Fiasco after fiasco, the trio struggled their way through this new world. It was a never-ending cycle of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and sometimes, with the wrong people.

It was an utter disaster for the trio. And due to such, they had no choice but to search for a new place to start over again, especially after losing their jobs not even a week after obtaining them.

Thus, they began their journey once more.

…

It was a beautiful sunny day in Hilltop, a mundane Monday morning. As with the start of each week, the merchants were fully energized and ready to go back to work as early as can be. Shopkeepers, workers at the town hall, and merchants alike were busy for the entire day arranging trips, packing equipment, and preparing goods of all kinds to be transported and sold to other towns.

As with each Monday morning, the town hall was at its busiest. Desk workers rushed with arranging plans and papers for the merchants, racing from one place to another, and tending to a person before tending to another. It was the town hall's great rush hour, and with it was money to be made, goods to be sold, and—

"Please! I beg you!"

…people begging for help?

Thankfully, it was nothing to fret over. Nonetheless, it was quite a hassle to deal with, especially at such a critical time in the town hall. The pleading man was being tended to by one of the town hall workers, but what could get him to act as such?

The 'man' pleading was a skinny adolescent boy with green eyes and flowing shoulder-length brown hair. He was dressed in brown leather boots and a green tunic over his brown shirt.

"Sir, for the last time, we cannot send luminaries to escort you! I'm sorry, but we can't."

The only town hall worker who tended to the man was the same woman that the trio met in their job hunt—Elaine, a desk worker at the town hall.

Although the boy was begging her to fulfill his request, she simply couldn't. She refused with a regretful expression plastered on her face as she eyed the boy from her desk, the latter kneeling on the ground while begging.

"Please, I really need someone to escort me, I can't go alone!" The boy replied.

"Sir, I understand your frustration, and that you really need this as a merchant, but you lack the money to afford a luminary at the moment, you need at least two hundred Coe. Besides—"

"I know, I will pay everything that I can beforehand, and the rest after the escort. So, please! Just do something!"

"Sir, that is great and all, but I can't do that. All of our luminaries are already busy with an active escort mission, even the part-timers. If you really want to, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?! I need this today! I can't wait for tomorrow, I need to go now! And I can't go without an escort!"

"I'm really sorry, sir. But I can't do anything, you should speak to the luminaries themselves."

"I'm a previous luminary goddamit! I can't be abandoned like this! There needs to be a way! Please, just do something!"

"I'm really sorry, sir. I just…" Elaine mumbled as she looked behind her, gesturing for a luminary guard to take the merchant away. "Anyways, sir. We are more than happy to see you tomorrow if you still want to hire an escort. A luminary will now escort you to the entrance, have a great day!"

As the luminary guard calmly approached the merchant, the latter snapped into a frenzy while shouting, refusing to be gently led out of the town hall.

"What?! No! I need this today! I must not wait, I can't!"

As the merchant struggled, resisting the luminary's hold, the latter simply twisted the former's arm behind his back before pushing him toward the entrance. With an effortless shove, the merchant was thrown outside the establishment before the luminary went back inside, shutting the door on him.

Enraged, the merchant turned towards the door, standing silently for a few seconds before shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Cunts!"

As an overwhelming feeling of defeat flooded the merchant's mind, the latter couldn't help but look down in disappointment, whispering a single word in frustration.

"…damn it."

As his plan failed miserably, the merchant couldn't help but contemplate—and dread—his next move. He had to leave town today at all costs, for it was dangerous for him for whatever the reason may be. However, he couldn't leave on his journey alone, for it was even more dangerous.

Defeated, he simply strolled away from town, his hands clasped together as he nervously thought to himself, contemplating his next plan of action.

'Godammit, what do I do now? Talk to the luminaries?' He thought to himself, but due to a blunder the latter committed with the luminaries, he quickly scratched the idea, 'No…there's no way they could help me. But what else? Do I hide? Do I go alone? Godammit, I should've just faced that blond bastard there and be done with it!'

With each scrapped plan, he grew more nervous and agitated as beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. His heart beat faster, his steps grew quicker, and his mind raced as he tensely fidgeted his hands.

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Finally, he snapped from the overwhelming pressure.

"Ahh! Goddam—"

Before he could voice his frustration, the merchant was interrupted by a passerby who bumped into him. Startled, the former's eyes shot up at the stranger, a piercing glare directed at him.

"Watch it." Said the stranger, continuing on his way.

As the merchant glared at the stranger, he couldn't help but snap at him, erupting into explosive anger before cursing.

"Watch it, ya cunt!"

Upon releasing his pent-up anger, the merchant realized what he had done. Precisely, to whom. His eyes locked with not only one, but three people. And they were none other than Mik, Joel, and Dolisia.

The three stood silently as they eyed the merchant, except for Dolisia who eyed the merchant while being carried on Joel's back. Dolisia was more or less nonchalant, Joel was confused, and Mik was both confused and annoyed.

"I beg your pardon?" Mik said—a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he imitated a British accent.

"You…" The merchant whispered in disbelief.

The three faces his eyes fell upon were very much familiar. They were the outlaws he heard about from the previous town he was in, and also a source of his current predicament and concern.

Seeing them was a nightmare come true for him.

The trio's mild expressions instantly shifted into dread as they saw the merchant sprinting away from them, calling for help. For any innocent bystander, such an event would just be a surreal encounter.

However, for outlaws…

"HEY! COME BACK HERE YOU CHEESE AND CRACKERS BASTARD!" Mik shouted.

Not a second was wasted as Mik followed after the merchant, running towards him as if his life depended on it, while the merchant ran away because his life did indeed depend on it.

"Wait! Mik!" Joel called to the latter.

Seeing as it was futile to call for him now, for he was carelessly sprinting away like a freight train, Joel decided to do the most appropriate action: To follow after Mik while cursing at him.

"Mik! You dumbass, don't kill him!" Joel said.

"God save the queen, 'cause he sure won't be saving you if you run any further, bloke!" Mik threatened.

Upon hearing the latter's threats, the merchant boy ran faster as tears raced down his cheeks.

"Joel! Slow down!" Dolisia ordered.

"Are you serious?! If I take my eyes off Mik for one second, he'll do some dumbshit that I have to pay for!"

"Joel, I'm serious. My breasts are gonna be ripped off if you don't simmer down!" Dolisia argued.

"Well, what do you want me to do? I can't stop!"

"Well drop me down!"

"Granted!"

And instantly so, Joel let go of Dolisia, the latter smacking into the ground face-first into the pavement while Joel ran like hell after his deranged, murder-driven friend. Dolisia could do nothing but look up in disbelief, before cursing at Joel.

"Joel, you dumb son of a bitch!" Dolisia shouted.

"Priorities! It was either you or another murder charge!"

Thus, as Joel left the goddess on the street, he ran faster after his friend who was a considerable distance away. But as he followed after him, he saw the merchant take a sharp right turn towards a secluded alleyway.

"Oh, God no!"

Joel exclaimed in a panicked voice, for he knew that said alleyway would be a perfect place for Mik to…be himself.

As such, Mik hastened his pace until he entered the alleyway, slowing down afterward as he reached for the Magnum holstered under his belt. Upon doing so, he quickly flicked the safety switch on before he stood in place, aimed for the merchant, and threw the gun at him like a boomerang.

Clang! The gun struck the merchant's head with remarkable accuracy, and the boy dropped face-first into the ground, unconscious. He was laying on the cobblestone, dry tears and snot dripping down from his face.

"Sheesh, I only said a few British jokes and he's already sobbing." Mik said, "What a pus—"

"MIK!" Joel called out, panting as he made his way into the alleyway. He was relatively calm until he saw the unconscious merchant laying on the ground. "Did you kill him?!"

"Bruv, that's a bit rude, no?" Mik sarcastically remarked.

Joel didn't reply to the latter as he knelt down towards the merchant, checking if he was alive. After finally noticing a pulse, Joel breathed a deep sigh of relief before turning towards Mik, smacking him in the head.

"You're a psycho."

"Oh, come on now! What was that for?" Mik said, holding onto his head.

"For not listening to what I said, you bastard."

"But I didn't kill him!"

"You would have if I wasn't there to tell you otherwise."

"Well…" Mik attempted to argue, failing regardless. "I wouldn't call that killing precisely."

Joel said nothing as he looked at Mik with an annoyed expression having had enough of him.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop. But anyway, now that the dude is unconscious…" Mik began, "What do we do now?"

"Well, I am sure we can…talk. Yeah, just have a nice, civilized discussion to get this sorted out."

"Well, we don't know what exactly there is to sort out." Mik argued, "I mean, he does know that we did some stuff. The question is, what kind of stuff does he know we did?"

"Yeah, that's the ordeal here. I guess we can make him spill out, now we just have to wait for…" Joel said before he paused, a wave of anxiety washing over him as the sound of breathing resonated from behind. "Oh God…"

As he turned around, Joel's suspicions were confirmed. It was none other than Dolisia.

The latter was breathing heavily, a murderous glare directed at Joel as she wiped the dust off of her face and clothes. Although she was supposed to be too tired to walk, the anger flowing through her veins dictated otherwise.

Even more so as she saw the merchant's unconscious body.

"DID YOU TWO KILL HIM?!" Dolisia inquired, calmly.

"Bruv, that's a bit rude, no—" Mik began, before being interrupted by another smack from Joel.

"Oh, shut it!" He reprimanded the latter, "No, we didn't kill him. He's just unconscious."

Upon hearing the latter's statement, Dolisia breathed a deep sigh of relief before she sat on the ground, laying her head on her hands as she deeply thought about their current predicament.

"Well…quite a cesspool we're drowning in right now, aren't we?" Dolisia wondered.

"No no, I'm sure Bob is still one-upping us in that aspect." Mik interrupted, "But…yeah, we really have quite a load of bull to deal with now. Any thoughts Joel?"

As Mik and Dolisia turned towards Joel—awaiting a response—the duo was taken aback by the latter, who was in a deep state of contemplation with his eyes closed. The duo simply observed the former in complete silence.

"Guys…" Joel interrupted, "I think I have a good plan to get us through this hassle."

"Wait, what? That fast?" Dolisia questioned.

"Well, yeah? But, you guys will have to bear with me."

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" Dolisia argued, "You screwed us over with the bandits, I'm not falling for your trap again!"

"What?! But it worked! Unlike you, my plans work!"

"But my plans aren't insane!"

"Well, this one could be tame!"

Dolisia contemplated the latter's words for a second before she came to the conclusion. As insane as Joel could be, his plans were remarkably good.

"Alright, fine." She sighed, "What do we need to do?"

"Well, for starters, let's get this bloke out of here and find someplace out of town, precisely, away from anyone that could report us for kidnapping." Joel stated, "Mik, could you kindly pick up the guy?"

"Aye!" The latter replied.

As Mik knelt down towards the merchant to pick him up, he noticed a red substance leaking from the latter's head, and onto the ground. Upon closer inspection, he was dismayed by the realization that the substance leaking was, in fact, the merchant's blood.

"Hey…Joel."

"Yeah?"

"Uh…I think…" Mik uttered as he turned around, "That bitch's dead."

The trio killed the merchant?