Sylvester stood frozen, contemplating what to do with the Shadow Knight. He had the confidence to confront the being, just as he had done years ago when he was a mere Master Wizard. However, he questioned why the creature had not come after him for the past year. The last time he saw the creature was in the Duchy of Iceling when the Shadow Knight killed the 6th Guardian of Light.
Boom!
Lightning struck down from the heavens, hitting the castle walls and blasting a chunk of it. The Shadow Knight, unfazed and unbothered, continued to stare at Sylvester.
'If you're here for the Count, this isn't the time, buddy.' Sylvester prayed to himself that the creature wasn't there for the Count, at least not for the moment.
The lightning roared with each strike, and the rain intensified. It was the first time Sandwall County had received so much rainfall.
But even then, the Shadow Knight did not move. A few hours passed, and Sylvester gave up, believing that the Shadow Knight was there for someone else and not him. He went to wake Miraj up instead, feeling bored without his daily dose of cuteness.
"Banana!" Sylvester voiced.
Woosh!
"Where?" Miraj's eyes shot open in an instant, and his body rose while the tail swung like a blade. "Banana where?"
Sylvester chuckled and gave the daily treats. "Chonky, we will be overseeing the training of the knights now. The festival of the cannibals begins in two days, and that's when they are likely to send their large horde."
"We fight?" Miraj asked while feasting on the banana.
"We may if the horde is too big. Count Sandwall does not have a Grand Wizard or Diamond Knight rank fighter, so it would be up to me if the horde somehow brings out a stronger warrior," Sylvester reasoned. "But if there is no danger, I will not bloody my hands."
Miraj melted in the bed with the banana in hand. "I was looking forward to killing enemies. It's boring otherwise. I want to battle too."
'Chonky wants to fight?'
"Your time will also come one day, buddy. Until then, let's just get stronger and grow your wings."
After Miraj's modest breakfast, Sylvester verified that the Shadow Knight was still aloft and stationed in the same spot. Then he simply went to see the training of the knights and wizards of the Sandwall Army.
…
It was a vast underground arena where thousands of knights drilled in warfare and crossed swords with one another. The participants were divided into various groups based on their ranks and levels. A pyramidal structure was established, with the person one level higher than the other battling the one below.
Thus, everyone except the individual at the pinnacle was driven to strengthen themselves and advance to the next tier. Sylvester employed this strategy himself to push himself.
He also saw Felix helping the best Knight since the one at the top had nobody to help him push himself to the edge of his limit. Felix was unquestionably the mightiest knight present after Sylvester.
'Where is the Count now?' Sylvester pondered as he strolled through the training grounds. He didn't particularly have the urge to train them, but he desired to uncover any information on the Count or possible spies among the soldiers.
He looked around the entire arena that whole day and found nothing but rage among the men as they all wished to kill the most cannibals and win the big prize from the County. To them, it wasn't a battle for survival but merely another day.
Sylvester didn't object since the cannibals were legally required to be executed and eradicated. Furthermore, unlike the Mountain Barbarians, Sylvester had no qualms about exterminating the Cannibals for good.
"Lord Bard, the Count wishes to see you in the town. He also advised you to don your armor in case of any unforeseen circumstances." A knight informed Sylvester at that moment.
Sylvester cursed the Count internally, recognizing the man's attempt to demonstrate his dominance. 'I wouldn't mind if the Shadow Knight killed him now.'
Nevertheless, he followed the Knight outside after changing into his armor. Using a bamboo umbrella, they arrived in the town and entered a small building that led to the underground. It was a giant empty cavity and a naturally formed one from the looks of it.
As Sylvester descended the stairs and passed through the heavily guarded gate, his eyes widened at the sight.
"W-What is this? Why hasn't the Holy Land been notified of this?" Sylvester inquired of the Knight.
"I wasn't aware that the Holy Land was unaware, Your Grace. We refer to this place as Devil's Village." The Knight responded, his voice trembling with fear.
It was not merely an empty underground cavity but a colossal subterranean slum with almost no natural light. Lanterns illuminated the landscape outside each small shanty, and people thronged the narrow streets.
The air was thick with the stench of filth and litter, and as Sylvester walked, he observed the pitiable state of the people; poor, thin, and weak. Children lay on the sides of the road as if lifeless, while some sat and begged, naked and destitute. There was no social order, and the sound of distant street fights mixed with the screams of women seeking aid echoed everywhere.
Unclean, unhygienic, and inhumane were the only words Sylvester could use to describe the slum. However, the scent of pain, sorrow, and death overpowered everything, causing Sylvester to falter momentarily.
Looking around, he noticed that the ceiling was very high and supported by natural rock pillars. The pillars had vertical shacks built into them. The area was no larger than the Frozen town of Iceling Duchy, but the population density seemed much greater than any city.
As he walked by, the people fell to their knees and lowered their heads, not daring to look at him. Men, women, and children, clothed or naked, all were as miserable as the next one. At the same time, many appeared to be suffering from skin diseases, one more horrible than the next.
'This is madness!'
"There, the Count is in that tower, Your Grace." The Knight pointed to the brightly lit and most opulent-looking building in the entire underground slum.
Sylvester silently followed, trying his best to ignore all the odors that assaulted his senses. But, sadly, he could not close his eyes, and he saw misery only increasing as he arrived at the supposed center of the slum. The density was greater, the streets narrower, and beyond the scents of misery, hate also made itself known.
"Inside."
Finally, they arrived at the guarded tower, and Sylvester entered. It was a simple tower, not too wide, so the moment he entered, he arrived at a vast hall with a staircase going up.
In front of the staircase, however, stood a beautiful, well-toned, brown-haired woman with not a single article of clothing on her body.
She displayed no shame and concealed no part of her body; rather, she invited him with a smile. "This way, Your Grace. Lord Sandwall is waiting upstairs."
'Fear, sorrow, and hatred. No matter how well she hides it on her face, I sense it all.' Sylvester walked towards the woman as he removed his cloak. He placed the cloak on her and patted her shoulder.
"I don't know what is happening, but today is the last day you stand here naked. I will go up by myself. You may rest." Sylvester began to ascend the stairs.
"No! Your Grace, please don't do this." The woman cried and threw the cloak away. "I have a child to feed. This is the only way."
Sylvester looked back and handed her a Gold Grace. "Nobody will be hungry again."
'I may be a monster myself, but even I draw the line at mass genocide and enslavement of so many commoners.' Sylvester told himself and went up.
The spiral staircase led him to the top of the tower, where the open terrace was. He passed the guard and saw the luxurious decorations, from a soft feathered mattress on a bed to intricate wooden carved chairs and tables. The tables were laden with fruit baskets, cooked meat, and drinks.
Near the edge of the terrace sat a grandiose throne-like chair, on which the armor-clad Count resided. Beside him were two more beautiful women, also naked. One served him fruits while the other swung a feather fan to keep the Count cool and keep the stench of the underground at bay.
'So this is his true face. But why show this to me now?' Sylvester wondered as he guessed even Felix had no idea, or he would have told him.
"Lord Bard, come and sit with me. This is the best vantage point to view the entire Devil's Village," the Count beckoned, not even bothering to look at Sylvester. "Ugh… Woman, fetch another chair."
Sylvester waved his hand at her and dragged it himself. They may be smiling, but he knew their anger within.
"Leave us alone," Sylvester ordered the two women. "It's an order."
"They aren't going anywhere. I own them!" the Count protested.
Sylvester took a seat beside the Count and tapped his spear on the ground once. "Perhaps ex-communication is in order, along with the declaration of heresy."
The Count's eyes boiled red as he glared at Sylvester. "You dare threaten me in my own land? Have you gone insane? You won't survive if I give the order."
Sylvester didn't even look at him. "You can try if you're confident fighting someone who defeated two Grand Wizards simultaneously."
"You…" The Count gritted his teeth and growled at the women. "Leave us, vile little whores. I don't want to see your faces again."
Sylvester shook his head, disappointed. "Remarkable. A Count preying on the vulnerable. I wonder where I've seen this before? Ah! Wasn't it Count Ranthburg? Poor chap got his bloodline eradicated with Article sixty-six."
Bam!
The Count hurled his wine glass. "I summoned you here for some private talks, and all you do is insult me. I keep Gracia safe! I deserve respect."
"Respect is not demanded. It's earned." Sylvester retorted. "Now, answer me truthfully. Who are they? Why are they here? What do you intend to do?"
Still seething with anger, the Count leaned back in his chair and responded with a smirk. "They are all refugees from the Sorrow Kingdom and a few other places. Fools keep migrating north searching for a home, so I took them in and sheltered them."
"You call this living?"
"It's better than nothing," the Count replied. "Besides, they won't be here for too long. They are part of my master plan that will keep Sandwall and East Sol secure."
Sylvester narrowed his gaze, detecting the Count's nefarious intentions. "And what is that?"
"Haha! The Cannibals' festival is approaching, and their horde will number in the millions. These worthless leeches will be my first line of defense, each equipped with an exploding crystal. The moment the Cannibals capture and slay them… Boom! Blood, gore, and their defeat!" the Count chuckled, glancing at the vast slums.
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