A few hours passed before Goba arrived. During that time, Lioran sat by the lakeshore, facing the water, and began to meditate. He listened to the sounds—the wind, the waves of the lake, the birds—and spread his dark aura around him. With it, he could sense the presence of nearby beings: Zubi, who was sitting farther away, tossing stones into the lake; the fish swimming within; a bird perched on a tree feeding its two chicks.
Lioran thought to himself, Right now I can sense presences up to half a kilometer away. If I keep this up, I'll soon reach the sixth star.
Just then, Zubi said to him, "My lord, Goba has arrived. Are you ready to move?"
Lioran opened his eyes and replied, "Alright," then climbed onto the cart with Zubi, and they set off toward Orestal.
On the way, Lioran asked Zubi about the situation in the city. Zubi answered, "The people are not happy with the current Duke, Jinf Orestal. He is someone who lacks the ability to govern. To be honest, the one truly in control is not the Duke, but his wife, Tisana Orestal. She is the daughter of Duke Vanhar Joseph. Eleven years ago, after Jinf's first wife died, he married Tisana. Since then, the city has secretly fallen under the influence of the Joseph family. Heavy taxes are collected from the people and sent to them, and because of that, the citizens resent the Orestal family.
As for the military, the situation isn't good either. Since the soldiers' pay was cut, many abandoned their posts and turned to theft and extortion in the town and villages."
Lioran glanced at him and said, "I suppose you were one of them too, weren't you?"
With a gloomy face, Zubi replied, "Yes… unfortunately, I was. That was before I met you. I am the commander of Orestal's second division, which has more than fifty men under me. The total fighting force of Orestal is now less than two hundred. Those of us who remain only stay because we are loyal to the city and its people—not to Jinf Orestal, his wife, or their sons."
Lioran nodded. "So the condition of the city and its people isn't good." He then turned to Goba and asked, "What about slavery?"
Goba replied, "Slavery has become one of the foundations of Orestal's economy. Back when Duke Jal Orestal ruled, it was banned. But now, black people, elves, and beastmen are bought and sold in the city. In fact, it's more profitable than most other trades. That's why I got into it myself."
Lioran gave him a cold look. "Profitable, is it? Tell me—if someone kidnapped your child and sold them, and the buyer used them as either a work slave or a sex slave—how would you feel? Would you still say it's profitable, or would you despise it?"
Goba remained silent and said nothing. Lioran raised his head, his eyes cold as he stared at the sky, and said, «If we, as humans, could just pause for a moment before doing something wrong or saying something hurtful to someone, and place ourselves in that person's shoes—asking ourselves, 'If I were in their place, and someone did this to me, how would I feel?'—perhaps we would never intentionally hurt anyone.»
Both Goba, who had turned his face toward Lioran, and Zubi, sat in silence, guilt in their eyes, deeply affected by his words.
They traveled for several more hours. Darkness was falling, and Lioran was watching the setting sun when Goba spoke: "My lord, the walls of the fortress are visible from here. We've reached Orestal."
"Good," Lioran replied. He cast a healing spell on Goba and added, "You can't enter the city looking so battered. I don't want us to attract suspicion."
Zubi turned to Lioran, his face brightening, and exclaimed joyfully, "Thank you, my lord! All my pain is gone. I even feel better than before!"
As they reached the front gate, a lone soldier stood there, clad in shining armor and gripping a spear. Without hesitation, he let everyone pass, ignoring carts, ID cards, or any formalities. When he spotted Zobi, he straightened, pressed his right fist firmly to his chest, and said with respect,
"Commander Zobi, welcome."
Zobi nodded. "Thank you. Keep doing your duty, soldier."
The soldier beamed, pride gleaming in his eyes. "Yes, Commander!"
The cart rolled through the gate, and Lioran's gaze swept over every alley and corner of the city. People leaned against crumbling walls, their clothes tattered, empty bowls at their feet. Small children, working diligently, carried bundles of firewood on their shoulders and delivered them to a merchant. The merchant glanced at the meager piles and said, "You didn't bring much firewood this time, but since I am a good man, each of you gets a copper coin." The children's faces lit up; they grabbed the coins and ran toward the bakery, shouting joyfully, "Today, we won't go hungry!"
Ahead, Lioran noticed an aristocratic couple heading toward a refined restaurant, accompanied by two muscular black men chained by the neck. The nobleman carried the chain in his hand, and when they reached the restaurant, he released it so they could wait outside while he entered.
Near the restaurant's gate, over twenty slaves—black, elf, and beast-human—stood quietly. Goba explained, "Nobles and merchants often bring their slaves along when leaving their estates. Even with binding contracts that forbid them from acting against their masters, many still keep chains around their slaves' necks, parading them like dogs to demonstrate power."
Lioran's eyes swept across the group. All heads were lowered; their eyes were empty—devoid of sorrow, joy, or hope. In that stark silence, the weight of the city's cruelty struck him, and he understood the depths of what these people endured.
A few minutes later, after passing through the city center—where a statue of Duke Jinf Orestal was being built—they stopped near an inn. Lioran and Zubi got down while Goba said he'd go find a good place to park the cart and then join them.
Lioran and Zubi entered the inn, which was fairly crowded. An older woman came toward them and said,
"Welcome. Do you want a room, or are you just here to eat?"
When she turned to Zubi, she exclaimed,
"Ah, Zubi, you're here too?"
Zubi replied, "Yes. Please bring food and drinks for three ."
The woman nodded. "It'll be ready soon." Then she turned to Lioran. "Would you like a room as well?"
"Yes," Lioran answered. "One room for a night."
"Of course, sir," she said. "That will be two silver coins for the food and the room."
Zubi immediately shouted, "What do you think you're doing?! He's my guest! Do you want to embarrass me in front of him?"
The woman sighed. "Zubi, how many times have you eaten here and left without paying? I can't turn a blind eye anymore."
Zubi growled angrily, "I told you I'd pay you back, didn't I?!"
But Lioran calmly interrupted, "It's fine. I'll pay for the food and the room. Don't worry."
The woman's expression brightened. "Thank you, sir. Please, come this way." She guided them to a table in the corner.
Zubi lowered his head in shame as he sat across from Lioran. Soon after, Goba arrived and joined them, saying,
"Finding a parking spot here is a nightmare."
The woman brought their food and drinks. As they began to eat, Zubi took the first bite, his face lighting up with joy.
"You just can't stop eating food like this!" he said.
Goba agreed, grinning. "I think this place makes the best food in the city. Even if it's not the fanciest, the taste beats them all."
Both of them turned to Lioran. "How is it, Master? Do you like it?"
"It's good. Delicious," Lioran replied.
The two men laughed together. "Exactly! That's what we thought too."
They were still eating when a soldier entered the inn. The woman quickly told him,
"I'm sorry, all the tables are full."
"Damn it," the soldier muttered. "I should've hurried. Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Sorry, no," she said.
The soldier was about to leave when, in the corner of the room, he spotted Zubi. His eyes widened, and he hurried over.
"Commander! Commander! You're here too?" he exclaimed.
Zubi blinked. "Ah… Bisu? What are you doing here?"
Bisu sighed. "I came for dinner, but I was too late. No tables left, so I'll have to find another restaurant." Then, looking at Lioran and Goba, he asked, "Who are they, Commander?"
Zubi broke into a cold sweat, his mind racing in panic. Damn it, what do I say? I can't tell him Lioran is my master… but if I just say he's a stranger I met on the road, that would be disrespectful. What do I do? Sweat kept dripping down his face as he stammered,
"Ah, this is… you see… um…"
Lioran, noticing how Zubi was stumbling, stepped in smoothly and answered in his place,
"We're friends of Commander Zubi. I'm Lioran, and this is Goba. If you'd like, you're welcome to join us for dinner."
When Zubi heard Lioran call him his friend, tears welled up in his eyes.
I knew it, he thought. You truly are someone worthy of serving. As long as I draw breath, I'll devote myself to you, master.
With burning determination, he lifted his gaze and showed Lioran a face overflowing with resolve and loyalty.
When Lioran saw Zobi's face, he said to himself, "What the hell is wrong with him? Why does he seem so motivated?"
Bisu's face lit up. "Really? I can actually sit and eat with you, Commander?"
"Yes," Zubi said warmly. "Come, sit with us."