Chapter 3

Remy anxiously gripped the chains binding his wrists. Judging by the scratches and dents on them he was not the first to wear them. He wondered if he might be able to make a run for it once they were off.

His hopes were dashed the moment he was dragged outside. The trading point was surrounded by thick palisades with guard towers full of archers overlooking the entire place.

Guards were patrolling left and right with swords strapped to their waists and vigilance in their eyes. They were not any run of the mill town militia but elite soldiers sent to guard one of the most important sources of Mithril in the Empire.

This was not just a small settlement, but a full fledged military base. Remy felt insignificant in the face of it all. Run away? Stop joking around, this place had probably as much security as the palace.

The newly arrived convicts were only a small part of the activity here. Remy looked ahead and saw the huge transparent dome that expanded outward, covering the distant mountains with no effort.

Heavy metal carts were going back and forth between the base and the barrier. Crates with a shiny green ore were received and stacked up high. At the same time, all kinds of necessities from food and clothes to knives and scissors were sent away.

In the distance he could see the receiving station on the other side of the barrier. It was equally as busy as this one.

Remy along with the other thirty or so prisoners were dragged like cattle up a cliff to a separate rail.

"We've done it now boss. I knew trying to kidnap the city lord's kid was a bad idea!" One of the convicts lamented

"Shut up! This was bound to happen sooner or later. You knew the risks when you joined the gang. Just be thankful you weren't cut down like the rest."

Most of the other prisoners shivered and began murmuring among themselves about different things. Remy managed to understand that almost all of them were part of the same gang, having been captured after a failed kidnapping attempt.

That had nothing to do with Remy, but he was once again reminded that the people going inside the Nest were not exactly morally upstanding citizens. Hell, he technically wasn't one either.

They arrived at the rail's end and watched as an official carrying a long parchment strode up to them. Of course, not only him, but the prisoners as well were surrounded by imperial guards armed to the teeth.

Without even a glance at them, the official rolled the paper open and began listing names and the crimes they were guilty off.

"...Dominic Basaer, guilty of banditry, twenty cases of homicide, five of kidnapping and twelve of ra*e. Sentenced to imprisonment in the Mithril mines of Kass..."

That was the apparent leader of the bandits, the others before him having similar, though not as impressive, resumes.

"...Remy Riverson, guilty of assault and attempt on the life of Count Zamiri. Sentenced to imprisonment in the Mithril mines of Kass..."

Remy didn't know how to feel about the respectful nods some of the bandits had given him. Was he already "in" with the criminals? Wait, he was already a criminal, he couldn't be more "in" than that.

A few more minutes passed before the official was done with them. The sun had already passed the middle point and it's strong summer rays were beginning to turn orange.

Two guards started taking off their chains while the other twenty surrounding them drew their swords. The message was clear: "Try anything and you'll be slashed open before you realize what happened".

It seems that after twenty years of doing this, the protocol had become solid. The Empire wanted this place to work perfectly. Any drop of chaos might affect the delicate operation that was happening here.

Remy didn't have much time to massage his abused wrists. After the chains were taken off, he was unceremoniously shoved together with the rest on a cramped cart and pushed away.

The metal wheels screeched horrendously under the weight of more than thirty men, but the thick iron reinforcements held everything in place.

After a few meters he felt a strange pressure on his skin as if he was suddenly going through water. Small electricity bolts formed around their bodies, but besides making them deeply uncomfortable they didn't bring any harm. Remy reckoned that it would be completely different if they went the other way around.

As soon as they entered the magical barrier a loud ringing sound struck Remy's ears. At the same time a transparent screen appeared in his vision.

[Mana source detected. System initialization ready. Commence boot-up sequence?]

[Yes/No]

Remy's eyes darted around him. The other prisoners didn't notice anything strange so it was safe to say he was the only one capable of seeing the screen and hearing the bell ring.

He was familiar with the concept of a system as it was a staple part of an isekai. He's apprehension was quickly changed to happiness at the thought of having some sort of an advantage in the place he was going.

Not wanting to sound even more deranged than what the others thought he was already, Remy tried to give a mental command instead of talking.

Fortunately it worked and the [Yes] option lit up before disappearing together with the rest of the messages. A second later and a new line appeared.

[Commencing boot-up sequence: 2%]

At that moment, Remy was thankful he was standing all the way in the back and that the others were too tense to look around. The small magical lights that had been previously dancing on his body grew stiff and began being absorbed at an alarming rate.

Even if the mana inside had the property of lighting and electricity it did no harm to Remy's body as more and more was taken in through his skin.

The percent was going up fast and by the time he could see the details of his arrival place it had already passed 90%. He hoped it would finish quickly as there were a lot of people around the end of the rail and he didn't want to draw attention at the strange way the barrier was interacting with him.

Anything that could affect it would probably be of great interest to many people. Thankfully, just as the front of the cart left the barrier he heard a ding signifying the end of the process.

A few more messages flashed in the corner of his eyes, but he had no choice but to ignore them for now. The cart had come to a stop. They were now trapped inside the Nest for the rest of their lives as far as they could tell.

This side of the barrier mirrors the one they had just departed from, but in a far more humble way. Instead of colossal walls and solid infrastructure there were only a few improvised fences and some run down huts.

Hell, half of the things here were built from leftover, rotten crates. There was nothing impressive to speak off. Remy was actually surprised the wooden buildings lasted long enough to grow mold.

"Oi, get the hell off already! The next shipment goes on that cart."

Remy turned his head towards the voice. He was an unremarkable man in his thirties probably. What was important to note about him was the fact that he was armored and armed. For Remy, that was enough of a reason to listen to his words.

While the others were still muddle headed, he jumped out of the cart. The warm soil felt pleasant to his bare feet. He was lucky he still had a shirt and pants on, dirty and uncomfortable as they may be. Still, shoes seemed like something he should prioritize getting soon.

The armed man did not even spare Remy a glance as he waited for the others to get off. The second they did, a few workers in shabby clothes similar to Remy's pulled the cart away. The man turned and left without another word.

Nobody from the group Remy came inside with moved. Around them was a surge of activity with people yelling orders and instructions while others moved things around. Their group was totally ignored.

Remy didn't know what to do. He expected the worst and was prepared to have to fight for his life the moment he arrived here. He was not alone in this, the bandits were also feeling a mixture of confusion, anxiety and apprehension.

"It seems that only one group came this time. Well, whatever…" Remy heard someone's words a distance away from him.

He turned around and saw a middle aged man walking towards them. He, like the other man, was armored and carrying a sword at his hip. The armor was nothing special, just some chain mail with patches of leather holding it in place. It was made for fast movement and less for taking blows.

The man stopped a few meters away and spoke up.

"Welcome to the Nest, fresh meat."