Chapter 3370 Rotting Corpse (Part 1) "Because I was grieving the loss of my husband." Menadion sighed so deeply and looked so sad that even Vexal felt like a massive jerk. The customers grumbled about his lack of tact yet they stood there, waiting for the rest of the story. "He died at the hands of marauders shortly before Sal-, I mean, the Overlord reconnected Solus and me with our lost relatives. My sister is young and she deserved a better life than spending her days taking care of a crying mess so I sent her away. "Don't get me wrong, thanks to the Gate in the barn, she often came back to visit me. Not coming here was my choice. I could not stand seeing Elina's happy family without my wounds reopening" "I see!" Vexal nodded, not daring to ask more questions. "It's fifteen copper coins for everything. The cookies are on the house." "Thank you. You are very kind." Menadion accepted the bag of cookies, taking one out and giving it a bite. Making a widow pay would have been rude. Making a Verhen widow pay would have also been dumb. The moment people saw Ripha eating her cookie with gusto and sharing the rest with Elina and Solus, the customers ordered cookies as if they were a life-saving medicine. Verhens make great publicity.' Vexal thought. 'Everyone who sees them eating my goods will rush here to buy the same things." "Bram, more batches of those big cookies you made by mistake!" He yelled at the pastry chef in the back shop. "And we need to come up with a name! Something catchy." In less than half an hour, the entire Lutia knew of Solus' sister and, of course, her appreciation for Vexal's cookies. *** Meanwhile, at Zekell Proudhammer's shop. "Ho, ho, ho! Here's my Archmage warriors! How was the Desert this time?" Even though Aran and Leria were quite tall for their seven years of age, Zekell lifted them in his arms with ease. He was older than Raaz and without Lith's treatments he carried his years much worse. Yet working in the smithy from a young age had given him wide shoulders and strong arms. "Sad." Aran replied. "Grandpa Valtak is dead." "Dead?" Zekell was flabbergasted. "I thought Dragons were immortal." "No, they are not." Leria cast her best diagnostic spell on her grandfather and so did Aran. "They can die of old age. You are not old, right, Grandpa?" "Of course not." Zekell lied through his teeth. "I still have over a century to live and I'm not going anywhere until you two make me a great-grandfather!" "Eww! Grandpa!" The kids said in unison with a disgusted grimace that turned into an expression of relief as the diagnostic spells came back negative. "What are those things?" Aran pointed at a rack filled with carefully crafted masks in the self-defense section of the shop. "Those are my certified anti-undead Verhen masks." Zekell said with pride. "They sell like hot cakes." He handed one to each kid. The masks had horns of the same size and in the same position as Lith's. They also had two colored lenses for the eyes and five more fake eyes of different colors with a vertical slitted pupil. "Anti-undead how?" Leria asked. "There's no enchantment and they are nothing like Uncle Lith." "You say that because it's afternoon and there's plenty of light." Zekell laughed. "Imagine you are a thief or an undead, in the middle of the night, looking inside a window in Lutia and you see this. "Would you stop taking a second look or run for your life?" "Run for my life." The kids admitted in unison. "Does it work?" "According to the army office, yes." Zekell said. "Several people turned themselves in to have their life spared, believing Lith was chasing them. Some had... to retire from their criminal activity." He was about to say thieves had died of heart attack, but after receiving the news about Valtak's fate, Zekell doubted the kids would find any kind of death funny. "Cool, but does Big Brother know?" Aran asked. "No, but what fills his pockets won't hurt him, believe me." Zekell laughed. "Did it take you long to get here? As bizarre as it sounds, we are starting to get traffic. And I mean not just people walking, but carriages, nobles, and everything else." "No, it was as quick as usual." Leria patted Abominus' neck. People naturally made way for a horse, let alone a magical wolf big enough to rip an adult man's head off with one bite. "I bet you guys must be hungry, then." Zekell gave the Emperor Beasts a big slab of meat and a bowl filled with fresh water. Onyx and Abominus had just eaten a few hours ago, but they never turned a snack down. Also, the sight of the "magical beasts" ripping and tearing through the thick meat with ease made several thugs move to stalk another block of the commercial district. While Abominus and Onyx ate, Aran and Leria recounted the events of Valtak's funeral to Zekell. "Grandpa, can you make us cute lockets for the ashes?" Leria asked. "We were thinking about gifting one to Uncle Lith, Aunt Tista, Elysia, and Valeron. Like a family thing." "Sure." He nodded, proud of their good hearts and moved by their choice to ask for his help instead of Lith's. "Do you have anything in mind already?" "Yes," Aran nodded. "Something coin-shaped with a glass on the front to see the ashes and an engraving of Grandpa Valtak in the back." "That's a nice idea." Zekell nodded. "What about a lid to protect the glass? Also, maybe I could make an engraving of Valtak's human form on the lid and emboss the Dragon form on the back. You know, the two sides of the same coin. "You're a genius, Grampa Zekell!" The kids jumped hugged the blacksmith from either side. "We love you." "Stop squeezing me you, little rascals!" He returned the embrace. "I'm losing water because of you." He cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes before they became teary. "What about the materials? Do you want to use silver maybe Orichalcum? This way, Lith will have an easier time enchanting them with damage-resisting and self-repair spells." "Doesn't that cost lot?" Leria looked up at Zekell. "Yes, but this is important for you which makes it important to me. It's worth it." "But-" Aran tried to say. "No buts." Zekell cut him short. "Lith's the one always spoiling you two. The one time I can do something for you, let me do it. Okay?" "Okay." The kids nodded. "Thank you, Grampa." "Damn kids." Zekell scoffed as they hugged him again, making him lose the battle against one insistent tear. *** Meanwhile, on the way to Lutia. "Good gods, what is that abomination?" Trion was walking and chatting with Raaz's farmhands. The young farmers whose sixteenth birthday was around the corner asked him for advice about the military and whether it was worth making it a career or just serving the minimum term. "You mean a literal Abomination or-" Raaz's eyes followed Trion's finger to the temple of the All-Father. "Is it me or is that you?" After a quick explanation from Bromann and lots of mockery from Rizel, Trion regretted staying behind as a soul for the first time since he had become a Demon.