Lord Red was fuming. He didn’t have the time to help people below his station and didn’t understand why a woman of Deneve’s stature would do so—caring for the worthless and weak like a sickbed nurse. The blasted woman stayed behind at the mausoleum to help any wounded giants.

When Mediahn rebels attacked, instead of leaving, she just had to help. The result was Edan carrying an unconscious Deneve to the house. The red-headed Elven woman with Edan offered to look after Deneve. She was grateful that Deneve saved her or her husband or something like that.

Lord Red had checked on Deneve to find that she was wounded, but she was low on mana and needed rest more than anything. Giving Edan and the woman curt instructions, Redrick told them he would return later and left the house.

He would go to the elves to mend together the two tokens of Edana and find out about the Cartian token himself. As soon as he dealt with his black Spirit, he would leave these idiots to their own devices and find somewhere he’d have peace to continue researching.

Lord Red squared his shoulders before checking his map. He left toward the Kamaslyve Temple. A week later, Lord Red had repaired the Edana Token and found the Cartian Token. He had not returned to the house in Tariff, although he had been back in town to get the Cartian Token.

Deneve had made an impression on the villagers. He was aware she had recovered and was doing well. He couldn’t go back. Without her presence, his mind had cleared, and his purpose was undaunted.

Taking both the Token of Edana and the Cartian Token, he combined them. A black mist rose in front of him as he confronted his black Spirit. I got my summons back before you could help me with it.

Do you wish to fight me now?

The sooner we end this, the sooner I can get back to my life. You are nothing but an annoying parasite. The Spirit was weak, and Lord Red quickly overtook it with the power of his Godr Sphera.

Please let’s make another deal.

You don’t have much to offer me. So crushing you would be a good end.

What if I could give you your youth back?

That thought made Lord Red take pause.

Set me free, and I will return your youth.

Very well, but I need to see results first. Redrick felt his skin tightening over his body and face. His muscles filled back out, and his head itched as new hair grew in, filling out and replacing his white hair. He reached up to touch his face and then held a strand of golden hair in front of his face.

I have done as I promised now set me free.

What’s saying you won’t try this again? He pulled a fireball out of the air, sending it into the Black Spirit. The materialized Spirit dropped to the ground before it disintegrated into dust.

“Did you get what you wanted, Lord Red?” Deneve asked quietly.

Redrick almost gave himself whiplash as he turned around to look at her. Deneve just stood there waiting for his answer as Edan and Era stood quietly beside her. “When did you know?” He asked.

“I wasn’t sure before, but now I am as your picture is in the texts.” She said in a monotone. “Pity you could have chosen to be a decent human being.” She moved her down-turned gaze up to his.

“Don’t you dare!” Lord Red yelled, sending a fireball in her direction. She didn’t even need to block it as Marg appeared in front of her absorbing the blast. “How?” He threw up his hands, frustrated.

Deneve stood a bit taller and raised her chin as an understanding of what he wanted was revealed, “Obviously, you will never understand until something melts that thing you call a heart.” As she spoke, all the different summons came to stand around her protectively, Arne, Marg, Tett, Gorr, and even the Skeleton King. “You know how to be charming to achieve your ends, but you don’t know how to feel for anyone else but yourself. It’s nothing but an act.” She turned and walked away from a few steps before looking over her shoulder, “I hope one day you realize what you’ve done.”