Chapter Seventy-Nine: Trouble Comes Knocking

“Master, were you telling the truth?”
Stepping out of the stronghold, Elise widened her eyes in astonishment, gazing up at Jen beside her. Not only had Lox been cowed by his imposing presence earlier, even Elise herself had been taken aback. The pain, sorrow, and fury Jen had displayed were so vivid that even Elise could feel them.
“How could that be?”
At her question, Jen shot her a dismissive glance.
“I was just saying whatever came to mind, and you believed it? Lox is an idiot; have you gotten stupid too? Or is it because your chest has gotten bigger lately?”
At this, Elise blushed furiously, sticking out her tongue in embarrassment before closing her mouth. She knew Jen spoke the truth. Others might not know, but Elise had seen Jen’s true nature. As a demon, there was no way he could have such a “tragic” background.
Still, what did intelligence have to do with the size of her chest?
Thinking this, Elise instinctively pressed her hand to her chest, tilting her head in confusion. Yet after so long with Jen, she was already used to his habit of saying things she didn’t quite understand. She’d learned that it was best not to ask questions, lest Jen take it upon himself to “instruct” her in ways both practical and memorable. Come to think of it, this wouldn’t be the first time he’d given her such a lesson...
Just then, blurred fragments of memory surfaced in Elise’s mind. In them, she was bent over a desk, skirt hoisted high, while the man before her moved atop her like a beast. Intense pleasure and lightning-like sensations coursed through her, making her shudder uncontrollably. Almost simultaneously, Jen’s voice whispered in her ear:
“Remember, Elise, this is your punishment from me...”
“Yes, Master...”
She responded almost without thinking, then suddenly snapped back to herself. The warm, hazy, tempting scene dissipated like mist, replaced by clean walls lit with torches and the clamor of voices. Shaking her head, she forced the memory aside... But was that truly a memory, or merely a dream?
With this thought, Elise glanced forward again. Seeing Jen’s back, her heart gave a sudden leap—not from affection, but from a deeper, more primal desire. She was certain that if Jen wished to “instruct” her now, she would not refuse.
In fact, she found herself faintly anticipating it.
Should she try?
Shyly, Elise lifted her head, her eyes full of longing as she looked to Jen. After a moment’s hesitation, she began to ask,
“Master, about what you said...”
But before she could finish, a sudden commotion interrupted her.

“Stay away from me, I don’t like any of you!”
Bix clutched her backpack tightly, leaning against the wall, her brow furrowed as she glared at the mercenaries who had surrounded her. Once, she would have been pale with fright, trembling and speechless. But perhaps emboldened by her time with Jen, she now spoke her mind loud and clear.
“Hey there, pretty miss, what are you doing here all alone?”
A pale-faced young man in ornate leather armor blocked her path with a mocking grin, arms spread wide. His companions closed in around her, cutting off any escape. Bix was thoroughly sick of humans. Back in the gnome city, she’d heard plenty about surface-dwellers, and now it was clear the rumors were true—they were just as obnoxious as she’d heard.
Other humans glanced at her with sympathy, but no one dared intervene; it was obvious that the young man in fine armor was not to be trifled with. Bix, however, harbored no resentment. As a denizen of the Underdark, she well understood the law of the jungle. She was merely a weak little gnome; it was only natural that no one would risk themselves for her.
“I’m waiting for my master. Please leave me alone.”
Clutching her pack tighter, Bix glared at the young man. But a gnome’s fierce glare had little effect. At her words, the men burst out laughing.
“Come on, kid. Forget your so-called master. Our boss just wants to buy you a drink and hear a few stories about your adventures. You wouldn’t embarrass him, would you?”
“I don’t want to meet your boss. My master told me to wait here, so that’s what I’ll do.”
Bix shook her head resolutely.
“What master? Just a penniless noble down on his luck.”
Seeing her stubbornness, the leader grew angry. He grabbed Bix by the arm and lifted her off the ground.
“Listen, you filthy little brat—our boss is being gracious to you, so don’t push your luck! You little—”
But he never finished. Suddenly, Bix opened her right hand and squeezed; a pungent cloud of smoke burst forth, hitting the young man square in the face. Choking and shrieking, he stumbled back. Bix took advantage of his loosened grip to land on her feet, clutch her pack, and dart toward a gap in the crowd, desperate to escape.
But a moment later, a violent blow struck her stomach. The world spun. Bix hit the floor hard, icy stone biting into her back. Her precious pack had been flung aside, now pinned beneath the boot of a lackey.
“Damn mongrel!”
The young man, face smeared with grime from the foul cloud, strode over, glaring at Bix as he reached for his sword.

“Looks like I’ll have to teach you—”
Once again, he was cut off.
A flash of steel—
The upper half of his head leapt from his shoulders, leaving only his jaw and tongue in place. The rest, propelled by the blow, spun in the air before landing with a wet slap. The corpse collapsed in a spray of blood, lifeless.
But the sword did not stop. In a glorious arc, it swept through the other lackeys like the scythe of Death, cold and merciless, felling all in its path.
“What’s going on?”
Jen had once again demonstrated what it meant to be a man of action. As he strode over to Bix to ask this question, every lackey who had surrounded her lay dead at his feet.

“Master!”
Seeing Jen, Bix’s face lit up with relief. She scrambled to her feet, snatched up her pack, and hurried to his side. After a respectful bow, she pointed to the pile of corpses and spoke,
“These humans tried to take me to meet someone. But you told me to wait here, so I refused. They tried to force me, and even insulted you, Master...”
“That’s enough,” Jen cut her off with a wave of his hand.
“It was nothing. Let’s go back and rest.”
With that, Jen turned and walked away. Bix and Elise followed without so much as a glance at the bodies. Neither found anything amiss in Jen’s violence; in the Underdark, that was simply how things worked. If humans courted death, then let them have it.
From Jen’s intervention to their departure, less than a minute had passed. In that time, the onlookers could do nothing but stare in speechless shock. Only when Jen and his companions were far away did the crowd finally erupt in panic, scattering from the scene.
Those who could act so brazenly in the church stronghold were no mere mercenaries or fallen nobles. The power behind them was formidable, which was why no one had dared step in to help Bix. Now, everyone realized that the young man had provoked a catastrophe.
No one noticed the figure lurking in a dark corner nearby. Hidden in the shadows, Coton watched Jen’s party depart, a cold smile on his lips.