Chapter 13: Royal Capital: Night in Lower Town
As if to confirm his words, Yaris's movements quickly lost their original agility and lightness, his breathing became rapid, his face turned pale, his hair was wet with sweat, and his body was shaking.
"…If you lack strength in your arms and strive for speed, your sword will likely lack impact power, and even if it strikes, it won't cause more than a scratch on the skin."
"Stop talking!"
Xiao Yun gasped and shouted, "Stop! You need to rest."
"I--"
"You can hardly stand!"
"Do you really need a break?"
Yaris showed an indescribable strange smile, suddenly turned his body to the side, and stabbed Lucien's shoulder with the sword!
"ah--"
Everyone exclaimed.
Xiao Yun also thought that this attack would definitely hit his shoulder.
However, the imagined blood and severe pain did not appear.
Because Yaris suddenly let go at the last moment.
——Bang!
The light sword fell to the ground, and the slender body fell limply, falling into the arms of Mikael who rushed forward. "Your Highness... Doctor! Doctor! Send a doctor here immediately!"
“…I’m fine.”
Jarris raised his head with all his strength, and looked at Lucien softly with his pale face: "Never let your guard down until the enemy lays down their weapons."
"...I know...I...I will remember my brother's teachings."
"besides--"
Yaris moved his body and stood up with the help of Mikael. The servant came forward and wiped the sweat from his forehead with silk.
"Lucien, there's something wrong with your left foot... the way you generate force and move it..."
"ah?"
Xiao Yun was stunned.
Yaris could actually fight at high speed while...
"My health is too poor. No matter how much I train, my muscle reaction speed... can only increase my sword speed to three times that of a normal person. You're different... You're stronger than me. According to my calculations, if you take into account both speed and striking power, your body can increase your muscle reaction speed to ten times that of a normal person."
"ten times?"
(How many times faster is Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do punch than a normal person?)
Xiao Yun fell into deep confusion.
Mikael, standing by, couldn't help but sigh. "If Your Highness had a healthy body, your perseverance and intelligence alone would be enough to make you a legendary hero."
"I had the opportunity to have a normal, healthy body."
Yaris said nonchalantly, "When I was thirteen, the 'Dark Night Mentor' found me and lured me into the Dark Mage Path. He hoped that I would join the Dark Mage Path and become his apprentice. He would use the Dark Mage's secret techniques to give me the healthy body I always dreamed of and train me to become the most powerful Dark Mage in the history of the Mage Path."
"I refused because he looked powerful but was actually stupid and arrogant."
"'Dark Night Mentor' has always been cunning, untrustworthy, and full of lies. Your Highness really shouldn't have agreed to him."
Mikael agreed.
Xiao Yun silently memorized the name "Dark Night Mentor", and had a premonition that he would have an intersection with this powerful magician who was described by Yaris as "stupid and arrogant" in the future.
"Um... Your Highness!"
Adrian, who was standing by, was so anxious that he said something shocking because he couldn't join the conversation.
"...I...I don't think my father hates Your Highness deep down..."
"Um?"
Yaris raised his eyes and looked at Adrian: "Why do you say that?"
"because……"
Adrien blushed inexplicably.
"I think... Father must like Your Highness. He acts like he hates you... because... he can't stand seeing Your Highness living in such a fierce way, as if he's burning his life... He's angry... He's heartbroken... Ah... What the hell am I saying?!"
"What a simple-minded puppy."
Yaris smiled softly and beckoned Adrien to stand in front of him, looking at Lucien with eyes as deep as a night lake.
"May you become lifelong friends."
"no problem!"
Adrian blurted out.
Xiao Yun followed suit and nodded.
…
…
After seeing Adrien off, Yaris asked Lucien to get ready to go out.
"So late?"
Xiao Yun was shocked.
"I'm going back tomorrow morning—"
"You have tomorrow off. I had John Deere change your schedule."
"Why suddenly..."
Xiao Yun was puzzled.
"I will go to Denos tomorrow afternoon to preside over the sacrifice. The ceremony will take ten days."
Yalishi paused for a moment. "I want to create as many memories with you as possible, while I can still walk and dance."
…
The adventure officially begins.
The two men took off their noble and gorgeous clothes, put on the simple clothes of common people, and finally put on black cloaks without any decoration to cover their radiant faces.
"I can't believe... my brother actually dressed so plainly... and went out with me in an ordinary two-wheeled carriage..."
Xiao Yun was a little excited.
When he saw that the driver was Marina, who was wearing men's clothes and had a dagger on her waist, he was even more shocked: "Does Mikael know about this?"
"If he knew I drove His Highness and the Young Master to a party downtown late at night, he would be so angry that he'd kick me out of the house, and then he'd plead with His Highness in tears!"
Marina said cheerfully, inviting Jaris and Lucien to get in the car.
The simple two-wheeled carriage drove out of the back door of the Silver Moon Palace, passed through the King's Square, and crossed the bridge over the Ebola River that divided the Capital of Light into two parts, entering the lower city, which was completely different from the upper city where the nobles lived.
…
Compared to the upper town where lights are bright like a sea of stars every night, the lights in the lower town are obviously much dimmer, and most blocks are completely immersed in darkness.
The carriage stopped in front of an alley.
Yaris took Xiao Yun out of the car.
Under the protection of Marina, who was dressed as a man, the two brothers walked towards the alley illuminated only by the starlight.
"Lucien, you may have seen scenes a thousand times more tragic than what you are seeing now during your four years of wandering, but this is the capital of the Kingdom of Light, the most prosperous and beautiful place in the most powerful Sun Empire in the Western Continent."
As soon as he finished speaking, the women who were waiting for customers at the entrance of the alley came forward, took off their shawls to expose their breasts, and forced themselves into stiff smiles.
"Sir, do you need a place to stay? I'm cheap! Just a few coppers!"
"My child is very sick... Please take care of my business..."
"Sir! Sir! Just give me the money for one portion. I really need the money..."
“…”
(this……)
Xiao Yun looked at Yaris.
He wanted to use all the money in his pocket to help these women who were forced to sell themselves.
Yaris silently held his brother's hand.
The words of the heart flow in.
[Giving them copper coins is enough. Don't give them silver coins, let alone gold coins. That will bring them harm. Also, when giving alms, act impatient. Don't let them think you are soft-hearted and take advantage of you.]
【Understood. 】
Xiao Yun, who had already mastered the basic use of the Demonic Heart Language, nodded, took out a handful of copper coins from his pocket, and threw them at the woman: "Hurry up and take the money and get out! Don't block our way again!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, sir!"
"Sir, you are such a kind man!"
"Thanks……"
The women expressed their gratitude and lay on the ground looking for copper coins that were gleaming in the dim starlight.
Marina then led the two into the alley, scolding and beating up the drunkards, hooligans, thieves, and drug addicts who came forward...
Xiao Yun followed Marina and Yaris closely, taking in the vulgarity, poverty, and mixed crowd that would never appear in the upper city of the aristocracy.
(I know that where there is light, there is darkness, and even in the most prosperous and affluent cities, there are still poor people struggling on the brink of life and death. But… this is the capital of the empire… Across the bridge is the upper city where the nobles live, so why would there be…)
Xiao Yun, who was struggling to pass through the alley under the guidance of Marina and Yaris, couldn't help but turn his head to look at the upper city area across the bridge, which was as bright as day.
All of Lucien's actions were seen by Jarris.
He walked over to his brother and said with nostalgia, "Three years ago, John and his friends brought me here for the first time. I was also frightened by the miserable scene here. Fortunately, Marina and John were there and drove away the hooligans and drunkards who came up."
"You...you actually mentioned it with a smile on your face..."
Marina was speechless. "Do you know how dire the situation was that day? Your Highness, naive and unworldly, pulled handfuls of silver and gold coins from a purse embroidered with gold thread with her jeweled ring, giving alms to the homeless and women... If we hadn't dispersed the crowd in time and stuffed you back into the carriage, the Lower Town would have been a river of blood before the Knights of the Protection arrived."
"Rivers of blood?"
(Is the security situation in downtown so bad at night?)
Xiao Yun looked at Yaris, who was trying to please Marina with the affectionate tone of a younger brother addressing his sister. "Dear Valkyrie, I didn't mean to increase your workload that day. Besides, I have now learned how to properly approach the civilians in the lower city..."
"...You clearly just realized this!"
Marina glared at Yaris and walked under the swinging lantern.
Pound! Pound! Pound!
Creak——
The narrow wooden door opened and a young man poked his head out.
Yaris then took off his hood, revealing his black hair as soft as flowing water.
"ah--"
The young man resisted his impulse and respectfully invited the three people in.
…
Passing through the creaking corridor, one was greeted by a narrow hall, no more than 50 square meters in size. The hall was packed with more than 20 young people, and the air was thick with the heat of the crowd.
"Here they come! Here they come! Your Highness and the others are here!"
Upon hearing this, the chattering crowd suddenly fell silent. The young people stood up and looked at Yaris and the other two intently, their cheeks flushed and their breathing rapid.
Xiao Yun noticed that the large dining table where the young people were sitting was made up of several wooden tables, some of which were uneven. On the table was food made from the best ingredients they could find:
Steaming pots of stew, wicker baskets filled with fresh fruit, various jams in transparent bottles of various sizes, a whole plate of animal-shaped baked cookies, fruit tarts decorated with colorful berries, and fluffy, soft long loaves of white bread...
To be fair, if this table of food appeared in the Silver Moon Palace, even the servants would not bother to look at it, but at this moment and in this place, the warmth and sweetness emanating from the food far surpassed any palace banquet.
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