In a crowded airport, where all sorts of people went by, there was one person who stood out. Her entire outfit, shirt, pants, and shoes, were all black. The color scheme, or lack thereof, matched her short black hair and gloomy demeanor.

She carried a bag over one arm while her brooding gaze swept over everyone she passed by. Eventually, she came to a stop when she spotted a woman who held a sign which read “Rusalka.”

The woman holding the sign had a very motherly appearance overall. Her eyes were bright, cheerful, and immeasurably patient. Lines of grey had begun to appear among her strands of blonde hair and there were a few wrinkles around her smile, but that made her appear all the kinder.

Rusalka sighed before approaching the woman, speaking in a dull tone, “Rosemary?”

“Ah, well, yes! Then you must be, Rusalka?” Rosemary inquired for confirmation.

“Yes.”

“Ah! It’s nice to meet you. You’re very pretty.”

“...Thank you.”

“It has been quite some time since the main branch has contacted us- Oh, not that I’m complaining. I certainly do understand the hassle of watching over some very active young ladies. The Emerian branch may be small but that doesn’t lessen the trouble those girls give me.”

The two walked toward the exit of the airport while Rosemary continued speaking.

“How was your flight over?”

“Bearable,” Rusalka answered as they climbed into a car.

“Ah, have you eaten?” Much like her mother appearance, Rosemary showed a lot of genuine concern.

“I’d like to ask you about the young man that we sent word of.”

“Oh, that boy? Casper Clay? He’s been all over the internet these days. You’ve seen him, he’s quite a handsome boy, isn’t he? It was brave of him to help those people, though the nature of his power was a bit much for me. Still, I’m no stranger to seeing blood in times like these.”

“Have you managed to track him down?”

“Of course, I’d be ashamed if I couldn’t fulfill a request by High Mother Evanora. We have a dreamer in our branch, Hope; She’s managed to find his home. She’s not the strongest dreamer, but she sure is a kind girl. She’s like a daughter to me, all of the girls are.”

“And is that all?”

“We’ve purchased an apartment from one of his neighbors, a woman named Nancy, I think it was? She was quite friendly. Well, we offered her quite a lot of money, more than her apartment was worth, in fact. If it was before, I could hardly afford to spend that kind of money, but High Mother Evanora is truly kind.”

“She certainly is,” Rusalka agreed.

“Ah, Miss Rusalka-”

“Rusalka is fine.”

“Well, Rusalka, I should warn you ahead of time. One of our girl’s, Sunny, she’s quite a handful.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, she’s always been a rebellious spirit, but lately she’s just been very angry. Angry at the world, angry at herself, just angry at everything… Do you perhaps know of New Era?”

“The group of extremists with gifts?”

“Yes, they speak of a world that prioritizes the rights of Gifted and the like, and I think Sunny’s of the same mind.”

“Has she made contact with them?” Rusalka’s languid voice turned sharp and cold, making Rosemary pause in response.

“N-No, I don’t think she would go that far. She’s just, you know how some people can be-”

“Witches have suffered for thousands of years. High Mother Evanora has witnessed her own sisters burned at the stake because of fear. Whatever struggle the Gifted are going through is nothing compared to that and doesn’t relate to us at all.”

It was the most Rusalka had said and the most emotion she displayed so far. Clearly, her passion for her fellow witches was very high.

“Yes… I suppose you’re right,” Rosemary replied before continuing, “I just think that she’s in a very emotional place and New Era is appealing to a certain part of her.”

Rusalka snorted derisively and said nothing else. Rosemary, perhaps sensing her mood, said nothing else and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

…

It took me some time, but I had finally decided on my permanent runes: Sharpness, Weighted Edge, and Bleeding.

They were the most useful and well-rounded as far as I could see. The benefits of sharpness and weighted edge were clear to see. Bleeding was also had the least drawbacks where fire, poison, and ice were too dependent on the nature of the creature attacking me. Since certain monsters were unaffected by elements they controlled, having the incorrect ones would leave me at a disadvantage. Bleeding was far better due to the fact that the most monsters I faced so far were living and bled.

I had to use ten souls for each of them which left me at 620 souls. It wasn’t a very steep cost, so I didn’t mind.

Two things I did discover was the fact that the permanent runes would appear on Wilma's War Scythe whenever I summoned it. They also could be removed for the same amount of souls used to engrave them.

I grabbed the crow figurine and held it up to examine it. I really hoped that whatever it could do would be worth 800 souls.

There was a sudden knock at the door just as I was about to theorize what it could do. I stashed the crow figurine away and went to answer the door.

“Who is it?” I looked through the peephole and saw a face I didn’t recognize.

“Your new neighbor.” A cheerful middle-aged woman answered me. “I’ve brought a little gift since we live on the same floor.”

“Neighbor?” I mumbled.

I don’t recall anyone actually moving out for there to be a neighbor.

“When did you move in?” I asked cautiously.

I chose not to open my door, as I was a little wary. Sure, she seemed to be an ordinary woman, more or less, but I was paranoid of some organization appearing to snatch me up.

“Just yesterday.”

“...What happened to my old neighbors?”

“Well, they moved out quite quickly. We paid a large sum of money so I don’t think they cared much about the furniture.”

“We? Who do you mean by ‘we’?” I caught onto that little piece of info and pressed further.

“Ah, that would be my daughters. They aren’t exactly blood-related but I love them all the same. Listen, if you don’t want the fruit basket I can always take it back. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“No, it’s fine.” I undid the locks and opened the door.

I might’ve been a little too suspicious of the nice lady. Or maybe, the absence of my late mother caused me to have a soft spot. I was willing to bet it was the latter and even if I was aware of it, I could do nothing to change.

“My name is Rosemary Goodman, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“...Casper Clay and likewise.” I introduced myself as I accepted the fruit basket.

“I’d like to apologize in advance for my daughters. Knowing them, they’ll find some way to cause trouble.”

“I'm sure it won’t be a problem,” I said with a smile.

Rosemary’s daughters were sure lucky to have such a kind mother.

“Well, I should get back to it. I have no doubt that they’re already fighting over arrangements.” Rosemary smiled wryly as a faint shouting emerged from her apartment.

“...Thank you.”

After she entered her home, I shut my door and went to put the fruit basket in the fridge. At first, I assumed she was a representative of a guild or something, but I had never heard of a guild approaching someone in such a way. I was aware that saving a group of people once didn’t qualify me for stardom. I knew well enough that I was hardly at the level where people would buy out an apartment just to meet me. I’m sure there were certain circumstances behind Rosemary and her family moving in, but I doubt it had anything to do with me.