The entire group turned their gaze towards Lyra, a deadpan look on their faces.
To them, they wondered why a stranger, no matter how beautiful, would be asking them for money out of the blue—especially since they were supposed to be fellow travelers.
Even worse was the fact it didn't seem like she was asking for the money politely either. It was more as though she was trying to assert some kind of dominance, demanding tribute rather than charity.
Alex, the Gunslinger, chuckled nervously at the request.
"You want us to give you money? I can't even tell if you are an NPC or not."
Lyra frowned a bit, her eyes narrowing.
"Does the fact my Lord needs it not suffice for you? You should be gra—"
"Lyra, that is enough."
Kai chimed in before she could say any more. His voice was sharp, cutting off her tirade before she accidentally declared war on a Level 14 player.
Realizing she must have stepped out of bounds, Lyra quickly bowed her head and withdrew a step, though she still glared daggers at the ground.
'Ah good. If she had continued, it would have gotten pretty ugly. I can easily claim to be a player. I mean, technically, it's not a lie.'
Kai took over the conversation, stepping in front of his overzealous subordinate.
"Yes, I am a player. The name is Kai Greyhart," he spoke to them smoothly. "And as I said, I am not from around here, nor do I have any money to walk through those gates. Is there any other way I can make my way in?"
'There should be a way to earn quick bucks if possible.'
The entire party looked at one another, communicating silently on what they should do regarding the current predicament these two strangers were facing.
After a while of whispering to one another, Alex finally stepped forward to let out the conclusion they came up with.
"Okay, I have spoken with my team, and we have decided to help. But the thing is, the only way you can get through that gate without having to buy an entrance card is by being in a party with someone who already does, or being in a powered guild."
Alex paused, looking to the side with his hands on his waist.
"That said, five is the highest number of players that can join a party. Any more than that and it becomes a Private Guild. Sofia has decided to be the one to form a temporary party with you, just until you can get through the gates."
'Sofia?'
He remembered the name and quickly looked in her direction. That was the Second Caster class girl who had been staring intently at him since he saw her.
She wore a long blue robe that shimmered slightly and held a curved wooden staff with both her hands. Her short pink hair swayed every time she moved, highlighting her pink pupils as well.
She was cute. For someone who had not been around Lyra for long, she was undeniably attractive in a softer, more innocent way.
After seeing it was her, Kai chose to be respectful in the best way he thought was right. He placed a hand on his chest and offered a slight bow.
"Your kind gesture warms my heart. You have my many thanks."
Not many people noticed it, but a quick blush grazed Sofia's cheeks before she looked to the ground to hide her face.
Well, apart from Lyra, who noticed immediately. She couldn't even stand the fact her Master was speaking so gently to a bunch of weak humans.
"Okay then, let us proceed."
Alex tapped the air before him, immediately summoning a white screen that glowed against the edges of his face.
Then from there, he moved towards the party options and removed Sofia from their active party.
Once that was done, Sofia walked forward, doing the same thing on the screen hovering right before her.
[Sofia is inviting you to join her party.]
[Do you accept?]
[Yes / No]
'So this is how people join parties in this game. See, this only makes me curious about how the guilds operate. Wouldn't be a bad idea if I can start my own. Hehehe.'
"Very well."
Kai clicked on the 'Yes' option.
[You have joined a party with Sofia.]
[Kai has joined your party.]
"The party has been made," Sofia announced, immediately looking towards Alex. "So I guess I'll meet you guys at the cafe?"
"Yes, be careful and call us if anything comes up. Don't wander around!" Alex yelled the last part as a warning before waving and walking away, with the rest of the members following right behind him toward the gate.
Sofia looked rather nervous as they walked away, clutching her staff a little tighter.
"Your teammates seem to have an issue leaving you all by yourself. Do you wander off a lot?" Kai asked, tilting his head.
"N-no!" Sofia looked at Kai, flustered. "Well, yeah... but it's only because I tend to get distracted by the things around me pretty quickly."
'She's one of those, eh? The type to die first in a horror movie before they believe splitting up is supposed to solve the issue. What was that saying again...'
"Trend too far apart and death will stab you in the back."
Kai blurted out the ominous phrase.
He soon realized he said the quiet part out loud when Sofia was staring at him with a bit of fear in her eyes.
"Death?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, trying to play it cool but failing.
'Fuck. I blurted that out loud!'
Kai looked away, clearing his throat, and then walked toward the gate.
"That is just advice."
Lyra glared at Sofia one last time before she too followed behind Kai.
"W-wait for me!"
Sofia ran behind them.
....
It didn't take long for them to get past the city gates without having to face any questions from the guards.
All they did was take the card from Sofia and check their party ID before they were allowed inside the city.
But other than that, Kai noticed something that quickly piqued his interest.
The guards were definitely NPCs since no player would subject themselves to a boring job like standing at a gate all day. But yet, they looked no different from any other player.
They had their own info displayed, unique clothing, and distinct manners of speech, and even the way they moved and interacted seemed natural and not programmed. They yawned, they scratched itches, and they gossiped.
And it only got worse from there.
Upon entering the city, amidst the bustling crowd of merchants and adventurers, he soon realized something terrifying.
What truly separates an NPC from a player?
Or better still...
Are NPCs even NPCs?
....
[A/M]
Please note that Kai is not a team player. Also, don't be surprised if Lyra does something out of the norm; it's just a friendly, cute warning.