- VOL 1 – THOSE UNITED BY THE FATE -
Chapter 2: Future Plans (10/12)
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‘I learned more than I thought I would.’
When Shin came out of the guild building, shadows surrounded him. What had been a bright day had turned into darkness in the most crowded part of the city as the sun shifted its position a little so that it was hidden by the clouds. Still, the sun occasionally peeked through the clouds to show that it was there.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere was still quite lively. The chestnut-haired boy leaned his back against a building, calmly watching the crowd in front of him as the breeze blew gently.
‘I guess it's a good thing I met Yumi-san.’
A small smile formed on his face as he cleared his mind completely and immersed himself in the scenery in front of him.
Sph.
...
.....
...
Splash, splash...
But before he could enjoy the view, he was distracted by a few drops of rain falling on his head. The clouds covering the sun had begun to rain lightly. Although it didn't look like there was more to come, these few drops helped the boy who was leaning back to remember something.
Shin slowly dropped the smile on his lips as a flat expression covered his face and he calmly began to walk in an indistinct direction.
‘I suppose Riki-san must have finished examining it’
Although Shin didn't notice, a young man with auburn hair, brown eyes, and a naive look in front of the Golden Raven Guild had noticed him. But he did not try to call out to him in the crowd, nor did he try to follow him. He just entered the guild on his own business.
''Huh? Wasn't that Shin?”
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‘What to do...’
A boy with chestnut hair and amber eyes was walking with heavy steps. It seemed unclear where he was walking. He had his head down in front of him and was lost in thought. He didn't care about the crowd around him, nor about the rain that lightly washed his hair.
‘I don't know this neighborhood very well.’
He was only with his thoughts now. It was as if he was changing his destination with every thought he had.
‘I don't know many people around here either.’
He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, aiming to come up with a clear solution to his problem.
‘I don't want to think too much or waste time on menial tasks. Either I'll get some information and do business in the neighborhood, or I'll forget the idea.’
He stopped walking. There seemed to be fewer people in this neighborhood than in the city center, although there was no obvious change in the surroundings.
‘Huh... A cart would be good for transportation. I'd take anything I might need with me to make it quick and safe.’
He lifted his lowered head and looked up at the sky. It was cloudy and overcast. But this did not make the sky lose its beauty. On the contrary, this blue and black chaos in the air perhaps added an extra beauty to it.
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‘Sheesh. Since when did I become someone who thinks about comfort? Let's get the word out about this plant, then I'll run to the forest. I'd rather spend my time in the forest doing everything with my hands than here trying to earn money.’
He shook his head as a drop of water fell on his forehead and turned his gaze in front of him. There was a building in front of him that looked familiar. After glancing at the signboard to make sure it was the place he remembered, he entered without waiting.
"Welcome."
A bored female voice greeted Shin as he entered the building. Shin could not see the woman from the entrance area because the bookshelf in front of him blocked where the voice came from. So he crossed the bookshelves to see her before responding to her greeting. The person who called out to him was seated at a large table, her full attention focused on what was in front of her.
The expression of this woman Shin had met yesterday was almost the same as before. The only difference was that she was staring sharply at the ball-like object in front of her. She was so focused on the object in front of her that the scene reminded Shin of two enemies weighing each other on the battlefield.
The object on the table was a fruit, cut into two pieces right down the middle. There were many beads and pieces inside.
Shin watched her curiously for a while, and when he didn't make a sound after entering, she called out to him in a loud voice.
''What did you need?''
Even though she shouted, she did not take her eyes off the fruit on the table for a moment.
‘What even is she looking for? She's not doing anything. Anyway, let's ask her.’
Shin slowly approached the table and spoke gently.
''Hi Riki-san.''
Even though he spoke calmly, the woman jumped out of her seat startled at the sound of his voice. Her piercing gaze, which had been locked on the fruit in front of her for several minutes, disappeared and was replaced by a puzzled expression as she turned to face the boy who had just walked in. Standing up, she stammered.
''Shi- Shin-kun?''
Shin didn't understand her reaction, but he kept talking, wondering what Riki was up to.
''I wonder if you've finished your research?"
''Ha... huh?''
Seeing her confusion, Shin pointed to the table.
''I was talking about the fruit.''
Looking at where the boy was pointing, Riki was awakened by what she saw. For a few seconds, in her shocked state, she looked like an innocent child, oblivious to the world. However, she quickly regained her serious and seemingly emotionless expression.
''Yes, I have done the necessary research.''
Her voice sounded confident in a way that was incomparable to her earlier shaky state. Turning her gaze back to Shin, she continued.
"But I couldn't find anything previously known about this fruit. What you said sounded strange at first, but I think you're right."
A small smile formed on Shin's face.
"Then you must have made some deductions about this fruit."
Seeing the boy's face, the woman immediately understood the situation. Obviously, this boy had already planned something. With a deep sigh, she gestured to the chair on the other side of the table. Then she put a simple smile on her face and asked.
"Would you like some tea?"
"We seem to have a lot to talk about. That would be nice."
Hearing this, she slowly went to the back of the room and disappeared for a few minutes.
‘Hehehe. I've come to the right place. Looks like we're going to do well here.’
The boy sitting in the chair waited with an excited expression.
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"It's really nice. I guess when you've studied herbs, you've improved in the other areas where they're used too."
Shin was sipping the herbal tea in front of him with pleasure. Riki had brought snacks with the tea. Seeing these, Shin's impetuous demeanor disappeared, replaced by appetite. Riki's serious expression softened when he saw the boy like this. It was as if her face had been forced to remain unresponsive before, but now she looked relaxed and calm.
"You could say that. Dealing with plants has made me better in a lot of areas that involve them."
She took a sip of her tea and continued.
"Not forgetting my family, of course."
"Your family?"
"Yes, my family is quite well known in Ardevant. Especially for the teas they make... Sweet and bitter teas..."
Riki stopped for a second and took a deep breath. For a moment something seemed to bother her, but she quickly shook it from her face and returned to the conversation.
"That must be where my skills come from. But unlike my family, I do it as a hobby. You won't find tea like this around here, you're lucky you came today."
Shin looked down at the tea at the bottom of his cup and then spoke in surprise.
"Ahh... I’m refreshed. I didn't know you were such an important person, Riki-san. I don't know about your family's tea, but you're the one who made this tea, thank you."
Hearing this, the woman's cheeks flushed slightly, but even Shin, who was right in front of her, didn't notice her expression. She replied with a big smile on her face.
"You're welcome."
Slowly, however, the smile gave way to a serious expression. It seemed that she was back to her emotionless mood of business. The boy did not question this change because he understood what had happened. He too put on a serious expression and began to speak.
"Did you confirm the properties of the fruit?"
"Yes. As you said, there is a lot of energy in it. Just consuming it would be very beneficial. But..."
She paused for a while. Shin, curious at this silence, asked without hesitation.
"But?"