After getting the rations, Anthony went towards the Eastern Border, a path he needed to take to arrive at the Mine. Just like before, numerous constructions were being done left and right. Workers poured cement on the ground, while some erected posts, pulled logs and stones.
This had been the usual scenario these past several weeks. Although the sound of hammer striking metal and stone was deafening, it was music to Anthony’s ears.
As Anthony passed through the construction site, he was greeted by some of the workers.
“Anthony! Working your ass so early in the morning again, eh kid?”
“Hey kid, could we have some of those jerkies? I’m sure those guys in the Mine wouldn’t mind.”
“No, this is for the miners!” Anthony stood his ground. “Uncle, if you keep slacking off like that, I’ll tell Sir Silver Claw!”
Upon hearing the name of the Mason, the workers tensed up and nervously looked around.
Anthony heard before from his brother that the Mason was really strict with work, but he had not expected it to this extent. A grin formed upon the lips of Anthony. He could use this to threaten these guys if he sees them slacking on the job.
“H-Hey don’t joke around! We’re doing our job, alright?”
“Then stop lazing around and get to work.” Anthony sighed. He really wished to help the Lord in developing the town. But for now, this was all he could do. He was still a child, after all.
“Ah, also what’s that over there?” Anthony pointed at a shabby tent near the constructed houses. He could see numerous unfamiliar guys come in and out of it.
The workers frowned upon looking at the place Anthony pointed at.
“The mutts,” mumbled one of the workers. “The guys that came here two days ago. We’ve finally convinced them to stay out of the finished houses.”
“Those damn bastards have the guts to occupy the houses meant for us locals. If not for Sir Gaston stopping us, we would have chased them out of this town already. Damn freeloaders.”
“Wait, isn’t the Young Master the one who ordered the allotment of those houses for the refugees?” said Anthony. “We’re going against the order of the Young Master by driving them out!”
Anthony could still remember the time when he first received the soup filled with wheat and meat during winter. If not for the Young Master, several locals would have starved to death during that time. Letting the refugees have several houses as their own seemed unfair for the locals, Anthony believed it too, but he knew that the Young Master must have his reasons for doing so. The Young Master was wise and benevolent, after all.
“You’re still a child, so you wouldn’t understand,” said one of the workers. “If we allow them to have the houses, they’ll think the locals are pushovers, that we’ll give up the homes meant for us just because the Lord told us to.”
“That’s right. We’ve been living here for several years! Why should we give them the finished houses first? Just because they have wounded people on their side? Then go blame the damn giant snake that attacked their village!”
“The Young Master must have been fooled by those bastards! Those guys should be grateful enough that we’re even allowing them to stay in this town!”
The tension within the air escalated quickly. Anthony was sure that the refugees could hear the curses even from this distance. He nervously glanced towards the large tent. Sure enough, one of the refugees finally had enough of the insults.
“Aren’t you bastards going to shut up?!” snarled the man. His brown beard was bushy, and after coming right in front of the workers that fired insults, his towering height became apparent.
The workers did not get intimated by the man’s glare. They stood up, grabbed some hammers and wooden poles and threateningly surrounded him.
“If you got problems, then stay the fuck out of this town,” said one of the workers. “You mutts should just be grateful that we’re allowing you to stay in this place!”
“That’s right! Go back to your village!”
The workers jeered. A vein popped out of the refugee’s forehead. He turned livid as his entire body trembled in rage. As he was about to punch the nearest worker, a raspy voice echoed.
“Valak!” shouted an elderly man.
Valak stopped his fist and turned around. “Ah, Elder.”
The Elder briskly walked towards him. “What are you doing?! We’ve all agreed to bear with it until Anandra wakes up! Do you think we can afford to camp out in the wilderness when Anandra’s in such a state?! And there’s still the debt we have to pay! We can’t just go without repaying the young Lord for his kindness!”
Valak lowered his head in shame. He was still livid from rage, but his trembling stopped entirely. He snorted, then turned around. “Let’s go, Elder.”
The Elder sighed. “This child…”
The two stopped in their tracks when a familiar voice spoke.
“So, you’ve been waiting for me to wake up?”
Upon looking at the source of the voice, their eyes widened in disbelief.
“A-Anandra!”
“What are you… You’re awake! It’s really you, Anandra!”
Valak and the Elder almost hugged the man before them. Unlike before, the strongest warrior’s face was no longer corroded. The skin that were missing before had grown back, fresh and new. His chest was still bandaged, but his handsome face radiated an air of strength and pride. His golden hair and eyes seemed to glimmer beneath the morning sun.
Several kids came running from the tent and surrounded Anandra.
“Anandra! You’re finally up!”
“We were so worried!”
“I saw how you fought the basilisk! You were so cool back then!”
“Thank you for protecting us!”
Despite the wounds on his body, Anandra bent down and hugged the kids. The sound of laughter filled the air as the refugees celebrated the recovery of their strongest warrior.
Anandra went towards the workers. “I understand where the anger’s coming from. On behalf of the villagers, I’m sorry for taking away the homes you’ve painstakingly built. We’ll be leaving this town soon.”
“Wait Anandra…”
“Elder, I’ve heard the conversations during the time I was recuperating. I have a general idea of what’s happening here during our stay,” said Anandra. “The village is the people. We can still build a new village in the nearby forest. I’m sure the Lord of this town wouldn’t mind—”
“—Rejected.” Silver Claw’s voice made all the workers tense up in reflex. Behind him was Gaston, the Chief Butler of the Young Master.
“I’ve heard that the friction between the two group’s been escalating recently,” said Gaston. The Butler was obviously displeased by what he saw. “The Young Master specifically told me to quell all discontent while he’s away. I can’t believe that you guys would quarrel over this petty stuff.”
“But the houses—”
“—Were all built using the Young Master’s money!” snarled Gaston. It was the first time they saw the butler so enraged. His fierce glare made them shiver. “You all worked hard in building it, but at the end of the day, the entire town is still under the domain of the Young Master! It is his property! An asset of the Marcus Family!”
Silver Claw nodded at this. “I can understand the source of resentment, but I’m sure you all know this – those houses are not yours. It’s the Young Master’s. Once this part of the town finished its construction, those houses will be given to the locals with a corresponding rent. It’ll not be given for free.”
“We’ve given the houses to the refugees in hopes that their wounded will be able to recover quickly! But what did you do?!” Gaston shook in anger. “You went against the orders of the Lord!”
“But—”
“—A punishment is in order,” said Silver Claw. “I can’t believe these blockheads dare go against the orders of the Young Master.”
Silver Claw have never seen s
uch massive changes in a town within a short span of time. He had been long convinced that the Young Master was a wise ruler despite his age. The Mason was even sure that a few years from now, this town would prosper and become a splendid city.
“No free food for two days.” Silver Claw raised two fingers.
“Three days,” corrected Gaston. His piercing glare made the workers cower. “We can’t let guys like these – those that disobey the rules – be punished lightly. Remember, the food you’re eating for free every day came from the Young Master. The least you could do is obey his orders and help this town prosper!”
Gaston turned to one of the refugees. “Anandra, right? I’m really sorry for the behavior of these men. It’ll take time, but hopefully, you’ll be able to get along with them.”
Anandra slowly said, “Does that mean…”
“Yes.” Gaston nodded. “You are free to stay in this town. We’ll provide you with houses. That’s the order of the Young Master.”
The Elder was momentarily at loss for words. “W-We are grateful, Sir.”
“Ah, but it’s not for free,” said Gaston. “Just like the locals, you’ll have to pay for the rent. But the Young Master’s in need of several workers – men or women. You’ll be able to find a job in no time. And the Young Master specifically wants to hire Anandra for a certain job.”
Anandra and the Elder looked at each other. “A job.”
“Yes,” said Gaston. “Once you’re fully healed, the Young Master wishes to see your skill.”
The eyes of Gaston glimmered for a moment. “If you’re qualified enough, he wishes you to train the soldiers of this town.”
Epilogue
An owl flew through the open window of Zen’s room. It flew around for a moment before landing on the windowsill.
Zen took the letter attached to its leg, grabbed a dried fish and threw it to the owl. It immediately swallowed the fish and looked at Zen with expectant eyes.
“Here.” He threw another one. After the owl finished its second treat, it flapped its wings twice, jumped off the window and flew through the night.
Zen lit the lamp and started reading the letter. As expected, it came from Black Midas, the Assassin Group funded by one of the Dukes.
The message was clear: as one of the assassins based in the Lion City, his task was to infiltrate a town east from here and investigate the noble called Lark Marcus. If given the chance, kill the target.
“Lark Marcus,” mumbled Zen. For a moment, he stood there staring at the name written at the bottom of the letter. He was sure he heard that name before. After some thoughts, he realized the reason why it felt familiar.
It was the name of the noble that went to the Merchants Guild several days ago. The very same noble that struck a deal with Big Mona. Working as a clerk for the Merchants Guild was part of his way of blending into the crowd, so he knew.
If I’m not mistaken, that guy’s leaving the city soon. The leader tasked me to investigate him in the town, but since he’s already here…
Zen deemed that it would be easier to assassinate Lark in the city, since he brought only a handful number of guards with him here. Furthermore, being killed in a city as large as this would make it hard for anyone to pinpoint the culprit. After all, there were many gangs and several syndicates running around the dark streets.
With these in mind, Zen immediately donned a black get up, covered his face with a mask, and grabbed his weapons. After killing the noble, he would probably be forced to leave this city soon, but that did not matter. Black Midas was his priority. His job as a clerk in the Merchants Guild was simply a façade and secondary.
He should still be in the city. If I’m going to kill him, now’s the perfect time.
Zen jumped out the window and landed softly on the ground. The chilling breeze of the night brushed against him. Although it was late in the evening, several people were walking through the streets – the city was still bustling with life.
Zen activated his magic and erased his presence. Using his skills, he blended with the night. He ran through alleyways and streets, eventually reaching the inn where the young noble was staying at.
There were no guards around and the door was wide open. The attendant on the desk was half asleep when he entered.
The logbook.
Literacy skills were mandatorily taught to all of the assassins of Black Midas. Zen looked through the logbook, searching for the room of Lark Marcus. After finding it, he immediately went up to the third floor and stopped in front of a room. The entire inn was quiet. Everyone was probably asleep.
Zen skillfully unlocked the wooden door and entered the room. It was pitch black, but his trained eyes could see everything clearly. On the bed, a young noble with silver hair was sleeping soundly.
He was young, probably twenty years his junior, but Zen did not feel a single hint of remorse. He would kill him here and fulfill the assignment given to him.
After confirming that the young man sleeping was the same noble that visited the Merchants Guild a few days ago, Zen creeped towards the bed and pulled out his poisoned dagger. He was about to stab him straight at the neck when a voice spoke.
“You’re not among the guys that followed me before,” said the voice. It came directly behind him, as though the owner was speaking directly to his ears. “Who are you?”
Zen stiffened. On reflex, he swung his dagger to the back and struck nothing but air. He looked around and saw no one. He looked at the bed and realized that the young man was gone.
“Answer me.” The voice was ice cold.
A cry almost escaped Zen’s lips when he felt a fist striking his abdomen. He bent in pain and looked around the room. No one was there.
Impossible! How could he, an elite assassin from the Black Midas be unable to detect the presence of his enemy?
Another fist struck him, this time hitting his face. His nose bent and blood spurted out of his lips. Still, he did not falter and remained standing still.
Where is he? Why can’t I see him?!
“Damn it,” spat Zen. He started activating his magic. A small magic circle glowed underneath his feet and runes span around. The symbols broke into numerous particles of light and his entire body started to become covered with lightning.
“My room’s going to burn if you do that,” said the voice.
To Zen’s surprise, the magic that covered his entire body started dissipating.
My magic’s almost complete! It failed?!
Zen’s eyes widened when he realized that it was forcefully disrupted by the owner of the voice. But that’s absurd! Impossible! Only those with the rank of Royal Court Magicians were capable of such feat!
Shivers slowly crawled down his spine.
The leader of Black Midas told him that several assassins would be sent here soon, and his job was to get as much information about the noble until the time they arrived. He should have waited for them. He should have not acted so rashly. If he had known that the supposedly incompetent son of Duke Drakus was such a monster, he would have taken this slowly and carefully.
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped. Zen could not move. Looking below, he realized that half his body was already encased in ice, along with both of his hands.
The owner of the voice was still nowhere to be found.
“Not going to talk, huh?” said the voice. “Reading through your memories might not give me what I want. It’s random, fragmented info, after all.”
A cold hand grabbed his face. Zen felt the murderous intent behind it. He wanted to scream but no voice came out.
“Even tough guys like you will eventually speak once broken.” Pain shot through Zen’s entire body. He clenched his teeth as his entire body trembled from the excruciating pain. Tears streamed down his eyes as muffled groans escaped his lips.
“Let’s see the extent of your loyalty, shall we?” The voice was cold and piercing.
Zen screamed but no voice came out.
; ***
The “interrogation” consumed almost the entire Mana Pool of Lark. Surprisingly, it took him almost an hour before the man eventually decided to speak. He was half-dead by then, begging Lark to kill him.
Contrary to his initial speculations, the man was not sent by Big Mona. According to the assassin, he was part of a criminal group called Black Midas – an association owned by one of the three Dukes. He received an order from their leader to investigate him, and if given the chance, kill him.
But what surprised Lark the most was the motive behind it. It was not for ransom or gold, but due to something else —
– The competition for the throne.
According to the assassin, four year from now, the King would choose his successor among the sons of the three Dukes. As the second son of Lord Drakus, he was among the candidates for the throne.
So, my brother’s the strongest candidate right now and they’re hoping to use me bring him down.
Lark smiled wryly. Who would have known that such drama was going around while he was busy developing the town? Things have suddenly taken an interesting turn.
He chuckled.
“A King?” Lark looked out the open window. “I don’t really care about that. But if they’re going to come and attack me…”
His eyes were predatory.
Lark decided to crush anyone who would dare take his life or harm his town.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Legend of the Arch Magus! Please take the time to go to its Amazon page and leave a review. I’ll need at least 50 reviews before the system of Amazon promotes my work. Kindly help me on this part.
You can read the drafts here: www.patreon.com/crazyblackchili
Be warned that the chapters posted there are drafts, unproofread versions. If you are a grammar nazi, I advise against reading it on that page.
The next book will focus on the Legion of the United Grakas Alliance (15,000 strong army) versus Blackstone Town. Again, if you like my work, please leave a review. It’ll greatly motivate me to work faster.
Legend of the Arch Magus- The Expansion Page 20