Chapter 85. Aethelgard City - 2
As Orion and the other kids heard Vance, their faces turned ugly.
Orion also frowned. He couldn't imagine living here for all his life.
Most importantly, he felt that this place was more dangerous than he thought it would be if what Vance said were true.
'First, I need to know what's happening here before I can decide anything!'
Thinking of that, he turned to face Vance, his face solemn.
"Did nobody ever leave this place?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at Vance. "Tell me what's going on in this place. Why did the pirates kidnap us and bring us here? What do they want? Tell me everything you know."
"Alright, I will tell you," Vance said as he looked at the serious expression on Orion's face. "But not here; I will tell you on the way to your living area; let's go."
Orion nodded as he turned to look at all the others behind him.
"Let's go," Victor said to him as well as to the others, taking the lead in following Vance and Flyn.
Orion signaled to Famir and Ryfin, as they also followed behind Vance.
At the end, the other kids, who were hesitating about what to do, also walked behind Orion and the others. They didn't know what's best for them, but they felt relief in following the majority.
As they started walking in a certain direction, Vance started his explanation.
"This place is called Aethelgard City, and if I am not wrong, you guys must have seen the huge mountain when you came here, right?" He said this, looking at them.
Everyone nodded at him, confirming him.
"This place is just below that big mountain," he said. "As for what they want from us? I suppose it's mana stones and mana crystals found at this mountain."
"You mean we are used as slaves here?" Orion asked, his face turned black.
"No, not slaves, but like a worker without freedom!" Vance shook his head as hen/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
It looked like a royal palace, standing tall and isolated, with no other buildings in its vicinity. Four fortress-like brown pillars surrounded a central dome-shaped structure, atop which an illuminating sun was positioned. The grand architecture exuded an air of majesty and solitude.
It looked majestic and grand compared to all the small buildings that appeared to have
been built here in a hurry.
"That, my friend, is something you shouldn't pay attention to," Vance warned them about that building.
"Why?" Orion asked.
"That's the place where General Dray lives," he said as a little dread appeared on his face. "It's said that nobody has ever returned after stepping ten miles around his quarter. We don't know if it's only a rumor or if there are some truths behind it, but we tend to stay away from General Dray's quarter as much as we can. So, ignore that area as if it doesn't exist; it's for your own benefits."
Everyone nodded with a grim expression on their faces.
At that moment, Vance pointed at a row of buildings.
"You see those buildings over there?" He said this, looking at them. "Just choose any from that area, but remember this: it's only free for the first week of your stay here. After that period of time, you will have to pay hundred mana crystals each week to continue to stay here; otherwise, you will immediately get kicked out of these houses." Orion saw that these buildings appeared to be the same circular-shaped building he had been seeing since coming to planet Sadola.
'So, we have to pay a hundred mana crystals just to stay here. He thought.
"Alright, just choose any of the buildings you want to live in," Vance said as he looked at them. "Tomorrow morning, I will come and show you the mining area where we usually mine to get our hands on the mana crystals or the mana stones."
After that, he told them some other basic things and left with Elyn, who hadn't spoken the entire time.
"Alright, let's go and choose a building," Lisa said as she excitedly began to look at each
building thoroughly.
Orion didn't waste any time on that. To him, all these buildings appeared to be the same, so he just chose a building.
"I will see you guys tomorrow," he said as he looked at Famir and Ryfin before he walked towards the house he chose.
As he neared the door of the house, it suddenly opened itself. Orion liked that and stepped inside the house as the door behind him closed down.