Nathan, Arielle, and Ashley were still tearful over show, so the family waited patiently for them to collect themselves. Maya pulled out three handkerchiefs from her handbag and gestured her children, Thomas and Chana, to hand them to their step-cousins seated on their left.
"Henrietta died just like mom, dad, and Grandma… protecting me." Nathan said with a cracked voice as he sobbed.
Upon hearing Nathan, Ashley's wails grew louder, and she buried her face in Nathan's shoulder.
"Aonidas lost all of his friends, just like me; now he's all alone." Arielle's voice trembled as she cried. Her face was nested into Grandpa's shoulder, as Patrick gently pat on her head.
Pondering the show, Thomas turned to his father, his brow furrowed in puzzlement, and asked, "If Henrietta was supposed to be a captive, how did she manage to move around so freely?"
Hearing Thomas's question, Chana chimed in, "The Demon King also claimed Henrietta was dead, but why would he say that?"
Harold was baffled by the question, and shook his head as he said, "I'm not sure." He had picked this show because of its popularity among kids, not because he was well-versed in its story. "Why don't we pick up the manga outside? It's on sale, after all."
"Don't worry, Dad, I can borrow it from the library anytime I want." He subtly discouraged his father's suggestion, knowing that Harold's paycheck was not impressive as an early career assistant. "I just wasn’t into this manga series."
"Isn't this series, like, super popular? Would you be able to find it in the library?" Chana asked. Hero Aonidas' manga series was all the rage in school, even Chana had heard of it.
"The latest volume might have a six-month wait, but the earlier ones are usually readily available," Thomas answered.
Once Nathan, Arielle and Ashley composed themselves, the family left the theater, carrying the remnants that reminded them of the permanence - empty popcorn buckets and soda cups filled with melting ice.
"So, did you all enjoy the show?" Harold asked the children, taking a breath of the air outside the theater.
Arielle's face lit up as she followed behind Harold and exclaimed, "Yes! I'd love to watch the sequel!"
Nathan nodded at Harold with a warm smile, while Ashley chimed in, "Me too!"
"Hey Arielle, I can grab the manga from the library for you, if you'd like." Thomas offered affably.
"Sure!" Arielle happily agreed. "Thanks, Thomas!"
Patrick suggested to Nathan, "You know, reading the manga might help you unwind, Nathan. Maybe you’ll discover a new hobby beyond work." Nathan used to love playing with swords. However, after being discouraged from learning martial arts, Nathan lost his passion and never picked up his toy sword again. Patrick worried that the workaholic boy might overexert himself.
"I'm too busy for that; I'll just wait for the sequel and watch it with everyone." Nathan answered prudently, subtly tightening his grip on Ashley's hand as they walked out from the theater's exit.
"Thanks, Maya," Patrick said, and "Thanks, Auntie Maya," Nathan added, as Maya took their soda cups and threw them in the nearby garbage bin.
"You're welcome!" Maya answered with a refreshing smile.
Having had their fill of popcorn and soda, the family decided to skip lunch and head directly to the northern downtown area.
Thomas was looking for a trainee bow made of wood, so they headed to the Woodworker's district.
The shops in the area showcased a diverse array of handcrafted wooden goods, including furniture, intricate statues, and an assortment of utensils. Harold and Thomas quickly located a shop that sold wooden weapons.
"Welcome! Please feel free to take a look!" the shopkeeper immediately said as they entered.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
The shop opened to the street without air conditioning. Wooden swords, wooden spears, and of course, wooden bows of various sizes were neatly organized into shelves. They also sold training swords and toy swords. As Harold and Thomas stepped into the shop, they were immediately met with the pungent scent of freshly cut wood, the rhythmic sound of sawing in the back, the wood dust coating the shopkeeper's attire, and the confident tone of the shopkeeper. All these elements collectively conveyed a sense of pride and craftsmanship, implying that each item was meticulously handmade by the owner and his apprentices.
Harold turned to the family and suggested, "Why don't you all go browse elsewhere? This might take a while."
"Sure, remember to get some toy swords and training swords, ours are starting to crack," Maya said.
"Got it!" Harold replied, then began to browse the wooden bows with enthusiasm. As a seasoned bargain hunter, Harold typically scouted out several shops, carefully comparing prices and quality to snag the optimal deal. It would take him an entire afternoon buying a bow and the toy swords with Thomas.
After a brief discussion, the family decided to split up, each member pursuing their own interests. Patrick went to Blacksmiths Street to shop for kitchen knives and surgical knives, and Arielle followed her grandfather, interested in real combat equipment. Maya and Chana browsed at the Weaver section to examine the newest fashions. Lastly, Nathan and Ashley went to the bookstores.
The majority of establishments surrounding the Adventurer’s Guilds were vocational schools. The bookstores were conveniently located near the schools to allow students easy access to reference materials. Since the school year began in January, by the end of March, most advertisements for new textbook discounts had been replaced by the newest novels and manga series.
Nathan and Ashley walked into one of the larger bookstores. A bold, uniform sign - "No Reading Allowed" - hung outside each of the bookstores, a stark reminder to browsing customers that they were allowed to browse and examine a few pages, but not read through the books without buying.
Nathan and Ashley, with purpose, swiftly walked to the textbook section and started browsing.
The Kingdom's educational philosophy and framework was articulated around vocational training, with a strong emphasis on developing industry-specific skills at a young age. Other than the four core subjects, English, Math, History, and Science, and the ungraded Martial Arts and Religious Studies, students needed to choose their occupational electives. Nathan was currently enrolled in private Rune Craft classes and self-studying Botany and Medicine as his electives. With Master Shirley set to introduce the concept of electricity to her class the following week, Nathan sought out a textbook that would give him a head start on understanding this novel subject. After an exhaustive search that lasted several hours, Nathan diligently picked several textbooks and workbooks and put them into his shopping basket.
Once Nathan was done, Ashley walked up to Nathan, pulled on his sleeve and said, "Nathan, can you help me pick some workbooks? I need to catch up in school."
"Okay, let me see…" Nathan said, turning his gaze onto the bookshelf and meticulously picked out several first-grade workbooks.
Nathan affectionately ruffled Ashley's hair with a warm, reassuring smile and said, "If you ever need help with your homework, just let me know, okay?"
"Thanks, Nathan." Ashley answered with a smile.
After paying at the cashier, Nathan took out a shopping bag from his long overcoat to carry the books. It was about 4 pm when Nathan and Ashley walked out from the bookstore.
Wild beasts and bandits showed no regard for days off. Thus, many Adventurers worked over the weekends. As Sunday drew to a close and Adventurers began returning from work, the downtown area near the Adventurer's Guild was again filled with flyer distributors and salespeople.
"Master Jose's School of Leather Crafting. Limited Time Offer! 20% off your tuition, ends tomorrow!" The same elderly woman, now a familiar face, approached Nathan once more, holding out the same flier she always carried. Nathan mused to himself, "The sale has been 'ending tomorrow' for several months now. I guess the Leather-crafting and Weaving disciplines are having a really tough time," as he continued to walk, taking more fliers from disciplines that depended upon harvests.
"Hey there, young man, good to see you again!" A man in his forties in a grey robe exclaimed, waving to Nathan, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "I have spent my entire life studying martial arts, focusing on the sword. My style is theoretically invincible, and it suits you very well!"
Ashley's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she turned to the man, exclaiming, "Theoretically invincible? That sounds awesome!"
"Right?" the man said as his face widened with a big smile, clearly delighted by Ashley's enthusiastic response.
"Keep walking, Ashley. That's a scammer." Nathan said, holding Ashley's hand tighter as he continued to walk, pulling his younger sister.
"I'm not a scammer! My name is Louis, and I'm a certified martial arts teacher from the Adventurer's Guild," the man protested, his happy smile turned bitter as he rummaged through his pocket for a flier, struggling to keep pace with the siblings as they walked away. "Here is my flier, my certification number is written on it, please take a look!"
Nathan's curiosity was piqued when Louis mentioned a certification number, prompting him to take a swift glance at the flier. However, martial arts also reminded him of his weakened left hand. Feeling frustrated, Nathan then continued to walk, accelerating, and brushing off Louis' flier.
"My offer for the free demonstration still stands!" Louis called out, pressing the flier into Ashley's hand as Nathan refused to take it.
"Bye, scammer!" Ashley said as she chuckled, finding it funny.