And now you know the truth. Or at least, a small part of it.

  So... are you now ready to answer my questions?

  

  A bargain is a bargain.

  Your questions shall be answered.

  Can you not speak like that on my head. I can fell my head bursting from those words you're uttering in my brain.

  Better. Okay then. First question... who are you?

  Wait... Myrrdin? As in Merlin, the sorcerer in King Arthur's tale?

  Then the reason why you want me to speak to those 'Camelot' agents is?

  You could just told me, you know?

  Now I know who and what they are, what's the reason?

  Aren't you one of the most powerful sorcerers?

  That's... fuck. We're really screwed, aren't we?

  But didn't they destroy Camelot?

  And you want me to do something to strengthen the barriers? Or seal them completely?

  So we have to hold the line, then.

  But you said....

  But the agents said that....

  How they were able to obtain control of the Boundaries.

  You mean....

  Oh fuck.

  Oh bugger....

  ==================================================

  It's been two days since the meeting. Two days since I talked with Merlin. So many questions were answered, but some many were formed by these answers.

  We were forced to take a break. Merlin is limited in his capacity to communicate with me. Being trapped within a wrinkle between layers, he has limited energy to do anything else than to maintain his health. It was luck that he was able to reach out to me, using the event that brought me here to link himself to me.

  It will take a few day before I can talk to him once more.

  So I continued my daily routing of work, crafting and upgrading.

  I'm now supervising the warehouse operations. Due to my diligence for finding items for my collection, I scoured every one of the warehouses in the docks. This lead to me organizing the contents of the warehouses to somewhat modern standards. Thus freeing up more space and increasing work efficiency. Caleb then placed as overall manager for all warehouses in the docks.

  Caleb even hired a new assistant. And to my surprise, it was the freckled-faced girl that got the job. The only female employee in the docks.

  I was amused and somewhat perturbed by this development. And I should stop calling her girl. Her name is Janice Summers. And she's the same age as me.

  And now the others are ribbing because I know her before she was recruited. Come on guys!

  But now I'm bored. I want to do something else. Something more exciting. So now I'm walking around in dimly-lit streets at 8 in the evening. Trying to catch a glimpse of our elusive otherworldly foes.

  And there's a crowd gathering a block from where I'm standing. That's unusual. It's this late in the evening, yet there's quite a crowd outside of their homes. Something's not right. What's happening there?

  And the crowd sudden disperse, running in all directions. They scatter like dust in a sandstorm.

  Then I hear it. The same howl I heard on my first night here.

  "Ah... the prey comes to the predator."

  "Well, you didn't come to me these past few days. And I was bored, so... here I am."

  "You truly are bored when you seek your death just to alleviate it."

  "Ah... there's a problem with that logic. You see... I'm not seeking death. I'm looking for something to kill. The roles are reversed now. I'm the one hunting. And you're the prey."

  "How amusing, those words are."

  "But true. Here... let me demonstrate."

  An Umbral Hunter. This is what this beast is called. A monster that hunts in the cover of darkness. With it's ability hid itself in mist and subsume itself into shadows makes it a formidable ambush predators It does not mean it's not capable of fighting head-on. But why face your enemies when you stab them in the back.

  Unfortunately for him, I know his weaknesses. Hours of discussion with Gerry and Myrrdin allowed me to increase my preparations to face this beast.

  Sunlight and fire. This is why it cannot show itself in the day. Even just a sliver of sunlight can cause terrible harm to them. And being bathed in it? Poof! No more Umby Hunty.

  I was lucky top have met Gerry. He's one of the more reputable suppliers for Camelot and our monster hunting organizations. With his help, I was able to procure the necessary reagents and Essences for this fight.

  Solar Essence Piece. Gerry has Solar Essence Piece. Essence Piece is the level above Essence Shard. With it and one of his 'Fine' quality 'Hunter's Lamp', I was able to make my latest masterpiece.

  And to pay through the roof for this one. I had to exchange my 2 Blood Wulvern Essence Shards and take a loan of 1000 Pounds from him. No interest, which is good. But he has first refusal on every item I produce until I pay off the loan.

  But it's SO worth it. With this, I can shut down most monsters from the Vranitch faction. When I upgrade this thing to higher levels, I can literally hunt those things with impunity.

  Even those Wertiga vampire-wannabes hate sunlight and fire as much as those Vranitch shadow monsters do. More for the win!

  "Say hello to my bright friend!"

  "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!"

  "You like that? Oh no you don't. LASSO!"

  "You think you can get away from me, you motherfucking piece of trash? Guess what? YOU CAN'T!!!"

  "You'll fucking die here like the piece of trash you are!"

  "SOLAR BEAM!"

  "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Bullseye! Right on his left side.

  "Oh that hits the spot. How's that feel?" And I can see his disintegrating in front of my eyes.

  "You... think... you've ... won.... But... this... is... nothing... to the... true... might... OF CHAOS!!!"

  "I will... die... here... but... you'll... never... defeat... THEM."

  "MY LIFE FOR THE PRIMORDIAL!!!"

  And it sublimated.

  Very anticlimactic. I expected a comeback from him, like a boss getting a power-up. Or some kind of impressive explosion of drakness and mist.

  It might be just a mook in the Vranitch's ranks. But if that's true, then I have a very hard time ahead of me.

  Oh well... at least it's dead now.

  Now... what loot you have for me, my sublimated foe?

  Nice! At least you left me some nice gifts.

  Hmmm... I can use that to make some nifty consumables. Like Shadowmeld Potions.

  Very nice. Another reagent for some potions and poison.

  This is quite a lot of very good stuff. This one is a component for Shadowsight Ointment.

  And there's nothing else.

  Then a small group of people, all dressed in black, rushed towards me. They're all equipped with guns, swords, and nets. Must be a group of hunters.

  "Who in the bloody hells are you?" A female voice shouts at me.

  My... how rude of you. Asking for my name without stating yours first. "You first."

  My... oh, my. Tasha now a rival in the 'sexy hunter' competition.

  Skin-tight full-body leather outfit. Oval face. Pale white skin like a pearl. Luscious red lips in an angry pout. Deep black eyes topped with very long eyelashes. And from what I could glimpse from the bottom of her hood, midnight black hair. By the looks of it, she's at least hal-Japanes.

  A yamato nadeshiko in full bloom. If only she acts like one.

  Maybe she's a tsundere. Tsun-tsun now, dere-dere- later.

  "Please calm down, my Lady. With how easy he dispatched that beast, he must be a very powerful hunter." One of his masked companions tried to intervene.

  "Even then, I demand a name. Who are you? You interrupt my hunt of this beast. You should pay for your insolence."

  "At the risk of getting civilians killed? Yes, I will interfere if that's what it take to save others. Even interrupting your 'glorious' hunt."

  "I wanted to fight the monster!"

  "Do you see the people gawking around? I did. And you weren't here to stop the monster from harming others."

  "And I'm well-equipped than you and your men to deal with this threat."

  "WHY YOU...."

  "Lady Masako! Please stop."

  "No, go on. Continue. I want to see if you can deal with my friend here."

  "Dustin! What are you doing here?"

  "Babysitting. The girl is the illegitimate daughter of Prince Edward and a Nippon noblewoman. And the favorite grandchild of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria."

  "Really. Then I am in the presence of royalty, then."

  "Please do not insult the girl."

  "YOU are the one who's insulting her. calling her 'girl'."

  "You... got me there."

  "And why is she here hunting monsters."

  "An indulgence to my Lady desire, good sir. Lady Masako is quite... strong-willed, and His Highness and Her Majesty indulges her too much. And when the attack at Westminster happened, Lady Masako was... quite angry. Lady Masako then demanded to go and fight monsters."

  "And how you got roped into this, Dustin. And is the Royal Family CRAZY!!! LETTING A GIRL OUT TO FIGHT MONSTER!!! WHAT THE HELL IS BLOODY WRONG WITH THEIR STUPID BRAINS???!!!"

  "You insult my father and grandmother! DIE!!!"

  Oh for fuck's sake. Really now.... Well, you got some skill, I'll admit. But I'm much better than you. I can match easily your skill when I was just 11 years old.

  A disarm for you... there we go! You're too unskilled to challenge me.

  "MY LADY!!!" the loyal companion shouted.

  "Kid... you really are mad."

  "She's too angry and too unfocused. If she tries to fight monsters like that, she will lose. And I expect for a girl of royal lineage she should have at least one magic item on her."

  "She does." Dustin answers.

  "And?"

  "I can't tell you how it works. I don't even know how it works."

  Must be hidden under that clothes. If I can't see it clearly, I can't analyze its function.

  "A protective talisman?"

  "Maybe. Don't really know. Royal secret, they said. All hush-hush, off with your head if your find out. They assured me that the lady is well-protected."

  "Is that so? There's no need to pry, then. And I'm out of here. It's half past eight now. Need to be home at 9 or Aunt Marge will scold me."

  "GET BACK YOU HONORLESS CHURL!!! FIGHT ME!!!"

  "Sorry, girl. You need to get better than that to even touch me."

  And I'm off.

  ==================================================

  It's Sunday, the 12th of May of 1872. Today was a unusually sunny day, an aberration of daily Londinium weather, or so others say. We sent another shipment of goods for Gerry this afternoon. Even found out that Hardin is now in prison, a guest of Her Majesty's Royal Constabulary. Damn.

  But it's now 7PM. Me and all of the recruits that were at the 'Lion and Dragon Pub' are here. Plus others that may have been recruited at other times or locations.

  The maybe-priest, Reverend Matthew Simmons, is a real priest. Janice is here too, brave girl indeed. Garrett is lurking in one of the shadowy corners. Blake is discussing with some of the other recruits. Lady Jillian Chatham, a courtesan of some renown, is holding court at one side. she's being fawned over by several other recruits.

  "Henry! How's your day?"

  "We just met earlier today Gerry."

  "Still... courtesies must be observed. Especially that we have Royalty coming tonight."

  SHIT! That horrible tingling up my fucking spine. Last time I felt this when I got caught kissing Sachiko by his father, Sensei Ishimura. I spent a full hour running around the dojo while he was chasing me with the Ishimura family honor blade.

  Good times... NO! BAD TIMES! BAD FUCKING TIMES!!!

  I got treated for multiple cuts that day. He's really trying to do 'death of a million cuts' justice. I got 72 visible cuts and unknown amount of micro-cuts in my body, before his daughter got him to stop chasing me.

  I wonder how she is now. Did she take Theoretical Physics like she wanted to? Is she married?

  "Henry... HENRY!"

  "Huh? Oh... sorry, got lost in memories."

  "For a man of just 15 years, your sure are quite introspective. Like you have lived longer than your age."

  "I just experienced quite a lot in my life, that's all."

  "And here they are now. Now bow down and be quiet. We don't want to disrespect the Queen now, do we?"

  We bowed down.

  "Arise my loyal and brave subjects."

  "YOU!!!"

  Oh dear... I was fucking right."

  "Now I see why Dustin wants you hidden. You pissed her off too much, don't you Henry?"

  "The girl has it coming."

  "The GIRL is the Queen's favorite grandchild. She gets to do almost anything she wants, and no one stops her. Not even the Queen."

  "Then they should start teaching proper manners. Starting with respect to others."

  "You and your American liberal sensibilities. We are in Albion, Henry. Here, we must bow down to the desire of the Royal Family."

  "And get killed doing that. No thank you."

  "What is the meaning of this?" Queen Victoria asked. "My dear child, is there a problem?"

  "That scoundrel insulted me, stole my kill, and then hit me!"

  "First of all...."

  "Silence!" The Queen demanded.

  "No you shut up!" Fuck her and the kid. You might be the reigning monarch but you don't have a lick on how to raise a child.

  "First of all, if not for me, then your granddaughter should be a corpse right now."

  It's a decent protective item, if you protection from magic and poison.

  But no physical protection. That's useless for hunting monsters.

  "Second, she has no respect for others. Especially those who have experience in the field. Once more, she'll be dead if not for me."

  "Third and the most important one. I. DIDN'T. FUCKING. HIT. YOU. I disarmed you when you attacked me with that amateurish display of swordsmanship. Learn the fucking difference."

  "And once, you'll be dead if I fucking hit you."

  "Three times you didn't heed my counsel. Three times you almost died. Now who's in the wrong?"

  "And if you say I am then FUCK YOU AND YOUR SHITTY ROYAL FAMILY!!! Instead of strengthening the defense of Londinium and Albion, you fucking retard went the wrong way and lost control of almost the entire city. Myrrdin was right about you. Shitty worthless family, not fit to be heirs of Arthur indeed."

  "Henry...."

  "If this is how the royal family acts, then the war is lost already. I'm out if Camelot accepts this as the way to operate. You'll be all dead within the year, I assure you."

  "Myrrdin? You know Myrrdin? The Guardian of Avalon?" A strangely robed man asks.

  "Yes."

  "But that's....'

  "Impossible? No. Highly improbable? Yes. But we're already making plans to create an artifact that will allow him to communicate easily with us. And he also told me to utter this line when I meet with someone high enough on Camelot's hierarchy."

  "The barriers are breaking. The Boundary will be breached. Rise, Camelot. And be the home of our people once more."

  "It's true. You are in contact with Master Myrrdin. We lost contact with Master Myrrdin 15 years ago. To be able to contact him once more is a boon to the cause."

  "This is great and all. But this man has disrespected the Crown. He must be punished... executed at least." An officious-looking old man with a goatee interrupted.

  Hmmm... goatee. Means this a villain in the making

  "SHUT UP!!! We can easily replace the Royal Family if we want to. But Master Myrrdin is indispensable to the organization. With his help, we can save Humanity."

  "WHY YOU...."

  "Try it and you'll see how little power your vaunted 'Monarchy' has. We would not want to interfere with politics, as it takes us away from our original mission. But we won't hesitate to take power if necessary."

  "Disraeli. Quiet."

  "Your Majesty."

  "Your name?" The Queen then asked me.

  "Henry Thompson, Your Mastery."

  "You're an American?"

  "Born and raised."

  "And why are you in England."

  "Escaping my past and my stupid, idiotic father. Don't worry, Your Majesty I have never committed any any crime as far as I know."

  "What you did to me is not a crime!?"

  "A punishment for stupid behavior. Better a harsh lesson than dead, Sensei Ishimura always drills into my head."

  "Ishimura? A Nippon name. How did you...."

  "He's my Master in Kendo. I've been training under him for almost six years now. I was to train in Kenjustu too, but circumstances forced me to... 'abandon' it. I became sick for quite a while. It was only recently that I got better."

  "So that's why you are much better at me at swordsmanship."

  "You have just been recently taking Kendo lessons. Half a year?"

  "Yes. But how did you...."

  "Know, my Lady? It was the first lesson taught to me by Sensei. To know how skilled my opponent is. And I learned that lesson quickly and thoroughly."

  "生徒に教えるのに十分 (Good enough to teach my student)?" A man of Japanese ancestry and wearing traditional Japanese clothing asks.

  "Good enough to not make the same mistakes she did."

  "Hah! A gaikokujin who knows our tongue."

  "A gaikokujin who trained under a master for almost 6 years. Who prefers speaking in his native tongue at all times. A gaikokujin good enough to face a practitioner twice his age."

  "Very well. Masako, if you want to continue your training and fight monsters, then you must train how to fight monster under him."

  "SENSEI!!!"

  "Hey, wait now.... I'm also an an amateur on fighting monsters. Only ones I fought are the Bloody Wulvern and the Umbral Beast last night."

  "Yet you defeated two of them."

  "The first one's with help. The second one, I cheated."

  "But you know how to fight them. The child must learn how to fight them, even with underhanded methods. She must survive and learn, not be prideful and get killed."

  "Masako.... If you are truly willing to fight monsters, then you must learn how to fight monsters. My Way of the Blade only teaches how to fight humans, not monsters. Even with the skill I am passing on to you, it's not enough."

  "Sensei...."

  "Child, we must learn to adapt to the situation we're in. Fighting human is different from fighting monsters. Different opponents, different techniques. And he has learned how to adapt his skill in the sword to fighting monsters."

  "Then that is that. My child, you shall be studying under Mister Thompson how to fight these abominations. If you want to continue doing so, then you must heed me. In exchange, I will release funds for my grandchild's training. A hundred pounds a month, plus any expenses incurred while my granddaughter is in your care."

  "But I'm working as...."

  "Quit the job, kid. You'll need to focus full-time on training the girl." Gerry interrupted me.

  "But...."

  "Henry, your boss at the docks will understand. All of them will understand. This is a Royal Commission. They will be proud of you."

  "Plus a residence will be provided for you, free of charge. It will be prepared to your specifications."

  "God dammit.... Fine, I'll take the job."

  "Very good then." The Queen answers.

  "Can we now continue with the initiation of our new recruits." The robed man asked.

  "Of course, Protector Alcroft. You may proceed." The Queen replies.

  Oh for fuck's sake.... What kind of mess I'm in right now?