《Capital of Greed》Chapter 23 - Grim Reaper
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After sending Reudem away to begin his preparations, Atlas asked the Baron to leave him alone. He then spent the next few hours holed up inside the office, practicing his language, going through the profiles of his citizens, deciding on how to efficiently exploit them, etc.
He finally stopped when the traces of light coming into the office through the gaps between the wooden planks turned dark. The complete absence of any brightness signified the arrival of dusk within this swamp town.
Gathering the sheets of parchments and stacking them up, the young prince then put them inside one of the drawers. Resting his quill in its stand, he then got up from his seat and walked out of the darkened room.
Moving through the small connecting passageway, Atlas came into the living room. Oil lanterns were kept on the tops of the various flat surfaces sprawled across the rooms, providing light to combat the darkness while casting long, eerie shadows.
It was after seeing this sight that Atlas was hit by palpable realization; he really had been transmigrated into a fantasy world.
Not even the monsters, the encounter with a centuries-old magical being, or his multiple brushes with near-certain death drove home this fact.
Atlas felt reality at the realization that this world, or this town at least, had no light bulbs or electricity.
‘So many hectic things have happened in quick succession since my arrival here that I glossed over many things. But man, it truly is a medieval century life here, huh?’
Atlas thought to himself with a smile.
Sure, he might not have his electricity or his fancy bed or television…or nothing actually. The medieval century was a barren time with almost no easily available entertainment to speak of.
‘I mean, I can always accuse someone and watch them be stoned to death. Do they do it here? I wonder if they do it here. That sounds like it would be something fun to watch.’
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Perhaps it could wait until he solidifies his power a little more. Right now, Atlas was relying on the goodwill of the Baron and he would rather not test the man’s limits.
‘Speaking of the Baron, where is he?’
Atlas looked around. The manor was oddly quiet and no one seemed to be present in it.
“Baron Helm? Are you here?” He called out and received no answer. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
“My lord.”
“ARGH!” Atlas jumped back with fright and quickly turned around. Within the dim shadows, he saw a tall, proper-looking silhouette of a man.
The shadow moved its hands to grab a lantern kept on a table near it. Brining it nearer, the light finally illuminated the shadowy figure.
It was Butler Rohm, the Baron’s chief of staff and aide.
“Oh, it’s you,” Atlas deadpanned while resting his palm over his thumping chest. It took him no shame to admit that he was genuinely freaked.
“Where is Baron Helm?”
“The master has gone out to address the people outside,” Butler Rohm politely replied. Unlike his polite tone, however, his face maintained a stoic, indifferent expression.
Nodding his head in response, Atlas lowered his hand, having calmed down. He then walked over to a long wooden bench furnishing the living room and sat on it.
He then leaned his tired, petite body against the backrest and closed his eyes. Maintaining a neutral expression on his face, Atlas thought to himself.
‘He’s still staring at me.’
Indeed. Butler Rohm was unflinchingly staring at him.
‘I don’t feel any hostile intent from his gaze, but it isn’t friendly either. He’s staring at me with exact indifference.’
This wasn’t Atlas’ first encounter with Butler Rohm. To be precise, this was his second time. The first time was when the butler had brought him a clean set of clothes to wear.
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Atlas wasn’t exactly sure why, but he felt an unnerving presence from the fifty-something-year-old butler; there was just something about this stoic expression, unblinking eyelids, and prim demeanor that greatly unsettled the young prince.
‘Ugh. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to move away. He’s STILL gazing at me.’ Unable to bear this stressful gaze any longer, the prince opened his eyes.
Turning to face the stoic butler, whose straight figure held the oil lantern with an unshaken grip, Atlas was suddenly reminded of the grim reaper who comes in the dearth of the day to claim lost souls.
‘Well, he does look grim enough to be the reaper.’
“Do you have anything to say to me, Butler Rohm?” the young prince asked.
“I do, my lord. It’s a message from the master,” the servant promptly replied.
‘Well, why didn’t you just say that instead of staring at me? What a weirdo.’ Atlas thought within his mind but showed a smile on his face.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Master informed me that it would take him a while to get back from meeting with the peasants. He asks you to have dinner without him and rest for the day. He fears that Your Highness overworking might have some adverse effects on your ill body.”
‘Thank the Gods! I was just cursing the man for not being here when I arrived. This is great. I can eat and go to sleep.’
The day had been exhausting for Atlas. Hunger had been gnawing at him for some time and the bruises around his body were starting to act up. The fact that everything smelled like the interiors of a public latrine didn’t help either.
“Let’s do just that then,” Atlas happily intoned.
“Please follow me, my lord,” Butler Rohm mechanically replied and led Atlas towards the dining room.
Dinner wasn’t anything special. It was just more of the same gruel that he had eaten in the evening.
After slogging through the meal, all while mentally complaining about how bland and tasteless the food was. There seemed to be an absence of salt in the Baron’s pantry.
‘I should ask him about that. How can you not have any salt?’
He was then led to his room where Atlas retired on the wooden bed laid with a coarse animal hide mattress for the night. Closing his eyes, he almost instantly fell asleep.
And that marked the end of the first full-day in Atlas’ life as a leader to the masses. It would be the first in, hopefully, many long years to come.
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Ætla Verǫld
AV Online was just a flash in the pan—a harsh, experimental land which lost most of its players in mere weeks. Only the dedicated few remained, carving out their destinies in corners of the vast abandoned world. Lily Quinn wasn't one of them. With a career worth millions in the esports world, she didn't have time for a game like Avo—but when an exclusive beta test for the new version showed up on her doorstep, she couldn't say no… as much as she wanted to. Literally hooked into the simulation, Lily reluctantly entered a world beyond anything she'd ever dreamed of. Accompanied by seven other beta testers desperate to save their beloved game, Lily dives into a vibrant, beautiful world, where mystery and adventure waits around every corner. Despite her reservations, Lily finds a joyful escape in Avo, shattering her cold, hollow reality. It was just a game though… until the group discovered they couldn't log out. Trapped in a game with no rules, and surrounded by cutthroat players eager to kill for a quick windfall, Lily and her ragged band have no choice but to fight their way out, or die in a game that has turned all too real. Hi there! I'm setting off on yet another adventure, come join me :3 Unusually for me, there's only one perspective this time, and it's quite a bit more action-oriented than I usually write. Don't worry, though: everything's still as character-driven as always, and I never get tired of writing dialogue. Just to acknowledge it up front: this story is heavily inspired by EVE Online and the many stories generated by that world. However, since this is a fantasy setting, not sci-fi, don't expect any real parallels. Chapter publish rate for this one will be whenever I write them, as with Epilogue. I don't expect to move as fast here though, since it's not for NaNo. The plan is chapters somewhere in the 4k-5k range, and hopefully frequently. The Last Science takes priority as always though. Special thanks to Reaver and Ace Arriande for pushing me to get this going, and to all my fellow writers whom I've stolen from been inspired by. You're all wonderful people and I love you Quick reminder: Patrons get to read ahead of what's published! Also, try my other works: The Last Science — A Tale of Modern Magic Epilogue — A Post-Fantasy Psychodrama What are you still doing on the synopsis? Get to reading! Cover art (fullsize): Forgotten World Coliseum, by taenaron (Tobias Roetsch), modified by Etzoli. This story has not been posted or published anywhere else besides RoyalRoad.com, at this URL: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22103/atla-verold
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