Epic Of The Demonic Sage

"Erudite's Will?" Kiana said in a hushed voice of awe.

"Yes, that is the name of the gift that Etara has bestowed upon me." Lucius nodded.

"An impressive gift, my son." Countess Lita smiled.

"Indeed it is." Count Gabriel nodded. "A fitting name for a gift from a goddess. I can imagine that you will be able to put it to good use, Asher."

"I already have, father, and I will continue to do so." Lucius reassured them.

Based on how Asher explained his gift of being able to compel others to follow him, it matched completely and the Count and Countess were satisfied to hear it.

Even though Asher had the right to keep things for himself as someone who was already of age, the fact that he still shared the information meant that he still trusted his family to have his best interest's in mind.

"We should all celebrate with a meal!" Kiana blurted. "Priest Maleck has already gone and declined dinner but we've made preparations."

"That does sound like a pleasant thing. Shall we wine and dine, Asher? You must at least eat something before you go to rest, you too Kiana." Countess Lita said.

Even though Asher and Kiana had just recently arrived from Aisse territory, the Countess was quite keen in making sure that they ate well.

"Of course. Let us dine before I resign for the night." Lucius said. With how things turned out with the Bergan's Band, there was nothing wrong with basking in a bit of luxury.

'While I'm used to staying in humbler places when I've been a servant of the Barrom Clan. It is far better to restore my body and energy with the more luxurious and healthier meals in this house than what I encountered down the road.' Lucius thought.

And so for that evening, the Inanis family ate dinner together. The meal was once again made from Rune Beasts meat and included the Carrom wine which lifted the spirits of the family as they celebrated Asher's accomplishments in Aisse territory.

Once they were done, Lucius went to his room to rest.

***

The next two days immediately flew by for Lucius.

'While there's no immediate news from Priest Maleck yet, there's still much to be done.' Lucius thought.

Lucius preoccupied himself with matters of the Dionysia Brewery and the re education center. He made sure that everything went accordingly well with their business and things went smoothly.

It was easy to want to stay at the Inanis mansion and stay idle, but Lucius was more interested in moving around and also avoiding the annoying Black Rose Knights that tried to interrogate him whenever they got the opportunity to do so.

"Asher, where are we going next?" Kiana asked as they sat in the carriage. "Will you be summoning Gellor and his team next?"

"Not exactly. We'll give them a chance to recuperate. On the contrary, it's been a couple of days and I'm interested in the whereabouts of Carlyle and his team."

"Oh yes, we haven't seen them even before the army of Viscount Drew." Kiana nodded.

Lucius went to Blind Crow Tavern to visit Leif to gather news about the criminals. Once he stepped inside of the safe room, the tavern owner met him.

"Young Lord Asher! It's been awhile!" Leif greeted him with a reverential bow when they met. "I heard that you went to a safe house."

"Indeed we have." Lucius said. While Leif was good at gathering information, he wasn't good enough to have obtained everything.

"What can I do for you today, Young Lord Asher? Have you heard of the news that arrived here in Inanis city? It is certainly good news!"

"Oh, is that so? What is it?" Lucius asked, though he already had a feeling of what the man was about to say.

"The city of Cutlass, the base of the Bergan's Band has faced a certain calamity. They've experienced an earthquake and a great Rune Beast has shaken up the entire city. Many lives were lost, but since they are the Bergan's Band, perhaps it is simply the gods enacting their judgment." Leif said.

While Leif was not the most religious one, it was clear that gaining favor from Young Lord Asher was also vital.

"Perhaps so." Lucius said.

"…" Kiana didn't say anything, but her lips were pursed into a small 'o'.

'For those who do not know that Asher is the one behind the Plow Worm incident, it can really seem like it was an act of a god. Well… Asher is the apostle of Etara so one can almost say the same exact thing.' Kiana thought.

"The rune beast that attacked was said to have been a Plow Worm, but there are several peculiarities to it that has frightened a lot of the inhabitants even all the way here." Leif commented.

"I can imagine that." Lucius nodded. "I've only come here to check on the whereabouts of Caryle, Arius and Cohen, but I am grateful for this update." Lucius said.

"Oh, they must still be making their way back to Inanis city. When Count Inanis stormed all the way back from the capital, I am sure that they had taken a detour lest they get caught up in his rampage." Leif said. "Even if they're your men, I don't think Count Inanis will spare them if they get caught."

"Makes sense, thank you." Lucius said.

As Lucius and Kiana made their way back to the Inanis family mansion, it was just in time for the arrival of a certain Black Rose Knight.

"Young Lord Asher! A pleasure to meet you." The man greeted him respectfully as he got off his horse. "I've come from all the way to Aisse territory."

"Weren't there three of you who went to Aisse territory?" Lucius asked, remembering the exact number his father sent.

"Oh yes, my companions have went back to the capital to report the king of what transpired in Aisse territory. Please allow me to report it back to the Count and you in a proper setting, Young Lord."

"Very well." Lucius said.