A robust soldier with a thick beard and mustache stood not far away from them, holding a bow in his hands. He wore cheap armor and equipment, however there was a raw bloodthirsty aura surrounding his body.
There was vigilance in his eyes, and even the hands on his bow were tight, ready to jump in action the moment he noticed slight unwanted action from the newcomers.
“Speak of your identity, unknown travelers. You are in the boundary of Marthe Town, any type of aggression will result in inviting the rage of three hundred and forty seven hunters from the town.”
Roy immediately stood in front of Arvad to shield him. “Hold your hands.” He quickly fished out a token from his pocket, and threw it towards the hunter.
The hunter immediately wanted to retreat, but when he sensed that there was no killing intent from the unknown man, he stood on his ground. Despite that, his body was drenched in cold sweat. There was some kind of unknown suppression he felt from the thin black-robed man.
He decided to not make any move, and raised his hand to catch the flying token. When it finally fell in his hands, he felt a slight tremor run down his body.
The token was heavy despite his small size and width, and there was weird marking drawn around it. The weird lines touched each other, making some kind of mysterious inscription he could not comprehend.
A splitting headache assaulted the hunter when he tried to focus too much on the token. He took a deep breath, and handed the token back to its owner.
“He is definitely someone I can’t afford to offend. No.. even the entire town will not be able to bear the wrath of this person. I have to go back and let the town elders know about him.”
The hunter unconsciously dropped his weapons, retreating a step or two. There was a slight tremor in his voice despite his effort to suppress it. “Esteemed Mage, please forgive me for my insolence. I dare not point my weapon at you.”
“Don’t worry. There is something I want you to do for me.” Roy took out a gold coin, and once again threw it towards the hunter.
The hunter hurriedly grasped it, and his eyes were shrouded by greed. He looked at Roy with blind respect. “Please command anything, I won’t hesitate to complete the task.”
“Don’t let anyone know of my existence. If you do, you should know the consequences.”
A small flame lit up on Roy’s hand, decreasing the temperature of the surrounding area.
The hunter’s body trembled under the pressure, and he nodded profusely.
“Good.” Saying that, Roy started walking towards the entrance.
Arvad quietly followed behind him, and when they rushed past the hunter, he asked in a low voice, “Hey, what was that token? Why was he so scared?”
“One of the most sought out things in the world. The identity token of a mage. It is only handed to certified mages by the Mage Association,” Roy answered.
“Mage Association.”
“They didn’t tell you?” Roy stopped his footsteps, and looked back with a frowning face. “Then, there might be some reasons for that.”
Arvad pouted. “Hey, don’t be like those old men. Tell me, won’t you.”
Roy thought for a second, and said, “I guess there’s no harm in telling you this. Mage association is the dream of every mage. It has branches around the entire Siara Continent. Only the strongest have the chance to enter in the Mage Association. Even the arrogant Artidus Empire deem this entity as its equal if not superior, and believes them to be their equal.”
“Is it controlled by anyone?” Arvad felt as if a new world was unlocked for him.
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“No. It has always been a neutral entity. No one knows who controls it. However, their influence runs far and wide, and some believe that it is the strongest power in the world.”
“How does one enter a Mage Association?” Arvad asked suddenly.
“Power and knowledge. You must be a prodigy in one of those things. No matter if royal blood runs through your veins, you wouldn’t be allowed to join.”
Arvad walked behind him, lost in his own thoughts. The low hushed murmurs woke him out of his stupor. Past the thick wooden doors, he noticed the scenery change ahead of him.
The dark forest whirling into a dream, and a street full of people greeted his eyes. The clothes they wore weren’t the best ones Arvad had seen; in fact they were filthy. However, the smiles they wore were naturally the most authentic ones when compared to those nobles he had seen back at home.
The streets were stones under the thick foundation of mortar and sand. A thick sweaty and spicy smell lingered along the narrow alleys.
“Jonathan, you filthy boy, I heard from Aunt Sara that you went to the brothel again. I will fucking beat you to death?!” An old woman roared at a young man across the streets.
“That old slut. Even I saw an old man sneaking out of her house in the dark night.” Jonathan replied with a righteous indignation.
Clad in heavy makeup and revealing clothes, a lady not far away was enjoying the show, when her body trembled, and her expression turned pale. She hurriedly walked towards the man who just shouted, and slapped him. “How dare you slander me, you beast.”
The old woman who had her stick pointed towards Jonathan immediately changed her enemy. “I knew you were a slut from the beginning. You even have the guts to do adultery with an old man. How dare you slap my son?”
“A good show, isn’t it?” Roy edged closer to Arvad, and chuckled.
“Sure it is. Outside world is really fun,” Arvad said with excitement.
“Is it? You will know when you spend more time.”
Soon, they reached a small inn not far away. The locals said that this was the best Inn in Martha Town. In Arvad’s eyes, it was nothing more than a bundle of scrap wood, which might get swept away by a strong wind.
“Are we really staying here?”
Roy looked at the little spoiled child, and sighed. “Listen kid, I am not here to babysit you. Either you stay here or you sleep outside. There’s no other way out for this.”
Arvad was a little surprised by hearing the naked annoyance in Roy’s voice. It was the first time someone dared to talk to him in this way except for his teachers. He felt a little undignified but decided to stay silent at the moment.
Saying that, Roy did not wait for Arvad’s reply, and directly entered the Inn. Arvad woke out of his trance, looked at the almost ghostly and foreign streets, and turned to enter the Inn.
Inside the Inn, they found a table and sat down. There were a few people at this hour, and they were mostly hunters from around the nearby villages and towns.
“Hey, I did not mean what I said before. I was just a little surprised since it will be my first time staying in a place like this.”
“Oh.”
“Shhh.” Roy gestured to him to stay silent.
Arvad was confused at first when a conversation hit his ears.
“Why are you returning so early? There’s considerable time before, and the more beast you can hunt the better. Since there’s no other food source in your village.”
“Sigh. It seems like the news has yet to reach the people. Yesterday, a hunter party was killed by a beast in the territory. Rumors say that there was a single survivor, and he reported the predator to be a grade 9 demonic beast who could already use magic.”
“What?!” The man loudly thumped his beer glass on the table. “A magic beast at the periphery of the Darkwood Forest? That has never happened. I am sure it is just a wicked plan of those hunters to scare us away.”
“It is possible, but I have already managed to hunt enough beasts for us to last the winter, so I will just head back instead of gambling my life.” The robust man sitting opposite the man sighed ruefully. “You know, this business hasn't been smooth lately. I have survived near death cases recently. I can’t continue knowing that my children and wife might be left on their own. There is a possibility that it might be my last trip here.”
The man also sighed. “True, true. Hard times are upon us.” He looked at the empty beer glass, and immediately took the big jug to fill their glasses. “Since it is going to be our last drink together, let’s make the most of it.”
“Indeed, my friend. Cheers!”
Clank!
They downed the glasses in one gulp, and the robust man suddenly laughed. “Have you heard the latest topic of discussion?”
“What is it?”
“The Aeron House has declared the Coming of Age ceremony of their heir.”
“Isn’t that a common tradition running down from generations?”
“There’s certainly a surprising thing here. The heir just turned seven years old not long ago?”
“WHAT?”
“Yea, King Aeron thinks a seven year old can do what adults are losing their life for? Hahaha, what bullshit!” The robust man seemed intoxicated as he laughed continuously.
The man beside him turned anxious, and he immediately said, “Hey, keep your voice down. Do you know the consequences of speaking too much?”
“Haha, what are you worried about? We are at the Empire’s end. Even the omnipotent eyes and ears of Artidus can’t reach here.”
The man was stunned for a second before he started laughing along with him.
On the other side, Arvad’s fists were clenched hard under his table, and his expression was masked in extreme anger.
Roy noticed his unstable breathing, and could not help smiling. “What kid? Do you feel angry? Wanna punch them?” He leaned closer, and whispered, “Or… kill them.”
Arvad’s pupil dilated the instant he heard that. With shocked eyes, he looked at Roy’s smiling face for a second, and he did not find Roy to be the same aimable and dark guy.
‘He is a demon.’
Calming his breath, Arvad looked at Roy’s face and shook his head. “They are nothing but some ordinary hunters, their opinion doesn’t bother me.
“Ohh, are you trying to protect them?” Roy was amused.
“No. I just think their deaths might cause too much commotion, so we better not alert any enemies. I don’t want more enemies than the ones already waiting for me.”
“Indeed.” Roy looked at the drinking men, and the bartender, his eyes deep in contemplation.