"Hey," Michael waved.
"Eeek!"
The girl at the reception squealed and jumped back when she suddenly saw him before her.
"You scared the hell out of me," the girl said, stuttering in shock.
The scene where he killed a powerful adventurer like a fly had traumatized her, making her more afraid of him than attracted to him.
"Here are the bandit badges. Now run along and get me my coins."
"You heard him. Bring us our coin, you little rat," Gaya shouted at the girl as he chuckled.
"Right...wait here, please, young master."
None of the adventurers dared to look at him directly or downplay him. They now held a slight fear in their eyes, especially considering the powerful adventurer he had defeated earlier.
"Look at these clowns."
Observing Michael's gaze, the adventurers quickly turned away and avoided direct eye contact, unlike their initial behavior.
"Expect them to bow before us once they hear what we did at the city gates, hehe," Gaya chuckled.
Michael knew it would take some time for the news to spread about what had occurred at the city gates, and even more time for the entire kingdom to become aware.
"Young master, here's your coins."
He noticed someone sitting in front of a light orb, casting some spells.
"Hmm, he must be the person who confirms whether the quest is truly completed or not."
"750 silver coins."
The system scanned the coin pouch and informed him of the number of coins inside without the need to open it.
"Hey girl, isn't thirteen times sixty equal to seven hundred and eighty?"
Although he wore a smile, it was far from gentle; instead, it carried a wicked undertone.
"Young master, four percent of the full amount was deducted by the guild as a commission."
"Why don't you just go and rob people, you greedy f**kers?" Gaya roared.
"Four percent, huh? Is that a fixed amount, or does it vary from quest to quest?"
Michael was no stranger to the concept of commissions. He paid a certain amount after each hit as a tax to the dark world, so he wasn't as surprised as Gaya.
"It's a fixed amount, young master."
"That's good to hear. See you later."
The girl exhaled deeply after he disappeared, and the color returned to her face.
The crowd had nearly doubled in size when he stepped out of the city gates. The system continued to ring in his mind, awarding him more badass points.
All the people were gathered around the pole, murmuring, while the guards noticed him approaching.
"Step aside, young master is coming."
The group of people standing in his way quickly moved aside, lowering their heads.
"Guys, come here."
He pointed his finger at the two guards and motioned for them to approach.
Like two obedient puppies, the guards came running and waited for his order.
"Tell me your names?"
"Daniel, young master." The older guard lowered his head.
"Ricky, young master." The other guard also lowered his head as Michael threw the coin pouch to Daniel.
"The survivors of the Rosewood village need a place to stay. Take these coins and rent a place suitable for sixteen people. Can you do that?"
Both of them were at a loss for words, but Daniel quickly responded with a nod.
"It'll be ready, but young master."
Then, Daniel scratched the back of his head and looked curious.
"You haven't told us your name yet?"
"Don't you dare say Ghost, human," Gaya shouted angrily as he smiled at the guards.
"You can call me the Ghost."
************************
Moments later, Cindy's mother was waiting for him and Gaya with their portions of food.
At this time, she saw a crack of lightning on the ground that appeared not too far in the distance. A small smile emerged on her face as the lightning bolt changed to reveal his figure.
The children were cuddling each other and sleeping without any worries about what would happen to them in this cruel world without their parents.
"Young master."
"Did you eat?"
The woman nodded as she picked up a bowl of chicken rice porridge.
"It's not much like what you have eaten in your life," said the woman.
A powerful youth like him couldn't be anything but a wealthy young man who had enough wealth and cultivation resources to be this powerful at such a young age, she thought.
"If you must know, I'm not a noble or lord of anything but a commoner just like you and these children."
He took the bowl from the woman's hand and sat on the sandy ground.
"Wow!"
His eyes sparkled when the porridge touched his taste buds. He had never tasted something like this in his previous life, and he had eaten in many prestigious five-star hotels, including Michelin star restaurants on Earth.
But he didn't use any fancy ingredients or anything special. Yet, the woman before him turned the usual ingredients into something special.
"This is delicious, lady. What's your name, by the way?"
She was bewildered hearing his comment. It was just a normal porridge with chicken pieces in it, but looking at his expression, she couldn't see any sign of him lying.
"I'm Raylene Agner, young master."
She lowered her head in respect while Gaya jumped out of his body and completely shook Raylene. Her eyes widened as she became speechless, seeing her suddenly appear out of his body.
"You want this princ-"
"Just shut up and eat it."
He interrupted her before she could finish her sentence and insulted Raylene.
"How-"
She raised her finger angrily, but soon her face turned red in embarrassment because of the sounds her stomach was making, breathing in the aroma of the food.
"It's not-"
She clenched her stomach tightly and tried to silence the sounds coming from her stomach, but she ultimately failed.
"Here, don't embarrass yourself further."
He took another bowl and handed it over to Gaya. She was already hungry when he chucked all the food in the inn, but her princess pride prevented her from asking for food. It had been almost a week since she ate something, and smelling something as delicious as this, she couldn't hold her cravings in any longer.
Taking the bowl in her hands, she gawked around and stood still like a confused child.
"Are you expecting a throne, princess?" Michael asked Gaya with a wicked grin.
"Sit your ass down here." His shout made Gaya's knees go soft as she sat on the sand with him.
As she moved the spoon near her mouth, the fantastic smell of porridge wafted into her nose; suddenly, she lost control of her appetite.
She opened her mouth and took a bite, and the next moment, her eyes widened in disbelief.
The delicious taste, including the scorching aroma of the chicken and the sweet-and-sour tang of the rice, tickled her taste buds instantly.
My gosh! This is too delicious!
ASimple porridge like this, which appeared so ordinary, had become incredibly attractive to her. However, the system notified Michael that the ingredients it provided were of extremely high quality, filled with pure Arch energy molecules, which made this porridge taste even better.
How else could such a straightforward porridge be this delicious?
"Gaya, how is the food?" He asked her at that moment.
However, she had no time to answer his question as she devoured the porridge quickly. It seemed as if she was still longing for more.
"It is so…"
"Good?"
He asked her with a grin but didn't wait for her answer as he turned to look at Raylene.
"Raylene, we are going to Rivertown. I've made arrangements for your stay. Soon, I will find a more permanent home for you all."
Tears welled up in her eyes, thinking about everything this stranger had done for them. Her tears, however, disappeared when a gentle wind blew on her face.
"You've shed enough tears for one day. Even though it will be hard, try to forget about everything that happened."