Arwin and Lillia strode down the alley at a brisk pace. According to Rodrick’s guess, they should have had around ten or fifteen minutes before Erik showed up. The fighting behind them had grown a little, but it was already starting to fade into the distance behind them. Reya had done a great job creating a distraction. And, judging by the fact that it was still going, Arwin was pretty sure she’d gotten out of it. That took a large weight off his chest. He knew she wasn’t a child, but the idea of her getting killed while they were avenging someone else made him sick. I can’t protect everyone. Bah. Doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself that. It doesn’t change shit. “Don’t you think we should have run into Erik by now?” Lillia asked from the shadows beside Arwin. “It’s been almost all the time that Rodrick said it should take him, and we’re getting a little far from the guild.” “Maybe he ended up staying at the restaurant for longer?” Arwin guessed. “It’s just across the street, and even though the fight is kind of far, that explosion was fairly loud. Maybe it spooked him.” “What, you think he’s hiding in there?” Lillia asked doubtfully. “The second in command of a guild, hiding like a complete coward when an explosion goes off in his own hall? Ridiculous.” Arwin shrugged. “I don’t have any better ideas. Do you see him?” “No,” Lillia admitted. “I suppose all we can do is wait here for a little. Walking into the restaurant would be way too obvious.” “Probably. Let’s just sit in the alley and wait for someone who sticks their head out and looks a little more concerned about the explosion than anyone else. There’s always the chance that Erik managed to avoid us through the usage of a movement ability or something. He might have sprinted for the explosion the moment he heard it.” Erik’s hand blurred, magic glistening along his fingertips as they trailed through the air. A coward he may have been, but he was fast. A black dagger shot through the air, heading for Arwin’s throat. Lilla shot from the shadows and the blade rang off her armor, spinning harmlessly to the side. Three other daggers ripped out from the darkness behind Erik at such speed that Arwin’s eyes couldn’t properly trace them. They rang off Lillia’s armor one after the other, all landing at a different spot – and all failing to penetrate its magical defenses. Lillia tensed, likely from the power the armor had just pulled from her to sustain itself. She slipped back into the darkness, not pausing for long enough to let Erik get a good enough look at her. Arwin didn’t give Erik time to figure out what had happened. He lunged, his armor slamming into place around him. His hammer materialized in his hands and he brought it down for Erik’s head. The man let out a terrified scream and raised his hands as if they would somehow stop a massive hammer from crushing him like an overripe berry – and a resounding clang echoed through the street. A powerful force slammed into Arwin’s arms, flinging Verdant Blaze from his grip. He stumbled backward, dismissing the hammer with [Arsenal] before it could land on someone by accident. Standing before Erik was a tall man, a dark beard covering the bottom half of his face that matched the pitch-black armor covering his body. It vaguely resembled the carapace of a beetle – glossy and smooth, curling up to jutting points at his shoulders. The man lowered his sword, and the Mesh tingled at Arwin’s eyes as he tried and failed to study it. The weapon was definitely magic, but the man either chose not to or was unable to completely hide its nature. Did he use an ability to block me there? Because, if not – holy shit. This guy is disgustingly strong. He definitely isn’t an Apprentice Tier. The Guild Leader, then? “Who are you?” the man asked, tilting his head to the side and narrowing his eyes. “And the woman… her armor blocked an enchanted weapon. Fascinating. No mere thieves, I would say. Why are you trying to kill my second in command?” Arwin held the man’s gaze, not giving away an inch, but he prepared his legs to activate [Scourge] and sprint in the other direction. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could handle a Journeyman Tier that actually knew what they were doing. “You’d be Jessen, then,” Arwin said, making no move to answer his question. “It seems you have the advantage over me. I still have no idea who you are.” And that’s exactly how I want it to stay. If you find out who we are, you come after the tavern next. What the hell is Jessen doing all the way out here? It makes no sense. There’s no way he cares this much about some random coward. Unless he’s pretending to be some honorable figure rather than the murderer he is? “I think I’d like to keep it that way,” Arwin said, fighting to keep his gaze on Jessen. If the man didn’t recognize his mask, then it was very likely that Erik had been acting on orders but had never passed details along. And, if that was the case, the only way everyone had a chance to get out of this alive would be if Erik didn’t. “Then it seems we have a problem,” Jessen said. His voice shifted, turning to a syrup-laden drawl. “I can’t let anyone go around trying to murder my people in cold blood.” Arwin’s teeth grit as he fought to keep his anger under control. Claiming that he was the one going around heartlessly murdering people when Jessen had been the one to kill Zeke was like grinding nails on chalkboard in Arwin’s ears. His mind raced as he tried to find a way that would let him get to Erik and escape before Jessen stopped him, but nothing came to mind. He’d already felt how much more power Jessen had than he did. Even with [Scourge], Arwin would only be able to put up a fight for a few blows before he lost. Which means I need to play his game if I want a chance of coming out on top of this. “That’s the angle you’re going to take?” Arwin asked, his features twisting in disgust as he dismissed his helm. “Your men murdered an innocent and destroyed my smithy, and you claim that I’m the one that’s cold blooded?” “An innocent?” Jessen tilted his head to the side. “I gave no such orders.” “Your idiots destroyed the smithy while a child was in it,” Arwin spat. “Burned him alive. So go ahead. Give me your cold-hearted speech. Every word that leaves your lips might as well be poison.” Jessen’s eyes narrowed in anger. Arwin wasn’t sure if it was directed at his words or him, and he didn’t particularly care. Jessen hadn’t denied ordering the destruction of his smithy – and that meant Jessen was responsible. He, like the others, would die. “Who?” Jessen asked. “Who did it?” “What, are you going to punish them?” Arwin asked with a bark of laughter. “A slap on the wrist, maybe?” “Who?” Jessen roared, slamming his sword into the wall beside him. Stone crumbled away, cascading to the ground at his feet. “Tix.” Arwin held three fingers up, then lowered one of them. “She’s dead.” He lowered a second finger and nodded toward the direction of the guild hall. “Yul. Also dead.” Arwin was left with just his middle finger standing, and he turned his gaze to Erik. “And the coward.” And you, Jessen. But, if you’re going to be pretending to be some righteous asshole, I’ll play along. Let’s see if you murder your own man for me. “Dead?” Jessen's expression flickered, then turned flat. “I see. A smith has killed two of my men?” “My only regret is that I couldn’t kill them a second time,” Arwin said honestly. “And the fat one is next.” Jessen pressed his lips together and let a sigh slide out from between them. “Ah. I can’t let you do that. I’m afraid I have need of Erik.”