The thick darkness of night had completely swallowed the large courtyard before the armory. Only the flickering, weak light from a few torches set on the castle's stone walls remained, casting eerie, dancing shadows upon the ground. Rober, still in Linus's body, leaned against the heavy wooden door of the storeroom, feeling waves of fatigue wash over him.
The task of cleaning and polishing the pile of old weapons and armor, thick with grime and rust, had been genuinely difficult. Although he had subtly employed magical energy to assist, the seemingly simple manual labor had still drained his strength. His muscles ached, and the back of his shirt was soaked through with sweat.
The old armory keeper had left earlier, after a cursory inspection of Rober's work and not forgetting a few more grumbles about the laziness of youth these days. He had tossed Rober the heavy iron keyring for the armory, reminding him to finish the job and lock up carefully before leaving.
Rober sighed, looking up at the night sky. It was perfectly clear, without a single cloud, thousands upon thousands of stars glittering like diamonds scattered across a vast black velvet cloth. Rober, with his astronomical knowledge from his past life, easily recognized familiar constellations.
"This dream... it truly is magnificent"
Rober mused internally. The beauty of the night sky here, untainted by the artificial light and industrial smog of his old world, was truly pure and captivating.
But he knew this splendor was likely just a facade. A dream this detailed, vivid, and logical surely harbored more mysteries, more pitfalls than he could imagine. It couldn't simply be a beautiful dream, a randomly recreated mythological world. There had to be some purpose, some underlying rule governing everything here.
"Tomorrow" he thought "at the union ceremony for Princess Andromeda and the hero Perseus, there will surely be many clues. Such a large event, gathering so many important figures, will undoubtedly be a good opportunity to gather more information and find a way to end this dream."
Rober sighed again, feeling a little weary of it all. He gazed up at the star-filled sky and idly wondered:
"If I stood here right now and shouted insults at the gods, would they hear and descend to punish me?" He chuckled softly to himself. "Gods, regardless of the world, seem to share a common trait, limitless power but also quite arbitrary and haughty..."
"What are you muttering about? Planning some mischief again?"
A familiar, somewhat mocking voice suddenly sounded beside him, cutting through Rober's thoughts and making him jump.
He spun around and saw Alcon standing there, arms crossed, looking at him with a teasing grin.
"Good heavens!" Rober exclaimed, clutching his chest.
"You nearly scared the life out of me! Why do you appear so suddenly, like a ghost?"
Alcon laughed heartily, the sound echoing in the darkness.
"It's because you were just standing there like a blockhead, staring at the sky and mumbling to yourself like a fool!" He waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, never mind that. I came to introduce someone else who wants to join our fun tonight."
Rober frowned curiously.
"Who else?"
From the flickering shadows, where the torchlight didn't fully reach, a tall, imposing figure slowly emerged. In the dancing firelight, Rober recognized him immediately.
"Phylas?" he asked, slightly surprised.
Alcon nodded confirmation, a mischievous look on his face.
"Yeah, it's him. I accidentally let slip our plans for tonight, and he insisted on coming along to see what's up. You know how Phylas loves excitement and gossip. He wouldn't miss any fun."
Phylas approached, no longer maintaining the stern demeanor from the dueling ground. He smiled warmly, clapped Rober lightly on the shoulder, and said "Greetings, Linus. I hear you're taking Alcon to explore an interesting place? Mind if I tag along?"
He then turned to Alcon, pretending to be stern as he admonished "And you, Alcon. Don't speak ill of others right in front of them like that."
Alcon grinned cheekily, showing no fear or deference.
"Well, Phylas never pays any mind anyway. So I might as well be myself, speak freely, no need to grovel and flatter like with those other nobles."
Phylas chuckled and shook his head. "It's true I don't care" he said "but if someone else were to overhear those careless words of yours, that tongue of yours might get cut out before you know it, Alcon."
Alcon pouted, replying dismissively "Yeah, yeah, I know." He turned to Rober.
"Alright, let's get ready, Linus. Time to head out!"
Rober nodded. He went back to the armory door and used the heavy iron key the old man had given him to lock it securely.
Afterwards, the three of them left the castle grounds together. Since the castle was built not too far from the city center and reasonably close to the seaport, the journey didn't take too long. They walked through the quiet streets, illuminated by torches mounted on walls or carried by night watchmen. The flickering flames danced, casting their long, distorted shadows onto the stone-paved road.
The air near the castle was quiet at night, a stark contrast to the daytime hustle and bustle. Only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the stillness, the chirping of unseen insects, and the whisper of the night wind blowing over the rooftops could be heard.
But as they drew closer to the seaport area, the atmosphere grew livelier and more vibrant. The sounds of people talking and laughing, lively music spilling from roadside taverns, ships docking, laborers hauling cargo, street vendors hawking late-night food... all blended together, creating a dynamic soundscape brimming with life.
This was the seaport of Ethiopia, the kingdom's busiest center of trade. Day or night, this place was always crowded and bustling. Large and small sailing ships of all kinds were moored closely along the docks. Sailors, with tanned skin and bodies covered in tattoos, moved on and off the ships or gathered in the waterfront taverns. Brawny longshoremen strained as they unloaded goods from ships or carried cargo up from the docks. Merchants, their faces etched with calculation, walked around inspecting goods or negotiating prices. Street vendors sold all manner of food, drinks, and cheap souvenirs to the sailors and local workers.
At this moment, Rober glanced at Phylas's attire. The fine linen tunic, the crimson cloak, even the bronze ring on his finger – they were all too conspicuous, too luxurious for their surroundings.
He spoke up, offering a reminder:
"Phylas, your attire... perhaps isn't quite suitable for blending in somewhere like an underground arena, wouldn't you say?"
Alcon nodded in agreement.
"He's right, Phylas. Wearing that in there is like painting a target on your back. They'll spot you immediately."
He scanned the area, his eyes landing on a small liquor stall nearby. Beside the stall, a man who looked thoroughly drunk sat slumped against the wall, dozing.
"There!" Alcon exclaimed, then grabbed Phylas's arm and pulled him towards the stall.
He approached the drunk man and, without a word, shoved him hard on the shoulder.
"Hey, old man! I want to buy your clothes!"
The drunk man jolted awake, looking blankly at Alcon, not understanding what was happening.
But Alcon didn't wait for an answer. With the strength of a regularly trained warrior, he grabbed the man's collar and forcefully stripped off his worn old shirt and patched trousers, despite the man's feeble, bewildered, and helpless attempts to resist.
After removing the clothes, Alcon reached into the small pouch hanging at Phylas's belt, casually took out a few small coins, and tossed them at the feet of the drunk man, who was now trembling with confusion and fear.
"Here! Take it! Consider it payment for the clothes!" Alcon said, then turned, grabbed the stolen clothes, and pulled Phylas away, ignoring the poor man left standing there, bewildered and shivering in his thin undergarments.
Rober followed behind them, unable to help but marvel inwardly at Alcon's rather crude and arbitrary actions. He turned to Phylas and asked, slightly concerned:
"Phylas, are you alright with him using your money so freely like that?"
Phylas replied nonchalantly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world:
"Oh, that? It happens all the time. I'm used to it."
He shook his head, sighed, and added:
"I just hope that one day, his impulsive and brash nature doesn't get his head chopped off by someone."