[1.2] Carthello Empire


    Dawn descended on Catapulta, as the sun''s first rays shone in the wee hours'' dew. The curfew lasted until the gates of the city opened, and the moving carriages were a distinct indication of the resumption of the activities of the capital. Lucrast peered out of the embankments, ignoring the snores of Val, who was sleeping too soundly for a Daem. He didn’t have complaints, for not all Daems stood at the top of the food chain.


    He checked his stash for cash and found three gold coins, eighteen silver, and one hundred bronze. The gold coins would last him for a while, but he couldn’t say the same about the rest.


    The currency of the Carthello Empire was no different from the rest of the realm, according to the memories of the mage. Not that he trusted them completely, but this was the simplest any currency could get. A conversion rate of a hundred for a high-tier coin sounded just right, but carrying those thousand coins in a small pochette didn’t sound enticing. He could have brought more finances from the mage’s residence, but his pride didn’t let him. Worthless it was; he had nothing better than it at the moment.


    He got up from the windowsill and shook the half-naked Daem on the bed. She needed clothes before anything else, he reasoned and threw his dark cape over her. Walking without a cowl would be unbearable despite the fact the horn had receded. There were too many bounty hunters for fugitives.


    The figure beneath the cape wiggled, and Val got up without further ado. Lucrast expected the servants to behave in a certain manner, and he wouldn’t mind if Val didn’t cross the limit. Natural instincts like sleep couldn’t be honed even among higher Daems, so he had waited patiently for Val.


    “We are leaving,” he said as soon as she was out of bed, draped in a dark robe. He paused for a while and asked uncertainly, “How old are you?”


    The hesitance was due to the memories, but he didn’t quite understand why.


    “Eighty-four winters,” she said, wiping the drool from her chin. “I’m young, as you see. Never once have I returned to Daem realm during my stay here. My ownership has been transferred from one mage to another, from brothels to proprietors to farmers to mercenaries, but never once had I slept this well. Freedom feels amazing!”


    Too young, Lucrast sighed and ambled out of the room. She was practically a child in Daem age, and the humans had enslaved thousands of kids like her in the name of divine intervention. Anger consumed him, but he knew it wasn’t time yet. There would be a day to pass judgment for all the atrocities of the Sovereign, and he will be the one to exercise it.


    Val tottered out of the room and reached beside him soon. He had healed her legs last night, but she was too oblivious to notice it. He was grateful because his brethren would undoubtedly laugh at him for becoming soft-hearted. He had always been one compared to them, as he didn’t burn villages for fun, nor did he like killing and exercising authority. He was a failure amongst his brethren, despite being the strongest.


    Val prattled throughout their way to the ground floor. Lucrast just nodded in response, keeping his thoughts occupied. The rundown tables of the inn appeared deserted. He had expected this after the commotion; nonetheless, the stark contrast from last night’s ambiance was shocking.


    “I’ll wash my face,” she said as she pointed to the large wooden barrel at the corner of the room. The wall beside the barrel had an extension of rocks with a sloped opening that reached the outside. She poured water over her face leisurely, and Lucrast saw the water seep out of the building. He gave one last look at the counter, where he had seen the Daem last night, before stepping out of the inn.


    It was early morning, and the chilly breeze gently brushed against his cheeks. The air inside the inn had been suffocating, and the open windows hadn’t helped him much. He appreciated the freshness of the wind. A vegetable vendor sprawled his goods next to the inn, and a clothes merchant switched the signboard to ‘open’ right beside the grocer.


    “Where can I get a map?”  Lucrast asked as he walked in the direction of the retailer. Even the mage’s memories had no clue about it.


    “The merchant guild will have it,” she said as she tugged at the fabric of his tunic. “Are we leaving the city?”


    “Soon,” Lucrast shooed her hand and handed her a silver coin. “Get some clothes. And don’t sell my cloak. I need it.”


    “Aren’t you a good master?” she cheered and rushed to the store after grabbing the money from his hands. A silver coin was too much for her clothes, but she needed some coins in her hands should he abandon her in the next city.


    Lucrast waited patiently, the memories telling him to wander around the town instead of waiting for a noblewoman to finish shopping. He reasoned otherwise, for Val was a Daem, not a woman. And she certainly proved the memories wrong, as she returned almost immediately draped in a blue tunic and black shorts that reached her knees within the cloak. The same cloak as his.


    “I thought you had abandoned me!”


    “You can keep the change,” Lucrast ignored her rebuttal and grabbed his cloak from her hands. He noticed that she had also bought a small stash. For the money, no doubt, but her prudence pleased him. Clever retainers made the journey more feasible.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The merchant guild was the largest establishment of the Carthello Empire. Lucrast didn’t know much about it since his mage didn’t even seem remotely interested in the organization despite being a prince. It was an independent organization as far as the memories were concerned. The edifice of the guild was no larger than the inn, but the royal insignia on the signboard deserved a second look. The notice board had various requests strapped, and hunting requests for pelts pulled his attention. If he ever ran low on cash, he could always accept the tasks.


    They pushed open the door and walked inside, the chiming bells welcoming them aboard. There were mercenaries in the room, along with others dressed in dingy garbs, trading at various counters. Only the fifth counter was empty, so Val dragged him toward the same, feigning ignorance to the stares they attracted. Sure,  his hooded stature attracted attention too. The damp smell of ale lingered in the room, and the woman behind the counter cut short his thoughts by requesting their travel pass. He leaned considerably to reach her line of sight, so the woman returned him the travel pass quite quickly.


    “How can I help you, lady?” The woman didn’t even acknowledge Lucrast’s presence out of fear, so he naturally stepped back and let Val handle the conversation. Having a companion was useful in such situations, for not everyone appreciated a heavily built man. He wondered how these puny humans would react if all his brethren accompanied him to the guild. The thought brought the first smile to his face since his summon, and it felt strangely alien. The memories had changed him, he reasoned. His mage had done more than just summoning.


    Val returned soon, almost mumbling curses out loud. “Those pricks want us to take up quests for a map. Talk about being haughty! Should we just off her and grab the map? I’ve been itching to do some butchery for a long time.”


    “Don’t bother, Val. They aren’t worth your time,” Lucrast said. “There are some interesting quests on the board. We can pick the one that will lead us to the next city.”


    Val held her chin in thought before glancing at Lucrast suspiciously. “Aren’t you acting too much like a human?”


    “Well, my memories are that of a human, so I cannot help it. A natural mask is obviously better if I put on a mask.”


    “So, what are we now? Married couple?”


    “Siblings. You are a few hundred years too young to become my bride.” Lucrast flicked her forehead, much to his surprise. Sure enough, his astonishment reflected on her face, but she tactfully retreated to the notice board.


    Lucrast cursed and subdued the memories of the mage. He could discard them at any time, but they had more use than harm. If he could handle some disgrace, they would become his perfect camouflage in the human settlements. He stared in Val’s direction, who beckoned him to come closer.


    “Which one, Lucrast?"


    “Don’t you want to kill your owners?” Lucrast asked the question he had been putting off for a while. They were in an isolated corner, so he wasn’t bothered about others eavesdropping on their conversation. He erected a [Ward], just in case.


    “Well, there is no point in vengeance,” Val shrugged. “I kill them, their descendants summon me, and the cycle continues. I’d rather enjoy my freedom as long as it lasts and coax you into letting me eat your meat.” She chuckled as Lucrast furrowed his eyebrows and continued, “In short, as you said previously, humans are not worth my time. But, if your goal is to subdue these ravaging beasts, then I would gladly lay down my life for your cause. I suppose that was your mage’s wish. Some kind of vengeance.”


    “Pretty much. He was the rightful heir to the throne.”


    “Your mage is Prince Cairan?!” He was glad to have erected a [Ward]. “What are the odds?!”


    “You know Cairan?”


    “Damn, I do! The prince was famous among the summoned Daems during the battle for succession a few tens of winters ago. He had strongly opposed the doctrines of the high priests and had urged the former Sovereign to free the Daems. They had even reached a consensus to send all the Daems back to their realm when the current Sovereign had revolted. The high priests and the Knights of Valor sided with him. The former Sovereign died a painful death, while Prince Cairan was exiled to the borders with his son held in captivity. Later, during the coming of age ceremony of the child, he died suspiciously at the hands of Daems, which only incurred the hatred of the people toward us. You should be able to find these things in your memories.”


    “I cannot,” Lucrast replied offhandedly. “His personal memories are locked; rather, he hasn’t transferred his personal memoirs to me. It should have taken him a long time to segregate the memories, meaning he had been preparing for a long time.”


    “Where is Prince Cairan now?” Val asked, taking a seat at the nearby table.


    “He became a Lebranovich,” Lucrast replied as he stared at the job posters.


    “Humans can do that?” Val sounded astounded, which was beyond his expectation. He thought it was common knowledge among lesser Daems.


    “Special lineage of humans can.”


    He grabbed a piece of paper from the board. “Let’s go on this job.”


    “Hunting for Esmachian Marrow?” Her face turned sour. “Those beats stink terribly and are always found closer to the swamps. Choose something else, My Daem.”


    Lucrast stared at the board again, slightly confused. He would have burned the lesser Daem rejecting his opinion in the past, but his mind was strangely calm.


    “What about this?” Lucrast asked for her opinion this time, not feeling out of place.


    “That’s a ghost town. If we are heading to the next big city, there''s no point in taking a detour.”


    “I say,” she jumped down from the table and grabbed a paper, “we take this.”


    “Escort for a noble?” Lucrast grabbed the paper from her hands. A map was the reward, along with a gold coin, and the job was easy for them. They had a three-horned demon with them, after all.


    “Let’s say we are getting paid for not hurting them,” she smiled mischievously, and Lucrast couldn’t help smiling. “We get a map for free and some cash to spare. It’s beneath us to steal cash from our mages.”


    Lucrast’s smile froze, and he glared at her while she quickly added. “Obviously not you, My Daem. Your mage ought to pay you for your services.”


    He ignored her and glanced at the job schedule. “An hour more. We are lucky.”


    “I am always lucky, Lucrast,” she laughed and rushed toward the fifth counter with the job description.