Chapter 70: Fire and Water and A Flowershop too!

Boom!

That was the sound of Kai’s body crashing into an oak tree after making contact with a writhing creature. The water wraith had no intention of going down without a gruesome struggle.

"Hey! You okay?" Elias called out.

Kai groaned, only feeling a minor pain.

"Yeah! I just need to get up."

[Warning. Avoid contact with the wraith’s claws. They are severely harmful to you, Host.]

"You don’t have to tell me twice," Kai muttered, pushing himself up from the splintered remains of the tree. The impact had collapsed the trunk into a mess of broken wood and scattered leaves.

This was their A-rank mission of the day. "Vanquish the water wraith," the commission board had said. Simple enough on paper. In practice, water wraiths were semi-elemental predators that formed in deep, stagnant basins and flooded ruins. They could shift between liquid and mist at will, regenerate from nearly any physical wound as long as their core remained intact, and their claws carried a numbing toxin that slowed reaction speed and made drowning feel almost peaceful. Most adventurers underestimated them until it was too late.

Kai moved back to where Elias stood, dark blade in hand, watching the creature writhe and scream in fury. The wraith’s body twisted like living water, surface rippling with distorted reflections of the trees around them.

"What’s the opposite of water?" Elias suddenly asked.

Kai blinked, thrown by the question even as he answered.

"Fire?"

Elias smiled, retracted his blade, and glanced at him.

"When I attack, use the opening to destroy the core."

"Yes, but—"

Kai wasn’t given a minute to finish. Elias jumped into the air, and the temperature around them spiked. Flames erupted from his free hand in a controlled spiral, wrapping around his body before expanding outward into a roaring tornado of fire. The heat was intense enough to make the air shimmer. Kai stared, momentarily stunned. In all the time they had traveled together, Elias had never once shown anything beyond steel and speed. This was something else entirely.

The fire tornado slammed into the water wraith. Steam exploded across the basin in a violent white cloud. The creature’s liquid body boiled and evaporated under the assault, forced to condense around its vulnerable center as it tried to protect itself. For a brief window the core — a pulsing sphere of deep blue light — was fully exposed.

"Now!"

Kai didn’t waste the opening. He planted his feet into the ground and, and drove forward through the residual steam. His fist connected with the core in a single, concentrated strike. The sphere shattered with a sound like breaking ice. The remaining water collapsed into ordinary rain, and the wraith’s presence vanished completely..

Elias landed lightly beside him, brushing steam from his sleeve like he hadn’t just summoned a pillar of fire.

"Can your elf boyfriend do that?"

Kai shot him a flat look while shaking water from his hair.

"Not now, Elias."

"I’m just saying. Pretty alchemy is nice, but it doesn’t hit like that."

"We’re not doing this."

Elias chuckled and started walking back toward the path.

"Whatever you say, Sugar."

"When did you even learn magic?"

"From my training days as a mage" kai stared in surprise wondering where the random lore drop came from

"You trained as a mage?"

"Yes, for some while after leaving Voltra in the academy of mystic arts. I was expelled after six months though" he said with a big smile.

Kai frowned "let me guess you fucked your teacher’s child? Or even better fucked all your teachers?"

Elias giggled "What do you take me for?? I just had a problematic love triangle with the head master and his wife"

"You are such a scum"

"And you love me"

They returned to the presidential suite and the residual adrenaline left Kai restless. The large rooms that had felt luxurious the days before now felt too quiet. He showered, dressed in a clean dark shirt and coat, and checked his reflection once. The white hair still caught him off guard sometimes.

Elias watched him from the doorway of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"Lucien’s shop. I want to ask him a few things about the Red Ledger and also see him because i promised"

Elias’s expression didn’t change much, but something in his posture sharpened.

"I’m coming."

Kai opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. There was no winning that particular fight.

"Fine."

They left the suite and headed into the late evening streets of Veyrhold.

Halfway to the eastern garden district the System chimed.

[Minor Popup Event Generated.]

[Event: Street Disturbance – A robbery is in progress three streets east. Intervene and neutralize the threat.]

[Reward: Bond Points +150 | Minor Agility Boost (temporary) | Random Low-Grade Consumable]

Kai didn’t hesitate this time.

"Wait here," he told Elias who gave him a side glance, then moved.

He cut through an alley and emerged onto a narrower street just as a masked man yanked a coin pouch from a merchant’s belt. The robber turned to run. Kai was already there. One clean step, a flash of movement, and he had the man face-down against the cobblestones with an arm locked behind his back. The entire exchange lasted less than four seconds.

The merchant stared, wide-eyed. A few nearby adventurers stopped to watch. Kai handed the pouch back, waited just long enough for a city patrol to arrive, and left without giving his name.

[Event Complete.]

[Rewards Issued: Bond Points +150 | Temporary Agility Boost (12 minutes) | Minor Healing Draught ×1]

Elias was leaning against a post when Kai returned, looking equal parts annoyed and worried

"Where the hell did you bolt off to"

Kai glanced side ways awkwardly and led him away with a smile

"It’s nothing" Elias’s brows furrowed in suspicion.

They reached Lucien’s shop just as the half-elf was turning the sign to closed. The place was beautiful, it had Climbing roses and soft blue blossoms framing the entrance. Inside, neat rows of glass vials, dried herbs, and carefully labeled flowers filled the shelves. The air smelled of lavender and mint.

Lucien looked up at the sound of the door. His entire face brightened when he saw Kai.

"Kai. I was hoping you’d—"

Then Elias stepped into view behind him.

Lucien’s expression cooled by several degrees.

"Oh. He’s here too."

The awkwardness settled over the shop like a sudden drop in temperature.

Kai cleared his throat.

"We were hoping to ask you a few things. About the Red Ledger"

Lucien’s gaze lingered on Elias for a moment longer before returning to Kai.

"I was just closing up. There’s a place nearby. We can talk there."

Elias smiled, slowly

"Lead the way."

The drinking spot Lucien took them to was half tavern, half pastry house. Warm light, polished wood, and the smell of butter and sugar mixed with the sharp scent of alcohol. The owner, a broad woman with flour on her apron, waved Lucien in and gave them a private corner table without being asked.

They sat and convinently Kai ended up between them. Of course he did.

The conversation started carefully enough. Lucien spoke about the Red Ledger’s pressure on independent crafters and alchemists. Elias asked sharp, practical questions about routes and missing supply shipments. Kai tried to keep the discussion on the investigation.

It didn’t last.

Every other sentence carried an undercurrent. Elias’s remarks were just a little too pointed. Lucien’s replies were just a little too shady. When Elias leaned back and draped an arm across the back of Kai’s chair, Lucien’s eyes tracked the movement. When Lucien refilled Kai’s cup before his own, Elias’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

The System remained uncomfortably active.

[Candidate 002 affinity increased: +2%]

[Candidate 004 affinity increased: +1%]

[Emotional tension between Candidates is elevating mutual focus on Host. Bond acceleration detected.]

Kai nearly choked on his drink.

[Recommendation: Host may reduce friction through structured competition or shared physical release.]

Three pathways appeared in his mind’s eye.

[Pathway One: Friendly combat spar – allows dominance display and tension discharge.]

[Pathway Two: Collaborative high-risk commission – forces cooperation under pressure.]

[Pathway Three: Shared sexual engagement with Host – highest efficiency for tension resolution and affinity stabilization.]

Kai stared at the floating options and felt heat crawl up his neck. He knew exactly what to do.

Lucien noticed his expression.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," Kai said too quickly. "Just... thinking."