"Celestial Dragons... why now of all times…" Tesoro muttered to himself as he walked home, clutching the heavy coin purse he had worked so hard to fill. This money should have brought him pure joy, but it couldn't chase away the dark, unsettling feeling in his heart.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to cast the thoughts aside. The Celestial Dragons had nothing to do with him. Right now, he had only one goal: get to the slave shop and pick up Stella.
At that thought, his steps grew lighter and more determined. His heart swelled with hope as he walked down the path toward a new future. The scene he had imagined countless times was finally about to become real: Stella's smile as she tasted freedom, her eyes sparkling like stars, the two of them walking side-by-side in the sun, finding their own simple, precious happiness. All of it was going to happen today.
Tesoro broke into a run, weaving skillfully through the crowded streets and past the noisy marketplace. He headed directly for the slave market, a place whose layout was etched into his memory. The guards at the entrance saw his familiar figure approaching and let a subtle sneer cross their lips, but they didn't stop him.
As soon as he stepped inside, the familiar, suffocating feeling of oppression and heaviness washed over him. The market was a chaotic mess of shouts, haggling, and the sorrowful eyes of chained slaves, as if nothing mattered. But none of it could affect Tesoro anymore. In his world, there was only the golden-haired girl in the iron cage in the corner—she was the only light in his heart.
Gollier was already waiting in the center of the hall, like a venomous spider in its web. As Tesoro got closer, Gollier's small eyes glinted with undisguised malice. His lips twisted into a cold, fake, and sickening smirk.
"Oh, finally decided to show up?" Gollier's voice was flat, as if he were simply stating a fact that had already been decided.
"Yes!" Tesoro's voice was firm and clear. Though a sense of dread still lingered in his heart, he didn't hesitate. He pulled thick stacks of banknotes from his bag, his eyes burning with determination. "As we agreed, I'm here to take Stella today!"
He slammed the money onto the table, creating a small hill of cash that represented all of his hopes. Gollier's greedy eyes swept over the pile of Berries, and his cold sneer deepened.
"Stella? Oh, she's here, of course," he said, casually raising a hand and pointing to a nearby row of slaves for sale. Stella was among them. Cold iron chains were locked around her slender wrists. She kept her head hung low, her golden hair falling limply around her, as if she were trying to disappear into the shadows of despair. In the dim light, she looked incredibly frail. The violet eyes that once sparkled when she heard Tesoro's songs were now terribly dim.
"Stella!" Tesoro's heart clenched. He cried out her name and rushed forward recklessly.
"Stop!" Gollier's expression changed instantly. He stepped in front of Tesoro like an iron gate, his face filled with pure contempt and mockery. "Take her away? With your pathetic dirty money?" His voice dropped to a venomous hiss. "What do you think you are?"
Tesoro froze as if he'd been struck by lightning. The dark premonition in his heart became a cold reality. "You… what do you mean?! We had an agreement!"
"An agreement?" Gollier scoffed, his eyes full of cruel amusement. "Idiot! How much do you think a promise from you is worth? Do you have any idea who she's been reserved by?" He suddenly raised his voice, making it sharp and piercing. "It's the esteemed Celestial Dragons! Her fate doesn't belong to her anymore, and it certainly doesn't belong to a commoner like you!"
"Celestial… Celestial Dragons?!" Tesoro's pupils constricted. He was speechless with shock as a massive wave of fear and absurdity washed over him. "You can't do this! You can't go back on your word!"
"Do it! Make this brat face reality!" Gollier stopped wasting his breath. He grinned menacingly and waved a hand at the thugs behind him. Several of them, armed with heavy clubs, immediately surrounded Tesoro with cruel smiles on their faces.
Tesoro's face turned pale, and a furious rage erupted in his chest like lava. Three years of hard work, all of his hope—it was all being trampled in an instant.
"Liars! You shameless liars!!" he roared like a cornered animal, raising his fists and lunging at Gollier without a second thought.
But his resistance was pathetic against the prepared thugs. Several men swarmed him and easily knocked him to the ground. Heavy clubs whistled through the air as they rained down on him without mercy.
"Ugh ah—!"
A vicious kick landed hard on his ribs, sending Tesoro rolling across the floor in agony. Blood gushed from his mouth, and the intense pain almost made him pass out.
"Still fighting back?" Gollier looked down at Tesoro curled up on the ground as if he were looking at a piece of trash. "Know your place, commoner! You really thought you could change your fate? What a joke!"
"Ste… Stella…" Tesoro struggled to push himself up, but the excruciating pain made him collapse again and again. He forced his head up, his eyes burning with anger and defiance. His voice was hoarse but firm. "I… promised… to take you away…"
Chained and helpless, Stella trembled with pain and despair. She watched Tesoro being brutally beaten for her, and her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. Tears streamed silently down her pale cheeks, but she couldn't even reach out to wipe the blood from his face.
"Don't… don't resist anymore… Tesoro…" she pleaded, her voice faint and trembling with sorrow and helplessness. She knew that fighting back would only drag him into an even deeper abyss.
"So annoying! Finish him quickly!" Gollier waved his hand impatiently.
Tesoro lay on the ground, every breath sending a wave of tearing pain through his body. He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to push himself halfway up one more time. His bloodshot eyes were like sharp knives, fixed fiercely on Gollier.
Save her! I have to save her! Even if…
Just then, the heavy, uniform sound of footsteps and clanking metal armor rang out. A team of guards in full heavy armor, their eyes as cold as iron, brutally pushed their way into the market and took control of the scene.
A sharp voice pierced the tense air : "Saint Rosward is here—!!"
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