Chapter 351 (2/2)

Thea guessed that it was the strange certainty he had in his voice. Just the way he became after commanding the Squad behind Dozer for several months. She wondered whether she would ever sound like that, if she would get her own Squad. Did Donnyton let foreign Classers get Squads? She should ask.

“Um-” Thea began, but she was interrupted by Egger, who was scanning Chrysanthemum.

“The beast strong?”

There was a sharp pang of annoyance in Thea’s heart at that, but she stuffed it down. He didn’t mean anything by it, this was just a man who had fought at the front lines against monsters for most of his time. It made sense that it would make him rather insensitive as to a Soul Bonded creature. “...she, she’s female. And yes, she is.”

Grunting, Egger turned and walked away. Thea opened her mouth to call out to him and ask him...something, but nothing came out. What would she even say anyways…? Although they had monsters in common, beyond that…

Thea looked around for Randidly. Of them all, at least he would talk with her, explain some things. But he was guiding Neveah, who seemed to have grown further, and was having difficulty moving without using her Earth Magic, which would of course damage the portal.

Turning, Thea figured she could go talk with a merchant she knew or something, but found a figure there behind her, watching her closely. The man had his reddish brown hair up in a ponytail. His face was sharp like a hatchet, with a large, thin nose. A dagger danced across his fingers, the pommel seeming to flash with color. The Killer of Donnyton, Decklan.

“...Decklan, yes?” Thea asked slowly, looking around as covertly as she could. No one was especially near her. Why had this man come here?

Not that she feared that he would attack her randomly. They were on the same side. But it was just… strange. She felt like a bunch of people were coming out of the woodwork to talk with her, and she had no idea why. Well, sometimes talk. Decklan appeared content to nod and continue to study her.

“You know…” Decklan began, his eyes glittering, catching the light of the metal bars underneath them as they activated. “If you continue to follow the Ghosthound, you will at some point be forced to forsake everything else. That’s his path. Is your resolve enough, I wonder…?”

The world flashed white, and Thea felt her stomach lurch as the very world shifted around her, even as her body tried to remain still. Strange forces grabbed at her, pulling, while others wound themselves around her, pressing her more firmly down to the ground, keeping her from being ripped to pieces by the conflict between them. Her vision was completely nonexistent due to the light, but it strangely swam, distorted by waves of force.

Then she was still, and blinked, slightly bewildered. Birds chirped around her, and there was the persistent sound of hammers and beaten metal. There was a thump.

As her eyes adjusted, Thea looked around. Decklan was gone. In front of them there was a series of wall-less warehouses, where dozens of men moved weapons and bars of metal, sparing the new arrivals a glance before they returned to their hurried labor.

A weathered looking man with sharp eyes and close cropped grey hair walked over to the group from the warehouse. His wiry chest was bare, and his skin somehow caught the sun, glowing a soft golden color. Thea blinked.

No, his skin wasn’t catching the light… the man was literally emitting a dim glow. Just… standing in the sun.

“Ghosthound?” The man asked, his tone clipped.

Dozer glanced around, then shrugged. “Here, but apparently already gone elsewhere.”

The man snorted, and turned to regard the carts that were brought here. “His loss. His gift will have to wait. Those of you who don’t really know… this is Donnyton’s Industrial District. Welcome.”