The Abyssal Mountains

"Ah, uh, ah- yes!" The Minister Alvez fella stumbles and says as he stammers and confusedly says out loud in a squeak. 

"Fuckin' hell. I thought something might happen, but not like that. Shit." The Guard Captain says, still just looking at the newly painted wall. 

But then something else catches the guard captain's notice a second later as he turns his gaze toward the slapping monster before him. "Wait, you can talk normal now?" 

"Like I said, it took a little bit to learn, but I have it now." Arthur plainly states like it was nothing major. 

"I see." The guard captain says, not wanting to say anything else lest it makes this thing upset, and he gets slapped, turning into a new coat of paint. 

But his head was swimming with thoughts. {Why didn't you say anything earlier, fucking hell. Things would have been easier for us.} 

But like a smart man, he kept his mouth shut, knowing that he is too weak to speak his mind before the monster standing in this room. However, he did unconsciously take a step back, wanting to get further away, out of reach from those hands. 

"Now, Alvez was it. I have some questions. Oh, and let's go for a walk while we talk, as I do not wish to stay in this stuffy room. 

"Huh, ah yeah, sure. Yeah, let's go." Minister Alvez says, his gaze somewhat unfocused and his mind elsewhere as if his soul left his body. 

And though his mouth seems loose, the movements of his body are stiff as if frozen in place, and he has to pick up his legs to move. It seems like his body was frozen in fear from seeing the governor die so simply. Making him feel insignificant for the first time in his life. 

"Hurry along now." Arthur states as he begins to walk ahead. 

"It is all on you now, Minister Alvez. Appease the beast so it doesn't destroy the city. It might be a blessing that the shitty governor is now dead. Otherwise, he might truly have been the doom of this city. Go!" Guard Captain Bavrain says in a light whisper towards the stiff Minister Alvez. 

Minister Alvez nervously gulps, realizing he should have stayed in his room instead of trying to use the situation to get ahead in life. Now the city hangs on his words. "Ah, I hope my ass-kissing is good enough." He sighs and mutters under his breath as he forces his body to move forward, catching up to the slapping monster. 

"A-ask away, sir. I will do my be-est to help you with whatever it is that I-I can." Minster Alvez nervously states, stuttering occasionally. 

"This city, what is it called?" Arthur asks, not paying attention to the minister as he looks out over the city and the surrounding area. 

"Uh, this is Mayport City. It is a major commerce city on the borders of the kingdom, si-r." He answers, a little more calm than before. 

"So that is the sea air that I am smelling. A real sea, huh." Arthur mutters to himself. 

"What is in that direction?" Arthur asks as he points in the direction that he smells that God is in, which is further north from this city. 

"Huh, north? Uh, let me see. There is Ironcase City and then Holcrest City. Is that what you want?" The minister answers in confusion about what the beast is wanting. 

"Further beyond." Arthur states, feeling that the God would be far beyond those two places based on what he can smell. 

"Err, the only thing further than that is the Abyssal Bastion, which leads into the Abyssal Mountains. But that place is forbidden." Minister Alvez says as he shudders at the thought of the Abyssal Mountains. 

"Abyssal Mountains, huh. Tell me about them and what is further beyond." Arthur presses on. 

"Beyond the Abyssal Mountains? Nothing good. But, truthfully, no one knows. It is too dangerous to cross and too long. No one who has tried has ever returned. The bastion protects us from the monsters that come from the mountains, but even SS-rank monsters are common within those mountains. And they say a divine beast rules over them." He says, having calmed down a lot. 

"Hmm, so no one knows what is beyond those mountains." Arthur says aloud as he thinks. 

"Well, most people believe that the mountains are endless, hence the name Abyssal Mountains. That they just go on forever and ever. Leading to the eventual abyss itself. Most of the nation's S-ranked individuals are stationed at the Bastion to protect the rest of us." Minister Alvez says after hearing what Arthur said. 

"Alright, well, that is enough for me. Oh, one last thing. Why was everyone freaking out when I spoke a different language?" Arthur suddenly asks when remembering that people freaked out the most when he spoke. 

"Ah, because it should be impossible for an unknown language to exist. The Gods already set a language for each race, so every language is recognizable even if one doesn't understand it. So any new or unknown language is like going against the Gods and is dangerous. It is better for you to now be speaking our language. Forget the old one and never speak, lest you bring troubles to yourself." Minister Alvez says while trembling in fear at the thought. 

"I see." Arthur scrunches his eyebrows at the thought of the Gods and their ridiculous rules and control over society, even controlling languages. 

Arthur then stops and looks over to Alvez. "I am leaving now." He says directly before walking off. Though at a pace that it looked like he simply disappeared. 

In the next moment, Arthur is already outside the city, heading north faster than anyone can see or realize, though it is just his normal walking pace. 

"Abyssal Mountains, huh. Sounds interesting." Arthur mutters as he continues his journey, his hunt.