Chapter 658: Agnes Lykos
The woman, still holding the axe, sighed deeply. The weight of the iron didn’t bother her, but the weight of what had just happened did. Her daughter remained clinging to her waist, looking at Strax as if he were something between a savior and a demon.
She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, her voice thick with exhaustion:
“You talk too much.” Her forehead still glistened with sweat, and the sigh that escaped her lips was heavy as a crumbling wall.
Strax just smiled, that same sharp smile, full of sarcasm and infinite patience.
“Talk is cheap,” he replied, stepping forward, his hands in his pockets. “But saving your life and your daughter’s… that was much more expensive. A drink is the bare minimum.”
The woman stared at him, her eyes hardened, but there was a different spark there now. Respect, perhaps. Or simple acceptance that, as much as she hated it, she owed something to this stranger.
“Tch…” she clicked her tongue, turning her face toward the half-destroyed street. “The bar that used to be here is gone. But… I still know a corner. It’s not far.”
Kaelen, the blacksmith, who until then had been observing everything in silence, snorted softly, his gray eyes still carrying suspicion.
“Are you really going to hang out with him?” he asked, his voice hoarse as burning coal. “That guy’s not trustworthy.”
She shot a quick glance at the old man. “Trust?” He gave a short, dry laugh. “Since when have I trusted anyone, Kaelen? He may be a bastard, but he just sent a pack of tigers running like frightened kittens. That’s more than anyone here has managed in years.”
Kaelen gripped the hammer tightly, but didn’t answer. He simply looked away, returning to his forge, as if he preferred to ignore where this was headed.
Strax watched the exchange with visible amusement, his smile growing wider.
“I like her,” he commented, almost laughing. “She has a sharp tongue.”
The woman sighed again and shook her head. “Come on, before I regret this.”
She pulled her daughter by the hand and began walking, her steps firm despite the weight of the day. Strax followed close behind, calm, as if he had all the time in the world. His black kimono swayed in the wind, and his golden eyes took in every detail of the destroyed streets, like someone reading an open book.
“So…” he began, his voice drawling. “This ex-husband of yours… or monarch, whatever you want to call him. He seems quite insistent. Sending warriors riding tigers after you… must have been an interesting marriage.”
She snorted, without turning around. “If you want my story, you’ll have to wait until I pour a glass.”
Strax laughed, satisfied with the answer.
“Fair enough.
The silence stretched for a few moments, broken only by the sound of footsteps on the broken stones and the wind blowing ash through the streets.
Finally, the woman stopped in front of a half-hidden building, a tavern that had survived the fire. The windows were cracked, but the light inside was still dim and yellow, and the smell of alcohol seeped through the cracks.
She pushed open the door, which creaked loudly, and entered. Strax followed her, raising his eyebrows curiously.
“Look at that…” he murmured. “The heart still beats in this dead place.”
Inside, a few survivors drank in silence, casting quick, suspicious glances when they saw the newcomers. The air was thick with fear and anticipation.
The woman walked to the bar and knocked with her fist. “Two mugs. Of the strongest beer left.”
The tavern keeper, a thin, hollow-eyed man, hesitated as he looked at Strax, but didn’t dare question him. She grabbed two mugs and filled them with a dark, strong-smelling liquid before placing them in front of them.
She took one, offered the other to Strax.
“Here you go,” she said, tonelessly. “Would you like a drink? Drink. Later… I’ll tell you.”
Strax took the mug, raised it in a silent toast, and took a long sip, the smile never leaving her face.
“Hmm… strong,” she commented. “I like that.”
She, in turn, downed her own mug almost in one gulp, as if trying to burn her throat and forget the day.
When she set the empty glass down on the counter, she took a deep breath and finally looked at Strax seriously.
“It’s going to be a long conversation.” Her eyes narrowed fiercely. “It’s a shitty story I really don’t like to talk about.”
Strax leaned forward slightly, his golden gaze sparkling with anticipation.
“Perfect. These are the best.”
The woman sighed again, but this time it wasn’t just fatigue. It was the weight of years beginning to surface.
The woman adjusted the axe, leaning it against the wood of the counter. The entire bar seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her to speak. Then, finally, she broke the silence:
“My name is Agnes Lykos.” Her voice was firm, but carried a hardness only those who had been through hell could possess. “And yes… I was the ‘wife’ of the monarch of the beasts. Rakan.”
The name came out like poison. She spat the syllables as if something rotten were in her mouth.
Strax arched his eyebrows, his golden eyes glinting with that hungry curiosity.
“Monarch, hm?” He lifted his mug and took another slow sip. “And who, exactly, decided to bestow that pompous title on a man who has to send tiger dogs to fetch a woman?”
Agnes stared into the empty bottom of her mug before answering. “That title isn’t his by choice. It was given to him.” Her jaw tightened. “The Celestial Emperor bestowed it. Only the strongest on the continent receive that recognition… and Rakan ripped it away by force, like ripping the throat from prey.”
For a moment, the entire room seemed heavy. The mention of the “Celestial Emperor” sent a shiver through the few customers hiding among the broken tables. The innkeeper feigned deafness, but his hand trembled as he wiped the counter.
Strax, however, didn’t share the tension. Quite the opposite.
He stopped. He looked at her with a mixture of surprise and delight. And then… he started to laugh.
It wasn’t an ordinary laugh. It was an explosion, a sound full of teeth and sarcasm, which echoed off the fragile walls of the bar. His hand slammed against the bar, his shoulders trembled with laughter, and the glass nearly fell to the floor.
“HAHAHAHAHA!” he laughed, leaning back, as if the revelation were the most delicious joke he’d ever heard. “So that’s it! And here I thought it was something serious, you’re just an idiot recognized by the Emperor of this continent HAHAHA!”