Alaric figured he’d explain everything happening to the one man he could trust. Well, the one man closest to him that he could trust.

LionHeart was an invaluable friend. As he was now sort of an official bodyguard, they would be stuck together for some time.

Quietly, the man listened to Alaric as he explained the issue with the Emperor’s Men, his plan to get an alchemist who could help him grow stronger, the quest to the Barren Mountains as well as the people he’d so far managed to get on the team going on that quest.

By the time he was done, the man’s face was a clear expression of surprise. Not much had happened yet, but with Alaric’s somewhat clairvoyant ability, which allowed him to see what he shouldn’t have been able to see, the situation changed drastically.

“You found an alchemist, struck a deal with him, became an adventurer, started organising a high-profile quest and got the Emperor’s Men hunting you down in barely two days. That’s… madness. You’re a true genius,” the man nodded.

“LionHeart!” the boy squealed.

The big man chuckled, “Sorry. It was the bread talking.”

“Tell it to shut up,” the boy yelled at him.

“Message received. You’ve got yourself in quite the situation. We need a plan of action,” the man leaned back, thinking. It was clear now that they couldn’t stay in Melbourne for much longer. If the Emperor’s Men decided lynching Alaric was their only way of appeasing their masters, a fight was inevitable… and a fight against the Emperor’s Men was a fight against the Emperor.

Alaric sighed, “My first plan was to leave Melbourne once Troy had repaired his meridians… but now…”

“Yeah, I hear you. You might not have that much time anymore,” the man finished his thoughts. Just when it seemed like they were out of ideas, LionHeart’s eyes went wide, “I have an idea.”

…………………………

Alaric stepped out of the Master Thai’s shop with a satisfied expression on his face. It was almost noon and the sun was starting to beat down on the city of Melbourne. His meeting with Troy and Master Thai had gone much faster and more smoothly than he’d expected.

Master Thai was oddly accommodating for someone who’d once referred to him as a peasant and Troy’s complexion was a lot better now. The boy was even able to smile. Alaric started walking down the street and was joined by two people shortly after. One was a big man that was far more muscle than a human while the other was a girl with copper-red hair.

“Good afternoon, Scarlett,” Alaric greeted the girl.

“Don’t start with me. You weren’t at the Guild Hall all morning,” she started.

“That’s because I was here,” Alaric responded, “Did something happen while I was away?”

“Not necessarily. I saw Sariah looking around for some people. I take it you failed to convince her to join us,” the girl raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh no! She will help. She’s looking for more party members. I have never seen Heaven-Crested Eagles, so if she’s getting more party members, I’m guessing we need more help,” Alaric responded.

“Heaven-Crested Eagles are not the only dangers out there,” LionHeart suddenly intervened. Wearing his Face Mask, he was playing the part of Leon, a barbaric adventurer with a knack for stirring up trouble.

“Is this brute bothering you, Alaric?” Scarlett raised a brow at Leon.

“No, he’s not. He’s actually joining us. He’s an extra bodyguard,” Alaric responded with a confident nod.

“Why would Sariah hire him of all people?” the girl scrunched her nose.

“I would have you know that I am good at what I do. Unlike this little boy, I never let my guard down,” the man responded.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Normally, I’d want to test that confidence of yours but you’d just be a waste of my time,” the girl rolled her eyes.

As they walked past a restaurant, Alaric smelled delicious food and stopped. The building was raised high for a restaurant, and opulent stairs led up to the door.

One could say Alaric was hungry while others could say he’d noticed the Emperor’s Men coming his way. Either way, he was going to try out the food his nose had caught wind of.

“Who’s hungry? I’m hungry. Let’s eat,” Alaric suddenly perked up and turned to enter a large stylish establishment. The doors were fitted with the finest wood, metal and crystal decorations, almost as if just touching the door would cost a gold coin.

Inside, the tables were made of rich hardwood designed with silver accents. Potted plants were placed strategically about the place to enhance the appearance of the restaurant. The ground itself was made of polished stone coated in a hard transparent substance that was both smooth and shiny yet firm enough to walk on.

Nearly everyone inside turned to look at him almost as soon as he’d barged in. Many of them were dressed in opulent gowns and tunics much like the ones Master Jill had offered him back in Jack’s Fall.

“Are you lost, boy? You look like you woke up in the wrong part of town,” a man sneered from the back. He was dressed just as finely as the others but the details of his appearance vanished from Alaric’s mind as he wanted nothing to do with him.

Laughter rippled through the establishment at the comment.

“Am I not allowed in here?” Alaric asked with wonder in his voice.

The man who’d spoken up earlier smirked, “You’re either here to eat or to entertain. Seeing as you don’t look like much, I’d say you’re here for the latter. So, go on, what will you be showing us today?”

Alaric wasn’t sure what was going on, “I’m here to eat.”

“Oh-Oh! We’ve seen your kind before, boy. Did you make yourself a few silvers and were hoping to celebrate?” the man asked yet again.

“That’s enough of that, Balthazar,” a woman stood from the same table as the man, her back turned to Alaric.

Her hair flowed like rivers of gold silk and only worked to accentuate the amber gown she had on. When she turned to face Alaric, he thought he might have a stroke.

To say she was beautiful would be an understatement. Not to mention the various cosmetics she’d used turned her into the unblemished goddess she was now.

[ Focus ] his guardian facepalmed.

The woman approached him and took his hand, leading him to a window seat, “Don’t mind him. He has a habit of picking on people he’s never met… especially if they’re not dressed like wealthy merchants.”

“Is that wise?” Alaric wondered as he took a seat by the window.

“Not necessarily… but that’s Balthazar for you. He was partly right though. This is a Merchant City, so it’s normal for children who’ve made a few silvers to show up hoping they can dine in a place as fine as this.”

Alaric nodded, “Thank you. I owe you one.”

The woman furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips, “I’ll hold you to that. What’s your name?”

“Alistair,” the boy responded.

“My name’s Layla. Enjoy your meal. Someone will be with you shortly,” the woman responded with a slight bow before bidding him farewell and leaving.

‘What a kind merchant!’ the boy stared at the woman’s retreating back briefly before turning his attention out the window.

Outside, Scarlet stared at the closed doors Alaric had just walked through with a confused expression, “Does he realise what kind of restaurant he just walked into?” she asked the brute beside her.

“If you’re low on money, I can help you out,” Leon smirked.

“Not on your life. I’ll have you know that the job I took on yesterday made me more than enough money to keep coming here for a month,” the girl huffed.

“The sad part is watching you act like 20 gold coins is a lot of money,” the man countered.

Scarlett wanted to punch him in the face but instead, she withheld her rage and stormed into the establishment in search of Alistair. The boy was seated by the window, waiting patiently with his eyes turned outward in thought. Even for Alistair, this erratic behaviour seemed too much.

[ Perhaps he’s using that power of his to look around. ] The girl’s guardian tried.

As the girl approached the table, so did a man dressed in the dreaded vermillion colours of the Emperor’s Men. She took a seat beside Alaric and the man gently sat across from them.

His hair was silver, much like his armour and his inexpressive face made him even more frightening than the commonplace sneers that these men were known for. The girl did her best to keep her cool as she stared at the man.

Leon came walking up and took a seat right next to him, turning to him with a wide grin, “You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”

“Not at all,” the man responded without as much as a reaction to the big man’s presence.

Alaric, however, was still looking out the window, unbothered by the man’s presence. It was only after the waitress walked up to their table that he turned his attention to the man in front of him.

A woman, dressed in neat clothes with her hair tied up in a ponytail greeted them with a smile, “What can I get you… fine gentlemen?”

Alaric was staring at the man in Vermillion clothing in front of him with a complicated expression. “Does your job pay well, soldier Sir?”

“My name is Yusa… and my job gives me enough to get by,” the man responded, then turned to the woman. Besides, now that I’m here in the presence of someone like yourself, I’m sure we can do something about what a diligent worker like me would like for his lunch.”

Alaric took a second too long to catch up with what the man was saying. ‘Is he…’

[ Yes, Alaric. He’s telling you to pay for his lunch. ]