“Just what are we even doing here…”

Viran whispered to himself coldly as he looked walked alongside Marcus across the slums that congregated outside of the walls of Creaton Falls. It was the dead of night as the moonlight still shone down below, and within the air streams of smoke could be seen ascending higher into the sky before disappearing all together.

Due to the recent news that the Magisterium put out Marcus and Viran both felt that disguising their appearances would be for the best even though no one knows exactly what Viran looks like. The news was just being spread about the Devil and thus the specifics were largely unknown, however that will change as time goes on and wanted posters are seen every inch of every city. Both Viran and Marcus wore the most plain clothing they could find with a discolored green cloak over it all. With such a little bit of mud splatter here and there, they looked perfectly like whatever occupation they would want whether it be a refugee or some traveling mercenary.

The entirety of the slums themselves were hastily made buildings that formed confusing corridors and alleys in between the buildings. Even though there were plenty of accommodations made to hold hundreds, and possibly even thousands, of people even those buildings weren’t enough. Surrounding the frail and cheap wooden and rock structures were hundreds of tents put up temporarily. These tents offered some privacy, but they lacked almost any protection from the elements of the world. The lousy living conditions only worsened as more people congregated in the slums, and as the living spaces worsened so did public health. It was not an uncommon sight to see a refugee plagued with some sort of sickness and eventually succumbing to it.

These slums don’t have any goods of their own as well, and many have already lost much of their riches. These refugees relied completely upon the City Lord of Creaton Falls and even further than that, they rely upon the ruling Lord as well. Due to the amount of supplies the refugees needed there was simply not enough time or resources to spread it all around. The poor roads that are crowded with refugees or in disarray slow down the convoys almost completely, and even then these convoys are preyed upon by bandits at times. With thousands of refugees spread out farther than even Creaton Falls, and the frontline still needing resupplyment, there was plainly enough too many mouths to feed. Such an environment was a breeding ground for crime and resentment, especially to those better off than themselves.

“Fuck off you piece of shit!” A drunk yelled as he laid on the mushy mud trail that swept through the slums. Standing over him was another man with a large silver broadsword hanging at his hip, yet the very presence of such a heavy tool never made the drunk cower. Only his own greed made him put on a more reverent face.

“Just let me borrow a little more, please! I swear I can pay you back in a few months- no in a single month!” The drunk begged as he reached up towards the guard’s shins as he begged.

The guard simply harrumphed and he slammed his heel directly into the drunk’s hand- evoking a startling cry from the drunk. Viran looked on in horror as the guard repeatedly smashed his foot into the back of the drunk’s head. It looked as though he was intending on cracking the solid thing wide open. Yet while looking around, it became evident to Viran that it was only him that was interested in such a sight. The rest of the refugees simply minded their own business or watched on like a vulture. It was clear they were preparing to strip the corpse of its belongings and selling it all off elsewhere.

“Damn… I’ll get chewed out for lending money to scum like this.” The guard whispered resentfully to himself as he wiped the splattered bits of brain on his boots on top of the corpse.

Viran’s finger began to stab into his thumb as he anxiously walked along with Marcus. Although the boy couldn’t sense even a bit of mana in the man, his physique was a giant even compared to the adult Marcus. It wasn’t a rare occurrence where a magic user was killed by a normal person through real physical strength.

He also had mixed feelings over seeing someone die right in front of him. Viran had no qualms about bad people dying, but it just seemed like the man was in a rough situation. Perhaps it was due to the reason massacre with Wakeford, but the sight of the refugee dying caused tears to form around his eyes.

“Don’t cry about this.” Marcus’ emotionless voice said quietly. “My path will be bloody and if you really want to come along you’ll need to be useful to me.”

“Crying over something like death in a world filled with it is not useful.”

Viran was shocked internally, but he shoved down all of those fuzzy feelings before he nodded faintly to Marcus. Although it pained him so, Viran tried to get used to looking at the warm corpse on the ground. The corpse itself is destroyed and bloody. The corpse in no way resembles anyone Viran knew, but the visages of Marianne, Renault, and Leonard repeatedly forced their way into Viran’s mind. The villagers of Wakeford village as well showed up constantly. Viran couldn’t help but wonder why the world he chose could be so cruel.

“Heh.” The giant of a man scoffed once he saw Marcus and Viran stop directly in front of him.

“This ain’t a place a kid like you should go… As for you, your face is kinda pissing me off.” The guard said as a snarl hung off of his lips.

Contrary to his devilish intentions the Guard’s provocations were unable to get a rise out of either Viran or Marcus. Instead Marcus’ eyes only got sharper as he held his hand up in a flat palm. Viran looked on closely in awe as he saw a black swirl of mana condense directly over Marcus’ hand. In the same moment the giant man stepped back in horror as he stared directly at the magic user in front of him. His muscly hand reached downward towards his scabbard however…

“Don’t try anything.” Marcus growled. That was all that needed to be said for the guard to stop completely in his tracks as he stared back at Marcus. From Viran’s view, it seems the guard was only gifted in his physical prowess and not much else. No magic and no courage, Viran hypocritically looked down upon the guard.

“I need to see your boss.” Marcus said plainly as he stepped over the corpse on the ground.

The guard didn’t dare to reject Marcus and so he urgently nodded his head. As the trio began to walk away from the scene, Viran couldn’t help but look back at the corpse as it was defiled by and ransacked for any hidden treasures by any bystanders. Something inside of Viran welled up, and popped.

“Why’d you have to kill that man...” Viran muttered as his eyes fixated on the back of the giant guard.

The three then zig zagged through the rough and narrow corridors of the slums as they constantly tried to sidestep the trash and muddy wrecks that laid about the streets. It was clear by the contents of the street that the city and the slums were heading straight towards general degeneracy. Such a thing was to be expected though with the lack of support the refugees received and the sudden expulsion from their homes. Had the Magisterium and the Empire behind it not stepped in to help the Southern Nobles it was likely the situation would have worsened much more.

“Here…” The Guard muttered softly as they arrived in front of a small building tucked away. The building looked much more stable and grandiose compared to the normal slum buildings, but the muck and smog that inhabited the area could not help but infect the house as well.

The Guard walked towards the building and he knocked against the wooden surface lightly. Moments passed and as Marcus was about to speak up the windows surrounding them slammed open as the tense noise of tens of bowstrings were heard.

The courtyard that stood in front of the house was surrounded by numerous buildings of varying size with many windows, and out of those windows there were now shining arrows quivering underneath the pressure as they pointed directly towards Marcus.

Viran quickly spurred his mana and with Sense Severance he could clearly see the numerous people armed to the teeth around them, some of them were also clearly magic users as well.

Viran’s hands were clenched harshly until he saw the deep calmness on Marcus' face. He looked no different from usual, Viran chose to believe that he had some sort of plan about this.

“Hmph. It’s you.” A young voice was heard above Marcus and Viran.

Looking upward towards the grandiose building a head peaked out of one of the windows. His face had sprawls of facial hair that hung down while his head was clean shaven as well, he was also frighteningly young. Not as young as Viran but also not much older.

“If you know it’s me why haven’t your guys backed off then.” Marcus asked.

“Because I don’t like you!” The young man spat back.

“But since it’s you… That must mean something is up.”

The young man thinks for a moment before waving his hand in a single motion and soon the quivering arrows disappear along with the nervous atmosphere that inhabited the courtyard. Viran looks towards Marcus questionly.

“Who is this?”

“His name is Geno and he’ll be helping me for what I have planned in Creaton Falls.” Marcus said as he looked towards the building in front of him.

“Stop standing there and come in! Oh leave the kid though!” Geno yelled before he slammed the window shut.

As Marcus began to walk away before Viran could ask anything else Viran could only grumble silently to himself. He had many things to ask about this ‘Geno’ person and just what Marcus wanted to do in Creaton Falls. It was purely out of curiosity, Viran had no intentions of abandoning Marcus after traveling together these few weeks.

Even if he wanted to abandon him, Viran was sure that he wouldn’t live too long alone.

“What’re you still doing here?” Viran growled towards the burly guard from before.

The entirety of the courtyard was silent and devoid of all life save for Viran and the guard. Although the very presence of the guard still disgusted Viran, he supposed he could make the best out of it all.

“Who exactly is ‘this’ Geno?” Viran asked the guard suddenly.

Although Viran was clueless about Marcus’ intentions, knowing Geno might just shine some light upon the truth.