Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

The evening was slow in Gala. Cold and unkind. Maybe it was the season. Even though the coat and cloak, Wrik felt some chills in his spine. Leaving the colourful dome of the great wall, Wrik moved into the outside again. It was the second time that he was going, but today he was not alone. 

There was another person with him who was more knowledgeable about the ways. Byul was similarly dressed like him, though her figure was two heads shorter than him. 

The sun had set, and the limelights were sparking across the great wall. There were no rows of lamps on the path uniformly like the inside, but the lights were available far better compared to Elania. The worse thing about the outside of the great wall was the air—it was not fresh in the slightest.

On the far corner of his eyes stood the industrious buildings emitting black smoke all the time. Surprisingly, none of it invades the inside of the wall. Probably through some magical means, it only polluted the slams and other areas.

There were far more tall chimneys if he looked all around it. He had not counted, but he could say it was more than just a few hundred. He had not noticed it before during the dawn—probably because it was hidden by the mist and fog and it was in the significant distance that he could assume. 

He wondered what those factories were about and got the answer immediately. The city inside the dome holds a few million people and outside had a few dozen million. People have their needs, and those factories were definitely taking care of all of that.

"So where are we going?" he asked her as the chilly wind swayed their cloak and hair.

"You said the other time to not wander off alone," Byul said, looking at him. "So I asked you to come along with me and I thought you would like to come along." 

"I can get that, but at least tell me where we are going?" Wrik looked around and found the garrison—he did not find the familiar ones that attacked him the other day in them, though he found far more soldiers than the other day. They had the same light blue shirt and pants and held shotguns and spears that could attack with mana currents.

Wrik made a mental note about those weapons. It held his curiosity. A weapon like that could create a genocide within normal humans if provided with enough mana currents—of course, he would be interested in learning how it circulated and regulated in Gala.

"Nights are more dangerous than day," Byul said, noticing his scrutinising gaze. "That's why there is far more security during this time." 

Wrik nodded and asked again, "So, where we are going?"

Byul thought for a moment and answered in a cryptic way that did not look familiar to her. "The inviter that gave me the chance to be the Mahasayer, advised me a few things to me." 

Wrik raised his eyebrow. "Other than not to look for her and have any connection with her?" he asked. Byul had previously told a few things about their mysterious inviter and through Lucas's message, he found the woman known as Rita Inistler was somewhat related to their family—though he did not know how much they could relate.

"Yes," Byul continued as they both walked on the path. "Other than that, she advised me to listen to the person who is known as Wrik Everknight—that is you. So, technically, I could be called as an employee under her, for a while and then she handed over the employment to you. So you could be said as my boss." 

Wrik frowned. "Well, though that sounded convincing, you missed a few points there, girl," he said, laughing. "I have no idea of this before and, not to say, I don't want your employment." 

Byul stopped in her tracks. "Is it because of my poor performance?" she asked with a hesitant and shaking. "I always get you and everyone into trouble. I'm so useless. First, against that humongous monster and then I was again captured by Theiron for my stupidity. I cause you to lose the entire test, but I. . ."

"Girl, stop wailing. I did not say it is your fault," Wrik said. "And you are not useless."

"But, I did nothing, that's why you do not want me to work under you." Her voice was still shaking and looked quite pitiful, even though she was not crying. "I always get people into trouble and they leave me. First, Kevin, and then Tanya, and everyone else."

Wrik sighed and put his arm on her shoulder. "I said you are not useless," he said and cruising inside that he never learned how to consider others. "Remember when I was poisoned and Tanya was unconscious? You took us to safety." 

"That time, it was my fault too, I was the one that got caught and Tanya tried to save me."

Wrik was choked by the words. It appeared this girl was convinced that she was useless and would not listen to anyone else. "If getting caught in a storm is your fault, then Tanya was at fault there as well. After all, she called me there, and I got into trouble as well."

"But, she stopped the problem as well."

Wrik's teeth were clasped. Tanya did play the biggest role there, by freezing everyone that was after them, but that was not important now. He looked at the short girl and found she was clasping her palm in resignation and her face looked dejected. She was not crying—she was far stronger than that. 

'Is this a psychological problem?' Wrik thought. Biting his lips. This will be tricky. This girl was convinced that she was useless in everything she did, and called trouble on her and everyone around her.

"What about the other time when you helped me capture Ben—that crazy guy that could turn his arm into a blade," Wrik said. "I can say, it would not even be possible if you do not give me extra mana to spare at the moment." 

"But, I destroyed that advantage by getting myself captured." 

"That was my fault," Wrik said. "I consciously left that threat so that in a way I can use it, but it backfired us. Come to think about it, did I apologise to you for that?" 

"You did," Byul said. "And I think it's more than once."

Wrik nodded and recalled he did apologise to her before. "Don't think you are useless or call trouble for others. Even if you were not there, trouble would come our way. It came for everyone, if today or tomorrow, it strikes eventually. 

"On another note, we had not practised together with your ability for a few weeks. Didn't Rita Inistler say, it would be a super useful ability?" 

Byul nodded, and her dejected expression turned a little better.

"We should practise together after these settles," he said. "You did not say where we are going." 

Wrik came back to the main question. He had asked her about where she was taking him and could tell she wanted his help for some matter, though she had not said where.

"I. .. We are going to meet my previous boss."

Wrik raised his eyebrow and figured out why she called him today. 

"Girl, are you afraid to ask me for some help after all we got though?" he asked. All the talk she started about her being his employee was just to convince him to help her. "You just have to ask once to me or anyone in our group. I thought, you have a good relationship with Tanya and Michelle. I don't know if you don't know they consider you as their sister." 

"I know," she said curtly. "But I don't want to bother them. They would not like a place like this and the problem I have will be troublesome for ladies." 

"That's not the point," Wrik paused, and looked around. He found more than a couple of gazes on him. The surrounding was darkened, and the outside was not sparkling enough to show them the path—though he had little trouble with the sight. After the awakening of the Eye, even when he was not using it, his perception and other senses were better than any. "We'll talk about this later. So, what's the matter with your former boss." 

"I left a thing with him before, but now I want it back." Byul then raised her eyebrow at him in a slight glare. "Don't call me girl."

"Alright, girl."

"I said don't." Now, it turned into a real glare. "I'm not a girl. I mean, not in a way you think I'm I'm not a child." 

"But you are," Wrik said. "You are about half a decade younger than me, that makes you a child."

"I hardly believe that," Byul snorted. "Tanya is only a year and a half older than me, and you get lectured by her." 

"I guess you have to wait for that time and see."