"Wait, wait, wait, rewind. How much do we owe?" Jaime asked, looking at Aisha.
The group of them were walking down the street toward the inn where they appeared. Jaime was giving Rella a piggyback because of her injured leg, which he felt a little bad about, with Aisha walking alongside him.
"Ahh." Aisha sighed. "Wendell said that he didn't know the exact cost, but he figured it would end up being around fifty gold, and I think that was him being lenient." Aisha looked at the two culprits with a gloomy expression. "You couldn't have avoided the shelves?"
Rella's cheeks blushed as she turned away.
Jaime didn't answer, turning his head and looking at the girl on his back. "Is fifty gold a lot?"
Rella pondered for a moment before answering. "Well, that all depends. For a mortal, yeah. That could be more money than their shop makes in a year."
Jaime whistled, looking forward. "Well, now I feel obligated to pay."
Aisha gave him the stink-eye. "You already were."
Rella shook her head, continuing. "However, for a cultivator, it all depends on their rank. For me, I keep about half that in my emergency purse."
Timothee laughed boisterously from behind them. "HAHAHA. Hear that! We are rich!"
Everyone turned to look at the kid with varying expressions.
After a second, Rella cleared her throat. "Umm. Well. Not exactly." She sighed. "That gold is only for situations where I have nothing else, and I need common food or a place to stay. That amount wouldn't be able to buy even the lowest treasures."
Aisha nodded. "That lines up with the little I got from Wendell. From what I gathered, mortals and cultivators pretty much live in two different worlds."
Rella nodded. "She's right. Most cultivators hardly even see mortals as people, more like insects that co-exist with them."
Jaime sighed. "Isn't that a little harsh? They should protect the mortals, no?"
Rella shook her head. "As I said, it's two different worlds. Most cultivators see it as you don't bother me, I won't bother you. Only cruel and sadistic cultivators go after mortals as it is a huge taboo in the cultivation world."
Jaime cleared his throat semi-awkwardly. "Umm. Didn't you just go after a group of mortals?"
Rella could feel Jaime's hands loosening around her thighs like he was preparing to drop her. Her cheeks immediately flushed red. "I-I-I, I didn't mean to. I was just. It was just that…" Rella wracked her brain, trying to come up with an excuse, but she was unable.
Jaime laughed, retightening his grip around Rella's thighs and boosting her up a bit. "I'm joking. I know it was partially our fault. I agree that we deserved a good spanking, but attempting to murder us might have been a bit harsh."
Rella buried her blushing face in Jaime's shirt, speaking into the fabric. "I'm sorry."
Aisha just shrugged. "It's fine. We are only here for excitement and fun anyway, and that chase definitely checked both boxes."
Timothee laughed. "Yeah, and now I can do this." Timothee bent his legs, jumping into the air. His jump was sudden as he attempted to go straight over Jenna's head.
"Eee?" Jenna let out a little squeak as she ducked, even though Timothee probably wouldn't have hit her.
As Timothee landed, Jenna punched him in the arm. "Freak, give me some warning next time."
Timothee beamed from ear to ear, the tattoo on his forehead making him look extra stupid. He then looked at Rella. "So, if you have fifty gold in your emergency funds, how much do you have back at the inn?"
Rella sighed exasperatedly, "All of my other supplies were stolen. I was attacked right after I felt my sect and had to leave everything just to get away. It has been a hard few days."
Rella then narrated her tough past few days for the rest of the walk home.
When they arrived at the inn, the bartender was shocked to see that they had survived. She was even more surprised when she saw Jaime carrying Rella on his back. The last time she saw them, it seemed like they were mortal enemies.
"We-welcome back, esteemed guest." The bartender stumbled over her words as Rella's presence made her a bit nervous. Bowing her head, she dared not look straight at her.
Jaime's eyebrow went up when he saw that. He then walked straight up to the counter with Rella still on his back. "Oho. We are esteemed guests now, huh?" He had a teasing smile on his lips, speaking in a playful tone."
The bartender nodded. "You are friends of the young lady. That makes you esteemed guests." The bartender had completely shifted her demeanor from when she had spoken to Jaime earlier. She was now far more submissive and seemingly nervous.
Jaime frowned. "Well, I said I would be back for your name. Might you allow me to know it?"
The bartender lowered her head again, not meeting Jaime's eye. "This lowly one is called Britta."
Jaime sighed, moving his hand from under Rella's thigh and gently lifting Britta's chin, forcing her to look at him. Funnily enough, Rella almost slipped off his back because she wasn't supporting herself.
Despite Rella's weight shifting on his back, Jaime locked eyes with Britta. "I'm not an esteemed anything. No matter who I know or who I'm with, you will never be beneath me. Do you understand?"
Britta meekly nodded her head, somewhat mesmerized by the pretty boy.
Jaime then let go of her face and backed up with a nod. "Good. So, what is the strongest alcohol you have?"
Britta was dazed for a moment but quickly snapped out of it. "Umm, we only have one kind."
Jaime nodded, looking back to where the others had found a table. "Just bring a bunch of it to that table as well as all the dishes on the menu."
Britta nodded her head. "Can I get you anything else, Estee-. I mean, umm."
"Jaime. And, no. I think that will be it, thank you."
Britta nodded her head before disappearing into the kitchen.
Jaime walked past the other people in the area, many of whom looked away when they saw them.
This made Jaime curious. "Do we look scary or something?"
Rella sighed. "No. It's because of my robes."
"Oh? Do explain."
"Well, I am from one of the largest sects in this area, The Black Swan Sect. It is an all-female elitist sect that has a massive amount of influence over this area. Most of the girls there are also very cold towards men and often get into conflict with them."
"I see. So you belong to a radical group of feminists?"
Rella raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't know what that means."
"Well. It's. Nevermind." Jaime sighed, shaking his head with a smile.