Supreme Magus novel Chapter 493

Lith was true to his word and called all of his friends before hitting the road again. Some of the news he received was expected, some of it not so much.

"Damn! Jirni’s birthday is going to be a real pain in the ass this year. I can only hope an emergency will give me a decent excuse for not attending." Lith cursed.

"So much for missing your friends." Solus grumbled. She had never felt so tired and would have much preferred to keep sleeping.

"They are going to celebrate their 25th anniversary, you should’ve expected something big for the occasion. Aren’t you happy to finally see Phloria and the rest of the gang again?"

"No. Really no." Lith shook his head.

"If I don’t bring my girlfriend to the party with me, Kamila will think I still feel something for my ex. If I do, there’s going to be a showdown between them, and even if violence is rarely involved, back on Earth these kinds of things were never pretty."

"How can you say you feel nothing for Phloria? One of the reasons you asked Kamila out is because she reminded you of her. Even now you refuse to call her by her name and just use the ’ex’ word. I think that says a lot." She sneered.

"I haven’t forgotten what we had together. I owe her a lot, maybe more than I could ever repay her, but the past is in the past. By the way, someone is grumpy this morning and for once it’s not me." Lith laughed, making Solus feel awkward.

She still had conflicting feelings about her new ability and, most importantly, about her decision to not share it with him. The exhaustion coupled with the guilt were making her touchy.

***

Lith resumed his duty and for more than a week he was unable to stop in one place if it wasn’t for eating or sleeping. Winter in the north had started earlier than usual, catching many cities and villages unprepared.

He would often be called by their local authorities to resolve disputes about food provisions or to rid them of potential threats. Even bandits needed a place to shelter from the snowstorms, but no one wanted them to live in their neighbourhood.

Criminals would try to infiltrate settlements at the last moment, hoping to either escape detection in the slums of medium sized cities or exploit the lack of security typical of small villages.

Unfortunately for them, the people in the north were as harsh and unforgiving as their climate. They hated even the foreigners who wore the Kingdom’s uniforms, let alone those whose faces only a mother could love.

Once Lith reached a village, he would give them two choices: to spend the rest of the winter in prison or in the graveyard. Banishing them wasn’t an option. They could return as soon as he left and he had no desire to waste his time with mercy.

Some of them tried to escape while the bravest ones attempted to resist being arrested. They all died the same way: with their neck snapped by a flick of Lith’s wrist and a touch of spirit magic.

’It seems until people settle down for winter, we’ll be doing a lot of back and forth around the whole Kellan region.’ Lith thought.

"Yeah, you won’t be able to go back home for a while. I expected you to nag like usual, yet you are smiling." Solus was confused seeing him so laid back.

’I would if I were a normal Ranger, stranded in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm. I’m a lucky man who can seek shelter inside his own mage tower and enjoy the company of his only true friend instead.’

Lith was eating a steaming meal in the dining room Solus had created for him.