"Alright, so this is how you should dig and shiv someone, okay?"

Flicking my wrist, I perform a demonstration to two little children in front of me. Yup, I've been drummed down to training as I'm too much of a mental nutjob to go outside. Sometimes I wonder, they should be less concerned about me going outside but more concerned that they're letting the crackpot teach their initiates.

"Aren't you concerned about how I'll conduct my lessons?"

"Well, you're doing a far better job than the new guy,"

Indeed. I, the mentally unstable scout was preferred to do the educating rather than the resident trained educator. That being, the new guy. Really says something about the principles of this cult, eh?

"We need comrades in arms, not sisspots, plus, we're not a cult," was the reply I got.

Although it was wholly fatuous to put me in charge, to be fair, urban combat is no joke and with the crap the new guy was teaching, they would suffer harshly when placed in practical situations.

Lazari takes the lessons quite well, considering she's a demon, whilst the other girl, Sheeny, well, let's just say she was used to the new guy.

"I'm telling you, Jeffrey, children shouldn't be learning this kind of stuff!" The new guy pleads to me, after watching the content of my lessons.

"It's much too early to expose them to death and violence, please Jeffrey, think about their mental health,"

I beg to differ.

For one, you're telling me, a certified mental case, to think about mental health, which is insulting on multiple levels. And for two, to my knowledge both of them have witnessed multiple murders in their life and are in fact, part of a cult that has murder as part of its primary tenet.

"So considering that they were long exposed to reality, it would do better for them to focus on said reality than shift them onto your random lalaland lessons,"

I crush the new guy's argument. He's a nice guy, I'll give him that much, but I can't say his disposition and mindset is of the best interests to these two.

*Siiiiip*

I take a long sip of leaf water.

"So anyway, if you meet anyone who asks you to come with them or offers candy, remember to start running. Or if you're confident, you can shank 'em,"

The new guy has been teaching them somewhat useless content, like how to write and read, or social cues. All those noblesse things. This was not what I had in mind when I asked him to teach Lazari.

"You also gotta remember something very important. Don't die. If you die, then we all are kinda screwed," I make certain to emphasise this point, "Do not die. And if you are about to die, and you see reapers about to take your soul, remember to refuse. Start strangling them, flail, I dunno do something and it'll make them go away," Or so the Lacer says…

I can't help but doubt this choice piece of information though. Albeit, he looked pretty serious when he said that, and he does specialise in most things death related, so, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and just take his word for it.

But sometimes I really gotta question why the hell they were raising a child here.

"She's an orphan we picked up,"

Oh. Okay. Though I gotta say…

"Does that mean you pick up most orphans you come across?"

"Yesn't,"

This answer takes me by surprise. You’d think being this short handed would mean that they'd try to get as many helping hands as possible, no?

“We do not take children against their will, comrade,” Lacer chides.

Fair, but even then, wouldn’t you have more people around here? I saw tons of street urchins, just in the market area alone.

“Comrade, you forget that many fear us, even the youngest of kinder,”

That makes… sense. It was also pretty obvious. Am I underthinking things? I must be, otherwise, why would I be so surprised by such a simple answer? Recruiting members against their will never leads to anything sound, no matter what organisation, plus from my understanding, these guys most certainly have a basic code of honor. Am I forgetting things? Or am I ignoring certain facts? Is my mania taking control? Are they making me forget things?! Now I'm spiralling into self doubt.

Haha! Gotta love it when your thoughts start screwing with you!

*Siiiiiiiiiiiip*

"Gotta keep the demons down," I sigh.

It was a phrase Savage used to say when the visage beneath his helm would flare and he'd do something rather violent to quell it. I used to dismiss that quote as part of his freaky ramblings, but now I kind of understand what he probably went through…

Wait a minute. Was he also an insane prick… Don't tell me we were only friends because we were both psychos. Please, please don't. I plead internally for a moment before I shun such negative prose.

Eh, well, it won't matter, he's dead after all. I keep this delusion securely moored down. It's not like he can come back and tell me otherwise, right?

I sigh. This is greatly vexing. Being insane is not fun, though apparently the only reliable way to secure my sanity myself would be to rank up and take a grip of my mental scape. To a Steel ranked minimum. Right now, I'm at the Bronze Body rank, but I can feel that I'm on the cusp of the next level. Just a half step away from Silver Strength. I feel I just need something a bit more to just tip me over the edge into the realm of Silver. Though I'm rather unsure of how to properly proceed, after all, I have very little experience in ranking up.

"Don't worry, I gotchu," Laffer announces placing a hand on my shoulder.

*Siiiip*

"Good sir, may I please ask that you do take your hand off my shoulder,"

"Ah, alright," He hastily takes his hand off, before just standing there. Awkwardly.

*Siiiip*

"Please do continue," I signal to the good man.

"Okay, anyway, what I was trying to get at was I can help you out," He seats himself, "To build your foundation in the dark arts, I'm gonna have you try to break through with it,"

"Hmm,"

There are many ways to break through the ranks, such as essence stimulation or just plain old combat. However, a rather common way was to temper one's own vitality with a certain essence art to the point of breaking through the ranks. Essentially forging oneself with the arts and thereby becoming more compatible with them. Though that also meant that I would struggle with the other arts, basically becoming a specialist. Not that I especially mind, considering the potency and wide range of versatility that these arts offer.

*Siiiip*

"I see, so you plan on making a proper combatant of this cult,"

"We're not a cult, but yes, you are correct," Laffer steeples his hands, "As of now, we only have three active members, that being, me, Lacer and Wills. This is nowhere near a suitable amount. You can kind of help, but your rank will significantly hold you back, and here, we focus on quality!" He slams the table with a closed fist, "There are not many who are willing to join our cause and our adversaries are many, so our combatants cannot be mediocre, which is why I'm offering to help you out,"

"Intriguing, it truly is," I take a sip of my opioid liquid, I can't help but think that they dug this hole themselves by constantly antagonising everyone, though I also pick up something else in his words, "However, if you truly meant what you said, then why only approach to help me now? Would it not have been in your best interests to help me out earlier?"

Indeed, his story was conflicting. This only brings up another point that bothers me about these people. Their fickle nature and inconsistent narrative makes me think that they have ulterior motives, and they do, however, I don't see the need to make things so convoluted. Though I feel I already have a hunch of what's been going on…

"That, my friend would be because of certain reasons that will remain undisclosed to you for the time being," He nods to me with an air of mystery.

"That, my friend," I mock his tone, "Would actually be because you flippin' forgot to help me out, didn't you?"

Laffer still maintains his serious facade, but his still demeanour tells me everything I need to know. I take another sip, as I continue my assault against the man.

"And I'm just going to go on a limb and say this, but you don't even know the codex by heart, do you?"

I sit, waiting for his reply. And like this, we sit in awkward silence for few minutes, before he finally responds.

"Alright, so if you have any questions about the arts, then let's start with that,"

Ah, he wants to pretend that conversation didn't happen. Well, he might've been able to gloss over it, if he didn't wait a couple minutes to reply. Now the only thing I'm focusing on is how much of a sped he is.

"Ay man! I'm tryin' to help you here,"

Oh, I'm well aware of that. It's just that I'm still intent on silently ridiculing you.

"After all, it's not every day that I meet a pillion such as yourself that I get to make fun of,"

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?"

"Well yes, that's why I'm stuck on this leaf water,"

"Tsk, anyway movin- wait, what did you say?" He eyes me perplexedly, "Did you say, leaf water?"

"Am I wrong in calling it such?"

"Yesn't, but calling it that just feels wrong…"

"Hmm, good, going by normal people logic, that means that that is the generally accepted term then,"