Arthur entered the city on foot, blending seamlessly into the flow of people moving through the streets. The city was alive in a way that no other place in Thyrandel had, a strange mix of people from every part of the world with various people from different cultures living together.
Magic and technology existed side by side and the people had also got used to these technological conveniences as they had made their lives much easier. Merchants called out prices in loud, practiced voices, the smell of cooked food drifted through the air, and crowds moved with an ease that spoke of their enthusiasm.
Avalon has also become a place of tourism, and nobles from various kingdoms often visit here to see the exotic view of the cities and its technologies.
As Arthur walked through the crowd, no one recognized him.
To most of the people here, he was just another traveler dressed simply, and with his hands in his pockets with curiosity in his gaze as he looked around him. Very few of Avalon's citizens had ever seen the island's true master, and fewer still would have imagined that the man strolling past them now was the one who had founded this place.
Arthur didn't mind the anonymity. In fact, he preferred it.
He moved through the marketplace at an unhurried pace, letting his eyes wander. Stalls selling fresh produce lined one side of the street, their tables stacked with fruits and vegetables that had been cultivated using a blend of mana-rich soil and carefully regulated climate in various agricultural fields of Avalon.
Further down, cloth merchants displayed fabrics both made in Avalon and ones imported from different kingdoms, while weapon shops openly sold enchanted weapons. Potion sellers argued loudly with alchemists over price, and herb vendors hawked rare ingredients that would have been a lot costlier in most kingdoms.
This was what Avalon had become in such a short span of time, a city worth living in.
Arthur watched quietly, mentally cataloging what worked and what could be improved. Current trade routes were stable, and civilian traffic flowed well. Security was present but unobtrusive, it was exactly what he had wanted when he first envisioned the island, a place where people could live without constantly looking over their shoulders for danger.
As Arthur continued down the street and eventually disappeared around a corner, a man at one of the fruit stalls glanced after him with narrowed eyes.
The stall owner waited until the flow of customers thinned, then casually reached beneath his counter. From a hidden compartment, he pulled out a small stone tablet etched with faint inscriptions. He glanced around once more, ensuring no one was watching, before injecting a thin stream of mana into the device.
Words started to appear on its surface after a few moments.
'What information do you have?'
The man swallowed and wrote quickly, his fingers trembling just slightly.
'I think I just saw a person who looks like the portrait you gave me.'
Several seconds passed before a response came from the other side.
'You will receive your payment within a few days. Try to obtain more information if possible.'
The words faded as the mana dissipated from the tablet.
The stall owner exhaled, wiped his hands on his apron, and began packing up his goods far earlier than usual. Within minutes, he was gone, disappearing into the city's backstreets with practiced ease.
What he didn't know, in fact he could not have known, was that every movement he had made, every gesture, had been recorded by one of the countless surveillance units woven invisibly throughout Avalon's infrastructure.
…
Arthur had just arrived outside Kai's residence when a soft chime sounded from the device on his wrist. He paused, raising his arm slightly as a holographic display unfolded in front of him. The footage showed the fruit vendor clearly, captured from multiple angles, accompanied by a concise data summary compiled by Avalon's guardian system.
Arthur watched the clip once, then dismissed it with a flick of his fingers.
"A spy," he murmured quietly.
It didn't surprise him. Avalon was too important, too visible, to remain free of outside eyes for long. Kingdoms, the church, and organizations alike would all want to know who truly controlled this place, and more importantly, how.
Arthur contacted the guardian again and issued a command.
"Collect everything you can on him," he instructed. "And flag anyone else showing similar behavior. Monitor them, but don't interfere unless they try to access sensitive information. If they do, capture them."
Arthur let the matter slide from his thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't care; it was simply that spies, in the long run, didn't matter. Once Avalon's next layer of defenses was complete, when he was finished with what he had planned for Avalon, it wouldn't matter who was watching or what they thought they knew. He would allow them to see what he wanted them to see, and nothing more.
With that settled, Arthur turned his attention back to the present and stepped up to Kai's gate. He pressed the doorbell once, then waited.
It didn't take long. The gate swung open, and Kai stood there with a broad smile that faltered slightly when he saw Arthur's expression.
"You're back sooner than I expected," Kai said, stepping aside to let him in. "Did something…"
"Master," Arthur interrupted gently, his voice serious. "I have something to show you."
Kai studied him for a moment, then nodded without asking further questions. "Alright. Lead the way."
They took to the air moments later, gliding above Avalon's sprawling landscape. The island stretched endlessly beneath them, its cities glowing softly as dusk approached. Kai glanced around with a faint smile, pride evident in his eyes.
"It's hard to believe how much this place has changed," he said quietly.
Arthur nodded. "Yeah."
They landed outside one of Avalon's cities a few minutes later, the one Arthur had visited previously. Kai looked ahead as he took in the surroundings.
"What's here?" he asked.
"You'll understand soon," Arthur replied.
They entered the prison complex without interruption. Security systems recognized Arthur and Kai instantly, clearing pathways and unlocking barriers as they moved deeper underground. The atmosphere grew heavier the farther they descended underground, the air became cool and sterile.
After a short walk down a reinforced corridor, they stopped before a heavily secured cell.
Arthur said. "Open the gate."
After the command was given, the thick metallic door slid aside with a low vibration.
And as soon as Kai saw who was inside the cell, he froze.
Inside the cell, Lucien Blackwood sat on a narrow bed, his posture slumped, and his gaze unfocused. He looked older somehow, diminished in a way that went beyond physical injury. When he sensed their presence, his head snapped up.
"YOU…?!" Lucien heard an angry voice and looked at the man behind the person who captured him.
Kai didn't hesitate, as years of restrained rage surged to the surface all at once. He crossed the distance in an instant, grabbing Lucien by the throat and lifting him effortlessly off the ground before slamming him against the wall. The impact echoed through the cell as Lucien struggled weakly in his grip, gasping for air.
Arthur stepped forward and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder.
"Careful, Master," he said evenly. "I've crippled him. If you're not careful, you might kill him." It's not that he cared whether Lucien died or not, but he didn't want his master to unknowingly kill him before getting his answers.
The words splashed on Kai's fury like cold water.
Sensing Lucien was really crippled, he slowly released his grip. Lucien collapsed to the floor, coughing violently as he dragged air back into his lungs. Kai stared down at him, his chest heaving, with veins standing out along his neck.
"W… who are you?" Lucien rasped. "What… what do you want… want from me?"
Kai's expression twisted as he knelt down, bringing himself eye to eye with the man he had hated for most of his life.
"You don't even remember me, do you?" he asked quietly. "Do you remember Claire… and Nyasa?"
Lucien's eyes widened. Recognition flickered in his eyes, followed by horror.
Kai grabbed him by the collar again, lifting him just enough to force him to look.
"H… How are you this strong?" Lucien stammered, his voice trembling.
Kai started to laugh. It started as a low, and dark chuckle, before breaking into full, unrestrained laughter filled with madness that echoed off the cell walls.
"You thought that because I was a nobody from some remote village, I would never come after you?" Kai said, his voice shaking with barely contained madness. "You should have killed me along with my wife and daughter."
…
Lucien's breath hitched as regret clawed its way into his expression. He felt regret for not taking care of a loose end of his youth, who knew it would come back to bite him now. Even crippled, he could feel the power radiating from Kai. He definitely possessed Grandmaster-level strength. Worse still, he couldn't even begin to comprehend the depth of power possessed by the man who had brought him here.
He looked at Kai and cursed his bad luck. Desperation set in, as he turned his gaze toward Arthur, with his mind racing for a way out of this situation.
He tried to influence Arthur, "I can give you anything," he said hurriedly. "Riches. Influence. Women. My family controls immense resources. Just save me, and you can have whatever you want."
Though he was crippled, there were ways to fix that, but he had to cultivate from scratch again. And even though it was Arthur who crippled and kidnapped him, he felt if he proposed an attractive deal, he could kill Kai and save his life. But what happened next crushed his hope.
Arthur didn't even look at him. Instead, he turned to Kai.
"I'll leave it to you," Arthur said calmly. "... on how you want to deal with him."
"P… Please don't leave me here…!" he shouted as Arthur walked away. "What do you want? Is it power…?!"
But the door shut before he could even complete his sentence.
'Some debts could only be paid in blood.' Arthur thought as he left the cell without looking back.
***
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