The people of Midandria were in good spirits. It was starting to get dark but the people were still out and about, especially the refugees. After what everyone witnessed yesterday, who would not be? Gwyn, the Chosen One was now one task away from completing the Call of Gods and everyone believed he would achieve it. But the reality was, there were already several people who had been in the same situation in the past hundred years and still had not succeeded in completing the Call. Nevertheless, this time it's different. The Vicar made the people believe so.

A lady with glasses was walking quickly on the crowded street of the refugee town. She was carrying a huge bag covered with paper. Voices of different tones and emotions clashed as people talked about the stories of their survival. Many of them were standing on the newly made brick streets and they were happy about it. They see progress. And while their homes were still shanties, the supply of food and water was better. The people felt being taken care of.

“Chief! I have news!”

“What is it Naya?” the chief looked back. He was talking to a group of newly arrived refugees on the street.

“Let’s go inside,” she said.

The chief followed his former assistant. Former because he’s not the mayor anymore. Their town was gone but he was still looking out for the eighty people that he brought to the town and some new ones that require attention. He told many times to Naya that she could stop calling him chief but she never stopped. They walked up to the third floor of the wooden building.

“Naya!” David said, standing up as she entered. The room was quite big, twenty people could sleep on it and still a few more could fit in.

“Here, take this bread child, and give it to everyone,” she said giving the bag to the kid.

“What‘s the news?” the chief said closing the door.

“There will be an election. The Vicar wants to establish this town and the first thing he would like to do is have a leader to watch out for everyone.

“Oh, that’s good news!” Sina, the old woman said.

“Looks like they don’t want us to go back to our town,” Gerry said as he took a piece of the bread from the bag.

“Hmmm… It doesn’t make sense. If the plague was close to being beaten then this place would be a ghost town once its all over,” the chief said.

“You’re right, Chief. But rebuilding the towns could take time. I think it also makes sense to organize the people here.”

“Hmm… Yes, you got a point.”

“There’s another news. It's not good,” Naya said.

"What?"

“It's about Magnum,” David and Gerry heard the name and they immediately walked to Naya to hear the news. The chief was silent, waiting for the information.

She signaled them to get closer, “He got caught by the Knights and was charged treason for disrespecting Gwyn and Princess Werlyn.” she whispered.

Gerry and David’s jaw dropped.

“Ohh, thank the Old Gods! They protected him! He’s still alive but this is bad. Where is he? Is he here?” The chief said.

“No, he escaped.”

“Good!” David, Gerry, and the chief said in unison.

“Shhhhhhh!” Naya said. “Now, let’s eat with everyone”.

As they ate their bread, a series of gasps and screams ensued outside. All of them quickly stood and looked out the window.

“It's a mercenary! Everyone close your doors and windows!” A knight shouted.

Everyone followed the order. Something white can be seen jumping on the roof from the main town.

“It's the White Merc! He’s so cool!” David said.

“Quiet son!” Gerry said as both of them looked at a hole in their wall. They could recognize that it was a man riding on a white beast. The squires and knights couldn’t catch him.

“Don’t stop following him!” the leader of the party said as they caught their breath.

“The Great Knights should be able to catch up to that thing! What are they doing?” one squire said.

“Shut up! Just follow my order!” the leader said.

Harthur looked back on the pillar at the center of the refugee town as he rode the horned river tiger. Two Great Knights were guarding it.

“I can’t beat them now. How long till they make the Godstone?”

“It depends on how strong they want it to be. It could be months if they want it to be as strong as possible,” A motherly voice answered in his mind.

“Let’s retreat for now. I need to be stronger. Those two great knights. I can’t get past them,” The River Tiger continued to jump from roof to roof until they got out of the town.

###

Magnum woke up early, it's been a day since he got humiliated. Yesterday was spent researching about the ruins. He bought some books from the market. He also spoke with the scholars but they were privy with many of the details. He tried to spy on them throughout the day, trying to hear whatever they were talking about from their room but he didn’t get any usable information other than demons and mother demons lurk around the ruins. And then they went back to the ruins. He wanted to prepare for his expedition to the old kingdom and today armed with his five thousand silvers, he intended to buy all the things he needed to raid the ruins by himself.

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As he got out of the Inn, Tanna was there again. She followed him all day yesterday every time he went outside.

“You’ve been active! What are you planning?” she said crossed arms.

Magnum ignored her and continued to walk but she pulled him, “Tell me!”

“How about I tell you later after shopping?” he said.

“Shopping? Okay! But I’ll be watching you,” she said.

Magnum went to an armor seller, “Show me your best armor,” he said.

“My best?” The seller said. He was wide and bulgy on the tummy. “Why can’t you select something from the ones I already had displayed here?”

“This isn’t your best,” Magnum said.

The seller looked at his wares. He had the biggest collection of armor in the whole town. The leather armor that he has was the best in the region but, indeed, he doesn't display his best armor. He wondered how this man knew he was hiding it.

“You don’t deserve my best,” the man said.

“I have money,” Magnum replied.

The man raised his eyebrows and then he ducked under the shop and was gone for a minute.

“So he does have something better hidden.”

The man stood up holding a wide black box, He placed it over the other armors he had on display on the counter in front.

“Open it,” he said.

Magnum opened the box and it showed an oriental-style armor that had lots of horizontal lines. It was colored Black and Red with yellow linings.

“Wow!” Tanna was impressed.

“This is impressive. Just like the Guild Masters armor!”

The man took the box from Magnum and pulled the armor up so Magnum and Tanna could see. “This armor is made from the best leather from the mountain tribes. It is layered with dragon skin throughout, from the leggings to its vambrace. Every joint is meticulously crafted to provide maximum movement and protection. This is from the same craftsmen who made the Guild Master’s armor.”

A feeling of joy swelled inside Magnum as he remembered the Guild Master killing mother demons on the sand wearing a cool armor.

“But it's not for sale.”

“What?” Magnum said.

“I can buy it! Name your price!” Tanna said.

“It's not about the price. This merc is not worthy. Once you can easily kill a mother demon. I’ll consider it.”

“I can kill one!” Tanna said.

“But you’re a sniper Tanna, this is best worn by someone who can stand in front of strong demons,” the man said.

Magnum looked furious but he understood, “This stupid seller!”

“Give me the second best. I’ll come back for that one!” he said.

“Good!” The seller showed Magnum a hybrid type, a leather and plated armor. It was also layered with dragon skin but still looked smooth. It looked more like a knight's armor but colored grey with a simple design and simple ornaments. Nonetheless, it also featured the same comfort and movement details from head to toe of the oriental armor previously showed.

“This looks good as well. Buy it!” Tanna said.

Magnum looked at Tanna who looked excited with the new armor, “I am buying it,” Magnum said. The armor was eight hundred silvers.

They continued to walk around and Tanna looked like she was enjoying the shopping. Magnum asked about bullets but there wasn’t anything new being sold. They checked out every stall until they found a weapon specialist who had something for gunblades.

“Do you have a gunblade?” Magnum walked up to a store without a seller.

An old man sitting on the ground on their left stood up, “No, but..” he said.

“But?” Magnum and Tanna said.

“I only have attachments. I mean no one uses gunblades now. Come here.” The man pulled down a string from his ceiling and a cabinet fell.

“Woah!” Magnum was excited. He saw some scopes with different sizes and there was something with a long barrel.

“That’s a rifle attachment. However, it has a separate bullet source. It's not popular because it will add more weight to an already heavy gunblade.”

“Yeah, why do you even use a gunblade? Guns are better,” Tanna said.

“I’ll buy it all!”

“Really? Okay, you can have it all for five hundred silvers. I’m glad I can finally get rid of that.”

“That’s cheap!”

“Also, take this. Wait,” the old man was looking for something under his desk. He then stood carrying another attachment.

Magnum and Tanna looked at each other with wonder.

“What’s this?” Magnum said.

“Oh, you don’t know? It's a grenade launcher attachment.”

“Grenade?” Magnum couldn’t believe what he heard but he thanked the seller and the two walked away.

Magnum was about to go back to the Inn.

“Wait. Buy me some food. I'm hungry,” she said.

“What?” Magnum said.

“Do you even know why they were so nice to you after what you did? It's because I’m with you!”

“Hmmm.. I guess she’s right since everyone has been subtly eyeing me everywhere I go. So they knew what happened. Its a small town after all.”

“Okay. Just don’t shout. I don’t want people looking.”

The two bought some sweet bread which was Tanna’s favorite and they ate it as they walked back to the Inn. They went around to Magnum’s wagon.

“Okay now, tell me what’s this for?” Tanna said after eating all her sweets.

“I'm going to the ruins,” Magnum said.

“Oh? why?”

“I need to find something,” Magnum said while unpacking all the things he bought.

Tanna walked around the wagon looking for a place to sit, “Okay, I’ll come with you. But what’s your agenda?”

“I don’t know, a demon might be there. No, you’re not coming with me.”

“A demon? You mean the legend?” Tanna started laughing.

“Legend?”

“Did you just get swindled by a fake legend? The Guardian Demon of the Old Kingdom?” she said sitting down on a small stone jutting out the ground.

“What do you mean fake legend?”

“Are you hearing it?” she said.

Magnum did not respond.

“I’ve been living here all my life but I never heard it. But a few people claim to hear the voice of the demon.”

Magnum continued to unpack the attachments and armor he bought.

“Are you sure? You’re not just hallucinating it?” she said.

Magnum did not respond.

Tanna laughed again, “hmm… okay. Interesting. I’ll definitely come with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I will. You’ll get lost there.”