Shadow Slave

Sunny felt cold sweat running down his back. Shaken by Gunlaug's serpentine voice, he was tempted to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. However, he also understood that every person in the grand hall currently felt the same urge.

Everyone here had done something that might be considered a crime by the tyrant.

He almost expected to hear people begin confessing their sins, but at that moment, a strange commotion at the doors attracted his attention.

Moving with menacing determination, two guards dragged a man to the center of the hall and threw him on the floor. The man was dressed in rags and painfully lean, which betrayed his nature as a dweller of the outer settlement.

However, there were ropes of powerful muscles rolling under his thin skin, and an angry, fearless look in his eyes that made the man appear proud and defiant. Throwing a contemptuous stare at the guards, he picked himself up from the floor and stood up, his back straight and his head held high. There was no ounce of fear on his face. Instead, there was dark, furious resentment.

Gunlaug looked down on the brave man from his throne and slightly tilted his head. The outsider grimaced after seeing his reflection in the golden mask, but still didn't lower his head.

'That's pure willpower,' Sunny thought, impressed by the stranger.

Meanwhile, Bright Lord's voice resounded in the grand hall once again:

"My wards. We have a guest today. This man, called Jubei, is visiting us from the outer settlement. Recently, he had been heard leveraging an accusation against one of my men. As a just and benevolent lord, I have invited Jubei here to plead his case and expose the criminal. We must get to the bottom of this matter! After all, the law is our only guiding star in this dark world…"

Despite being free from the psychic pressure emanated by Gunlaug's armor, Sunny still felt strangely affected by his deep, soft voice. He even got goosebumps. With or without the golden Memory, Bright Lord possessed a powerful and ingratiating charisma. It was hard not to listen to him.

But the man called Jubei just smirked.

to accuse one of your thugs, Gunlaug. Let's see how you'll get out of

raised one hand and pointed a finger at the group of Hunters watching the proceeding from their usual

killed an innocent kid in the most repugnant of ways. I've been watching you and your minions commit all sorts of vile crimes over these years, but enough is enough. Today, I'll

a sane person would ever do. Due to

Gunlaug spoke:

is a heavy accusation, Jubei. Please, tell us

man from the outer settlement

rewards and riches. They told him that he is going to become one of them and come to live in your damn castle. But in reality, they just fed him

on the

call yourself Hunters, you damn

dark expressions on their faces. The inhabitants of the castle were used to pretending to be blind to all kinds of wicked deeds, but all those deeds were committed by humans against

of their kind to the Nightmare Creatures. In the Dark City, this was tantamount

the

"Is this true?"

oldest of the group, the Pathfinder, glanced darkly at

be some kind of a misunderstanding, my lord. The boy in question was a highly valued member of my party. We all had high

calm. Perhaps

Jubei snarled:

saw everything with my own two

the crows and sighed. After some time had passed, he solemnly

is your word against his, Jubei. What to do, what to do? I trust my brave men wholeheartedly, of course. Who would be so ungrateful as to distrust these heroes when they are the