by Daman
Although the towers were not as monumental as the palace, anyone could see that they were of significant importance within the city.
“Big brother… this…” Roran mumbled, not knowing how to respond or comment on the grandiosity of the city they had just entered.
He thought that, as the son of a noble under the title of Count, he would have seen all the luxury that the world had to offer, but only now did he realize how inexperienced he truly was.
“I know… come, let’s see more of the city. We look like two bumpkins from a village standing still here.” Calron whispered back, after observing several of the passing-by citizens stifling a chuckle when they saw the awestruck expressions on the two human youths’ faces.
“Well, that was embarrassing haha!” Roran blushed as he began to follow Calron and roam around the city.
“First, we need to find an inn to stay at, and second, we need to think of a way to earn money. The amount that Elder Balis gave us will only last us three days, and even though we said that we will contact the Elder in a few days, I think it’s best that we do not get involved in the politics of the Guardians.” Calron talked, as the two teens walked around the city gazing at the stores and buildings.
The outer layer of the city was mostly for travelers and shopping, while the residents lived deeper inside the city.
“I don’t know how we can earn money, big brother. I only know how to fight… “ Roran answered dejectedly while glancing at Calron.
“Don’t worry about it, Roran, I have some ideas, but I need to test them out first before making sure. If my idea works, then we will definitely need your fighting skills and other things as well.” Calron replied mysteriously and patted Roran’s shoulder with cheeky smile on his face.
“Eh? What other talent does big brother have? I thought you could only fight like me.”
Roran tugged Calron’s sleeve, eagerly wanting to know what Calron was planning to do.
“Haha, I’ll not spoil it for you, but here’s a little hint… it involves us selling something that the world has never seen before!” Calron laughed out loud, pushing the clinging Roran away before he tried to pull his sleeve again.
The idea had come to Calron after he got more familiar with the Divine Perception and realized that small strands of lightning existed in every living being and it was fundamental to their thoughts. After this realization, new ideas had started to form in his mind and he was just waiting to test them out.
“That’s really mean, big brother!”
Roran chased Calron, his curiosity piqued after the new information.
“Woah!”
Just when he was about to reach Calron, Roran noticed an item that caught his eye.
It was a beast core.
More specifically, it was the beast core of an aquatic beast at the early Vajra stage. It was a sparkling core that resembled a sapphire stone, and it was simply gorgeous to behold.
The beast core would not be of much help to his cultivation, but Roran wanted it because his sister loved pretty stones, and it was nearly impossible to find an aquatic Vajra stage beast core in Vernia city.
“Excuse me, how much for this beast core?” Roran asked politely to the plump vendor as he pointed at the sapphire beast core on the table.
“Nice eye you have there, young lad! That beast core comes from a beautiful sea monster, and legend has it that any maiden that keeps this core underneath their bed, will have their beauty increased by several folds each night! A core like this would cost you ten gold squares anywhere else, but I can give it to you for eight gold squares and twenty silver ones only.” The vendor spoke in a silky voice, trying to charm the youth into buying the core and increasing its value.
A beast core like this one was not be rare in Selior city at all, but seeing the gaze on Roran’s face, the vendor could sniff out that this boy was a newcomer.
Of course, Roran did not believe all that the vendor said about the core, but his main problem was with the price.
Roran was completely broke!
“We’ll take it.”
While Roran was contemplating if he could offer his services for the beast core instead of paying, his big brother’s voice resounded next to him.
“Here’s the money.” Calron spoke as he placed the exact gold and silver squares as the vendor stated without even attempting to haggle.
“Big brother!” Roran cried out in panic.
He knew that they did not have enough money and after spending close to nine gold squares on the beast core, they would only have enough money for two days.
Wasting that much gold for a simple beast core was not worth it for any rational thinking person, especially when they were so short on money themselves.
“It’s fine, Roran, just trust your big brother.” Calron said warmly, as he took the beast core from the extremely pleased vendor and held it out to Roran.
“B-but- “
“Shut up and take it. We won’t have to worry about money in a few days, so this purchase is fine.” Calron stated sternly, ending any further words from Roran.
Calron knew that his brother wanted that core for his sister, Felice, and if he could not even fulfill that tiny wish of his brother, then Calron’s mind would not be at ease.
Moreover, Calron was confident that his business plan would succeed, and money would soon not be an issue.
“Wait! Could you sell that core to me? I will pay double of what you paid for it!” A blonde-haired girl around the age of seventeen yelled, as she clumsily ran towards Calron and Roran.
With gold-rimmed spectacles bouncing on top of her nose, and her rosy face flushed from the physical exercise, the girl panted with short gasps once she reached the two human youths.
“Please? Haaah haah, I really need that core for… haah haaah… my alchemy practice.” The girl rasped as she took off her spectacles and stared into Calron’s eyes.
Her bright golden-emerald eyes and high cheekbones beguiled Calron, along with her stunning pearly face that held the power to enslave a man’s soul for eternity.
Frozen for a few seconds, Calron gradually got ahold of himself and just as he was about to refuse the beautiful girl’s request, he abruptly heard the vendor’s next few words and saw him kneel on the ground with reverence.
“My lady!”
Chapter 20 – Unrequited Consequences
My Lady? Is she a noble of this city?
Calron inwardly pondered when he saw the vendor’s reverent behavior.
“Haah? No need to bow, mister! I just want to buy that core from this young man.”
The blond-haired girl held out her hand to stop the plump vendor from kneeling on the ground.
“If I had known that the young lady wanted that beast core, then I would have freely given it you instead of selling it.”
The vendor spoke nervously in a regretful tone.
*clack clack clack*
The sounds of steel armor rattling against the ground reverberated throughout the area, causing the nearby people to glance towards the source of the sound.
Five heavily armored knights hastily rushed towards the shop where Calron was located, and an intimidating aura was spread in the vicinity as the leading knight slowed down when he approached the shop and gave a light bow to the blonde-haired girl.
“Lady Mirane, please don’t run away like that without your guards. The Tower Lord will punish me severely if something happens to his daughter.”
The knight captain spoke in a gravely voice, as the rest of the remaining knights soon arrived behind him and stood on high alert.
Calron probed the knight captain and found that the man only had the cultivation of a mere fifth rank of the Vajra stage, while the other knights were around the second or third rank. However, despite their low cultivation, Calron had an uneasy feeling about them.
As he was scrutinizing them, something on their chest plate caught his eye.
It was the engraving of a crest.
> Calron assumed that it was most likely the crest of the blond-haired girl’s family, and it was the image of a large diamond-shaped shield with a black cauldron printed on it.
That armor is not normal…
Calron silently thought.
“Sorry Darton… I got so excited when I heard that there was another aquatic Vajra stage beast core being sold here, so I rushed here without thinking.”
Mirane answered guiltily in a soft voice. She had been scouring the whole city for some aquatic beast cores that were at the Vajra stage, but she had only managed to find fourteen of them. She could have easily asked her father or uncle to send some servants to collect them, but she was in urgent need of them, so she decided to buy the cores herself in the market.
It was her fault that she completely forgot that there was an alchemy test from her teacher tomorrow and was now suffering for her mistake . Fortunately, she had heard from the last vendor that someone was selling another aquatic beast core in this shop, so she sprinted here.
Her recipe required fifteen aquatic beast cores at the Vajra stage to be used as the main ingredient, so it was essential that she obtained this beast core from Calron. She might be able to find another aquatic beast core from a different shop, but her time was already limited, and concocting the pill would take more than eighteen hours.
“No need to worry, my Lady, it is our duty to protect you. Please take the core and let’s return back to the mansion.” Darton stated with a smile.
“Young man, will you please sell that beast core to me? I will pay you twenty gold squares for it.”
Mirane quickly scrambled in front of Calron, and proceeded to take out the money from a spatial ring on her finger.
She’s kind of cute.
Calron thought, finding her clumsiness and kindness endearing. Mirane had a different personality than that of the cold Felice, and judging from her polite treatment of the vendor, it was clear that she was not one of the haughty nobles that Calron was used to.
“I’m sorry, my lady, but I have already gifted this beast core to my brother so it is up to him if he wants to sell it.”
Calron shrugged while opening his hands, and nodding his head at Roran’s direction.
Hearing Calron’s words, a dark glint flashed across Darton’s eyes, but the knight captain remained silent. Even the other knights behind Darton exuded a tense atmosphere.
Calron remained unperturbed by the change, and folded his arms behind him in a carefree attitude.
Hearing that the decision laid in the hands of the other young man, Mirane turned to Roran and asked again in a pleading tone.
“Will you please sell the beast core to me?”
Similar to Calron, Roran was unaffected by the knights’ dangerous aura and thought of refusing, but after seeing that tears were almost beginning to form in the noble girl’s emerald-golden eyes, Roran let out a sigh and held out the sapphire beast core to Mirane.
“No need for the extra coins, just pay back my big brother the nine gold squares and you can have it.”
Roran said while letting out a small smile. He could always buy another beast core later, so it was not worth it for him to make an unknown girl cry over it. Especially when she was so polite to him and his big brother.
“Really? Thank you very much! My teacher would have failed me if I did not make this pill by tomorrow.”
Mirane quickly rubbed her eyes against her sleeves and cheerfully took the beast core from Roran, and gave him a light bow. Turning towards Calron, the blonde girl handed out ten gold squares to his outstretched hand and gave another grateful bow to him.
“If you need anything in the future, please look for me at the Royal Alchemy School within the inner sector, and I will do my best to return this favor. Please excuse me, as I am running out of time for my assignment.”
Mirane conveyed happily to Calron while putting her spectacles back on, and running towards the direction that she came from. The knights helplessly ran after Mirane awkwardly in their heavy armor, but Darton remained for a brief second as he turned to face the two youths and gave a dark smirk before following after the blonde lady.
“Well, we’ll find another beast core for your sister.”
Calron walked up to Roran and patted him on his back.
“Yeah, it’s not a good idea to get into trouble on the first day that we arrive here. Big brother, let’s go find some cheap inn to stay at for the night.”
Roran sheepishly grinned, and walked ahead.
“Sure, let’s go.”
Calron laughed and followed Roran, ignoring the stares and gossip of the nearby people. It seemed that they had caused a bigger commotion that they realized.
What Calron and Roran forgot to pay attention to, though, was that Darton called Mirane’s father “Tower Lord”, and the significance of that title was only known to those who lived within the city.
Chapter 21 – Retaliation By Blood
“Big brother, how about this one?”
Roran asked while pointing at a medium-sized inn which had a sign that read “Wandering Eagle”. The inn looked quite decent from the outside, and it was not overly lavish like most of the inns that they had seen in the past hour.
“Looks good to me, let’s inquire about the prices.”
Calron walked to the front door and gently opened it.
*tingg*
A tiny bell chime rang above the door, and a ten-year-old girl cleaning the table at the entrance turned to him and gave a polite bow.
“Welcome to the Wandering Eagle, customer!”
The pony-tailed girl greeted Calron pleasantly and returned back to cleaning the table.
The inn was nearly full with only two tables empty, and there was a jubilant atmosphere with the customers drinking and laughing together. Several maids walked around the tables, refilling the mugs of the customers and happily chatting with them.
Noticing the innkeeper at the bar, Calron walked towards him while Roran followed behind. The innkeeper had a short stature with a fully grown beard, but the top of his head was already balding. He had a stern look on his face, but it was not unkind.
“Greetings, may I ask how much for a room?” Calron started the conversation.
“Five gold for a room, and an additional gold a day for each person for all meals. Our rooms might not be as extravagant as others, but no one compete with us when it comes to our prices.”
The short and balding innkeeper stated confidently as he folded his arms in front of him.
“Hmm, we’ll take it.”
Calron replied to the innkeeper after a short pause, giving a quick nod to Roran next to him.
Overall, it would cost them seven gold squares each day to live at the Wandering Inn, and this price was the absolute lowest they had encountered all day. Some of the inns that they had previously visited even charged customers twelve gold squares a day! The two teens could only hope that the rooms were habitable and at least moderately clean.
“Here’s the key. Your room is on the second floor and is right next to the staircase. I will send one of the maids to guide you there.”
The innkeeper said as he swiftly swept the gold that Calron placed on the table.
“Tanny! Come here for a second!”
The innkeeper shouted to the ten-year-old girl that the two teens had met at the entrance and beckoned to her.
“Coming Uncle!”
Tanny gave a quick yell, before she put down the cleaning rag that she was holding and skipped towards the innkeeper.
“Guide these gentlemen to the empty room on the second floor next to the staircase. Also, tell Martha in the kitchen to prepare more stew for tonight after you come down.”
The innkeeper instructed the young girl and gave her a fond pat on the head.
“Alright!”
The girl giggled and pushed away her uncle’s hand from her head.
“Please follow me, dear customers.” Tanny said sweetly as she asked Calron and
Roran to follow her.
“Lead the way.”
Calron replied with a smile and tagged along behind her.
………………………..
“…. press this for hot water, this one for food, and this one for cleaning.”
Tanny stated in her cute childish voice, as she scrunched up her face and eyebrows to look serious.
“Don’t worry, we won’t forget.” Roran answered the little girl.
Tanny had been explaining the uses of the communication crystals on wall next to the door and their purposes, while Calron stood there amazed by the various uses of these crystals. He had encountered a few of them in Vernia city, and since then he had been wanting to get a few of his own.
The room was much better than Calron anticipated. Although it was a bit bare and simple, there were two beds, a table and a few chairs. It was more than enough for a temporary stay.
“Thanks for the help Tanny. You should return back down, and we will be there shortly for some food.”
Calron said in a warm voice, as he handed out a silver square to the cheerful girl. Roran sensed something strange within his brother’s voice, but his face changed a brief second later.