Luca arrived back home without attracting any attention. The first thing he did was burn the filth-soaked clothes, then prepare a hot bath for himself. It almost felt insufficient.
As it turned out, he had been unconscious in the sewers for nearly two days. It was nothing short of a miracle that no one found him, but it seemed that the Bronze Knights chasing him simply assumed he was dead. That worked in his favor, as it gave him more time to sort out other issues.
Not even an hour after he cleaned himself up, a raven flew down, dropping a letter tied to its leg. It was dated the day before.
He wasn't surprised that Erina had tried to contact him already. He was even a little relieved, seeing as her message confirmed that she was still alive.
When Finley said he had killed Smoke, it hadn't occurred to Luca until much later that he could have gone after the other members of the Gathering as well.
Still, he wondered what exactly she needed from him. If his suspicions were correct and she was actually Hush, then there was a strong chance her request had something to do with the catalyst he had asked for in the Gathering.
These thoughts followed him as he moved through the city.
People trampled over the stone paths, shoving each other aside in desperate bids to get where they were going, but no one seemed to notice the change in the air. Smoke rose from chimneys, creating a faint layer of smog high above the city. Dark brick buildings stood tall and cramped, crowding the streets with their weight.
It was the familiar aura of the city, one he knew well. Yet something about it felt different.
A frown crossed his face as he considered it. From the moment he stepped out of the sewers, he had felt a sinister presence spread through the streets. It was not just a feeling. The signs were visible everywhere.
People were being carried on stretchers into hospitals. Their skin was tinted a deathly purple, and the whites of their eyes had gone dark. They looked seconds from death, coughing in loud, rattling fits.
He had never seen anything like it before, even in the most diseased districts of the city. The source, however, was not hard to guess.
His mind flashed back to the miasma that had escaped when Moth's mask broke.
And there was Finley, who knew Luca had killed Count D'escoli, a man preparing to summon Pestewind.
There was no mistaking it.
There was a cult. Killing Count D'escoli had only postponed what was coming but It had already begun. And it seemed like Noctiel was still one step ahead. He was playing the game at a level Luca didn't like, but couldn't help but respect.
He put Noctiel to the side for now, as that was something he couldn't even place a finger on that.
He did not know what they were trying to achieve, and for the most part, he did not care.
However...
Pestewind might have just what he needed.
Luca no longer had any qualms about summoning demons or raising the dead. With all the information in front of him, he set himself a new goal.
He would trap Pestewind with the Binding Pact ritual, and he would wipe out every member of the cult along the way.
But first, he needed holy water from the church. A plan began to take shape.
****
Luca arrived at the Venton Estate some time later. Since the message had been sent a full day ago, he could not go to the location Erina had originally given him.
Instead, he headed straight to her room and pushed the door open.
The blonde-haired girl lay on her bed with her back turned, wearing a casual dress that showed off her figure.
"Miss Erina, how are you doing? I just received the raven you sent," he said with a beaming smile, though she could not see it.
A pillow flew at his face, but he caught it without difficulty.
"You were supposed to be here yesterday!" she shouted, turning toward him. Her face was flushed red with anger, her lips twisted into a pout.
"Well, some things came up, and I didn't get the message."
"You sure as hell didn't. What happened?"
She dropped to her knees and began rummaging under the bed, though she still glanced at him from time to time.
"Oh, believe me, you don't want to know," he grinned. "Anyway, what exactly is the task, ma'am?"
At last, she stopped searching. She pulled out a plain brown dress—the very same one he had seen her wearing the other day. Right after it came a wide-brimmed farmer's hat.
"You're going to help me purchase a few family heirlooms."
"Family heirlooms? If that's the case, why not go through official channels?"
She shook her head.
"Can't. They're being sold on the black market. Probably by someone in the family who hates my father. I need you to help me buy them, and to protect me while we're there."
Luca nodded, piecing things together. These heirlooms were almost certainly Artifacts, and Erina knew exactly where they were being sold.
He nearly smiled. She was turning out to be a better return on investment than he had expected.
"That's all?"
After a moment of thought, she shook her head again.
"I also need you to do something for me at the bestiary in the forest. I won't be there, but I'll give you instructions."
Her words left him momentarily dumbfounded. She was truly reckless.
So she was Hush after all.
And she wanted him to fetch the very item he had requested. The irony was almost amusing, but Luca did not mind.
"Understood," he said simply.
Erina went into the washroom to change. A few minutes later, she came out in disguise, wearing the brown dress and hat, her face smeared with mud.
"Go through the front gate. I'll leave through the balcony after you. Then meet me at Digger's Pub."
Luca inclined his head, already calculating how best to use the situation.
****
Mass Release Goals: 1 genuine review + 20 power stones by the end of the next week = 5 chapters