Having been accepted by the blacksmith, Raphael's journey has taken quite a turn. Whether this change will prove to be a good one, or will his misfortune continue to follow him along this path as well.
His journey so far has been one without a purpose, guided by instinct alone had he now crossed paths with Jin. Will their encounter end swiftly, or will he find a purpose to live for.
Hey kid! Wake up, I need you to watch the shop for me. Preparating to head out to get some supplies to make swords, the blacksmith meant to leave Raphael to take care of the shop while he was away.
Raphael! As if woken up from a deep slumber, yawning intensively as he opened his eyes to Jin right up in his face. Jumping back from fright had he hit his head on the shelve above him.
What you getting all scared for? The blacksmith asked with a smile on his face.
Quit slacking off and get up already, come watch the shop I'll be back soon.
It has been a week now since Raphael started living with Jin, and within this short while, it would appear that he's gotten quite used to life there already. Enough with the sudden wake up calls Jin, I was about to head out anyways. Raphael! Finally waking up to see Jin all ready to head out.
During this past week, Jin had been going out everyday to purchase supplies to open up the shop. Coming back with different tools and equipments for smithing each time, and today was no different from the rest. Can I go with you today? Raphael asked with gleaming hope in his eyes.
Don't you worry, I'll do just fine on my own. Besides, you don't even know the town well enough to be walking around. If you were to get lost, It'd be my fault for letting you tag along in the first place. The blacksmith said as he refused his attempt.
No! You don't worry, I can take perfectly good care of myself. And I know the way back to the shop, so I'll be fine even if we do get separated. Raphael! Trying his best to convince Jin to let him tag along to the towns square.
It didn't take long for Jin to give in to his persistent talks. And so the two left the shop together, their destination was the town square and their objective was to gather supplies.
Other than the time he had followed Jin through the town, this would be Raphael's first time to actually go to town for a particular purpose. Judging from his facial expressions, Jin could almost be certain that the kid would get himself lost. And so, the blacksmith cautioned him beforehand to stay close by at all times.
However it would appear that, that remark was ill advised as Raphael would find himself separated from Jin before reaching their first destination. Upon realization of the current situation, the blacksmith said in frustration "Damn! This is gonna be a long day".
Seeing as there was nothing he could do about the situation, Jin continued shopping whilst keeping a look out for Raphael. Although, it would appear that he was already within the town's mall. He was stocked to see goods being displayed all over, but what got his attention was the many different food stuffs being sold.
Raphael then approached one of the stalls, can I eat this? He asked the shop keeper with enthusiasm all over his face. Thinking he was a customer willing to buy something, she answered "yes" with a smile while nodding her head. Would you like to have some? The shop keep asked as she handed him an apple.
The blacksmith had taught him some courtesy to say "Thank you" when given something. And so, Raphael did exactly that and headed away from the shop keeper whilst eating away at the apple.
Hey kid! Aren't you going to pay for the apple? The shop keeper asked as she tried to stop the boy from walking away. Pay.... Having no concept of how exchange of trade went, Raphael tried to escape the scene with a dash.
While sprinting through the town, was he unintentionally toppling over people's goods and materials. Before too long, quite a number of people were already on his tail chasing him down.
[ Raphael had developed the instinct to detect hostility around him. However, unlike the kind he felt from Camish and Santos, this hostile crowd that was on his back didn't seem to have the same aura. That thought alone restricted his actions and clouded his judgement.]
With nowhere else to go, Raphael changed directions and headed back to the shop. Jin on the other hand was almost done with supply gathering and was headed to his last stop for the day. Suddenly hearing strange noises of people shouting, he followed the directions of the screams only to find Raphael being chased down by a mob.
The blacksmith had a reputation in town for being one of the most skilled smith's, he was renowned for being able to make swords that were close to unbreakable. He was a man of composure, always keeping a cool head in rough situations.
Spying Jin from afar, Raphael hurried and hid behind him to seek protection from the mob.
The blacksmith then proceeded to halt the people's approach and to solve the situation at hand. Asking why there was a commotion of such grand, the shop keepers spoke their truth about him toppling over their goods and destroying them.
I hear you all and do no fret, for I shall surely compensate you for my apprentices mishaps. Calmly speaking to the crowd was Jin, assuring them he would pay for all their losses.
It took quite a while of negotiating with the shop keepers before arriving at a favourable agreement. Soon after, the crowd disappeared from the scene and the commotion was over.
Jin had every intention of scolding him, however, he could not bring himself to do so while looking at Raphael who had a smile on his face.
Since their time together after their encounter, this would be the first time the blacksmith had seen Raphael smiling. Knowing what kind of life he's been through, Jin was genuinely happy to see the boy having fun and smiling.