A small boat with a slave, a monster, and a goddess floated down a quiet river.
The once raging current had long since calmed down, so the crew was able to reach their destination in just a few hours.
Just a couple hundred meters away from them stood the majestic city of Pyr.
High stone walls towered over the empty expanse of green meadows and fields, and dozens of guards stood on them, ready for battle. Silver armor gleamed in the sun along with the sharp weapons in the men's hands.
Morvian stopped the boat, whereupon they all disembarked.
Though the city was hundreds of meters away, a chain of slave caravans already overshadowed the horizon.
Countless wagons pulled by horses and occasionally magical creatures were carrying an incredible number of slaves straight to the city.
The stench and screams of the slaves reached the group of challengers, whose faces were as grim as the night.
Morvian spoke first.
"The purpose of the challenge definitely has something to do with these slaves. We need to get to a city where there will most likely be other challengers as well."
Hearing Morvian's words, Erida looked at the monster standing nearby.
Elias noticed the girl's look and knew exactly what it meant.
'The guards won't let me inside.'
Morvian nodded his head, pondering.
"We have a few options. The first is for Elias to try to sneak into the city unnoticed. Or... we'll have to leave you here."
Elias nodded understandingly, and his scarlet eyes gazed placidly at the stone walls.
He was in his thoughts for a few long seconds, then turned to the group and used the artifact on his claw again.
"I'll stay here."
Morvian silently agreed, and Erida... surprisingly did not react in any way to her comrade's decision.
Her sea-colored eyes were calm and judicious. And her posture was confident and relaxed.
Morvian was a little surprised by this reaction, for he had already formed a certain image of Erida Morgrain in his mind.
He had thought that the girl at this point would try to talk Elias out of the prospect of being alone. However, she did not.
On the contrary, she began to develop the topic herself.
"I'm thinking the same thing. After all, if you try to sneak into the city, there will be little point. Your body will still get in the way of moving around the city, making it impossible to gather information and find test subjects. Not to mention, in case you get caught, we'll have a lot of problems."
Morvian and Elias looked in surprise at the girl, whose gaze was no longer pitiful but sharp as a bird's.
Soon Erida noticed the stares of her companions and her eyes flickered slightly. And a few drops of sweat appeared on her pretty face as she began to rub her fingers together.
"...I mean...Elias is quite distinguished and it would be better...if...if he gathered information from outside..."
The girl started to swallow her words, but Morvian quickly stopped her by taking her by the shoulders. Though he had to stand on chains to do so, due to the height difference.
"Don't you worry so much. Your words make sense and Elias does need to gather information outside the city. Only we then need to designate a gathering point where we will exchange information."
Feeling the stranger's touch, Erida cringed and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
She only nodded her head silently and Elias stepped closer.
'I suggest we meet in the middle of the south wall. With the artifact we can talk even through stone.'-said the monster, pointing a claw at one of the walls of the city.
Morvian nodded, agreeing with his comrade.
The cries of the slaves continued to echo along with the chirping of the birds. And the scorching sun after the rain was killing many of them with its heat.
Morvian looked at the bone monster and said briefly.
"Then we are off to the city. Meet me at the wall tomorrow at 9 o'clock. And... don't die."
Elias looked at his comrade strangely, then peacefully covered his eyes.
'Alright, you be careful too and try to get some information. Good luck to you.
After saying that, they parted ways.
Morvian and Erida headed towards the city. While Elias went in the opposite direction.
Each of them had the same task, but the conditions were different. However, every member of their small squad was important.
Soon the boy and girl reached the majestic gate of the high wall.
The endlessly stretching horizon of slave caravans, harnessed almost all the guards by their inspection. However, a couple of men in armor were specially allocated for casual travelers, who separately checked ordinary people.
There was even a small door giving access to the city. After all, the large gate was heavily occupied.
One of the guards, noticing them, stepped forward. His armor clinked, reflecting the glare of the sun. Which also bore the family crest with a golden lion holding the firmament.
"Greetings before the gates to the city of Pyr. Please state your names and purpose of arrival."
Erida opened her mouth, but stopped short. Morvian glanced at her briefly and stepped forward, preventing her from getting into the conversation.
"Morvi and Eri. We wish to enter the city, as our home was destroyed by the beasts of the abyss."
His voice was cold, but with a note of desperation and sadness.
Erida threw a blank stare at him, but didn't say anything.
Meanwhile, the guard looked at the two girls in surprise.
"Was destroyed by the beasts of the abyss? What nonsense. They've been gone for years. Where are you from?"
This was something Morvian hadn't expected.
He thought that the monster situation had already affected the city, after all, it stands next to villages under attack. Besides, the caravans should have also encountered them, just like Morvian did at the beginning of the ordeal.
So why didn't the guards know? Or had they not been warned? But why?
He wondered, but now needed to get out of the situation.
"We are not from the village, but lived in a remote manor. Our father was a merchant, but the beasts of the abyss attacked our home, killing everyone. Only my sister and I managed to survive that night."
As he finished, Morvian shook slightly and averted his gaze, looking down at the floor.
The guard frowned, looking at the golden-haired girl before shifting his gaze to the other.
"I am sorry for your loss. But please tell me your father's name. He may have been a trusted merchant, in which case you will be given all sorts of help. So please state his name, Ms. Eri."
Erida's gaze flinched at the unexpected question and she simply remained silent, staring at the man in armor.
The guard frowned harder, waiting for an answer.
"You can't say? Why not?"
Realizing the matter was taking an unpleasant turn, Morvian decided to intervene.
He stood in front of the guard and Erida, covering her with his hand.
"Unlike me, my little sister has had a much worse experience with the loss of her parents. So please do not burden her with questions related to our family."
Morvian's voice lost its former sadness and smelled of palpable anger directed at the man.
The guard recoiled slightly from the couple, scratching his cheek.
"I apologize for my tactlessness. Perhaps you will speak up then?"
Morvian had been waiting for that question, and he was already at full strength trying to think of a name. However, he had always had trouble with that.
Yes even now he only shortened their own names, unable to come up with new ones. After all, he didn't want to say the real ones.
He was about to say any, but Erida intervened.
Her voice was firm and confident.
"Our father's name was Gaston Worlan."
Morvian blackened his heart, throwing an angry glance at his companion.
Not only had she stepped out of the image he had just created for her. She also said a name that was too similar to her real name.
After all, if such a merchant really existed, they might have a problem. Not only does he not have children, but if he does, the whole town knows them by sight.
However, if things worked out well, it could only strengthen their legend.
The guard meanwhile was visibly surprised by Erida's words and adjusted his helmet.
"Gaston Varlan speak... of the goddesses. How could they take such an amazing man into their arms so early. He really hasn't been in town for a long time. Who would have thought he was dead."
Morvian was about to grab Erida and run, but hearing the guard's words almost made him laugh. It had passed. And not just that - the city itself had finished the lie for them better than they could have thought of.
There was another option, however.
Erida had called that name on purpose, and had counted on just such a reaction.
At that moment, a loud metallic voice with a note of amusement was heard.
The sound traveled all over the wall and reached the front wagons of the caravan, causing everyone to fall silent.
"Despicable guards! How dare you detain these people!"
A multitude of eyes went to the top of the wall where an unknown man stood.
He was dressed in a red and black men's dress that fluttered in the wind. His long black hair was tied up in a bouffant ponytail, and his emerald eyes looked at the crowd below.
A small device the size of a desk stood beside him. It looked like a metal box with a pipe coming out of it.
It was probably a sound amplification device. That's why the man's voice was so loud.
The guard beside Morvian and Erida visibly fidgeted, apparently recognizing the man on the wall.
"It's Angelo-san. But what is he doing here?"-said the man in armor.
Erida jerked slightly upon hearing the voice. But she didn't say a word. Her eyes - the same eyes in which uncertainty had just pulsed - were suddenly too calm. Too... realized.
Morvian caught the change, but decided to observe the unknown for now.
The man in the dresses finished his speech and jumped fearlessly off the wall.
Despite the unreasonable height, Angelo landed calmly on the ground, breaking it slightly.
After that, he straightened up and shook the dust off of himself, glaring at the guards.
He abruptly walked towards them with an unreadable expression on his face so fast that his clothes fluttered in the air.
And as luck would have it, he approached the very guard who had spoken to Morvian and Erida.
Angelo raised his hand and wanted to take the man's head, frozen with surprise. At that moment, however, another hand stopped him.
Morvian only now noticed that a new face had appeared.
It belonged to an older man with a few wrinkles.
His short blond hair moved slightly in the wind, and his azure eyes looked at Angelo with menace.
The unknown man was dressed in light armor with a breastplate with the same family crest as the soldiers' armor.
Despite his age, the man was apparently strong and calmly squeezed Angelo's hand so that the latter couldn't move it.
The man in tresses smiled slightly as he looked at the old man.
"It is good to see you again, Sir Mostono. Would you mind letting go of my hand? I'm not comfortable with it, by the way."
The elderly man didn't react to Angelo's request, looking around at the guard.
After making sure he was alright, Sir Mostono finally let go of Angelo's hand.
"What do you want with my men and what are you doing here anyway?"
Rubbing his flushed skin, Angelo smiled slightly and pointed to the entire caravan.
"Well actually... this all belongs to me."
His words sounded like a strike on a bell. Even the wind seemed to die down, and even the sun seemed colder.
Morvian's heart froze when he heard those words. And his fingertips trembled slightly along with his thoughts.
This was the first major clue that could help him reach the true purpose of the ordeal.
The endless stream of slave caravans that flocked so strangely to one city belonged to the man standing right in front of him.
However, there was no hurry now, and so Morvian kept quiet. And Erida did the same, realizing the situation.
Sir Mostono frowned upon hearing the words of the man in the dresses. The azure gaze became even heavier and the blue cloak on his back fluttered in the wind.
"I've known this for a long time now and kept wondering. What do you need so many slaves for?"
Angelo seemed to ponder the question, but after a couple moments he put a finger to his mouth and said:
"It's a little secret."
Mostono was apparently not satisfied with that answer and he took up the hilt of the sword that hung on his belt in a scabbard.
"As head of the city's security and defense council, I have every right to interrogate personalities that are not trustworthy."
Angelo only brushed off such a threat and put his hands out in front of him.
"Please, arrest me. However, you are unlikely to find out what you want to know. After all, everything is by the law. Because there are no rules that limit the number of slaves a person can have."
Several of the guards looked over at each other. Some of the slaves harnessed to a nearby wagon involuntarily fell silent, stopping even to breathe loudly.
Angelo continued to speak.
"Oh, and besides, what harm can they do? After all, they have slave marks on them, with which, I can make them obey me with just a word."
The elderly knight did not wait for an answer.
"They are, at the very least, a danger in the form of an epidemic. Only the goddesses know what they are sick with."
"Oh about that, don't worry. They will all undergo a thorough health check and be treated if necessary. Why would I want sick merchandise? Oh, and you can see to that yourself."
Sir Mostono fell silent, then sighed heavily, removing his hand from his sword.
"You have not convinced me, but your words make sense. However, the caravan will only pass into the city anyway after a thorough inspection. Besides, the two of us should go to the king for a talk."
Angelo only smiled and nodded in agreement, bowing slightly.
Ignoring the gesture, Sir Mostono walked towards the small gate to the city, with Angelo following him.
At that moment, a guard came to his senses and quickly ran up to the elderly knight, saluting him.
"Captain, we have a bit of a problem here as well. Mr. Gostor Varlan was killed by the beasts of the abyss and his daughters have come here. They want to make their way into the city."
Morvian's heart clenched again because of the developing events, but he could only watch and wait.
Mostono seemed very surprised to hear the news about the merchant and looked at the two girls.
After which he said:
"Bring them to my manor. I'll talk to them later."
After saying those words, the knight turned around and entered the city with Angelo, who only threw a brief glance at them. After which he disappeared behind the gates.
Meanwhile, Morvian was cursing the world.