Chapter 49: All’s Fair in War & Profit
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When Talia and Myrese returned after taking out a couple more of Mr. Vales' men, they found a peculiar sight waiting for them.

Mr. Vales was sitting cross-legged, hands bound but speaking casually to Erik, who was jotting some notes into his journal. The two approached the pair with quizzical expressions.

"That's all the information I have on my assets... please, spare the businesses of my family at least," Mr. Vales pleaded, his voice strained.

"Depends on if it's a market I'm not interested in... oh, hey guys," Erik said, not looking up from his scribbling.

Myrese's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Absorbing all of this kind gentleman's profits," Erik replied with a smirk. "I'm getting his business plan. It's surprisingly... not terrible. Just morally questionable."

Myrese looked at Talia, who had a faint smile playing on her lips. "Right... so, are we all done here? I'm not exactly thrilled to stay here any longer than we have to."

Talia nodded. "Indeed, we have more pressing matters to attend to. Erik, are you quite finished with your... 'acquisitions'?"

"Yep. I'm no businessman, but I can definitely use these ideas with safety regulations in mind," Erik said, flipping the journal closed and standing up. "Everyone's been worried about Myr, so let's not keep them waiting."

Myrese opened her mouth, then closed it, trying to decide what to say next. The fact that it had been so long since she had someone care for her wellbeing- and not just one person, but an entire village, was overwhelming. "Thank you, Talia, Erik. I can't thank you enough for this," she finally managed, her voice a mix of relief and gratitude.

"Well, without you around, we wouldn't have delicious home-cooked meals," Talia said, turning to walk out.

"Yep. But more importantly, you're a valuable asset- er, friend. Everyone would hate to have a miracle doctor gone," Erik chipped in as he followed Talia.

Myrese's cheeks warmed at their words, and she couldn't help but smile. She had never felt so... normal, so accepted, despite her past. She blinked away the tears she thought she'd never feel again, stepping in line behind her two companions.

"Um... are you guys just going to leave me here?"

The trio paused and turned around, seeing Mr. Vales shifting awkwardly in his bindings. His pride bruised more than his body, he looked up at them with a glimmer of hope in his red eyes.

The three of them glanced at each other, shrugged, then continued forth, ignoring the protests of the man.


"I'm so glad you're okay!" Alyssa cried out as she embraced Myrese in a tight hug. The village had gathered around the burger shack, a mix of relief and anger etched on their faces. "We heard about Mr. Vales and his men. We were all so worried!"

"Indeed. I was prepared to go to war," Ricteronu nodded, gripping his shovel. "I nearly mobilized the entire workforce myself."

"Huh? Ric, were you going to use the bulldozers too? That is an absolute misuse of construction equipment!" Erik was strangely upset by the thought, but no one seemed to find it quite as concerning as he did.

"Myrese," Morthanu greeted as he approached her and Alyssa. He bowed his head, as if asking for forgiveness. "I am terribly sorry to hear what had happened. As the village elder, I should have been more vigilant to outside threats."

"N-no, it's fine," Myrese assured Morthanu, feeling a bit awkward. "It's all thanks to Erik and Talia that I'm here."

She turned to glance at her saviors. Talia was already drunk, trying to entice customers to tip her for god knows what while Erik was locked in a heated debate between Ricteronu, Grom, and Kinnesthe. Myrese decided to ignore the commotion for the moment, focusing instead on the fact that she was safe.

"Miss Noxi," Dr. Castellanos' voice called out behind her. "I'm glad to see you safe."

Myrese turned to face the doctor, his eyes filled with relief. "Thank you for your concern, doctor," she replied, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. "But it seems the village's fears were unwarranted."

"Indeed..." Dr. Castellanos' own smile wavered for a moment. Then, he suddenly slouched as anguish flashed across his face. "Good gods, you have no idea how terrified I was. I mean, I am the only doctor in this village, despite having nurses helping me out. So, when you said you wanted to be a doctor, I was so elated and tried to teach you everything as quickly as possible. I guess it's kind of my fault because I threw you out there before you felt ready, and even though it was because I wanted some of the workload off my shoulders, I really did want you to become a successful doctor, too. Oh my god, and the fact that I didn't even notice the bad men who came into the medical center-"

Myrese raised her hand to stop the doctor's ramblings. She was sure that he had accidentally revealed some of his true intentions, but decided to ignore that as well. "It's okay, Dr. Castellanos. It's not your fault. My past just caught up with me, that's all."

The doctor nodded, his expression a mix of guilt and relief. "But what happened to Mr. Vales?"

Talia and Erik suddenly appeared by Myrese's side, the three of them masking their expressions. Everyone near them looked at the trio suspiciously.

"We informed the royal capital of the crimes Mr. Vales committed and relinquished custody over to the army," the trio said in unison, their voices clear and convincing.

Their friends stared at them, unsure of how to react to something obviously practiced beforehand. But, seeing how everything turned out fine and that the three were in good spirits, they decided to let it slide.

"Erik, you're sure it's being handled, right?" Myrese asked him in a low voice.

"Yeah, no sweat. They might not be skilled yet, but they're extremely dependable," Erik said with a wink, his voice low enough that only Talia and Myrese could hear. The three of them broke apart to rejoin the others in the burger shack pavilion.


Groggily, Mr. Vales opened his eyes, finding himself bound to a chair with ropes in a forest. "What is the meaning of this?" he roared, his voice echoing through the clearing. "Release me!"

"Uh-uh. The Mister said to hold you here until he finds time to deal with you," A young voice interrupted Mr. Vales' outburst.

The speaker was a boy of about eight, dressed in simple clothes. He was playing with a stick, poking at the dirt with a lack of concern for the powerful man's plight. Mr. Vales' eyes narrowed, and he tried to remember the boy's name. It was something... something he had overheard one of the villagers call him. "Where's your sister?"

"Which one? I have a lot," the boy said with a cheeky smile, not looking up from his game. "Or do you mean Big Sister Myrese?"

Mr. Vales felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. "Yes, that's the one," he managed to say, his voice strained.

"She's back in the village with the Mister and Big Sister Talia," the young boy reported, his voice devoid of any concern for Mr. Vales' dignity. "Safe and sound, no thanks to you."

Mr. Vales' eyes grew wide with horror. "You- you can't do this to me," he croaked out, desperation coating his words. "I-I am Mr. Vales!"

"So? Can you make as much money as the Mister?" Another voice said from the shadows. Mr. Vales turned his head to see a boy stepping out, his charcoal eyes surprisingly sharp and cunning for his age. "He promised us a home, food, and a job. The Mister already built a place in his house for us, and we've gotten food from his burger shack. And Big Sister Talia said she'd help us build a playground with magic. What can you do that they haven't already?"

Mr. Vales' eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a sneer. "You don't know what you're getting into with that... that... peasant!" he spat out. "The riches I could offer you-"

"Don't ever talk about the Mister like that," the young boy with the knife hissed, his grip tightening on the blade.

The man shut his mouth and swallowed hard. "R-right... what's your name, son?"

"Rat. And I'm not your son," the boy with the knife said coldly, his grip on the weapon unwavering.


Erik was by himself, sitting behind the burger shack pouring over his journal when a small finger tapped his shoulder. He looked up to see one of the orphan girls and smiled warmly. The girl leaned in closer to his ear and whispered something before scampering off, freezing Erik's smile.

"Something wrong?" Myrese asked as she approached, noticing Erik's sudden change in demeanor.

"N-no, yeah... everything's great... I hope," Erik muttered under his breath, closing his journal. "That... Rat said he never actually used a weapon before, so I hope he makes good on his promise to keep an eye on Vales WITHOUT harming him."

The elf chuckled as she sat beside him. "Don't worry, Erik. Rat and the other orphans are still children. And from the looks of it, they idolize you a lot. They wouldn't do anything to disappoint you."

"I hope so," Erik replied, rubbing his forehead. "But what if Vales somehow gets free? He'll come back for us."

"If Vales does escape, then Talia would have to rescind her title as a 12th Circle Rank sorceress," Myrese said, her voice filled with a hint of jest. She was more than confident that the binding spell Talia casted on Vales' bonds were unbreakable even by the strongest of foes. "Anyway, what were you working on? Another project? A new scam?"

"Ways to deal with your old employers," Erik sighed, tucking his journal back into the bag at his waist. "I've been scribbling down a few... hypothetical scenarios."

It was only for a brief moment, but Myrese felt something new in her chest. Sure, she had asked Erik if he would be willing to shoulder the responsibilities of dealing with her old employers, but she never thought he'd take it this seriously. "You've... you've really thought about this?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and warmth.

"Like I said before... I'm a man of my word..." Erik dryly replied, leaning back against the burger shack wall. "I might forget my words, but I won't forget the people who got me out of a tight spot. Besides, if you think I'm gonna let anyone mess with you, you've got another thing coming."

Myrese couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Despite his, well, 'unorthodox' mannerisms, Erik had proven to be a reliable ally. She watched as he surveyed the village, his eyes sweeping over the newly built structures with a hint of pride.

"You know, I don't think I've ever asked you yet," Erik slowly began, still glancing at the amenities he had built. "But do you have any dreams?"

Myrese was caught off guard by the sudden question. She looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion. "Dreams? As in, aspirations?"

"Yeah. Talia wants to restore her family's status and become a medical sorcerer. I want to put my industrial degree to good use in this damn fantasy world and profit. So, what are your dreams?"

Myrese paused for a moment, her smile faltering slightly. "Well, I... I'm not sure. I've lived for over a thousand and three hundred years. I can't remember the last time I had a dream."

"Huh? You've lived for that long and haven't had anything you wanted to achieve or have yet?" Erik leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "Also, I keep forgetting you're that old, considering you have quite a nice body-"

Myrese's cheeks flushed at the compliment, punching him in the gut. "Erik, focus. Yes, I've lived a very long life, but it's been one of survival, not dreams."

"Really? You've been through some hardships, then?" Erik said after he coughed, rubbing his stomach in relief. Myrese realized he had goaded her into hitting him for a free healing.

"Let's just say, my life hasn't been a fairytale," Myrese replied, her eyes glazing over as she stared into the distance. "I was once a young elven child, roaming the forest of my clan without a care. Then, the humans invaded some thousand years ago and everything changed."

"Ah," Erik went silent, understanding dawning on his face. "So I'm guessing you had to turn to the life of an assassin to survive?"

"Actually, I didn't at first," Myrese corrected him, her tone growing solemn. "After the fall of my clan, I was captured and sold to the highest bidder. I ended up with a man who taught me how to fight. I became his personal bodyguard, his weapon. It was only when he died that I had the freedom to choose a path for myself."

Erik nodded, his expression sympathetic. "And that's when you turned to the shadows?"

"It was the only thing I knew at the time."

The pair stared at the villagers enjoying themselves in the burger shack's pavilion. The steady hum of the rune generators provided an oddly comforting backdrop to their conversation. Erik spoke up, breaking the silence, "Well, at any rate, now you can start thinking about what would make you happy. That's how dreams start."

Myrese looked at him, a hint of hope in her pink eyes. "But what if I've been in the dark for so long, I don't know what light looks like?"

"Then I'll build a light for you to see again," Erik shrugged nonchalantly, but the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. He looked over at Talia, who was drunkenly busy terrorizing Alyssa and some of the villagers and sighed.

"I think I'd like that," Myrese murmured, a small smile playing on her lips. She watched as Talia levitated a chair and spun it around, making the poor woman sitting on it scream with each rotation.

Erik chuckled and stood up, extending a hand to help her to her feet. "Let's go check on our chaotic guardian angel before she causes another incident."

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