By the fourth day of the journey to the capital city, Vanchordé, boredom started eating away the minds of the dynamic trio. There wasn't much they could do while stuck in a carriage, except talk.
"Ahhhhhhhhh…. I'm bored." Maou pressed his dreary face against the glass. "I hate this… I hate this so much. Can we do something fun?"
"Maou's right. I'm dying on the inside." Shelly leaned against her travel bag.
"Just three more days and we'll be at Vanchordé." Arthur stared at the carriage ceiling with dead eyes.
"Is the capital fun?" Maou asked, smearing his nose across the glass.
Arthur sprang to his feet, eager to answer Maou.
"Of course it is! I mean… Where do I even start? There are so many different kinds of food, people, places, things to do."
Maou's attention was caught when Arthur said "food". With every word that came from the excited Arthur, Maou's eyes sparkled more and more.
"And these HUGE festivals are kept every year with even MORE food and people there. I know this AMAZING pastry shop that bakes the best cakes I've ever tasted."
"Cake?! … What's 'cake'?'' Maou asked, wiping away his drool.
"It's this really sweet kind of soft bread you can decorate with a sugary and colourful cream. It's out of this world. I can't wait to show you!"
Maou grabbed his hair in mental agony and kicked his feet out.
"I wanna eat that so bad! AHH! Can this carriage go faster?!"
Shelly leaned back, finger against her lip, thinking hard, then soon called to Arthur.
"About the capital. What kind of jobs do they have there?"
"Jobs? Well, Ah, I don't know how many kinds of jobs there are, but you could become an adventurer like me."
Arthur pulled out a bronze card hidden under his shirt, tied around his neck. Shelly and Maou pulled closer to examine the card. It was their first time seeing one. The front of the card had the name "Art" and underneath was his Rank. It stated "F-rank tier 2". At the back of the card was a logo. Two stone pillars with a triangular stone roof above and the outline of white fire behind the two columns. Above the image is the word "Agrippa" and below the image is the word "Roma".
"This is an Adventurer's guild card license. I got mine not too long ago so I'm a low rank right now."
There wasn't anything impressive about a bronze guild card but the it sparkled in Maou's eyes. His jaw dropped, mesmerized and small fingers rubbing against the card's surface.
"What's being an adventurer like?" Shelly asked.
Arthur thought about it for a bit before answering.
"Ah, Well… we do requests given by the Adventurer's Guild. Like hunting down monsters, escort services, collecting rare materials, odd jobs, plus more I think."
"Hmm! Okay, so what is that they don't do."
"Ah, usually, we wouldn't concern ourselves with other country's affairs, but there are exceptions in special cases. That's all I know for now."
"Uhh, thanks, but can I ask another… somewhat personal question?"
"Uh, sure. Go ahead."
"Why're you all the way out here in this backwoods place? I'm guessing it's not a quest."
Arthur rose an eyebrow in confusion.
"Huh? I don't get what you mean by that?"
Shelly's tone became serious and monotonous. She peered into Arthur's brown eyes.
"The frivolous spending, the butler, the expensive carriage. Plus, you said you joined the adventurer's guild recently yet you appear wealthy. You aren't a regular person. Are you?"
Arthur sank in his seat, uneasily staring to the side. He knew he couldn't hide it forever, but he still hoped otherwise. If there was one thing he hated, it was greedy eyes directed at him for his nobility. There was only silence while Maou looked at the two, unsure of what was going on.
"Haaa! You got me."
Arthur released a huge sigh while raising his arms in the air.
"I didn't want to tell you, but I'm a noble's child, born in the capital. Long story short, I ran away from home for a bit. I don't want to talk about it."
Having gotten her answer, Shelly softened her expression and replied saying.
"Don't worry. We don't want your money or anything. The carriage ride is more than enough. Just look at Maou if you don't believe me."
Maou still had the puzzled look on his face but more intense.
"What's a noble? Can you eat it?"
Arthur and Shelly laughed at Maou's genuine cluelessness while he was left miserably in ignorance of the meaning.
"To make it fair, I'll tell you about myself." Shelly played with her patch of silver hair as she spoke. "To cut it short, my village was destroyed by goblins, killing my parents. Then I ran away with my brother but got separated. Now a few years later, I'm traveling to find him. Hoping he's still alive at least."
Having heard Shelly's backstory, Arthur became sorrowful.
"I'm sorry for your loss. It must've been tough losing your family."
"Don't apologise. It already happened. But I can still find my brother… I hope.
"What does he look like? I could probably spot him if I ever see him." Arthur suggested by his good nature.
"It's been years since I've seen him so I can't accurately describe him anymore. He's probably grown twice my height."
Shelly giggled at the thought of her adorable little brother being taller than her. It had been so long since they've seen each other, it might been possible.
"All I can say for sure is that he has the same reddish-brown colour hair as me, except the silver patch of hair. For anything else, I can't say for sure."
Arthur sat contemplating, his hand rubbing his chin.
"Can you tell me everything about him? Like where he might be, personality, habits or something else?"
"Let me think back… Kelly was a happy go lucky, carefree, always hungry, too curious for his own good kind of person and barely a little taller than Maou. For where he might be… I can't say about that either. He could be anywhere, even dead for all I know."
Shelly suddenly realised something strange yet significant. Kelly, as she last remembered him, was the same as Maou. It mostly explained why she took an odd and sudden liking to Maou, even though she knew nothing about him.
"Haaa! I'm drawing blanks but at least I have a description." Arthur returned the Guild card under his shirt. "Tell me, how do you plan on living in the capital?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while. My plan is to secure a place to sleep, then look for a job."
"What kind of job though?"
"Ah, I'm not sure yet. But something that can facilitate the skills of an ex-bandit."
"You? An ex-bandit?!" Arthur eyes widened. He never took Shelly for the bandit type.
"Uh, everyone has there own secrets, I guess. But for the job problem, only two things come to mind… being an adventurer or military soldier. But If you want to freely look for your brother, then I'd advise against the military."
"So adventurer it is then?"
"Well, that's the best idea in my opinion, but you can always look for something else as you go on."
"Hmm! So it's finding lodging and getting a job. Simple, I like it. What do you think Maou?"
They turned to see Maou fast asleep, blowing snot bubbles and drooling. He couldn't keep up with all the brainstorming.
Shelly smiled to herself and thought.
"You really are like my brother."