Once Astel and the man finished their meal, they stood up from the rocky ground. Astel stretched his body outwards, before sticking his arm out closer to the man.

"Hold on to me."

The man nodded. While taking up Astel's arm, his eyes glanced at the darkness that lied beyond the gem-lit passageway. Though the man did not know how Astel got to this place, he knew that if he ever went to that place without Astel, there was no doubt what would happen to him afterward.

He didn't even dare to imagine it.

Astel, meanwhile, sensed up the man's condition by grasping the man's ragged palm. It was deathly cold, with the man's grip weak and loose. Though the man desperately tried to hide his deteriorating state, Astel could still feel the trembling of the man's hand.

While Astel on the outside had his face devoid of emotion, he grumbled deep inside, his tongue clicking. The man was dying, whether he liked it or not. And if he died, then it cause a setback in his plans.

This was not good.

Time was against him. He had to quickly get what he needed as soon as possible. This was such a bothersome issue but what could he do?

He could only accept it with a bitter smile.

Gripping the man's hand, he started to walk towards the darkness. Though stripped of his vision, his footsteps did not stop. He led the man through the starless underground, twisting corners and moving up and down.

With the help of his—Meros Visconti's body, he and the man soon reached the flooded entrance, and saw the stairs leading upwards soon after.

Seeing that there was no more reason to hold onto the man's hand, Astel retracted his hand away. Then, he and the man moved up, climbing back to the surface. Upon reaching the destroyed building once more, he looked at the sky, seeing the clear, dark-bluish canvas called space. Distant stars twinkled, dazzling those who dared to look above.

The rain had ceased, and the time was now past deep midnight. This was the time opportune for executing his plan.

Astel looked at the man behind him. The man stared at the abandoned church, his eyes and mouth slightly agape. Though Astel did not know what was going through inside the man's mind, he knew that the man was surprised that such a hidden area lied near the half-ruined church.

"Let's go."

Astel said, breaking the man's bubble. The man turned his eyes away from the church to Astel before nodding. Seeing his nod, Astel started to walk once more, moving his way through the fields of boulders and stones.

And as soon as they exited the labyrinth of boulders, Astel immediately turned his body west, towards the Sixth Lane. The man followed him, going through the many alleyways of the slums and seeing the aftermath of the rain for himself.

Simply put, countless bodies littered the slums, all lying on the cold earth. The rain was simply unforgiving and uncaring, even more so for those who were powerless and had no place to seek shelter.

The man pitied the beggars on the street. Then, he looked at Astel.

If he didn't appear, then would he end up like these men before him? A cold, soulless corpse?

He couldn't answer. He could only gulp his fears away.

Moving his attention away from the corpses to Astel, the man continued to follow him, eventually being led in front of Sixth Lane, the district that bordered the slums.

Instead of going through the Sixth Lane's main road, Astel chose to head through its alleyways. During his walk, he looked at the two-storied houses that came into his vision. The houses reminded him of a certain run-down village within his memories, a village situated beside a mountain range.

It was once a paradise on earth. A place devoid of war and affairs.

But alas.

Those pretentious "heroes" came.

With his mood souring as his head recalled what those "heroes" did to the run-down village, he turned his focus away from the houses. He continued to walk towards the Fifth Lane silently, with the man following him close behind.

Before long, Astel and the man were finally in front of the place Astel sought to steal from.

The Fifth Lane.

The merchant-district.

The grand market of the capital.

This district was the heart of Hyjell as a whole. Merchants come in and go in this place like a river, with their goods and the countless silver and gold flowing through the kingdom like blood. This was where the nation's eyes and interests were placed, and this was where he was going to enact his first plan.

Because this was the nation's main economic interest, it meant that guards were everywhere. There were also mercenaries hired by merchants to keep their wares and goods safe. And finally, there were the patrolling knights, horse-riding men that scoured the capital itself.

Together, the three guarded the Fifth Lane. They staved off those would-be thieves and people seeking to cause chaos at the heart of the capital.

However, guards or not, they alone would not stop Astel. He was going to act out his plan, whether they liked it or not.

Carefully moving his way through one of the Fifth Lane's innumerable stalls, he lowered his body down. He gestured the man to do the same, to which the man obeyed. And as soon as they were close to the stall, they hid inside, under the stall's desk and many crates.

Astel leaned his head over to the desk. He looked around, seeing guards patrolling everywhere.

Due to the night however, their vision was limited. They could only rely on the moon's soft, pale light to see through the night.

Seeing that there were no guards near them, Astel continued. He moved from stall to stall, with the man behind him. And just as they knew it, they were in front of a street filled with buildings of varying heights. Astel hid his body behind the stall's desk and looked at the area before him.

Though Astel had no knowledge of the area, his senses told him that this was valuable. No, there was no need to even think. The fact that more guards were stationed around the area told him that this was a valuable place.

He turned his focus away from the guards and looked at the buildings. Aside from balcony doors and entrances, there was no way he could enter inside. He could break the windows, but it would also alert the guards in turn.

He hummed. There was a chance that the balcony doors themselves were locked or barricaded, and as such impossible to be entered. Even more so were the entrances, which were guarded by both mercenaries and men in armor.

Astel gasped for the cold air. He stood up and eventually, carefully approached a building with a balcony built on its behind. He looked at the man following him and opened up his mouth to whisper.

"Go find a wagon large enough to fit dozens of barrels and crates. Meanwhile, I'm going there."

He pointed to the balcony above them. Then, he continued.

"Once you got a wagon, meet me here."

The man nodded before leaving Astel, heading somewhere. Astel, on the other hand, wasted no time and looked for ways to climb the balcony.

Because the balcony was located high above his height, it meant he could not easily get up there, no matter how hard he tried. He had to get something like a ladder, something that could make him get to the balcony with ease.

He turned his attention back to the stalls. Countless crates littered the place. Astel walked towards the crates and picked them up one by one, piling them before the balcony.

Though the place was swarming with guards, the night simply cloaked his actions from their watchful eyes.

After stacking the crates high enough for him to reach the balcony, he started his climb, his hand on the balcony's ledge. He started a tug of war with his body, and though slow and arduous, he managed himself to climb up, before falling to the balcony's wooden floor.

He gasped for the air. This was simply too much. After this, he had to train his body up.

He really had to.

Once he got enough rest, he stood up before the door. He tried to open it but unfortunately, it didn't budge. It was locked.

Seeing this, he looked at the window beside the door. It was made out of wood instead of glass. Without hesitation, he attempted to enter through the window. Using his fingers, he forcibly tried to open the two-sided window.

While painful, he managed to open the window up. He shook his hands, easing them up from the throbbing pain. Only after once the pain subsided did he enter the window, making his way inside.

Instantly, the smell of wine permeated his nose. He looked for the source of the smell and found himself being led to the first floor. He entered one of the many rooms of the building and saw glass, jars, and barrels of what could be seen containing wine inside. Using his strength, he picked up the jars and glasses of wine with his hands while carrying the medium-sized barrels with his shoulders. He moved up and eventually, went back to the same door he tried to barge in earlier.

Placing the barrels on his shoulders and jars and glasses on his hands to the floor. He unlocked the door's lock. He then picked up the goods on the floor, before laying it outside the balcony, laid bare for everyone to see.

He continued stealing the wine below, taking glasses upon glasses.

Once he got enough wine for the two of them, he searched every room of the building. He saw countless goods inside stocked inside crates and barrels, with the majority being cheese. He took them, alongside other goods such as bread, back to the balcony.

And once there was nothing left to get, he waited for the man to return.

Moments flew and as time passed, the man, though slow, appeared pushing a wooden wagon. He continued to guide the wagon forward before halting it beside the stacks of crates Astel piled up earlier.

Gesturing the man to stand before the balcony, Astel took the goods before him and passed them through the man. Although the man at first was a bit burdened by the weight of the barrels and crates, he soon adjusted to it and managed to carefully handle the barrels without making noise. He placed the stuff he received from Astel down to the paved ground, and to the wagon nearby.

Closing the balcony's door and the wooden window, Astel jumped from the balcony. He helped the man, picking the remaining crates and barrels on the ground and loading them onto the wagon. And after they were done, he returned the stacks of crates from where he got them from.

"Let's go."

Astel said. However, his head wasn't fixed to the slums but rather, towards the buildings deep inside the Fifth Lane. He was not content with just this. He needed more.

The man, on the other hand, simply nodded. He, alongside Astel, pushed the wagon forward, heading to buildings with fewer guards patrolling around.

Astel, using the wagon and its content as a boost, climbed to the balconies. There, he did the same things he did earlier, breaking through windows, or entering doors once he found them to be not locked. The man patiently waited for Astel to steal the stuff Astel coveted, while at the same time hiding whenever he heard footsteps from someone not belonging to him or Astel.

The two continued their detestable act of thievery until the wagon was filled to the brim. Food, drinks, equipment. All kinds of stuff were placed before the wagon. Astel, content with his haul, turned the wagon towards east. They were heading home, back to the catacombs under the church.

The only thing they needed to do was to guide the wagon through the sea of stalls.

As they pushed the wagon east, Astel noticed something. The earth was slightly trembling. Immediately, Astel knew.

They were the nation's esteemed knights, the men in horses.

Clutching the man's arm, he hid the two of them inside a stall nearby. The tremors grew louder and louder and shortly after, he heard the sound of hooves and horses neighing.

He patiently waited. He waited until the tremors became fainter and fainter. And once they were gone did he only stood up and went back from pushing the wagon.

Aside from a few minor issues such as a guard nearing their positions, Astel and the man safely managed to push the wagon back to the Sixth Lane. Together, they led the wagon through the alleys and eventually, back to the slums.

As they finally got back to the ruined tower, the two unloaded the crates and barrels from the wagon and placed them near the underground entrance. Astel carried everything back to the gem-lit passageway while at the same time, the man watched over their haul and stave off the possible thieves and beggars eyeing their goods.

Because of the night, it meant that everyone was in deep sleep. It also meant that the man, aside from watching Astel move back and forth, had nothing to do. He simply waited until the remaining barrel was taken away by Astel.

"Haa..."

Astel, upon returning to the surface one last time, panted heavily. It was a miracle that his body did not give up amidst all that carrying. But he knew that a terrifying consequence awaited both him and his body as soon as he rested.

Despite his labored breathing, he spoke to the man sitting atop a boulder.

"... Ha... ha... You."

He pointed the position of the wagon.

"Take the wagon in front of the church."

Because he stole from the heart of the capital, with a wagon full of goods no less, it meant that guards would, without doubt, come looking for him. By placing the wagon near the church, however, it would deflect their attention from him to the beggars and residents that lived within the church. They would suffer the wrath of the guards, and the nation's rulers as a whole.

But he did not care. After all, for all he knew, they were tools meant to be used.

The man remained in silence before closing his eyes. Then, the man simply nodded and went back to the wagon. Astel continued to pant heavily and waited for the man to come back.

And after the man returned, Astel straightened himself up. He stuck his arm out closer to the man and spoke.

"Let's go."

The man took up his arm. The two descended, headed deep back underground. Eventually, they made their way back to the gem-lit passageway.

In contrast to the empty passageway hours earlier, the passageway was now filled with all kinds of stuff, most notably crates and barrels. They were all arranged in a way that would not obstruct Astel and the man from moving or doing any kinds of actions.

Opening up a crate full of textiles and leather, Astel took a leather from within and placed it on the floor. On it he laid himself flat, stretching his limbs outwards as exhaustion overtook his body.

"For now, rest."

Astel said to the man. Then, he continued.

"If you want to eat, there's the food."

He pointed his finger southeast. The man nodded and approached the rows of crates and barrels. He opened one of the crates, seeing it brimming with fruits. He took one and placed it within his mouth. After he ate the rest of the fruit, he grabbed some more to quench his thirst for food.

He continued to eat until his stomach finally became full.

Satisfied, the man turned his body towards Astel, only to see him sleeping. He sat on the opposite side of Astel and looked at the rows of stuff they hoarded before the gem-lit walls.

It was simply amazing. No, it was truly astonishing.

To achieve all of this in a single day. And from a heavily-guarded area no less.

He turned his eyes to Astel. He recalled earlier that under the deep midnight, he himself could not see at all. Yet, Astel could still see and even sense the movements of the guards. Furthermore, he carried all these crates and barrels all by himself, without showing any signs of fatigue until the very end.

He looked at himself. Had his senses dulled after living as a beggar?

He shook his head. His strength had waned, yes. But his senses did not. Hell, even those peerless champions and geniuses he knew of could not simply just see and sense everything under the cover of the night with their bare eyes alone.

It was simply unrealistic. Surreal.

Moving his eyes back to Astel, a thought popped up deep inside his head.

Why did someone like him became a beggar?

Someone who had extraordinary senses. Someone who was beyond that of a human.

He could not figure it out. Why?

Soon, his eyes gave up. His back slumped against the wooden barrel behind him and soon slept soundly.

Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Hours passed.

Time continued to move and before Astel knew it, he found himself stuck within a dream.

To be precise, he was dreaming of Meros Visconti's memories.

The memory Meros Visconti dreaded the most. The memory where he found his family in horrifying conditions. Astel watched the weeping Meros Visconti with emotions devoid on his face.

After all, seeing such sight was nothing new to him. He had seen far worse, much uglier truths than Meros Visconti ever saw in his entire life. His eyes glanced at the white hair that flowed through his chest and shoulders, making him notice that he went back to his former self, as Astel Hass.

As he continued to watch Meros Visconti, he saw Meros turning his body behind, his head fixed on his face. Astel Hass frowned over to the sight of Meros Visconti's weeping face.

"Please..."

Meros Visconti spoke, his voice wavering and breaking.

"... Avenge us. Please."

Meros Visconti knelt in front of Astel Hass, his head touching the ground. Astel clicked his tongue and grumbled. He looked at Meros Visconti and replied.

"I will."

He had already finished his first plan. All he needed to do was to wait, and strengthen himself for his next course of actions.

"... Thank you."

Meros Visconti continued to kneel before Astel Hass. Soon, Meros faded alongside the area around him. Eventually, Astel Hass was left alone within a field filled with nothing but the color of white. Astel Hass continued to stand still until he was disturbed by something.

"Please."

A faint voice of whom he did not know. Astel moved his head towards where he heard the voice but saw nothing but the color of white.

"Please."

The voice grew. It was that of a woman, a woman...

A woman...

As soon as he recognized the voice, Astel's expressionless face shook. He sneered at the direction of the voice, with the expression of anger laid bare before his face.

"You dare use her voice? Who are you?"

But, the voice did not reply to his questions. Instead, the voice simply continued.

"Please..."

Over and over, the voice continued on, saying the same, exact thing. Astel's anger subsided as he remembered that this was nothing but a dream, and the voice was simply his brain playing a prank on him.

"Please..."

The voice continued on. And after being stuck hearing the same word thousands of times, he finally gave up. He looked in the direction of the voice with a monotone expression and spoke.

"Just say it."

And only then did the voice became silent. After a moment of peaceful silence, the voice replied back.

"Please... save this world."

eun_

Originally, the main conflict of the story (the voice) was going to be introduced in the middle stages of the first volume. However, given the pace of my writing, that would take too long. Like too long. Perhaps on the other month or so? Hahaha... ha.
Also, I added a banner in the very beginning of the story. Because Scribblehub doesn't have any volume/ToC separation thingy, I created one. That way, people would know when a new volume was introduced. If you do want to see what it's like, please do check it out. Thank you.