City Lord

Team three continued their journey after escorting Ash to the prison.

They walked along the main road towards the grand building in the center of the city. The closer they were to the city, the better the condition of the surroundings and the people.

When they arrived at the road in front of the grand building that was bustling with activity, they took a turn and walked around the grand building, arriving behind it.

There stood a luxurious but low-key building that had three floors. There was no one in front of the building, and the door was left open.

As soon as they entered, several pairs of eyes instantly turned to them, but they turned away as quickly after seeing that it was them.

Everyone who saw them greeted them with a smile or at least a nod as they walked upstairs.

They went directly to the third floor and stopped in front of the room that was located in the center and connected directly to the front building.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in!"

A middle-aged man was sitting in the main seat, looking at them while clasping his hands on the table.

He seems to have been writing just a while ago, as the stack of parchment was not neatly arranged and the quill pen was still dipped in the inkwell.

His bearded face, which was neatly trimmed, looked serious as he looked at the three of them. Behind him were huge windows that showed the view of the Sunclais city.

"How's the result of the investigation?"

He asked directly to the point, seemingly not wanting to waste time.

Ruben and the other were already used to the City Lord's usual practice.

This time the case they investigated was huge, involving the destruction of a whole village, so they needed to report directly to the City Lord.

Ruben walked forward and produced several items—it was the items they discovered in the destroyed underground lab.

"We deduced that it was caused by an experimental subject that lost control."

The city lord looked through the items briefly before putting them down.

"Are there any survivors?"

"There's one. His origin was unknown, and he seems to have amnesia. We speculated that he may be one of the experimental subjects."

The city lord nodded.

"You can go!"

They bowed slightly before coming out.

The city lord lifted his hand, and a person suddenly appeared beside him.

"Send a mage to interrogate the survivor."

"Yes, master." The person answered before disappearing again.

"The church also wants to know the results." A voice sounded in the city lord's ear.

He didn't need to think to know who had sent the voice, and he also didn't need to answer. He knew that the voice didn't need his approval and only let him know.

"No matter how much they hated mages, in the end, they still needed their help." The city lord sneered.

He looked at the items that were produced by Ruben, took one of the broken containers, and played with it with his hand.

Although he didn't know the content of the other broken containers, he could guess what was inside the broken container in his hand from the residue aura.

He knew what it was clearly—more clearly than Ruben. 

"Demon Core." He muttered. "A high-level one at that." 

"It seems this city will become more lively in the future."

***

Ash was escorted by the prison warden inside the prison.

The friendly expression and chatting he did with Ruben were no more. He was expressionless along the way, fitting his image as a prison warden.

Ash didn't mind, actually, it was better that way. At least he didn't need to answer questions from him. After all, he was still holding on to his pain while walking. If the warden asked him and he didn't answer, it would be considered rude. He didn't have the leisure to chat and just wanted to find where his cell was so that he could quickly lay down.

Ash realized that most of the cells in the prison were empty. Of course, it was only the one he passed by and the ones that were located near the front, he didn't know the ones in the deeper part.

Clank!

The warden opened one of the cells to his right.

"You can stay here until you are proven to be safe."

Ash didn't resist and just entered the cells obediently.

He could see the warden's surprised expression when he passed him. He could understand what went through his mind.

After all, in the psychology of normal people, prison is a fearful place, and they would most likely be resistant to entering it. But he entered it without hesitation whatsoever.

It seems his action left a good impression on the warden, as he saw him nod after locking the cells before leaving.

Ash lay on the hard, cold steel bed. Although it was uncomfortable, at least his stomach would not be hurting so much.

Maybe because he slept so much before, even though he was tired, he didn't feel sleepy. After failing to sleep after trying several times, he started to look around. 

The prison was about 3x4 in size, and everything was made from metal or maybe steel. Even the wall gave off a metallic shine when it was under the light.

The prison was silent, and every noise made would echo. It was like a prison in a horror movie.

Clang!

Clang!

Suddenly, Ash heard footsteps echoing in the hallway. The sound echoed in the quiet prison.

The sound seems to have a certain charm that would make anyone who heard it concentrate on it.

The sound sounded in a certain rhythm, making anyone relax after hearing it.

Ash felt a very relaxing and peaceful feeling when he heard the footsteps. He closed his eyes, trying to sleep again.

He had the illusion that he was asleep, but he was also awake at the same time. He looked around and found everything was still the same, and even the echoing footsteps could still be heard.

What happened?

He was puzzled.

Is he asleep or awake?

Clang!

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, and he saw a person standing outside of his cell.

He couldn't see his face clearly, as his face was covered with a cloak.

"I am here to ask you questions. Please answer them honestly."