“And even if it does, don’t think I’ll forgive you just like that!” Said Nath frowning down at Erin, “Why did you have to get such a ridiculous outfit!”

“But Master, you look dashing! Every girl will love you!”

“What girls do I want?” Said Nath scoffing, “I want to look beautiful! Gorgeous! Mother promised! Just look at this… What use does linking with the spirit have if I still need to dress like this?”

Nathaniel, Heir of the Kingdom, looked down at herself with a scowl.

She wore a pair of black boots so polished that shone with each step she took, dark blue pants of thin fabric secured with a black belt, a vibrant pink shirt with frilled sleeves, and a tiny white hat.

“I look ridiculous!”

“T-those are the local traditional clothes for a highborn, Master,” said Erin waving her arms in front of Nath. Nath on her part truly made the part of a dashing young master.

“For a male highborn!” Nath exclaimed, “This farce has gone too long! I refuse to wear this hat!” And she threw it through the window. Erin could only look with her mouth open as the hat flew away.

“T-the Mistress said you should do your best to fit in with the group she picked for you!” She blurted when she managed to react.

“What group? They will surely be brats at best; what kind of help could she find in this hole? At least back at home, I had Gianna and Ryle.”

“Master, the Mistress didn’t….”

“Approve of them, I know, I know it! But still… She should have picked a better place! What does even have that Town that she likes it so much?”

“Master, that town is the keep of The Shield and The Blade!” Said Erin perking up, “Besides, there are the twins and the Shield’s daughter. I already talked to them, and they are all loyal to the Kingdom.”

“What use do I have for their loyalty? I don’t need weaklings dragging me down!”

“M-Master! I’m sure they will be acceptable, even two of them had the sings already!”

“Only two?” And she reclined herself against the chair covering her eyes with both hands, “What about the third? Will I have to pull the spirits for them?”

“N-no I don’t think so…” Said Erin.

“You don’t think so, but you are not sure. Are you?”

“I…”

“…”

“M-Master I’m sure that…”

“Hum!” Said Nath crossing her arms and turning towards the window.

“Master?”

But Nath just watched the scenery passing by without reacting.

“Master, Master I, I really think they will succeed!

“…”

But as Nath still ignored her, Erin’s eyes started getting teary.

“M-master,” *snif* “Master I…” *snif* *snif*

“Ah! Don’t cry Erin!” said Nath finally reacting and shaking Erin by her shoulders, “You, why are you such a crybaby? I’ll go with the clothes aright? Just, don’t cry!”

“W-w-wait M-Maswter!” stuttered Erin too dizzy to keep crying, “T-the shaking”

“Oh!” Nath released her and saw how Erin cleaned her face.

“But Master,” Erin said with a smile “That’s great! Now you will fit in with them without problems!”

“Ah! You lied!” She said frowning, “I won’t do it! These clothes are too ugly!”

But as soon as she said it, Erin started tearing up again.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

“Say, Runny… Do you know what is down there?”

“No idea,” Said Runny shaking his head, “But the time I fell, I saw shadows passing by. And once I heard a drunk storyteller say the settlers didn’t build the sewers. He said they were already here when the Kingdom claimed the land…”

A breeze from the hole brushed them and Lane saw Runny shivering at the same time he did.

“S-shadows?” Lane asked, and when Runny nodded, he walked to the edge, looking where he put his feet at every step and peeked down.

“T-there is surely nothing down there, right Runny? Y-you are messing with me right?”

But Runny only bit his lips and shook his head.

“T-then why did you bring me here? Didn’t I tell you that a spirit cursed me? This is bad! We must go on right now!”

Lane turned to leave, but when he strode for the exit, he saw a small shadow move out of a trash pile.

“Ah!”

He stumbled backward, his feet tangling with something on the way, and fell down on something soft.

“Gugh,” came Runny’s voice from below Lane.

Struggling to stand up, Lane managed to look at the shadow and saw a fur ball running straight for him.

“A cat?”

The cat reached him and started licking his face.

“W-wait, this… Haha, this is a dog!” Said Lane lifting the dog and putting it away.

“Yip!”

“Guuuuht up L-Laneeee,” Wheezed Runny.

“Ah, erm,” rolling to the side from Runny, Lane saw the dog yipping with a waving tail and jumping on a still wheezing Runny.

“Hiii, Dusty, move…”

“Yip yip!”

Now, looking at it licking all over Runny’s face, Lane realized that his first impression wasn’t that far from the truth. The ‘dog’ had a short snout and a rounded fluffy face. Its ears two small triangles perked up and pointing forward and had the same black color as its paws. In contrast, its fur was a fluff of white softness that covered the rest of its body. Finally, the dog sported an equally fluffy tail that was as long as its body and waved nonstop hitting all over Runny.

“Guh, come on!” Said Runny finally catching the dog and standing up, “Look, Lane! Haha! This is Dusty! This mighty Ronnie’s companion!”

“Where did you even got that thing?”

“How rude!”

“Yip!”

“That’s right, Dusty,” said Runny walking towards a corridor by the side of the chamber and hugging the dog, “don’t listen to Lane, he clearly lacks in taste.”

Lane snorted but followed him, and soon saw a small room with a weathered board doing as a door. Runny put Dusty on the floor and slid the board sideways to reveal a small room with a single mattress laying directly on the floor. Around the place, Lane saw broken wood toys and different tools laying scattered without any order. On a corner, a pile of crumpled clothes completed the sight.

“So this is where you hide when you are not slacking off in the guild,” Said Lane entering, “Well? Where is it?”

“Come, I need you to lift the mattress,”

Lane lifted an eyebrow but said nothing and pulled a side of the mattress. On his side, Runny quickly ducked beneath it and took a small box out.

“Behold!” He said as Lane put the mattress back in place, “The fruit of this Ronnie’s hard work!”

Runny opened the box, and Lane smelled the scent of manna. However, this time the scent wasn’t burning. Instead, the manna Lane felt it was pure and concentrated. The scent carried a sweet hint of mint rather than that of lightning and ashes.

Looking into the box, Lane saw a small crystal orb. Inside, pale blue twirls danced shining in a transparent liquid. Runny reached for it, and as soon as he took it, the orb lit up.

“You did it!” Said Lane hugging him, “That’s great, Runny! Haha! You did it!”

“L-Lane! I can’t breathe!”

“Oh,” said Lane letting him down, “Sorry, haha. But Runny, you did it! Show me, do you have a link? Why don’t I see it in your eyes… Wait, no, it is there!”

He said looking into Runny’s eyes, and there they were. It was easy to miss them, but looking closely, Lane saw the matching blue streaks around the pupils. However, after a moment of silence, Runny looked down.

“You are staring, Lane.”

“Ahem, yeah sorry,” Said Lane looking to the side and rubbing his nose, “say Runny, what are you going to do about the hair? I mean, you do have the streaks already right?”

“I do!” Said Runny smiling and taking off his cap, “Here, I’m hiding it in my cap!”

With the cap gone, Runny’s hair fell to his shoulders. That way, Lane saw that within the black mess, some streaks of bright blue were starting to show up. Lane smiled, patting Runny on both shoulders.

“Hoho, Look at you!” Said Lane, “At least you didn’t waste the money, haha.”

“O-of course I didn’t!” Grumbled Runny pushing Lane’s hands away.

“So what now? What are you planning for the reveal day? Do you have it settled? I can tell my teacher if you need it. We can go to the castle right away!”

“N-no, Lane, the castle is…”

“That won’t do, Runny” Said Lane shaking his head, “You can’t do the reveal without preparations!”

“Muuu.”

“Come on, Runny! I’m sure my teacher will help you!” Lane said grabbing him by the shoulders, “Besides, I do need your help with something, don’t you want to pay me back at least a little for that mess?”

“W-well, I do want to pay you back but…” And he stopped with his face reddening.

“It’ll be fine! I will make sure Hans stays away this time. I even made sure he stayed quiet about it! What do you say? Will you help me?”

Runny bit his lips, thought for a moment, but then looked at Lane’s eyes and nodded.

“But what do you need me for?” Asked Runny “Just so you know I will not help you hunting more in the forest!”

“It’s okay, this will be all in the castle,” Said Lane smiling, “I just need you to keep an eye on some princely business…”