"Did he actually withstand the pressure from the blood moon? That's insane!"
"But we can't be sure, no one has made mention of it here and no one has actually been able to do that before."
"Hey, listen up, everyone! Don't be deceived by him, he is lying to us!" The guard in charge yelled and everyone began to scoff at Alex.
"You–" Emilia was enraged but Alex was calm so he stopped her from speaking further.
"I can get what I want without using my real identity," he said to her and then turned to the guard in charge. "Release them and I will let you off," he said to him but the guard didn't look like he was ready to back down.
"You should be the one surrendering to me!" He said and was ready to attack Alex with his whip but Emilia rushed and blocked his attack with her own whip, and then quickly seized the moment to strike him with her whip. The whip hit him on his right rib and he was sent flying into the crowd.
"That's enough," Alex said to her as he saw that she wanted to go further with the attack.
"But—" She began but one glare from him made her abruptly swallow her words and caution herself.
Alex then approached the family who were now standing behind the crowd, they had stopped crying and were only watching him in silence.
"Do you have any place to stay?" He asked the parents of Kia.
"Yes—"
"Mother, Father, at this point, do you still care about your faces?" Kia asked them, not allowing them to reply to Alex. He then turned to Alex with a serious face and continued. "We don't have any place to stay and my parents are both ill, if you promise to help them, we will be willing to serve you for the rest of our lives," he said to him.
"Do you believe that I am the leader?" Alex asked him.
"I don't care about your identity, I only want my family to be able to live comfortably," Kia replied and lowered his head. "I just want someone capable of protecting us," he added as tears began to fill his eyes.
"You don't need to cry," Alex said and lowered himself to Kia's height, he raised the boy's face so that he could meet his gaze and then wiped the tears from his eyes. "As long as you and your family remain loyal to me, I promise to protect and take care of you."
Hearing what he said, Kia's parents and his two sisters immediately fell to their knees.
"Then I and my family will forever be loyal to you," their father said and bowed his head to Alex.
"Rise, all of you," Alex said to them and they stood up. He remembered Chase and also turned to him but before he could say anything, the boy also fell to his knees.
"I am willing to serve you," the young boy said to him.
"Rise to your feet," Alex replied to him and he stood up. All these things were happening right in the marketplace, Alex would have taken the matter back home but he chose to do it there because it was the only way the news would fly and get to them. He turned to the crowd and began to speak to them. "My home is open to anyone willing to be loyal to me but don't expect me to begin to make promises just to make you follow me. I will do what I think is right and won't live up to anyone's expectations, I don't need to beg anyone or make you see reasons why you should follow me. The choice is yours to make," he said to them and then turned to leave but before going, he added something. "And... For those of you with evil minds, you are welcome to try your luck," he said and then left with Emilia and the others.
When they got back home, Alex went in to change while Emilia led the visitors to the hall. Later, he came out to address them.
"Pardon me but I want to ask a question," the father of Kia said to Alex after he had sat down on his chair.
"Go ahead and ask," Alex replied to him.
"I want to know, did you really withstand the pressure from the blood moon?" The man asked him.
"I did," Alex replied and the man gazed at him in awe. "Is there anything else you want to know about me?" Alex asked him.
"Not at all," the man lowered his head and replied. "Just as I said at the marketplace, I and my family are willing to serve you. We only want someone to protect us and a shelter above our heads, we don't ask for much," he added.
"Don't worry about that, I am a man of my word. You should be thankful to your son for speaking up boldly or you wouldn't be here now," Alex replied and the man turned and glanced at Kia with a smiling face. "She will show you to your place but your son will live here with me as my servant," Alex said and signaled to Emilia to take them out.
"Thank you, my Lord," the man and his wife bowed their heads and stood up to live but before the man left, he walked up to his son and took off a necklace from his own neck which he then put around his son's neck.
"Father, what is this for?" Kia asked him.
"You are always putting yourself in trouble and I may not live long to always protect you, this necklace has been passed down to our generation so right now, I'm giving it to you. If you train well and become strong, you will be able to protect yourself and our Lord with the help of this necklace. Promise me you will train hard," the man said to him.
"Father, I promise to train and become strong," Kia replied and the man smiled and patted his son on the head before leaving the hall with his wife and little girls.
After they had left, it was now Alex and the two boys who were staring at each other in silence.
"Do you have something to say to me?" Alex asked them. "I feel like you two have something to say," he added.
"Master," Chase began and fell to his knees. "I don't have any special ability since birth and I am no less than an ordinary human. I don't think I will be of help to you, I can't serve you with how powerless I am, forgive me, " he said with a sad look.
"What about you, Kia? Do you also have something to say?" Alex asked Kia.
"No, Master. I only want to be taught by you, I think this is the only way I can get strong," Kia replied.
"Okay," Alex said and stood up from his seat. He approached the boys and stood before them. "You must not be good at fighting to help me, there are other ways you can serve me so that shouldn't worry you," he said to Chase and helped him to his feet. "And as for you, I have other important matters to work on and won't have time to teach you personally. How about I make a deal with you? You have from now until next year to train hard. After that, you and I will have a match and if by then you are able to land me a blow, I will reward you but if not, get ready to be punished. What do you think?"
"Fine! I will train hard and win!" Kia said with a determined look in his eyes.
"Very well then, that will be all for now. If you are hungry, let Emilia know and she will prepare something for you to eat and then take you both to your room. Tomorrow will be a busy day for us so get prepared," Alex said and then left the hall and returned to his chamber.
"What are you still staring at? He's left the hall already," Chase said to Kia who was still staring at the entrance door.
"He's both handsome and kind, I can't help but admire him," Kia replied with a smile.
"Yeah, I know and that's why we have to be loyal to him only," Chase admitted. "With him around, I believe that this city will become great in the future," he added.
As they were talking, they were not aware that Emilia was at the door listening to their conversation. Even when they had finished talking, she came in and pretended as if she didn't know anything.
"I have prepared a room for the both of you, follow me," she said and then led them out of the hall.
Meanwhile, on another side of Tekoa was a group of about five men and women seated around a long table with a man at the head seat.
Kneeling on the floor was the demon that came to attack Alex in his home, he was shaking with his head on the floor.
"Repeat what you told me earlier," the head of the table said to the demon on his knees.
"My Lord, the new leader and I fought the other night and I was beaten with just one strike. He seems powerful to me," the demon still shaking, replied.
"Is that so?" The head asked him.
"Y-yes, my Lord," the demon replied with a stammer.
"My chiefs, what do you have to say about this?" The head then asked the men and women surrounding the table.
One of them raised his hand and stood up, he cleared his throat and began. "My Lord, to me, there is nothing to be afraid of. This servant failed to do his job because he isn't strong enough, we have so many strong soldiers, I suggest we attack the so-called new leader in his home and destroy everything," he said.