CLEAVER OF SIN

As Asher stepped out of the bar, another wave of noise slammed into him, loud and chaotic, filled with the sounds of life and activity. He simply turned in a random direction and began to walk. There was no particular destination in mind.

Behind him, he could feel the lingering gazes of his five guards and Lyra. Their presence was silent but unmistakably felt. They hadn't followed him into the bar, having sensed earlier that there wasn't anyone present who posed a threat significant enough to endanger the Tenth Sun.

Asher walked calmly through the bustling streets. By now, it was already midday, the sun blazing directly overhead in all its radiant glory.

Children ran around joyfully, laughter trailing behind them as though they had no responsibilities in the world, and indeed, they didn't.

'Isn't there a school these children are supposed to attend or something?' Asher thought as he moved forward, his eyes casually following their carefree movements.

Still, he didn't voice the question aloud. Even the original Asher hadn't attended any formal school at this stage of life, and he was a noble, son of a Duke, second only to the princess and prince. If someone of his standing hadn't stepped into a classroom, then how could mere commoners?

Choosing not to dwell on it, Asher continued onward. Up ahead, he noticed a towering black statue, imposing and monolithic, standing firmly in place with a long, dark spear clutched in its right hand.

He approached it and came to a halt, gazing up at the statue, pondering what such a structure was doing there. Oddly, the figure's face bore no definite distinct features, it was almost blank.

Just as Asher was about to turn away and continue walking, a voice suddenly echoed from behind.

"It seems someone came at the same time as me today," a female voice said softly.

Asher turned, his purple eyes landing on a woman who appeared to be in her forties. She was dressed in simple, worn-out clothing, a far cry from anything considered fashionable or noble. Beside her stood a small child, a girl who looked to be around four years old. The woman held the girl's hand protectively, clearly to keep her from getting lost or running into danger.

"Good afternoon," Asher greeted her plainly.

The woman walked closer and came to a stop beside him. Her deep black eyes met his vibrant purple ones as she spoke, "Such a handsome face should be familiar."

'Would everyone feel the need to comment on my face all the time?' Asher sighed inwardly, clearly growing weary of the attention.

"I just arrived at the Wargrave Ducal Territory," he replied, spinning the same lie he had told the bartender earlier.

The woman nodded in understanding, her tone calm and reflective. "About twenty years ago, I also came to the Wargrave Duchy, from a Barony."

Asher gave a simple nod of acknowledgment, then asked the question that had been on his mind since seeing the statue, "Whose statue is this?" Though he had a suspicion, he still needed confirmation.

"You asking that question truly shows you're not from around here," the woman replied, bending down to pick up her child into her arms.

"This is the Duke's statue. Duke Azeron Wargrave," she explained, a glint of genuine awe lighting up her eyes as she spoke the name.

Her words confirmed Asher's suspicions. After all, who else would dare erect a statue within the territory of a Duke unless it was for the Duke himself? Though, judging by its appearance, it could have easily been made in honor of the former Duke instead.

Still, something about the craftsmanship seemed... lacking. To Asher, it felt crude and unimpressive. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, nor did it exude the grandeur expected of nobility. It lacked refinement, depth, elegance, everything. Besides, his father didn't strike him as the type of man who would go around putting statues of himself in public spaces.

With these thoughts swirling through his mind, Asher couldn't help but voice them.

"But isn't it a bit too crude for a Duke? With the amount of platinum coins he possesses, I'm sure he could have afforded something far more refined and beautiful," he remarked curiously.

"Indeed, it's a bit lacking, just as you've said," the woman replied with a small nod, not denying the obvious. "But it wasn't made by the Duke," she added.

"It wasn't?" Asher echoed in confusion, now even more curious as to who would have built it.

"It was us, the villagers," she said, adjusting the child in her arms. "We pooled our money together to build it. This was the best we could afford. It's been standing here for eighteen years now."

Her words stunned Asher. He struggled to comprehend the reasoning behind such an act. These were commoners, people barely scraping by, living in the lowest standards of the social hierarchy. People that nobles wouldn't even spare a glance for. Yet, they had gathered their hard-earned money to build a statue for the Duke.

'Is Father running a cult or something?' Asher couldn't help but wonder.

He wasn't even sure he could've done the same for any leader in his previous life, no matter how much admiration they commanded.

"I know what you're thinking," the woman said softly, interrupting his internal musings. "A lot of people thought the same thing, wondering why we wasted our money on something like this." Her voice remained calm, a gentle smile spreading across her face as she lifted her gaze to the almost featureless face of the statue.

"Remember I told you I moved here twenty years ago?" she continued.

Asher gave a silent nod, encouraging her to speak further.

"Well, after moving here, I lived peacefully for some time. Then came a monster invasion. Honestly, I thought it would end the same way it always had, deaths, destruction, despair. Just like what happened back in the Barony I used to live in. But the Duke was available that day. The knights didn't even need to intervene," she said, her voice growing more reverent, almost as if she were speaking of divine intervention.

"The Duke wiped everything out with a single wave of his hand, without even using his spear."

Asher said nothing. He simply listened.

"After that, he went on to eliminate high-tier monsters surrounding the territory but left the weaker ones alone, to serve as a source of income for us commoners," she continued, her tone sincere.

"So we built this statue. And for the past eighteen years, we haven't experienced a single monster invasion. Tell me, how many territories can truly boast of such peace and security?" she asked, her voice proud.

"When the Duke returned and saw the statue, he rewarded everyone who contributed with fifty gold coins each," she said, wrapping up her explanation.

"All in all, you can grow old and die here peacefully," she concluded. With that, the woman bowed slightly to the statue and turned, walking away with her daughter nestled safely in her arms.