Chapter 47

The guard's eyes hardened, and in that instant, everyone thought nothing could intervene.

For a moment. Yes, it was just a moment of encounter. The blue light and the silver light mixed. Strangely, not a single sound was made.

No one spoke, nothing made a sound. Everyone held their breath, becoming witnesses to the scene.

The saber, which was supposed to sever the girl's right arm, was deflected by something and danced in the air, bending its body. Then, with a hollow sound, it fell to the ground.

It appeared so abruptly, without any context or warning, accompanied by the wind and dust.

"Hey, girl. You should stop risking your life every time you play."

Wearing green clothes and holding the girl Cereal under his arm, Ruis shrugged and said.

Cereal's mouth relaxed for a moment in relief, but then changed to a look of dissatisfaction. Why had she been saved again? She seemed to regret it.

But how did this man appear? Cereal's eyes moved, trying to calm her still unsettled heart.

No matter how she struggled, it was a distance no one could cover in time. Her right arm was about to be severed by the saber. Yet this man had deflected the saber with what seemed to be a knife in his hand, saving her. It was as if by magic.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared, enveloped in dust, cutting through the air.

"Who are you? Do you understand the foolish act you are committing?"

Stunned by Ruis's unexpected appearance, one of the guards, who had been the only one to speak, narrowed his eyes, his reptilian gaze intensifying.

"You're as unfriendly as ever, Mr. Lizard. I just happened to be there when a saber was about to fall on my friend's sister. Isn't that right?"

*

He frowned slightly, thinking he had encountered an unpleasant person.

He didn't know the name, but the guard with the reptilian gaze was familiar. He was sure he had been the captain of the guards when he visited Galuamaria in the past.

Selfish and exclusive, his nickname was Lizard. It was said that he would abandon anyone, subordinates or not, for his own advancement. Of course, his gaze contributed to the nickname.

"...This girl is an accomplice to the thief. It is our duty as guards to punish criminals. If you interfere, you will also be brought to justice."

Narrowing his eyes and not hiding his displeasure, the Lizard said. The malevolence in his gaze was not pleasant to receive.

The Lizard continued in the same tone. The thief had stolen goods from a merchant visiting Galuamaria and fled to the slums. Cereal had assisted her, he claimed.

"Indeed, you seem very enthusiastic about your job. To the point of trying to sever an unarmed girl's arm."

"Hmph, if I could, I'd cut off that useless tongue of yours. If you understand, hand over the girl."

Or are you also an accomplice to the thief? His gaze intensified, and his hand moved to the saber at his waist.

To avoid alarming the other, he slowly moved his eyes, surveying the surroundings.

There were five guards, including the Lizard. However, the people in the slums didn't seem reliable.

If Fealart were to arrive, it would be bad. The meaning of hiding would be lost.

If he were to draw his knife, he would have to face five enemies.

That was not a good idea. It was too reckless. Only those with true power could pull off such recklessness. Even with a surprise attack or a trap, facing multiple enemies alone was like leaving your sanity in your mother's womb.

That was what someone like Karia would do.

"If this were within the walls, I might consider it. But this is a slum. You understand, don't you? This isn't Galuamaria."

The Lizard's eyebrows twitched, and the guards behind him tensed slightly.

If direct confrontation wasn't the best option, he had to smooth things over. This Lizard, despite his demeanor, wasn't stupid. He was sure of that. If he realized he was in the wrong, he would back down, even if it meant losing face.

"...Do you understand the meaning, you?"

"Of course. In the slums, the law and the authority of your guard don't apply. So why do you enforce it as if it's natural? There's no reason."

Indeed, the legal governance of the walled city Galuamaria only extended within the walls.

The residents of the slums outside the walls were neither citizens of the walled city nor vagrants. They were just outlaws camping in the open.

This might seem inconvenient, but it was actually more convenient for Galuamaria. If the slums were recognized as part of the state, they would have to be recognized as part of the citizenry.

That was problematic. It was unimaginable to recognize those who were once considered less than human as citizens. Even if the upper class agreed, public sentiment would not allow it.

Moreover, if that were to happen, the guilds that treated the slum residents as cheap labor and prostitutes would be dissatisfied.

In the trading city of Galuamaria, cheap labor was abundant. The more there were, the better for the economy and the prosperity of the country.

The prosperity of the city depended on the slums, yet recognizing them as citizens would undermine the city. This was the twisted nature of the city-state of Galuamaria.

Therefore, he thought that by pointing out this contradiction, the Lizard would back down as he had before.

"Enforcement is natural. The reason is that you are inferior people."

His eyes widened in surprise at the words. His thoughts lagged behind the reality, racing to catch up.

He felt something hard embed itself in his spine and joints.

"Just because you can talk doesn't mean you can persuade me. Your thinking is dull. Who do you think is governing you, the inferior people in the slums? None other than us, the citizens."

As he spoke, the Lizard's lips became smoother, more cheerful, as if addressing not just him but all the residents.

"You, the inferior, don't need laws or logic—mold on the eaves of our glorious Galuamaria."

The words, spoken matter-of-factly, were cold and filled with contempt.

They were probably his true feelings. The unambiguous, unfiltered words of the man called Lizard. In a way, they were pure. And they were the words of many Galuamaria citizens.

He stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. A leaden heat rose in his chest. His skin was hot, and his eyes felt as if they would melt.

Indeed, it seemed this man looked down on him and the slum residents with utter disdain. He thought they were powerless, that they were beneath him.

Yes, that made sense. How could it not? In the past, during his travels, he had shown a similar attitude, as if he had been convinced by the same logic.

Yes, it was Fealart who had said that.

He understood. He knew. The situation was different from his past travels, his position had changed, and even the times were different. But one thing was certain: this man had underestimated him.

The boiling organs forged the words, pushing them out of his throat.

"You're wrong. Why not be more honest? You act on your own to punish anyone, anywhere, if it helps you advance and if you have a reason to call them a criminal."

The Lizard's eyes, more reptilian than ever, glared at him.

They were filled with contempt and anger. He was furious that someone like him had seen through his true intentions, someone he should have been able to crush.

Suppressing the fear rising from his heels, he reached for the knife at his waist.

The grips of the two knives were well-adjusted. They felt good in his hands. He pushed Cereal's back, urging her to escape into the crowd.

Ah, forgive me. I'm in the same position as that woman. After all, I'm just a sewer rat, with no reason or thought.

While complaining in his heart, the devil of emotion, which had devoured his reason, distorted his expression. A thick, sticky substance gathered in his organs, and strangely, it felt good.

For some time now, he had felt something, some foreign object, inside him. And the more his emotions rose, the more it gave him a sense of fulfillment.

The guards, seeing his stance, must have realized that words would not resolve the situation. They reached for their sabers, waiting for the Lizard's command.

A moment of silence. The next moment, it was easy to imagine him covered in blood.

But could he back down here? He couldn't. It would be no different from his old self, the one who sold his dignity, the one who chose to suffocate his emotions with reason.

He, the Lizard, the guards, and the slum residents all understood that the next moment would be a splash of red.

A voice broke the silence.

"Deputy Captain, I have not authorized such arbitrary actions."

His ears twitched, his eyes widened. The organs that had been heated suddenly cooled.

It was absurd. You shouldn't be here. You said you were with your uncle in the Galreist Kingdom during the Gospel War.

But there was no mistaking the voice, no mistaking the figure.

Helt Stanley. My arch-nemesis, in the flesh.