Conrad just walked calmly. As he reached in front of manor's main gate, two fierce guards, who look at any passerby with a face that said, ‘mess up with me, I'll not hesitate to cut off your legs,' slowly bowed their head to Conrad respectfully.
They then raise their head and said with a warm smile, "welcome warden's Order. How may we help you?"
Conrad said calmly, as this scene was like how a noble addressing his men, "I need to see this town mayor,"
"Very well," said both guards, still smiling. They then open this manor's main gate to let Conrad pass. Just as Kyle about to follow Conrad inside, both guards raise their halberd in X-formation and looking fiercely at Kyle, "who are you? lowly peasant."
Before Kyle open his mouth to answers-
"It's ok. He's with me," said Conrad. Both guards then lower their halberds and said to Kyle, "you may enter," but still looking at Kyle like a dirty pebble on the road.
Kyle then entered the huge manor gate and follow Conrad. Although Kyle felt very angry in his heart for how different his treatment is, he understands that he is just a peasant wearing dirty rag clothes while Conrad is like a rich noble.
Inside, he could see a large garden with a wide array of purple flowers. Kyle felt very calm as he saw the view. He also saw a girl wearing silk dress playing with flowers. She was the most beautiful girl Kyle had ever seen. With how fragile her body looks, with how soft her skin is, with how beautiful her face was, like a frog seeing a moon for the first time. He just admired her beauty with longing eyes.
As she saw two men walk inside, she smiles. A pure smile. A smile that can make every man in this town gave all their wealth just to make that smile directed to them.
Kyle saw that smile, and he felt very heart-wrenching. That smile was not directed to him but to the man that walk in front of him. She looked at him with a captivating smile, not even noticing Kyle who was walking behind him.
Conrad walked calmly to manor's door. A servant who saw him immediately opened the manor door. No question need to be asked.
Inside, there was a maid who was waiting for any guest. When she saw Conrad, she immediately bowed her head and say, "welcome to Ragtown mayor's manor. How may I serve you?"
Conrad then said to her, "may I see the mayor, I have something to report to him."
She then invited Conrad toward the living room and presented Conrad with the finest leather chair in this room. She then said with a smile, "please sit here, I'll call the mayor immediately."
Conrad, who saw Kyle standing like stone statue said, "what are you doing? Standing like a scarecrow?"
"Well, you know, I… cannot possibly dirty any chair here, right?" replied Kyle nervously.
"Just sit, I felt uncomfortable looking at you standing there." Kyle hearing Conrad's order hesitated at first, then slowly sit beside Conrad.
A man then walks into the living room. He has trimmed short hair and wear black vest outside of his shirt. When he saw Conrad in fine clothes, he looks very pleased. But when he saw Kyle, dirty peasant sitting on his fine chair, he felt pain, but still maintain his composure.
Conrad, who saw the man walked to him stand up, followed by Kyle. Conrad then walked to the man and said, "hello, I'm one of Order's warden," and holding out his hand to shake mayor's hand.
The noble-looking man replied while shaking Conrad's hand, "hello, I'm this town mayor. How may I help you?"
Kyle understands his position so he stood still behind Conrad without interrupting their discussion. He knew how different he is based solely on their social standing.
"I'm here to report about the death of several town guards and one of chaos art user entering your town yesterday, but don't worry as I already killed him," said Conrad and the mayor nods. Conrad then continued, "my second report is, I will take this boy here with me. I see that he has some talents in arcane art. He will follow me to Frouis city, where The Order's headquarter located."
As soon as the mayor heard words of Kyle, a lowly peasant has talent in arcane art, shock showed on his face. It's not impossible for anyone to have talent in arcane art, but it was rare. If a mage can be selected from 1 out of ten people, arcane art user is ever rarer. It is said that only 1 out thousand people have talent in arcane art.
Arcane art user is born from a family with a noble heritage. Arcane art user usually married each other to preserve their bloodline, and only child born from two of them can use arcane art. Even then, only 1 out of ten children has talent in arcane art. The rest will become a knight, merchant, and mage.
That's why the mayor was stunned hearing a peasant in rag clothing has talent in arcane art. If Kyle is a child of a knight, then he can accept it, but that's impossible. He knows Kyle, as Kyle is famous as a peasant that can do any job as long as the pay is good. He also knew Kyle parents and even Kyle's grandparents. They are only farmers in their entire life.
When the mayor heard Kyle's talent. He immediately held out his hand to Kyle, as a sign to shake Kyle's hand. The mayor knows. Know what it meant to be a warden's Order. Even if Kyle is a lowly peasant right now, with dirty hands and poor clothes, but he knows. If Kyle manages to become warden's Order in the future, he needs to show good impression for his future connection.
Kyle, who saw mayor's hand hesitate. He then looked at his dirty hand and rubs it to his trouser first. Then he slowly shook mayor's hand. The mayor's replied by shaking his hand honestly. Kyle, who saw how easily mayor's change of heart know mayor's action is not like a pure princess in fairy tale shook beggar's hand, but what two-faced means.
The mayor then retracted his hand, smile still lingering on his face as he said to Conrad and Kyle, "how about you two rest here today as my guest. I'll entertain both of you as much as I can."
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Conrad then replied, "sorry mayor. But we still have things to do. Thanks for your invitation, though."
After saying goodbye to Ragtown's mayor, Kyle and Conrad went out of the main gate. As they went out, Kyle ask Conrad, "Can we go to some place first? It was at eastern part of this town."
They then walk to a small wooden house at eastern, outskirt part of Ragtown. Kyle knocks its door, and he saw a woman on her forties with brown color hair.
"It's you, Kyle," said aunt Jeanna warmly. When she saw a rich looking gentleman beside Kyle, she felt worried. What did Kyle do this time?
"What did you do this time Kyle? You know how hard it is for you to escape when you trick a rich lady before?" ask aunt Jeanna as she raised her eyebrow.
"It's not me to be blamed for that incident. How can I resist when seeing a naïve rich girl alone in this town. All I did was trying to sell her fake accessory," said Kyle in protest.
He then said hesitatingly, "well… aunt Jeanna, you know how much I owe your family right. You always took care of me since my parents died so –"
Kyle then bowed his head earnestly, "thank you for everything."
Aunt Jeanna looked at Kyle weirdly, not knowing what the current situation is.
Conrad, who saw the situation explained to aunt Jeanna, "to tell the truth, yesterday night, a chaos user attacked Kyle-"
Before Conrad could even finish his sentence, aunt Jeanna immediately inspect Kyle's body and said worriedly, "are you okay Kyle? did you hurt anywhere?"
Kyle, who was very embarrassed said, "I'm okay aunt Jeanna. You see that rich looking gentleman? He's the one who saved me when that chaos art user about to attack me."
When aunt Jeanna heard the man beside Kyle is a warden's Order, she immediately shook his hand. Not even caring how dirty her hand and how poor she looks right now, she just shook his hand earnestly.
"Thank you," she said, "thank you for saving Kyle."
"Aunt Jeanna, I came here today to say goodbye," said Kyle while rubbing his hair. He then said, "that man said that I have talent in arcane art. So, I'll follow him to make my life better and chase after my dreams.
Aunt Jeanna hugs Kyle tightly, in a very loving embrace before releasing him and said, "take care, Kyle. Always know that we'll always wait for your return."
Kyle then followed Conrad as they walk out of Ragtown's main gate. In Kyle's heart, he vow while holding his hand in a fist and looking back one last time at Ragtown, ‘you'll see Ragtown. One day, I'll come back here. I'll come back while laughing, and this continent will remember me. Not for whom I am today, but for whom I'll become.'
They walk to a stable just outside of the town's main gate. The stable owner looked at Conrad while smiling, knowing how much money he had just by looking at his appearance.
"May I help you, fine gentleman? We have every type of horse you want. Fine breed usually used by nobles to the fastest horse. We also rent carriages, from 2 silver coins for a day journey to 20 silver coins.
Kyle thougt that he can once again live in rich lifestyle. Going to Frouis city inside a comfortable carriage, and watch the passing scenery while drinking fine juice. But, as he was daydreaming –
"Give me two of your finest horse, please. Complete with saddle set," said Conrad to the stable owner.
"2 horse of finest breeds cost 6 gold coins each, complete with saddle set," said the stable owner. He then prepared 2 white, noble looking horse complete with saddle set installed on both of them.
After paying for both horses, Conrad said to Kyle, "I'll give you that one. Consider it as my gift.
He added with longing eyes, "take good care of it as one day, a good hose will save you in danger."
Although Kyle felt very happy receiving a good horse, but he also felt conflicted, ‘how the hell am I suppose to ride that?'
As he touched his horse, ready to sit on it's back, the horse neighed loudly, unwilling to let Kyle mounted on it's back. The horse, a very fine and noble horse, ride by an amateur who doesn't even know how to ride a little pony, no way it will accept Kyle as it's owner.
Kyle's horse look at Conrad, with longing eyes. It then looked at another white horse beside Conrad and look back at Kyle with a heavy sigh.
Kyle felt angry at how his horse, a damn horse, dare to compare him to Conrad, you're just a horse goddamnit. Just let me ride you like a horse should be.'
He stared at his horse. With a smirk, he said, "well horsey, horsey. You know what, I'll make you see me as your master before we reach Frouis city."
Kyle's horse felt afraid in its heart. It tried to back away from Kyle.
Kyle then held the horse's head tightly. It tried to get away, but unable to move its body.
"Heh, although I never ride a horse, but I've succeeded in taming a bull before. Let's see if a wild bull or a noble horse is tougher to tame."