A heavy mood lingered around Ascalon as he approached the shelf, staggering, his trembling right hand reaching out. He hesitated, withdrawing his fingers a few times, but ultimately mustered his resolve and picked up the emblem. It was a shield-shaped crest, with a yellow engraving of a cross with four lines extending off the corners.

image [https://i.imgur.com/kPXoiyu.png]

As he felt its weight in his hand, he started to breathe heavily, many thoughts flooding his mind as shock and doubt plagued his visage. “How…?” He asked himself, clutching the object.

How was it possible that the emblem of his knight’s company was right there, in New Lumingard? Ideas began to take form in his mind, but they all reached pretty much the same conclusion.

There must have been another wanderer from his world before. He agitatedly turned around, and hastily made his way to the wooden counter. In his rush, he kicked a couple of oval-shaped metal objects, their clattering sound resounding through the store.

Selorien and Lilithra quickly appeared from among the aisles and piles of trinkets, intrigued about the noise, while the shopkeeper ignored it and kept appraising the matriarch’s feather. They saw Ascalon stumble forward, and noticed his agitation. Worry overcame them due to the unusual sight, so they both promptly approached the counter, with Lilithra about to ask him if something was wrong.

But before she could articulate any word, Ascalon thrusted an object in Claude’s face, as he asked with a strident voice.

“How did you obtain this?! Who traded it with you?!” Ascalon vociferated, making even Lilithra shrink down in surprise at his sudden outburst. He didn’t realize he was in such turmoil. The older man looked up, meeting Ascalon’s gaze with a calm but serious expression.

“First of all, don’t raise your voice at me in my damn own shop.” He stated, the whole store shaking slightly at his words. Ascalon felt a huge weight on his shoulders, an unknown force pushing down on him, yet continued to look at Claude in defiance.

Then, he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt and quickly turned around to find Lilithra with a pained, worried expression, barely holding up as she struggled to stand straight. Her eyes pleaded with him, and the sight immediately calmed the storm raging within.

Guilt and regret assailed him as he snapped out of the frenzy, and concern took over his actions. He held her gently, shielding her from the pressure that burdened their bodies.

Admiring the scene, Claude sighed in resignation and the unknown weight subsided, the tension in the air slowly dissipating. Lilithra let out a gasp and sniffled, wrapping her arms around Ascalon tightly. Ascalon felt terrible, having lost his composure and involving his friends in such a situation. Selorien let out a big sigh, stretching as he approached.

“Ugh, what was that?” Asked the elf with an annoyed expression, ignoring the embracing duo.

Ascalon looked at him, and then back at Claude, who observed him with wariness. “I am deeply sorry…” The knight spoke with clear regret over his actions, apologizing not only to Claude, but to everyone around him. Lilithra looked up at him, her teary yellow eyes resting on his gaze.

“Are you okay?” She asked, her gentle tone filled with nothing but concern. He expected that kind of reaction from her, knowing she wouldn’t complain or shun him for his outburst. His chest felt warm, but not only because he was still holding her tight.

He hesitantly released her, her arms slowly unwrapping from around him. “I am fine now.” He spoke to her with a soft voice.

“Thank you, Lady Lilithra.” Lilithra nodded, blushing slightly as a shy smile formed on her face. Then, Ascalon faced Claude once more, his visage a more calm, resolute one.

“Once again, I apologize for my behavior. This emblem… It means a great deal to me. I let my emotions get the better of me when I saw it…” He explained, a shred of regret in his words. Lilithra and Selorien perked up, intrigue taking over their expressions.

Claude’s visage softened as he listened, nodding in understanding. “I see. That happens! But try to keep yourself in check, being an inconvenience to others is a job for old people like me!” His cheery words made Lilithra giggle, it didn’t seem like he was going to reproach him. Ascalon was a bit taken aback, but thankful.

Then, Claude reached out, gesturing for Ascalon to give him the emblem, which he did without any reluctance. The older man examined the small trinket, dusting it off with his thumb while his other hand adjusted his glasses.

Lenses moved up and down rhythmically, his eyes warping behind them. “Let’s see…” He appraised the object from all sides, his beard swaying with his head’s movements.

“I can tell you it’s been sitting there for many years. I have no memory of buying it!” He exclaimed, a bit surprised. Lilithra knew he rarely forgot about the trinkets in his store, so it really meant it had been there for a long time.

“I can take a look at my records, but there are thousands of transactions written there, and I can assure you—I don’t register each and every one of them. Oh right, and some got burnt when I dropped a flask with dragon tears in the basement! It was quite the sight hehe.” He laughed animatedly, but that didn’t really reassure the knight at all.

It seemed his search for answers would depend heavily on luck, an unreliable method at best. Ascalon pondered for a moment, thinking of the Gifted network and its many handy uses.

“Hmm. Can’t the network’s features help with that, somehow?” Claude looked uninterested in his words, still appraising the emblem. Lilithra nudged Ascalon on the side, asking for his attention.

“Uhm, believe it or not, Claude’s not part of the Gifted network…” The knight’s eye widened in surprise as he peered over at the older man.

Claude grumbled, and showed a displeased expression. “Not anymore, no! I was banned by the administrator—a real bastard, that one!” Ascalon’s interest was piqued at these words. Banned by the administrator? What did that mean? Seeing his confused expression, Lilithra chimed in.

“He was… Uh, kicked out from the network? By its creator…” That Ascalon could understand, but it only made more questions surface in his mind.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

What happened, or what did Claude do to deserve being barred out of the network? Who was exactly the ‘creator’? Undoubtedly a powerful being. Did Claude know this administrator personally? His thoughts were pierced by said man, who spoke out again.

“I’ll do you a favor and look through the records later, aight? But it will cost you!” The older man showed a troubled smile. Ascalon sighed and nodded. Even if it was down to luck, it was the only option at the moment. At least Claude hadn’t shot him down, seeing that it seemed like annoying work.

Also, he was going to need to contact Ron somehow and ask him for monetary assistance. But for the moment, he kept thinking about the emblem's presence in New Lumingard, his thoughts lingering on that until he noticed someone moving beside him.

Lilithra leaned in, her face lighting up in a broad smile as she caught Ascalon’s eye. She seemed so happy for him, no questions about the earlier outburst or anything else. She was such a kind person, he couldn’t help but reciprocate the smile.

Claude gazed briefly at them, humming to himself, before speaking again. “You know what, keep it.” He said as he extended the emblem towards Ascalon, who took it hesitantly, surprised by the sudden offer.

“I don’t see any value in it honestly, and you said it matters a lot to you, yeah? Just keep it!” He added, grinning behind his beard.

Ascalon bowed deeply, clutching the emblem to his chest. “I am in your debt, Sir Claude.” The knight spoke with reverence, and the older man looked a bit perplexed.

He gazed over at Lilithra and then Selorien, pointing at Ascalon with his finger. “He a weird one huh? Must be a hassle! Anyway! You guys wanna trade or what? I need to close shop to dive into those damned records!” Both Lilithra and Selorien exchanged glances before turning to Ascalon. They chuckled softly as Ascalon sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

They then brought over some items to the counter. Excluding the freebie that was given to Ascalon, they had picked up two objects each. Lilithra presented a big, blue marble and some sort of stuffed toy, resembling a cat. Selorien, on the other hand, put down an old, sophisticated monocle, and a bottle with a murky, purple liquid inside.

Claude peered over at Lilithra’s selection and sighed unenthusiastically, but his interest was immediately piqued when he glanced at Selorien’s selection. “Well well, Selly’s always finding the good stuff, huh?” He stated, smiling with greed.

“The lockfinder’s monocle, capable of directing you to the nearest closed lock in a tower.” Claude picked up the elaborate monocle and peered at it. Ascalon felt a tingle of amazement at the item’s description. Claude set the item down and then picked up the bottle, its contents swirling gently as he moved it in a circle.

“And a bottle of shadow’s whisper elixir, eh? Want to sneak around and hide your footsteps? Are you planning something perverted?!” He exclaimed, laughing joyfully at his own joke while Selorien rolled his eyes. Ascalon gasped, but knew the elf wasn’t a perverted miscreant… right?

Then, Claude brushed over Lilithra’s items. “A marble and a plushie, nothing worth mentioning… As always, so boring!” He stated, shrugging, but Lilithra didn’t seem to mind the words, as she kept smiling happily. Claude directed his stare at Selorien, letting out a contemplative 'hmmm', his face showing a troubled expression.

“Hmm… The four items combined are a bit more expensive than the feather… But bah, who cares! Take them, take them all and go before I change my mind!” He spoke jokingly as he gestured with his arms in a shooing motion. Lilithra beamed and picked up the marble, banishing it into her inventory, and then the plushie. She held it tight, hugging it with love, the sight filling Ascalon’s chest with warmth. Then, the plushie accompanied the marble into the beyond.

Selorien smiled contently, as he picked up both his finds and stored them, too. But both were thinking the same thing: to later get something else for Ascalon, feeling a little sad that he had only picked one item, even though it was free. For now, it was best to go, so Claude could start reading his trade records.

As they were preparing to leave, the door to the alleyway opened up, and a small figure entered the store, stomping toward the counter hastily. The group of friends turned to the newcomer, and immediately recognized him. A furrowed brow, brown hair, and a baby face: It was Levi, the Fluffy Warriors’ Guildmaster.

He ignored them, his determined gaze focused on Claude. “Hey, Claude! Did that bastard Ian come around here?! Tell me right now!” He asked—no, demanded. Claude didn’t quite like his tone of voice, but noticed the nuances behind such rude behavior, and the mention of this Ian fellow.

“And who the hell is that? Do you think I remember every chump you bring here, huh?! Better be more clear and polite while I’m still feeling nice.” At his words, Levi tensed up. It seemed he too had angered the shopkeeper at some point.

The short man cleared his throat, and finally realized the others' presence. He glanced at them, and before continuing his talk with Claude, spoke. “Oh… Hey. Don’t tell Ron or my sister about this, okay?” He pleaded, surprising the group of friends. They hadn’t interacted much, but to them, he was a hasty, rude runt.

Yet he was behaving politely all of a sudden. While their minds wandered, Levi began speaking to Claude again. “Ian is tall, black hair, and a normal-looking human. Ugh, this isn’t gonna work… Ah! Anyone sold gryphon materials to you yesterday or today?!” Levi asked with agitation, the group of friends knowing the source of his impatience.

His words seemed to resonate with Claude, who showed a face full of realization. “Oooh yes! He wanted ‘cold, hard cash’ as he put it. He came yesterday, at around closing time. Now that I think about it, he looked a bit sketchy… But don’t be blaming me, you know I don’t turn away customers!” He explained, shrugging. Levi’s eyes lit up, and he spoke again.

“Did he tell you anything else? Like where was he going, or what was the money for?!” He looked at Claude with pleading eyes, as if grasping at a last straw in his quest to find this Ian person.

The older man let out a 'hmmm', and scratched his chin along with his beard. Then, he spoke with a bit of unsureness. “Uuh… he may have said something about Starugnia? I’m sorry but I don’t pay attention to things I have no interest in.” Claude explained plainly, as he was just that kind of man. But Levi seemed satisfied by the answer.

“Starugnia… how did I forget?! Thank you, Claude! I will repay the info later!” And as fast as he had stormed in, Levi ran off.

Everyone watched the scene with worried expressions, as they couldn’t shake off the feeling that things were headed in a dangerous direction for Levi. “I’m worried.” Lilithra voiced her feelings suddenly, catching Selorien’s and Ascalon’s attention. The elf shot her a firm gaze, his face a mix of anger and annoyance.

“Don’t. Ron told us to not get involved—and for real, it’s not our business.” Selorien replied matter-of-factly, causing Lilithra to shrink a bit, looking downcast.

She pondered for a moment, while Claude arranged some items on the counter, already moving on from the last scene, as if nothing phased him. “Yeah… You’re right, Selly. Sorry guys!” Lilithra said, smiling shyly. She understood Selorien’s words. She was in no position to meddle, nor did she have any capacity to help. She had to focus on what she had to do, for the time being.

Ascalon watched over her with a gentle gaze. Then, he clutched the emblem in his hand, and resolved himself to find out anything he could about it.

Promptly, the group left the store, and navigated through the shopping district. They spent a while in a cafe, transitioning to a more uplifting mood, and refreshed themselves with something to drink. Afterward, they decided to rest in a nearby park, where they showed Ascalon a greenery view, and a well-maintained children’s playground.

As the three of them sat on a bench, Selorien brought up a question that had been in his mind for a while. “So… Is that an emblem from your world?” He asked, Lilithra perking up with curiosity as she leaned slightly on the knight’s shoulder.

Ascalon smiled softly, and produced the emblem from a pocket in his jacket for them to see. “Yes… It belonged to the finest order of knights around… My own comrades.”

He spoke with a gentle expression, his gaze set in a distant time.