The sheriff Roznok

With his glowing dark-purple Syyon, he quickly restrained Mika before things went ugly. Mika struggled to break free, knowing this was incredibly futile, the restraints much like real chains and it was far more durable.

"Just who are you!?" Mika asked, his serious tone shift with annoyance.

"Roznok." Roznok responded, his face was as stoic as Sougo.

"What? just Roznok?" Mika raised his brows. "No other name besides that? Just why are you letting them go? They hurt a girl!"

"I've seen your deeds from the shadows. Your actions are genuine, but know the rules that these aristocrats are irredeemable with such wealth that can go as far as controlling others." Roznok replied, a hint of animosity for the aristocrats. "With just your actions, one can only dream of correcting their insolences." Roznok glared, stating the harsh facts about this town.

Roznok too wished to correct them, but the posiblities were as similar to an ant die from falling. As thin as a string it was, Roznok proved helpless to even build a morality. Money had etched onto their minds, corrupting their beliefs upon a false deity.

"This is why you warned us?"

"Correct. As the sheriff, it's my duty to mediate such fights. Though I can not interfere with their works, but I can reduce the risk and dangers." Roznok drop down from the perch he was standing and approached Mika. "It was also why I'm able to stop this fight."

"With your stubbornness, things can be difficult for me and so are the people whom you protect. But first, let's have a chat somewhere else." Roznok's shadow stretched, the whole ground was shrouded in a very dark substance-like that sourced from Roznok. A snap from his fingers, Mika, Luna, Sougo, and him were absorbed by his shadows.

Somewhere far from their previous location...

Sougo, Luna, Mika, and Roznok were being pulled out from the shadows as they arrived in Roznok's office.

His office were all arranged starting from the books, heap of documents, desk tools, and not a speck of dust to be seen. Far in contrast to Mika's, Roznok won in the battle of cleanliness discipline.

"I'm afraid we should act quick, someone was eavesdropping us." The news shock through the color of Mika's expression and Luna. "They would do anything to drop us down to the lowest point, but I assure you, my shadow knows everything." Roznok confidently said.

"I see, your powers are quite useful." Mika smiled with relief.

"Yes, my powers allowed me to spy, infiltrate, gathering info, and phase through obstacles. However, there's a limit. With no shadows, I can't know what they're doing. Apparently, someone has to be attracted to light in order for me to know."

"Shadow transportation ability, like going through shadows to shadows?" Mika resumed to know his ability.

"correct."

Upon a minute chat, Roznok took a seat and requested for them to take as well.

"On what purpose are you helping us?" Said Sougo, knowing his intentions were decent. "If you're here to only mediate fight, I'm afraid that there's more than it is."

"For no illogical reason, I'm here to start a revolution against them, most importantly, to kick them out from this town." Roznok's stare colored with seriousness, his tone carried a deadly one.

"Let's get you understand the chronology."

In a bygone era, Avalaya transitioned from a peaceful hamlet into a bustling town, a transformation fuelled by the influx of wealth. This affluence was amassed through the unforgivable exploitation by the aristocrats, subjecting them to abhorrent conditions of slavery, being paid meager wages, and subjected to the horrifying practice of human trafficking. To make it worse, many were exiled to abandon their families or executed as a form of defiance if they did not comply for not paying those diabolical taxes.

The town was dubbed Lalapila, a name bestowed upon it by its proprietor, a man by the name of Toragol.

Toragol was known for his unmerciful nature, freely perpetrating violence against the residents of the town at his own whim. Yet, it was rumored that he himself was tethered to a higher power. This information, however, remained elusive even to the observant shadows of Roznok, who could only conjecture based on the whispers he overheard.

Roznok posited that a pact existed within the confines of Toragol's abode, stipulating his allegiance to the governing body of the country. This suggested the probability of an unfavorable confrontation with the country's administration, should anyone attempt to challenge Toragol's authority as a governor. The only bad news was that the information was still too foggy.

"It's unnecessary to say this, but, the only way to defeat Toragol is by using the government against him. But we need accurate evidence or anything that can work out, but 80% of that, we need the government as our little helper. Evidence to lose the government's trust." Roznok asserted.

"And how would you suggest we do that?" Asked Mika.

"Simple," Roznok later spoke with confidence. "We just have to disclose what Toragol has to say for the government. The rich hates it when they're being controlled. We just have to set a footage of him, or an audio of his "Opining" to the government." Roznok proposed.

"The contract's sealed with proven loyalty, we just have to disclose what feeling he has and his disloyalty and what secrets he's hiding. Of course, we need to be in touch with Toragol before we can milk it out of him."

"Wait, I don't get this... Is he a governor or a mayor? This is a town, right?" Asked Luna.

"Honestly, he can be both. Since Lalapila is the only town in the province of Ecymia. Auberyonne is outside the province of Ecymia or you can call it, one of the shortest province in all Exliya." Mika answered to Luna's question.

Mika discerned that the scheme was sufficiently ingenious, however, he was perturbed by the intricacy of gaining proximity to Toragol. The strategy could be effective, however, for it to flourish and to induce Toragol into articulation, Mika needed a plausible approach to earn his trust.

"I understand your concern, but rest assured. I've got everything under control." Roznok presented him with a set of opulent and exquisite attire.

"Huh?" He was not only bewildered but also recognized the elegance of the garments.

The ensemble was meticulously tailored from the hide of a cougar, its distinctive black markings imbuing an air of savage elegance across the otherwise pristine fabric.

Below the waist, a pair of trousers, fashioned from the most sumptuous silk, hung in loose folds, complementing the wild aesthetic.

Both pieces, in harmonious hues of immaculate white, radiated an undeniable aura of extravagant opulence, a testament to the wealth and power of those who could afford such luxury.

"Any objections?" Roznok inquired, a single eyebrow arching toward his hairline in a silent challenge.

Mika's gaze swept over the garments laid before him. "Why the disguise? Any particular reason?" he queried, his tone laced with curiosity.

"Your golden hair and cerulean eyes," Roznok replied succinctly, his finger jabbing in the air towards Mika's distinctive features. "Those features can provide a good deception that you are one of the royals. Sougo here, his height and his decent figure can fit into the role too."

"Are you saying that my appearance itself is a royalty? You're not racist, are you?" Mika shot back, his own eyebrows knitting together in suspicion. He was aware that his features were considered regal, even though his own lineage remained shrouded in mystery.

"No, not at all. On the contrary, most royalty parade themselves in stylish colors and ostentatious adornments. Your features, however, are precisely what one would expect of a blue-blood." Roznok's response was firm, his arms crossing over his chest as he regarded Mika with a solemn gaze.

With no further objections, Mika donned the ensemble. The transformation was breathtaking; he was no longer the same man–he became elegant.

"Wow... Fashion does have the power to redefine a person," Mika murmured, catching his reflection in a mirror nearby. "He's right, my looks can fool anyone to think I'm from a royal family." Mika mused.

"Excellent," Roznok approved with a nod, "once you've secured your place within the Royal Town, I suggest you align yourself with Sougo. Luna will remain with me. My presence within the city would only arouse suspicion, and that is a complication we can ill afford." His words ended on a weary sigh.

Clad in their new attire, a symbol of their feigned status, Mika and Sougo prepared to infiltrate the Royal Town, a place teeming with the ostentatious displays of wealth and power. Yet, beneath the veneer of their disguises, they held a power that far exceeded that of the city's elite.

In their quest to the Royal Town, Roznok had alluded to a grand function occurring in the vicinity of the royal town. A place where Toragol was in attendance, surrounded by the affluent elite.

Infiltrating the grandeur silently, Sougo and Mika found themselves in the midst of a celebration. The imposing figure of Toragol revealed itself on the balcony, seated upon a human slave as if a mere piece of furniture.

"Welcome, esteemed guests. Today, we commemorate the day of my ascendancy, the day I secured the confidence of the government," he announced with an arrogant smirk. "Tonight, we revel until we lose ourselves in the glory of power. We are the privileged, the powerful. Wealth shapes this world, and today, we honor this fact. As of this moment, I am the new governor of this town! A realm where laws cater only to the strong!" Toragol's voice boomed with pride as his audiences gave him a standing ovation.

Such an audacious declaration only incited revulsion in Mika and Sougo. The sight of human beings, reduced to servitude and treated worse than animals, left a bitter taste in Mika's mouth.

"You should count yourself fortunate to grace this gathering, pathetic dog. Now, be a good pet and behave. Ohohoho~" A woman nonchalantly rested her foot on a human slave's face, while seated on another's back.

"Come along, you worthless dog!" A man leashed a woman who was his pet. The horrible sight it was that one could imagine a molestion and other forms of heinous acts.

The entire place was tainted by their repugnant manners. The Royal Town was devoid of any semblance of decency. Unable to bear the sight any longer, Mika evacuated the party, seeking solitude to regain his composure. Sougo remained behind, his gaze never straying from Toragol.

As Mika retreated to the backstreets, he understood the harsh realities of the world outside his sheltered existence. One of his days living a life in green, he had never seen such cruelty even if he knew much about the world. Scums who had no any feelings for humanity yet lived, living a life tainting the world in red. Mika could not stand it, his heart was corrupted.

Suddenly, a distressed cry pierced the silence. Mika's attention snapped to the source.

Two aristocrats were brutally assaulting a defenseless girl, a mere commoner. It was the same girl he had encountered during the meat bun transaction. The aristocrats were the same duo he had put in their place before. The girl was being accused of snitching, resulting in their caught by the sheriff.

"If it wasn't for this lowborn rat, the blasted Sheriff wouldn't have caught us red-handed. Learn your place, wretch!" The aristocrat showed no mercy, continuously kicking her while she feebly tried to shield her head with her injured arm.

"Ah, finally, I'm satisfied... I'll grant you a merciful death." One of the aristocrats conjured an ice dagger.

"Die!"

Mika's fist clenched, his blood boiling. He sprang into action, preventing them from harming the girl further and shattering his disguise in the process.

"You two sicken me!" Mika's gaze was icy as he shattered the ice dagger in his grasp. "Are you fit to be called yourself a person?" Mika yelled.

The aristocrats recoiled, recognizing Mika's face.

"You... You're the same peasant we had a scuffle with. You dare to step foot in these illustrious grounds, flaunting your lowly status? Remove those clothes, you have no right to masquerade as nobility, you vermin!" The aristocrats seethed at Mika's audacity.

"I don't give a damn about what I wear. Sure, I might look dirty to you, but inside I'm not filled with the same filth tainted in my heart. I'm here to settle this once and for all." Mika stared them down, making it clear he meant business.