# Chapter 21: Godless, The Black Market and Yuzuki's Shadow
## 1. Arrival at the Port of Sin
The journey from Morro Agudo to Godless was a crossing of contrasts. They left behind the damp, dark forest, where Hiroshi's humanity was nearly lost, and emerged into a coastline of scorching sun and salty air. Kerchack, now a contained but incessant voice in Hiroshi's mind, guided him with cold precision.
Godless was the opposite of Noc Village. It was not a refuge of innocence, but a vibrant and dangerous center of illegal trade, where corruption was not crude, but subtle and sophisticated. The port city was a mosaic of rotten wooden shacks and massive stone warehouses, all squeezed around busy docks. The smell was a nauseating mix of rotten fish, exotic spices, and sweat.
Hiroshi and Luna wore simple, ragged clothes to camouflage themselves. The **Karius Sword**, wrapped in a thick cloth, was hidden under Hiroshi's cloak. With every step, he felt the weight of the blade and the contained power of Kerchack.
"**Lower your aura, boy. You shine like a lighthouse**," Kerchack hissed in his mind.
Hiroshi forced the draconic energy to retract, but the **Draconic Form** had left permanent marks: his eyes maintained an ancient blue glow that he needed to hide under the brim of his hat.
## 2. The Price of Betrayal: The Bounty List
The first thing Hiroshi noticed was the proliferation of "Wanted" posters. On a wooden post, a poster with his own face, crudely drawn but recognizable, caught his attention.
> **WANTED: THE DRACONIC ARCHAEOLOGIST**
>
> **NAME:** Hiroshi (Unknown)
>
> **CRIMES:** Assassination of Imperial Officers, Terrorism, Slave Liberation.
>
> **REWARD:** **20,000 Gold Coins** (Alive or Dead)
Twenty thousand gold coins. A price high enough to make any adventurer think twice.
Next to it, there were other posters, all with much higher rewards, evidencing the scale of the Empire's hunt. Hiroshi stopped to analyze the list, realizing he was in the middle of a much larger chessboard.
| Name | Description | Crime | Reward |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **The Red Demon** | Man, red hair, giant sword with a moon symbol. (Yuzuki) | Treason and desertion from the Order of Heroes. | **150,000 Gold Coins** |
| **Rabu, the Storm** | Woman, red hair, blue eyes, brown skin. Lightning scar over the left eye. | Assassination of the Royal Chancellor and theft of State documents. | **100,000 Gold Coins** |
| **The Master of Shadows** | Man, tall, black robes, iron mask. | Theft of the Royal Treasury and sabotage of Quaza routes. | **80,000 Gold Coins** |
| **The Iron Lady** | Woman, full black steel armor, wields a war hammer. | Leadership of miners' rebellions. | **50,000 Gold Coins** |
| **The Blind Prophet** | Man, elderly, blindfolded eyes, carries a bone staff. | Heresy and dissemination of anti-King prophecies. | **30,000 Gold Coins** |
| **The Draconic Archaeologist** | Brown hair, blue eyes (now with a strange glow). | Treason against the Rebel Movement, Collaboration with King Lepra. | **20,000 Gold Coins** |
Hiroshi bought some healing potions at an herb shop, keeping his head down. With every step, he heard the whispers.
"Is that Hiroshi? The traitor?"
"They say he made a deal with the King to hand over Yuzuki."
"No, Yuzuki said he's a spy for King Lepra from the start."
Yuzuki's story had spread like wildfire. The Red Demon, the false hero, had become the martyr, and Hiroshi, the true target, the traitor. He was a fugitive from the Empire and from all who opposed it.
## 3. The Market of Souls
The corruption in Godless was deeper than the bounty list. Passing through the central square, Hiroshi and Luna witnessed the slave market.
It wasn't just the rich who bought. Poor people sold their own children for a few coins to pay debts. Others bought cheap slaves to work in subhuman conditions. The market was self-sustaining, a cruel gear where poverty was the raw material.
"**Human hypocrisy. They revolt against the King, but sell their own flesh**," Kerchack commented, with contempt.
"It's desperation, Kerchack. Not malice," Luna whispered, squeezing Hiroshi's hand.
Hiroshi, feeling Kerchack's rage and Luna's pain, realized that the fight was not just against the King, but against a system of ingrained cruelty.
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## 4. The Mud and the Charismatic Pirate
The sun began to set, and Hiroshi knew he needed information. The destination was the bar **The Mud**, a den famous for attracting adventurers, mercenaries, and all sorts of outcasts.
The bar was dark, smoky, and noisy. The smell of cheap alcohol and sweat was almost unbearable. Hiroshi and Luna sat in a corner, ordering only water.
It was there that he saw him.
A shirtless man, his torso covered in scars that looked like maps of ancient battles. He wore a frayed straw hat and chewed on a tree branch. He was sitting at a table with other rough-looking men who looked like pirates.
It was **Orpheus**.
Orpheus was charismatic. He laughed loudly, told stories, and was friendly to everyone, but his eyes, a penetrating brown, seemed to see through the smoke and Hiroshi's facade.
He stood up and walked to Hiroshi's table.
"Don't worry, kid. The water is on me. And the girl needs something sweeter than life here," Orpheus said, with a wide smile.
He snapped his fingers, and one of his companions brought a plate of sweets and a bowl of meat for Luna.
"**He is strong. Very strong. And he noticed you**," Kerchack warned.
Hiroshi tried to hide his aura, but Orpheus seemed to ignore the effort.
"You're not from around here, kid. And you smell like trouble. Big trouble," Orpheus said, sitting down in front of Hiroshi.
## 5. Hero Soken and the Proposal
Orpheus changed his tone, becoming serious.
"A Hero is coming to town tomorrow. Hero **Soken**. And everyone is fleeing. The port is emptying."
Hiroshi felt a chill. "Did they discover my location?"
Orpheus laughed, a dry, humorless sound. "No, kid. They're after me. And I'm not running. It's time to kill a Hero and change the course of this Empire."
Hiroshi was impressed. The man's audacity was unbelievable.
"You're crazy," Hiroshi said.
"Maybe. But madness is the only weapon against tyranny," Orpheus replied, picking up a red katana that was leaning against the table. "This is Koyote, my great friend. She is thirsty."
Orpheus explained the situation in Godless.
"The black market will never end here. The sale of slaves cannot stop. It has become local culture. The only way to change that is by changing the Empire and the laws. And to change the laws, we need to kill the King's pillars."
He revealed the Hero's identity.
"Soken. His ability is called **Rupture**. He can cause earthquakes with his hands. Besides being the strongest man in physical strength in the entire kingdom. He's coming to hunt me."
Orpheus looked directly at Hiroshi, ignoring Luna's presence.
"I need help, Draconic Archaeologist. I know who you are. And I know you have the **Karius Sword**."
## 6. Orpheus's Revelation
Hiroshi felt fear. Would he be betrayed again?
"How do you know about the sword? And how do you know who I am? Yuzuki spread that I'm a traitor to the King," Hiroshi questioned, his hand trembling near the hidden blade.
Orpheus smiled, a smile that contained centuries of wisdom and pain.
"Yuzuki is a traitor, kid. And he's been working for the government for a long time. I always knew. He is the King's perfect creation. A false hero to unite the rebels and then destroy them."
The revelation hit Hiroshi like a punch. He was scared. Someone knew the truth. Someone hadn't been fooled.
"You are a mystery, Orpheus," Hiroshi said.
"Maybe. But I'm a mystery that can help you kill a Hero," Orpheus replied.
He stood up and gestured for Hiroshi and Luna to follow him.
They left the bar and walked to the seashore. A bonfire crackled, and about 20 men, all looking like pirates, were gathered.
"I'll give you all the information I have about the King, about the Quaza, about the war. In exchange, you help me kill Soken tomorrow. What do you say?"
Hiroshi looked at Luna, who nodded. He looked at the sea, feeling the power of the **Karius Sword** on his back.
"I accept," Hiroshi said, his voice firm. "But if you betray me, I swear that not even the Dragon in me will be able to save you."
Orpheus laughed, a genuine and powerful laugh. "I like you, kid. Welcome to the crew."
***
**END OF CHAPTER 21**