After staying inside that place for so long, I’m finally going outside. Although the premises of the church may sound serene and quiet, the outside, however, is drastically different. As soon as the main door leading outside was opened, sounds and noises overwhelmed the entrance.

Stepping outside, I could see the numerous carriages and [Automos] being driven or parked at the side. The bustling number of people, of varying races of arkind, are once again before me. Besides the presence of arcanes within the halls of the Church of Hure, there was no other indicator that I was living in a fantasy-like world as every face I met was human, but now, that notion has been laid before me once again.

I was not, however, alone in performing my scouting endeavors. Other than those two individuals inside my head, another priest was assigned to accompany me for this mission. Esto Sumatosa is his full name. A very tall, burly, one-eyed, bald-headed man, and known as the most physically capable among the priests in this branch. He was originally a ship laborer that got fed up with unending laborious tasks that after he earned enough money, he boarded a ship and left Duracem Harbor that was situated in the Southern Krudena Continent, eventually stumbling in Floren City. But as he couldn’t get proper work due to language barriers, the Church of Hure was kind enough to take him in. He was fed and sheltered, and he was also given appropriate learning materials to at least learn what he needed to properly become independent. Years have passed since then and after he became a priest, he never left.

He was also the one who usually did the errands to buy supplies and resources for the branch. He specifically listens to Astor and his loyalty towards him is unquestionable as it was Astor’s decision to take him in despite protests of the priests of that branch. As he does look a bit intimidating, I can see where their initial impression of him may have stemmed from.

“Young Alkef, you’re looking around quite a lot! I guess you didn’t go sightseeing here that much before you arrived at the church?”

“No sir, I haven’t. As soon as I arrived in Floren City, I went straight to the church.”

“That’s unfortunate, but it can also be seen as a good thing. Floren City may be full of strange and wonderful things, but it can also be full of danger.”

“Why is that, sir?”

“Although this city is willing to accept anyone, there is also another requirement. That requirement is money. So it’s best to redefine this place as the city that is willing to accept anyone who has money.”

Although Esto said that with a grin on his face, his eyes tell a different story. He may have gone to this place in search of a better and comfortable future, but he may have experienced things here which made him regret leaving Duracem Harbor. However, I can also sense a feeling of relief or calmness in those eyes. He may dislike this city for what it has done to him, but he has more or less forgiven or accepted it for what it is.

“Alright. Keep close, and make sure to activate your [Alarm] if you get lost or someone tries to do anything to you.”

I nodded as we started walking. This [Alarm] arcane tool was a small circular bead that was placed in between my toes. If I folded them my toes, the bead would break due to the pressure from the movement and tightness of my footwear, causing a loud sound that will alert anyone nearby who can hear it, as well as send a signal to anyone that had an [Alarm Tracker], which most law enforcement in this city had as well as Esto having his own.

Walking through the bustling streets of Floren City, the tall black stone walls surrounding it gave it a feel of security. The numerous stalls and establishments that sold various kinds of things from food and accessories, and the varying dialects and languages I haven’t heard of showed how drastically different it was from the quiet Sevis City. Although I wanted to sightsee a bit more and look through the stalls, I had no money on me to actually justify it. Seeing as how I was quietly following Esto, he decided to break the silence between us in this already noisy area.

“If I was at your age, I’d probably get distracted and want to look around.”, was what I could hear from the sea of words.

“I would want to, but maybe on a day when I’m actually free.”

“That’s good. You have your priorities straight. As expected from High Priest Astor’s disciple.”

“Disciple? Who said that?”

“Are you not?”

I shook my head.

“Then why are the other priests talking about and praising you a lot?”

This would’ve been the time where I could’ve said, ‘Were you not told that I was the future Saint?’, but it would definitely be better for Astor or a fellow priest to inform him of this matter. Therefore, I had to twist or exaggerate the truth a bit.

“I was the one who suggested the specialization of tasks to High Priest Astor.”

“Ah, so you were the one who suggested that? I was transferred to mostly guard and security duty after that so I was not aware of it and thought that was High Priest Astor’s idea. Although I am a priest, I’m only about average when it comes to arcane invocation. So being transferred to security duty has been truly helpful for me.”

“I am glad you found my suggestion helpful, sir.”

“Does that also mean it’s your plan to recruit them as well?”

“Yes, sir. That was also my suggestion.”

“Then this may be why High Priest Astor assigned me to come with you. Before High Prie- no, Master Astor found me, I was not actually fit to become a priest.”

“Master Astor?”

“It’s a term that I am most familiar with. To call him High Priest would be to merely refer to him as my superior at the Church of Hure. However, without him, I would’ve been marked or dead on the streets. He is my savior and my teacher. There is no better title to refer to him than ‘Master’.”

From how his colleagues see him, Astor must’ve been quite a figure to these people. He’s always been regarded highly by others and respected by everyone. Although he gives off a rather strict and fearsome demeanor in front of the acolytes, he’s been a rather kind person to everyone. I appreciate such individuals and I consider people like him to be at the lowest tier of the hierarchy of people I’d be willing to betray.

“To survive in this city, I’ve met with countless marked people to learn how to survive. I’ve stolen and harmed countless people, all for the sake of survival. Only when I was close to getting caught was when I met Master Astor.”

We eventually reached a much quieter part of the city.

“To survive in this city? Why haven’t you left instead of resorting to such things?”

“I was actually first hired as a guard for the Cediluka Family. This family is one of the most influential in this city as they have control of most of the transport and logistics of goods inside and outside the city. Although the patriarch was a wise and disciplined man, his great-grandson, who I was tasked to keep watch of, was not. Rex Cediluka was prone to abusing his family name and to start fights. There was then one situation where a marked one brushed on him slightly and he ordered me to kill the man. Although I did not understand the words he said, I could tell what he wanted me to do, and I was unwilling to. Then he ordered his other guards to apprehend me, but since I was strong enough, I managed to escape.”

“Even if you were such a large person, you managed to escape from them?”

He grinned as I tried to lighten the mood a little.

“That’s right. I jumped and climbed one of the buildings. Then I disappeared. When I wanted to leave, I couldn’t as I was considered a wanted man for supposedly colluding with a marked one. I tried to destroy a part of the wall, but it was actually imbued with [Shield] and [Protect] arcanes. I would want to climb the walls, but it’s far too high and I would immediately get seen, and I stand out a lot so disguises would be rather difficult to use. Then I tried to dig underground, but I learned that underneath all these dirt was a floor made of the same material as the walls.”

“So you really had no way of escaping.”

“Yes. I lived with the marked ones despite not being marked. Then when I was too trusting of them, one wanted to capture me in order to at least claim the bounty. Although they did not succeed, this led to me losing one of my eyes.”

“Isn’t there an arcane that can restore your eyes?”

“There is. It’s called [Regenerate] and Master Astor even knows how to invoke it, but I refused when he offered to heal my eye. This scar is a reminder and a lesson for me.”

“So how did you meet High Priest Astor?”

“I met him two years after that incident. I survived like a marked one, but I also stole and robbed since I was not similarly incapacitated as a marked one. I could not get caught except for that one time when I got too drunk and collapsed somewhere. I didn’t think that Rex would then find me once again and brought me back to the Cediluka household. I was bound with arcane imbued chains and was supposed to be sold to the slave market.”

“There is slavery here? That’s allowed?”

“It’s either that or imprisonment. As I did not kill or severely harm anyone but only stole and robbed, I would not qualify for a marking. Thanks to Goddess Hure’s guidance, Master Astor was currently at the Cediluka household during that time as he was treating the patriarch’s grandson, Dex Cediluka. When they were asking Master on how they should repay his services, Rex suddenly entered the premises while claiming that he had a slave to be sold for later. Seeing my current state back then, Master took pity on me and said that I was a sufficient price. I was a criminal and was supposed to become a slave, but instead of being paid the resources and funds that the church needed the most, he instead took me.”

So this might also be the case as to why the church is lacking in funds. I didn’t expect slavery to exist here. That adds another layer to people I can use as my foundations. Although certainly, I won’t own slaves, that doesn’t mean I can’t be a trusted figure for them.

“Are all the slaves here criminals?”

“Yes. Only criminals are turned into slaves. You will be marked if you violate the right to life, freedom, and chastity. You will be enslaved or imprisoned if you violate the right to property, wages, and justice. This is the summarization of the laws of Floren City.”

“Before you take me to where the marked ones hide, can you take me to the place where slavery is conducted?”

“I can, but why?”

“I want to at least help them in the way that I can.”

“Help them?”