The pain was wrenching. I was losing another one. I try to hold myself up. But my family cursed blood threatens to break me. I head to the clinic. Already knowing what they will tell me. I must work on my life magic. This can't keep happening. Another pain shoots through my abdomen. I'm so sorry. I claimed your Tapestry and you will need to wait another year.

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 384 unallocated stat points

  The blinds open, my eyes open to the morning light. I get up and walk to the dresser. It has a mirror. My face looks as tired as I feel. Jessica comes over and begins wiping me down. No words are said. She keeps flitting her eyes to look at my horns. Ten is rather young for attending executions. She brushes my hair and pulls it into a simple braid. She then leaves my robe on my bed and leaves the room. I walk over and pull it over myself.

  Exiting the room I wait with Jessica for Ophelia. She exits her room.

  “Good, anything actionable from what you have taken?”

  “No.”

  We begin walking. Heading for her dining room. “What was it?”

  “She was having a miscarriage.”

  Ophelia winces. “Do you believe she is trying to influence you?”

  “I truly don't know. Knowing her history, she had hundreds of them. It may have been just awful luck.”

  The door opens. She takes a seat at the head. Jessica pulls a chair at her right side. I sat down. Her two sons scramble in after. The food was brought out. I guess her husband was not attending. A plate was put in front of me. I look at Ophelia, the question on my face.

  “You are a guest of my house, it would be rather rude to not provide.” I give her an arched brow at her statement, “Except for that.” She gives me a wry smile.

  It was crepes with sausage links. I take my time and wait for any conversation to come my way.

  “Its the water trial today, are you ready, Jiklra?” She asks her son.

  The boy quickly swallows and nods, “I feel I will make a reasonable showing.”

  “I know you wished to undergo these without my gaze but the Queen has ordered me to take lady Sara here to the trials. Do understand. We will go after this meal, if you wish to delay your own attempt.”

  He rolls his eyes and continues into his crepes. “I apologize as well.” Seems I was intruding on his independence.

  “I don't need the apologies of a devourer.” He gave a strident tone.

  “Jiklra, she is our guest. You are welcome to your feelings but you know not to display them to others. Like it or not, she will be a part of our majesty court.” Ophelia intones.

  “Right, lady Magdeline, your apology is unnecessary. We are all servants to our majesty's whims.” He says monotone. It would appear I was not going to receive an apology back.

  Gastinrav was next to speak, “So how much did you pay for a body double for your execution? She wasn't a good match for you. Red hair and skin. Weird performance at the end to give her your horns.” Guess eight is not too young either. A bit of a glare from his mother seems to not cow him.

  “It was my head that was removed that day, sir Gastinrav. My horns formed due to the collective will of this city giving me a new pariah title.” I say between bites.

  “Will you be willing to divulge its effects, lady Sara?” Ophelia asks. She is being awfully familiar using my first name with an honorific. Probably just goading me for my own rudeness to her.

  I look to the inquisitor. I pop open the notification for her to see. A new wry smile forms.

  “That would explain the difference in experiences. My colleagues spoke of how they felt worthless upon hearing your laughter.”

  I continue eating, not rising to her bait. Jiklra asked the hanging question, “Did you feel something different, mother?”

  “A sense of grudging respect.”

  I doubt it was mutual. She doesn't say more. The meal concluded we rose. The two sons head to the door.

  “Come along lady Sara. Let us get your trial out of the way.”

  -----

  On a wooden platform stood a rather studious Croman. He had teal plumage under his rather scholarly robes. There was a rather oversized metal goblet next to him.

  “A poor trial for your current situation.” My escort says to me while staring ahead.

  I watch as people come up to the goblet and push out water mana into the goblet. They then walk away. A flick of a gaze from the proctor and the participant name is recorded. Seems simple enough. I frown.

  “I see you realize the issue.” I can't push out water mana unless the inquisitor allows me to. She sees my look. “You know I can't let up the pressure on you. I will not resist water mana going through my aura but you will be quite disadvantaged since the goblet will not be inside your aura.”

  “I assume I am not allowed to touch the goblet.”

  “I wouldn't advise it. It's a test on how persistent your water mana is. Which really is a test to see how far you can stretch your mana aura from the goblet. Go on, I can cover the stage from here.”

  The crowd parts as I approach. There are murmurs of demon sprinkling the conversations. I reached the stage. The latest causes the cup to overflow. The liquid slowly falls out and dissipates. He walks off, a moment later the proctor motions for me. I walk up finding the goblet already empty.

  “Is the Queendom really letting the [Laughing Demon] roam free.” Someone in the crowd jeers.

  I stick my hand over the goblet. Push water mana into my hand. It struggles to come out. Damn it.

  “Well we at least don't have to worry about the devourer being in Gotsdam.” There is laughter that rings out at the statement.

  Soul lowered to 523

  A few drops fall. I burnt a bit of my soul for drops. Pitiful. I leave the stage. More jeers on my failure.

  “Miss, a name?” A Dwarf boy asks, he has a scroll.

  I simply walk by without bothering. Ophelia begins to walk with me.

  “Miss?”

  “You sure you don't want to have your name recorded.” There is no malice in her words.

  “No, [Lady] Ophelia.”

  “Very well, let us get to my duties then.”

  “Will all the trials be like this?” I ask, dreading the answer.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “I can't think of one that wouldn't require a mana aura.”

  -----

  Ophelia sat at her desk. Moving a rather messy affair to the side. “You have something to say?”

  “I'm just surprised, you are rather controlled to have such a disorganized desk.”

  The door opens before she responds. The man carries a small chest into the room. He glowers at me as he places the chest down in the cleared spot. He was the one standing next to the guillotine when it separated my head and hands. He leaves without a word.

  “He seems rather upset with me.”

  “Hmmmm, oh he's just frustrated that even after taking your head you didn't give any exp. It's rather rare to remove a tier four head for an executioner. Well five, I suppose, since your body screamed out your progression in the morgue.”

  “I take that to mean that stasis is not usually used on his victims.”

  She looks cross at my choice of words, “It was my suggestion. Didn't want you escaping to your dungeon after the fact.”

  “Would have saved me some trouble if you had.”

  “My goal was to end you lady Magdeline, that you survived having your soul siphoned only means the next time I have you on the scaffolds I will have your soul shattered.”

  “I don't plan on making a return.”

  “See that you don't. But enough posturing. Come here.” She pops open the latches on the chest. The lid raises and there are trace smells of burnt flesh and blood. She grabs a bracelet and puts it onto the desk. “That is a fire bracelet. It will convert arcane mana of the user into fire mana that will burn the wearer. Normally I would be placing it on you and it would be keyed to my mana. Requiring my will to remove it. Instead you will place it on yourself and you will determine the level of pain you wish to inflict. It will raise your [Resist Fire] and [Resist Heat]. Try not to set anything on fire, yourself included.” She pulls out two more items. A circlet and a necklace. “When you tire of burning yourself, the circlet will train your [Resist Mental Attacks] and [Resist Mental Mana] while the necklace will train [Resist Void] and [Tough Skin]. Considering you will be attempting to subsume a core at a ridiculously low three hundred stats, I suggest attempting to reach the fourth evolution of the resist. Though your resilience may not require it.”

  I put the bracelet on and began raising the heat. I wince at the pain. The door opens again. The executioner brings in a desk and chair. He promptly leaves again without saying anything.

  “Seeing as you are only injuring yourself, you are a pair of idle hands that I aim to keep busy. Here are a ledger and receipts, cross reference them and note any discrepancies. If something stands out as strange, simply ask.” I glower at her, “I don't require your healing services at all times, lady Sara. I'm not the monster here.” Her stare seems to insinuate who she thought was. “Don't worry, you will get your pleasure soon.”

  My glower becomes a glare, “It is not a pleasure for me.” I seethe at her, “I was glowering at you about unpaid work.”

  “Is room and board not enough?” She scoffs. “Two small slivers daily if you keep to the books. Are you sure you don't enjoy the torment of others?” She looks at me with accusing eyes.

  “Only for those who harm me.” I sneer.

  “That’s generally how it always starts.” She gives a tired look.

  There was no point in trying to rebut her. I actually agreed. I grab the ledger and pieces of paper and sit at my desk.

  -----

  Thread, five small copper per spool. Purchased five cases of spools. Fifty spools per case. Paid one large silver, five large copper.

  “Guy saved two small silver on thread.”

  “Pardon.

  I wince.

  You have gained [Resist Fire] Intermediate 1

  Intermediate- doubles the effective power of the Mental Fortitude stat against fire attacks

  Gain 8 exp

  You have gained [Resist Heat 2] Apprentice 5

  Gain 6 exp

  “Ledger left off the two small silver for threads.” I brought over the receipt and book.

  “Good. Note the difference on this paper. See if there is a pattern.”

  “Of course, [Lady] Ophelia.”

  Numbers, numbers, numbers, math, math, math.

  You have gained [Magical Math] Apprentice 2

  Gain 10 exp

  If there was anything that could constitute magical math, its accounting. I bark a laugh at the thought. I get an eyebrow raised.

  “Nothing important, my [Magical Math] skill leveled.”

  “Ah yes, your bizarre skills. I will have to make a note that making you an administrator is only going to make you more dangerous.”

  I frown at that, then gain a wry smile. “So just like any other administrator.”

  A laugh rang out, “I suppose you have the right of that.”

  -----

  “So they were realizing savings on bulk purchases but reporting the full price here to minimize their tax obligation to the Queendom.”

  “Ahh, a bit of fraud then. Thank you, lady Sara.”

  “Of course, [Lady] Ophelia.”

  The inquisitor looks to the window. “It's about that time, come along lady Sara.”

  She gets up and I follow. We take stairs down to a set of cells. All the cells have an occupant. We passed the interrogation room that I was familiar with. As we proceed I begin to smell blood. The slapping sound of fist meeting muscle reverberates down the hall.

  “Seems he has already started. I called this one due to your presence. They have been rather stubborn to say the least.”

  “I'm not participating in more than healing.” I frown.

  “Being there will be more than enough.” Another wry grin.

  The door opens and we step to find the beaten form of a man tied to a post. My rage grows as I recognize the knight. Even if his body mass had filled back out.

  “I seem to recall surrendering this man so justice could be done the proper way. The Queendom was rather fast in executing me.”

  “You confessed, he has not.” I glare at her, “Lady Sara, do heal our guest so we may have a proper conversation.”

  I walk up to Watson. The desire to strike him is high. The desire to bite even higher. I heal his wounds. He becomes lucid. Upon seeing me he begins screaming. I turn to the executioner and heal his knuckles. Can't be having him slowing down after all. Ophelia steps forward.

  “I see you recognize our [Priestess], Watson. Now would you like to tell me where the rest of your cult is.”

  “She killed them all.” He spat out.

  Ophelia looked to her executioner. He in turn slugged Watson across the face.

  “I have a careful accounting of all the cultists that died in the Sanguine wastes.” I wince at the name the plains have gained. “Your [Bishop] papers seem to have thought at least twice that number still existed.”

  “They are deserters, not true believers of the almighty.”

  “Ah is that so, so you would be more than willing to divulge where they are.”

  He glares at Ophelia. He is feeling shame? It's absurd this coward has a feeling other than dread.

  “Do control yourself, lady Magdeline.” The man winces again at my name. It does not go unnoticed. A cruel smile etches itself on Ophelia's face. “I suppose if you don't answer I can leave you to reminisce with the [Priestess]. I hear having a soul devoured can be rather excruciating."

  “Their souls never leave me.” I murmur, my eyes glowing red. “Those I kill.” I say louder, looking at the wastrel. The former knight thrashes in his bounds.

  “They're in Gadvak. Our god made a place for us but we were driven out by unbelievers. They deceive him.”

  She frowns at that. “See if you can't get more from him, Pat.” The executioner nods. She motions me to follow.

  “More to report, I suspect he will get a date soon. Do you desire his head for your mantle?”

  “No.” I have no desire to see his face ever again.

  We continue to go to more rooms. I healed the prisoners, trying not to think how I was opening them to more torture. I hate this.

  -----

  “What will be done with the remaining cultists, [Lady] Ophelia?”

  “Hmm? If what he says is true? Nothing.” She sees my glare, “Rather blood thirsty there, it's not out of indifference I say nothing but rather at having no options.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “If they are in an instance of the dungeon, it's likely they have the key to it. If they have the cooperation of the dungeon then they have no reason to leave. Our only option would be to destroy the dungeon core which I would very much doubt her majesty would approve of.”

  “Could we not talk to the core?” She raises an eyebrow at me, I do my best not to roll my eyes. “They all seem to think the dungeon is talking to them. Maybe it's like me. Even better if they are lying about things to it.”

  “Plausible but there is no reason it will talk to us, or believe us.”

  “Dungeons seem to recognize what I am. Might be a starting point for communication.” I try not to give too much away.

  “And failing that you would have an opportunity to claim a core.” Apparently I am incapable of fooling anyone.

  “I of course would need an escort to attempt such.” I do my best to ignore her sight and look forward.

  I earned another laugh, “Very well, lady Sara. I will propose your suggestion to the Queen. You have been quite helpful today, would you consider working under me after Magdeline arrives?”

  I frown, “Paperwork is one thing but I have no desire to be part of your ‘interrogations’ longer than I need to.”

  “Which makes you desirable for such.” I frown at her, “Sara, which is better: ‘a torturer who hates what they do but sees it necessary’ or ‘one who delights in it even when it is not’.”

  “The only knowledge a torturer can secure is confirmation of what they want to hear.”

  “How very inherited of you. But a flawed argument.” I give her a glare. “Like most recent inherited, you are under the mistaken impression that I can not tell when someone is lying to me.”

  “Even I know how to defeat [Detect Falsehood].” I growl back.

  “Tell me of one you can do without mana.”

  I can't. Fuck, I can't. My mind turns back to her question.

  You have earned the title [Junior Inquisitor]

  Junior Inquisitor - You've acknowledged that in a system that can absolutely determine whether someone believes what they tell you, torture might just work. Gain One additional Strength, One additional Constitution and One additional Mental Fortitude level when leveling up.

  You have gained the skill [Detect Falsehood] Basic 1

  Detect Falsehood - Daddy little girl can finally detect lies

  Basic - when focused on the target you might discern a direct lie, never trust again Sara

  Gain 1 exp

  “A pity your title slots are filled, do use your ring to properly denote your position when assisting me, lady Magdeline.”

  I glare at the woman as hard as I can.