Becoming the King of Magic in my Brother's Novel-Chapter 123: Return

'I guess that's how she motivated them to move. She told them that I could make them strong with a snap of my fingers and that they would never be as easily targeted again. If they were as strong as Millie, they didn't have to worry about being kidnapped by anyone other than warriors and mages, which shouldn't be a problem as long as they live normal lives.' Alec sighed as he looked at the sea of hopefully glimmering eyes.

But that wasn't all. Alec could imagine that some of them wanted to take revenge, either on the ones that did it to them or against people who had wronged them in the past.

'I guess that's the one upside of the drawback of Aether condensation. Mages and Warriors have to think real hard about what to do with their lives since they are willingly shortening them just for power. Their power isn't free.'

However, what Alec could, in theory, offer was free, without consequence, and very powerful. Of course, Millie hadn't told them everything, but they had seen. She had torn apart their shackles and bent the iron bars of their cells. She had sent a full-grown boar flying with one punch.

And she was a little girl.

What would happen if a grown man went through the same thing? They couldn't help but wonder how strong they would become.

"Have you taken it upon yourself to act as a spokesperson?" He asked Ned.

"If you'll let me."

"Well, you volunteered, so I don't mind. Tell everyone that I am not entirely opposed to it, but it's not as easy as they think. For now, I'll bring everyone interested back to my lab, where I'll conduct interviews with everyone and tell them the risks. If that's alright with them, of course."

"I'll be right back!" Ned said enthusiastically before turning around and addressing the crowd.

He returned half an hour later with a big thumbs up. Alec returned it before standing up and leading the way.

They had taken a carriage from Gorao to Nuss, so they had made the trip in less than a day. But right now, they could only travel on foot. It was also probably best if they avoided busy roads.

'I feel like I'm forgetting something,' Alec thought to himself while walking.

They had been allowed to leave Nuss without issue, but that could have just been because the city and its actors were too shocked by the Lounge suddenly exploding. There was no guarantee that Iystar's Ring or the Madam's enemies wouldn't drop by to root out trouble or seek retaliation.

So, Alec followed the marker in his mind back toward the monsters in his lab.

Seeing him walk with such firm, decisive steps, even when most of them had no idea where in the world they were, a sense of reliability spread among the crowd.

Not only had Alec saved them all, but now, he was also leading them toward a second chance at life. Of course, it wasn't a united feeling since many were skeptical and filled with doubt after everything they had been through.

But for some, that was exactly why they could tell that this was the light at the end of the tunnel. This was the way forward for those who had no way back.

And it wasn't just Alec's actions. The way Millie, Red, and Ned interacted with him spoke volumes as well. A few of them regretted letting Ned take charge in acting as the bridge between them and Alec and resolved themselves to make an impression on Alec.

Along the way, Alec and Millie took turns hunting while Red foraged for herbs and roots they could eat. Since he didn't want to cause too much of a fuss, Alec endured with regular animals instead of monsters, even if they were harder to find.

It was only at night, when most slept, that he took 'walks' to sate his hunger.

The Madam offered to help, but no one except Alec, Millie, and Red would eat the food she had hunted. So, she stayed on the outskirts of the crowd, minimizing her presence.

Two days later, they finally arrived at Alec's lab, dirty, weary, blistered, and tired. But, most importantly, safe.

Alec and Millie cleaned up properly and removed the worst of what had been left lying around after Shim owned the lab. Red went to Gorao to figure out the aftermath and the current state of everything.

Slowly, the prostitutes, servants, and slaves from the Lounge filled the empty rooms of the lab.

It was cramped, and it didn't take long for an unclean smell to fill the air. It was inevitable. They had bled and shed sweat and tears while treading through muddy forest.

But that didn't mean it was nice.

However, there was a saving grace. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The Madam liked being clean, and she was a water mage. She asked for and received a private room that she managed to turn into a washroom. It wasn't a hot bath or anything, but she conjured enough clean water for everyone to get rid of the worst. She even took it upon herself to get rid of the dirty water and filth that washed off.

Alec didn't know if it was intentional or not, but it was clear that she was used to doing stuff like that. She was showing the others that, while she had been on top, she had started from the bottom. She had gone through the same things they had.

Some were apathetic to her past suffering. Some pitied her. Some thought it should be an even greater reason for her not to perpetuate the cycle of suffering.

Alec didn't really care. After feeding his pets, Milo, and Old George, he started preparing for interviews with Millie's help.

It worked out well. The former prostitutes and slaves got settled in, rested, and when they were ready, cleaned up. After cleaning up, they got to talk to Alec one by one.

The first one was a middle-aged woman to whom the years had not been kind.