It felt like a short trip for the two of them. The town of Rokrund was relatively close, but Midas still believed this was a bad idea.
First of all, they both looked extremely suspicious. Midas had the inhibitor binding his hands, and Briar had the pillory over her shoulders. It was painfully obvious they had escaped from somewhere. If the people here didn't suspect anything, then that would only mean they were incredibly foolish.
Anyway, Rokrund had its share of stories about the long legacy of Noxian conquest. It was said that General Ambessa herself once waged war in this place while she was pregnant. Midas had heard about it before being locked in the Bastion, which was exactly why he thought entering this place was a bad idea.
"If we're going to get a boat, we need money to pay for it. We can't just steal one like we did with the map."
A boat trip would probably cost around twenty silver coins, considering the inflation over the ten years Midas had been imprisoned. Two gold coins would also be enough, but right now…
"I see. We don't have a single coin. We're poor. Should we steal some?" she said, smiling brightly. The idea of stealing came to her naturally, as if she didn't see taking money from someone else as something wrong.
At Briar's suggestion, Midas let out a heavy sigh. Stealing wasn't a bad option, but it wasn't possible right now. To steal, you needed nimble and free hands, and Midas only met one of those requirements.
"If I could, I would've already done it. We need to think of something, but I can't come up with anything. First, we need to figure out how to enter Rokrund without drawing attention. I can hide my inhibitor, but with you, it's a different story."
"The pillory? Hmm… what if I take it off and we go into town?"
With a blank expression, Midas looked straight into Briar's eyes and said:
"No."
Midas had seen what happened when Briar removed the pillory. He couldn't risk having a bloodthirsty monster attacking Rokrund. That would ruin everything, and they'd end up stuck in Noxus for the next month—if they even managed to leave Rokrund alive.
"Then do you have a better idea, Midas? Because I'm really bad at thinking of stuff."
She waved her hands in denial.
It was possible to enter Rokrund and get a job that paid quickly, but both Midas and Briar's limitations made that difficult. Midas thought about it with a serious expression, pacing back and forth.
"Let me think."
There were no options. The odds were against them, and the day had barely begun. There was nothing they could do.
'What a problem. It would've been better to keep going on foot.' It was too late to regret it now. Midas looked at his hands, noticing the golden metal creeping up his wrists, and sighed. A new thought formed. 'To think I'd have to use this curse for something so stupid… it makes me feel pathetic.'
What Midas had in mind was the easiest path. Using magic.
There were entire societies that considered magic taboo—something horrifying, something to be feared. Midas knew this well, since even his older sister feared magic. Much of that fear came from a war in the past… the Rune Wars. But you couldn't just strip a mage of their power forever. Eventually, they would have to use the mana flowing through their body.
For Midas, that moment was now.
Still, he feared his own power. He was determined not to open the inhibitor. If his power exploded like it did that day, countless lives would be lost again.
'But if I open this thing… Ah… there has to be something I can do without opening it.'
Think, think, think. There was nothing else he could do.
At that moment, Briar got bored of waiting and started kicking stones on the ground toward tree trunks. The sound echoed like knocking on a door. Knock, knock, with every stone hitting wood. Each impact broke Midas's concentration. Every "knock" made his shoulders twitch slightly in response. And on the sixth "knock," Midas looked at Briar kicking stones… and got an idea.
"Briar…"
"Huh? Did you come up with something?"
Midas looked at her feet. At the small stones beneath her bare toes.
"Yeah… pick up as many small stones as you can. Hold them in your hand and come over here."
"...What?"
For Briar, it was a meaningless request. For Midas, it was a chance to get money without endangering anyone around them. This power had traumatized him, but he would use that trauma to get back home. That's what a man—no, what a decent and sane person—would do. Overcome pain and suffering through their own weaknesses.
It was a small step toward overcoming that trauma, but it was something.
"Alright, Briar. Do it. I promise it'll work."
"If you say so…"
Not fully understanding what she was doing, Briar crouched down and began picking up small stones, about the size of a child's teeth. Despite the random task, she found it fun. She hummed as she gathered them, waiting for instructions from the man staring off into space.
Watching her do the work, Midas glanced around.
'I know it'll work, that's obvious. What I don't know is how things will go once we enter that place. I hope there are no unpleasant surprises…'
His concern was understandable. Since the beginning of this journey, he had been trying to take the safest path. More than fearing death or suffering, Midas just wanted to return home alive. After that, even if he died, he could do so knowing his older sister was safe.
Of course, dying wasn't something he wanted anymore. That thought had vanished when he left the cell.
"Hey, Midas! Is this enough?"
Briar held around twenty small stones in each hand. Midas nodded, and they both moved closer.
"So, what now?"
In response, Midas stretched his arms downward and adjusted his forearms to create a small gap where a stone could fit into the inhibitor.
"Drop them one by one. I think about five stones can fit between my hands, so do that."
"Wow… I think I know what you're trying to do. This looks fun. Let me start."
Curious, Briar dropped five stones into Midas's hands. A few fell along the way, but that didn't matter. What mattered was what was happening inside the inhibitor.
The stones entered, and the moment they touched Midas's golden hands, the mystical gold transformed them. Their structure changed, their elements rewritten, stained gold as if it were blood—until they became solid gold.
"Is that it? No crazy lights or mystical sounds?"
"Magic isn't always as flashy as you think, Briar. Magic is one of the fundamental forces of the universe. It has many forms, principles, and branches that extend through the knowledge of thinking beings. Every kind of magic is different. Mine, yours… the magic of the people who turned us into monsters. Sometimes you get a grand spectacle. Sometimes you get something modest like this."
"But do you have any magic that looks cool?"
Midas frowned in confusion.
"Magic isn't meant to look cool. It exists to control the principles of our world. Sure, some magic can be spectacular, but that's just how it is. You don't always get what you want. Now let's see the result of our magic."
Raising his hands, Midas let the golden stones fall to the ground.
"Hahaha. The stones turned shiny. They're really pretty."
The golden stones scattered across the ground reminded Midas, for a brief moment, of the day his power exploded. Before he could get lost in that memory, he shook his head and crouched down.
"They're not coins, but it's still gold. It'll help us buy new clothes and some bags to carry our things."
"Clothes? What's wrong with my clothes?"
"...It's better if we change them to look like real travelers. It'll draw less attention. Besides, your clothes are torn, Briar. So are mine. I also want shoes. I've forgotten the last time I wore any…"
"I don't want new clothes. I like mine. Actually, I'd rather walk around naked than change my clothes!"
"Naked? …Briar, please don't do that…" Midas's face turned crimson. The vivid image from that moment in the cave came rushing back with perfect clarity.
"Hahaha! What's wrong with your face? It turned red! Is that part of your magic?"
Midas just closed his mouth. It wasn't worth continuing. Briar was too spontaneous for his taste—sometimes overwhelming. Still, he didn't hate it. But dealing with moments like this required a strong stomach.
Anyway, Midas continued generating their "free money." It was convenient, but it came with serious drawbacks.
Once they finished, Midas tore off a piece of Briar's cloak. Using his teeth and Briar's free hands, they tied it into a small pouch to carry the gold.
With that done, they finally entered Rokrund.
It was an old coastal settlement, bathed by dark, misty waters crashing against the shore. In the distance, ships and boats could be seen—likely fishermen and travelers.
Rokrund didn't have much direct military presence from Noxus, so the first impression they got was that of a peaceful coastal town. The clear blue sky was a complete contrast to the harsh weather they had endured in the past few days. Seeing signs of civilization after all that almost felt like a dream.
As they passed through the entrance, they were greeted by a massive beast with large tusks and small ears, covered in scars. The creature—a tuskbeast, more like an elephant—stared directly into Midas's eyes. The moment their gazes met, Midas froze stiff as a rock. He hadn't expected to encounter such a creature, and its sheer presence was intimidating.
"Awww! You're adorable!" Briar shouted behind Midas's ear. She immediately approached the beast and began petting it. "Look how big this guy is, Midas!"
She looked like a kid in a candy shop. But for Midas, it was different. He looked genuinely scared—and Briar noticed right away, as if she could smell fear.
"Midas? You look like a scarecrow. Don't tell me you're afraid of this adorable abomination. It's so cute I kinda want to eat it."
It sounded like a joke, but from Midas's perspective, Briar herself perfectly fit the description of an "adorable abomination."
'She's right… I've been traveling with something worse than a tuskbeast. I don't even know why I got so scared…'
He cleared his throat before responding.
"No. I'm not afraid. I was just surprised to see a war beast here. These things usually have heavy armor and soldiers on their backs."
"Ooh! That's true. I've seen them on the battlefield. I thought they were zombie robots…"
"Sorry to ruin your assumptions, miss mysterious," a voice suddenly said. It belonged to an older man.
In front of the first coastal cabin near the entrance, an old man appeared, leaning on a cane. Midas frowned when he noticed the man had metal prosthetics on one arm and both legs. He was covered in scars—just like the tuskbeast.
Midas immediately went on guard, completely forgetting that a creature weighing hundreds of times more than him stood right beside him.
"And you are?"
The old man replied calmly.
"I'm just a nosy old man. I'm curious where the two of you escaped from. News travels fast… at least for me."