Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 109: Leave it to the monsters?

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Leave it to the monsters?

"What... What are you saying, my Lord?" Cassian asked with a baffled face, hoping that it was he who had heard wrong. But no matter how much and how long he looked at the city Lord, the man did not reply.

His silence was enough to tell him that what he said was actually his thoughts and not just a slip of the tongue.

But how could it be? Why was he taking the side of monsters? His words were almost like he believed that it was humans who were at fault and that they were the ones claiming the belongings of monsters.

"My Lord... Can you explain to me what you are implying? I can’t understand it clearly," Cassian asked in a hesitant voice. He had to find out the meaning behind the city Lord’s words.

Did he know something more that the kingdom did not know at all? Was he hiding some information from the kingdom, or had he simply found something during his stay here?

Whatever it was, Cassian decided to clear it up first. He couldn’t afford to have doubt and distrust between them when they were going to collaborate.

Being backstabbed by your own partner was the last thing Cassian wanted in his own group.

"Why is the monster attacking this place continuously?" City Lord looked at Cassian with deep eyes. Even though only his eyes were visible, Cassian could feel the intensity radiating from them.

"This question already answers your questions," City Lord continued. "The monsters have been attacking the humans from time to time. They seem restless. It’s not like they are hungry for humans. They simply kill them without eating them, discarding their bodies everywhere."

"Monsters only hunt in two different situations: either when they are hungry or when they are being possessive of their territory."

Cassian’s eyes widened at the city Lord’s explanation. He had never thought that the situation in Galdreth was this bad.

He had simply thought that the monsters had gone astray and were leading their group to hunt for their next meal. But who would have thought that things were like this?

Even when he got the parchment from the kingdom ordering him to go to Galdreth, it did not have any specific instructions. It had simply ordered him to go there.

So he had decided to find out more about Galdreth during his journey. And the conclusion he had come to was that the monsters had just lost their sanity even more.

"But Galdreth is a city that has stood for hundreds of years. How could it be that the monsters decided to act only now? Why not before?" Cassian asked in a firm voice. Now he realized that the matter was not as simple as just driving the monsters away.

Monsters are very possessive of their territory. They fight for it even when only one monster is left. Cassian realized that Galdreth had really attracted the worst scenario anyone could imagine.

Cassian clenched his fists tightly. He tried to steady himself as he faced the man before him. "My Lord, I do not understand what you are trying to say. Are you saying that this land belongs to the monsters? Are you saying that we are the ones who do not belong here?" His voice was firm.

His heart pounded inside his chest. He was not sure if it was because of frustration. Maybe it was because of the way City Lord was looking at him with those unreadable eyes.

City Lord leaned back in his chair. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest. "I am saying that monsters do not fight without reason. They do not waste their strength unless they are starving. They do not fight unless they have something important to protect." His voice was calm. There was something unsettling about his words. His sharp eyes never left Cassian’s face. "Have you ever considered the possibility that we are the ones taking what was never ours to begin with?"

Cassian stiffened. The weight of those words settled on him. A strange feeling crawled up his spine. It unsettled him more than he wanted to admit. It was not just the meaning behind City Lord’s statement that made him uneasy. It was the way he spoke. The way he delivered those words without hesitation. There was no mockery. There was no anger. There was no doubt. There was only quiet conviction.

"Then what do you mean by that?" Cassian pressed. He tried to ignore the heat creeping up his face. "Are you saying we should just abandon this city? Leave it to the monsters?" His tone was sharper than he intended. He could not help it.

City Lord let out a soft chuckle. There was no humor in it. "You are misunderstanding me." His voice was lower now. It was quieter. The conversation had suddenly become something only the two of them were meant to hear. "I am telling you to think. You should know better than anyone that things are never as simple as they seem."

Cassian swallowed hard. Something inside him felt unsteady. The ground beneath his feet felt like it was shifting. He could not control it. The way City Lord spoke. The way he looked at him. It still had an effect on him. Even after all this time. He hated it.

He forced himself to push those thoughts aside. He focused on the matter at hand. "When I arrived here, I saw them. Large groups of monsters. They tried to stop me from reaching the city. They were not just wandering aimlessly. They were organized. It felt like they knew I was coming." He hesitated. It was only for a brief moment. Then he added, "And then there was the demon."

City Lord’s fingers stopped tapping. His sharp gaze shifted ever so slightly.

"A demon?"

Cassian nodded. "Yes. We barely survived the fight. My companions were injured. If I had made even one mistake, I would not be standing here right now." He took a deep breath. He steadied himself. "And now you are telling me that these monsters are not attacking without purpose? You are saying they are fighting to reclaim something? That this city might be built on something that belongs to them?"

City Lord rose from his chair. His movements were slow and deliberate. He took a few steps forward. He closed some of the distance between them. Cassian instinctively tensed. He did not move back.

"You already know the answer to that."