Besides the Guards and Hunters, two other groups served Gunlaug directly.
The first were the Artisans, Sleepers with useful Utility Abilities and the assistants who helped them. They created and maintained essential items such as clothes, tools, equipnt, and countless other necessities that made life on the Forgotten Shore more bearable. There were around a hundred Artisans in total, most of them assistants, and they were led by Kido.
The Artisans often clashed with the Castle Guards over status. The Guards believed combatants deserved greater respect because they risked their lives fighting Nightmare Creatures. The Artisans argued that their rare Utility Aspects and contributions to the castle's survival were equally important. The dispute had lasted for years with no resolution in sight.
The Hunters largely ignored the conflict, though their leader, Gemma, quietly supported Kido, preventing the Guards from pushing the issue too far.
Another hundred people belonged to the Handmaidens. They maintained the castle, prepared als, and served important mbers of the Host. Their leader was the mysterious and beautiful Seishan.
Unlike what Sunny had expected, the Handmaidens were neither mistreated nor looked down upon. Seishan protected them fiercely and secretly trained them to defend themselves. Even Guards were careful around them. More importantly, the Handmaidens technically belonged to Gunlaug, and nobody wanted to risk angering the Bright Lord by touching what he considered his property.
Sunny feared Seishan for another reason.
One day, he sent his shadow to spy on the Handmaidens. While giving instructions to one of her followers, Seishan suddenly turned and looked directly toward the shadow's hiding place.
It was the first ti anyone had seemingly sensed his silent companion.
Alard, Sunny imdiately withdrew his perception and waited.
Eventually, Seishan returned to her conversation, and nothing happened.
Still, the incident convinced him to avoid both her and the Handmaidens whenever possible.
Elysia had noticed his sudden reaction afterward.
Although he never explained exactly what happened, she seed to understand that sothing inside the castle had finally managed to make him nervous.
There was also the reconnaissance squad, commonly known throughout the Bright Castle as the Night Watchers. They were responsible for gathering information about the Labyrinth, the Crimson Spire, and the distant edges of the Dark City. They were led by Xeleray.
The reconnaissance squad was often considered the most dangerous of the five groups a Sleeper could join within the Bright Castle. Their scouts frequently ventured into places where ordinary Sleepers would die within minutes.
As a result, they possessed the smallest number of mbers among all the factions directly led by one of Gunlaug's lieutenants.
When Sunny tried to locate Xeleray through his shadow, he eventually found him sitting alone in the throne room long after midnight.
The gray-haired lieutenant was casually seated on the armrest of the throne itself.
At first, Sunny thought he was alone.
Then he realized he wasn't.
Xeleray appeared to be speaking with soone hidden within the shadows.
No matter how carefully Sunny observed, he could not fully discern who—or what—the mysterious figure was.
Curiosity quickly overca caution.
As he attempted to move his shadow closer, he finally managed to catch a glimpse of the stranger.
It was a cloaked man.
His face remained completely hidden beneath the darkness of his hood.
A chained sickle rested against his shoulder.
Sunny still couldn't hear most of their conversation.
However, he managed to catch one phrase.
Xeleray referred to the cloaked man as the Song's hunter.
The title ant absolutely nothing to Sunny.
Unfortunately, his instincts were screaming at him to leave.
So he did exactly that.
Before either of them could discover his presence.
The final hundred residents of the castle were people who paid tribute to Gunlaug but did not serve him directly.
Sunny thought of them as tenants.
So earned a decent living through craftsmanship, entertainnt, or specialized services.
One man operated a music lounge.
Another managed a small theater troupe.
A young woman owned a gambling den.
Most tenants, however, were people like Harper—unfortunate survivors who scraped together soul shards through nial labor in order to pay tribute and remain within the castle walls.
They occupied the very bottom of the social hierarchy.
At the very top stood Bright Lord Gunlaug, the nearly immortal ruler of the Bright Castle.
Despite his influence perating every corner of the stronghold, Gunlaug rarely appeared in person.
Instead, he ruled through his six lieutenants.
Because Sunny avoided attracting attention after the incident with Seishan, he did not see Gunlaug until his fifth day inside the castle.
When the Bright Lord finally appeared, he made sure everyone noticed.
One morning, the grand hall suddenly fell silent as Guards flooded inside.
They moved tables aside and cleared a large section of the chamber.
Confused, Sunny, Cassie, and Elysia watched as everyone gradually turned toward the dark alcove that housed the throne.
One by one, the six lieutenants appeared.
The first was a striking woman who glided forward like an arresting vision of dark elegance, her regal dress of rich wine-red velvet swaying gracefully with every smooth, deliberate step.
The heavy crimson fabric flowed around her tall, supple figure, accented beautifully by an intricate silver necklace and matching bracelets that caught the dim light.
Frad by a cascade of midnight-black hair, her poised stride and storm-cloud gray skin commanded a quiet, absolute nace that completely defied the desperate horror of her surroundings.
It was Seishan, the leader of the Handmaidens and the very first person who had managed to notice Sunny's shadow.
The second followed shortly afterward.
With an easy, unbothered confidence, a tall young man strode through the hall, his relaxed posture entirely unfazed by the horrors surrounding him.
A permanent, welcoming smile softened his towering fra, projecting a warm and infectious charisma that made him instantly likable.
Yet beneath that friendly exterior lay the calculated precision of a massive predator, his fluid movents carrying a hidden power that commanded respect without ever needing to demand it.
It was Gemma, commander of both the Hunters and the Pathfinders.
Moving through the hall with sharp, businesslike efficiency, a remarkably young woman commanded attention not through physical intimidation but through sheer intensity.
As the youthful leader of the fortress Artisans, her small stature radiated a brilliant focus that replaced easy smiles and regal confidence with the restless energy of a master creator constantly solving problems.
She was Kido.
The leader of the Artisans.
Next ca a young-looking man who moved in a relaxed, casual manner, gliding through the space so effortlessly that he attracted almost no imdiate attention.
Yet despite his unassuming deanor, an invisible pull surrounded him.
A silent authority that compelled people to notice him despite themselves.
His ssy gray hair frad his face in wild strands that contrasted sharply against his tired black eyes, which continuously scanned the crowd for hidden dangers.
It was Xeleray.
The leader of the reconnaissance squad.
Following behind them strode a colossal figure who radiated a terrifying aura of raw, unyielding dominance.
His spine remained perfectly straight as he lood over everyone else beneath the heavy folds of a dark cloak.
His towering fra possessed a rigid military perfection that projected a chilling sense of ironclad authority.
He moved with deliberate montum that seed capable of shaking the ground itself.
The dark fabric billowed around his massive silhouette while his cold, unblinking gaze remained fixed forward with the singular focus of an executioner.
It was Harus.
The most mysterious of the six lieutenants and the only one who did not directly command a major faction.
Even Elysia's expression grew noticeably more serious when he appeared.
Then Gunlaug arrived.
The Bright Lord wore a suit of golden armor that completely concealed his body.
Its polished faceplate reflected everyone who looked at it.
The mont Sunny saw his own reflection, an overwhelming sense of awe and submission crashed down upon him.
The entire hall reacted the sa way.
Sleepers trembled.
So began sweating.
Others struggled to remain standing.
Even the lieutenants appeared affected.
Sunny eventually realized that the effect originated from the armor itself.
The mory's enchantnt assaulted anyone who looked into its mirror-like surface.
Cassie, being blind, remained completely unaffected.
Elysia seed to fare slightly better than most, but even she had narrowed her eyes and stiffened visibly beneath the crushing pressure emanating from the Bright Lord's terrifying armor.
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A/N: shout-out to xeleray who I used the userna of because I don't want to think on what fucking na should I give the six lieutenant.
Don't worry xeleray I'll make sure you'll be able to bag a song baddie in the future
Edit: i notuced I wrote "chained scythe" and not "chained sickle" so I changed it
The title of the guy that is talking to xeleray is also supposed to be "song's hunter"
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