The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 440: The Wheel of Fortune

Chapter 440: The Wheel of Fortune

Chainsfree turned out to be the very definition of an oceanside city.

Built behind a naturally enclosed harbor, the city nested itself further between large cliffs. A single wall spanned the width of the city, separating it from the tiered farming steppes along with a wide patch of cleared land.

Centered in the city, and on top of the two highest cliffs, were fortifications. Castles of magic-wrought stone with mage platforms that overlooked the ocean. The tallest served also as a lighthouse, its beacon lit even during the day.

At the mouth of the harbor, a pair of statues on opposite sides were shaped to look like six races of the Myriad standing back to back to back. Tiny dots of movement indicated that these also were watchtowers, and between the statues, from beneath their feet snaked out a massive harbor chain. Presently raised, it looked as though it was covered in dangling seaweed.

The only trees in sight were those in the city itself, not from parks but from every house, which sported at least two trees in each small garden, and a lonely-looking patch of artificial forest behind its own defensive wall outside the city.

With such little landspace, verticality had imposed itself on its architecture. Most outer buildings were at least five stories tall and made of stone, and the preponderance of windows and smoke rising from chimneys drove home that homes walled the city.

The tower of blue crystal, however, dominated the skyline. By all appearances, it had broken out of a seaside cave, nearly cutting the lighthouse off from the slope downwards. Tiny figures seemed to be inspecting it on the rise to the lighthouse while others were building out a detour bridge.

Ferro was surprised to find the gates of the city wide open when the trio finally made their way onto the main road, which led out to a narrow split in the mountain range, a pass built up for defense, with many raised walkways and layers of walls.

He gawked a bit, which was one of many reasons the guards at the gate closed ranks the moment they approached. There was no standardization, except for the sky-blue sashes they wore as different accessories.

"Whoa there. Never seen you three," a capybara beastkin guard wearing a blue sash on his forehead raised his hand. His accent was heavily Theran, but his voice was very calm. "Some strange clothes you got. From a dungeon?"

Ferro looked at the girls. He’d gotten used to seeing them in the suits Kiryu had provided, and so it took him a moment to remember that they were all, in fact, dressed strangely. He’d given Malz his cloak to use in covering her wing, and the angel looked back to him encouragingly.

Turning, he answered the guard, "Something like that, yes. We were slaves." He turned, pulling down the high collar of his suit and showing the guard the back of his neck. "I was made to travel the Duat before escaping and coming here."

"You survived the duat?" the beastkin man smirked. "I might not believe you if you weren’t wearing whatever that is. You selling? Got more? I think it would fit my girl," he turned and laughed, and the rest of the guards laughed along.

Ferro shook his head. Better they not reveal the little resources they had. "I’m sorry, but all we’ve got are the clothes on our backs."

"Hmm. Looks like your friend there has more on her back." The guard pointed at Malz, who stepped forward.

"It’s... a malformed limb," she said, her voice unusually high and sad. "M-my master did experiments on me... trying to give me more arms... so I could be as good as her," she lightly gestured at Anko. "But I’m not part demon... it didn’t take..." her voice cracked, and she let out a half sob.

The guard, clearly feeling awkward now, grimaced.

"Ey, don’t worry. You all been free the moment they let you past the Breaker Way," he gestured up the road to the pass. "I just need your names, and you’re free to enter. Only law is no killin’, and freefolk work together when slavers show up."

Ferro looked to his companions, and they exchanged nods.

"I’m Ferrovia. This is Anko."

Anko raised four hands and said, "That’s me!"

"And this is-"

"Aiko," Malzkael interrupted.

The guard let out a little hiss. "Your parents name you for a goddess? That’s bad luck."

"My master did..." Malz lied.

"Guess it worked on him then, losing a pretty girl like you," one of the other guards, an elvish man with his blue sash done up as a scarf, winked at Malz, affecting a rather prominent blush from her. He had goldenrod yellow hair and orange eyes, lightly tanned skin, and several splits cut out of his ears, the right of which was missing its tip.

"Quit flirting, Jian. Just for that, you can show them to the Chapterhouse. Get them set up with food and a place to stay."

"It would be my pleasure to, Alonso." The elf bowed sarcastically.

"Quit that shit now," Alonso snapped. "You’re giving them a bad impression. No one bows in Chainsfree." He pulled out a small notebook and wrote down the names of Ferro, Anko, and "Aiko." "You three don’t make trouble for Jian. And if trouble finds you, ask anyone wearing blue to help."

"Aren’t you guards? Why would we need to ask?" Anko blurted.

Alonso laughed. "Nah, we’re militia. We don’t get involved in fights unless it’s kidnapping or getting deadly. Fighting’s a pretty common way people sort things out around here. Didn’t your Key tell you?"

"Key?" Ferro asked. He only vaguely knew the location of Chainsfree from... Where had he heard it from? He couldn’t recall.

"Person who helped you get free. Got to have had at least one, getting you three out of the Duat."

"Oh." Ferro scratched the back of his head.

"He didn’t stay with us," Malz raised her voice. "To be honest, the man was a bit of an asshole."

"He give you a name?" Alonso licked his pen and held it to his notebook.

"Kiryu," Anko replied.

"Right. Sounds like a fake name. I’ll keep a watch for him, let him know where to find you if he shows up." Alonso waved them through, and Jian detached himself from the wall.

"Follow me, comrades. This way." The elf let everyone get in front of him before following from behind.

Once inside, Ferro’s wonder at the city only increased as he saw how even the small spaces were being used. Plants of many varieties grew in large pots. Every window had its own little balcony covered in more potted plants, and clotheslines shaded even the main street, strung over it with little wooden dividers at the midway point between houses.

And the doors.

Each door was painted, and some written upon, with great care. Scenes Ferro could only compare to the Duat. Depictions of families. Or even entire stories painted to life.

There were obvious clashes of color and style from all four of the civilized continents, but that only made the sheer diversity of Chainsfree obvious.

Some of the doors were painted with the same motif, however. A sword breaking through an iron chain.

"What’s that mean?" Anko asked, pointing one out.

"Means a Breaker lives there. You mess with them, especially the Keys, and no one in this city will save you," Jian said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Also, if you get a place, don’t go painting that on your door if you’re not a Breaker. People don’t look too kindly on that."

"Seems there are a lot more laws than just the two," Malz noted.

"Nah, those are rules. Law’s something everyone’s expected to do. Rules are for everything else. We like to keep things simple around here." Jian smiled.

"I like this place better already," Anko grinned. "Ooh, what’s that smell?"

Ferro had smelt it for a while, something spicy and savory with notes that left his nostrils tingling and his mouth slightly watering.

Jian sniffed. "Smells like freepot."

"Freepot?" Ferro asked. "What’s that?"

"Kinda hard to describe. People just bring whatever, debate how to cook it and how long for half an hour, then finally give up and cook everything either together or in parts." Jian made it sound like an activity more than a dish. "Smells like someone’s got some good Rethan spices and... sea beef? Anyway, there will be time to eat after you finish with the Chapterhouse."

It was the second time the word had come up, and Ferro was sure it meant more than something to do with books.

"What’s waiting for us at the Chapterhouse?" he asked.

"Just a little truth reading. The mages and Breakers will ask you a bunch of things. See what magic you know. How you can contribute to the city to earn food and space, the usual. Of course, a pretty little concubine like yourself could always just find someone to stay with, Ferrovia."

"How did you-"

"It’s the gold, catkin. Only concubines are allowed to wear jewelry. I ripped my earrings out the moment I got free because I’m never going back to that." Jian’s voice hardened as he spoke, and Ferro could feel the elf’s cold stare at his jewelry. "A bit of advice, make people earn a place in your bed if you want any respect around here. The profession is allowed, beloved by most people, but a lot of people like me don’t go back to it."

"Thank you for the advice," Ferro said, not quite sure if he should be insulted.

He looked up at the sky, eyes quickly finding the crystal tower, which had grown out its toward lattice like a spiderweb formed from the center out, and linked along the outer edge in a big circle.

Almost like the wheel of a cart. Turned on its side.

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