“I can’t believe he’s dead...” the woman whispered as she buried her face in her hands, trembling with each sob. “He had been so gentle to me... He had treated me so kindly... He said we’d always be together... He told me we’d get married after we got back from the dungeon... He promised...”

  Her voice cracked at the st word, dissolving into a broken cry. Her two friends, sitting beside her, were trying their best to console her. Their hands hovered awkwardly on her shoulders, unsure of how to offer comfort.

  Viktor watched it all from a distance while waiting for his mug to fill with apple juice from the barrel. Once it was done, he zily plugged the tap and gave the mug a swirl. He sniffed it. Sweet. Refreshing. Perfect.

  He didn’t spare a single gnce behind as he turned and walked back to his table. He sat down, set his mug in front of him, and leaned back in the chair. He took a sip. Nice. It had a subtle tang that hit just right. Then he drank again, savoring the juice that slowly rolled over his tongue.

  The other people at the table, however, were all watching the grieving woman with sympathy.

  “I can’t believe something like that could happen,” Cire said weakly. “I heard he was killed instantly the moment he set foot in the dungeon.”

  “What a tragedy,” Rhea said, her voice quivering.

  Viktor couldn’t agree more. The bolt had knocked the man out of the boundary of his dungeon. Which meant he died outside, and no essence could be collected from his soul. A tragedy, indeed.

  “I heard that most of his torso was gone,” Lucian said. “And the entrance was spttered with blood and—Ouch!”

  “Do not say such things in front of a kid!” Fiora yelled at him.

  “He looks pretty fine though,” Lucian replied with a frown, gncing at Viktor.

  At the surrounding tables, the other adventurers were also murmuring among themselves about the gruesome death. Clearly, the incident had become the talk of the Guild today. After all, this wasn’t merely some hearsay. There were eyewitnesses, and the corpse, with the bolt still lodged in its chest, was lying out in the open for everyone to see.

  It looked like his experiment had gotten a little out of hand. He just hoped it wouldn’t scare Dagnar and Brynhildr away from entering the dungeon. Well, it was not like he pnned on using the ballista again anytime soon. The test had been a success, so there was no need to repeat it. He would only bring out the siege weapon when there was a specific target he wanted to snipe.

  Viktor took another swig from his mug, gncing around the table, and he realized not everyone here was interested in the current talk. Cedric was slumped in his seat, eyes fixed on the table, clearly unhappy. Was it about his mother again, or...?

  He rose from his chair, walked to the side of the bck-haired boy, and said in a low voice, “What’s the problem?”

  Cedric didn’t look up. “Well,” he muttered, “I’ve asked Azran to join my party, like you suggested.”

  “And?” Viktor asked, already knowing the answer.

  “He turned me down.” A pause. Then, a sigh. “I knew it would happen, but still... I can’t help but feel disappointed.”

  “Maybe that’s exactly why he refused your offer.”

  “What?”

  “You said you knew he would say no.” Viktor leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the boy’s. “How? How did you know that when you hadn’t even tried yet?”

  Cedric opened his mouth, then closed it.

  “In short,” Viktor continued, “you cked confidence. And it showed. Someone like Azran could easily pick up on that. And who wants to join a party led by someone who doesn’t believe in himself?”

  “So you’re saying... I messed it up just by expecting to fail?”

  “Yes.”

  “What... what should I do now?”

  “Try again,” Viktor replied. “But this time, believe in yourself before you expect anyone else to.”

  “Is it alright to bother him again?” Cedric asked. “He already said no.”

  “What do you think you’re going to accomplish if you just give up after one rejection?” Viktor said with a grin. “Be persistent. But also be clever about it, of course. Don’t keep bashing your head against the same wall over and over.”

  [You are really enjoying this, right, Master?]

  Yup.

  “Got it,” Cedric said. “I think I’ll go back to the dungeon. I want to have a new achievement to show him before I ask again.”

  “Great idea,” Viktor said. “Good luck with it!”

  When he went back to his seat, he reached for the mug on the table, about to take another sip. But then, Rhea leaned in close.

  “Can we talk for a moment?”

  “Yes?”

  “Not here,” she said. “Let’s get outside.”

  “Sure.” He stood up again, mug in hand, and walked toward the door of the mess hall, Rhea close behind. What does she want? he wondered.

  They stepped into the main hall just as two women passed before them.

  “Please reconsider this, Guildmaster,” the one with gsses called out from behind, struggling to keep up with the pace. “You can’t be serious about this.”

  “It’s done,” said the other woman, who didn’t even gnce back. “I won’t discuss it any further.”

  Viktor waited until they were out of sight before turning to Rhea. “Looks like Calyssa’s having a rough time.”

  “Well, yes,” she said with a wry smile. “Guildmaster Isadora is very demanding. She has final say in everything, and she doesn’t take no for an answer.”

  “What about you?” Viktor asked, casting a gnce at the girl. She looked different now, from how she had been on her first day, when she had had to wear her own clothes on the job. Now Rhea had been issued a proper uniform, tailored to her small, thin frame. A pristine white shirt, a blue ribbon knotted just right, and a long bck skirt that brushed lightly against her ankles, pretty much the same outfit Cire had always worn. She also looked healthier. A bit more flesh instead of just skin and bones. Maybe it was thanks to Alycia. That woman might make Rhea cook for her, but at least she forked out money for better ingredients. So in the end, it was not really a bad deal for the girl.

  “I’m alright,” she replied. “Doing my job, as usual. I’m just a receptionist, so I don’t have to deal directly with the Guildmaster all that often. Cire has a tougher time, and Calyssa probably has it the worst.”

  As they reached a corner of the main hall, Viktor casually leaned back against the wall, taking a drink from his mug. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

  “It’s about Jeanne,” Rhea said. “Did you hear she got kicked out by her ndlord?”

  “Nope,” he replied, the lie coming out naturally before he even needed to think.

  “Turns out Alycia already knew. In fact, she’s known for a week. But she didn’t say a word to me.”

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “I had a feeling that she was hiding something. After all, she’s never been that good at keeping secrets. So I kept pressing until she finally caved and told me everything.”

  Note to self: never tell Alycia anything I don’t want the whole town to know.

  “So, where is Jeanne living now?” he asked. Come to think of it, the blonde hadn’t mentioned that detail during their st conversation.

  “You wouldn’t believe it even if I told you.”

  “What?” Viktor chuckled. “Is she setting up camp in the forest or something?”

  Rhea frowned. “Worse. She’s now at the ruins of the haunted castle.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad—”

  Wait a fucking minute.

  There was only one castle in all of Daelin’s vicinity. His castle.

  “You mean the Dark Emperor’s old castle?” he asked.

  “Is there any other haunted castle around here?” Rhea replied. “I don’t know what she’s thinking. That pce is cursed, Quinn. You know the stories. Ghosts, demons, things that don’t belong in this world. And the ones who went there? They never came back. No one has ever made it out alive—”

  “Rhea,” he interrupted her.

  “Yes?”

  “No one who’s gone to that pce ever returned to tell the tale, but somehow, you know what’s there?”

  Rhea stared at him, mouth slightly open. “Well...”

  Viktor was well aware of those exaggerated stories about the ruins. The locals were clearly scared out of their wits. Sure, a crumbling castle deep in the forest didn’t exactly sound like the safest pce to be, but it also wasn’t any more dangerous than anywhere else outside the town. But superstition doesn’t care about reason. And because of that, he was forced to find another spot for his dungeon, instead of simply using his former stronghold.

  “The point is, it’s dangerous,” Rhea said after a brief pause. “It’s no pce to live.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to tell Jeanne to stay at my house until she gets things together. Yes, it’s small, and a bit cramped for three people, but we’ll manage.”

  “I see,” Viktor said with a nod. But judging by the way the girl shifted restlessly, it was obvious this wasn’t the end of the matter. “Is there a problem?”

  “Well, Jeanne’s still in the ruins, and I don’t know when she’s coming back to town. So I’m pnning to go there myself this weekend to see her.”

  Viktor blinked, then let out a short ugh, lifting his mug for another sip. “You just said that pce was crawling with demons, ghosts, and unimaginable monsters... and now you’re going there?” He chuckled at her over the rim of the mug. “Alone? Do you even know the way?”

  Rhea sighed. “That’s why I’m thinking of asking Cedric and his party to escort me. But...”

  “But what?”

  “As I said, it’s a dangerous pce, so I don’t really want to drag other people into it,” Rhea replied. “And apparently, Alycia kept it from me because Jeanne asked her not to tell anyone. So I don’t want to spread it any further.”

  Viktor raised a brow. “But you’re telling me.”

  “Because I need your counsel. I know that you’re younger than me, but you’re very smart and reliable. When I talked with Alycia about what I should do, she said I should come to you for your opinion.”

  Thank you very much, “Master.” Why did people keep coming to a thirteen-year-old for advice?

  This wasn’t really his problem, so he could have just given Rhea some random answer and called it a day. But... My old castle, huh? It had been nearly three months since the st time he had been there, the day he met Celeste. While he doubted there was anything useful left in that pce, it wouldn’t hurt to have another look. Besides, he himself was a bit curious about how Jeanne was doing in his former home.

  “I’ll go with you,” he said.

  “Huh?”

  “I’ve been there, by the way. A couple of times, actually. So I know the way.”

  Rhea stared at him. “You what?”

  “Don’t tell Cire.” Viktor grinned. “You ask for my counsel, and that’s my answer. Take it or leave it.”

  “But... but... it’s dangerous there... People have disappeared...”

  “I didn’t disappear. And you won’t either, if you’re with me.”

  Rhea looked at him in silence, before finally letting out a resigned sigh. “Alright, we’ll go together.”

  Viktor smiled, tapping her shoulder lightly. “Rex. Once you’re in the castle, you’ll realize there’s nothing scary about it.”

  She nodded. “I believe you.”

  You probably shouldn’t, but I suppose this time it’s fine, Viktor thought, finishing off the remaining juice in one single gulp.