Sunny felt cold sweat running down his back. Shaken by Gunlaug's serpentine voice, he was tempted to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. However, he also understood that every person in the grand hall currently felt the same urge.
Everyone here had done something that might be considered a crime by the tyrant.
He almost expected to hear people begin confessing their sins, but at that moment, a strange commotion at the doors attracted his attention.
Moving with menacing determination, two guards dragged a man to the center of the hall and threw him on the floor. The man was dressed in rags and painfully lean, which betrayed his nature as a dweller of the outer settlement.
However, there were ropes of powerful muscles rolling under his thin skin, and an angry, fearless look in his eyes that made the man appear proud and defiant. Throwing a contemptuous stare at the guards, he picked himself up from the floor and stood up, his back straight and his head held high. There was no ounce of fear on his face. Instead, there was dark, furious resentment.
Gunlaug looked down on the brave man from his throne and slightly tilted his head. The outsider grimaced after seeing his reflection in the golden mask, but still didn't lower his head.
'That's pure willpower,' Sunny thought, impressed by the stranger.
Meanwhile, Bright Lord's voice resounded in the grand hall once again:
"My wards. We have a guest today. This man, called Jubei, is visiting us from the outer settlement. Recently, he had been heard leveraging an accusation against one of my men. As a just and benevolent lord, I have invited Jubei here to plead his case and expose the criminal. We must get to the bottom of this matter! After all, the law is our only guiding star in this dark world…"
Despite being free from the psychic pressure emanated by Gunlaug's armor, Sunny still felt strangely affected by his deep, soft voice. He even got goosebumps. With or without the golden Memory, Bright Lord possessed a powerful and ingratiating charisma. It was hard not to listen to him.
But the man called Jubei just smirked.
"That's right. I'm here to accuse one of your thugs, Gunlaug. Let's see how you'll get out of this one, bastard."
With that, he raised one hand and pointed a finger at the group of Hunters watching the proceeding from their usual corner of the grand hall.
"That man right there, one of your so-called Pathfinders, is guilty of murder. He had killed an innocent kid in the most repugnant of ways. I've been watching you and your minions commit all sorts of vile crimes over these years, but enough is enough. Today, I'll see him answer with his life for what he did!"
A wave of shocked whispers ran through the crowd. Accusing a Pathfinder was not something a sane person would ever do. Due to their venerated status, these men were nearly untouchable. And yet, Jubei seemed unrelenting.
Gunlaug spoke:
"...Is that so? That is a heavy accusation, Jubei. Please, tell us more."
The man from the outer settlement gritted his teeth.
"That scum and his people lured a naive kid into their party by promising him all kinds of rewards and riches. They told him that he is going to become one of them and come to live in your damn castle. But in reality, they just fed him to the monsters as bait!"
He spat on the floor.
"You dare to call yourself Hunters, you damn cowards?! Don't you have any shame?!"
A heavy silence settled in the grand hall. People were now staring at the group of Hunters with dark expressions on their faces. The inhabitants of the castle were used to pretending to be blind to all kinds of wicked deeds, but all those deeds were committed by humans against other humans.
What they couldn't forgive was a human being betraying another of their kind to the Nightmare Creatures. In the Dark City, this was tantamount to sacrilege.
Gunlaug turned his head to face the Hunters, who shivered under his gaze.
"Is this true?"
The oldest of the group, the Pathfinder, glanced darkly at Jubei and scowled.
"There must be some kind of a misunderstanding, my lord. The boy in question was a highly valued member of my party. We all had high hopes for his future. His death saddened all of us a great deal."
His voice was steady and calm. Perhaps even a little too calm.
Jubei snarled:
"Lies! I happened to be hunting on that day myself and saw everything with my own two eyes! I know what you did, bastard!"
Gunlaug turned to face the crows and sighed. After some time had passed, he solemnly said:
"What an unfortunate situation. It seems that it is your word against his, Jubei. What to do, what to do? I trust my brave men wholeheartedly, of course. Who would be so ungrateful as to distrust these heroes when they are the ones keeping you all alive? Surely, there's no one that vile and wicked among you, my precious wards."
Sunny held his breath, feeling singled out by the insidious voice. The chilling threat hidden behind these words was not very subtle.
Gunalug was silent for a few moments, battering the crowd with his oppressive psychic aura. Then, he turned away, letting the people breathe, and said:
"But it would be unbecoming of me to play favorites in such a grave matter. And this matter, oh, it is grave indeed. What a dilemma. How do we uphold justice, my wards?"
In the ensuing silence, Gemma, the leader of both Hunters and Pathfinders, suddenly spoke:
"My lord, if I may speak. Isn't there a law that suits this situation perfectly? It has existed for as long as humans lived in this ancient castle. I'm talking, of course, about the right of challenge."
He glanced at Jubei and smiled:
"If this brave hunter has any shadow of doubt about his accusation, he should step down. If not, he can challenge the criminal and prove it with blood. Of course, the real culprit here is… me. As the person responsible for these men, any crime they commit in their roles as Hunters is my fault."
Gemma's charismatic smile was wide and friendly.
"So how about, Jubei? Will you step down? Or do you want to challenge me?"
The hunter from the outer settlement glared at him for a while, his eyes burning with fury and contempt. Finally, he spat:
"Do you think I'm afraid of you, lapdog? Sure, why not. I challenge you!"
Chapter 145: Justice
The whole spectacle was so smoothly orchestrated that Sunny was almost tempted to believe in it. Of course, he knew better.
The only thing he didn't know was whether the bits performed by the Pathfinder and Gemma were rehearsed in advance or improvised on the fly to fulfill their lord's desire to maintain appearances while having the man who had dared to speak openly against him publicly executed.
And that was what this was, an execution. Sunny didn't believe for a second that Gunlaug was going to give the brave hunter a chance to leave the grand hall alive. No, he wanted him dead, and he wanted everyone to see him die.
…Lest they get the idea that it was possible to run their mouths against him and escape unscathed.
And yet, and yet… a tiny ember of hope still burned in Sunny's heart. From the looks of it, Jubei was an experienced hunter. A capable, seasoned warrior who faced numerous monsters and ended up on top every time. He was very strong, with enough willpower and resolve to crush rocks into dust. Perhaps a miracle would happen.
No matter how small, there was a possibility.
That's why Sunny couldn't understand why Gunlaug would be willing to risk his right-hand man's life in this farce.
…As though reading his thoughts, the Bright Lord spoke:
"A challenge? Ah, so be it. This is a sacred tradition, indeed. As long as good men are willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of righteousness, depravity can't win…"
The crowd of Sleepers exploded into whispers. Some of them were tense and somber, others filled with dark anticipation. The corner of Sunny's mouth turned downwards.
From what he could see, depravity had already won, or at least gotten the upper hand.
But Gunlaug wasn't done speaking:
"...However, it would not be suitable for you to represent the accused personally, Gemma. The Bright Castle can't afford to lose you, my friend. Jubei, would you mind if the accused chose another champion?"
The hunter from the outer settlement simply shrugged and said:
"Bring your worst, cowards."
Bright Lord turned to the Pathfinder and tilted his head. With his suddenly pale face reflected in the eerie mask of the strange golden armor, the murderer remained silent for a few moments, and then said in a quiet voice:
"I choose Harus, my lord."
Everyone suddenly grew silent. Sunny himself felt cold shivers running down his spine. Why did it have to be that creepy wicked cripple…
In the deathly silence, Jubei smirked and spat with grim satisfaction:
"Even better!"
It seemed that he had a score to settle with the silent hunchback, too.
Harus, who had looked a little bored and uncomfortable through the whole procedure, stared at the Pathfinder who had named him with no particular expression on his bony face, and then slowly walked down the steps.
The other lieutenants reacted to this unexpected turn of events differently. Gemma frowned and threw a quick glance at Gunlaug before stepping back with a dark expression. Tessai grinned, as though expecting a good spectacle. Kido grew a little pale and took a little step sideways, trying to distance herself from the descending hunchback as much as possible.
Only Seishan remained silent and indifferent, not allowing any emotion to appear on her cold, beautiful face.
Realizing what was about to happen, Cassie squeezed Sunny's arm and whispered:
"Sunny, I want to leave."
After a short pause, he answered in a raspy voice:
"I'm sorry. We can't leave now."
Despite the fact that he didn't want to be anywhere near Gunlaug's scarecrow, he knew that leaving now would draw too much attention. They couldn't risk that in the presence of all five lieutenants, not to mention Golden Serpent himself.
What's more, his mission in the castle was to gather as much information as possible. He couldn't miss the chance to see one of the most dangerous creatures in this deceptively peaceful stronghold in action.
…And there was this dark feeling deep within his heart that one day, somehow, he and Harus were going to end up bloodied, with only one of them walking away alive from the fight. It was as though an invisible thread connected them together.
Perhaps it was a string of fate.
Meanwhile, the hunchback descended from the steps and stopped opposite Jubei in the empty space that had been cleared in the center of the grand hall. His face was still motionless and a little bored.
Sunny held his breath.
As Gunlaug sat silently on the white throne, Jubei summoned his Memories. A flexible armor made out of red scales appeared on his body, complete with a winged helmet and a kite shield. In his hand, a curved scimitar weaved itself from the sparks of light. Its blade was as sharp as a razor.
The hunter glanced at Harus and said in a steady voice:
"Let's see what you're capable of, butcher."
The hunchback just looked at him with his glassy eyes and silently allowed his thick cloak to fall on the floor. Then, he grimaced and straightened his spine as much as he could, suddenly losing the appearance of a small and fragile cripple.
At his full height, Harus towered above most of the Sleepers in the grand hall, losing only to the giant Tessai. His monstrous, twisted shape radiated a sense of deep, bestial power. He didn't bother to summon any Memories, staring at the hunter with the same cold indifference.
Jubei scowled.
"So be it."
Full of anxiety, Sunny held his breath.
The proud hunter lunged forward, raising his shield and at the same time slashing with the scimitar. His movements were incredibly fast and nimble, his technique sharpened by years of bloody battles in the Dark City and guided by rich experience.
'Good… he's good…'
Did Jubei… really have a chance?
As Sunny's eyes widened, Harus seemed to miss the attack completely. As though forgetting that he wasn't armed, the hunchback simply raised a hand to meet the razor-sharp blade.
…And gripped it with his bare fist, stopping Jubei's strike in its tracks.
For a fraction of a second, everyone in the grand hall froze in astonishment — except for the hunter, who immediately tried to wrestle his scimitar from the iron grip of the Gunlaug's killer. But it was of no use. It was as though the saber was stuck in stone.
It wouldn't have mattered anyway.
In the next moment, Harus moved forward with a snake-like speed and put his large hand on Jubei's shoulder. Then, with a sickening sound, he effortlessly tore the entire arm off.
Somebody screamed.
As blood spilled on the marble floor, the proud hunter stared at the stump that had suddenly replaced his dominant arm in disbelief, not yet feeling the terrible pain that would soon follow. However, it never did.
Before Jubei could even react, Harus grasped his head with both hands and snapped his neck in one brutal, violent motion. Then, he hit the hunter in the chest, shattering his ribs and sending the body flying back a dozen meters.
The broken corpse of the defiant challenger fell on the floor, rivers of blood flowing from its terrible wounds onto the pristine white stones.
From start to finish, the whole fight took no more than five seconds.
Harus looked at his hands, shook a few crimson droplets off, and then silently returned to his place beside the master of the castle, his expression still cold.
However, it wasn't bored anymore.
Instead, it was full of subtle glee.
After all, he had just helped his lord pass down judgment.
This was law, this was tradition.
This was justice.
Chapter 146: Power
Several hundred Sleepers stared at the disfigured body, horrified. Jubei's scale armor disappeared in a rain of light, leaving him dressed only in torn, bloodied rags. A surprised, dazed expression was still frozen on his face.
Awash in blood and broken, the man who had been proud and defiant just a minute ago was now nothing but a pathetic corpse. He was sprawled on the floor in a glistening crimson puddle, reminding everyone of one simple truth.
Never, ever dare to disobey Gunlaug, the Bright Lord.
Or you'll end up just the same.
Sunny was probably one of the only two people in the grand hall who wasn't looking at the corpse. Instead, he was looking at Harus.
Harus himself was staring at the wall, absolutely disinterested in the gruesome fruit of his dark labor.
'What else was I hoping for? Stupid. Hope… hope is a poison. It will only get you killed.'
Sunny knew all the facts, but only now had he finally understood how hopeless it was to even think about challenging the Golden Serpent.
Everything in the Dark City was designed to make him and his army invincible. That was how the damn hunchback had managed to defeat the experienced hunter from the outer settlement so easily, using nothing but his raw strength. He hadn't even had to show his Aspect Ability. Why was the divide in their physical prowess so vast?
That was because with every human in the Dark City possessing the same dormant core, there were only two things that could make someone more powerful than the rest: Soul Essence and Memories.
And both were monopolized by Gunlaug.
Only he possessed the manpower and knowledge to freely hunt in the Dark City. This way, he had become the only person with a reliable source of both Soul Shards and Memories in his possession.
Whatever crumbs the independent hunters were able to acquire would inevitably end up in his hands, too, because Gunlaug also controlled the primitive economy in this cursed place. By providing food and safety in exchange for the so-called "tribute", he made sure that all the resources would flow in only one direction.
Into his hands.
With Soul Shards and a vast arsenal of Memories, he could make his army stronger, which in turn would bring him more Soul Shards and Memories, which in turn would make his army stronger… and so forth. It was a simple, perfect, and harrowing cycle that made his power more and more absolute with each revolution.
By the time Sunny, Nephis and Cassie had arrived in the Dark City, the divide between Gunlaug's forces and everyone else here was too wide to ever be bridged. Sunny had no doubt that most of the elite warriors of the Host had their cores saturated with Soul Essence to the brim.
There was a limit to how many Soul Shards a Nightmare Spell carrier could absorb before reaching the bottleneck of their rank… although few ever did. Advancing to the next rank removed that bottleneck and enhanced their bodies according to the saturation level of the core. But with no way to advance, people in the Dark City could only rely on the raw amount of Soul Essense to accumulate power.
This meant that within these ancient walls, sworn into servitude to a single man, there lived the most powerful group of Sleepers to ever exist in human history.
…And this was the man Nephis planned to kill.
With a shudder, Sunny remembered Effie's words: "...no Sleeper can defeat Gunlaug, ever. It's simply impossible."
He also remembered dozens of skulls swinging in the wind above the castle gates.
'Curse it all… what is she going to pull me into this time? I really have to persuade her to give up for once. My life might depend on it.'
But somehow, he doubted that Changing Star even knew how to give up. At least not when it came to her mysterious goal.
'Curses!'
Sunny was so consumed by these dark thoughts that he even neglected to listen to Gunlaug's farewell speech. He had the general idea of what kind of bullcrap the bastard was proselytizing anyway.
Soon, the Bright Lord had left his white throne and disappeared into the darkness behind it. The lieutenants followed, with Harus being the last one to leave. As soon as they were gone, the body of Jubei was unceremoniously dragged away, and a group of Handmaidens silently wiped the puddle of blood off the pristine marble floor.
The tables were moved back to their places, and the crowd of Sleepers was invited to return to their breakfast. As if nothing had happened.
However, Sunny had completely lost his appetite. Leading Cassie away, he glanced at the plates full of food and thought without humor:
'I guess there's a first time for everything.'
***
For the remaining two days, Sunny had done nothing but frantically gather information. Knowing that he will be leaving the castle soon, he became a little bit bolder in where to send his shadow.
He spent a lot of time spying on the Hunters and Pathfinders, learning their tactics and secrets. He observed how Guards were trained. He learned which Artisans were important, and which were not. The only caste he tried to avoid was the Handmaidens.
He even studied various engravings and stone carvings that decorated the walls of the castle.
Finally, the week they had paid tribute for came to an end. On the dawn of the eighth day, Sunny and Cassie once again appeared in the large hall with beautiful stained glass windows and saw the gates of the castle.
Despite the fact that there was nothing outside these gates but a dirty slum, Sunny felt relieved. He couldn't wait to leave this damn place.
'Why do people even want to live here?'
As soon as he finished this thought, Sunny realized that he didn't actually know what life in the outer settlement was like. Perhaps the castle was actually a paradise in comparison.
'I doubt it… how bad can it actually be? I guess they just never lived in the outskirts.'
Shaking his head, he walked toward the gates, but then stopped when someone called his name.
Turning his head, Sunny noticed the familiar young man with a thin face and nervous eyes. Today, Harper seemed to be especially distressed. His clothes were a bit less tidy, and there were a few ugly blotches of ink on his parchment.
"Ah! Sun… Sunless and Cassia, right? Goodness, it has already been a week. Ah… where was I? Oh, yes. Are you guys here to pay tribute for the next one?"
Sunny stared at him for a few minutes, then forced out a smile and pretended to be sad:
"No. We haven't been able to… you know, earn shards. So, we're leaving. Maybe we will see each other again, someday."
Harper opened his eyes wide and stuttered:
"W—what? Why would I be… oh, sorry. I'm very sorry that you couldn't stay longer. But don't despair! Lord Gunlaug is truly kind, and life is unpredictable. I'm sure you'll be able to come back soon."
Sunny gave him a curt nod and turned away.
'I hope not. Not too soon, at least.'
With that, they passed through the gates and left the Bright Castle… the promised castle they had spent so much time seeking and dreaming of.
What a disappointment it all had been.
Standing under the grey skies of the Forgotten Shore once again, Sunny and Cassie breathed in the cold fresh air and both smiled. Cassie tugged on his sleeve.
"Sunny… what do we do now?"
He looked at the pitiful slum that lay beneath them and answered without having to think for too long:
"What else? We go find Nephis."
Chapter 147: Guild Hall
Cassie smiled, but then suddenly frowned and asked:
"But, Sunny… how do we find her?"
He thought for a few seconds, then shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Follow the sounds of mayhem? This place is not that big. I'm sure we'll manage."
They descended the stairs and entered the slum, with Sunny looking around in search of the distinct tall figure. There weren't that many Sleepers in the outer settlement who possessed an armor-type Memory, so he was sure of his ability to notice Changing Star in the crowd.
Soon, they were surrounded by makeshift hovels and people that had empty, bleak eyes. Some of them stared at them with pity, realizing that the two had just been sent away from the castle, others openly gloated. Sunny paid them no attention.
Once again, he was surprised by the sharp contrast between the castle and the outer settlement. No matter how vile the underside of the ancient stronghold was, people were actually living there, walking around with mostly mundane human worries written on their faces.
Here in the slum, people were merely existing, and barely at that. In their eyes, there was a more dire need and a more consummate fear: the need to find food for the day, the fear of being devoured by some unseen monster in the night. They were all gaunt, cold, and listless.
The only time hope appeared on their faces was when their gazes accidentally fell on the Bright Castle.
'Hope will get you killed, fools. You have it better here than those poor souls in the fortress.'
All in all, it was not so different from the outskirts, with the added terror of Nightmare Creatures waiting somewhere in the shadows.
But then, there were monsters in the real world as well. They just wore human skin.
Sunny was once again reminded of how surprisingly well prepared he was for the trials of the Nightmare Spell, his lack of education not included.
Surprisingly, the was no sign of Nephis anywhere. They walked through the entire settlement before finally catching the glimpse of her.
At the very edge of the slum, perched precariously above the vertical fall from the stone platform, stood an uncharacteristically spacious dwelling. It was crudely put together out of slabs of stone that had been unceremoniously scavenged from the ruins, with many of them still bearing the intricate carvings left behind by the original inhabitants of the Dark City.
This barbarous atrocity was the closest to the road of white stone out of the entire outer settlement. Perhaps that was why it seemed to be a bit sturdier than the rest of the hovels. The lodge even had a small addition built on top of it, somewhat resembling a second storey.
Changing Star was sitting on its roof with her legs crossed, gazing at the rising sun and the cursed city below. In the pale light of dawn, her ivory skin and silver hair looked beautiful and eerie.
She had dismissed her armor and was wearing a crude tunic, with a piece of rope tied around her waist. Sensing their approach, Nephis turned her head and glanced in their direction.
Then, she stood up and jumped down, landing lightly on the stone surface of the vast platform.
Sunny grinned.
"Hey, Neph. Long time no see!"
***
Nephis led them inside the stone lodge, which had turned out to be her new residence. The interior was spartan and austere, with pieces of broken furniture lying here and there and cold winds sweeping freely through the spacious hall of the first floor.
Despite its larger size and superior craftsmanship, the lodge had been empty when she found it. No one wanted to live this close to both the edge of the platform at the threshold of the road, where the risk of being attacked by Nightmare Creatures was the highest. But Changing Star didn't mind.
Looking around, Sunny scoffed.
"Gee. This place surely needs some work."
Neph shrugged, seemingly not very concerned with her living conditions.
Well, they did spend the past two months sleeping on nothing but rocks and dirt, so in a sense, even this ramshackle mess was an enormous improvement. With some improvements, it could even become somewhat of a decent place.
Suddenly, Sunny felt a little guilty about all the comfort and warmth he had experienced in the castle. He was even fed delicious fresh food twice a day.
Speaking of food…
Cassie smiled and handed Neph a small bundle. Concerned about her friend, she had not eaten her supper the previous evening, choosing to save it for this moment.
"Here, Neph. I brought you something to eat!"
Changing Star received the bundle with a faint smile and lingered a little before saying:
"Thank you. Uh… do you guys want breakfast?"
With that, she walked over to a flimsy wooden table that stood near one of the walls and removed a piece of cloth from it. Beneath, there was a pile of juicy roasted meat.
It was sizable enough to feed ten people in the castle for a day or two.
Sunny stared at the meat blankly, then moved his eyes to stare at Nephis.
"...Where the hell did you get all this meat? We thought you would be starving here in the outer settlement!"
She touched her hair in embarrassment.
"Oh… a few nights ago, a big monster came from the road. I and a few other people managed to kill it. This is my share of the spoils."
Cassie opened her eyes wide.
"But I thought that Gunlaug's men were supposed to fight off Nightmare Creatures!"
Changing Star remained silent for a few seconds.
"They do if the castle is attacked, either from the slopes of the hill or from the sky. If the monsters come from the road, they usually don't bother to do anything."
…So that's why all the nearby hovels were empty. Who would want to live in the direct path of attacking Nightmare Creatures, especially since people who were supposed to fight them weren't going to move a finger to help?
Sunny smiled darkly.
'That's the glorious Castle Guard for you. Wait…'
He blinked, then glared at Nephis.
"If that is true, then why on Earth… uh, Dream Realm... would you choose to live in this pit, of all places?!"
She stared at him for a while, then said in a flat tone:
"It's quiet here."
Then, a small smile appeared on Neph's lips. Turning to a window, she added:
"I like it."
Chapter 148: Last Harvest
Behind the window, a striking vista of the cursed city sprawled far below. The morning sun washed the ruins in a pale light, making them look menacingly mysterious.
Nephis smiled.
"Besides… what can compete with this killer view?"
As though answering her words, a ghastly wail resounded from somewhere far away, echoing in the wind like a dying scream. Sunny trembled.
'I guess she meant it literally.'
With a sigh, he put Changing Star's strange choice of habitat at the back of his mind and approached the pile of meat.
"Let's eat first."
The three of them sat on the stone floor and ate monster meat, passing around Cassie's beautiful glass bottle between each other. It was just like the good old times, provided that those times were not actually that old, and there had certainly not been anything good about them.
Almost.
When all three of them were satiated, Nephis looked at Sunny with calm intensity. For some reason, he was reminded of the unseen waves of pressure that Gunlaug created anywhere he went.
"What have you learned in the castle?"
He sighed. This was going to be a long conversation.
Sunny started by describing the general order of things in the ancient stronghold. He told Neph about the six different castes and the complex relationships that existed between them, as well as briefly explaining how the members of each caste lived their lives. Sometimes, Cassie would add a few details of her own.
Changing Star frowned.
"Wait… did you say that there were five hundred people living in the castle?
Sunny gave her a nod.
"Yes, somewhere around that. Why?"
She thought for a bit, then said:
"That doesn't make sense. There are almost as many people here in the outer settlement, perhaps even more. That would put the human population of the Dark City at around a thousand. Most of them are fairly young, too — which would mean that each year, hundreds upon hundreds of us are sent to the Forgotten Shore, with most somehow managing to survive and reach the Bright Castle."
She paused.
"But I haven't seen a single Sleeper of our crop here in the slum. As far as I know, we three are the only ones to come to the Dark City after the recent solstice."
Sunny scratched the back of his head and said with reluctance:
"Actually, it's four. Caster is also here. He's living comfortably in the castle."
Nephis suddenly grew strangely animated.
"Caster of the Han Li clan? He is here?"
'No need to be so enthusiastic, damn it!'
Sunny tried not to grimace.
"Yeah. He had been here pretty much this entire time. Actually, Caster had told us that there were only seven Sleepers sent to the Forgotten Shore by the Spell this year. Strange, I know."
He paused for a few moments, and then added:
"Truth be told, I noticed this discrepancy as well. But there is an explanation. You see, there seems to be a pattern to how many people the Spell sends here. Fifteen years ago, when a bunch of crazy humans first laid claim to the castle, there would be just a dozen or so newcomers each year. Then a few dozen. Then a hundred. In the past few years, it was several hundred each time."
Sunny gestured at the three of them.
"Until this year, that is, when mere seven Sleepers arrived. Since the Spell is obsessed with the number seven, some people believe that this marks the end of a fourteen-year long cycle and the first year of a new one. I think it's plausible."
Changing Star thought for a bit, then asked:
"How does Caster know the total number of new arrivals?"
That was a good question, naturally. One that Sunny had asked himself many times before finally convincing himself to go find the handsome Legacy and ask him directly.
"There's an Artisan in the castle with a weird type of revelation Ability. She can trace the general location of everyone a person had ever met. Caster paid her a bunch of soul shards to check if any of his acquaintances made it to the Forgotten Shore. She told him there were six."
Nephis was silent for a few moments, then simply said:
"Continue."
Sunny did. He briefly mentioned the main points of everything he had been able to learn, including all the vile crap he had to witness and his own thoughts on how things worked under the pristine white surface of the magnificent fortress. Inevitably, he had to describe how ingenious and unassailable Bright Lord's hold over the Dark City was.
Cassie grew pale and quiet during his somber account. Changing Star's face grew darker and darker with each word. When he told her about the travesty of a trial that ended with Jubei's harrowing death and shared his own thoughts on how powerful the Host truly was, the corners of her mouth turned downward.
Finally, he came to the conclusion:
"...and that is why Gunlaug can never be defeated. He controls every facet of life here, both material and abstract. Food, shelter, hope, fear… everything comes under the purview of his authority, and his authority is absolute. Even power itself is his to give and take. Out here, Gunlaug might as well be considered a god."
Nephis remained silent for a long time, and then quietly said:
"He is not a god. He is just an impostor."
Sunny chuckled.
"In this hell… is there a difference?"
She glanced at him sharply and gritted her teeth.
After a few minutes spent in tense silence, Neph suddenly said:
"Still. That only explains why Gunalug can't be overthrown in a rebellion. Why didn't anyone simply kill him in his sleep? Why didn't one of his lieutenants stage a coup? After all, this is how tyrants usually end — by the hand of their most trusted ally."
Sunny smiled darkly.
"Ah, well. That is because up until now, I only told you about his power as a ruler. Which is, by all accounts, nothing short of terrifying. But his personal power?"
He shivered, then added in a hoarse voice:
"It's way, way worse."