Chapter 3: Unwanted visits

Arthur remained silent for a moment before finally getting up. He grabbed a set of clothes and his cloak from the wardrobe, then stepped into the small bathroom to prepare for the day. 

Once ready, he exited into the second-floor corridor. As he stepped into the narrow hallway, he suddenly froze, then collapsed to his knees. Visions of a sea of corpses emerged from the walls, their blood pooling across the floor, slowly flooding the space. Faint voices echoed all around him.

Arthur struggled to get up but found himself slowly sinking into the blood. Then, he finally understood the words spat by the corpses—their hoarse voices merging into an eerie chorus of curses, condemning him for his brutality and cruelty. He didn't understand. No memory of such acts surfaced in his mind.

His breathing became erratic. A crushing weight pressed down on his chest as his vision blurred. His hands and legs trembled uncontrollably. Then, a cold, lifeless hand grabbed his arm.

Arthur's eyes widened in terror. His body refused to move. His mind screamed, but no words escaped his lips. He didn't know what to do—if there was anything he could do. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the worst.

"Are you okay, Arthur, my dear?"

A gentle touch pulled at his sleeve.

Arthur flinched. His eyes shot open, only to find Granny Anna standing beside him, her warm gaze filled with concern.

Clearing the sweat from his face, he forced himself to stand before looking at her.

"It was nothing. I just slipped, that's all," he replied, his voice slightly panicked.

"If you say so," the old woman said, not wanting to pry if the boy wasn't ready to talk.

Arthur took a deep breath, shaking off the lingering fear, then followed Granny Anna down to the first floor of the pharmacy. Four months ago, Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert had saved him. A generous couple in their sixties. They had found him unconscious near the waterfall and, with some help, dragged him back to the town.

Luckily for Arthur, Granny Anna was the only doctor in the town. She had treated his injuries, and afterward, they let him stay in the guest room on the pharmacy's second floor.

"You're finally here," said Grandpa Albert, Granny Anna's husband, as he handed Arthur a boxed meal

"Eat it before it gets cold," Grandpa Albert muttered, his usual stern expression in place as he sat down.

The three shared a hearty meal before beginning the day's work.

As Arthur helped around the pharmacy, his mind wandered. He barely remembered anything before arriving here. Only his name and vague memories of being pursued remained.

Everything else was a blank void. His curiosity to know his past only grew stronger as nightmares started plaguing his sleep. He wanted them gone.

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, he had been tasked with taking a large pot of soup outside.

Arthur took a deep breath before opening the door. warm sunlight slowly entered the pharmacy, his vision became blurry. Visions of the executed villagers suddenly appeared before him. All of them were nothing more than pale husks in bloodied clothes, all of them still crying and begging for mercy.

Arthur hurriedly closed his eyes and took another deep breath. When he opened them again, the illusions were gone in their place a group of around fifty people stood outside, all waiting in an orderly line. It was his first time seeing such a thing, but there was no time to dwell on it. Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert stepped out carrying wooden bowls, and soon, the three of them began serving the soup.

It was a simple task. Fill a bowl, hand it to the next person, repeat. Each time, they were thanked sincerely.

Arthur pondered, like he did every day, why Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert sacrificed so much. Why give up their hard-earned money to feed him and these people? Why show kindness when those they helped might leave them at the first sign of danger?

Such questions, in the end, were meaningless. As long as this was what the elderly couple wanted, Arthur would do everything in his power to see it done.

Just then, someone gently pulled on his cloak. Looking down, he saw Mary, a little girl who came with her parents for food. She was skinny and poorly dressed, like everyone else, yet her smile was as bright as ever. It was too bright for the boy to remain relaxed.

"Arthur! How are you today?" she asked enthusiastically.

"I'm doing ok—" Arthur tried to reply but accidentally bit his tongue.

He clutched his mouth in pain as the crowd burst into laughter. He scowled.

"How dare you laugh at me?!" he yelled in frustration.

"How could we not? Watching you bite your tongue has become part of the routine," Marcus, a young man behind Mary, chuckled.

"Agreed," Anthony, another young adult further back, added.

"If you don't want us to laugh, you better keep the line moving," Simon, the tallest man in the line, teased.

This was Arthur's daily life. The same people came, the same teasing happened, and he would grumble before continuing his work.

As the afternoon sun hung overhead, everyone had received a meal. Arthur sat on the small flight of stairs in front of the pharmacy's entrance, watching the people eat with a meek expression. Before long, Mary and a few other children joined him, chatting happily.

Despite not eating himself, he found comfort in their voices. Maybe he and these people would never be able to repay Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert, yet the elderly couple never minded the sacrifices they made. Arthur wondered if there were other kind souls like them elsewhere in Mortallia.

Just then, a group of armed people approached the place.

The atmosphere tensed as people recognized them. It was a group of squires, led by Rodrick.

The knight order was a group of people united to defend the kingdom of Aetheria and serve the royal family. To become a knight, one would have to prove to be strong enough to be worthy of the title. Below them were the squires—people who weren't qualified enough to become knights yet still possessed decent strength to allow them to work in the order.

Squires were recruited to serve as guards in smaller cities or bolster the ranks when necessary. Although officially part of the knight order, they weren't knights. However, they still enjoyed certain privileges, which made many eager to join their ranks.

However, the privileges of being a squire had turned them into tyrants. They extorted money, evicted families, and even took innocent lives without consequence.

The greatest proof of these atrocities was the very same people Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert fed—previously citizens of this town, now reduced to outcasts in the place they once called home. All because of Rodrick, one of the three squire captains of the town, who abused his power and robbed them of their possessions while forcing them out of their homes.

"It is lively here as always," Rodrick said with a small grin as he approached Grandpa Albert.

"I hope you have enough this month too, Mr. Albert."

Grandpa Albert hesitantly took out a small pouch from his pocket, which contained a very hefty sum of money. Though Arthur didn't know the exact amount, he could tell it was enough to feed everybody for three whole months.

The boy was furious. Rodrick and his lackeys would always come here, taking advantage of their position to extort money from the town's residents Granny Anna and Grandpa Albert. Everybody looked furious, yet contained their anger.

"Yeah, that's what I like! You mongrels stay right there while I count my hard-earned money!"

Rodrick took a moment counting the money in the pouch. However, with a devilish grin, he let it fall to the ground.

"Sorry, Grandpa Albert, but it's not enough."

"How can that be? I counted it this morning," Grandpa Albert said, panic evident in his shaken voice.

Rodrick chuckled. "Don't worry, we're old friends, right? I'll just take a look inside your pharmacy and find something to make up the difference."

Grandpa Albert wanted to refute knowing it was all a ruse like every other time but ultimately stepped aside with Granny Anna. Rodrick and the squires that followed him took their sweet time walking to the pharmacy. It didn't take long until they were face to face with Arthur.

Suddenly, Mary and the other children stepped in front of them blocking their path.

"We won't let you pass this time!" they shouted.

Everybody around stood in shock. The silence was broken by Rodrick, who started to frantically laugh at the sight in front of him, even shedding tears. Once he had calmed down, he nonchalantly grabbed his sheathed sword and attempted to bash Mary with it.

Arthur moved instantly, shielding her. The impact sent him to the ground, his head bleeding from the powerful strike.

"Oh? Little Arthur wants to be a man today?" Rodrick sneered

"I can help with that."

He then began to repeatedly bash Arthur with his weapon. Even when the boy tried to block the attacks, the sheer force easily broke through his guard. Arthur could do nothing but remain on the ground as Rodrick mercilessly beat him.

His consciousness began to fade. Through his blurred vision, he barely saw the children being held back by their parents, their desperate cries reaching his ears. The elderly couple knelt on the ground, pleading for Rodrick to stop.

Just as Rodrick prepared to deliver the final strike, he suddenly halted as he heard footsteps in the distance.

Then, a voice rang out from the distance.

"What do you think you're doing, Rodrick?"

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, watching as two figures slowly approached them. Rodrick stepped forward, meeting them halfway. A moment passed as the three finally stood face to face, silence filling the air around them.