I decided not to worry too much about the Abbot. Although it might be a little cold of me, he was trying to put up a strong front earlier...and I had to respect that. I think he was doing it for my sake. Not to mention the pride that must shatter should I say anything about that.

Then again, I could be wrong...but I could also probably discreetly inquire later about how he was doing. Just in case my help was needed.

I sighed.

We walked down the paged path that let out of the Temple when I realized one detail I nearly missed.

"Amber," I said. "Amber, you there?"

An irritated voice rang by my ear. "What now, little aberrant?"

"My master..."

"Ah, that old man is fine," he said carelessly. "You really calling on me for this? I'm not your lackey, you know. There's a limit to how many things I ought to do for you."

"Oh. Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"Those monks have their means."

"I'm one of them now."

"You monks have your means. Now shut up and don't disturb me. It's hard to maintain communication. It consumes so much energy, so I would like it if you don't call upon me casually. Do it only when there's emergency."

It seemed this guy was in a bad mood. I don't get it. He acts like I call on him all the time. He usually came forward first!

I sighed. "Sorry, alright. Then go rest."

"When were you so considerate?"

"I can be the total opposite now."

"Tch."

Having more or less confirmed the situation of my master, I left the Temple with ease. But I set aside some agenda and decided I would bring something back for the Abbot, like probably some cookies or soft bread. Maybe cake. I felt a little guilty. Although this wouldn't really do anything much, it would assuage some discomfort on my part. All in all, it was just some selfish self-comfort.

When we arrived at the shop, some if not most of the place have been arranged and fixed according to the instructions I'd left days before. I have ordered customized spray glass bottles in style of my previous world's perfumes, as well as labeling stickers with the marked logo.

River End.

I mean, it wasn't a fancy name, but it encapsulated many aspects of my experiences so far. Besides, I somewhat sucked in naming anything, so while I wasn't exactly satisfied with this half-hearted name, I did not have a lot of energy to think up of another one.

I had the store be divided into two places—the other for common and everyday browsers, and the other for entertaining VIP customers. I was still debating whether to take commissions for customized perfume, but that was if I had time. There was also a third and fourth room in the back. I planned to use one for my workshop and the other for storage.

I would not be present in this store to run it twenty-four-seven, but I could leave a lot of the work on the trusted aides I'd recruited so far. I was confident I could trust everybody, but I should be able to take some precautions with some accounting work done.

The only knowledge of accounting I had was from my economics class, and it wasn't in-depth, so I wasn't sure if I could implement this system well. My mistresses should know about it, though...Maybe they could help?

If there was anyone in this world I would trust with everything, it was my mistresses.

Also, I hadn't thought about where to store the money. Maybe the bank would do.

As I expected, I should leave money matters to the mistresses. I sucked at numbers big time.

Maun's expression was bright and his eyes were twinkling. However, he was very careful and looked around. He was sensible enough to know not to touch anything.

"Evyionne, are you here?" Elion's voice came out the other room. He peeked over from the door and waved at me.

He strode over with a smile, grabbing a dirty rag from the counter and wiping his dusty hands clean.

"It looks like you worked hard," I said. "I'll give you and the others some bonus once we start earning money."

"Ah, then I won't refuse..." His gaze finally found Maun's, who did not seem delighted to see him. "Hello..."

"Maun, play nice," I said, nudging him with my elbow.

He toned down a bit, but did not bother to hide his hostility altogether. I sighed helplessly. It was good that Maun was being a little more willful as of late. When he first came to Oblivion, he was afraid to speak his mind. But now...well, I didn't know what to do with his temper. He was incredibly unfriendly to others. I think it had something to do with jealousy...maybe he was afraid I would have more friends than him?

Oh, dear.

I had to do something about this kid's attitude. He could not possible continue to be like this for a lifetime. Was it the hormones? He'd probably get a little better and more mature after a few years, but...a lecture once in a while shouldn't hurt.

"So, how has the checklist been going?" I asked.

"Very well. We've received all of the materials needed."

"The oils are here, too?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Make sure they're stored properly. If possible, briefly check for any leaks, make sure they're sealed in. I already listed this in the paper, but—"

"We understand. Out of direct sunlight. Cool and dry place."

"There are also flammable materials among the ingredients. For safety hazards, make sure no one smokes a cigarette inside the shop."

"Guidelines are being followed. The old miss is also supervising everything."

"Has she been kind to you?"

"I think she's fairly kind to everybody," he said.

I nodded in satisfaction. "Then in the coming week, I'll come in to mix the perfumes. The smell might be a little strong, so I'd advise everyone to bring some mask along if you feel uncomfortable..."

I was a little worried because the workshop at the back. It wasn't very well-ventilated. It did have a large window, but I doubted it would be enough to get the air circulating properly. I was used to the smell getting unbearably concentrated, but some with weak stomachs might feel nauseous because of the strong scents.

I worried about some details and followed them up with the team. It took me a few hours to settle the agenda for today, although there were still some boxes that needed ticking. One of them included a business registration, registering a brand and trademark, and then the permission to operate.

Considering this, my next weekend was bound to be super busy as well. Hopefully, the relevant government agencies would be available. If not, I'd have to ask someone else to file these materials on my behalf.

"Elion, that's right...I wanted to talk to you after this. Are you free?" I asked. "How about we eat someplace?"

"Ah, I don't have the right clothes..." he said. "And would anyone even welcome me eating in their place? I mean...we've tried before. We got thrown out." He seemed embarrassed, and I could understand why.

"Don't worry. I know a place." I smiled.

And so we wound up in Kaiser's good ol' restaurant. Great food. great location. Best of all, I knew the owners personally so I could book one of those private rooms. Kaiser was around, but he was a bit busy with certain matters, so after escorting us to a table, he left us alone.

The nervous Elion finally calmed down, and we first settled our orders. So far, Maun did not make any trouble. He simply took out his carving block again and was uninterested in anything else other than his current project.

"Don't make a lot of mess, make sure you catch those shavings..." I reminded Maun. "Don't inconvenience others to clean up after you."

After some hesitation, Maun gathered all of the wooden shavings in one place and wrapped them in a paper towel. After that, he finally put away his wooden block and blinked at me, as though asking for rewards.

"Good boy." I patted his head.

Elion chuckled.

"Ah, that's right..." I said, turning to him. "I wanted to talk about the En-diers. We've not had the chance to thoroughly speak about it. Anything you know about them will be really helpful."

The waiter finally came back with the calamari. There were two plates, so I thoughtfully pushed one towards Maun along with the dipping sauce before picking up my fork. The other stayed with Elion.

At first he seemed a little shy to take from the plate, but bravely took one or two first.

After that, he began to narrate. "It all began around thirteen or fourteen years ago. We suspect it started in Astoria, particularly a duchy called Nemeria."

A memory flashed in my mind. The warriors standing by the door, my mother holding me in her arms as we greeted my father upon his arrival.

"Aváen, Illyérve Kánna, il Nemeria Erraléna Regalia Elleria," they had said, bowing to my mother and myself "Aváen, Olyaer Erraléna Evyionne."

"Erraléna," I muttered.

"That's right...that's how they address higher female nobilities in that land, particularly duchesses. Have you ever known Astorian?"

My brows jumped. Probably because language 'skills' were still loading, and the information was not enough to offer a full-blown translation of it in my head.

"I read it in the books," I said. "Do you know the Nemerian Duchy intimately?"

(A/N: I've been confusing Simaron and Sarenillian for a few chapters now. Sarenillia is a place in Erindal, not Vertvalden. So I'm going to go back and edit these to Simaron, the language being Simaronian. Please take note!)

"Who would not know? I mean, yes, I'm from Simaron, but the story's particularly widespread," he said with a smile. "Of course. People could care less about what happened after the En-diers came, but I happened to hear it in passing. The Nemerian Duke was particularly headstrong. He faced a lot of oppositions marrying an Erindilian wife. I heard she's a beauty...but some rebel forces took their firstborn daughter aw—"

There was silence on the table as we both pieced two-and-two together. Elion stared at me. I stared back at him.

"You..."

I remained silent. "What's the duke's name?"

"Something like Kon..." he trailed off. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Well, they did leave me a clue. I was wrapped in a blanket when I came to Erindal. The matriarch looked and it had an eight-legged spider woven in the fabric itself."

"That's great, Evy! You've found your family!"

"Yes...I guess..." I tried to not think much about the family I had on the other side of this world. I knew the moment I started entertaining these thoughts, I might go off pace.

I had to be patient.

"Aren't you happy?"

"The matriarch said Nemeria was wiped out."

"Ah...yes..."

"There was a lot of chaos within years after the daughter's—your disappearance," he said.

"How sure are you it's me, anyway?" I asked.

"The logic goes there. Are we going to deny it?"

"You make a point, but I first need to know about the battle specifics. It's been more than a decade since things have begun, so how have your people fared?"

"Well, they use death relics. But there was one person who used the bodies of En-diers to craft a weapon. It was effective more than anything, but..."

"But what?"

"It eventually sucked the life out of its wielder..."

It must be a forbidden weapon. Death relics were different and should not be as aggressive like that.

"What else?" I asked.