From Rock Bottom to Hero-Chapter 27 - The Mayor’s Decision

A heavy silence hangs over the room. No one says a word, and all eyes are fixed on the door.

Damn... I completely forgot about this. I always thought Gareth was the one in charge of Eldorath. But actually, it's the mayor.

Panic rises inside me.

What should I do? What if he really wants to hand me over?!

Faris places his hands on my shoulders, calming me. "Stay calm, Sota."

His voice is surprisingly gentle. I take a deep breath.

"Gareth, Diago, you go with him to the mayor and try to talk him out of it. Sota, if things go south, you run. And if it comes down to it, I'll teleport you out."

Gareth gives a short nod. "Agreed." He looks at my father.

Diago sighs, eyeing Faris with suspicion. "I only half trust you, but I agree." His voice hardens. "But if you even think about abandoning Sota, you'll see hell. And I will find you."

Faris swallows. He hadn't expected such a threat. "I won't disappoint you."

Gareth turns to the door. "Let's go then."

He opens it, and three guards are already standing outside. Their expressions are grim.

"Where's the boy?" One of them asks gruffly.

Gareth steps forward confidently. "No need to worry. He's coming willingly, but Diago and I will accompany him."

One of the guards gives him a skeptical look, but eventually shrugs. "Fine by me. But don't even think about causing trouble."

My father and I step outside. Without another word, the guards turn and start marching. Diago and Gareth follow them. I walk silently behind.

When we reach the town hall, the guards lead us through the building into a large room. Sitting in a big chair behind a table is the mayor.

"Ah, finally." He says in a tired tone. "Sota, step forward."

Slowly, I walk to the center of the room.

Gareth crosses his arms. "Let's get straight to the point. You can't just hand Sota over to the demons."

The mayor snorts. "Of course I can. It's the most logical solution."

My father steps forward. "That's no solution. The demons won't stop just because you hand him over."

"Oh?" The mayor raises an eyebrow. "Did they tell you that?"

"You have no idea how they think." My father says, his voice rising. "If you give the demons what they want, they'll just want more. Then what? Will you give them the next sacrifice? And the one after that?"

"Pure speculation." The mayor replies coldly. "I'm acting in the best interest of Eldorath."

"That won't help Eldorath at all!" Gareth steps forward. "You're playing a game you don't understand. You think you can appease demons, but that's impossible. They'll attack Eldorath either way."

"Perhaps." The mayor shrugs. "But at least we'll have tried to find a solution."

My father clenches his fists. "So you're willing to sacrifice a child just because it's easier?"

"He brought this upon himself." The mayor replies, his voice still cold. "The demons want him, not us. I won't let the whole town suffer because of him."

Gareth shakes his head. "You're a damned fool."

The mayor slowly lifts his gaze. "Watch your words, Gareth."

"I don't care anymore." Gareth leans forward slightly. "You think you can buy your way out of this by offering up one person. But this isn't a deal with bandits or mercenaries. These are demons. They take what they want. And once they see you're willing to give in, they won't stop."

The mayor studies Gareth for a moment. Then he raises a hand. "Arrest the boy."

My pulse shoots up. Before the guards can react, I activate Windcloak. I leap, aiming to jump over the guards and through the rooftop window.

With great force, I launch myself upward, but crash into something invisible.

My body is suddenly halted. I can't see anything, but it feels like a wall. The wind around me vanishes. I'm thrown back and hit the ground hard.

There's an invisible barrier surrounding me. I'm trapped.

The mayor laughs. "Did you really think I'd let you escape? A barrier mage set it up while we were talking. You're not going anywhere."

The guards close in.

Behind me, there's a sharp hiss. "No time to waste."

A hand grabs me. I turn my head, it's Faris.

In the blink of an eye, we're gone.

The mayor rises, eyes fixed on the spot where I just was.

"What was that?" One of the guards asks.

The mayor turns to a slender woman in a cloak. "What does this mean?! You said the barrier couldn't be broken!"

"The barrier wasn't broken." She replies calmly. "I believe that was teleportation."

"Search the entirety of Eldorath!" the mayor commands. "Find the boy and arrest him!"

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Without hesitation, the guards rush out of the room.