This city is big too, but the ground and the building are very contrary. This place is completely different from what I think about "desert" and I don't know where I am anymore. It feels like I'm in the past, yet in the future at the same time. Despite how strange it is, this place is really beautiful. The sky is so clear and I started to wonder if we can see a starry sky without reaching a high place.
The buildings are big and tall, we barely can see the top of it. These buildings are made of steel and glass, I can even see my own face reflected from it. As I found a random chuckle from everyone, I quickly looked away with embarrassment.
Lunette spoke to me with a teasing manner, "Luna, don't make us like dumbs. I know you're curious, but please don't do that." She spoke to me and somehow her face was convincing and that made me annoyed.
I countered her words with a defending tone, "Just look at yourself, jumping and tapping the ground like a kid!" I huffed at her in an annoyed tone.
Lunette was surprised but spoke back to me again, "Hey! That's two different things, you know?!"
Selene separated us with her hands and spoke to us, "Hey, hey, don't fight like this. Why don't we just-" She stopped in the middle of the sentence when she looked at the paper on the wall.
I tilted my head as curiosity took over me. I pulled my gaze from her towards the same direction and found a wanted poster. I was surprised as well when I saw the person in the poster and my eyes widened. I shook my head in disbelief and looked back at the poster to make sure if I saw it wrong. But no matter what I do, this is the reality, I guess we just met a dangerous person in this city.
The poster is written, "The symbol of rebellion, a masked devil from the eternal darkness, Chronexus. If anyone has some information about him, you will get 1000 giros, and if you caught him, you will get 1000000 giros. Tell us if you know anything about this traitor."
"A symbol of rebellion", huh? I am kind of curious about him. We met him a few hours ago and had a fight. He's really strong and merciless, but he didn't seem like he wanted to kill us even if he could. He said something about "Don't come to Nexus" or something like that. I think this city has its own problem. I can see the solemn expression is spreading from Selene's expression, maybe she has a problem with him too.
We continued to walk down the street and finally reached a blacksmith shop… Or maybe a factory? I'm not sure, not a usual blacksmith that I know. This place is completely different from Niel's place.
The blacksmith spoke with full energy in his tone, "Welcome! Ah, it's you, Selene. What's wrong with you?" He smiled at her with a hand on his hip.
His figure is very big and muscular just like a normal blacksmith. There is a slight scratch on his cheek and his eyes are dark grey. I think this is what they mean by "muscle head". From the top of his head until the bottom of his toe, I can only find muscles just like a lump of meat. Right, he looks like a rhinoceros at this point.
Selene spoke with a cheerful and teasing manner, "Roden, stop joking with me. And I'm fine, thank you." She stuck out her tongue then she continued, "I only want to show these girls about this city."
Roden, the blacksmith, laughed at her and spoke with the same energy in his tone, "I see, I see. So, girls, what do you need? I tell you first that I can make everything in this world, okay?"
Lunette's eyes were sparkling with joy then she spoke, "Really?! You seem like you're the best blacksmith in this city judging by your aura."
Roden laughed at her comment and replied to her words, "Seems like you have a good eye, young lady? My name is Roden, just let me know if you want to buy something or want me to make something. Selene, take them with you and show them about this shop."
Selene nodded and spoke with a gentle tone, "Okay, Roden." Then she looked at us and spoke again while putting her hands on our shoulders, "Let's have a look, shall we?"
I showed a slightly reluctant expression on my face. I want to have a talk with Roden for a while, but I don't want to refuse his kindness. I don't know how to refuse it in a polite way. My hands started fidgeting in an uncomfortable way, and I tapped my feet repeatedly on the ground as I thought about how to refuse it. My mind is full about should I refuse it or should I give in.
Lunette noticed me and spoke to me in a teasing tone, "Luna… Just tell me what you want and let your twin sis help you, okay?" She smiled widely in a teasing manner at me.
Ugh, that face. It makes me so uncomfortable. She always annoys me whenever she can, so childish.
Lunette leaned her face towards mine and spoke again in a more teasing manner, "Well, what's your answer, Luna?"
I couldn't help but feel annoyed and pushed her face away from me using my hands and spoke, "No need, I only want to have a little chat with Roden without you." I frowned at her and pouted a bit.
Roden tilted his head and spoke with a curious tone, "Talk with me? Sure. I mean, I'm free right now, of course."
I was surprised by how easily I could ask him. And Selene didn't seem like she minded it either. Lunette smiled at me, but this time with a slight hint of affection. I wonder if she did it for me or if she just wants to tease me like usual. I can't tell quite sure what's on her mind, but I think I have a little thanks for her.
I looked at Roden with a complicated expression on my face. I fiddled my fingers in my clothes in nervousness and my eyes darted everywhere in the room. The room feels so awkward, no one talking or doing anything. Roden looked at Selene and signaled her to leave me and him alone for a while. I stole a glance at her from my shoulder and looked at her with hopeful eyes.
Selene smiled and pushed Lunette's back from behind before saying, "Alright, Lunette, let's have a look over there, shall we?" She seemed to understand what Roden was trying to say.
Lunette was clearly annoyed and spoke to her, "Hey! Stop that! I can walk by myself! And I can't leave Lune alone, you know?!"
She tried to resist it, but Selene continued to push her out of my sight towards the other room of the store. Selene gave me a signal to encourage me to talk with Roden, before she closed the door. The room feels so quiet and empty. There are no customers in the store, except me. Roden's figure made me scared a bit and kind of… uncomfortable.
Roden sighed and spoke to me with a gentle tone, "So, what do you want to talk about, young lady?"
I quickly looked at Roden after he spoke to me. I'm not a person who usually asks someone to have a chat first, but I want to know something. I composed myself and grabbed my clothes tightly with my hand as I gathered the courage to speak.
"I'm curious about that… I mean, about the bounty. Selene looked complicated when she looked at the bounty." I said to him with a soft and hesitant voice.
Roden sighed a bit then spoke to me, "Young lady, unfortunately, this city isn't safe for now. Chronexus, the symbol of rebellion is the example. He's one of the rebels in this city that hunts after the nobles and king. No one ever caught him so, of course he left us in fear." He crossed his arms in front of his chest with a serious face.
I think I picked the wrong time to enter this city. A group of rebels, I never thought a future city like this would have trouble like this. I mean, this city is very advanced and the population is peaceful. What do you want to ask for? Yet, there is still a rebellion in this city. I tried to wrap my mind, but I couldn't understand what the rebels wanted. Is it money? Or maybe something that I couldn't think of happened?
Roden spoke to me again with a serious tone, "Young lady, hear me and promise me one thing. Keep this as a secret and don't tell anyone else." He leaned his face towards me.
I tilted my head since I couldn't guess what he was trying to tell me, but I nodded anyway.
Roden spoke with a soft voice like he's telling a secret, "This city isn't safe. The king is very, very crazy and always picks sides on the nobles."
What does he mean? The king is crazy? I mean, this city didn't show anything about the king causing any trouble to the people. Instead, he made the city so advanced and made it successful, right?
Roden pulled back his face and spoke to me, "Young lady, I don't know what you want from this city, but you better leave while you can. Or you will know the dark side of this city and be unable to get away anymore." His tone was firm like telling me a warning.
His gaze sharper at me and his aura changed a bit from friendly into an intimidating one. Everything about him is like giving me a warning as if he doesn't want me to intervene in the problem in this city. But I can't just leave yet, I need to know about the Book of Origin and the first hero who came to this city before.
I gathered my courage and took a step forward before saying, "Sorry if I'm being pushy, but I can't leave just yet. Something that I really wanted to ask is about-"
An explosion occurred near us, and its voice was very loud to make everyone surprised. All of us, including Lunette and Selene, quickly ran out from the shop and gathered around the source of the explosion. We ran in a hurry as if there was no time left and we quickened our pace more and more until we arrived at the source. I panted in exhaustion as we reached the place and my body was sweating. I can see Lunette was trying to make a way so we can get through the crowds.
"Hey, let us pass! We want to see what happened here!" She shouted while stretching her arms to separate the crowds just enough to let us pass.
The crowds were very thick, we barely could see anything through it. Some of them were nudging at each other and bickering while we were trying to pass through. Someone's elbow hit my cheek, but I don't mind it anyway. These crowds barely could move until we almost got separated.
After a while, we finally were able to see what happened at the explosion's place. We can see two nobles' guards and a noble that looked very rich and… rude? On the other hand, there was one man who was crying above a woman's body who was laying on the ground. What happened? The man seemed to cry so hard and shot the noble with an angry glare.
The noble lifted his chin and spoke with a rude tone, "What's with that look, garbage? You don't have the right to be mad at me. She's the one who nudged my arm and didn't want to apologize." He blew a soft breath to his gun from his mouth after he said it.
The man was fueled with anger and shouted at him with a raised tone each word, "YOU EVIL!!"
The noble clicked his tongue and aimed his gun at him before saying, "Evil? How dare a garbage like you call me that? Send my regards to your wife on the other side. Tell her that she deserves it after disrespecting me." The noble slowly pulled the trigger of his gun.
No!! What did he think? She just nudged your arm and you killed all of her family?! Does he crazy?!
My body moves by itself, trying to reach the man who is staring at the noble with anger. I extended my arm towards him and my steps were getting bigger and bigger each step. Lunette does the same thing with me, she ran in front of me to protect the man from the noble's gun. But the guards with black armor were blocking our way by swinging their swords to us, making us have no choice except to step back.
Lunette shouted in anger and yelled at the guards, "Let us go, you dumbass!! Don't you ever dare to BLOCK our way!!" She pulled out her purple sword called Aurius to fight the guards.
One of the guards scoffed at her and spoke with an underestimating tone, "Heh, what can a little girl like you do? Crying to you mommy?" The guard ready his lance and his stance.
Meanwhile, I was still trying to reach the man and shouted at him, "GET OUT FROM THERE!!" The other guard kept preventing me from saving the man.
The noble looked at us and spoke with a nonchalant tone, "Who are those girls? Do they dare to intervene?"
Lunette shouted at him and gave him a warning, "Don't you ever dare to shoot that person, you hear me?!"
The guard thrust his lance towards Lunette to keep her away from the man, "Or what? Our employer wants it so of course he can."
A panic started attacking me and taking over my body. My body was sweating like I just got a bath a few minutes later. My body was shivering, not from cold but from fear. The thought that someone would die again was driving me crazy. These guards were keeping us away from saving him. My eyes kept darting towards the man and the guard who was in front of me back and forth as my head was racing about what I should do. The time felt so slow as the noble prepared himself to shoot the man. My heartbeat was getting louder and louder with my heavy breath.
Finally, the noble pulled the trigger and shot the man. Me and Lunette instinctively moved our legs to run towards him, but the guards kept us away with their lance. We both were caught in a battle with the guards and almost running out of time.
Lunette screamed at them with a warning tone, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"
She swung her sword and clashed with the guard's lance. The guard just smirked while defending himself with his lance. I pulled out my sword as well and swung it towards the guard, but got parried by his shield. The time kept running and the bullet was fired from the noble's gun. My eyes widened in fear as the bullet was about to hit the man and my heartbeat is getting faster and faster each second. The battle was going intense like it became a war itself. The swords were clashing like serpents that were fighting for their lives.
As the bullet hit the man's body and got through his chest, I stopped in the middle of my action. My arms slumped down and my head turned blank as I saw the blood escaping from his body. My eyes widened in surprise as well as Lunette. The battle quickly stopped after the man died and lay lifelessly beside the woman's body.
The guard just laughed and said, "Hahaha! Just like that! You really do know how to do it boss!"
The other guard put his palm on his eyes and laughed madly, "Oh, this man is really something! Only if he didn't do anything stupid, he won't die like an idiot!"
What? They were starting to disrespect him even after they killed him? An anger flicked inside me, I can't stand it. Why did no one move or try to help him?! My eyes scanned my surroundings in anger, but then I was surprised. I can't believe this is happening. My arms lost their strength and my shoulders slumped down. I can only stare at the crowds in disbelief.
Lunette shouted at them with a very loud and angry tone, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?! SOMEONE JUST DIED IN FRONT OF YOU!!" She raised her tone as the anger took over her.
Everyone around us was laughing at the man's death. Some of them were letting out tears, but that's not tears of sadness. It was tears of happiness like when they're laughing too hard. It felt like chaos, everyone in this city is so weird. I thought this city was normal, but they laughed at the poor man along with the guards and the noble. Some of them let out disrespectful comments at the man as well, telling if he deserved it or else.
I grabbed my sword tighter as if I wanted to fuse my sword with my hand. My eyes were locked on the ground and I bit my lower lip until it started bleeding. A feeling of guilt and anger appeared in my chest. A guilt for not being able to save the man, and an anger about the crowds were disrespecting him like that. I really, really can't stand this. My legs were shaking along with my hands.
The guard looked at me and spoke again with an amused tone, "Do you understand now? Now, should we take you to them as well?" The guard pointed his lance at us and underestimated us.
This city sucks, there is no humanity in this city. I can't believe I just entered a city like this. Lunette walked towards me and patted my back, trying to comfort me. But my mind was still refusing to calm down. My blood was boiling, and I subconsciously activated my magic in anger. Now I know what Roden and the mysterious figure called Chronexus mean about leaving this city. I think I'm dragged into a big problem, and we can't get away from this.
Lunette nodded her head with her serious face, signaling me to prepare for a fight. I replied to her nod with another nod then ready myself. I can see Lunette activated her magic as well, along with the guards. It seemed like we should leave this city sooner than we thought.