I opened the door for Penelope and followed her inside. The branch leader was a stout man with a pronounced double chin—something I'd never seen up close before, and immediately decided I disliked. His hair was thinning, flecked with gray, and sweat-soaked through his shirt. Yet the moment I entered, he beamed broadly, arms outstretched in welcome.
"Ah, you must be Vita! Hello, hello!"
"Good day, sir," I replied politely, nodding.
Ugly as sin—but his soul felt pleasant enough. Couldn't afford to be rude.
"Before we begin, would you mind taking this?" He handed me a small vial of clear liquid.
"This isn't alcohol, is it?" I asked, shaking my rat bucket slightly to signal Penta to hide. "I get tipsy easily, and Rowan says I shouldn't drink."
He chuckled as Penta swiftly slid down my arm and dropped into the bucket.
"No, no—it's not that kind of thing at all," he assured me. "It's a stronger toxin."
I blinked.
"Pardon?"
"A toxin," he confirmed. "Not strong enough to kill or incapacitate you, just enough to make you uncomfortable—aches, nausea, the usual. But it kills any Navarra inside you. Standard procedure in such cases. So again… please, drink it."
Oh. That explained why I hadn't sensed any Navarra earlier—Penta had already left my body. I raised the vial to my lips and drank. No scent, no taste—just cold liquid sliding down my throat. At first, nothing. Then pain surged through every joint, like waking from a brutal spar with Remus.
"Ouch," I said to the leader, handing back the bottle. He smiled.
"Sorry, sorry—I know it's unpleasant, but we must check. Now, Penelope tells me you have a way of sensing Navarra inside people?"
"Yes, sir. I do," I admitted.
"And you can kill them too."
"I'm basically a walking Navarra-killer, sir," I winced.
"Hmm. Fascinating ability. Sounds like some innate biomancy, though I've never heard of anything quite like it."
"Please don't send me to be studied," I pleaded, ready to unleash my most pitiful puppy-dog eyes if needed.
He arched an eyebrow.
"I won't force you. But if you ever want to monetize new abilities..."
Hmm… money versus not being hunted by paladins for necromancy? Tough choice!
"I'll consider it," I dryly replied. "As for Remus… I should mention my power doesn't work on all Navarra. I tried killing the slime in him—he didn't even flinch."
The leader's brows lifted.
"You tried killing the slime in Remus?"
"Of course!" I answered. "He's heading to Lytia Village to infect its people. Can't we try saving him without killing him? Like tricking him into drinking this?"
"Hmm. We'd prefer not to lose someone like Remus. He's valuable to both the Guild and the city. But manipulating someone of his caliber won't be easy—we must assume the parasite matches its host in strength and intelligence."
An idea struck me—one worth mentioning.
"He thinks there are still Navarra inside us," I said. "What if we sneak in and slip him this toxin?"
He stroked his graying beard.
"If you're willing to try… we certainly wouldn't stop you. And I might convince the Church to provide a paladin escort. Nothing too difficult."
...And there I went, digging myself deeper.
"Uh, god, I mean… I didn't even know if this was—"
"Not difficult at all, I assure you!" the man cheerfully interrupted. "That's exactly what paladins are for. Our Guild and the Church cooperate closely—I'm sure they'll gladly assist in rescuing Remus. Once Hollowspire passes, I'll prepare everything. You two could stay here tonight? Please?"
He ushered us to the door, politely guiding us into the corridor before closing it behind us. Penelope and I stood frozen for a long moment, realizing the mess I'd just dragged us into.
"Vita…" she hissed angrily, "you absolute, idiotic, insane—!"
"Yes, yes, I messed up," I cut her off. "I really messed up. It seemed like a good idea at the time! Ugh… can you get this poison out of me now? Then we can… talk."
She took a deep breath.
"...Fine. Let's go to the mess hall. I need to speed up your metabolism to purge the toxin."
Hey, works for me. We descended to the mess hall. I shoveled food into my mouth while Penelope worked spells on me. Finally, she nodded. I reached into the rat bucket, and Penta slithered swiftly up my arm, settling at my neck, trembling faintly. I doubted I'd ever get used to that sensation.
"That was unbearable," my mouth muttered uncontrollably. "We need a better plan."
Hey, I'm sorry, I thought. I'm trying. Did you lose memories?
"I think I lost some—but not important ones," she grumbled softly. "I care more about the new memories—being smothered under a pile of corpses as a dead rat!"
Oh… I hadn't considered that.
"Try empathy!"
"Are you done yet?" Penelope snapped. "You still owe me an explanation."
"Yeah, uh… will you come back to my place?"
She frowned.
"The branch leader told us to stay here."
"For tonight, because of Hollowspire. Come on—we'll be back before it arrives."
"Unless you intend to rob me, dragging me to the slums again is unnecessary," she complained. "My secrets were nearly exposed beside a public toilet last time."
"Sorry," Penta said, then I added, "but I couldn't say it here. Besides… you were supposed to heal the children. This… was Penta's promise, but…"
Penelope frowned.
"Fine."
I grinned. We set out, making her wear armor. I retrieved my coin purse from the receptionist and hurried home, enduring her muttering about this detour. Linn greeted me with a smile.
"Vita! Hey, kid—you're back fast. Who's this?"
"Hi, Linn!" I beamed, hugging her. "This is Penelope—the real one. She knows… things. I've got more to explain, okay?"
"Oh, the healer girl?"
I grinned. Technically not her, but…
"We can have her heal everyone this time!"
Linn's eyes widened. She bowed to Penelope, who looked embarrassed.
"Oh, thank you so much, Miss Penelope. Please, let me know if you need help."
"Avoidance isn't necessary, Miss Linn," Penelope said stiffly, hand resting on her collarbone. "I'm only here because I owe Vita. You owe me nothing."
"Liar," Penta whispered. I smiled wider.
"So… I know outsiders shouldn't interfere, but—"
"Healers are family members," Linn waved dismissively. "Rowan's downstairs. Tell him I approve. But are you sure about this? If 'more things' means… well, she doesn't seem like the type."
Penelope blinked, puzzled. Never heard herself described like that, huh?
"I promised her. That's all. If it fails… well, I guess I'll take my chances."
"Alright," Linn relented. "Sure you can't stay home during Hollowspire? I worry about you."
"Sorry," I said honestly. "I want to stay, but I can't. Things keep happening. The Guild needs me. I may be sent out soon."
"Then good luck, Vita."
"And you too, Linn."
I led Penelope to our secret basement, descending the ladder. As she climbed down, Rowan raised an eyebrow—but I tossed him a heavy pouch of coins and quickly silenced him.
"The healer says kids sometimes need meat and vegetables to avoid sickness," I told him. "If you can't feed everyone decently, I'll beat you."
"This… should suffice," he mused, eyeing Penelope curiously. "Who's this?"
"The very same," she answered flatly. "Fewer family reunions, more explanations. Please."
"Sure," I agreed. "We won't speak of this, right Rowan?"
"As always," he replied.
I inhaled deeply. Here goes everything. Would this conversation decide my fate? If it failed, I might be exiled—or worse. If it succeeded...
"I'm a natural-born mage," I told Penelope.
"Oh?" she replied blandly.
"My magic is necromancy."
Her expression shifted. She narrowed her eyes, fingers weaving a spell. I glanced at Rowan—his thoughtful look, not alarmed, eased me. She finished casting.
"Prove it."
I shrugged, grabbed a corpse from the bucket, and threw it. I expected screaming—but she caught it.
"Dead?" I asked.
"Stone-cold," she confirmed, handing it back.
I grasped the corpse, infused it with Vita-Min's soul. It twitched, blinking around.
"Hey Vita-Min! Are you alright?" I chirped.
The little rat nodded. I smiled, hugging it gently to my chest.
"Just wanted to hold you! Just once! Love you!"
I extracted the soul, watching Penelope's frown.
"...I see," she murmured. "Your detection ability?"
"Soul perception," I told her. "By the way, your soul's base is bubbly, top pointy—and it hums nicely."
She mulled over that before shifting topics.
"...And your Death's Touch?"
"I can rip souls straight from bodies—people or other things, I think."
I forced a smile, hiding fear. Penelope remained impassive. Silence gnawed at my panic.
"Show me again."
I swallowed hard, nodded. Grabbing more corpses, I willed fragments from within me—my writhing inner thing danced joyfully. I tore each fragment free, placing them in rats, whispering for them to obey. When lined up, I gave commands.
"Roll over."
They complied.
"Dance."
Clumsily, they mimicked dancing. Watching their obedience, I smiled involuntarily. If only this weren't illegal…
"Enough," Penelope said. "I believe you. Everyone says natural soulweavers don't exist. Turns out they do."
"Indeed," I agreed. "You're taking this oddly calmly."
"I don't care about your magic's nature," she replied. "Though knowing leverage feels reassuring."
"Huh?"
"Just in case," she assured, smiling slightly. "Still fascinating. Magic unlike anything recorded. So this is soulweaving. Are you also a consciousness mage?"
Casual question—but edged. I caught it.
"Not that I know," I said truthfully. "I see souls in living beings—but beyond pulling them out, I've never done anything else to them."
"That makes sense," she murmured. "If you altered thoughts directly, you wouldn't need tricks. Explains your dislike of paladins—they'd seize you instantly, wouldn't they? Curious—while possessed by Navarra, did your native magic still function? Is that standard for soulweaving, or unique to your method? What happens to pulled souls?"
"I store them inside me!" I happily replied. "Use them for undead, or eat them!"
She frowned.
"Eat them?"
"Exactly!" I enthused, finally discussing openly. "Delicious! Strengthens me too. Whenever something dies, its soul lingers—either taken by that immense spectral entity I'm certain is the Watcher below… or claimed by me. Honestly, half my reason for becoming a hunter is harvesting monster souls. Rat souls barely count. After our last mission, consuming those monsters made me noticeably stronger."
"So you're stealing souls from gods?" Penelope smirked slightly.
I swallowed hard.
"Well, whoever finds them first keeps them?"
She snorted—a laugh escaped.
"A metal thief and soul thief. Your bloodline truly defies divinity."
I tensed.
"Don't tell anyone Linn lives here," I warned dangerously. She flinched slightly, then lifted her chin defiantly.
"Calm down. My threats—if any—are strictly personal. Though if my necklace vanishes, I'll retaliate."
I relaxed, grinning.
"Fair. I'll tell Linn to keep her hands off your chest. Anyway… that's my magic. You… how do you feel about it?"
Penelope fell silent—long enough to unsettle me—before replying.
"Not sure yet. I suspected soulweaving existed, but assumed you learned it. If you were trained, I'd feign cooperation until handing you to authorities. Most seeking forbidden powers are dangerous. But as a natural mage… your situation intrigues me."
I exhaled shakily.
"I expected you to react worse."
"Hmph," she muttered. "Don't flatter yourself. Can you create specters or wraiths?"
"Specters, yes. Never tried wraiths. Specters remember life clearly and remain loyal."
She narrowed her gaze.
"Did you turn the slime into a specter?"
"No—Penta resulted from old-fashioned coercion."
My hand lifted unbidden, flicking my nose.
"Ow! I was joking!"
"But essentially," Penelope verified, "you extract souls, turning them into obedient servants who retain their former knowledge?"
"Er… yeah, I suppose?"
She frowned, fingers tapping her arm. Her face masked nothing, but her soul trembled.
"Fascinating," she simply said.
I summoned my tiny zombie army, reclaiming soul shards, returning them to their proper places.
"Mm," I agreed. "Fascinating indeed. That's my gift. I want to grow strong enough to protect myself if discovered, and support my family."
"Sounds reasonable," she said. "I think that's everything. Can we leave now?"
"Don't forget the children!" I insisted. "They need Auntie Penelope!"
"First, I'm not their aunt. Second, wouldn't life be easier if your parents hadn't birthed so many?"
"They're not related," I explained. "Linn helps because she's the island's best person."
"Best criminal , perhaps," Penelope muttered, climbing the ladder. "Ensure she doesn't store stolen metals together. She's not even the deadliest local thief."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh, and how did you learn Remus was in Lytia?"
"Vita-Min told me. She was the slime that possessed me—now a ghost trapped in a rat."
"Hmm… Without a soul, Navarra decay rapidly. Their biology astonishes me. Never encountered anything like them."
We emerged from the hidden basement. Children swarmed us, awaiting healing. Penelope laid them out, treating each. I watched, sensing her soul-song—a low, sorrowful melody.
"...Thank you for not calling me a monster," I said after a while.
"Why would I call you a monster?" she asked, focused on healing. "You're obviously human."
I gulped, resisting argument… though part of me knew I should. Hours passed before she finished, visibly exhausted. Still, she made me lie down, healing me too.
"Thank you," I said. "If you need research help, just ask. Maybe we'll better understand soul-brain connections."
She scoffed.
"By the Watcher, you're still obsessed. Fine. I admit you might prove useful."
I smiled. That sufficed. Walking toward the Guild, I watched Hollowspire descend—nearly upon us. If they attacked, it'd be full force.
Yet—for the first time in ages—I felt cautiously hopeful.