"… IT WASN'T part of the dam. We can't cross it since the place is heavily guarded. Going for the lackeys aren't my thing. Why don't we send Bonne to do it? He's stupid anyways."

Irlan's head spun with the names yet he never understood what they mean. They've been listening for a while now but aside from chewing his own tongue and smirking everytime, Lance didn't really gave his thoughts about anything. It was like... a whole different person.


"A dam? Where could it possibly be?"

Lance smacked his lips and smiled at him again. Irlan started to think of him as a lunatic. "Don't go too far and search your memory about the landscape of this place. Where's the nearest dam? With a very important place adjacent to it."

"What?" Irlan frowned at his way. Lance didn't budge and even nodded to encourage him to guess. 'What am I? A child?'


"Keep thinking... where could they possibly go?"

Irlan seriously considered his words and thought for a moment. It would be the city jail. The more that he think of it, makes it more plausible.


"Could they be planning about breaking into jail? What for?"

"Ah, recruiting more members?" Lance held his face and pouted. "The prison is a good place to go, right? For hiring human then use them as your... slaves or something."

"Lance... how can you calmly think of this?"

Lance sighed. His eyes shone with glee but his voice were sorry as he said, "I'm just guessing what they're going to do. I'm trying to think like them. Am I wrong though?"

"It... sounds like it's natural to do that by the way you talk."

"What about that traitor? When are you going to capture that beta?" A man asked.

Irlan's steadied his breath. Lance's eyes went curious with the way he reacted.

Beatrix laughed. "Well, she delivered herself to the evil, yeah? She think she's great for getting her way in. Let's keep it down for a while... let's make her think that no one suspects her. And once she tries to harm me, expose her to the people and let them decide what to do with a traitor like her."

"That mage was indeed useful even though he's a prick."

Lance's smile vanished from his face. He huffed then whispered at Irlan. "This is getting interesting."

"Are you really going to help him search his 'prey'? He's actually doing nothing and does not give any idea about his toy. How are we supposed to find him his food?"

Beatrix groaned. "That kid is a headache but he came with his uses. So it's just right that we treat him well. However, contact Nisel and ask him one more time if he wants to be our mage. Give him an offer that he can't refuse. Say, we have a high level mage that we can offer him. Might as well give Horan as a snack to that monster."

"… just like hitting two birds with one stone."

'Nisel?' Irlan's expression became grim. Nisel was his target on his last mission. He's a human that attained magic through devious means. That made him a difficult enemy. Nisel gained immortality and the power to devour his fellow mages to make himself even stronger. Irlan was nearly destroyed when he once raided a village. He used every bit of his last energy to transfer himself to another place, only to be drained by an animal that he hadn't had the chance to see.

He was glad that he survived his last mission. Although it confuses him how he managed to stay alive, he was thankful and now very careful not to have a repeat of what had happened to him.

Something changed in Irlan after that incident.

He craved half-cooked meat more often and when he couldn't eat it, his headaches becomes massive that sometimes he couldn't even move.

"Lance is going to be part of the two of you. Don't do anything against him. Lesley wants him— I'll give him to her."

"Should we stop right here?" Lance was bored with all these. He already knew all this things. It was not hard to guess what's going on inside Beatrix' mind. She's nothing but a simpleton anyway.

That Penelope, on the other hand, must be warned.

'Should I let you, hmn?' Horan, now taking the body of Lance, wondered as he stared at Irlan's troubled face. 'Should I allow you to blabber all that to your friends?'

This young mage has his own connection. Horan knew it by the way that he carried himself. He was sure and determined. A product of a well-known magic school.

'A pampered fool.'

'I can alter your memories instead.' Horan was so close to him that bordered on a dangerous position. He can do anything to this young man.

"They're going at it again. We should head back."

That guy, who spoke ill of him, he should curse that. Horan let his mind wander as he walked behind the mage. 'What curse could satisfy my rage? I should let that man's secret be everyone's business.'

"Those three slandered your friend. What are you going to do to them now?"

'Nisel.' Beatrix wants Nisel to kill him? Horan couldn't help his smile. 'But Nisel is my father. My stupid, stupid father. What is he going to do to me? Have him call my mom to hit me?'

His father won't like anyone threatening Horan's life. They are mad as a family that way. They were never known for the good things. 'Mom would tear Beatrix alive once she heard of this.'

But Horan was never the type to tell this things to his parents.

He's going to handle this himself!

Horan bumped to the young man's back. He paused before noisily sighing. "What now? You want to listen back there? I don't know, but the mere thought of them gives me the chills."

"What did you just say earlier?" His face became devoid of any emotion.

Horan tilted his head and smiled to appease him. "What now?"

"You said something about Penelope earlier. Care to repeat that?"

Horan recalled what he said. When he realized he said the word 'your friend' referring to Penelope, he knew he made a mistake. He cackled madly.

The young man's eyes bulged with hate. "You were just doing fine from the start. A little unbelievable but it was okay. You just have to give yourself away like that, right?"

Horan shook his head before murmuring, "Since when did you know?"

"Since the moment when the real Lance fell from the roof." He smiled wanly. "He deliberately made himself fall to your trap."

Irlan went suspicious when Lance told him someone was following them. He said he can sense a vampire's presence not too far from them.

'He's the pack territory's mage, Irlan. I'm sure of it.'

'How do you know?'

'Vampires were after Joaquin before— because of the myth that his blood will turn any vampire into their human form again. I hated fighting with them because they're the most agile creature I've fought before and they can't be controlled by magic for long. That's why I studied about them more than any kind. Sure, he can hide his magic from us but his vampire scent remains. Especially when he just had his fill. The smell of fresh blood.'

Irlan was excited to meet him. He thought it will take more days before they come to face each other but the menace brought himself to Irlan's doorstep.

Lance might be still unconscious somewhere but Irlan made sure that no serious curse can enter his system.

With an abrupt yell of 'goodluck', the real Lance jumped to the dark space.

Irlan gave the enemy enough time to transfer Lance and do a disguise.

Never did this Lance once call his name and he's never serious most of the time. It was enough for Irlan to conclude that they had successfully swapped.

"Have I tricked you neatly?" It was Irlan's turn to smirk. He shrug just like the way that Horan usually does before introducing himself. "Irlan Nieves, from the magic academy of the Roan Clan."

The frantic blinking of Horan's eyes made Irlan feel immensely satisfied. The guy nodded sagely before greeting him. "Nice play, Irlan." He bent slightly before putting a gesture of swaying his hands. "The name is Horan and I came to play."