Amara's words were clear, though the reasoning behind her actions eluded me. I knew she was angry, but I couldn't exactly draw a clear logic, though something told me it was more than just racism that had irked her.

During the course of our meal, I had been beside myself, stealing glances at the entrance that an enforcer might burst through at any moment. I wasn't afraid of the law and enforcement, though I did feel apprehensive at possible litigation.

As I was ruminating over the possible consequences of our action, my heartbeat picked up into a thunderous tone. The dragon-infused emotions roiled within me, demanding comeuppance for the man's actions. Every beat brought me back into the past, to that time when I was still trying to crawl my way to safety. At that time I had promised myself that I wouldn't give two fucks about anyone's status.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I thought up to there, then I turned to face Amara, who was surprisingly looking right at me. I blinked, feeling a spark ignite in my core. My Dragon Heart beat a mile a second within my chest, demanding I take her right there. I took a breath and restrained the urges. Amara curved a lip into a soft smirk.

Our exchange went unnoticed by the burgundy-haired dwarf, who ate with the voraciousness of a beast. Seeing the stout woman stuff her face to the brim somehow birthed feelings of awe within me. I took a bite of my own stuffed mushroom.

During that time, most of the patrons had made quick work of their meals and left, as if running away from a demon. I could understand their worries, though; they had laughed at the scary vampire lady and were unsure of the fate that would follow.

We finished our meal, feeling stuffed. A goofy smile hung on Tania's face as she patted her armor-covered belly. "That felt nice..." She released a sigh and closed her eyes.

I gently nudged the dwarf lest she fall asleep. "Tania, we still have somewhere to be, so don't fall asleep, alright?"

She offered a begrudging nod and stood up. Amara and I followed and quickly left the tavern. The wind had ceased to blow, and only the drizzle remained. The three of us turned to find a vehicle that could transport us quicker.

One of the downsides of the Erdwatch spread so thinly was the travel time. Normally it would take two days on foot to travel from one to the other, and that too without stopping to rest and recuperate. Although we didn't have to reach the other end, the distance we had to cover was only marginally better.

As we walked amid the light shower, I swept my glance around the busy hawkers setting their stall under a trampoline despite the downpour. Their dedication was commendable and one of the only things that appealed to my own nature.

Finding a transport was easy enough; we managed to locate a lone carriage attached to which was a beast of pure and unadulterated black muscles. Its angry red horns swayed any thoughts of approaching the beast without sufficient confidence or a death wish. That said, the beast itself was merely a mid E-Rank.

A young man stood leaning against the door wearing a blue tunic and brown trousers. He noticed our approach and hurried to straighten up. I put on a polite smile and said, "Hello, we would like to travel to the Guild station."

The man gestured to the open door with a smile. "Come on board."

The ladies were the first to occupy their seats, and I managed to sit opposite them. The man hadn't been as courteous as the server in the tavern, though I attributed that to my lack of proper clothing.

With a slight lurch, the carriage was put into motion. The beast traveled through the streets with the speed that would put normal peak E-Rank hunters to shame. We could've run at a faster pace, though that would've been unwise and certain to draw unwanted attention. Travel like this was both efficient and safe.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Wow, the beast doesn't seem strong, but it can still manage such speed." Tania said, with an impressed tone.

I smiled and said, "Actually, these are specially bred Black Bulls that are unlike the normal beasts. They are quite famous, in fact, right alongside the Starwmere horses and Golden Crown Eagles."

"They make them?" Tania asked with a shine to her eyes.

I nodded. "They come from the Duchy, though there are rumors that the Empire might be involved with the trade."

The sole Duchy of the Eirland Kingdom bordered the Empire more than the capital city of Vaelin. It was said that the King had bestowed the duty of keeping the Empire at bay to Duke Caltherion.

Tania and I exchanged a few words before Amara spoke up. "They are merely burning through their vital energy to maintain their peak throughout their exceptionally short lives."

Her words dripped with unveiled derision, though it seemed more directed at the providers rather than the product itself. The rest of our journey passed in silence. During that time I extracted a portion of a Mana Crystal from my belt and weighed it.

About 100 grams...

As I still lacked proper funds, I had to make do with what I had. In fact, if not for the dunderhead who thought his life was worth a fart, I would've had to pay for the meal just the same.

At 100 grams, it equaled nearly 2 gold coins, but of course a mere ride would hardly cost even a tenth of that. I crushed it further and drew a curious look from Tania.

"Why are you breaking that Mana Crystal?" She asked.

I told her about our lack of funds, and she shook her head. "But breaking it like that would only reduce its value..." She sighed and proffered her hand. "Give it to me."

I handed the powdery crystal to her. Tania raised her right hand's index finger, the tip of it glowing with a pale blue sheen, and tapped it at the crystal. Suddenly the glassy substance turned malleable, molding under her gentle ministrations before taking the form of a gleaming round coin.

"Wow..." I expressed my amazement at the display, and even Amara looked at the coin with interest.

"Was that...?" I pointed at the coin and inquired; Tania nodded before I could even put forth my hypothesis.

"Forge of Eternity? Yup!" She bobbed her head enthusiastically. It seemed she liked using her talents to help me or provide help in general. She might also carve gratification from our awe-filled expressions. Either way, I was glad to have gotten such an ally.

"Wow." Amara voiced, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. "You just turned it even more valuable than before. What? Do you intend to buy the whole carriage?"

I sighed and accepted the coin from Tania, who looked a tad forlorn. "Don't worry, we have enough funds to indulge a bit without it harming us."

That did nothing to temper the disappointment, so I directed a narrow gaze at Amara. The vampire turned her head with a derisive snort, though not before I managed to catch a pang of guilt etched on her face.

The jostling and shaking of the carriage ceased as it came to a stop. The door opened to reveal a coarse cobblestone road, giving off a rough luster. The rain had washed it clean, though its grainy texture made it so that it wasn't slippery.

I stepped down from the carriage, followed by Tania and then Amara. Taking out the coin from my pocket, I handed it to the man.

His smile waned as he took hold of the perfect piece of round crystal. Blinking, he addressed with a hesitant voice, "Um, what's this?"

"You got lucky," I said. "This mana crystal was supposed to be spent elsewhere."

"This is a mana crystal?" The man spoke, his tone disbelieving.

I smiled and nodded. "Sure it is. It's just a bit polished and worth more than your wood wagon."

"But—"

"Listen, do you want to accept it or not? Although I will make it clear that refusing this opportunity would cost you dearly, so think carefully."

The man gritted his teeth and stared hard at the crystal coin and then clicked his tongue. "I'll accept it." He spoke with some difficulty.

"Don't worry, you won't regret it. In fact, you'll thank me every time you wake up in the early morning." I spoke up to that and then turned to leave.

"Are we going to the guild?" Tania asked, having recovered some of her cheery passion.

I nodded. "Yes, but before that we'll have to visit some place else."

The drew her attention more, as her eyes sparkled."Oh, where?"

I felt the Mana Crystals tucked in my belt, hidden away from the prying eyes. Although Amara hadn't handed the potion case, she had dutifully carried the bundle of wealth with her everywhere. It was about time I resolved both issues and brought some order to my own appearance.

I smiled and answered, "Clothier."