Dude Town.

As he neared the town, Glen observed a substantial cohort of constables patrolling outside, a sight that struck him as distinctly out of the ordinary.

Had some untoward event transpired within Dude Town of late? Judging by the circumstances, it appeared to be a matter of considerable import... Glen merely paused briefly to observe, then continued on his way.

Several constables who caught sight of him promptly advanced, their voices brimming with authority as they demanded, "Halt! What is your purpose here?"

"I'm transporting a pig into the town for sale," Glen replied, stepping aside.

The lead constable conveyed a silent signal with a glance, and the others promptly gathered around the cart to conduct an inspection.

They maneuvered the dead pig back and forth, and some even produced daggers to peel away sections of the skin and flesh, scrutinizing it for any signs of irregularity.

Glen stood to one side, indifferent to their actions. After all, such handling would not have an impact on the quality of the meat.

The constables labored for a considerable time, their brows damp with perspiration. Eventually, perhaps due to fatigue or a genuine inability to detect anything amiss, they were compelled to desist.

They withdrew and shook their heads at the lead constable, indicating that all was in order.

Only then did they permit Glen to proceed.

Glen approached the cart and, with a few deft motions, righted the black pig. The sight left several of the constables gaping in astonishment.

As they watched the young man pulling the pig into the town, one of the constables exclaimed, "Despite his lean and lanky appearance, he possesses an extraordinary amount of strength!"

...

This time around, business was notably less brisk, yet Glen was not taken aback. Had his business been as thriving as it was during the previous two occasions each time, wouldn't he have amassed all the wealth within the town in a matter of months?

Nevertheless, even this significantly less bustling business still far surpassed the income of an average commoner's household.

His demeanor remained warm and affable, and he soon struck up a friendly rapport with several regular customers. In between transactions, they engaged in lighthearted banter.

After seeing off yet another customer, Glen heard a familiar voice.

"Mr. Glen!"

Lila seemed to materialize from nowhere. She held up the hem of her skirt with both hands, her dainty features alight with surprise.

"Miss Lila, it's been an age. Don't you have school today?" Glen wiped his blood-stained hands with a cloth and smiled.

"Yes, my friends were eager to go out for a stroll, and I was persuaded to accompany them. I had little choice but to tag along," Lila responded with a radiant smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Then, she exclaimed, "Are you selling meat? This must be a rather lucrative enterprise!"

"There is an abundance of animals near the town where I reside. I simply hunt them and sell the meat," Glen explained.

"That's truly excellent," Lila said sincerely. Then, she suddenly looked somewhat apologetic. "Do you think my presence here might be impeding your business?"

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Observing the girl's discomfited expression, Glen found it rather amusing. He waved his hand and said, "It's of no consequence. It doesn't really have much of an impact. Please don't be so ill at ease."

Just as they were on the verge of continuing their conversation, another voice sounded from behind them.

"Lila, is this gentleman a friend of yours?"

The speaker was a slightly portly youth with auburn hair. He, along with two young men and a young woman, approached Glen.

"These are my classmates and friends, Pock, Myer, Deyamera, and Pernas," Lila introduced them to Glen as soon as they arrived.

She then introduced Glen to her friends, "Everyone, this is Mr. Glen. He is a most kind-hearted gentleman."

"Hello, Mr. Glen," the three young men greeted him politely.

Only the blonde maiden named Pernas persistently covered her nose and mouth, her gaze averted to the side. She remained mute and maintained a discreet distance from Glen's stall.

Glen nodded in acknowledgment and cast a pointed glance at the blonde girl, accompanied by a knowing smile.

Lila, looking somewhat embarrassed, said, "I do apologize, Mr. Glen. Pernas has a rather eccentric disposition. Please don't take offense."

Glen was on the verge of expressing his indifference when, without further ado, Lila walked over to the blonde girl. She tugged at the girl's garment and drew her aside, whispering, "Pernas, your behavior is extremely impolite! You must apologize to Mr. Glen at once!"

However, Pernas instead sought to dissuade Lila. "Lila, my dear friend, how could you associate with someone of this ilk? Look at him! He is filthy from head to toe, and that pungent odor of blood is positively revolting! Let us depart posthaste and pay him no further heed."

These words left Lila utterly astounded. She could scarcely believe that such words could have emanated from the mouth of this friend.

Although Pernas was of noble birth, she had always been amicable towards her friends. Lila had assumed that she was unlike those haughty noble young ladies with their noses in the air. However, it now seemed...

Lila's face flushed crimson with anger. She was deeply incensed and simply could not bring herself to accept Pernas' remarks.

Although Glen was standing at some distance away, his exceptional hearing allowed him to catch every word of the conversation.

Sensing that the delicate fabric of their friendship was on the verge of unraveling, he interjected to interrupt the two young girls' exchange:

"Lila, what about that little gluttonous girl? Isn't she with you?"

Lila was on the verge of giving vent to her anger when she suddenly heard Glen's question. With a huff, she shot a glare at her best friend and then turned on her heel, dashing back to Glen's stall. The latter, for his part, was left feeling rather bewildered.

Throughout this entire episode, the three young men who had accompanied them stood there, looking rather foolish and completely at a loss.

"Mr. Glen, I must once again apologize on behalf of Pernas. She is not usually like this," Lila said.

Just as Lila was about to bow to Glen, he stopped her.

"Come now, your mother has clearly raised you too well. Why are you always so overly polite? I shan't hold a grudge against a young girl."

Perhaps out of respect for her benefactor, or for some other reason, Lila always found herself instinctively striving to maintain a sense of decorum and reserve in Glen's presence.

Lila, who had been steadied by Glen, felt a tinge of embarrassment. She said sheepishly, "I truly am sorry."

Not far away, Pernas, who had been covering her nose and mouth and looking in the other direction, visibly flinched upon hearing Glen refer to her as a young girl. She turned her head, as if about to flare up in anger, but then thought better of it and held her tongue.

Glen noticed the blonde girl's reaction, but merely smiled inwardly.

He turned to Lila and asked, "First, answer my question. Why isn't that little girl named Bonnie with you?"

A shadow of concern flickered across Lila's face. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Bonnie... she's not in a good mood and didn't want to come out..."

"Is it because of you..." Glen had been on the verge of asking if it was because of her father but thought better of it. He cleared his throat and changed his tone. "Is it because of the danger we encountered the other day?"

"Mr. Glen, how did you know?" Lila asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"The constables came to see me. How could I not know?" Glen shrugged.

Upon hearing that the constables had paid Glen a visit, Lila asked, sounding a little worried, "They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

"No, they just wanted to inquire about the situation that day."

"That's a relief," Lila said, placing a hand on her chest and exhaling a sigh of relief.

As Glen noticed someone approaching to buy meat, he attended to the customer while continuing to ask, "Tell me, what's wrong with that little rascal Bonnie? Was she so frightened that she's still traumatized and hasn't recovered yet?"

At these words, Lila's eyes widened in disbelief, and her tone became one of astonishment. "Mr. Glen, you're absolutely right!"