Okay. So maybe he’d been a little too extreme with that last remark.

  Levi waited patiently as Stella stared at him with wide eyes. The silence between them stretched, the only sound coming from the ravenous magical flames that hunted down the surviving scorpions on the outskirts of the camp.

  As the seconds dragged on, however, Levi’s patient air shifted into an almost awkward one. Stella still hadn’t responded; unlike earlier that night, when she’d looked at him with a condescending, slightly pitying gaze, now she practically goggled at him with eyes full of fear–

  Hmm.

  Her eyes were dilated, her cat ears were pressed flat against her head, and she wasn’t breathing. One of those was more important than the rest.

  “Hey, you okay?” Levi asked, a tinge of worry entering his tone. “I was just joking about the killing.” Mostly, at least. “You should, ah, breathe?”

  To his relief, she took his advice. To his dismay, she took his advice a little too liberally; as though a switch had been flipped, she instantly began hyperventilating, letting in and out short shallow breaths.

  Levi sighed. Well, he supposed he couldn’t blame her for reacting that way. With his body growing increasingly accustomed to his magic with every passing day, he gained access to more and more of his spell repertoire. He hadn’t felt any magical overburn at all when eliminating the scorpions. Admittedly, he’d also been showing off a bit with that display of magic.

  However, her reaction seemed to be a little too extreme. Similarly, when he glanced around at the surrounding bandits of the Lenida tribe – those still alive, at least – they were all staring at him with similarly terrified eyes. Several of them passed out altogether when he made eye contact with them. The council members, so arrogant and sure of themselves just an hour ago, were now frozen in place, as though by staying still, they could somehow avoid his notice.

  Huh. That was rather odd.

  Rather belatedly, Levi withdrew his magic. He’d let it flood the entire area earlier for intimidation tactics, but at this rate, he might accidentally cause a heart attack or two. The dense, suffocating pressure over the camp lifted, and that seemed to be enough for the assorted bandits to recover.

  Tansil approached him gingerly, his head bowed and his face white. “T-Thank you for your assistance, Lev– Lord Ironwood.”

  “Just Levi is fine,” Levi said, somewhat bemused.

  Tansil wet his lips nervously. “Yes, my Lord Levi.”

  “I’m not–” Levi sighed. “Whatever. Will you surrender now–?”

  He paused.

  Hold on.

  While he could turn them over to the authorities like he’d originally planned… that might be a bit of a waste. The Lenida tribe was rather strong, weren’t they? They definitely weren’t on Qorbin or Heimler’s levels, but they’d managed to evade the government so far. They weren’t completely useless.

  With the way they were looking at him right now, Levi had no doubt that they’d be too terrified to ever betray him. And since he’d just saved them, they were in his debt.

  An idea slowly began forming in his mind.

  “On second thought, I have a new proposition for you,” Levi said, trying to ignore how they hung onto his every word. “In return for not turning you over to the government… How would you like to work for me?”

  “Okay,” Qorbin said. “I’ll bite. What the hell happened here?”

  Levi blinked, turning to Qorbin. “What do you mean?”

  Qorbin stared at him. Then he turned his head to stare at the former bandits of the Lenida Tribe.

  After the bandits had finished healing their injured and burying their dead, they’d gathered before Levi in rows with a surprising organization to their movements. Then, in unison, they’d bowed down before him and began chanting in some unknown language – Levi assumed it was a pledge or vow of loyalty of some sort.

  That was the scene Qorbin and Liliya had walked into. The Lenida Tribe hadn’t even reacted to their appearance; not a single one of them lifted their heads as they continued chanting.

  “Levi…” Liliya said slowly, her voice flat. “Did you start a cult?”

  “I did not start a cult.”

  As if on cue, the assorted ex-bandits before them let out a synchronized, “Hail Lord Levi! Our Vengeful Savior! Our Wrathful Blade! May He Striketh Down our Enemies and Guideth us to the Promised Garden!”

  “...”

  “...”

  “...”

  Levi coughed. “For the record, I didn’t tell them to say any of that.”

  “Oh god, you started a cult,” Liliya said, looking as though her entire worldview was collapsing before her eyes. “How?! We took one detour before tracking you down – Qorbin decided it was a good time for another training session.” Indeed, she had a fresh coat of bruises adorning her skin, though she didn’t seem to feel any of the usual residual pain or exhaustion as she stared at him with pure incredulity. “We left you with the bandits for only a few hours, tops. We thought the worst you could do was kill them all. How did you f… fu…”

  “Go on,” Qorbin said encouragingly. “You can do it. Your etiquette instructors aren’t here, they can’t harm you.”

  Liliya took a moment to shoot him a withering glare before turning back to Levi. “How did you fucking manage to get them to treat you like the second coming of the Great Saintess?”

  Levi rubbed the back of his head while trying not to smile at hearing her curse for the first time. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea.”

  He admittedly hadn’t expected this to happen. He’d thought they’d maybe just agree with a handshake, perhaps draw up a contract if they wanted to be formal about it. Instead…

  Well. This occurred.

  “Beastfolk are a rather religious lot,” Qorbin said, his voice filled with mirth. “If you were throwing around the same magic you did when we fought the Elder Wyvern, then I’m not surprised they’re reacting this way. It is a bit odd that they’re reacting this strongly, though…”

  “Yeah, well,” Levi sighed. “Who knows. Anyhow, I made a deal with them. In return for not turning them in to the authorities, they’ll stop going after innocent people and instead start helping out local towns and villages. They’re still allowed to steal, but only if the targets deserve it; I’m sure there’s no end to such individuals. Most importantly, if I ever need any help or assistance, then they’ll unilaterally come to my aid.”

  A glint appeared in Qorbin’s eyes as he eyed him evaluatively. “Gathering allies, are you? Or underlings, rather.”

  Levi simply shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “Some giant scorpions attacked earlier, and I let them harvest the loot so they could afford medical supplies and other essentials.” He paused. “Also, I disbanded their representative democracy and installed a dictatorship with that one cat beastfolk, Stella, as the leader.” He looked at Qorbin. “You have any issues with that?”

  Qorbin raised an eyebrow. “You mean, do I have any issues with you gaining control of one of the most notorious bandit tribes in all of Luminarche for your own unknown agenda?” He tilted his head, considering it for a moment. Then he grinned. “Nah, go wild. I look forward to seeing what you have planned.”

  “I don’t have anything planned…”

  “Sure you don’t. That’s what all the Demon Lords say.”

  Liliya’s eyes widened as she whirled on him. “You’re a–”

  Levi sighed. “No I’m not. Qorbin’s just making things up.”

  The following ten days went by relatively smoothly. After leaving behind the Lenida Tribe, the three of them continued their journey back to Luxanne. They moved at a brisk pace; Liliya’s agility had increased to such a point that she could easily run faster than a horse. Qorbin continued training her with his unique method, and she’d even sparred against Levi a couple of times, though he’d warned her that he wasn’t a very good sparring partner.

  Most of his attacks were lethal in some capacity, which meant he had to use an extremely watered down fighting style when going against her.

  That being said, she still managed to surprise him several times. In one instance, she’d cut past his guard with blistering speed and forced him to instinctively react with a Sever and Cleave. She’d gained a nasty gash across her cheek and a fierce, triumphant smile on her face.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Levi himself went through some extensive physical conditioning. While Qorbin and Liliya trained, he cycled between working out and meditating to increase his magical throughput. Every night, his muscles quivered with strain, and every morning, he woke up to a painful soreness that felt like death. Fortunately, he could use his magic to accelerate the healing process so that he had no need for rest days.

  One night, he’d ended up slumped against the same tree as Liliya. Qorbin had disappeared off to god knows where – he often did that, just leaving for hours at a time. Levi had a sneaking suspicion that Qorbin was using his shadow travel skill to transport himself to the nearest village to visit a tavern. He had no real proof, but the assassin always returned mildly reeking of alcohol and with a full hip flask.

  At any rate, Liliya had spent the entire day with Qorbin clearing out a dungeon full of whatever monsters lay within, while Levi had put himself through a particularly grueling training routine. Her entire form was steeped with exhaustion, and Levi too looked like he was physically weighed down. Their shoulders touched as they sagged backward against the trunk behind them.

  Together, they let out a heavy sigh in unison.

  “Long day?” Levi asked.

  “I hate him,” Liliya said, though her words had no real bite to them. Probably because she was too tired. “I hate Qorbin so much. He had me fight against giant centipedes with one arm tied behind my back. Without my Conceptual Skill. Blindfolded.” She shook her head. “Who even does that?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Levi said, his eyes unfocusing slightly. “My old mentor did something similar to me.”

  Liliya paused. “Your old mentor? Was he the one who taught you?”

  “More or less.”

  His old mentor had found him on the streets shortly after he’d awakened his magic. Seeing the potential in him, the man had taken Levi under his wing, teaching him not only magic but also techniques to survive in the world.

  “Did you like him?” Liliya asked curiously.

  Levi paused. Did he like his old mentor?

  The man had caused him a great deal of pain over the years, had dangled him over active volcanoes as threats, had forced him into extremely dangerous situations that inevitably ended up with Levi experiencing a great deal of agony, but in the end…

  Levi still remembered the smile the man had given him when he’d died. His body hovering over Levi’s own, shielding him in a protective embrace even as a gleaming legendary blade had pierced into his back and exited out his chest. Levi had looked back up at him with wide eyes as his old mentor smiled down at him, not a look of blame or resentment like Levi would’ve expected, but rather a smile of what could be nothing other than pure happiness.

  As if in that very moment, his act of protecting Levi had been the greatest and simplest joy one could have in the entire world. At the time, Levi had been confused, but now…

  He smiled. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him,” he said softly. “I owe him my life.”

  “I see,” Liliya said. She smiled as well. “He sounded like he was a good mentor.”

  Levi made a noise of agreement.

  A long, companionable silence settled over them.

  “I still hate Qorbin though.”

  “Yeah, that’s fair.”

  Of course, it wasn’t all training and dungeon exterminations. One of the villages they passed through was hosting a local festival. Naturally, Qorbin had immediately excused himself to hit the taverns to ‘sample the local delicacies’, as he so put it. Levi wasn’t certain if hard liquor counted… but he wasn’t going to try stopping Qorbin. There was always a risk Qorbin would drag him along, and Levi wasn’t certain if his liver in this new body could handle such an ordeal.

  Levi and Liliya walked through the festivities, purchasing food and souvenirs from the numerous stalls that lined the cobbled streets. Skewers pierced with a delicious smelling meat, loaves of a sweet fluffy bread that practically melted inside the mouth, handmade good luck charms carefully carved from scented wood. Children ran freely around them, screaming and laughing, while their parents seemed to be content letting them run loose for this one day.

  It was an odd experience. Levi had never really been to a festival before, other than when it’d been required for the job. He and Liliya weaved around the bustling crowds of people, munching on their food while trying their best to avoid getting hit. His alertness went into overdrive as he kept an eye out for any potential enemies; he wasn’t a fan of being in crowds for this very reason.

  “Hit three bullseyes for three silver coins to win a prize! Hit three bullseyes for– hey, hey you!” a stall vendor called out to them. Levi and Liliya stopped, glancing over curiously. The vendor quickly approached them with a simple drawstring bow and quiver in his hands and a smile on his face. “If you can land three bullseyes in a row, then you’ll win a woven animal plushie, made with genuine fur!” He grinned at Levi. “Wanna try winning a prize for your lady? Come on, you have to!”

  Levi blinked. “No, it’s not like that–”

  “Three silver coins,” Liliya cut him off, handing the coins over and taking the bow from the confused vendor’s hands. Levi and the vendor watched with varying levels of bemusement as Liliya took aim at the target a good fifteen meters away.

  Then, she fired.

  The arrow veered at an angle as it flew through the air; Levi could tell that its feathered fletchings had been tampered with to ensure it wouldn’t fly in a straight line. The vendor obviously was aware of this as well, a tiny smug smile playing at the edge of his lips as he watched the arrow soar through the air – and land dead-center in the target.

  His smile disappeared but he forced another back on. “Excellent shot!”

  Liliya hummed. “I got lucky,” she said simply. She withdrew another arrow from the quiver, took aim, and fired again.

  The first arrow split in two as the second arrow pierced it.

  Now, even the fake smile had left the vendor’s face. By the time the third arrow pierced the second arrow, the vendor looked rather pale.

  “C-Congratulations!” he stuttered out. “Please, pick your prize.”

  Liliya smiled. “Thank you.” She examined the carved wooden figurines before choosing a raven one.

  As they left, Levi looked over at Liliya curiously. “How did you know the arrows were fixed?”

  Liliya tilted her head. “What do you mean? It was obvious, wasn’t it? These festival games always are.”

  Levi chuckled. “Fair enough.” Then he paused. “Why a raven plushie?”

  Liliya shifted, looking away. “I wanted to see if I could use it to ward off Qorbin…”

  Levi laughed.

  At long last, the massive towering gates of Luxanne came back into view. Qorbin switched back into his disguise; it took him less than a minute to apply the makeup, insert the colored contact lenses, and change his outfit.

  “Hmm…” Liliya said. “Have you ever had to crossdress for a mission before?”

  “Yes,” Levi and Qorbin answered in unison.

  There was a moment of silence.

  Then, Liliya and Qorbin both whipped their heads over to stare at Levi.

  “What?!” Liliya asked in surprise.

  “You have?!” Qorbin exclaimed with a mixture of glee and camaraderie.

  Levi coughed. He hadn’t meant for that to slip out; he’d answered automatically without thinking. “Hey look, a distraction,” he said. “We’re at the gates.”

  They gave him hard looks but thankfully dropped the topic. Which was a good thing, because Levi did not want to recall that incident anytime soon.

  The death toll had nearly risen to the triple digits in the aftermath…

  “Hey, hope you’re having a grand day so far,” Qorbin said to the guards as he handed over their papers. “I’m merchant Robin, returning with Adventurers Volkov and Ironwood–”

  The gate guards tensed up. “Volkov?” One of them instantly pressed a crystal gem embedded in the wall behind them, and Levi felt it emit a pulse of magic.

  Qorbin’s eyes flickered. “Something wrong, gentlemen?”

  “No issues with you, Mr Robin,” the guard on the left said smoothly. “However, there’s a bit of trouble with your hired escorts.”

  “Really now? Trouble with whom?”

  “Trouble with us,” a new voice said.

  Two men appeared before them. To most people, it would’ve appeared they’d teleported; indeed, the guards flinched in surprise. To Qorbin, Levi, and even Liliya, however, they were able to see the flickers of high-speed movement that denoted their arrival. The newcomers had stern expressions on their faces and wore white cloaks with the royal insignia embroidered on the back.

  Levi saw how Qorbin’s face darkened slightly. Then the assassin moved forward, his eyes widening in faux shock. “You’re Royal Sentinels!” he gasped. Levi blinked. So these were the Royal Sentinels he’d heard about? “My word. It’s such an honor to–”

  “You can cut the act, Ravenbane. We’re not here for you.”

  At this, the two gate guards jerked back in even more surprise, looking at Qorbin in shock. Levi was surprised they instantly recognized the name – but then again, there weren’t many Mythmakers in Luminarche, and these guards were probably briefed on all the high-tiers in Koxus.

  Qorbin straightened from his slouch, his gaze becoming serious as he stared at the Royal Sentinels. “Oh?” he asked, his voice suddenly low and serious. ”Then who are you here for, Oliver?”

  Oliver jerked his head at Liliya. “Her.” Liliya tensed up under the sudden attention. Oliver cleared his throat, drawing out and unrolling a roll of parchment. “By the authority of the Royal Sentinels,” he read out loud in a resounding voice, “let it be known that one Liliya Volkov of House Volkov has been found guilty of conducting intentional fraud in the Ascension Trials. By order of the Guild Tribunal, her status as a licensed adventurer has been revoked in its entirety. Furthermore, for this odious and flagitious offense, the Adventurer’s Guild has decided that she shall be permanently disbarred from ever joining the ranks of adventurers.”

  Liliya’s eyes widened in shock, Levi tensed up, and even Qorbin looked alarmed. She was being banned from ever becoming an adventurer? Fraud?

  “Fortunately for the accused, the Adventurer’s Guild has agreed to not pursue additional punitive actions. In recompense for this act of mercy, she shall undergo correctional training supervised by the Royal Sentinels. Her correctional training shall henceforth be overseen by High Officer Theodore Montague.” Levi’s eyes narrowed and Liliya’s face went pale. “This arrangement has been approved and endorsed by her father, Marquis Volkov. Here lies his seal as proof.”

  Oliver flipped the paper around to display a wax seal on the vellum: the Volkov coat of arms. It must’ve been authentic, because Liliya let out a noise that might’ve been a whimper. Oliver flipped the paper back around and continued reading.

  “Upon reentering the premises of Luxanne, she shall immediately submit to the custody of the Royal Sentinels, lest further punitive actions be taken.” Oliver rolled up the parchment. “Lady Volkov, did you understand what I just read to you?”

  Liliya drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “I…”

  Qorbin stepped in front of her. “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t understand. I’m also not too thrilled about you taking my apprentice away like this, for that matter.”

  “I’m afraid the decision is out of your hands, Ravenbane,” Oliver said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. “Step out of the way. Even you can’t protect Lady Volkov from the consequences of her actions.”

  Qorbin gave him a dangerous smile. “You don’t seem to get it. I’m not standing to protect her from you – I’m standing to protect you from him.”

  Oliver frowned. “Who are you talking about–?“ His gaze shifted over to Levi, who’d stepped next to Liliya. The Royal Sentinel gave an incredulous, derisive laugh. “The Ironwood failure? You must be jesting. This is a waste of time. Vincent, go get her.”

  The other Royal Sentinel, Vincent, grunted and stepped forward. Qorbin didn’t stop him. Vincent stepped past him and reached out to grab Liliya. She shrank back in fear–

  Vincent’s hand halted.

  Slowly, he turned his head over to look at Levi, who’d grabbed his wrist.

  “Just as a polite warning,” Levi said mildly, “I’d advise against doing that.”

  6 chapters ahead!