A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Henry didn't send the Repeater into his Inventory. He had it over his shoulder whenever he wasn't observing it as hard as he possibly could. It had not taken long for it to dawn on him that the only one who could bring the gun to working condition was Elminster and he would also want the gun back as one of the products he had commissioned Henry to retrieve.

Henry had just let out another heavy sigh when they arrived at the Lotus Inn's massive door. They walked through and were greeted by a friendly face that caused them to pause.

"Hello," Eloise said.

"Hi," Henry answered.

Unlike the last time he had seen her, Eloise was not dressed in an Armor. She had a gown on and it clung to her body with a split on the side to reveal her leggings-covered legs. Clearly, while she was not dressing exactly for combat, she was ready for it all the same.

Her hair was partially braided and fell beautifully with one part down her front and the rest —most of it—, down her back. She had long silver earrings drooping from her earlobes and complementing her grey eyes nicely.

Finally, the hand she raised to greet Henry and the others had a bracelet around its wrist and although it caught the light glinted ever so lightly, Henry couldn't shake the feeling that it did more than just look pretty.

Of course, just as Henry observed her, Eloise observed him as well. She was just far more stealthy with her observations. She took in that his clothes fit him well and he had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to reveal well-toned forearms. His handsome face appeared calm and his lips were curled in an easy-going smile that reached his eyes.

His brown hair was now tied into a little ponytail behind his head. Henry had decided he'd let it grow out for a while.

"Why do you look so surprised," Eloise asked with a chuckle when her observations were done and her smile seemed to get even brighter,

"I said I'd be back."

"So you did," Henry said with a nod, "It's just— well, it's been a week."

"Yes, I was busy," Eloise said and her eyes darkened a bit, "We didn't return with our party complete. That was not how the expedition was supposed to go."

"I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Henry said but he sounded very passive about it. Not by choice really but he felt very little agency for the issue and just reacted to how it seemed to affect Eloise.

Her smile gained a bit of its previous luster as she said to the two standing behind Henry,

"Andor, Louis."

"Hello," they chorused. Louis blushed because he was so sure he had greeted her but it turned out his mouth had just been open to start the greeting and he never quite got to completing it.

"Will you lead the way?" Eloise asked with a gesture at the Elevator.

"Of course," Henry said and with the Repeater still across his shoulder, he led the way with Eloise walking by his side and the tip of Louis and Andor close behind.

The Elevator ride was passed mostly in a sort of awkward silence only broken once when Eloise gestured at the Repeater over Henry's shoulder,

"Nice gun," she said.

"Thanks," Henry answered with a smile, "I just got it."

When the Elevator opened out into the common area, they stepped out and took their seats with the three angled toward Eloise with expressions ranging from calm to appreciative, to drooling.

Eloise looked from one face to the other but wasted no time getting into why she was there,

"Have you given much thought to my proposition?" She asked.

"About Dungeon Raiding?" Henry asked even though there was nothing else it could have been about.

Eloise nodded slowly,

"That's right," she said, "And like I said last week, there's more involved than a money-making scheme as many have taken it to be."

She paused here like she had more to say but was weighing how to say it so Henry and others said nothing and just waited.

Eventually, Eloise let out a sigh,

"Have you perhaps heard of the 'Reckoning'?" She asked.

The word brought a memory to Henry's mind; It was a time when he still had a control cuff around his wrist and was seated around a fire with Jonas, Eli, and Al. Jonas had mentioned something about a 'Reckoning' but had waved it off as some kind of paranoia among the common people.

"I think I've heard of it, yes." Henry answered, "Don't know much about it though."

"The 'Reckoning' hints that the Dungeons are merely a harbinger of something bigger. Something worse down the line. Already, more Gates are appearing and are getting stronger almost too fast for Raiders to keep up with.

Knights are quickly becoming more than a tight-knit group of select people with honor and more and more about taking in anyone who will take on the oath to fight against the Evil within the Dungeons to either prevent the Reckoning or at least stand between it and the common people when it comes."

"And you want me to join?" Henry asked.

"I want all three of you, if possible," Eloise said, "I believe we'll need all the help we can get to fight against the Reckoning and you three showed that you have what it takes. A bit unpolished but you'll get better with experience." Read latest stories on m_v-l'e|m,p| y- r

"I'm no Knight," Henry said.

"Neither am I," Louis said with a slight frown.

"I could be," Andor said causing all eyes to fall on him. He looked a bit uncomfortable at the attention and cleared his throat.

"You want to become a Knight?" Henry asked him.

Andor shrugged,

"I'm considering it," he said.

"That's an honorable thought," Eloise told him encouragingly, "The Citadel will welcome you. But you don't have to be a Knight to venture into Dungeons.

And you definitely don't have to be a Knight to want to help people."

Eloise said the last part with her grey eyes burning with a righteous kind of passion. It made Henry feel somewhat selfish to not even consider her proposition. But then he remembered it would have him return to the Dungeons, and he shuddered.

"I understand you but I actually have something pressing to attend to," Henry said and instantly felt like a liar. He hadn't done anything about the pressing issue in a week.

To assuage some of the guilt that was creeping up, he pointed out,

"But I'm sure there are many Knights you can call on," he said.

Eloise shook her head with a dark expression,

"Not as many as I'd like. Currently, Aurelius and I have been stuck with Squires to serve as our Squad. It's the same for others like us. The goal is to build up the 'next generation' of Knights but while they train and we wait for them to take on their Oaths, we're a bit useless.

The last expedition leading to the death of a Squire has also tied our hands. We're not allowed to take them into any more Dungeons until they're better trained. I.e. until some of them have taken their oaths.

I'm optimistic it will happen soon but even then, there's still a lot of danger and none of them had been primal to clearing the last Dungeon. Certainly not as much as you were. If you come with us, I'll feel better. I'll feel Aurelius and I at least have help.

Consider it, please?"

Henry took a moment but really, he didn't have much hope of saying no to those burning eyes,

"Of course," he said, "I won't speak for the others but I will consider it."

"Me too," Louis and Andor chorused almost immediately.

Eloise nodded with a bit more ease,

"Thank you," she said.

"Alright, then," Henry said and cleared his throat, "Is there anything you can tell me about Ralph Gribbo?"

Their 'asking around' was hardly yielding results so it was about time to ask someone who knew more about the city and could probably tell them more.

Eloise wrinkled her nose in distaste,

"I know more about him than I care to know," she said and then rearranged her expression to ask with a sigh,

"What would you like to know?"