Shadow Slave

On the way out of the castle, Kai was strangely silent. Sunny didn't mind, because he had a lot to think about.

Going back to that lodge… there were a lot of things there that he had hoped to never see, feel, or experience again. For a moment, he even thought about rushing straight back to his cathedral without making good on his promise.

But why should he? It's not like he asked to be invited back. Nephis was the one who wanted his help with something.

'Just pretend like you don't care. Also, demand to be compensated for whatever it is they want you to do. You're an outsider now, and your services won't be cheap.'

Yeah, that was the best option. He wasn't going to agree to anything that didn't serve his own selfish interests. And there were a lot of things that Changing Star, with her thriving hunting party and following, could provide him with.

There was this one thing in particular, something he really wanted to do, but couldn't on his own. Maybe they would be able to help him with that...

As they were approaching the lodge, Kai suddenly asked in a serious tone:

"Sunny… why did you want me to come with you, really?"

Sunny sighed. Glancing at the charming archer, he hesitated, then said:

"I want you to tell me if I'm being lied to."

Kai frowned.

"I thought that Lady Nephis was your friend. Why are you so wary of her?"

Sunny chuckled.

Was she a friend? Even he didn't know what exactly the two of them were to each other. Worse yet, he wasn't sure what they would become.

"She's the kind of friend you don't really want to lower your guard around."

He lingered for a moment, then added:

"There's also a guy called Caster. He's the one I especially don't trust."

The archer raised his eyebrows.

heard only good things about Caster. Why

done anything to deserve his hostility. But there just was something about

flawless. Perhaps he was wrong, but the policy of always assuming the worst had too clean of a track record to be

gives

answer, Kai shrugged and followed Sunny into the

a lot since his last visit. It had already looked pretty presentable back

of his absence, additional structures were built to expand it both horizontally and vertically. Now, it was by far the largest building in the outer settlement, almost

fortified, too, especially from the side that faced the white road. A couple of lookouts were

far cry from how things

by

the neat and tastefully decorated interior, with warm carpets covering the stone floor and various tapestries hanging on the sturdy stone walls. No, the main difference was in how the people here

almost gone from their eyes, replaced with

put an end to all this

Nephis was almost asking to be destroyed.

a young woman who greeted

I help you

smiling girl, trying to remember if he knew her. No one came to mind. Trying to remove the scowl from

"Neph is expecting me."

The young woman blinked.

Who is

Sunny rolled his eyes.

me. You know… Changing Star

young woman's eyes

see. Let me show you

he knew the way, but truth be told, he wasn't sure that he did. With all the changes that happened to the lodge, he

the tiny room that used to belong to him. Just as they were walking by, Sunny glanced inside and saw that it was now home

the new owner left on the narrow cot. They were Caster's. A corner

'Figures.'

Well, whatever. The cot was not very comfortable anyway,

the old lodge. Now, it was separated from the rest of it by a

deep breath, then walked

that moment a lot of times in

never thought that his reunion with the cohort would happen in the presence of an unreasonably