The Great Crestmaster

"Ah, we are adventurers, well, adventurers-to-be, we're here for the last quest of the entrance exam."

Aldrich quickly answered, at this point honesty was the best policy.

Bernard whistled, "exam quest? All the way here? Well, that's beside the point." Bernard took out a monocle and cleaned it a little before putting it on.

"Hmm, little girl did you take the oath?" He asked, looking at Emma.

"Y-yes, sir."

Bernard nodded, "come here,"

"What?" Emma asked confused.

"Do I have to repeat myself? I said come here, kneel down let me take a look at you."

Aldrich's mouth went dry, "do as he says." He ordered, obeying was the best thing to do here.

There was also another reason, three people came down from the carriage while he was focused on inquisitor Bernard.

A young boy, no older than twelve, and a man in his late twenties, finally there was a gentle looking old man who had a soft smile on his face and reading glasses.

"Bernard, you're being too harsh," the old man said.

"But—"

"It's fine," the old man stroked his moderately long white beard, "these young people are going on a quest, it's not appropriate for us to stop them."

"… yes, senior." Bernard answered and returned the monocle back to his pocket.

"Now, you go on, be sure to be careful out there," the old man said kindly as they turned their backs and walked towards the carriage.

Aldrich didn't dare to breath too loudly, it was one close call. He didn't know what was going to happen if they decided to arrest Emma—

"Oh, just one more thing."

Aldrich didn't know when the old man returned and stood right in front of him.

"Don't be nervous, tell me… did you recently come across a place where the veil is thin?" The old man asked, with his soft voice but his eyes were now cold like steel and emotionless without any fluctuations.

"We did," he gulped subconsciously, "we had to travel fast because of the quest's deadline so we used the ancient land bridge."

The old man raised an eyebrow, "most grade zero beings wouldn't even know to distinguish such a place."

Aldrich had slipped up, it was actually the old man's question that hid another meaning behind it depending on how it was answered.

But it at times like these that Aldrich was calm, "I just guessed, it was only place that I could think of. After all, we didn't go through any other place that was noteworthy."

"Hm, that makes sense. I hope you guys are alright then?" The old man asked sounding concerned for them.

"Oh, yeah, we're fine. Nothing out of the usual." Aldrich answered calmly and smiled.

"That's such a relief," the old man looked at him like a relieved grandfather, "the land bridge isn't actually that dangerous, the veil is almost back to normal there. Nothing unusual happened right?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, dear me, I delayed you again, I am very sorry. Good luck, may god be with you." The old man said not sounding sorry at all.

"May god be with you."

Aldrich bowed with the rest of the party to send the inquisitors off, the inquisition was part of the church, so inquisitors were akin to priests.

"You're bow just now…" Bernard, remained in the end and said to Aldrich, "seemed a little halfhearted, you just bent your back a little."

Aldrich was stunned that he actually turned back to look at their bows, he quickly bent his back deeply, "I'm sorry for my carelessness."

'Fuck, I thought I was done dealing with you.'

Bernard turned around boarded the carriage and the inquisitors passed by but Aldrich and the party remained bowing for a while even after they left.

Aldrich gritted his teeth until he felt he might break them, he couldn't help but feel that if he was Crestmaster he wouldn't be treated like this.

****

The lighthouse sits on Marblehead Point, a large granite cliff that juts out into the ocean from the shore.

In days past, the early settlers mistook the white cliffs for marble, hence the name. An old, overgrown track leads inland from town, around and up onto the clifftop, a trek of approximately 5 kilometers.

The peninsula is topped with a rough, hardy grass and scattered small trees, twisted and bent from the wind.

The lighthouse itself stands 20 meters high, a hexagonal structure of stone blocks cut from the very cliff on which it stands.

A single door at ground level allows entry. On the west side, an old lift sits on the ground attached by ropes to pulley systems affixed to the top of the tower.

This was once used to haul supplies of wood and oil to the top to replenish the lighthouse beacon.

"The system is old and in disrepair," Huzon said as he pointe at the pulley system.

They had arrived and met up not long after their encounter with the inquisition. The fitted granite blocks are worn but appear solid and defiant of the elements. Aside from the wind all is quite.

Aldrich tried to open the old door of the lighthouse but it seems like it was stuck in its frame, it was swollen from moisture probably.

"Everyone, forget about everything else, from now on, our only objective is to complete the quest no matter what." Aldrich had to raise the party's spirits.

The moral fell after their recent encounter.

Aldrich pushed the door using a little bit of strength, the door moved back but didn't open so he pushed again and it did. He was careful not to break it.

He was faced with a room, this room smells of damp and mold. A spiral staircase rises in the center of the room to the floor above. Two doors block access to other parts of the ground floor.

A pile of rotten wood, collapsing crates, and old barrels sits piled against the wall between the northern door and the staircase.

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