"Finally! We're here! AHH!! Such a powerful presence! Such a touching moment! Hehe."

"So, this is the place."

Xiao and Lars were standing in front of a big steel gate door, guarded by two guardsmen that wore slightly different gears than the one they met before, behind the guardsmen and the gate door was the white castle that they saw when they were still at the Latiti Steppe.

Lars was drowning in tears as he was moved by the castle view, while Xiao was shaking nervously as he was about to meet some of the most important people in this world.

Two hours ago, Xiao was still waking up from his bed. The first things he thought of were the information about Lars on how he got exiled from this country, how he has gone mad after something happened and how he was the former Hero of lightning.

(God...my head, still feeling sluggish, seems like my body hasn't fully recovered from all those walking and camping lifestyle during the journey to here, and about Lars, does everything I heard about him were true? If so, then I must be so screwed for following a madman around, not to mention that he was the one who brought me to this world. Plus, he is an exile, what's going to happen to me if the higher-ups of this country found out that Lars had returned? He even lied to the guardsmen yesterday just to get in here.)

Xiao scratches his head, thinking about how deep shit he is in right now if the information about Lars being a madman and an exiled were true.

(And here I thought Lars was just some low ranked officer with a lunatic personality and was ordered by the higher-up to bring me to this world. Speaking of the higher-up, Lars did say that we're going to meet the king and the other heroes' candidates, right? So does this mean that the king and the others already knew that he and I were coming? So maybe the whole exiled and going mad thing was just to deceive the public.)

Loud noises can be heard outside the window as people are readying their stalls and goods to run their business.

(No use cracking my brain about Lars, let's just see how it goes first. Alright, time to get up!)

Although still feeling tired as his body hadn't fully recovered from the journey, Xiao forced himself to get out of the bed, he did some light stretches and went downstairs to have his breakfast.

"Well hello there, my lord, well come now and have your breakfast, today is your big day, you know? Hehe."

Lars was already sitting at one of the tables, having his breakfast with a disturbing grinning expression, as usual. Since the place was crowded with people who are either chowing down food to attend their business later or talking loudly to show off their armor and sword, no one pays attention to Lars, except Xiao.

Xiao sat beside Lars without greeting Lars, his mind was too occupied by the information he got on Lars. Xiao sat at his place quietly until Mira, as energetic as usual, came to his place and placed his breakfast set in front of him, which startled Xiao.

"Morning, Xiao! What's wrong? Still feeling tipsy from the apple ale yesterday?"

Mira looked at Xiao with a worried expression, Xiao regained his composure and smiled back politely to Mira, greets and assured her that he is okay.

Since the tavern was in a hectic situation with a bunch of people waiting to be served, Mira didn't talk much with Xiao, they just exchanged a few greetings before Mira went back to work.

"Ho, ho, I never thought you could speak in Bergan language, who taught you that? Hmm? Hehe."

Lars was impressed by Xiao's conversation with Mira, he never thought Xiao was possible to do so as he was the only one who knew Xiao was from another world, and Xiao's world doesn't speak in Bergen language.

"Someone nice."

Xiao was annoyed by what Lars had commented, he simply replied to Lars with a short answer.

"Hmm? From someone nice huh? Suspicious, suspicious. Hehe."

Lars stops eating his breakfast completely as he comes closer to Xiao, rubbing his chin while questioning Xiao as to show that he was feeling suspicious of Xiao, which further pissed Xiao off.

"Yeah, someone nice and friendly, unlike someone who left things unexplained and confusing, how the hell did I understand their language while they can't understand what I am speaking in the first place? That doesn't make sense at all!"

Xiao shouted Lars back, which Lars backed away slowly in a dancing tiptoe movement. Since the surrounding was already noisy as Xiao was not the only one who shouted, some adventurers around here even talked louder than Xiao's shout.

Lars sat back to his seat, and continued to eat his breakfast without answering Xiao's question, just like Xiao had expected. Instead of answering Xiao's question, he says something else.

"Well, well, let's not get so aggressive now, and it's a nice thing that my lord has a Half Beast friend now, they're strong and easy to be manipulated, they will make a good slave too, you know? Hehe."

Xiao nearly snapped the wooden spoon he was holding upon hearing what Lars had just said, he glared at Lars, his fist was gripping tightly as to restrain himself for punching Lars in the face right away.

Xiao had witnessed the scene of slavery in this world before Lars mentioned it, it was yesterday when Xiao was strolling with Lily, they came across a dark yet wide alley, Xiao noticed that a few people, included child were chained, and besides them were some people promoting something that shocked Xiao.

(This is madness! How in the world can you guys do that?!)

That was Xiao's first thought, that's right, those people that got chained were slaves, and they were treated as goods to be sold out. From what Xiao had seen, most of them were children not over 12 years old, all of them were in poor condition, and they just stared blankly at the skies with their hollow eyes as if they had lost all hope in this world.

At that time, Xiao was stepping step by step towards the men who were happily promoting without realizing, but he was stopped by Lily, who sort of figured out that Xiao was about to do something reckless. Xiao looked back at Lily, who although her expression was covered by her hoody, Xiao can feel the disappointment and hopelessness she was feeling too.

It was until they moved away from the dark alley, Lily mentioned to Xiao that this kind of scene can be seen everywhere else in the world.

Thinking back on what he had witnessed yesterday, Xiao felt devastating for the fact that the slavery system exists in this world, not that his old world doesn't have this system, but to see it first-hand, it gave Xiao a big shocking impact, and he was utterly disgusted by it.

So Xiao had made up his mind ever since yesterday, that he was going to get rid of the slavery system once he has officially become a hero and was strong enough to defeat the Demon God army, then his voice shall be heard and approved by all.

"Goddamn sick bastard."

Xiao silently threw out an insult to Lars, who's still goofing around and appears to have no clues on Xiao's anger.

Although Xiao was pissed, he controlled his temper and continued eating his breakfast, the once delicious breakfast has now become tasteless as Xiao was too angry to enjoy his breakfast, he just wants to finish up quickly and move on with the plan.

After Lars and Xiao finished their breakfast, they moved out from the tavern without any delay, and once they were outside, Lars told Xiao that they will be heading to the castle now, after that, he started to walk towards it and Xiao followed behind.

"About the other candidates for the heroes band, were they also from my world?"

On the way to the castle, a question about the other candidates slipped in Xiao's mind, he spoke out his mind without thinking much.

"No, no, only you, my lord, the others were from this world. Does hearing this make you feel special? That you're the superior one? Hehe."

Lars turns his head to Xiao while answering him, making a sarcastic grinning in the process.

"Not at all, in fact, that means I'm the weakest among the candidates."

Xiao coldly replied, and Lars just continued grinning without saying anything.

The two continue to walk for another one hour until the sight of the castle has come into view, and after another few minutes of walking, they finally reach the front gate of the castle.

"HOLD!"

One of the guardsmen called out to them as two of them blocked the entrance with their lance.

"None shall pass through here unless he or she has an audience with the King."

Both of the guardsmen were more vigilant and serious in their duty than the one from yesterday, they carried a strict and dangerous air to ward off any stranger wandering around the castle.

Xiao subconsciously gulps his saliva from the pressure given off from the guardsmen while Lars was unfazed by them as he proceeds to walk closer to them and takes something to show them.

"This is.....it can't be...You're...."

"Yes I am and I have returned, now move aside and let me be on my way. Hehe."

Before the guardsmen were about to say something, Lars has already moved past them and somehow opens the gate to inside, he then signals Xiao to follow him quickly. Seeing as there was no other option, Xiao followed Lars' instruction, ignoring the guardsmen that were going to do something, but somehow too slow to react to anything as all their body movements were just too slow.

Xiao has starting to get confused by what's happening now, not only did they didn't get the permission from the guards to enter, and the guardsmen were in this slow-motion state when they were about to stop them, Lars has starting to mumble something to himself louder and louder as he walks, while also ignoring all the guardsmen that they pass.

"Hey...hey! Aren't we walking a little bit too fast? Where the hell are we going? For God sake, Lars! "

Xiao was having a hard time following Lars as he gradually picked up the pace, Xiao quickly called out Xiao to slow it down, but not only Lars ignored Xiao, it appears that Xiao's voice didn't even reach to his ear as he was too focused on something.

Lars navigates through the path like the back of his hand, with all the twist and turn, he finally stops in front of a grand looking door, guards were guarding outside but they too have entered into a slow-motion state after Lars took something out.

"This is it, this is it, the time is now, the moment has come, just as calculated, just as calculated. Hehe, hehe, HAHAHAHA!!"

Lars's face has turned from grinning to laughing like a maniac, and without warning, he kicks the grand door open and walks in into the room, pulling Xiao's hand in the process, who's still feeling dizzy from all the twists and turns while reaching here.

"Hello and good morning fellow audience! Do you guys miss me? Hehe."

For the first time, Lars speaks in a loud and merry voice, which startled all the people in the room.

Everything happens too fast for Xiao to analyze the situation, all he knew was there were tons of people in the room.

"You're....the exiled madman, Lars Leo! Guards!"

One of the men who wear a silver heavy armor was startled by the sudden appearance of Lars at first, but he immediately ordered the guards who were standing by to capture Lars and Xiao, 6 guards quickly apprehend the two of them, they surrounded the two of them, readying a stance with their lance and shield as to prevent anyone one of them to escape.

Xiao was beyond stunned as he chuckled senselessly while thinking back on what had happened the moment they reached the front gate of the castle, from the guardsmen's reaction, how they suddenly entered a slow-motion state once Lars did something and how Lars was rushing to here until this situation he is facing right now, he can be sure on one thing, Lars was obviously a wanted man, and they just busted into a pretty important event.

(Well, I think I'm pretty screwed now.)