"Say, Jeffrey," Laffer says, watching my attempt at cursing a flower. And, yesn't I wasn't cussing at the flower, I was trying to curse it, "Don't you feel that there's been a bit more crime on the streets lately?"

"I haven't even been here for a week, so how in the absolute heck did you expect me to pick up on something so subtle?"

I answer him whilst still keeping my mind on cursing the flower. I was just simply trying to perform an instant death curse, nothing much. After all, it just 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 the target's life essence. Of course, the effect was more potent on weaker individuals and was rather vain on individuals of a higher calibre. And I was using said curse to kill a flower, and I wasn't failing, let me tell you that much, though I wouldn't be succeeding either…

Ay! It's not because I'm bad, it's because someone keeps breaking my focus! I side eye the culprit who keeps prattling on about some story.

"Well, I've certainly felt a bit more crime happening recently, y'know?"

"I don't know," I'm not a local here and I'm not sure how many times I would need to stress that.

"Yeah, and I feel there's been an increase in drug dealings and those kinds of activities, and frankly I feel something fishy's goin' on,"

"I don't see the problem," Okay, there's a bit more drug dealers in town. Big whoop. Times change and people lust for different things.

*Crisp*

As Laffer was about to open his mouth again, the little daisy withered and dried, snapping in half. Its life essence shattered, leaving only a bit of mulch where the daisy once was.

"Oh good job, you did it quicker than I first did,"

"I don't need your praise," I drawl sarcastically.

Though despite my outward countenance, inside, I'm exceptionally pleased with myself. I've practised arts for a long time, but this was the first time I've ever cast a curse. It was exciting, exhilarating even, the sense of achievement I felt when the curse was successfully cast, it was a bubbly feeling that I positively wanted to dwell in. But good times do not last.

"Now you just need to learn how to do it for sapient beings!" He unknowingly put a damper on my party.

It was already an absolute pain to try and curse an unmoving flower, now he wants me to somehow curse a living being?! — Yes, I'm aware that plants are alive. — Y'see, the difference between a plant and an animal was rather large. Plants didn't have much in the way of a buffer against the instant death curse as their essence was still and not prominent to change, so it was easy for the curse to take effect. But animals and sapient beings could somewhat manipulate their essence creating defences and blocking off the curse, instinctually or intentionally, like an immune system. This meant that I would need to make the curse more complex and convoluted to weave through these defences and let the curse do its work, which also meant longer cast times.

"Wow, starting big are we? Trying to curse me is going to take a bit more effort than that," He disrupts my casting before I can even start causing me to immediately fail.

"Tsk,"

All in, it's agonising to curse a living being, and the fact that I would logically need to use it in a practical situation meant that there were many chances for someone to interrupt me, like just now. So evaluating the practicality of the curse this far, I had to question why I was even practising something so redundant?

"Uhm, so that you properly fit the bill?"

"Really now?" Why does it sound like you're the one asking the question?

"Nah nah, being legit, it's because it becomes broken when you're strong enough, and this is an investment type thing," He pats my shoulder, "Like, not even I'm at that point, but I'm pretty sure Lacer is, and let me tell you," He whistles, "Not practising now is gonna make you cry when I show you how broken this curse gets,"

He raises a good point. This technique has existed for millennia and has probably been refined countless times ever since, and the theory behind the spell was busted, I mean come on? Instantly killing your enemy would always be overpowered no matter what realm you were in. But it came with the draw back of being extremely inapplicable to most practical scenarios and easily defendable. However, that comes full circle back to the previous point, that being the curse was probably refined countless times so it was bound to be practical at some point. And evidently so, considering how Laffer spoke high praise of it.

Which is how I was allowed to leave the base to try it on living beings. Of course, I had my caretaker alongside me to stop me from going on a rampage and I was allowed to bring my bird but Lazari was barred from coming along. I could swear she nearly shed a tear.

"She needs to play with others her age," was the trashy excuse given.

This oddly feels like having your child taken into custody and then being forced into a community service bond…

"What's the matter?"

"Mm, nothin',"

Stalking around dark, dank places we find our first prey.

"Ay man, you got the stuff?"

"Mhm, you got the money though?"

"Just a few minutes man, a few minutes,"

"Man, the stuff's right there man," A rotund man gestures to a small pile of illicit goods next to him, "No money. No stuff,"

The two shady people converse. They don't look too shabbily dressed and frankly, it looks like a business deal, which it is, considering that none of them look like drug addicts despite the contents they were dealing with. One of the men is visibly flustered as he paces around a bit.

*Tch!*

Wow, that took a drastic turn. Pulling out a switchblade, he stabs and cuts the dealer. Not too bad, he got the job done, but he wasn't really properly aiming at vital points.

"This is how you do it buddy," So saying I subconsciously deliver a swift slice right through his windpipe.

Oh, whoops. I didn't mean to do that.

"Jeffrey, my friend, you're supposed to try to curse them, not just stab them!"

"My bad, my bad,"

"Your bad is right! Because you're garbage!"

Rude. No need to put it like that.

"Go drink some tea!"

"Tea?"

"Leaf water! Whatever the heck you call it!"

I don't see his problem, so that being the case, I turn him a deaf ear. Taking a glance at the two bodies, I might as well take the time to rummage through their belongings.

"Jeffrey, drink the damn tea," He sighs watching fossick through their belongings, "I feel that your thought processes are jumping a bit,"

"I don't know what you're talking about, it's only natural to do so. They're dead and they sure as hell won't be using these items anymore, so I'll use it for them,"

Lily nods her head backing me up.

Heh, brings me back during my time as a guard. I never saw the point of burying a dead man with all his effects still on him. It was just a waste.

"Ooh, what a nice trinket, you think it might be a luck charm?"

I make some idle chatter, as I inspect some fancy looking token. The bird, of course, attempts to chomp down on it, like chomping on a bread crust. Unsurprisingly, Lily looks like she hurts her beak, reeling away from the token thing.

Stupid bird. It was obviously metallic.

I take a cursory glance at the token as I intend to continue rummaging, but it suddenly catches my attention. Its surprisingly rounded edges and that faint glimmer in the moonlight. It entices me.

Though I know I'm not fond of hypocrites, this token does look kind of appetising…

Gulp.

"What are you two idiots doing?"

He startles me, making me nearly muff the token.

"Ay ay, just inspecting this coin thing,"

This gets an eyebrow raise before he snatches the token from me, like the bully he is. Doing so, he takes a second to inspect it.

"C'mon man, you could've just asked nicely," I grumble to myself.

"Well, you wouldn't have given it to me in that case, but anyway, this here is the emblem of the Mirjam family,"

Mirjam family?

"Yes, the Mirjam family,"

"I heard, I'm asking who they were,"

"Wait, you don't know?" He has an expression of disbelief, which I find is even more disbelieving.

"I am not a local here,"

I'm getting quite annoyed at how many times I've stated this so far.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Anyway, they're one of the big four families that occupy Sharne, known for their pharmaceutical business. Their influence seeps deep into the city, and their super wealthy," He stresses, "LIke incredibly rich,"

Hmm, interesting.

"So why does the guy have it?"

"I had a hunch something might be going on, but this confirms it," He pauses for dramatic effect.

So? You gonna tell me?

"It was always quite obvious that they had a hand in illegal drug activities, but no proof was ever obtained so the authorities couldn't make a move, but with this here emblem, it's all the proof we need!"

Sometimes, I feel like he also has a screw loose, which is probably the case. There's no evidence to prove he isn't a nutcase.

"What are you even getting at? If we went to the authorities with this, then we're the ones getting arrested,"

"Oh, right,"

You idiot.

"Kaw,"

Lily echoes my sentiment.

"I'm just saying, the Mirjam family is definitely behind the spike in drug incidents so I just wanted the authorities to bring them to justice…" He responds, downcast.

"Why do you even care?"

I mean seriously? This guy is a heinous criminal with numerous felons under his belt, who wouldn't bat an eyelid before strangling a pregnant woman to death. And now, he's prattling about justice? There's definitely something wrong with these statements.

"Sigh, y'see, those drugs, they do somethin' to people, and it's really sad when I see all the crap it causes," He puts a hand to his face, "The families torn apart and the depravity it sets, I don't like it. It doesn't sit right with me that scum like this are getting away with all this perversity just for the sake of extra coin," Exasperated, he rants in a dramatic effect.

"Interesting. Didn't think you were so sentimental. Very odd for a cultist, I'd say,"

"Sigh, first off, we aren't cultists, and second, we don't kill for no good reason, especially not innocent people,"

"Doubt. The codex says nothing about that,"

"Have you even read it?"

"That's beside the point,"

"You haven't even read them! So how can you just say what is or isn't in them?!"

"I just do," I speak from experience when I say this. With enough shamelessness, you could bend even the most rigid of laws.

"Shut up, I just wanted to help out y'know?"

"Well, if you really wanted to help, have you thought that maybe, just maybe, you could do it yourself?" I offer a solution.

"Well, yeah, bu- holy crap, why didn't I think of that!?"

"Because you're an idiot," I deadpan.

"Kakaw,"