Chapter 743 (1/2)

“The resemblance is uncanny,” Alta muttered to Lucretia. “Are you sure it’s not him?”

“Quite sure,” Lucretia said quietly, eyeing the Randidly look alike. He had the same short black hair and sinewy physique. He even had the same sort of intense gaze that Randidly possessed. Well, he had a pale imitation of that gaze. There was none of the edge that Randidly’s recent work with images had given him.

In addition, those eyes…

As if sensing her gaze, the man turned and his eyes locked with Lucretia’s. His irises were a crimson hue reminiscent of fresh blood.

What was even more amusing was that he also clearly wasn’t anything like the true Randidly. Whereas the man Lucretia had worked with would have regarded her with a blithe curiosity on their first unknowing meeting, this strange doppelganger blushed and looked at the floor. Holy hell, he was attracted to her.

The whole notion caused Lucretia’s face to stiffen as she stifled a seizure of giggles. Perhaps sensing her amusement with an emotion perceptiveness that the true Randidly also lacked, the doppelganger pulled his hood down low over his face.

Alta and Lucretia had agreed to the Council of Fates offer to join the expedition to the ruin in the Land of Ghosts. After meeting at the predetermined spot, they had been joined by a masked Earth Golem, this doppelganger, and then a dragon-esque monster that appeared to guard the faux-Randidly.

They didn’t make conversation but regarded each other warily. It was only ten minutes later that the representative of the Council showed up with its retinue. It was a Weaver, standing only as tall as Lucretia’s waist, but almost as large as bear on all fours. Truly, for one of the first times since Lucretia had been in this world, she felt a cold sliver of wariness.

This one was not something to mess with. It was old.

With it came a Spriggit and another Monster. There was no need for introductions because everyone understood the point of the expedition. Part of it was exploring that mysterious upper land, but the other half was testing Alta, Lucretia, and the doppelganger’s party. This was a job interview in a way.

“I think he has a crush on you, Creta” Alta whispered as the group wound its way up into the mountains that would lead to the highest Land. The two of them had drifted back until they were at the end of the group.

“Enough about that,” Lucretia said softly. This was an amusing diversion, and she dearly wished she understood why this random individual had Randidly’s face, but that was not her current purpose. With her eyes on the grey roses with black thorns in Alta’s chest, she asked, “What are we doing on this trip? Interference? Or…”

Alta just smiled.

*****

“My… my liege! I heard you were here, but-”

Randidly looked up, wondering what was going on. He became only more confused when a Monster looking like an anthropomorphic rhino walked up to him. With its broad hands raised in supplication.

Randidly shot Rejt a glass. The Earth Golem seemed just as confused as he was and slowly lowered the stone he was carrying to the ground.

The two of them had been signed with the unappealing task of clearing rubble from the great chapel to the Progenitor that spanned the back of Carthak. It had been built practically pressed up against the hollowed out inside of the mountain, so when the place was bombarded, a large series of cracks were opened in the back. Thin sunbeams fell into the ruined chapel while the wind made a melancholic melody.

It was, altogether unlivable. The keening noise of the wind was already giving Randidly a headache. But he understood the need and the motivation. The chapel was one of the largest remaining open spaces. If they could clear rubble out of here, it could be used for all manner of things that Carthak desperately needed. Even just moving the market here would make the lives of the refugees pouring into this broken city a dozen times easier.

“...I believe you have the wrong person,” Randidly said with a frown as he looked at the rhino man. It truly seemed like this individual believed that Randidly was something to him. But-

Well, it wasn’t impossible for one of the people in his Soulskill to look like him, right?

“My liege, there is no mistake. You likely don’t remember me, but I served under you in the defense of Dumoine. I am Lazar, Prince Ishmael.”