Izick adjusted the strap of the long duffel bag on his good shoulder as he looked down the road ahead of him.

  A man in a black suit and shades sat down on a bench, reading a newspaper as dozens of busy people walked past him on the stone road in front of him.

  Falling leaves blew past him from a gust of chilling Fall wind. Winter was getting closer. He knocked a few leaves away from his face as he turned to Mill, who was walking beside him.

  "Don't look at him, but there's an investigator up ahead. Though this guy's terrible. He couldn't be more obvious."

  "Yeah, even I noticed him. Anyone would stand out wearing those flashy shades. What's our next move?"

  Izick kept his head still as his eyes darted around the area for a fast escape.

  People were all around them on this road meant for walking and pushcarts. Everyone here was likely walking to work or about to set up shop for the day.

  He spotted a throng of people walking away from the investigator, but still going in their intended direction.

  "This way."

  Izick and Mill blended into the group and walked past the investigator, who looked up from his newspaper and began scanning the area in panic after his targets suddenly disappeared.

  They waited until they were a few blocks away before they started speaking again.

  "Do you think we lost him?"

  "Probably, but there's bound to be more of them trying to trail us. They don't trust us because of who we worked for. We need to find a way to lose them permanently before they hire better investigators, or worse, Tracers who actually know what they're doing," Izick said while carefully surveying the area around them.

  "You know, you're pretty knowledgeable about all of this. Is it standard practice for Scouts to know how to dodge investigators?"

  Izick lowered his gaze to the stone road.

  "No, I just had a lot of practice over the years."

  Mill nodded silently, choosing to not pry any further into Izick's past life.

  Izick and Mill continued their trek across town, looking out for investigators in the area and blending in with nearby citizens as much as possible to avoid attracting attention.

  They stuck to crowds and outpaced every investigator until they arrived in front of the Druid Convocation.

  The towering white, gothic building with glistening stained-glass windows loomed over them, in contrast to the lush scenery around Izick and Mill.

  They found themselves in a carefully maintained garden filled with Fall flowers and chirping birds, but not a person in sight.

  A group of birds scattered off the sky-scraping spire in the center of the white stone building, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

  "I guess we're here? I don't see anyone though," Izick said as he snatched a green fruit off a tree branch near his head.

  "This is the right place. The setup here is typical for a Druid Convocation. Though it is a bit unusual for it to be this quiet at this time," Mill said as they came up to the large double doors to the building's entrance. Izick took a bite out of the fruit, then scrunched up his face from its sourness.

  "Those Jakker fruits are sour, by the way. They're out of season," Mill said as she banged on the doors using one of the giant gold rings attached to them.

  "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

  "Because you needed to learn the hard lesson of not eating strange fruit in strange places. Like we discussed before, let me handle most of the talking."

  Light footsteps approached the door. The double doors glowed white as they slowly swung open.

  Izick hid the Jakker fruit behind him as a smiling, white-haired woman, her hands clasped behind her back, stood in the open doorway.

  "Welcome to our humble Convocation. My name is Sister Olma, and I am the leading assistant here. I must apologise since we are not currently holding Convocation meetings due to the restructuring of the Council, but we will resume shortly. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Olma said while slightly cocking her head to the side.

  "Yes, it's unfortunate about the meetings, but we're here for another reason. May we speak to the residing Foster of this Convocation?" Mill said while carefully paying attention to Olma. Olma's eye twitched, and her smile faltered for a split second before smiling brightly.

  "Of course. But let me inform Foster Braun that he has guests. You may take a seat until I return," Olma said before quickly bowing and walking away.

  Izick and Mill entered the Convocation's building.

  White, gold, and silver adorned the high walls and ceiling, along with paintings illuminated by the light streaming in from the stained-glass windows. Various paintings and murals furnished the walls, catching Izick's eye.

  "Oh, it's pretty nice here," Izick said as he looked around in wonder at the artistry around him.

  "You've never been inside a Convocation before?"

  "I haven't. Alister avoided these places like the plague, but Klint would go sometimes when he was free."

  They sat in the designated waiting area before the double doors to the entrance suddenly shut. Izick jumped to his feet, startled, but Mill calmly tapped him on the back.

  "It's fine. Those doors are opened and closed with an automated Mysteria Skill."

  "Ah, that makes sense. But isn't it a waste of Mana to use a Skill on a door?"

  "Maybe, but Druids typically have the Mana to spare on something frivolous like that. They're a special Mage subclass like Healers after all. I'm not sure if you noticed, but Sister Olma was exuding powerful Mana before compressing it when she noticed guests were at the door."

  "I didn't notice," Izick said as he slipped the green fruit into a pocket in his vest.

  Olma returned shortly with a bespeckled old man wearing a long white robe with black stripes in tow. He saw Izick and Mill and gave a welcoming smile.

  An astonished look came over his face when he noticed the long duffel bag on Izick's shoulder. His face faded back into his default smile as he focused back on Izick and Mill.

  "My name is Foster Braun of the Arekian Druid Council, and I lead this Convocation, but you may call me Braun if you like."

  Izick and Mill introduced themselves before Braun pointed to Olma with his hand.

  "Sister Olma has informed me that you wish to meet with me? Follow me, let's converse in my office," Braun said as he turned around and motioned for Izick and Mill to follow him.

  The four of them went down a long hall with stained glass and old paintings. Izick glanced over the paintings with passing interest before stopping at one depicting a man pointing his sword at the sun. The sun had arms, fangs, and an evil-looking Humin face.

  He shivered at the painting and then quickly rejoined the rest of the group before he got left behind.

  They stopped at a wooden door guarded by a hooded Druid in a white robe and light silver armor. The Druid guarding the door nodded as Braun turned to Olma.

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  "You may leave us, Sister Oma. I know you are a busy woman, and the musings of an old man would likely pester you to no end," Braun said with a bright smile.

  Olma didn't even bother to hide her annoyed face as she stared down Braun before leaving in a huff. Braun also dropped his smile as he took out a set of keys and unlocked the wooden door to let Izick and Mill inside.

  The inside was sizable but nothing extraordinary like the grandness of the Convocation building.

  Rows of bookshelves stood on either side of the room, while a long red carpet stretched from the entrance of the room to a large wooden desk with three chairs.

  Braun offered them a seat as he sat himself down and began to rub his temple with a sigh.

  "I'm sorry you had to see that. Things are quite tense here politically at this Convocation these days," Braun said as he shook his head.

  "There's no need for apologies. We just have a few questions we would like to ask you, Foster," Mill said, waving her hands at the Foster's apology.

  "I have questions that I would like to ask as well. Do your questions stem from what's inside that bag?" Braun said, nodding towards the bag that was now sitting in Izick's lap.

  "Before we answer that, will you keep this conversation private? Also, I can see that this room is warded, but can it repel Listening Mysteria? We don't want this conversation to leave this room."

  "Yes, this room is warded. The guard outside won't be able to hear us. However, he is trained to monitor my Mana signature in case of emergencies," Braun said as he leaned back into his chair, smiling.

  "I also swear to keep what is said here close to my chest. I have no loyalty to those scoundrels in the upper ranks of the Arekian Druid Council anyway."

  Mill looked shocked at Braun's disregard for his superiors, but she eyed the smiling Druid before turning to Izick and nodding.

  Izick unzipped the duffel bag and then placed the Honor Rod in front of Braun on the desk.

  His eyes widened as his mouth parted in disbelief.

  "I felt the Pure Mana flowing from that bag, but to think that it was the Honor Rod of the Staff Hero…unbelievable. Child, where did you get something like this?" Braun said as he narrowed his eyes at Izick.

  "It's a long story, but is this really the Honor Rod of the Staff Hero? Just letting you know, I didn't steal this thing and I never even wanted it," Izick said as he glared at the Honor Rod on the desk.

  Braun inspected the Honor Rod with his bespeckled eyes before sighing.

  "I can't confirm its legitimacy without further inspection, but I'm hesitant to do so because I don't know if this artifact has Malevolence in it," Braun said with a furrowed brow.

  "I need more information before I proceed. I can't risk my life without knowing what's at stake."

  Izick and Mill glanced at each other.

  "In that case, I'll tell you how I came into ownership of this thing. Don't blame me if you don't believe me…"

  Izick gave an account of what Alister did to him that led to him waking up with the Hero System and the Honor Rod.

  He omitted the fact that both he and Mill were members of Alister's party, painting themselves as entirely innocent victims of the crazed Staff Hero and not party members who were deemed traitors of Arekia.

  Braun silently stroked his coarse gray beard as Izick explained his situation.

  He quickly raised his hand for Izick to stop explaining the nuances of the Hero System after glancing at the rough drawing of the Hero System's main menu, which Izick handed to him.

  "Child, only Druids of the 3rd cycle may know the intricacies of the Blessing, or what the Elseworlders call the 'System'. I can't help you with anything beyond my status. But you know too much for me to dismiss this as an elaborate joke," Braun said as he handed the drawing of the Hero System back to Izick.

  Braun placed his elbows on his desk and interlocked his fingers as he stared down at the Honor Rod in front of him. He adjusted his round glasses and then let out a deep sigh.

  "I'll take a chance and inspect this. My curiosity is weighing on me as well."

  Braun spoke a few words in a strange language before extending his hands over the Honor Rod. White circles and dots formed in front of his hands, taking the form of two white discs on each hand.

  He closed his eyes while waving the white discs over the Honor Rod. He frowned deeply while keeping his eyes closed.

  There was silence between the three of them as Izick and Mill waited for the Foster's inspection to end. Braun dispelled the inspection Skill and then let out a growl-like grunt as he pulled off his glasses.

  He cleaned them off with a cloth as he muttered words under his breath, which were likely uncommon for a Foster to say.

  "There is no doubt. This is the true Honor Rod of the Staff Hero, but…" Braun said as he put his glasses back on.

  "But what?" Izick said, leaning forward in anticipation.

  "There is Malevolence deeply ingrained in it. That blasted, and traitorous Staff Hero defiled his honorable weapon and imposed the Blessing onto a mere child. For Shame! What has our great country come to?" Braun said, his voice filled with pure anger, shaking his head.

  "Do you know what type of Malevolence the Honor Rod is afflicted with, or if there's a way to dispel it?" Mill said with a worried face.

  "No, and no. This Malevolence was somehow inflicted by an outside force greater than the Mystic powers of most mere mortals. I am merely a Foster of a Convocation. Only the Arch Druid, or the Grand Mage Yaria herself could even attempt to dispel this," Braun said as he pointed to the Honor Rod with his hand.

  "However, I can eliminate the types of Malevolence that are not affecting the Honor Rod."

  Braun lifted a finger into the air.

  "We can cross out 'touch' and 'Mana' as triggers for the Malevolence due to my inspection. That leaves 'time' and 'distance' as the most viable triggers."

  Mill sighed as she placed her face into her palm.

  "Those are the most dangerous ones to deal with."

  "Agreed, but they are quite straightforward to avoid triggering despite their dangers. Child, listen very closely to what I have to say," Braun said as he locked eyes with Izick.

  "Never, under any circumstances, let this Honor Rod go out of arm's reach. Who knows what this Malevolence could be or the exact trigger for it? You might be instantly killed the moment you are out of range from the Honor Rod."

  Izick gulped at Braun's words. Being too far away from the Honor Rod could kill him? What a terrifying thought.

  "The Malevolence could also be time-based, but I would assume it's distance-based just to be safe."

  "And what if it is a time-based Malevolence?" Izick said uneasily.

  Mill and Braun looked at each other. Mill shook her head slightly. Braun cleared his throat.

  "Let's just assume that this is 'distance' Malevolence. Time-based Malevolence is irrelevant until the allotted time has elapsed anyway. Your best course of action is to stay in town until I figure out a solution for your situation. Staying hidden from the public and the eyes of the Druid Council might be in your best interests. I'll do my best to keep them off your trail."

  Mill looked to Izick to see his decision. He smiled wryly while shaking his head.

  "Thank you for the offer, but I can't stay here. We have our reasons for not staying in this town, and someone is relying on me to provide for them."

  Braun eyed him curiously before nodding.

  "Understood. I see you carry a heavy burden despite your age. Though let me give you this before you leave," Braun said as he pulled open a drawer on his desk. He handed Izick a roll of white cloth.

  "This is a roll of warding cloth used to protect people from Malevolence. This won't affect your case, but this stops others from cursing the Honor Rod with additional Malevolence, as well as compressing most of the Pure Mana radiating from it. Also, it probably looks more like a staff when wrapped up."

  "Thank you, Foster," Izick said while accepting the white cloth.

  "I know you're ready to leave this town, but I strongly recommend you stay a few more days."

  "Is there a reason to stay, Foster? I'm thankful for your insights here today, but you said it yourself, you can't dispel this Malevolence. We have to find someone soon who can," Mill said as Izick began to wrap the Honor Rod with the warding cloth.

  "True, but there's a bigger picture at work here that I want both of you to understand before you go anywhere. Please, the two of you can stay here at our dormitories for the night. Tomorrow, I have a place I want to show you that will be of great use to you," Braun said as he nodded to Izick.

  This place of interest, Foster Braun mentioned, caught Izick's interest. He couldn't stay here forever, but he was open to anything that could help him in his situation.

  Izick and Mill whispered to each other for a few moments before Mill turned back to Braun.

  "Alright, we'll stay here tonight."

  Braun nodded as all three of them stood to their feet. He let them out of his office, where Olma, with her practiced smile, was waiting for them.

  "Sister Olma, please take our guests to the dormitories in the next building. They will be staying here for the night."

  "They will?"

  "Yes, please take care of it."

  Olma's eye twitched once more before showing Izick and Mill a new smile and leading them to the back exit of the Convocation building.

  They walked down a flowery path leading to another building, which was the dormitories.

  Olma signalled for them to wait outside the building as she talked to the people inside.

  Izick stared at the wrapped-up Honor Rod as another Fall breeze brushed against his face.

  "Mill, do you trust that Foster? Staying here for the night seems risky if they want to spring a trap on us."

  "Trust is a strong word, but what he said made sense. I don't like staying here either, but we have some investigators on our tails, so going back into town might be a bad idea. Besides, learning anything about your situation, big or small, is advantageous for us."

  "I'm still nervous about this. I can't stay here for too long anyway. I need to make some money soon. I haven't told you this yet, but Cylvia will need her next dose of medicine in four months, and I'm nowhere near the amount of money needed to afford it."

  Mill thought it over before turning to Izick.

  "Look, we'll figure all of this out. The Blessing, the Honor Rod's Malevolence, our reputation, and our money issues. All we can do is take it one step at a time and make sure that whatever Alister did to us doesn't define who we are right now.

  Izick nodded at Mill's words. Doing everything at once was impossible. He had to face each issue with his full attention, one at a time, or be crushed by the pressure.

  Olma returned and ushered them into the dormitory, where they could rest until the morning, so Foster Braun could show them this place of interest.