Elf?

Seeing that Glen remained calm and confident, Sheriff Dougley decided to trust him, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder."Alright, but if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. I've got your back.""I won't be shy about it," Glen nodded."Then I'll head back. There's a lot to handle at the station," Dougley said before hurrying off.

Left alone, Glen stood there for a moment, reflecting on the information he had just learned. After a brief pause, he started walking away."Glen, sir!"A familiar voice called out to him.Turning, he saw a young man in a worker's outfit approaching.Old Cat?This was Desroodman, one of his regular customers, more commonly known by his nickname "Old Cat." Glen had always followed the crowd and called him by that name.

"Old Cat, no work today?" Glen teased with a grin."We workers live day to day. You know how it is," Old Cat replied, catching his breath as he reached Glen. "It's been a while since you've sold meat. I've been craving your pigs. Their meat was not only delicious but affordable. Now that Im has hiked up the prices again, I can't even afford a decent piece of meat."

Glen nodded, understanding the reason behind Old Cat's visit. "It's not that I don't want to sell. The pigs at home just can't handle that kind of butchering too often. I think I'll need a couple of years to build up the stock again."

"What?!" Old Cat's face immediately dropped. "Glen, can't you slaughter just one more? I'm really craving it!"Seeing the desperate expression on his face, Glen felt torn. It was frustrating to have money practically thrown at him but not be able to take it.

"Alright, I'll sell some tomorrow, but it might not be black pig meat," Glen finally relented.Old Cat's eyes lit up with exaggerated excitement. He nearly tried to kiss Glen in his joy but was swiftly pushed away. Glen wasn't about to be grossed out.

"Hey, what are you doing now? Need help with anything?" Old Cat asked, calming down."I'm actually looking for a shop to buy," Glen replied. "I want to buy a place.""Well, you're in luck!" Old Cat clapped his hands. "I know every shop for rent or sale in town. Let me show you the good spots! You won't regret it, my friend."

Glen was pleasantly surprised by the offer. It would save him a lot of time."Then I'll owe you one. I'll buy you a drink next time.""Sounds like a plan!"

Old Cat led Glen around town, showing him every potential shop for sale or rent. The prices varied, and they spent a fair amount of time negotiating with the owners. Glen and Old Cat were both masters of negotiation, and after a few rounds of heated bargaining, they managed to get some excellent deals.

However, after seeing all the shops, Glen didn't seem keen to commit."Glen, are you happy with any of these?" Old Cat asked, taking a bite of his rye bread.Glen shook his head. "I'm just thinking it over."Old Cat assumed Glen was just deciding which shop to pick, so he didn't press further.

In truth, Glen was weighing whether he should even buy a shop at all. There were so many for sale in the town, but that itself was the problem. There were three taverns alone.This meant opening a shop here wouldn't guarantee much business.Though he had confidence in himself, he knew that he could only scrape by in Duder—at best, he'd make just enough to get by.Glen wanted more than that. He needed a place where he could make significant profits.

"We should check out Mitchell's place," Glen finally decided."I knew it!" Old Cat replied, nodding in agreement.

Glen had already made up his mind. Even if he didn't open a tavern, the place could serve as a butcher's shop or carpentry workshop. That would save him the trouble of always setting up a stall.As for the tavern, he had not given up on that idea either, just relocating it to somewhere else—perhaps the capital city. After all, the basement at home led to a gate to Kaladrea, the capital.

Soon enough, Glen had bought a two-story tavern for two gold coins and thirty silver."So, Glen, are you going to open a tavern here?" Old Cat asked curiously after they received the deed."You're mistaken. I'm going to use it as a butcher's shop," Glen answered.

As they chatted, a caravan of mercenaries caught their attention. The group was drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.Glen took a closer look, his sharp vision picking up all the details.Most of the mercenaries had worn-out armor, and they looked fatigued. Some had their bare skin bandaged, showing signs of recent injury. Despite this, their presence was still imposing, with a distinct air of danger surrounding them.Among them were three magicians in pointed hats, further confirming that this group was far from ordinary.

What really drew Glen's attention, however, was the large cage being carried in the center of the group. Inside it, a slender young woman was curled up in a ball, her head buried in her knees. Only her pointed ears were visible, marking her as an elf.

"An elf?" Glen frowned.There was no doubt about it—this was one of the most well-known fantasy races in this world: elves. And the scene resembled countless stories where elves were enslaved and transported by mercenaries.

The caravan moved closer, and both Glen and Old Cat stepped aside to make room.A strong stench of blood reached their noses.The mercenaries didn't even glance at them as they passed, walking with steady, heavy steps.

One mercenary, walking on the outer edge of the group, was about to pass closest to them. Glen thought he would ignore them, but the next moment, the mercenary's whip lashed out with a sharp cracking sound, striking Glen across the back.

The strike didn't hurt much for Glen, but he was calm as he turned to face the mercenary.Glen could have dodged the whip easily, but he didn't. He wanted to make sure that if things escalated, he had a legitimate reason to fight back.

The mercenary, seeing Glen's nonchalant reaction, was momentarily stunned and then irritated."You think you're tough, huh? Let's see how thick your skin is!"He raised the whip to strike again, his anger flaring.

But before the blow could land, a voice interrupted sharply."Fang, stop causing trouble!"

Glen was quickly pulled back by Old Cat, who had noticed Glen's intent to retaliate.Old Cat was good at reading the situation and knew that, as a civilian, Glen would only get hurt by fighting back. Even if the mercenaries wouldn't kill him, they could still leave him half-dead. The police station wouldn't do much either—at most, they would secure some compensation. It wasn't worth it.

"Let's just go," Old Cat urged in a low voice, guiding Glen away from the scene.