Chapter 9 - The Substitute Ring
After thinking about it for a long time, Dareen sneaked out of the mansion, running away from his family until he found what he needed; when he had asked permission, he was very confident that his father would not let him leave the room. After completing the items that will be taken to go that night.
Darren also left a piece of paper; he would visit his mother's town, hoping that his father would understand one day get into trouble. However, he didn't expect to get a defense or help in the future.
After making sure that no one was seen wandering around, he went through the window in his room, wearing a black robe over his face, carrying a small bag containing a few gold coins and a chalice.
[Srough...Sreek]
He was running the vast and leafy clearing, the gate outside, still having to sneak out of the guards and knights through the gardens of flowers and trees.
"It's light tonight," came someone's voice; Darren's footsteps almost came out simultaneously.
Hiding in the thickets, sharp branches tearing her robes in several places, the sound of footsteps moving away, Dareen re-examined the outside.
Feeling safe from the crowd, Dareen leaped from hiding and ran towards the gate, finding the exit flanked by a high and sturdy wall, holding back the footsteps to move forward.
Several knights were on guard wearing armor, illuminated by the light of the hard stone Mana; Dareen looked away, trying to find an opening. Seeing the dark part gave rise to an idea.
Across the wall is a tree of the same height; approach the place, then climb up the tree by jumping.
Having achieved what he wanted, Darren took a stance, relying on Mana to concentrate all over his legs.
HAP! One jump sent him far enough to fly upwards; however, because Darren couldn't estimate the cost, the long jump distance was unreachable.
"Oh no, I'm going to fall!" he says in his heart.
Luckily one of his hands held the edge of the wall, causing a friction sound as one of the guards went towards it. Guards check suspicious places from above.
He tried his best not to move and made the slightest sound because his position coincided with the person standing.
"Hey, you over there! Don't you see anything suspicious around you?" asked the guard from above, shouting.
"Nothing," he replied.
[Deg…deg…deg…]
Dareen's heart was pounding with anxiety because he found nothing suspicious. The guard left his place while the other guard who answered the question didn't see it because trees covered it.
Rushing to let go of the highly unfavorable situation, he dashed past the guard with his back. After descending from the wall, Dareen hid behind a bush, avoiding the spotlights down another brush so that Moore's great wall was no longer visible.
Dareen walked to the capital and saw the surroundings outside the mansion were still very crowded even though it was late at night. Walking up to the people in groups looking at him who were dressed suspiciously.
"I have to quickly find a place to stay," with hurried footsteps.
Found a shop that was still open that night.
"Welcome," said someone from afar.
He was standing at his desk cleaning dirty glasses that had just been washed. There were liquor bottles neatly laid out. Darren walked up to the person who looked like a shop or cafe; the visitors were male.
Only two female waitresses were busy delivering drinks to customers carrying large beers and food trays.
"Uncle, is there a place to stay?" ventured while fixing the hood above his head. "You want to stay?" stared at the face.
"Here we have a room for guests," he said again, who did not stop rubbing the glass.
"Are you a visitor from another kingdom?" he asked, looking at Dareen.
Everyone there immediately looked at him; if he confessed from the outside, he would be an easy target for the people there, but if told the truth, they might ask which family he was from.
"I'm just a pedestrian wanting to go to the opposite city, and I'm afraid to sleep in the forest, so can I rent a room here?" Dareen replied pitifully.
"I'll be out early tomorrow, and you won't see me in the room,"
"And I will pay for it," he took out three gold coins in his pocket.
Without thinking, the man took the gold coin and ushered it upstairs to the room. People saw Dareen, covered by a black mask and hooded robe, leaving the reception.
The rooms are clean and tidy. However, they look more simple.
The man left without saying a word.
"Haaaaaaah..." there was a sigh when he opened the mask to cover his face and put his small bag on the table. Looking at what he was carrying empty made Dareen panic that something as crucial as it fell somewhere quickly opened the contents and had turned into a ring.
It has a cavity in the middle of the glass; if closed, a red liquid is inside.
"This must be my blood, changed while out of the reach of Moore's magic," busy looking at the details on the hand.
"How can this ring change back to its original form?"
"Does it have to be drained of Mana too? In that case, my supply will be easily depleted." Dareen answered, trying to focus on it, and just changed.
After changing the ring and how to use it, he immediately falls asleep.
Before the sun was up, preparing to leave the window to get out of it, but the bed was too high, forcing him to jump.
It was still dark in the morning when people were preparing to work and sell; Dareen opened the hood of his robe and used the necklace he found yesterday to change his form.
Hair color and eyeballs are like the ordinary people in Rhodes capital, happily walking around without worrying.
"Auntie, is the bakery open yet?" Dareen asked kindly.
"Hello, still not," replied the aunt, who was still cleaning up the wooden box filled with flour.
"But since you are my first visit and you are also very handsome, I will let you buy my bread," she answered seductively.
Darren just laughed, listening to her way of trading.
She brought some warm bread that had just come out of the grill, the smoke billowing over the delicious dish.
"Give me five, please," he begged.
"Waaa... yes, big men eat big portions too," replied the aunt, followed by laughter.
Darren took out his two gold coins.
"Thank you very much, handsome. Come here often so that this old aunt can get a spiritual shower,"
"Of course, aunty," he replied with a smile.
He left the bakery, looking for lodging for himself for the next few days. Dareen will change his form every two days and move from place to place. However, the coins he held could not meet his needs because he had secretly left his house with only a few supplies.
"Am I trying to gamble, huh?" Dareen asked himself.