As their feet trod upon the city's cobblestone streets once again, the peace they had felt in the forest seemed to evaporate into thin air.
The townspeople's gaze toward Wolvin remained unchanged. Their eyes were as sharp as daggers, filled with prejudice, disgust, and bewilderment at the sight of a Night Wolf beastfolk walking freely without shackles.
Wolvin lowered his gaze slightly. His black wolf ears twitched restlessly as they caught the harsh whispers surrounding him. He still felt uncomfortable, as if the city air was slowly suffocating him.
"Endure it for just a while longer, Wolvin." Calian whispered softly, noticing the tension in his spouse's shoulders. He walked a bit closer, trying to soothe his spouse so he wouldn't feel so disheartened. "We will be leaving this city soon."
"Yes!" Wolvin answered firmly, though his voice was low.
In truth, deep within his heart, Wolvin desperately wanted to call his husband "Darling" as he did when they were alone. He yearned to grip Calian's hand tightly for a sense of security. However, he bit his lower lip and suppressed the urge. Common sense warned him that he and Calian would only draw more attention and perhaps trigger a major commotion if they dared to show such affection in public.
Upon arriving at the grand Adventurers' Guild building, the three of them went inside. The lobby was much busier in the afternoon with adventurers returning from missions, but Elara parted the crowd with her undeniable aura of authority, leading Calian and Wolvin directly to the reception desk.
The same female receptionist who had served them that morning looked a bit surprised to see them return so quickly.
"Here are all the medicinal herbs the guild requires." Elara said, placing the woven basket on the wooden counter.
"V-Very well, I will process this immediately." the receptionist replied with a professional yet slightly nervous tone.
One by one, she took out the silver-leaved plants. Her hands and eyes worked deftly, counting the number of intact herbs they had meticulously gathered.
While waiting, Elara turned slightly toward her son and son-in-law. "Where are all your belongings and clothes?" Elara asked suddenly in a low voice. "Is there anything left in the inn room?"
"Nothing!" Calian answered immediately.
"Yes, nothing!" Wolvin chimed in. His hand instinctively brushed his storage necklace. "We have everything with us inside this necklace!"
"Good. In that case, we don't need to return to the inn." Elara decided. "We will leave this city as soon as our business at the guild is finished."
"Okay!" Calian and Wolvin replied in unison.
A few moments later, the receptionist returned from the sorting room behind her desk. She brought a small cloth pouch that gave off a light jingling sound.
"The medicinal herbs are of excellent quality and exceeded the requested amount." the receptionist said, placing several bronze coins on the table. "This is the payment for your mission. Since this is a low-rank mission, the payment is as per the standard basic rate."
"Yes, I understand." Elara replied, untroubled by the small amount of bronze coins, which held little value to a noble. She swept the coins into her pouch. "Thank you for your cooperation."
After finishing the administration, they stepped out of the noisy lobby. However, just a few steps outside the building, Calian stopped and tapped his mother's arm.
"Mother, before we leave, how about we buy some proper clothes for Wolvin first?" Calian suggested. His eyes glanced toward the trousers that had been crudely cut at the back to allow Wolvin's tail to protrude.
"No need!" Elara refused without hesitation. "Instead of wasting time looking for clothes here, it's better to use your remaining money to buy jewelry. Later, when we arrive at my homeland, we can sell that jewelry immediately. You must remember, the currency of the Yornvast Empire won't be valid there."
"Then, what about Wolvin's clothes?" Calian asked again, still concerned for his spouse's comfort.
Elara smiled thinly at Wolvin. "We'll just buy his clothes once we're there! In my homeland, there are many beastfolk residents. The tailors there have already designed trousers and clothing specifically suited to their needs. So, Wolvin won't have to bother ruining human trousers just to free his tail anymore."
Hearing his mother's explanation, Wolvin's eyes sparkled brightly. Imagining clothes made specifically for his kind made him feel deeply valued. Calian also nodded in agreement with his mother's plan to buy jewelry in Argam City.
The afternoon was fading, and the shadows of the buildings began to stretch. Not wanting to waste any more time before the shops closed, they hurried through the commercial district toward one of the largest jewelry stores in Argam.
Despite the many intimidating stares directed at them along the way, the three of them ignored them and remained focused on their destination. Arriving at a dua-story building with elegant architecture and thick glass windows, they pushed open the double doors. A small bell chimed clearly, welcoming them into a room filled with glass displays of shimmering gold and gems.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you, Sir, Madam?" greeted a middle-aged man standing behind a mahogany counter. His attire was neat, and his eyes radiated the precision of a veteran goldsmith.
"Yes, good afternoon to you as well." Elara replied in her flat noble tone. "We are here to purchase some jewelry."
"Very well." the man replied politely, assuming they were just minor nobles looking for a ring or two. "How much jewelry do you require?"
Instead of answering with a number, Elara swept her hand over the table.
Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink!
With a flash of spatial magic from her earring, a large pile of imperial gold and silver coins appeared and tumbled onto the counter, creating a loud jingling sound.
Following his mother-in-law's instruction, Wolvin also touched his storage necklace. He brought out a pile of gold coins just as large. The remainder of the wealth Calian had brought when he left the Larvin residence.
The middle-aged man's eyes widened. His composure shattered instantly upon seeing the mountain of gold coins now piled on his counter.
"W-Why are you purchasing jewelry in such large quantities?!" the man asked in shock, his voice slightly stifled. He looked at the three of them with deep suspicion. "This much money... you three aren't fleeing from a crime, are you?"
"Don't speak nonsense, old man!" Elara countered with a sharp gaze.
A dominant aura surged from the yellow-haired woman's body. Her gaze intensified, as if she could peel the man's skin alive. "The three of us are moving and will no longer reside in this Empire. Naturally, we would prefer to convert this into high-quality jewelry so it can be easily resold at our new destination, wouldn't we?"
Elara leaned in slightly, her gaze sharpening even more. "Do you think coins stamped with the face of the Yornvast Emperor will be accepted if we use them in another kingdom's territory?"
The middle-aged man paused for a moment. Yet, strangely, after hearing this logical argument, his expression regained its calm very quickly. He seemed completely unaffected by the pressure of the intimidating aura Elara intentionally released.
"Ah... you have a point." the man replied casually, returning to his professional smile. "Very well, I will take care of and weigh everything the three of you need."
The man moved quickly. He pulled out red velvet-lined trays from the safe behind him, gathering necklaces, bracelets, pure gold rings, and precious gemstones. Calian, Wolvin, and Elara waited patiently at the counter, watching the man calculate and weigh the gold with precision.
Nearly ten minutes passed before the massive transaction was completed. After ensuring the coins paid matched the weight of the gold, the man swept all the coins into his own magic bag. He then pushed the trays filled with fantastically valuable jewelry toward Elara.
"This is all your jewelry, Madam." the man said, unable to hide the spark of happiness in his eyes from making such a massive profit in a single day. "Thank you very much for shopping at our store. May your journey be safe."
"Yes, thank you." Elara replied casually. With a single sweep of her hand, all the jewelry on the table vanished into her earring storage artifact. "Then, we shall take our leave."
They turned to leave, intending to exit the shop immediately. However, after Elara had taken a few steps, she stopped. She tilted her head slightly, looking back at the middle-aged man.
"By the way..." Elara said in an incredibly casual tone, as if talking about the weather. "The three assassins hiding above your ceiling are always on guard, aren't they? No wonder you weren't affected by my intimidation earlier."
The middle-aged man's body stiffened instantly. His face, once full of a winning smile, turned deathly pale.
I never expected this woman to know the positions, or even the exact number, of high-level assassins in this shop! the man screamed in his heart, his feelings a mix of horror and awe. His heart raced. Her instincts and detection magic are at a monster's level! It's a good thing I didn't have any dark intentions regarding their money earlier!
Without waiting for the frozen shop owner's reply, Elara opened the door and stepped out, followed by Calian and Wolvin.
As the door slowly closed, the owner's eyes happened to lock onto the back of the youth walking behind Elara. The sunset light piercing through the glass illuminated the youth's hair clearly.
The man frowned. His retired intelligence instincts stirred. He felt very familiar with that extremely rare hair color.
His mind worked hard, scrolling through the list of top-tier noble families in the Yornvast Empire. And when he finally found the only family with the gene for such striking purple hair, his knees nearly gave way.
Good heavens... the man thought, his breath hitching as cold sweat began to wet his temples. He leaned against the counter to steady himself. I never thought... that youth is a direct descendant of Duke Larvin. Only the Larvin family has such striking purple hair and deep purple eyes in the entire empire!
A million questions now haunted the man's mind, spinning into a terrifying puzzle.
Then, why did they decide to move and trade all their wealth? Isn't the Larvin family's power in this empire almost equal to the royal family? Why bother going to a neighboring kingdom's territory with a beastfolk?
The man swallowed hard. He stared out the glass window, watching the backs of the three figures slowly disappear into the evening crowd. He truly could not guess the youth's thoughts.