Morcster Chef - B3 Chapter 7 (Patreon)

“Are you going to tell us or just keep us hanging over the fire?” Arek asked, curling his lip up in a grin.

“Knowing how to dramatize a statement is an important talent,” Magus grumbled. “I’ve discovered what I believe to be the source of the Blessed One curse.”

They all stiffened in their chairs.

“What is it?” Belmont asked. “Where is it?”

“I followed all the records I could find of green pillars of light and mages growing inexplicably stronger,” Magus said, disregarding their questions. “And I discovered the reason why there’s so little information about this curse. The mages afflicted with it tend to disappear after a few months, but never violently. They just… head off on a mission and don’t come back. So, of course, I looked into those missions. They all led the mages to a city called Dortusk, which is near the center of the kingdom.”

They stared at him expectantly.

“I went there, of course,” Magus continued. “And imagine my surprise when I found that the Howler guild had a very large presence in the area. It made investigating somewhat difficult, so I had to leave. Still, I think I know the purpose of the curse now.”

“The Howler guild is trying to make soldiers,” Arek said before Magus could finish.

“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” Magus said with a nod. “It would make a lot of sense. They’re large, but not big enough to take on the Adventurer’s Guild on their own. However, if they had a huge group of super-powered mages that either owed them loyalty or were otherwise forced to fight for them, they’d have a decent chance.”

“They must have been setting this up for a ridiculously long time,” Malissa said, her eyes wide.

“On the contrary,” Magus said. “I don’t think they set this up at all. There are records of this curse from a long time before the Howlers rose into prominence. Of course, there’s a chance that they’re part of an even older organization, but I find it more likely that the Howlers discovered this curse and are trying to bend it to their own benefits.”

“And it somehow draws people to Dortusk, which means it’ll likely happen to us as well,” Arek said. “Or, rather, it’ll happen to me. Ming seems to be unaffected by the curse for some reason.”

“Yes, that’s quite the quandary,” Magus admitted. “I’m still unsure as to why you and Ming were the only ones that got the curse and why she doesn’t seem to be affected by it. There’s a chance it needs the user to kill someone to fully activate, but the runes in her eyes suggest something else is afoot.”

“So, should we try to do something before Arek and Ming get drawn to Dortusk?” Malissa asked.

“Absolutely,” Magus said. “But not yet. Dortusk is not safe right now, but as I put more pressure on the Howlers, it’ll be easier to catch them off guard. You should still have at least a month or two before any sort of call begins. For the next three weeks or so, stay far away from the Howlers or anyone else with the Blessed One curse. Seaview is a decent place to kill some time, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay here. There are no portal blocks in Dortusk, so I can teleport everyone there when the time comes.”

“That’s it?” Ming asked. “That seems so boring.”

“You’ve got more than enough magic to learn,” Magus replied, crossing his arms. “How much did you study from the book I gave you?”

Ming clutched her heart and doubled over the table with a groan. “Oh no. The world is going gray. I think I might pass out.”

They all stared at her. She shifted slightly to peek up at them through a squinted eye, then squeezed it shut when she realized they were watching her.

“She didn’t get too much,” Belmont said. “Nor did I, unfortunately. It’s been hard to find enough time to do it, and practicing in the Floating Cities just didn’t feel right.”

“Even adventurers must occasionally rest,” Magus said. “And you’ve got more than enough time to learn now. Stay in the surrounding area. There are two dungeons in the area that are both at high C rank, you should be more than capable of dealing with them. Do those if you get bored.”

“We can do that,” Arek said. “But how do you know the Howlers won’t chase us here?”

“I don’t,” Magus admitted. “But I plan to keep them busy enough that they can’t afford to bother hunting after minor thorns in their side. They’re also caught up in quite the conflict with the remains of the Starpiercer guild, so their attention is split.”

“That sounds good to us,” Malissa said.

“Good,” Magus replied, flipping his menu open and scanning through it. He flicked his hand, sending a wisp of blue energy darting down the stairs. “Then let’s eat.”

Ming sprung upright. “I saw god, and he sent me back to eat.”

“I’m sure he did,” Magus said, trying and failing to keep his lip from quirking slightly upward.

The waiter climbed up the stairs a few seconds later to take their orders. After ordering, the food arrived in a few minutes and they all dug in. Little was said throughout the meal. The beautiful view of the ocean far beneath them and the gentle rays of the sun coming down through the large opening overlooking the water set a perfect ambiance.

“I’ve got much to do, so I’ll be off,” Magus said once he finished the large fish he’d ordered. “I expect to see progress on your magic when we next meet, Ming. You too, Belmont.”

He dropped several gold coins on the table and snapped his fingers. The blue veins running through his skin flared and he vanished in a puff of smoke, spiraling out over the ocean and into the sky.

“That wasn’t dramatic at all,” Arek said, still nursing the large red bowl of soup in front of him. “I wonder if he remembers that he’s still wearing that fuzzy pink bathrobe.”

“I pity anyone foolish enough to remind him,” Malissa replied, glancing at the coins Magus had left and then adding a few of her own. “But it’s good to know that we don’t actually have to do anything for a bit. It’s like an extension to our vacation!”

“We mustn’t let our guard down,” Belmont said. His face softened an inch. “But it would be nice to take a look around town and figure out a place to stay for a few weeks. Maybe there will be some interesting things happening.”