Lirian had thought of an answer as well and as it so happened his answer was 'down' as well, but he didn't say it because he didn't want to influence their thoughts.
Since all their answers were the same, it was decided.
"It's decided we'll be heading to Riverfall," Lirian said to Bell.
It didn't matter much to Lirian, from what he heard from the mayor of Willcolly every power from the minor nobles and up would be required to send their forces towards the Desolation, which meant that either way he would find a route to follow.
At worst he would have had to make a trip up to Proge only to find that their rout to the desolation would take them through Riverfall anyway.
It would just cost a little extra time, and Lirian wouldn't call it wasted, after all nothing is a waste if there is something you learn from it.
"When you leave the city stop at the closest village and I'll find you there," said Lirian, and he pulled out a couple of gold coins, it was what he had earned when he was pretending to be Bell.
Izlandi eyed the money sceptically, she wondered if it was the contents of her secret stash that Lirian was so generously handing out, it went missing after Lirian turned her room into an inhabitable waste land of destruction.
But Bell quickly shook his head as he saw the gold, he had seen how Lirian earned it, "That's too much for me to take master, besides, I've been able to save up quite a bit while working here," he said refusing the money.
Lirian shrugged, he didn't care all that much about money, if he wanted more he could always find a means to get rich quickly, and if he was feeling lazy to put in all the hard work he would simply go on another caravan hunting crusade, to plunder fortunes for himself.
It was a simple get rich quick means for Lirian, but he didn't insist on making Bell take the money, he knew that Bell had enough saved up to last him a year or two.
Bell nodded and grabbed a sack that was packed up full of all his clothes, he didn't have many personal possession's and finally he picked up his most prized possession, his lute, he slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving Lirian and Izlandi alone.
"You're not seriously planning on traveling with that pervert," said Izlandi with a snort of derision.
"I am," Lirian replied with a smile, "What's it to you?" he asked wondering just what was going through the girl's head.
"No, absolutely unacceptable," Izlandi snapped stomping her foot on the ground, "I will not travel alongside such a man, besides he isn't even a cultivator," she said.
"Why would you be travelling with him?" Lirian asked raising a brow, to his knowledge he didn't recall inviting her along.
"You," Izlandi glared at Lirian, "Obviously we are in this together, I'm helping you bring down my entire my house, the least you can do is travel with me to keep me safe after you destroy my house?"
Lirian laughed at her response, "If my memory serves me correctly, you're working with me to gain your freedom, as for your future safety it isn't my concern," he replied.
"You-you can't be serious," she yelled at Lirian, "I might be a peak novice, but do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there for beautiful woman like me, if I'm lucky I'll be put to work in a brothel," she yelled hysterically as she pulled on Lirian's clothes.
"See, you've made my point for me, it's dangerous out there, and to travel with me is about the most dangerous thing in the world girl," Lirian said coldly.
"If you can't even protect your self from simple dangers, you'll die in no time at all following me," Izlandi froze at that unable to come up with a response, she thought that Lirian was just trying to scare Bell of earlier, but now that his words were directed at her she could tell that it was no lie.
"Just retire to some village, find a good man to marry have some children and live out your days until you die," Lirian said plainly.
"What?" Izlandi yelped, "You want me to marry a commoner, are you mad, I am of noble birth, I deserve to marry another noble with great power and influence…" she started to rant on like a spoiled child.
"Izlandi Kurt will be dead once you leave, or have you forgotten the plan?" Lirian asked coldly, reminding her of the purpose of all of this, it was all to allow her to feign her own death.
"And lets get one thing straight," Lirian said with a coldness to his voice, that stifled Izlandi, she felt the pressure close down on her making her every bone ache.
"I don't have time to babysit some spoiled princess, you think you deserve to marry whomever you wish in a manner that you want to, don't make me laugh," Lirian spat with ridicule.
"In the world of nobles, one's family, whether it be their children or wife, one's friends and one's allies, every last one of them are tools to be used for the prosperity of one's family,"
"You're father wasn't wrong for what he did to you, he forced a greater power into marrying you when he had the means to do so, it's only natural that the greater power would want payback for the humiliation now that your father lost his backing," Lirian said spitting the harsh reality at her.
"You were happy to be marrying Tanicks Kant back when you would have had the status of a wife, but you didn't care about the humiliation it was for him to be marrying someone below his station,"
"Now that you're receiving the status an ordinary noble such as yourself would be granted if they wished to be with a high noble you're unhappy, don't make me laugh,"
"Remember that the only reason I'm helping you is because it aligns with my goals, if you want anything more then go out there and earn it for yourself," Lirian said without holding back.
Izlandi's entire body shuddered, as every word Lirian said drove its way home and pierced deep into her soul.
She curled up into a ball on the ground, and started to sob silently, she realised that she wasn't going to get any special treatment from Lirian.
It hurt her more than she could begin to understand, she only felt a piercing pain in her heart, 'I don't get it why is he being like this to me?' she wonder as her heart fell into shambles, but she didn't voice her question, she was afraid of the answer she might receive.
Just then the sound of bells started to chime through the city.
Lirian identified that all three of the city's bells were ringing, it sounded like a crying widow, mourning her husband's loss.
After the events of the day before, it was a fitting sound, how could the city not be crying after the slaughter that dyed its streets red in blood.
Lirian had thought of an answer as well and as it so happened his answer was 'down' as well, but he didn't say it because he didn't want to influence their thoughts.
Since all their answers were the same, it was decided.
"It's decided we'll be heading to Riverfall," Lirian said to Bell.
It didn't matter much to Lirian, from what he heard from the mayor of Willcolly every power from the minor nobles and up would be required to send their forces towards the Desolation, which meant that either way he would find a route to follow.
At worst he would have had to make a trip up to Proge only to find that their rout to the desolation would take them through Riverfall anyway.
It would just cost a little extra time, and Lirian wouldn't call it wasted, after all nothing is a waste if there is something you learn from it.
"When you leave the city stop at the closest village and I'll find you there," said Lirian, and he pulled out a couple of gold coins, it was what he had earned when he was pretending to be Bell.
Izlandi eyed the money sceptically, she wondered if it was the contents of her secret stash that Lirian was so generously handing out, it went missing after Lirian turned her room into an inhabitable waste land of destruction.
But Bell quickly shook his head as he saw the gold, he had seen how Lirian earned it, "That's too much for me to take master, besides, I've been able to save up quite a bit while working here," he said refusing the money.
Lirian shrugged, he didn't care all that much about money, if he wanted more he could always find a means to get rich quickly, and if he was feeling lazy to put in all the hard work he would simply go on another caravan hunting crusade, to plunder fortunes for himself.
It was a simple get rich quick means for Lirian, but he didn't insist on making Bell take the money, he knew that Bell had enough saved up to last him a year or two.
Bell nodded and grabbed a sack that was packed up full of all his clothes, he didn't have many personal possession's and finally he picked up his most prized possession, his lute, he slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving Lirian and Izlandi alone.
"You're not seriously planning on traveling with that pervert," said Izlandi with a snort of derision.
"I am," Lirian replied with a smile, "What's it to you?" he asked wondering just what was going through the girl's head.
"No, absolutely unacceptable," Izlandi snapped stomping her foot on the ground, "I will not travel alongside such a man, besides he isn't even a cultivator," she said.
"Why would you be travelling with him?" Lirian asked raising a brow, to his knowledge he didn't recall inviting her along.
"You," Izlandi glared at Lirian, "Obviously we are in this together, I'm helping you bring down my entire my house, the least you can do is travel with me to keep me safe after you destroy my house?"
Lirian laughed at her response, "If my memory serves me correctly, you're working with me to gain your freedom, as for your future safety it isn't my concern," he replied.
"You-you can't be serious," she yelled at Lirian, "I might be a peak novice, but do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there for beautiful woman like me, if I'm lucky I'll be put to work in a brothel," she yelled hysterically as she pulled on Lirian's clothes.
"See, you've made my point for me, it's dangerous out there, and to travel with me is about the most dangerous thing in the world girl," Lirian said coldly.
"If you can't even protect your self from simple dangers, you'll die in no time at all following me," Izlandi froze at that unable to come up with a response, she thought that Lirian was just trying to scare Bell of earlier, but now that his words were directed at her she could tell that it was no lie.
"Just retire to some village, find a good man to marry have some children and live out your days until you die," Lirian said plainly.
"What?" Izlandi yelped, "You want me to marry a commoner, are you mad, I am of noble birth, I deserve to marry another noble with great power and influence…" she started to rant on like a spoiled child.
"Izlandi Kurt will be dead once you leave, or have you forgotten the plan?" Lirian asked coldly, reminding her of the purpose of all of this, it was all to allow her to feign her own death.
"And lets get one thing straight," Lirian said with a coldness to his voice, that stifled Izlandi, she felt the pressure close down on her making her every bone ache.
"I don't have time to babysit some spoiled princess, you think you deserve to marry whomever you wish in a manner that you want to, don't make me laugh," Lirian spat with ridicule.
"In the world of nobles, one's family, whether it be their children or wife, one's friends and one's allies, every last one of them are tools to be used for the prosperity of one's family,"
"You're father wasn't wrong for what he did to you, he forced a greater power into marrying you when he had the means to do so, it's only natural that the greater power would want payback for the humiliation now that your father lost his backing," Lirian said spitting the harsh reality at her.
"You were happy to be marrying Tanicks Kant back when you would have had the status of a wife, but you didn't care about the humiliation it was for him to be marrying someone below his station,"
"Now that you're receiving the status an ordinary noble such as yourself would be granted if they wished to be with a high noble you're unhappy, don't make me laugh,"
"Remember that the only reason I'm helping you is because it aligns with my goals, if you want anything more then go out there and earn it for yourself," Lirian said without holding back.
Izlandi's entire body shuddered, as every word Lirian said drove its way home and pierced deep into her soul.
She curled up into a ball on the ground, and started to sob silently, she realised that she wasn't going to get any special treatment from Lirian.
It hurt her more than she could begin to understand, she only felt a piercing pain in her heart, 'I don't get it why is he being like this to me?' she wonder as her heart fell into shambles, but she didn't voice her question, she was afraid of the answer she might receive.
Just then the sound of bells started to chime through the city.
Lirian identified that all three of the city's bells were ringing, it sounded like a crying widow, mourning her husband's loss.
After the events of the day before, it was a fitting sound, how could the city not be crying after the slaughter that dyed its streets red in blood.
