Chapter 25: B2, Chapter 4: A Change in the World

Altraz walked through the morning streets of Rymalona. He’d just received some disturbing news, and he didn’t quite know what to do with it. All he knew, was that things were about to change, for everyone. A threat had fallen upon the land, one that spelled danger for every living being in the surrounding nations. Not even the assassins of his organization could afford to stand back. Depending on just how powerful this threat was, the organization might be forced to assist the empire, if they wanted to continue to exist.

After a hurried walk, Altraz arrived at the same old apartment his student had lived in, since she arrived in Rymalona. He’d questioned her about why she didn’t move, since she should be able to afford a better place now. Apparently, she was waiting for Dralu to return, since he needed to be able to find them again. But Altraz knew Dralu would return soon, so hopefully, they’d move as soon as he did.

Altraz didn’t like the destitute apartment, since he, too, had to spend a lot of time there, teaching his student. Altraz was a very secretive man, and his home was a tightly guarded secret. Only some of the higher members of the organization could contact him. Not even his only student could find him, if she needed him.

Whenever Min needed something from Altraz, or the organization, she’d always have to pay a visit to Aldon, since he was the only other member in the organization she really knew. She had met other members, like the madam in the brothel, and the assassins who killed Lord Caladri. But even out of all those people, she only knew how to find the madam, between the madam, and Aldon, Aldon was clearly the better choice.

When Altraz entered the apartment, the first person he saw, was Dralu. Dralu looked at Altraz, puzzled. He had no idea who this man was.

“Who’re you?” He asked, as he placed one hand on the sword-hilt, hanging at his hip.

“My name is Altraz. You must be Dralu. Welcome back. I am Min’s Master. You’re not bad, being level seventy-three. But last I heard, you were level seventy-one. Congratulations,” Altraz said. After hearing Altraz’s introduction, Dralu finally understood. He’d forgotten about Min’s Master.

“Thank you, Lord Altraz. I apologize for my rude behavior. And, yes, I did level up twice on this trip. We met with a slightly dangerous situation this time, but danger is often most rewarding,” Dralu said. He wasn’t surprised that Altraz had been able to tell his level at a glance. Dralu was a hundred years old, so he had a lot of experience.

“I see. Do be careful on your trips. Min would be very sad if she lost you. Where is Min, by the way?” Altraz asked, being able to instantly determine that Min wasn’t in the apartment.

“She’s out buying groceries. She’ll probably be back within the hour. Can I interest you in some tea or coffee, while you wait?” Dralu said, doing his best to be polite. Dralu had spent most of his life on the sea, so he could be described as rough, but he still felt the need to be as polite as possible to Altraz. After all, not only was he a rich and powerful mage, he was also Dralu’s girlfriends teacher and benefactor. Which meant he was their entire family’s benefactor.

“I actually brought some great coffee beans as a gift. I’ve heard from Min that you like your coffee, and I knew you would be coming home soon, so I’ve been bringing them with me, so I could give them to you,” Altraz said, as he waved a hand, causing a paper bag to appear.

“I had it imported from Drovidia. Go ahead and brew me a cup,” Altraz said, as he threw the bag to Dralu, who eagerly caught it.

“T-thank you very much, my Lord,” Dralu said, giving a bow in gratitude. Even though Altraz was an assassin, he was also a kind and generous. He often brought small gifts of luxury with him, especially for Ellie and Kinder. Since Min was his student, he was a bit more strict with her, but he didn’t see the need to act the same against her daughter.

“Say, I noticed that you have some skill in the sword. I have practiced in the sword in the past, so how about I give you a quick lesson, while we wait for Min?” Altraz suddenly offered, after he’d received his cup of coffee. Dralu expressed a shocked expression, barely even believing what he heard.

“Really? You’d do that?” Dralu asked. Even though he was a hundred years old, he felt like a little boy in this moment.

“Yes, why not? Since I took Min on as a student, I’ve grown to care a great deal for her. She’s such a lovable girl, even if she’s a slut. So, if it’s for her, I’ll gladly teach you a thing or two. And who knows, maybe it will give you the means you need to lengthen your life. As you probably know, Min is Dhampir now, and she will live for many, many centuries. She even has the potential to live for a thousand years. If she loses you too early, I fear she’ll become sad. But, if you can become powerful, there exist several means through which you can extend your life. Perhaps, I will tell you about them in the future, when you’ve grown stronger,” Dralu said.

“Then, then I’ll accept your offer. Even though in the beginning, I only got together with Min for our daughter, I quickly fell in love with her, and she with me. If it means I can stay with her for longer, I will do anything. But even if it had nothing to do with any of that, I’d still gladly accept some pointers from a man like you,” Dralu said.

“Very well. Then we’ll begin momentarily,” Altraz said, as he took a sip from his coffee.

When Min got back home, two filled cloth bags in her hands, she saw a spectacular sight. Dralu and Altraz were standing opposite each other, holding metal swords in their grips. Dralu furiously attacked the older man, using everything in his power to strike at him, while Altraz casually deflected his attacks, giving him small pointers on every move.

Min was ecstatic! She was so happy that her Master and boyfriend were getting along so well. To think that Altraz would even take it upon himself to teach Dralu a little bit. Min knew that this little training session was probably one of Dralu’s most fortunate events in his life. Altraz was not only a mage; he was an assassin! Since a young, in fact, since he was around Min’s age, he’d been training numerous arts of murder.

He had been taught the bow, the sword, both short and long, stealth, pickpocketing, lock-picking, you name it. Anything that an assassin needed to know, he had learned. And now, he’d been teaching the same things, for the last few months.

Altraz was an old man, more than three times the age of Dralu, although, it didn’t show. Ordinary elves had a lifespan of around four hundred years, but mages could prolong their lifespans. Even a human mage, could potentially live for centuries. Of course, elven mages still lived much longer lives, since they already possessed a lifespan more than four times longer than that of a human. For a human to live for millennia, they’d have to reach near godly levels of power, while an elf could manage the same with much less power.

And then there were the creatures like Min. She was just barely considered an Adept mage, yet she could already live for a thousand years, due being a Moon Blessed Dhampir. As a Dark Hobgoblin, she had a similar lifespan to an elf, which was why she could live for so long as a Dhampir. Although, the other half of her race could no longer be considered a Dark Hobgoblin. It was more like Moon Elf, or something similar.

She looked incredibly similar to the elusive Moon Elves, with near white skin, with a blue hue, and silvery hair, black pupils, with vampiric crimson in them. If managed to become a masterful mage, she’d be able to live for untold times. But of course, there were other beings like her. For example, other Dhampires, and the full fledged vampires. Vampires were immortal after all.

As Min saw the scene between Dralu and Altraz, she immediately dropped her bags, and bowed in Altraz’s direction.

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“Thank you, Master. You are truly kind,” Min said, gaining the attention of Altraz and Dralu.

“Ah, you’re back. Very well, that will conclude our training session. Now, I must have a private chat, with Min. Would you mind going for a walk, Dralu? You can come back in thirty minutes,” Altraz said. Since he needed to speed privately with Min, it was necessary for Dralu to leave the apartment, since it was so small. For Altraz and Min to go out, wouldn’t do either, since there, anyone could overhear their conversation.

“Of course. For you, Lord Altraz, anything,” Dralu said, before he, too, gave a bow to Altraz. Dralu had truly learned much in just this short hour. Of course, the gains weren’t immediate, but he would be able to integrate what he’d learned into his training. And if Altraz ever deemed to teach him even more, Dralu would benefit even greater.

“Thank you, Dralu. And you can just call me Altraz. I do not hold any title of nobility,” Altraz said, a kind smile on his face.

“Yes, Lord, uh, I mean Altraz. I will be going now,” Dralu said, heading to the door.

“See you later, honey,” Min said, as she gave Dralu as kiss on the cheek.

“Yes, see you later, Dralu,” Altraz said.

“Later,” Dralu finally waved goodbye, as he left the apartment. After the door closed, Min turned to Altraz, a happy smile on her face. To be honest, she was always happy, seeing her Master, even if he visited weekly at least, and daily at most.

“Thank you for teaching Dralu a bit. It was very kind,” Min said, as she walked towards Altraz.

“Don’t mention it. Truth be told, if he can grasp what I have to teach, and since you two are clearly in love, I might introduce him to the organization. He has skill, only he lacks proper training. If he shows improvement in the next months, I will introduce him to a sword master friend of mine who owes me a favor. Since you possess relatively little talent in melee combat, I believe he’d make a great, and loyal, partner for you in the future,” Altraz explained.

“Really? You’d let him enter the organization, and even let him become my partner? That would be fantastic! Amazing! The hardest thing about all this is keeping everything a secret, but if I can talk about it with him, things would become so much easier,” Min said, already getting excited at the prospect of assassinating targets with the man she loved.

“Yes, that is what I believe. You better make him work hard, so he can improve. He’s old, so he doesn’t grasp things as easily as you do, so you must push him. If he can’t improve, he will not be worthy of our organization,” Altraz instructed. Indeed, to bring someone who couldn’t improve beyond Dralu’s level, into the organization, would be reckless.

“Rest assured, I will force him to practice as much as it takes. We’re both at home all day, so it’s not like he’s got anything better to do,” Min said with a chuckle.

“Indeed. Anyways, there’s something urgent I need to speak with you about. Do you remember when we talked about your tribe, shortly after we met? Do you remember what we talked about?” Altraz asked.

“You mean the Grand Dungeon? Of course I remember. That dungeon took almost everything I loved away from me. And in the end, it even made me lose the last person I loved. On the day our daughter was, born even. If only that dungeon had never appeared, Master Eledor would have healed my legs, and Kazz would never have left me. I wonder how he’s doing today, though. Even though I hated him for a while, that hatred has long faded away, so I hope he’s alive. After all, other than me, he’s the last surviving member of our tribe,” Min said.

“Indeed. The news I bring you today, has to do with the Grand Dungeon. Just a few days ago, the armies of the dungeon finally started acting. Even now, they’re waging a lengthy siege on the defensive wall. Their numbers seem limitless, and it’s only a matter of time until they break through. If it wasn’t for all three of the surrounding nations banding together, the Grand Dungeon might have already broken through. But, since the forest only borders the Elven Kind, and Kon Rithia, Telsaar was able to bolster the armies of both sides. Right now, all three nations are fighting fiercely, as one,” Altraz said. Hearing all this, Min was nothing less than shocked.

“Really? This is bad. To defend against the grand dungeon, all three nations would have to move almost their entire standing armies to the forest, right? What if some of the other, neighboring kingdoms decide to take advantage of the opportunity? Wouldn’t that spell disaster for the Elven Kind, Kon Ritha, and Telsaar. While I don’t care much about Telsaar, I worry about Kon Rithia and the Elven Kind, since I’ve been a citizen of both empires, and have people I care for,” Min said. She understood that if another kingdom or empire attacked, it would make things so much easier for the Grand Dungeon.

“Don’t worry. All the nearby nations have been made aware of the Grand Dungeon. None of them would be so stupid as to attack in a crisis like this. In fact, most of them are already sending reinforcements here. And the elders of the organization are having a meeting tonight, on how we can assist. In such a crisis, no one can afford to stand back. Which is why I’m telling you all this. I believe you were birthed by the Grand Dungeon, and that your power stems from it. I do not think you will be able to avoid getting involved. In fact, it’s entirely possible you will be the key to our victory. But all that’s still far away. You are still weak,” Altraz said.

“I reckoned the same. It can’t be a coincidence that me, a Child of Darkness, was born at the same time as a Grand Dungeon. But as you said, I’m still far too weak, but the Dungeon is already acting! What should I do?” Min asked, the anxiety clear in her voice.

“For now, all you can do is train. The Grand Dungeon may have started its act, but things are still far from dire. The armies of the Elven Kind, Kon Rithia, and Telsaar number millions, and when the armies of the other nations arrive, our strength will only grow. There is still a long way to go, before a single person can become useful. This is a war that can potentially last decades, or even centuries. This may be the reason you’ve been given such a long lifespan. So that you can live to see this through,” Altraz said. Suddenly, the determination in Min’s eyes became almost tangible.

“I see. Then, Master, I’d like to make a request. Please speed up my training! Drive me like a slave, if you have to!” Min said, her voice bursting with vigor, as she accepted the responsibility before her. She needed to save her current family, and avenge her past family.

“Naturally, that’s what I intended to do. You haven’t been on a single mission where you had to kill someone, since Lord Caladri. That’s about to change. Everyone who’s important in the organization knows about you know, and we’re all about to focus our effort on you. Things are about to get busy for you, Min.”

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