventure.”

  “Alright. So we can just take it.” Luard says. “I’m a chancellor. I can confiscate things.”

  “Uhh… about that…” Mona begins to hesitate. “Despite the level disparity between me and her, she has proven to be… better than me…”

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  “What do you mean?” Lutz asks. “You’re the highest leveled person in town.”

  Mona shakes her head.

  “A few nights ago, I tried to take it by force. I couldn’t do it. She’s grown stronger than me, or at the very least, more illusive than I can chase.”

  “Alright, alright.” Luard waves his hand. “Let me try. It’s not like a magic hairpin or whatever telling a girl to stab our queen is something I can let slide.”

  Luard hands his umbrella to Mona. As he does, Ren and Sardon begin to emerge from the Albrinter estate’s front doors. Luard steps up to them and starts speaking.

  “Ren! Some new information has come to light. I’m going to need that hairpin you got. By my authority as a chancellor of the Irvan Kingdom, I will be confiscating that.”

  Ren looks up at him.

  “Why?” Ren says.

  “Because you are in possession of a terrible magic item. Under the law of this kingdom and my station as someone with higher authority than a judge, I can confiscate it under threat of national security.”

  “But it’s not magical.” Ren says.

  “Alright. Take it off and show me.”

  Without issue, Ren takes the hairpin off and presents it to Luard.

  “Visualize Magic Glow!”

  Luard claps his hands together and magic sprays out and comes down with the rain. Then some buttons on Luard’s shirt begin to glow with a blue light. The broach Ren pinned to her mage robes also glows. However, nothing else on her person glows this blue light. However, Ren’s hairpin, sword and tome do not glow this same light.

  “Oh… well… that’s embarrassing.” Luard says.

  “What does that mean?” Mona asks.

  “Uhh… I’m sorry, miss, but that hairpin isn’t magical.” Luard says.

  “What? It- it- IT’S AN EVIL PIECE OF JEWELRY! HOW ISN’T IT MAGICAL?!?!” Mona shouts into Luard’s ear.

  “Yeah! I know! But even talking swords are magical without exception! Any item that can do the evil talking in your mind thing are magical, but that clearly isn’t!”

  “It is! I know it is! I’ve held it before! I HEARD THE VOICE!!!!” Mona was beginning to move to tears.

  “Mona. You want to hold it.” Ren asks.

  Mona snaps to attention.

  “What?”

  Mona goes wide eyed as Ren extends her hand out to her. In her hand was the plague to her existence. The catalyst that brought with it a voice. A voice that haunted her. The very image of it brings a wave of confusion and something in Mona’s throat comes up. Even then, she has to know. She has to know if this thing is real. Mona drops the umbrella she was holding for Luard and reaches her hand out and touches it. Where she expected evil thoughts to flood her mind, instead nothing happened.

  “It… it’s not there.” Mona says.

  It’s impossible to see in the rain, but Mona starts to cry.

  “This can’t be real! It has to be a lie!” Mona quivers as she speaks. “Or- or was everything a lie before?”

  “It’s okay, Mona.” Ren says. “That only means that the voice is gone or this was a replicated piece all along.”

  “What? Why?” Mona asks pleadingly.

  “You were worked up because Maloon wore it, right?” Ren says. “She was super evil and sadistic. She probably did that to mess with you.”

  Mona’s sobbing comes to a stop. The thought dawns on her. Mona starts to laugh.

  “Ha ha! God’s damn! I- I was- I was about to hurt you over an elaborate lie.”

  Mona pulls Ren into a hug. She begins sobbing into her arms and apologizing. Lutz and Luard just stood by watching the two. It’s not like their bags were loaded onto the carriages yet anyway.

  “Wait, even if it is a replica of the real evil hair pin, it’s still missing from the temple, right?” Lutz asks.

  “Eh, probably.” Luard shrugs his shoulders.

  As they speak, Ren speaks up to the two men.

  “So can I sue you for damages and threats?” Ren asks.

  “Well no.” Luard says. “By the legal codices of the Irvan Kingdom, as someone who isn’t a citizen of our country, you can’t take up your complaint to a court. It’s a whole mess, and my queen is seeing if she can’t reform that, but you know. Our neighbors up north are assholes.”

  “The bottom line is, no. You cannot take legal action against the chancellor here.” Lutz says.

  Ren remains expressionless and does not pursue the topic any further. She just remains in Mona’s sobbing grasp. Lutz and Luard shrug their shoulders and get back to overseeing the loading of their luggage. Before they could even threaten to lift a finger to help their servants, they stop for a moment when they look more closely at Vivi who was holding a chest.

  “Wait, isn’t that Vivian?” Lutz points to Vivi.

  Luard looks to where Lutz points and sees Vivi.

  “Whoa! Vivian!” Luard says.

  The two jog over to Vivi as she pulls the hood of her cloak up.

  “Uh! Ah! H- hey guys…” Vivi sheepishly responds.

  “Hey! It’s been a while. You good? I kinda forgot about you after our queen started purging nobles.” Lutz says.

  “Ah! Well. Suffice it to say that my noble house got axed too.” Vivi says.

  “Ah, right. Mona Hazel, Bane of Leostriders, killed the entire family. You probably got sept up in the purge and…” Luard stops for a moment. “Wait!”

  Luard stops to turn and look at Ren and Mona crying in the rain.

  “Wait! You arrived here with her!” Luard says.

  Luard goes wide eyed and gives both Mona and Vivi a confused look. His gaze whips back and forth between the two.

  “Woah! What? What is going on?” Luard raises his hands in complete shock.

  “I- uhh… you know…” Vivi stammers.

  “Did you fall in love with the assassin that killed the entirety of your noble house save for you who was in school with us at the time?” Lutz asks.

  “Wha- I- No!... Probably.” Vivi meekly whimpers.

  Luard cranes his neck until his palm slaps his face.

  “Remember when the only thing we had to worry about was posing to look better than commoners?” Luard asks.

  “No. I don’t remember that.” Lutz says. “It was either keep my head above water or sink with our queen’s new demand.”

  “M- mind your own business.” Vivi says to the boys.

  “Well, at least you can say you managed to seduce the woman who killed your family.” Luard says. “The queen pardoning her worked out for you after all, huh.”

  “You did seduce her, and not the other way around, right?” Lutz asked.

  “Well, I- uhh…” Vivi stammers.

  “Okay, does she at least know you’re the last survivor of her crowning achievement as an assassin?”

  “Well, you see… it’s a bit complicated.” Vivi is now very cagey with her responses.

  “Please tell me you’re not in a one sided love affair with the woman who killed your family.”

  There is a long pause. The rain seems to be coming down just a bit harder, as if to try and help cover for Vivi‘s inaction.

  “J- just give this to Ren.” Vivi hands the two the chest she was carrying.

  “Woah! What’s all this?” Luard asked.

  “It’s for Ren. I don’t know why, but she isn’t carrying any luggage. She also suddenly asked for… articles of clothing for the trip. So I prepared them and a dress for the Golden Autumn festival. Anyway, be a pair of gentlemen and take this with you.”

  Vivi thrusts the wooden chest into the hands of the two men and they instinctually grab it before it falls.

  “Woah! Okay.” Lutz looks over his shoulder and speaks up. “Hey! Sardon! Be a gentleman and take care of Ren’s stuff.”

  Lutz thrusts the same chest into his younger brother’s hands.

  “Hey! Woah! Woah!” Sardon yelps as a chest is thrust upon him.

  Lutz pushes his brother away while he holds the chest.

  “Anyway, are you still a killer seamstress? Noble or not, you were better than most.” Luard says.

  “Sort of. Unfortunately, it’s not putting as much food on the table as I like.” Vivi says.

  “Well, if you plan on staying in Blue Pine town, how about I invest some money into a workshop for you. Doubly so if I manage to inherit my father’s title.” Lutz says.

  “Ah… that… would be charity…” Vivi turns away.

  “Vivian, I have 3 sisters with rotating birthdays. I could use your skills at least 3 times a year.” Lutz says. “I’ll be a great customer and investor, I swear.”

  “Eh… maybe…” Vivi hesitantly speaks.

  “Alright then. I’ll see if I can’t find a messenger boy to bring you a summons when I get back.” Lutz says.

  The three of them turn their attention back to Ren and Mona hugging in the rain.

  “So… your crush has a wet nun habit on.”

  “Yeah, I’m in for a long walk back to the inn.”

  “Wait, how is that possible?” Apherward asks in Ren’s mind.

  “What now?” Agnoir groaned.

  “We’re all magic items. You can’t be a sentient item without being magical in nature.” Apherward says.

  “Speak for yourself, I was a great demon who beat myself into this enduring form.” Warumasa boasts.

  “Wha- ew! I don’t need to know you beat yourself off like that!” Agnoir says in pure shock.

  “No, that’s not-” Warumasa manages to say before he is cut off.

  “We are magic in nature. How could we possibly not appear as such? We should have lit up like a torch when that spell was cast on us.” Apherward asked no one in particular.

  “I don’t want to hear about you beating your meat!”

  “I KEEP TELLING YOU, I FORGED MY FORM FROM THE FINEST CLUMPS OF RESENTMENT INSIDE ME!!!”

  “Would you two shut up for just one minute! I just discovered a clue to what our plight might be!”

  “That’s it! Get in the pocket dimension!” Agnoir commands!

  “You can’t make me!” Warumasa says.

  “Wait! Can you store us in an extra dimensional space?” Apherward asks. “If you do, do we fall silent? Do we find silence? Can I escape your mad ramblings?”

  “Wait! Can I finally have silence from you? From you both?” Warumasa speaks with glee.

  “Ah! Come on! Go!” Agnoir grunts in apparent extraneous effort.

  “Are you doing it? Is it working?” Apherward asks incessantly.

  “Come on! Why isn’t this working?!?!” Agnoir shouts.

  “Aw, come on!” Warumasa groans, betraying his origin as a demon.

  “I could have found peace!” Apherward sounds like a wizard who was thoroughly defeated.

  “Damn it all!” Agnoir sounds like a woman brought to tears.

  “Ugh! Whatever. What was I thinking about?” Apherward speaks to himself. “I swear I was onto something.”