Leon POV
"Wait, before I do leave...is there a chance that you have powers to raise the dead or use their shadows?" I asked Lux.
"No, I'm a goddess of light, so that's impossible." she shook her head.
"What about me?"
"Based on what I've seen...you're more the physical type, so no."
"What about magic? You can help with that, right?"
"I can...but since you're planning to escape, I won't."
"Tch, unhelpful to the very end."
But she made this signal to stop me from leaving, for now, she even had the guards block the door even more closely.
"Do you remember anything about our mom? Or Dad? Anything at all?"
"Look, Lux, I don't know what you're hoping for, but I don't have anything to share. My family found me when I was 1, I was just some kid abandoned with no memories of anything or anyone else. No parents, no name...nothing. That's all I know."
"So, there's really nothing?"
"No, as far as I'm concerned, I was abandoned."
"Don't you want to know about them?"
"No...for a while...I thought that maybe I accidentally wandered off, but I had no proper clothing or anything to identify myself with. If my parents abandoned me because they couldn't take care of me, then I'd at least want to meet them and tell them I'm doing fine, but now that I know I'm a demigod, it just means they left me behind. If they didn't want me then, I don't see why I'd want to seek them out now, unless it serves a purpose for me.
"Thanks for letting me know that we're related, I guess...It's not exactly the family reunion I was expecting, but there it is...and just so we're clear, I don't really see you as family. You're more like a necessary piece of information than anything else. So unless I'm getting something in return or related to me possibly escaping, don't call me."
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After going back to my cell, I was just planning my escape like usual, because even if Hermes were to give me directions, I still need to reach there myself. But dealing with the guy just seems harder and harder, the more you read about him. He's a god. Fast, clever, and deadly in a fight. Outrunning him was out of the question. If it came down to a fight, I'd need to find a way to slow him down. Maybe set traps? Or use the terrain to my advantage, force him into tight spaces where his speed wouldn't matter as much? That may also not work as he works here.
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And then there was Cerberus. If Hermes called on him, I'd be in real trouble. A three-headed hellhound wasn't something I could just punch my way through. I'd need a plan that revolves around some kind of distraction or a way to neutralize its senses. There had to be a way to keep that beast at bay long enough to get out.
Maybe I can get the ability to summon soldiers somehow, imagine how cool it'll be if I go around, making dead soldiers or monsters fight for me with by just saying ERECT. Arise is already taken after all.
The next morning, I woke up to the dull sound of footsteps and the distant clanging of metal. Another day in this place, another day of hard labor. I got up, stretched out the stiffness from my muscles, and headed out to work. As I made my way to the work stall, something caught my eye. Everyone applied to this one job, well more of an event. It was a music event. Apparently, participants were paid just to attend. It seemed almost too good to be true.
"You should take this one," John suggested, "It might not be the most efficient way to earn coins, but the list of performers is solid. Trust me, you'll get something out of it. In particular, Marie is a very popular singer. Besides, it's only for an afternoon."
"What did she do to end up here?"
"Apparently, killed her childhood friend. I think it was something about her friend being a hero, promising to marry her, but after he returned, the guy married the party priest instead, angering her, causing her to kidnap him and end his life, she was put in the 'risk' group and promoted about 200 years ago."
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My luck in the mines was still holding up as I kept literally striking gold, I was so lucky that I was asked to point out the good spots for everyone else. As I worked, I overheard a couple of miners talking nearby. They mentioned plotinum, the rarest material in the mines. According to them, finding even a small amount could shave off at least 150 years from your sentence.
Plotinum, really? Plot-inum? It sounded like something out of a poorly written fantasy novel, the kind of thing someone would come up with when they're out of ideas. The name alone was so painfully obvious, that it was almost funny.
Seriously? Who came up with that? It was like someone couldn't be bothered to come up with something more creative, so they just slapped "plot" onto the beginning of some random element. What a dumbas- BAM.
I suddenly felt a sharp thwack at the back of my head, like an invisible force had smacked me...Stupid author. Did you think that I didn't know it was y-OW.
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The afternoon came and I joined the music event thing, it was nothing to write home about. I was just waiting for this Marie person to appear at this point, but the wait made it even more boring. The music was decent, I guess, but I couldn't shake the boredom that was creeping in. My eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment, and I felt myself starting to doze off.
Just as I was about to drift into a nap, I felt someone wrap their arms around me from behind, startling me out of my near-sleep. My eyes snapped open, and I turned to see who was interrupting my much-needed escape from the dullness of the event.
An unfamiliar girl was hugging me tightly, her face lighting up with excitement.
"I found you!" she exclaimed, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
I just blinked while trying to make sense of the situation.
"Uh... do I know you?" I asked.