After Ajax first faced Ilna, he was truly depressed about the fact that he was unable to save the people in the inn that Ilna had killed.

He asked Shaula to take care of the girls while he tracked down and observed Ilna alone. Shaula didn’t like this idea but she couldn’t really refuse when he was in that state of mind.

Even though he was after Ilna, Ajax also didn’t want to assume once again the responsibility of safeguarding the women under their protection.

He internalized his own incompetence at the fact that Hila almost died. If he had been faster, if he had been more serious with Ilna, if he didn’t hesitate for even a second to end the battle and the lives of his enemies, then…

But, all that is past now.

Ajax, having memorized the scent of Ilna during their battle, found him easily. As Ajax observed Ilna’s daily life, Shaula looked after the seven women in their care.

These included Claris Merdalie, Hila Wirnthrop, Grenwiliu, Dona Marthis, Oitra Ephis and Kyre and Laun Mestophiles.

Claris, Hila, Grenwiliu, Oitra and Laun were currently clean; none of them were under the influence of Dead Snow or any other drug.

Kyre was right on the brink of true sobriety as her withdrawal symptoms finally dissipated. Dona hasn’t been craving anything either, but the girls assume, based on her demeanor, that her symptoms will be long term and chronic.

Shaula began to plan for the future of the girls. Her plans in this city are still to find the people who invaded her forest and tortured and killed a beastkin man. She can spend time with these girls only for a short while as she tries to get back on track towards her main goal.

How did they get so distracted as to involve themselves with these seven strangers?

The more Shaula thought about it, the more she realized it was merely Ajax’s truly altruistic personality and her enabling of said personality. She doesn’t really mind that they’ve made such a detour.

They’re still together after all and Shaula has had many outlets to release her bloodlust. This city is filled with scum and it’s an enjoyable activity to clean it up.

But nevertheless, now was as good a time as any to make plans.

The most important thing was to deal with Brai Drumyl, the man who was targeting the women associated with his nephew and currently being protected by his nephew’s killers.

The next thing she had to consider was self-reliance such that they could fend for themselves financially. She had to make sure that they wouldn’t need to seek out another pimp like Inalim or end up homeless and addicted to Dead Snow again.

Self-defense skills also couldn’t hurt. Women like them needed to be able to defend themselves against people like Dirn.

The first item on her agenda was on hold while Ajax dealt with Ilna. She actually formulated a plan for dealing with Brai right before she tracked him down so there was nothing else she needed to do about that just yet.

Finding money is something on her mind right now.

While she was protecting the women, she tried to get information from them concerning their financial situation as well as general information about the world around her, but there was an issue.

Claris and Hila were afraid of her. Deathly afraid in fact. They viewed her as not exactly human, perhaps instead a figure they revered more but consequently feared far more than the average human.

A being who has justice in her heart and yet is capable of cruelty and uncompromising in its application. This is how Shaula appeared to them.

Shaula didn’t try to exude such an atmosphere but all of the girls knew that she was the one who had killed Inalim; unknown to her, Hila had explained exactly how she killed him.

The gruesomeness of it. So easily taking his life, as if he was nothing, worth nothing, amounting to nothing.

Which is why, in the end, whenever Shaula approached any of the girls, she heard their hearts pound at her very sight. How she must have looked to them…

The woman Grenwiliu, a beautiful, lithe, green haired, beastkin girl, was particularly frightened of Shaula.

She would try to hide her fear but Shaula could tell she didn’t even want to be in the same room as her if she could help it. Shaula thought of her as a timid woman; although Shaula understood implicitly that she herself was a person that exuded a presence to be wary of.

Claris and Hila were likewise afraid but tolerated her to a greater extent. As a result, Shaula was able to tell them that she wanted them to notify her if they started running low on funds. She didn’t push anything further or prod them about the world, just out of courtesy towards their fear.

Oitra, a beautiful red haired beastkin girl with splendid snow-white eyes, wasn’t as afraid but she was more hostile. Shaula didn’t understand why exactly though. Whenever Oitra saw Shaula, she looked away from her and displayed an unfriendly expression.

Her hands trembled and her eyes showed disapproval and animosity. Shaula didn’t ask why or consider it any further. But… Oitra was clearly the youngest of the bunch.

In Shaula’s world, Oitra would be underage and whoever was trafficking her would be placed in jail (at least in the most ideal scenario). Perhaps her anger is simply just the anger of teenagers?

Meanwhile, Laun and Kyre were unapproachable since Laun was always caring for her sister. Shaula actually respected their love for each other and decided not to bother them about her inquiries about the society of Linis.

Both of them looked extremely similar; they were both silver haired beautiful beastkin girls. It seems to be a racial characteristic of beastkin that their natural hair colours aren’t seen among humans. Are they fetishized for such a reason perhaps? Probably is Shaula’s guess. 

The two of them were actually younger than Shaula, Laun being sixteen and Kyre being eighteen. They also fear her in the end but they try to keep their distance from Ajax and Shaula both, merely because they are human beings.

It simply could not be helped; Shaula’s race in this world had some malicious connotations at least in the eyes of the demihuman races and especially considering the lives the beastkin women already lived.

Dona… was different from the other girls. She didn’t speak. A tall woman, almost as tall as Shaula in fact. Her hair… was strawberry blonde, a colour seen among humans both in her world and in this city even. 

The girls seemed to think that Dona was emotionally dead, a shell of her former self perhaps. But… Shaula could still vaguely sense her true mental condition.

She had tried talking to Dona and noticed minute changes in her facial expressions as well as increases and decreases in her heartbeat when she was asked or told different things. Dona was very much conscious; it was more like she couldn’t express her emotions very well in her facial expressions or body language.

Her body language as well was highly reserved but there was nuance to it. Nevertheless, Dona still refused to speak to Shaula or was perhaps unable to do so; Shaula hadn’t gotten anywhere.

But… it wasn’t a complete waste though. Claris actually gave Shaula some useful information about a mutual friend. It sparked an idea in her mind, a reasonable thought that could save them some time in the future.

~

Two days prior to Ajax and Shaula’s conclusion with Ilna.

“Ajax, how’d it go today? You think you’re ready to deal with this guy yet?”

“...Honestly, not yet. I’m going again tonight to see what he’s up to. He doesn’t seem to be taking on any work but if I see him doing anything like that stuff again, then--”

“You can’t tonight. You’re gonna have to look after the women for today.”

“H-Huh? C-Couldn’t you j-just--”

“Afraid not. Don’t be a bitch, Ajax. Nothing happened to them, remember? You did your job taking care of them, so it’s obvious I can trust you to look after them.”

“But--”

“Sorry, it’s not up for discussion.”

Ajax sighs in dejection. Both he and Shaula are on the roof of the inn right now. Ajax spent the day tailing Ilna from a distance and hearing his conversations. All Ilna really did today was have some really boring conversations and walk around a bit.

In the end, Ajax did learn the location of a local drug dealer from which Ilna exchanged money for some kind of recreational substance. He might have been laying low after what happened to the inn or he might not work as often as Ajax thought.

After the meeting with the dealer, he really only went to a restaurant for lunch, walked in a lush green park (where there were a lot of other humans enjoying themselves), talked to a human woman who was probably his neighbour on the way back to his house and… nothing else really. 

Ajax also saw the middle class ring of Linis which surrounded the elite centre of the city.

The streets were clearly built better and kept cleaner, the people were almost completely human except for the workers. The treatment of the homeless and poor in this area was almost identical regardless of race.

The guards would simply escort them out of the middle class ring to the working class ring or crack down on their panhandling with threats of force.

The guards though… Ajax saw their armour and general demeanour; at the very least he can recognize their uniform now. But, he didn’t see as many as he wished to and was unable to judge how they treated the average citizen in this world just yet.

But, just from what he saw over the past few days... they weren’t very amiable. Also… where were they when that inn was burning down? After it burned down, nobody even came out to look or get any statements or do anything.

Those guys are supposed to be the cops of this city, right?

Well, regardless of all that, Ajax was still able to see the sort of life that Ilna was living. A truly banal existence.

Was such a life worth the collateral damage inflicted? No. Was it worth the lives of innocent people? No. Was it worth anything? No.

Ajax continues to stew, thinking about his day as Shaula observes his depression. He really didn’t want to be given the responsibility back just yet but… he wanted to save the girls so it was only fair he took responsibility. Shaula, noticing Ajax’s despondency, speaks.

“I'm going to look for someone today.”

“...Who?”

“You’ll meet her soon enough, I’m not going to spoil the surprise for now…”

Shaula smiles at Ajax in a mischievous manner. The time right now is closer to perhaps 11 pm in this world, in this city of Linis. Night time. Shaula gives Ajax a kiss on his forehead as he sits down on the edge of the inn building.

Then, with hardly a sound, Shaula leaps off the building into the air to find her objective.

~

“Well, how nice of you to visit again… Shaula, right?”

“Yes, it is. I’m glad I could find you once again, Angelidis.”

Shaula is currently talking to a woman on a street bustling with noise. Men and women talk to each other, near torches lit by fire to illuminate this street.

Shaula, wearing a medieval black dress, stands next to Angelidis, a beautiful fiery woman of a demihuman race known as draconid.

Angelidis, wearing a flowing crimson dress with her long tail coiled around her skirt, stands on the corner of the street digging her sharp black claws into the concrete wall to her right. Nothing more than a force of habit.

However, noticing how such an action could be misconstrued in front of Shaula, who she bears no ill will to, Angelidis releases her claws from the wall and places her hands behind her back. Shaula notices her benevolent intent. A good sign of her friendliness.

“Shaula, remember you can call me Jelli, alright?”

“Oh, s-sorry, I forgot that was your nickname…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! So, how did the rest of that night go? You were looking for Brai, right?”

Jelli refers to Shaula asking her about the location of Brai’s brothels just prior to Shaula finding Brai and discovering Brai had sent people after her and the women.

“It went… not very good to be honest. Brai is a distasteful individual, to say the least…”

“I’m sorry to hear the outcome was unfavourable. He is scum, there is no doubt.”

“Yeah… By the way, how has business been for you tonight and all?”

Shaula changes the subject off of Brai for the moment and inquires about how Jelli’s work has been tonight in terms of payoff and customer interactions.

“Not bad, I have a few appointments set up for tomorrow during the day. The guys haven’t been too annoying like that time earlier. Nothing else really… just another night.”

“I see. Well, I’m glad things are ok right now. Now, if you don’t mind…”

“Of course, of course! Please, proceed with the reason for your visit tonight.”

“Well… I might as well just say that I’m planning to act against Brai.”

Angelidis looks at Shaula with a look of astonishment. It was almost blatantly obvious that Shaula wasn’t interested in Brai to seek after employment as a sex worker but… this was outside of her expectations.

Angelidis feels a troubling feeling. How did Shaula find her so easily? She asked about her illegal work (although Angelidis hadn’t spoken out loud about the details of her work). Now, Shaula brings to her a frightening proposal… 

“You’re not… You’re not with the guards or anything, right?”

Shaula notices Jelli’s eyes turn into slits. Her body language exhibits undeniable caution towards Shaula; the agitation is palpable, filling the air with an intense atmosphere. If Shaula were to be on the side of the Linis enforcers or even a rival criminal organization then--

“N-No! I-I’m not a cop, I’m just trying to protect some people from the ones who are trying to hunt them down!”

Jelli’s eyes return to normal but a look of faint caution rests on her face.

“What do… What do you need me for, concerning that?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to fight or anything but… I was wondering if you would be willing to help me take care of the people I’m trying to protect? Their ‘pimp’ actually was Brai’s family.”

“Ah… So that’s the issue…”

Angelidis looks around the area for anyone suspicious… anyone who might be a guard. She then considers Shaula. Is it truly a wise course of action to deal with Shaula?

Shaula meanwhile pays careful attention to Jelli’s physiological responses. She attempts as best she can to see through Jelli’s state of mind. Jelli’s heart and breathing are currently steady, she isn’t sweating a whole lot… She’s… she’s been ok.

Quite the calm person even when hearing such dangerous plans.

“Shaula, have you been able to actually hold off Brai’s men?”

“Yeah. Though it wasn’t without a cost.”

“Then, you need my help for… what exactly?”

“There are going to be some times where… where I and my friend Ajax have to be away from the girls and I was hoping that you’ll… maybe help protect them?”

“Hm. That’s…”

A far more innocuous request than Jelli had expected. Yet, Shaula is placing her faith in Angelidis to take care of people that Jelli doesn’t even know and hasn’t even met.

“Do you think you should really put your faith in me, Shaula? You’ve only met me once before, you know?”

“Well, that is true but… I actually asked the girls if they knew you and… one of them said they did.”

“Oh? Who might that be?”

“Her name is Grenwiliu and--”

“Gren!? Wait, so the relative you were talking about has to be… Inalim!?”

Shaula notices Jelli’s face. A face of astonishment and concern. It appears that their relationship isn’t a lie.

Grenwiliu had stated that Angelidis is a friend of hers.

Shaula had asked Claris whether she knew a woman named Angelidis and if she could ask the girls if they knew without telling them that Shaula was the one asking. Claris asked all the girls and the shy Grenwiliu was the only one who knew of her.

Shaula had eavesdropped on their conversation and it appeared to her that Grenwiliu put a lot of faith in her. 

“Wait… then what happened to him? To Inalim?”

“Well… I suppose if you help me out, you’ll find out anyways so I’ll just tell you. I killed him.”

Angelidis makes an interesting expression; as if she was thinking, well, what’re you gonna do? That’s life…

“Then… I’ll take you up on your offer Shaula. If Gren’s in trouble, then it’s obvious that I'll help! Take me to her!”

“R-Really? Right now? You’re sure?”

“What’s with the surprise? I take care of my friends after all.”

“N-No, it’s not that… I just thought that it would take more for you to come with me…”

“The fact that you said that makes me slightly suspicious but… what can I say?”

Jelli smiles with a wide grin. Shaula notices for the first time her sharp teeth. Perhaps it was because Jelli didn’t smile as much as this when Shaula met her the first time but Shaula can see that her teeth are all sharp, not just her canines.

Not unsightly but still quite symmetrical and well maintained, beautiful even. Dental hygiene seems to exist in this world, despite the level of technological regression in other areas.

In the end, it appears that Angelidis is a trusting person when her friends are mentioned. The possibility of Shaula to be attempting to trick her has also crossed her mind, but she can somehow feel a kinship with Shaula.

Additionally, to dispatch with the person most responsible for the current slow ruination of Grenwiliu’s life, and then to continue to protect her after the fact so she can continue to survive… she could see Shaula doing something like this.

Perhaps it was just instinct but… Angelidis trusted her instincts.

~

“Jelli! What are you doing here!?”

“Gren!! I’ve missed you, my love!”

“Aaah!!”

Jelli runs towards Grenwiliu who is currently sitting in one of the inn room’s talking to Claris and Hila. Shaula stands at the door to their room witnessing Jelli pick up Grenwiliu from the bed she was sitting on and twirl her around in happiness as if she weighed nothing.

Grenwiliu blushes as her face is placed between Jelli’s large breasts. A perfect fit. It may seem like one-sided affection at first glance, but Gren’s tail can be seen wagging at their reunion.

“I’m so glad you’re alright! Shaula told me that Inalim had died and you were being protected by her!”

“Y-Yes, Jelli, c-could you put me down now?”

“Haha! Not a chance, you beautiful thing!”

Gren pouts as Jelli continues holding her in her arms. Jelli’s own feathery tail waves back and forth. It reminds Shaula of the movements of eels in water, slithering back and forth. Quite well coordinated however, it must require a lot of muscular control.

“M-Miss Shaula, you f-found Angelidis?”

“Yeah, I heard that you knew her and I had already met her so I asked for her help. I know that she’s quite the capable fighter so I think you guys’ll be safe with her when Ajax and I are out.”

“You and Mister Ajax are going somewhere?”

Grenwiliu looks at Shaula with a look of hesitation. Unlike Shaula, Ajax has been with her and even saved Hila’s life. She actually feels somewhat safe with him around (although she is still quite a shy person around him just like with Shaula).

“Where are you two off to?”

“Yeah, where would that be?”

Hila and Claris ask such questions to Shaula while Jelli continues her affection towards Grenwiliu.

“It’s not immediate but we’re going to have to be dealing with someone, actually multiple people. You don’t need to know the details but if we’re successful, then you won’t have to need our protection anymore.”

“H-Huh? What are you saying, Shaula? Y-You’ll be leaving us?”

Hila expresses sadness at Shaula’s potential departure. She and her friends had accepted Ajax and Shaula’s help out of necessity and Claris’ urging and they had gotten used to them. Hila at the very least wanted to be helpful to Ajax, the one who saved her from certain death… 

Claris doesn’t say anything. She knew that their help would not be permanent of course but she also knew that it wouldn’t last long enough for them to form a bond either. But, somehow their stay lasted long enough that Ajax is already her friend now after all.

Are they going to leave so soon? Claris bites her lip.

“No, we’re not going to leave so quickly, Hila. There are still a few things that we need to do before we can leave you to fend for yourselves. Don’t scare them like that, Shaula!”

Hila turns around towards the open window to the room. She sees Ajax standing there, having entered from the outside. Jelli sees Ajax and stops spinning. Shaula had mentioned a man, her close friend. This must be Ajax then.

“Don’t coddle them, Ajax, they’re adults, you prick. They’re going to find out that we have our own things to take care of, right?”

“Y-Yeah, but… I mean, I’ve had a nice time talking with Claris over the past few days, I just… I think it’s nice to be around people again.”

“Well, I can understand that… it’s just that--”

“Oh! Wait, before I forget, Mister Ajax, Miss Shaula, we have to talk to you about our expenses. Claris wanted to tell you about our money apparently?”

Grenwiliu lets herself go from Jelli and walks over to Ajax. Seeing her friends near her including the powerful Angelidis makes her abandon her shyness, at least slightly.

“Yeah, Shaula told me that she was asking about that. What’s up?”

“Well. I’m the one in charge of our bookkeeping. I don’t know how much Claris or Hila might have told you but… when Inalim d-died, we were really only able to leave with the money we got from our appointments for that week and whatever Inalim had near him back there… you know… where he died.”

Shaula notices Grenwiliu consciously avoid looking over at her. Angelidis notices this as well.

“A-Anyways, we’ll be fine for about a month but… by then we’ll probably need to go back to work…”

“Back to work…”

Ajax doesn’t exactly like the sound of that. These girls… it would be one thing if they became escorts because they wanted to make money but they had been under the aegis of a scumbag.

Even Claris was almost murdered by him and she was raped multiple times from what she had told them. It was hard to argue that their work and their work environment in general was where they wanted to spend their lives. They’ll have to return to that world?

“Hm. So… you’ll have to go back to prostitution? Is that what you want, Grenwiliu?”

Shaula asks this question to Grenwiliu in a calm and nonchalant manner. Grenwiliu hesitates to answer.

“No, Shaula, that’s not what she wants at all.”

“J-Jelli!”

“Sorry, Gren, but come on. You don’t want to be under the boot of another shitty pimp or doing solo work like what I do, right?”

“Well… Yeah, you’re right… Miss Shaula, I wouldn’t want to return. I really hated it all. B-But I met all of my friends near my work and I’m sure that they don’t want to go back to that either… The real issue is that… we don’t have any other way to find work.”

Shaula realizes their predicament. The work they would have to do outside of prostitution would be mostly heavily labour intensive just like most low wage jobs anywhere (especially in a backwards society like this). Either that or they wouldn’t find any work at all.

Their education levels couldn’t be very high either. Some of them started working as prostitutes from childhood after all.

Money. A common trait between Shaula, Ajax and the inhabitants of this alien world.

There must be some way to make sure they don’t have to go back to their wretched lives as exploited prostitutes, right?

~

“So… how do you feel now, Ajax?”

“How do you think I feel, Shaula? How would anyone feel after--”

“Pretty good then, right?”

“...Yeah, which is really freaking me out a bit. I mean, not great but better than I thought I’d be. The nerve of that fucking bastard, thinking he was just going to move on with his life after all that he did. But… should I feel this, like, normal about it all? I mean… y-you saw, right?”

“Oh yes… yes, I saw, I wouldn’t dare to look away at a guy like that getting what’s coming to him.”

“What’s coming to him… Shaula… I’m alright. Maybe I just haven’t… dealt with it yet but…”

“Dealt with it? That was the “dealing with it”! All you have to do now is forget it ever happened or reminisce when you want to feel happy again! Relax. Right now, let’s sort through this guy’s shit first before I burn the place down.”

“Sigh… Alright, I’ll follow your lead for now.”

Ajax has just finished his brutal murder of Ilna. Or perhaps more like the imparting of justice to Ilna. Shaula made a note of how Ilna was killed. Ajax truly imparted justice but… in a certain way he was not needlessly cruel.

It’s odd for a distinction to be made, but Ajax didn’t eat any of his body parts in front of him, he didn’t castrate Ilna, he didn’t flay his skin, he didn’t use fire or ask for Shaula to do her worst. He inflicted pain, tremendous pain but… he only inflicted what he was capable of inflicting.

Could Shaula make such a distinction in her mind to prove to herself that Ajax wasn’t becoming a psychopath? Yes… because she knew that he wasn’t doing anything wrong in the first place. 

The real psychopath is, of course, the man who killed innocent people with fire in order to protect his own miserable life, in order to escape Ajax’s justice.

Ajax used his physical strength. He used his freezing powers. He mostly cut and maimed. Before Ilna could scream too loudly, Ajax covered his mouth. He wasn’t enjoying the ‘pain’ part of it as much as Shaula might have. He was enjoying the carrying out of justice part though.

Very much so.

He is, after all, different from Shaula. Her victims’ pain, their screaming, their suffering was a part of her justice. She needed to hear them… her one regret when killing her father was that she didn’t hear his suffering in the end.

He was too drugged to even suffer from the pain of being burned to death.

Now the question is, does Shaula believe anything to be wrong with her line of thinking here? Does she believe she shouldn’t have encouraged Ajax? Does she contemplate whether she is a psychopath?

No.

She still remembers the words of Oromasdes. What He had last said to her. She doesn’t truly understand her exact relationship with Oromasdes but… she does know one thing.

She is righteous. The supreme being of Earth Himself said as much:

“SHAULA, I’M THE SUPREME GOD OF THIS WORLD, OROMASDES. I AM THE PINNACLE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE PASSED FOR NOW. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE FOR YOUR TIME IN OMICRON. I TRUST THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES... THAT YOU CAN DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE... WHATEVER THAT MAY BE...”

That’s what He said… He knew… He knew about what Shaula had done, it was obvious. Still, He gave her His blood and His blessing. He told her to make her life worthwhile and filled with justice. And she will.

Whatever else she thinks of Him, the being who imparted so much suffering to the two of her and Ajax just by sending them here… he did give her power.

How ironic her power involved flame.

Ajax and Shaula continue searching through Ilna’s home. It is quite a nice place with two floors. Shaula wants the books in his library. Knowledge is power after all.

He didn’t have any food that she could try. He obviously wasn’t a cook.

Meanwhile, Ajax discovers a store of weapons. Nothing they could use but… those might bring in some money, right? Or perhaps the girls could use them.

If Ajax and Shaula can carry out the more expensive things then… couldn’t that lighten the burden that Claris and her friends are facing in terms of money?

“Hm?”

“What is it?”

Currently, Ajax is gathering the weapons into the living room when Shaula notices something. He’s holding one of Ilna’s weapons in his hands, a silver longsword, while Shaula sorts through Ilna’s books.

“You didn’t notice it?”

“Notice what?”

“Where you’re standing… the sound of the ground is different then the rest of the floor.”

Ajax was currently walking over a large hallway carpet in the small pathway between the living room and the other room on the first floor (the room with the weapons).

Ajax taps the ground where he’s standing. The sound is slightly muffled because of the carpet but… there’s a hollowness here. As if there’s…

“There’s something down there, it seems.”

“Let me check it, Shaula.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Ajax places his weapons down and walks over to the spot on the floor. He tears apart the hallway carpet using his strength. He separates it quite easily.

Under the carpet, is a latch with a handle and a lock on a wooden door. It seems to be opening to a secret basement.

Ajax touches the lock on the door and instantly freezes it solid. He tries to smash the lock with his bare hands but… it’s still quite sturdy even after dropping to such a low temperature.

The lock is broken apart after substantial physical effort, more than Ajax had assumed. It flashes as well once Ajax finally breaks it.

“W-What was that?”

“Whoa! You alright, Ajax? Do you feel anything?”

“N-No, nothing really. Weird…”

“Hmm... don’t quote me on this but… I think that was a lock enhanced by magic.”

“Wait, things like that exist?”

Ajax opens the door to the secret basement as he considers Shaula’s hypothesis. Certainly, a magic lock would make sense. It probably means that there’s something important here.

“Yeah, I asked Jelli about it and--”

“Wait. I smell something in here, Shaula. It’s too dark though, I can’t see anything.”

“Oh yeah, I smell it too. It’s like… iron and copper. More weapons? Maybe something stronger than… or wait… Copper… copper coins?”

Shaula and Ajax head into the basement of Ilna’s home to search for Ilna’s treasure. Ilna’s disintegrated body rests in his home, never to breathe again.