Chapter 318
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Travis just stared at Joe with a blank face, which unnerved Joe more than anything else.
That was, until Travis punched him in the eye, drawing out a cry from him that was more shock rather than pain.
"I swear I'm telling the truth!" Joe shouted loudly. He didn't even dare to move to clutch his sides or anything. Blood spilled out incessantly onto the ground, staining it red.
Travis was about to stab him again when Alec lightly gripped his arm, stopping him.
The young master seemed shocked. "What are you doing?"
Alec didn't look at him. Instead, he looked deeply at the man on the ground, bleeding out currently. "Continue."
"Are you serious?" Travis protested. "Everyone knows that information produced under torture can never be believed!"
"That's why you need him to spill all the details before you can make an informed decision. If there's ever the chance that he's right, you'll regret it in the future."
Travis frowned, but conceded that point. He'd been a bit blinded by his anger despite telling himself that it wasn't. Taking a deep breath, Travis could see it more clearly now.
However, Alec didn't think that what the man said got through to him, so Alec said something that would convince him to stay his hand. "The thing is… I recently chanced upon such a kidnapping operation. They were dealing in slaves."
The words that came out of Alec's mouth chilled Travis to the very bone.
Slavery was something that they saw as utterly abominable offence, and in the Awerk continent, it was stomped down hard on.
Punishment for slavery was even harsher than punishment for manslaughter, and that was saying something.
It was the reason why Travis had been incensed upon hearing Joe slander his aunt of threatening to do as such to him.
His aunt doted on him, especially since she couldn't have children of her own.
Travis had always treated her like a second mother, but this vile man *dared*…!
"What's her name?" Alec directed at Joe.
He was originally going to ditch Travis after this since he already paid his dues, but this was a whole other matter altogether. Regardless of whatever second chances he gave to the teen, he still didn't like him as a person.
He'd found a clue in the unlikeliest of places, and he would make use of it.
Joe shuddered having Alec's attention on him. It didn't feel pleasant at all. "Diane Ross," he said carefully. "She didn't tell me her name at first. I had to find out based on her description. But I'm sure of it. She's Travis' aunt. She's paid me monthly to stick around Travis."
Travis was filled with disbelief. He now didn't know what he should or should not trust. His previously strong faith had been slightly shaken as he went over his memories of his aunt.
Seeing Travis distracted, Alec took over the interrogation, dragging the still-bleeding man to the side to continue. He had to see whether or not the man had any other connection to the supposed slave trade that they stumbled across.
He knew there was something more to it. What did they need all those with Awakening Magitype for?
Travis stared blankly into the air.
To be honest, his conviction shouldn't have been shaken just because of Joe's words, but the thing was…
When he was young, he'd never quite liked his aunt in the beginning. He'd always felt that she was a bit scary when she looked at him, but that had faded over the years.
She always treated him well though his uncle seemed rather indifferent towards him.
Travis tried to remember what it was that had originally made him a bit scared of her when he was younger, but his memories were blurry and vague.
He frowned.
His mind was a mess.
Then, suddenly, a very clear memory of his aunt looking down at him with cold eyes surfaced in his mind. Travis flinched in shock, and his face paled.
The eyes that he remembered were ice cold and so emotionless that it was terrifying.
But even if she didn't truly like him, why would she want to sell him to the slave traders? That didn't make any sense, did it?
Travis had successfully confused himself, and he looked back at Alec, who was still extracting information from Joe.
"Do you think what he says is true?" Travis asked hesitantly.
Even if it was true, he didn't really want to believe it. He always thought that his family would be the ones that would never hurt him even if the rest of the world did.
Travis glared at Joe, his eyes murderous.
Joe shrunk back, but there was a victorious little grin on his face as if he knew that they couldn't kill him yet.
Travis was incensed when he thought about how he was right. If Joe was really telling the truth, then he couldn't kill him yet.
"How I wish to just kill him to end it all," Travis said darkly.
Alec raised a cool eyebrow, looking down at Joe with a smile. The grin on Joe's face immediately dropped off as fear crept back into him.
"If you want to, then just do it."
Travis looked at Alec with shock. "But what if he has more information?"
Alec tilted his head. It didn't matter to him. Joe clearly had no other information on the slave trade, and he wouldn't be able to wring anything else out no matter what he did.
Joe started sweating. How could they discuss right in front of his face whether or not he would live or die by their hands?
"I doubt it," Alec said clearly.
"Wait, no!" Joe cried out. "I do have more information!"
Alec turned his gaze back on the man, and Joe knew that he'd made a mistake when he saw Alec's creepy smile.
"So, you mean to say that you've been hiding information from me?" Alec said in such a gentle tone that the man almost couldn't believe this same person as the one who had tortured him for information.
It just added more to the horror factor.
Joe hesitated for the briefest second, but it was enough for Alec to catch on.
"You haven't." Alec's eyes glinted. His original deduction was right. Besides, it was better not to leave any loose ends. If Travis didn't kill him, then Alec would. "Well, feel free to kill him."
Joe started begging for his life. He wasn't below doing that if it granted him some mercy.
Travis immediately stabbed his spear through the middle of Joe's chest, making sure not to hit the heart.
He wanted this to be long and drawn out.
Joe looked at the shaft of the spear that was sticking out from his chest in mild disbelief. He never thought that it would be Travis who killed him instead of Alec for all that he'd tortured him a little earlier on.
He thought that the boy was much too soft to do the killing himself.
Travis let out a disgusted laugh upon seeing Joe's disbelieving eyes even as he struggled on the ground like a fish caught on a spear.
The man flopped around in pain, trying to pull the spear out, but it was firmly stabbed into the ground.
"Then, I don't need him anymore," Travis said with a savage grin on his face. "I can find the evidence elsewhere. I know my aunt well enough to know that she wouldn't just leave loose ends like this alone. If he lets it slip in any way that he's been compromised, I don't know what she'll do."
Alec didn't say anything. At the end of the day, what Travis did had no impact on his life whatsoever.
The two teens didn't bother to clean up the room. Instead, they just took the bodies with them.
The three men had rented the room for the next two weeks, where it wouldn't be discovered that they were missing and presumably dead.
Travis stepped out of the inn and felt lighter than ever.
It didn't matter that it wasn't sunshine that greeted his skin, and instead the cool night air.
He simultaneously felt lighter but more burdened.
Travis turned to Alec. "So, uh… who are you really?"
Alec smiled, but this time it was a cool smile instead of the normal gentle ones. "Alec Neil. From the Kaoriht continent."
"Travis Ross," Travis said, sticking out his hand to Alec.
They shook hands briefly.
"Thank you for all your help," Travis said seriously. "I'll never forget it."
Alec blinked. "It's fine." He would rather not ever see Travis again if he could help it.
Travis smiled wanly. It really wasn't. He wouldn't forget Alec's help for the rest of his life.
While he may not follow the other teen around, he would always remember to pay his debt later on should Alec ever ask for help.
At this moment, a voice came from behind them.
"Little brother, what exactly are you doing?"
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Travis just stared at Joe with a blank face, which unnerved Joe more than anything else.
That was, until Travis punched him in the eye, drawing out a cry from him that was more shock rather than pain.
"I swear I'm telling the truth!" Joe shouted loudly. He didn't even dare to move to clutch his sides or anything. Blood spilled out incessantly onto the ground, staining it red.
Travis was about to stab him again when Alec lightly gripped his arm, stopping him.
The young master seemed shocked. "What are you doing?"
Alec didn't look at him. Instead, he looked deeply at the man on the ground, bleeding out currently. "Continue."
"Are you serious?" Travis protested. "Everyone knows that information produced under torture can never be believed!"
"That's why you need him to spill all the details before you can make an informed decision. If there's ever the chance that he's right, you'll regret it in the future."
Travis frowned, but conceded that point. He'd been a bit blinded by his anger despite telling himself that it wasn't. Taking a deep breath, Travis could see it more clearly now.
However, Alec didn't think that what the man said got through to him, so Alec said something that would convince him to stay his hand. "The thing is… I recently chanced upon such a kidnapping operation. They were dealing in slaves."
The words that came out of Alec's mouth chilled Travis to the very bone.
Slavery was something that they saw as utterly abominable offence, and in the Awerk continent, it was stomped down hard on.
Punishment for slavery was even harsher than punishment for manslaughter, and that was saying something.
It was the reason why Travis had been incensed upon hearing Joe slander his aunt of threatening to do as such to him.
His aunt doted on him, especially since she couldn't have children of her own.
Travis had always treated her like a second mother, but this vile man *dared*…!
"What's her name?" Alec directed at Joe.
He was originally going to ditch Travis after this since he already paid his dues, but this was a whole other matter altogether. Regardless of whatever second chances he gave to the teen, he still didn't like him as a person.
He'd found a clue in the unlikeliest of places, and he would make use of it.
Joe shuddered having Alec's attention on him. It didn't feel pleasant at all. "Diane Ross," he said carefully. "She didn't tell me her name at first. I had to find out based on her description. But I'm sure of it. She's Travis' aunt. She's paid me monthly to stick around Travis."
Travis was filled with disbelief. He now didn't know what he should or should not trust. His previously strong faith had been slightly shaken as he went over his memories of his aunt.
Seeing Travis distracted, Alec took over the interrogation, dragging the still-bleeding man to the side to continue. He had to see whether or not the man had any other connection to the supposed slave trade that they stumbled across.
He knew there was something more to it. What did they need all those with Awakening Magitype for?
Travis stared blankly into the air.
To be honest, his conviction shouldn't have been shaken just because of Joe's words, but the thing was…
When he was young, he'd never quite liked his aunt in the beginning. He'd always felt that she was a bit scary when she looked at him, but that had faded over the years.
She always treated him well though his uncle seemed rather indifferent towards him.
Travis tried to remember what it was that had originally made him a bit scared of her when he was younger, but his memories were blurry and vague.
He frowned.
His mind was a mess.
Then, suddenly, a very clear memory of his aunt looking down at him with cold eyes surfaced in his mind. Travis flinched in shock, and his face paled.
The eyes that he remembered were ice cold and so emotionless that it was terrifying.
But even if she didn't truly like him, why would she want to sell him to the slave traders? That didn't make any sense, did it?
Travis had successfully confused himself, and he looked back at Alec, who was still extracting information from Joe.
"Do you think what he says is true?" Travis asked hesitantly.
Even if it was true, he didn't really want to believe it. He always thought that his family would be the ones that would never hurt him even if the rest of the world did.
Travis glared at Joe, his eyes murderous.
Joe shrunk back, but there was a victorious little grin on his face as if he knew that they couldn't kill him yet.
Travis was incensed when he thought about how he was right. If Joe was really telling the truth, then he couldn't kill him yet.
"How I wish to just kill him to end it all," Travis said darkly.
Alec raised a cool eyebrow, looking down at Joe with a smile. The grin on Joe's face immediately dropped off as fear crept back into him.
"If you want to, then just do it."
Travis looked at Alec with shock. "But what if he has more information?"
Alec tilted his head. It didn't matter to him. Joe clearly had no other information on the slave trade, and he wouldn't be able to wring anything else out no matter what he did.
Joe started sweating. How could they discuss right in front of his face whether or not he would live or die by their hands?
"I doubt it," Alec said clearly.
"Wait, no!" Joe cried out. "I do have more information!"
Alec turned his gaze back on the man, and Joe knew that he'd made a mistake when he saw Alec's creepy smile.
"So, you mean to say that you've been hiding information from me?" Alec said in such a gentle tone that the man almost couldn't believe this same person as the one who had tortured him for information.
It just added more to the horror factor.
Joe hesitated for the briefest second, but it was enough for Alec to catch on.
"You haven't." Alec's eyes glinted. His original deduction was right. Besides, it was better not to leave any loose ends. If Travis didn't kill him, then Alec would. "Well, feel free to kill him."
Joe started begging for his life. He wasn't below doing that if it granted him some mercy.
Travis immediately stabbed his spear through the middle of Joe's chest, making sure not to hit the heart.
He wanted this to be long and drawn out.
Joe looked at the shaft of the spear that was sticking out from his chest in mild disbelief. He never thought that it would be Travis who killed him instead of Alec for all that he'd tortured him a little earlier on.
He thought that the boy was much too soft to do the killing himself.
Travis let out a disgusted laugh upon seeing Joe's disbelieving eyes even as he struggled on the ground like a fish caught on a spear.
The man flopped around in pain, trying to pull the spear out, but it was firmly stabbed into the ground.
"Then, I don't need him anymore," Travis said with a savage grin on his face. "I can find the evidence elsewhere. I know my aunt well enough to know that she wouldn't just leave loose ends like this alone. If he lets it slip in any way that he's been compromised, I don't know what she'll do."
Alec didn't say anything. At the end of the day, what Travis did had no impact on his life whatsoever.
The two teens didn't bother to clean up the room. Instead, they just took the bodies with them.
The three men had rented the room for the next two weeks, where it wouldn't be discovered that they were missing and presumably dead.
Travis stepped out of the inn and felt lighter than ever.
It didn't matter that it wasn't sunshine that greeted his skin, and instead the cool night air.
He simultaneously felt lighter but more burdened.
Travis turned to Alec. "So, uh… who are you really?"
Alec smiled, but this time it was a cool smile instead of the normal gentle ones. "Alec Neil. From the Kaoriht continent."
"Travis Ross," Travis said, sticking out his hand to Alec.
They shook hands briefly.
"Thank you for all your help," Travis said seriously. "I'll never forget it."
Alec blinked. "It's fine." He would rather not ever see Travis again if he could help it.
Travis smiled wanly. It really wasn't. He wouldn't forget Alec's help for the rest of his life.
While he may not follow the other teen around, he would always remember to pay his debt later on should Alec ever ask for help.
At this moment, a voice came from behind them.
"Little brother, what exactly are you doing?"
Travis just stared at Joe with a blank face, which unnerved Joe more than anything else.That was, until Travis punched him in the eye, drawing out a cry from him that was more shock rather than pain."I swear I'm telling the truth!" Joe shouted loudly. He didn't even dare to move to clutch his sides or anything. Blood spilled out incessantly onto the ground, staining it red.Travis was about to stab him again when Alec lightly gripped his arm, stopping him.The young master seemed shocked. "What are you doing?"Alec didn't look at him. Instead, he looked deeply at the man on the ground, bleeding out currently. "Continue.""Are you serious?" Travis protested. "Everyone knows that information produced under torture can never be believed!""That's why you need him to spill all the details before you can make an informed decision. If there's ever the chance that he's right, you'll regret it in the future."Travis frowned, but conceded that point. He'd been a bit blinded by his anger despite telling himself that it wasn't. Taking a deep breath, Travis could see it more clearly now.However, Alec didn't think that what the man said got through to him, so Alec said something that would convince him to stay his hand. "The thing is I recently chanced upon such a kidnapping operation. They were dealing in slaves."The words that came out of Alec's mouth chilled Travis to the very bone.Slavery was something that they saw as utterly abominable offence, and in the Awerk continent, it was stomped down hard on.Punishment for slavery was even harsher than punishment for manslaughter, and that was saying something.It was the reason why Travis had been incensed upon hearing Joe slander his aunt of threatening to do as such to him.His aunt doted on him, especially since she couldn't have children of her own.Travis had always treated her like a second mother, but this vile man *dared*!"What's her name?" Alec directed at Joe.He was originally going to ditch Travis after this since he already paid his dues, but this was a whole other matter altogether. Regardless of whatever second chances he gave to the teen, he still didn't like him as a person.He'd found a clue in the unlikeliest of places, and he would make use of it.Joe shuddered having Alec's attention on him. It didn't feel pleasant at all. "Diane Ross," he said carefully. "She didn't tell me her name at first. I had to find out based on her description. But I'm sure of it. She's Travis' aunt. She's paid me monthly to stick around Travis."Travis was filled with disbelief. He now didn't know what he should or should not trust. His previously strong faith had been slightly shaken as he went over his memories of his aunt.Seeing Travis distracted, Alec took over the interrogation, dragging the still-bleeding man to the side to continue. He had to see whether or not the man had any other connection to the supposed slave trade that they stumbled across.He knew there was something more to it. What did they need all those with Awakening Magitype for?Travis stared blankly into the air.To be honest, his conviction shouldn't have been shaken just because of Joe's words, but the thing wasWhen he was young, he'd never quite liked his aunt in the beginning. He'd always felt that she was a bit scary when she looked at him, but that had faded over the years.She always treated him well though his uncle seemed rather indifferent towards him.Travis tried to remember what it was that had originally made him a bit scared of her when he was younger, but his memories were blurry and vague.He frowned.His mind was a mess.Then, suddenly, a very clear memory of his aunt looking down at him with cold eyes surfaced in his mind. Travis flinched in shock, and his face paled.The eyes that he remembered were ice cold and so emotionless that it was terrifying.But even if she didn't truly like him, why would she want to sell him to the slave traders? That didn't make any sense, did it?Travis had successfully confused himself, and he looked back at Alec, who was still extracting information from Joe."Do you think what he says is true?" Travis asked hesitantly.Even if it was true, he didn't really want to believe it. He always thought that his family would be the ones that would never hurt him even if the rest of the world did.Travis glared at Joe, his eyes murderous.Joe shrunk back, but there was a victorious little grin on his face as if he knew that they couldn't kill him yet.Travis was incensed when he thought about how he was right. If Joe was really telling the truth, then he couldn't kill him yet."How I wish to just kill him to end it all," Travis said darkly.Alec raised a cool eyebrow, looking down at Joe with a smile. The grin on Joe's face immediately dropped off as fear crept back into him."If you want to, then just do it."Travis looked at Alec with shock. "But what if he has more information?"Alec tilted his head. It didn't matter to him. Joe clearly had no other information on the slave trade, and he wouldn't be able to wring anything else out no matter what he did.Joe started sweating. How could they discuss right in front of his face whether or not he would live or die by their hands?"I doubt it," Alec said clearly."Wait, no!" Joe cried out. "I do have more information!"Alec turned his gaze back on the man, and Joe knew that he'd made a mistake when he saw Alec's creepy smile."So, you mean to say that you've been hiding information from me?" Alec said in such a gentle tone that the man almost couldn't believe this same person as the one who had tortured him for information.It just added more to the horror factor.Joe hesitated for the briefest second, but it was enough for Alec to catch on."You haven't." Alec's eyes glinted. His original deduction was right. Besides, it was better not to leave any loose ends. If Travis didn't kill him, then Alec would. "Well, feel free to kill him."Joe started begging for his life. He wasn't below doing that if it granted him some mercy.Travis immediately stabbed his spear through the middle of Joe's chest, making sure not to hit the heart.He wanted this to be long and drawn out.Joe looked at the shaft of the spear that was sticking out from his chest in mild disbelief. He never thought that it would be Travis who killed him instead of Alec for all that he'd tortured him a little earlier on.He thought that the boy was much too soft to do the killing himself.Travis let out a disgusted laugh upon seeing Joe's disbelieving eyes even as he struggled on the ground like a fish caught on a spear.The man flopped around in pain, trying to pull the spear out, but it was firmly stabbed into the ground."Then, I don't need him anymore," Travis said with a savage grin on his face. "I can find the evidence elsewhere. I know my aunt well enough to know that she wouldn't just leave loose ends like this alone. If he lets it slip in any way that he's been compromised, I don't know what she'll do."Alec didn't say anything. At the end of the day, what Travis did had no impact on his life whatsoever.The two teens didn't bother to clean up the room. Instead, they just took the bodies with them.The three men had rented the room for the next two weeks, where it wouldn't be discovered that they were missing and presumably dead.Travis stepped out of the inn and felt lighter than ever.It didn't matter that it wasn't sunshine that greeted his skin, and instead the cool night air.He simultaneously felt lighter but more burdened.Travis turned to Alec. "So, uh who are you really?"Alec smiled, but this time it was a cool smile instead of the normal gentle ones. "Alec Neil. From the Kaoriht continent.""Travis Ross," Travis said, sticking out his hand to Alec.They shook hands briefly."Thank you for all your help," Travis said seriously. "I'll never forget it."Alec blinked. "It's fine." He would rather not ever see Travis again if he could help it.Travis smiled wanly. It really wasn't. He wouldn't forget Alec's help for the rest of his life.While he may not follow the other teen around, he would always remember to pay his debt later on should Alec ever ask for help.At this moment, a voice came from behind them."Little brother, what exactly are you doing?"
