Turning the page in the newspaper slowly, the guild receptionist chuckled lightly while reading the headline aloud.
"Hunters' Guild rankings shift… Gimme a break!"
Reading the tiny blurb located beneath the massive headline, he nearly burst out in a frenzied laughter.
"Abandoned the mission because of mental problems? That noble loser? Hahahaha!"
Bending over at how humorous the article was, he missed the approach of a boy towards the desk, the service bell ringing quietly.
Taking a deep breath to collect himself before addressing the visitor, the receptionist placed the paper down on a table next to him.
Then, in a slow movement of his head, he faced the person who had requested his services.
"Yeah, what can I do for—"
He stopped himself, noticing a blade only centimeters from his throat and a wave of killing intent washing over him.
"Noble loser?"
Aaron's voice was cold and emotionless, his turquoise eyes losing their usual vibrant hue as he stared at the man without remorse.
"N-n-n-no! I-I meant poor kid! N-nobody should have to experience that!"
Shaking like a dog in a thunderstorm, the sound of the man using the restroom in his pants made the blond boy sigh hard.
"That's what I thought you meant."
Ignoring the receptionist who was on the verge of passing out already, he placed two bags on the table, untying them slowly.
"Are there any outstanding warrants for their heads?"
Reaching his hands into the sacks and pulling out two decapitated skulls, he made eye contact with the man behind the desk.
There was no response, only the sound of the man falling backwards in his chair after fainting from the sight.
"Oh… Right…"
Putting the two heads back in the bags and rubbing his neck in an embarrassed manner, he raised his voice loudly.
"Anyone here a doctor?"
…
As he exited the building with a large bag of coins rattling at his hip, he sighed again, taking a seat on an unoccupied bench.
To think they paid in Emerald Myrqs… How are you out of Draughts in this day and age? What the hell even is the conversion rate on these things!
Similar to Draughts with bronze, silver, and gold, Myrqs were separated into three denominations, that being copper, platinum, and, most importantly, emerald.
Furthermore, unlike the global currency that had the two coin types, Circulits and Novars, the ancient coins of the Sea of Mystery were still in use, with Brunds being the primary small change.
With that in mind, as he held the small metallic pieces of green gemstones between his fingers, he tossed them upward, catching them in his hand while listening to Penelope's words.
『I believe the woman who took over for that man you embarrassed said the rate was 1 Gold Draught per 5 Emerald Myrqs.』
Groaning at the thought of even owning the ancient currency native to the Sea of Mystery, Aaron opened the bag, giving it a brief inspection.
"One hundred Gold Draughts? Holy hell, I'm rich!"
His excited expression faded as a thought occurred to him, his feet moving before he even said the words.
"I'll give this to Akari… It's my fault she's hurt, and she'll need this money more than me."
Hearing the woman inside his head recede into the background as his emotions grew bleak, he began his walk towards the hospital.
As he made his way through the winding roads of the city, he felt the warm breeze blow from the South.
Moving the bandana over his nose and mouth, he continued onward, swiftly approaching the hospital's entrance before being stopped by an unusual sight.
The sun had just hit its highest point in the sky as he watched a man being punched cleanly across his face, collapsing to the ground as he fainted.
Furrowing his brow in confusion, Aaron jogged over, his hand resting on the shorter of the two sheaths he carried around, the one strapped to his waist.
"What happened here?"
Looking up at the still standing man who had whacked the now knocked out one, he watched as the assailant raised his hands, palms out.
"Wait! He is a thief. I was just defending my shop!"
The supposed shopkeeper pointed accusingly at the man on the ground, and looking down, Aaron noticed a bag of silver Draughts hidden within the fallen man's grasp.
Relaxing his body, he sighed and smiled to himself, remembering how he had met Ezra Flock in Corvassa all those weeks ago.
Maybe this would've set him right…
Turning his attention back to the shopkeeper, he spoke briskly, passing the man the money that had been stolen.
"Here's your stolen cash. Next time, try to get the police involved before you resort to physical violence. Got it?"
The man nodded in response to Aaron's words, and the young blond boy, satisfied, bowed his head slightly and excused himself.
That was strange…
Shaking his head slowly while listening to the Naelith's growls, he finally arrived at the hospital entrance, opening the doors and walking inside.
Speaking to the polite receptionist at the front desk, he was directed to the room where Akari now rested.
As he made his way through the organized building, he passed room after room of victims who had been a part of the hotel bombing.
Some of the beds were occupied with locals, their families huddled around them, crying and praying for their loved one to wake up.
Others had nobody to offer those kind words to them; their eyes glazed over as they stared at the bare walls.
And lastly, some rooms were freshly cleared out, an obvious sign that the occupant hadn't survived their injuries.
Each of those made Aaron's gut twist with guilt.
His own actions were responsible for causing even more suffering than was necessary.
Nearing the end of the hallway, only one door stood between him and his childhood friend.
Taking a deep breath and turning the handle, he pushed the door open, and his eyes focused on the sleeping figure in the bed in front of him.
Her face was covered in burns and gauze, her arms and legs in a similar state, with the once vibrant pink hair left in a patchy bun.
"Oh…"
Taking a seat beside her bed like he did the last time—when she was only minorly injured—he watched her labored breathing as she slept.
The receptionist said she could wake up at any moment, but—
He stopped himself, looking down at the ground with an aching heart, sending pulsations through his chest.
"If only I had listened to you back then, maybe this wouldn't have happened…"
He paused, thinking of any positives that came from the situation, only one coming to mind, allowing him to smile.
"But at least I got all this money…"
Holding the bag of coins in front of the girl's face, he frowned as her breathing slowed, a sharp wave of panic overwhelming him.
"Mine…"
Jumping back in shock at the words that came from Akari's mouth, Aaron paled, then blinked repeatedly.
"W-What?"
There was a pause as the vitals being read out on the monitors flashed, then turned off in a sudden loud crash, no longer needed.
"My money…"
Widening his eyes in surprise, the blond boy practically leaped out of his chair, placing his ear right next to the girl's mouth.
Her eyes fluttered open, staring at him apathetically before a soft chuckle escaped her chapped lips, her voice coarse from the smoke inhalation.
"I really need to stop getting injured…"
Smiling and leaning back against her pillow, she stared at the ceiling, her mind finally able to think after the day and a half of rest.
Looking over at her friend slowly, she furrowed her brow, confusion evident across her face.
"You look like you've been through hell and back…"
She coughed hard, her expression contorting in pain.
Nodding his head with a nervous smile, he replied quickly.
"You look worse than I do."
Laughing as he spoke, he expected Akari to do the same; however, with a look of concern across her face, she reached out her burnt hand to touch his collarbone.
Her cold touch made Aaron flinch, the girl retracting her hand quickly as the already reddened skin on her face flushed even more.
"What happened?"
She stared straight into his eyes as she posed the question, and the blond boy rubbed his neck awkwardly, about to speak, but getting cut off by her next words.
"And don't even think of lying to me."
Placing his hands out in front of him in a relaxed gesture, he chuckled while replying.
"I won't, I won't."
Taking a deep breath and straightening his expression, he dove into the story.
"That night, it was that cultist who blew the hotel to pieces… His ugly smile as he did it…"
Closing his eyes and skipping past the unsettling details, he moved on, not acknowledging Akari's smug gaze about how she was in the right to suggest killing that lunatic.
"After I saw what he had done to you, I was angry and stupid. I left the hospital and tracked him down all day, trying to find him. When I did, all I had to do was raise my sword and—"
He trailed off, a darkness coming over his expression that the pale girl recognized instantly.
"Was it your first time?"
There was a weighty silence as he nodded his head, tears coming from his eyes, not from sadness over the man's death, but from the thoughts of how that act would affect his life, or who he was.
He was no longer innocent, for, regardless of whose blood it was, he had it on his hands, and it would never wash off.
- - - - - - - - - -
Authors Note:
Estimated Conversion:
1 Emerald Myrq = 3 Platinum Myrqs
1 Platinum Myrq = 5 Copper Myrqs
1 Copper Myrq = 100 Brunds
1 Emerald Myrq = 3 Bronze Draught
1 Platinum Myrq = 1 Bronze Draught