Pops was starting to get annoyed with these factions hounding him to recruit Lian, while some of the smarter ones actively tried to recruit him as well. He got to the point where he just turned off his phone and sat in his office fed up with them all.

  None of them were worthy of Lian as far as he was concerned.

  He only ever came into the office to be alone or to do the taxes. For this reason, Lian only ever entered to check on him and rarely stayed unless he made her fill out the paperwork. Right now, he was staring at the only three items in the office that were not related to paperwork with a glass of wine in his hand.

  With Sol and Roark, he would drink beers and relax. Maybe Scotch or whiskey if someone needed to vent. Those two could drink like his buddies in the good old days despite being so low leveled.

  With the triplets, he drank mead and vodka. He rarely drank with them, only when there was something to celebrate. Their choice of drinks surprised Pops but who was he to judge? He was a burly blacksmith who favored fine wine. Though Lian got a taste for the drinks thanks to some of Alexa’s shenanigans. Just remembering that makes him itch to smack Alexa.

  The wine was something he only drank alone. He drank wine to forget the modern day. He drank wine to remember the old days. The good and the bad. The failures and the success.

  As he took another sip his gaze lingered mostly on the old forging hammer in there. He hated its history. Lian was the only one who had any idea what it meant to him since she had named it Regretz when she was six. He officially changed the name to that when he realized how accurate it was. Though he kept the z because of how Lian said the name, it was the only redeeming part of that cursed hammer's history. He still teased her about her old speech impediment now and then.

  The other items in the showcase were even harder for him. One he refused to look at but still had ways to make sure it was locked away in this case. A case that by his design prevented anyone from reading their status or sensing the mana from them. Mostly to keep this one cursed object locked away, hidden in plain sight.

  Lian used to ask questions about the tablet. However, he never acknowledged any question or statement about it so she eventually stopped talking about it.

  The other was a battered and dented helmet. He crafted it for a swordswoman of remarkable talent. One who could have stood at the pinnacle of power. There was never love between them, but there was mutual respect and a promise.

  “Tell me Bell, am I doing right by Lilliana? Should I have taught her my trade knowing I would be revealed? Knowing that it failed you and everyone we knew?”

  His worries spilled out as he remembered the last time he was on the battlefield. Surrounded by traitors. He had been hiding in isolation until Bell came knocking on his door with Lian in her arms.

  Pops never figured out how she found him, but he sheltered her for about a month before her pursuers caught up. Poor Bell held the line so that he could flee with Lilliana. The warrior stayed so the craftsman could support their ambition. So that her child could grow up safely.

  That was the curse of having clients that made a living fighting. You lose friends faster than you lose anything else. It was way many called Pops grumpy. His heart couldn’t afford to get attached to any more of them, yet he still did.

  He stopped reminiscing when he heard a knock on the door. Pops took one more sip of wine before going to answer the door. When he opened the door, he saw an arrogant blonde woman who couldn’t stand to be near some back-alley house. To be exact she couldn’t stand to be on this planet any longer.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  At first, they sized each other up. Because of the location of his home and that she could smell the wine on him and believed that Pops was some drunk that had nothing to do with the talent she came to recruit other than getting lucky in raising a diamond in the rough.

  Pops saw the blonde woman and immediately pieced together who she was. The condescending look she gave, the red eyes, and if those didn’t make it obvious, she had a daylight ring on. This woman was a vampire. Odds are she was the representative of Blood Garden.

  “What can I help you with?” Pops asked as he crossed his arms and forced himself to sober up.

  “Is Lilliana Hughes home?” She asked though from what she could tell with her vampiric senses only Pops was home, drinking alone.

  “She is out meeting some important people from Spiritus right now. I can leave a message for you.” Pops was hoping to get rid of this vampire. If she was left alone, she might find some of his office. If that happens then he is prepared to deanimate a leach.

  Just like he was afraid, she forced her way by turning into mist and reforming inside. For now, he pretended to be surprised and yelled at her for being rude calling the blonde vampire all kinds of slurs.

  Her pride would not stand for some no name on some backwater world it insulted her. She didn’t care even if he was the hidden grandmaster himself or if she lost her chance to recruit Lian.

  “Listen here you blathering fool. The only thing in your worthless life you’ve done right is raise that girl. Luckily Blood Garden will take her in. Lilliana should be grateful.” She all but growled her words at Pops before making herself comfy on a sofa in the living room.

  “She prefers Lian.” His response was quick. Only Lian knew why she preferred to be called it, and yet she threw a fit if Pops called her Lian instead of the full version. For now, he simply had to play the simpleton and keep her in place until he could think of an excuse to chase out a council faction representative.

  Yet it was so tempting to smite a bitch.

  He’s been on edge ever since Lian got connected to the system and she had the title saying that she was his disciple. Now this vampire is pushing his buttons. He took a deep breath as he began to plan how to get rid of her.

  The problem is that vampires are so arrogant that once they decide on something they will follow through unless they come across an overwhelming force they can’t overpower or outmaneuver. Because of this most of the council factions love supporting Silver Moon behind the scenes.

  Werewolves respect the strong and protect their own. Yet their instincts compel them to fight vampires at every chance they can.

  By using that animosity both of their factions were forced to stay as the weakest council factions. To overcome this both sides have been looking into anything that can give them an edge and Pops refused to allow Lian to be reduced to a pawn piece for someone else's game.

  “When will she be back by?” The vampire asked as she began to tap her finger rapidly.

  “Don’t know. She usually hangs around at the GAT guild hall to buy smithing materials or just stares at the materials when she can’t afford them.” Pops chuckled when he remembered seeing her reaction to finding out how much good materials cost.

  At that time there was a piece of black tempesteel on the market and people went crazy trying to procure it. Lian has been keeping an eye out for other rare materials ever since.

  He did enjoy teaching her how to handle such materials when his customers came in with some asking for a custom order.

  “Where is her room?”

  “If the WIZARD’s needs a warrant to enter my house, then why should I show you my daughter's room when you force your way in?” Pops was now clenching his fist hard enough to make his palms bleed, hard enough that space was starting to crack in his palm again.

  He decided to message Lian to not come home yet so he could get rid of the vampire, only to remember he left his phone in his office. He couldn’t risk her following him in there. He cursed his stupidity for this.

  The option of just killing this vampire was getting more and more tempting. Pops wouldn’t even need one of his weapons. Might even be able to craft something unique by using her body to fuel the flames in the forge.

  “I don’t like your tone you insolent smith. What do you honestly think you can do to a superior species like me?” She demanded an answer. The truth was that Pops' constant gaze was unsettling her while her instincts were screaming at her to run but her inner beast and pride demanded to put him in his place.

  They both turned their heads upon hearing the front door handle jiggle. The vampire smiled as Lian returned while Pops cursed in his mind that she returned now. As the door opened the vampire's smile brightened while Pop’s frown deepened.

  ‘Lousing timing as always lass.’