After a few days, the commotion gradually subsided. The authorities took immediate action, imposing a curfew and restricting free movement after 10 PM. Those responsible for the incident were tried and sentenced to death, being hanged in public in front of an enraged crowd that threw waste at the men of the blasphemous order.

The few health centers scattered throughout the slum in the celestial district had been overwhelmed by the incessant influx of people and could not cope with the volume of injured arriving. The authorities decided to transfer the most severe cases to other districts. Official figures reported 300 dead and over 1000 injured.

The Church of Generosity publicly declared that they abhorred the acts committed and that they were not involved in the incident at all. To clean their image and distance themselves from what happened, they decided to offer free aid through their priests and funded the treatment of hundreds of injured. Because of this, people were treated properly despite their “social status,” which earned the church public favor and improved its image.

Martin, noticing the scale of the incident and the attention it would receive, decided to move and hide for a while. If exposed to the public eye, Madame Sylver would find him immediately or, even worse, the Church of Charity might put a watch on him and track him down.

Ah! Ah! Ah! Martin panted heavily as his body was drenched in sweat.

"Hello hello hello, testing 1 2 3"

"Well, my thoughts weren't spoken aloud, I'm back without any issues."

Martin's routine continued smoothly, and the results were visible. He had strengthened his body to inhuman levels, able to withstand a stab without suffering any damage. On the other hand, his ethereal ability had become increasingly efficient, functioning for prolonged periods.

Martin stood up and approached the mirror in his cheap room, examined his face closely, and the dark circles had almost entirely disappeared. He looked much better. The death of the leader of the order still haunted his mind, replaying the images over and over.

BANG BANG.

The shrapnel of rocks took out the entire mercenary group and old Alan.

"Damn... it's the end..." young Martin looked between the fierce battle and the collapsed building where Alice was, unable to find any openings while watching the fight. His hands trembled and a cold sweat ran down his back.

Tchh! Damn weakling! he chastised himself for his inability to help.

The colors before Martin's eyes were bright and dark tones. His ability had developed over the last month, increasing his range of detection, sensitivity, and efficiency. The color red along with purple predominated among those present, whereas Alan displayed bluish colors indicating great sadness and guilt, or at least that was the impression Martin received.

The vessel of the goddess, emanating a majestic aura with a bright golden hue, showed no color to Martin’s view, just like the butler of Madame Sylver. Martin considered two possibilities: some special ability blocking his or an abyssal power difference.

After a few intense and long seconds, the long-awaited outcome by the Goddess of Nature and her followers began. The air quickly electrified, and the goddess’s avatar planned to end everything with a single blow. However, the colors reappeared on the injured man's figure. Martin knew instantly that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for and launched himself toward the man’s back without hesitation.

Slash.

"Foreigner, are you there?" a female voice sounded from outside the room, bringing Martin back to reality.

"Come in" Martin replied, splashing water on his face.

"I’ve collected the money. I came to give you your share" the girl with blonde hair and gothic attire pulled a bag from inside her dress.

"1, 2, 3... 25 cuprums, we’re rich hahaha" said the blonde girl with a happy smile.

"Well, as agreed, 15 cuprums are mine"

"Here are your 15 cuprums"

Martin looked at his hand and saw 17 copper coins.

"These are from me, just my way of thanking you, my noble knight haha"

Martin scratched his head awkwardly and thanked his friend Alice timidly.

"Alice, I’d like to ask you something… how do you know"

"Shhh, it’s a secret, don’t pry into ladies’ affairs"

"Okay, okay, I won’t ask, but don’t tell anyone else"

"Ahhh? You offend me, I’m not a gossip, Martin"

"Don’t say it so openly!"

"Hehe, it’s just us, don’t be so dramatic"

"This girl, for goodness' sake, she drives me crazy like my sister," Martin thought to himself, noticing a certain similarity between Alice and Francisca.

"Is that all, Alice?"

"Old Alan is looking for you. He wants to reward you for what you did, so he asked me to pass on the message"

"Damn old man… I’ll go now, Alice"

"Let’s go together, Martin. Today is the reopening of the tavern, so I’d like to go and hang out. You’ll have the honor of escorting this lovely lady hehe"

"I’ll change clothes, Alice, if you wait outside"

"Are you kicking me out? Do you think I’ll spy?"

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Alice crossed her arms and pouted at the unfounded accusation.

Martin ignored her and went to the bathroom to wash the sweat off his body. Minutes passed, and he came out looking refreshed, wearing leather clothes: long black pants and a blue shirt with a black jacket.

"Let’s go, Alice"

The blonde girl was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Martin’s room was devoid of any entertainment or accessories. Alice wondered to herself if Martin spent all day training.

Old Alan’s tavern, Celestial District, 11 PM.

"Come in! Come in! We have offers and promotions just for today!"

The announcer of the celestial combat had survived the incident without serious injuries and was outside the tavern attracting a crowd.

"Oh, look who it is! The hero! The messiah!"

"Quiet, don’t draw attention" Martin had both hands over the announcer’s mouth.

The man nodded with bright eyes and invited them in.

"It will be a long night…"

"Cheer up, Foreigner, they’re just recognizing your worth" Alice replied with a pat on Martin’s back, trying to comfort him.

Martin and Alice made their way through the crowd of people excited about the arrival of the young hero.

"I love you, Foreigner!"

"Thanks for everything, kid!"

"You’re my hero!"

"Thanks, Mr. Foreigner!"

A crowd of people shouted and cheered the Foreigner’s name in appreciation.

Martin greeted people with an uncomfortable smile and walked slowly toward a room at the end of the hallway.

Knock Knock Knock.

"Come in"

The door opened, and a couple consisting of a tall young man with dark hair and a girl with long blonde hair entered without delay.

"Thank you for coming, Foreigner, and thank you too, Miss Alice, for passing on the message"

"It’s nothing, Mr. Alan" the woman replied with a slight nod.

"Please, take a seat, young ones"

Martin and Alice sat simultaneously in front of the desk filled with documents and money. Old Alan was working on his accounts and organizing his finances.

Alan swept his arm across the desk, pushing everything aside and clearing the surface. He rested his elbows on the table and intertwined the fingers of his scarred hands.

"I was discharged just a day ago and called for you immediately, Foreigner"

"It wasn’t necessary to go through all this trouble, Mr. Alan"

"I appreciate your humility, kid, but I owe you my life and the lives of everyone here. You’ve saved countless lives and fixed the mistakes of this old man"

A look filled with deep sadness was visible in the old man’s tired eyes. His robust body looked thinner, and dark circles were pronounced on his face. It had been a tough time for the tavern owner.

Martin observed a dull blue color around the man’s silhouette. Regret and guilt filled his being.

"Ask me for anything, Foreigner. I will grant it"

"I... "

Thousands of thoughts raced through Martin’s mind—unpleasant memories, shared smiles, noble deeds, senseless violence, his entire life in this world flashing before his eyes in a blink.

"I want you to train me"

Alice glanced sideways at Martin as a feeling of worry grew inside her. Martin did nothing but train day and night with what little he knew. The young man was obsessed with becoming stronger.

"Really?" incredulity appeared on old Alan’s face.

"Yes, sir. I feel like I’ve hit a ceiling and can’t progress without proper guidance. I’ve been training on my own all this time" Martin presented his request in a solemn tone and with a completely serious face.

"I see, kid… It’s been a long time since I trained anyone. I’m rusty and slow, as you might have seen not long ago"

"It doesn’t matter. I just need proper guidance, Mr. Alan, and you are stronger and wiser than I am"

"Hmm…"

Alan turned his gaze to Alice, seeking help.

"Foreigner, maybe you could ask"

"I don’t need anything else, Miss Alice"

"Ahh, I see…"

The atmosphere became awkward, and Alan was lost in thought as he dealt with the situation.

"Alright, I’ll take you under my wing. However, it will be tough and difficult. I don’t want complaints"

"No problem, Mr. Alan"

"Master Alan" corrected the former knight.

The two men extended their arms and sealed the agreement with a handshake.

"We’ll start tomorrow, Foreigner. Take the night off and enjoy yourself with the lady"

"Alright, and thank you for agreeing to my request"

"It’s nothing, kid. You saved everyone, including this old man. It’s the least I can do for you. I’ll never be able to repay this debt in my lifetime"

Martin scratched his head awkwardly and accepted the former knight’s words timidly.

"You’re so weak with compliments. You’ll have to get used to it from now on, my knight hehe" Alice put on a mischievous smile and teased the blushing Martin.

"Tchh! Let’s go get a drink" Martin turned around and quickly escaped from the scene.

The sunlight illuminated the surroundings and warmed the air. Sweat ran down the foreheads of passersby. Despite this, people entered the tavern with big smiles. The reopening of the establishment meant that the hard times had come to an end.

Martin drank a glass of cheap alcohol while Alice drank sulfuric beer. Both were watching the show of the sulfur jester—a dwarf dressed as a clown performing comedic skits.

"It’s like Mr. Bean," Martin thought to himself, remembering the few times he had seen the British comedian on television.

People laughed heartily, including Alice. It seemed that the situations presented in the show were quite popular among the population.

"Hehe, that was good" Alice commented.

"Yeah… I guess…" Martin replied in a bored tone as he continued drinking cheap alcohol.

Minutes passed, and Alice noticed from the corner of her eye that Martin kept ordering cheap alcohol, now on his eighth round.

"You’ve earned 17 cuprums and are only buying trash for 1 sulphur"

"I need to save money"

"You seem more like a miser. Your room was devoid of decorations and accessories; you only had the basics"

"In case of an emergency, I can easily escape"

"Are you some kind of famous criminal? Hehe"

"Sort of…"

Alice’s eyes widened, and she looked at Martin with a confused expression. The young man was completely drunk and starting to be more open about it. That aura of mystery and secrecy had disappeared.

"Who is looking for you?" Alice probed, seizing the opportunity.

"Charity… damn fanatics…"

Alice began to piece things together, and a cold sweat ran down her back. The Church of Charity was quite famous for its unwavering faith and rectitude in practicing its religion. Rumors said they were relentless in searching for and capturing heretics and blasphemers. Once accused of something, your fate was sealed.

"What did you do?" curiosity overtook every pore of Alice’s body.

"Nothing… just… Zzzz… Zzzz…" the young man with dark hair collapsed on the table and fell into a deep sleep. He had trained all day and came to the meeting with Alan immediately, leaving him with no remaining energy.

"You’re like a child…" Alice placed her hand on Martin’s head and ruffled his hair. She found it hard to believe that this guy had done something wrong, but still, the feeling of worry inside her began to grow.

Ring Ring Ring.

"AHHGGG"

Martin lifted his arm unconsciously and searched the surface of the furniture for his mobile phone to turn off the alarm.

"Damn phone… phone?"

He jumped up and looked at the surface of the furniture next to his bed, which was empty.

"Good morning" a rough, serious voice came from across the room.

Sitting on a chair without a back was a man with a thick white beard. He had his white hair tied in a ponytail, and his upper torso displayed a white short-sleeve shirt. At a glance, his toned and muscular body was visible.

"Today we start the classes, Foreigner" old Alan stopped the ringing by letting go of the grip on his rapier, creating vibrations by touching the weapon.

Martin looked at the man sitting on the chair and then at the clock on the wall, which showed 05:00 AM. He remembered staying past midnight drinking at the tavern, leaving him with only about 4 hours of sleep.

"Don’t mess with me," his first day of classes in this world had begun in the worst way.

"Gather your belongings, Foreigner. You will live in the tavern from now on. I will train you, and you’ll study every day. I’ve already reviewed the curriculum to follow"

"Well…"

"Today we’ll start with the basics, so get ready"

The energetic man turned around and left through the front door. In contrast, Martin approached the mirror and saw his disheveled hair and pronounced dark circles.

"Cheer up, Martin, it will be a long day," the young man plunged his face into a basin of icy water.