A chilling breeze swept through the bustling theocracy of Lurtra, but it did nothing to cool the anger simmering in the elven princess's guard. He watched Leornars and Stacian disappear into the city's crowds, his jaw tight and his hands balled into fists. The memory of Leornars effortlessly slaying a soldier from another kingdom, without a flicker of remorse, replayed in his mind.
"Uhm... Leornars, I was thinking," the princess began, her voice a delicate murmur.
Leornars, a figure of silent intensity, stopped in his tracks, his back still to her.
"If you could come back with me to the elven forest," she finished, her voice gaining a touch of hopeful urgency.
He turned, his crimson eyes holding a chilling stillness. "Drop dead."
The words, sharp and cold as a winter gale, hung in the air. Leornars resumed his walk, leaving the princess and her guard stunned in his wake. The guard's fist clenched tighter, a silent snarl on his face.
The streets of Lurtra were a vibrant tapestry of sights and sounds. A crowd of onlookers had gathered, their cheers echoing through the streets as they caught sight of the princess and her entourage. A city guard, a man with a weathered face and a friendly smirk, approached Leornars and Stacian.
"You new around here?" he asked, his gaze lingering on the otherworldly features of Stacian—her ethereal wings and delicate horns.
"Yes, what of it?" Leornars's tone was clipped, a barrier of indifference.
"You should be close at hand with your slave there," the guard continued, oblivious to the icy reception. "For her to have both wings and horns, she's a rarity, every merchant's dream."
Leornars merely hummed in response, his gaze unwavering.
"If you don't have a close arm on her, she'd get auctioned off faster than you can blink," the guard explained further, his voice a low rumble of warning.
Leornars finally turned his attention to Stacian, who was captivated by the sight of apples on a vendor's cart. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes.
"Thanks for the info," he said, the words barely a whisper. He veered into a nearby alley.
"Ooh, doing it in the alley, how brave," the guard chuckled, misunderstanding his intent and walking away.
As soon as they were out of sight, Leornars released Stacian's hand. "Bellian, empty your pockets."
Stacian gasped, confusion etched on her face. A thick white fog billowed from Leornars's shadow, and from it, the shadowy figure of Bellian emerged. Three silver coins clattered to the ground. Then, with a chilling efficiency, Bellian began summoning and dissipating soldiers, each one dropping coins.
"So we got 300 silver coins and 45 copper coins," Leornars said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "That'll cover a room and meals. A room in Durmont costed 2 silver coins and 2 bronze coins a night. Three meals a day costs, hmm... 3 silver coins. Since we're two, that's 8 silver coins and 4 bronze coins a day. I'm not sure how long we'll be in this nation. Minus 2 silver coins for snacking and 3 silver coins for clothing and some basic commodities like soap, that'll be around 13 silver coins."
"We should get some jobs then," Stacian suggested, her voice soft but practical.
"Jobs?" Leornars arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, there are some basic works with good pay like merchants, mages, teachers, healers, adventurers, and alchemists," she explained, a hint of excitement in her voice.
"Adventurers doesn't seem bad. We'll get the layout of the land," he conceded, a faint spark of interest in his eyes.
"Okay, first, we need to go to the adventurers' guild for registration, then we can begin quests for cash," Stacian added, her tone now filled with purpose.
As they spoke, a group of low-class bandits emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.
"Hand over your goods and no one dies," one of them sneered, his eyes fixed on the scattered coins on the ground.
Another bandit's gaze fell on Stacian. "She seems expensive. We'll sell her off."
A third bandit's eyes widened as he saw Leornars. "Look, he's got ashen white hair and crimson red eyes. He's probably a lost Avantris familiar. He'll sell off better."
Leornars sighed, a sound of utter boredom. "Awaken, Bellian."
A white fog rose again, and the spectral form of Bellian solidified. "Bell, kill them all and hurry," Leornars commanded, his voice as calm as a placid lake. He began packing the coins into a bag as Bellian massacred the bandits, a blur of merciless motion. One tried to escape, only for a sword to be thrown and lodged in his neck. Leornars walked over to the bodies, collecting them and adding them to his army of shades. He then looted their belongings.
"Now we got over a thousand silver coins," he said, the numbers a casual afterthought. "I guess I'll start killing bandits then."
He stepped out of the alley, and Bellian vanished into a white fog. Leornars seemed momentarily confused by the disappearance but kept walking. They asked around until they found a building with the unmistakable adventurers' guild marker. Leornars sighed as he saw the crowded hall filled with boisterous adventurers.
A guild receptionist, a young woman with a polite smile, approached them. "Are you here to submit a request or join the guild?" she asked, shaking Stacian's hand.
"We are here to apply for adventuring," Stacian answered.
"Oh, then follow me so we can assess your skills and class," she said, leading them to another room. "Okay, now place your hand on this magic crystal."
Leornars walked to the crystal and touched it. It glowed with a faint light. "Okay, now for your partner," the receptionist said, turning to Stacian. Stacian did the same, and the crystal glowed as well. "Okay, now go into the next room, and you'll be led to an arena where your class will be recorded."
When they left, the receptionist let out a deep sigh, breathing in and out. "What on earth were those two?" she thought, a bead of sweat tracing a path down her forehead.
The arena was a colossal space where fighters dueled under the roaring cheers of the crowd. A man called names, and fighters entered the ring. It was Leornars's turn. He walked into the arena, his opponent a bulky, muscle-bound man. Leornars walked slowly to a rock in the corner and sat down.
"Huh?!" the audience exclaimed, a collective gasp of disbelief.
The bell rang. The bulky man charged toward Leornars, a war cry on his lips.
"Bellian, awaken," Leornars said.
A dense fog rose from his shadow, and Bellian emerged, cloaked in a new attire: a white shirt, a black cloak, and black leather pants. In his hand, he held a different sword—all silver. The bulky man didn't stop, but before he could even land a blow, Bellian defeated him with a single kick, vanishing back into Leornars's shadow in an instant.
"Uhm... C-class, I think," the referee stammered, his eyes wide with shock.
Leornars walked out as Stacian entered. In less than a second, her opponent was defeated. Leornars turned to her, a rare look of surprise on his face. "Oh my," he exclaimed before walking out.
They returned to the reception hall, and the receptionist handed them their guild cards. Leornars looked at his:
Name: Leornars
Age: 17
Class: C
Adventurer
He placed it in his pocket. Stacian looked at hers, a sad expression on her face, before putting it away. Leornars noticed her dejected look.
"Now, let's go get a room," he said, his voice flat.
"Are you two living together?" the receptionist asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"What about it?" Leornars asked coldly. The receptionist flinched.
"I'm just curious," she said, her smile faltering.
Pretty sure it doesn't concern you, now goodbye, Leornars thought. "Yes," he said aloud. The receptionist turned to Stacian and smiled.
Whatever she's thinking of, I'd rather not know, Leornars mused. "Stacian, let's go."
As they were leaving the guild hall, an adventurer threw a tomato that splattered on Leornars. He turned back to the man, a cold fury in his eyes.
"If we weren't in this hall, you'd be dead," he whispered.
The man spit on Leornars's shoe. Leornars looked down at his shoe, then back at the man, and instantly kicked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. They walked out of the hall without another word.