I was immediately faced with a difficult situation, and I started to panic. Here I was in the middle of nowhere with a broken carriage and a dead man next to me. His corpse was disturbing, but I have undeniably seen worse. I didn't want anyone to see me and get the wrong idea, either. There was another issue as well; the issue of where to go.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhO1GfQRSF
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I recalled all the important bits, but my memory of after I left was gone completely. I was probably riding that carriage for a few months already, and that being the case, trying to walk back to Buffalo Village was an impossible prospect.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My mind already raced to frustration and blaming bad luck, but I managed to calm myself down. I thought rationally for a minute; I had money, though I only brought enough for simple expenses, and the carriage had resources. That is, unless a group of bandits caused the wreck. I wanted to confirm that before anything else.
The mess of wood that was the carriage was hard to maneuver, but with all the goodies that were in it, I was sure to find some by only removing a few pieces of wood. Once I did however, I didn't find anything; no water, no food, and my flasks and syringe were missing.
And worst of all, so was my tome.
"..."
It wasn't easy to stay composed. But at the very least, I found out that it wasn't just a freak accident.
The carriage was undeniably raided.
"So, why am I still alive? And why do I still have money?"
I checked my pocket to find that the sack of coins was still there. I made sure they were well hidden, but they were so noisy that it didn't matter. For whatever reason, I was left with the money.
I wasn't one to stare a gift horse in the mouth, but I was still confused.
I snapped out of it, though. Asking questions wasn't gonna help me. I was still stranded in God knows where with nothing to eat and drink, I had to find someplace to go.
There was a cliff to the left of the trail. I walked to the edge and peered over it. All I saw was more badland, both upward and forwards. Judging by the... no, there wasn't anything to judge. Because of King's Peak's blessing, the air was as fresh here as it was below, so I had no way to judge what elevation I was at either.
"...Damn it!"
I tightened my fist and followed the trail, praying for good fortune.
–
–
–
I overestimated myself.
Let my skills be what they may be, I wasn't a boy ready for the heat. I wasn't ready for the thirst, the famine, the difficulty of just making one foot move in front of the other. I was convinced, not even half an hour into my trip, that I would pass out.
I took out my tendril to catch my fall. It didn't do the greatest job sadly. Now I was on the ground, and the blazing heat was unapologetically assaulting me.
Maybe it was time to take this jacket off. I refrained from it, trying to respect Anabelle's work, but an interesting thought came to my mind: she probably wanted me to survive more than to wear her coat.
Still, the sun was too much. I could manage to stand again, and my sweat could finally do its job, but I still had the feeling that I would faint any minute. I still had the tendril out, so with a little bit of internal mana manipulation, I made it transform into a Watery-Gad-Blossom and poured its sparkly liquid into my mouth.
It tasted amazing. I made another one and did it again. I was feeling infinitely better.
"If only I had... a plant that made food..."
I saw ones like that in the tome, but not ever seeing and tinkering with one, I had no means to make my tendril produce one. I could try messing around, but that wasted energy, and it usually just resulted in an unsightly fusion of two plants I already knew how to produce.
Oh well, it was fine. As long as I had the Watery-Gad-Blossom, I could live.
–
–
–
By the time I gave up hope, it was dark. By the time I gave up walking, it was dark. But by the time it was dark, I finally found salvation.
In the distance, I saw a city. It was huge. I doubted it being a mirage, since I wasn't dehydrated. And thanks to how little King's Peak sloped up, it was basically right ahead of me.
I stood back up. I was really getting worried, but now, life has returned to my soul and my legs. I took a deep breath, and with a war cry that admittedly cracked, I dashed toward the city.
I didn't actually run of course, I didn't want to pass out for real.
But, with a vigorous speed walk, I made it to the front gate in twenty minutes. The gate was opened. I waited patiently, thinking a guard would come around and ask me what I was doing, then I could tell him about the carriage and everything else. Ten minutes passed without that happening. In fact, there wasn't even a guard watching the entrance.
How lousy. I didn't know exactly where it is I stumbled upon, but if the security was this bad during night time then the size must've been just for show.
"Hehehe."
I was now in the city. The streets were cobbled, and all sorts of housing and shops were at the side. Sometimes, I'd walk by a back alley or a branching path, but never bothered to take them.
Really, all I wanted to do was find either an inn, or find the combatant's guild. A city this large was bound to have a guild, even with its drab security.
I figured that, since guards weren't anywhere to be seen, the guild was the best place to go. Those buildings were usually very obvious and excessively decorated. Not with actual decoration, but with signs telling you that the building was in fact, a guild.
That's what the stories say anyway.
Still though, even after traversing the streets for fifteen minutes, I didn't find anything. During those fifteen minutes though, I devised a bit of a plan.
After I either find the guild or a guard, I'll tell them about the carriage. Afterward, I'll probably stay at the inn for a week or so and see if my luggage was found. Either way, I was going to buy a carriage to the university afterward.
I really hope I don't have to do that without the tome though.
"...This is just..."
I violently shook my head and slapped my cheeks. Keep cool, Kenny. Keep cool. If I run into the guards and I don't get any results, then the guild would have to do it. I packed enough money for situations like this anyway. About 3500 Grants, to be exact.
Now I just had to–
"Halt!"
"AHHH!"
Someone yelled behind me. I lifted my hands, turned around, and got on the ground. If I were to die here, I'd fight back, but if I was just going to get a beating, then as a trespasser, I'd be entirely complacent–
"Oh, phew, it's just a child."
I looked up from the ground to find a man with gray hair clad in armor. He was putting his sword back in its sheath.
"Child, what are you doing here? It's past curfew."
"Uhh, you see, I got a little lost. Are you a guard?"
"No, I am a knight. Commander Skylark, at your service."
The knight bowed at me.
"You said you were lost? What exactly happened?"
"I was being taken to Talbot University by carriage, but some bandits ended up attacking it and killing the driver. All my stuff was stolen, and I've been trying to find help since I came here."
"I see. That is truly terrible. Hold on child, I will–"
"Also, commander, this city has awful protection. I was able to waltz right in, just like that. What if I was one of the Hard-Bringers, huh?"
The knight looked at me calmly. He really is a gentleman.
"I understand that it isn't good right now, but that is because my men have been running around looking for the Lord's son!"
The Lord's son? As in, a prince? And he was likely a notorious troublemaker?
Oh, I wanted none of this. I simply nodded at him in understanding.
"Please, stay here for the time being. I'll return to you once we find the princess."
I crossed my arms and nodded with shut eyes, and then I heard him run away.
Ah, awesome. It looks like my situation will be sorted out. All I had to do was wait out here in the pitch-black for an indefinite amount of time.
"..."
I took the tendril out. You never know, you just never know.
"..."
I waited longer.
"..."
And longer.
"..."
And longer.
"Not just the guards, but the knights are this incompetent too?"
It must've been an hour now. Seriously, how long does it take to find a stray delinquent child in a completely dark and empty city? The first adjective suddenly answered my question.
Ah, crap. This was going to take forever, wasn't it?
"..."
I was starting to get hungry. Actually, I've been hungry, but it's much worse now.
"I can't just wait any longer, can I?"
So I decided to go and find that hopeless prince myself.
–
–
–
I've been walking around for twenty minutes now, being careful to avoid the guards. I didn't want to attract their attention, so I was doing a bit of sneaking around myself. A pair of them ran right by me with a lamp. That suddenly gave me a good idea. I produced a flash-bloom from my tendril. Because of the size, it wasn't very bright, but it was better than no light at all.
I was quickly running on the streets and took quick breaks to scout whenever I ran into an alley. This went on for about another ten minutes before I thought about what I was actually doing, and realized that I was behaving stupidly.
I can't help it sometimes, I guess.
I sighed and returned my tendril, and started patrolling the streets normally. I doubt I'll find the prince anyway. I mean, if a whole armada of guards and knights can't, then what's someone like me supposed to do?
I was better off making dumb potions.
I'm sure that if I kept walking, I'd run into more guards, and they'd tell me to wait just like that Skylark man did. That didn't happen though.
"No way..."
I tried my best to silence my steps. I saw someone, someone shorter than me and not clad in armor, peeking around the corner of a wall and into an alleyway. It was a boy with white hair and dark green eyes, I could tell even in the darkness.
"Hehehe..."
I pulled out my tendril. If I could just keep him in place– wait, no, that's just asking for misunderstandings. It's best if I quietly approach and–
"What are you doing?" I asked. The boy suddenly jumped, and I was smiling slyly. I didn't expect to be suddenly tackled and have a hand clasped over my mouth.
"Shhh!" The boy said. I was going to protest and knock him off of me until I heard voices coming from the alleyway.
"Who's there?" I heard a gruff voice say. I knew voices like that. I knew them too well. I gently took the mouth off of me and stood up.
"Are you the prince?"
"...!"
The boy looked scared for a minute. It would've been kind of cute if I knew he wasn't terrified.
"Don't worry, I'm not with the guards."
He sighed in relief. He motioned me to peek over the corner with him, so I did.
There were two men there, both with swords and clad in armor. Someone else was also there, but way back into the alleyway, so it was hard to make out their features. But I could tell that that person was pinned against the wall.
"Why don't you get one of the guards?"
"Because... nobody will believe me. They all think I'm some lying evil kid!"
It wasn't the right time to tell him that that was probably his own fault. I continued staring at the two men. One of them was carrying a bag; I had a feeling I knew who that was for. As for the other one, he was holding a large book.
A large book that I knew all too well.
"..."
I was glad that fate gave me a chance to do this myself. I took a step forward and faced the alleyway head-on.
"W-What are you doing?" The boy asked.
"Don't interfere. This is a personal matter."
"N-No, those are two knights! Don't!"
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By the time I heard his words, I was already two feet deep into the alleyway.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?"
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I froze, sweat dripping down my head. The two knights glared daggers at me. It was clear that if I didn't do anything, it would do me no good.
"M-My name is Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. I, uh, I believe you two possess something that belongs to me."
"What?"
Somehow, I felt like I only fanned the flames. I pointed at the book. The knight pulled it up and smiled.
"So you don't want the kid?"
As cruel as it was for me to do so, I swung my head side to side.
"Well, if the book's all you want, then go ahead and take it."
The knight casually threw it at me. I was barely able to catch it.
"Now scram, you brat. Unless you wanna be cut up and killed."
Brat...? Usually, I'd chastise myself for this, but now was a better time than ever to get angry.
"You two still have to pay for what you did to my driver and his carriage."
The two knights laughed at me.
"Ah, so he wants a fight?" The one with the sack said. "Let me get this kid. I'll just knock him out."
"Wait a minute... don't you recognize him?" The other said.
"Oh yeah, he was the brat we left alone earlier! The kid that passed out, huh?"
Usually, I would've been embarrassed. But the fact that he didn't say I was knocked made me more confident in this engagement.
"And after we showed a little mercy, you make it meaningless. Alright, you little moron, come here!"
Brushing aside his taunts, I extended my tendril and tried to slam him against the wall, but the knight pinned it down with his leg, saying "the hell?" under his breath.
Though it might've been under his leg, and frankly, it made me feel terribly uncomfortable, my mana manipulation was stronger than a foot. My tendril kept pushing, and then I did a quick swipe and tripped both of the knights.
"W-woah!"
The one on the left landed right at the tip of the tendril. I produced a baby Dragon-Maw. All I heard was a scream, and then silence.
"...Uh."
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I just realized what I did. That wasn't my intention. That wasn't my intention at all. Had I just done that? Did I really just kill him?
When I did my double-take, seeing the knight still squirming and screaming, I sighed in relief and lifted my tendril. His head was tightly grabbed by Dragon-Maw Jr.'s mouth. He was flailing while suspended.
Then, I slammed him against the other knight, and I did it again, and again, and eight more times for good measure.
The sack carrier stopped moving. He was probably just knocked out... certainly. The one on the right though, despite his injury, was still standing. He was holding his left. I probably shattered his ribs.
That was an ugly thought. I dropped the sack carrier and returned my tendril back to my arm.
"You... you!"
The knight took his sword and got in a stance, he took a deep breath and whispered something. Wind began to form beneath his feet. Then, he charged. He moved at a speed I could barely even see.
But I just swiped my tendril.
**SMASH**
I retracted it. The Knight was squashed into the wall, and judging by his white eyes, he wasn't awake anymore.
"...Wow."
I didn't think I had that in me. Was I really that angry?
I understood that these were terrible knights since they were terrible people as well, but still. I beat two knights in combat. Just like that. And I didn't even break a sweat. I wasn't doing my best at all.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGIyqOUkUy
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They must have been incredibly incompetent.
"Y...You did it! You just did it!"
I forgot about the prince. He ran up to me and hugged me. I politely pushed him away.
"Kenneth, right? My God, you were incredible! Incredible!"
"T-Thank you... yeah, thanks."
I puffed my chest out a little. I just beat two grown-ups. I am pretty awesome, aren't I? And I even got my book back, though my flasks and syringe were still missing.
I felt like I was forgetting another thing. Oh right, the kid.
The prince and I looked at the back of the alley. I walked toward the kid, despite the prince tugging at my coat.
I saw a kid alright. It was a girl. Judging by her clothes and lack of shoes, she looked quite poor, unless those knights stole them or something. But what really caught my eye wasn't her clothing, but her eyes.
Her eyes were familiar. I've seen eyes like those before, but I hated that I did.
Eyes of terror.
She was terrified.
"Y...Y...You..."
She couldn't even say a word. And neither could I. It was those eyes, those dumb eyes.
Please, just stop looking at me like that.
"You... You..."
I violently shook my head and slapped my cheeks. Then, I took a step closer and offered a hand.
"Hi. I'm Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. Are you hurt?"
The fear in the girl's eyes suddenly faded. She looked at my hand like it was a mystical treasure, then took it.
She rubbed her eyes a little. She looked to be a couple of years younger than me, or maybe just one year. She had short, dirty, but styled greyish-blonde hair and twin braids that were... excessively long. Down to her knees long, and they had a knot at the bottom to boot. They were also quite thin for braids. Aside from that, she was wearing a raggedy tee and shorts. It would've made sense, but her hair was too well-kept.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpZ4RQUfSw
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Oh, gross. I didn't want to ponder it anymore.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDtivLumDo
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"What's your name?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj9u548JUG
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"I'm... Flinty."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKh1uzETxE
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What an arid name. I wasn't going say that to her face though, but still.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTf9SxvPii
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"Nice to meet you,Flinty."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgsyOYOci1
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"Hi! My name is Orice! I'm actually the prince, you know!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex2gD7AW9F
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The prince, who I couldn't imagine was any older than eight, budged in and took Flinty's other hand and shook it. Flinty looked incredibly surprised. I'd be too if someone randomly shook my hand like that.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxWZbpiPYq
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"Y-Y-You're the prince!?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmmh0x5a8k
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It would appear that I was an idiot.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyHSyEyOQE
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"Indeed! Miss Flinty, I'm terribly sorry that you were tirelessly harassed by these impudent, corrupt knights! I'll make sure that they're seen to death!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfbRGUw7LX
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The word death made Flinty flinch. She looked like she was about to cry.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBecDLVlR6Z
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"Hey, dumb prince, that's no way you talk to a child who just thought she was going to be kidnapped!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHzisN6w6b
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"I'm not dumb! But, I suppose Mister Chambers is correct. I'll keep it in mind."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0SgDhexwj
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He bowed at me. Wait, Mister Chambers?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnsjuVfyIH
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"Halt you three!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNR5dLzWGp
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Before I had a chance to say anything, a familiar voice came from the entrance of the alleyway. It was Skylark the Commander holding a lamp and a sword, and he had two other guys with him too. He started running towards us until he noticed the bodies.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknTwojrbXo
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"What... what is the meaning of this? Wait, no, Prince Orice, please return to the castle immediately."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY74MGEx1Q
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I was expecting an outburst from the little fool since he was so obviously the type to do that, but he didn't. He just gently bowed with his hands in front of him and calmly walked into Skylark's arms. Even he seemed as surprised as I.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0L5vHrOvLf
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"T-Thank you for cooperating. Now, what on earth happened here."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnPAsMHoCw
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"It was him!" Prince Orice said, pointing at me in a way that made me look like I was the troublemaker. "He defeated those corrupt knights! The ones I was talking about, but you dummies wouldn't believe me!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPrGvsGCt0
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Ah, thank you, Prince. I didn't want to be locked up right off the bat.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡns97ph9127
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Skylark looked at the two morons I beat.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RzdSZfFmN
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"These two... they're the rookies we hired last week. Prince Orice, how did you know?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEP41CwnxJx
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He just puffed his chest with a big smile.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvdMlxjkmK
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"It doesn't matter how I knew, but that they were stopped! And that's because Mister Buffalo Chambers took them down!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HkynZBmhs
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The prince started to punch the air and make explosion noises with his mouth. Skylark looked at me as if to ask if I really did it. I nodded proudly. "I'm pretty awesome," I wish I said, but I wasn't a dull idiot.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTQodtm44J
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"I see. Then, Mister Chambers–"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSMtBaHMCD
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"God, please just call me Kenneth. Or Kenny. Call me Kenny, actually."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tBVVZUHr9
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The knight nodded. "Then, Kenny, as the third commander of the Zariel kingdom's army, and as a personal guard of the prince, I thank you for keeping him safe in such a predicament. I promise that your efforts will be rewarded."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgg989v0QW
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"Ha, don't even worry about it. Hehehe."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZG8bQY7Jt
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I felt like a star.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYWJ0u4Z9V
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"Now, Prince Orice, let us–"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmUS6ENTzg
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"Wait, bring Mister Chambers with us!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7o3O35yeX
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I wanted to say something. I really did.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshDEdJeZ3J
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"He can stay the knight at the castle. I think he's earned it."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGhcvUcCLr
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"Um, Prince Orice, for a total stranger to just stay overnight at the palace would be..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ56Wn7fl6
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"I don't care! Do it!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaYjGWiHWz
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Yes, this was the type of behavior I expected from that dumb prince. He started flailing his arms at Skylark, but he masterfully blocked each strike with his other hand. It was quite impressive.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYJCQZTTnv
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"The most I can do is grant Kenny money for an inn. Kenny, would that suffice?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWksgDK4Dm9
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"What, no! He needs to stay in the castle."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHQpaaoGZx
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"Yes, Commander. That would be perfect."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwYunA4RdY
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I really, really did not want to stay in a castle. I really, really did not want to get involved with royalty. It was just a gut feeling, but I knew that this gut feeling was the simple truth.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsVjinrRpV
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"Very well. Then here."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR9jxcu1qe
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One of his companions gave him a piece of metal and he tossed it at me. I tried catching it with both hands, but Flinty was still holding onto my other one. I still caught it though, and after inspecting what it was, my jaw nearly dropped.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMM8n5krkR
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A Star Grant.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFImMWRsgc0
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A Star Grant was the highest form of Grant currency. The lowest was the oval, then the triangle, then the square, then the trapezoid, and then the flower. They were pieces of scrap metal conveniently molded and turned into usable currency. How many oval Grants was a Star Grant worth?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNIRm9AAlx
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50,000.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteQJwq3Y5K
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"I... cannot accept this. This is absolutely–"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSurjbqhjH
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But before I could protest, the knight and his crew disappeared. The cries of the dumb prince slowly faded away, and then I was left alone with Flinty.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11gTCfvBFM
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"...Ha. Hahahaha. HAHAHAHA!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9q86F7tPC
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYYp105Nl3
I danced around in circles like a baboon, tossing the Star Grant up and down like it was a ball. No, wait, I couldn't treat it so carelessly. This thing alone could make me live comfortably for dozens of years. If I were to lose this now, then–257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjqZP5Vx8o
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpCuMDz5nT
"Um, Kenny? You said Kenny was fine, right?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyP2SYStBR
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFd06LL2trl
I stopped dancing. I acted like a fool in front of a girl, and now my cheeks were red. I cleared my throat and quickly tossed the star Grant into my pouch.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre14WiA1kb
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZwYf7Rsrd
"Yes, Kenny is fine. So, what is it?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Umn2mRX8X
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6XkPh6YK7
"Ah, well, I was thinking that maybe you could bring me back home?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGg598HVsNl
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyXbJco9Ta
This girl was acting adorably.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYjeQIzt1X
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyWL6LgIwR
"I wouldn't mind doing that. I owe you as much anyway. You got me crazy rich!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k9woSvQXX
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIGAVTFCyI
"D-Did I really? Then, y-you're welcome, hehe."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaSvdKp9Jt
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJAR4zBh08
She was smiling now. That made me feel a lot better. She grabbed one of my hands and waited for me to move, which confused me.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuB8I2Sublb
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrK7c45ltN
"Uh, I don't know where you live, Flinty. You need to show me."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTmwgv1t1k
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jsytYE8sZ
"O-Oh, right! Right!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmbMUVYoOd
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Then she hurriedly took me out of the alleyway and started running around the city with me in tow. She wasn't very fast, so despite my previous expedition, I could keep up very well. She had to take a break a few times. I asked her why she was rushing so badly, and she said that her parents were worried sick.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSgaVhPEqC
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVFAafj8IZ
"..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkmqZhXAro
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Huh. Now I just felt like crap.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RVxAxI6C4
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANEN3EAn3v
But I still let her carry me away. She finally stopped running after about ten minutes. It's impressive that she could navigate the city in the darkness, even though she had to backtrack quite a few times. I probably should've used my Flash-Bloom, shouldn't I?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZ7U1764p9
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Well, all's well that ends well. I read that in a book once so it must be true.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o5IN9HBl5
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjc2gZu5qk
Flinty fiercely knocked on the door of the building. She would've done it lighter if she wasn't so tired, I'm sure. She waited beside me patiently with a smile on her face, tightly holding my hand.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGfIZQuKVf
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfQ1V44Ey3
"Um, Kenny, can I ask you something?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQzcbU1Elj
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"Absolutely. What is it?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJHadvLyyX
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPdMdUKuTs
"H-How old are you? And, do you like tea?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg1iYn0MNk
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcYGyz8aR3
What's this? Is she offering me a drink? Wait, did she say tea? Is Flinty's family rich?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68wN737pFF
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZUerSznei
I didn't have a chance to ask her before the door opened. A woman with the same eye color but a much brighter shade of blonde opened. Her eyes widened, she put her hands on her mouth, and then she embraced Flintly deeply. I looked away, but I was smiling. How could I not?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdfUOu52Ec
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMvWukCx19
"Flinty, oh my goodness, Flinty..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvYQXdnohs
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"Mom, look who I brought!"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwfTUSSsns
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I looked back. Flinty had her hands pointing at me like she found a new pet dog. Her mom looked confused, to say the least, but not unwelcoming.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk9SSqngYN
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"Hello. Who might you be?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡresWVDit7e
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9flxzmCNPQ
"I'm Kenneth Buffalo Chambers. A pleasure to meet you."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSeOgkipxQ
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"Mom, he took down the crooked knights! You should've seen it! I thought it was scary, but he had this fat stick and used it to beat up the knights and–"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uxB0Uk8px
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMeMO6WSQ4
Flinty's mom walked up to me while Flinty retold a heavily exaggerated, but flattering account of the event.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qkM0zvzPx
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"Did you really do it?" She asked me. "Did you really take them down?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS168o2VbK
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapkbEEJcTF
"The prince himself was there, believe it or not. He had a knight with him who said they'd be punished appropriately."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbg512SV4B
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchhfrjHwik
The joy on her face, what a sight. Now that I look at it, Flinty's mother had a similarly disheveled appearance, but that didn't stop her from being happy. In fact, she reeled me in for a hug.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pxTiificv
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"T-Thank you... thank you so much..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR6qSb3dFq
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And then she began to sob.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE41KH3rIJn
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I wondered exactly what it was I did for this girl's family.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2C6rcvWzX
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJoZmF9h7n
–
–
–
I was caught up to speed. But first, I needed to mention how this girl's family had tea. Tea! And I was drinking it! I thought for sure that Flinty was some rich family's daughter, which is why she was being kidnapped, but it turned out that she was in a very average family. It's just that the business that produces tea in this city has a personal connection to her mother. And I gained a connection with them
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HN2W43Zcc
Anyway, Flinty's sudden kidnapping was a result of a bunch of diabolical nonsense I had trouble following. I'm wasn't sure what this woman was expecting from me anyway, I was only twelve and she was using words like "elucidate" and "yclept". She said the former before even starting the story. But, from what I gathered, the knights were essentially blackmailing Flinty's family for tea. That's right, blackmailing for tea. They couldn't blackmail the company itself since the owner was apparently a powerful mage, but they somehow found out that Flinty's family had a special connection. Flinty's mother felt bad about deceiving the Tea Mage, so she stopped providing the knights with tea. The knights thusly attempted to kidnap her daughter, but they were so incompetent that Flinty managed to break free from the sack.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7amWkwoSb
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEX9MdsSYgq
I was expecting something tragic, but that story almost made me laugh. She didn't mention anything about the knight's banditry, but considering how they were blackmailing for tea, it made perfect sense.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLMIzZsY23
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMtPUusZNI
Though, killing the driver was still very harsh. They were scummy people, through and through.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9ESvHyhGx
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcAwJDd1YD
But hey, their scummy actions finally let my tastebuds be graced by this elixir. I wonder, is tea made from a magical plant? I should visit the Tea Mage sometime.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaJSsdkfO9
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobuH0hiP5Q
"Your name is Kenneth, is it? Kenneth Buffalo?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOm9iKe1Iw
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95kELZqOhP
"Yeah. What about you?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5N0Ue49KS
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSAVXk2j2o
"I'm Julie, Julie Zariel Mang."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZVUHBVkk3
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"Nice. Thank you again for letting me have this tea."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71lrjZCk8I
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XQZhuVaPa
"No, it's because of you that Flinty is here with us, safe and sound. So let me say my thanks"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY71JXk0vV
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdnJAi3I8a
Julie patted her daughter's head for a little. She looked quite happy. The dad was supposed to come tomorrow. I'd miss my chance to meet him, but as long as there wasn't something sinister going on beneath the surface, I helped a family become happy again.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5liAz4H0j
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Somehow, that made me happy. That made me really happy. It made me feel like I righted a wrong, even if it was just a little.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gc8WyYzOE
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIhQvuj3fd
"So, Kenneth, you say you're a foreigner, right?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYVIDPs3c6
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MOHNLJy09
"Yes. My carriage was destroyed by the corrupt knights. I was supposed to be heading to Talbot University, you see..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpP3sOufOw
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"T-TALBOT!?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWN5T7Rv6G
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Julie slammed the table with her hands. I jumped and dropped my cup of tea. Now, there it was on the floor, wasted, evaporating...257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlH9LxKXn6
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"Y-Yes, Talbot..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rdcPK6Hi7
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"Wait, Kenneth, are you a genius? You must be no older than thirteen, only two years more than Flinty, and yet you're going to such a prestigious school?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUvMi1n4d3
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"...Is it that prestigious? I received the offer a year ago, so I thought I just–"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae0SLrOYWz
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Julie slammed the table again. Please stop doing that, I said in my mind.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iPlPaPoNp
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"Mom, what is Talbot University?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4ETEmNevq
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05V1tAqQv0
"It is a university intended only for the most elite and promising alchemist. Flinty, you've been saved by an utter genius. If what he's saying is true, that is..."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbcbHMNc9p
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She didn't look like she had any doubts, despite her words. So wait, does this mean that I'm actually amazing? I was letting myself feel proud earlier for beating up two adults, but it looked like the dumb prince was right. He. Hehehe...257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e1JYunJ1U
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"W-Wait, Kenny, are you leaving already?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdjoZpogOa
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Flinty looked at me with sad eyes. They were swaying my words into the answer she wanted to hear.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd79uuKyat7
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"I won't... until tomorrow, most likely. I just received an absurd amount of cash, meaning I can pay for another carriage ride."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlioCCwJD9F
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2dauYnSm7
Flinty looked sad. Julie also looked sad. Gosh, why do these people like looking so sad?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANIZktQI94
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"Would you mind staying the night, Kenneth?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv1wVgFgyW
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"Here? Are you sure?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eZjSkKUmE
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"Absolutely. My husband won't return until noon, so you can sleep in his room."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCB9ydLJeU
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrlIGrLvxt
I see. That's quite nice. Not only do I save money, but I also don't run the chance of being assaulted by some dumb drunk morons, or being barged in on when I'm sleeping. I accepted their offer with a firm thanks and headed to the room upstairs. I took off my coat and put the tome on a table nearby, but kept the rest of my clothes on.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmF45M18K14
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It was an interesting day. I met the prince of this city, saved a girl, and I was now sleeping in her home. Best of all, a source of nearly limitless and presumably free tea was at my fingertips.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNfomyS9fD
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That carriage's destruction was practically a blessing. I jumped in the bed and pulled the blankets over me, then went off into a deep sleep.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtzPVlAkeO
257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxSORGPdcd
Anabelle, it would appear leaving was a good idea after all.
