Chương 168: A World Full of Ravetrisk

Three days had passed since Ravetrisk's death. Back at the hideout, Ethan slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurred, and his body felt heavy, as though it were made of stone. Moving his gaze only slightly, he noticed a figure beside him. Agnes. The moment she realized he was awake, she smiled through tear-filled eyes and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"Ethan!" she exclaimed. A pained groan escaped his lips.

"Oh, forgive me…you must be hurting all over", Agnes said at once, pulling back. Her voice trembled with emotion. Still confused, Ethan stared at her. Then he slapped himself across the face. A moment later, he struck himself again. When he raised his hand for a third time, Agnes seized his wrist.

"What in the hell are you doing, you utter fool?" Ethan stared at her wide-eyed, as though trying to determine whether she was truly there or he was still dreaming.

"Agnes…you…they sold you. They took you away…" She slowly nodded.

"Yes, but I was freed by a man named Sven and a woman named Makena. With them, I was reunited with Felicity and Elion, and we made our way to the hideout. We first had to devise a pla-" Ethan did not let her finish. He pulled her against him with what little strength remained and burst into tears.

"Forgive me…forgive me, Agnes. I couldn't protect you…I failed. I let them take you away from me…" Agnes tried to hold back her tears, but her eyes grew moist.

"How many times must I bloody well tell you? You don't have to protect me…" She then returned his embrace. Downstairs, Makena, Sven, Elion, and Firmin were surrounded by crates filled with jewels, coins, and other valuables.

"We distributed an enormous amount of crowns among the freed slaves…and yet, look at how much gold remains", Makena said, shaking her head.

"Those bastards were immensely wealthy".

"Indeed", Sven replied with a faint smile.

"And now, so are we". If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Firmin tossed several coins from hand to hand as though they were toys. Elion, by contrast, remained apart from the others, his gaze vacant. Shigeru's death had shattered him. He had wept for all three days and buried his body outside the hideout. At length, he rose without a word and went upstairs to check on Felicity. He found her lying on the bed, still unconscious.

He sat beside her and simply watched. Several minutes passed. Then Felicity slowly opened her eyes.

"Felicity…" Elion murmured, startled.

"Are you all right?" She tried to sit up, but a violent pain coursed through her body.

"Stay down", he immediately told her.

"Where…where am I?" she murmured.

"At the hideout".

"The hideout? How?"

"We found you unconscious alongside the blondie. We brought you both here". Felicity furrowed her brow.

"But that makes no sense…he pierced my heart. How the hell am I still alive?"

"We had a freed slave with medical knowledge examine your wounds. He said neither of your bodies bore any injuries, as though they had been restored by some magic or power he could not identify. Do you truly remember nothing?" She slowly shook her head.

"No. After I was struck…there is nothing. A complete void". She then looked at Elion more closely. She noticed the pain in his eyes, his exhaustion, and the despair he was desperately trying to conceal. It was obvious how deeply he was suffering.

"I'm sorry about Shigeru. He saved my life, and I could not save his. My weakness was, in part, responsible for his death". Elion shook his head. Tears streamed down his face.

"Shigeru would never have thought such a thing. He always fought to protect others. To die while helping someone…that was his dream". He wiped his eyes, but more tears continued to fall.

"And even knowing that it was what he wanted, I cannot accept it. Without him…I am lost". Felicity swallowed before speaking in a quiet voice.

"He asked me to tell you these words. They were his last. He asked me to tell you…to live free". Elion's eyes widened, and he pressed a hand against his chest.

"He and his obsession with freedom…" he murmured, a broken smile appearing through his tears. Not far from there, in a white castle with azure roofs, three nobles sat around a table laden with tea and exquisite sweets. They were seated beneath a gazebo in the midst of a magnificent garden. A fountain flowed behind them. One of them, clad in a sumptuous religious robe, finished chewing a slice of chocolate cake before looking at the other two.

"So, Ravetrisk is out of the picture, along with his trade. I had the rumors investigated. It appears they were, indeed, true". The Marquis, a corpulent, bald man with thick moustaches, sighed.

"I heard as much. It is a pity. His merchandise was of good quality. I purchased two slaves from him, both of them twins…I never had any reason to complain".

"Marquis, would those happen to be the two you got with child?" the religious man asked, wiping his mouth with a cloth worth as much as a common citizen's monthly wages.

"Precisely, Monsignor. At that age, they seem capable of becoming pregnant merely by being looked at. I was forced to have them drink womb-quieting tea, or my wife would have left me".

"I see. In any case, it is a pity. I had intended to purchase another slave from him. The one I currently possess has reached adulthood and no longer meets my needs". The third man, his hair carefully combed back, slowly set down his cup.

"I, too, purchased from Ravetrisk. More than fifteen slaves, in fact. I never had any cause to question their quality. And his prices were among the most reasonable". He regarded the other two with a cold, almost amused smile.

"But, my dear gentlemen…this world is full of Ravetrisk. In less than a week, I shall have found another slave trader of suitable quality".

"Well said".

"I cannot but agree". The three men then resumed eating and drinking, as though nothing at all had happened.