How to handle the cat

Eliz rubbed her forehead and sighed, reflecting on how crazy the locals had been. All it had taken were a few words, and she had already been inventing theories and plans that she could have but didn't.

Suddenly, her ears popped as if the pressure had dropped, and she heard a distant sound resembling glass shattering. "Huh?" Eliz looked up, stood up, and walked over to the window, scanning her surroundings. "What was that?" she wondered.

Garsh, on the ground, staggered. "The Isolation Barrier has been destroyed. It took longer than we thought. You can celebrate, kitty. It's over," he replied.

Eliz tugged at her earlobes, trying to alleviate the itch in her ears. "Just like that? I was expecting... I don't know. That it would be a little more dramatic."

"Oh, oh. Believe me, it certainly was dramatic. Just not here. Mori's a mighty asshole; he's been waiting forever for his entertainment. He probably ran the Pacifists' asses through properly," Garsh chuckled.

Eliz turned to him. "Mori. He's your boss, right?"

Garsh stopped grinning and growled. "Well, something like that. It's a rule that the strongest one is in charge. But we don't have to follow him mindlessly if he makes a good offer, so we go along with his plan, but we also don't have to."

Eliz was surprised; it didn't sound very organized. More like a voluntary party—you say you'll come, but in the end, you don't even have to. "I'm surprised you didn't go extinct a long time ago," Eliz shook her head. What if they have a plan, and someone important doesn't show up? Wouldn't the whole thing go to hell then? And considering what fools the Dark Mages are, they would have continued anyway. Wouldn't that be courting death?

Eliz could see why they didn't care about anyone's death. They probably died all the time.

There was a knock on the door, and Raiana went to open it. Alarr stood at the door, his gaze sweeping across the room before he entered.

"The barrier is down. We can leave Sun Alley now," he said, glancing at Grash who was lying on the floor.

Eliz looked thoughtful and then nodded. "I had originally planned to wait for them, but it would be better to leave this place and wait for them somewhere safer," she agreed. Still, if the Pacifists discovered she had captured a Dark Mage, how would she explain it? Not to mention they would take him away from her, and Eliz had no idea where she would find an alternate source of Dark Mana for herself.

***** 

Moments later, in a huddled group, they slowly made their way out of their hiding place. An oppressive silence hung in the air, and the lights cast long shadows on the fallen objects strewn on the ground. They carefully skirted the black pools of slime, ensuring there were no lurking Dark Ones.

Garsh was once again carried by Holm, and his gag was reapplied. Eliz understood that this cat was quite fond of yapping, and she didn't want them to say anything suspicious if they encountered anyone.

As they approached the beginning of Sun Alley, they heard increasing commotion. Soldiers stood guard, preventing people from entering, likely prepared to ward off any potential threats. Eliz paused and looked at Holm. "You need to take a different route. They'll undoubtedly inquire about him," she nodded toward Garsh. It would be strange if they didn't. She could still claim he was some kind of thief, but the guards might insist she turn him over to the authorities.

"Can you manage a discreet return to the Roseblood estate on your own?" Eliz asked, as Garsh posed several problems in many ways. It would be best if she went to the World Tree as soon as possible, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do it within the next two days.

Holm simply nodded and began to backtrack, intending to circumnavigate the area and somehow find his way back to the estate. Eliz hadn't thought through the details of how she would do it, and in the end, Holm assured her he could handle it, so she left it up to him.

Donovan and Chad looked at her, and she met their gaze unperturbed. "What?" she asked.

Donovan opened his mouth but then closed it again before shaking his head. "Nothing." Chad just scratched the back of his head again. Eliz looked at them for a second longer before deciding not to care about what they had in mind and continued on to the guards.

"Halt! Who are you? Prove yourselves!" one of the knights called out, bearing markings indicating he was of 3 Rank and evidently the commander.

A round of introductions and identity verification ensued. Finally, one of the Pacifists was brought in to check them for Dark Mana. This nearly gave Eliz a heart attack as she worried whether they would find anything strange about her.

Fortunately, she passed without incident and breathed a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that all the changes in her body were likely due to a system that fell outside the detection range of the local divine powers.

After a few minutes of worry, they were finally able to pass. Eliz and the others walked a little further away from the group but stayed within sight of the entrance to Sun Alley so they could see when her parents came out.

"Chad!" They heard a call, and they all turned to see a perky red-haired woman in her early twenties approaching them. She wasn't dressed in typical ladies' attire; instead, she wore tight pants with a corset pulled down around her waist to accentuate her slim and firm waist.

"Sis?" Chad startled when he saw his older sister.

Eliz eyed the young woman curiously and couldn't help but admire the confidence that radiated from her. So, this was the famous older sister Chad had been so worried about?

The woman reached them and scrutinized Chad before nodding her head. "So you're alive." Eliz suppressed a chuckle upon hearing her declaration.

A sour expression crossed Chad's face. "What, are you disappointed or something, Dynasty?"

The young woman named Dynasty frowned. "Did I come here for something they might announce later? Naturally, I had to come check on my younger brother when I heard what happened here. People are panicking a lot. Many families came here because many members of noble families were also participating in the Festival of Lights."

Chad looked at the others and pursed his lips before turning to his sister. "So you saw that I was alright. Thanks for caring."

Dynasty frowned. "What are you talking about? You're coming back with me. Everyone's worried."

Chad clenched his jaw. "I'll be back later. I want to make sure the others get back okay," he refused.

Dynasty looked at their group, her eyes lingering on Raiana and Haidi for a moment before she shifted them to Eliz and then back to Chad. "They are quite capable of taking care of themselves. Let's go," she said commandingly.

Chad seemed like he was about to argue, but he glanced at the others again and decided not to make a scene. "Excuse me. She's right. You'll be fine now. I'll see you later," he said with a small bow, then followed his assertive sister.

Eliz raised an eyebrow at that. It looked like Chad was growing up. Before, he wouldn't have cared if he made a scene and would have argued right away. "She has an interesting sister," Eliz remarked.

Donovan looked at her. "Dynasty may come across as tough, but it's not exactly true. She's got a lot of family pressure on her as the future head of the family. The fact that she showed up in person just shows that she cares a lot about Chad. Chad's just a little... stubborn."

Eliz chuckled. "Well... maybe Chad will get there eventually."

Donovan started to say something but was interrupted by another shout that made him stumble in surprise. "Donovan! Son!" They all turned again, and now they saw an older man approaching with green-blue hair and a beard, round glasses, and comfortable clothes that were still respectable but not appropriate for society.

"Father?" Donovan wondered, and Eliz had to turn away for a moment to hide her smile. It almost looked like they were waiting outside the school for their parents to pick them up. After all, she was waiting for her own parents here too.

"I took off as soon as I heard! Thank the God of Light you're okay!" His father rushed over to his son and patted him on the shoulder with both hands.

"Father... you're... I... thank you, but... you're in house clothes." As someone who paid attention to good manners, Donovan couldn't help but notice.

His father gave a short laugh. "I couldn't take the time to change, with a situation like this, son. Ah. Lady Elizabeth Von Roseblood. I'm glad to see you're doing well, too." He glanced at Eliz, who smiled, lifted her skirt, and gave a small bow.

"Thank you for your concern, Baron Hephisto. I am perfectly fine. Thanks to my escort, but also thanks to Donovan, who has been looking after my welfare."

Donovan remained stunned at her words, not expecting Eliz to be able to say such a thing. In fact, he hadn't been of much use. Still, she praised him in front of his father. Eliz ignored his amazement; acting dismissive towards Donovan was something else. She couldn't behave like that towards someone like Baron Hephisto.

The Baron chuckled. "Is that so? I am very proud of my son. He has behaved like a true hero."

Donovan closed his mouth, unable to say anything. "If you will excuse us, Lady Elizabeth. I would take my son home," Baron Hephisto continued, and Eliz bowed again. "Of course. Have a safe and enjoyable journey home."

Donovan had no choice but to bow and leave with his father. Eliz sighed and looked around, hoping her parents would arrive soon. She glanced at Alarr and the others for a moment. Alarr noticed her gaze and turned his head slightly towards her. "Our parents aren't coming," he announced quite seriously, which made Eliz burst out laughing. Alarr looked at her for a moment before looking away and smiling a little.

***** 

It took half an hour before Eliz saw her parents coming out. She sighed and hurried to them. "Father! Mother! I'm glad you're okay," she said with a smile. However, she noticed her mother's pale complexion and her father's worried frown.

"Is something wrong? Are you hurt?" Eliz asked with concern, silently vowing to take revenge on Garsh if they had been harmed.

Her mother managed a slight smile. "No, no. We're fine. Don't worry about it." Father nodded in agreement. "Exactly. There's no need for you to worry. Right now, just focus on preparing for your trip and the reconstruction of the Blue Rose Estate."

Eliz sensed something amiss in their demeanor. Even though her father had agreed with her idea of the fortress, he appeared too willing to mention her leaving, which raised her concerns further. What had actually transpired in the square to sway her parents like this?

Miel had bid them farewell as well, and Eliz had sent Raiana with him to escort him home safely, promising to contact him soon through the crystal. Ultimately, she still had to uphold her end of the bargain and reveal the root of their financial problems to him.

Alarr had gone to summon the carriages they could use to return to Roseblood Estate, but Eliz had control over her tongue and asked no questions until they were in the carriage and out of the capital. They left the panicked capital behind, and Eliz could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She was glad that the whole ordeal was behind her. For a moment, she wondered how many people had probably died, but she pushed those thoughts aside.

"So, what happened?" Eliz asked her parents when they were alone in the carriage. Her mother shook her head. "Like I said, nothing to worry about."

Eliz frowned. "Don't act like nothing's wrong. What happened in the square? Did you defeat the Dark Mages and their leader, Mori?" Eliz pressed.

Her father turned his head sharply toward her. "Where did you hear that name?"

Eliz cleared her throat. "I was in the town square when the whole thing broke out. He was rather unrecognizable, especially when he ripped the prince's skin mask off his face afterward."

Her mother's eyebrows twitched. "He did that?"

Eliz nodded. "So... I don't think you need to keep anything from me. The more I know, the safer I'll be." She looked from one to the other, relying on her Big Sister achievement to help her parents understand.

Her mother finally rubbed her temple and sighed. "That was Mori Kaskanov. A notorious criminal of the last century," she revealed.

Eliz was amazed she hadn't heard of him and shook her head. "Who is he?" she wanted to know.

"He's a criminal who has committed numerous heinous acts—live victims, massacres, cannibalism, kidnapping, rape, torture... he's very deranged and twisted," her father said, frowning deeply.

Eliz was surprised she hadn't come across his name in her research and shook her head. "Why isn't he well-known?"

"First and foremost, his crimes were covered up by the Royal Family because he is the younger brother of the current Pope. In fact, he shouldn't even be alive. He should have died imprisoned in the Chasm," her mother replied, her face darkening.

Eliz was speechless. Chasm was infamous, a place from which few returned. It was located in a treacherous abyss, and even Rank 5 individuals couldn't enter it safely. She had no idea about the conditions inside, but she knew it was a one-way trip for those who entered.

"He escaped?" Eliz wondered.

"Or was allowed to escape," her mother replied darkly.

"Mori is insane and dangerous, but he also holds many secrets that people would go to great lengths to uncover. Rumor has it that he has discovered a way to advance quickly in rank. Judging by his power, which exceeds Rank 6, he has clearly made significant progress. Just the knowledge of advancing quickly is valuable to many people," her father said wearily as he leaned back in his seat and held his wife's hand.

Eliz remained silent, staring out the window. What was she to say? She had no knowledge of Mori or his methods for rapid advancement. However, she had a means of gathering information. Grash undoubtedly had information to share. She couldn't keep using blood to control him and have him carry her around like a sack of potatoes.

Eliz decided to contact Fraril. After all, he had experience with slavery and might have insights on how to handle Grash.