I realized I forgot to formally introduce myself. The Bandit Hero spoke as we sat at a long table filled with food. My name is Roxford, they call me the Bandit Hero around these parts.

It was just me, Garnet, Roxford, and Calypso around the table, although it was long enough and filled with enough food to feed thirty.

Calypso seemed to notice me staring at the empty chairs, The other bandits eat separately from us. Its how we distinguish leadership. Eating with the Bandit Hero is a great honor for you. You should be thankful.

Thanks! Garnet said before digging in, but I still hesitated.

Ive already ordered bandits to set up a forge. There is a good cavern with a natural chimney. Ive heard that to forge properly, being underground is preferable. It blocks out unwanted vibrations and bad energy.

Ah the miasma! I cried out, just remembering my previous plan.

I wouldnt worry about it. It makes the men a little angsty, but it reinforces my abilities. Calypso responded. To be able to create miasma, you must be a fairly high-level Dark Priest?

Ah not exactly I responded, this time grabbing food to try to avoid answering her. Ah do you need help with those bandits that I I mean

The ones you killed? Calypso raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. No, I was already able to raise them using Dark Ritual. You have that ability?

She seemed to be trying to figure out what level I was. Whatever that level was, I didnt have it yet.

Ah, yes I do have it. I lied. I was going to offer

Roxford had a distasteful look on it. Id rather we used Resurrection. Its too bad Priests wont resurrect our kind.

Why? I asked.

Because Dark Ritual demands a sacrifice, Calypso responded simply. My Hero here doesnt like killing.

Sacrifices, who? I demanded, frowning.

She raised an eyebrow. Those that didnt need to be alive, I can tell you that much. Of course, if theyre lucky, they can be resurrected the old-fashioned way. Dark Ritual is much much faster, and can be cast before the person even dies.

How does that work? I asked.

I thought you had the ability?

Ah! I-I do Its just, Ive never used it. Its not like there is a manual for this kind of thing?

She gave a grin but otherwise spoke. You can cast Dark Ritual on someone, and it connects their soul to another. Its not dissimilar to certain slave crests. For those, when the master dies, the slave dies with them. In this case, when the main person dies, the sacrifice dies in their stead. They resurrect shortly after. They also dont experience any of the weakness or damage to their soul. Its like protecting your soul with another. Any competent Dark Priest has a sacrifice at the ready in case she faces someone deadly.

She shot me a cutting look, and then seemed to have lost a lot of interest in our discussion when she realized I didnt know much about the dark priesthood. However, for me, I was thinking about other things entirely.

Specifically, the bandits back at home. I had been wondering how they kept their bandits coming without stop. This Dark Ritual seemed to be the first thing I had heard of that sounded close to an answer. There was still a problem with that theory. Those bandits seemed to be able to keep coming. If that was indeed the answer, just how many souls did they have as backup?

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