Chapter 1620 (1/2)

“A job?” Randidly blinked several times as he confirmed that he had heard the Lancer’s request correctly. He had just been prepared to offer the Lancer passage to his Alpha Cosmos to start a new life for himself, but to provide a job…?

Once more, he examined the Lancer in front of him for any sign of the deviant trait that marked him as the individual who would choose to go alone. But although he could sense the nervousness from the rider and the apathy from the mount, Randidly could truly not find anything particularly special about this individual.

And seeing rather ordinary features, Randidly began to laugh. Well, I opened myself up for this. And although this Lancer used to be just a member of the Legion of Marching Cadence, this choice will change him… A seed masked at the moment will someday bloom.

“Fine, I actually have a job for you,” Randidly said when he managed to rein in his chuckles. He coughed lightly to restore his distinguished visage and pointed across the hill to the valley below. “There is a rather twitchy man over there, that will be accompanying me as we head deeper through these shattered space. Your job will be to keep track of him. Make sure he stays out of trouble”

“Yes… sir,” The Lancer said awkwardly. “Oh also… I want to have a name. I want it to be Kerwin.”

Randidly looked at the Lancer in front of him with more and more interest. “Then your name is Kerwin. Nice to meet you. As for the rest of you… I have another task for the group.”

Turning back to the group of waiting Lancers in tight rows, Randidly spread his arms and closed his eyes. The groups' emotions were complicated and conflicted while watching Randidly’s interactions with Kerwin. But that didn’t matter so much, because he was going to provide them with an exhaustion diversion.

He activated his Lancers of the Baleful Crusade Skill, steadily condensing almost five hundred figures in the valley beneath the hill. Unlike his previous usages of the Skill, these figures were slight and short. Their mounts were the size of dogs, running around happily.

The Lancers were stunned as they watched the energy flow out of Randidly and condense into these juvenile versions of themselves

Congratulations! Your Skill Lancers of the Baleful Crusade (L) has grown to Level 326!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Lancers of the Baleful Crusade (L) has grown to Level 331!

Randidly released a breath and lowered his arms as the flow of energy waned. Then he looked over at the leaders of the Lancers. “Now that you have changed… the way your people develop will also change. The youth of your race, and their mounts, will need to spend some time growing before they obtain their true strength. More than anything else… it is the responsibility of all those gathered here to raise the next generation. There is no greater gift you can give the future Lancers than more choices than you had.”

As he finished speaking, Randidly glanced below. Immediately, his brow wrinkled. Several of the youth Lancers were familiarizing themselves with their new bodies. They began to clamber awkwardly up on their mounts, which were almost smaller than the teenage-looking Lancers. Soon the duos were all racing each other, shrieking and whooping as they enjoyed the sense of freedom and speed they could find on their mounts.

Randidly coughed and turned away. Well, it should be fine to leave child-rearing to the Lancers…

He returned to the camp and met Raymund and DiOrtho. From the placid look on Raymund’s face and the three ethereal tails flicking behind him, Randidly didn’t need to ask who had won amongst the Vulpis Squad. Instead, while Kerwin collected Lay’mel and dragged him over, Randidly tilted his head and asked. “How much more can you use those images?”

Raymund lifted his chin and sniffed the air. His fox ears flicked as he considered. “Hmmm… The impressions I was able to take have already grown pale. Perpetuating the images is not my forte. Perhaps twice more I may use them, but it must be within the next three hours.”

Nodding, Randidly also produced his Philosopher’s Key. He sent a message and then opened a portal to the Alpha Cosmos. To his surprise, several seconds passed without anything happening. He frowned slightly. Time ticked past and Kerwin brought Lay’mel over. Yet the figure they waited for still hadn’t appeared.

Finally, after about five minutes, Helen stomped out of the portal. To Randidly’s surprise, her hair that was usually so immaculately braided cascaded freely down her back. Randidly tilted his head to the side. “Are you alright? And is your hair… wet?”

“I was taking a fucking shower,” Helen grumbled as she readjusted her leather armor and tied it more tightly around her torso. Hopping lightly on one foot, she readjusted her belt and then tightened it. Next Helen reached up and dragged her fingers quickly through her hair. The long, damp strands clung together and gleamed like dripping molasses when it caught the light.

Her hands blurred as she began to twist her hair and twine it together into her familiar braid. She threw a glare at Randidly as the thick strands wound tightly together, squeezing the moisture out and dripping onto her shoulders. “What, am I not even allowed to behave like a person? Do I not possess rights? Am I supposed to just be sitting around waiting for your call? And YOU!”

Helen rounded on DiOrtho and jabbed a finger at him. “You are a fucking married man. Where the hell are your eyes wandering?”

After blushing furiously, DiOrtho was suddenly very interested in his own clasped hands. Which left the disgruntled Helen with only Randidly to serve as a whetstone for her ire.

In the face of Helen’s glower, Randidly could only wince and raise his hands in an admission of culpability; considering the delay was only a few minutes, he couldn’t be too unreasonable. Helen finished her braid and tossed it over her shoulder. Then she pressed her hand against the back of her neck then frowned balefully when her fingers came away wet.

Finally, she snorted and wiped the remaining dampness on her leather armor. “Okay, okay. I’m not mad, just disappointed. I had a massage scheduled for a half-hour from now… but looking at you all,” Helen glanced around. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the walls of the isolated space. “...seems like I won’t make it back in time for my appointment.”