Return of the Runebound Professor Chapter 858: Together

Noah felt certain his garments reeked of blood. Pure paranoia, no doubt. The enchanted fabric Eliana crafted for them repelled every stain. They stayed immaculate, exactly as pristine as when he first obtained them.

Yet he couldn't dispel the sensation that the foul odor of his guilt gripped him tightly, like a relentless hand clamped on his shoulder. Despite the city jumbling Lee's sense of smell, it seemed she was already positioned next to him, eager to detect how he'd slain more foes without her presence.

Noah peered up at the inn towering ahead. Locating it once more had required some time. Aqua Terra truly was a labyrinth. Finding one's way through the city proved nearly impossible. Still, he was confident he'd returned just shy of their one-hour agreement.

“Hello,” Lee said.

Surprise nearly jolted Noah straight out of his clothes. He scarcely held back from summoning his runes while pivoting toward Lee's voice. She stood only a few steps distant, propped against a wall with arms folded across her chest.

“Shit, Lee,” Noah said, exhaling sharply and shaking his head. “You nearly scared the life out of me. What are you doing?”

“Waiting,” Lee replied. “Because I didn’t want to get into any trouble. Like we agreed.”

Noah almost flinched. He cleared his throat. “So everything went well? You got your badge?”

“Yeah,” Lee said stiffly. “I did. It’s in my pocket. And I’ve been here for a while, too. Just sitting around. It’s been really boring. But I really hate this city. If I wandered around to get any snacks or something, I definitely would have done something bad. So I didn’t. I just came right back here.”

Each word from Lee hammered into Noah's back like a heavy blow. He summoned all his willpower to offer her a nod of gratitude.

“Thank you, Lee. I know that couldn’t have been easy. Especially given how shitty the city is,” Noah said. “It’s a lot to deal with. Even for me.”

Lee grunted. “What about you? Did you get a bag to protect that badge thing from kidnapping you again?”

“Kind of. Things didn’t quite work out as smoothly for me as they did for you,” Noah said wearily. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve currently got it stuck into a sword sheathe. Not the most effective, but it works. Maybe I should try to get my hands on a better one and take you with me.”

Lee smiled. “That sounds good to me. I really want to do something. It feels like it’s been forever. Being nice when I can’t smell anything properly is awful. Really awful.”

“Okay,” Noah said, his shoulders drooping a touch. He swiftly scanned the street, finding it utterly deserted—and they lingered at its fringe regardless. Even so, he dropped his voice. “I’m sorry, Lee. I have a confession.”

“What?” Lee asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I might have screwed up a bit. I didn’t keep our promise,” Noah said reluctantly. Lying came easily to him. He relished wielding—and exploiting—that talent. Noah had honed it over countless hours, after all. But deceiving Lee felt utterly different. It simply rang false.

Lee stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry,” Noah said. He raised his hands before himself. “Look. They had it coming. There were these bastards using indentured servitude to force a bunch of Imbuers to work for them at terrible rates. It was basically legalized slavery with a few extra steps and a contract. And the guy running the thing just strolled up to me on the street like he owned the place and started trying to pitch it. I just couldn’t help myself. I had to do something. There was no time to—”

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“Hold on,” Lee said. She squinted at him and raised one of her own hands. “What did you do, Noah? You killed someone? Without me?”

“Yeah,” Noah said with a wince. “Two people, actually. But I’m telling you, it had to be done. God, they were just so smug. It felt like the universe was practically just telling me to clean up shop for the betterment of everyone in Aqua Terra. But you should have been there. I didn’t mean to cut you out of something again. Especially because of how you’re feeling. I know how good you’ve been at not drawing attention to yourself. I’ll get you something to make this up, okay? We can buy a bunch of food and go find something fun to do. And I won’t kill anyone else without you. You can eat all the bodies of the next people we deal with. Okay? How’s that sound?”

Lee simply gazed at Noah. His heart plunged further into his chest. Though he couldn't precisely decipher her eye's expression, it appeared far from positive. Silence stretched between them for several tense seconds.

Then Lee expelled a bursting breath.

“Praise every god except Decras,” Lee declared, her shoulders sagging with a groan of pure relief. “I fretted endlessly, but you failed right alongside me! Ha!”

Noah halted. He blinked once. This wasn’t remotely the response he’d anticipated. A surge of fury had seemed far more likely.

“I’m… sorry?” Noah ventured, caught off guard. “What makes you say I couldn’t pull it off? I don’t get it.”

Lee fished into her pocket and withdrew an item, shoving it past her lips before Noah could glimpse it clearly.

“You went and slew some folks once more.” Lee wagged her head, flashing him a teasing smirk. “I figured you’d be unable to resist, yet I still panicked that I might botch it solo.”

“Solo?” Noah echoed. His gaze sharpened as Lee extracted another item from her pocket. This time, the subtle metallic sheen gave it away.

A ring’s gleam.

Lee was munching on someone’s fingers.

“Yep,” Lee confirmed, gulping it down and offering a bashful smile. “But we both messed up as a team, yeah? All good then?”

“…Lee?” Noah queried. “What exactly did you pull off?”

“Precisely what you did!” Lee shot back, indignant. “No yelling at me! That breaks the rules! It’s unfair!”

“I’m not angry,” Noah stated deliberately. “But I’m confused. I assumed…”

“Total nonsense from me,” Lee admitted. She drew forth yet another finger from her pocket and extended it his way. “Finger?”

“Pass,” Noah declined. “What went down precisely? Anyone on your trail?”

“Who do you take me for?” Lee demanded, eyes slitting. She devoured the offered digit, then folded her arms over her chest. “I’m no rookie. Grabbing my badge took a couple minutes. After that, boredom hit hard. Super intense boredom. My sense of smell failed too. Couldn’t detect any thrills… but with the tournament drawing all these scum, I knew it’d only take moments for one to approach. So I hung back.”

“You simply bided your time for an attacker?”

“Nope. He aimed to recruit me for a job,” Lee explained, rubbing her neck. “Dancing, maybe? Unclear. But rest easy! I held off until he got too grabby. He lunged for my bag. I let his fingers slip in. Then I claimed them.”

“You claimed them,” Noah restated.

“Right,” Lee affirmed. “His fingers.”

“Got it,” Noah responded, squeezing the bridge of his nose. Laughter or exasperation? Tough call. Clearly, neither he nor Lee could avoid chaos without oversight. “What next?”

“Dispatched him,” Lee said. “Devoured the corpse. Saved some fingers for nibbles. In case you actually avoided killing. Planned to ration them.”

“I see,” Noah acknowledged. He scanned the street anew for possible listeners, but emptiness reigned as before. “Fine. I outdid you in villainy still. Took out two. The ring’s operators.”

Lee froze. Then nodded. Deliberately. Excruciatingly slow.

“Lee?” Noah pressed.

“Finger?” Lee inquired sweetly, delving into her bag for another crimson treat.

“How many did you kill, Lee?”

“Not a ton.”

“Give me a figure, Lee.” Noah prodded her shoulder. “Spill. No rage here. I didn’t excel either. It can’t possibly top—”

“Twelve.” Lee crammed the finger in, swallowing whole. “Roughly. Lost track near the finish.”

“Where’d you dig up that many thugs in an hour?”

“Same crew,” Lee clarified. “Lured one of the first fool’s pals back before finishing him. Forced the next to guide me to their lair. Wiped them out. Others were present, but I spared them. No mages, I figured.”

Noah’s eyes tightened. Coincidence? Hardly.

“Imbuers?”

“Nah. Dancers, probably. Sweet group of women. Shared their treats before fleeing,” Lee said, shaking her head. “Swore silence on my appearance. No name from me, so we’re clear.”

Noah hummed. “Sounds beneficial overall. If not, ignorance is bliss. Nice work.”

“Appreciate it,” Lee replied. She patted Noah’s shoulder firmly, eyes grave. “And they never got my name.”

“Smart move. No links to—”

“Handed over yours.”

“Pardon?” Noah blurted.

“Told them I’m Spider.” Lee thumbs-upped with her spare hand. “Boosts your rep, right? Scum deserved it. Justice served.”

Noah eyed Lee briefly. Her reasoning held a peculiar appeal. Arguing felt exhausting now.

“Fair enough,” Noah conceded. “You’re spot on.”

“Sweet,” Lee beamed. “Round two soon?”

“No, Lee.” Noah tousled her hair. “Next time, we’ll do it together.”