"It has to be him," Alex thought, his eyes glued to the thick canvas covering the cage. "That heat signature... it was definitely Iron Head."
"How did this silly snake get caught?" Alex muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper.
"I can't just leave it," Part of him wanted to rush in, cut the cage open, and save the massive snake.
After all, even if the "Iron Head" was a low-level monster, it helped him escape from the green tide and saved his life.
But the other part of him, the rational, human part, was telling him to not act reckless.
"And what exactly do you think you can do?" The Empress's voice sneered in his mind, sharp and cold, her tone dripping with disdain for his sympathy toward such an insignificant creature.
"Look at them, Alex. Don't be stupid."
"That Knight on the black hound? That is a D-rank Gene Warrior. Even the foot soldiers marching behind the truck are at least F-rank."
"Each one is well-trained, armored, and stronger than you."
"I know," Alex whispered under his breath, stepping aside as a truck rolled past. "I know I can't fight them. But I can't just walk away without knowing what's going to happen."
"Sentimental fool," the Empress sighed. "It is the way of the world. The strong eat the weak. That snake was weak, so it was caught."
Alex ignored her and focused on the whispers of the crowd around him. As he followed, he began to gather bits and pieces of information.
"It's not just this one," a shopkeeper muttered to his neighbor as the soldiers passed. "I heard Lady Clara has her men scouring the entire outer forest."
"Yeah," the neighbor replied, shaking his head. "They've been obsessively hunting snake-type monsters for the past two days. They kill most of them on sight, but they've brought a few powerful ones back to the city alive."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine.
The reason wasn't a mystery to him. It was because of what happened two days earlier at the blacksmith shop.
Lady Clara must have been terrified by the projection of the Giant Serpent Empress.
Now, in her paranoia and rage, unable to retaliate, she was lashing out at all snake type monsters she could find, probably hoping to find the "monster" that had humiliated her.
"She's crazy," Alex thought bitterly.
He sped up slightly, moving through the people until he was walking parallel to the rear of the convoy.
The convoy began to slow down as the crowd thickened near a narrow intersection.
This was his chance.
There were three soldiers walking behind the truck, looking exhausted. Their armor was dented, and one of them was limping heavily, a bloody bandage wrapped around his thigh.
Alex took a deep breath, as he needed to know where they were taking Iron Head.
He adjusted his pace, slipping out of the crowd and falling into step beside the limping soldier, though he kept a respectful distance.
"Hey," Alex said, keeping his voice soft and non-threatening. "Do any of you know what they are going to do to the captured monsters?"
The soldiers didn't stop. They barely even looked at him.
The injured man glanced sideways, his eyes scanning Alex's hooded figure with annoyance.
He saw a slender figure in clean, expensive-looking clothes, and his expression turned to disdain.
"None of your business," the soldier grunted, looking back at the road. "Get lost before I arrest you for interfering with official business."
The other two soldiers snickered, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
Alex didn't back down. He knew information wasn't free, but everyone had a price.
He reached into his small hip pouch. His fingers brushed against the cool, rough texture of the herbs he had gathered earlier.
He pulled out a small, dried stalk.
It wasn't the valuable Star Leaf, but a common "Blood-Clotting Grass." It wasn't worth a fortune, but for a soldier with an open, bleeding wound, it was better than gold.
Alex moved closer, shielding his hand from the public view, and secretly handed the herb toward the injured soldier.
"I saw you were limping," Alex whispered. "This might help with the pain."
The soldier paused. He sniffed the air, smelling the medicinal herb.
He looked down at the herb in Alex's pale, smooth hand. His eyes widened slightly. He knew what it was.
He snatched the herb quickly, stuffing it into his belt pouch.
His demeanor changed instantly. The hostility faded, replaced by a greedy, if slightly suspicious, look.
He looked around to make sure the Knight up front hadn't noticed, then leaned in slightly toward Alex.
"You're a curious one, aren't you?" the soldier muttered, his voice hushed.
"Just curious," Alex replied, lowering his head. "Is it to kill them?"
"No," the soldier shook his head, wincing as he put weight on his bad leg. "Lady Clara wants these ones for herself."
"We are going to move the creatures to the Underground Colosseum at the Windrake Estate," he revealed reluctantly.
"Lady Clara is in a foul mood. She keeps a private collection down there and wants to watch them suffer, that's all I know."
"The Underground Colosseum?" Alex repeated, his heart sinking.
"Yeah. As far as I know once they go in there, they don't come out," the soldier warned, looking Alex up and down with a lecherous grin. "Now scram, before the captain sees you bothering us."
The soldier made a shooing motion with his hand, clearly done with the conversation. He turned to limp away, eager to catch up with his squad and apply the herb to his throbbing leg.
But Alex couldn't let him go yet. Not without a timeline.
"Wait," Alex whispered, stepping quickly into the soldier's shadow.
He reached out and lightly touched the man's armored shoulder.
It was a risky move. Usually, touching a soldier was a good way to get punched in the face.
But as Alex's pale, smooth hand brushed against the cold metal, a faint, sweet scent wafted from his hooded robe.
It was subtle, but the soldier paused. He didn't punch.
Instead, he stiffened, a confused look crossing his gritty face. He looked back at Alex, his eyes slightly dazed for a split second.
"One last question," Alex pressed, keeping his voice soft and low, instinctively pitching it to be as harmless as possible. "Do you know when this... show is happening?"
The soldier blinked, shaking his head as if waking up from a daydream. He looked at the truck rolling further down the street, then back at the "slender youth" in front of him.
"You really are pushing your luck, kid," the soldier grumbled, though his voice lacked any real bite. He patted the pouch where he had stashed the herb.
He looked left and right to ensure the Knight leading the truck wasn't watching, then leaned in close.
"I think it's on her 34th birthday celebrations," he muttered, the words rushing out in a hush. "Which seems to be two weeks later."
"Two weeks?" Alex repeated, his heart skipping a beat.
"Aye," the soldier nodded, looking disgusted. "Lady Clara wants a grand spectacle."
"She invited all the high-society freaks from the inner district. She wants to watch beasts tear each other apart while she drinks her wine. It's going to be a bloodbath."