Shoutout to |Galad Yousuf|—the latest to claim the Supreme Being rank. Your support keeps the Wi-Fi on and the chapters coming!
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The next night, the carriage fully laden with supplies rolled slowly back into E-Rantel under the glow of street lanterns.
The wheels creaked over cobblestones, and the faint scent of dried herbs and road dust clung to the air.
Nfirea stood on the driver's bench, waving with a bright smile. "Mr. Helant, Mr. Momon, I'll head back first to unload everything!"
"Alright," Momon replied, glancing down at the plump hamster beneath him and the circle of wide-eyed onlookers.
"You and the Swords of Darkness go ahead. Helant and I will stop by the Adventurers' Guild first..." He sighed helplessly. "...to register Hamsuke."
Helant caught the embarrassed tone and had to bite back a grin. Momonga—armored as the dark warrior—perched awkwardly atop the massive, fluffy Wise King of the Forest like some oversized child on a pony ride. The contrast was absurd.
"Helant, I'll go straight to Nfirea's house and wait for you there," Quaiesse said, stepping up beside him and nodding toward the carriage.
"They've got a mountain of supplies—I might as well lend a hand. Plus, it'll help build rapport locally before I start gathering intel."
Of course, that was half the truth. Quaiesse's real goal was slipping into the Theocracy's quiet intelligence channels in the city.
His sister Clementine—unhinged, unpredictable—was still out there somewhere. If she'd bolted with the crown of wisdom to another city, the fallout could be catastrophic. He needed eyes and ears, fast.
"Sure, go ahead," Helant said easily, watching Quaiesse climb aboard.
As the carriage trundled off, a commotion stirred behind them. Momonga—still mounted on Hamsuke—drew a growing crowd of merchants, guards, and curious kids, all murmuring in awe.
"Wow, what kind of magical beast is that? Looks so majestic!"
"Look at the size of it—and those eyes! Definitely a king among beasts."
"And the warrior riding it? Heroic as anything."
"Pfft." Helant couldn't hold back the laugh. Momonga riding a giant hamster. The image was priceless.
Momonga seemed to feel the weight of every stare. He dismounted with as much dignity as possible and strode toward Helant, sending a private message through their link. "Helant-san, I've lined up the actors on my end. We can start the plan."
Helant nodded once, and the two moved toward the Adventurers' Guild in silent agreement. Mino and Nabe fell in step behind them, cloaks whispering against the night air.
Quaiesse sat on the carriage's edge, breathing in the sharp herbal fragrance wafting from the cloth bags. His mind churned. How do I catch Clementine—'Windstride' herself?
His sister had long since crossed into Hero-class territory. Her speed was legendary in the Theocracy—fast enough to earn that exclusive moniker.
Aside from Zesshi Zetsumei and the God-kin Captain, no one could match her when she pushed her martial arts to the limit. Catching her meant outthinking her, not outrunning her.
Creak.
The carriage rolled to a smooth stop outside the apothecary. Nfirea hopped down and headed straight for the door.
"We're here. Everyone, help me carry the supplies inside."
The Swords of Darkness started unloading crates. Quaiesse jumped down too, grabbing a heavy sack. Might as well commit to the role.
He'd worry about Clementine tomorrow. Worst case, he'd rope Helant and his companions into helping corner her. Could she really escape that lineup?
Heh. It's not like I'll run into her right now, right?
…
Inside the dim apothecary, the thick, cloying smell of dried herbs hung heavy, grating on Clementine's nerves.
She paced the hallway, two short cones spinning in her hands, carving cold silver flashes through the shadows.
This was her second night waiting here.
Nfirea, why'd you have to run off to Carne Village? Why couldn't you just stay put and let me catch you easy?
And he'd hired Helant of all people. What rotten luck.
She remembered Helant mentioning his escort job to Carne that night in the tavern—his fair, handsome face, more noble than an adventurer. The memory made her teeth grind.
"No taste at all. Couldn't he pick someone else? Helant of Helant...." She muttered it through clenched teeth.
If Nfirea hadn't left, she'd have sealed the deal with Khajiit by now, claimed the modified magic. Her fingers brushed the sages crown in the pouch at her waist—a relic she'd snatched for this very purpose.
With it, Khajiit would trigger Zurrernorn's Bloodline Atavism ritual. Her diluted God-kin blood would surge, purity leaping forward in one brutal step—maybe even reaching Awakened God-kin levels, rivaling the elites back home.
Just the thought sent a thrill through her. If I'm lucky… I might climb as high as Zesshi Zetsumei herself.
Then came the creak of carriage wheels outside.
A man's voice—sounding exactly like Quaiesse—called, "Nfirea, where should these herbs go? In the shop?"
Clementine's grip tightened on her cones until her knuckles whitened. Her crimson eyes flared with dangerous light.
Quaiesse? Here in the Kingdom?
No—had to be a coincidence, someone with a similar voice. Fine. I'll start with you.
Creak.
The door swung open.
Quaiesse stepped inside, blond hair catching the moonlight, a sack of herbs slung over his shoulder.
Clementine froze mid-pace. The cones nearly slipped from her fingers.
"Quaiesse… it really is you... why are you here?"
He turned at the familiar voice. Through the dim light, he saw her—staring in disbelief from the hallway.
"Clementine!"
Joy exploded across his face. He drew his sword in a fluid motion and shouted, "Hand over the crown of wisdom!"
Hand it over? Like hell.
Clementine scanned the room in an instant. Enclosed space, narrow hallway—perfect for a summoner like Quaiesse to box her in, call beasts, overwhelm her with numbers.
No time to fight fair. She bolted for the window.
"Mr. Quaiesse, something wrong?" Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness crowded the doorway, jostling Quaiesse off-balance.
Now.
"Flow Acceleration. Greater Flow Acceleration."
She blurred into motion, wind howling in her wake. One kick shattered the window in a spray of glass, and she vanished into the night.
Crash.
"What happened?"
The Swords of Darkness and Nfirea froze, weapons half-drawn, staring at the broken frame.
Quaiesse sighed, shoulders slumping. "You all stay here."
He sprinted after her trail.
In the moonlit streets of E-Rantel, Clementine leaped rooftop to rooftop, agile as a shadow.
"Ugh. Quaiesse, you're stickier than dog shit."
Not far behind, Quaiesse rode a summoned griffon, wings cutting the air as he pursued relentlessly.
"Clementine, hand over the crown and I'll let you go!"
"In your dreams." She activated another burst of martial arts. "Windstride."
Whoosh.
Sonic booms cracked the night as she kicked off empty air and vanished from sight.
"Don't run!"
Quaiesse ground his teeth in frustration and ordered the griffon to fly higher so he would not lose sight of her.
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