Chapter 67: A Deal
"You’re awfully prepared for a parasite in hiding."
That hit closer than she knew.
I shrugged.
"Caution’s how I’m still breathing."
And bluffing. Lots of bluffing. But I didn’t say that.
For a second, she just stared at me, lips pressed into a thin line.
Then she exhaled and nodded—barely.
Progress.
"There’s a small underground passage northeast from here,You’ll find it beneath a hollowed-out tree with silver moss around the base. Can’t miss it."
She didn’t respond, but I saw her posture shift slightly. Still guarded. Still suspicious.
"There’s a guest down there," I added. "Nothing too troublesome. You can handle it."
The word guest was generous. It was more like a trial run.
I was also delegating some pest control.
She turned slightly, eyes narrowed. "And where will you be?"
I smiled beneath the mask. "I’ll come to find you when the time is right."
"When will that be?" Her voice had that dangerous edge again.
"When things cool down," I said simply. "When I’m sure you won’t be walking into an ambush."
A beat of silence passed. Then, finally, she gave a short nod.
"I’ll be waitin—"
"Hold on," I interrupted before she could spread her wings and disappear into the trees.
She stopped mid-motion, one brow lifting ever so slightly.
"Can you do me a favor?" I asked, trying not to let the fatigue leak into my voice. My legs were screaming and my mana was a threadbare mess. But I kept my tone casual.
She didn’t answer. Just stared.
"I need to find someone."
"You know that I can’t go outside and looking for someone for you, right?"
Of course I know that.
But it’s really urgent and I think she will be able to help me.
"You don’t have to go yourself," I said, keeping my voice even, "just... order your bat minions to keep an eye out."
She stared at me, unimpressed. "For who?"
I hesitated for a second.
I couldn’t give too much away. Not yet. But I also couldn’t afford to waste this chance.
"Bjorn," I said finally. "He’s a butcher. Human... technically. But in all reality, he’s nothing more than a psychopathic killer that shouldn’t be allowed to live."
Velra blinked, slowly. No reaction. No judgment. Just listening.
"He doesn’t just kill people," I went on. "He butchers them. Cooks them. Eats them."
Still no response. But I saw her eyes narrow slightly.
"He’s gone into hiding. No one knows his exact location, but the last confirmed sighting was in the northeast. Near the edge of the river basin."
Velra tilted her head, as if weighing the information—or maybe judging me.
"You want my kin to track down a human butcher," she said flatly.
"Not fight him. Just keep an eye out. If he shows up, I want to know. That’s all."
A long silence stretched between us.
Velra didn’t move for a moment. Just looked at me like she was dissecting every word—like she could smell the lie, even if there wasn’t one this time.
"A human butcher who eats people," she repeated flatly.
"Not figuratively." I met her gaze. "Literally. I’m not exaggerating. This man is the kind of monster even demons should keep an eye on."
Still, she didn’t look convinced.
"I don’t do favors," she said eventually.
"I’m not asking you to throw a welcome party," I said. "Just—if your familiars come across him, let me know. That’s all."
Velra tilted her head slightly. "And what will you do if they find him?"
I didn’t answer immediately. My jaw tightened under the mask.
"I’ll kill him."
Simple. Quiet. Honest.
That answer seemed to catch her off guard then a smriked form on her face as she revealed her Vampire teeth.
"Let’s not call it favour then. How about a deal? You kill him and I’ll take all of his blood. Since he eaten quite bit of human it’s a perfect opportunity for me to taste different types of blood in one human."
I blinked.
That wasn’t the answer I expected. Not exactly.
Her smirk stretched a little wider—sharp, hungry. She wasn’t just humoring me. She liked the idea.
"Deal," I said before I could overthink it.
Her crimson eyes gleamed. "It’s rare, you know. To find humans who walk around with that much poison inside them. He’s practically pickled in sin. His blood might taste... exotic."
"That’s a disturbing sentence," I muttered, rubbing at the side of my mask.
She laughed—not the shrill, manic kind, but low and guttural. Like something ancient finding amusement in a child’s rage.
"I’ll tell them," she said at last, her tone dropping back into that colder register. "If he’s in the northeast, near the river basin, my kin will catch his scent. Eventually."
"Thank you," I said quietly.
She didn’t reply. Not even a glance back.
Typical.
Honestly, if I had the time, I’d go after Bjorn myself. Track him down, deal with it directly. But that was impossible.
Being an attendant meant I didn’t get breaks. No personal time. No convenient excuses to disappear and chase psychopaths across the continent.
Last time, I got lucky. Velastin Territory happened to be close to the Draken Duchy. And the relic I was after just so happened to be nearby.
So yeah—I could slip away, handle it, and still make it back before anyone noticed I was gone.
But this time?
This time wasn’t like that.
Bjorn was somewhere far off. No concrete leads. No guarantee I’d even catch up to him if I went alone. And I couldn’t afford to go off the radar again.
So... if I couldn’t hunt him myself, then why not find someone who could?
And Velra? She was perfect.
She needed blood. He was a walking bag of sin-soaked poison. Win-win.
That’s why I agreed to her terms so quickly. No hesitation. Not because I trusted her. But because it was efficient.
Anyway, the moment I’d said my piece, she spread her wings and shot out of the cave in a blur of dark feathers.
And just like that, the silence hit me like a wall.
I stood there, blinking.
She was gone .
"...She really left?" I muttered to no one, letting out a long breath. "Finally."
It took a moment for the reality to catch up. For my body to stop bracing itself for fangs or accusations or another round of questions I couldn’t answer.
When it did, all the tension I’d been holding in finally released. My legs buckled and I let myself slump down against the cold stone wall.
"There’s no playing by the rules in this game..." I groaned, rubbing at my temple. "I came for honey and got capsaicin instead."
My headache pulsed, sharp and dull all at once. Mana strain clawed at my bones, threading through my nerves like barbed wire.
I barely had enough strength left to keep my eyes open.
"Ugh... dizzy."
The mana ring was still spinning behind my vision, too fast, too hot. It didn’t stop when I closed my eyes—it just made the spinning worse.
Eventually, I gave up.
I let gravity take me, collapsing sideways onto the cave floor. Cold, rough, uneven—but it felt like a luxury mattress in that moment.
My eyes drifted shut, lead-heavy.
Maybe... maybe if I just nap a little, someone will come. A rescue team, or whatever’s next. I’ve done enough for one day.
The chill of the stone didn’t even bother me anymore.
Then, just before the darkness took over—
[Quest Complete!]
[Successfully rescued Alice...]
[New NPC Registered...]
’Mmm... later...’
The blue-glowing status window faded like a dream. I barely registered the words. They didn’t matter right now.
Sleep did.
And right now, this cave floor?
Was good enough.