"You decided to travel alone at your age!? You're incredibly reckless, Arthur!" Ellen exclaimed, bringing one hand to her chest, visibly shocked.
Her tone mixed genuine concern with disbelief, as if she simply couldn't accept the idea of a child walking alone through such a dangerous forest.
I'm older than you. Much older. Arthur thought, keeping his expression perfectly neutral.
"She's right," Kaval added shortly after, crossing his arms seriously.
"Don't be fooled by how easily we scared off those thieves. Luck played a major role in that. If we had been a little farther from the capital, or if there had been more of them, things could have ended very differently."
Gido nodded silently, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Wow…" Ellen leaned slightly forward, observing Arthur with renewed interest. Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. "But your clothes are really nice. And this fabric… it's unlike anything I've ever seen…"
She brought a hand to her chin, thoughtful, before suddenly widening her eyes.
"Arthur, could it be that you're… a runaway noble?!"
The question came out brimming with excitement, as if she had just uncovered a great mystery worthy of a tavern song.
Listening to Ellen's animated conversation and the increasingly exaggerated speculations from her, Gido, and Kaval, Arthur couldn't help but smile faintly.
Especially because of Ellen.
She was incredibly cheerful, excessively positive, and genuinely kind—the type who could trust people without hesitation. On top of that, there was something naturally captivating about the way she spoke and moved, an almost contagious energy.
As they walked along the road toward the city, the three of them began explaining countless things to Arthur, almost as if they had taken on the role of improvised tutors.
Unfortunately for Arthur, every single piece of advice was completely useless.
They talked about not trusting strangers so easily.
Which was somewhat ironic, considering all three of them had been complete strangers to him just minutes ago.
About never venturing into isolated places.
About how, even though the city was relatively safe, the surrounding forest was extremely dangerous for anyone traveling alone.
Not that the forest posed any real danger to him at the moment.
And, if possible, always traveling with a reputable caravan or under the protection of the Guild.
Arthur simply listened in silence, nodding occasionally out of pure politeness.
Eventually, the topic inevitably shifted to monsters.
"I heard that recently, the monsters of the Jura Forest have been exceptionally active. Attacks are happening much more frequently, and even magical creatures that normally avoid humans have started getting closer and closer to the roads," Gido explained.
"That's why you can never be too careful," Kaval said.
Jura Forest, huh…? Arthur thought, feeling a faint sense of familiarity. Where have I heard that name before…?
—xXx—
As adventurers of the Free Guild, Ellen and the other two knew they couldn't "protect" Arthur forever.
As soon as they entered the city, the group ended up splitting apart, each going their own way.
The city before them was the royal capital, Londo, belonging to the Kingdom of Blumund. Although it wasn't particularly large, it was surprisingly bustling.
Wide and narrow streets intertwined like a living labyrinth. People crowded everywhere, wearing clothes completely different from those of Earth. Rustic fabrics, colorful cloaks, and the light armor of adventurers created a visual spectacle that immediately caught Arthur's attention.
The stalls lining the streets displayed an impressive variety of goods. Fruits of strange shapes and colors, skewers of seasoned meat with unfamiliar aromas.
Arthur's curiosity was instantly awakened.
Without a second thought, he began buying everything he found interesting, without even asking the price.
Exotic fruits, strange sweets, curious items, useless souvenirs—some things he bought simply to mock Tony when he returned. Nothing escaped him.
In a way, this city reminded him of Uruk.
Naturally, such extravagance did not go unnoticed.
Several watchful gazes began following him through the streets. People living on the fringes of the law quickly realized that this boy was a perfect target.
Arthur, however, didn't care in the slightest.
What truly caught his attention was a small, discreet shop that sold magic.
Upon entering, he saw that the interior was filled with magical items: shelves lined with grimoires, scrolls of basic spells, wands, and small everyday-use artifacts.
Completely lost in his thoughts, he began buying spells and magical items as if he were picking fruit at an ordinary market.
Obviously, he didn't need any of it, but that wasn't going to stop him from buying whatever he wanted.
The shop owner, a thin middle-aged man, nearly collapsed.
Magic was knowledge restricted to a select few.
In this medieval-style world, only nobles or successful adventurers could afford spells so casually. Even a minor spell cost more than what an ordinary person earned in months.
Arthur's behavior—buying any spell that caught his eye—was enough to bankrupt an average noble.
When the shopkeeper noticed the growing number of suspicious figures gathering outside the store, cold sweat began to run down his forehead.
Anyone capable of spending that much money was undoubtedly someone of extremely high status.
If something were to happen there, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"D-dear customer…" He swallowed hard before continuing. "This is our most precious item: the Staff of Wind." With trembling hands, he pushed the object toward Arthur. "Please, accept it… and leave through the back as quickly as possible!"
Arthur looked at the staff, confused.
It was an elegant piece, with a large green gem embedded at its tip.
"How much does it cost?" he asked.
"There's no need to pay me!" the shopkeeper replied almost desperately. "Please, just leave through the tunnel!"
Arthur was even more confused; honestly, this staff was useless as well. He had hundreds of thousands far better than it in his Gate of Babylon.
Wait… if I remember correctly, that girl, Ellen, said she had good affinity with wind magic. Maybe this could be useful for her, Arthur thought as he looked at the staff.
"All right." Without insisting, he took the staff and left through the back, as requested.
As soon as he emerged from the tunnel, he immediately realized that this place was the complete opposite of the main street.
It was a narrow, poorly lit, and nearly deserted alley. A few miserable people lay on the ground, wrapped in rags, casting hollow gazes at the occasional passerby.
But before he could go much farther, Arthur stopped.
Standing in front of him were some very familiar figures.
Bill, Jason, and Aug.
The instant they saw Arthur, the trio's eyes gleamed with pure malice.
"To think we'd find you here again!" Bill laughed. "What irony of fate."
"As the saying goes," Jason added, spinning his sword in his hand, "patience is a virtue! So what if those three idiots ruined our plans?" He pointed at Arthur. "Now you're not only ours… that staff is too!"
Watching the three approach with confident expressions, as if they had already won, Arthur let out a tired sigh.
Another weird protagonist cliché…
However, before he could do anything, three figures suddenly appeared in the alley.
Who else could they be but Ellen, Gido, and Kaval?
Everyone was shocked.
Not only Arthur, but even Bill and his two companions were left completely speechless.
…Were all these people following me? Arthur thought, genuinely confused.
Actually, this is partly my fault too… I really had no restraint when spending money earlier, he added mentally.
---
(End of the chapter)
Ellen-