Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at her, trying to understand the meaning behind the strange words.

"What do you mean?"

Effie shrugged.

"The castle belongs to a man named Gunlaug. If you want to enter and live in the safety of the castle walls, protected and provided for by his hunters, you need to pay a tribute. One shard each week."

…Of course there was exploitation going on even in this pit of despair. What else did he expect? As long as there were people, someone was going to end up as prey.

Sunny sensed a familiar dark feeling rising up from the depths of his soul. At some point, he had lulled it into a slumber and forgotten it, but now it finally returned to its rightful place.

A corner of his mouth curled up.

"What happens if you can't pay the tribute?"

The huntress glanced at him with confusion.

"What do you think? You are not allowed to step anywhere near the gates. There's a small settlement for us unfortunate wretches beneath the castle walls, where we make do with what little we have and tremble in the night, hoping that nothing comes out of the darkness to devour us. That's pretty much it."

He hesitated.

"But how are people even supposed to get soul shards in this cursed place?"

Effie gestured to the corpses of the monsters she had slain.

"By hunting. One can find Awakened creatures here and there in the city. The trick is to find and kill them without stumbling into something far more deadly. Gunlaug's people form parties and go out to hunt, with experienced pathfinders leading the way. They bring back food, Memories, materials and shards. Nothing stops people from attempting the same."

She fell silent for a few moments, and then said in a darker tone:

"Of course, without good Memories, vast amounts of accumulated soul essence and intricate knowledge of the city, those people usually don't live long. Most of them either die or turn to other ways of earning shards. There's very few independent hunters with more than a couple of successful hunts to their names. Ones that are still alive, I mean."

Sunny glanced at the dead monsters, each of them large enough to give him pause.

How many

Effie smiled.

"More than a couple."

her hand and began folding fingers, a thoughtful expression

see… one,

one hand, she scratched

but it should

widened. Two…

to be reckoned with. Slaying even one Awakened creature was worthy of respect. Slaying hundreds of them, however, was nothing short of remarkable, perhaps even heroic… and a little

not as simple

He frowned.

the tribute to stay in the castle. This doesn't make sense. Why haven't

with ambivalence. The topic didn't

say that I don't like

learn more, but suddenly, Nephis spoke again,

were… other ways of earning soul shards.

her and was silent for a while, a hint of some dark emotion in her eyes.

an artifex in the castle. There's not a lot of such Sleepers, so they are well-regarded and cared for. If not, uh… there are other

scowled. Sunny could see white sparks dancing in

plaything, or die. But that is… your own choice. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. Of

Effie grinned.

girl. You

her indifferent face turning hard and cold. Her fists were clenched so hard that

hasn't anyone… killed him

The huntress laughed.

people, terrible people, and everyone in-between. You can see their skulls above the castle gate,

She shook her head.

immortal. He practically is. Believe me when

Effie sighed.

bastard, he is the only thing that holds this place together. Despicable as he is,