Sentarus clapped suddenly, breaking Iris’s train of thought. “Now that the unpleasantries are out of the way,” he called out, his tone more happy than before, “what brings you to Sentoraya, Arylos?”

“I’m taking Iris across the country,” he answered. “When Nageki was destroyed, she wanted to see more of the country. This is just one of the stops along the way. Plus, I have a score to settle with Garris.”

Sentarus’s brow furrowed suddenly. “And what score would that be?”

Arylos chuckled nervously. “Nothing bad. Just someone who didn’t pay for their job; that’s all.”

Sentarus laughed under his breath before answering. “Very well. I will allow you two free access to the city; you are welcome here with honours.”

“About that,” Arylos cut in, “I’m pretty sure Iris here would like a stable roof over her head. That means we need residency permits, which only you can approve.”

Iris cut a glance over to Arylos. “What do you mean by a stable roof?”

“We’ve been on the road since the attack,” Arylos explained to both Iris and Sentarus. “I’m accustomed to living on the road, but I don’t think Iris is.”

Sentarus thought for a moment. “I give you leave to remain in my city,” he explained. "However if the Council agrees with Odin and declares you an enemy, it will appear to them that I am harbouring a fugitive.”

Iris felt her heart sink. She was actually excited to stay in Sentoraya.

“However,” Sentarus continued and Iris’s dark mood cleared instantly, “this city is a Khymr hub. As an honoured member of the order, you are free to pursue your options with the Khymr. If Garris deems you worthy and can provide accommodation, then so be it.”

Arylos bowed his head in thanks. “That sounds fair. I appreciate your understanding.” He and Iris stood from their seats and Arylos opened the door and the two made their way out of the palace. Iris waited until they were back outside before asking Arylos a question.

“What was that about?” she asked, confused by Sentarus's motives.

Arylos continued down the road and headed west while answering. “It’s politics. His open border policy allows us free access to the city, but he cannot be seen directly giving us support.”

“But why?” Iris asked, not quite getting his reasoning.

“It’s all politics,” Arylos explained, “he is maintaining a neutral relationship with Templarius to keep them uninterested. However, Odin has something out for me. If the Templarians agree with him and Sentarus is seen giving us succour, suddenly, he’s no longer neutral and has to surrender me to Templarius or face their army. If he keeps me in the city but does not provide support, it keeps him free from that.”

Iris was slowly understanding. He can’t be seen helping us directly or else he’ll be seen as an enemy of Templarius.

“However,” Arylos continued, “this city acts as a hub for the Khymr so they may operate freely, hence the open borders. If they help me, and Templarius votes me as an enemy, then they are the ones to blame; leaving Sentarus out of the mess entirely.”

Iris understood now. “So if Templarius comes after us, they will go after the Khymr, not Sentarus and Kaiyumi.”

Arylos nodded. “Exactly his point. The Khymr can, and will, resist Templarius more readily than Sentarus can since the Khymr and Templarius are on equal footing and neither side wants a war with the other.”

After a brisk walk, the duo found themselves before an old tavern resting against the rocky wall of the mountain. It was an old hovel that was falling apart and long beyond its prime.

“This is it?” Iris asked, disgusted by the appearance of the tavern.

Arylos chuckled and tapped on a lamp post nearby. Iris looked at it and saw a familiar marker carved into it; a spiralling shape marked with intricate runes.

The two entered the small hovel with a creaking door and Iris could practically taste the mould in the air. There were a small group of rickety tables with old men hunched over drinks at each and a dark coloured door which rested at the back wall of the tavern next to the bar. A lovely woman was at the bar; short blonde hair and tanned skin with a chest Iris could not help but feel envy for.

Arylos came up to the bar when the barmaid greeted him. “Hello there, sweetie. What can I get you?”

“Is the owner in?” Arylos asked.

“Depends on who’s askin’, doll,” the woman responded.

Arylos took out a familiar intricate gold coin with a red gem and showed it to the barmaid who examined it closely. After a thorough investigation, the woman smiled in the most seductive smile Iris had ever seen and handed the coin back to Arylos. “The owner is always in, honey. Would you like me to show you the way?”

Arylos gave a sly smile as he pocketed the coin. “I know my way from here, darling.”

Get a room, you two, Iris thought to herself.

Arylos turned and beckoned Iris to follow him as he approached the dark door as the barmaid came over and opened it for him, showing a staircase leading down. The two went down the staircase and Iris could hear faint music and cheers coming up the stairwell. They reached the bottom where a steel door was and a bald man armed with all sorts of knives sat next to the door, guarding it. He gave Arylos a nod and opened the door for the duo.

The music and sounds of merriment punched Iris in the face as the door led into a large dining hall complete with a live band, several bars, a few hearths with fresh animals cooking, and several dining booths and tables. Men and women from all walks of life were drinking and partying as if death was on the horizon and they wanted one last party.

The duo walked through the crowd, Iris trying to stay close to Arylos as best as she could. As they walked, many people recognised Arylos and offered drinks, some of which Arylos gratefully accepted with a big smile. The two eventually came to a metal staircase leading up to a balcony around the perimeter of the dining hall where many more ate and partied.

Arylos pulled Iris close, trying not to lose her, as he went into an alcove off to the right with a wooden door with the name “Wilson” engraved upon a gold plaque. Arylos knocked three times and a voice called out from inside the room. “Enter!” it said.

Arylos opened the door and it led into a luxurious office with dark stained wood walls, display cases with various weapons, heads of a variety of monsters, and bookcases sorted in meticulous order and not a speck of dust to be found. Arylos closed the door behind the duo and the sounds of the party outside ceased, leaving only the ticking of a large mechanical clock on one side of the room. At the far end of the room sat a large dark desk lined with papers, gold coins similar to Arylos’s, and various alcohols and two leather lined seats in front. At the desk sat a man, dark grey hair slicked back with pomade, spectacles and a freshly shaven face with hazel eyes. His head down as he read through the pile of papers while drinking from a glass of a dark liquid.

Arylos motioned for Iris to take a seat in one of the chairs as he took the other. Once Arylos sat down, the man looked up from his work. A moment passed before a wicked smile painted his face as he took off his spectacles.

“Lord Vahsmorn’r,” the man said in a thick and heavy voice, “if I recall correctly, you were defeated by a couple of mortals the last time I saw you. Weren’t you the one tasked to dole out the beatings; not receive them?”

Arylos chuckled, returning just as wicked of a smile. “Rusty, I guess.”

The man chuckled and poured Arylos a glass of the dark liquor and offered it to him. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” He glanced over to Iris and his smile grew, “and to whom?” he added.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the attack at Nageki,” Arylos reminded the man while taking a drink.

“Oh yes, dreadful business that,” he answered.

Arylos swallowed the drink and his eyebrows told Iris that he was rather impressed by the alcohol. “This girl is Nashonaru Iris,” Arylos introduced, “she is the only survivor of that village.”

The man’s expression changed, as if struck by awe as he prepared a separate glass. “I had heard rumours that someone got away. I had hoped that they were true,” he explained and pushed the glass towards Iris.

Arylos suddenly snatched the glass away. “She’s mortal,” he reminded the man and he added that glass to his own.

“Ah, I see,” the man remarked as he reached for a different bottle and poured a fresh glass of a lighter brown drink and gave it to Iris. “My name is Wilson, young lady, although I prefer you call me Garris. I am the Khymr Lord of this region and oversee day to day operations.”

“Khymr Lord?” Iris asked for clarification.

Garris inhaled sharply. “I take it Lord Arylos here has not introduced you to our order?”

Arylos drank from his glass again before cutting in, “she’s met Keratos, but she does not know the extent of the order.”

“Ahh,” Garris realised. “We Khymr are an order of soldiers. In so many words, we grant the gift of death to all living things.”

“So you’re killers? Hunters?” Iris asked, hoping Garris would speak plainly.

“In a way,” Garris replied and took a drink from his glass. “Nature abhors the eternal and so we correct the balance by ensuring everything that lives can die. To meet this end, we contract out our work to the masses to help them with their…problems.”

“Mercenaries,” Iris clarified.

“Mutated mercenaries,” Garris corrected.

Arylos took another drink and jumped in. “Effectively, any race can evolve the divinity the Templarians possess given enough time and selective pressure. Not everyone succeeds in this but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The Khymr took a shortcut.”

“We cheated,” Garris clarified. “What the Templarians perfected after millions of years of bloody conquest and war we achieve in less than a decade. But the process isn’t...precise and many of our number die in the process. Yet those that survive are unshakable warriors with the strictest code of honour.”

Iris processed what all this meant as she reached for the glass and took a drink. The liquor was smooth and earthy. A nice well-rounded flavour with a hint of fruit and a dash of spice. The flavour was complex and mind boggling.

“So you’re like demigods,” Iris explained to herself. “You are as strong as the Templarians but you don’t have their divinity or power.”

“Precisely,” Garris responded with a wide smile. “That’s what sets us apart; the Templarians are born and evolved. We are selected, trained, and manufactured.”

“That’s why Templarius doesn’t want a war with you,” Iris realised while taking another drink. “You two are nearly the same so any war between you two will result in unnecessary death.”

Arylos snapped his fingers and gave her a firm nod as if proud by Iris’s response.

“Then, what is a Khymr Lord?” Iris asked her initial question again.

Arylos took a drink and explained to Iris while returning his empty glass to the desk. “The Khymr Order has various ranks; Knights, Masters, High Masters, and a Grandmaster. The various masters form the Council of Masters who operate the order as a whole.”

“And then there are us Lords,” Garris cut in, pouring Arylos a refill of the darker liquor to which he accepted and drank more of. “We operate outside of the Council. The Council oversees politics and operations of the entire order while we handle the little things; the men on the ground so to speak.”

“I get it,” Iris called out. “It’s like Sentarus is king of Kaiyumi but the different Jharls hold their own regions. The Council is the king while you are the Jharls.”

Garris looked to Iris with a big smile on his face. “Astute observation, my girl! I handle operations on Kaiyumi and several other nearby worlds.”

Iris felt like she had been exposed to a giant underworld beyond her understanding. It was almost a bit too much for her to take in.

“But I take it you’re not here for pleasant drinks, are you?” Garris asked Arylos.

Arylos shook his head while setting his glass down and took out a bit of parchment and a small vial of ash. “If only I was; I do have some business to attend to. This here is an order with you as the Taskmaster for a creature in Torasu.”

“Ah yes, the sneaky undead running amok,” Garris remembered while reading the parchment. “I take it the job is done?”

Arylos handed Garris the vial and Garris opened it and poured out the contents into his hand. Iris could tell what the ashes were from the sulfuric stench coming from them. Garris examined the ashes under a magnifying glass and inhaled the stench.

“Arkin, no doubt,” Garris concluded. “I take it from the odour that the body was left in a bog?”

“A lake,” Arylos corrected. “The lake turned rotten over time. The Jharl attacked a girl, killed her, and left her body to rot in the lake.”

“What a shame,” Garris concluded and poured the ashes back into the vial and sealed it. “I assume that’s the reason they refuse to pay? Am I also to assume that the Jharl in question didn’t survive?”

Arylos bowed his head. “Guilty on both counts,” he admitted.

Garris smacked his lips and took out a quil and dipped it in ink. “I’m not surprised,” he explained, marking his signature at the bottom of the parchment. “I didn’t like the guy anyway; wanted the job done ‘quietly’ as he said. If he did survive, I would think you were going soft.”

Iris followed Garris’s subtle hints; he planned this.

Garris opened his drawer and prepared 150,000 Marks in bills and offered it to Arylos in an envelope. He also gave him five of the same intricate gold coins Arylos had been using.

“A bonus for seeing the job done even when it was distasteful,” Garris explained.

“I appreciate it,” Arylos said while taking the reward, “there’s one more matter I must trouble you with.”

“And what would that be?” Garris asked, listening intently.

“Iris has become homeless since Nageki was destroyed,” Arylos explained. “Sentarus said he can't help us but will allow us to remain here. What do you have on offer?”

“Ah yes, Sentarus said as much, did he?” Garris replied. He then grabbed a set of papers from his desk drawers and handed them to Arylos. “This should have everything you need. This one became available this past week and had just been prepared. I’ll let the landowner know you’re coming.”

The two men stood and shook hands and the duo left Garris’s office, back out into the loud ambiance of the dining hall. Iris could not help but wonder just what Garris recommended. Maybe a small and quaint inn. Or probably a small farm house on the edge of town.

Or THAT.

It turns out that the papers Garris gave to Arylos was for a two story house in the Mutsukanai district of Sentoraya; a nice neighbourhood just west of the central plaza of the city. The house was modern and featured a dark grey stone base and cherry stained wood for the upper floor and adornments; a rustic blend of old and new. It even had a small lawn up front and a stone path leading to the door.

The landowner, a short and bald man with tanned skin and wearing a grey and blue yokui, opened the door and the duo were greeted to a nice wooden foyer with a furnished living area off to the left of the foyer complete with a couch and a torotsu by a fireplace. A hallway in the back of the foyer led to a big kitchen that stretched to the back of the house with a door leading to a small garden in the back.

Arylos opened a door in the foyer-kitchen hallway and found a stairwell that led down to a large basement with a wine cellar.

The living room stretched into a large dining area with a dark cherry rectangular table and was joined by the kitchen with a doorway next to a bar. Further back past the dining room was a medium sized study with empty bookshelves just waiting to be filled joined by a simple desk.

Iris went up the stairs and was met by three unfurnished bedrooms; one at the front, rear, and side of the house. In the hallway between the rooms was a large full bathroom complete with a large family sized bathtub and a shower off in the corner for use before bathing.

Iris finshed her tour then came up behind Arylos who was still in the foyer talking business with the landowner and signing various forms as the two carried on their discussion.

“So, we’re staying here for the night?” Iris asked Arylos, still trying to process the sheer scale of the house.

“In fact,” Arylos paused as he signed the last form and awaited the landowner’s approving thumbs up, “I own this house now.”

“Eh?!” Iris’s mind broke for a moment. “Y-y-y-y-y-you own this now?”

Arylos and the landowner laughed as the landowner explained. “Lord Vahsmorn’r and I finished coming to agreeable terms for the land exchange and we had just signed off on the deal. This building, and the land it resides on, now belongs to Lord Vashmorn’r.”

“H-How much did it cost you?” Iris asked. "There’s no way this was cheap."

Arylos chuckled with a shrug. “Don’t worry about that.”

“I will worry about it!” Iris exclaimed. “You can’t just go in and buy the first house you see! That’s a lot of money! Shouldn’t you at least scout the neighbourhood and see if it’s a place you like?”

“We literally cannot go wrong,” Arylos turned to Iris and explained. “Mutsukanai is the nicest of the districts and everything we need, like the markets and other districts, are within walking distance. Nice and quiet but also close enough to the barracks so if something happens, we’re well protected.”

“But we don’t need protection,” Iris complained. “You’re more than capable of fighting off anything that comes after us.”

Arylos sighed for a moment. “I can protect us, yes. But what about the other citizens? What if Odin grows a pair and decides to come after us here and armed Templarians start running through the city?”

Nageki, Iris thought to herself.

Arylos turned back to the landowner and shook his hand and the landowner left the two in their new home.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Arylos continued after the landowner left, “but I can at least ensure you have a roof over your head and can have a somewhat normal life after you lost one of your own.”

“But the cost,” Iris complained. “You were only paid 150,000 for the Torasu contract; that can’t be enough for this.”

Arylos snapped his fingers and took out the envelope and handed it to Iris. She opened it and all of the money was accounted for.

“You can have it,” he told her with a smile. “I don’t have a need for it.”

HUH?! Iris thought to herself. Not only did he not use this money to buy this place, but now he’s giving it to me?!

She closed the envelope and tried to give it back. “It’s yours. I at least owe you for spending so much on me in Kajisho.”

Arylos chuckled and pushed the envelope back to her. “You killed the Arkin,” he told her with a smile. “You finished the job when I was unable to; you deserve the reward more than I do. And I don’t need it so you can find a use for it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you though,” she told Arylos while shaking her head. “I only killed her by a fluke; a luck of the draw.”

Arylos laughed again but still would not accept the envelope. “Here’s what we’ll do then,” he told her. “You take the money as your reward and I keep the gold coins as my reward, that way we effectively split the reward. You can’t use the coins and I have no use for the cash so it works out.”

Iris thought for a moment. It seemed fair and the coins seemed to have some use so even if it wasn’t a complete split, it was a split reward. She slowly nodded and accepted the money.