Rohan knew that he could not afford to miss the opportunity to recruit such a powerful mage into his faction.
The ambush today had been a clear reminder that he was still too weak. If he wanted to survive, he needed more allies.
And soon after, Rohan saw a notification.
[Belladonna has followed you]
He looked at Belladonna briefly before he turned to Luciana.
"I'm fully aware of how you feel. But this is the Lord's will."
Luciana scoffed. "No, you don't! Of course you didn't feel a thing. It's because Keana, Belluci, Arminius, and I aren't human. Am I wrong?"
Without giving Rohan any time to respond, she turned and walked away.
The summoned creatures that had been holding Belladonna also disappeared one by one as their forms faded into nothing.
He then opened his mouth as if to call out to Belladonna, but the words never came when he noticed the elf had already lost consciousness.
He let out a quiet sigh before bending down to pick up the bone blade Luciana had dropped.
Yeah... she might hate me from now on.
For a moment, he simply held the blade before he eventually summoned a skeleton.
The creature emerged and waited silently as he gestured toward Belladonna.
"Carry her."
They began walking, and within a few minutes, they reached the church. The journey was quiet, broken only by the soft, hollow steps of the skeleton.
Near the church, Luciana sat beside a small bonfire, its flames flickering against her still figure.
She glanced at him briefly with a cold look before turning her gaze back to the fire.
With a dull thud, the skeleton lowered Belladonna to the ground.
Rohan watched for a brief moment before moving toward the bonfire.
He then sat down across from Luciana.
"Where are they?" he asked.
Luciana did not reply. She remained still, her gaze fixed on the flames, as if he had not spoken at all.
Rohan exhaled quietly, then closed his eyes.
After a moment, he saw that Keana, Arminius, and Belluci were inside the church. Their wounds had not fully healed yet, but they were recovering slowly.
As he opened his eyes, Rohan heard Luciana speak.
"Is this because I tried to turn you into a vampire?" she paused, then added, "I told you. I was trying to save you."
He held her gaze for a moment before he spoke. "First of all, I didn't turn into a vampire, so no, I don't have any grudge against you. If anything, I'm grateful."
"Secondly, I told you. It was the Lord's will."
"And I don't know what He has planned, but I trust Him. He told me to convert that elf into a follower, and I obeyed. I've always trusted and followed His will."
As he finished, Luciana turned to look at him fully.
"If your Lord told you to kill someone you loved," she said, her voice calm, almost indifferent, "would you do it?"
In an instant, Rohan froze, the question catching him off guard before he could even begin to form an answer.
Luciana held his gaze for a moment longer, then her eyes dipped just slightly.
"And what if it wasn't someone you loved? What if it was someone innocent?"
At that moment, he closed his eyes. "He hasn't. He's never asked that of His followers."
For a while, she said nothing. Then she turned her gaze to him. "About the ambush… don't you feel a thing? Anything at all?"
Rohan opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come.
He wasn't sure how to answer her.
Feel what?
Angry that the elf attacked me?
Yeah… I was.
But if anything, Michael's the one at fault.
Or angry about the others?
I barely know them. We only spent a few days together. And she expects me to feel something?
But… should I have felt more?
Am I the one who's wrong here?
The thought left a faint, unpleasant pressure in his chest. And then, the thought about lying and telling her that he did feel angry crossed his mind for a split second. However, he discarded such a thought.
"I get why you'd feel that way. I just… don't feel it the same. Perhaps one day, if I spent more time with everyone, I would be able to... feel more."
Instantly, Luciana shot him a cold glare. However, she remained silent.
Not long after that, she rose to her feet and walked toward the church, leaving him behind.
After she disappeared from his view, Rohan sighed.
Talking to her was harder than it should be. If it were Arminius, I don't think he would be this aggressive with his questions. He'd probably just say, "A new ally to kick the Octavians' ass? That's beautiful."
But his thoughts soon faded as movement caught his attention. He noticed the elf beginning to wake as she slowly pushed herself upright.
His gaze lingered for a moment on her green eyes. And then, without hesitation, he said firmly, "The Lord has shown me something. Michael Lastbender must die."
Rohan did not want to kill Michael out of a personal grudge. He knew he had to kill him because he was dangerous.
He simply could not afford to let him live.
He believed it would not take long before Michael sent someone stronger. So he had to act fast to end it once and for all.
Once Belladonna had properly seated herself, she let out a soft chuckle.
She then tilted her head slightly as a few strands of her auburn hair slipped over her shoulder. "I may not be from here, but even I know who the Lastbender family is. Killing him wouldn't go unnoticed. It would make… quite a scene."
"That doesn't make it impossible," he assured.
He knew well that Michael lacked real protection. Even during their first meeting, Rohan could have killed him without much effort.
"Is this the price for letting me live?" she said with a faint smile. "Well, darling, that won't be possible. If I kill a Lastbender, I won't be able to warm your bed because I would have to leave this city."
Slowly, a look of annoyance formed on his face. "First of all, I don't have a bed, and I don't need you to warm it," he said flatly. "Secondly, the Lord doesn't mind. If you can kill him, you can go wherever you want."