[i][/i][i][/i][h2][center][b][color=ed1c24]Novak[/color][/b][/center][/h2]
Novak was conflicted about whether to stay and rummage through the scrolls, or accompany Enli to meet the Kyrinth.

[color=ed1c24][i]Would the Kyrinth take offense to me wearing an animal's scales like this?[/i][/color] he wondered.  [color=ed1c24][i]No, everyone is wearing clothing made from animal hide, and it's not probably not making a fuss over that.[/i][/color]  Novak recalled Enli mentioning that the hunters killing deer might be angering the Kyrinth, so perhaps it might take exception to something made of deer hide, but as far as Novak knew, his outfit came entirely from that armored beast.

His other concern was that he wasn't entirely sure that the Kyrinth would want to see him.  Would it know of the deal he had made with the Illuminator?  Would it view him in the same light as the hunters who served the Illuminator?  [color=ed1c24][i]No, I'm not the same as them.  I didn't break a covenant like they did, nor did I kill any deer,[/i][/color] he tried to reassure himself.

There were a few reasons he wanted to meet the Kyrinth- he hoped that the Elder Beast would be able to explain some of what was going on, that it'd be able to identify who among the hunters are up to no good, and lastly, he wanted to keep Enli safe.  Lazhira seemed to believe that they wouldn't move against the chief, but Novak had been concerned for some time that they might move to eliminate Enli if there was any chance that he could discover the misdeeds they were committing behind his back.  With plenty of newcomers in town, they'd have plenty of scapegoats and suspects to pin the crime on.  Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but it seemed like a good idea to keep their main benefactor safe.

Novak wasn't much of a fighter at this point so he wasn't sure if he'd be any use in a fight against anything stronger than a pitiful, injured slime.  On the other hand, he'd be with Nobunaga, a trained swordswoman, and he distinctly recalled the hunters not showing much martial skill in the fight against that armadillo-like creature.

[color=ed1c24]"I'm ready to go when you two are,"[/color] he finally replied, his mind made up.  [color=ed1c24]"I can always search through the scrolls later."[/color]

For now, he'd keep his deal with the Illuminator a secret.  He still wasn't sure what the Kyrinth or Enli would make of it, but Nobunaga had made her stance on it quite clear and he didn't want to give her a reason to turn her katana on him.

[@VitaVitaAR][@Rune_Alchemist]