The water in the wooden basin had been changed three times, yet to Elian, it still looked red.
In the dim light of The Rusty Anchor inn room, Elian scrubbed his hands with coarse soap. He scrubbed so hard that the skin on the back of his hands turned raw and blistered.
The stench of rat blood and Brutus's blood seemed to have seeped into his pores, refusing to vanish despite the scalding water.
"That's enough, Elian," Lunaria's voice was gentle but firm.
Her hand caught Elian's wrist, stopping the obsessive motion.
Elian flinched. He stared at his trembling hands. His breath came in short gasps.
"The smell won't go away, Master," Elian whispered, his voice cracking. The mask of "Eli the Mute" had been discarded in this room. All that remained was a terrified ten-year-old boy who had just slaughtered five human beings. "I can still feel it. When my sword pierced Brutus's neck... the vibration of his muscles as he died... it was disgusting."
Lunaria didn't mock him. She took a clean towel and dried her student's hands with care.
"That's good," Lunaria said softly. "That disgust means you are still human. Keep that feeling. Never let yourself enjoy killing, but don't let the guilt consume you either. You killed trash to survive. That is the law of nature."
Elian lowered his head, resting his forehead against Lunaria's shoulder. His body shook violently, releasing the adrenaline and fear he had suppressed in the sewers. He wasn't yet a cold, emotionless monster. He was still a frightened child who longed for the warmth of family.
"I miss Elara..." he sobbed quietly. "I want to know if she's safe."
Lunaria stroked Elian's long black hair, letting the boy cry for a while. She knew the road ahead would wipe away these tears in the cruelest way possible. But for tonight, let him be a child.
"Tomorrow we find her," Lunaria promised. "There is someone in this city who knows everything. But be prepared, Elian. Knowledge is never cheap."
***
The next day, Stormwatch revealed another one of its faces.
If the Slum District was the city's physical garbage dump, then the Red Light District—or Velvet Alley—was its moral cesspit.
Elian and Lunaria walked down streets lined with red and purple lanterns. The buildings here were nicer than those at the harbor, yet their aura was far darker. Scantily clad men and women stood on balconies, calling out to customers with fake seduction. The scent of cheap perfume mixed with the pungent odors of opium and alcohol.
Elian pulled his hood tight. He felt nauseous. He saw a fat nobleman dragging a crying young girl into a carriage. No one helped. The city guards merely laughed and accepted a coin pouch from the noble.
"Don't look," Lunaria whispered. "Focus on our goal."
They stopped in front of a gloomy-looking antique shop at the end of the street. The signboard depicted only a single closed eye: The Blind Seer.
Lunaria knocked on the door three times in a specific rhythm.
The door opened on its own with a hinge squeak that hurt the ears.
Inside, the room was crammed with shelves full of strange objects: monster skulls, jars containing fetuses of alien creatures, ancient scrolls, and cursed jewelry. In the center of the room sat a wrinkled old woman behind a cracked crystal ball. Her eyes were milky white—blind—yet she turned her head directly toward Elian as they entered.
"Ah... the smell of ancient forests and dragon blood," the old woman's voice was raspy, like sandpaper. "Welcome, Exiled Queen. And you... the Child Beloved and Hated by the World."
Elian shivered. This woman knew.
"We need information, Madam Vex," Lunaria said directly, skipping pleasantries. She placed a bag of silver coins on the table. "About a girl. Elara Vane. Missing two years ago in the Northern region."
Madam Vex laughed, a sound dry and full of coughing. She swept the silver coins onto the floor as if they were trash.
"Silver? You insult my blind eyes with pocket change?" Vex sneered. "Information on the Vane bloodline is a hot commodity, Elf. The Solara Empire pays a thousand gold for their heads. You want me to tell you her location for the price of a glass of ale?"
Elian's hand clenched under his cloak. "We don't have that much gold. But we can pay you with something else."
Vex turned toward Elian—"Eli the Mute" who was now speaking. The old woman grinned, revealing gold teeth.
"Big guts for such a small child. Fine. I like a gamble."
Vex stroked her crystal ball. The mist inside it swirled.
"Your sister, Elara... she is still alive," Vex said.
Elian's heart leapt. "Where?!"
"Shh. That's all the free information you get," Vex raised a wrinkled index finger. "She was adopted by Baroness Lyra, correct? That kind woman tried to hide her in the countryside. But Solara spies caught their scent six months ago."
Elian's face paled. "Were they... caught?"
"Not yet. They escaped," Vex continued. "They crossed into the West. Into the territory of the Holy Empire of Celestia. Baroness Lyra has connections with the Church. Elara is hidden in one of the closed convents there, disguised as a common orphan."
Elian exhaled in relief. Celestia. It was far, but at least safe from Solara for now.
"But..." Vex's tone turned serious. "Protection fees in Celestia aren't cheap. And Elara's talent... her Red Aura... is starting to attract the attention of the Priests. If they find out who she really is, she will be made a weapon of the Church or executed as a 'traitor's child'."
"I have to go there," Elian said firmly.
"Getting to Celestia requires travel costs, border permits, and bribes," Lunaria cut in realistically. "And we are poor."
"Exactly," Vex smiled slyly. "Therefore, I have an offer. I will give you the exact location of the convent, as well as forged travel papers that can pass the Celestia border. But the price is high."
"Name it," Lunaria challenged.
"Not gold," Vex said. She pointed to an old map on the wall. The map showed a swampy area outside Stormwatch. "In the Black Swamp, there are ruins of an ancient temple that recently surfaced due to an earthquake last week. Inside, there is an object... the Mirror of Souls. Bring it to me."
Lunaria frowned. "Those ruins are a nest for Wraiths and Ghouls. That's a suicide mission for F-Ranks."
"That's why the payment is equal to a life," Vex shrugged. "Take it or leave it. But remember, every second you hesitate, Elara gets closer to becoming a Church puppet."
Elian didn't hesitate for a second. He looked at his teacher's face.
"We'll take it," Elian said. His black eyes burned with determination, incinerating the fear and disgust he had felt before. For Elara, he would walk into any hell.
"Stupid child," Lunaria sighed, but she smiled proudly. "Alright, Hag. Prepare the papers. We will return with your mirror."
***
By the time they left Madam Vex's shop, it was late afternoon. The sky over Stormwatch was a dirty orange.
"That's a C-Rank mission minimum," Lunaria muttered as they walked quickly back to the inn. "Wraiths can't be killed with normal physical swords. We need holy oil or silver weapons."
"We can buy them with the leftover money from Brutus," Elian said optimistically.
However, that optimism was short-lived.
As they turned onto the main road toward the market district, the usually busy street suddenly felt empty. Shops were closing their doors early. People were scurrying into alleys.
In the middle of the road, blocking their path, stood ten heavily armed men.
In front of them stood a tall man with thinning green hair and snake-like eyes. He wore a black leather coat with the emblem of a snake coiled around a dagger on his chest.
The leader of the Black Viper.
"So this is the little rat that killed Brutus?" the man's voice hissed, sharp and venomous.
The aura around the man was a deep Yellow—Tier 3 Warrior. Two levels above Brutus. And he wasn't alone. His ten henchmen averaged Tier 1 and 2.
Elian stopped. He felt his stomach churn. Not from fear of death, but because he knew what he had to do. He had to kill again. And this time, in the open street.
"My name is Viper," the man said, toying with two curved daggers (Karambits) in his hands. "Brutus was indeed stupid and crude, but he was a good dues-payer. You're bad for business, Kid."
Lunaria stepped forward, her hand already under her cloak, ready to unleash magic. "Move. We are in a hurry."
"Oh, the 'Auntie' wants to protect her nephew?" Viper laughed. "What a pity. My head has a high price on the black market, but that pretty boy's head... is worth more if sold alive to a brothel."
Those words triggered Elian's memory of the auctioned Beastkin girl. Anger exploded in his chest, hot and urgent.
"Master," Elian called softly.
"Yes?"
"Don't kill the leader," Elian said. His voice trembled, not from fear, but from suppressing rage. "Let me do it."
Lunaria looked at her student. She saw Elian's fist clenched white. She saw tears of anger in the corner of the boy's eyes. Elian wasn't numb. He was feeling everything too intensely. And that anger was a dangerous but potent fuel.
"Alright," Lunaria took a step back, giving Elian the stage. "The rest are mine. The green-haired one is yours. Don't die."
Viper laughed out loud. "You? Fight me? An F-Rank brat against a Tier 3? This is the funniest joke of the year!"
Viper vanished.
Not magic, but pure speed. A Tier 3 Dash far exceeded what ordinary eyes could see.
In an instant, Viper was in front of Elian, his dagger aiming for Elian's eyes.
Elian couldn't see him. But the World whispered to him.
The wind parts before you.
Elian didn't block. He dropped to the ground, kneeling, letting the attack pass over his head. And as Viper flew over him, Elian thrust his short sword upward.
Clang!
Viper parried the thrust easily with his second dagger.
"Slow!" Viper shouted. He kicked Elian in the chest while still mid-air.
Thud!
Elian was knocked backward, rolling on the cobblestones. His chest felt tight. His newly healed ribs ached again. The difference in physical strength (Tier) was too great. Without the element of surprise like in the sewer, this was a one-sided fight.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Viper landed smoothly. "This world belongs to the strong, Kid. Weaklings like you exist only to serve us."
Elian stood up, coughing. He wiped blood from his lip. He was scared. His legs trembled. He wanted to run. But the image of Elara in the convent, and the image of the slave girl, forced him to plant his feet on the ground.
"You're right," Elian said, his voice hoarse. He held his sword with both hands, adopting the low stance Lunaria had taught him. "This world is cruel."
He looked at Viper. Tears of fear rolled down his cheeks, but his eyes stared sharply. A contradiction that confused Viper for a moment.
"But..." Elian continued. "I am the beloved child of this cruel world."
The evening wind suddenly blew hard, kicking up street dust, creating a curtain of sand between them.
Elian smiled through his tears.
The real fight had just begun.