Chapter 105: Finding the House
He pointed his finger at Selena standing behind Mythyr.
"If you help me find at least a trace, or promise to search until he is found. Then I will fight."
"That is what we are busiest with, and if not, there will be no fight."
Selena, standing behind, was quite surprised when she was pointed at.
—"He is quite clever, isn't he? But cleverness is only for dogs. Whether you find him or not, you still have to fight Mythyr. Why not hide? In the end, having to fight Mythyr, won't you die?"
Mythyr curled her lip into a smirk.
"I see, very well. I will accept helping you, then we shall fight."
Then she lowered her voice with a tone of threat and lethality:
"Do not think of escaping; within the boundaries of this city, I will still find you. If you go outside, even better, I will not be restrained."
Elyssia stood silently observing.
—"Is she the strongest in the city? Without fighting, I basically don't know. I only hope Kazuka will win."
Kazuka nodded slightly.
"Fine, then I will describe his appearance. You go search."
Selena stepped forward; if Kazuka had decided, then she had to help. After all, Mythyr was Selena's teacher.
"Then try describing him to me."
Kazuka nodded.
…
After a moment of description. Mythyr and Selena walked out of the inn. Leaving Ayaka, Takeshi, Kazuka, and Elyssia standing and watching from behind.
Takeshi exhaled a long sigh.
"Truly unlucky. Do you really want to fight that woman?"
Kazuka shrugged, as if determined.
"Of course, I don't mind at all. Now I only hope to find Aoto."
Elyssia: "Resolving it like that is settled; if you don't fight, she will likely cause more trouble. Not to mention if we leave the city, it might become a pursuit and kill."
Ayaka smiled.
"You handled that well, Kazuka."
Kazuka scratched his head and laughed.
"I guess so, huh?"
Suddenly remembering, his face changed color, returning to the previous tension.
"I forgot, let's try going to the slave markets to see if Aoto is there or not."
Takeshi remained calm.
"No need for that. He cannot be captured."
Ayaka shook her head.
"No, we should still try just to be sure. If we brush it off and something happens to Aoto, then what?"
Takeshi froze before the words and the gaze looking straight at him.
"Very well."
....
Moving to somewhere else.
Droven carried a large, tightly bound cloth bag. He walked to a certain place in a small alley.
Before him was a house that was a bit old and quite ordinary.
He pushed the door inward.
Inside was a place for imprisoning slaves. Iron cages from large to small were rusted, giving off an unpleasant smell. Along with the pungent stench of blood and a foul odor striking Droven's nose, making him grimace. The space was somewhat dark, blood everywhere underfoot.
The iron cages inside held many people. From young girls with pitiful faces, scratches and blood all over their bodies and faces. Elves and beast-people with ears and tails were lying gasping for breath due to hunger and wounds.
Further away, a man appeared quite wealthy. He was a bit fat, with a treacherous face and a smile revealing gold teeth glowing in the darkness.
"Want to sell something?"
Droven took off his hood. The slave trader seemed to recognize him and let out an "oh."
"Is it you? What do you want to sell?"
Droven threw the cloth bag down, a heavy "thud."
"It is an Elf, I want to sell it."
The slave trader smirked.
"Are you so hungry that you have to go catch Elves to sell?"
Droven's face clearly showed irritation as he growled:
"Check it quickly, don't talk too much. This is high-quality goods."
The slave trader still smiled cheerfully. He stepped forward and pulled open the cloth bag. Inside was Aoto lying unconscious. He pulled hard and the bag came off Aoto's body.
Aoto lay curled on the ground.
He frowned, looking at Aoto's ears which were currently human ears, stood up and growled with annoyance:
"You want to sell a human? How dare you claim it is an Elf."
Droven shook his head.
"My sensing ability shows he is an Elf; try seeing if he uses something to hide his energy and appearance."
The slave trader squinted at Droven with a suspicious gaze.
"You check it, I only receive, I don't have time."
Droven was quite annoyed, but he had to yield because he thought money was coming. He leaned down and took out Aoto's earrings.
The ear that had just had the earring removed immediately stretched long. The slave trader let out an "oh."
Droven moved to the other ear and removed the earring; Aoto's ear turned long again.
The slave trader felt a bit of interest.
"Unexpectedly, an Elf has this and infiltrated here to live like a normal person, truly interesting."
"His appearance is also very beautiful."
But then he frowned slightly, looking at Aoto's ears.
—"Why are this Elf kid's ears so long? I remember they aren't that long."
He turned around and walked to a cage being covered with a cloth. He lifted the cloth slightly, and inside was an Elf with a middle-aged appearance lying curled up.
He frowned looking at the Elf's ears inside the cage, then turned back to look at Aoto on the ground.
Droven stood up, a bit impatient.
"What are you checking? He is clearly an Elf, do you want to buy or not?"
The slave trader lowered the cloth and pointed toward Aoto on the ground.
"Try searching if this kid has anything else different on his body."
Droven frowned in confusion.
"Check what else, he is clearly an Elf."
The slave trader was still very suspicious and careful.
—"It seems that kid has good energy sensing ability, so he didn't feel this blond kid's energy is human, or he ignored it."
—"Then there is a possibility he has something hiding his energy."
Droven was searching Aoto's person; as he felt down the pant leg, he had a strange sensation. He peeled back the pant leg; it was a ring used to hide Aoto's energy.
Droven fumbled and removed the ring.
Immediately, the slave trader clearly felt Aoto's source of energy. He immediately broke into a sweat, eyes trembling looking at Aoto.
—"This is not good."
His voice was urgent:
"How did you get him?"
Droven stood up, tossing the ring in his hand.
"I tracked him and took him down."
The slave trader did not want trouble; he immediately waved his hand and wanted to drive him away to avoid problems:
"Go quickly, I will not buy him."
Droven, with irritation, shouted loudly:
"Why won't you buy?"
The slave trader lost patience:
"I am not buying, and there is nowhere that will buy. Quickly release him."
Droven shouted even louder:
"What do you mean by that?"
Seeing the loud shouting, from the inside, two individuals with muscular bodies and fierce faces stepped out from the darkness.
The slave trader hurriedly reached out his hand to stop them. Those two looked down at Aoto lying on the ground and were also bewildered.
The slave trader knew he needed to explain so this guy would understand.
—"If I don't explain now and a big incident happens, the city will be swept and I will be finished."
"He is not an Elf..."
Before the slave trader finished speaking, Droven growled with annoyance:
"What do you mean?"
The slave trader: "He is an Elemental; you have never met an Elemental so you mistook him for an Elf."
"Elementals are forbidden from being traded; once discovered, perhaps all slave traders throughout this country will be killed."
Droven frowned in confusion; seeing the slave trader's face appearing panicked, he felt confused.
"Why is it forbidden? And he is an Elemental?"
He looked down at Aoto on the ground with worry, knowing that if slave traders did not dare sell, there was certainly a problem.
The slave trader: "It is a species hierarchy difference. Elementals are a higher rank than Elves; you selling an Elemental is no different from seeking death."
"If you sell an Elf it is fine, but have you ever heard of 'selling an Elemental' or 'buying an Elemental'? Simply because selling is death. It is the common law of the world."
"All nations are like that. Quickly take him out of here."
Finished speaking, the slave trader immediately turned back into the house. The two muscular men standing nearby shouted loudly:
"Quickly take him out of here, you fool."
Then one man picked up Aoto, put him in the cloth bag, and threw him outside.
"Beat it."
Droven stood there with clear bewilderment and stepped outside. He stared at the cloth bag.
—"What on earth is going on? He is an Elemental?"
—"What should I do now?"
Suddenly his stomach growled "gurgle gurgle." Unwilling to give up, he bit his lip.
He immediately slung the cloth bag up and ran away.
…
He asked everywhere, but all slave selling places drove him away, the curses still echoed in his head:
"Are you stupid?"
"Beat it, do you want to kill us?"
"You will die, you foolish kid."
He carried Aoto to an abandoned house on a hill, hidden behind foliage.
Sitting on an old window that was only a wall, he looked down at the cloth bag with eyes starving for food.
"They don't buy Elementals?"
He suddenly remembered the ring, hurriedly ran over and pulled open the bag. He put it on Aoto's hand. But the sensation of human energy he had felt a little of before had now disappeared.
"It doesn't work? How does this ring operate?"
His stomach growled "gurgle gurgle" again; he clutched his stomach with discomfort.
"Damn it, I have stolen too much. Now if I steal again, this time it certainly won't be a few ordinary guards."
Looking down at Aoto with eyes full of suffering. He gritted his teeth with anger. Taking out the two earrings and the ring from his person, he kicked Aoto who was lying unconscious but looked as if he were sleeping. They just went into the bag.
"Damn it."
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something:
—"That's right, if I sell to the farm owners it will work; surely they have never contacted an Elemental before."
He hurriedly slung Aoto up and ran away, his face excited as if he were very expectant.
He ran even with an empty stomach but forgot it when thinking there would be money.
—"Damn it, the other end of the city has a farm. Running there must take a whole day."
…
Moving to Kazuka's side…
Kazuka and Elyssia walked to a place quite devoid of people, cramped and messy and smelling foul.
Kazuka pointed his finger at a house; looking from the outside it was quite dilapidated, but if one noticed from afar, one could see this house was very large.
"Is it this one?"
Elyssia nodded.
"Most likely; around here there are no other houses quite like the description from those guys in the tavern."
Kazuka nodded and stepped closer.
"Then let's go."
He pushed the door inward. Inside were many iron cages covered with cloths. Inside was a slave trader with a bald head and muscular build; around him were four of his underlings, they were eating and laughing.
They suddenly stopped when they saw someone open the door.
Kazuka saw them turn over; he did not want to waste much time and asked directly:
"I want to find a person; I don't know if he is here?"
The leader stood up from his chair and stepped forward. They always remained calm, doing anything, the first rule being not to look at appearances to judge others' abilities. So he said softly:
"So what do you two want to find?"
Kazuka said immediately:
"Blond hair, green eyes, looks 17 years old, wearing earrings. Have you seen him?"
The leader frowned; he seemed to remember and did not want to get involved in trouble, his voice dropped low:
"I don't know for what reason, but indeed there was. There was a kid named Droven carrying someone quite fitting the description, and asked 'do you buy Elementals?'"
"I drove him away, because the law does not allow selling Elementals. His house follows this path and turns right, then turns left and goes straight at the end of the road. We know nothing at all, please leave."
Kazuka and Elyssia stood frozen from shock, eyes wide open.
The leader also saw that expression.
"I hope you guests leave; we don't sell any Elementals."
Then his voice sank low as if wanting to threaten:
"So don't be foolish and go report us."
Kazuka immediately turned around and ran outside with worry; Elyssia ran right after.
Kazuka: "This is not good, must hurry. Otherwise, something will happen."
"Damn it, why was he so easily captured?"
Elyssia: "Maybe that guy is also quite strong, or has something that helped him."
After running the length of the road the leader had pointed out. It seemed he simply wanted to avoid trouble.
The house ahead was very small. The window with broken glass, the house old and rotted to a pitiful state.
Kazuka and Elyssia stopped before the house and observed.
Kazuka: "Is this really that Droven guy's house?"
Elyssia: "It looks so old. But let's go in and see if he is home or not."
Kazuka nodded; he stepped closer to the door, in his heart praying Aoto was still okay. Touching the handle of the door, the rough and dirty sensation was clear.
He pushed the door in; the interior was very dark, furniture thrown haphazardly everywhere, tables and chairs overturned, dishes broken in pieces scattered around the house. The scene was no different from an abandoned house.
Suddenly, a boy with a tattered and dirty appearance ran out, behind him was another smaller boy.
An innocent child's voice:
"Give it back to me."
Unexpectedly the two boys noticed Kazuka and Elyssia standing at the door and looked up; their innocent expressions gradually transformed into fear. The two boys screamed out piteously:
"Don't come here..."
"We have no money..."
"Don't beat us..."
"I beg you."
The two boys spoke while crying; they turned around wanting to run inside but bumped into each other and fell. The two boys sat on the ground with fearful eyes looking up at Kazuka and Elyssia, along with the room being quite dark and both standing outside the door causing the light to cast over half their faces, making them even more panicked.
Kazuka was full of confusion.
"Hey? I haven't done anything? I only want to find Droven."
From inside the house, an old woman with a frail appearance, an aged face, and hair white from age, legs trembling trying to step and both hands having to grip a wooden staff in her hands. A frail voice spoke very slowly:
"Do you want to find the boy Droven?"
Kazuka and Elyssia suddenly sensed energy behind them and turned back.
It was Droven; his hand was holding a bundle of money and stuffing it back into his person.
Elyssia growled:
"Are you Droven?"
Droven suddenly felt something was wrong; he became alert and entered a combat state, legs spread wide.
Kazuka, with an angry gaze fixed on Droven's face, but he was not rash.
"Are you the one who captured Aoto?"
Droven's hand created a puff of smoke and his sword emerged from within it.
"I don't know, don't look for trouble."
Kazuka drew the sword from his hip; the sound of metal friction rang out sharply as if carrying anger.
"I already asked the slave traders. You are the one who offered to sell my friend; he is an Elemental."
Droven gritted his teeth; he knew he had been exposed, but did not want to admit it:
"I don't know, don't frame me."
Kazuka relaxed his facial muscles, not wanting to be angry anymore.
"I can still sense Aoto's energy on your person."
Suddenly, his hand spread out and blew a puff of light gray smoke toward Kazuka and Elyssia.
Droven immediately turned around and ran away; he ran very fast through the alleys, his face full of irritation.
—"Damn it, are those two his friends? Or does that Elemental kid have some secret."
—"Must stay away for a while. You wait for me, you two, and Grandma."
He gritted his jaw harder with anger.
—"Don't hope to kill me, I will not die."
Suddenly, as if sensing danger, he immediately turned back.
At the same time, Kazuka lunged through the smoke and hovered in the air; his left hand immediately manifested an energy spear, eyes scanning everywhere.
He immediately identified the position where Droven had run into an alley; he launched the energy spear with extremely high speed, the wind shrieked.
Droven was surprised; he jumped to one side but did not expect the spear to be that strong. It slammed straight into the ground and created a large hole.
Droven jumped to one side, spun horizontally a few times, and landed on the ground, two hands propped on the ground with legs spread wide, face still not over the bewilderment.
—"What the? Too strong."
He immediately continued running. Trying his best to run through small alleys.
Elyssia lunged out from the smoke; she shot forward causing chicken feathers on the ground to fly wildly, the speed was very fast.
Kazuka dropped from above, causing the ground to crack; he lunged very fast.
Running to an empty lot, Droven looked back with annoyance.
"Damn it, why are they running faster and faster?"
Suddenly, a very loud sound of wind shrieking like an eagle's cry rang out.
It was a white spear lunging with a terrifying source of energy; that pressure, even though at a distance from the ground, caused the ground to crack continuously following the spear's movement.
Droven sensed it; he turned back but the spear was launching very fast and very close, making his eyes widen in surprise.
—"So fast, from a long distance yet launched so accurately."
He leaned his body back, energy radiating at the same time. Two sources of energy brushed past each other; Droven clearly felt this was not normal energy and he had never encountered it before.
The spear lunged forward and crashed into a rock further away, continued lunging, and finally slammed into the ground, creating a large and very deep pit.
Kazuka lunged forward, swinging the sword with a large source of energy carrying extreme killing intent. A horizontal slash with the intent to cut off Droven's head.
But he reflected quite well, immediately bringing the sword up and successfully blocking the fatal slash.
But Kazuka's large energy overwhelmed Droven. Droven was immediately knocked back with bewilderment still present in his eyes.
Kazuka growled:
"Where is Aoto?"
Immediately, he radiated a puff of smoke with an extremely large coverage area. Kazuka closed his eyes so smoke would not enter.
Droven seemed to be supported by the smoke; he was full of concentration with determined eyes.
—"This guy is too strong, is that Elemental friend of his that strong?"
Sensing danger, he tilted his body with bewilderment.
Immediately a slash tore through the gray smoke, cutting off Droven's ear; he was still bewildered so he hadn't time to stop the bleeding, causing blood to spray.
—"He is too dangerous."
A series of slashes were being unleashed, making Droven have to tilt his body to avoid the sword strikes.
Kazuka could not sense anything. He only continuously unleashed thin energy slashes with the hope of hitting, along with wanting to blow away this smoke. He swung wildly; in his sight, there was only smoke.
Droven gritted his teeth in irritation.
—"Is it possible I only won against that Elemental because he was too cautious, leading to being inside my smoke?"
Gritting his teeth with anger, he wanted to live, but also would not lose. His ear had recovered, but he was currently very resentful and wanted to pay it back.
"If you want to escape, it seems I must kill you?"
Both hands gripped the sword hilt; the light gray energy of the smoke erupted fiercely, two legs spread wide standing firm. The sword was covered by a large source of energy. He unleashed a vertical slash from above, directed straight at the spot he had identified Kazuka to be. The slash launched with very high speed, tearing through the smoke and plowing up the ground as it went.
But unfortunately, that slash collided with a slash Kazuka had unleashed wildly.
The two sources of energy immediately collided. Kazuka immediately knew the direction of collision and turned back; he was extremely determined to take down this Droven guy.
On the outside, Elyssia was hovering in the air after she jumped up and the ground below still had a wide crack.
—"This smoke is his ability; it makes me unable to sense anything inside."
She reached out her hand; a large source of energy surrounded her palm and took the shape of a white energy sphere. When her body fell close to the smoke, she raised her hand over her head as if to take momentum, immediately striking the sphere down into the center of the giant smoke cloud.
As the sphere flew down, it immediately radiated in all directions a terrifying source of energy and blew away all the smoke.
Droven was dazed, not understanding what happened, but he had sensed it and looked up at Elyssia falling down.
—"Damn it."
The two slashes from Droven and Kazuka were still neutralizing each other and gradually disappearing. Kazuka's slash seemed weaker, but in reality, he only slashed small strikes, while Droven had concentrated a lot into it.
Kazuka and Droven faced each other. Kazuka growled during interrogation:
"Say it quickly, where is Aoto?"
Droven did not appear triumphant or provocative; he was very tense and focused, his voice normal as he replied: