Gabriel expressed his observation, "There is something both familiar and unfamiliar about this place."
The mask had transformed his appearance, making him seem much younger. He now looked like a man in his late twenties, with shorter hair than his usual long locks.
At first glance, he appeared non-threatening, with his blue eyes and youthful appearance. It was unlikely that anyone would assume he had any training in combat or ever held any weapons.
Since he was being accompanied by a beauty like the Goddess of Nature, he appeared even more like some young master who wasn't from this region.
"Of course it feels different. Even though most of the places are similar to the past, the people and their temperament is different," Jia replied.
"If my memory serves me right, during your last visit here, this city was renowned for its thriving art. Yet, unfortunately, it seems that very little of that former charm has been preserved."
"What do these people do now?" Gabriel asked. "And why don't I see any young men here. All I see are old people, children and young women?"
"Of course you don't see them. Every man who is able to work has been sent to a mine to dig crystal ores. And the ones who refused... They are probably already killed if I'm not wrong," Jia responded. "Even though the people here look free, they're no different than slaves who can't even control their own lives."
"Why don't they just leave this place and go to another region? Wouldn't that be better than this?"
Gabriel's experiences in life had already exposed him to many things, and he understood that life could be unjust. As a result, he didn't feel much empathy for these individuals. Nevertheless, he remained curious.
"They aren't allowed to," Jia shook her head lightly. "If they were allowed, they would've already left. Anyone who tries to take one step out of the region without the Wester Family's permission is killed on the spot."
"And even if these people somehow gathered enough courage to take the risk, they don't have enough money for this journey. They would've died of hunger or been killed by beasts before they could even get to the border of this region."
"When the choice was between dying, or working like a slave, many people would often choose the latter, at least the mortals would..." The Goddess of Nature chimed in. It was the same principle all around the world.
"Do you want to help them?" Jia asked, wondering if that's why Gabriel was asking so many questions.
"No need. Even though these people probably hate the Wester Family, they'll probably be the first ones to expose me in lieu of rewards from the Wester Family if I try to get involved in their mess." Gabriel shrugged, not paying much attention.
The words of the Goddess of Nature rang true as these individuals had accepted their current circumstances. Despite their disliking of their situations, the majority had opted for potential stability when faced with risks of attempting an escape.
It wasn't worth it for him to risk his goals in exchange for helping these people.
****
As Gabriel walked through the former City of Art, a group of young people on horseback suddenly appeared from a different entrance, galloping through the streets.
The City's streets appeared nearly deserted, as though people were already informed about this race.
Those who remained on the streets were swiftly taken down by various spells, eliminated instantly, as if they were mere hindrances to the pleasure-seeking of the youth.
One such person who was killed was a young child , appearing to be only eight or nine years old.
As the horse came closer suddenly, the young child was stunned, frozen in place. However, before anyone could help him move, his body blew up as a ball of fire came from one of the youths on the horse.
It was also surprising to see that the youngsters were only in their late twenties yet they possessed strength comparable to that of a Demigod on earth.
"Hahaha, little brat, you can never defeat me!" Amidst a pleasant peal of laughter, a young woman could be heard speaking as she confidently rode the front-most horse. Her companions trailed close behind, attempting to catch up to her pace.
She bravely held onto her position as her fiery red locks blew in the wind.
"Don't be so overconfident, my dear sister! The outcome will be different this time! I'll overtake you and win this race!" The young man who was in second place wore a slight frown on his face, trying to maintain a composed demeanor despite his apparent sense of urgency.
He continued, "Don't forget the bet when that happens! Your spot for the Southern General's banquet will belong to me then!"
The man possessed a strikingly similar shade of red hair to that of the woman. Additionally, their facial features shared noticeable resemblances, hinting at a possible familial connection.
"That's never happening," the woman scoffed. "I'm winning this time as well. Do you think I would've made this bet if there was even the slightest chance of me losing?! I must attend this banquet since the Northern General will be there as well! I've always wanted to see the strongest of the four Generals! I'll never lose this opportunity!"
"I'll keep my spot for the banquet and at the same time, I'll also take all your resources for the month after I win!" She laughed, giving no indication that she took her brother's words seriously.
Her horse moved so fast that many mortals in this city only saw a blurry image passing through the streets, unable to even react in time! It was as if even the horses that these youngsters rode weren't ordinary horses, but mythical beasts.
"Hmm?" The woman's calm face showed a frown as she saw three more people in the distance. "Are the people of this city idiots? Even after they were informed to keep the streets empty, they still didn't listen! First that child and now these three?!"
The woman raised her hand, gathering Elemental Energy in her palm. It was the same attack that she had used to kill the little child who might have blocked her path previously.
Without even thinking about giving them a warning or using a lighter spell to simply move those people aside, she straight went for the killing shot.
A flaming red elemental energy gathered before her. With a simple wave of her hand, the molten flaming sphere shot out, straight at the group of three people in the distance!
