Leo and Marcus quickly crossed the forest and finally got to the main road that would lead to any major city. The bandits on the wall had noticed the people escaping into the distance, but they couldn’t really do anything.
The guards on the top of the wall were all confused because of the explosion in the fort. On top of that, they couldn’t find anyone of authority on the entire floor. Their bosses weren’t coming up to give them any orders.
They couldn’t go down to the ground floor though, because they were supposed to stay at their posts. The only thing they could do was ring the bell to inform the rest of the guards that they found the person everyone was looking for.
As for the guards inside the fort, they had a new set of problems. Someone unlocked the cuffs of everyone that was supposed to be imprisoned. All of the 300 people had successfully swamped those guards and imprisoned them instead.
The guards on the top of the fort were not aware of what was happening below and were very unsuspecting when the mob came to their floor. By the time Leo and Marcus got to the crossroads where Leo had split into the village road, the fort was completely taken down by the imprisoned people.
Leo and Marcus happily took the left and got onto the road that lead to Eldridge. Unlike the caravan, it was only going to take them a day to finish the journey. After all, they didn’t need to go slow like the caravan and could just sprint through the entire journey. They would be moving five times as fast as the caravan.
When they left the stronghold, it was still early into the afternoon. By the time the sun started to set, they had already gotten to the city.
Leo and Marcus got off the horses and set them free before entering the city. Like Leo, Marcus also had to get registered.
“Name?” The guard asked him.
“Marcus Bright,” He said.
“Age?”
“15,” Marcus said.
“Purpose?”
Marcus thought for a while. While he was thinking, Leo answered for him. “Aura Knight Academy.”
The guard stamped the card and handed it to Marcus. He wasn’t as chatty as the first guard that Leo had encountered.
“Welcome to Eldridge. Next!” He said.
Marcus and Leo walked to Leo’s apartment. Since they were coming from the side that was away from the forest, it was a considerable walk. While Leo was okay, Marcus was weary from the journey there.
He was already weak since he had been imprisoned for a long time. On top of that, he had expended a great amount of energy while fighting the bandits that he didn’t need to. So he was almost ready to pass out if he saw a bed.
Leo realized that his apartment wasn’t going to be enough for the both of them immediately. While they were walking, he thought about what he could do. Since his apartment only had a single room, the only thing he could do was either put another bed in there to share the room or get a new apartment.
He thought about it for a while before asking Marcus. His opinion would decide what he would do. Even though he was leaning against a roommate, he couldn’t help it if Marcus needed it. Compared to a random stranger, he liked Marcus more anyway.
“My apartment only has a single room. What are your thought about sharing a room?” Leo asked.
Marcus shook his head. “Don’t worry. As long as you give me a little space in your hall, I can adjust. I don’t even need a pillow.” He said.
Leo realized why he liked Marcus more than a normal person. Both of them were a little similar in the ways they lived for a long time. Leo had to grow up in a shack, stuck in that tiny space that he had to share with Daphne.
Meanwhile, Marcus had to stay confined in a small space too. Both of them were very grateful for even having a roof on top of their heads instead of feeling entitled to live a certain way. This was what made them alike.
“You can take my bed for today. We can split the room after. Once you get your mercenary card, you can pay your half of the rent.” Leo said.
Marcus nodded. “Yes, boss. Sounds good.”
Leo shook his head. “Don’t call me boss. I’m younger than you.” He said.
Marcus laughed. “Where is it written that you have to be older than someone to be their boss? Since you got me free, you’re my boss.” He said.
Leo smiled. “Fine.”
They reached the apartment. They walked to the 8th floor with the speed of a snail. Marcus was incredibly exhausted and looked like he was going to fall down at any moment. Leo opened the door to his place and Marcus fell inside.
Leo caught him as he was falling. He lifted him up and took him to the bedroom. He threw him onto the bed and turned back. The minute he hit the bed, Marcus fell asleep. Leo, on the other hand, left the apartment to go get another bed.
When he got back, he saw that Marcus was still asleep. He realized that Marcus needed something to recover his energy, so he decided to go get something for him.
When he walked out, he remembered something. Since he was in a major city, the place was supposed to have a Thousand Treasure Tower. He realized that if he went there, he would be able to find everything he needed there.
Maybe he would even find a few pills that could help him increase his aura efficiently. His priority was still finding something for Marcus.
Leo walked around, unaware of where to go. He finally decided to ask someone for directions.
“Hello, sir. Do you know where the Thousand Treasure Tower is?” He asked.
The person looked at him with a weird expression. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” The person asked.
“No? I’m just asking you for directions,” Leo responded.
The person shook his head in disbelief. “Look behind you,” he said.
Leo looked back and saw the normal shops he saw while he was walking down the road. He didn’t expect the tower to be on the main street of the commoner’s district anyway, so he didn’t know what he was supposed to look for.
“Am I supposed to look for something particular, sir?” He asked.
The person took a step forward and pointed to the distant building behind the row of buildings that were in front of him. The buildings in front of him were already 3 stories tall and blocked his view of most of the buildings behind them. Only a few were visible.
One of them was a white building that rose high above the ground, seeming to be 20 stories tall. It towered above all the buildings near it.
“You are basically blind if you don’t find it at this point,” the person said and walked away.