After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

A/N: I honestly did not think Milo’s POV would last so long xDDD I’m personally enjoying writing this but i understand that if you don’t.

Still, I hope you don’t mind!

...

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There was activity all around that it reminded him of those festivals and fairs back in Terran. There were hawkers, adventurers, and the like roaming around and there was buzzing noise of life.

There was a bit of energetic, organized chaos everywhere.

It was both fascinating and... intimidating.

”Why are you not moving?” Kuba, as frank as always, asked him with a deadpan expression.

Milo flinched and nodded, following after him, and entering the crowd of people.

The positive thing was that the stalls were arranged well and there was sufficient space between the shops, so while things were hyper-energetic, it wasn’t too stifling.

It was still crowded and overwhelming though, now that he was entering it. Staring at the dense crowd and actually venturing in were very different things.

After the migration, he was terrified of going through a place with many aborigines. After all, the people in Voumi were so hostile to them. If they saw a slave, chances were that they’d make him do distasteful things.

Fortunately, he did not have that feeling here; otherwise, it was estimated he wouldn’t be able to move his legs at all.

Here, while people looked past him because he was a slave, it was just a matter-of-fact, and there was no hostility.

They simply did not see him in their eyes—at least until he would ’offend’ them by doing something outside the norm, of course. Still, being ignored was something he preferred.

Anyway, there wasn’t like there was an aura around them that indicated they were slaves to other people. It was just obvious in Voumi because of their states and how they were dressed.

There were even cruel guards who’d mark them, particularly those they believed wouldn’t sell outside the territory, like the invalids.

They’d mark them with a metallic stamp they heated with fire. It was extremely cruel and, if elementalists didn’t recover so quickly, those people would’ve died.

At this time, Milo was dressed as a normal servant of a noble family. Whether or not he was a slave on top of that didn’t seem to matter at all.

He continued to follow, and he started to look around, slowly getting used to things, and his heart slowly calmed as he followed after his senior, who, fortunately, slowed down a bit.

Milo pursed his lips, touched. The old man definitely slowed down for him. Thinking of this, his pace hastened so he didn’t bring too much trouble.

Unfortunately, he ended up bringing it without meaning to.

In his rush, he ended up blocking the way to a group of people looking at the weapons being sold in the stalls. They were large and scary, and the smallest one was probably twice his height.

”Hey! Go away!” one yelled and his body automatically moved. The men glared at him though they seemed to be in a rush and didn’t bother with him anymore.

This was a relief, but it also felt...awkward.

He was slapped with the fact that he was still really a slave. His ownership was transferred to the royal family, but it seemed like, for now, any citizen could still order him around.

His thoughts were seen by Kuba, who just sighed after everything. ”When your previous master gifted you, he relinquished ownership. By default, until another owner claimed you, you are part of the territory’s properties.”

”After the oath, you will be officially serving under the palace, and we’ll take your batch of slaves directly to the King to undergo the Royal Command.

”This is something all slaves serving directly under the royal family will undergo to.”

He explained that it was an order directly from the King—the most powerful person in the territory. It would be a command that he cannot follow anyone outside the royal family.

This would save him from the fate of any citizen able to slave him around, which was actually very good.

Milo nodded slowly, gathering his wits, and continued walking to the other side of the plaza, which was even more lively than the side of the palace. After all, there were more people going in and out of the center, so the area naturally had more traffic.

The Center was seven stories tall (he counted), but each floor seemed taller than the others in comparison, so it was really the towering structure. In terms of height, only the highest spires in the palace, as well as the clock tower, could compare.

The City Center had similar intricate ornaments as the rest of the buildings abutting the avenue, except there were more. There seemed to be gold and other metals inlaid in its walls, much like those in the palace.

Inside, the decorations were also customized and meant to show off the territory’s wealth. The marble platform also looked very polished compared to what he was used to.

The interior was also bustling with activity, and there was a queue. However, when they saw the old man, everyone immediately gave way.

At the same time, people stopped to look at them. Milo felt 10 times more nervous than he already was. He could hear a few murmurs of people nearby. He was intimidated, but he was also learning a bit more about his situation by eavesdropping.

”Ah, it’s Old Kuba,” one said, before shifting his eyes towards Milo. ”So it must be someone serving the Castle.”

”How lucky...”

”He’s really young.”

”The royal family likes to train them young,” another said. ”The teamwork grows best in time, doesn’t it?”

”Yeah, most of Prince Silas’ most trusted people were with him since he was young.”

”Ah, Prince Silas~” another voice, this time a woman, couldn’t help but utter out, her tone filled with longing. ”I haven’t seen him in a while...”

”They’re going around as mercenaries, I heard, they even created their own,” another voice said. ”I heard it’s already B-class after only a few years.”

”There’s only a handful of them as members, too, which makes it even more impressive.”

”They had always worked well even when they were children,” another said, sounding proud. ”My cousin is very good.”

”Indeed,” his friend agreed. ”It is also why the princes—especially the genius prince Aurellian—are surrounded by elementalists, powers, and high talents early on.”

Milo blinked. He was going to have a detailed lesson about the members of the royal family, so he didn’t know most of them. Kuba, as insightful as always, could tell what he was thinking.

He sighed, always impatient, but somehow still explained things anyway.

It seemed like Prince Silas was the younger brother of the older generation—the generation of the Crown Prince—while the young prince Aurellian was in the same generation as his master, Allain, though a few years younger.

Kuba didn’t say it, but Milo had a feeling the younger prince was much more talented than his own master.

He wasn’t able to listen anymore because he was pulled in front of a panel.

The panels in this place were much more advanced than the Town ones. There were more carvings, and it seemed like there were more features, too.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Milo for now.

”State the oath,” he said. Milo nodded, he had memorized it before heading out of the palace, and he didn’t think it was too unfair.

Oaths were naturally a very sensitive subject in this world because it was so controlling.

Oaths of complete loyalty were usually not honored by the system, and it was simply non-betrayal for the most part. Outside of slavery, there was no vow requiring anyone to take their own lives if they were asked to, at least not those accepted by the system.

Similarly, vague oaths had a lot of ambiguity as well, and would only be acted upon when there was something concrete the system could latch onto. At the same time, once it did, it was like tipping dominoes and could entice almost-mystical punishments like bad luck that could last generations.

Through time, especially in older territories, a set of oaths was formulated—ones that could be as tight as possible but also accepted by the system.

”I, Milo Torres, solemnly swear an Oath of non-betrayal to the Veylcrest Family, and— above all—to my rightful master, Allain Veylcrest, firstborn son of Ussain Veylcrest, brother of the King.

”By blood and by breath, I swear to serve him with all that I am. I shall be his hand in duty, his shield in peril, and his shadow in silence. His will shall be my command and his safety my burden,” he declared.

Unspoken for the sake of the oaths and their limit, yet understood, was that his life was not forfeit unless he himself chose to sacrifice it.

He continued, voice steady. ”I swear to guard his secrets, and never reveal word or deed that may bring him, his family, and his territory any harm. I shall not falter or forsake, so long as breath remains in me.

”This is my oath, bound under the penalty of the system, sworn in loyalty unyielding.”