So, I'm kind of screwed right now. I wasn't expecting to run into Leonhardt here of all places, I can only hope we reach Mastan as quickly and each one go our separate ways, because I definitely want to keep as much distance from that idiot as possible!

First, he drags a criminal into a public space and gets all friendly with her, and it's clear that the lunatic will kill anyone who looks at her the wrong way. It was exactly for that reason that I didn't even say hello. I'm not crazy, please!

I still haven't forgotten the scene of the palace attack, where they entered our fake party with the nobles, started killing everyone, and I even aimed a kick right between Philomeu's legs believing there was a dick there! For God's sake, just let me get out of here!

I ran back to the cabin and locked myself in, hiding my entire body under a blanket and terrified that at any moment the crazy revolutionary would show up, break in, and stick a knife in me! Oh, have mercy on me, I'm just a bastard son who, by tragedy of fate, fell into this mess.

I practically stayed awake all night, staring at the keyhole and expecting someone to force their way in. I swear, by all that is sacred, that I saw it turn once or twice, and I even heard someone knocking on the door, but I made sure not to answer out of pure fear!

When the airship finally began to descend, I felt the deck gears vibrating under my feet. The rocking gave me nausea, and the smell of burning oil made me think for a moment that something outside was on fire. Right now it would be great news if this caught fire and I had to jump, thus escaping that paladin.

Through the cabin window, I saw the city of Mastan stretching out under a curtain of smoke. The sun barely managed to pierce the grayish haze, and the contrast with the pale blue sky gave the place a dirty appearance, like the darker side of a crowded metropolis.

The first buildings I saw weren't very different from those surrounding Veyren and Opir, with a bunch of factories in the landscape and people in overalls going to fix some faulty pipe. It was a strange mix, considering this world is like a medieval fantasy, it feels somewhat out of place to see more modern things.

In one of the districts there, there was a tangle of houses piled up, one on top of the other, forming narrow corridors and passages that snaked between iron scaffolding and rusty pipes. The base of the city was a labyrinth of alleys, like a shantytown built in layers.

It's strange to me because I recognize a part of the feeling of living in a place like that. There are wires hanging everywhere like vines, sometimes a stream of mud running down one of the slopes that lead to the place, or maybe a person eating food from a deep plate with a wooden spoon, resting under the sun.

It's not alien-like also, I lived in a similar place in my past life for a good few years. My father and I were thrilled to death when we moved into an apartment, since that place, besides being loud as hell because of the neighbors, was full of criminals running up and down the alleys.

Victorian and Elizia were right behind me when we stepped off the platform. I put my arms on my waist, admiring the landscape of the landing strip. It was an interesting contrast to see those machines decorating the landscape, but with one part out of place: the slum-like district.

"I still have a bad feeling. Have you ever stepped somewhere and the first thing you thought was, 'something huge is about to go down'? That's what I'm seeing here."

"There's still time, sweetie," Elizia replied, adjusting her hair and looking around with a sassy little smile. "I bet within half an hour you'll stir up trouble and someone will try to kill you, and then your bad feeling will be answered."

It's sad that I can't retort because I'm so exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes that have been trying to pull my face to the ground since yesterday. It would be a good idea to leave right now, because we are in a hurry to reach our destination, but damn, I want to sleep so badly...

"Darius!"

It's Leonhardt calling. I won't even look at him because I'm already disgusted enough with life. The bastard is probably waving at me and walking quickly in my direction with a silly face, I can visualize it without even looking. My name, on top of that, came out with that annoying, overly-friendly intonation from a guy you never wanted to be near.

Ultimately, since the bastard entered my field of vision, I was forced to face him.

Philomeu came alongside, with the same calm and cold gaze as always, showing a serene expression of someone deciding whether to stab you or try to convince you to overthrow the current capitalist system.

"What do you want?"

Leonhardt flashed that luminous, shining protagonist smile.

"I wanted to greet you, you can't imagine how much better I feel walking through an unknown place with you. Fate really works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?"

It works, yes, by hating the hell out of me.

I tried to move away, but he came closer with that enthusiasm of a happy dog who just found its owner.

"Wait! You don't have to run away like that! My airship only leaves tomorrow, I just bought the tickets. If it doesn't bother you, we can spend the day together checking our supplies!"

"Together?" I repeated, almost panicking. "You and her?"

Philomeu just looked up, impassive, but the simple eye contact made my stomach flip. That wasn't normal. The last memory I had of her was chained, bleeding, while the Duke wiped his hand with an expensive handkerchief. That shit was terrifying, I don't want it again!

"I... I have things to deal with," I blurted out, throwing out some excuse. "You know how it is, a report, a bar to visit, a... bath to take."

Leonhardt tilted his head, smiling.

"Then we'll take one together."

"Are you messing with me?!"

Victorian coughed loudly, trying to contain his laughter, while Elizia simply covered her mouth with her hand, but the way her eyes crinkled indicated that she definitely supported the shipp LeonRius, or Darhardt. Help me, I don't want this kind of thing to become real, please!

The smell of oxidized iron and burnt coal seemed to stick in my throat as I walked away from the airship platform. Leonhardt and his revolutionary shadow, Philomeu, went another way, thank the gods. Finally, peace.

Now, the plan was simple: get a horse, get the hell out of Mastan, and get to any place that didn't have them breathing the same oxygen as me.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

The first stable I found was a mix of a rusty shed and a junk warehouse. It smelled of wet animal, and a fat guy with a greasy mustache was wiping the floor with a rag that must have cleaned everything but the floor. I approach him.

"I want to rent three horses for a short trip."

The man raised an eyebrow, sizing me up. Then, he let out a mocking chuckle that made me want to rip out his teeth.

"Hmm. Certainly, my lord. How many legs would you like it to have?"

"Four, if that's not too much to ask."

"Then it's gonna be expensive" the guy replied, consulting a notepad stained with grease. "That's going to be the price."

I looked, and I can only say one thing: that's a shitload of money. The scam is worse than those tiny cakes from expensive bakeries. Is this guy pulling my leg?

"What the hell is that price? That's the price of a whole carriage!"

"That's right." He shrugged. "The mayor's fault."

"The mayor's?"

"Yep. The snooty little dwarf raised the taxes to 'control the traffic of mounts inside the city.' Look, it's not my fault. I can see you're a noble from the Imperial City or someone with big bucks, but I at least try to be honest with my job, and I can only tell you that even a mule costs an arm and a leg, but it's the only way to pay the bills."

I stood there, staring at the man and feeling a growing rage that made me want to lecture half the people in this city. Damn it, that was a shitload of money. I forgot the exact amount, but it was enough money to sleep with Elizia for a month at Madame Cerise's brothel.

Worse yet, the money wasn't the problem, I have enough to pay and I could play the card of being a request from the King... but who would I, Darius Moonlight, be to let something stain my own pride of not being able to pay for my things and walk away unscathed? Ah, my pride wouldn't allow it.

"Alright then" I said, crossing my arms. "I'll resolve this directly at the source."

"Huh?"

"With the mayor."

The man laughed, a heavy, phlegmy laugh.

"Good luck, noble sir. She loves outsiders complaining about her administration."

*****

The city hall building looked like a poorly disguised fortress pretending to be a public office. It had stone walls, narrow windows, and a crest with a golden anvil because, apparently, dwarves can't go five minutes without sticking an anvil on a flag.

I push open the double wooden door and step inside. The air inside hit my nose with an aroma of reheated coffee and lavender. The floor clicked under my boots, and a high-pitched voice interrupted me before I even took two steps:

"Documentation?"

I give her my "filthy cur" face. The owner of the voice was a short dwarf woman, with brown hair pulled back in a tight bun and a blazer so snug it looked about to explode at the shoulders. She held a clipboard with the expression of someone judging the entire world.

"I just want to speak with the mayor."

"No appointment, no conversation. The mayor is in a meeting."

"Then tell her it's urgent."

"Are you a citizen of Mastan?"

"No."

"Then it's not urgent."

Look at the audacity of this daughter of a bitch, she must be the result of centuries of experience denying the requests of poor souls who wanted their rights!

"Listen here, shorty, I—"

"'Ms. Shorty' to you" she cut in, raising her chin. "And if you don't want to be fined for contempt of administration, I recommend you lower your tone."

I'm going to smash your face into the floor, you bitch.

I sighed deeply, trying to suppress the urge to kick her like a soccer ball, which would probably be a federal crime. Okay, I won't gain anything by throwing a tantrum here, if the guards show up, I'll really have to appeal to the King's authority and get my pride stained.

Just as I turned my back, I heard a door open. I looked over my shoulder, noticing an elegant blonde dwarf, with round lens glasses, emerging from a room. She was wearing a long red dress, a pair of gold bracelets, and a necklace with a huge diamond on her chest. Furthermore, she had an enormous rack.

"What is going on here, Mirna?" she asked.

"Nothing much, Mayor. Just another foreigner with delusions of grandeur."

She then turned her gaze to me, and when our eyes met, I felt my stomach drop.

Holy shit, why am I running into someone I vaguely recognize right now?! Her description exactly matches the same damn villain that Leonhardt was fighting in the original story, the crazy collector of absurd taxes and tax evader who hoards all the people's wealth!

Just yesterday, on the airship, I had thought about her. How is it possible for us to meet here? I was imagining she wouldn't even be in office. How the hell was I so stupid?!

The dwarf adjusts her lenses with a finger and smiles slyly.

"Mister Darius Moonlight? What an unexpected pleasure to see you here."

She even recognized me. This is a terrible sign... because I don't know shit about politics!

"Ah, shit, here we go again..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.