Three people were traveling through the land.
It has been a week since Shu was dropped into the godless realm.
They helped many people on their path.
********
"Tha-ank you..."
A wrinkly old man with long grey hair bowed slightly to Shu.
Bodies of knocked-out eagelians, not a meter away from them.
This old man was on his way to the city of the human god when these eagle-looking monsters with serpent heads appeared, and Shu stopped their journey because he "had" to save him, but he still wasn't willing to kill the monsters...
This was very confusing for Hannah and Thomas to see.
"Why do you help them and not kill the monsters?"
Hannah asked Shu.
"Oh, right, I wanted to ask you that too. Throughout the two tournaments I know of, the gods notice people that massacre more frequently, so why do you help instead of kill?"
Thomas also asked.
"I have my reasons."
Shu said with a big smile on his face.
They reached Birnin Mutuwa, a great city that resides on the shore of the blood sea.
They reached the gates and saw that there was a long line of people who were trying to enter the city.
They entered the line and waited.
After a while, they were the second in line.
The man in front of them seemed to be a cabbage dealer.
When it was his turn, one of the guards asked him where the cabbages were from, and the merchant answered that he bought them in Magefa City, a large, plague-ridden city south of Birnin Mutuwa.
One of the guards started chanting.
"...fire of divine..."
And all the cabbages were set on fire.
"You can come in now."
The guard said.
"My cabbages!"
The merchant yelled, and after a long cry, he went into the city.
Now it was Thomas, Hannah, and Shu's turn.
"Sorry for the wait. We had a bit of an issue."
The guard said with a kind expression.
"No need to apologize"
Thomas said, a bit embarrassed by the kindness shown to them. He didn't think they deserved it.
"So, why do you want to enter the city?"
The guard asked.
"We just need to find a b..."
Thomas started saying
"We want to reach the new lands."
Shu cut him.
"Oh really? Stay safe, and don't forget that the new lands are infested with some of the strongest people from all the realms, so be careful who you mess with. Have a nice stay in the city."
The guard said kindly. Seeing two young people with an older man who looked at least old enough to be their older brother reminded him of the strength of family bonds, and he was kinder than usual.
They walked into the city.
This city, unlike the city of the human god, was a typical late medieval city.
It was surrounded by walls and had a giant castle in the center. The roads were made of stone bricks, and the buildings had Renaissance architecture with domes and arches.
"All we need to do is find somebody who will give us a boat for only one dark-metal coin. Since in this city, the common language is the same as yours. I'm sure you will be able to find a decent hotel for tonight. See you later."
Thomas said and started going towards the docks. He left Hannah and Shu to find a place for them to stay the night.
"So, do you have an idea where we could stay for the night?"
Shu asked.
"We've both entered this realm at the same time..."
Hannah answered.
They walked around for a bit before they found a large gathering of people.
When the people saw Shu, many shot hostile stares at him.
"So, why are people gathering here?"
Shu asked with a smile, seemingly unaware of the glares toward him, and a man standing in the center grinned.
"I am the great Dam Cahol, the city ruler's son. I am fighting people. Whoever defeats me gets all the money the others have lost, and whoever loses has to give me ten 'dark metal' coins. What do you say, you wanna try your luck?"
The man at the center asked confidently.
'I'm weak and don't have what to pay him with, but if I win, we will get a lot of money...'
Shu thought to himself.
"Sigh... Fine, I'll do my best."
Shu said and entered the center of the gathering.
Dam Cahol smirked.
'He thinks he has a chance because he is a beastman? No way! My ancestor received a copy of the strongest sword. I inherited it. The sword wielded by the right hand of the demon god, the sword of chaos. There's no way I can lose!'
Dam Cahol thought to himself.
"Okay, James. Start the countdown to the start of the fight."
Dam Cahol said to one of his people.
3...2...1
The fight has started!
"Evocatio chaos!"
Dam Cahol shouted, and a blade appeared in his hand.
The blade morphed and glew in his hand, its shape continuously changing. The sword looked unstable. As if it would explode or liquefy at any moment. It kept morphing until it rested and took the form of a longsword made of light.
He started lifting the sword to attack.
He looked at his opponent and then...
BOOM!
Shu reached him faster than he could react. He couldn't even see him move.
Shu hit Dam with a punch to the stomach that knocked him three meters back.
Dam lifted himself and tried to reach Shu, but Shu, who thought he was weak, did his best to win. And so he did a hook kick and almost hit Dam in the head. Dam blocked the kick with the sword.
The blast from the kick left Dam waddling toward Shu while attempting to stabilize his sword.
Shu reached for another punch before Dam could even react, so right before he got hit, he did what any sane man would do.
"I yield, I yield!"
Dam shouted in fear because he knew he couldn't survive even a single additional hit from Shu.
The audience was dumbfounded. They did not expect the young lord to lose.
"Thank you for taking it easy on me. You can keep half of the coins as a token of my appreciation."
Shu said as he bowed his head.
"I-It's n-nothing, t-thank you for entertaining my audience. It's not every day that you see a beastman, not to mention fight one."
Dam said while shaking. He tried to play it cool, and it seemed that the audience was buying it, and Dam, who saw this as an opportunity, decided to ask.
"Are you new to the city?"
"Yes, actually, I was just looking for a place for my friends and me to stay for the night."
Shu answered.
"Why not you and your friends stay at my place? It will be an honor since you gave me the best fight in a long time."
Dam said with a half-honest smile.
"Thank you very much, sir."
Shu answered.
Shu and Hannah went with Dam to the docks to find Thomas.
*********
Thomas was in the middle of making a deal when someone interrupted.
"There's no need for you to pay. I owe one of your party members a lot of money, and I would love to give you one of my best ships to pay this debt."
Dam said.
"Who are you?"
Thomas said with a distrusting tone.
"I'm Dam Cahol, the son of the city ruler. I lost to your friend, Shu, in a duel, so I decided to let you stay at my place and help you fund your stay in the city."
Dam said.
Thomas noticed Shu and Hannah behind Dam. And so, he chose to believe him.
The three of them went to Dam's mansion with him.