Author's Note:

Here's my new thread where I will put my ideas for future stories that I may write. The ideas will be shown by writing a chapter set in that world which might be from any part of the story, beginning or ending. If you have time, please do check it out and leave me a comment on how you found it ^^

Stories of the Wide World

Characters

Titles and Abilities

The sun was going down when a lonely traveller entered the city. He passed the guards unseen and went to walk the streets like a shadow. His clothes were black, blending well with the darkness of the place.

The person looked at the houses that were lacking any sign of life, he walked around carts abandoned in the middle of streets and dark splotches on the ground. His eyes followed the movements of many people in fighting gear walking past him in a hurry. They didn’t belong to this place.

The traveller made his way to a church that once had been the pride of the city. Now it stood broken and haggard; its high pillars fallen, doors smashed in. Inside it was no better. Everything of value had been taken and gods and goddesses now stood without armour, weapons, jewellery and even their eyesight. No wonder the city had become such a dark place.

A person’s cry could be heard from somewhere and the traveller went in that direction. He found a small room where an old man in once white garb was praying. He was on his knees murmuring something to a featureless wooden sculpture while tears were running down both his cheeks.

“Please, hear me, my god! They broke the sacred oaths! They sullied your chambers! They stole from you! Please give me strength to repay them! Please send someone who would avenge what has happened here! They killed your servants and called me a liar. They’re going to lie to other priests and say I had fallen and had to be put down! Please! You can let them kill me but please, please send someone to pay them for what they did!” the man whispered in a broken sob, his voice ragged and throaty.

The traveller wandered just how long has the man been praying to the now blind god’s. They had clearly abandoned this place so what did he plan to achieve by it? Did he believe the god’s actually cared about what happened to mere mortals?

“They’re coming to me when the sun rises...” the man said, coughing a bit. “I don’t mind dying for you. I had vowed to serve till my last day but you can’t let them disgrace you this much. Don’t do it for me! Do it for yourself! You’re kind-hearted and loving but some people don’t deserve it! They came here acting mighty and proud, never seeing us as fellow humans. These adventurers they’re a curse, a plague to our world! Please make them see that we’re more than just insects under their feet. Make them understand that we were here first! It’s our world!”

The traveller felt sorry for the old crazy man and left the shadows. He took out a flask of simple water and passed it to the man. “Drink it” he said in a tone accepting no argument.

The clerical man was shocked, instantly putting the wooden sculpture before himself as if it was going to protect him. It took him a moment to take notice of the stranger. He looked hesitant to take the flask at first but his wariness and thirst won over and he drank it all in a few large gulps. “Who are you?” he asked afterwards.

The person sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall. “One of the people you were cursing, an adventurer” he answered with a slight smile that tempted the cleric to do something about it.

The cleric noted how young his guest was. Nothing more than a kid like one of those that sang in his choir just days ago. “You seem familiar” he said, trying to remember where he had seen the boy. He was sure it hadn’t been that long ago but he just couldn’t put his finger on where and when.

“Maybe because you saved my life once,” Ace answered, yawning tiredly. He needed some rest after all the excitement. The quest had showed up to be a mockery of one, meant only for him to become one who released an evil demon on the world and L hadn’t been particularly happy about it. The guy had cursed him for that, called an idiot and made him swear he’ll bring Monthu and the others to work for him.

Ace hadn’t been very eager to promise that but he felt he owed the guy for forgetting his mission. Par’s birthday and then a ban against Vera seeing him again for a while had pushed all other thoughts away from his mind.

“I did?” the man asked surprised. He had been a head priest previously and he rarely if ever did anything associated with healing; political games were his main occupation.

Ace nodded taking out some dried meat to chew on and giving a bit of it to the cleric who after a second’s consideration took it. They ate in silence while the man thought and the boy fought against sleepiness. Tomorrow he was going to have to pretend to be reborn and it was going to be annoying as hell. Especially since he expected a lot of accusations. He would have to think of a way to throw them off again.

After a minute he decided it wasn’t warm enough in here and took out some logs. He used [Flare] to light them up and in moment there was a lovely fire dancing before him.

Yet the cleric didn’t seem to appreciate the light and warmth that now flooded the small chamber. “You should put it out. This is a sacred place” he said sternly, glaring at the kid.

“If god’s really cared about it, would they have allowed it to be destroyed like this?”

“They can’t interfere as openly as that!” the cleric answered instantly. “They work through people!”

“So why didn’t they send an army from another church to protect you? Why did they sit and watch as your people got killed and banished? Why do they allow for such a beautiful city that was supposedly under their protection to be turned into his dark and dangerous place?” Ace sneered at the man. “From where I look, your god’s don’t give a damn about what happens to you or this place. You’ve been abandoned. Accept it and move on.”

Cleric looked as if he was hit with a hammer. He tried to stammer out a reply but nothing came out but a mumble of words that had no real meaning. He coughed and tried again. “You don’t know anything” he said finally but it lacked the previous conviction.

“I don’t? So tell me. Where are they? Why did they let for something like this to happen? Why aren’t they answering your prayers?” Ace asked, not even looking at the man. He watched the flames building castles of orange and destroying them with a burst of yellow sparks.

The man had no answer to those questions. He had served the gods for many years, receiving gifts from them in form of items and blessings, more power. It was a glorious life he had lived but now that he truly needed them, they were silent. No matter how much he prayed there was no answer coming and everything he had held dear was being destroyed before his eyes. Was he really abandoned? It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t.

Ace wasn’t interested enough in the man’s struggle to annoy him more and left him be when he turned silent. Instead the boy took out some dirty cloak and wrapped in it fell asleep. It was some nine o’clock and it was time for kid’s to go to bed.

He was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. He tried turning away but that someone didn’t let him and shook him even harder. Ace opened his eyes groggily and glared.

It took him a long while to recognise the old priest. The man had drawn black and white lines around his eyes and red markings covered his whole face. He had turned bald over the night too.

“What do you want?” Ace asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. He looked around, searching for some windows to guess the time, but there were none. However, the fire was still going strong, books and sculptures keeping it up.

“You know the leader of Lasran city?” the man asked in a gravely voice, his eyes burning like two coals.

“Are you okay?” Ace asked, crawling a bit backwards. The man had taken place in the kid’s face, so close, in fact, his ragged breath was fanning the boy’s face.

“Do you?” he asked again, getting up close again, certain madness shining in his face. Ace decided it wasn’t a good idea to play games with a madman and nodded instead. There was relief on the crazy priest’s face. “Contact him” he ordered.

Ace yawned for the last time and sat up, pushing the man off of him. He looked at his friend list and as luck would have it L was away. He had been on for almost a week in game but the one moment Ace needed him, of course, he went to rest. The kid shook his head at the stupidity of it all. “He’s not in this world at the moment. I can contact him for you after a few days, if you want it.”

“That is not right!” the man hissed in anger. “Contact him in your world then! I need him now!”

Ace shook his head. “Impossible. In our world we’re like you here, no way to talk to people we don’t live in the same house with and I have no idea who L is there.”

“No! It can’t be the truth! I need him now! Do something! Bring him here! You’re an adventurer!”

“Adventurer doesn’t mean god, for your information” Ace said in a flat tone. “We still have to follow the laws of the world and such. That means if I say L is away and I can’t reach him, I mean it and there’s nothing to be done.”

“No, no, no!” the priest shouted out into the air. “You leave me here alone and even take my only chance to get revenge for myself!” he asked through gritted teeth. Ace was about to say he did no such thing when he noticed the guy wasn’t talking to him but something invisible. His eyes were moving all other the room; up and down, left and right. “You can’t do that to me! I had lived for you all my life! Give me at least this one thing!” he kicked at the fire, making the flames fly in all directions. They caught on the wooden walls quickly and soon Ace found himself standing in a room of fire. [Excessive Heat] helped him not to feel the burning but he doubted the priest had anything as useful as that.

Or the sanity to use it.

“What do you want from L?” he asked the guy who was soon going to burn alive. The place was fully built of wood, besides the floor, and had been kept dry so it flamed up like parchment.

“I want him to get revenge for me” the man said in voice that was full of fury but had lost its belief in anything. He doubted anyone would really care that he died together with his church in this city. Why would anyone risk their lives for him?

“Revenge?” Ace asked in an interested tone. He was having an idea which would be pretty fun and awesome if he was to make it come true.

“Those adventurers destroyed everything I ever cared about, even my god’s trust in me. I need them to pay for it, to lose everything and feel that despair you’re left with when the whole world moves from under your feet. I want them to suffer!”

Ace smiled hearing that. “Would you like me to do something about it?” he asked quietly, looking up at the man with eyes the colour of blood.

“But you’re just a kid...” the man said with worry lines etching on his face as a feeling of dread entered his body. “Who are you?” he asked in a whisper.

“An angel of death” Ace said with a laugh, Kris twirling in his hand. “So you want my services?”

“Can you really do it?” the man asked, seemingly abandoning all his pride and accepting the help of a child. “You’re not playing with me, are you?”

“Does the name Silver Wing sound familiar to you?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the right.

The man gasped as he put two and two together. His eyes went wide and now it was him who took some steps back. He stared for a while taking Ace in, wondering how could someone so young and at first glance innocent be one of the most wanted criminals alive. “And you would really help me? There’s nothing I can give you but my thanks.”

Ace’s smile widened. “If you had, I wouldn’t help you. Now let’s escape and we can discuss the details.”

“Escape? But I’m sentenced to die with my church!” the man refused and Ace wondered whether he was a religious fool or simply mad. Or both.

“And why should you show up for your execution?” he asked the priest in a very serious manner.

The guy opened his mouth to answer when he noticed he couldn’t think up of a single good one. Who did he have to die for? His people? They were already dead. His gods? They had left him. His own self? Why would he want to die for himself? “Okay” the man said. “You can save me.”

Ace ignored the oddly phrased plea for help and dragged the man out of the burning room. Ten minutes more and he would have been cooked alive. Only when he was out did the man understood that something had been wrong and started to cough uncontrollably. Ace glanced at him, decided it wasn’t going to end soon and went in search of an exit.

It was easy for him to enter and leave but he had a feeling that if the priest was sentenced to death, there were guards around to make sure the guy didn’t run away. He sneaked around the perimeter and found a couple of adventurers camping around. Most were underground in the crypts looking for anything valuable but there were a few near the exits too. Why they hadn’t come when the fire started Ace had no idea. Maybe they were told to let the priest kill himself if he so wished?

That helped Ace not at all so he changed his train of thought. The man was a priest which meant he had no chance at being able to sneak through anywhere. On top of that adventurers milled around, their random paths making it harder to stay out of their way.

Ace made his way outside and checked the situation there. It was still dark but the sun was going to rise soon. He had to hurry up. He threw one glance at the streets and seeing them empty knew the only challenge was going to be the inside of the church.

He returned to the priest who had calmed and looked equally relieved and surprised to see him return. “How far can you go without raising suspicion?” Ace asked him. The man shook his head. “I haven’t tried to leave my chambers.”

Ace sighed and led him on a least used path. Hopefully, they will be able to pass unnoticed and that would be end of it.

He doubted it with all his being.

This was a game and things here never were as simple as they looked. For example, somewhy the path now was filled with adventurers and they had to duck behind every corner to remain unseen. When they came near the entrance door or what was left of them, now there stood two massive barbarians. They let all adventurers through without a question but Ace doubted the same would go for the priest.

“What now?” the cleric asked quietly, eyeing the guards warily. All his bravery and anger had evaporated with his assuredness that he was going to die.

Ace thought for a moment before dragging the man behind a fat pillar. It hid them both with space to spare. Then the kid took out some armour that he’d taken off someone’s corpse and made the priest put it on. He also gave him a sword and two daggers to strap to his belt. Garbed in such things, the priest looked like a tragedy of an adventurer but one none the less and that was all Ace cared about. “Good” he said quietly. “Now stand taller but keep your head lowered. I’m going to be telling you some nonsenses to make it more natural and all you’ll have to do is nod from time to time. Got it?”

The priest didn’t look very happy about how the plan was going to be executed, he was sure they’ll get caught, but it wasn’t like he had anything to lose as the kid had pointed out earlier. He was a dead man anyway.

They walked out and the kid started to talk about some things the priest had no idea about. He mentioned stats, levels, lots of numbers and usual words in strange contexts such as windows, bag space and so on. None of it made any sense to him, but the priest still nodded and with a beating heart moved where the guards stood. He was sure they were going to get caught, he was the Head Priest, everyone knew his name, but a little hope flared inside his chest none the less. The kid had looked so confident and sure they were going to get away unscathed.

The priest grunted under his breath and the kid took it as a sign to continue with his meaningless tale. When he quieted down, the man glanced his way and nodded without having any better ideas and too afraid to look around as they were almost on the guards.

“Were you even listening to me?” Ace grumbled quite loudly, starting a tirade about how horrible the priest was, ignoring him. The guy wasn’t sure how to react so he simply moved forward, keeping one eye on the boy.

That was all Ace needed. He wanted the man to keep looking at him so the guards couldn’t take a good look of his face and guess who he was.

His ruse succeeded in a different way than he would have expected.

The guards didn’t pay any attention to the man but instead they watched him with their small eyes, hands on their weapon handles. Ace wasn’t sure how to react to it. Had his identity been discovered somehow? Had his conversation with the priest been overheard? He should have been more careful, the kid berated himself belatedly. It was too late to change anything.

When they finally reached the two barbarians, they grabbed Ace by the hands and brought him into the light. He had taken a swim and changed his clothes so Ace looked liked himself instead of Wing but the guards seemed to find it to their satisfaction. “You’re coming with us” one of them said in a bossy voice. It annoyed Ace to no end but he preferred not to make a scene which would reveal the priest’s identity.

However, the guy didn’t seem to understand just in how much danger he actually was as he said something to the guards and tugged on one of their sleeves.

“Scram off” the barbarian answered gruffly, throwing the priest’s hand off. “Don’t make me kill you for interrupting the king’s will!”

Ace was surprised to hear a king being named here but no more than the priest who looked thunderstruck. The kid called upon [Gust] and used it to shake the man out of his stupor and raised his head for him to see the glare in his eyes. It meant a one very strong “Get Out” with the underlining explanation of I can deal with them easier alone than with a dead-weight like you.

The man took the advice and lowering his head again, moved away into the city. Ace didn’t know where he was going to go and do what but he had his own problems at the moment. What had he gotten himself into now?

The priest had been a good distraction till he had to meet his friends after his supposed death but this was something a bit too much. There was barely three hours till they were going to come and meet him and this seemed like it was going to take much more than that. Why had they taken him anyway?

Ace had no answer to that so he decided to stay for a bit longer with the two brutes. He had three hours to kill anyway and with the priest gone nothing interesting to do.

While he was deciding on his plan, they had moved on their own. A new pair of guards were in place and the two were half dragging, half carrying him through the streets. He thought about saying he could walk on his own feet perfectly too, but decided against it. Let them think he was nothing more than a simple kid, too intimidated to to say anything about being manhandled.

“You sure love playing games” a soft voice said from a corner of the room Ace had been thrown into. It was pitch black, but from what Ace had glimpsed while the doors were open it was a large study with dozens of bookcases lining the walls and papers piled neatly all around the room. On the ground was a plush carpet that had softened his fall and felt soft under his hands.

When he heard the voice, he didn’t even glance that way. There was no point in the darkness and ears supplied him enough information as to who was here with him. There were three sets of lungs breathing in the room. One was situated at the front, behind the desk and was damaged. The person’s breathing seemed normal but in still darkness where sound was louder, you could hear slight rasps and wheezes.

Another sat in a lavish chair with his back to Ace, the kid could hear the cushions move as the person shifted in his seat. He had turned around to face the kid even if they were separated by a thick cloak of blackness.

The third, one that had talked, stood behind him. He guessed it was a female from her voice and the way cloth pushed against her legs as she stepped to close the door, plunging the room back into darkness after Ace’s entrance.

He decided to stay quiet for the moment and just made himself more comfortable by sitting on the ground, where he had fallen. His silence seemed to unnerve the female somewhat as she spoke up again. “Did cat got your tongue? Or is the renowned rogue mage actually a scared little boy?”

Ace ignored her altogether after she tried to make him uncomfortable with such petty accusations. He was more concerned for the two man sitting at the desk in complete silence. They hadn’t uttered a sound after he’d come and that made them dangerous. They were like hunters waiting patiently for their pray to make a faulty move before attacking.

But the kid didn’t think himself an easy victim. They were going to have to do much more than to drag him here and leave in the darkness if they wanted him to become unsettled.

A small blue flame escaped his cowl and lighted his face with a sickly silver hue. He moved it upwards and observed the place. [Flare] was the weakest spell of them all so all its light did for the large room was create shadows for people to get lost in. None of the three could be seen but all of their eyes glistened in the small light. Ace smiled to no one in particular and took out a book from his backpack.

He read the first chapter before the one behind the table finally decided to open his mouth. “You have been very different at the feast” he said in a familiar tone. Ace was surprised to hear the lord here but he hid it well. Not raising his head from the book he answered. “It was in a different lifetime, I’m no lord now.”

“So you agree you lied to me?”

“Not really. I had been a lord, but I gave it up to my dear sister and her husband. I believe they’re much more suited for all those festivities and boring orders. It’s adventure I seek, not power or wealth” he said, hid eyes buried in the book while he listened for any sound. One wrong move from their part and he would be on his feet with daggers in their backs.

“That is quite unusual” the third person finally spoke up. He used a normal tone to say it but his voice was very heavy and strong, unfriendly yet very direct. “You’re the first adventurer I come across that actually has no wish to rule and prefers to roam the land instead.”

“You’ve been meeting the wrong people then” Ace answered nonchalantly, shrugging. He didn’t know the guy or his intentions, but he was sure he meant nothing but trouble. And danger.

“You can introduce them to me later on then” the guy said from his chair, his eyes shining with the blueish light of [Flare]. “I would like to have more people like you.”

Ace lowered the book at that. “Why would you think you have me?” he asked in a casual tone, following the females moves with his ears and instincts. She was making her way closer to him and there was a soft thud of dagger against cloth when she took it out from somewhere on her.

“I have something you really want and I’m ready to make trade.”

“Is it my life?” Ace asked, moving out of the female’s blades path and rooting her with vines. She had called him a rogue mage so they were after him as Ace not the Silver Wing which meant he could use his magic freely.

The man growled at his companion. “Imra, I warned you not to do anything stupid.” After that his eyes settled on Ace again and more used to the dark the boy could see emptiness within them. They were dark pools of swirling black mass without a hint of feelings. “And you kid, I would be more careful with what you say if you don’t want to end up in the dungeons. I’m the lord of this city now.”

Morion, Ace thought to himself as he remembered L’s words, but what was the guy doing here himself. Wasn’t his capital miles away?

“Be as it may,” Ace said with a mock-bow.”But I’m an adventurer. I care little for your games of power and even less who sits on the throne. All I need is monsters to hunt, dungeons to explore and a soft bed to rest in after an adventure so please be considerate enough and allow me to leave and do what I do best.”

“And that is?” the female asked through clenched teeth. She was glaring his way as Ace smiled brightly at her.

“Hunting” he answered with a sinister smile that didn’t really fit to his face but was more true than what he showed to most people. The female took a sharp intake at his change before shaking her head and seeing the kid smiling as friendlily as before. She blinked a couple of times in doubt of herself as Ace laughed inside. It was fun playing with people.

Yet he didn’t have much time left. He had only a bit over an hour until Monthu came with the others.

This business had to be settled and soon.

To do just that he turned to the strongest lord in the Mora kingdom who was eyeing him as if he was his tool already. “You’re really him” he said after a moment in toneless voice.

“Who?” Ace asked, recasting the vines to keep the female entangled. She seemed pretty week to be stopped by his mediocre magic so he wondered what was she doing with the lord. He could have had strongest warriors by his side, so why? What did she have up her sleeve?

“The rogue mage of Vascas Castle. Many believed you to be a legend, something the people of Vascas had imagined but I decided to look into the rumour of a kid that fought in close combat but could use magic just as well when the occasion required.” I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s on par with my assassin skills, Ace thought dryly, but kept his mouth shut. “I talked with those of the army and only a few had mentioned you might have existed and I thought about stopping in my search when I met a rogue of your group. He goes by name Fenek if you remember him.”

Ace had no troubled bringing back the memory of the cowardly guy. He acted more like the real leader of the rogues in the retaking of Vascas castle and because of his resistance Ace had to use trickery and threats to achieve his goals. If not Fenek, the other rogues would have stayed solitary and would have been much more easy to order around.

The guy maybe noticed the recognition in Ace’s face or just got tired of waiting because he continued. “He, unlike the others I had questioned, gave me plenty of information. That’s how I knew you were no rumour and were even more crazy when I had expected. You surprised me with your tactics and ingenuity. That is no easy feat so you should be proud of it.”

The kid laughed. “Proud to amuse you? Sorry, but I’m not that vain and as I told before I care little what you think of me.”

“Your opinion of that would change quickly if you knew what I know.”

“Really?” Ace asked with a raised eyebrow. He wondered what dirt the guy had on him but didn’t worry too much. If he talked about Vascas castle and all those happenings long ago, it meant he knew nothing about the Wing and that was Ace’s only real secret. Everything else that might have been hidden at times was more likely because he wanted to trick someone or didn’t feel like explaining. “Shock me.”

“You’re the one that released the spirits into the world” Morion said, watching Ace like a cat watches a mouse.

The kid tilted his head, smiling secretively. “That is an interesting idea but I have to say it’s a bit above me. Even I don’t go around alone, fighting ancient evil spirits or releasing them for that matter.”

“But you were part of it” the female said with a winner’s smile. She thought her lord had won, he had the kid in his hands. But to her dismay, the boy didn’t seem perplexed at all. He laughed even before replying. “That is true but if you’re going to sell it to public, it’s not going to sale. I’m such an innocent child, you know...” he said, his lips twisting wryly.

“You’re not afraid of the continent’s retribution for what you have done?”

Ace shook his head. “Why should I? I’m but a young kid caught on the wrong side of the disagreement between lords. They’ll pity me, feel sad for me but never will they hate me. I’m just a kid, after all.”

The Duke grumbled behind his desk. “You’re nothing but a liar” he said in voice heavy with emotion, but too tired to discern them. “I trusted you when you came to me, but it seems I had made a mistake.”

The kid went to the table and sat on it, right before the Duke. “I lie? But don’t you do the same every single day? You pretend you like those balls and feasts, those two-faced lords and ladies that come for your council and affection, those jousts and tourneys while in truth you hate it all. You lie because that is how you keep your position. I lie to help those in need.” Ace leaned over to whisper in his ear to say the last words. “If this continues, at the end of the days which one of us do you think the god’s will forgive easier?”

The man leaned back as if burned. “You have destroyed the church, gods do not like such things” Ace added, as if in an after thought.

“Stop the insolence this instant!” Morion shouted out, cutting through the air as if with a knife. “I don’t care for your little games, Kid. I’m going to use your unusual mind to further my goals and that is a done matter. You can either accept and do as bid or try to resist and be put to place. Which will it be then?”

“You prise my unusual thinking and you expect me to act as told? Have you forgotten the part where Fenek told you I know not of what common sense is?” Ace asked, looking over the room again. There were two exists out of it. The door and a window set above the head of the Duke. It was some four feet wide but Ace preferred it to the door. He didn’t trust there being no traps even if he couldn’t feel any presence there.

“You can’t escape from here” the lord said in a somewhat angry tone. “This is my castle and every guard has orders to subdue you on sight.”

Ace smiled back at him. “What do you really know about me?” He laughed. “Absolutely nothing. It’s a child’s game for me to leave this place.” He took out a dagger and went to the female that was kept by the vines. “What if I took her life? Would you like that?”

The lord of many cities, Morion didn’t react but his eyes became even colder. If glares could kill, Ace was sure he’d be dead by now. So his prediction had been right, the female was a person of this land and so could be killed.

“What do you want?” the Duke asked.

Ace didn’t turn his gaze from Morion before answering. “Why did you really bring me here? I’m tired of these word games and I have a meeting in half an hour which I wouldn’t like to miss. So what do you say if we move to the part where you tell your plans and I shut them down and we can all go our separate ways?”

“You know not what you’ll be losing if you don’t hear it out” the female hissed in his grasp.

“Really?” Ace asked, dryly. “Come on then, tell me. I’m all ears!”

“An undiscovered city ruins. From the information gathered there are at least five dungeons, one of them in a castle with a large treasury, two quests and most likely a hidden class.”

Ace’s mouth fell open at what the lord was saying. The guy was eyeing him like a hawk but the kid didn’t have the mind to pretend not to be shocked. What he mentioned were a treasure a whole guild would do anything and that was for him alone? It was something unreal.

And that was what brought Ace back to the reality. The guy was trying to trick him or if not his task would be inhumane, something no one else could do for one reason or another.

“Your offer is tempting but I do not feel like I deserve it” he said, releasing the female and taking a step back. “so please excuse me now.”

“And you won’t even ask what you have to do?” the female asked incredulously.

Ace shifted his head to her when replying. “Why? It’s not something I’ll like doing. If the reward is too big, the work must have to be something disgusting.”

“I want you to betray the lord of Lasran” Morion said as Ace turned to leave again. “You’ll spy on him for me and I’ll give all of what I mentioned to you. You’ll be free to use it as you wish.”

“Betray lord of Lasran?” Ace asked surprised. “I don’t work for him.”

“Yet” the lord said quietly in a sinister manner.

He has spies there already, Ace thought debating his choices. The guy seemed to regard L in a really high manner and valued information about his immediate comings and going so much he promised a city for it. This left Ace with two ways to act, he could either betray L and receive a generous reward or stick to the guy and lose along with him. It wasn’t much of the choice.

“Your offer,” he smiled brightly, “I think I’ll take you up on it.”