Chapter 3: Luciana

The skies are clear In Luciana and people walk on lively, knowing the beasts cannot roam around the day.

The reaper stood by the bell tower to get a lay of his surroundings. The breeze was so good that he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He jumped off from the bell tower and landed on the church roof and jumped off the roof and landed on solid ground unharmed. He walked towards the alleyway and took the street ways. Walking by passersby, he decides to make a stop in a certain place.

A few minutes later, he stops by at the local blacksmith shop and enters.

"Welcome to Hephaestus' Hammers weaponry shop. Be with ya in a minute." a woman's voice with a Scottish accent speaks.

Alex looks around the shop, tiled floors and the walls are bricked where weapons are displayed. Swords, spears, maces, hammers, even guns laid out on walls, shelves, and glass cases with price. Then his gaze turns to the counter where behind it is in view. A big fireplace where metals are used to heat, an anvil placed between a metal pot with burning charcoal and a vise and a singular blacksmith hammer sitting on the anvil. A crafting table with tools such as tongs, chisels, brushes, screwdrivers, mallets, etc. A grinding wheel sitting close to the anvil, and lastly a big vat of water for cooling metals.

A moment later, a woman whose height is around his shoulders showed her. She has ginger hair tied with two ringlets and a braided ponytail flowing down her back, hazel eyes, fair skin with freckles and ash smeared across her left cheek. She wears a grey tank top, a brown glove worn on her right hand and her left hand smeared with black ash, tribal tattoo design that appears to be a ram's head on her left bicep, brown belt around her waist with tools dangling from it over a green flannel shirt tied around her hips, green rolled-up pants that exposed her legs and brown boots.

Her face gleamed with delight and approached behind the counter.

"Ah the Night Hunter, been a while since yer last visit. How are ya?" she greeted.

"I'm fine Kenna." he replied.

"Oh, I agree, Still yer clothes are old and tattered, ya need better ones I tell ya, or would ya prefer to give a little fanservice." Kenna shamelessly said.

Alex knew that was a flirt and managed to resist the urge to blush.

Kenna, the city's best weapons smith and saleswoman. The first time he met her in need to forge his custom weapon, he bought a rifle, a sword blade, and some parts from her. Not only did he sense she's a magic user, but he witnessed her creating fire from her ungloved hand to heat the metals. When he interacted with her, she was cool, confident and brazen, never the type to fear failure but she can also be shameless with her words or habits. She had held great interest in him since, but not in a romantic way....hopefully.

"Do you have it?" Alex asked.

"Oh yeah, got a little something to rile something up if ya know what I mean."

"Kenna!" he admonished.

"Settle down ya ol' grumpy bones, was only joking. Anywho I got it right 'ere." Kenna said sheepishly when her reverie broke and presented a black stick that seemed to be retractable.

Alex pulled out his own black scythe-rifle under his cloak and placed it on the counter.

Kenna took the scythe-rifle and unscrewed the bayonet from the rifle to replace it with another part. She screws it before pulling out the mallet to keep it tight before she retracts it in as if it's spring-loaded.

"There ya go! Now do me a favor and give it a go."

Alex grabbed his rifle and took a few steps back. He activates it with the sickle bayonet extending the blade further, turning it into a scythe blade.

"So what ya think?" she asked.

"Good." he simply replied.

"Good? It should be great ya know."

Alex didn't seem fazed. He retracts the blade back to its sickle form, reached under his cloak and pulled out a reasonable amount of money. Kenna's eyes narrowed at the sight but accepted the money regardless, then he turned around to leave.

"Ya sure ya don't want to buy some bullets? What good is a gun without ammo?"

Funny about Alex's rifle is no mere rifle. It's made from special material that acts as a conduit for his magic. Instead of shooting real bullets, it siphons his magic and shoots bullet like projectiles.

"I'm good. I got it covered anyway." He simply said.

"Aye, hope to ya again...Reaper." she emphasized the last part seriously.

The mentioned reaper stopped his tracks with a surprise then glared back at the weaponsmith. Not many knew his identity, at least not at first glance.

"She told me, but ya needn't worry. A customer is still a customer, and I won't sell out a cutie such as yerself. Don't be a stranger." she says with a smile on her face.

The fact that she confronted him about it was a bold move on her part. He could tell she's no ordinary blacksmith, she could defend herself whenever she's attacked. But she was willing to keep his identity a secret, unless she has an ulterior motive.

For now he decided to let this slide and walked out of the store, leaving her smile before getting back to work.

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After walking out the store he simply needs to bide his time.

He stops by at a local tavern with the label "The Hunter's Tavern" and the structure is built on wood. To his knowledge, this place doesn't just serve as a bar or someplace of respite, it is also a guild hall for hunters.

Things were rowdy inside, chairs and tables laid out the room occupied by customers, most of them had weapons in their straps, he assumes these are hunters. Being a hunter is a huge trend in Luciana in terms of money, fame, and living. But it is a steady job for monster hunting or public security.

In the far end in the right corner, is a counter with high chairs, shelves of drinks and food served by a lady with red hair, white shirt and apron. Across it is another counter with monitors that displays hunt details and bounties, behind the counter works the lady with short straight blond hair in a business suit.

Alex sighed and walked to the counter with the lady with red hair, she took his order of drink and he paid her, then he settled down at an empty table in the corner of the room. He could hear whispers among the hunters.

"Who is that guy in the black cloak?"

"Didn't you know? That's the Night Hunter."

"I hear he's got favor from the guild master yet he never assigns himself as a hunter like us."

"They say he only works at night."

"I hear he doesn't just kill monsters, he also kills people too."

"He's passive about it too. He doesn't seem like a complete psychopath.

"Wouldn't want to mess with a guy like that."

Alex kept silent while he listened to the gossip. It seems the city refers to him as the Night Hunter. While it does make him uncomfortable when people talk about him, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the attention. Luckily his status as the Reaper was kept on the down low.

"Thanks for waiting!!!" the waitress came to his table and placed down a combination of red and white drink with cherry garnish.

Alex took the drink and nodded in gratitude.

"Oh and just a heads up, someone will be sharing your table soon." the waitress said before leaving him to his drink.

He sniffed and sipped the drink and it was exactly to his liking. A few moments later a woman with a black coat with gold linings draped over her shoulders came to his table and sat down at the opposite side.

"Morning Crowe. Drinking your usual I see." she greeted. She seems to be in her late 20s, she has greyish white hair, fair skin, bright blue eyes and oval frame glasses. Under her coat being draped over her shoulders, she wears a white blouse with a button slightly opened exposing her cleavage, black business skirt, stockings and high heels.

"What do you want Miriam?" Alex asked sternly, not bothering to humor her light talk.

This woman's name is Miriam, the head of the hunter's guild. She was there to witness Alex's first monster kill when he arrived in Luciana. She tried to reward him by allowing him to take residence at the church, she tried to sought his favor but he turned her away multiple times, until he eventually accepted to do some jobs for her to his benefits of course. Then they formed a partnership where he would do the jobs she gives and she would reward him some money.

"Still stoic and straight to the point I see. *sighs* I have a job for you, a couple of hunters went missing at an abandoned mine a couple of mines from here. I had sent a search party but I haven't heard from them since. I figured your skills in finding and fighting should cover it. You do this and I pay you handsomely more than the last."

Alex drinks for a moment then looks back at her with a stern look.

"Consider it done."

He finishes his drink before he gets up and leaves.

"How are you by the way, have you made any friends yet other than myself?"

"I didn't come here to make friends." he stopped and replied sternly.

"Too bad. You'd be surprised what having connections can give you."

"Is that why you form a partnership with me? Connections?" he asked with venom.

She said nothing unsurprisingly, which he scoffed and walked away.

"You're too cynical for your own good." she says with sympathy before she gets up too.

"I hope you'll be able to fix things with her..."

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(Alex's POV)

I left the tavern and headed out. My thoughts were wrapped around the idea of Miriam asking me for favors when she has a guild of hunters, and she never revealed why when she could've had him killed. I gave a sigh as I walked.

A few minutes later, I stumbled upon the St. Maria's orphanage, surrounded by a fence. It's somewhat mistaken for a chapel, but a bit larger. The walls are painted white and decorated with windows, the roof is metal painted in red, the front door is spruce wood, a playground full of colors and kids playing in them. There's a group of kids circling around....her.

The same girl who visited me that night. Her hair flowed with a meadow, her eyes sparkle like jewels, and her smile makes any tough nuts flutter, and she looked stunning in her white dress, minus the black hooded poncho. I noticed she seemed carrying a violin case on her back indicating she plays music on instrument.

I watch her interacting with the kids, they seem to enjoy her company. Then the kids ran to play while she smiled, and a moment later her gaze met mine with surprise and delight. She waved her hand at me, not wanting to be rude, I waved back.

We had been staring for quite a while until a purple roofless car pulled up to the side. The man had blonde hair, tan skin, with sunglasses, he wears a white suit with purple coat and a gold chain necklace. I watched him wave at Lana, calling out her attention.

Lana's response was she simply looked away while another woman in a black suit and brown hair came to her defense and dragged Lana inside. The guy gave a blow-kiss and drove off.

The vibe the guy off told me everything that he's a pompous narcissist and I knew him by reputation. His name is Charles Mane, a son of some rich noble who's been trying to buy the mayorship of Luciana. I once watched him bathe in the attention he received but never caring who gave it to him. Women often fall in love with him and men are jealous of him. This was the first time I witnessed him infatuated with Lana, and it doesn't take a genius to know where this story's gonna go.

Like it matters to me...

...does it?

Seeing my presence no longer has purpose here, I checked my phone for the time and headed back to the church.

My focus remains on the job I'm about to do tonight.