Chapter 42: We all have exceptions
"Issue a quest for the memory crystal."
Knowing that Louise had such a crystal in her system shop, Leon told her to go for the quest. He sat down in the middle of the carriage, his eyes back to normal. His teeth were clear of the vampire's influence, too.
Celes took a glass from her inventory and poured the best liquor. She passed it to Leon, who took it without saying a word. It was still sunny outside, but a few sips wouldn't change anything.
He felt like drinking with her after tasting her blood. "It's nothing compared to your blood."
"You already know what I think of your blood, Master. Thank you for your compliment." Celes struck her glass with him, then both of them arched their heads back, the liquor going down their throats.
"Master!" Louise chimed in. She had her system opened, displaying the system shop to her eyes. But with her feelings and relationship with Leon and Celes, Louise made it visible to their eyes, then sat down between them. "I'll issue the quest now, okay? And where's my glass?"
"My apologies." Celes grinned, took out an empty glass, and passed it to Louise. She was in a different mood, as though Leon's biting had melted her heart.
When the scarlet fox's eyes flared up with anger, for it was without any liquor, Celes had decided it was time to stop having fun with this adorable fluffy girl and speak of their business. She poured her liquor to Louise, then became silent.
Feeling much better, Louise drank the bitter liquid, then hid the glass in her inventory. "Let's do it!"
"Do it." Leon patted Louise's shoulder, encouraging her to go for it.
[You're eligible to start the quest for a memory crystal.]
Ding!
[Quest! - Flames of the Dwarven Kingdom(Legendary).]
[If you want to receive a memory crystal from the system shop without paying the price, you'll have to exchange it for the precious fire of the Dwarven Kingdom. You have no time limit for this quest.]
[Requirement: Flames can not be tainted.]
Louise and Leon blankly stared at the system message.
It didn't sound like a tough quest, but no one sane would think of it like that. It was simply impossible for the system to issue an easy quest for such a precious item. The problem was that Louise and Leon absolutely knew nothing about the dwarves.
Leon's new hammer, the item he'd received as a reward for enslaving Celes, would turn him into an enemy of the dwarves if they were to see him working with it.
That's all they knew about them.
Celes shared some of her knowledge, sounding flat. "You can say goodbye to that quest. Dwarves wield many types of flames for their work and provide the world with high-quality equipment. Not only they're protected by various guilds and races, but their defenses are also of the finest quality. You won't be able to invade their kingdom. Also, precious flames… It can only mean their race's treasure - Flames of Hephaestus. You are better off grinding money for that crystal."
Louise's head drooped.
Leon couldn't argue with Celes, so he only kept his hand on Louise's shoulder, patting her. "Is there a chance we can trick the system?"
Celes looked into his eyes, asking without saying a word.
Leon chuckled and shared his idea. "The system hasn't said the name of the flames. Every dwarf makes the Dwarven Kingdom, so can't those be just the flames of any dwarf? If that won't work, we can become close friends with royal dwarves and request their own precious flames. You said it yourself — they have many types of fire."
Louise's face brightened. She looked at her master with lovely eyes, then shifted to Celes, whose expression was cold and disappointed — the scarlet fox's lit-up face quenched in a second.
Celes had a reason to look like that. "The idea sounds good, I am on board with it. But why do you look at the world through a sunny lens, Master? Becoming friends with dwarves? Asking royal dwarves for their precious flames? They would indeed ask for less money than the system did, but do you even have that much money to think like that? You won't be able to approach even their mid-class dwarves without status and strength."
Leon faintly smiled at Celes and extended his hand to touch hers, understanding that she genuinely thought about him and that the cold water she'd just poured at him was because she cared about their lives.
He thanked her, then asked, "You believe we should infiltrate the kingdom and steal those flames. Even if we had enough strength, that's what we ought to do, right?"
"Don't you want Louise to get back some of her memories as fast as possible? If yes, that's the only way…." Celes explained her reasoning and sighed. "I still think we should drop that quest."
Leon collected his thoughts and properly clothed his words. "The sunny lens might be a naive concept, but it works well with the path I've decided to follow. It's a path that crosses with The Human Emperor's."
The two shivered at those words.
"I don't need The Oracle or anyone to tell me about my path, you know?" Leon laughed. "I'll find out about his paths, locate people he'd enslaved or hurt, and mend them. I'll give them freedom like… I did to you. For that, I must cross paths with him. That's also the best way for me to grow stronger. So, if I were to look at the world with different glens, I'd be way similar to that guy. I'd steal like him and preach it's for… the greater good. I'd be more selfish, too, since I don't feel like creating a kingdom or ruling humans."
It wasn't like Leon would give up on Louise's well-being by strictly following his beliefs.
The world was vast, after all. No one knew what kind of a business Leon would create in the future and how much income he'd receive. The dwarves were also people with their own problems and needs.
"In that broad world, I am one of the humans with the most options. I'll always find a way to deal with the dwarves and bond with them like a human." Leon spoke with a resounding confidence in himself which stirred the hearts of his two party members. Then, with a genuine and happy smile, Leon added, "I'm not alone, either."
"Yes, Master!" Louise shot up, turned around, and faced Leon. "I'll think more about my quest and learn about dwarves. It's the best way to do monstrosities! Maybe I'll lend them my fire-"
Louise froze as a cold shudder went through her, muting her.
Leon and Celes didn't miss that.
"Louise?" Leon worriedly asked.
Louise looked at her palms, clenched them, then weakly replied. "I just felt… too cold… I don't know why Master."
Everyone, including Louise, could tell that her body remembered some cold memories of those dwarves. For a scarlet fox to feel such coldness meant that atrocities had been committed.
Leon gazed deeply into Louise's eyes. "We all have exceptions, Louise."
Recalling his tests and what they all represented, Leon replied in a flat voice. "Killing is an inseparable part of this adventure."
Louise weakly nodded, then the atmosphere became silent and worse.
In such a mood, Celes hovered her eyes on her master, 'It's a matter of time before dwarves pay the price for what they did….'
She didn't doubt that after hearing Leon's voice. She couldn't tell what had happened between the scarlet foxes and dwarves, though.
To change this gray atmosphere, Celes parted her lips. "How did your vampire skill evolve, Master? What has become of it?"
Louise looked up, curious about it, too.
Leon nodded. "A lot has changed, actually. I can become a duke or a vampire hunter."
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