Zera finally arrived to the bottom of the stairs and then looked around. The dark room made it hard to tell the contents within. All that could be noticed with her senses was a quiet hacking reverberating, and the crackling of glass shards as they were stepped on. Suddenly and, without warning, an old wrinkled face that almost seemed to rot jutted through the darkness and met face to face with Zera. She could not see anything else about him besides his horrid goblin-like face that felt like it came straight out of a movie.
"A beast of the dark ages.. reincarnated to end sinners. A--"
He violently coughed all over Zera and she backed away a little, kind of grossed out by that.
"Sorry... A farce is what I meant to say. You are nothing more than a lost child with too much natural power.. Wanting to blend in? You look as if you don't even know what to do with yourself. Am I wrong? How do you plan to get along with that shady team if you're a whole different caliber of weaponry. It is a foolish thought!"
Zera tried to interject but he continued,
"And think... I'm doing all this just to celebrate the resurrection of a monarch. Kind of me to make you such a brew. many people's lives were given for this to be made. I hope you'll secure me a place in the future, Madame."
Zera was irked by the shaky bow he did and she wanted to just finish him off before he realized she was a fake. Every moment standing there she could tell he was strong. His presence alone corroded her mind and ate away at her previous bravado to get this done. She hesitated before speaking up,
"So.. You're pledging... servitude?"
Just the thought caused Zera to cringe, but the sequence of events after this question made her even more freaked. He groveled on the ground, bowing his forehead down to the cold stone and crying out:
"Yes! Yes Madame Monarch! I wish to be your humble servant... Please grant this old soul a chance at life, if just for until I die!"
'Eh..... What do I do?' Zera contemplated momentarily then responded.
"Well... I guess. No harm. . . but no more making weird drugs from my parts and dead people. . . Seriously that's disgusting. Also, meet at the location you found me sleeping.. With. My. Stuff."
"A--Ah yes.. apologies.. I wanted to see what mentality the Holy Tree had given you. Forgive my relentlessness please."
"It's fine. . . Just meet me there.--- One last thing. don't let anybody see you all torn up and dirty. Clean up before you come. You'll grab unwanted attention looking that... Withered?"
He looked down at himself and then nodded. "Then I will be 40 minutes. I will meet you there."
Zera left the tower with a quick pace. She didn't like the eerie feeling the old building had. Once she barged out of the large gates Newt turned to her and smirked a little, confident for some reason.
"How did your work go? Did you finish him?"
When Newt asked that Zera's face paled almost like trauma came over her.
"Pervert."
"What?"
Zera immediately corrected herself: "No no, I meant it was a pervert. Some old coot calling me a monarch and madame, groveling and asking to be a servant . . . I didn't want to just kill a person so I said yes."
Newt's smirk faded and he frowned.
"I'm sorry Zera, I didn't mean to make you go solo into something like.. THAT.. I just figured it'd give you a lesson in the mindset in this world. I guess that was a poor decision."
"Alright... Well anyways he's cleaning himself up and he's returning my stuff and then I plan to dismiss him hopefully... I don't like the idea of having servants. I'm making a guild not a workhouse. You get what I mean?"
"True in your sense, but morals here don't disagree with slaves and servants doing the questing for you. it's quite common actually."
Zera immediately looked around and finally noticed the difference between some people. Some looked fairly poor and weary, while others looked robed and fairly fed or kept.
"I see that. Well thanks for telling me, but I still don't plan to have any. That's wrong. I won't accept something like that.. But I'm not sure if I should fight anymore. Maybe I should just be a guild leader and let the members flourish."
Newt replied, "That is one way, but every member is different, some may find that stuck up if you won't fight when you run a guild. You plan to run a Questing Guild yes?"
"I assume so... Yes."
"Then you should get over your fear or quit. You're still liable to refund if you want. You have until tomorrow at midnight to decide. Take your time to think over the topic."
"Yes.. Thanks Newt. I'll let you know."
Zera walked down the long pathway they went down before and looked around. It was nearing dusk and the two stars created a beautiful green horizon that cascaded in all directions at once. The larger star settled in the north and the smaller one in the sound. The market was basically dead except for a few late shoppers and some stall people closing shop.
She made it to her plot after 30 minutes of walking at a quick pace and then sat down, waiting.
'System. What qualifies somebody as a slave. Is there any way to free them?'
Answer: People become slaves if they acquire enough debt. They can be freed if their debt is paid. Beastfolk are a very popular slave race, as well as demonfolk. You would make an excellent slave to the rich.
"Hey! I didn't need that last part. What are you, a witch!?"
After Zera got no response she scowled and leaned back.
'Slaves huh... That must be horrible. I wonder if there's any way to convince people of it's wrongness..' Zera dozed off while waiting for the old man to come.