After that challenge, the rest of the day was only theory, no more practical training, so I was safe for another day. After escaping a boring lecture on something useless to me as I have Zero Skill, I found Lei doing the same, and we snuck out of the academy together and wandered down to the market.
I bought a loaf of bread from a local baker, and Lei got shot down by the baker’s moderately attractive daughter, and the two of us left shortly after.
Tearing off some of the bread, I handed it to Lei, and the two of us sat down on the edge of a fountain in the square. We passed the time in silence, eating the bread, when a commotion started in the market.
One of the city guards shouted at someone, who ran past us at speed I didn't think a normal person could have. I couldn’t even see what they looked like before the guards started to funnel in from all directions. In the peaceful capital city, only minor crimes needed guards to do anything, so it was probably just a petty thief.
“Wanna head back, Lei? Mom’s gonna get worried if I'm not there when her class ends, so I should get going.” I asked my friend in between a bite of the decent but not amazing bread.
“You go on ahead, I need to pick up some things for dinner later at home.”
I nodded and stuffed the remaining bread into my pocket, then headed back through the market towards the Academy. By the sounds of the guards, they haven't managed to catch the thief yet, which doesn’t surprise me with how big the marketplace was.
Deciding to cut through a back alley to save time, I ducked off the main street. I should have stayed on the main road, as almost as soon as I had entered the side path, someone barreled right into me at top speed, and both of us fell to the ground.
“What are you doing? Watch where you’re… going....” I was mad, but that anger quickly slipped away.
Fallen on top of me was a person, obviously. They were wearing clothes I could only describe as rags, and were covered in dirt. But under the hood of their dirty ratty cloak, a pair of big red eyes peered out at me.
Her eyes were like rubies, and her hair was a mix of orange and red that looked like an inferno. But the most striking thing about her appearance was the large scar running horizontally across her nose and face.
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I blushed and looked away from her face, realizing I was staring. I could see her arms under her cloak, both covered in cloth bandages, but through the gaps in the strips of cloth I could see more scars.
“Uuuu…” she moaned, collapsing on me. Where before only some of her weight was on me, now all of her body was like a dead log on my body, and my weak muscles couldn’t move her at all.
“Hey, are you alright? Do I need to get the guards?” I asked her, and she weakly shook her head no.
“No guards… please.”
I had the sudden suspicion that she was the cause of the commotion before, but I didn’t ask about it. I somehow managed to crawl out from under her, and took a better look at her. She was in bad shape, looking like she had been in about ten too many fights, and the bags under her eyes told me she didn’t sleep much, so I concluded that she was probably just exhausted as none of her wounds looked new.
“Ah there she is, Guards!” a pompous nobleman at the mouth of the alley shouted, pointing at the girl. “Arrest this filth!”
I stood up as several guards poured into the small space between houses, surrounding both me and the barely conscious girl.
“Hey, what exactly did she do?” I ask the guards, trying to grasp the situation. “She steal something or what?”
“She stole something all right.” The nobleman spoke. “This sewer rat robbed me of my pride and dignity, she insulted me in broad daylight, then refused to apologize.”
“That an arrestable offense now, sir?” I asked, the annoyance showing in my voice. I didn’t make a habit of hiding my distaste for the lazy, useless nobles that thought everyone was meant to serve them. It was their fault that I was in a living nightmare every day, as they wanted another tool like mom to protect them, and wouldn’t listen to reason.
“Outta the way kid, this isn’t your business.” one of the guards tried to get me to leave, his hand resting on his sheathed sword.
“Sorry, but this girl is actually a guest of my mother’s, so I need to take her back with me right now.” I reply, making something up on the spot.
“You think I’ll go along with that, you stupid kid?” the nobleman scoffed at me, which only increased my desire to mess with him. “Get out of the way and let the guards do their job already.”
“Fine, don’t blame me when you have to answer to Xuan Yan why her guest is in a cell in the prison tower…” I dropped my mother’s name into the conversation, as it was nearly impossible to not know it.
“Xuan Yan… the Phantom Dragon Blade is your mother… I don’t believe you!” the nobleman began to sweat at the mere thought of having to deal with her wrath, which was all I needed. He could doubt me all he wanted, but now that the idea had been planted in his head…
“Surely you recognize the inscription on her husband, that is, my father’s sword.” I slowly drew my blade, letting the guards and the man see the writing etched into its side, reading ‘Crimson Dragon Emperor.’ the title my father held as a hero.
“T-The Crimson Dragon’s sword! He really is Xuan Yan’s son! I-I don’t get paid enough for this!” the guards began to break and scatter before me, and I returned the sword to my belt, then knelt down and helped the mysterious girl to her feet.
“Well then, now that that’s settled, I need to be on my way.” the girl was too weak to walk, so I lifted her onto my back and carried her out of the alley, pushing past the stunned nobleman. “For your sake, I’d just forget this ever happened.”
“R-Right, I understand young master, I never saw either of you!” he stammered, backing off from me.
“Good, you’re not as stupid as you look then.” I smirked and headed up the street. I was gonna be late getting back now, and I had to explain to my mom why I had a homeless looking girl on my back, but I would have to deal with that when I got there.
The girl stirred behind me, waking up from her dazed state.
“Thank you…”