Screams were echoing around me as Jonathan, Riziel, and even Tanien looked on with shock and surprise. They had already accepted my proposition, even if they denied it now all that would happen was their dignity degrading.
I wrote in my diary about the current situation. This could end up becoming a disaster, after all. When I was done, I looked up.
“Alright, let’s do this. Riziel and Jonathan, are you good at fighting?”
“Will you listen!? You want to wage war!?” asked Riziel.
“This is not just war, it’s suicide! This is crazy!” Jonathan echoed.
“You guys don’t understand…” Tanien’s smirk was completely wiped off as he grabbed his head. “You’re saying that you will become the Garbage King!”
There were only two candidates? Well, that was part of my goal. This place was full of criminals, a place where the worst of the world hung around.
If I asked 10 people ‘What makes you suffer’ in an average city, perhaps all 10 of them would point at these criminals, an approval rate that even eclipsed toothpaste brands.
“Alright then, Riziel and Jonathan. You should go to the Colosseum. Tanien and I will sell ourselves as slaves.”
“Just listen to us, you crazy bastard!!”
“Come on. We have no time. First, take this money.”
I handed the two most of the cash I had brought initially and kept the stuff that was donated to me (stolen).
“You will need it in the Colosseum. They expect people to bring their own money, and they won’t rob you before you enter. That said, let’s move.”
I pushed the others and they could only follow.
How would we get into each of our roles? Well, that was rather easy. We had already created a good situation for ourselves. I first dragged Jonathan and Riziel along.
They were confused, but they figured it would be a good idea as they discussed something among themselves. If they could topple things here, as knights, they would receive a lot of praise. Of course, unless they found someone above their rank in this corrupt place. Which would be rare considering they were directly under that bastard Brown.
Jonathan and Riziel let themselves be dragged till we reached the beggar’s streets we were exploring.
In one corner, a bunch of skull-masked thugs with baseball bats in hand.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Wait…” muttered Jonathan. “We are in trouble. It’s those guys. We have to run…”
“No.” I shook my head. I pointed at Tanien and me. “We have to run, not you.”
“Huh?”
I pushed the two in front of the thugs and jumped back. Tanien followed right behind as we ran. The other two only watched in shock, then turned to the skull thugs. There were numerous of them, and our guys were barely any.
“All the best!” I screamed and ran away. “Don’t let us down! Attract a lot of attention!”
Leaving those parting words, Tanien and I ran away. The one-handed thug was staring at me with eyes that made me think I was the thug here.
I already said it. No takesies backsies.
***
I confirmed from a distance that Riziel and Jonathan let themselves be captured after some slight resistance. As expected, the thugs who worked for Galar took them to the right place.
Just to make sure they do, I was beating up the beggars as well. It would have pissed the thugs more and also made them realize that we had a penchant for fighting.
“Now then,” I spoke to Tanien. “Let’s head to the slave market.”
“Sir,” he said, sighing. The grin that had been adorning his face since we came to this place was completely gone. “Do you understand what you’re doing? They are monsters, and that alone would have been a separate issue. But they are monsters with entire armies on their side.”
I chuckled as I looked ahead. The streets had turned dark and busy with flamboyant exteriors taking over the buildings. Colorful, dim, shiny lights were all around as people in skimpy clothes walked around.
“Who said they are the only monsters?” I asked. “And who said only they have an army?”
Tanien looked at me. Over the last few weeks, I have been learning spirit magic. Even though I couldn’t learn much since Spirits hated and were scared of dark magicians, I at least learned one thing.
Which was to scare them even more.
My mana seeped out of my body and slowly pressed down on the air. Tanien shuddered. Even when we were fighting, he must not have felt my power as closely as he could now.
His eyes widened, and his knees started to shake. Around us, many people froze in their tracks as they felt the sudden killing intent.
Every being and every animal had an instinct that warned them of a predator. Of death. Of something they could never hope to fight.
I was that very something.
Just as suddenly as the pressure built up, it disappeared. Almost as if it were a dream. My eyes went to Tanien, beyond him at the streets surrounding us.
Tanien placed his hand on his chest and heaved deep breaths. The split second of ‘repulsion’ was enough to make him short of breath. I gently tapped his shoulder.
“Let’s move.”
“Yes… where to… sir?”
“The brothels.”
Tanien was a little surprised at my nonchalant answer. Ignoring him, I strode right into the biggest brothel around.
The grand interior was lit pink. Chandeliers hung around as men and women, elves and beastkin, and dwarves all walked around serving people and taking them along to the rooms above.
With a wide smile, I ordered a bunch of alcohol and meat and tossed the money around. Tanien could only watch in more surprise. As he was about to complain, I took a skewer and shoved it in his mouth, then I tossed a bunch of alcohol in his mouth.
Tanien took no time to lose to the alcohol and started dancing around.
We both drank and ate to our heart's content. The night was young, and we were surrounded by the brothel’s staff, most of them eager to make us spend more and maybe take us to a room, which wasn’t going to happen.
We went wild.
The night faded into the alcohol, or the alcohol faded into the night.
.
.
.
When I woke up, I was tied in chains and dropped in a cage with a familiar face hovering over my own.
“Acheron!! I knew you would come!”
Marco was here.
