Lucy and Waker were walking around the city, looking for a way to escape. Occasionally, they'd watch the movements of the Viking pirates. On every street corner, the Viking pirates stood guard, carrying large weapons, looking for prisoners who had escaped from the Slave Shop.
After hours of wandering through narrow alleys, Lucy started to run out of energy. She was panting, holding her knees.
"Is that all you got?" Waker muttered with a dismissive tone.
Lucy's emotions flared up.
"I'm so sorry.. if my stamina isn't as great as yours," she retorted.
Waker just snorted. "Your mouth is sharp, but your strength is weak," he said softly, then sat among the ruins of a brick wall to rest for a moment.
Not long after, a commotion was heard from the market area. The Viking pirates were tearing down tables, kicking barrels, and wreaking havoc on a small tavern, looking for other escaped prisoners.
Lucy, who saw the incident, immediately clenched her fist. She wanted to step forward to help the tavern owner who was being beaten, but Waker held her back.
"Don't be stupid, they're not enemies you can face with that rusty pipe," he whispered.
However, Lucy couldn't stand seeing it.
She pushed away Waker's hand and ran, swinging her sharp pipe at the back of one of the Vikings. Unfortunately, the Viking's rough skin was only slightly scratched—they even laughed.
"Lucyyy!!" Waker growled, trying to step forward, but his path was blocked by a tall figure: the right-hand man of the Viking pirate chief, Slake.
"Looking to die, kid?" Slake said while raising his axe.
Lucy continued to try to attack, but a blow from behind knocked her unconscious instantly.
The Vikings tied her up again, this time not only her hands, but also her feet.
Waker was forced to retreat. He gritted his teeth, watching Lucy being dragged away.
"What the hell are you doing, Lucy!! But... because of you... I survived yesterday," he muttered.
He looked at the sky and shouted.
"I don't like being indebted. Wait for me, Lucy!!, I'm gonna save you!!"
The next morning, Lucy woke up in Slave Hall—the largest slave auction site on the island. Her hands and feet were shackled.
Noisy sounds were heard from outside. A Viking guard came, pulling the chain in his hand, dragging her out towards the auction stage.
Oil lamps hung above the large stage. Below, various races stared at her, humans, ogres, and elves.
Cheers filled the room.
"Finally, there's a pretty girl too!"
"Look at her face, she looks like a goddess who fell from the world of gods! So beautiful!!"
"Just look at her. So sexy"
Lucy held back her nausea. When she imagined she was really being sold… No way..... she thought.
The auction started from 5 gold coins, all the guys from all races wanted to buy Lucy, not long after, a young man with short green hair, long ears, stood with a calm face. His eyes were sharp but sparkling, typical of the Elf race.
"300 gold coins," he said coldly.
The crowd fell silent after hearing that sentence. Some cheered.
The auctioneer immediately shouted:
"Sold to the elf over there."
Lucy could only bite her lip. "Elf... I've heard of that race," she muttered softly, remembering an old history book at the orphanage.
After the auction, Lucy's eyes were covered with cloth and she remained shackled from head to toe.
She was placed on a chair inside a horse-drawn carriage.
When her eyes were opened, she saw the elf directly in front of her. His face was very charming.
"Shouldn't we get to know each other first?? Introduce myself, my name is Kaine, I'm from the elf race, and you?
He said.
"I'm Lucy, Lucy Wathert."
The elf smiled after hearing that.
"Wathert huh.... We'll do fun things in the future, nice to meet you.."
The horse-drawn carriage rumbled slowly through the dusty dirt road on the outskirts of the city. Inside, there was only silence hanging in the air—a silence so thick that even the sound of breathing felt loud. Lucy sat staring blankly at the small window filled with dust.
Since leaving the ship's prison, she hadn't eaten anything. Then... Grrkkk...
The sound came from Lucy's stomach, loud and embarrassing. She lowered her head, her cheeks flushing, while Kaine, who was sitting in front of her, could only hold back his laughter.
"Pfttt... you're really starving," he said with a teasing but not unkind tone. "We're going to a tavern now. Change the direction!" he shouted to the driver.
Lucy was silent. No words of "thank you" came from her lips, but in her heart, there was a warmth—a feeling she had rarely felt since her capture.
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of a small tavern that looked badly damaged. The wooden walls were holed, the signboard hung crookedly, and the window glass was cracked. Lucy recognized the place—this tavern had been attacked by Viking pirates when they captured her. But strangely, the kitchen was still standing.
Before getting out, Kaine removed the shackles from Lucy's hands and feet. The sound of the metal rang out, like a small symbol of temporary freedom.
"I won't let you run away, but you deserve to eat without chains," he said flatly.
Lucy just nodded softly.
Inside the tavern, the aroma of fish broth and bread wafted faintly. The tables were damaged, but still usable. Kaine ordered food for her. And without waiting long, an old man emerged from behind the kitchen curtain carrying food. His face was wrinkled like old paper, his hair was white, and his eyes were dim but warm.
"Oh... you're the one from yesterday," he muttered softly while looking at Lucy.
"Thank you, young man... because of you, this tavern wasn't completely destroyed."
Lucy looked at him in surprise. "Me? I didn't even get to do anything yesterday..."
The old man smiled thinly. "You hurt one of those pirates and gave us time to run. That was more than enough. And we couldn't help you when they kidnapped you... We're sorry..."
Lucy was silent, then started to eat slowly. The salty taste of the broth stuck to her tongue, simple but delicious after days in prison. Meanwhile, Kaine went out for a while, saying he wanted to "get some fresh air."
The old man looked at Lucy, then broke the silence.
"You're not from around here, are you? This city is too chaotic for a girl your age."
Lucy looked back at him. "Why is this island so chaotic, old man?"
The old man sighed deeply, as if reopening an old wound.
"70 years ago, this island was peaceful. Just farmers, fishermen, and children running in the streets. But everything changed when the Vikings came from the island of Ise, a land of ice that they say is freezing worse than hell."
"Ise?" Lucy frowned.
"Yeah," he continued. "They said the temperature there dropped so drastically that the surrounding sea froze. Many died. They say... it's all because of someone's Quirk. But no one knows who. The surviving Vikings came here... and decided to take this island. And make it their homeland because the island of Ise is no longer habitable."
His tone turned bitter.
"They killed every man under the age of eighteen. The women... were forced to give birth to their children. The laws changed. Strength became everything. This island became a place where blood writes everything."
Lucy stopped eating, her hands trembling holding the spoon. "Then... who leads them?"
"Viker," the old man replied with a frightened tone. "The only Viking who has a Quirk. He can triple his physical strength. His Quirk is called Physical: Type Strength. With that, he conquered all the tribes on this island."
Lucy stared blankly at her bowl. The world seemed crueler than she imagined.
"Then how did you survive?" she finally asked. "Didn't they hunt down all men under the age of 18??"
The old man chuckled softly.
"I was twenty-seven years old at that time, so they didn't kill me. Now I'm... Ninety-seven years old."
Lucy then replied. "Ninety-seven years old???!!!"
But Lucy appreciated the old man's story by saying:
"Thank you... for the story, old man."
When her last bowl was empty, Kaine appeared at the door and paid for Lucy's food without saying much.
"Let's go," he said briefly. "We'll continue on."
Lucy waved goodbye to the old man. "Thank you for the food, old man."
Outside, the cold air greeted them. Kaine opened the carriage door and gestured for Lucy to get in. But this time, without shackles. Lucy looked at him for a moment, then stepped inside.
But suddenly—
"DUGGGHH!!"
A hard punch hit Kaine's face from the side!
Kaine staggered, because a purple-haired figure with a messy hairstyle emerged from behind the trees on the side.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY LUCY, HUH?!!" Waker shouted with burning eyes.
"My Lucy??" Lucy muttered in shock.
Kaine wiped his bloody cheek. "My Lucy?" he said with a mocking tone, clearly annoyed. "You idiot, I just released her from the shackles!"
"Oh yeah? Sounds like slavery to me!" Waker replied.
The two immediately faced each other, the air between them seemed to vibrate holding back an explosion. But before the next punch landed, Lucy shouted,
"Enough, you two! Get in the carriage, NOW!"
The two of them — two stubborn men — looked at each other for a moment, then snorted at the same time and got in with sullen faces. The atmosphere became very awkward.
Lucy sat in the middle, Waker and Kaine on the right and left, glancing at each other suspiciously.
To break the silence, Lucy finally said, "Alright. Make peace, and start getting to know each other."
"...Waker," Waker said with a lazy tone.
"Kaine," the elf replied briefly.
Lucy smiled satisfied. But Waker glanced at Lucy from the corner of his eye, assessing the situation. He knew — Kaine could be the key to getting off this island.
But before he could say more, Lucy suddenly said in a firm voice,
"We're not going to run away from here. We're gonna fight those Vikings."
"EHHHHHHHH?!!" Waker shouted with a panicked face.
"Don't joke around, Lucy! They're monsters! You haven't even—"
Lucy interrupted Waker's words.
"If I told you about the history of this island... Maybe you'd agree why we have to defeat them."
Silence fell again. But this time, not because it was awkward — because Lucy's determination felt real, and for the first time, Waker didn't know what to say. But strangely, Kaine smiled after seeing Lucy's determination.