"W…what?" Luke stammered, his wide eyes locked onto Arthur's unforgiving stare.
"Name ten mangas," Arthur repeated, his finger tightening on the trigger of the gun, which remained unwaveringly aimed at Luke's forehead.
"M..angas?" Luke mumbled in bewilderment, his gaze darting nervously towards the women encircling them, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
His mind raced in panic, desperately seeking an answer among the faces surrounding him.
'Mangas? Is that some kind of ancient relic? Damn it… I haven't heard of such a thing before!' Luke's thoughts raced, each second ticking by like an eternity.
Arthur's face remained a mask of stoicism, his steely eyes locked onto Luke's with a chilling determination.
The tension in the area was palpable, and time seemed to hang in a precarious balance as Luke struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation and come up with an answer to a question that made no sense in this sinister setting.
Finally settling on the fact that he couldn't comprehend what Arthur had asked, Luke's trembling lips curved into a small, nervous smile, a thin veil of sweat glistening on his furrowed brow.
"I don't… know..."
The word hung in the air, pregnant with uncertainty. Time slowed to a crawl, the area's stifling atmosphere pressing down on them. The women who had been silent spectators gasped collectively, their eyes widening in shock.
Baaam!!!
In the blink of an eye, Arthur's unyielding finger squeezed the trigger, sending the deafening gunshot echoing through the village. The gunshot reverberated like thunder, drowning out all other sounds.
Luke's head exploded in a gruesome display, a fountain of blood and brain matter erupting from his shattered skull.
His body convulsed for a brief moment, a macabre dance of death, before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
The metallic tang of blood hung heavily in the air, mingling with the acrid smell of gunpowder.
Arthur's face remained an emotionless mask, his eyes betraying no hint of remorse. The area bore witness to the grotesque aftermath of his ruthless act, silence descending like a shroud over the lifeless scene. .
Arthur, his cold gaze never wavering, looked down at the gruesome aftermath of his ruthless act. He let out a tired sigh, his voice a whisper in the eerie silence that had settled over the area. "Right… I still needed to question you a bit… Ahh well."
{You have earned 670 E points, good job}
'Shut up and quit giving ghost quests without my permission,' Arthur retorted to his mysterious system.
{Ahh, you're no fun, Aimon thinks you don't value Aimon's kindness}
'Yeah, sure,' Arthur muttered under his breath. The mythical gun that had been his instrument of death began to slowly disintegrate into a cascade of shimmering magic particles, dissipating into the air.
As it vanished, a sense of otherworldly power hung briefly in the air before fading away, leaving behind nothing but the chilling memory of the act that had transpired.
'Any idea who these cosplayers are?' He asked.
{Hmmm… Give Aimon a few hours to collect the informations}
"Useless as always," Arthur muttered aloud, his voice a cold echo in the area, dripping with disdain.
Slowly, he turned on his heel, fixing his gaze on the women who had been silent witnesses to the display of his chilling power.
And there they stood, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock and newfound respect. They had just borne witness to his ruthless efficiency.
"He just took them all out, by himself, the prophecy might actually come true!" one of the women exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe and disbelief.
"I… feel so nervous staring at him… amazing," another murmured, her words barely more than a breathless whisper.
"Hey, no fair, I wanna stare too," a third chimed in, her voice filled with a mix of jealousy and admiration.
The voices of the women praising him were hushed, as if they feared that even a slightly louder tone might provoke the man who had just demonstrated his deadly capabilities.
Arthur stood in their midst, an enigmatic figure, his cold eyes surveying the women who now regarded him with a mixture of fear and reverence.
Arthur couldn't help but shake his head slightly at the women's simple-mindedness. Under his breath, he muttered, "They are so simple-minded."
However, his attention quickly shifted as Asorth, the one who seemed to hold a position of authority among them, approached him.
With measured steps, she walked closer until she was within speaking distance. Then, she gracefully knelt, her head bowing in a gesture of deep respect.
"Once again, you have proven how capable you are to rule over we Eldorians," Asorth began, her voice carrying a weight of sincerity. The others observed in hushed silence.
"I speak for all of us when I say it's truly one of the happiest things to ever happen to us, knowing the prophecy came true."
She remained bowed as she continued, her pledge of loyalty dripping with unwavering commitment.
"I… Asorth Eldoria, hereby pledge my undying loyalty to you. I promise to stand by you through warm and difficult trials… I am yours to use as you see fit. Nothing else could make me happier than to be your faithful servant." Her words resonated with confidence and conviction, sealing her oath with an air of solemnity.
Arthur's cold gaze remained fixed on Asorth as he probed further, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Even if it means you'll have to go against your morals and principles?" he asked, seeking to test the depth of her commitment.
Without a moment's hesitation, Asorth responded, her words resolute. "If it pleases you, I have no choice."
Before the gravity of Asorth's pledge could fully sink in, Luna, with a contrasting and somewhat whimsical tone, chimed in from the side.
"Oh my, I can't believe Asorth almost beat me to it." She too descended to her knees, her head bowed, as she made her own declaration.
"I, Luna Eldoria, pledge to be your faithful servant, through warm and different trials, use me as you see fit, Sweetie~," Luna spoke, her words carrying a hint of playfulness despite the solemnity of the moment.
One by one, the rest began to fall to their knees, bowing their heads and repeating the same thing Luna and Asorth were saying, each of them making their vows.
Arthur stood in front of them all, his gaze scanning the area and then suddenly, a small grin formed around his lip as he whispered, "Interesting".