“Why are there so many guards here?” The demon’s voice reached my ears as the two of us made our way through the city. Following the canal lines made the path easier. I also still had the map the good farmer lent me.
The number of guards and knights walking in the city of Blue was extensive today. The number was almost suffocating, even more so when you had something to hide. Perhaps this was why patrolling worked.
”They are looking for you,” I whispered to the demon who widened his eyes.
“Acheron, you think those knights told them about me?”
“No, it was just a joke. There have been a lot of missing people and they are blaming it on a demon.”
“Ah… that figures. I was in the city for a bit before going into the labyrinth, they must have seen me then.”
I nodded. Initially, I thought they had blamed the demons without any reason, but maybe someone caught a glimpse of Schwann and thought these disappearances had something to do with him. It was unfortunate how prejudiced people were here.
Schwann was a rather reasonable demon. He didn’t seem like someone I had to be worried about.
“We can’t stay out in the night for long, let’s go to an inn.”
“Do you know a place?”
I pointed at the map, it was detailed to a funny degree.
“This inn, it’s where the farmers go to escape from their wives. They won’t care about us here, and there’s a neat skewer shop right next to it.”
***
Schwann and I reached the inn, Plum Mountain it was called, I wondered what the plum could stand for in the beginning but the curiosity died away almost immediately when I saw the owner.
“Two rooms? Got it, and would you like any plum leaves?” With his eyes slightly turned up under the lamp light, the owner’s dim voice was accentuated even among the rowdy guests. All of them seemed a little out of it and were eager to call me and my friend to their tables.
“Hey, boy! Join us for a drink.”
“Ye an adventurer? I hate all Liones bastards, but if you’re from the Rebin Guild we can talk!”
“I bought a lot of plum leaves, you ain’t getting any though…”
“Is it drugs?”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I asked and the owner immediately clasped my mouth. He looked around and shook his head. “It’s just a mushroom grown outside the city, alright? I know it looks like Rusgrass that makes you high, but it's just a dietary supplement.”
The stout man tapped on a sachet on the table. “How many leaves?”
“None, please. Thank you.”
“You have to buy some if you’re at the Sugar Mountain.”
The place was a mess. Grime was stuck on the corners and the stench of smoke and cigarettes was the only thing stronger than the clamor these ‘recreationists’ caused.
“Give us two packs?”
The man slid us some ‘plum leaves,’ and two keys, and let us go.
Schwann and I quietly climbed the stairs while the people behind us still called. Only after we opened the door to one room did we both break into laughter.
“Hahaha!” I chuckled at the absurdity. “I’ve never had an encounter with junkies.”
Schwann nodded enthusiastically. “It’s funny how some humans live. No one would care if they disappear tomorrow.”
“Uh… I guess. Yeah, drugs are very bad.”
Schwann laughed again and I joined in.
Demon sensibilities were strange. It slightly reminded me of Twitter users.
***
Schwann and I had retreated to our rooms.
I didn’t bother with the lamps and spread the windows completely open after washing up and fell on the bed.
Even after spending a tiring day in the labyrinth, I had only escaped with my life and a fire resistance skill. I was thankful to be the first to get through one of Sirius’ trials, but after seeing the result reflected in the Divine Window I couldn’t say the same.
What if the labyrinths were largely connected to the gods? For now, I was only gaining small strengths, but I was also hoping somewhere in my heart to get the strength to go against the gods through the labyrinth.
“It won’t be that easy after all.”
It was tiring. Extremely so.
I closed my eyes. What a tiring day it had been.
I felt as if it was the first time I had managed to take a break since I left Magen. Even though I felt my head clearing up in the labyrinth and could look forward, sleeping on a bed was worlds apart from sleeping on the ground in the middle of a grotesque forest.
“Ugh… those monsters were gross…”
I flipped over and shoved my face into the pillow. Pretty thoughts, pretty ones.
***
Sleeping in was natural after a tiring day, but thanks to the patrolling guards, we all went to sleep early. Because of this curfew, even though I slept in it was still early in the morning. How annoying was that? Can’t have anything in Blue.
I stretched my body and pushed myself off the bed. After washing up (thank god for whoever made sewage and hygiene in this world) I stepped out of the room. The Plum Mountain was eerily quiet in the morning.
It was very quiet. I thought most of those old folks would be making a mess till well into the afternoon, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Did something happen?
I slowly stepped down the stairs, when a hand fell on my shoulder.
“Acheron, friend.”
Startled, I looked back and found Schwann smiling at me.
“Schwann. I think something happened down there—”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Schwann interrupted me. “They are all just asleep. I checked down there already. It won’t be a good idea to make a mess while the city is this tense.”
I nodded at his words. The people of this city were already in a rough spot, if they attracted attention all morning then the knights would surely raid the place. The owner had his wits about him despite being drugged.
Schwann lowered his hood and pointed at his room.
“Should we discuss our plans now?” he asked. “We have to get out of this city soon.”