Chapter 51

Victoria had informed the group that these items were needed for their upcoming battle against Eirisse. However, when she revealed the objects she intended to use, Xain couldn't help but feel bewildered. In her right hand, Victoria held a pink, fluffy hat that seemed more suited for a pleasant picnic than a battle. Xain found it cute but couldn't fathom its usefulness in combat.

Meanwhile, in her left hand, she held a metallic staff, with intricate designs and obsidian accents, resembling a draconic hand gripping the staff.

Zee, intrigued by the hat, asked, "Is that hat enchanted?" Victoria responded with a hint of annoyance, "Of course, why else would I bother with it?" Her tone had a sharp edge, causing Zee to take a step back. As Victoria placed the enchanted hat on her head, Xain still appeared confused about the staff.

"What's the deal with the staff?" he inquired. Victoria looked at him like he was an idiot, but then remembered that his knowledge of magic was limited, being from Ironhelm.

"This," she explained, holding the staff, "is a wizard's staff. Wizards use them to channel their magic because we aren't born with innate abilities like most who use magic."

Ercale added more context in Xain's head, elaborating on the subject, *Wizards are essentially individuals who lacked natural magical abilities, so they resorted to studying and creating items, mostly staves, to harness magic. They're generally disliked because they're seen as those who cheated their way into using magic, rather than genuinely learning it like the rest of us. To top it off, most of them are arrogant, condescending and pretentious pieces of shit, making wizards the black sheep of the magic community, so to speak.*

Ercale's clear disdain for wizards was evident in his explanation, leaving Xain with no doubt about his feelings on the matter.

Victoria carefully examined the staff in her hands, her excitement clear in her eyes. "Untouched, ha ha, that cow will rue the day she messed with me!" she exclaimed with a hint of satisfaction. Turning to Xain and Zee, she declared, "Let's go, I have a town to take back." With that, she headed down the stairs, and Xain and Zee exchanged glances before following her down.

Making their way down, Xain and Zee noticed Larkin and Lennix engaged in a conversation that had abruptly come to a halt as soon as they saw Xain and Zee. Xain couldn't help but think, *What were they talking about?*, but he decided not to ask, not now at least.

Lennix directed his attention to Victoria and her newfound items. "Is that going to help you fight my sister?" he asked, not being well-versed in wizardry.

Victoria grinned with confidence and waved the staff around. "Help? This won't help me fight her, This will make me win!" she declared.

"Good to see your confidence, but how did she manage to beat you last time?" Larkin asked as Victoria replied, "Last time I didn't have my items, but this time I do! So rest assured, I can beat that cow this time."

Larkin nodded in understanding before saying, "Well then, off to the sewers, I guess." Victoria looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean, off to the sewers?"

Xain chimed in, "Yeah, Eirisse is hiding beneath the Moonveil fountain, and the only access point is through the sewers." Victoria, considering her options, finally said, "You know what? I've never had that strong of a connection to this town and its people, so that cow can keep the town, I say."

Everyone looked at Victoria in disbelief after hearing what she said. "Listen, I hate the sewers too, but not enough to abandon an entire town just to avoid them," Xain said, trying to reason with her. 

Victoria countered, "I don't want to go down there! Do you have any idea how filthy it is? This isn't like Ironhelm, where they have some sort of advanced technology to keep things clean!"

Clarissa intervened, grabbing Victoria by the shoulders. "If you don't want to come with us into the sewers, then don't. Gather forces for us in the city, you slow-witted woman."

Lennix added his concerns, "You're right! We didn't even think of that. I'm sure my sister will use the townsfolk under her control to fight against us."

Larkin, deep in thought, stroked his beard as he proposed, "We should split up." This suggestion grabbed everyone's attention. Zee was the first to ask, "What do you mean?"

Larkin elaborated, "Clarissa's right, even with Victoria's help, we're vastly outnumbered. So, to mitigate that, we need to gather forces. With the former mayor returned from the dead, people will have questions."

Victoria quickly embraced the idea, nodding rapidly. "I'm in full agreement! I can rally the town's militia to help. I'm fairly confident that most of them loved me. And, this way, I won't have to delve into those wretched sewers."

Larkin clasped his hands together, preparing for the next steps. "Alright, we're in agreement, unless anyone has any objections?" he inquired, looking around the group. No one raised any objections, and it seemed like they were all on the same page.

However, Xain interjected with a pressing question, "How much time do we have? It's already nearing 6 o'clock." Lennix reacted with shock, exclaiming, "Shit! We only have 2 hours at most! We need to hurry up!"

Victoria concurred, urging them, "We have to decide who's going with whom quickly." Larkin took the lead once more, pondering, "Now, who's willing to venture into the sewers, where the hardest fight will be?" 

Lennix didn't hesitate and promptly raised his hand, stating, "I may not be able to fight my sister, but I can handle the thralls, and Eirisse won't actually kill me." It was time to determine who would accompany Lennix to confront Eirisse and her thralls head-on.