“Thank you again for your hard work Vlad, here’s your reward. Your guild card has been updated and Lucifer’s card will be finished by this evening.”

“Thank you again, Clara… Hum… You know yesterday I hadn’t got the chance to ask you but… Are you free tonight? I mean after your work is done. I planned to invite you to a dinner with what I gained with this quest.”

Giving him a gracious smile, she lightly shook her head.

“Vlad, the guild master already told you that relationships with receptionists are forbidden. Not that I dislike you, but with our current job, unless we both go to another guild, it will be impossible. And if the guild master learns that I want to change location because of you, I’m afraid that your ashes will be the only thing remaining.”

Keeping her business smile, she rejected him. Although she also wished for something to happen between the two of them, so far, she only saw him as a friend. Well, maybe closer than a friend, but clearly not a lover. Thus, she didn’t want to stir any trouble for both of them.

“Humpf! Just you wait! When I’ll be stronger than this old man you won’t have any more reason to reject me.”

When he said those words, the other adventurers who were talking among themselves while looking at the mission board suddenly quieted down.

Clara’s complexion turned pale as well.

Seeing this, Vlad raised his eyebrows before looking behind him. There, stood the guild master looking at him with a grin.

“Oh, you want to surpass me? Then let’s have a spar at the training ground, to see if you have improved since the last time.”

“I-I was just jok-“

“No need to be so shy! Come, it’ll be my pleasure to be your training partner. I need to let out some steam with yesterday’s night matter…”

While strongly gripping Vlad’s shoulder, the guild master dragged him towards the training ground, which was underground while Clara was waving her hand at Vlad wishing him good luck. He needed it.

//

Lucifer returned to the inn crestfallen.

There was a tournament which was organized by the wealthy of Tsein. He wanted to participate since it was an event where killing your opponent was allowed. And since he returned, Lucifer had never killed a member of the race, thus he very wished to see what would happen if he did.

However, when he tried to sign up, he was denied the entry because he was too young. He protested by saying that he wasn’t weak but the manager didn’t spare him a glance afterward. Since he didn’t want to cause a commotion, he just gave up while those behind him were chuckling and mocking him for trying to do more than he should.

Furthermore, Lucifer encountered another setback. He dropped by the merchant guild and wanted to apply for a merchant card. Although he was interested in money, he didn’t have enough knowledge about managing it and developing it. His father always told him that successful merchants had enough wealth to be on par with the most prestigious noble and their influence was only second to them and the royal/imperial families.

This time, not only did they mock him for his age, they even told him that unless he was a graduate from school, he couldn’t think about applying for a merchant guild card.

With his age and lack of knowledge drawing him back, Lucifer was depressed. He took the rest of the day looking for information about a school in Tsein, but none of them were among that recognized by the merchant guild. Since Tsein was a city which belonged to the first line of defense against a monster tide coming from the Forbidden Forest, it was more battle oriented. Thus, schools who taught the basic for being a merchant were nonexistent. If he wanted to find one, he needed to head toward a town deeper in the mainland.

While sulking about how much of a fail he was today, a very familiar emotion surged in his heart causing a gray mist to form around his body. A bone chilling hatred was sipping out of his body while devil’s power was slowly aggregating around him.

After calming his beating heart, Lucifer asked Mephis if something happened, but the latter was as surprised as he was. Even the System didn’t find anything strange with him. Thus, Lucifer just ignored that matter. He knew that his emotions were unstable, but as long as he didn’t do anything extreme, they should have been under control, not running rampant like a few minutes ago.

Remembering that Vlad should have received his reward for his quest, Lucifer thought that he suddenly felt like he was hungry, very hungry.

//

“My Lord, I received a report from the subjugation team. They successfully captured a young specimen which could be tamed after killing its protector.”

Afer respectfully bowing to his master, the butler told the news he was told.

“Good, tell them to come back. The tournament will be in a few days and my son needs his special prize.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

“Before going back, how is it going between my son and the little miss?”

“…”

The heck you want me to say?! You perfectly know you’re forcing a little girl to bear with your unbridled son and she hates it! She even told you herself that you were a pig and your son was worse than a pig! Did you think a few candies will make her change her mind?

“I dare not say anything inappropriate but I think my Lord should instruct young master on how to entertain a lady.”

“Ahahah, they’re still young! He’ll have plenty of time in the future to learn how to entertain her, for now, he should just let her get accustomed to him.”

“…”

Without saying a word, the butler excused himself before going out.

Being the only one left in the room, the lord, Marquis of Tsein, Herald Cardis, a tall brown haired man with bits of fat present all over his body, was sipping his tea while revealing a pleasant smile. With an intermediate blessing of Desolation and two mid-level classes, he was considered as one of the most powerful men in the town.

He ruled over the nobility and the commoners within the town. The only ones who escaped his control were people from the church.

The church. To nobles, the church was their biggest enemy. They held way too much power for an organization which should be concerned about the wellbeing of their believers. Although it should be the royal/imperial family who should dominate in their land, the church was always the one who held the true power. For two reasons: Chosen and Vultures/Seraphim. While the latter could still be challenged by some hidden experts, the former was just way too ridiculous.

Herald had never seen the power of a Chosen but his father did. And the only thing his father said about them was one word: Unstoppable. Unless another Chosen acted, a Chosen could pretty much do however he liked. He was the closest being the gods, he was sheltered and trained to the utmost of his capacities since he was very young. And by the time they reached the age of 15, they could already step on nearly anyone’s face without putting much of a fight.

This was the reason the nobles hated the church. They had a power which could give them supreme authorities. However, since it would lead to a world war if a church tried to expand his influence seeking world dominance, they always stayed ‘low-profile’.

But Herald could feel the change incoming, like any other noble. The fact that all churches had a Chosen at the same time, the fact that many churches have disappeared and were living a stray dog life, everyone could tell that something was going to happen. And he was getting prepared for it.

The next war wouldn’t be between kings or emperors, but between Chosen. A war in which people like them wouldn’t want to take part to. But no one could show their true feeling about this. As someone blessed with an intermediate blessing he was offered the possibility to join the church of Desolation since it was the minimum requisite to enter, like any other church. Those with a low blessing couldn’t enter. Those with a high blessing were personally invited unless they belonged to royal or imperial families. In which case they would have the choice to stay with their family, otherwise, the church would put a lot of pressure on the family to force them to part with their child.

A high blessing was extremely rare. Thus, the church was even more reluctant to part from a child who obtained one. And no one could deny them, because of those who were at the top of the church. Vultures/Seraphim. Even emperors needed to kneel in front of them, let alone those pitiful nobles.

Thus, they hated the church. For stealing their power, for restraining them, for acting all high and mighty wherever they went. So, they were looking forward to the war. A war in which, maybe, those at the top may fall, and those at the bottom may rise.

Many plans were prepared in advanced and some were still in development. They just couldn’t afford to make any mistake.

If money could be considered as the fuel of the world, strength was its gears. Those who had strength could decide to choose the gear with which they wanted to make the world.

They had the fuel but not the gears. For now.

//

Days passed.

Vlad enjoyed those days. He learned a valuable lesson. Never pick a cute looking little freak at the grassland. No, never think about taking care of them because you felt pity for them. Because they didn’t felt any pity in plundering all of your money.

When he got back to the inn after having a ‘gentle spar’ with the guild master, Vlad found out that Lucifer had eaten 3 silver coins worth of food. The face of the receptionist looked like one who just saw a treasure, but for Vlad, he was a walking disaster. Since then, Vlad gave the instruction that they should not serve him more food if he does beyond the 30 coppers limit.

And the very next day, he discovered that Lucifer ate 2 silver worth of food for breakfast. The waitress told him that she just couldn’t resist the grieved face he made when he was told that he couldn’t ask for more and went a bit overboard. But since it was her fault, he didn’t have to pay for it.

However, this matter gave Vlad quite the idea.

He asked Lucifer to accompany him while he had to buy some commodities since he needed to replenish his stock after his last quest.

They first went to the alchemist shop. When they entered the shop, Lucifer was holding a tiny stick in his hand and his clothes were dirtied while Vlad looked even more of a beggar.

The shop manager, who was a middle-aged demon lady, felt her heart sink a bit when she saw their state. But, since it wasn’t uncommon for commoners like them to end up like this, she was just slightly moved. However, that was until Lucifer displayed his talent. When Vlad asked for how much the pain reducing and mana regeneration potion cost, she wanted to say 5 silver coins but seeing the pitiful and haggard look on Lucifer’s face, she felt heartless for asking so much.

But, Vlad’s plan failed the very next moment. The reason was because the alchemist who created these potions was coming out of his room and happened to saw him.

When Vlad saw the alchemist, he made a wry smile and was already prepared to run.

Vlad knew him since he was young and always tried to gain some type of discount from him but he never agreed, heck, he even kicked him out the shop when he tried to cry to persuade him. And since he became a C class adventurer, he became even more hellbent on making him pay each potion at the highest price. Thus, when he saw that his newly hired shop manager was going to reduce the price for Vlad, the latter could already feel the temperature rising. So, he took Lucifer and ran off without bidding his farewell, just in time to dodge the incoming fireball.

“This old geezer will never change! I spent so much money in his shop and he stills treat me like an eyesore!”

While Vlad was cursing at the old man, Lucifer didn’t care about his problems and was only looking forward to his reward for his contribution.

The shop manager’s face had lost all colors when she saw the huge fireball went past her. She knew that the old man was an extremely powerful mage besides being an alchemist but she had never expected him to use such a powerful spell against a beggar.

“Don’t worry about him. This brat was trying to trick you. He wouldn’t have died even if he was hit by my magic. This brat is thick skinned enough to take 2 or more of my spells.”

The shop manager could sigh while shaking her head.

As if someone can take your spell while being fine!