The bustling city of Karanberg was dangerously quiet on this particular morning. Two months since the nobles caused a scene in some chase to the Northern District, today was another busy day as the northern gate was already secured by a large attachment of Royal Knights and Mages.
Something didn't feel quite right and everyone could just feel it. Actually, it would be unwise not to sense such disturbances especially since the city has been suffering from a bad economical situation and a lot of protests.
But all this and that didn't seem to be stopping a certain passer-by from just cutting through the emptied street and casually crossing the backways and the alleys only known by the criminals of the Twilight Syndicate.
He didn't stop until he arrived at a certain door and carefully knocked at the door.
Once, twice, and thrice he knocked with nobody answering. It felt rather odd that nobody's home but Leon didn't care either way. He simply took out a knife and a metal pick before forcing the door open with quiet and finesse.
The stink of ink, slime, and oil felt still strong all over the place but he can just ignore that and head further into the workshop. He looked and looked around for the owner again but he couldn't find any sign of him.
The only thing that was left visible in the mess is the fake painting resting on the stand, the one which Zal made in an attempt to copy the [Pride of Del Mar].
Leon dropped the backpack he carried which was full of excessive weight and sat down on a chair to let his elbows rest on his knees and hush shoulders relax down.
In his hand, he had the strange heart-shaped pink gem which he kept running his thumb on.
Last night was… just insane.
The things that happened to him, the things he did to acquire this gem, and the lengths he took to get away were just massive. Thankfully, he managed to squeeze in four hours of sleep after he arrived in the city on some rooftop in a quiet area.
Leon stored the Gem once again and stretched his body which was littered with pain as he finally gathered his will to stand up and started to take off his clothes.
Two months since this puny boy escaped the Academy, he achieved a lot.
The pale skin is now rosy with color which indicates health but thanks to the past three days in the forest, he sustained a lot of damage and bruises all over his body. He can finally rest in someplace, slowly cycle his Mana and cast [Light Magic - Healing] on himself.
Healing isn't instant or at least not at this level. Magic and Skills stimulate the process of healing but nature must take its course and their injuries must take their time. Leon simply kept his left hand to heal and with his right hand, he recalled the Arcane Theory book.
Yesterday, Leon experienced a very intense fight… or rather a series of intense fights against many dangerous opponents. The Assassin Bison, the Goblins, the mercenary Pearl, the Strangler monster, the Knights and the Soldiers, the Goblin Shaman, Archduchess Eleanor, every student of the Academy and every junior knight, Prince Edward, Knight Winthrop, and Lady Fern.
Yes, all of that happened within 24 hours and Leon couldn't even sleep except for 4 hours out of necessity to balance himself.
That's not the important thing anyway. What kept Leon's mind busy was all the Arcane and bizarre things that happened yesterday. He wasn't much of a studier but he wanted to do some research or at least take notes so he can't forget. Thankfully, Zal's workshop has plenty of paper and charcoal pencils.
First, the Magic.
"I haven't understood much about Magic but I think the Arcane Theory is well stuck in my head. But that's just the Theory, what I actually need are the basics I don't have. I noticed that Spellcasting happens through different methods which affect some spells in different ways.
First, the Somatic casting which involves the movement of the body and the one I understood. It is like puppeteering things through strings but what you puppeteer are the Elements and those strings are the Mana.
Second, the Vocal casting which involves speaking the spell through various imaginations to stimulate the Mana.
The differences between the first and the second are a lot since the first gives more control but only to certain Elements. The second, however, supplies more Mana which makes the spells more powerful.
Third, the Artificial casting which involves using different artifacts. They vary from Wands to Pillars and weirdly enough, Obelisks as well. I learned that those artifacts are called the Mana Focusing tools and they always share the shape of a line such as wands and pillars. According to further contemplating, Mage Towers are also artifacts of Mana Focus.
The first and the second pale against the third in potency and duration but overcome it in speed and versatility.
Aside from those three, there are even more methods but that's not something I need to dig into at the moment. I need to get a better understanding of the Basics so that I can understand even the parts I don't understand in the Arcane Theory book."
Leon finished his note and stored it away.
Back in his first life, his therapist encouraged him to write a diary to record his thoughts and make them clear. The trick was to write and as he writes, he would figure out what he lacks by himself.
Right now, he needs a teacher.
His only teachers were the ones he read magic from, he noticed slight differences between them but he inherited all of them even the mistakes. He hates to admit it but he needs a good teacher to evolve his Magic as soon as possible since he no longer has any of his guns and gadgets.
"Well, that was one thing done." Leon sighed and looked through the window to see the sun already bending in after the time of dawn.
He looked around and frowned.
"Where the fuck is Zal?"
An artist wouldn't leave his workshop this much. Zal had many sculptures and paintings unfinished but… he hasn't been here in a while.
Leon sighed and couldn't help but leave the excessive weight behind to go look for Zal outside.
In the streets, rumors have already spread that the students of the Royal Academy have been attacked by some group that calls itself the Temple of Evils, or the Temple of Darkness. A cult of Demon worshippers who seems to be users of the nasty Dark Magic.
Of course all of that was a hoax. The students were attacked by one individual and he certainly was not some demon cultist. This happened either because of the rumors' habit of being exaggerated or since the students and the knights were too afraid to announce that they were played with by a single individual.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
For the most part, people were split on too many opinions. Some conservatives viewed that as a mockery of the Light that protects the Kingdom and an insult to the aristocrats which are the protectors of the people. Others viewed it as the incompetent aristocrats losing to a group of outcasts. Others even voiced that this is all but a hoax since the Temple of Darkness is nothing more than a myth invented by the Light Temple to create the illusion of a scarecrow or a target for its Holy Wars.
Leon was pleased to hear such a variety of opinions. The people were aware of the political scene and kept spreading the opinions. Some brave souls even stood on stages made of crates and trash to give speeches that the people must rise and pursue liberty.
There was even a protest passing by and a gathering of the Light Temple enthusiasts who opposed the idea of protesting. In the middle of that, Leon could just stand and feel all the hidden hands playing the political games and shifting the views of the public.
If not for the development of Magic between the upper class and how strong they actually are, there would have been something as violent as a revolution.
Maybe this is a chance as well. If the Royal Family is going to pose a threat and start pursuing him for being Leon or track down the one who attacked the Prince, he can just give them something to be busier with.
Who wouldn't love some chaos?
***
Leon spent a few hours roaming the streets and visited all the usual spots in the district looking for Zal with no result. In the end, he decided it would be wise to go onto his other business and find the other thing he wanted to be done with.
Sadly that won't be possible unless night falls.
Either way, Leon found himself in a place near the river and if he turned around, he would see the Honey Saloon, his first lodging in this alien world.
By now, Jessica should have rallied her Dogs and became the Crow, the Madam of the Honey Saloon racket.
"Leo?"
"Jordi?"
It was at this time when Leon ran into a familiar face. Jordi, the fatso who runs errands for the Saloon.
"How the fuck did you recognize me? I thought my disguise was…" Leon pointed at himself as he was currently wearing like a traveler with poor features and distinctive age signs.
Jordi didn't even reply, he held Leon from the arm and darted together into an alley before being noticed by anyone… or after… maybe.
"Why the hell are you back?" Jordi asked with a suppressed scream.
"Just minding my own business, man." Leon said, raising his hands.
"Minding your business?" Jordi glared, "For fuck's sake, I thought you were gone with the rest of them."
"The who…"
"Just get out of here before they see you. Madam Ruth will literally kill anyone who speaks your name?" Jordi said that and walked off leaving Leon behind.
"Ruth?" Leon repeated the name distastefully before catching Jordi by the ear and dragging him back, "What are you saying?"
"Ouch! Please, stop. It hurts."
"Speak! Gone with who? And why is Ruth still here?" Leon asked as he let go of Jordi but still pushed him against a wall.
"G- Gone… with the other people. The Bull's people?" Jordi said.
"The Bull? Hector Norman, you mean?" Leon made a funny face, "Why would the King of the Northern District simply just go?"
Jordi looked at Leon taken aback for a minute.
"Where were you the past couple of days?" Jordi asked.
"Out of town on a Mercenary job." Leon replied.
"I… I see…" Jordi finally realized, "Fuck! You don't know shit then. Hector Norman left the district with most of his people."
"What? Why? When?"
"Eh… I don't know why but that was exactly a couple of days ago." Jordi said, "He traveled to the east hunting some treasure or so the rumors say…"
"Fuck!" Leon became upset but then he realized, "No, you know what, this might not be bad after all."
"You there!" But of course, someone had to interrupt. Two men called from the entrance of the alleyway then started walking in carrying short clubs in their hands.
"Sorry, mate. Just having a conversation with my friend here. Nothing to look at." Leon said with a friendly cheerful smile.
"L… Leo… get out of here." Jordi lowered his voice and started whispering but the dumb boy exposed himself right away.
"Leo?" One of the men reacted, "The errand madam Ruth is looking for?"
Leon narrowed his eyes at the mention of that. The two dogs as well, looked at Leon viscously and walked over to him.
"Come on with us, boy." One of them said.
"I advise you boys to back down." Leon let Jordi off as the fatso simply ran aside.
"Heh!" The other dog smiled widely, "The madam promised free access to the girls to whoever finds the runt. My lucky day!"
"Neither Jessica, Molly, nor Ruth would let the Dogs touch the merchandise." Leon deducted, "Jordi, what happened in the Saloon?"
"Jessica… she revolted." Jordi said as he shivered at the sight of the two Dogs looking at him and Leon as if they would swallow them any time, "And she failed."
*Swoosh* *Snap* *Swoosh* *Ruck*
*Thud* *Thud*
It took only one second for everything to unfold. Leon straight jabbed the Dog in front of him at the neck with enough power and accuracy to instantly break the neck and kill the man before he twists his body in a roundhouse straight kick against the other's dogs head ramming it into the nearby wall and causing a massive head trauma which leaves the man bleeding from his eyes and nose as he fell on the ground like a ragdoll.
Leon didn't even wait for the bodies to fall as he held them together and dragged them inside the alley before dumping them in a pile of trash.
Dead and dead; in terms of bareheaded double-kill speed, that may have broken his previous record.
"Just one day without killing! That's all I ask." Leon prayed to the heavens as he took a breather.
Jordi going pale from a while ago was given since his cowardly Rat nature but that just now was a Rabbit murdering two Dogs like killing a mosquito.
"So, Hector Norman leaves town and Jessica fails to throw off Ruth. Any more bad news?" Leon asked.
"R… d… g…" Jordi kept talking but all he was doing was saying a word and losing his breath after the first letter in each.
"Okay! Breathe slowly. Stop talking, breathe from your nose, let your mind be clear. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale… and push."
"Hm?"
"Oh! Wrong advice…" Leon brushed it off but his nose twitched, "Did you piss yourself?"
"You said to push."
"Yeah, I am the idiot here." Leon nodded and backed off, "Now say what you were trying to say."
"Madam Ruth went to another boss from a different district when Hector Norman left. He provided her with manpower which made Jessica and her Dogs feel like you threw eggs at a wall."
"So it's partially my fault."
"Most of the Dogs who followed Jessica were either dead or beaten halfway to death. Jessica was locked in the basement and will be put on sale tonight."
"Put on sale?" Leon found it hard to process the words, "Like slave trafficking?"
"Worse." Jordi shook his head.
A few things in life could be worse than being a slave with rights less than a human being. Even the Rats of the Syndicate are better than slaves and so there is no rock-bottom after that. But it seems there is.
"Being on sale in a whorehouse is a death penalty. For just one copper, anyone can get to court her… nonstop… beggars and vagrants would definitely gather. Ruth let the news spread the past couple of days."
"That's… a crime." Leon lost his words.
Jordi simply looked at the corpses Leon piled.
"What? I killed them fair and square. They would have done the same."
"Isn't it always fair as long as you win?" Jordi mocked in disdain.
"Right… well, not my business anyway." Leon nodded and thought about leaving but he just had one last question, "Do you happen to know where Zal is?"
"Ruth has him in the backyard cabin." Jordi said.
"Of course she does." Leon held his head as he can no longer think of anything other than how hard must he bang his head to a wall?
He wanted to leave but now Ruth has Zal and Jessica, she's also looking for him and probably will attract more attention. The reason why Leon wanted to get rid of Ruth was the fact that she wanted to interfere with his business at first when she asked him if he witnessed the chase from two months ago. She wanted to make contact with the nobles and have her hand in their pockets. Now that she is after the real him, she's bound to make even more noise which he can't allow. Obviously she kidnapped Zal to let him make a drawing of Leo and look for him.
That would be a problem.
"Jordi, the Saloon has a wagon, right?" Leon asked.
"Yes."
"Clean yourself, get that wagon, meet me right before the bridge in that direction." Leon said.
"Wait! What are you trying to do?"
"You want to save your sister?" Leon asked.
"Who?"
"Jessica."
"What?"
"Oh!" Leon rolled his eyes, "Same eyes, same hair color, different face structure but closely resembling each other. The fat may hide it but you got chubbier because you eat well and Jessica makes sure you do. Molly was the one that raised you but she did it because of Jessica or because of her mom which was her friend so… two children of the same hooker, obviously different fathers, all the marks are there, both Jordi and Jessica start with a J, obviously Jessica's mother's name started with a J, a sentimental connection through names since none of you has a surname. Siblings!"
"Wow! Jessica is my sister?" Jordi's face changed.
"It's obvious actually. Everyone else is just too blind or too boring to figure it out." Leon sighed.
"I masturbated imagining her." Jordi confessed in bewilderment.
"You scum… well… so did I. I mean your sister is hot and…"
"Hey!"
"The saving Jessica part."
"Right."
"I have a plan. Get the wagon, meet me at the bridge in ten minutes."