Prince of The Abyss

Reaching the village had been a hard climb, and knowing they probably still had a bit more before reaching the guardian really made him question this whole thing. He didn’t know if his legs could take it. After all, with how much walking he had done the past days, they had to be sore. Or at least they would have been if he were a Reader.

But he wasn’t.

The village... it was like any other he had seen; he had gotten tired of seeing them, really. The only thing special about it was the snow falling on the roofs of the houses, but that was about it, nothing else.

Normally he would have also said a darker wood, but the village they had been to before had even darker wood used for the houses, so they didn’t even have that...

Well... He could mention the giant statue of an owl in the middle of the town’s center. And the many posters, and shops selling stuff related to it. They must... really love their guardian, to do so much for it; it must be their hero.

How was he ever going to look in the eyes of the guardian while he kills it, knowing that so many people loved it, and wanted it to stay alive?

...’ I just won’t. I will close my eyes.’ He smirked. ’Not that big of a problem.’

"Let’s go find the Inn... and hope we get a stay for free." They still had no money... but how were they even supposed to make some? After all, they weren’t going to get jobs, and while maybe they could sell meat and fur, he didn’t think there was someone in the village that bought them; the only reason they even needed money was to stay at the Inns. They could just kill the people inside and sleep...

’Should we kill the guardian first, or the people of the village? Let’s take care of the hard things first.’

Passing by in the village, many turned to look at them. After all, for people like them who have lived all their life togheter, they knew when someone was new. And so they stared for some time, then smiled. Someone new made them think that they were probably here as tourist of some sort, maybe to check the many activities and things they had designed for their guardian.

...

And that wasn’t far from the truth.

He was here to meet with their guardian and take their life. Not that big of a difference.

Reaching the Inn, it was buzzing with people, all drinking their hearts out, as if money meant nothing. Were they really all this happy? He didn’t understand; two villages had he been to now, and all the people inside were happier than ever, as if nothing bad could go wrong. Was it the effect of their guardian, but could one thing really change so much?

After all, while they protected them from the voice and the Underworlders, they couldn’t make their lives better; if one was to have a bad job and hardly make any money, barely scrape through, the beast could never help them, and yet everyone seemed like they didn’t care.

...

It made him wonder, since the last time he couldn’t see. What would happen if he killed the guardian and let them find out? Would their faces fall, or were they going to keep smiling through their sorrow, like it was nothing, running away from themselves?

Aether walked up to the bartender, a young woman who seemed to barely be an adult, and yet, she looked like she was doing her job more than anything. "Excuse me, can I have a room for two?"

The girl nodded. "Of course, that would be-"

"We don’t have money."

The bartender stared at him.

Aether cleared his throat. "But we’re visitors in your beautiful city, really interested in your majestic guardian, plus, it’s only one night, so could we get it for free... pwease?" He made a puppy face.

That had been his strategy... not some grand plan to manage to manipulate the girl; if it had been his Reader self in his early days, maybe he would have tried to, succeeded, he wasn’t sure, but tried definitely.

But now, he felt like this was right; he was still manipulating her, if you thought about it, her judgment, even if it didn’t feel that way.

The girl tapped her nails on the wooden counter before sighing and smiling at him. "Fine, I’ll let you have it for free, or rather I’ll pay for it." She raised her finger. "But only one night; I’m still trying to make money. I just can’t deny you the possibility to see the wonders of our guardian. It hurts my heart too much."

Aether clapped his hands. "Really, that’s amazing; we’re eternally grateful." Well, maybe he was; he wasn’t sure if Sena even cared, after all. For her, even these Inn rooms were garbage; after all, not only was she a high noble, she was a Celestial, the highest level a noble could achieve.

And he wasn’t saying that she was spoiled; she had never made a fuss over sleeping on the ground.

He just didn’t think she would be grateful that someone else would pay for her to sleep in a lower-class room.

Grabbing the keys, Aether signaled to Sena to come and follow him to the room, where he instantly jumped onto the bed, almost already falling asleep.

"And they say that people from the Withered can endure more than us." She chuckled.

Aether twisted around to look at her with a frown. "I can keep going, but what reason do I have not to rest?"

She chuckled. "Just forget it, you Withered pride could never make you accept the truth. Either way, it’s better for me if you go to sleep; that way you won’t distract me while I’m working."

Aether’s eyes widened. "What the heck do you mean by working?"

...

"What, are you planning on fighting alone again? I’m getting ourselves some allies."