Tyris’s kindness had generated countless monsters like Balkor and Arthan. Silverwing’s teachings had allowed forbidden magic to improve by leaps and bounds, culminating in the mass production of slave collars.
No matter how good the intentions of its maker, magic was just a tool and people would always find a way to abuse it.
Feeling Solus’s emotional turmoil, Lith gave up on making her reason and focused on the arrays, studying them one at a time. Luckily, Kolga’s magic had been developed from Menadion’s teachings and the isolation limited their progress.
Once he made sure that there was no alarm based on the race of the imprinter, Lith made the house his own. Once inside, he searched the place for anything that might give him clues about his alias’ name or personality.
‘Based on his well-fed appearance and the many rooms of the house, my meat suit must have been as wealthy as he was alone. This is a bachelor house if I ever saw one.’ Lith thought while studying his surroundings with Life Vision.
The city arrays fueled everything from the lights to the kitchen’s stove. The living room and its many sofas took almost half the house. Lots of family paintings decorated the walls, leaving only one wide empty space that Lith assumed was destined to the future family of his alias.
Two hard-covered books were encased in glass and hung to the wall of the living room in front of the door as proof of the man’s wealth. According to the girls’ investigation, books were more precious than gold.
Judging from their titles they were history books, while from the dust on the back of the frame they hadn’t been consulted in years.
The wet bar in the corner between the sofas was well-stocked, but all bottles were half empty. Lith found more bottles laying around the house, even in the bathroom. After searching the bedroom, Lith found a small booklet well hidden under the mattress.
It was hard covered as well, but this one showed clear signs of being regularly used and abused. The bent corners and extensive damage on the exterior could only be explained with the owner throwing it around in a fit of rage.
Lith put it inside Soluspedia, reading it in a few seconds. It was a diary, awarded from some kind of academy to one of their most promising staff members. Most pages were filled with the boring life of an enthusiast scholar, but the most recent pages had turned to a different mood.
“I’m goddamn Professor Jogu Thross, first chair of the Fire Pit so why I’m still single? I’m past 100 years old now and I have no heir. I can’t believe that the Thross bloodline will die with me just because no woman can see past my physical appearance.
“My only hope is to capture one of the merfolk and gain so much prestige that no one will be able to ignore me anymore. I spent a lot of money to move into the outer ring, but once all those bitches that treated me like a fool grovel at my feet, it will be money well spent.”
His ramblings went on and on for pages, alternating from curses towards the beautiful women who rejected him and long-winded self-glorification.
‘This guy doesn’t seem to realize that a nasty personality is a deal-breaker, especially if you chase women much younger and better looking than you.’ Lith thought. ‘Yet he should have found at least one gold digger.
‘How is it possible that not one woman was interested in his money and what does have to capture a merfolk has to do with marriage?’
‘Maybe there’s population control due to the Forbidden Sun.’ Solus said. ‘Capturing a merfolk allows for a sacrifice, fueling one more life.’
‘Good thinking. I wonder if Tista’s and Phloria’s aliases were wealthy as well.’ Glad to see that his partner was back in the game, Lith tried to act as nothing had happened.
‘Let’s ask them.’ Solus used her communication amulet to call both the girls.
“I’m supposed to be a self-centered asshole.” Tista said. “She had no diary, but I know her name because she signed all the self-portraits in the house.”
“Mine wasn’t a painter but she was loaded.” Phloria said. “All of her clothes are tailor-made and she had her name embroidered on everything, even those that clearly don’t fit her body type.”
Phloria’s alias was actually a fashion designer. Her name was her brand.
“Did you imprint the door of your respective home?” Lith asked.
“I had to. A neighbor walked out and I couldn’t pick the lock nor risk making conversation. Luckily nothing happened.” Tista said.
“I had the time to study the arrays and they are all meant to defend the building as a whole, not the owner or the single apartment.” Phloria said.
“Are you ready for phase two?” Lith asked, receiving a hesitant yes for an answer.
The merfolk from Zhen had helplessly spectated to the capture of many of their kin and had explained Lith how things usually went. After Ren received Lith’s call, she sent Khalia to pretend to replace an exhausted crystal.
Removing a mana gemstone was the crucial step because it caused a crack in the barrier. The moment it appeared, Lith used two magical fireworks. One to signal the appearance of the crack and the other to request the intervention of the city guards.
Khalia pretended to fumble with the crystal, giving the sentinels in the nearby buildings the time to turn the crack into a hole with their spells. Then, she put the crystal back into place so that the hole wouldn’t last long and swam away.
‘If Lith misses the timing, I’m not going to let them get me. If the plan fails, my people will have to send someone else. Maybe I’ve still got a life-‘ Her hopes died when she saw Lith swimming in the lead of a small but fierce group of Kolgans.
They all used water magic against her to keep their prey from escaping. Khalia attempted to run, but she was trapped. Lith and the girls sucker-punched the competition the moment Life Vision told them that they were about to be backstabbed.
Only one of them would be rewarded, making teamwork last only so long. While the girls kept the Kolgans at bay, Lith grabbed Khalia and dragged her towards the hole in the barrier.
She fought so fiercely that Lith would have never thought it was just an act.
“Please, don’t let go of me because if you do, I’ll run away even if it means compromising the mission. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to die.” Her words revealed that she wasn’t acting at all.
Despite the order she had received, Khalia struggled with all of her strength and magic, but she was no match for him. Lith used an electric discharge to stun her, dragging Khalia with ease.
Lith didn’t feel guilty for what he was doing. Khalia had volunteered for the mission and there was no way to discover anything more about Kolga without a sacrificial lamb.
Yet he could feel a small piece of himself, one of those warm spots inside his heart that he had managed to create after years of struggle with his past, fade into nothingness, making the void stronger for it.
