My body is still steaming when I step out of the pool of hot water.

This bath isn't as big as Japanese public bath, which is weird because I thought everything luxurious would also be bigger in fantasy world. As it is, maybe a family of five will be able to enjoy a bath time, but otherwise it will be cramped.

I change into a new tunic and tie it up with a piece of silk fabric. It will be wide enough to cover whatever I put underneath. Then I put on the rest of my clothes and dry my dark hair while I'm getting out of the steaming room.

I feel clean and it feels so good. With the right accessories, I think my face will pass as an elven aristocrat.

'See that, crown prince brat? I'm not a filthy beggar!' is what I want to say while proving him wrong. Yes, I'm still holding the grudge of being called 'filthy' by that kid.

I go to my bedroom first to drop the towel and my dirty laundry to a basket. Then, I fetch my dagger. It feels weird to go out without a weapon, but I left my sword and bows in the forest hut. It's already a habit.

I change into a new cloak as I probably still need the hood from time to time. It's lighter than the cloak that I wore before and can barely cover my head. I'm not going out to do some quest this time. It'll be okay not to hide anything.

Lastly, I open the shelf and fetch a larger pouch. It's also filled with gold coins. I smile in satisfaction from the golden shine. Alovera is a moneygrubber, I think. It probably has something to do with his... er, my situation as an illegitimate child.

Being done in the bedroom, I leave the estate.

This time, through the front gate.

•°•°•°•°•

"Come, come, come! Buy two and get one for free!"

"Mister~ How about new garments for your room?"

"Young master, come visit us! We have new supplies from the merchants, they're a local specialty from another kingdom!"

The market street is filled with persistent offers. I used to shy away from them, as Arata, but now I can gracefully refuse them with just a smile or a nod. And I do it naturally too, so, good work, Alovera! Good job, me!

I take a turn in the front corner, to a smaller alleyway. It's not the first time I came here, and the positioning isn't that difficult to memorize.

The magic shop. It's located in the alley right across the blacksmith's (rumors are they're at each other's throats), and my ears already twitch from the amount of magic leaking from this corner.

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Even though I cannot use elven nature magic, I can still detect them. My ears, apparently, are highly sensitive to magic.

I enter the door and the smell of magic potions immediately barrages my senses. Yeah, this is the right place. I buy my Recovery potion supplies here.

"Master! You have a customer here!" I shout.

"Shut up! I'm busy!" comes the low, yet smooth and clear reply.

It makes me smirk. She doesn't fail my expectations. Every time I come to this place, she's always busy doing this and that. It's bad for business, but she has the best price for value from all the magic potions that I have seen so far.

I swipe the beaded curtains to reveal a room without any roof. It's still encased within four walls and an entrance where I just came from, but the walls went higher and higher, like a bell tower or a light house. There are shards of light coming from the creaks between the stones that make the walls, but otherwise, the light on the top of the building seems so far.

Which is strange, because from the outside, there's no tower as tall as the walls suggested. It must have been some kind of magic.

In the center of the room, there is a cauldron without any fire beneath. Instead, I can see a pair of tanned legs peeking from the cauldron. Shoeless.

"Master, I want to buy a spatial ring," I tell her.

Finally, she stops doing whatever she's doing and turns around. She looks at me before standing up. Her waist-long silver hair contrasts with her tanned skin. There are oddly mismatched fabrics all over her body, making her look like an exotic witch. She's all covered up instead of exposing her curves, though. Her face doesn't look that old, but I can't pinpoint how old she is.

"That dark hair, those long ears. I knew you. That's what you said a week ago, and you didn't have enough money at that time," she says while narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Yet, now you've gained that amount of gold coins so fast? It's either you're a son of filthy rich family or you're ultra strong as an adventurer, eh?"

How about both? I just don't want to use my father's money.

"...Here, 750 gold coins," I say, untying my pouch from my belt and hand it over to them.

It's quite heavy, but she receives it with ease. She even throws it to her left hand and back to her right several times. "Hm, the weight seems right," she says before peeking on the content; her forefinger flicks all over the pouch. "All gold. Good. You'd be better off with a spatial bag, young man."

It's her recommendation that makes me return to this place last time. She's strict with money, but she won't cheat her customer; that's the impression that I get from her.

"Ring, please," I say.

She narrows her eyes suspiciously before stepping close to my proximity. "Hmm... A gift for your girlfriend, is it?"

"No, it isn't..." I reply, but I still step back from that intense stare from her.

"But you do have a girlfriend." That's a statement.

"No, I don't." I make my stance. Why does it feel like a son being reprimanded by her mother for going on a date? Will I soon get the bees and birds talk?? "I can... wear the ring, even when I'm swimming, so."

Her mouth goes round before she claps her hands. "Right. That's true. A ring is the most convenient form of spatial space, as long as it fits your finger, that is. Come, come."

She throws a chalk out of her hand and pat the dust away, before going through the beaded curtain. My ears twitch. That must have been a magic chalk.

"I have several models here, choose one quick, I don't have all day to entertain you!" comes the demand.

Phew. I follow her, wishing that I can wipe the cold sweat from my back.

It seems that I'm still not good against people with intense stares.