Chapter 59 - Market I (Part 1)

  Nathan Evenhart:

  Walking through Evenhart City, Chloe, Kinue, and I made our way to the bustling market.

  "Look at this!" Chloe pointed excitedly at a stall selling various accessories.

  She ointing at an earring.

  "That's really pretty, but I don't like wearing earrings. I prefer other things," Kinue replied.

  "Is there anythihat you like?" I asked.

  Chloe and I noticed Kinue g a neckce before quickly looking down.

  "No…"

  The street was crowded, and many shops and stalls lihe busy marketpce. We were dressed as oo blend in and enjoy the city without attrag attention. Chloe and I were used to going into town alone, and Kinue had wao join us. Our teacher stayed behind since her elegant appearance would have drawn too much attention and wouldn’t have allowed us to explore the pces we liked to visit.

  "Do you want the neckce, Kinue? I noticed you don’t wear any accessories, and it would look really ni you," Chloe asked.

  I looked at the fox girl, whose tail was waggiedly.

  She might attract a little attention…

  Some people were giving Kinue curious looks, uandably so. Our territory was far from other kingdoms, and seeing a demi-human here was certainly a rarity.

  "It's too expensive…" Kinue murmured.

  My role was to apany the two of them around the city, and I also wao take Kio some different pces, especially since she’d be leaving soon.

  "Don’t worry about the cost, I’ll pay for it. Besides, you received an allowance from the teacher," my cousin said.

  Even though she’d received money from both my teacher and my aunt, Kinue seemed relut to spend it… I uood how she felt.

  I approached the fox girl.

  "Don’t worry, Kireating yourself to something nice every now and then isn’t a bad thing. You deserve it," I reassured her.

  "I guess so…"

  She didn’t sound very fident.

  The stall owner approached us.

  "That neckce costs 10 bronzes. Are you sure you have the money?" he asked.

  I pulled a silver from my pocket and ha to the stall owner.

  It made sense for him to ask, sidering we were dressed like ordinary vilgers.

  "I’ll take the neckce," I said.

  "Wow… a silver ," the stall owner accepted the and handed me nine bronze s in ge.

  "Anything else you’d like?" he asked.

  "Do you want anything?" I asked Chloe.

  My cousin poio a pair of earrings.

  "I’ll take these," she said.

  The stall owner hahem to her.

  "That’ll be 30 bronzes," he told me, and I handed him three s.

  We left the stall and tinued dowreet.

  "Here, this is for you," I said, handing the neckce to the fox girl.

  "For me?" she asked, surprised.

  "Of course, why else would I buy the neckce you were ied in? I got it for you."

  She really does have low self-esteem.

  I helped Ki on the neckce, and I could see hoy she was.

  “Th-thank you,” she said.

  “No problem, you’ve taught me so much over these past few months. This doesn’t even e close to repaying what I’ve learned from you.”

  Kinue had been an excellent teacher. Even though I already knew how to use my element, she helped me refine my trol over pure mana, which allowed me to develop my fwed Wind element.

  “Nate, you help me put on these earrings?” my cousin asked.

  I’m pretty sure you do that on your own…

  But I had to agree to Chloe’s request.

  Tough girls o be pampered sometimes, too.

  “Where are we goi?” Kinue asked.

  Chloe and I paused to think. We’d already walked around the city, visiting a few tourist spots, and I wao take a break.

  “Let’s grab something to eat at a food stall,” I suggested.

  The two girls agreed.

  “Let’s stop by a clothing store first,” my cousin said excitedly, and they both ran off.

  I watched the two eic girls running ahead and sighed.

  In the end, Kinue is just a normal girl.

  I didn’t rush to catch up with them, knowing I’d have to stand around for a long time while they picked out clothes. I’ve learhat no matter the world, women always take their time shopping for clothes.

  As I walked, I noticed a man selling some unique ons. Typically, every pce sold the same types of ons, but occasionally, shipments of swords from other kingdoms would arrive, and I found those iing.

  I’ll have to give up my fun for these girls; I’ll e back ter and buy something… if there’s anythi.

  I hurried to catch up with them but was surprised by what I saw as I got closer.

  “Answer me!” a man yelled.

  I rushed over when I realized what was happening.

  Kinue was on the ground, and a soldier was yelling at her.

  “What happened?” I asked as I approached.

  My cousin looked furious.

  “Do your eyes work, or are they just for decoration?” the soldier s the two of them.

  “What’s going on here?” I asked as I got closer.

  The soldier looked at me.

  “These two idiots bumped into me and made me drop the bag of fruit meant for my master. Who’s going to pay for the damages?” the soldier pined.

  I noticed a few other soldiers with him, esc someone.

  I k dowo Kinue.

  “Are you okay?”

  The fox girl looked upset.

  “Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she said.

  I had to trol my anger.

  “Who did this to her?” I asked, seething.

  Chloe stepped closer to us.

  “We ’t reveal who we are…” my cousin whispered.

  She’s right…

  The soldier walked toward us.

  “You stupid peasants. Yoing to pay for this, even if it means w on the farm,” he sneered.

  “For some fallen fruit?” my cousied.

  “Here,” I said, handing over the ge I’d received from the vendor. “Will this cover your damages?”

  The soldier looked at the bronze s in my hand. He snatched the money and ha to someone who seemed to be a butler.

  "There's more than enough here," I said, watg them t.

  There goes my allowance...

  The men stared at us.

  "It'll do," said the butler.

  I turo help Kinue and noticed she had scraped her knee.

  "Martha help you whe home, or the teacher," Chloe said to Kinue.

  Crisis averted...

  I sed the surroundings, certain that someone from the castle robably watg over us, hidden somewhere nearby.

  If these guys had done anything, they have no idea how much dahey were in.

  "Wait!" called a voice. "You there..."

  A man emerged from the soldiers. From his clothes, I could tell he was a noble.

  "You're a demi-human. What are you doing here?" he asked.

  The butler approached us.

  "Answer Baron Gideon!" the butler demanded.

  "So what if she's a demi-human?" I excimed.

  The baron took a step toward us, his soldiers following.

  "A young demi-human is worth a fortune," he said.

  "What?" I reacted in shock.

  The baron moved closer to us.

  "Take me to your parents, little girl, or whoever is responsible for you. I'll make an offer to buy you. Demi-human women develop quite a figure when they grow up."

  "What did you say? Svery is a crime in Evenhart territory!" my cousin Chloe shouted.

  Kinue shrank, hiding behind Chloe.

  I ched my fists in anger, letting my mana flow into them.

  "Leave the children alone!" a voianded.

  The soldiers and the baron looked behind us.

  "I'll be rep this to the city administrator. Svery is a crime punishable by death in these nds," said the voice.

  We turo see a red-haired woman. She was wearing armor and was very striking.

  "We're not from this duchy, so your ws don't apply to me. If I buy someone and take them with me, there's no issue," the baron said.

  The woman stepped in front of us, blog the way.

  "As long as you're on this nd, you're itting a crime," the woman said firmly.

  "How dare you challehe baron!? A noble is untouchable, you mere soldier!" the butler protested.

  The baron made a gesture with his hand, and the butler fell silent.

  "We're leaving. We don't want any trouble," the baron said.

  The group of soldiers moved to shield the baron as they turned and walked away. The female knight stayed with us until she was sure they were gone.

  "Th-thank you," my cousin said, bowing in gratitude.

  I hid my hands behind my back when I noticed the woman gng at them.

  "I only stepped in before things got plicated and your friend decided to do something foolish," she said, ruffling my hair.

  Did she see the sparks ing from my hands?

  "I'm really grateful, you saved us," Kinue said.

  The red-haired woman smiled.

  "I was just passing through. You were lucky I was nearby," the knight said.

  "What's your name?" I asked as the red-haired woman started to walk away.

  "If you tell me your full names, I'll tell you mine," she replied with a grin.

  Chloe and I remained silent.

  "Everyone has a secret," she said, ughing, before disappearing into the crowd.

  My cousin and I exged gnces.

  "Do you think she knee were?" she asked me.

  "I have no idea, but she gave me a strange feeling."

  As we started walking again, another proached us. She was dressed in pin clothes and came up to us.

  "Thied a bit quickly," she said.

  "Were you following us, Martha?" Kinue asked.

  Martha let out a small ugh as she crouched down to check Kinue's knee.

  "My job is to protect you three, both inside and outside the castle," she said, creating a small ball of water aly pg it on Kinue's knee.

  Within seds, the wound healed.

  "So, where are you headed now?" she asked us.

  Chloe's stomach growled, and we all ughed.

  "Get something to eat…" my cousin murmured, embarrassed.

  "All right, I'll keep my distance so I don't ruin your outing," Martha said.

  uardian walked away, blending into the crowd until she disappeared.

  "Is it just me, or are the maids at your castle not normal?" Kinue asked.

  Chloe and I exged gnces.

  "It's just your imagination…" my cousin replied.

  We tinued on our way, looking for a street restaurant.

  Baron Gideon:

  After a while, we returo where the children had been and saw them leaving in the distance.

  "What do you think?" I asked the butler.

  "They're oners, sir. If they disappear, who will miss them? They’re worthless," he replied.

  I nodded in agreement.

  "My i lies in the fox girl. She could fetch a good price when she's older... and I could have some fun with her too," I said.

  Demi-humans are very rare in the kingdom of Teresia and hardly ever roam these nds.

  "What should we do, sir?" one of the soldiers asked.

  "Bring the children to me. The two girls will be useful when they grow up, and the boy bee a sve on one of my farms," I ordered.

  I usually purchase sves at aus, but we all know that besides those who became sves due to debt, there are those who were kidnapped from other pces.

  Who’s going to pin? They’re just foolish children.

  My soldiers were used to this sort of work whenever we traveled to distant pces. I enjoyed buying children from poor families because it was cheap and very profitable in the long run. However, sometimes we came aerdise that couldn’t be bought, and in those cases… we ha our own way.

  Who would be foolish enough to let such a valuable oner demi-human slip by unnoticed? I’m certain I’ll make a good profit from her.