Odin had to admit, he was enjoying this new Fiore. After the demonic incursions had died down, he was expecting the country to become more came, and enjoy the era of peace that seemed to be approaching. Wonderfully, that was not the case. Seraphim and Demons had entered Earthland, each race planning on having one final battle to destroy the other, and Fiore was caught in the middle. The country had become their battleground, and the people were to simply become collateral damage.

This opened the door for a few things. Many citizens had joined Nerva's Inquisition: the same group of people that wished to eradicate all non-humans that posed a threat to the world, which included the Lich. They were most certainly not allies to Odin, but they also weren't in Era right now, as their forces were mustering elsewhere in Fiore. Other citizens had put up requests for aid, either in the form of training to fight back, or help to guard and defend the houses of those who had more money than the common people. These were the people that Odin had kept his eye on over the past few days. After all, they needed protection to keep all their valuables safe. That meant they had valuables worth stealing and, under the cover of all the confusion, pillaging their homes would be as simple as taking candy from a baby.

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There were so many mansions all lined up for Odin, ripe for the picking. All he had to do was find the one that looked like the best target, break in, and steal all of the goods. Era had a clearly defined 'rich section', where all the elite rune knights lived after raking in all the money they could get. Normally, venturing into this area would be suicide, as the guards would be highly trained knights that would kill anyone trying anything without a second thought. However, and this information made Odin so happy that he couldn't help but laugh as he made his way down the oddly blood-soaked street, all those high class rune knights had left Era. The majority of them had gone to fight demons, with some leaving the cause to join Nerva's army. That meant Odin could rob from those who would want to instantly arrest him, and they'd never be able to stop him.

Where he walked, Odin only saw blood. There had been a massacre in the streets, fairly recently judging by the trickles of blood that still flowed through Era's rich district. Death was nothing knew to Odin, but he was intrigued as to who would cause so much and why. Regardless, he moved through the dead as one of their own, never disturbing the bodies but simply passing by them. Eventually he came to the entrance of a house where the blood seemed to lead.

There were only two reasons why Odin ventured into this house: curiosity and time. He wished to know who it was that caused such a mess but he also had the time spare that, should his voyage be fruitless, he could go infiltrate some of the other houses and pillage them. Hell Odin's plan was that, by the end of the night, the entire district would be raided, provided there weren't any interesting secrets to behold within.

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It seemed Odin wasn't the only one with the idea to ransack and raid the highest members of society in Era, as he entered the courtyard of the mansion. As he walked up, his armor ruining any hopes of being silent, Odin noticed someone, standing there in front of the door, about to enter. The man turned around and Odin saw a face that he did not recognise. Assuming it to simply be some low ability bandit with ideas above his station, Odin walked with the intention to kill once he was within range. The man had a nice sword as well, which Odin could probably use for the time being once he killed him.

It was interesting then, as Odin walked closer and closer to his target, that the man would begin speaking in a friendly manner towards the Lich. Continuing with his speech, he would introduce himself as Erebus, the intriguing character Odin met in Astera not too long ago, and the only man Odin could view as an ally in the current world. Obviously realising the confusion, Erebus made sure to tell Odin how he had changed his appearance, apparently by visiting a shaman. It was probably slightly more difficult for a human to change their face than it was for Odin, as the Lich simply needed to remove his head and replace it with a new one, which just required a graveyard and about an hour.

"It's a good thing you introduced yourself so quickly. Here I was about to kill you for stealing my mark. But I guess we can share the loot. Besides", Odin looked up at the massive mansion's entrance as he continued, "looks to me like we'll both be able to make a good bit of money from this. So shall we split it with east and west wing, or just go together and see what we find? A house like this must have some secret little areas." Without meaning to, and due to Erebus being the only person Odin could come close to considering a friend, a part of his old self slipped through. He was, for a very brief moment as they entered the house, enjoying the company of another.

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Despite the fact Odin suspected it to be true, he hadn't expected Erebus to admit that the Lich would likely be able to defeat the man, but he did admit that he would try and fight him to standstill. If that had been the entire conversation, and they had simply gone into the house and started looting, Odin would've thought nothing of it. But the man's next words were what greatly interested Odin. Apparently, much like him, Erebus had already died before. And, to make matters even more interesting, his death had been similar to Odin's in the fact that something different had occurred. He hadn't passed on to eternal salvation or damnation, something else had happened.

Erebus went to a different realm entirely, something even more horrible than the eternal damnation that scholars long assumed happened to the worst kinds of people. It reminded Odin of his own death, many years ago now. He had pierced his own heart with a knife, but had ventured inside himself. Dark magic had plagued him in the form of the demon Lucifer, but Odin had vanquished him by embracing his own darkness. He had pushed the demon away and unlocked his own immortality by allowing the darkness to consume him. It had granted him many new powers, and the powers were ever-changing, suiting Odin's desires each time.

Odin didn't think it appropriate, at this time at least, to ask any more from Erebus and neither did he want to go into detail about his own death, so he simply allowed the conversation to continue as Erebus was suggesting, as they agreed to either split the profits, or allow Odin to take this house while Erebus took the next. They would likely both make a profit out of this venture, so the details weren't entirely important to the Lich, who simply walked into the main entrance of the house, marvelling at the beauty of it and thinking about what he was about to do to it. They had many locations that could explore. Two wings, a ball room, likely multiple kitchens. Today was going to be a good day, Odin could feel it.

"So, where do we start?"

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Something he hadn't considered, but something that filled him with glee at the same time, was brought to Odin's attention. Erebus was entirely right: the house likely wasn't abandoned, almost certainly so. The strongest men and women of the house, those that might have had even a sliver of a chance at beating the two men entering the house, had already left for whatever reason: either to help the people or fight in the war. Those that remained: the mothers, children, and servants, they were all simply fair game for the two. If Odin saw any of them, they would likely meet their untimely end at his, or Erebus' hand.

"For all we know, they might have gold encrusted silverware, so it is definitely worth checking the kitchen out." Truth be told, that was the only reason Odin could really think of for going to the kitchen, flimsy as it may have sounded. Whether asking sincerely or just trying to be funny, Erebus surely could've worked out that Odin wouldn't eat himself. Everything he tried to eat or drink turned to dust in his mouth, only allowing the smallest taste to permeate: enough for Odin to know what he was missing.

Odin followed Erebus as they began making their way towards the kitchen, the latter using their nose to direct them, while making conversation on the way. The topic he chose was rather peculiar, as he brought up the concept of a different life for the two men, one where they weren't the monsters everyone saw them as. It was something Odin had thought about many times during his early year as a Lich. 'Why has this worked for me and failed for so many others?' 'Why am I the one who must suffer?' 'Why does the world always seem against me?' These questions and more had kept Odin company during his darkest times, so he wasted no time in responding to Erebus.

"Whether we were chosen or just got unlucky, the world is now against us. Perhaps things could've been different once but, for me especially looking as I do, the fact is plain to see. We are the monsters that keep people up at night, and we bring about the change." Odin then chuckled lightly before continuing, "Actually, I almost became a royal knight once, even while I looked like this. It was many years ago now, but I imagine things would've turned out very differently had that path not closed itself to me."

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As Odin had expected, Erebus was surprised to learn of his ally's former planned occupation, but they both shared the same feelings towards it. Having someone like Odin working that closely with the King, having someone different being in charge of the royal family, it would have done wonders for Odin's life, and so many things that had come to pass wouldn't have if only Arthurias hadn't died so suddenly. All Odin had needed was a week, one week for his king to implement the change, and his life would have change drastically. But it was not to be, and instead Odin had become a monster once more, instead of the hero he could've been.

The most interesting titbit of knowledge came after this however, as Erebus continued talking. He knew Arthurias: knew the king that had promised so much change before his death. The two had their differences, but Odin knew something about this revelation that very few others would. "If you knew him, then you must have been Grimoire Heart..." It was a statement as much as a question, as Odin knew it to be the only logical solution. Erebus had been in Odin's guild, likely at the same time as the Lich if only for a short while. Perhaps he didn't know Odin's name, and instead only knew of the guild member Lucifer, a name Odin hadn't used in a lifetime, or perhaps something else had happened, but it seemed more and more likely that Odin's and Erebus' paths had already crossed, many years prior to Astera.

"Everyone has heart, strength, intelligence and charm, and each quality can be used in combination with another. Having one set doesn't instantly make you an evil person. However", Odin made sure to interrupt himself so he didn't sound like he was lecturing, "we all have our reason for turning out the way we do, a lot of it is simply the world's opinion of us. If the world wishes to view me as a monster, they can do so and deal with the consequences." Odin stopped as the reached the kitchen, seeing all the produce that was sitting atop tables. Fresh bread, cakes, all sorts of delicacies Odin would never be able to enjoy. At the other end of the large kitchen, a group of men hurried about, unaware of the two that had just entered the room. Glancing over to Erebus, the Lich simply asked, "Yours or mine?"

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"Yours."

That was all Odin needed from Erebus, and it filled him with a macabre glee. Permission had been granted, and it was time for the Lich to go all out, or at least as much as was required to take out some weak civilians. He began walking towards the men, who were beginning to take notice at the intruders. The moment they saw Odin, their expressions changed. The once carefree and jolly faces of the workmen contorted to terror in an instant, while the Lich merely laughed.

There were three of them in total, and Odin had multiple ways he could defeat them. He had a single spell that would likely be able to take all three of them out at once, but he didn't want to waste the food in the area should he use it. Instead, Odin pointed his right index finger at one of the men, and fired out a small bullet of poison. It shot out towards the man, hitting directly in the centre of his forehead. The poison began to spread, and Odin watched the man twitch violently before he fell, instantly dead.

The other two tried to fight back, grabbing the knives in the kitchen as they charged at Odin. The Lich realised, amused, that they were not doing this out of some misplaced bravery, but rather that Odin was blocking any exit they had, so they had to go through him. Not that he was about to let them.

They two struck Odin, feeling a momentary sense of triumph at the attacks. One of them looked up, hoping to see fear and pain on the skeletal face. Instead, Odin's piercing red eyes simply stared down back at them. He activated his Fear in this moment, and the men dropped their weapons instantly. They saw death incarnate standing before them, and they knew there was nothing they could do. When one turned to run, Odin grabbed him by his shirt's collar, and turned him to face the Lich. His screams were loud, and quite possible enough to alert other people of the intruders, but it meant little at this point. Odin moved his hand from the collar to the man's throat, and ripped it out. Blood and guts coated the pearly white structure of the Lich, as the chef slumped to the ground. One more.

By this point Odin had carelessly lost the final chef, having been enjoying his killings a bit too much. So, naturally, the Lich couldn't help but laugh as he saw the man cowering in the corner. No longer trying to fight or escape, just trying to survive. He didn't. Odin simply walked towards him and sent his right foot  directly into the man's head, embedding the point of his armoured boot into the final chef's eye, before repeating in a different location. Again and again, until the man's face was nothing more than a mush of flesh, blood and bone.

"Where to next?" Odin would simply ask Erebus.

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Erebus seemed pleased by the show Odin put on for him, having simply sat back and watched while the Lich went on his killing spree, marvelling in the final product once it had concluded. Odin was glad that Erebus had given him the chance to let loose like that, but he wasn't yet sure if he could trust him. The man was proving himself more and more trustworthy by the minute, but there were some people who just required more time to fully learn to trust someone, and Odin was very much one of those people nowadays.

Regardless he was looking forward to hopefully seeing what Erebus could do, should they run into more enemies along the way. The man started down the left most walkway, stating that they needed to find bedrooms, master bedrooms preferably, that would likely hide expensive trinkets and family heirlooms that would fetch a decent price to any who saw them. Whether there would be a 'chest of goodies' in the house Odin was doubtful, but they would definitely be able to find a lot of loot.

Having no reason not to, Odin would follow Erebus down the first passageway, curious to see what they would find.

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Odin could feel, as much as hear, the emotion in Erebus' voice as he spoke. Whatever was going through his head, it resonated with Odin. He hadn't come from a fanciful background, he wasn't a rich noble that had rebelled or anything of the sort. If he had to be honest, his path had been chosen long before his birth. His parents had been exiled from Iceberg before Odin's birth due to their worship of the demon Lucifer. The moment he was born, Odin's fate had been entwined with the demonic prince, further sending him down a dark path. He'd never been given the option.

Whether Erebus was the same or not, Odin got the feeling that the man disliked those that grew up with finery, those that had grown up with living families, and had never known hardship. This was their time to grow, their chance to gain a reason to get stronger. If someone was attacked, they would want to beat their attacker. Odin had seen it so many times before: he himself had killed parents simply to see the children grow, their some purpose to kill the Lich that brought them sorrow.

It seemed the two were to split for a time, with Erebus heading down the left and Odin going right. "Let's see who can obtain the most worthwhile loot, shall we?" The Lich would make his way past a few boring looking doors before stopping in front of one large, ornate looking entranceway. Who knows what this could lead to...

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Erebus nodded, it was in his best interest to find whatever treasures he could get his dirty hands on. He moved down his hall-- leading off into a direction which would be unknown to his comrade, and unknown to him until fully explored. Erebus held his posture firm, bent ever so slightly, as if to stalk the prey and press with stealth on his mind. His hand was already clasping the handle of his mighty weapon, The Executioner Sword. One finger at a time, he teased it for the blood it sought to drink. All before the sound of metal moving from a large sheathe could be heard, echoing off the twenty foot tall walls. each adorned with beautiful artistry.

He breathed, inhaling as if it were something he had to do by the steps. The doorknob turned and inside, the colors of peaches and pinks. A teenager's room, female by the sheer decorative of it, spoiled as it was, the room was empty so there was no girl to cut into pieces. nonetheless, Erebus instantly made way to the jewelry box. Pocketing lockets and rings, and even a diary. Why the diary, perhaps? Secrets. Erebus was a fiend for drama and stories. That would probably be his most desired find of the day. He exited the room, after pissing on the chest at the foot of the bed. Just a bit of disrespect before he moved about into his next chamber.

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Odin headed down the right-most corridor, eager to see what he would be able to find. Whether it was to be people that he could, and would, eviscerate to send a message, or simply a locked chest filled with the treasure and riches that he sought after. There were many doors on Odin's corridor, but most of them had nothing of value, making this area look more like the worker's rooms rather than anything fancy. With each room he entered, turned upside down, and exited, Odin felt more and more unlucky. Erebus had gone down the path of the estate owners, while Odin was stuck with the chefs, gardeners and butlers. That was, until he found one interesting room.

It started the same as all the others, with Odin entering a room and not initially seeing anything of value. However, that changed when he actually took the time to inspect it. This room, a woman's by the looks of things, seemed to be hiding some secrets. On the dresser was a letter, and underneath the letter was a very expensive looking necklace: golden and embellished with many jewels, from rubies to sapphires to even a beautiful diamond.

The letter revealed much about the necklace, as it was a gift to this scullery maid from a very rich man who had fallen in love. The letter gave no name, but that wasn't important. Odin had found quite the haul indeed, and it was only one time. Who knew what else this room would give to him.


Odin heard guards coming and, not wanting to overstay his own welcome, decided to leave with what he had there. However, he had plans to return to this house once more. He smelled profit.

-Exit-

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