Chapter 377 375: Seeing Tsia
Alix gives a small nod, then turns his attention back to the window.
For a while, nothing changes.
Zevran sleeps.
Mero absorbs qi.
The city breathes quietly beneath them.
Then a knock breaks the stillness.
Three firm taps against the door.
Alix doesn't turn.
"Enter."
The door opens, and Kevom steps inside. He carries a storage ring in one hand.
He stops a few steps in and bows his head.
"My lord."
Alix glances at him.
"Speak."
Kevom lifts the ring slightly.
"My apologies, my lord," he says. "This is all the gold I could gather. Around one hundred gold coins."
He hesitates for a brief moment before adding,
"This continent uses qi stones as currency. Cities like this don't keep much gold on hand."
Alix studies him for a second, then reaches out.
The storage ring floats from Kevom's hand into his own.
"That's fine," Alix says. "It's better than nothing."
Kevom lets out a quiet breath, as if he had expected more of a reaction.
"I've already ordered a search across the remaining estates," he adds. "If there are hidden reserves, we'll find them."
Alix nods once.
"Do it."
Kevom straightens.
"Yes, my lord."
There's nothing more to say.
Alix waves his hand slightly.
"You can go now."
Kevom bows again, then turns and leaves, closing the door behind him.
The room falls quiet once more.
Alix looks down at the ring in his hand.
With a thought, a transparent screen appears before his eyes.
The numbers shift as he checks his resources.
Gold Coins: 175,836,728
He stares at it for a moment.
Then flicks his fingers.
Another panel opens, displaying a detailed blueprint formed entirely of light and symbols. Complex lines interlock, forming a massive structure designed for long-range teleportation.
A portal.
One that can bridge continents.
His eyes move across the requirements.
Two hundred thousand gold coins.
Alix exhales softly.
"Still short."
---
The next day, the city feels different under the sun.
Alix walks through the streets without drawing attention.
A simple robe covers him from shoulder to ankle, plain and unremarkable. No armor. No insignia. Nothing that ties him to what happened.
No one recognizes him.
To them, he is just another figure passing through.
His gaze moves quietly from one corner of the street to another.
Monsters who once wore collars now walk freely. A horned man laughs as he helps set up a fruit stall. A wolfkin carries sacks without chains dragging behind him. A pair of children run past, their laughter sharp and unrestrained.
There is still fear.
But there is also something else, relief.
Alix stops for a moment, watching.
"They adapt fast," he murmurs to himself.
"Yes, master. It's all thank to his master's kindness."
A voice answers from below.
Zevran peeks out from inside his robe, his tiny head pushing past the fold of fabric. He blinks up at the bright light, then squints.
Alix just pet his head and keeps walking.
A few steps later, something catches his attention.
Near the edge of the street, beside a small fruit stall, two small figures stand close together.
Two girls.
Beastkin.
The older one stands slightly in front, her body thin but tense, ears drooping slightly as she speaks in a low voice to the stall owner. The younger one clings to her side, holding onto her clothes with both hands.
"Please," the older girl says. "Just one. We can pay later. I'll work for it."
The stall owner shakes his head.
"I already gave away enough yesterday," he says. "I have to make a living too."
The girl lowers her head.
"I understand…"
She starts to pull her sister away.
The younger one looks back at the fruit, eyes lingering.
She doesn't complain.
She just follows.
Alix watches them for a second.
Then he steps forward.
"How much for those?" he asks, pointing at a few fruits on the stall.
The stall owner looks up, quickly shifting his tone.
"Not much, sir. Very cheap."
Alix takes out a few coins and places them down.
"Give them enough."
The man doesn't ask questions. He quickly packs several fruits and hands them over.
Alix turns and walks toward the two girls.
They tense when he approaches.
The older one instinctively steps in front of the younger, eyes wary.
Alix holds out the small bundle.
"Take it."
The girl hesitates.
"For… us?"
"Yes."
She looks at him, trying to read something in his face.
Then slowly, carefully, she reaches out and takes it.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
The younger girl peeks from behind her, eyes wide.
"Thank you…"
Alix nods once, about to turn away.
Then something makes him pause.
A small thought.
He focuses slightly.
A transparent screen appears in his vision, locking onto the older girl.
Her status flickers into view.
Alix's eyes narrow slightly.
Then sharpen.
"...Interesting."
Zevran shifts inside his robe.
He reads the line again. An innate ability, a rare one.
And not just anything, it's mind-related.
He looks at the girl again.
She stiffens under his gaze.
"What's your name?" he asks.
The girl hesitates.
"...Tsia."
"And her?"
"My sister… Liri."
Alix studies her for a few seconds.
Tsia grips the fruit tighter, uncertain now.
"Did we do something wrong?" she asks quietly.
Alix shakes his head.
"No."
He pauses.
Then asks, "Do you remember anything strange happening before you got here?"
Tsia freezes, although it's just for a moment.
But Alix sees it.
"I… don't know," she says, her voice less steady now. "Why?"
Zevran peeks out again, looking between them.
"Oh," he mutters softly. "She's lying."
Alix ignores him.
His gaze stays on Tsia.
There's something there, something buried.
"Are you two alone?" he asks.
Tsia nods slowly.
Alix exhales. Then he makes a decision.
"Come with me," he says.
Tsia's eyes widen.
Liri clutches her tighter.
"I won't hurt you," Alix adds, his tone calm. "You'll have food. Shelter. Safety."
Tsia hesitates.
She looks at the fruit in her hands. Then at her sister, then back at him.
She doesn't fully understand why.
But something in her tells her this is different.
"...Okay," she says quietly.
They walk in silence at first.
Tsia keeps half a step behind Alix, one hand holding the small bundle of fruit, the other gripping Liri's hand tightly. Liri stays close, almost pressed against her side, eyes darting around at everything.
At first, the streets are familiar. Crowded, noisy, and alive.
But slowly, that begins to change.
The stalls thin out.
The voices grow quieter.
The buildings start to rise higher, cleaner, more refined. Stone replaces wood. Decorations appear on walls and gates. The streets widen, but fewer people walk them.
Tsia notices it first.
Her steps slow slightly.
"...Big Sis-," Liri whispers, tugging on her sleeve.
"I see it," Tsia murmurs back.
They both know where they are heading.
The central district, also called the noble district.
After everything that happened, the place still feels different from the rest of the city. But now the gates are open, the guards no longer turning people away, but the atmosphere hasn't changed much.
It still feels like a place they shouldn't be.
Most monsters avoid it. Not because they are forbidden. But because the monsters felt like they don't belong in this place.