CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Price of a Soul

  It took great effort, and mostly thanks to Renfri, that Bram and Hajime mao return to the entrance of the cursed cave with their two beaten bckheart stags in tow.

  Fortunately, Rowan had prepared something earlier in the day to make the journey less harrowing, wielding the transmutation arts te a hidden path behind the cliff wall that made it unnecessary for oo climb up the treacherous cliffside to reach the ledge that was the cursed cave’s entrance.

  “Soon it’ll be a proper temple,” Bram had ented earlier.

  By the time they reached the cave’s entrance, Bram and Hajime were exhausted. This was expected of Hajime who’d used most of his magic subduing the sed bckheart stag. Oher hand, Bram should’ve fared better with his stamina if he hadn’t insisted on helping Renfri pull the makeshift woodehat carried their captives up the path.

  Outside the cave, Bram heard loud neighing that sounded suspiciously like ughter to his ears.

  “Bloody hell…”

  His molten gaze swept toward the four harts he and Rowan had led up the mountain earlier in anticipation of their otherworldly guests. Unlike Renfri, however, these four harts he’d borrowed from his bastion’s stables were too tame to use in a fight against wild beasts.

  “This is why I prefer autes,” Bram sighed.

  Renfri made a sound.

  “You’re the exception, my friend,” he promised, patting his mount’s rear. “e on. We’ve got a ritual to finish.”

  Their party of three returo the summoning chamber with their captives and found Rowan waiting for them sitting cross-legged in the air like before.

  “Had a challenging hunt?” she asked, teasingly.

  It wasn’t the hunt that had been difficult—at least not for Bram. The difficult part was hauling their prey up the mountain. And the prinot wanting to do menial bor like this again, resolved to streamlihe process iure.

  “We’re moving the ritual to Reise.”

  While unloading their cargo from Renfri’s sled, Bram quickly detailed his pn to build a mansion oown’s outskirts where the, as Hajime called it, “Immigratioer,” would be located. It would be rge, spacious, and have enough room to store beasts to sacrifice for ter.

  “We’ll aff to ma,” Hajime weighed in.

  Bram replied, “I have a few ideas oter.”

  Bram hadn’t yet found Rowan’s rept summoner, but he already knew who to hire for hunting the beasts needed for their rituals…the Mighty Greenwood Gang. Surely, a band of thieves who called the forest home were effit poachers.

  “It seems I’ll have to redo my magic circle in your immigratioer.” Rowan gnced down at the floor. “Pity — this was not an easy task to plete.”

  Hajime’s summoning didn’t require a magic circle. Now, however, new lines of are formu had been alongside the spiral depression at the heart of the chamber.

  “This is…” Bram scruti some more, but apart from its outer shape—the circle that formed a protective barrier between the summoner and their summon—and the triskelion within it, he couldn’t make heads or tails of Rowan’s creation. “…It feels different. Otherworldly.”

  “‘Tis otherworldly by design,” she answered. “‘Tis a formu meant to weave the Loom oher souls without needing us to start the process ourselves.”

  “I see.”

  He didn’t, but there was o admit it.

  “I’ll still need your blood to create a e.”

  “Ah, at least I’m good for something.”

  “A drop will do. Over by the triskelion, My Prince.”

  Bram slid a dagger’s edge against his thumb.

  “Should I expect to be drained of all my blood once we begin summonihers in the hundreds?”

  “Worry not. I’ll have figured out an alternative by then.”

  “That would be appreciated.”

  This sed summoning wasn’t as difficult. Nor was the wait as long as the first.

  With the end of the bckheart stags came a new beginning—a brilliant fsh of crimson light, and Hajime witnessed a sight only Bram and Rowan had seen before.

  Blood rose into the air to weave an intricate pattern of roots, bone, and pulsing ans. Skin and hair spread over newly formed flesh, and then Chris and Bridget arrived on Aarde, both naked as the day they were born.

  “Eh…?”

  Seeing his friends’ privates caused Hajime to look away, though Bram noticed his panion stole a peek at the woman who just arrived and blushed at the sight of her. Speaking of the blonde arrival…

  “Wow, that was bizarre.” When Bridget spoke, everyone uood her. “Felt like I was falling up the sky…”

  “Yes, Hajime did mention a simir experience,” Rowan replied.

  Bridget turned, her brow rising slightly.

  “You’re floating.”

  “I am.”

  “rick.”

  “I know.”

  Surprisingly, Bridget exhibited none of the panic Hajime had when he was first summoned. She had a calm look about her as if she wasn’t at all disturbed by the idea of her soul being spirited away to another world.

  “ you spare the cloak?” she asked.

  “Of course.” Rowan’s feet returo the ground as she offered Bridget her riding cloak. “Be careful with it. ‘Tis a precious gift.”

  “I will. Thanks.” The blonde ed the cloak around a well-toned body, though her curious gaze remained fixed orickster. “Hajime wasn’t kidding. Yeous…like an elf from Lord of the Amulets.”

  Since he’d uood everything Bridget had said up to this point, Bram assumed the ‘Gift of Tongues’ rifted to her soul, though one word was lost in transtion.

  “What’s an elf?”

  Strahat surprise would finally find itself et’s face just because of Bram’s question.

  Bridget’s brow creased. “A race of beautiful, ethereal-looking, pointy-eared people — ning any bells…?”

  Hearing this, Bram g Rowan. She fit the description, though her ears weren’t pointy.

  Strangely, Rowahe aet’s question. “There are none of the fair folk here… Not for a very long time.”

  “Oh.” Bridget’s expression fell a little. “That sucks.”

  Bram couldn’t help notig that Rowan’s face had fallen slightly, too. He also noticed that she’d used a phrase to describe the a ‘fey’ whose legacy of kidnapping otherworlders had bee a huge part of their great uaking.

  “Meh, I guess it’s fine.” Bridget turned her frown upside down. “Hi again. I’m Bridget Fowling.”

  She poio her panion, the naked man, who, unlike her, looked appropriately bewildered.

  “The big guy’s Chris Chase. Used to be our boss but now he’s unemployed like me, but if Hajime’s right…” Bridget’s gaze found Hajime, and she mouthed, ‘Holy shit, this is amazing!’ before tinuing with, “…You guys want to hire us to build you a game?”

  She elbowed Chris in the shoulder.

  “Say something,” Bridget insisted.

  Finally, as if his brain had finished jumpstarting, Chris unfroze, and said, “Y’all got any clothes to spare?”

  Once Chris and Bridget were properly clothed, the duo began admiring the world they’d arrived in. Their gazes swept the length of the summoning chamber—pausing at the two dead stags, Renfri lounging on his mattress by the chamber’s entrance—while curiosity and delight filled their faces.

  “Holy shit,” Bridget elbowed Chris again, “you’re seeing this tht?”

  “Seeing,” Chris replied, and with a shake of his head, added, “still w on believing.”

  Bram noticed that Chris’ at was different from Hajime’s. It had a low, melodic drawl to it. This wasn’t the only trast betweewo otherworlders either. With his chiseled face, straight nose, fair skin, and rge frame, Chris looked like a native-born of Lotharin or even the River Kingdom of Dao the west. While Hajime, with his sharp features, tanned skin, and smaller physique looked like he hailed from the Hilltop Kingdom of Yamadai in the north or the Valley Kingdom of Xanxi in the far east.

  As fet, she was exactly like Hajime had described her to Bram earlier during their climb back to the cursed cave, which he’d done in near-perfect detail.

  Shoulder-length blonde hair framed an oval, square-jawed face with wide cheekbones. She had thick brows over almond-shaped hazel eyes, a short, pointy nose, and pursed lips. She was tall like Rowan with a fit form that suggested she cared for her health in a way that Hajime didn’t.

  They both seem suited to knighthood…

  Bram’s gaze drifted to Hajime, and the judgment was clear in his expression.

  At least he’s talented in magie ’t have everything.

  “Y’all see this?” Chris called, drawing Bram from his musings.

  The Texan poio the ghostly blue windows that appeared in the air.

  Wele, Chris.Wele, Bridget.Bram and Rowan shared a look, each smiling at the other, because here roof that the Loom had been properly weaved onto the otherworlders’ souls, which meant that Rowan’s magic circle had been a resounding success.

  “This looks like a typical game message,” Bridget noted.

  “Makes you wonder how they’d thought to make it like this,” Chris added.

  Gazes drifted toward the prince, but he didn’t know the answer because the Loom’s inner ws remained a mystery even to him.

  As expected, her Bridget nor Chris deed the system’s offer. With their acceptance, a new notification appeared for Bram.

  GRATULATIONS! The arrival of new users has helped to grow the Loom. Resources have increased by [0.003%]. Inviting more users will help remove the penalties of [Administrator Lv.1].Current resource rate: 0.003%“Any ce you could grow faster?” Bram asked.

  ALERT! There are a variety of ways for the Loom’s resources to grow. With new users, the growth rate increases by [0.001%] for the first [1,000] arrivals. Resrowth using this parameter will decrease ohe first threshold is reached.“A thousand users…” Bram’s brow furrowed. “That’ll be our first goal then.”

  The tract ceremony came .

  As Roromised, her she nor Bram o drink their guests’ blood to form a tract with them. Instead, Bridget and Chris were each asked to donate a drop of their blood to a meat doll that Rowan fashioned from the carcasses of the beasts used to summon them.

  “Is this thing supposed to represent my i like one of them voodoo dolls ba Earth?” Chris asked.

  “It is exactly that,” Rowan answered.

  These meat dolls were small enough to fit in one’s hand. They were grotesque to look at, and they smelled nasty too.

  “So, we just give it our blood and that’s it — we’re part of the team?” Bridget firmed.

  “‘Tis an act that symbolizes your willio join the cause for which we summoned you,” Rowan expined, adding, “They will bind your souls to us for the duration of your…employment.”

  Chris and Bridget exged a worried look.

  “And what if we wanna quit?” Chris asked.

  “Then I shall break your dolls a your souls free,” Rowan answered, with Bram adding, “We’re not looking for sves to lord over, but partners who will aid us in reat uaking. Should the time e when our is no longer align, you’ll be free to go with ratitude.”

  Both Aarders spoke with such vi that the Earthers couldn’t help but feel relieved.

  “Should we discuss bes?” Bridget asked.

  “Look around you,” Bram suggested, “could there be any other be greater than a ce to explore a new world?”

  “That’s a huge plus, but”—she eyed the shiny g on Bram’s hand that was the symbol for his position as Lotharin’s governor—“we will get paid, right?”

  The prince grinned.

  Hajime had been too eager to join their mission and hadn’t asked these important questions which could have given Bram a better glimpse of Earth’s inner ws.

  “We’ll o iron out how we’ll do it, but yes, we will pay you for your services,” he promised.

  Bram was gd to learn that earnih was also a necessary goal for these otherworlders. Not just because he had enough of it to give, but because this sort of mutual transa of service for payment was a far more reliable foundation rather than one’s bliion to a cause. He had seery before, and he didn’t care for it.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to add to this arra?” Rowan asked.

  “Seeing as death ain’t perma for us, I guess we won’t need healthcare,” Chris’ expression turhoughtful, “but maybe year-end bonuses and stock options for wheudio’s up and running.”

  He looked to Bram.

  “Y’all are pnning to build a studiht?” Chris firmed.

  “It’s why we’re hiring you,” Bram answered. “As for…stock options…?”

  Chris expihat stock options offered them a piece of the pany that would be built oh, and Bram didn’t see a reason not to deny them this boon sihey would be the oo build it themselves.

  “We’ll need housing too,” Bridget chimed in.

  “And paid vacations,” Chris added.

  Much ter, ohe Earthers had gotten all they asked for in a deal that included housing, sorcery lessons, a budget for equipment and items, being perma members of the prince’s adventuring party, vacation days, sick days, mental health days, and a great deal more of things Bram had po offer them anyway, Chris and Bridget finally seemed ready to shed their blood for the great uaking’s success, though the Texan wao add o provision to their tract.

  “Hajime gets what we get too or no deal,” he stated.

  “Chris…” Hajime looked like he might cry.

  “You’re easily impressed, so we figured you didn’t ask for anything and just said yes,” Bridget said, teasingly.

  “Y-Yes,” Hajime admitted, looking embarrassed.

  They were indeed his friends because they knew him well.

  “There’s o worry,” Bram began.

  Once he assured them that Hajime had been included in the deal from the beginning, Chris and Bridget let Bram cut their palms with his dagger so that they could offer their blood to the meat dolls. With their sacrifice given, the little effigies of sympathetic magic transformed into tiny versions of them as if these dolls were shedding off the excess fat from their bodies to bee something more likable.

  “Oo~~oh, it turned into a Fun Pop,” Bridget said, sounding delighted now.

  “Yeah, but, um,” Chris’s brows were still knotted, “we might want to tweak this a bit. Not everyone’s gonhrilled with this kind of weird ceremony…”

  “That’s what I said,” Hajime chimed in.

  Rowan collected the two dolls before disappearing for a short while. She’d goo take them somewhere safe where no hands but hers could get to them.

  “Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s go somewhere more fortable,” Bram suggested, adding, “Talking of great uakings is best done over a hearty breakfast.”

  Getting off Sundermount wasn’t too difficult since Bram’s newly formed party had enough harts to traverse the hidden path down the mountain. It also helped that Chris and Bridget weren’t as clumsy as Hajime when riding on hartback.

  “You ride well for an otherworlder, Chris,” Rowan noted.

  “I grew up in Dals, Ma’am. Big swaths of farmnd and wilderness as far as the eye see. Riding’s kind of a prerequisite over there,” the Texan expined.

  From what Bram had read in Chris’ status, ‘Intermediate Riding’ was indeed one of his passive abilities, created after the Loom had analyzed the otherworlder’s natural talents. Ially, ‘Athletid ‘Bodybuilding’ were also passives Chris automatically earhanks to how he lived oh.

  The Texan patted his brown hart’s neck. “This guy’s doing all the work. I’m just coasting on his coattails.”

  Bram shared Chris’ enthusiasm for the harts, ated Renfri’s neck with a loving hand.

  “So,” Chris’ brow kogether, “I re Hajime’s losing his fight.”

  The Japanese man was struggling with his steed further behind the trio.

  “S-Stop, please!” Hajime pleaded. “Stop — not toward the trees — stop!”

  The prince chose the tamest of the harts in his bastion’s stables for his guests, especially for Hajime who’d admitted the previous night that he’d never ridden. Unfortunately, not even the most well-trained beast could support Hajime’s abysmal riding skill or the ck of one.

  “Stop!”

  As he watched Hajime’s steed take him off the hidden path, Bram couldn’t help thinking it wasirely the otherworlder’s fault. After all, wasn’t this gray hart the same ohat had been ughing at him the loudest earlier?

  “It’s an unruly beast,” he murmured.

  Hajime’s steed nearly ran off into the woods of Sundermount’s slopes, and it would have taken the Loom’s new lead game designer along with it too if not for the reflexes of the woman riding the palomino hart o him.

  With deft speed, Bridget—wearing a linen shirt aher breeches underh her traveling cloak—plucked the hart’s reins just as it slipped from Hajime’s grasp. She then brought the beast to heel before it could run off with a stern void aerner gre.

  When he saw this, Bram couldn’t help but think that the Loom was truly intuitive. He’d already see Handling’ in Bridget’s list of abilities.

  “Having trouble, Hajime?” Rowan asked teasingly.

  “Rowan,” Hajime sighed, “I don’t think this deer likes me…”

  “You’ll be fine,” Bridget cut in. “Just stay close to me.”

  “Yes, you save him again before he falls off and dies from an act,” Rowan said, to which Bridget replied, “And we wouldn’t want that to happen this early in the game.”

  They’d only known each other for less than an hour but Rowan and Bridget were fast being friends. To think that the rebel trickster of legend could meet true panions among the otherworlders. Seeing this, Bram, who’d had little experieting along with people his age, secretly hoped he too could bee friends with Chris and Hajime.

  “If you’re all done fooling around,” the priurned his gaze toward the path leading to the foot of Sundermount, “let’s move on…and we just might make it to Reise in time for breakfast.”

  Bram’s words proved prophetic.

  The party arrived at Reise’s gate in the early m just in time for the otherworlders to withe town’s waking. Like Rowan’s first time in the Rainbow Town, the otherworlders were wide-eyed over everything they saw of daily life on Aarde. The bustling main thhfare with its shopkeepers selling their magical wares, the townspeople who anded floating brooms to sweep their front yards, and even the gaudy appearance of the mayor’s manse—such sights turhese three adults into children at a theme park.

  “What happened over there?” Chris asked.

  He poio a curious sight; a patch of dead earth whose ground had bed as if it had been scorched with unholy fire.

  “An improvement,” Rowan said, giggling.

  In front of this scorched earth was the sun god’s temple, which, at this early hour, had its golden-robed clerics bustling about, with one or two of them attempting to cast spells that Bram guessed were meant to heal their blighted front wn. Golden sparks fred from the tips of their fingers and a golden aura much like the rays of sunlight touched the bed earth…and failed to improve its dition.

  Rowan’s giggling doubled in iy.

  Worried someone might notice her btant disrespect, Bram urged the others toward the Journey’s Respite. However, as he gnced over his shoulder, taking one final look at the priests’ disgruntled faces, the priiced another iing thing.

  The burnt stake that he’d seen only yesterday was go had been repced by a fresh ohat had yet to be touched by fire.

  He hoped the clerics of Phoebus weren’t feeling overly devout today. He didn’t need Chris, Bridget, or Hajime to witness a burning. Not on this m when they’d just finished signing their souls away. Bram knew better than to hope though. The zealotry of Phoebus’ clerics was legendary.

  “This is why I hate zealots… If we’re not careful, they’ll e for us too.”

  With this disturbing thought pnted in his mind, the prince followed his new panions into the inn.

  GD_Cruz