"It's time," Kalistra sat in a gentle voice. She stretched her arms and stood on her hind legs. We had rested for about an hour or so. It was a peace hour, with a symphony of banging, slamming, and grunting drifted continuously into our ears.

The students of the dojo were well aware of the presence of their Headmaster in the courtyard, even though she was seated at a far corner. Therefore, nor of them dared to slack off their training, or else the evil taskmaster will make them run laps around the village.

Indeed, Kalistra was paying close to her pupils even while she was resting with me. She was secretly relieved to learn that the students were diligent in their practice. But the cat girl was also disappointed that she couldn't punish anyone.

As I rose to my feet, Rijana, Bjoukin, Bjoukia, Van, and Bila approached me.

"Where to?" Rijana asked.

I thought for a moment. I wasn't sure if I was ready to return to London and face The Twelve. Furthermore, I became convinced that the assassins were waiting for my arrival in the capital city. Thus, it would be more prudent for my party to spend the night elsewhere. The question, though, was where?

Bila quickly took the initiative. "How about Southampton?" she suggested. The cat girl's pale green eyes glowed with excitement at the thought of returning to the seaport and all the delicious seafood available! Her mouth started to water at the thought.

Van laughed out loud. "You just want to eat dinner at The Trade Wind," he said. After our party successfully repelled the invasion of Southampton, Bernetta, the tavernkeeper, treated us to a magnificent feast. Small wonder, then, that Bila, was anxious to return!

I smiled and nodded. "That's fine," I agreed. I wanted to visit the Magic Bazaar and pick up new scrolls anyway.

Rijana envisioned the destination in her mind and began to cast the Gate spell. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as her eyes were shut tightly in concentration. Her mana pool drained rapidly to feed this Ninth-Tier spell. Her effort was successful as a glowing blue door slowly formed in front of the spellcaster. With a flash of light, the fully-formed portal appeared before us.

Van and Bila entered the portal to check the other side.

A moment later, Bila's head appeared through the portal. "We're at the seaport," she confirmed.

The two elven siblings entered the portal.

I turned around to face Kalistra. I bowed deeply to the Headmaster of the dojo.

My fellow pupils reciprocated my bow.

I entered the portal, and Rijana followed me before closing the portal shut behind her.

I stared at the hazy purple sun in the horizon above the water. I took a deep breath of the breezy air, which smelled of salt. It had been many weeks since I departed from Southampton. I looked around. I was standing on a wooden pier; nearby was a shrine dedicated to Lord Bane and Lady Musa.

The Leadership Council had initially banished the Church from Southampton because the Church was excessively interfering in the governance of the city. However, the two Gods had intervened to save the seaport from destruction during the pirate invasion. Thus, the council was forced to permit a shrine built in their honor. This shrine was a simple wooden pole with a platform; on the platform was a shelf with a wood carving of each God.

The harbor had more ships in the water than the last time I visited. At least a dozen vessels were entering and leaving Southampton simultaneously. Dockworkers were busy unloading crates of goods from merchant ships to horse-drawn wagons for transportation to elsewhere. Other workers were busy loading goods onto the vessels. Also, small fishermen boats entered the dock filled with their catch for the day.

Bila tugged on my shirt sleeve. "Let's go!" she said with her whiskers twitching in annoyance at my delay.

I allowed the cat girl to pull my arm as our party navigated through the busy streets. I activated Navigation Sense to recall my mental map; I confirmed that we headed in the direction of The Trade Wind.

I stood for a moment to look at the establishment. It was a two-story building made of cobblestones. The inn took up a third of the city block. The second floor had numerous windows which were open. Above the entrance was a green flag decorated with blue, horizontal wavy lines. The flag danced as the wind blew by.

Bila jumped up and down with excitement. "We're here! We're here!" She immediately ran inside.

I rolled my eyes at the cat girl's antics. She was acting like a child!

Sheepishly, Bila stuck her head out of the doorway, and said in a calm voice, "No assassins inside."

Bjoukia laughed until her brother elbowed her to stop.

I hurried in before Bila could embarrass me any further. When I entered the lobby, I saw a receptionist awaiting our group. She was middle-aged with long, brunette hair tied neatly in a bun. She wore a white apron over a light blue-colored tunic and a pair of dark brown pants; a sword hilt was noticeable on her left hip. I recognized her as the tavernkeeper. "Greetings, Bernetta," I said with a slight nod.

Bernetta's blue eyes beamed with delight when she saw my face. "Ah! It's the Protector of Southampton!" she exclaimed. "Please come to the VIP room," she invited us and started walking toward the inner part of the floor.

As we crossed the dining room, I nodded politely in response to the deep bows from the patrons sitting in the room. I received the title, "Protector of Southampton," for successfully defending the city against a pirate invasion led by the remaining Zorxilixian on Earth 2. The citizens were aware of my role in saving their city, and they offered respectful bows to show their appreciation.

The rest of my party followed quietly. Van was directly behind me, and he straightened his back as he walked. As a paladin who was accustomed to mingling with the ordinary folk, Van understood that the behavior of a Lord's followers reflected on the Lord. He fervently prayed to the Gods that the other party members would see and comprehend his behavior, and follow suit.

Bila had already embarrassed Brother Mulligan when she ran into the lobby. But only the tavernkeeper had witnessed the disgraceful act. If she could imitate Van's behavior, then he would be very relieved. Fortunately, the Gods answered his prayer as the cat girl noticed Van's behavior and imitated him.

Rijana, Bjoukia, and Bjoukin were members of The Elven Nation, and this group was well versed in the proper etiquette.

Once we arrived in the VIP room, I sat down at the head of the table. Van took the seat to my left; it was the closest chair to the door, and this position allowed the bodyguard to intervene if unwelcome guests entered the room. Bila sat to my right. Rijana took the chair directly across from me while Bjoukia and Bjoukin sat to her left and right, respectively.

"What would you like to eat, milord?" Bernetta asked politely.

I glanced at Bila, who was looking at me with desperate eyes. I returned my attention to the tavernkeeper. "Fish for everyone, please. But only soup for me. Also, we would like four rooms for the night," I added. Bila and the elves were experts in avoiding the ingestion of tiny bones while eating fish. I was not as skilled, and thus, the safest meal for me was soup.

I untied my money sack and fished out a gold coin. When I tried to hand Bernetta the money, she refused.

"Lord Mulligan, I cannot accept your coin. You honor The Trade Wind by choosing to eat and stay here." Bernetta bowed deeply, left the VIP room, and closed the door softly behind her.

"Are you going to the Magic Bazaar tomorrow?" Rijana asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"What kind of spells are you seeking to add to your spellbook?" my magic instructor inquired.

I looked directly into Rijana's eyes. "Whatever is useful for fighting in a war," I answered honestly.

All eyes in the room turned toward me. The side conversations ceased immediately.

"The Champion of Chaos has emerged, and it is my destiny to meet him on the battlefield. I have fought him before, and I am confident that I can beat him one-on-one. But I want to learn something destructive, like Meteor Swarm," I explained.

"When did you fight The Champion of Chaos?" Van asked.

"During the Melee Tournament in Bristol. His name is Arthur de Vere," I answered. "He is the Champion of Chaos."

"But didn't you lose to him?" Bila asked.

I nodded. "I fought Arthur at the Semi-Finals. He beat me, and then he was disqualified in the Finals for tossing his opponent into the stands. The judges gave me Arthur's slot as a Finalist and permitted me to fight for the title. I declined," I answered.

"Why?" Bjoukia asked. She had watched my matches from the stands, and she witnessed my defeat. Bjoukia never understood why I declined to fight in the title match.

I turned to face the elf maiden directly. "I had several reasons. First, the primary purpose of my participation in the tournament was to advertise for my dojo and entice students to join the school. Second, my personal goal was to avoid a first-round knockout. Once I succeeded, I was willing to continue until I lost. Arthur was the better fighter at the time, and I was happy to end my participation in the tournament at that point. It was meaningless for me to fight for the championship. That's why I declined," I explained.

Before anyone could ask me more questions, our food had arrived. A trio of waitresses entered the room while carrying trays. Each patron, aside from me, received a plate of grilled fish with lemon, plus onions and mushrooms on the side. On the other hand, the waitress served me a big bowl of clam chowder soup with plenty of corn and potatoes. We also received two baskets worth of bread.

Bila quickly ate her food, and then asked for a second helping.

I shook my head at her big appetite. I was not even half-finished with my soup!

Mindful of the fact that other patrons will need our table, my party members finished their meals while keeping the conversation to a minimum. Afterward, they rose from their seats to leave the VIP room.

Feeling guilty about not paying for the food or the rooms, I left a gold coin on the table as a tip.

The greedy cat girl's eyes glowed when she saw the generous tip I left behind. But she kept silent because Bila didn't want to undermine my authority.

When we stepped out of the room, Bernetta was waiting for us.

The tavernkeeper bowed profoundly and then led us through the dining room.

The patrons stopped eating and started chanting, "All hail the Protector of Southampton!"

I waved my hand and smiled broadly at the commoners as I passed through the room. It was weird because everyone was treating me like a celebrity. I pretended this was practice for the day that I take the crown.

Bernetta took us to the second floor. The tavernkeeper stood in front of a door in the middle of the hallway, and she began to insert a key into the lock on the door.

Suddenly, I felt an intense, evil aura coming from inside the room!

Van felt the same aura because he immediately pulled Bernetta back roughly by the arm.

"Wha~," she blurted out before I held up my hand to quiet her.

My party members noticed the tension in the air, and they immediately grabbed their weapons.

Rijana cast Light and prepared to send her Light Sphere into the dark guest room.

Van stood in front of the door and glanced at me. When I nodded for him to proceed, the paladin slammed his left heel on the door and kicked it open! *BAM*

Rijana sent the Light Sphere into the room to provide illumination while my party rushed inside.

The sight which greeted us sent chills up our spines. On the floor laid two mages, one wearing a blue robe while the other a red robe. Both were male; their heads were leaning against the nightstand. Two deep puncture marks were on the side of each body's lower neck.

Sitting on the nightstand between the two heads was a man. He was incredibly handsome looking with marble-like skin, and jet-black hair which was jelled back and slick. He wore a neatly trimmed goatee under his chin. His eyes glowed red in the darkness. The intruder wore a slim, tight-fitting black tuxedo with a red tie around his neck and a black cape on his back. The window behind him was open, and the cool evening breeze entered the room to caress our skins.

A moment later, the murderer nonchalantly hopped off the nightstand. He barely made a noise when his feet landed on the floor. "Good evening," he said. "My name is Lazarus," the intruder introduced himself with a low bow.

"You're a vampire!" Van spat out the words with great disgust and anger. How dare this evil creature show himself before a holy warrior! The very appearance of Lazarus was an insult to the paladin!

My mind sifted through the memories of my previous encounters. The name Lazarus sounded familiar. Thanks to my high Intelligence attribute, I was able to recall the context for this name. "Stand down, Van," I commanded. I placed my hand on his right shoulder and gently pulled him back. I then took his place and stood before the vampire.

Bila hissed. She could not believe what I was doing!

"If Lazarus had evil intentions, he wouldn't be standing here before me," I said aloud for the benefit of my companions.

"How astute!" Lazarus praised me. "Go on," he teased.

"You were the vampire who was captured by a group of rogue mages in Bristol. Your captors bled you, and your blood was forcibly fed to an apprentice named Trenton," I stated.

The vampire clapped his hands. "Excellent! Lord Mulligan, care to guess why I'm here?" he asked with false enthusiasm.

I looked at the two dead mages on the floor behind the vampire. "You were after the mages who captured you," I answered.

Lazarus grinned, revealing his sharp, white teeth. "Sorry, but that's not correct. I have exacted my revenge, and all my captors are dead already. However, I owed you a debt for your assistance in putting down Trenton. He was my disgrace and my responsibility. Since you took care of him for me, I owed you a favor. I'm here now to pay off my debt," he explained.

My brows rose. "How?" I understood that many people followed their Codes of Honor, including evil people. Thus, I was willing to accept Lazarus' words at face value. However, I couldn't figure out how the two mages were involved.

The vampire pointed at my Staff of Merlin. "They were after your artifact. Since it is soul bound to you, they must kill you to take it from you," he explained. "You must be careful when you are near mages, Lord Mulligan, for they wish to claim Merlin's Legacy for themselves. My debt to you is repaid, and I shall now take my leave."

"Do you think I will allow you to leave?" Van asked belligerently.

Lazarus chuckled. "Yes I do, oh mighty holy warrior!" he said mockingly. "A vampire is the least of your worries. There is an army led by the Champion of Chaos approaching the main cities of the kingdom," he reminded Van.

"Please leave in peace, Lazarus," I said.

The vampire bowed deeply to me. Lazarus turned into a bat and flew out the window.

Bernetta finally stepped into the room. "Milord, I shall arrange another room for you," she said. Her face was pale, and her hands shook. Not many people could survive an encounter with a vampire and live to tell the tale!

I looked at the shopkeeper and shook my head. "I will stay here with Van. We need to watch over these bodies to ensure that they will not become the undead," I explained. "Van and I are members of the Church, and this is our duty. Please ask the Enforcers of the Mage Guild to come here. They will need to make a report and take our statements."

The tavernkeeper bowed. "I will do as you asked." She hurriedly left the room.

I turned toward the rest of my companions. "You guys should get some rest."

Bila opened her mouth to protest, but Rijana placed a hand on the cat girl's arm.

"Yes, milord. We will retire in my mage tower for the evening," Rijana agreed. "But only after we give our witness statements to the Enforcers."

I nodded in agreement.

Van took out two vials of holy water from his pouch. He poured one bottle on each dead body. The paladin then offered a prayer to Lady Musa on behalf of the dead mages.

I sat cross-legged on my bed and meditated while waiting for the Enforcers to arrive.