Hazel found herself in quite a predicament back at Billy University. She had considered many things before performing the ritual the day before but hadn't been terribly confident about actually receiving a response from Lord Trinity. And so she had performed it right there in the middle of her dormitory, a room for two.
When she finally came to after her interaction with Lord Trinity, the worst had come to pass. There was her roommate at the entrance, acting in a right panic. Hazel hadn't been there moments ago, and had just reappeared from thin air, and there was still the matter of the red circle and rose candles to contend with.
Hazel acted quickly enough to restrain her, binding her with a belt.
"For fuck's sake. I thought your class was meant to be six hours. Why are you back already?"
Not that her words mattered. All her roommate saw was a witch. Or something like one.
Hazel was at a complete loss over what to do with her. She'd tried all manner of things, words, and reassurances, but none of them mattered. The girl refused to hear a single word.
Lona had been Hazel's only friend. Being a fallen noble from the Dabria family hadn't done her any favours, most people loathed her, nobles particularly. To them, she was no different from a commoner. Worse, some thought her beneath even that.
But Lona had been by her side for three years at the university, with only a few months left before their fourth. Rushing into anything now might well come back to haunt her.
Her options were limited, though. This was something Lona had never seen nor thought possible, she wasn't simply going to brush it off. She'd go straight to the authorities. And Hazel knew all too well how many noble families were connected to the realms.
"Why does it have to be like this on my first day? I'm already causing trouble for Lord Trinity… and I can't even use Cognitive Illusion to erase her memory now."
Even so, a decision couldn't be put off. The options were rather limited. Kill her, or convince her to join the Realm of Illusion. Neither sat particularly well.
Lona's state was far from promising. Hazel had locked her in the wardrobe all night, hoping it might help, but come morning, she still wasn't in her right mind.
Hazel didn't let it stop her. Lord Trinity had given her five days to bring him something noteworthy, and sitting about with someone who had no intention of being open-minded wasn't going to help matters.
She left for Forca Tavern first thing. Clearing her head whilst getting on with her job seemed the wisest course, and if Lona still hadn't come round upon her return, killing her and arranging a suitable cover would be straightforward enough.
'Killing her would be problematic. The Zynx family is particularly powerless. I only have my mother, and she is bedridden. If they come after me, this will become a serious problem. I would not be surprised if they have a few Tricksters up their sleeve. I will need better cover.'
She was a short distance from the entrance of Billy University, about to hop into a horse carriage, when an evangelist broke away from his preaching and approached her.
The man was far too well-kept for someone preaching about the Insight Goddess for pennies, and stranger still, he carried no offering bowl. He was handing out flyers instead.
"The Goddess will smile upon us once again. In four days' time, she will grant us a saviour. You must not miss it… Praise the Goddess."
The evangelist flashed her an unsettling smile, as though he knew exactly what he was doing. Eyes were already on them, and a few people had closed in for flyers of their own. Hazel couldn't refuse. Not without risking a charge of blasphemy.
"Praise the Goddess…"
Her circumstances didn't permit her to toss the flyer away. She was dressed in trousers, high boots, a black jacket, and a cravat, her pocket was far too small for the flyer, though she hadn't looked at it regardless.
She hailed the next carriage she saw. The day was already becoming rather too bizarre for her liking.
Centuries of overseeing the Culter Kingdom's struggles had earned the Insight Goddess most people's absolute devotion. Even those who worshipped the Timeless Goddess or the Mystery Goddess did so in secret. None of it concerned Hazel in the slightest. Lord Trinity was the one who had her devotion.
Nearly two hours on, she reached Dr. Kanin Street and found herself square in front of Forca Tavern. Loud and lively, just as she remembered.
She'd been here twice before her father died. The last time was seven years ago now. Forca Tavern always looked cheap from the outside, but the thrill lay within. It ran off the loudest power plant she'd ever heard, yet somehow kept electricity through every hour. If she were to kill Lona within those walls, word would never leave.
When she stepped inside, the same old bearded woman was at the counter to her left. To her right, men sat drinking and chatting across countless tables.
Something struck her as odd, though. A young man sat on a wooden barstool behind the counter. His posture alone said it was his first time here. He left so many openings that even a child could've knifed him.
"This will do. I'll start with him… His clothes look expensive, though. I must be careful." She muttered and took a stool next to the man.
The young man was Leomaris. He'd dyed his hair black. He was simply waiting for the first person to clock his rich appearance and take advantage of his obliviousness.