Ch 17: Signs of Life [pt2]
The monster collapsed as soon as it was attacked, but no one except Kurina noticed anything off. They all thought they had gotten lucky and the monster had stopped following them after being bored or something. That was what made sense inside their mind after all.
“S-So lucky. I mean, it looks like my presence intimidated the monster enough to send it back crawling. I am awesome. Now hurry up and keep moving. We need to reach the city.”
Baron Luke bragged about his success but anyone could tell that he had been scared when that monster had been chasing after them.
Ashura flinched as he felt Baron Luke move on his back and he felt that knee dig into his side. It was painful but Ashura knew he could not complain about his discomfort before the Baron.
The Baron had their lives in his hand and his mind could flip any second about letting them all live.
“Alex, hurry up and follow us. The city is not that far off now. We might be able to reach it soon.”
Ashura yelled as he kept an eye on Alex and everyone else. Since he was the eldest person in the room, he had taken on the role of looking after everyone else even if it hurt or felt uncomfortable.
Alex pulled himself up and walked back to the group. He was walking right beside a tired Kurina. Mahiru seemed to have fallen asleep on Kurina’s back and the irritation on Kurina’s face looked real.
But still, her sharp eyes and her sharp tongue did not miss a single second to ask what she wanted.
“What did you do to that monster? I saw you throw a stone at it and then it retreated. How did you do that? Is that part of your blessing as well? You need to share it with me.”
Kurina looked determined to make Alex speak. She wanted all the power she could get and then impress her crush. But Alex did not feel comfortable sharing things with Kurina. She was a selfish bitch (he was one as well) and she was rude to him.
So, Alex ignored her attempts to force an answer from him.
Just when it felt like Kurina’s temper had hit its limit, they reached the city doors and Baron Luke stood up on his own two feet. He straightened his back and walked in front of the group to represent it.
*cough*
“Slaves, from here on you will not speak until you are spoken to. And you will also behave like you are expected to. Do you understand what I am saying?”
Baron Luke snapped his finger and Alex felt the curse grab hold of him. There was no point in resisting the curse and causing himself unnecessary pain so Alex went down as he was being pushed by the curse.
He, along with other slaves, took a submissive stance. But they were ready to seize any opportunity that would be sent their way.
Their submission seemed to have reassured Baron Luke that he was in control and he smirked in satisfaction at the picture.
“Yeah, this is how you all belong - standing behind me with your heads bowed to me. Now, let us head out toward the guards.”
Alex had been looking at those guards this whole time. Somehow, he had a feeling that those guards could see and hear clearly what was going on with their group. Their gaze was unnerving and the air around the guards felt odd as well.
‘Ah, cursed ones. We must be near one of Plutus’s cities. You need to be careful in there. Plutus might be the god of abundance but he is also the god of deception. Everything you see inside has a chance to be fake.’
The female voice inside Alex’s mind warned him and he chose to believe her this time. He could feel the truth of this place with his eyes. The guards as well as the city were covered in a golden-veil-like aura.
“H-Hello. Do.you.understand.what.I.am.saying?”
Baron Luke approached the guards cautiously. He did not want to startle them or make himself appear as if he was an enemy. He only wanted to ask these strangers for help.
The two guards who stood in front of the gate looked amused at Baron’s attempt to gauge them out.
“Of course, dear guest, we speak your language. We would like to welcome our esteemed guests inside the tower and into our city. It is our pleasure to house you for the time being as your arrival had been foretold to us by an oracle.”
Alex felt the hair on the back of his head rise. And he was not the only one who looked suspicious about the guard’s words. Both Ashura and Kurina had a frown on their faces while 21 remained stoic.
Only Baron Luke was foolish enough to fall for the guard’s sweet lies and believe them.
“Y-You knew we were coming? I mean, of course, you knew I was coming. My majestic presence is enough to warn everyone about my awesomeness. So, what next? Are we allowed into the city or not?”
Baron Luke asked as he basked in his glory. He was beyond happy to know that he was famous and a target of an oracle.
The guard smiles a huge but disturbing smile. It made the slaves take a step back in fright and they looked uncomfortable with the guard. Their sense of danger was also getting more and more alert.
Only Baron Luke seemed unaffected and he kept on doing what he had been before. He did not even notice the trap that was being laid down in front of him.
“Ugh, Baron, maybe we should rethink our decision to enter this city. You see, I don’t have a good feeling about it and-”
“Stop speaking, you slave. How dare you try and tell me what I should and should not do? I am so sorry for this slave of mine and his behaviour. He did not mean to offend you like this. I apologize in his stead for now.”
Baron Luke pushed Ashura’s head down as he apologized to the guard in front of him. It seemed as if he wanted to impress the guard and have them help Baron Luke out.
He was a fool who did not even see the signs of danger right in front of his eyes. And what was worse? He would force Alex and everyone else to accompany him along this journey.
‘Fuck Baron Luke and everything he stands for. I wish I was free from this curse. I would have killed Baron Luke a long time ago.’
Alex could not help but curse inside his mind. This much golden aura around him was going to make him sick.
‘You know, you can still kill Baron Luke and try to find another way to break your curse. You don’t have to keep on relying on him to break your curse.’
The goddess spoke inside Alex’s mind but he was not sure he wanted to do that. Baron Luke could activate the curse any time he wanted to. The curse not only hurt but it was also instantaneous.
Even if Alex somehow got Baron Luke by surprise, he was not sure he would be able to fight off the curse Baron Luke would activate as a result.
‘Hmm, not right now. I will try to get Baron Luke once his guard is down. It may be more optimal for us.’
The guards opened the city gates for the group and another guard seemed to be waiting for them inside. This new guard gave a small bow to their group and gestured for them to come inside.
“Welcome to Eclipse City, the first city of the tower and the heaven created by Plutus, the god of abundance. I hope you find your stay here comfortable.”
The guard quickly welcomed the group and Alex was in awe when he looked at the city.
Despite the feeling he was getting from this place, it was obvious to him that this place was gorgeous with its watery fountains and a tint of gold to everything. Everyone looked rich and well taken care of.
People even looked and waved at their group as they were led inside.
“So, what are we going to do first here? Do we head toward our residences? You are going to give us a place to live, right? What about food? And water? What about my slaves?”
The guard only smiled brighter once he heard Baron Luke’s questions. That smile looked natural on the guard’s face but the feeling of wrong and discomfort it gave Alex was anything but normal.
“Don’t worry, Baron and friends. You all will be well-taken care of inside this city. For now, I am taking you all to get new clothes and have a wash. Our king wants to meet you all personally. It has been a while since we had guests here.”
That made the alarm bells inside Alex’s mind even louder. But Baron Luke, as ever, did not notice how weird this situation was.
“T-The king wants to see us? Why of course, we will go out and meet him right now. Let’s hurry up and head out."