Chapter 168: Entering the City

Chapter 168: Entering the City━━━━━━━━━━┓༻( ∞ )༺┏━━━━━━━━━━

Chapter 168: Entering the City

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The city gate guards, sitting atop their watchful posts, appeared unusually wary. The ragtag group of individuals approaching not only bore grim expressions, but also wore the unmistakable attire of prisoners.

Given their appearance, it was hard not to suspect that they might have escaped from some distant prison. Upon closer inspection, the figure of a swordsman and one donned in military garb stood out.

The guard quickly motioned for his companion to alert the captain, while he stayed stationed at his post.

"Halt!" he bellowed, his voice strong and commanding, his eyes narrowing in an attempt to intimidate the approaching figures- Athena and her companions.

His throat felt tight, and a cold sweat began to form as a wave of nervousness gripped him. "Did you hear me? I said stop!"

Athena, standing some distance away, calmly presented her official documents. The golden seal on the papers was clearly visible even from afar, glowing with unmistakable authority.

"Prisoners? Escorting criminals?" The guard furrowed his brows in confusion. There had been no prior notice about this. He was taken aback, his mind racing to understand the situation.

As he waited for them to approach, the captain came hurrying out, his clothes disheveled, reeking of alcohol.

Athena stepped forward, signaling to the others to remain still. She handed the captain her documents, offering them with a calm but determined gesture.

Despite the captain’s disheveled appearance, the seal on the document caused a flicker of clarity in his hazy mind.

"From the Imperial Capital?" He glanced at the papers briefly, then gestured dismissively. "Fine, fine. Get on with it!"

His tone was dismissive and impatient, clearly uninterested in the matter. After a cursory glance, he seemed to understand enough of the situation: a group of hardened criminals were being sent to the frontlines as expendable cannon fodder. He found the whole affair perplexing. Sёarch* The NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

A troublesome bunch of lowlifes... "Ugh, whatever," he muttered. "Don’t dawdle. Head straight for the teleportation array!" He waved his hand dismissively, clearly eager to rid himself of the responsibility.

The guards behind him were visibly annoyed by his careless manner. A few even wanted to slap the captain into sobriety, but seeing Athena’s composed demeanor, they held back. She collected her documents and walked past him without a second thought, and the prisoners followed in silent compliance.

The city captain’s gaze lingered on the group, and his eyes locked onto one female prisoner. Her figure- well, it was hard not to stare.

But the glare he received from the woman made him shiver. His heart raced, a mixture of guilt and anger coursing through him.

"What are you staring at?" he growled, standing straighter in an attempt to assert some authority. "Keep your eyes to yourselves, or I’ll gouge them out! A criminal should look like one!"

To his surprise, the bald, burly prisoner behind him flashed a grin- a terrifying, unsettling smile. The captain’s body, still heavy with alcohol, nearly collapsed under the sudden fear. He swayed, his knees buckling, only to be saved by another guard nearby.

It wasn’t until Athena and her group had passed by that the captain finally wrenched himself free from his supporting guard, cursing under his breath.

"A bunch of mad dogs... Don’t let me see you again!" he spat, fury in his eyes.

The passersby had assumed Athena and her group would be stopped at the gates, but to their shock, the captain simply waved them through without hesitation, not even sending anyone after them.

One mother, muttering angrily about the incompetence of the guards, hurried her child along, eager to reach home.

But in her haste, she tugged too hard, and her child stumbled, falling to the ground.

Athena quickly stepped forward and helped the child to his feet.

The mother, panicked, reached for her child, attempting to pull him back, her voice shaking as she managed a forced, "Thank you."

But Athena’s grip was like iron. The mother, despite her frantic efforts, couldn’t budge. Fear started to rise in her chest as she realized the strange strength of the woman before her. She was uncomfortable, her anxiety heightening, but she forced herself to remain composed.

"I... I don't know what to call you," the mother stammered, not sure how to address her benefactor.

"Don’t worry," Athena reassured her, her smile softening. "I was just wondering, where is the city’s teleportation array?"

Seeing the mother’s panic, Athena loosened her grip slightly. The woman managed to pull her child away, exhaling a deep breath of relief.

"Oh, it’s just straight down this road, then turn left at the square. You'll see it soon enough," the mother explained, her voice now noticeably faster, a sense of urgency creeping into her words.

Just as she turned to leave, pulling her child along, Athena stopped her once more.

With a gentle smile, she asked, "And where might I find a good restaurant nearby?"

After all this time on the road, it would be nice to get a proper meal. She still had enough money to eat well for several days.

The mother, startled by the request, could hardly believe it. These people- still hungry after all that? Were they planning to stay the night?

"Keep going straight, and you’ll see a big red sign- it’s called ‘Moza Rello.’ Their food’s the best around here," the mother replied quickly, eager to be rid of the group.

At last, Athena smiled and nodded, releasing the woman to her relief. The mother snatched up her child and rushed off, muttering to herself as she went.

Athena watched them go, wondering why the woman seemed so frightened of her. She had been calm and polite, yet the woman had reacted as though she were a monster. It reminded her of her time in the Sol Kingdom, where people had treated her with more sympathy, even thinking she was fragile.

She shook her head. How odd.

Turning to her companions, she called, "Stay close. Don’t wander off."

The group gathered behind her, nodding in agreement. The burly bald man, who had been the most intimidating of them all, now appeared to shrink back in discomfort.

A small creature, a sprite of sorts, flitted back to her shoulder, chirping happily as it nestled into place.

At the same time, inside the city, the scene shifted. Someone had just returned to their quarters and, barely inside, stepped on something sharp. Letting out a yelp of pain, they looked down to see a spiky fruit underfoot.

Cursing under their breath, they angrily threw it out the window, only to sit down- and immediately land on something else sharp.

"Ah!"

Among the prisoners, a woman with untidy hair concealed her face, but her figure- still graceful despite the ragged appearance- did not go unnoticed. Her hands, caked with dirt, moved in strange gestures, as if performing some silent ritual. Her lips moved in constant motion, her voice almost imperceptible.

"Strange," she murmured softly, her fate already intertwined with misfortune. What was going on? She hadn't even moved yet.