The Laughing Swordsman

Apollo and Karn walked back silently.

Karn had calmed down by the time they reached the house.

Once Karn pushed open the door, a shaky voice rang out.

"Don't come any closer!"

Maya was tightly clenching her gemstone with one hand and was pointing with the other.

Karn put his hands up.

"I won't! I mean no harm!"

Apollo softly chuckled.

"He's letting us stay at his house."

Maya's breathing was unsteady.

"What? Where are we right now?"

Karn raised an eyebrow.

"The city, where else?"

Maya narrowed her eyes.

"You are a resident of this city?"

Karn nodded absentmindedly.

"...Yeah?"

Apollo waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about him."

Maya furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean? ...Don't you remember?"

Apollo took a few moments to form his words.

Despite how much Karn lambasted himself, he couldn't see him as a bad guy.

"He isn't like the others."

Maya's face scrunched up. She reluctantly lowered her hand.

"Ok..."

Karn looked at Maya, then Apollo. He did not understand their conversation but did not care enough to find out.

"Anyways, it's late. We should sleep."

Maya held her forehead and nodded. She was still sick.

"My name is Maya. What is yours?"

A small smile formed on Karn's face.

"Karn. Nice to meet you."

Maya nodded indifferently.

Karn rubbed the bruise on the side of his face.

"I would continue the conversation, but I am really tired. We can talk in the morning."

Karn laid down on the edge of the tarp and began snoring a few seconds later.

Maya walked over to Apollo with a frown on her face.

"Why are we in the city?"

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"Why not?"

Maya sighed.

"These people survive off the misery of others. It deserves to be burned down."

Apollo pondered over what Maya said.

He had to admit, part of him disdained Karn. As Maya said, he lived off the misery of others.

Yet, it's not like he was the one who chose that life.

Apollo sighed.

"Perhaps they never had a choice."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Who cares if they had a choice? It is a fact!"

Apollo looked to the floor.

At that moment, the door was bashed on.

"Karn! Get out here! You are paying back your debt one way or another!"

Maya turned to Apollo. She was at a loss.

Karn had already gotten up. He used his hands to usher Maya and Apollo into another room.

Silently, Apollo and Maya went into the room with the empty crates.

After Karn closed the door, the voice outside yelled again.

"If you don't show up now, I'm breaking down the door!"

Karn hurried over to the front and swung the door wide open.

"Sorry, I am here. I was sleeping."

A man with a thick beard was standing outside with two guards by his side. He was wearing a luxurious, but worn robe.

"Hehe, sleeping? Well, you can no longer sleep in this house. Your debt has accrued to more than what your house is worth. As such, we are taking it."

Karn's eyes widened.

"What?..."

The man stroked his beard.

"Haha, no amount of begging is going to work. The house's ownership has already been transferred."

Karn looked to the ground.

"I see..."

Karn clenched his fist. Apollo and Maya were still inside.

Would they get in any trouble for being in the house?

"Can I just stay here for a little longer? Just the night."

The man scoffed.

"As if! Guards, seize him!"

The two guards immediately took action, each one grabbing onto Karn's arms.

Karn did not resist. The most he did was smile bitterly.

Karn was dragged away, leaving Apollo and Maya in the house. They overheard what happened from the room they were in.

Maya frowned.

"What is happening?"

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"When Karn's parents died he inherited his debt. They seem to be taking him and his house because of it."

Maya blinked a few times. She was unsettled by how calm Apollo sounded.

"...What?"

Apollo looked at the floor.

"I don't know."

Maya rubbed her forehead.

"...So even people in the city have it hard."

Maya frowned.

"It's the people in charge of the city. They are the ones that caused all of this to happen."

Apollo's eyes glazed over.

"I guess..."

Apollo laid down on the floor and began sleeping.

Maya was a little perturbed.

"Apollo?"

Apollo did not respond, already in the land of dreams.

Maya did not want to sleep. However, her body was simply too tired from the sickness. Thus, she ended up joining Apollo in his rest.

...

Apollo and Maya both woke up fairly early in the morning.

Maya sighed.

"We should probably leave now. It would be bad news if the new owner showed up."

Apollo nodded.

The two of them slipped out of the house, unsure of where to go.

Maya noticed that people seemed to be gathering for something.

"Hey Apollo, let's go that way."

Apollo nodded listlessly.

As the two followed where the crowd was gathering, Maya whispered to Apollo.

"What is going to happen to Karn?"

Apollo blinked a few times.

"...I don't know."

A booming voice echoed in the distance.

"Come one, come all! There is a brand new execution coming your way!"

There was a small wooden platform up ahead with a guillotine on it.

There was a man in a formal robe standing proudly on the platform. There was some mana gathering near his mouth, amplifying the sound of his voice.

Under the guillotine was Karn. His face was listless, as though he had already died.

A large crowd had formed around the platform and the people were getting rowdy.

When Apollo saw it was Karn on the platform, his eyes widened.

He pushed his way through the crowd, paying no heed to the complaints and curses he caused.

Apollo reached the edge of the wooden platform.

Karn noticed him. He looked up and flashed a bitter smile.

"Hey, Apollo."