Chapter 68: Children of the Night

“Reaper abuse…” Nerez repeated after hearing his servant’s complaints. “So much reaper this and reaper that, mortals are starting to pick it up. There are already stories about how death’s reapers are the ones who keep order in the Underworld and handle those least willing to die and the lost souls.”

“Hehe,” Cerys laughed, puffing out her chest.

“None of that ‘hehe.’ Remember, your true title is Soulwarden. Are you actually doing any warden stuff for the souls?”

“I do! A little… It’s just so boring… The others are better than me at that kind of trivial stuff… I’m better at fieldwork!”

“That is true, but it doesn’t change the fact that you need to stop dumping your work on everyone else. You have responsibilities to fulfill.”

“But you do that too!”

“My responsibility is to delegate responsibilities.”

“Booo, abuse of power! Reaper abuse!”

“Stop shouting. Even in the middle of this crowd, someone is going to hear you… Not that anyone will know what reaper abuse means, but they will give us weird looks…”

Cerys, however, was no longer listening. Her attention had shifted elsewhere.

“Oh! That smells really good! I want some!”

Without warning, the redhead went straight for one of the food stalls in the market.

“Well, we don’t have a set time with Selene, and Miri insisted we look around the city,” Nerez remarked, letting out a sigh. “I suppose we can make a small detour.”

By the time Nerez reached the stall, Cerys was already battling the vendor.

“Three copper coins, young lady!”

“I don’t have three copper coins!”

“Then I can’t help you!”

“Don’t be stingy, mortal! Listen, when you end up in the Underworld, we can make a deal. I-“

Chop

“Ugh…”

“Please excuse my companion, good merchant. She’s a little scatterbrained. The smallest coin I have is this bronze one. Will that do?”

“A bronze coin…” the vendor repeated thoughtfully. “That leaves ninety-seven copper coins in change. I would have to go back to the bank again…”

“Then how about ten of whatever Cerys was trying to buy?”

“Yes, I can work with that! Thank you very much for your purchase!” the vendor exclaimed cheerfully. “It is my family’s specialty! Maldias!”

“Maldias?”

“They are little pastries stuffed with my special meat filling, marinated in vinegar, sugar, and various spices,” the vendor explained as he lined up the ten pieces of dough to fill them. “By the way, is your companion named Cerys? Is her family very religious?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Cerys is the name of the first and most ancient of the death’s reapers. They say she was already accompanying Nereziel when the Underworld was founded.”

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“Hehe.”

“…”

“That is why you should be careful. Some people might consider it disrespectful for someone to use that name. Not me, of course! All customers are welcome!”

“Thank you, good merchant. We will keep that in mind…”