Strolling through the bustling city, I make sure to try to stay away from the more crowded areas as I do so. My arm has more or less healed from that barghest, but I'm making sure not to exert it too much for the time being. Compared to Sharne, the previous city I was in, this place is probably around thrice the size of Sharne. Also unlike Sharne, this place is actually properly paved, with cobbled roads and everything.

Must be nice being so rich…

Ptui!

I spit on the ground out of spite. And mimicking me, Lazari does the same thing.

Shite.

Lazari is still a young girl, in the learning and growing phase. So it means that I have to do things carefully around her so she doesn't get any bad habits, but the fact is…

I'm a terrible influence. I can't even try to deny it.

After asking Lacer for a set of clothes for Lazari, they apparently had some hand me downs that fit her. And it was also a dark set of robes, as expected of these people.

And yes, I wasn’t going to question why they had child sized clothes.

Anyway, the city is called Joost and it's a medium scaled city known for being near a couple of forests which contain plenty of magical beasts, rare herbs and other stuff like that. So it's expected that quite a good portion of the populace are mercenaries or adventurers, seeking out glory or profit.

Quite a normal old city in the grand scheme of things.

Purchasing some bread, I'm just glad to have some real food for once. It's just some hard rye but it didn't taste that bad.

Mhm, I might get some more later.

"So, anything you wanna do?"

I ask Lazari. Although she's a country girl I recently picked up, it's good for her to want to do things, have her own say in life. After all, being the terrible parental figure I am, it would be extremely detrimental if my habits rubbed off on her.

"No,"

Surely there's something she wants. Anything? Please, I'm really desperate here.

"Nothing,"

Oh, oh no. I've never heard of someone who wants nothing. That can't be good, most certainly not. But I calm myself.

She's a demon, Jeffrey.

Demons are weird.

They don't function like we do. Their desires are uncanny, inexplicable to a human such as yourself.

So in conclusion, it's best not to think too deeply about them.

Yup, indeed, flawless deduction if I say so myself!

After getting a breather outside, I make my way back toward the base.

Though I would, except I don't.

Well, would you look at that? Me and my terrible sense of direction. I muse internally.

Seems like a perfect time to just slip away y’know? I’m sure I could find some country to settle down in away from all this crap about heretics. Maybe the daemons would let me in?

Hehe, it wouldn’t hurt to try my luck.

“Oh, what a surprise to find you here,”

I jump at the sudden voice behind me.

Shite. Were you following me?

“Hmm, I wasn’t following you, but I guess you got lost?” Laffer puts a hand to his chin in thought, “No matter, I’ll take you back,”

Godsdamnit. I was so close!

If you hadn’t guessed it, I wasn’t lost in the slightest. I could practically see the gates of freedom just over yonder!

What luck I have.

The heretic brings me back to that same inn.

Once more, he does that rhythm and the door opens.

"You do not need to do the door knock thing," Lacer again opens the door.

Sigh. If I’m stuck here, I might as well try and get along with them. Though, I was always the odd one out back then though things are likely to be different here, in consideration of the fact that everyone here is loony.

Don’t get me wrong, I still don't trust these guys, but from what I could see so far, they were rather hospitable, especially this blond haired guy.

"So you're new here?" he beams, "Hah! Guess I'm no longer the new guy here, you'll be my junior then,"

"Nah, you're still the new guy, Jeffrey's a maniac," Laffer echoes from across the hall, “Like he’s actually insane,”

Rude. What makes you say that? Tsk, no elaboration? Guess he’s just trying to trigger me.

Nonetheless, turning my attention back to…?

"Oh, I'm Tomakin, if you need anything lemme know and I'll help you out," He gives a smile.

Hmm, he seems like a rather friendly guy. I might get along with him. A very rare happening.

And since he's offering help and seems like a good role model I might as well take him up on his offer.

"Can you look after her?" I ask in my same humdrum.

"What?" He’s visibly confused.

What was this guy expecting me to ask him? I'm not an unreasonable person, this is just a normal request, right? Perhaps I need to be a bit more specific.

"I'd like you to teach her common sense and stuff,"

"Oh, I understand, I'll try. I mean we already have another girl around her age here, so maybe they'll get along,"

I'm about to question why they had a little girl here, but I stop myself.

Despite being a major hypocrite myself, I loathe hypocrites.

Yes, I'm aware, very hypocritical of myself.

Though another problem poses itself.

"Yesn't,"

"What?"

Hm, it seemed Lazari didn't want to part with me.

I pat her head, "It's alright, if he does naughty things to you, I'll make sure he regrets his pitiful existence,"

"H-hey man, that's some scary stuff you're mumbling about," Tomakin's smile twitches as his eyes dart around.

What the hell? I was only saying that to fit the whole vile cultist aesthetic…

"I thought you were a cultist?"

So what's with this wimpy behaviour or could it be…

He doesn't conform to the stereotypes? He's an individual?

No way.

Nonetheless, dumping the job of babysitting on this poor fellow I kind of just sit around. The inn isn't really that large, it has a second storey but it's mainly just empty rooms up there, though there's also a basement, which I am not keen on investigating.

I'm not sure what to do, but considering that I know next to nothing about cults besides the usual, spooky scary bad guy trope, I should start with information gathering.

"So what's your cause, the cult's grand aspiration?"

"Cause, you say? Uhm, hm, I'm actually not too sure about it," Laffer hems and haws "but if I had to say, it's something like 'we don't like the gods, so let's revive some stuff and screw the gods!' that’s the gist of it I guess,"

Bravo. A wonderful credo to abide by. ‘Let's revive some stuff and screw the gods!’

Mhm, definitely something I can get behind. A very cult like dogma if I had to say, they fit within the stereotypes perfectly.

"Ay man, don't gimme that look, we're just out here trying to live, if anything, Lacer prolly knows 'bout our mission,"

Oh, perhaps this is like their version of classified information.

I bring up the same question to Lacer,

"It is big secret comrade, but know that the gods are enemies. If anyone worships them, they are enemy, and if they serve the gods... kill them," His eyes turn sharp as he finishes his sentence.

Hm, so I learned basically nothing. It's already a well known, established fact that the religions that worship the gods are bitter enemies with the heretic cult.

Though, I couldn't help but think that their doctrine would have some relation to their arts, yknow? Like I understand heresy is their main code but why do they practise the dark arts when their dogma has no relation to them? What is so special about these arts that only the heretic cult has ever specialised in them?

"Oho, so you want to learn dark arts already?"

Frankly, I'd rather not, but I feel like I'd piss him off if I said yesn't right now.

Those eyes say that he will not receive a rejection.

And I've heard that in the empire you do not say no when asked, only yes.