The boy, who had fallen to his knees, had his head held low, his body casting a shadow on the ground, his hair disheveled, and his eyes hot.
"I've been starving for days. They only fed me with water, so I won't die from dehydration before they felt like I'd lived long enough. Do you think I would be alright after being treated so inhumanely?!" The boy immediately listed out the hell he had been through in the past few days.
"Seeing as how you're so loud, I guess you're. You have the strength to move, right? Get up and follow after me closely. I'll escort you outside. We're getting out of here."
Roy confirmed that he wouldn't be dying due to starvation or thirst anytime soon, although he looked bony and had deep, dark patches under his eyes.
Thus, Roy told him to pull his own weight.
The boy raised his head and stared at him with red eyes.
'I am like this, yet he thinks I am fine and orders me to move using whatever I can muster. What a merciless guy.' He thought, standing up using the strength he had persevered over the days by remaining silent and slowing down his breathing. Even when Damari tried to start a conversation, he remained silent.
Seeing Roy going away, he immediately followed after him.
"Why are you here?" Roy questioned.
"There were originally three people locked up in this cage. But two were taken away to be sacrificed in the ritual that is to be held tonight. They were saving me for the next one. I was supposed to be given to Chaos tomorrow. But I guess since you saved me, that won't come true. They'll be pretty pissed seeing an empty cage. Haha!" He laughed heartily.
"Cough!" And then, he started coughing violently, hunching over. Roy patted his back, helping him ease up. While doing so, he realized that this boy was wearing earrings made out of crystals. He further scrutinized him, realizing that although his clothes were muddy and he looked like a beggar, he was anything but poor.
Getting eyed by Roy made the boy feel nervous. "W-what?"
"You look like you're someone from a well-off family. How did you end up in this situation?"
"I'm Julian, a possible heir to Constantine County and the son of Count Constantine. I wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't chance upon a suspicious man in the county. Seeing him eyeing a young girl, I could tell he was up to no good and followed after him. It was late at night, with barely anyone outside. Finding a good opportunity, he tried to devour her whole. It turned out he was a Chaos Follower disguised as a kind-faced old man, far viler than I initially judged him as. His face split apart from the middle, revealing huge teeth, with which he tried to tear her apart. I saved her. But she ran away immediately, not even bringing back help. I was no match for him. He kidnapped me and brought me all the way here, hoping to use my esteemed self to satisfy Chaos." Julian recounted his sad tale.
Playing a knight and saving a beauty should only be done when you're strong and have the ability to thwart the danger you see someone encountering. It wasn't a task he was up for. Thus, he promised under his breath not to do stupid shit like this again. Humans, well, learn from their mistakes, and Julian was learning from his to better himself.
Hearing his words, Roy felt the need to know more about him. "You can fight?"
"Yes, I do. I am an alchemist. I don't make potions, though. I create magic papers of all types. It's a new path, and it is looked down upon, but I am certain I'll be able to make an advancement in it. With enough in my pocket, I can take down a horde. But my siblings don't consider it fighting. And you might think the same." Julian's mood soured when he mentioned his brothers.
Walking ahead of him, Roy, in his usual calm voice, said, "I don't."
Julian didn't know the future, but Roy did. Magic papers will become a necessity in the future. There was a strength gap between Chaos Followers and humans. This gap would be bridged by these papers.
Julian's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm." Roy voiced his agreement. "No matter what other says, don't feel disheartened and give up, and don't change yourself to please others. Keep working hard. Be true to yourself. Others would try to change your mind, tell you you're wasting time. But remember, hard work will never betray you. The days and nights you use up researching this path would one day bear you fruits. And that day, who's to stop you from becoming a big man?"
What words! That's what Julian has always wanted to hear. But his father was too cold a man, and his siblings weren't friendly. They never encouraged him. Either they were giving him a cold shoulder, taunting him, or scolding him when his only fault was trying to walk a new path without support.
"Thank you. I had been wanting to hear such words. And yeah, you're right. I shouldn't let others shape me. I will do what I'm best at. I won't give up finding ways to strengthen this profession. I will finish what I started. Or I will die finishing it."
This was basically the same as saying that he would never back out from his profession as a shaman even if demanded to by his father.
"Where are you going?" Julian asked.
Roy replied, "To turn off the barrier and destroy the magic circle."
Julian had eavesdropped on the conversation of his captors, so he knew what the barrier meant to them and what would happen if they found out that the magic circle was destroyed.
Julian spoke.
"That will be the same as waging war on them."
"That's what I am planning to do. And it's still not confirmed if it will be a war or a one-sided whopping." Roy chuckled, the desire to smash Chaos swelling around him like an invisible gale.
At his words, Julian's brows jumped. "You're quite arrogant. An ordinary man can't hold his own against Chaos. If two people of equal levels confront each other, the one kissed by Chaos will come out on top. Why are you so confident about facing an entire group of them?"
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