CHAPTER 5

"Bless?" I asked, swallowing.

"So, how did you once bless the bright warriors on our joint task? My people are allowed to mock me exclusively."

"Then what do I need to do?"

"Work, of course. Not temporary, but constantly. I hate loafers," remarked Aldric.

"Who to work as? And over what?" I said carefully.

"Is there a difference? Or do you prefer to work for Baron Drenvar? There you definitely do not have to work much. At least outside his bed," Aldric said mockingly. "It seemed to me that any work is better than this…"

"I won't have blood from elven virgins," I said firmly, from which Aldric's eyebrows flew up.

"Why virgins?"

"And from vampire virgins too," I added, knowing very well that all the rumors that go about the great and terrible Aldric are exclusively amusing to him.

"Oh, even so." Aldric shook his head and moved away from me. "And I just wanted you to temporarily stay my assistant. Disassemble the papers, sort reports, write some organizations and aristocrats a polite refusal.

I am not strong in this; I love directness, and for some reason they are offended and mortally offended. Once even killers were sent. My people nailed them, but it turned out that it was impossible, impolite.

The scandal was such that it was scary to remember; I could not pace in my true appearance for a year. And here… Wow, what an original creature I am in other people's eyes. By the way, why do I need the blood of these innocent creatures?

Okay, there are elves—there is at least something that can be invented if you try. But the dead blood of vampires, and virgin ones? Where can I use it? From this you can't even make poison."

I shrugged:

"They say you are finally disappointed in your people, and therefore prepare an army of corpses."

"I'm dark, not a necromancer. Yes, and the necromancers have long died out; only black mages remain. For such an assumption, you can also lose limbs. But these are already details. You know, Lysandra, I changed my mind," said Aldric.

"Let's add to paperwork the obligation to tell various rumors about me. It is necessary that at least something raises my mood."

The corner of my lip jerked. Sounded.

"And if you do not like these rumors, but will be angry?"

"I promise, it will hurt the one who spread them, and not you," Aldric was not at a loss. "Well, let's stop there. Help with the investigation, do some paperwork, retell rumors, and, of course, do not forget to follow the artifacts."

Aldric is a true dragon! I received all the benefits that I could extract from this transaction.

So now, when I had already spent a decent time on his territory, I did not die of overload as I initially expected. Now I was in the office and thought about which of the affairs he asks me about.

"I finished sorting and checking reports on stripping aggressive unreasonable magical creatures," I replied, taking out the amulet-storage and extracting a stack of papers from there. "Thanks to those respected dark soldiers who, under my blessing, worked without sparing themselves."

"Your thoughtfulness can delight even an immortal," Aldric complimented unexpectedly. "But I'm talking about something else."

I took out the second stack:

"Here are rumors about you. I can read them, or I can leave you to enjoy them alone. In the blue folder, by the way, are the most boring of them. If insomnia suddenly torments you, I recommend."

"She checked them on herself?"

"No, on your temporary secretary," I answered honestly.

"Yeah, so that's why he was constantly yawning. Not bad, but not that."

"But this is data on the terms of replenishment of energy in artifacts.

These are duplicates of the letters of influential aristocrats, which, at your request, politely hinted that they can get off the ladies, strut like peacocks, and eat a bellyful for themselves without your presence," I counted with a clean conscience and some pride about the work done.

Not that I am such a lover of working until the seventh sweat, but Aldric has the exceptional ability to motivate: the money that he called the premium for good cooperation exceeded my usual earnings several times!

And this is not counting that they provided me with a small house not far from Aldric's residence, the opportunity to eat three times a day in any establishments in the territory of Thornvale, and also covered all the work expenses—from a trip in a carriage to artifacts necessary for sorting reports.

"Your diligence and concentration are pleasing, Lysandra, but what about the investigation? The reasons for the extinction of artifacts?"

"So far nothing happened on the territory of Thornvale," I replied, placing all the reports into folders and transferring them from the table to a special cabinet, from where they then went to the archive.

There was no sense in loading Aldric's table—all the same, he will only read what he wants, and not what they put.

"Exactly. Nothing happens, but something happens in other territories. And everyone who hunts the Stone of Deep Magic is already advancing in the investigation. But I don't.

Therefore…" Aldric got up from the table, went to the closet, pulled out two black cloaks from there, one of which he threw in my direction.

I awkwardly caught it and asked:

"That's why?"

"Therefore, we will investigate with you right now."

I took a step and almost planted my nose into the wall.

"Thank you," I said to Aldric, who held me.

Thank you for not letting me paint my face with new strokes. Thank you for creating a teleport as not a single normal mage creates. Thank you for acting in his office not at all like a gentleman and pushing me into the portal!

Easy, but I am not a trained warrior to maintain balance in any situation!

"It seems to me that your gratitude does not carry sincerity," Aldric grinned.

"It seems to you," I answered calmly, pulling on my cloak.

I was afraid that in black cloaks we would look inappropriate, but we teleported to some slums, so they were more than in place. I did not have time to look around; Aldric took my hand, explaining:

"It's better than later looking for you in all nooks. I don't want you to get lost."

"Are you worried about me?" I asked, clearly feeling Aldric's mood—now you can tease.

"I'm worried. But not about you." Aldric confidently looped between the houses and through the maze of narrow lanes. "We are in Ashmoor. Do you remember that Shane controls Ashmoor?"

"The mage of blood, darkness, and time, a half-dragon? The one who is obsessed with control, and therefore hates if something on his territory happens without his knowledge?

Last month, he sent a foreign king along with his delegation to his dungeons, although they just mixed up the portals and immediately showed up at his residence to repent?"

"Exactly. He learns that there was a girl with a specific ability to bless, because of which his people suffered; he will think who is able to lay a portal on his lands unnoticed.

He will put the information together—and he will come for us to beat us in a good case. Or, in a bad one, kill. I am not scared—here it's a controversial question, which of us is stronger. Yes, and if I die, I will still be resurrected.

But you are unlikely to survive during our battle," Aldric delighted me, abruptly stopping near a wall and examining something around the corner. "And then I do not want to mess with papers again. So let's make sure you're not injured.

At least until you have sorted reports for all the years."

Black humor from Aldric, as always, is top-notch, ha ha ha, hilarious and clever, bless him… Stop. Without blessings. The strength and duration of blessings depend not only on the talent of a bright mage, but also on the strength of the one on whom the blessings are imposed.

If you take into account the power of Aldric… no, no, no blessings for him without urgent need.

"I will try," I said, not at all screaming with my soul—I liked my life and my health in their current form; I did not want to change anything. "We are in central Ashmoor, right?"

"Was it here?"