AN: I've really got no excuse. I got held up with the political climate and some things at home. Doing a Q&A for the next chapter as an apology. Please read the bottom AN for more information.
Chapter 9: Force of Will
Lugh woke up the very next morning with a cold sweat, and put a hand to his forehead, A nightmare... The details of the nightmare were already fading, and he couldn't recall what happened in his dream anymore. It had become frequent after what had happened a couple months ago.
He got up out of bed, and changed clothes to a clean pair, discarding the ones that were drenched in sweat, Gotta wash my clothes soon. The inconveniences of daily life didn't stop even if he wanted it to. Didn't imagine that my first foray into a fantasy world would be worrying about realistic problems, but that's what life tended to be. In the world of writing and cinema, life was often brighter and cut out much of the tedious stuff that people regularly went through.
As he went downstairs, he noticed Felt already up, but the old giant, Rom, was nowhere to be seen. "Where's the old man?" He asked as he descended.
"He's still passed out drunk," Felt said, already seated at a table. "Yer up pretty early though, for someone who prefers to work at night anyway."
"Not like I can work anymore though. I've been restricted for a while," he said, stretching. He sat down facing Felt at the table. "What do you think I should do in the meantime?"
"Dunno, do it secretly? I don't know what yer up to most of the time anyway," she said, shrugging. She thought for a few moments, before her brows rose up in realization. "Didn't ya say ya had a sister? Why not visit her? Perfect time to do it anyway."
"I-," Lugh's throat closed up. The words didn't come out. Difficult emotions reared their ugly heads at the suggestion. Shame, hatred, anger. They pooled in his heart and filled his mind. Was it a coincidence that just as the memories were brought back a day prior, he was being confronted the very next morning? In the end, all he managed to say was, "-I can't. Jobs to do. Monsters to slay."
"But ya can't," the girl said. There was a harsh expression on your face. "Look, I ain't got a clue as to what happened between ya and yer sister. Somethin' bad, probably, if yer wreck of a face has anything to say about it. But from what I can see, yer just runnin' away from your sister. Is that why ya take so many jobs? So that ya have an excuse to not see yer sister?"
"That's not true!" He rose from his seat. His glare was scathing, but lost its heat as it met with Felt's defiant stare. He sat back down, "...I don't have the right to see her. Not yet."
"Then when? What right could ya possibly need to have to see yer family?" She demanded. "What if, by the time ya go see her, she's already dead? What if, by the time ya go see her, she died thinking that ya never wanted to see her again?"
"You don't know what you're talking about..." He hadn't told her about any of what happened to him, other than the fact that his parents had passed away. He knew she was curious, but he didn't want to re-open old wounds.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But are ya gonna let her die before she gets to see ya again?"
His heart froze at her words. He recalled the events at the plains. The devastation and havoc wreaked by the Great Rabbit. It had slaughtered everything he had known and loved and then, if somehow his sister was to somehow fall to the same fate-
-Crack!
A spiderweb of cracks appeared on the table where he had been unconsciously putting his palm on. He lifted his hand and checked it for splinters, letting it fall back to his side when he didn't find any. Felt flinched at the display of strength, but held a gaze as strong as steel as she looked into his soul.
"Yer running away from something," Felt said, having understood that his sister wasn't the reason to his avoidance of her. "Whatever yer running away from 's got ya so spooked that ya can't even meet yer sister. But think about this way."
"...What?" His lowered gaze met Felt's.
"Does she deserve to have a brother who'd never come to visit her?" Her gaze was uncompromising, a testament to her future charisma and ability to rule. His breath was taken away and his heart clammed up at her words.
His face twisted in agony, "I... I..."
"It's pretty simple, yeah?" She swung her legs out from under the table and stood up, "Ya meet her, ya make up, and then get on with life."
"What would you know?" His voice, despondent, responded.
"Nothing, ya haven't told me anythin' about what's going on," she said, shrugging. "But one thing I do know, is that not everyone's lucky to have family still left. Ya should treasure them while you can."
His fist clenched on the table, and he grit his teeth, "...What should I do?"
"Like I said, go visit her," the girl declared. "Yer on vacation anyway, and ya could use a break. Working is all ya do, and I'm actually afraid that yer gonna keel over and die one day from working too hard."
"...I'm scared," he said. Fear filled his heart about what might happen if he met his sister. It had been part of the reason he'd been dodging the issue so long and trying not to think about it. Would she reject him? Blame him for what happened? Sever their ties? Every time he thought about his, his heart clenched up in fear and he distracted himself from the issue.
"If it'll make ya feel better, I'm willin' to go with ya," Felt said.
"No... T-this is something that I need to do for myself," he said, standing up. "Thanks... I needed that push." He had been running away, using the Great Rabbit and his job as excuses to not seeing his sister, but that illusion had been promptly destroyed by Felt, who probably hadn't even realized what he had been running away from. No, she had simply come in and wrecked many of the internal defenses he built for himself. He knew that she was trying to care for him in her own way, and wasn't angry about it.
She clicked her tongue, "Tch, I'm not used to this touchy-feely shit."
"Well, thanks anyway," he said, offering her a fragile smile. He took a couple deep breaths, "So when do you think-"
"Like I said," she said. "Now's a good as time as any, yeah? Get dressed and go visit her ya lout."
Determination filled his body, before his face became conflicted once more. Felt didn't miss the change in expression, "What's the problem now?"
"Uh... Might be awkward to say this, but I don't know where she is..." He trailed off.
"Ya don't know where she lives?! All this, and ya don't know?!" She stamped her feet impatiently.
"I know where she might be, but only the general location," he quickly put his hands up. "Who knows if she's still there or not."
"Well, I've done ma part. Up to ya to find out the rest," she huffed. She crossed her arms, and when he didn't move from his spot, she yelled at him, "Well what are ya waiting for? Get to it!"
"O-oh! Right!" He speed-walked to the door, opening it, before turning around, "Thanks, I don't think I could've done this without your help."
She grumbled, "W-we're friends after all." Her cheeks turned pink, "About damn time ya got some rest. Now hurry up and go!"
"And also... sorry about the table, please explain to Rom for me," he said, putting his hands together.
"Urgh... Yer gonna owe me one for that!"
He smiled, realizing that everything the real intent behind everything that had happened up till now. Before taking off, ready to confront a fear he'd been running from for far too long.
"-Wait!" Felt called out to him.
He turned around this time, impatient, "What?"
"Yer gonna go with nothing?" She asked him. "At least actually prepare before ya go, yeah?"
"Oh. Shit, thanks," he bounded upstairs, going to retrieve some of his belongings. Moments later, Lugh came back down with a small bag that he had purchased during his stay in the capital slung over his shoulder, on top of an overcoat he had thrown on top of his t-shirt and pants. It had some clothes, and money, and he had the new katana-like sword that he purchased strapped to his side. He really needed to name his damn weapons so that he could differentiate them better in his mind.
"Alright, now I'm going to go meet my sister," he huffed. "See you."
Felt rolled her eyes, "See ya."
Lugh roughly knew where his sister would be. Roughly. Their last contact had been through mail and she had said that she was in the Karsten domain. While he hadn't known at the time, he realized that was the noble family that one of the future royal selection candidates, Crusch Karsten, belonged to. He muttered under his breath, thinking as he wandered around the capital.
"The Karsten domain is pretty big, searching it will take a while. Damn... really wishing that I had sis' Divine Protection," he grumbled. His sister's [Divine Protection of Seeking] could locate things within a certain radius as long as you had a specific idea of what you were looking for in mind. He wasn't sure of its maximum range, but he knew that it went beyond his village's borders, so it was pretty wide.
He smiled bitterly to himself, "...I really have been putting this off for far too long. And to think I needed Felt to beat some sense into me, haha." He climbed up a tall city building and surveyed the horizon, which extended until the capital's walls. "Guess it's about time to go," he leapt from building to building, traversing great distances with each stride.
He had no plan, no conclusive method of reaching his sister, but unlike before, there was a fragile courage that had bloomed in his chest, propelling him to confronting his fears and anxieties. It enabled him to move without limit, and he was a blur as he moved.
It wasn't long until he reached the city's limits, the wall that guarded the capital from the outside. It was huge. As one of the main capitals of the Kingdom of Lugnica, it was well fortified and constantly supplied with troops to serve as guards. But they served as no obstacles to him as he started running up the wall vertically. This superhuman feat was made only possible with the strength he received from the [Divine Protection of the Wind Spirits], and soon, he reached the top of the wall.
He shot himself like a cannon away from the wall as he scaled over it and climbed over the other side. Carriages belonging to merchants, nobles, and mercenaries disappeared from below him as he soared past them. Such was his speed that no one below him took notice as he continued moving through the air with his [Divine Protection of Sky Walking].
The plains and hills blew past him, until the scenery changed into that of a great forest, filled with sprawling trees. Then, small streams where wild fauna and flora could be spotted, even wild earth dragons could be seen populating the area, before another plains appeared, then craggy mountains. The rush he felt as he moved at a speed impossible to humans, the wind hitting his face, he felt exhilarated as moved.
But it wasn't long until even he started feeling winded and felt strain in his leg muscles. Despite his superhuman abilities, he was still a child. But just in time, as he felt his entire body burn with the strain of his speed and how long he'd been pushing it, a distant view of a sprawling city approached.
By the time he'd reached the city's limits, only about an hour had passed since he left the capital to reach the Karsten domain. Hopefully. There was more than one city, but he had followed the general direction towards the closest, and largest one. The one where the Karsten family estate was located. However, in order to look more inconspicuous, he slowed down as he approached, reaching something resembling normal speed as he touched down on the ground.
"Halt!" A guard called out as he approached. "Identification?"
"Yep," Lugh flashed out the tag that he always kept on him. It was easier to keep it on his person at all times so as not to lose it.
The guard squinted at it, "Really...? But you look so young."
"Believe it or not, yeah," Lugh said.
The other inspector elbowed his fellow guard, "It's rude to doubt." He turned to Lugh, "Sorry about him, please proceed through."
"Thanks," he replied. "Have a good day," he said, polite.
"You too," the first guard returned.
After being let in, he reveled in the differences between this city and the capital that he had become more accustomed to. The buildings weren't as tall, and were a lot flatter. There was a lot of space between them as well, and didn't look quite as tightly packed. He could see carriages come and go, pulled by earth dragons.
Not sure where I should... A virtual lightbulb went off in his head. Maybe if I go to the post office and send her a letter here. Embarrassed, he realized that he could have done that from the capital, but he shook his head, No, by coming here I can cut down on the amount of travel time. Yeah... He wasn't even convincing himself with that one.
It took him a while, and he had to ask some directions from some passerby, but eventually he found the office that dealt with mail and post. He had rarely used the post office in the capital, but compared to the request office that he frequented, it was far more well-kept as a government facility. It made sense. The kingdom didn't want to admit that there were jobs not being handled by their knights and instead being delegated to common mercenaries and arms for hire.
It was the side that nobody wanted to acknowledge, especially the nobles. But now wasn't the time to think about the kingdom's internal affairs. When he entered the building, he took a moment to marvel at its beauty. Clear and made of marble, the floor had a glossy sheen. The interior had receptionist desks that would handle post and have them delivered, and stations to write or a delivery box in case you wanted to skip the whole process altogether.
He approached a receptionist dressed in a neat uniform, but it was being ruined by the sleepy look the receptionist had.
"Hi," he greeted the unoccupied receptionist.
The receptionist glanced down at him, "...Can I help you?" Even the tone of his voice sounded sleepy.
"I need to send a letter to someone," Lugh replied.
Without saying anything, the receptionist simply held a hand out, most likely waiting for him to place the letter in his hand.
"Uhh... I still need to write it," he admitted sheepishly.
The receptionist sighed, "Envelope and paper'll be two copper coins."
"Thanks," he fished out the appropriate coins and laid them on the counter, receiving his paper and envelope. Paper was a more expensive commodity in the new world because its usage wasn't as widespread or necessary as it had been in his former twenty-first century lifestyle.
Hmm... What to write... I guess that I'm just doing well and that I've been making money? Sure, let's go with that. And I guess I should set a date for us to meet. In case she's far, how about... a couple days from now? That'll work, he mused thoughtfully.
A borrowed pen and a couple of minutes later, he had written down what he wanted to convey in the letter. When he sealed the envelope however, he frowned, not sure where to put down a home address. He walked backed up to the sleepy receptionist, "Excuse me."
The receptionist looked at him from his slovenly posture, "...Yes?"
"Do you by chance know the address of the recipient?" Lugh held up his letter to the receptionist, who looked at it with sleepy eyes. He blinked multiple times, his eyes widening each time, before grabbing the letter. The receptionist looked up and down at Lugh, eyes suspicious.
"What do you want with a servant of House Karsten?" The receptionist didn't look sleepy anymore, but alert and wary.
"'Servant of House Karsten?'" He was equally as surprised as the receptionist. "Since when?"
The receptionist looked at him with a cautious gaze, "For some time now."
"Either way, I'd like this delivered to her please. Does she have a place of residence?" Lugh asked, leaning against the counter.
"...I'll have this letter delivered after it's been checked for anything harmful, is that all right?" The receptionist held a level tone and a serious gaze, and he was left wondering where the slob-like character had gone.
"Sure," he agreed. Mail sent to nobles were probably checked for dangerous content anyway, and this was probably one of those methods imposed by the government's spy agency or the equivalent. He didn't really have a clue as to the intricacies of the country's inner workings.
"Oh, by the way, I'd like to have this sent as priority mail. I need this delivered fast," he said.
"That'll cost extra, is that alright?" The lazy-but-now-alert receptionist asked.
Lugh groaned internally, but agreed, "Not a problem. How much?"
"A silver coin," the response was swift.
He groaned for real this time. Even though he made a decent amount of money, he wasn't swimming in the stuff, and spending a lot to send some postage really hurt his inner hoarder, but he had to just bite the bullet and get the letter sent. "Sure, here," a silver coin clinked as it fell on the counter.
The receptionist looked surprised. He had clearly been doubting his ability to pay for the priority delivery, but accepted it professionally without a word.
"That'll be all," Lugh said, putting his money back in his pocket.
"Thank you for your patronage," the receptionist said, head bowed as Lugh made his way out of the post office.
"Welp. I guess now I wait?" Lugh thought as he sat down on a fountain bench, watching the water. His stomach's growling interrupted his thoughts, "Or not... Guess I'll get some food."
A couple minutes later, and his pouch a couple coins lighter, he came back to his bench with a sandwich in hand. On two slices of bread, with a thick cut of meat and a healthy amount of vegetables stuck between, it made him salivate as he bit into it.
Pretty good... Could use some salt though, he regretted. Spices and salts, although they weren't rare enough to be limited to the upper class, they still weren't something that common folk could eat daily.
Lugh licked his fingers clean as finished eating, wiping crumbs off of his lap and mouth. He frowned as felt a certain "urge" overcome him. It wasn't forceful nor painful, but like a gentle tug that guided him through a water's current to safety. He got up from the bench, moving as the "hunch" guided him. He moved through roads and alleys, until he reached the source of his "hunch".
A tall metal door with a slit attached to a brick building, hidden in the depths of a dark alley. Given the nature of its location, it most likely served as a back or secret entrance to this building. He gave the place a once-over with his eyes, picking out details. No windows, solid, squat building, it smelled of shady business.
His "urge" and common sense warred within each other. Hunting criminals down and killing demon beasts were different than preemptively searching a building based off of his hunch. ...But in the end, the urge won out and he knocked on the door, waiting.
The slit on the metal door opened, revealing a set of blue eyes, "Password?"
He contemplated, momentarily, to go with threatening or with a peaceful approach. Peaceful, he decided. "I have business here. Will you let me in?" The slit shut closed at his response, and no response came back.
A sigh escaped his lips. Threatening it was then. The wind in the alleyway whipped up into a frenzy, lifting up his coat and hair. A slight smile spread across his face as his body positively thrummed with power. He winded a fist ready to flatten the door, before slamming it forward, blowing the door off of its hinges with a loud crash and the grinding sound of metal bending.
He stepped through, confident.
Criminal elements were often quite dramatized in his former world, but in this new one, crime was just as profitable as a real job could be, and those who were desperate often turned to dark paths and entered the criminal underworld.
There were all sorts of hidden facilities for dark dealings such as illegal items and other goods. You could find arms-for-hire that would be willing to do any job for a price, although most of them tended to be assassination requests or kidnapping specific individuals.
The brick building that Lugh had smashed the door of was one of such hidden facilities. Although he wasn't aware, often times, there was a hidden underground floor that stored the illegal goods for transportation, and his "hunch" had led him directly to one of the hidden and uglier sides of the country.
A groan interrupted his thoughts as a man was trapped under the metal door he had kicked open. He glanced around the room, noting a surprisingly bare room other than some crates.
He leaned down to look at the man he trapped, "What is this place? Why are you here?"
The man spit in his face, "Go rot in hell, monster."
Lugh wiped his face and pulled the man up to meet his face, "I'll ask again. What is this place? Why are you here?"
A brief glint in the darkness was his only warning before a blade came at him from the shadows. In an instant, he swiftly drew his new blade and blocked. A slender figure slinked out of the darkness, revealing a cloaked person holding the dagger that struck at him.
"Who're you?" He leapt back to create some distance.
But without a word, the cloaked figure simply raised their dagger, displaying their intent to fight. Without hesitation, the unnamed assailant simply rushed towards him with their dagger held out.
You're too slow, he leapt forward, meeting the rush of his attacker. His attacker swung their blade at him, but Lugh knocked the dagger out of his hands with a well-placed strike from below. Without missing a beat, he tripped the cloaked fighter with a sweep of his foot, knocking them on their bottom.
"I'll have you show me your face," he said, ripping the cloak off their person as he did so. A man with dark blue hair was revealed with red eyes peering out from between his bangs. But it wasn't his exotic features that drew his attention, but the collar around his neck.
"Hey that's..." His gaze was riveted on the magic stone embedded within the collar. If he remembered correctly, that was an illegal item used for making slaves out of people. What was it doing here?
The man who he had bust the door down on shrieked, "Kill him!" The slave's face warped momentarily in agony, before attempting to attack Lugh with his fists. It wasn't just that slave either. More cloaked figures appeared, and he could see them coming from a hidden staircase in the corner of the room.
They came at him with fists and daggers, but for all their efforts it was depressingly futile. An insurmountable gap existed between the abilities between himself and that of these slaves. The talents that they were born with were different, and he crushed their assault with his single-edged katana. Lugh moved through the horde of bodies, sweeping through them with the ease of cutting down wheat.
The watchman, the person in charge of ordering the slaves and watching over them, shivered as he witnessed what was happening. How... How is this possible?! He was hallucinating. A white-haired child who couldn't be older than twelve was easily knocking aside and beating easily more than twenty adult slaves. I have to get out of here, away from him!
He pulled himself out from under the door, where he was trapped, and scrambled to his feet. "Delay him!" He ordered the remaining slaves as he made his way to escape.
"-A little too late, don't you think?" A sword nailed itself on the wall next to his head as he made to escape.
He was paralyzed in fear, unable to move as the child walked up and pulled the sword out, before pointing with it between his eyes. When he glanced behind the child, he saw piles of groaning bodies that had been taken down faster than he could see.
"Wait! Please," his pride threw itself out the window. A child he may seem, but one didn't survive in the underworld long if they based their assumptions on age.
"Well? I'm waiting," the white-haired demon laid his sword on top of his shoulder. "Spill it."
"-What's going on Geralf?" Another man appeared from the broken-down iron door. Easily two meters tall, the dark-haired man was huge and covered in rippling muscles that were barely hidden by the large trench coat he wore.
"Jett!" The watchman, Geralf, let out a sound of relief.
"Who are you?" The white-haired kid pointed his sword at the man called Jett.
But Jett just ignored him, looking at Geralf, "Your job was just to prevent any prying eyes and outsiders from coming in. We'll be having a word after all this."
Geralf shivered in fear at the notion. Mistakes made in a shady business like this tended to be someone's last, and he realized whatever the outcome was going to be, he was still going to be neck-deep in shit.
"Now," the man threw off his trench coat, revealing the dense muscles hidden away underneath. "What's your name?"
"I don't know why I'd tell you that," the kid raised his chin, defiant. Not a hint of fear was shown in those eyes, was he really that confident? Or just an idiot? Geralf hadn't met anyone who could take multiple hits from Jett and come out okay.
"I suppose it doesn't matter," Jett chuckled. "You'll get a new one after you become a slave," he stated, cracking the knuckles of his meaty fists.
"You seem to be misunderstanding something," the child said, in a sword stance. "You'll be coming with me to answer some questions."
"We'll see-," the huge man rushed forward with his fists, throwing a straight punch at the child's gut, "-if you can!"
A couple of steps and a well-timed tilt of his body had the fist of the larger man gliding past Lugh's body and miss entirely. In that split second where the man was unable to move due to the momentum of his own attack, his foot met with the dense abdomen of Jett with a roundhouse kick.
Pain blossomed in Jett's core, as the foot was packed with more power than a child should be able to generate, and he staggered in place for a moment. He re-assessed the child's threat level mentally, and a ferocious grin appeared on his face, "A good fight! At last! And to think I'd find it here, against someone like you!"
The child's face only bore cold indifference as he held his sword out in front of him, "You won't. This'll be a miserable fight for you."
"Hahaha!" Again, Jett rushed in, but instead of going with a single punch, this time, he led with a flurry of rapid punches.
Geralf stared in awe in the background as he saw the boss' attacks be evaded or deflected by the child. Who... who is this child? What kind of ability did it take for a child to evade or deflect the attacks of a man more than double his size? It was with further apprehension that he realized that throughout all of their exchanges, the white-haired child had yet to initiate another attack other than the first kick.
Either way, he swallowed, as he could feel the end of the battle approaching near.
Lugh's maneuvered his way around the thick hands of the earlier named 'Jett'. The battle wasn't equal, not to his eyes. What he was doing right now was searching for a way to subdue the large man without killing him. The information about the building they were standing in, the slaves the attacked him earlier, as well as who they were connected to.
The large man's fighting style was quite refined. He had little leeway to search for opportunities to attack, especially given the difference in their size.
"What's wrong?! You can't do anything if all you do is block!" The man's meaty fists came at him from front and center, but he managed to dodge it without too much trouble. A powerful right hook threatened to flatten him, but he diverted the path of the attack by knocking away the man's wrist with the flat of his blade. With that parry came an opening that he could exploit.
"You're open," he commented. His sword blurred as it sought out its target, soaring in a perfect arc. The blade hit the man's thick neck with an audible thud and sent him tumbling down.
"Ugh," the man groaned, still conscious. He tried to get to his feet, but swayed and fell back down on the floor, clutching his head as his vision swam.
"Don't force yourself. I hit you hard enough to rattle your brain around," Lugh said calmly, sheathing his sword. When the giant man kept trying anyway, he knocked him unconscious with a couple of swift strikes with the sheathed blade. He turned to the man who had managed to free himself from under the door, "Don't go anywhere."
"Y-yes!" Geralf nodded vigorously, not wanting to incur the same fate as Jett. If he had been beaten so one-sidedly, the odds were that he wouldn't fare much better in a fight either.
"What's this facility for?" Lugh questioned.
"I-it's a storage facility for slaves meant to be purchased in the black market," Geralf admitted nervously. "We're a drop-off point for one of the trade routes, and we're meant to deliver the products to their masters."
He walked up to Geralf and pulled him by his collar, "Where?" His voice became colder and colder as Geralf talked.
"I don't know! I swear! The guys who pick them up would come at the scheduled times and leave," Geralf shook in his hands from fear. "We were just responsible for checking on the merchandise!"
Lugh dropped the shaking man, who slumped over in relief when he was let go. He frowned as he headed towards the direction the slave assassins came from. The staircase down was shadowed and would've been hard to see if he hadn't seen someone come out of it. He turned back to the two criminals, "Don't move. If I come back and see even a hair out of place, I won't be happy."
Vigorous nodding from Geralf and another pained groan from Jett were the only responses he got. He descended down the dark stairs into the basement. What he saw as he arrived shook him and feelings of anger and disgust welled up within him.
Chained humans and demi-humans alike were in cages and treated as animals. But what disgusted him the most wasn't their treatment, but the looks in their eyes. That look that told of a hope that no longer existed. Their defeated, slumped postures, and their maltreatment angered him even further.
He drew his sword and slashed the cages of the slaves. With a clatter, the bars that held them fell to the ground. The slaves that were held within them, however, still had yet to move.
Their will to defy was crushed by the slavers, he observed. His calm observation and the indignation he felt within himself caused a sense of dissonance that irritated him further. He wanted nothing more than to crush the slavers upstairs, but he needed them for interrogation.
I'll need to drag those two back to the proper authorities, but then what should I do with these people... He put a hand on his chin, thinking.
"-Um," one of the slaves spoke up. Young. Older than him currently, but still couldn't be older than fifteen, a demi-human that resembled a cat spoke, "A-are you going to kill us?"
"No," Lugh assured her. "That's not what I'm here for. I came to get you guys out of here."
"R-really?" Another beast-man asked gingerly.
"You're free now," he said. "To do as you please, go wherever you want, become whatever you want. See your loved ones, travel the world," he spread his arms wide.
"-Ah..." "Ah...!" The reactions of the slaves were all mixed, but positive. The light returned to their eyes after having been extinguished for so long. Some shed tears at their freedom, others howled and pounded their chests. Cheers rose up, loud enough to cause the room to rumble. The celebrations only died down when one of the slaves tried to run and tripped over the chains of another slave.
"Please wait a moment as I cut off your restraints," Lugh said. The slaves filed themselves in to a line, and he cut off their chains and chokers swiftly with the blade.
"Thank you," each slave thanked him or displayed gratitude in their own way as he removed their cuffs.
After all of the slaves were freed, he thought they would leave, but they stayed in the room, anxious. It was good for him though; he needed an extra pair of hands in order to assist with carrying the men upstairs to whatever passed as law enforcement in this city.
"Can I have one or two of you help me carry some stuff back?" Lugh asked.
"I will," a deep voice rumbled. A demi-human made his way through the crowd of the recently released illegal slaves. A tough brown-scaled body that was almost two meters in height revealed itself. Well-muscled, a lizard-like demi-human spoke, "It's the least that I can do after being freed."
"M-me as well!" Another voice spoke, making their way to the front of the group. Lugh thought they were human at first glance, but a deeper look revealed that the blond-haired person was an elf with their characteristic sharp ears. This person was far more slender and shorter than the lizardman who had volunteered before him.
"Um... I don't wanna come off as rude, but are you a man?" Lugh asked, genuinely confused. The elf's androgynous looks weren't helped by the fact that they were all dirty and dressed in the same rags.
"Y-yes I am!" The ears of the elf turned red.
"Sorry, didn't know," Lugh rubbed his neck. "Anyway, uh..." He turned to the lizardman.
"It's Vaincre. Vain is fine too," the demi-human answered.
"Right. Vain, good name. And you?" Lugh asked the elf.
"I-I'm Wynn," the elf responded, tone effeminate.
Both the lizardman and Lugh looked at the elf, before Lugh asked, "...Are you sure you're not a woman?"
"I'm a man!" The elf cried. "I can give you proof right now-" He said, as he began lifting up his rags.
"Nope, nope, nope, it's fine, I don't need to check," he responded, hands waving in front of him. "Alright! I'll go free the remaining slaves upstairs and then we'll get out of here with the slavers. Chop chop guys!"
"-So. Just to recap. I discover a hidden trafficking ring in the city, beat down the criminals, and free the slaves. So why are we in jail again?" Lugh asked rhetorically. The three of them, Vain, Wynn, and himself were currently sitting in a small cell underground a building managed by the guards of the city. Boring stone walls filled with cracks, along with metal bars that prevented them from leaving, complete with a padlocked metal door served as their place of imprisonment.
The lizardman, Vain, grunted and muttered sarcastically, "Who knows?"
He was sitting in a jail cell with Wynn and Vaincre, along with the other slaves who had been freed by him. The moment they showed up to the authorities, they had all been placed in jail cells, including the criminals.
"Apologies," one of the guards outside the cell responded. "We're detaining you all for questioning in order to get both sides of the story."
"I get it, but ugh," he groaned.
"Now now," Wynn smiled nervously. "It's not too much to ask to sit and wait for a little as they get everyone's story, right?"
They were separated by groups in cells, and it was by coincidence that he was stuck in the same cell with Vain and Wynn.
"Well, if we're gonna be here for... who knows how long, why don't we take the chance to get to know each other?" Lugh asked, trying to stave off boredom. "I forgot to introduce myself back there earlier, so I'll do it now. I'm Lugh, eleven and a half years-old. Occupation: mercenary."
"Well met," Vain said with a deep voice. "It's always good to meet a fellow warrior."
"Wow! You're so young but you're already working? That's surprising!" Wynn said, amazed.
"I've gotten that before," Lugh said, shrugging. "So, where are you from? I've never met an elf before until now," Lugh asked. "I-I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Haha, I was born normally between two elf parents, and lived normally. Until I got caught, at least," the elf smiled bitterly. "It's history now."
"Sorry about that," Lugh said, wincing. "It was insensitive of me to ask." He turned to the lizardman, "And what about you, Vain? How'd you get captured by those slavers? I can tell at a glance it wasn't the two guarding the building. You're stronger than them... if you want to tell me of course, you don't have to if you don't want to."
"Hmm, it's fine," Vain made a sound of agreement. "I was a member of a warrior tribe among my people, before some slavers attacked us in the night. I was meant to be delivered as a sword slave in the Vollachian arenas."
"Sword slave?" He raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term.
"A gladiator used for death matches in the Sacred Vollachia Empire. I was captured and sold for that purpose," the lizardman explained. "My fate would've been to die in combat, not on the battlefield, but in an arena for the enjoyment of others. I give you my utmost gratitude for freeing me from that fate."
"Stop it," Lugh said sheepishly. "I wasn't even there knowing what was going on. I figured it out when I saw the collars though."
"A warrior never forgets his debts," Vain said.
"Well, what about you?" Wynn asked, tone light. His voice was very nice to listen to, Lugh marked idly, whereas Vain's voice was deep, not in an unpleasant way, but one that gave his words intensity.
"Me?" Lugh asked, surprised. "Uh... I grew up in a pretty normal town. Some things happened and now I'm here," he waved his arms around him.
"That story has a lot of holes in it," Wynn remarked.
"I just skipped over some stuff, I've led a pretty uneventful life," Lugh shrugged.
"And I have no doubts that the parts that you skipped over are most likely the most important parts," Vain said. He smiled bitterly as he recalled the events of that night. The worst night of his life. Vain quickly noticed his expression and said, "If you don't want to share, you don't have to."
"No, no, it's..." His breaths came out quick and labored. He was hyperventilating and shaking, "I-I find it hard to talk about." He struggled to steady his breath, but managed it after taking in a couple deep breaths.
"You don't have to," the elf quickly said, shooting a look towards the lizardman. "I'm sorry, we didn't to mean bring up any bad memories."
"I-it's alright. It's no big secret," Lugh said. And it was true. The events of his family's and village's massacre was largely attributed to the Great Rabbit, and was marked off as another among the demon beast's countless victims. "My home was destroyed by a demon beast," he said.
Looks of sympathy filled the faces of his cellmates. Such tragedies weren't uncommon, and coupled with his young age, must have painted him as a particularly tragic figure. He didn't want their sympathy. Even now, being reminded of his home brought forth dark emotions, but he shook them off.
"Anyway, Vain, Wynn," he nodded towards each of them, respectively. "Now that I've told you about myself, I've got a suggestion."
"Oh?" The lizardman rose a scaly brow, "What do you suggest?"
"I think we should talk about particular skills or our previous job. As you know, I'm a mercenary. I'm pretty confident in knowing my way around a fight," Lugh rattled off.
"Not a bad idea," the lizardman said.
"Hmm," the elf looked a little less enthusiastic. "I'm not that great at fighting. A-at most, I can do a little magic."
"Magic?" His face peered up into the elf's, "What kind of magic?"
"A l-little healing and light magic," Wynn answered.
Lugh was in awe. Dual magic users were incredibly rare, and finding one in this place should've been nearly impossible. He always got a little excited whenever the topic of magic came up, despite being rather untalented in that regard, "That's pretty amazing you know? My sister can use two types as well, and she was regarded as our village's best magician."
"Haha," the elf scratched his cheek shyly. "That's embarrassing..."
"It's quite praiseworthy," Vain grunted. "Rare are there users of multiple magics, especially one that includes healing."
"So, what about you?" Lugh asked turned to the lizardman next. "Judging from your build, you're a fighter, aren't you? Heavy class weapons, if I had to guess."
"You have an observant eye," the lizardman said, stroking his scaly chin. "My preferred weapon to use is a war axe, so your analysis would be correct."
The three of them chattered away in the cells, even talking to other ex-slaves-turned-free from other cells and creating a generally cheerful mood in the jail. From talking about life stories, they spilled their guts to one another about what they were going to do after they were allowed to go. Some spoke about returning home, others to find their scattered loved ones. But everyone in the room had a goal in mind, and they passed away the hours talking amiably about their dreams and hopes.
Ciel was relaxing in the Karsten manner, specifically in one Crusch Karsten's office room. Magic practice was done for the day, and now she spending her time being lazy in someone else's company. She stretched and yawned as Crusch did paperwork, feeling her eyes becoming heavy.
A gentle rap on the door, shook her awake. Crusch looked up from her desk and responded, "Come in."
An old servant dressed in crisp black clothes came in, "Lady Crusch. A letter has arrived from the post office."
"For me?" Crusch asked, to which the servant denied. "No, for Lady Ciel," the servant held out an envelope. It was bare in design, and had nothing resembling a noble's crest, and looked to be made of standard, cheap paper stored at the post office for those wishing to write a letter.
"Hoh?" Crusch raised an eyebrow, "Is there anything odd about it?"
"Well..." The servant trailed off. "It was sent as priority, and I thought it might've been urgent..."
Ciel looked to Crusch, asking for permission. When she got a nod back, she got up from the couch and received the letter from the servant, who retreated from the room after his job was completed. There was no sender name on the front of the envelope, but her full name was written clearly and legibly on the front. She gently opened it with a letter opener on Crusch's desk and pulled out the contents.
Dear Ciel...
I know it's been a while, much longer than it should've been, but I'd like you to know that I am alive and doing well. We're far overdue for a meeting so if you'd like, I wish to see you in a couple days in this city. We really need to catch up, and I've missed you.
Yours truly, Lugh
As her eyes lowered and continued reading, she began to shake. "What's wrong?" Crusch asked, noticing her distress.
"T-this letter," Ciel said. "I have to go-!"
"Wait!" Crusch got up from her seat to stop her.
Ciel ran in place, halted only by Crusch's command, "Please! I have to make sure what's written on this is true!"
"Can I see the letter first?" Crusch asked gently, not wanting to set her off. Ciel handed it to her after a moment's hesitation. Crusch took a moment to read the letter, similar to her. When she got to the bottom and read the sender's name, an understanding expression came to her. "I see... If what is said in here is true, and your brother is alive, then it's of utmost importance that we confirm it."
"Yes," Ciel said impatiently. "So I'm going to go look for him now!"
"It'll be faster if we go by carriage," Crusch said, putting on her navy-blue coat. "You can track him, right?"
"Already on it," Ciel said. Her [Divine Protection of Seeking] did its work. She could see it, the path leading to what she was looking for. She nearly collapsed in relief as her Divine Protection confirmed her brother's location, and more importantly, his existence.
"Good," Crusch said, already leaving. "Make haste," she ordered one of the servants on standby. "Prepare the carriage."
The earth dragons pulling the carriage didn't feel fast enough to Ciel. She wanted them to soar towards the location she had in mind. The only things stopping her from urging the carriage on as fast as possible was the traffic and the fact that she wasn't driving it right now.
"Grr..." She growled under her breath, impatient. She was constantly checking on his location with her Divine Protection, but hadn't moved from his spot yet, most likely indicating that he was sleeping.
"Calm Ciel," Crusch said. "You said it yourself that he wasn't moving from his position. As long as he's within your range you won't lose track of him."
"Not even if it kills me," she agreed. "But still..."
An understanding look came over Crusch's face. A relative that she had all thought but dead for months, now suddenly alive and returned? She couldn't fault Ciel for being impatient, as anyone would be in her situation. Even if her Divine Protection confirmed his status, it was different from seeing the person himself. She couldn't help but be curious herself. During Ciel's stay, she had heard many stories, especially of his prowess. Stories that she would be interested in confirming.
"Come on, come on," Ciel muttered as the carriage moved at a snail's pace. The carriage moved on the road, turning as Ciel instructed the coachman of the direction they were supposed to be traveling.
"We're almost there," Ciel said, looking ready to jump out at any moment. "Here!"
"Hm? But this is..." Crusch trailed off, as the carriage slowed to a stop in front of a squat building. She knew this building. It was one of the buildings that held guards of the city and prisoners who had committed crimes. Could it be that Ciel's brother was currently in a cell?
"Let's go!" Ciel leapt out from the carriage before the coachman could even open it for them.
As they entered the building, the guard on duty behind the counter didn't even look up at them before saying, "Civilians aren't allowed here. Please turn back."
"Oh?" Crusch rose a brow, while having to hold Ciel back from throttling the guard. "I think it'll be fine if we enter."
"You can't enter-" The guard looked up at them, paling when he recognized her. He quickly bowed, stuttering, "I apologize for my disrespect! Please enter as you see fit! Ah, please wait for someone to accompany you!"
"I can handle myself, and in the worst-case scenario, I have my servant with me," Crusch said, gesturing to Ciel while laying a hand at the saber on her waist.
"So, what business might you have come here for?" The guard rubbed his hands together, putting up a smile for them.
"Not for me," Crusch said. "A... relative of my servant is being held here, and we'd like to see him."
"My brother!" Ciel blurted out. "A white-haired child should be here! Have you seen anyone with those features?!"
The guard frowned, deep in consideration, "A white-haired child, where have I... Oh!" He snapped his fingers, "Earlier today, a child came in with the features you described. He came in with a bunch of slaves and a duo who were suspected to be responsible."
"Slaves..." A frown adorned Crusch's face. The topic of slavery wasn't a light one to broach, especially because it was outlawed in Lugnica. If slaves appeared here, it meant...
The guard nodded, "We're currently detaining them all for interrogation to try and get a clearer picture. For the most part, it seems the kid discovered the slaves and helped them escape. They brought the traffickers here as well."
"In that case, he should be rewarded rather than punished!" Ciel screeched. "What are you doing holding him in a cell?"
"I-I'm sorry," the guard backtracked in front of her fury. "It's protocol that we detain all involved until we solve the issue!"
"Let me in there, right now!" Ciel marched past the guard, not waiting for permission. Crusch sighed before offering the guard an apology, "I apologize. This matters a great deal to her. We'll be seeing the captives now," she nodded as she moved past the guard, following her friend's footsteps.
They reached the underground floor, where prisoners were normally kept. Cells ordered neatly against the wall and guards manning them filled the room. When they saw Crusch enter, they gave a bow, recognizing her.
"Where, where..." Ciel muttered as she navigated past cells, following her Divine Protection's guidance until she zeroed in on her target. A white-haired profile was spotted in one of the cells with other inmates and she let out an emotional voice, "-Ah... Ah... LUGH!"
"Huh?" The head of a the white-haired voice snapped to the source, suddenly awoken by the sound of someone calling his name. "I'm up... I'm up..."
Crusch caught up to Ciel and laid a hand on her shoulder, "So this is your brother?"
"Ah..." She was once more speechless, unable to believe her eyes. Crusch took the time to turn to guard and ask him, "Can you open this cell?"
"...But," the guard seemed uncertain.
"I'll take responsibility. The boy in there's a family member to my vassal," Crusch said, firm.
"I understand," the guard saluted, retrieving the keys to the cells, before returning and opening the cell. The guard didn't even manage to open the door, only unlocking it before he was promptly shoved out of the way by Ciel, who threw the door open and stepped inside.
"Ah..."
"Umm," her brother, who seemed the same, yet different despite the fact that it couldn't have been more than a year since their parting, scratched his cheek, "Hey sis, it's-"
She charged in, lifting him from his seat, ignoring the other two in the cell with him and hugged him as tightly as she could to her body. Unbidden tears sprang from her eyes, making her face messy as she kept hugging and shaking him.
"-Oof!" He let out a sound at being gripped so tightly. When he managed to wrestle his way out of being suffocated against his sister's chest, he smiled, "...It's good to see you again."
Her next words were unintelligible, lost in the sound of her own crying and sniffing, before he was plunged back into his sister's chest who was gripping him with the intent to never let him go.
"For now, how about you let go? We can discuss things when you've calmed down," Lugh was trying to placate her to no avail, and he turned to Crusch with a pleading expression, who only returned it with a shake of her head.
For a couple more minutes, as his sister hiccupped and managed to regain control of her breathing held him tight to her, and he was being watched with warm eyes from everyone around him, even the guards. His cheeks turned pink, "Can you let me go now? It's embarrassing..."
"Shut up... You went and died on me and didn't show up for months. We're gonna talk about all this, but for now, shut up and let me hold you..." His sister grumbled into his shoulder as he was held to her, arms stuck to his sides.
They passed time comfortably, reunited after a period much longer than should have been. Lugh's eyes were warm as his sister displayed affection after having been separated for so long, and he couldn't help but smile into her shoulder as a few tears escaped against his will, "Yeah..."
After the heartwarming, and admittedly embarrassing affair for Lugh, he was technically let out of his cell, but he refused to leave.
"Come on Lugh! We're getting out of here!" His sister said, attempting to drag him out of his cell.
"Not until everyone else in here gets to go too," despite his sister's greater size, she hadn't been able to budge him from the cell. His feet stayed planted on the floor, and his chin was jutted out in defiance.
"The guards will help sort them out later, but for now you're coming with me!" She tugged on him harder, unwilling to separate so soon. "Please!"
"Will you let the rest of them go as well? They've got places to be too," Lugh asked her. "Actually, it would be better to ask you, wouldn't it?" He turned to the woman who had been observing from the side the entire time. Dark green hair, amber eyes, and a navy-blue outfit reminiscent of military officers from his former world, she was a remarkable fit of the depictions he had seen of Crusch Karsten in his last life. Nay, text on the screen and an animation didn't do the woman justice. Her features were stern, yet beautiful, displaying in full her upbringing and status.
The guards seemed irritated at his lack of courtesy, but the girl simply hummed in consideration, "Hmm. Will you come with us should the rest of the prisoners in here be set free?"
He nodded, "I'll go without a fuss if you do. These people don't deserve to be behind bars even a second longer." His eyes must've conveyed his strong will, as the noblewoman simply nodded.
"Alright, I want the prisoners who were found along with the boy to be set free immediately. That's an order," Crusch commanded one of the guards watching the room.
"But Lady Crusch," the guard started, unsure. "These are demi-humans; I don't think it is safe for her highness-"
A severe look from Crusch silenced the guard before he could continue, "Are you going against my orders?"
"I-I... apologize," the guard stuttered, afraid.
"Curb your biases, and do not let your personal feelings cloud your judgement," Crusch's gaze swept through the cells, picking out the signs of abuse that the captives had suffered under their slavers. "When they're released, I want them taken care of. Do you understand me?"
"Y-yes!" The guard straightened his posture and saluted.
Crusch nodded after a moment, her scathing glare gone, "Good. Make sure to correct that flawed way of thinking before it's too late to regret it. If that'll be all, I'll be taking these him with me." She gestured towards Lugh, who looked impressed.
"Let's go!" Ciel tugged on her brother, who didn't resist this time and let her guide him out of the room.
There were still many things to talk about, Lugh thought idly about everything. The reunification with his sister that was later than it should've been, as well as the sudden appearance of one of the most important people, or soon-to-be one of the most important people in the country. But despite all the anxieties swirling about, as he leaned into his sister's arms as she practically carried him out, he couldn't help but feel that things would turn out all right.
Sorry about being so late! Sheesh! It's been a month since my last update! The all-awaited reunion is here! And no surprise! Crusch came along for the ride. But in all honesty, thanks for sticking around, and I'm sorry to those who had to wait so long. Things have been pretty hectic, and if you've been living in America, you know how it is.
Oh god this chapter makes me nervous like no other. Anyway, if you spot any mistakes, grammar-wise, spelling, or other, please let me know. If you catch anyway you think my story can be improved, also let me know. I'm dying to improve my writing.
Q&A!
So, my chapters are taking longer and longer to post due to school getting in the way. As an apology, I'll be answering any questions (that don't spoil future chapters) that are posted in the reviews. Hopefully mainly trivial stuff, like asking what Lugh likes to eat, lol. The answers will be given at the end of the next chapter, which might also take a while, but I'll make sure it's worth it.
Divine Protection Encyclopedia:
[Divine Protection of Sky Walking]: One of the most useful abilities among Lugh's arsenal, it allows the holder to create a platform in the air to step on and thus move however they want mid-air. This platform can be made at any angle in the air, and allows for three-dimensional movement.