32. City of Crimes

Riding a wagon that Fritz rented and would take them to the next city, the three kids were lying down along with the other pieces of baggage and kinds of stuff that is to be transported.

"Where did you say we are going?" Asked Newt, confused as to why they were going to a village attacked by the same monsters that invaded Lily's race.

That question has already been planned to be answered. Fritz thought of a reason as to why they will be going to a small village where Esecleus, the owner of the body, used to live.

"I'm on an orc spree," that's all that Fritz said. Of course, Newt would find it stupid or, he would be like, 'what?!' He was gonna add more to his answer but, he chose not to.

"Orc spree? Stop spouting nonsensical things." They don't know that Fritz got reincarnated on Esecleus' body after dying from the other world, exactly the same time when humans from Earth got transferred to another world, where monsters and magic exist. "Just tell me the reason."

Fritz knew that Newt would keep on nagging him. "I have something to check on that small village. I'm just following what Demiurgus said to me. Also, we might come across monsters as we check the place." He said with his sincerest tone he could have just to satisfy Newt's ears.

"Don't worry about monsters! I will take care of every monster." Newt flexes his muscles in front of Fritz. "I will keep on slaying monsters, gain fame as a hero, and will cultivate my mana core for me to wield the holy sword longer than I currently could."

"I just wish you don't become a musclehead." The hero kid gave him a stupid look. "Anyway, before we went to this village, we will be staying in the City for a while to buy some types of equipment and potions." Suddenly, Newt expresses a sad look on his face, his fingers twirling against each other. "Spill it," Fritz broke off Newt's gloomy silence.

"Huh? Uh, eh,"

"What is it?" Fritz asked irritatedly.

Still stuttering, hesitating to voice out his thoughts, Newt spoke: "You know, a part of me wanted to attend one of those magic and swordsmanship schools. Kids our age attend one."

What Newt said to Fritz was surprising because he thought that the hero kid thinks of only slaying monsters and going on an adventure. It turns out Newt still has the heart of a kid who wants to enjoy his youth and experience things he should be experiencing as a kid. He couldn't help but smile and put his head into the matter.

"Surely, we will need to enroll in a school," Newt's face brightened at Fritz's words. "With how frail and small dwarfs can be, Lily will need to learn how to use magic instead of using a weapon."

"Don't think that I can't hear you guys!" Lily angrily looked at the two. "It's not my fault for being small, hmph!" She pouted, puffing her cheeks cutely.

The two ignored her. Fritz continued talking. "Plus, just as Newt said, he needs to have good swordsmanship and, he needs to strengthen and improve his physical and mental proficiency, to properly wield the holy sword without any repercussions." He couldn't paint how widely smiling Newt was at that time. The thought of entering a school ignited a spark in Newt's eyes.

Too busy talking to each other as they rested, the three kids felt the wooden plank's hard surface as they bounced when the wagon's wheel unknowingly hit a rock protruding from the ground. The wagon was thwarted not by a rock but by a head of a dead human lying on the Peachtree road leading to the city.

"Bleugh!" The wagoner couldn't endure the sight of the brutally tortured and torn off bodies of humans scattered everywhere on the road. The three kids quickly scooted from the back to see what the fuss was all about.

The horrible sight of the dead brought back the creeping nightmare of Lily. "Ahhhhh! No! Mom! Dad!" She was just fine with all the dead bodies of the dwarves surrounding her back at the stadium.

'She must not have the strength at that time. And, now that she's regained her strength, the nightmare is coming back to haunt her. The dead bodies might have triggered it.' The dwarf girl covered her ears and fearfully cowers at one corner of the wagon, away from the light where she could see the dead bodies.

Newt and Fritz jumped down of the wagon to have a clear understanding of the situation. Blood spoiled the path red several peach trees bore the things that occurred; from the left, branches and trunks left traces of burns; from the right, trees split into half.

"This one here looks like a mage," Fritz said after scanning the dead body. "Was it an internal conflict?" They bore the same badge pinned on them. The design of the badge looks like small dots connected together like a constellation.

"A betrayal, maybe?" Newt guessed, picking up the dead humans' belongings. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," Fritz replied dryly. "Anyway, let's take them away from the road and report it to the guards afterward."

"Okay." After taking away all the valuable things from the dead. The two kids, along with the help of the driver of the wagon, they cleared the path off the dead bodies, blocking the way. Placed it on one spot and began once again.

'Oh, I just hope that they don't haunt us for robbing them of their goods.'

There was so much difference between Aldama City and Falmar City. The latter was full of bandits and thieves and, the city gave off a hideous vibe to it. Though there were guards and soldiers stationed, they don't seem to care a bit about the City's condition. The city was extremely poor, for poverty showed itself just from the doorstep of the city.

"I don't think we are staying here longer than what we discussed earlier."

Eyes were laid upon the easy targets. Uneasiness crept their body as bystanders and soldiers in silver watched them out of the wagon.

"The kids look quite loaded," said by one of the Malkar citizens to his companion.

"We will observe for now." The two disappeared from the shadows.

There was so much dirt and flies which irks Lily's skin. She calmed down not too long ago. "Why don't we get on straight to our true destination?" She annoyedly asked.

"It's almost evening. We will have to continue tomorrow. For now, let's find a comfortable-looking inn." After a day and a half trip from Aldama City, they finally reached Malkar City, the city of crimes.