Magnis, who had been weakened by the relentless work of labor where his dirty, torn clothes were drenched in the wet, stared at Alaric over his statement and stood in disbelief.
"Become my shield, I will get with revenge and freedom. That is the only condition you need to agree with."Alaric whispered in his ear.
"Why should I believe you ?" in wary Magnis replied.
"This guy is still so naive about the world. If this were him in 2 years, he would just slash my neck off," Alaric tapping in fingers together.
"It is your choice. If you don't want to be saved, I will just leave but don't regret your choice in the future,,, which may result in the death of your family, by you choosing to be here" Alaric with a small smile as he turns back, moving away from Magnis with slow steady steps.
"Are you threatening that you will cause harm to my family?" Magnis with sharp eyes that appear to be those of a Predator.
"No, I will not hurt your tribe, but they will be hunted by the same ones who are responsible for kidnapping you here," Alaric spoke with a confident tone.
Magnis, who is struck with memories of being captured by people covered in dark cloaks, struck his mind.
"Okay… If it means I can rescue my family from this same fate, I shall become your shield.
"Magnis, bending a little with his right hand at his heart, makes oath as per his tribe's tradition, which signifies loyalty towards his leader.
The slave trader, who noticed the whispering of Magnis with a person who wore a dark cloak hiding his identity, signals his guards, who walk straight to counter Alaric with their huge bodies.
"How much for this specimen? Alaric in a twisted voice
The guards halted, and the Slave trader walked forward. " He is worth much more than you can afford."
Alaric takes out a small leather punch and throws it at the hands of the slave trader. When he untied it, there was an ominous red crystal that Alaric found in the corpse of the huge assassin. " Will that cost enough ?"Alaric in the same twisted voice.
"This isn't nearly enough for a slave like him," the trader muttered. "But since you insist, I'll hand him over." He unchained Magnis with a rough clink of metal.
"Make sure he gets a proper sword," Alaric said, his face still hidden beneath his cloak.
"Sure, hey, you give me him that sword tied on your hip," the Slave trader shouted at one of his guards and gave the sword to Magnis.
That red crystal is used for amplifying demonic power, which is a result of countless experiments on thousands of people; the size of that crystal may have taken the lives of at least 10,000 people. It is more valuable than any treasure, especially for someone who uses demonic mana. Alaric walks away in thought.
After reaching the outskirts of Metthound territory, Alaric led Magnis into the forest in search of shelter for the night. Beneath the flickering light of a blazing fire, Alaric pulled back his hood, revealing his face at last.
"I am Alaric Ashworth," he said, formally introducing himself.
"I am Magnis Mangoru, of the Mangorian Tribe," Magnis replied, his expression earnest and unwavering.
They spent the night munching on the roasted meat of the Forest Hare they had hunted along the way. Resting on the huge tree's gnarled roots beneath the sparkling lights of the half-moon and stars slipping through the rustling leaves in the gentle wind, they each fell asleep, comforted by the warmth of the fire and the cool night breeze.
The stars that now faded under the light of the sun woke up Alaric and Magnis,
The next destination is to find someone who can pull Baron Cassian out of his position.
Alaric entered the Fitzgerald Family's territory, renowned for their spear techniques. At the heart of the district stood the merchant guild building grand structure, which served as the nexus for all trade and goods supplied to the Ashworth lands.
Inside, Alaric notices a merchant from the Goldsworth family, flanked by their armored knights, overseeing the restocking of the stock of silk, magic mana crystal, destined for the nearby magic tower.
Alaric took steady steps toward him, only to be stopped by the Goldsworth knights.
"Hello, I am Alaric Ashworth, son of Frederick Ashworth," he said, introducing himself to a merchant who wore a white robe embroidered with the Goldsworth symbol in gold thread.
The merchant, busy calculating financial estimates in his record book, glanced up at Alaric. "Ashworth, what brings you to me?" he asked, eyes still fixed on the ledger.
Without a word, Alaric produced an ornate token, an object given only to those who held friendly ties with the Goldsworth family, and one every merchant would instantly recognize.
"Hold him," the merchant ordered the knights. He looked at Alaric, eyes narrowing. "How do I know that token is real? Where did you get it?"
"I received it from Maya Goldsworth—for rescuing her," Alaric replied confidently.
With a snap of his fingers, the merchant signaled the knights to stand down. "I am Zindred, the chief financier of the Goldsworth family. Thank you for saving Lady Maya," he added, offering a respectful bow.
"How may I assist you, bearer of the ornate token?" Zindred asked, still maintaining his formal stance.
"Allow me to meet the Patriarch of Goldsworth as promised by Maya Goldsworth," Alaric said in a respectable tone.
Upon hearing Alaric's request, Zindred handed him a set of clean clothes and offered Magnis a freshly prepared formal knight's attire to ensure they looked presentable to meet the Patriarch of Richest Family.
They are calling me poor indirectly, Alaric, while changing his worn clothes.
Alaric and Magnis, now in clean clothes, said, "We are ready".
"After closely inspecting their appearance, Zindred said respectfully, 'Then we shall take our leave.'.
Both exited the merchant building, accompanied by Zindred and the knights, and walked toward a luxurious carriage adorned with the golden emblem of Goldworth."
Knights slid their swords into place as they mounted their horses; they moved with the carriage wheel.
As Alaric continued his journey to his next destination, to resolve the problems of his territory. He looks at the SystemNotad*** pending quest.
|SystemNotad*** Notification
Ongoing Quest: Neutralize Baron Cassian Metthound's Threat
Reward: Bonus points 20+, Mana 5+
Failure: Loss of the Iron Mine, Potential war, and significant losses
In the lonely solitude of her room, Maya Goldsworth was still in the flowing thoughts of her saviour, Alaric. "I wonder where he is now? When he would come here," Maya muttered to herself.
"Who is it that you're expecting, my lady? "Freya, standing near, asked gently.
"W..who? Nothing, I was talking about rain, wondering when it might come," Maya said, with a deflecting smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
In between their conversation, Maya saw a carriage that was coming back from Fitzgerald after its tour.
"It seems Uncle Zindred has returned from his trip," Maya said, noticing the approaching carriage.
After Zindred stepped down, Magnis followed wearing knight attire, with unique skin.
"Who is that? He looks... different," Maya wondered to herself.
Then, a third figure emerged. A young man in formal attire with his odd green hair. Maya's eyes widened, her face lighting up with recognition.
"Is it...?" she whispered, breath catching.
"It is him," she thought with her heart pounding in excitement.