Chapter 259: Karan Town [II]
"Do you know the way to the local garrison?" Azel asked in a calm tone.
In a town like this, information was the most valuable thing.
One had to take advantage of every situation, even if he was being held at gunpoint by someone that couldn’t damage him.
The scruffy man blinked at him, lowering his gun slightly.
"They’re... situated forward," he said after a pause, pointing toward the massive walls that stood in the distance. "They protect the inner town."
Azel followed the line of his finger, his eyes narrowing at the walls that loomed like a barrier between two worlds.
The slums stretched around him... they were crooked buildings made of metal scraps but beyond those walls, he could almost imagine bright lanterns, clean streets, and full bellies.
’So they built a wall to protect themselves and left the rest to rot,’ he thought grimly.
Humans never change.
He reached into his storage space, his fingers brushing against the familiar coins he kept there.
He pulled out two gold ares and tossed them lightly toward the man.
The man caught them instantly, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of the gold.
"Don’t spend it all in one place," Azel said with a smile as he turned away, brushing dust from his clothes.
But he had barely taken a step before the unmistakable click of a cocked gun sounded behind him.
"I want the whole storage ring, rich boy," the man sneered, confidence returning now that he thought he had the upper hand.
Azel turned his head slowly in disbelief.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Azel sighed.
’Not even grateful,’ he thought tiredly.
In a blur, his body vanished from sight.
Before the man could react, Azel’s boot slammed into his gut with a force that sent him flying backward.
The man spun through the air like a ragdoll before crashing into a wall of packed clay and wood.
The structure cracked, sending a small cloud of dust into the air.
The gun fell uselessly to the ground as the man groaned once and went silent.
Azel adjusted his collar.
"Should’ve just said thank you," he muttered, stepping over the unconscious body.
...
The walk to the inner wall was long and unpleasant. The deeper he went, the more the town revealed its misery.
The air smelled of rust and ash.
Children with hollow cheeks huddled near the alleys, some staring at him with wide eyes, others too weak to care.
And there were old men that sat in corners, their hands were outstretched in quiet begging.
Azel’s jaw tightened. He hated it, but there was nothing he could do now.
He wasn’t here to save them from bondage... Besides who apart from the king and the great clans had enough money to rehabilitate a whole slums?
Finally, he reached the base of the great wall.
It stretched high above him and was built from dark stone, its surface was engraved with the sigils of the Starbloom Empire.
On the other side, he could see the silhouettes of guards moving lazily along the top of the wall...
’They look well-fed,’ he thought bitterly.
Two guards stationed at the gate leveled their rifles as he approached.
"Stop right there!" one barked. "Where are you from? Show your identification!"
Azel didn’t even flinch.
He reached into his coat, pulled out his identification card, and flicked it toward the nearest guard.
The man caught it easily, though his finger hovered close to the trigger just in case.
The guard squinted down at the card, his eyes scanning the text.
A moment later, his expression changed completely.
"...Astralis Academy?" he murmured, then looked up quickly. "First Year Representative? Azel Thorne?"
The other guard blinked.
"The Azel Thorne?" he whispered.
Azel sighed inwardly.
The first guard straightened immediately and handed back the card with both hands.
"We apologize for pointing our weapons at you, Sir Azel," he said respectfully. "We were only following protocol."
Azel caught the card and pocketed it.
"I respect that you’re doing your job," he said with a sigh, it was good that they didn’t let random people in.
Then he gestured behind him toward the slums. "But let me guess... if anyone from back there tries to cross this wall, you shoot them down?"
He meant it as sarcasm, but the guard nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, sir. The slum rats will infect the inner town if we let them near the gate."
Azel closed his eyes briefly. It was cruelty of the highest order.
He let out a slow sigh and forced himself to move on.
"I’m here because of your monster problem," he said finally. "The one that’s been attacking the outer town. I need whatever information you have on it."
The guard’s eyes widened. "You’re here to help with that?"
"Yes."
The soldier looked both relieved and nervous. "Then... I’ll call our garrison head. He’ll want to meet you immediately."
He turned and waved his arm toward the top of the wall.
"Boss! Please let the rope down!" he shouted. "We have someone who says he’ll help with the werewolf situation!"
Azel’s brow twitched.
’So it’s really a wolf.’ He thought, ’Lycus, here I come.’
The guards above moved, and a few moments later, a thick rope was thrown down, trailing all the way to the dirt.
It looked sturdy, though clearly weathered from years of use.
"You can use that rope to climb up," the guard said with a polite gesture.
Azel eyed the rope, then looked back at the man. "I’ll pass."
Before the guard could ask what he meant, Azel bent his knees slightly and in the next instant, his figure blurred upward like a gust of wind.
He landed gracefully atop the stone wall like it was nothing.
The guards up there jumped in surprise, their hands gripping their rifles in reflex before realizing what had just happened.
"Wha—How did he—?!" one stammered.
Down below, the first guard just sighed and shook his head.
"...Fucking swordsmen," he muttered, returning to his post.