Chapter 40: Advanced town

The wilderness.

 A piece of land as large as the Dorell kingdom under the control of a multitude of different species and powerful deviants.

 Only the Elves and the Beast-men tribes hiding in it could live without being repeatedly targeted by the local wildlife.

 Humans didn’t have this chance.

 Their greed and low affinity with nature didn’t give them the right to live in peace on these lands.

 However, to protect their interests, they still had to try.

 They created military expeditions to eradicate potential future threats but it wasn’t enough. They needed to have a footing in those lands to increase their influence.

 That’s why they created the Advanced towns of the wilderness.

 Small fortresses built in the safest location possible.

 To avoid being too visible, military camps attracting the attention of the local creatures were created around it. These camps had many missions, but they also had to endure the attacks instead of the Advanced towns that had only a supportive role.

 They provided food, weapons and even allowed communication with the Human kingdom.

 I was currently standing in front of one of these cities hoping to use their communication methods.

 I was inspected before entering, but I didn’t encounter any real problem as I was together with Jazor. This would have been much more difficult without his help.

 The large gate made of strong metal finally opened before us.

 We entered together.

 In front of me stood the largest human town I ever saw in this world.

 I was ready to be disappointed like when I saw the military camp but it was the contrary. The size of the town was impressive. Many rows of buildings stretched in every direction. The streets were wide but the maintenance appeared to be only perfunctory.

 I was looking everywhere to find what I wanted when Jazor interrupted me with his grave voice still filled with playfulness.

 “What a country bumpkin. I bet you've never been in such a big town before.”

 “You’re right, it’s the first time.”

 I was a little annoyed and wronged by his remark especially considering that I lived in a town hundreds of times bigger in my previous life.

 “Well, even if it’s big there is not much to watch. All the buildings here are made to help the city survive in the wilderness. Except for weapon stores, farmlands, inns and brothels you won’t find anything more.”

 I snorted a little hearing his words.

“It’s the first time I hear that brothels are essential to the survival of a town.” I replied in a mocking voice.

 “You’re just a child, you can’t understand their preciousness. They are essential for the morale of the soldiers and to comfort them when they feel tired.”

 He answered in a voice full of confidence.

 I rolled my eyes hearing his vulgar words.

 “Sure… Sure”

 I was getting used to his deviant personality. He was a good man but he was also lazy, narcissistic and above everything else vulgar beyond compare.

 Therefore, I ignored his words and resumed my search while we were walking around the bustling town.

 I believed that the majority of the inhabitants would be soldiers but it wasn’t the case. Although soldier patrols weren’t rare, ordinary citizens were the most numerous. However, even these ordinary citizens seemed to be well versed in fighting.

 Even though the number of soldiers patrolling the streets didn’t appear to be significant, it was another story altogether near the walls.

 Patrols around and on the wall could be seen everywhere. The strong-looking men and women had various equipment such as swords, lances or axes. Their black armor was the only thing that made them recognizable.

 Jazor explained to me that only those with a medal on their chest were mages. All the soldiers could probably use magic to a certain extent as they were part of a kingdom where magic was king. However, only those with a certain amount of skill could carry this medal.

 After half an hour of walking, I understood that what Jazor said earlier was true.

 Not about the greatness of brothels but about the lack of diversity of the buildings.

 Most of them were small weapon stores or shops buying materials found in the wilderness.

 Inns were also numerous.

 However, I couldn’t find the only building that interested me.

 “Well, I’m tired so I will be going. Bye kid.”

 The sudden words of Jazor pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at him in amazement after his sudden declaration.

 “You’re leaving now? Why?”

 “Told you, I’m feeling tired.”

 I immediately understood what he probably meant by this. I repressed the words I was about to say.

 It wasn't my business after all.

 “OK. Thanks again for saving my life. I will do my best to repay you in the future if I have the opportunity.”

 “Don’t worry about that. I will stay for a while in this town. If you want to find me, I’m staying in the ‘Diamond horn’. It’s an inn located in the third district.”

 He started running at full speed without giving me the time to ask him about the building I wanted to find.

 I smiled wryly seeing his small figure dashing as fast as he could across the street.

 I asked a passerby the direction of the building in charge of the communication and began to head this way.

After half an hour, I finally found the building I was looking for.

 It was probably one of the largest in the entire town, just like a small tower. Dozens of small windows were distributed across it. Various birds could be seen going in and out probably delivering various instructions to the camps under the command of the town.

 I entered under the dubious gaze of the two guards stationed outside.

 The interior was strangely small and crowded. Not with people but with materials. It seemed that this building was not only responsible for communication, but also for the official trade in materials.

 The numerous shops dealing with this kind of business that I saw on the way couldn’t compare with the scale of this one.

 I wasn’t interested in what they had to offer, so I ignored the large shelves completely filled and directly walked toward the dusty counter.

 A tall and thin man was standing behind it while looking at me with piercing eyes watching my every move. His thin pale face along with his long dirty brown hair didn’t give me a really good impression of this man.

 I still tried to sound as respectful as possible when I asked nervously.

 “I want to send a letter to a town in the Human kingdom. Is it possible?”

 “What kind of letter?”

 “Family business.”

 “Urgent or not?”

 “I need this letter to arrive in Shaisal within a week at the latest.”

 “Urgent then.”

 He replied almost automatically.

 Shaisal was the biggest town near our small village. I learned in school that it wasn’t possible to deliver letters directly to small villages. They were too numerous. Taming birds to deliver letters to these places would be too difficult and complicated.

 Therefore, the kingdom created the system of Relay towns.

 Each village had a Relay town where the letters were issued. If I wanted to send a letter to my parents, I couldn’t do it directly. I didn’t have any other choice but to send it to their Relay town called Shaisal located dozens of miles away from our village.

 The man looked at a map fixed on the wall behind him before answering.

 “You will need a fast Ezio to go there.”

 “Ezio?”

 “Shaisal is close to the capital, therefore, there aren’t many villages connected to it. The bird trained to go there aren’t numerous. The best quality we have is an Ezio. It’s far from being the fastest but it should be good enough for your request.”

 I nodded hearing his words. As long as my letter arrived on time, I didn’t have any reason to complain.

 “How much?”

 “Five golds”

 “…”

 I stared blankly after hearing his price. I wasn't familiar with the cost of living in the Dorell kingdom, but I still knew that five golds for a single letter was an outrageous price.

 “Are you kidding me?” I asked unable to hide the anger in my voice.

 “We’re in the wilderness. I don’t think you will find a better price. We’re the only one doing this business after all.”

 The man smiled mischievously at me after his shameless sentence. As soon as I saw his eyes filled with greed I understood.

 I was just a kid.

 An easy target.

 An opportunity for him to make some money.

 The price was probably fixed. By asking a higher amount, he would be able to keep the change for himself.

 It was clever and pathetic at the same time.

 I hesitated a moment about my next course of action. Refusing his offer and putting to light his shady scam would probably be possible, but it would take me quite a bit of time. I didn’t have any time to waste and the risk of doing something like that couldn’t be ignored.

 I finally chose to silently endure.

 I didn’t have any money, to begin with. I just wanted to know how much it would cost me to send my letter.

 I planned to take a few requests in town to earn the money, but after hearing the outrageous price, I knew that a casual job would take me too much time.   Selling one of the two vials of potion I had left was also out of the question as it would attract too much attention and too many unwanted questions.

 Therefore, there was only one option available to me.

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 I exited the shop and went toward the inn called the ‘Diamond horn’ where Jazor was staying.

 It took me nearly an hour to find the right building.

 It was located further in the town. The patrols of soldiers weren’t as numerous as near the walls. As a result, the public order seemed to be lacking. Drunk men were lying on the streets, and shady people were doing business in the shadow of the buildings.

 I even saw a couple of them looking at me with a strange expression.

 Not wanting to attract too much attention, I picked up my pace.

 I only stopped in front of the entrance of the ‘Diamond horn’.

 The ladies lightly dressed, waiting in front of it and looking at me with a dubious gaze made me understand that it wasn’t an inn.

"Diamond horn… This pervert dwarf"

 I cursed him in my heart before walking into the building.

 The interior was vast and quite cozy. It could even be called comfortable if not for the atmosphere inside.

 I ignored the stares fixed on me and looked around to find Jazor.

 I smiled in relief when I saw his back. He was in front of the bar circling by two beautiful women.

 He was laughing loudly while his hands cuddled the bodies of his escorts.

 Honestly, it was difficult to miss him despite the crowd inside.

 I walked toward him.

 “Yes, you’re totally right!!! The great me isn’t afraid of any deviant and I…”

 “Jazor.”

 I interrupted his fiery speech.

 He turned his head toward me. His gaze was a little hollow as he was looking at me from head to toe.

 “Oh little girl, what are you doing here?”

 I felt a vein pop up on my forehead when I heard his words.

 “Open your damn eyes already! It’s me, Sillath. And I told you, I’m a boy.”

 He shook his head a little and looked at me again. He clearly drunk too much but he still answered in a happy voice.

 “Oh yes Sillath, it’s good that you came. Sit, this daddy here will teach you how to drink. Hey ladies, this is Sillath. He is the one I saved along the way. Ask him how strong I am if you don’t believe me.

 This damn drunken dwarf was clearly trying to boast in front of the two ladies.

 I needed his help, therefore I tried my best to stay courteous. I helped him boast about his accomplishments. This didn’t really bother me as it was the truth, but I was in a hurry nonetheless.

 Therefore, after half an hour, I started to lose patience.

 “I need your help Jazor.”

 He turned his head to look my way.

 I wasn’t sure if he understood what I said but I continued nonetheless.

 “I need you to lend me some money. I will pay you back but I need it as soon as possible.”

 “How much?”

I was surprised that he understood me. However, there was no doubt that just after talking about money, his gaze turned sharper as if he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol.

 “Five golds”

 “Pfff”

 Jazor who was drinking his beer nearly strangled himself with his drink when he heard the amount of money I wanted.

 “You don’t have them.” I asked with a disappointed voice.

 “Do you think money grows on trees? I only have one silver left.”

 Hearing the amount of his wealth left the two ladies as disappointed as me. They excused themselves and left us at lightning speed.

 “No don’t leave, we were having a good time. Come back!!!”

 Jazor desperately pleaded to their fleeing back but they didn’t return.

 “Proud of you now.” He said to me in a grumbling voice before sinking again in his pint of beer-like alcohol.

 I ignored his grumpy mood and pondered for a while before asking.

 “I need to send a letter to the kingdom. It's not something that can wait but I don’t have the money for that. Do you know a way to make money fast?”

 Without turning his head to look at me, he replied in an indifferent voice.

 “There is a lot of ways. You can find a work in one of the shops or even on a farm in the town.”

 I shook my head after hearing his proposals.

 “That won’t do. I don’t have enough time for that.”

 “Then there is only one option left.”

 “…”

 He ignored me while taking big gulps of his drink.

 “Jazor!!!”

 As if waking up from a dream, he hurriedly replied.

 “Oh yes. There is only one way: deviant hunt.”

 I nodded slowly hearing his words.

 It was nearly what I had expected.

 There wasn’t anything free in this world. If I wanted to make money fast then I would have to give something else in return.

 The riskier the job, the faster I could make money.

 “However, I don’t recommend that. Deviants aren’t something to be trifled with. You would be courting death by doing that. Even if you're a little too young, you could work as an apprentice guard, the job is boring but because there are quite a few daily attacks, the pay is quite good.”

 I nodded and left after asking a few more questions.

Night had already fallen on the city.

 I didn’t have any money or lodging as I didn't want to owe even more things to Jazor. Anyway, this perverted dwarf was broke and completely drunk when I left.

 I looked around but the bustling streets filled with drunken men weren’t appealing in the slightest.

 In this town filled with people, I was as lonely as I was in the wilderness. I wasn’t particularly bothered by it as it became a habit.

 I was walking without aim in the streets of the city while thinking about my options to earn money.

 The job of a guard was without a doubt the safest choice. If the pay was satisfying or if it was possible to borrow some money then I would choose it. However, if I couldn’t gather the money fast enough with this job then I wouldn't have a choice anymore.

 After an hour of walking, the buildings became less numerous until I left the town district to enter the farmland district.

 I could see numerous fields from where I was standing.

 I didn’t really care about it but I was glad to finally find a quiet place.

 I sat down with my back against a small tree to have some sleep before going to the garrison at dawn. I was starting to doze off despite the cold of the night when I sensed someone coming toward me.

 All those nights alone in the wilderness honed my senses and my ability to react especially in this situation.

 I opened my eyes, straightened my back and watched a slender figure emerging from the darkness.

 It was a beautiful young girl around fifteen years old. Her elegant figure and pale skin made her appear as a fairy in my eyes dazzled by the brilliance of the moon.

 She put away a strand of silk-like blond hair near her left eye before asking in a gentle voice.

 “What are you doing here on your own so late at night?”

 Her voice was appeasing like a fresh breeze of wind, almost melodious. Her round blue eyes were staring at me with curiosity.

 “Trying to sleep.”

 “You can’t sleep here, your parents will be worried.”

 Her voice betrayed her concern and worries.

 “My parents aren’t in this town.”

 The young girl frowned hearing my words.

 “How is it possible? It’s an Advanced town, it’s impossible for a kid to come here alone.”

 “I just arrived yesterday.”

 Seeing that I wasn’t willing to continue my explanation, the young girl dropped the matter and asked me in a kind voice.

 “I’m Alianelle. What’s your name?”

 “Sillath.”

 “It’s cold tonight, why don’t you come with me to have a good meal and a good rest in a real bed?”

She smiled as she extended her jade-like hand toward me. Her face was pretty and childish at the same time. Her bright smile revealing her white teeth was so pure, so devoid of falsehood that it was enough to make me dazed for a couple of seconds.

 I smiled at her before replying.

 “Thank you but it’s not necessary. I have to leave early tomorrow.”

 The gentle smile on her thin lips immediately disappeared. She puffed up her cheeks and walked toward me with large steps. If it wasn’t a young girl coming toward me like an angry beast, I would probably have already put some distance between us.

 However, I couldn’t sense the slightest amount of threat from her.

 I allowed her to forcibly take my hand to pull me toward her. Her smooth white hand was small but still larger than mine. She was also a good head taller than me.

 “Don’t be shy, I won’t eat you. Come with me, I can’t let a kid sleep outside just beside my house.”

 She pulled me away with surprising strength. I resisted at first but I quickly gave up. There wasn’t any problem with her proposal after all.

 Less than five minutes later, we entered a small farm isolated from the other buildings. Even in the dark, I could see fields as large as the house stretching around it.

 We walked together into the cozy house. A large fire was burning in the fireplace giving an agreeable warmth to the room.

 The interior was simple without many decorations. Many of the furniture was made from simple wood.

 A single glance inside made me realize that she was living a simple life.

 “Dad, I’m home. We have a guest.”

 A few seconds later, a tall man appeared in the small room. He wasn’t burly but still had a sturdy appearance, probably from the days he spent working on the field. His slightly tanned skin probably originated from it as well.

 He raised an eyebrow of surprise when he saw me, but he still kindly introduced himself.

 “I’m Paul. Nice to meet you.”

 He gave me a nice impression just like his daughter. He had the same air around him as her. It was as if nothing in this world could cause him to become angry.

 I was ready to introduce myself but the gentle voice of Alianelle was faster.

 “His name is Sillath. I found him sleeping outside. His parents aren’t in this town so I asked him if he wanted to eat and sleep here tonight.”

 I only smiled and nodded after hearing her fast explanation.

I didn’t comment on the fact that she didn’t really ask me but rather dragged me here by force.

 Paul seemed surprised but didn’t ask any question.

 I ate while talking about various things with them. However, I still carefully avoided any personal question from Alianelle.

 Contrary to his young daughter, Paul didn’t ask me anything and simply let me eat my fill. Although I was reluctant to come to a foreign house, it was still relaxing to eat a warm meal with someone to talk to. I simply ignored the natural curiosity of the young girl before going to sleep after this simple but refreshing dinner.

 More than dinner, sleeping in a real bed was the real heaven. It was as if the tiredness I had accumulated over time had vanished.

 I had a dreamless night sleeping like a log.

 When morning came, I was well rested and ready to leave. I thanked them while making empty promises to the young girl about a future meeting.

 I was in a good mood after a good night of sleep, but I was also a little sad because I knew that I probably wouldn’t see them again in the future.

 I buried these feelings and hurried toward the garrison located in the outer district. The building was large but simple. I could hear loud laughter coming from inside.

 I talked to a soldier and, after several minutes of negotiation, managed to get him to call his superior.

 The tall and muscular man who came seemed to be in a bad mood.

 After seeing me he sighed a little.

 “What do you want, kid?”

 “I want to work as a guard.”

 His subordinate clearly repressed his laughter after hearing my sentence. On the contrary, his captain who had a shining insignia on his chest didn’t seem in the mood to laugh.

 “Not a work for kids. Scram.”

 He coldly shouted while turning to walk away.

 Despite my shouts, the man didn’t turn back and simply ignored me completely.

 I understood his reaction but I was still quite irritated as I didn’t have any chance to ask him or show him anything.

 “Give up kid. It’s not worth it.”

 “Why?” I asked angrily.

 “You’re too young. The pay is not high enough for you to die for.”

 “I need money as fast as possible. How much do you gain?”

 The soldier seemed to hesitate a little before answering in a dejected manner.

 “If I tell you, you will leave?”

 “Definitely”

 “Five silver a week”

 My mind turned blank hearing his words.

 “So few?”

 One gold was worth ten silver. To gather the five golds, I would have to work for at least ten weeks.

 “Well, the pay can be much higher if you’re part of a team venturing around to take care of possible threats but it’s impossible for you.”

 “Why?”

 “Who would want to be on the same team as a kid? It’s not a game. Now leave, I already wasted too much time with you.”

I watched him turn his back on me with a dark look on my face. If I wanted to be part of one of those teams, then I had to prove my worth first. However, even if the soldiers acknowledged me I didn’t know if I would earn the money fast enough.

I also wasn’t confident in my abilities. After meeting Jazor, I knew that my strength didn’t yet amount to much. I was strong but only for a kid. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to compare myself to a real soldier.

 After a few minutes of pondering, I finally left.

 If I wanted to become a guard then I had to reveal my strength and probably my Sacred magic. It would attract too much attention.

 There was only one choice left for me.

 I wanted to ask some help from Jazor but I gave up this idea. He saved me and brought me to the town but I didn’t do anything for him.

 I couldn’t rely on him forever, this was something I had to do by myself.

 I steeled my resolve as I stood in front of the town’s gate.

 “Where are you going!?!”

 A strong voice resonated behind me.

 Jazor was rushing toward me with a pale face.

 “Jazor?”

 He stopped in front of me while breathing heavily. I understood his poor condition after remembering his drinking contest with himself the day before.

 After catching his breath, Jazor angrily grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground.

 My feet didn’t even touch the ground anymore when his angry voice echoed in my ears along with his bad breath right in my nose.

 “Where do you think you are going? You’re not thinking about hunting deviants, are you? I was drunk when I told you that. You’re not that crazy right?”

 I was a little surprised but also happy seeing the lazy and shameless dwarf shouting for my sake.

 “I don’t have a choice, I need money, and I need it fast.”

 He put me on the ground while grumbling a little.

 He took out a fist-size dark core from a pouch on his belt and gave it to me.

 “Take this core. It will probably sell for two or three gold. It’s not enough but it’s the only thing I have right now.”

 I hesitated a moment before smiling wryly and accepting his gift.

 I didn’t have the leisure to refuse his goodwill in my situation.

 “Thank you Jazor. You don’t have to worry about me, I will be fine.”

 “I leave tonight for a mission and I will only come back in two weeks. I can’t come with you now, but in two weeks I will come back and gather the money for you. You can always pay me back later”

 I felt some warmth in my heart hearing his words. We only knew each other for a couple of days. Even though he had no obligation to me, he still offered his help without restraint.

 His beard hid his face just like his laziness and vulgar words hid his gentle side.

 “I can’t wait for that long. Don’t worry, I will be fine. I already killed deviants before. If I had known they had cores worth money in them, I wouldn’t have to go out now.”

 “You can’t be careless!!!”

 Jazor shouted despite standing only a foot away from me. I was once again overwhelmed by his bad breath and nearly lost the good impression he had just given me. However, the seriousness in his voice didn’t let me any chance to comment about that. It was the first time I saw him this serious. Even in front of the giant deviant, he wasn’t so serious.

 “Even if you killed hundreds before, you will still die if you underestimate them. It’s difficult to kill a deviant because each of them is different.”

 I nodded after his words, but he still continued to talk with a serious voice unfitting of his usual joyous character.

“Animals going crazy when they awaken their magic because of the strong influence of the mana around them. That is a deviant. When they are still in this awakening phase, they are vicious and bloodthirsty. However, after regaining their sanity they will only grow stronger, more intelligent and more dangerous. Depending on their age and awakening, two identical deviants can be a world apart in strength.”

 His grave voice gave me a heavy warning.

 However, I couldn’t back down.

 I couldn’t give up.

 Therefore, I hid my fears and worries behind a small smile.

 “Thank you Jazor for everything. See you in two weeks”

 Without adding another word, I walked toward the large gate leaving Jazor behind.

 “Never let your guard down or you will die before realizing it”

 His final warning accompanied me as the large steel gate opened loudly in front of me.