Chapter 22: What Will Happen to the Monster?

When morning eventually came, nothing had changed in Rizz's cell. He was sleeping on the cold floor, legs up against the wall, hand on his hungry belly.

C-clatter.

"Your meal, fiend." A guard spat into the large bowl of grey and brown slop. "And be kind to the Young Lady. She insisted that we feed you extra. I suppose she's also concerned with you dying prematurely."

Rizz groaned and rubbed his tuft of red hair. "Huh… The hell is this?"

The guard just laughed, running his hand along the bars as he exited the dim dungeon.

One sniff was all Rizz needed to know that the goopy meal was some kind of sloppy smoothie. It didn't smell foul, but it wasn't good either. There seemed to be bits of meat ground into the paste, though Rizz failed to recognize other ingredients.

"At least the bowl's big," Rizz mentioned, scooping some slop into his hand. "Mmm… It's not that bad. Just feels like another day of hospital leftovers."

Rizz ate three handfuls and set the rest aside. He inspected his crest once more, thinking, *I thought a nobleman's daughter was supposed to be knowledgable. She doesn't know shit.

*Only been out of the country once, left the city maybe a handful of times. I'd bet there's a library in the house. But can I afford to risk it while still lv. 1… At least I've got some new things to consider. And I'm liking how this system thinks.*

Back on the dingy floor, Rizz just stared at the ceiling while interacting with his menu.

{Primary Quests}

[Break the curse of the familiar: ongoing]

[Disband, disenchant, or break your curse of the familiar binding you to Elenia Rifton. Reward: determined by the amount of time taken between distribution and completion of the quest.]

[Escape Dorson City: ongoing]

[Escape the shackles, the underground cell, the Rifton Estate, and Dorson City. Reward: 100 skill points; bonus points may be available upon completion.]

{Secondary Quests}

[Tame the Frostcat: ongoing]

[Form a bond with the Frostcat. Reward: determined by the depth and strength of the bond formed.]

{Misc. Quests}

[Reach lv. 5: ongoing]

[Earn EXP to reach lv. 5. Reward: 10 skill points.]

[Reach lv. 10: ongoing]

[Earn EXP to reach lv. 10. Reward: 20 skill points.]

Rizz was glad to find something available in all of his quest tabs. All except for the [Urgent] category, which remained empty.

With breakfast over and with his quests revisited, Rizz moved on to his [Skills].

*I've got 100 points to blow,* Rizz pondered. *I've only got Spitball and some unactivated skills. I could experiment with those branch and evolve options… or…*

He gradually slid his attention to the [Skill Spinner] with enough points for two more spins.

*********

Inside the estate's mansion, a young noblewoman was strolling the halls. She constantly glanced at anyone passing her by. The servants paid her no mind. But the young woman eventually reached a set of double doors.

Knock, knock.

"Father? Mother? May I come in?"

The door opened, revealing a mature beauty with dark brown hair in a morning dress. "Of course, dear. Come, it's rare that you wish to chat with me."

Elenia smiled and stepped in, asking, "Is Father already in the workshop?"

"Your father has already left," stated Lady Ceenia.

"He left? To where?"

Ceenia shrugged and showed a pleasant smile. "I'm unsure. But I know this. You should be free of that fiend very soon, deary. And then we can rid ourselves of that monster."

Elenia was taken aback. Her legs went weak as she dropped onto a sofa. "Oh… I thought we would have to wait a whole month to try again?"

"No, no, no! I won't have the fiend living under our roof a single second longer than necessary." Ceenia lounged on the other side of the sofa, raising a warm teacup to her lips. "Your father promised to be rid of the monster the moment he returns. And then we can go back to summoning your true familiar, deary."

Leaning into the corner of the lavish couch, Elenia asked, "But how? I thought Father said the seal was perfect. That's why it's designed to be recast each month should someone lose their familiar."

"That is the case, deary, but you know your father," Ceenia giggled while thinking of her husband. "The moment he knew you were in trouble, he knew something had to be done. And if your father promises to free you soon, then I'm certain that will be the case."

Ceenia poured a cup for her daughter. "Come, deary. I can see that you're worried. Anyone would be in your situation. That's to be expected. Please don't fret."

Elenia accepted the teacup. Taking a sip, she relaxed almost instantly. "Mother… What sort of tea is this?"

"It's a rare herb that your father finds for me. I only drink it during times of great duress, such as now," Ceenia answered, savoring another sip.

Elenia took one more sip before setting it down. "I see. Then it's not just me who is feeling the weight of the situation."

"Of course not, Elenia. We love you and care for you. Your troubles are our troubles." Lady Ceenia scooted a bit closer to her daughter. "Come, drink up. It will relieve the tension and help you go about your day. That way you'll know how much your mother cares for you."

Stuck taking a courtesy sip, Elenia nodded. "Yes… It's quite a strong taste."

"You'll get used to it, I'm sure," Ceenia giggled while refilling her own teacup.

"Mother, what will Father do to that… monster after breaking my curse?"

Batting her eyes, Ceenia shook her head. "What does it matter? That filth is even worse than the criminals your father keeps as test subjects. The moment you're safe, that's the last I want to hear of the fiend. It should be returned to the pits of hell from wence it came. Don't you feel better knowing that you'll be freed all the sooner?"

"Oh yes. It will be great!" Elenia cheered, pretending to sip the tea.