"Then you let the demon live on a whim!"
"It's not a whim. I got bored, it's not the same," Tori pursed his lips like a scolded child.
"I knew something wasn't right in your head... But this..."
"Bah! One more boring monster, or one less! What does it matter? Ask for calm from Sanctum, Guardian," the vagabond's smirk turned into a malicious smile.
"But what are you saying? The vision you had yourself... This is no longer about Sanctum. You condemned a town to death out of pure selfishness! And it's probably more than just one town..."
"Hm, well... Yes," Tori lit a cigarette with a careless attitude, though deep down he anxiously awaited Robben's reaction.
"I prefer to think that you fled for your life, Antorique," continued the Guardian of the Faith, with a mixture of consternation and disappointment on his face.
"Uhm... that could also be true. The battle wasn't decided, and considering that monster has thirty times my energy..."
"Then that's the real reason and you're just trying to annoy me. Otherwise, it would mean you don't value human life, and..."
"No. It's true that I'm not sure I could have killed that demon, but it's truer that I got bored of it, and so I didn't have any reason to stay there," interrupted the vagabond, raising an index finger to correct the priest. "Anyway! I've had a long day, I hope you haven't handed 'my' room over to someone else while I was away..."
"How can you speak so calmly, Antorique Veluard!?"
"Enough, senile old man! This idiotic, weak, scrawny, unsightly, dirty vagabond, with eyes drooping like a fish and... well, all his obvious physical and mental limitations, risked himself to save that nun, belonging to 'your' group of Faith fanatics," Jasmine emerged from her hiding spot to "defend" Tori.
"What!? Is that true, Antorique!?"
"Go back home, shrimp!"
"Haha! You thought you'd get rid of me so easily. I've tricked you again!" The girl didn't intend to miss a hint of information, so she had made sure to eavesdrop on all possible conversations. The arrival of a real "mage" in the village had given a spark to her young life that she hadn't felt since she met the witch Rose as a newly arrived child. And now, being in contact with both, she felt like being part of the main show.
"Miss Green?"
"Oh! The nun is under the care of The Lady!"
"...Rose?"
"Yes. The Lady."
"I need to talk to her. Would you be so kind, Miss Green...?"
"Oh... Maybe I can try," Jasmine replied with a mischievous smile. She enjoyed the feeling of importance.
Meanwhile, Tori had disappeared from the scene. In the distance, the girl and the priest could hear him snoring.
"I told you. He's anemic and half-dead... Don't you see? Always, before fighting that monster, I mean" Jasmine shrugged, speaking confidently about the vagabond whom she actually barely knew.
The priest looked towards the room where Tori was resting, and smiled warmly.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Haha! If this ends up escalating, it'll be your fault," Robben recalled.
"Even so, you can keep your word, young vagabond. If only you were a bit easier to deal with... but then 'it wouldn't be fun'. Ha!" thought the Guardian before shifting his focus to what was truly concerning.
The Guardian of the Faith had to make decisions. Should he wait for help from Valtoria? Demand protection by wielding the vision of a mage? Or was Lilystone supposed to defend itself alone? Was the small town even capable of doing so?
The old man bid farewell to Jasmine and headed off to sleep. At first light, he would set out to speak with the witch of the forest, who he knew held him in low regard and was even more difficult to deal with than the vagabond.
