Chapter 4

The next day, Drakkel walked through the town, taking note of the location and condition of each building.

After looking around and speaking to some locals, he found out a few things.

Guards patrolled every street, there weren't many businesses around, but there were several abandoned buildings in good condition, most of the inhabitants of the town were children and elderly, and the area around the Town Lord's manor as well as the manor itself was the most well-kept part of the town.

The Town Lord’s greed was extremely apparent. But some things were still unclear.

It was forbidden to speak about the state of the town. Considering everything, If Drakkel wanted to find out what the Town Lord was up to, he couldn't ask him directly. Instead, it would be better to approach them as others had.

The men in the inn had mentioned that the young women and men of the town were taken by the Town Lord for work. So he would go about approaching him in the same way.

Drakkel went back to the inn to inform the innkeeper that he would be leaving for a while.

After purchasing some loaves of bread with the remainder of his money, he distributed them to the children and elderly from the day before. Then he made his trek to the Town Lord's Manor.

The manor was large; probably triple the size of the inn Drakkel was staying at. In front of it was a door with knobs made of gold and seated in front were White marble lion statues. The manor itself was built with sturdy and expensive wood.

Standing in front, Drakkel gently knocked on the door. After a few minutes it creaked open to reveal a man. The man had a short stature, but a professional composure.

Drakkel smiled.

“I’m here to see the Town Lord about the job he’s offering.”

The man looked him up and down. “Your frame is thin, but...” His gaze shot to Drakkel's arms, “You have a bit of muscle. You should be good enough for this position. Please follow me to see the Town Lord.”

Drakkel gratefully bowed his head and followed the man. Even on the inside, the manor was lavish.

They walked past displays of expensive artifacts every few minutes. Hung on the walls were rare paintings surrounded by golden frames. Several rooms lined the long halls. Their doors were shut, but one could see no expense was spared for them. The wood on the doors were engraved with unique designs and the knobs alternated between gems and gold.

After a while, Drakkel said to the man leading him, “I am very grateful for this opportunity. My family is poor and I'm hoping to make a good living working for the Town Lord.”

The man frowned as he answered in a listless tone, “That’s very honorable. The Town Lord is a charitable man. If he sees someone struggling, of course he wouldn’t hesitate to help out.”

Drakkel smiled and nodded.

The Town Lord's own workers knew something was wrong. Likely, they weren't getting treated well either.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a room covered with two wooden doors which were embellished with jade knobs. The giggling of young maidens drifted out with the chuckling of an older man accompanying them.

Drakkel was brought to the front of the door and the man he followed, knocked on it.

The man said loudly, “Lord Tincaid, there is a guest here that wishes to see you.”

The man from the other room yelled, “Rou?! Didn't I tell you not to disturb me while I'm having fun? You should have given me a heads-up so I could get ready.”

The man named Rou’s voice shook a bit, “My Lord, Y...Y…You said that if we have another worker for the mine, that you would like me to tell you immediately and that it doesn't matter what you are doing or where you are.”

The Lord called Tincaid paused for a moment. “The mine…?”

In a quieter voice, he said, “I’m sorry ladies. The party is over for today. Please head back to your rooms.”

Drakkel first heard the melodious tone of many soft voices answer, “Yes, Lord Tincaid,” then the shuffling of several footsteps followed after.

Stolen novel; please report.

In a few moments, the door opened to reveal eighteen scantily clad maidens in robes of several vibrant colors, smelling of perfume and adorned with expensive jewelry.

Their faces were covered with veils that extended down to their chests. They bowed at Ro and Lord Tincaid, before heading out. All that could be seen of them were their eyes and the intricate symbols that decorated each of their foreheads. As they passed, they each took a short glance at Drakkel.

In the process, the one in front of the group, tripped on the hem of her dress and fell.

For an instant, her veil shifted to the side and Drakkel caught a glimpse of a sort of flower-like symbol that laid upon her chest. Her skin was slightly distorted where the mark was made and its color was off.

Unlike the forehead symbols which were drawn on with makeup, this one seemed more permanent.

The group of girls waited as the girl who fell righted herself and fixed her veil.

Once she was done, she quietly uttered, “Excuse me,” before speedily making her way out of the area with the group closely following in her steps.

When they were gone, Drakkel could see the room clearly.

The place was a bedroom filled with beautiful paintings like the rest of the manor. A wooden bed with red and gold bedding stood opposite the doorway. A man sat atop the bed in only a red robe, staring down curiously at Drakkel and Rou.

“Bow to the Lord,” Rou said.

Drakkel bowed. “Lord Tincaid. It's an honor to meet you.”

Lord Tincaid smiled. “Nice to see you as well. I hear you want to work in the mines?”

“I do,” Drakkel replied.

“Lift your head first,” Lord Tincaid said.

Drakkel lifted his head and looked into the Lord's eyes. After a few moments, the Lord's gaze traveled down.

“A slender body and a beautiful face.” He said.

Looking at the white streak on his head, he frowned. “Though that hair could use a little work.

The corners of his lips curled down further as a tsk sound escaped his lips.

In a disappointed tone, he continued, “It's too bad you’re not a woman.”

Then, Lord Tincaid’s eyes widened and his lips curled up into a smile. “It’s no problem though! I can strike you a deal. I have friends in high places that are looking for someone like you. You can make more money working for one of them than for me. You might even eventually gain a comfortable standing and be able to live in luxury.”

Drakkel’s mouth nearly curved into a scowl as he thought of what Lord Tincaid said.

He shook his head, “No thank you. I prefer to do honest work.”

The Lord snorted, “Honest work, he says… Fine.”

He looked at Rou. “Cover his eyes and have someone take him to the location.”

Rou nodded.

Before Drakkel could leave, Lord Tincaid smirked. “When you change your mind, you can find me later.”

Rou patiently waited behind Drakkel. When Drakkel turned around and seemed ready to leave, he gestured to the door.

“Please, follow me,” he said.

Once they walked out of the room and the doors closed behind them, Ro took a blindfold out from his pocket. Holding it out, he asked if he could place it on Drakkel.

Remembering that he was pretending to be an unaware civilian, Drakkel purposely showed some resistance.

“Is there a reason I must be blindfolded?”

Rou answered, “The job we’re taking you to is in a competitive field. If our competitors catch wind of where our job site is, they may try to sabotage us. I hope you understand.”

The reason didn't make sense, but Drakkel still nodded.

“Oh. I understand now. You can proceed then. He said.

He leaned down a bit so that Rou could circle behind him and place the blindfold on.

Once he was blindfolded, Rou called, “Somebody!”

Drakkel heard the steps of a couple of people on the ground and felt the presence of two men appear from each of his sides.

“Make sure this man isn't carrying anything, then take him to the mines.”

With the order, Drakkel felt some hands pat down his body, from his arms, to his legs, to his torso.

He wasn't worried since he had anticipated this and left all of his items in the inn before coming to the manor.

Afterwards followed the clink of some chains hitting each other.

As the chains were wrapped around his wrists, he felt them, slightly weighing them down.

A pair of hands then grabbed onto each of his arms.

“The chains are a preventative measure to keep any spies from running off and informing our competitors about the job site.” Rou said. “Please tolerate them. They are only temporary. Once you reach the job site…” He paused.

“They will naturally be removed.”

The man was really terrible at lying. Actually the fact that he continued with it made Drakkel feel a bit sorry for him. What could possibly have compelled him to do so?

Right after Rou’s explanation, Drakkel was led somewhere. He heard the sound of a door opening and felt the wind of the outdoors blow on his face. The smell of various flowers invaded his nostrils at first. But after he was led onto a carriage and felt it move beneath his feet, the scent of the blossoming flowers faded into the distance.

Soon all that accompanied him was the aroma of fallen leaves and dead branches.