Chapter 23

Before the monster house existed and before Great Invasion’s fear had spread across the Land of Azmra, the housekeeper had a name.

Great Invasion is nearing. The valiant cut-throat was worried than everyone else. Chosokabes are getting weaker day by day. He used to remind himself everyday.
He had reminded it to everyone else but those who had taken vow to protect Chosokabes had never returned.
Housekeeper was the only one left in his circle who was yet to do something to avoid Great Invasion.
He had gone for finding Chosokabes’ home but changed his route.
Azmra’s fate depends upon the path I take. The mercenary thought while heading for Pryeg.
It had been few months he had been hearing about a young sorcerer named Tetsu. Now he was going to see if he was worth his fame or not.
The mercenary was quiet surprised to see how young Tetsu was. Mages without wrinkling cheeks and sorcerers without white beard were things never heard of before.
He went to the inn where Tetsu and his wife were staying since few years. Then the cut-throat told him about his problem. But Tetsu seemed to have a bizarre solution.
A mug.
“Fill it with gold coins till this time tomorrow. ” were Tetsu’s words.
Alone and broke, it was beyond his ability. Still he accepted the price.
With improbabilities cornering him, he decided to go to Nastria to search for a mage with wrinkling cheek and dangling skin.
May God never bring me to this land again. Cut-throat was cautious till he reached the hut of Metal Mage.
“You are lucky to have met me. And luckier to have survived in Nastira as a killer from Azmra.” Metal Mage said.
“Had to kill some Nastrains while coming here.” He replied.
“What do you want?” Metal Mage asked.
The killer gave her the mug, explaining everything.
Mage laughed when his words ended, “You came in Nastria- The land of Wernh’An, and under his nose you are trying to avoid something inevietable.”
“Just fill it up.”
“I can’t. I am Metal Mage, not a goldsmith. But I can turn this steel mug into gold mug. But in return, I take no coins but just your identity and name.”
“My name is now yours.” Cut-throat said.
Metal Mage then turned it into gold and shook his hand, “Remember, this will remain gold till this time tomorrow. From there it will be steel again.”
The mercenary went to Tetsu with gold mug but it wasn’t enough to fool him.
Livid Tetsu couldn’t keep his anger within. He loathed cut-throats anyways. And now he had met a cheating one as well.
Just like he did to his threats, he confined the killer inside his crystal ball.
Because he was killer by instincts, he adapted himself in the monsters house. By feeding rats, frogs and cockroaches to monsters, he lived there for years. But ever since cracks had appeared in the house, rodents and pests were becoming hard to find.
Still he was not worrying.
He had got a human to feed monsters after a long time.