The gathered acolytes in the Black Horse Inn created a low, tense hum of conversation, a stark contrast to the usual silence and lack of individuals. All eyes were on Ronnie, who stood behind the counter, his zombie-like features even more grim than usual.
"Silence", Ronnie rasped, his voice cutting through the murmur, "The mission is complete. The Magical Court's investigators have been... dealt with." His sunken eyes swept over the room, lingering on Greem, Willem, and the wounded Vanessa. "You three. You succeeded where another team failed"
That got everyone's attention. Greem could feel the weight of their gazes, a mix of respect, curiosity, and envy. Even the departing Berethum stopped his steps, to look at the team a second time.
"The initial team assigned to this intercept was the 'Ash Weavers'", Ronnie continued, the name meaning nothing to Greem but drawing sharp intakes of breath from some of the older acolytes.
"They failed their ambush and were wiped out two days ago. It revealed the Magical Court's seriousness and forced our hand. With most of our stronger assets already committed to other... pressing matters... we had to use who was available and capable. Your team was the fallback."
He gestured a decaying hand towards the hooded figure of Berethum, who stood silently against the far wall, amused by Ronnie's antics. The intermediate-rank acolyte gave a single, slow nod.
"While you were handling the scouts", Ronnie explained, "Berethum and the Mistress (Elizabeth) were ensuring the Magical Court's local overseer, an advanced-rank acolyte stationed secretly in a nearby town, would not be around to avenge them. The operation was larger than you knew."
The revelation settled like a stone in Greem's gut.
Again, they had been ignorant chess pieces of a broader game Elizabeth was playing against the Magical Court itself. The risk had been exponentially higher than they'd been told.
"But you succeeded", Ronnie said, pulling a small, lead-lined chest from beneath the counter, "And the Mistress rewards success handsomely. Your share of the loot is yours to keep. These are the Association's bonuses"
He asked the team to follow him in the basement. Looks of envy did not escape Greem or Vanessa's perceptive eyes. However, the newly gained respect, the authority was novel. Even Willem in his prime never had that much influence in the association. He smirked, as if this was the proof that he was on the winning party of their contract.
"Greem", Ronnie pulled out a slender, dark-bound tome that seemed to absorb the light, "The spell [Shadow Cloak]. A defensive shroud of solidified shadow, far more suited to your path than the utility [Dark Eye] spell you were pestering me with"
Next, he produced a simple scroll sealed with black wax, "And the [Breath of the Dusk Hound] technique. As promised"
Greem took them, his fingers cold. The breathing technique was exactly what he needed to complement his physical training. And Elizabeth knew. She knew about his sessions with Emma, his desire to strengthen his body. The reward was perfect, and the implication of that perfection was deeply unsettling.
The three-eyed crows were everywhere in Lunia, and they were the Association's eyes. It was also the foundation of Elizabeth's strength. Rumours said that she had transplanted the heart of a three-eyed crow king in herself, allowing her to raise and control a flock of beginner-rank beasts at her service. Her information gathering skills were unmatched, and this was the one thing that kept dark path acolytes, members of the Association, in check. Otherwise, many would have betrayed fellow members, if only for short-sighted gains.
However, as it was forbidden and with a leader capable of knowing every little details of their life and cover? Nobody would even think of an attempt, much less actually go through it.
"Willem" Ronnie handed over a pulsating red crystal that glowed with a faint inner light, and a parchment covered in strange, spiraling script that looked less like writing and more like a diagram of veins. Willem took them with a reverent nod, tucking the parchment away quickly. "A blood crystal...I did not believe it at first...My thanks," he murmured.
Blood crystals was more valuable than pure gold to vampires. It literally allowed them to refine their blood essence. In other words, it could increase their potential, and magical powers. If not for their rarity, the vampires would have a much broader presence in the continent.
"Vanessa is on the brink of death", Ronnie analysed. He produced a small vial of vibrant green liquid from a bottle, "A medium-grade [Hemostasis Potion]. Make her drink it. Now." He didn't wait for them to comply, uncorking it and handing it over. Greem made Vanessa down it in one gulp, and almost immediately, the bloody stain on her bandage stopped spreading, and some color returned to her cheeks.
Ronnie then gave Greem another, heavier tome. "[Stone Hide]. A basic but practical body reinforcement spell. It requires minimal magical knowledge and matches her Earth affinities. Far more suitable for her than the spell she struggles with"
Greem nodded. More than once, seeing the requirements of the petrification spell, he had advised her to focus on a simpler spell first. Her stubbornness and pride made her refuse each and every time, but it seemed like he had gotten through to her, making her request for such an item.
Finally, Ronnie placed three small pouches on the counter. "Five magic crystals each, from the Association's coffers"
That brought Greem's total from this single mission to seventeen magic crystals, a powerful new defensive spell, a foundational knightly breathing technique, as well as a low-grade artefact. It was a haul beyond anything he'd imagined. It was the kind of reward that could catapult an acolyte forward by leaps and bounds.
As they turned to leave, the weight of the tomes and the scroll in his pouch felt immense. It was a fortune. Willem's words echoed in his mind. Elizabeth's generosity was also an investment, and she expected a substantial return. Greem knew that there was only way to become a player on
Elizabeth's board. It was to get stronger.
[Quest Complete: Intercept the Investigator]
[Final Rewards Distributed.]
[New Spell Tome Acquired: Shadow Cloak]
[New Skill Scroll Acquired: Breath of the Dusk Hound]
[Relationship with Elizabeth Blackhope has increased]
[Reputation within the Black Widow Association has significantly increased]
[You have received 200 EXP]
[Willem Pourshield has received 100 EXP]
[Vanessa Tyrien has received 100 EXP]
[Vanessa Tyrien - Lv. 6 Acolyte]
Greem smiled.
Although the gain in experience had not been sufficient to make Willem level up, Vanessa had gained a whole level.
'Seems like it was the right decision to accept the pendant and the pact', Greem analysed