The blood was still dripping from Andel's severed head when they left the castle. Nephis was holding it by the hair, her face as indifferent as always. It seemed as though carrying human heads was not even something worthy of changing facial expressions.
Kane just saw Nephis in a new light. He was now wary of her and started to have a guard against her. 'Just how many people had she killed in the past?'
The facial expressions of everyone else, though, ranged from astonishment to horror. People who had witnessed the duel stared at Nephis as though she was some sort of an avenging angel. The others treated her like a terrifying demon. But those were just the inhabitants of the castle. The reactions of the people of the outer settlement were strangely reserved, but even more intense. They had never seen one of them stroll into the ancient fortress and walk away freely with a severed head of a Pathfinder in their hands. Now, all of them were watching silently, an inexorable, dark, sweltering emotion burning in their eyes.
Kane was unsure if Nephis knew what kind of a storm her stunt had evoked in the hearts of these people. That sort of emotion was dangerous and almost impossible to control. If she didn't know, things could turn really bad, really quickly. But it was even worse if she did and had done it on purpose. Was Nephis really capable of such ingenious and effective manipulation? Was this her plan all along? Kane thought, 'I need to prepare for everything.' Come to think of it, he didn't really know that much about her at all.
Consumed by these doubts, Kane didn't even notice that they were already in front of Effie's cabin. He glanced at the sky, only to see the sun hiding behind the ominous silhouette of the Crimson Spire. It was evening, just like Nephis had promised. The unruly huntress opened the door before they even knocked, a hint of irritation in her eyes. "What's with all the commotion?! Can't a girl spend a day in…" Noticing the four of them, she froze.
Without so much as batting an eye, Nephis simply threw Andel's head to Effie's feet and asked, "Can we talk now?"
Looking down at the macabre present, the huntress narrowed her eyes. Her face darkened. A few moments later, she glanced up and said in a grim voice, "Kane, is…"
Kane interrupted her, "No, Nephis did it."
Effie spoke, "Come inside."
As soon as the door closed behind them, Effie asked in a furious whisper, "What the hell have you done, princess?!"
Nephis tilted her head and slightly frowned. Then, she said with a hint of sincere confusion in her voice, "You wanted me to prove my strength. Did you not?"
The huntress stared at her in disbelief. Misunderstanding her silence, Nephis blinked, then added, "Oh. That head belonged to…"
"I know whose head it is! Where did you get it?!" Effie shouted.
Sunny sighed and slumped heavily on one of the sturdy chests. Then he forced out a dark smile and said, "Oh, by the way… you might be the last human in the Dark City to learn this, but standing right in front of you is none other than Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan, the champion of justice. She just walked into the castle, challenged the bastard, and killed him with one strike of her sword, right under everyone's eyes. By now, this must be the only thing people are talking about." Kane observed Sunny's tone. His tone lacked any kind of amusement. If anything, it seemed as though Sunny was just barely stopping himself from cursing out loud.
Kane spoke with a sigh, stumbling a bit, "So, what is your response, Effie?"
While Nephis and Cassie were anxiously waiting for Effie's response, Sunny just stared at his shadow, hoping to find some sympathy. Sadly, there wasn't any to be found. The shadow was just staring back at him, full of jubilant gloating.
Effie, meanwhile, blinked a couple of times and looked at them with a strange expression. Then, she threw her head back and laughed out loud. "Oh! Oh, gods! Did you really?! This is priceless! I wish I'd seen their faces!"
Kane watched her with his mouth wide open. That was not the reaction he had been expecting. 'Yup, crazy as fuck.'
When Effie finished laughing, she glanced at Changing Star with a dark, but gleeful expression. "Alright, you have proven your point. But there's something you should know. Back when I refused to join the Host, Gunlaug made it clear that if he can't have me, no one else will. Ever since, any group that dared to invite me to join them ended up regretting their decision. By hiring me as a guide, you will be putting yourself in his crosshairs. Are you sure you want to do this?"
So there was more to her story… no wonder she was so solitary.
In the ensuing silence, Kane was the first one to speak, "Don't worry, we know the consequence and... are ready to face it."
The next morning, they were preparing to go on a hunt. A small crowd of slum dwellers gathered around to see them off, their dark eyes burning with a strange mix of hope and anguish.
By now, the story of Changing Star's clever ruse and heroic battle against the villainous Pathfinder Andel had already flown all over the place, growing more and more unbelievable with each retelling. Now, these people came to witness her with their own eyes. They were especially interested in the Starlight Legion Armor and the symbol engraved on its breastplate. Who knew that the Memory of a simple carapace centurion would have such an effect on the inhabitants of the Dark City?
Sunny and Kane were not happy about it at all. The previous evening, Sunny had a chance to ask Nephis a few questions after they had returned to their lodge. However, he kept most of them to himself, not knowing how to properly express his feelings. In the end, he only asked about how she had managed to defeat her human opponent, who was much more powerful in terms of physical prowess, so easily.
Changing Star's answer was very simple. She just shrugged and said, "An old Legacy trick."
Kane shrugged, reminded of his hatred for the Immortal Flame.
And now, they were going into the Dark City to hunt monsters.
When the five of them were ready to set off, a sudden hum of voices made them turn around. The slum dwellers stepped aside, letting a tall young man walk through. Kane looked at him and curiously thought, 'What is he doing here?'
Walking closer, Caster stopped a few meters away from them and gave a polite bow. "Lady Nephis, Huntress Athena, Cassia, Sunny, Kane. Good morning to all of you. I, Caster of the Han Li clan, would like to join your hunting party. Will you have me?"
Everyone grew quiet for a few moments. Kane thought about this; he heard about the Han Li clan's prowess in the academy and observed his surroundings. A buzz of whispers rose from the crowd. People were shocked to see a warrior from the castle volunteering to join an outer settlement cohort. And one of such fearsome reputation, too! But Sunny's reaction was different; he looked with some sort of spite. Kane thought, 'Is he jealous of his height?' Before Nephis opened her mouth, Kane simply spoke, "Well, if you want, you can join us," and extended his hand. Caster warmly shook his hand.
Just like that, the proud scion of the Han Li clan had become the sixth member of their hunting party. It was strange to see their numbers grow after months spent alone in the Labyrinth, but that was probably inevitable. But what they didn't know was that a simple handshake would turn into something that would liberate a place, and their true names would echo around the world: 'Deputy of Heaven and Twilight Sword'.
Their first hunt was surprisingly uneventful. Guided by an experienced pathfinder, augmented by Sunny's stealthy shadow and Kane's Aspect Vision, they managed to avoid any Fallen creatures and arrive at the destination in one piece. There, the group hid in the ruins and waited for their prey to show up.
The plan of battle was discussed beforehand. After Effie had described the type of monster they were here to kill, complete with a detailed list of its strengths and weaknesses, Nephis quickly assigned different roles to different people. Kane had expected that things would work just like back in the Labyrinth, but to his surprise, they did not. Just like before, Kane and Nephis were going to take most of the risk and lure the enemy into revealing its vulnerability. However, Caster was going to be the one to make use of it and deal the fatal blow, not Sunny. Which made sense, really. After all, his Ability was not a combat one, at least not officially. It was rational to entrust the role to someone with an incredibly powerful combat Ability, as the one Caster possessed. Kane didn't care about it; it seemed logical, for now at least. But Kane thought, 'She seems to have some brains after all.'
When the monster did show up, everything went perfectly. Kane, Nephis, and Caster were able to finish the creature off without sustaining any injuries. Their teamwork, while not effortless, was strangely harmonious, probably because both were Legacies and had received a similar kind of training. Sunny, whose task was to join the fray if things went wrong, ended up not having to lift a finger. Neither did Effie, who simply stayed with Cassie in case the blind girl needed protection. After everything was over, she laughed, "Ha, this is the easiest meal I've ever earned!"
Effie's status in the party was a bit strange. Unlike the rest of them, she had not shown any desire to join the cohort officially. Instead, she was somewhat of a hired worker—her responsibilities included guiding the party through the ruins and providing them with information, and nothing else. She wasn't even required to fight side by side with them.
After the Nightmare Creature was dead, they quickly butchered it and left the scene of the battle loaded with a heavy weight of meat. Before the shadow of the Crimson Spire fell on the Dark City, the cohort was already approaching the marble arch at the base of the hill.
This was when something unexpected finally happened. And it happened because of Nephis. After giving a fair share of the spoils to the vigorous huntress, she glanced at Sunny, Kane, Cassie, and Caster. Then, Changing Star said, "I would like for you four to entrust me with your part of the meat."
Kane thought, 'Seriously, what now?'
Before Sunny and Kane had an opportunity to ask a question, Cassie already smiled and said, "Of course, Neph!"
Caster did not linger, either. With a small bow, he nodded. "As you wish, lady Nephis."
Sunny gritted his teeth and spoke, "...Fine."
Kane was in deep thought and spoke, "Nope."
Nephis was stunned for a moment and spoke with a smile, "Fine, it is your decision." Nephis turned with mild annoyance at Kane's answer, turned, and walked on the road.
When they returned to the outer settlement, she separated the remaining share of monster meat into two parts. One, a much smaller part, she handed to Cassie. The other, an incomparably larger part, she simply placed on the white stones in front of their lodge.
Effie looked at the whole process with curiosity. So did the slum dwellers who had gathered to welcome them back.
Sunny frowned, "What are you doing?"
Changing Star glanced at him and then gestured to the small bundle of meat in Cassie's hands. "This is for us to sustain ourselves. We will eat that meat until our next hunt." She then looked at Kane, "Kane won't benefit from these, of course, since he disagreed to give his share." Kane nodded and didn't care. But a curious question was, 'Why did everybody give their portion without question?'
Somebody from the crowd shouted, "What about the rest? Are you selling it? What is your price?" It was customary for the outer settlement hunters to sell some of their spoils. That was how people here fed themselves. The meat could be exchanged for items, services, or, in very rare cases, actual shards.
Nephis turned to the people who had gathered around and looked at them with a frown. When everyone grew quiet, she said in a cold tone, "My hunting party will not be selling any meat. Ever." Before anyone had time to react, dismayed by that answer, she took a step to the side, gestured to the large pile of meat, and said, "...Instead, we will be giving it away for free."
Kane, who was watching the whole conversation, suddenly glued to it. 'What the fuck?'
A dead silence hung above the edge of the outer settlement. The slum dwellers who had come to catch a glimpse of Changing Star or in the hope of procuring some food were all looking at Nephis with a dark mix of mistrust, disbelief, and suspicion.
After a while, someone shouted, "What trick are you trying to play? People here are hungry, Changing Star! Shame on you!"
Nephis crossed her arms, furrowed her brow, and answered, "There is no trick. Everyone is free to take a small share of the meat to fill their stomach."
The young man who had accused her before laughed. "Why would you just hand it out for free? Do you think that we're fools?"
Kane was being tormented by the same question. He knew she wasn't as simple as she seemed, but he also knew that she wasn't really stupid. She always had a reason for everything she did, even if those reasons sometimes seemed insane to him. Lately, he even started to suspect that Nephis was much more cynical and pragmatic than he had ever given her credit for. It's just that her version of cynicism was very different from his own.
What was she doing?
Meanwhile, Nephis pierced the shouter with a cold look, scowled, and said, a hint of anger in her voice, "...Why? Am I not a human? Are you not humans? Does a human need a reason to help others of her kind in this cursed place?!" She took a step forward and looked at the gathered people, making them shiver under her heavy gaze. "Shame on me? No. Shame on you all for forgetting who you are. We are people, not beasts. In the real world or in the Dream Realm, this is who we are." Her words echoed above the white stones, mixing with the howling wind. "Now come forward and take some food if you're hungry!"
The slum dwellers were still not convinced. However, their hunger was stronger than their wariness. Soon, the first of them stepped forward, tentatively took a small strip of meat, threw a furtive glance at Nephis, and then hurriedly walked away. When the others saw that nothing happened to him, they became braver. Young men and women dressed in rags formed a messy line. One by one, they came forward, received their tiny piece of meat, and then disappeared with haste, afraid that it would be taken back.
Slowly, a new kind of light appeared on their faces. It was the same timid, weak emotion that Kane had noticed in the eyes of the castle inhabitants after Nephis had announced her name. It was something that precipitated hope, or maybe faith.
Kane, who looked at this, thought, 'This is so wrong. This is not the solution to their problem.'
The queue was large. People were eating the food, and Kane and Effie were eating in the corner at the entrance of their lodge. After the food distribution, Cassie, Sunny, Caster, and Nephis came to both of them.
Cassie spoke, "So, why didn't you share your meat?"
Kane spoke, "Question to you, why did you guys give it so easily?"
Everybody turned to their conversation. Caster spoke with a smile, "Because what Lady Nephis did is right, as usual of her nobility. So, why didn't you give your share?" Everybody was eagerly waiting for his response.
Kane spoke in a flat tone, "Because it seemed illogical at that moment."
Nephis then spoke with a smile, "So, what about the next hunts?"
Kane, who had finished eating, got up, ready to leave, and spoke, "No, still no." Everybody gasped, including Sunny, Cassie, Nephis, Caster, and Effie. Kane turned away and spoke, "By the way, Nephis. I am leaving, you know where to find me," and Kane left.
The slum dwellers were looking at him, with a mix of anger, disgust, and hatred. They saw him as one who denied their share, even though others shared their meat. If stares could burn him, he would have turned to ash.
Kane was sitting on the walls, relaxing to control the murmurings. As Kane was looking, he heard a familiar voice. Shakti spoke in a curious tone, "Why didn't you share your hunt like others?"
Kane spoke, "Are you trying to convince me to share?"
Shakti spoke with an amusing smile, "Nope, just a curious smile."
Kane gave a long sigh and spoke, "Let me tell you a story. There was a kingdom, which was snowing continuously, with high-temperature blizzards. The people wore warm clothes all the time to compensate for it. Once, the king of that kingdom went for a hunt for a particular prized animal. After his successful hunt, he was traveling to his palace. On his way, he found a person, but when he saw him, you could say he was quite intrigued and shocked."
Shakti, who was listening to the story, spoke, "Why?"
Kane continued, "Because he wasn't wearing anything that could protect him from the sheer coldness. If anybody wore like that, they would have frozen to death. The king went to him and asked his question, 'How are you surviving here without in this coldness?' The man spoke, 'I am used to it, My lord.' The king's eyes widened and he spoke, 'After I reach my palace, I will send you some spare clothes.' And he left. But after he reached the palace, due to some crisis, he forgot about the clothes. After two or three days later, the king suddenly remembered. He sent his guards to give him the clothes. The guard went to the place and to their surprise, they found the old man lying dead, from the coldness."
After hearing this story, Shakti was confused about the conclusion. Kane looked at Shakti and spoke, "So, I have a question. Why did the old man die all of a sudden?"
Shakti was in deep thought and spoke, "Betrayal. The King didn't keep his word."
Kane laughed at the moment and spoke, "Partially right. The truth is, he grew dependent on the king." Kane continued, "Before meeting the king, the old man did fine even though the cold, but after meeting the king, he saw him as a leader and followed him blindly. That's what is happening here. Slum dwellers' lives were worse, but they survived. Sure, they lost hope and the will to live because they were forsaken by Gunlaug, and he didn't care for them or lead them, but that doesn't mean they don't have potential."
Shakti, who was listening, widened her eyes. "So, you mean…"
Kane spoke, "Yeah. What they need right now isn't another leader whom they blindly follow. They want to stand up themselves to fight, to question, to survive on their own, not blindly follow. And Nephis's freebies will just replace herself from Gunlaug's position in their hearts. Is it intentional? Is it harmful? Only time will tell."
Shakti, who was looking at him with a mouth wide open, spoke, "Kane, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I want to say something." And she unveiled her tunic dress slightly.
Kane saw the bruises on her thighs, not caused by Nightmare Creatures, but by humans.