Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)
Chapter 213 - 213: A meeting in the night

A few months after that dragon battle and Sheol's debut.

Shadow Fang Guild.

Guildmaster's Office.

The room was spacious, almost grand, its walls lined with rare artifacts, ancient weapons, and magical curiosities collected from countless expeditions. The sigil of Shadow Fang, a snarling wolf's head embroidered in silver thread, hung proudly above a large fireplace, where a low flame crackled and popped, casting a warm, flickering glow across the dark stone walls.

Behind a heavy blackwood desk, buried under half-sorted papers and worn books, sat Guildmaster Lucian.

He leaned back in his chair, a half-burned cigar resting between two fingers. The smoke curled upward in slow, spiraling ribbons, its smell sharp, spicy, and unmistakably rich, filling the air.

Outside the tall and wide glass window behind him, snow fell over Zehrak.

Moonlight poured in, pale and cold.

Unlike Terra, the human realm with only one giant moon, here, in Faunae, the world of the Furren, there were actually two moons, shining together every night.

One moon gleamed silver, casting a cool, gentle light. The other hovered nearby like its darker twin, wrapped in a dim, black glow. Together, their light filtered into the room, painting soft shadows across the floor and walls.

Though Zehrak was a desert, its temperature fluctuated wildly with the seasons. Summers could grow so blisteringly hot, so hot that you could literally cook steak on the sand. But the winters, the winters could turn bones into ice.

And now, it was winter.

Snowflakes drifted down, kissing the window.

The fire crackled, gnawing at the wood.

And still, the cold crept in around the edges of the room.

Lucian leaned back in his chair, resting both boots on the desk. His long black hair spilled over the back of the seat. He took another puff of his cigar, the white smoke swirling lazily through the air, carrying with it that same sharp, addictive aroma.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, Lucian raised one hand beside him.

A faint pulse of blue light shimmered from the dimensional ring on his finger.

In the still air before him, a sword took shape, long, silver, and strikingly elegant. It hovered for a heartbeat, suspended in a ripple of magic.

Lucian caught it without effort.

He brought it up, holding it at eye level, and studied the blade in silence.

The sword was exquisite.

Delicate lines of blue enchantment ran along the edge, glowing faintly, like veins of lightning frozen in crystal. Every curve, every angle, had been forged with care. The polished sapphire embedded in the hilt gleamed as it caught the room's dim firelight, scattering it into flickers of deep blue and pale silver.

A Sacred-ranked weapon.

One of the newer additions to his private armory, claimed in battle from someone who had once been his sworn enemy. A bitter rival. Now, reduced to a memory, and a relic.

Lucian's gaze lingered on the blade's reflection.

He saw himself, his golden eyes, steady and sharp. The scar that cut across his cheek, like a jagged reminder of days long past. Behind him, in the steel's mirrored surface, shimmered the moonlight through the window.

Two moons.

One silver, one black.

The black moon was eclipsing the silver, like it was swallowing its brighter twin.

Lucian's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.

Then.

Knock.

Knock. Knock.

A firm, measured rap at the heavy wooden door.

He didn't move right away.

"Guildmaster, we are here."

It was Ereskia's voice. The girl was currently a Pillar of the Shadow Fang, and also one of the few students who the Guildmaster had ever taken in personally.

After her father's disappearance inside the mysterious S-rank dungeon, Lucian had been taking care of her and her little brother, teaching them how to fight monsters, how to survive, and many other things related to the dungeons.

And now, the two little kittens had all grown up.

He lowered the sword. "Come in."

With a soft shimmer, the blade dissolved back into light and vanished into the ring.

Lucian sat upright, brushing a bit of ash from his sleeve before calmly snuffing out the end of his cigar in the crystal ashtray beside him. The smoke curled and faded into the quiet.

The door creaked open.

Ereskia entered first, her black coat catching the light as it swung behind her, eyes as sharp as ever. And behind her, a young and handsome man followed.

Her little brother—Larpard.

Larpard Veyric NightWhizkersz.

-------------------------

"Ereskia. Larp. Good to see you both," Lucian said, his voice warm as he leaned back in his chair as the two youngster stepped in. "So, how'd the dungeon run go?"

"Oh, smooth as butter!" Larpard said with a lazy grin, strolling in like he owned the place. "Though I barely got to do anything though. Sis handled it all before I even drew my weapon!"

Lucian chuckled. "That so?"

"Yup!" Larpard nodded.

Despite sharing the same bloodline, the siblings couldn't have looked more different in build. Larpard, Ereskia's younger brother by just two years, was quite small, delicate even. Standing barely over 1.6 meters tall, with slim arms and legs, he looked more like a mischievous bard than an adventurer. At first glance, most mistook him for a little catgirl, very bullyable.

But up close, the resemblance between him and Ereskia was unmistakable, like reflections of each other cast in different proportions. After all, they were sister and brother related by blood. They both had the same raven-black hair, the same sharp, deep-blue eyes that filled with cunning and curiosity, high cheekbones, graceful features.

Like two sides of the same coin, truly born from the same mold.

And despite his unassuming appearance, Larpard was actually far from weak. He'd recently reached A-rank himself and had his sights set on becoming one of the future Pillars of the Shadow Fang. Ever since he joined, he had been training hard, relentlessly, honing his skills in speed, stealth, and precision.

Unlike his sister's brute-force combat, his was a dance in the shadows.

And just like her, his mana affinity was Darkness.

"I see…" Lucian gave a thoughtful nod, smiling to himself. "She's turning into a monster, isn't she?"

"Haha, yeah!" Larpard laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "A scary one that is!"

But Ereskia had stopped just inside the doorway. Her nose wrinkled slightly, and her eyes narrowed.

Sniff. Sniff...

"Oi, Guildmaster!" Her voice raised, dead serious. "Are you smoking again?"

Lucian looked up, a guilty grin already forming. He held both hands up, palms out.

"Ah shit! Alright, alright. You caught me."

Ereskia crossed her arms, giving him a long, disapproving stare.

"You know that stuff'll kill you, right?"

But Lucian just chuckled, the sound low and a little tired. "Yeah, I know. But... I don't know. The night just feels a little too boring without it. And besides... I need it for my headaches."

"Haizzz…" Ereskia shook her head and let out a slow breath, lips pressing into a thin line. "Fine. Just this once. But like I said, even though it can help with your headaches, it's still not a good idea to be too dependent on it like this... "

"Yup, I promise," Lucian said, raising two fingers. "No more after today."

"Hmph." Ereskia's eyes flicked to the ashtray on his desk.

The cigar still smoldered, its scent sharp and earthy. It wasn't just a normal luxury smoke. She recognized the blend of rare herbs instantly. It was something specially crafted for Wolf Furren biology.

It was expensive, and extremely potent.

And dangerous.

It was said to heighten mana awareness, sharpen focus, even boost clarity of thought. It also had some medicinal effects, like reducing pain, or in the Guildmaster's case, his migraines, which had been bothering him for a few years now. But the side effects... weren't small. Lung degradation, unstable mana flow, weakened internal pathways…

Especially bad for someone already injured.

She knew Lucian was still recovering from internal damage sustained during his last trip to an S-rank dungeon. He hadn't fully recovered. And now here he was, feeding poison into his system like nothing had happened.

Her mouth opened, then closed again. She wanted to say something more. To scold him, even just a little.

But then decided not to.

Instead, she folded her arms and looked away. "Anyway... you didn't call us here to get nagged about your bad habits. So? What is it?"

Lucian tapped a finger against the edge of the ashtray, ash flaking away in a soft puff. He glanced toward the door.

"Close it, would you?"

"I got it," Larpard said, already turning.

He stepped back and gently pushed the heavy wooden door shut, didn't forget to check the outside one last time. The door clicked into place with a solid thud.

A moment later, the door activated. Faint glyphs etched into the wood shimmered to life, soft blue light traced their curves before fading into nothing. They were all powerful arcane seals. Anti-eavesdropping. Anti-scrying.

Meaning: this wasn't just a conversation.

It was something very serious.

And with the door secured, Lucian leaned forward, elbows resting on the polished desk, his golden eyes sharp, unreadable. He took in a slow, steady breath.

Then he spoke.

"It's your father. We finally have some information."

The words hit like a spellshock.

Ereskia froze where she stood, her arms dropped to her sides.

Larpard's breath caught audibly beside her.

"What…?" Ereskia's voice was barely there, thin and rough, like it had been dragged from deep in her chest. Her lips parted slightly. "Are you serious?"

Inside her chest, her heart thumped, beating like a war drum.

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