Tartarus.
This was the name of the continent hidden from the grace of the sun.
It all started long ago with the Grand Descent, when the black moon fell down to earth and landed on this continent.
It is believed that upon impact, the black moon crumbled and spread in a form of mist and fog that permanently covered the entire continent and the sea around it.
Since then, Tartarus became home to criminals and outlaws. They formed guilds and mercenary bands to terrorize and control the clans that still lived on this forsaken continent.
Hence why it was named after the endless abyss in the afterlife.
In such a place, it wasn’t too uncommon for wars and chaos to ensue in a brink of a hat. Death was a looming threat at all times, and mothers were often the most common victims, whether by curse or chance.
Lawkey had learned this history in the past, and came to better understand it during his time in the Kage Clan. However, there was no better teacher than experience, and the boy alone had lost multiple mother figures during his ongoing short lifespan.
Therefore, hearing about what had happened to Sana in itself wasn’t that shocking, he had already more or less guessed the case from everything that happened leading up to reaching Sweet Scylla.
And yet, his feelings remained the same on the matter. Whether he could understand it or not, he simply found it difficult to swallow his frustration and move forward.
The Coin Masters that had caused his mentor so much pain in the past, were the same ones that were currently terrorizing the Undine Clan. It wasn’t enough that they kidnapped and killed their people, they even took the life of a young mother, her child barely three years old at the time.
They even took it as far as turning her into a gold statue that stood in the central square as a constant reminder for the clan.
A source of fear, and a monument of absolute control over the merfolk.
Nevertheless, Lawkey couldn’t act rashly. He suppressed his anger and forced himself to calm down.
Should I really get involved? I have my own mission… my own promises to keep… I can’t let myself get distracted by every other misfortunate soul I come across… Lawkey bit his lip as the faces of Sana and Riana flashed into his mind. He hadn’t forgotten the scenes that the invisible owner of that mysterious voice showed him back on the ship.
Having already stopped briefly at a nearby vendor, Lawkey kept walking through the bustling street and was making his way to the nearest restaurant or bar, whichever he came across first. He was in the area eastward of the central square where most of the trading and entertainment spots were found.
The last time he saw Riana and Sana had been a few hours ago after Lamia revealed the true nature and identity of the statue to him. The little girl had cried herself to sleep, forcing her aunt to carry her home.
“I’ll take her to rest for a bit. We’ll find you later, and talk properly then.”
That was what Riana had told him while holding onto the unconscious Sana in her arms. She hadn’t even waited for him to say anything before she took off.
Despite the fact that Lawkey could understand if Riana still couldn’t trust him fully, he had still been worried about Sana and wanted to make sure she was okay. Nevertheless, at the time, he had decided to not chase after them and give them space instead.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
… I guess I’ll have to wait. He reminded himself as he got closer to a bar. “I’ll try to get some pancakes in the meantime. It was supposed to be a celebration anyway!”
He raised his head and read the sign on the bar that spelled, “Mermaid’s Bar”.
Really? You couldn’t come up with a better name? I guess it pretty much tells you what you need to know directly with a straightforward name like that… Lawkey criticized inwardly as he stepped closer.
Suddenly, he remembered something that he couldn’t simply let go.
He grabbed onto one of the wooden pillars outside of the bar and frantically looked left and right while supporting himself on it.
Jun radar check! Jun radar check! After looking both ways and making sure there was no wild “Jun” in sight, he sighed in absolute relief. If she somehow sees me getting a drink in a bar, especially from mermaids, I wouldn’t hear the end of it… She would bite my head off saying I’m goofing around instead of doing what I left the clan to do.
It wasn’t that Lawkey didn’t agree with that, but it was only one day a year that allowed himself a little leeway. He also knew that Jun had become a trader for the Kage Clan now, and went out repeatedly to deliver items and trade with other clans or villages in Tartarus. Although he wasn’t too close to the Shadow Valley, he still wanted to be sure he didn’t just accidentally come across a wild beast out in the open.
After his initial panic, Lawkey collected himself and walked toward the batwing doors that led to the inside of the bar. As he stretched his hand to push on one side, he became anxious to find a rundown bar with broken spirited mermaids inside.
The impression he was given from everything around so far wasn’t as stunning as he had heard at all. He knew something fishy was going on, and had wondered if he should look into it more, but just like Sana’s situation, he was still on the fence about getting involved.
Lawkey quickly shook his thoughts away, pushed the door open, and walked into the bar.
“Well, whatever. Let’s just see what happens.” He mumbled to himself with a slight smile before taking a step forward toward the counter that was positioned at the end of the room behind all the other tables around.
Contrary to what he expected, the bar was bustling with activity. Sure, there were many adventurers around, drinking and laughing loudly, but there were also sirens walking around with drinks, which he guessed were the servers. He ignored everyone and kept walking in.
**👑**
Inside the bar, Lawkey’s entrance didn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh? What do we have here? Who might that be?” A young man with a heavy accent asked his companions on the table. Seeing as the fourth cup of booze on his right was untouched, he extended his bronze-colored hand and grabbed it, waiting to see if anything would happen.
“That guy? He’s just a rookie it seems.” To the bronze-colored young man’s left, another man spoke while holding onto a set of wanted posters. The man donning a red goatee and sideburns quickly curled his lips, “An interesting rookie.”
The current wanted poster in his hand depicted a rough sketch of a young man named “Phantom Rogue, Lawkey”. Beneath the sketch and the name, the number 2,000,000 Keys was being offered as the reward for this bounty.
At the bottom of the wanted poster there was a description that usually described what the wanted person was being hunted for. Although these wanted posters had not been issued by any specific governments, making the wanted not necessarily criminals, these descriptions still offered information that bounty hunters could use to hunt their prey, or decide not to, considering they acted with a code.
For this wanted man’s description, it read as follows; “This individual is an old associate of the infamous mercenary guild, now disbanded, ‘The Phantom Rogues.’ He is a talented swordsman and an adept user of the Shadow Manipulation Sign. Additionally, the individual is suspected to be a Hyking, although it could not be confirmed and should not be assumed as such until then.”
“Why are you even looking at that, Cleitus? I get that I’m a new recruit, but we are part of the Golden Garden Guild, not some petty bounty hunters.” Left to red goatee, apparently Cleitus, and sitting opposite to the booze thief, a woman with flowing pink hair voiced her opinion after gulping down her own drink.
“Liv, Bakari, in our line of business, we need to be prepared for anything.” Cleitus’s face twisted into a smirk, “If a golden opportunity landed in our lap, no one is going to fault us for cashing it in, don’t you think?”
As the two companions rolled their eyes at their greedy friend at the far left of the room, Lawkey finally made it to the counter in the middle.
“Ah!” Lawkey let out at the sight in front of him. He finally understood the meaning of the bar’s name now.
The counter itself was normal, but the space where usually the bartenders stood was completely covered in water that gave a light blue glow.
He watched as a mermaid flicked her fishtail and swam around to him from one end to the end. She had short light blue hair, and covered only her modest chest with a simple purple cloth and her waist with a pink one. Her ear fins were pink, and instead of on her neck, her gills were on the sides of her torso instead.
“What will it be, sir?” She asked with a beaming smile.
After a short moment, Lawkey finally brought himself out of his daze and said, “I want some of that sake I’ve been hearing about!”
“Is it SeaSmack, perhaps? It’s our most popular drink that will leave anyone who drinks it numb!” The mermaid quickly advertised her most expensive drink.
“That’s the one, make it strong!” Lawkey gave in without even considering it, then he put on a grin as he leaned forward, “Oh, and, by any chance, are pancakes on the menu here?”
“Eh?”
The mermaid froze in place, leaving only small ripples of water around her waist to break the silence.
What is this guy even asking?! Doesn’t he know there isn’t anything like that in Tartarus? The mermaid stopped herself from rolling her eyes at her new customer.
Even though he lived his entire life here, Lawkey would soon realize how awful and unfair the continent of Tartarus really was.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]