[21]

“He’s not here?” I asked.

“I’m sorry sir, he left yesterday to attend the mistress in Harcourt,” said the maid apologetically.

“Is there a way I might contact him? Or better yet, Angelina?” I asked hopefully.

The maid smiled, “You could send a letter with an arcanorail. It might take a week, but it will make its way to them. Probably your best bet.”

“I’m afraid that is too long. Do you know when they might be back?” I asked.

She shook her head sadly.

They might not be coming back, I thought.

I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face, “Thank you ma’am.” I said, bowing my head, before turning away and hurrying back to my residence.

What should I do now?

Oh, Vascora, I need your guidance; I prayed.

Angelina would have been my best bet. The Kestev family only cared about me in the first place because Reynold perceived me as a threat for their designs on Elaine. My plan was simple and elegant: marry Angelina.

To the nobles it would look like I maneuvered Reynold into an ambitious trap, taking all of his money, then using it as an offering to Earl Snelling for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Giving all the appearance of an ambitious young ascended going places. It was a stupendous offer, I would have given Earl Snelling a small fortune, absolved him of a dowry, and made him look a hero in the eyes of his daughter.

Had it worked, I would no longer be a danger of taking Elaine from Reynold. I would be under Earl Snellings protection, and Reynold would have to write the points off as a lost cause. Sure, it would still leave me with Reynold himself as an enemy, since I had slighted him in front of everyone, but that is much better than the whole Kestev clan. Marriage would not quite make me a noble, but it would entrench me enough to make sending assassins over a backyard scrap absurd.

On a personal level, I would get to marry a woman that was both beautiful and rich. And who, for no good reason, wanted to be with me. Mutual attraction was an untrodden path I was happy to experience for the first time. We might both be using each other, but we would also both be getting what we wanted. Gods know there have been much worse reasons for matrimony.

It could still work if I contacted Earl Snelling directly, but I did not know how a peasant goes about doing such a thing. The most likely course would be to to ask another noble, maybe even Elaine and—

I could feel eyes watching me.

It was a subtle tension in the quiet morning air that gave it away. I threw a quick glance over my shoulder and picked up my pace. My eyes darted to the shadows in between buildings, but came up empty. Whoever it was, was beyond my ability to spot. Or maybe they were using magic. I did not have enough experience to determine it either way.

Once I got back on campus, I broke out into a sprint again.

I almost made it back to the ascendent living area when two men in white robes stopped me. Though I had not spoken to them before, I frequently saw the white robes patrolling around the town and the outer wall of the campus. They were the Ashmere equivalent of the Royal Guard in Ergentein.

“Harald Horste?” asked one white-robed man.

“Yes sir,” I said. Father said it never paid to be rude to the guard. No matter where you were, some would be bastards, but most just wanted to do their job and go home like everyone else. I trusted his word on that, given how much he used to travel.

“We need you to come with us,” said the Guard.

Unsurprisingly, the two white robes led me to the tower in the center of campus. Near the southern side of the sprawling edifice was a large palatial building, called the Ministerium. In the company of the two men, none stopped our entry, and without preamble or explanation they led me to a simple office.

Within, an older gentleman with balding purple hair and kind blue eyes motioned for me to have a seat in front of his desk. The man wore the first purple robe I have seen, which meant that he was an Ashmere administrator. Claudia told me I was unlikely to meet one in my three years here. Since it was only day two for me, that surely portended I broke a record.

“Mr. Horste, thank you for coming,” the administrator said with a polite smile.

I looked over my shoulder to confirm that two white-robed men stood behind me, then said, “Uh, it was no issue, sir.”

“So, I know that you young ascended are busy—I used to be one myself, after all—so, I’ll cut right to the heart of it. My name is Marwin Godfrey, and I am not only an administrator here at Ashmere but also a [Truthseeker].”

Marwin waited for me to confirm that I understood what he said. I nodded. A [Truthseeker] was an ascendent of Harkon, the god of Truth, Justice, and Law. They had an infamous reputation for being merciless inquisitors and bounty hunters. Stories often said they were as bad as the people they hunted.

“I will ask you questions, please only answer yes or no, unless otherwise stated. Understand?” Marwin said, a stern look on his face.

“Yes.”

“Good. Were you attacked by a demon this morning?”

“Yes.”

“Did you summon the demon?”

“No.”

“Do you know of any spell that could summon a demon?”

“No.”

“Do you know of an item that could summon a demon?”

“No.”

“Do you worship any of the demon lords?”

“No.” I unintentionally gulped after that last one. People said that demon cults existed in the Ruinlands, but I never believed it. Thinking that cultists could live next door to you was even more uncomfortable for me.

“Do you know who summoned the demon?”

“No.”

“Did the demon impart a message to you before dying?”

“No.”

Marwin visibly relaxed after the last question. “Good and thank you Mr. Horste for enduring this interrogation. I know it might seem unfair the way I am asking you these questions, but I promise you it is necessary.”

“It’s fine, sir,” I said, but I felt anxious.

“Many do not realize this, but Ashmere’s mission isn’t just to train the next generation of Ruinland hunters. We are only three walking days from the border of the Ruinlands because we are also a shield for the lands of the Gods. The academy is a fortification protected not just by walls, but by magic and wards. A monster of any sort, much less a demon, is an incredibly rare occurrence on this campus. It signifies two things: 1. A practitioner of demonology is here under our very noses, and 2. Someone spent a lot of effort to kill you; an Assassin Hellbug is a dangerous foe for someone of low rank. Now, I will not ask you to divulge information your deity has restricted, nor will you have to tell me who you serve. However, I would like you to tell me what happened this morning in as much detail as you can.”

Leaving no detail out, I told him what happened from the time I woke up. When I explained how my familiar saved me, Marwin perked up at that.

“There are many Gods that give familiars to their ascended, but just knowing that you have one narrows down who you serve. My job is to protect Ashmere, and I have no interest in the politics or squabbling of other Ascended, rare though they may be. This I promise you with an oath: I swear in Harkon’s name that I will reveal none of your secrets as long as you continue to serve the Gods.”

Swearing in the name of a god was not something to be done lightly, and his oath released some of the unease I had been holding on to. I knew of no god that actively hated Vascora, nor did I truly fear others finding out that I served her. However, I wanted to keep my abilities close to my chest, because I had a talent for making miserable enemies.

“Now, do you have any suspects?” Marwin asked.

“I do, Reynold Kestev,” I answered without pause.

Marwin nodded, as though he expected that answer. “I heard about the duel you two had yesterday.”

“Yeah, then there was the assassin waiting at my house last night,” I said.

“An assassin last night?” Marwin looked up sharply from the notes he had been taking.

“Well, I don’t know they were there to kill me for sure, but they were hiding behind my house, and ran when they learned we spotted them. They had a lookout.”

“We?” Marwin said distractedly. He looked over to the two guards and made a motion with his hand. They both left in a hurry; presumably to go search my backyard for evidence.

I explained what happened the night before in the cafeteria, and the subsequent walk home with Raxx and Joy. Marwin studiously continued taking notes, pausing me only twice with a clarifying question.

“Can you tell me why you rushed off campus after the attack?” Marwin asked.

“Sir, with all do respect, that is a private matter unrelated to the attack. I just wanted to get help from a friend. That is all I wish to say on the matter.” I said nervously.

Marwin looked at me for a few moments, and my nervousness increased. When he spoke, it was not what I expected.

“I promise you, we will do our best to find out what is going on. In the meantime, your old residence will have to be rebuilt. Demon blood is a corruptive substance, and it will take the expertise of our alchemist to ensure that it is disposed of properly. Moreover, your continued safety is of utmost importance. We have arranged a new home for you near to the tower that is keyed with additional wards.”

I let out a vast sigh of relief. Having to watch my back every time I went to sleep was already tiresome.

“Before you go, one last thing. You have earned some loot from the demon you killed.” Marwin said, setting a glowing violet stone on the desk. “For your service to the academy in slaying an invading monster, I am awarding you 10 contribution points. For slaying a demon above your rank, I am giving you 30 additional points. I would give you more if I could, but as it is, that is the absolute maximum.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said.

Marwin nodded. “Now, as for this stone, do you know what it is?”

I nodded. Until this morning I would not have known what it was, but having the skill Enchantment Curses given to me let me identify it. A demon core.

“Demon cores are uncommon, if not rare.” Marwin said. “There are several valuable things we use them for. Most often, it is the enchantment of powerful magic items. Which, if you have enough money, you can use to have commissioned. In your case, you can turn it into the tower for a lot of contribution points. Or, they can break it down for you into essence stones, which you can in turn use to increase your rank. There is, however, one lesser known use for monster cores of all types: Empowering a familiar.”

“That sounds great!” I said enthusiastically. Ugz deserved most of the credit for slaying the monster in my estimation, anyway. “What do I have to do?”

“It’s simple really, just have your familiar swallow it.” Marwin smiled.

I could not wait for the ugly newt to wake up so I could kiss him and give him the best snack he’s ever had.