Soul's Requiem: B1 - 26. A Hope and Prayer (Patreon)

1:  Clover Emberfield

Soul's Requiem Index

Previous Chapter

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“[data lost], don’t run off too far, and keep it on a tighter leash. I swear, you’re getting too good at controlling puppets. I know you like dolls, but how many—Samuel? Hmm. Quit hiding and jump down from the battlement; you’re not fooling me. [data lost].

“Wait… Shane is gone? Why? How’s Melissa? [data lost]. It’s suicide to let her go looking alone. She’s not strong enough after losing so much power—no, I forgot, your idiotic rules about free will. Lexi, watch [data lost] closely, and Hazel, don’t leave her. I need to go stop a dumb blonde from committing suicide!” - Clover Emberfield, High Lady of Ice, The Lost Diaries, Vol. VI

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Moving to the edge of the building to stare down at the crowded individuals going about their nightly business, Clover saw the throng thinning as darkness took the town for spotted lamps to illuminate the streets.

She’d been tracking her niece to the point dusk had set in, attempting to understand exactly where she’d come from, yet after losing the trail when she performed another jump into the sky, she figured Leora would be too paranoid to stay in one place for a while.

Sighing, she backtracked to the place they’d met, settling onto a high vantage point, following her path around the town; rather than chase her down, she figured she’d give her a little more time to run out of steam. Eventually, she’d have to let her guard down and rest; it was a wonder she’d been able to keep going this long, showing her tenacity, which Clover respected.

Arriving at the place she’d attacked Castro and her, Clover bent down to examine every action her enhanced senses could perceive, occasionally glancing toward the thunderclaps and streaks that moved through the partially veiled sky.

Leora had paced between the neighboring buildings for hours, scanning the people below, nerves completely shot by the lingering chemicals she left in the area and further painting a picture as to why her niece had been so prickly; her vision must have been amazing because her attacks were far enough out that it was difficult for her to defend against. 

Then again, there was some sort of lingering field that had been activated not long before she attacked—at least, close to that time—and it appeared to mask all kinds of energy from leaking out so no nearby spirit user would notice her actions. It didn’t smell like her niece’s energy, though, meaning she had a device to cloak herself. 

She scanned the rooftop, a small smile lifting her lips as she followed every footstep Leora made with her off-theme footwear; she’d probably gotten them from some abandoned building like Lily, thinking back to their somewhat new shine compared to her other clothes.

Leora must have been so overwhelmed coming out of the Great Void, yet she still had time to go thrift shopping in the buildings, huh? What’s with that skin-tight bodysuit, too?

Her gradient blue-and-green irises drifted to Tyler as he answered her call, seemingly still in his office. She was in the zone, staring down at the streets while connecting to the banker; the man was the closest person who could provide her any semblance of an explanation.

Tyler’s handsome half-smirk came into view while he sat back in a big black chair, folding his hands against his lap. “Honestly, Clover, you call me more than my girlfriend.”

“Funny. What would you say if I came across a teenage girl that has a very similar energy to you but can hide their energy extremely well?”

Tyler’s charming persona fell in an instant, eyes narrowing as he stood up to move to the large window, possibly pinpointing her location across the city. “You have my attention—where are you now?”

Clover’s gaze wandered between the groups of people hustling below the five-story complex she stood on; she explained her encounter, and, part way through, Tyler poured a drink and returned to his view, finishing it by the time she was done. 

“Hmm. I didn’t sense any type of battle happening, and I noticed your fight at the dam... Whoever she is, she seems to have some cloaking ability, which, surprisingly, casts a wide enough net to erase your own SF response. Yet...she couldn’t hide from your senses. Why do you think that is?”

She chuckled. “I believe it’s a device doing the work for her. As for me knowing they were near, it was less of me knowing it than pure instinct that I was being watched. I suppose not being able to identify the source put me on edge and made me cautious.”

He just instantly accepted the new addition to the board. Strange.

“Your unique powers are fascinating, Clover... Hmm, and the general is sure she fell from the Great Void?”

“That’s what the evidence suggests.”

A somber nod was all she got before he went silent, deep in thought, but Clover’s focus was snatched by a new caller.

Lily? What timing.

There was always some unfortunately timed interruption, and she had to wonder what emergency this was going to be—there always seemed to be an emergency—hopefully, the girl was just checking in since she’d just woken up. However, with all the compounding issues, it was likely the moment to break the unpleasant news to her operator if everything was well.

“Lily’s contacting me.”

“Impeccable timing... Hmm. I need to call Tamara about this mysterious teenage girl, in any case; I’m guessing you’re refraining from giving me more information on her for a reason.”

So, this is pretty significant news. Good to know. Is Tamara the girlfriend he mentioned, as well? The plot keeps thickening. Please let Leora be real.

She gave him a sly smirk in response. “I will reconnect after, and I’d like some answers.”

Clover saw a glare cross Tyler’s face just before the call swapped to the brown-haired girl, and she tried to present a positive look for her operator. “Lily, how are you—oh, you look well?”

“Mhm!” Studying the girl’s face, she couldn’t see a hint of fatigue or sickness, but another streak of red lightening temporarily snatched her attention. “I just woke up a few minutes ago—really stormy lately.”

“Tell me about it,” she laughed, suddenly feeling in a much better mood from the girl’s flashing teeth. “Everything good?”

“Very good; I feel so much better. In fact, I don’t know the last time I ever woke up this rested. Wait, those clothes—you look so beautiful!”

“Eh-hehe, thank you. I met a lovely elderly woman that recognized me. I-umm, I wanted to wait for you to find me a proper outfit, but my old one... It, umm, it wasn’t holding up well, you could say.”

“Oof. I bet a lot happened while I’ve been out.”

Clover sucked in her cheeks and nodded, gaze drifting to the direction her niece had gone next. “You...could say that.”

“Heh. I’m trying to catch up…” she trailed off, eyes scanning down a report as her mouth parted in disbelief. “Isngneal i-is...dead? Wow, you killed—no, what’s this about Castro... How much did I miss, Clover?!”

The nurse just in sight of her device stiffened while changing her IV, alarmed by Lily’s semi-panicked tone, and backed away, but the girl didn’t seem to notice.

Clover forced a grin. “Nothing, eh, too important to notify you... It’s complicated. We can get caught up on all of that in a bit.”

“Right…” Lily settled down, leaning against her pillow again. “The doctors are still running a bunch of tests, and—eh-heh, you see all these numbers and things on the display board. Apparently, I’m super healthy!”

“That’s...really good, Lily.”

“Clover, umm...you sound like there’s something bad you need to tell. General Laurence told me you had some news about what those doctors did to me... How bad is it?”

Taking a deep breath, Clover’s voice softened. “Lily, it’s...a bit personal, so I’d rather talk to you about it—a few things—in person after I make sure it’s one hundred percent. I’m going to call Melissa and see if she can get me down there. Wow, I have a lot to share with you.”

“Oh, okay... Umm, yeah, so when should I expect you?”

“Hmm…” Clover’s gaze wandered around the streets. “It shouldn’t take too long, and Melissa can give you the details because I have no clue about distances these days.”

“Hehe, I get that—actually, eh-heh, that’s supposed to be my job. Thanks for looking out for me, Clover... It, umm, it means a lot.”

“Aren’t you my operator?”

“Eh-heh, I don’t feel like I’ve been that helpful to call myself one yet.”

“You’ve done more than you know, Lily. Now, don’t give the doctors too much trouble.”

“I’ll try not to!”

Ending the call with a smiling wave, Clover’s lips fell while contacting Melissa; the blonde’s sunny features radiated on her invisible display.

“Hey! Woah—look at you, Clover!” Her brilliant grin dropped into a pout. “You refuse my offer to find some clothes and accept some other random person’s—are you saying I have bad fashion sense?”

“No, Melissa, hehe—I couldn’t refuse the offer—it’s complicated. Whenever we get some time to visit a bigger city, I promise we can go shopping together...maybe bring some other people,” she mumbled, free fingers fidgeting with her top.

“Ooh! Talon City shopping trip with Lily for a girls’ night out? Hehe, it’s a promise!” she sang. “So, what can I do for you?”

“Hmm... Lily is up, and I want to explain her circumstances in person; I don’t know if you’ve gotten all the details from the general, but I’d like you to set things up with him and come get me. We must try and drain the Desire Force as soon as possible.”

“Huh. Lily and Desire Force... Well, okay, I’m a little confused—I’ll contact General Laurence for the details—can you send me your live GPS coordinates so I can get to you as soon as I’m ready?”

“Done.”

“Okay, and I assume you’re still busy looking into that one thunder girl?”

“Thunder girl?”

“That’s kind of what we’re calling her here from all the noise around the town.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, I am. I’ll give you more details when we meet up.”

Melissa took a long breath, looking to her left as a few boisterous men and women laughed in the background; she appeared to be at a bar.

“Alright, I’ve been catching up with my team, and if it’s that urgent, I’ll see if the general can pull us a helicopter; I’ve basically been grounded and told to rest,” she grumbled before her face filled with life again.

“Oh! There’s one being loaded just outside of town right now that was used to transport some heavily injured people that the hospital doesn’t have the resources to handle. Oh, and…”

“Hmm?”

She drew in her lips, looking a tad curious. “Some people are talking about you absorbing the bodies of the transevil with your gathering aura, and thinking back...it was all a blur, but you did kind of do that to the ones attacking that little girl and me. I was a tad overwhelmed at the time due to you activating Hysteria, but...that’s new.”

“Oh?” Clover thought back to how Yumi explained it to her. “I was under the impression all spirit users were able to collect items from dead rassi and transevil in that way.”

“Collect items, sure...absorb bodies? Eh-hehehe. No. No, that’s unique to you, and it has a lot of the SPU researchers a bit annoyed since they can’t use the corpses that are pretty valuable considering the DF they hold.”

It clicked in her head; she was consuming them. Placing a hand against her breast, she searched for them and discovered hundreds upon hundreds stored within her, being absorbed into some bottomless hole.

“Uh... I’ll have to get back to you on that. Pick me up when you can?”

“Well, okay—yeah, just thought I’d mention it so you wouldn’t get blindsided,” Melissa chuckled before hanging up.

Taking in the town’s sounds for a moment as she scrutinized the rumbling within her core, Clover moved her fingers down her torso to her abdomen; a fire radiated within her belly.

My body is so weird now... Am I even fit to help Leora?

Letting the unusual sensations fade into the background, her eyes moved to the large banking building in the distance, and she hopped off the edge of the five-story building she was using to begin her hunt for her rather prickly silver-haired niece that had brushed her off—it still stung a little but she knew it was only natural since they hadn’t grown up together.

Tyler’s face appeared on her display as she tracked Leora into the slums of Hollow Veil, and to her surprise, Tamara was bridged into the call. 

“Clover!” the masked woman chimed, fingers folded atop her crossed legs; she seemed to be in the hideout by Ronan’s loud voice in the background. “I hear we have another spirit ruler in the mix.”

“Is she, though?” Clover pressed again. “I smell a mixture of Desire and Spirit Force... It smells unnatural, like Tyler’s—more potent, but certainly giving off SF vibes.”

“I’m sure it does,” Tamara said, cadence barely showing the displeasure she felt toward the banker.

Tyler ignored it or didn’t appear to notice; it was probably the former. “Comparing us, who is stronger?”

Tamara snorted. “Comparing swords already, Tyler? Think what you’re asking the poor girl.”

Bypassing the biting jokes and comments of the disgruntled woman, Clover moved past them as if they were private messages. “Currently, I believe all three of us would be fairly equally matched—actually, she’s probably a bit stronger—not trying to damage your ego,” she added with a slight nudge of her head at the man’s frown.

“Naturally!” Tamara snickered.

“Stronger, hmm? Go on…”

“She’s far weaker than me now, but now that I’m paying closer attention, her power seems to be fluctuating, so maybe I am stronger? I don’t know. She appears to have had fights with Castro and transevil since exiting the Great Void—a lot of them. Am I going to get an answer to why both of your energies smell strange?”

“Unfortunately not,” Tamara shrugged in a smirking tone. “Tyler is fairly guarded about such things—even to those closest to him—which makes you wonder.”

“It’s not that simple, Tamara... There’s no reason to instantly believe she or I am connected in any manner; it is a strange coincidence, though. I am interested in having a private discussion with her, and I’ll pay you to introduce us, Clover.”

Tamara leaned to the side, her thick raven locks floating as she supported the side of her head with her palm. “I would like an introduction as well, obviously.”

“Ugh…” Clover grimaced, turning into a fairly filthy alley where trash had been stacked on all sides. “Please, do not tell me you’re both fighting for the right to meet my niece with me in the middle? I’d rather not be an active player or the third wheel in this unfortunate triangle.”

“No-ho-ho,” Tamara laughed, posture suddenly taking on a more serious tone. “We are not so petty, and...could you repeat that—your niece?”

Tyler drew in his bottom lip to glare to the side. “Castro...introduced you to your niece that, according to the file I had on you, should be dead. I’m guessing you’re being a cautious skeptic?”

Clover wanted to curse. “I’m...conflicted, which is why I’ve been trying to get answers as to how her energy and yours connect.”

Tamara’s low hum said it all. “Ominous... Still, a new potential partner to join our little deal, and one linked to your family could bring a lot of benefits; we can use all the support we can and it would be a good test to observe her behavior.”

Leaping from wall to wall, using her momentum, Clover bypassed the rubbish to land behind the tattered fence at the end of the corridor; a sullen muddy road met her as she proceeded, taking care with where she stepped as her scent drew closer.

“That’s...could work since I’m bound to have a blind spot in this; I can’t separate myself from my emotions, which is now why I’ve brought you two in on this...among other reasons. She, mmgm, didn’t have the best impression of me, and I doubt she is a team player. It’s such a mess.”

Tyler smirked. “Family often is. Did she say or do something to get on your bad side, or was it the opposite?”

“The opposite, I suppose you could say... No, forget what I said,” she muttered, still somewhat embarrassed and frustrated about the whole event. “Is that all the information you’re willing to give me?”

“I’m fascinated to meet this niece of yours and gauge her merits for myself,” Tamara shrugged. “The energy business is... Well, I won’t say I’m not invested in it, but we can leave it at that.”

“We all have our secrets, Clover,” Tyler whispered, puffing out a long breath and glaring at the masked woman. “She probably doesn’t want to talk about it and doesn’t trust us, which means we need to build rapport. It doesn’t change my deal with you.”

“I get it... I know what you both want, and you know what I want. Anything else?”

“That’s it!” Tamara laughed. “Oh, and you look stunning in that new outfit. I can’t wait to see the final design for your Soul Gear when Yumi finishes—by the way, she always adds a visual reflection modifier so that you can retain the outward illusion of your non-SF gear since sometimes it can be a tad, heh...embarrassing. I’ll leave that to your imagination!”

Clover cut the connection to the two, shaking her head.

Honestly, those two act more like schoolkid lovers than masters of the criminal underworld, and I’m dealing with my niece coming into my life like a lightning bolt while my operator was kidnapped and experimented on... I have such a wonderful life now.

Final design, though? I suppose I’ll be able to modify the appearance of my sword and outfit by her comment, which will be nice. Take your wins where you can. It should only be a temporary set until I get better materials, but fashion is also essential since first introductions are critical—such as with Leora…

Trying to put her agitation behind her, Clover prepared herself to call on her Spirit Armament if needed as she neared her target. However, what she found was a sixteen year-old-girl, resting between a stack of decaying crates, seemingly asleep.

She didn’t expect to find Leora so unguarded after all her leaps; then again, a weak field deflected light from a small device near her, but it didn’t seem fully functional.

Clover couldn’t find any traps; two stray dogs that smelled of the trash they lived among were curled beside her, and a dirty cat was on her niece’s lap. Putting a hand on her left hip, she reigned herself in, pursed her full lips, and pondered what to do next while examining her appearance.

Loera was a bit taller than her, showing a fairly lean figure like her aunt or mother that was fairly well-defined from her tattered full-body suit; the armpits had been cut out to allow breathing and the high-necked, elastic material narrowed Clover’s eyes as it brought back images from Lily’s appearance when she’d rescued the girl.

When did she enter the Voids? People don’t age when they go inside and come out, so... No, it doesn’t make sense. How is she practically as old as she would be after fifteen years when she exited with me; is this all just a game and she’s a fake that Castro made?

Clover’s encounter with the invisible priestess of a woman brought a shiver through her spine. I have to bridge people and accept them, according to her fortune. Despite the red flags... I want to believe it’s her.

She couldn’t help but feel her heart threatening to melt any second as her gaze drifted between the gashes and blood marring her skin; this was her little baby niece.

Leora’s protective armor and cloak were gone, now only the flickering spear was held in her hands, active even while passed out with her messy long hair bunching in her lap; it was so thick, like her aunt’s had been, and the shimmer was so much brighter than Clover’s, causing her to bring around her braid to compare.

What do I do?

Her attention went to the Spirit Armament that was mixed with mostly Desire Force. If it wasn’t for the slight mixture of SF, she could have mistaken him for a rassi like Ronan, which was the primary thing that separated his scent from Tyler’s.

Tyler’s was an unusual grade of DF whereas Leora’s was heavily skewed toward the type of scent Ronan gave off, yet had a distinct mixture of a unique DF and SF that confused her nose. A new conclusion made her belly squirm and she took a step back.

Is Castro trying to make me think she’s him, so...so I kill my own niece?! No! Trust Shion’s fortune. Don’t give in to the paranoia!

Honestly, it was hard, in fact, the opposite to let those concerns wash away when watching her modest chest rise and fall in a slow rhythm, and by the displacement of debris and slide markers, she’d stumbled into the alley before collapsing.

She’s totally exhausted... Is that why she left? Did she recognize me and didn’t have the energy to protect herself in case it was a trap? I might have done what she did if I’d been paranoid and stressed.

Two minutes passed with her internal struggle and debate, but eventually, a dog lifted his head to look at her, snapping her brain into gear; the second it did see her, a low bark came from the beast, causing Leora to stir.

“Finally waking up?” Clover asked, forcing a smile and keeping her hand on her hip so she wouldn’t fidget or shake.

Leora’s hard green irises slowly opened—her mother’s eyes—and she calmly glared at her. “Congratulations, you were able to find me... Do you want a prize? Unless you’re that clown in disguise, come to laugh at me and finish the job.”

A nervous huff shot through Clover’s nose; the sarcasm was utter poison, and typically, she’d react in kind, but this wasn’t just some total stranger. “I am not that disgusting jester, Leora.”

“No? And who is this Leora. I...think you have me mistaken with someone else. So can you just let me sleep—I’m tired…” She closed his eyes and settled back into place before stroking the dirty cat’s side several times. “Can’t you see I already have company? No need for a fifth wheel.”

Clover hummed, trying to connect the dots. “You...don’t know who I am? Does the name Clover mean anything to you—Clover Emberfield?

“Pfft. No? Why, should I get down and kiss your feet,” her niece scoffed, a yawn close to her lips. “If you pay me, maybe I’ll pretend to be this Leora girl for you. What do you say?”

Taking a step back, a lump formed in her throat as she glanced off to the side, body feeling hot. She doesn’t remember who she is? There’s no doubt in my mind. She smells...so familiar—like my nose is telling me we are family. For the past fifteen years, she’s had to live as... No, she came from the Void? She isn’t going to trust me like this, though.

“Umm. I’d rather not pay you for something that you already are. But...what would you say if I could find you a bed and someone to heal you?”

“Humph—I’d ask how much it would cost me, Princess?”

“Princess?” Clover giggled, catching a frown on her niece’s face. “Hmm... Why do you think it will cost you anything? There are quite a few social programs in this town.”

A green shimmer sparked in her accusatory eyes. “Anyone who offers you something without expecting payment is trying to trick and use you... Everything has a cost. Heh, or are you here to kick me out of the town because I haven’t paid my toll or something? I bet it’s that.”

“Why in Rosa’s name would I do that? You aren’t making any sense,” Clover sighed as she knelt down. “Please, help me understand.”

“Okay, back up creeper!”

Clover scooted a distance away, chiding herself for being too hasty; she was a baby when all of this happened. “I’m sorry. Please, just give me a chance to explain myself.”

A spark of light came to the silver-haired teen’s gaze. “Ahh. You’re just being a good doggie, following orders,” she grunted, vision closing with a smirk. “You need to bring me in for questioning or something. Typical spirit user bull. Do what the master says, and you won’t be punished.”

Clover’s jaw locked, her feathers more than a little ruffled by her ignorant niece. “I am no slave—my name is Clover Emberfield—and I will never be someone’s slave. Do you have a mercenary name or something? Give me something to go off of!”

“Tch... Wait, you think I’m Leora...Emberfield—like, your sister or something?” she snarled, making the mutts rustle and lift their heads to look at him. “My name... Mmgm... What is my name?” she whispered, turning to the side and scanning the alleyway while rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess you could—hey!”

Anger flooded Clover’s breast as she leaned forward to pull the girl’s hair back, exposing the back of her neck, where a barcode had been burned. “Who did this to you?! I’ll—ugh!”

“Hands off!” The shield materialized between them, battering her away. “You’re so touchy—keep out of my space, girl!”

“Sorry! I’m sorry…” Clover groaned, picking herself up and not finding any damage due to her natural Super Armor and Defense. “I can prove that we’re related—you’re my niece—I can prove it by a DNA test at the base. Just please, give me a chance!”

The teen cursed as the animals near her ran away at their swift movements and her shield vanished, a wince following. “Geez—mmgm! I...hate it when I get this weak. Ugh. Sure, lady. I’ll pretend to be your sister if it means I’ll get a discounted meal or something. I’m starving... What was my name? Leora Emberpaper? Sure. It’s better than Zero.”

Fire erupted in Clover’s chest again as she got to her feet and brushed herself off, mentally keeping track of everything her niece said. People called her Zero? The barcode burned on the back of her neck and now she is called by a number! I am going to murder someone!

Trying to calm down as Leora gave her a tentative stare that said she was insane, Clover added a smile, suddenly feeling the pressure of finding out she wasn’t the last of her family. “You’re...okay with me calling you Leora?”

Struggling to her feet, her niece strained a laugh. “You could call me Rosa’s Dog for all I care, uh...Sis?”

“Aunt, I guess would be the appropriate term,” Clover said, cheeks going slightly red at the thought of being an aunt again. “I know you’ve probably met your fair share of crazy people in this world, but if you’re willing to entertain the idea and do the test... I will consider that payment enough for a meal, clothes, and a place to stay.”

“Rosa’s light, you never stop,” she mumbled, making Clover’s lungs lock up as Leora pulled up her tired hand to rub her left ear. “Look, is your holiness going to make fun of me and pester me forever with this act, or are you going to just like...walk away?”

“Hmm…”

Clover sighed. Clearly, she was jaded about something and didn’t trust people—which was totally reasonable—but it was also a bit annoying to deal with. She grimaced in sharp realization upon reflecting on what she would do in a reverse scenario.

I suppose I’m not the easiest person to interact with either... And I have come on pretty strong. How can I be blamed, though? I thought everyone in my family was dead! Now, Castro, of all people, shows me I am not alone? Could Leora have come after me in the Great Void when she grew old enough, and she lost her memories somehow?

“What do you want?” Leora snarled, rolling around her fingers. “Take me to jail, give me food, or go away, but make up your mind, Auntie!”

“Huh? What was that? Auntie?”

Leaora hung her head. “Okay, Ms. Forgetful. Here, I have a half-rotten apple I can pay you—gah, never mind, the dog ate it... Well, shoot. Let me find something else in this garbage to pay you with to go away.”

“Heh-hahaha!” Clover couldn’t help but smile a bit at her antics; it was so unlike their family. “If money is everything to you... Do you want work?”

“Licking your boots—sorry, are those heels, My Lady Emberpaper, was it?”

“Emberfield. One of the Houses of High Nobility in the previous world.”

“Ooh, my bad,” she rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t aware I was in the presence of royalty... No, I don’t know who you are. Wait... You’re saying I’m royalty? Well, I’ll be Rosa’s heel. Do I get a fancy dress?”

Clover met his dull gaze for a few seconds, clearly mocking her, before stepping forward and holding out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Leora... I apologize for my rudeness and forwardness. Let’s take this one step at a time.”

“Uh-huh…” She didn’t take her hand, glaring at it suspiciously. “What...are you trying to pull with this change of attitude?”

“I’m serious, Leora. Castro—that clown, as you put it—has been a thorn in my side. If you are his enemy, we have that in common.”

She hesitantly took her hand, showing a firmness she hadn’t expected since becoming a spirit user. “Yeah, well, nice to meet you too, Lady Clover Emberfield... I don’t work for free, though—I work for myself now, so…”

I work for myself...now, as in she used to work for someone else? Eventually, I’ll learn the truth, she internally thought, murder on her heart as she laughed and played along.

“You really are obsessed with payment, but I can understand why in this sort of world. Hmm. How about this: you are in my debt for getting you in contact with the proper channels to find you work. I’ll be your senior and take a small cut of your earnings for...ten jobs?”

A small smile finally moved the girl’s lips; she was probably around sixteen at this point. “I’m not familiar with how long these jobs take... Give me a timed offer.”

Stepping back, she withdrew her hand and found her elbow to not give into the jitters. “A month as my junior—with a DNA test, of course. Does that work for you?”

The cat a few meters away meowed as Leora forced a smile and stepped forward to stand in front of her, causing it to run off into the alley. Dusting off her tarnished clothing and straightening it, she flashed his surprisingly perfect teeth, looking down at her and showing their height difference—her niece was fairly tall.

“We aren’t talkin’ servant stuff, right? Cleaning and cooking and the like aren’t really my talents—and we’re still hung-up on this Leora niece thing, huh. Okay. Sure. But be specific with me, Lady Clover,” she said, clearly making fun of her name, but that was fine for the time being. “What is this contract you’re offering me?”

“Okay, let’s list them,” Clover chuckled, holding up a finger for each point.

“One, we get to know each other better; working with a stranger isn’t really my style.

“Two, you drop the lady part and take the simple DNA test.

“Three, you support me in my jobs—mainly transevil or rassi extermination—and receive twenty percent of my cut.

“Four, you never lie to me.

“Five...you don’t stab me in the back.”

She stretched out her arms and neck before wiping away a streak of blood from her still-wounded cheek. “What are my benefits in this besides the twenty percent?”

I’m getting somewhere, she internally cheered.

“One, a safe place to rest and potentially finding family.

“Two, some of the highest caliber contacts. I will be introducing you to them, and I guarantee they will be willing to work with you, providing a stable income.

“Three, as I mentioned, twenty percent of my jobs for whatever personal expense you desire, in addition to Soul Gear—excluding your cut.

“Four, a partner you can rely on; if you have unfinished business that I can get behind, I don’t mind supporting you, hehe, as my subordinate and niece, that is.

“And finally... Eww. A clean set of clothes and a shower—you’re filthy.”

Clover was taken aback by her niece’s grin and laugh, showing a hidden charm under the grime, cuts, and bruises. “I like your humor, Clover... I take contracts very seriously, though. Are we talking about whatever the current main currency is of this place? I’ve never been to an area like this... All of this is totally new to me, so I want you to be specific on the details.”

Happy she was opening up a little but finding that answer a tad suspicious, Clover paused, drawing her questioning gaze. “Hmm... Do you know what transevil and rassi are?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

So, she hasn’t been in the Great Void for more than fifteen years, at least. She probably wasn’t inside the Great Void as a baby then.

“Mhm... Well, our jobs are pretty straightforward, and no, I don’t work for the SPU—I’m not your standard SPU dog, as you assumed. I’m a freelancer. I work for myself and have my own goals.”

Leora took a deep breath and smiled. “Glad to hear it... So, does this shower and clothes come with a good meal?”

“Do you even need to eat?”

“Hehe, no, but you can’t beat a hot meal,” she grinned. “I never turn down food...unless it’s suspicious, and even then, maybe I’ll pick at it to be sure!”

“Hilarious!”

Please, please, be my Leora! My big brother’s baby girl is still alive!

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Need To Write More

I've come to the end of where Public is on SR; there are three more chapters in the volume, but those are on patreon. I need to write in Volume 2 to keep releasing. It's hard to find time, but when I finish the next volume of one of my series, I'll probably put SR into the slot of that completed volume while I plan the next one. Undying Empire will probably be the next one that finishes its volume...well, I can probably split it into two volumes since it will be around 320k words by the end of where volume 2 is.

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