Shin's chapter will be released in a bit, honestly wanted a bit of a time buffer since it is a considerable time skip but I wanted this part out and it didn't make sense to bundle it with the chapter.

"So... Now what?" Jane looked over at Mary who's wounds had stopped bleeding and was slowly closing, the spot where Shin had been standing a minute ago was now empty. "Is there something special you need to heal faster? Blood maybe?"

"Y-Yeah, blood." Mary was still staring at the spot Shin teleported from, her breathing heavy.

"Does any blood work or does it have to be human?" If any blood could work Jane could just quickly go buy an animal since she herself doesn't have any blood.

"Any blood works... Human blood is better." Her eyes started closing a bit.

"Okay, just hang in there I'll be right ba-" As Jane turned around to leave the alley towards the market a small figure popped around the corner.

"Are you two okay?" Mina was standing there, in one hand she had a vial of red liquid. "Here you go Mary, wyvern blood should be plenty effective right?" Pulling the cork off she held it to Mary's lips, who slowly drank it.

"Wyvern blood? Wait how'd you afford that? I wasn't even aware they sold it here." Wyvern's aren't a usual sighting, they show up near the dwarven mountains so supply was extremely low. Never mind being able to afford it, finding a seller was hard as the nobles buy it up the second it is being sold.

"I know a place in town, I managed to haggle the price down a lot." Mina gave off a bright smile, suitable to a kid. "Okay let's go!"

Mary's wounds had closed up instantly and her skin practically glowed with vitality, eyes wide she just sat there looking down at her own body. Jane likewise was shocked at the sudden improvement, "Blood is that effective?"

"I- no, healing maybe but for that little blood to have an effect is."

"You're a special type of vampire right? You don't have access to blood magic or a lot of a vampires bonus's but you get more power from drinking special blood you know." The two looked at Mina with mouths wide open.

"How do you know this? I don't even know..."

"I'm good at collecting information," Mina had her eyes closed and a big smile like a child being praised, "A friend of my dad's taught me, we're going to his place by the way. Let's go before the guards start searching for us."

"Okay..." Still confused by the actions of Mina who was a child, Jane and Mary followed while trying to process what just happened.

*knock knock knock

"We're closed!" Graplan Lorkas, or GL as some people called him back when he was a mercenary shouted at the person who was knocking at the door to his place. It was to describe it a bar, a very poor one at that but to people who dealt with the darker side of things this place was known as the best information provider.

"Maybe someone really wants some information, you think it'll be the princess with all the uproar lately?" GL looked up from his hand of cards at his old time friend Harvey Fardes.

"Don't care HF, we're closed during this time." Drawing a card GL scowled.

*knock knock knock

"Leave or I'll beat you to a pulp!" GL threw down the card he just drew.

*knock knock knock

Getting up Gl put down his cards and picked up a heavy metal club as he made his way to the door, "Don't you dare cheat."

"Heh, I can already tell I'll win, there's no reason to cheat." HF was grinning while taking a drink from a mug, cheap alcohol heading towards his stomach.

*knock knock SLAM

The door was thrown open as GL got to it revealing three girls, the one in front who had her hand up to knock again was a kid. "Scram before I beat your heads in."

"That's awfully mean," The girl made a pouting face, "I'm Mina uncle Graplan."

"Who? I don't recall anyone named Mina, now leave I'll give you a count of ten." As GP started to count down the girl- Mina, made a shocked expression.

"You were in the same mercenary group as my father Tervalt, how could you just forget me!" She had tears in her eyes.

"What's the hold up GP! Delaying won't do you any good," HF shouted while getting up to see the commotion.

"I- did Tervalt have a child?" GP couldn't remember, Tervalt did settle down and become a merchant with a nice girl from a small town somewhere and they had a drink once in a while but did they have a kid?

"Huh? I don't think he ever mentioned it did he?" HF peered over GL's shoulder at Mina. the two girls behind her had confused looks on their faces.

"Uncle Harvey you don't remember me either? You even played some cards with me before when we came over."

"I- Oh, right sorry Mina," GL scratched his head, "The alcohol must be doing something to my memory, come in come in."

"Y-Yeah, think we've been drinking too much today, let's put the game aside for now. Where's your parents?" HF went back to the table and started cleaning up as GL moved aside and let the girls in.

"The-They were umm, they're not here anymore." Mina had a dark expression on her face, "Th-these two helped save me though."

GL and HF stopped what they were doing and looked a Mina in shock, "Sorry for asking."

"Tervalt? But he was one of the strongest of our group."

"Hunters did it." One of the girls spoke up, "I'm Mary."

"Jane, I wasn't there when it happened," Jane took off the hood revealing tanned skin and black hair pulled into a ponytail.

"So I was wondering if we could stay here for a bit, maybe help out around." Turning towards Mina both GL and HF gave a soft smile.

"Of course, of course stay as long as you need to, least we could do for Tervalt's child."

"I'll prepare the rooms, GL cook up something warm for them will ya? And no alcohol." HF said as he headed up stairs, following his suggestion GL headed for kitchen leaving the three girls in the main room.

"What, was that?" Jane looked at Mina, "That seemed kind of unnatural."

"I don't know why they forgot me," Mina pouted again, "But now we have a place we can stay until Shin comes back."

During the meal Mary's face darkened and Jane looked over at her in worry. Mary put down her utensils and excused herself from the meal as she went upstairs, her food barely touched with the rest of them looking at her in worry, all except for one.

"Lili is gone isn't she?" Mina looked at Jane.

"Er-" Jane paused for a bit, "Yeah, she just disappeared. Shin is still there though." The invisible bond that connected them to Liliana disappeared, and Jane looked at the stairs where Mary had went. She hopes Mary won't do anything rash, there was nothing they could have done if Shin couldn't do anything about it.

"Lili?" GL and HF looked at them questioningly.

"One of the people that saved me," Mina simply stated and continued her meal.

"I should probably go check on her," Jane who had been eating the meal out of consideration not necessity stood up and started heading towards the stairs. "Gah!?!?" Before taking two steps however she suddenly collapsed, the sound of a body hitting the floor was heard from above at about the same time. As the rest of the group downstairs gathered around in concern a black energy was pulsing from Jane's body.

HF who had went upstairs to check on Mary shouted down that the same thing was happening.

"Let's get them to bed for now." GL picked up Jane who was surprisingly light, "I'll get a friend who'll keep quiet to check on them later."

As GL went upstairs Mina calmly finished her meal, rather than concern curiosity was on her face, "I wonder what happened." What was pulsing from the two of them was a unique type of energy of a certain god, "Well, I guess I'll ask Shin when he shows up." A raven hopped out of the shadow of the table and flew up to her shoulder, perched there it whispered into Mina's ear before disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Oh thanks, Loki. Hmmm, seems like it'll be a while before Shin comes back, I guess I'll do some preparations myself while we wait then."