Chapter 4.3 - The Incomplete Truth and The New Encounter (Part 3)

According to Uncle Wil, the Kingdom of Erebonia has 4 gates: North, South, East and West. Where I came from, the Bennett March, was from the Eastern part of the Eastern Continent called Hewruth, which was more or less a 45-minute walk or 20-minute drive by carriage when travelling to Erebonia. Having entered the East gate, I entered the Business District.

Erebonia is divided into 5 parts: the Central District, the Business District which is by the Eastern Gate, the Noble District which is by the Northern Gate, the Residential District which is by the Southern Gate, and the Administrative District – now called the Hunter's District – which is by the Western Gate.

The Central District is where the Royal Family resides. The only structures you will see here are the Royal Castle, the Orthros Joint Academy which is divided into 2 campuses namely Orthros Hunter Campus (to the right of the Castle) and Orthros Scholar Campus (to the left of the Castle), and the Male and Female Student Dormitory.

The Business District is where all the stalls and shops are located. Here we can find the General Store, the Blacksmith, the Clothing Shop, the Furniture Store, the Library, the Medicine Hall, and the Scroll Tavern. There are also several inns which also serve food and multiple stalls that sell a variety of things. These stalls are said to be managed by Hunters and wandering Merchants.

The Noble District is where all the nobles reside. It is basically a residential area for them. The Residential District is also a residential area, but only for the common people. These 2 districts also have a few stores that sell some of their own products which ranges from food to jewelries and to clothes.

The Hunter's District is special. Here you can find the Hunter's Guild at the center of the district. Surrounding this are the Fighter's Hall, the Caster's Hall, the Marksman's Hall and the Hall of Class Advancement. There are also 2 large buildings which are the headquarters of the 2 most prominent guild of Hewruth. The most bustling place of the whole kingdom is found here, which is called the Battle Colosseum.

After reading the last detail of the map, I reached the west-end of the Central District, making my way into the Hunter's District. Suddenly, a weird feeling struck me, giving me goosebumps.

{It's this feeling again… The feeling of both guilt and danger… It's not coming from the people around me, that's for sure. I don't know… It seems like I'm forgetting something important. *sigh* Let's focus on my main objective for now. Worry about this later.}

Upon entering the district, I felt gazes from everywhere around me. Humans geared with weapons and equipped with armor were all over the place. Using my enhanced senses, I tried listening to the murmuring of the nearby hunters, while I made my way towards the Hunter's guild.

"Hey, Gus. Look at that guy. He seems well off… Do you think he's here to post a request?" a skinny man with light-looking clothes whispered.

"Probably. With how he's dressed, he's probably a noble. If he's indeed posting a request, the reward would definitely be great, yeah? We better head towards the Hunter's Guild fast, or else some other people would take it." The buff man who's wearing a full-plated armor said.

"I agree. And if the rewards aren't that great, winning the favor of a noble can't hurt, right? It's a win-win." The teenage boy with a staff said.

{Oh…? I thought it would be the classic 'take his money' skit that undisciplined and weak moron of bandits would do. Apparently, the people value their clients, huh?}

As I reached the doors of the Hunter's Guild, I got goosebumps. It felt like someone was looking at me with pleading eyes. When I looked around, I saw a hooded individual with short stature carrying a big backpack looking at me from afar. I ignored it for the meantime and I went inside the establishment.

Upon entering the Hunter's Guild, I was surprised by how organized the whole building is. The Hunter's Guild was a lot more spacious than I expected, too. While looking around the place, a young woman who's as tall as me, with short black hair and wearing the same uniform as Tama and Old Man Scar did before approached me, bowed and smiled.

"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild, good sir. I'm Jade. What services would you like to avail today?"

{Interesting… The treatment I'm getting here is far off from the stereotypical guild staff who would just stay by their counters, waiting for either an adventurer or request giver go near them.}

"Good morning. My name is Julius von Bennett, and the purpose of my visit today is to talk to either Scar or Tamako. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but they are part of this specific Hunter's Guild branch, yes?" I said as I bowed right back.

"Yes, sir. They are indeed part of our guild branch. Senior Instructor Scar is the right-hand man of the Guild Master and Senior Apprentice Tamako is working under Senior Instructor Scar. Please sit down in this isle while I call for the two. Thank you." She said as she bowed. She then called another woman with the same uniform, this time with long reddish-brown hair, and similar-colored cat ears and tail. "While waiting, Ms. Garnet will explain what the Hunter's Guild is all about." She then bowed and left, going towards the stairs which leads to the 2nd floor.

"I'm Garnet, nice to meet you. You are?" the woman said as she sat down on the chair in front of me.

"My name is Julius von Bennett. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Sorry for the disturbance. This is my first time here in the Hunter's Guild.

"It's no big deal. And don't worry about the formalities when talking to me. I don't like being too uptight."

"Alright, then. Garnet, what is this Hunter's Guild all about? I'm curious about the different areas and the reason why everything looks so orderly."

"All you have to know is that you can register and get any kind of public information in the front desk that you see right there." She said as she pointed at the counter in front of us.

"The one to the left is the area for processing one's request. You can either post a request or pick a request to do. The requests are, of course, graded in terms of difficulty. Only hunters of the same rank or 1 rank below and/or above can take a specific difficulty, but anyone can post a request."

"I see. So that means I have to register first as a hunter in order to do requests and earn money."

"That's actually a yes and no. Yes, you indeed cannot take on a request without being registered. And No, you can earn money in this place too by simply selling monster remains and materials in the right side of the Hunter's Guild. Also, that's the place where you turn in your completed request. The proof of the completion of the request will either be the remains of the monster if it was a subjugation request, the item needed if it was a trade request, or a letter from the request person if it was an escort request.

"Interesting… Thank you for the wonderful explanation, Garnet."

"No biggie. It's my job, anyway. Oh yeah, if you really want to pay me back, how 'bout you pick me as your guild assistant when you register as a hunter?"

"What do you mean?"

"When an individual registers as a hunter, he/she will have to pick one from all of the staff of the Hunter's Guild, except the guild master, to be his/her assistant. Whenever he/she is inside the Hunter's Guild for business purposes such as turning in a completed request or selling monster remains, the selected assistant must be the one attending to that hunter."

"And? How would that be beneficial for you?"

"You didn't know? When you complete a request, the hunter gets to keep 90% of the rewards for him/herself. The guild assistant who's in charge of that hunter gets to keep 5%, while the remaining 5% will be donated to the Hunter's Guild. Hunters who form parties have to divide the 90% reward that they get with each other."

{So that's why this kind of business is working properly… It's a win-win for everybody… Quite a wonderful system they have here. But how about the guild master, though?}

"What about the guild master?"

"Oh yeah… I nearly forgot about that. Newly-registered hunters cannot pick some of the higher-ranked staffs. Those staffs, such as the guild master or Senior Official Scar gets to pick who they want to 'serve' and when they have to meet with their chosen hunter. If you get chosen by any of them, you are guaranteed to have a good life as a hunter since you get to have the dibs in choosing any of the requests AND get a personal reward from the higher-rank staff."

"…? Then, doesn't that mean my father was-"

After Garnet's explanation and while I was pondering, I sensed 2 auras that were quite nostalgic and another one which I have felt just recently approaching me. Then, a familiar voice was heard.

"You are indeed correct, Young Master Julius. I chose to serve your father when he became a C-rank Hunter. He chose Tama when he just registered as a hunter, too. So, it was all fate per se."

"Oh…! Long time no see, Old Man Scar. And Tama, too." I said after standing up and offering them a hand.

Garnet, who was seated right next to me, immediately stood up and bowed to Scar. Scar waved his hand, signaling 'It's alright, no need to be tense.'

"Long time no see, indeed. It was, what, 7 years? You have grown quite wonderfully these past few years." Old Man Scar said as he shook my outstretched hand.

"*snicker* You'll have to thank my doting parents for that. They trained me so much that my body has outgrown my age." I said as I laughed at the memories of my harsh training.

After the handshake, I went to Tama and patted her head.

"Long time no see too, Tama." I said as I smiled at her. "Since I was around the place, I wanted to meet you guys and thank you personally for helping me with my identification."

"Hmph! I was taller than you before, but now you're even taller than me." Tama said as she pouted at me. "Well, what can we do? You're a growing boy… 8 years old, right?"

"8 years old!?" Garnet exclaimed, surprised at my age.

"Surprising, I know." I replied. "Don't worry, though. I know that I can't register as a hunter since I'm not yet 9 years old. Besides, I had no plans in registering unless I need to or until I have graduated."

"…Umu. I guess you're going to choose Tama as your assistant, huh?" Garnet said as her ears and tail drooped.

{Oh? She seems cute to tease.}

"I haven't said anything yet, though?" I replied while smiling.

"Then…!" she looked at me expectantly, with her tail swirling left and right.

"Well, I didn't say I would you choose you either, though."

"…Uuu. That's true…" she said, with her tail drooping again.

"Hey, stop teasing her. She's still your senior, you know?" Tama said.

"Hahaha! Alright, alright… I'll stop now." I said as I wiped off my tears of laughter. "Anyway, don't worry. From the moment you've shown complete respect and honesty in front of me, I knew that I had to choose you. Just wait for me to graduate from the academy."

"…! Thank you, Julie!" she said as she pounced on me, rubbing her cheeks on mine.

"O-oy, Garnet! You're not supposed to do that…!" Tama said as she pulled Garnet off me.

"Ah, youth. Forgive me for asking, but what is the purpose for visiting us besides the greeting us and catching up on times?" Old Man Scar asked.

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. As you already know, I'm quite new to this place. I need to acquire some Ability Scrolls and do some window shopping in the kingdom. Although I have a map, nothing beats a map more than a guide could. So, I was wondering if I could impose on any of you to be my guide, if that would not be an issue."

"…! Me! Julie, I'll be your guide. I want to become closer with the person who I'm assigned to. And, I've always wanted to take a break during work." She said as she imagined something, making her smile.

"Oy, you're not supposed to say those things in front of your superiors." I said as I lightly flicked her head.

"Hahaha! You told me you chose me for my honesty, so I won't hold back on that." She said as she smiled at me, showing a V-sign with her finger.

"Will that be okay, Old Man Scar? Is it alright for her to leave on her job?"

"Why, of course. She's basically still doing her job right now, taking care of her assigned future hunter. It will also be a new experience for you. I have to apologize too since Tama and I still have some other things to deal with, which makes the situation perfect."

"Nice, thank you." I said as I bowed at both Tama and Scar. "Also, you're… Jade, right? Thank you as well. The services of this Hunter's Guild are nothing to scoff at, that's for sure. I'll be looking forward to work with you in the near future."

"With pleasure, Julius! Uncle Scar and I will be on the second floor if you need us. Just inform any of the staff here and we'll be sure to welcome you as soon as we can." Tama said as she bowed and smiled.

"Thank you. Now it's time for me to leave. I can't stay here for too long; I just have until sunset or else my parents might get worried. I will be in touch soon. Farewell." I bowed at Tama, Scar and Jade. I then called Garnet and we went on our ways outside of the establishment.

Garnet and I were walking through the Hunter's District, making our way to the business district.

"So, Julie… What exactly do you want to shop for?" Garnet asked.

"My main goal is to acquire all the Ability Scrolls in this kingdom that can be bought with money. Then, acquire some things that may be important for my travels."

"All the Ability Scrolls!? You'll need a lot of money for that! The cheapest Ability Scroll is 1 Gold coin, while the most expensive one I know goes for about 10 Gold coins. Then, you're still going to buy travelling necessities? Imagine how much money you'll have to spend…"

"10 Gold coins… Then I guess 1 Platinum coin is enough to buy 10 of the most expensive?"

"…You brought a platinum coin with you?"

"I wasn't planning to, but my father gave me a little over that amount."

"Why am I not surprised…? Well, with that, you can buy every ability scroll. However, you will need a special bag to hold all of the things you will buy, which is very pricy too. It's called the Spatial Bag. They vary in the size of the space within the bag. The cheapest Spatial bag can carry 200 kilograms of items, and that kind of bag goes for about 50 Gold coins. The biggest one here goes for 2 Platinum Coins, holding up to 1 tonne of items."

{Oh…? They sell those kinds of bags in this world, huh? That's great.}

"That is definitely a good item, then. But, what if someone steals the bag? Wouldn't that be disastrous?" I asked.

"That wouldn't be a problem, since a Spatial Bag will always be marked with the owner's blood thereby linking the owner and the bag, making it easier for the owner to locate the bag. In addition, the marking of the blood will also prevent anyone, except the owner, from opening the bag."

"Hoho… Very convenient, indeed."

{Then it would be best for me to really get a Spatial Bag for now. I don't have Spatial Magic yet as I am not yet a Tier 3 Caster. But I know I will be, soon. However…}

"It really is. I suggest buying a Spatial Bag before anything else. Budget your money so that you can still buy some essentials used in travelling." she said, while looking proud of herself for doing her job properly.

"I have a question… Does the time for the stored objects move while inside the Spatial Bag?" I asked.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure. But I do remember a merchant who owns one saying that he has to earn more money to buy the Spatial Bag with Time Attribute. He said that it goes for about 3 Platinum Coins. I doubt there is anyone selling that here, though. The Spatial Bag is a product of the Demons, so we only have limited supplies of them, much less for one with time attribute."

"Then that means it would be best for me to get one of each; one for the consumables so that it doesn't spoil or lose its taste, and the other one for other stuffs…" I said as I tried to get my notepad in my back pocket.

"…A notebook? What's that for?"

"It's a mini diary of mine that also works as a to-do list. It's to keep track of everything I have done and am supposed to do."

"Oooh…"

We kept talking until we've finally reached the Central District. This place is the most peaceful out of every district. There's not much activity going on in this district as it is the place for the students to study and the place where the Royals reside.

{…The Academy really lives up to its name.}

The scene in front of me was breathtaking. Not only is this the largest district, just the sight of the castle and the 2 campuses with ridiculously large gates can leave one in his/her imagination. There were 10 fully-geared knights guarding the gateway of the white Castle, another 5 guarding the Hunter Campus' gateway, and another 5 guarding the Scholar Campus. Each gateway had the same emblem embedded onto the walls, signifying the Royal Family Crest. It looks similar to the family crest I have on my clothes, but more extravagant.

{If this is how it looks on the outside, how much more beautiful would this be in the inside…?}

"Oh yeah, this is the Royal Castle and the Orthros Academy. The Royal Castle is only open to people with appointments. On the other hand, there're not many people near the academy or dorms since the term is already over. In a year, the academy has 2 terms. They hold classes for 5 months per term, while the remaining 2 months of the year is kinda like a vacation where the students and teachers can go back to their homeland and do their private businesses. Each week, the students get a break every 6th and 7th day, too. All students must stay in their dorms and within the kingdom until the term is over, and has to come back when the term starts again."

"Pretty systematic… I like it. I am planning to enroll here next year. Hopefully, everything goes well by the time I do enroll."

"I will assist you with my everything."

We continued on our walk towards the business district while talking about some other things about the kingdom. As soon as we entered the business district, we saw 2 small individuals wearing ragged hoods with broken chains on their feet and wrists roaming around asking for some money.

"I thought the kingdom had no cases of poverty, but it seems like there is."

"Hm… It's not really poverty. You see, ever since the war finished, the war criminals, hostages and villagers of the opposing forces are released in due time depending on their charges or sentence. Their children were also included, and their sentence depends on their parents' sentence. Probably, those two were released recently and have no one to depend on."

"I see…" I said as I grabbed my bag of coins.

I called the attention of the two and approached them, kneeling down to their level.

"Here." I told them as I gave them 2 gold coins each. "I can't give more than that because it is dangerous for you guys to keep more money. Make sure to eat your fill with those and not waste it, okay?"

The two looked at each other and nodded at me. They bowed and ran towards the nearest inn.

"Woah… I stroke the jackpot here." Garnet said, looking at me with admiration.

"I'm not what you think I am, okay?" I said as I shrugged off her expectation.

We then went on our way towards the Scroll Tavern which had a sign that looks like a scroll with a feather pen and an ink bottle near it. We entered the Scroll Tavern and what greeted us were multiple shelves containing scrolls, tied by different-colored ropes. Then, a short stout man approached us.

"Welcome to my humble abode, young traveler. And��� Oh? Garnet?" the stout man said.

"Heyo chubby wubby!" Garnet said as she hugged the man and lifted him off of his feet.

"Uh… Are you supposed to call him that?" I asked Garnet, seeing that she's a bit disrespectful.

"Hahaha! No worries!" Garnet said as she brought the guy back down. "His name is Wilmer so I call him wubby and he's a bit chubby so I call him chubby wubby."

"Yep, don't worry about that, young hunter. Garnet and I go way back." He said as he fixed his clothes.

"Oops, my apologies for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Julius. I am here to acquire some Ability Scrolls. And… I'm not a hunter yet."

"…? You're not a hunter, but you have Garnet accompanying you?" Wilmer said as he looked at Garnet. "Is he your boyfriend? He looks quite young."

"Of course not! He's my… uh…" she said as she looked at me, probably asking for confirmation.

"Yes, I am her friend. I am still too young to be a hunter. In fact, I'm still 8 years old."

"…! 8 years old!? Gosh, you're quite tall for your age. And, buff too." Wilmer said as he examined my body. "And you're buying the scrolls for your future use or for someone else?"

"I get that a lot, no worries. I need it for my future use and probably for someone else, too."

"Thank you. Anyway, what specific Ability Scroll are you looking for? Is it for the Marksman Class or the Fighter Class? I have every ability scroll available in the Eastern Continent in my shop. The cheapest one I have costs 1 gold coin and the most expensive on is 10 gold coins. Oh, I also sell Spatial Bags, but only the ones without time properties."

"Oh, that's great! Well, I need… All of them."

"Alright, I shall get- …Huh?"

"Yep, you heard Julius! Get him everything!" Garnet said while smiling vibrantly.

"…Are you really sure about this? You're Garnet's friend but I won't tolerate anyone making a fool out of me and my business."

"That's a great attitude you have as a businessman. But, yes. I am serious. I will buy 1 of every Ability Scroll you have for sale. That includes all parts, too. And I will also need a 1 Tonne Spatial Bag." I said as I looked directly into his eyes with a serious look.

"…Let me go calculate. Please sit down for the moment."

He went to his counter and got a notebook. He then got a paper and pen, adding the prices of all the items he had for sale, 1 for each type. Then, he deducted a lot at the end. Soon, he grabbed a good-looking bag and went near the shelves, putting scrolls inside the bag after looking at the name and the condition of the scrolls. After some time, he called out to me and I approached him.

"…Since you're buying in bulk, I already reduced your end pay by 5 gold coins. In courtesy for our newfound friendship and my existing friendship with Garnet, I also reduced it by 15% after the 5 gold coin deduction. If what you're saying is true, instead of paying 3 Platinum and 65 Gold Coins, you can buy these things for only 3 Platinum and 6 Gold Coins. In total, you will get 10 scrolls that cost 1 gold coin each, 5 scrolls that cost 5 gold coins each, and 2 scrolls that cost 10 gold coins each. All of these scrolls are inside this Spatial Bag that can carry up to 1 tonne"

"…That's a lot of money. Julius, are you sure you have that amount? Chubby Wubby doesn't like people who show off or those that are all bark and no bite."

I chuckled at Garnet and grabbed 4 Platinum Coins from my bag of coins.

"…I don't have change. Is this enough?" I asked as I gave Wilmer the coins.

"…! Authentic Platinum Coins… It seems you were telling the truth. It's a good thing you're unlike the majority of those hunters who only know how to talk and not having the capability to pay. If you were one of those, I would've thrown you out of the shop, regardless of your relationship with Garnet."

"I appreciate the kind words. So, what of the transaction?"

"Please hold on." He said as he went to the counter again, and grabbed a piece of paper and a knife.

"Mr. Julius, this is the contract for our transaction. Since you bought a lot of expensive merchandise, it would be best to have a blood contract in case people would steal that."

"Blood contract?"

"Blood contract is the most effective way in conducting a safe transaction and exchange of goods. The Blood Contract paper will be split into 2; one for the seller and one for the buyer. The information shown on the Blood Contract will be the same as your status. Skills that hide your status is not effective when doing this kind of contract. The items stated in the blood contract cannot be used by anyone else other than the owner and those authorized by the owner." Wilmer said.

"…I see. I hope you wouldn't disclose my status to anyone. Only us 3 must know of this."

"I will do my utmost best in preserving the privacy of your information. However, I may not be able to hide it if ever someone does claim ownership of those things once you lose them."

"I will make sure that won't happen as well. Then, let's proceed with the Blood Contract."

Wilmer nodded. He gave me a knife and prompted me to pour my blood onto the paper after he does it. I did so after he poured his own blood onto the paper. After that, two status boards appeared.

______________________________________________________________________________

Name: Julius von Bennett

Level: 21

Title: N/A

Race: Mixed-blood (25% Human, 25% Beastman, 25% Elf, 25% Demon)

Traits:

1) 100% Affinity towards all Classes (Human)

2) Max Affinity towards Fighter Class (Beastman)

3) Max Affinity towards Marksman Class (Elf)

4) Max Affinity towards Caster Class (Demon)

Class & Role: None

Age & Job: 8-year old Child – Marquess' Son (Heir)

Buff/Debuff: None

Party: None

Guild: None

Merc Group: None

Strength: 169

Vitality: 247

Agility: 289

Intelligence: 420

Wisdom: 236

Luck: SSS

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Name: Wilmer

Level: 30

Title: N/A

Race: Half Blood (50% Human, 50% Beastman)

Traits:

1) 100% Affinity towards all Classes (Human)

2) 450% Affinity towards Fighter Class (Beastman)

Class & Role: Fighter - Tank

Age & Job: 24 years old – Merchant (Primary); Hunter (Secondary)

Buff/Debuff: None

Party: None

Guild: Hewruth's Merchant Guild

Merc Group: None

Strength: 165

Vitality: 487

Agility: 109

Intelligence: 134

Wisdom: 376

Luck: A

______________________________________________________________________________

{…Oh? So this is what other's status looks like. Interesting…}

"…! Ehem… Now I understand why you wanted to keep your status a secret. If people were to know of this, you will surely be hunted for; either as a threat or as a potential new recruit." Wilmer said as he pondered. "*sigh* This will be a headache in the future, that's for sure."

"Hahaha! That's why I'm telling you not to say anything about me. Just tell them you don't know me or that you hardly know me."

"…Tsk. With your stats, I don't know who's the assistant and who's the newcomer." Garnet said, looking disappointed.

"Don't worry. It's just that my parents and stepmother are part of the Top 12 of each class. I've been training for 7 years already. Plus, my affinity is max. So, don't get too upset."

"…Fine. At least I have more experience that you, right?" she said, smiling.

"You sure are."

{I wonder what she'd feel if she knew I was older than everyone here by hundreds of years.}

After that, the Blood Contract was over. The paper split into 2 and the paper disappeared after entering my body. Wilmer then gave me 40 gold coins which is the change from the 4 coins I gave.

"Now, the Blood Contract is finally over. Please take this bag and be careful. You will never lose the contract paper but you may lose the items you've bought."

"Understood. Thank you very much for this."

"Oh no, thank you. You bought a lot from me and I made a lot of money from this. Also, I have to apologize since I don't have any of the part 4 scrolls. I will inform you if I ever find news of one."

"That would be greatly appreciated." I said as I offered my hand.

He shook my outstretched hand and suddenly, a growl was heard.

"…That wasn't me, I swear." Garnet said as she started whistling.

"Hahaha, thank you for coming with me even though I'm not a hunter yet. Since it's nearly lunch time, let's eat. My treat." I said as I patted Garnet's head.

"…Meat?" Garnet asked as she look at me with her tail swaying.

"Yes, meat. Would you like to come with us too, Wilmer?" I asked.

"I have to decline for now. I have to stock up on the shelves since a customer may come by soon. Thank you for inviting me, though. Have fun then."

"Alright. Thanks again. Take care." I said as I waved goodbye.

"You too. Pleasure doing business with you."

I placed the Spatial Bag inside my coat's pocket for now and went towards the nearest inn. On the way there, a lot of people were gathering around a certain area. Curious to what was happening, I went over and heard familiar voices with my enhanced senses. I then proceeded towards where those voices came from in order to assess the situation.

[Mia's POV start]

"That mister we met was weird..." I said as I looked at the 2 gold coins the mysterious man gave me.

"Yeah... He was unlike the others." Shia, my little sister, said as she walked timidly besides me.

"Right? I knew he was special just from looking at him from afar. It was a good thing I suggested that we go near him."

"Yup...!" Shia nodded while smiling.

{Thank you, mister. It seems that there's still hope in this world, huh?} I thought to myself, smiling in the process.

While heading to the cheapest inn to buy some food, we saw people eyeing us.

"...Shia, let's put these away for now. I think people are on to us." I whispered to Shia while putting away the gold coins on my hand and donning my robe.

We discreetly made our way to Nobist Inn, which was said to have the cheapest meal set costing 20 copper coins. We wanted to stay in the inn for a day so we could use the bath service that they offer, and it costs 1 gold each head. 1 silver for no bath. So, in total, we would have spent 2 gold and 40 copper coins if we went with the plan of taking a staying for a night with the bath service. As we entered the inn and talked with the manager, something happened.

"...A gold coin?" the manager said as he looked at us skeptically.

"Why? What's the problem?" I asked.

The manager left the inn abruptly. He took the 3 gold coins we've given to him as payment and did not give us change yet. So, we decided to wait inside for the time being. After some time, he finally came back, but with more people.

"It's them. I don't know where they stole this from. They couldn't have earned this money by themselves." the manager said as he pointed at us.

"Huh...?" Shia asked.

"You heard the man. Boys, let's take these kids outside. Teach them a lesson." the teenage-looking boy said as he waved his wand at us.

"W-wait. What's going on? What happened to our money? Where's our change!?" I asked annoyingly.

"What money? This?" The manager asked as he showed the 3 gold coins that we gave him. "Is this even yours?"

"...! Of course it's ours! We earned that fair and square! Don't try to scam us!"

"Oh, don't take that tone with us missy. You're disturbing the customers who's eating their meals here with your petty talk. We'll call the authorities on you and see where you've gotten this."

They dragged both Shia and I outside with brute force and threw us on the ground.

"Where did you steal this from, huh!?" a familiar-looking skinny man with light-looking clothes shouted.

"Stealing ain't good, you know? Give us that money and we'll return it to their rightful owners." A familiar buff man wearing a full-plated armor said.

"We already called the knights, too. We could lighten your sentences if you two confessed to your crimes.

"W-we didn't steal anything. Someone gave these to us…!"

"Stop lying. We know you picked this up somewhere or even stole this from someone when they weren't looking." the teenage-looking boy who's wielding a staff said.

"No, we're not! Give us back the money…!" I shouted as I ran towards the buff man who's holding the 3 gold coins.

"No, you don't. We'll give this to the knights. We'll let them decide." The buff man said as he knocked me away.

{Ugh...!}

"Mia…!". Shia shouted as she ran towards me.

{...It looks like there is no hope at all. It was all but false hope... How short-lived that dream was...}

As I was losing consciousness, I saw an obscure silhouette getting closer to me. From that shadow was a feeling of warmth.

{...It's kinda like him.}

"Mister..." I mumbled, wishing for something to happen.

And a voice was then heard.

"…What the fuck do you think you're doing?"