It's been two days since the pale girl rented a room at the Red Mug Tavern yet she was a total mystery to the barkeep and the townsfolk alike. Her presence alone was enough to pique the interest of the people of Rath since they didn't get that many visitors, save for the occasional traveling merchants, trying their luck at trade thinking that this town could be an untapped gold mine.

Whenever she went outside to the marketplace or just for a stroll, children or housewives looking for potential gossiping material always tailed her.

This immense curiosity of the denizens of Rath had an unexpected benefit. The tavern's barkeep was more than happy to serve people their refreshments as they came to the tavern to gossip. Whereas Gerda, the wife of the fruit vendor Erthur, also had a surge in popularity amongst the other housewives since the pale girl made sure to visit their stall each time she visited the marketplace.

However, Lila was oblivious to the fact that she became the town's celebrity. To her, she was simply doing groceries at the market or she was just stretching her legs after a good night's sleep, though she did begin to notice people listening in to her conversations from time to time.

On top of that, the money she "appropriated" from her previous encounters and the charity she received from Aranth were running dangerously low. Last time she checked, she had less than 30 copper coins left in total.

Her concerns for her finances were not the only thing going on in her mind while she sat on her bed as the morning sun lit her pale face. On the contrary, it was the least of her problems at that moment...

After a deep sigh, she reached for her bag and opened its flap, taking Crystal out.

"Come on... You have to help me out, Crystal. I know you're angry but you know this was the only choice we had."

Crystal was uncharacteristically unresponsive since it was placed in the bag like a trinket. Since then, it refused to answer or even acknowledge Lila, kind of paralleling what she did before.

Today wasn't any different either, still no response from Crystal no matter how much Lila pleaded.

Lila, on the other hand, got desperate, She was all alone in this world without Crystal. Her voice shaky and her eyes teary, she kept begging over and over again, which were answered with silence.

Suddenly, out of anger and frustration, she threw Crystal across the room, followed by the sound of Crystal hitting the wall and dropping to the ground.

Now with tears in her eyes, Lila shouted in anger, "FINE, LEAVE ME LIKE EVERYONE DID. YOU WERE THE ONLY THING I HAD LEFT AND NOW YOU'RE GONE TOO."

As she shouted at the crystal, she began to cry uncontrollably. Her voice could barely be heard through her hiccups, "I don't have a home. I don't have a family. I don't have friends. I don't have anywhere to go. Not anymore. Now even you..."

Her legs gave way and she soon found herself on her knees, her hands covering her face with her agony-filled wails seeping through the crevices of her fingers.

Whilst Lila lost herself to despair, a loud banging was heard. At first, Lila didn't realize where it came from but it was enough to snap her out of it.

Then, another banging, even louder this time. Turning her attention to the door, she could hear a man shouting.

Mardro the Barkeep was calling out to Lila with his booming voice as his broad hands banged on the door,

"Lila! Are you in there? What's wrong?! OPEN UP!"

Wiping her tears away, Lila managed to get up on her feet. She slowly walked over to the door and unlocked it. Now that she faced the barkeep, she could see the concern he had on his face.

"S... sorry... I just... remembered something," Lila mumbled, her voice shaky and weak.

"What thing? Are you sure you're okay? Is there someone in here, do you need help?" Mardro bombarded her with questions, his eyes frantically searching the room in the meantime.

It took a while for Lila to answer the man's question. Her eyes met Mardro's,

"No... No, I'm all alone here... I just remembered I had a boyfriend once... Sorry if I caused you any trouble Mardro..." said Lila.

"Well now, you had me, worried young miss. All that screaming and yelling could be heard from downstairs, you know?"

Mardro continued, "Don't worry. I'm sure things will get better. Besides, if that guy knew any better, he'd never lose a catch like you!" His fist was up in the air, making a punching gesture.

Smiling, Lila shrugged, "Thanks Mardro..."

Mardro returned Lila's smile, brandishing his hearty laughter, "Ahahah! Any time Lila! Now, come downstairs when you're ready, breakfast is ready."

Making sure that his favorite patron was safe, Mardro made his way downstairs. With him gone, Lila closed the door and went over to the drawer to change into her regular clothes. Out of nowhere, she heard a familiar voice echo in her mind,

"We need to have that talk about lying..."

Lila immediately turned her attention to the shining crystal, floating at the edge of the room.

"Where have you been?! Why did you ignore me?!" Lila thought.

"I told you, I did not want to enter that bag." Crystal coldly blurted out. It continued, "It is too dark and suffocating in it."

"Suffocating?" Lila asked, confused.

"I might not need to breathe, but it reminds me of the cave..."

"Oh..." Lila remembered the time she found the crystal for the first time. It was really excited to see the sunlight back then.

Considering everything that happened afterward, she did not have any time to think about those words. What Crystal said back then... Years? Centuries? How would it feel to spend that long in darkness?

Lila answered by saying that Crystal would have lots of sunlight now. Does that count as a promise? Did she break her promise?

"What are we going to do then? You'll draw too much attention if you float." Lila asked.

"Just hang me on your hip. If anyone asks why you have a crystal on your hip, tell them that it gets scratched." Crystal advised. However, with a slightly playful tone, it continued, "Shouldn't be too much of a problem for our master liar here."

This kind of struck a nerve. Yet, she was glad to have Crystal back and decided to let it have this one. Her smile returned on her face again, Lila got dressed and headed downstairs, Crystal in her hand. After she sat down, Mardro brought her meal, although he was confused about why she had her merchandise in plain sight.

"Oh, I just want to carry it around. It gets scratched in the backpack and I don't want it to get ruined,"

Before Mardro left, Lila asked for a piece of rope, pointing out that she wanted to hang the crystal on her hip, to which Mardro obliged by bringing her smaller scraps. After thanking Mardro, Lila got to work but this took more than a few attempts for Lila, it's been a while since she made a net, not that she was any good at it. After a few tries ending with her untangling the rope in frustration, she managed to make a fitting net for Crystal. Tying the net to her belt, she could finally focus on her delicious breakfast.

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As she ate her meal, she took a quick glance at her hip to check on Crystal,

"Y'know, it actually looks nice like this. You are a surprisingly nice accessory, Crystal."

"Shut it, kid..."

Crystal's response almost caused Lila to choke on her food, which was thankfully averted after a big sip from her fresh orange juice. Orange juice huh... She didn't have something like this back when she still lived in Gladeside, she had none of what she has right now. But then, suddenly, the harsh truth dawned on her once more... She was almost out of money.

Her worries came back instantaneously, she knew how to herd sheep or fish but she didn't know anything else. On top of all that, she didn't know where to earn money either.

Eavesdropping on Lila's thoughts, "Just ask the barkeep lassie. He knows almost everyone in this place, he can get you a job." said Crystal.

Lila got startled by Crystal's suggestion but it was right. She could ask Mardro for a job after all! Her face lit up once again, and after finishing her meal, she went over to the counter to drop off her plate. Normally, she would wait for Mardro to pick it up before she went out as always but this time, she needed to be on her best behaviour.

"Look, if you want something, just say it. You don't need to act nice to ask for something Lila," Mardro immediately saw through Lila's attempt.

Quitting the act, Lila got serious, "Okay... Tell me where to find a job then!"

It took more than a couple of seconds for Mardro to understand what she said. This outsider, a merchant, is asking a barkeep where to find a job.

With his usual hearty laugh, "Ahahaha! You are joking, right? Right??"

She wasn't joking, she was dead serious. A merchant by her own admission was actually asking for a job. Ah, she must be out of money since she couldn't sell her merchandise, yes that must be it. Surely this girl wouldn't be lying...

Having thought about it for a second, Mardro crossed his arms. "Have you asked Erthur? I'm sure he would have something for you. Last time I heard, his business was booming and he needed a couple of extra hands," he concluded, his hand scratching his beard.

This suggestion was a lifesaver for Lila. Yes, she wasn't good at a lot of things and she didn't know anyone in the town but one thing she could do was help around the stall. Heck, she had long arms, she could even pick fruits from their orchard if she had to.

Thanking Mardro, she left the tavern to head for the marketplace.

Out on the main street, she came across Aranth shooing away a beggar kid. It was a sad sight to behold for the young girl, after all this could have been her if she hadn't found money beforehand. This could still be her if Erthur doesn't give her a job.

With Lila deep in thought, the beggar boy noticed the pale girl watching the scene. Turning his head to face the guard after noticing the girl, he gave a small shrug and obeyed his command, not forgetting to pick up his dirty rug once he got up from his spot. As the kid began to leave the scene, Aranth's eyes watchfully followed him around until they came across Lila, who was still worriedly watching the scene.

"Hey Lila, how are you? If you're worried about the kid, don't be. He knows he's not allowed to beg on the main street but he insists on coming here lately." Aranth said, though his sentence was suddenly cut off by him pointing his spear at the beggar, "LEAVE! HANDS OFF HER."

This sudden burst made Lila jump but it made her notice the beggar kid's hand dangerously close to Crystal. Clutching the crystal on her hip, she backed away from the kid and watched him disappear into the alleyways.

Turning her attention to Aranth, still clutching the crystal,

"I didn't know Rath had beggars."

"It's not all sunshine and happy faces here Lila. A lot of these kids' parents either abandoned them or they are working in a..." Aranth cut his sentence short again. After thinking of a better way to explain the situation "...a different industry," he concluded, in a suggestive tone.

Lila knew Aranth hinted at something but she had no idea what it was. Maybe those parents were away from the town working somewhere else? Questions for later, she had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

"Anyway, I need to get going Aranth. I heard Erthur needed help with his business."

"Ah yes, I heard that too. Okay then, don't let me hold you up. But also be aware of your surroundings next time, got it?" Aranth warned before parting ways with the young girl.

Lila nodded in agreement. Continuing on her way after saying her goodbyes to the guard, she reached the marketplace and headed to the fruit vendor. Erthur and his wife had gotten used to the girl, he even warmed up to her after their incident. Still, he did not forget her slight after his wife humiliated him in front of her. Lila hadn't forgotten their first incident either. Him trying to scam her is still engraved on Lila's mind.

"Hey, Erthur. Is Gerda around?" Asked Lila.

"No, she's at the orchard picking apples. If you're looking to buy something, you know that I can help you too, right?"

Yes, this man definitely got on Lila's nerves. She may have loved talking to Gerda but she detested this man. Nonetheless, she kept her cool and answered, "From what I heard, it seems you need help. Care to employ an energetic young girl?"

Erthur was surprised by her proposition. She was a rich merchant, why would she ask for a job? Oh, maybe the "celebrity" ran out of money. Giving her a smug smirk, he leaned on the stall and pointed at the crystal, "Oh? Does the "merchant" girl need money? Tell you what, you give me that crystal on your hip, and maybe I'll give you a couple of copper coins. How about that?"

As soon as he finished talking, Lila's eyes lit up in fury. He finally did it... He was going to be the first man Lila would attack out of spite. Before she could do anything though, the stall gave way and collapsed in front of the man, with him following it to the ground face flat.

Erthur grunted in pain, his arms and face full of tiny splinters, "Just go..."

Lila didn't even look behind her as she skipped in joy toward the south gate. Going to the orchard with Gerda before was helpful indeed. Along the way, she thought about what happened back at the stall,

"That was you, wasn't it?" She thought, with a big smile on her face.

"His wife wasn't around. Someone had to teach him a lesson," answered Crystal with glee.

Now with an even bigger smile, it didn't take long for Lila to pass through the south gate and reach the orchard. After searching through the trees for a little while, she noticed a struggling Gerda collecting apples on top of a tall ladder.

Going below the tree, Lila called out to her, "Hey Gerda! Do you need any help?"

Gerda looked below and saw her favorite customer. She was happy too, for once someone offered to help her, "Well yes, I could use your arms over here Lila."

"How much would this pay me, Gerda? I kind of need the money."

"Not a lot. How about 30 copper pieces for the day? We need to collect them all or else they will start going bad soon."

30 copper pieces? That's not a lot, not at all... After thinking about it for a while, Lila reluctantly accepted. Low pay or not, she needed the money. Besides, where else could she find a job if she didn't accept it?

Hearing that she accepted, Gerda got down the ladder and gestured for Lila to step up,

"Just pick them slowly and twist them from their stems. Don't rip them away from the tree, it will damage the branches if you do."

With Lila picking the apples and Gerda carrying the basket, they began their work.

"By the way Gerda, Erthur leaned on the stall too hard and made it collapse. I think you should check on him."

Gerda's eyes widened in shock after she heard the news from Lila, "WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me that sooner? Gah, that useless gibbering oaf... Continue what you're doing, I'll be back soon."

Dropping the basket on the ground, Gerda angrily hurried back to the marketplace. Now that she was gone, Lila grabbed an apple and took a bite.

She hid it from Gerda but she was hurt by her greed.

"She's paying me so little Crystal." Lila said.

"Of course she is lassie. Don't trust people even if they are friendly," answered Crystal. "And if you ask my personal opinion, the only trustworthy person in this whole town is that guard."

Huffing, Lila protested, "How come? Gerda has been nothing but a friend to me."

"I know that you don't realize what's going on kid but ever since you came here, that barkeep's and this woman's business have been booming," Crystal revealed to a shocked Lila.

"And before you ask, yes it's because of you. This town is small, so an outsider like you brought up a lot of attention. People are lining up to learn more about you!"

Lila was flabbergasted. If she was the talk of the town and brought customers, how come she offered her so little despite all that?

Crystal broke the sad news to her with pity in its voice, "These people aren't your friends. Their friendship would be gone the moment the town's interest in you eventually dies out."

It added, "This is the same for that barkeep too. He may be friendly but if your money is all spent, I am sure that he would kick you out."

This was harsh for Lila. In her town, everyone helped each other and they didn't take advantage of anyone. If someone was sick, they would all help that person. If someone didn't have enough food, they'd all help.

The outside world, despite its magnificence, was a cruel teacher.

She quietly accepted the 30 copper coins Gerda handed to her, looking at her employer's face as she did so. Now that she was aware of the situation, her smile looked different from the previous ones she had given her. Was this what a fake smile looked like?

She was still new to this money thing. 30 copper coins felt a lot when she first agreed on it. But now that she knew Gerda and her husband were making so much out of her, she understood that the two of them were not so different after all. This new perspective was making her second guess everything she knew about Gerda. It made her chest hurt. But most of all, it made her angry at herself. Angry that she was foolish enough to not notice something so obvious. Hiding her distress and anger, she gave a quiet nod and left for the tavern, the sun setting on the horizon.

At the end of the long and tiring day, she finally reached the Red Mug Tavern, exhausted both in mind and body. Sitting down on her favorite stool, she ordered herself orange juice as usual. However, right as she was taking a sip, a hand appeared on her shoulder. An old man roughly yanked her by the rope of the hat hanging from her neck. As she turned around, he roared at her with spit flying from his uncomfortably close face.

"Why do you have his hat!?"