Gah-Hal leaves the adventurer's guild feeling accomplished even though his success wasn't anything challenging for him. He has already proven what he's capable of to Hogel and Hanna, but that's not everything he has up his sleeve...
Boy looks around for a moment before heading to marketplace and look around it to see if there is going to be anything eye catching. He might even see his teammates there trying to enjoy themselves for his own money, but not like it matters for him.
As he walks through the street he sees few holes in the street, broken windows in houses, destroyed crates and broken bottles. Although it's a capital town, the monarchy doesn't seem to be interested in it's look. The king's only focus is listening to emperor's orders which is in most cases warmongering. It's not hard to see the leftovers from the battles or any other types of fights that took place recently or longer time ago.
Except of all this, it's very difficult to be in such place without at least one knight being present nearby. In any case Gah-Hal just walks to marketplace not really caring about all this currently.
After 6 minutes he reaches the marketplace which obviously is very big. Except of patrolling knights on every corner, there are quite a lot of people selling and buying various goods.
There are fishmongers, butchers, sellers of various materials and consumables. Despite marketplace having a lot of stuff to buy, the sword and armor stands and shops are nowhere to be seen. The local blacksmith also doesn't seem to sell or do any sword or armor related services. He instead offers and sells the non-weapon related services like forging rings or jewelery.
In the middle of marketplace between the stalls he sees a man sitting on the ground with a small wide table in front of him and 4 wooden cups. He smiles as he sees this as he knows what that is.
Typical game of 'guess where the stone is'. Next to the him there are few pouches of coins with various values.
So Gah-Hal decided to play few rounds for fun or even for some money so he got through the people in marketplace and approached the man.
"Good day, Mister. Can I play few rounds?" Gah-Hal asked and sat down in front of the wide table against the man.
"Sure thing. How much will you wager?" Man asks with smile.
"How about a test round? No wagers." Gah-Hal replies.
"...Sure." Man says.
After a second a man placed a small stone under the 4th cup from the left showing boy where it is before he starts shuffling quite fast.
10 seconds have passed and the man stopped shuffling. Gah-Hal took a moment and pointed at the 2nd cup from the left.
Man took the cup away and Gah-Hal was correct.
"Good. Shall we-" Man says, but gets interrupted.
"Yes. I bet 1 silver coin now." Gah-Hal says as he places a silver coin on the table from his pocket.
"Great." Man says while also placing a silver coin on the table from the pouch next to him.
The small stone is placed in the first cup from the left. He shows it to boy before he starts shuffling very quickly.
The cups are changing positions so quickly that average person would already lose the cup where the stone is, but Gahes still has it.
15 seconds have passed when man finally stopped shuffling the cups. It's time for the boy to choose one of the four cups.
"This one." Gah-Hal says while pointing on the 3rd cup from the left.
Man picks the cup and reveals that Gah-Hal was once again correct.
"You've got a good sight. Wanna make it 3 silver coins?" Man suggests as Gah-Hal takes his silver coin.
"Sure thing." Gah-Hal replies and places another coin on the table now with three coins from him in total.
After boy's reply, man also puts another 3 silver coins on the table. He then hides the stone under the third cup from the left and starts shuffling again, but a bit slower.
After 10 seconds the man stops shuffling.
Gah-Hal shows a quick grin knowing what happend now.
"Yea. He hid the stone in his sleeve while shuffling. May he have it his way this round." Gah-Hal thinks to himself.
Gah-Hal then randomly points at the first cup from the left knowing it would be incorrect.
Man picks the cup and reveals that Gah-Hal was incorrect this time.
"What a shame." Man says as he takes Gah-Hal's coins.
Gah-Hal grins to the man puts his hand on the table.
"6 silver coins. Let's do it." Gah-Hal suggests.
"Alright then. I like such players." Man says while placing 6 silver coins on the table.
Gah-Hal also adds another 6 silver coins on the table.
After bets the man hides the stone under the first cup from the left and starts shuffling again as fast as previously. This time Gah-Hal is focused on his sleeves. He carefully waits for him to try his thing.
Once the man finally smoothly swipes the stone with the cup into his sleeve, Gah-Hal uses his magic to move the stone to the right making the stone fall off the table instead into the sleeve.
Man seeing that he missed and boy saw the stone falling off the table stops shuffling and picks up the stone.
"Sorry. Raised a cup a bit too high." Man says trying to excuse himself.
Man once again hides the stone under the first cup and shuffles again with the same speed.
After 4 seconds man once again tries to smoothly hide the stone in his sleeve, but Gah-Hal once again uses his magic to push the stone to the right making it fall off the table again.
Man once again stops shuffling and this time he shows a sign of anxiety on his face thinking he is about to be caught.
"Maybe try going slower? What are you trying to do? Throw it into your sleeve?" Gah-Hal says jokingly with a playful grin trying to not be obvious that he knows about the trick.
The man, taken aback by Gah-Hal's playful jest, tried to maintain his composure.
"Slower? No, no, just trying to keep it interesting." Man replies with a forced chuckle, attempting to cover up his unease.
Gah-Hal tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. He feigned a casual expression but continued to follow the man's movements closely. As the cups moved faster, Gah-Hal's magical intuition kicked in, allowing him to anticipate the man's sleight of hand.
The man's palms grew sweaty, beads of perspiration glistening under the market's sun. He shuffled the cups with an increasing level of nervousness. But Gah-Hal remained unfazed, looking at him and the cups with playful smile.
Suddenly, the man made a swift attempt to conceal the stone in his sleeve. Yet, before he could complete the maneuver, Gah-Hal not moving a single muscle, once again made the stone fall off the table.
Gah-Hal chuckled, his grin growing wider.
The man's face contorted in a mixture of surprise and frustration. He hastily reached for the fallen stone, then stammered as he tried to regain his composure.
Gah-Hal leaned in, still maintaining his friendly facade.
"Maybe you will actually go slower? At least you will have more control. In exchange shuffle for a bit longer. But whatever, I'm just a player. You are the 'game master' here." Gah-Hal says playfully.
The man, now thoroughly disconcerted, took Gah-Hal's suggestion to heart. He slowed down the shuffling and extended the game, perhaps hoping to regain some control.
Gah-Hal continued to watch the cups intently, but his magical prowess remained concealed. The man, though still attempting to outwit the young future adventurer, grew visibly more cautious in his movements.
As the game continued, Gah-Hal pretended to be drawn into the challenge, his concentration apparent to all but masked by his playful demeanor. The cups danced across the table and the stone's location became increasingly challenging to follow. The man shuffled them for what felt like an eternity, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Finally, the man stops shuffling and leans back leaving the decision to Gah-Hal, who studied them intently. After a few moments, he reached out with a confident smile and tapped the third cup from the left.
The man slowly lifted the cup, revealing the stone beneath. Gah-Hal's guess was spot on.
The man's face contorted into an expression of anger mixed with frustration. He slammed the cup back down onto the table, the stone bouncing slightly.
"Good work." Man says while quickly turning his frustration into stressed composure.
"That was a good game. I would play longer, but I got places to be." Gah-Hal says while taking the man's coins from the table.
Gah-Hal collected the coins and leaned in closer to the man, his playful grin replaced with a more serious expression still with a smile. The man, still reeling from his successive losses, looked up at him, sensing that something was amiss.
"You know." Gah-Hal says, his voice low and intimidating.
"I've seen every each one of your movements in this game. I've seen all of the tricks you tried to use on me. Trying to hide the stone in the long sleeve won't work on me." Gah-Hal says with serious face, but still with a little smile.
The man's eyes widened in realization, and beads of sweat now formed freely on his forehead. He hadn't expected his opponent to be onto him. Gah-Hal continued, his tone even more menacing.
"I let you have a taste of your own medicine to teach you a lesson. It's not right to cheat people out of their hard-earned money, especially in a place like this. You're lucky I'm not spelling it out loud right now." Gah-Hal says menacingly.
Boy's stern words hung in the air and the man could only nod in agreement, his confidence shattered. The young adventurer's determination was clear. He wasn't just here to win some coins. He had a sense of justice and integrity.
With that said, Gah-Hal took four of the six silver coins and slid them back to the man, his expression softening.
"Take this. You will probably still play unfair, but you better hope you won't play with anyone else who can see through all this." Gah-Hal says with softened expression.
The man, now humbled and grateful for the leniency, nodded vigorously and stammered his thanks. Gah-Hal got up from the table, leaving the man to ponder the lesson he had just learned, and continued on his way through the bustling marketplace.
As he walks around the marketplace he keeps looking around for something else that might catch his eye.
Eventually he goes to blacksmith to see if he has some jewelery that might add a bit of shine to his current look. The blacksmith is sitting next to the smelter on a small chair without backrest. He is a big, very muscular and bald man wearing only woolen trousers, belt and leather shoes. He is around 6'11ft tall and 6ft wide. This blacksmith is definition of this profession. It's hard to think about why is such a man only forging accessories.
"Good morning." Gah-Hal says entering a smithy.
"Good morning." Blacksmith replies back sitting and looking at the wooden handle in his hand.
Gah-Hal walks a few steps while looking around trying to see if there is going to be anything that he will like.
"Need help with something?" Blacksmith asks.
"Yes. I'm wondering if there is any golden necklace here?" Gah-Hal asks.
The blacksmith glanced up from his work, his powerful arms set aside for a moment. He studied Gah-Hal with a discerning eye, assessing the boy's request.
"A golden necklace, eh?" Blacksmith says with his deep voice resonated in the small, dimly lit shop.
He wiped his hands on a rag and pushed himself up from the chair with surprising agility for a man of his size.
Gah-Hal nodded, intrigued by the idea of finding a unique piece of jewelry in such an unlikely place.
The blacksmith walked over to a heavy wooden chest that sat in the corner of the shop. With a grunt, he opened it, revealing an assortment of gleaming jewelry, all masterfully crafted. Despite his imposing appearance, the blacksmith had a delicate touch when it came to creating fine accessories.
He carefully picked up a beautiful golden necklace with an intricate design of two crosses merged into one making it look interesting for Gah-Hal.
"Maybe this one? Made fully out of gold." Blacksmith says while holding the necklace hanging from his finger.
Gah-Hal's eyes brightened at the sight of the exquisite golden necklace. The design was indeed captivating and the craftsmanship was impeccable. He observed the delicate details that adorned the piece, impressed by the skill that had gone into creating it.
"That's stunning. Love from the first sight. I will take it." Gah-Hal remarked with a big and excited smile.
The blacksmith nodded, a faint smile touching his rugged features as he gently placed the necklace into Gah-Hal's palm. The weight of the gold felt substantial and valuable in his hand.
"How much? 5 golden coins and 50 silver coins I guess?" Gah-Hal asks, knowing that quality craftsmanship usually came with a considerable price.
"That's exactly the price I first had in mind. The amount of gold on it is the same as 5 melted golden coins. 50 silver coins is how much I would take for it. You know that we don't make things out of nothing." Blacksmith replies.
Gah-Hal nodded in agreement. He understood the fair pricing, especially for a piece of jewelry of such fine craftsmanship. He summoned six golden coins instead of five in his pocket and took them out.
Gah-Hal presented the six golden coins to the blacksmith, aware that the craftsmanship deserved the extra payment. The blacksmith, surprised by the additional coin, nodded in appreciation.
"Thank you, young lad. Enjoy your new piece." The blacksmith's deep voice held a note of gratitude as he closed the chest with the accessories.
Gah-Hal, feeling pleased with the acquisition, carefully placed the necklace around his neck. The golden piece caught the light and shimmered brilliantly against his attire. He admired the craftsmanship and the way it added a touch of elegance to his appearance.
"I like how it's quite heavy. It also feels quite durable. Will it break apart if I like decide to spin it around my finger?" Gah-Hal says holding the double cross in his palm with necklace still around his neck.
"Rest assured." Blacksmith says while leaning on the chest.
"This piece is built to last. You can twirl it, spin it, hit with it, throw it around, it doesn't matter as long as you don't test it's durability that much like throwing it to lava or trying to break bones with it. It's mainly for a show, but it's also designed to withstand a bit. Remember, gold is a precious metal, so treat it with care and it will remain sturdy." Blacksmith says with assuring look.
Gah-Hal nodded, acknowledging the blacksmith's advice. He admired the necklace, feeling the weight of the gold in his hand and appreciating the craftsmanship that had gone into its creation.
"Thank you. I will be going now. Goodbye and good luck." Gah-Hal says, grateful for the blacksmith's expertise.
The blacksmith simply nodded in response, a sense of satisfaction evident in his eyes as he watched Gah-Hal leave the shop.
As Gah-Hal strolled through the marketplace once more, the necklace shimmered in the sunlight, catching the attention of a few passersby with its elegant design. He felt a sense of contentment at his purchase and the interaction with the blacksmith.
Gah-Hal continued his leisurely walk through the vibrant marketplace, the golden necklace adding a touch of elegance to his appearance. The piece glistened under the sunlight, drawing glances from the people passing by. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his new acquisition, not just for its aesthetic appeal but also for the craftsmanship behind it.
The bustling marketplace seemed to offer a myriad of goods and activities, each vendor trying to entice potential customers. Gah-Hal's eyes scanned the stalls and shops, taking in the variety of items on display.
As he looks around he sees the two people he was hoping to see in the marketplace. Behind few stalls there is Hogel and Hanna looking at the fruit's stall probably deciding what to buy. In Hogel's hand there is already another bag with something in it.
As he sees them he smiles and goes towards them. It was a comforting sight, knowing that his teammates were enjoying themselves in the marketplace as he had suggested. He approached them with a grin, the golden necklace around his neck catching the sunlight and adding a touch of radiance to his appearance.
As he is right behind them he wraps his arms around their necks standing between them.
"Heyo. What's up now?" Gah-Hal says playfully.
As Gah-Hal wrapped his arms around their necks, they both jumped slightly, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. Hanna chuckled and Hogel turned to face his teammate, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement.
"Oh hi. Done so quickly? Well so far we are trying to decide what fruits could we buy. We already got some honey and sweet loafs so we can all eat it together later." Hogel says showing the honey and sweet loaves in the bag.
Gah-Hal stopped wrapping his arms around his teammates and stood between them. Gah-Hal grinned at their antics, pleased to see them enjoying their time in the marketplace.
"Looks like you really have been busy shopping. Good choices, though." Gah-Hal remarks, nodding toward the bag with the honey and sweet loaves.
"Yea, no worries, I managed to finish up my business faster than I thought." Gah-Hal says putting his hands in his robe pocket.
Hanna, looking at the assortment of fruits, picked up a few ripe oranges and placed them in a separate cloth bag.
"I think these oranges will complement the honey and loaves perfectly. You both like oranges right?" Hanna asks.
"Sure." Hogel says.
"Yes." Gahes says.
Hanna nods and takes the six oranges to the seller. To pay for these.
Hogel looks at Gah-Hal and sees the golden necklace that he has on him.
"Wait. Are you already ranked gold in adventurer's guild?" Hogel asks confused as he sees the necklace.
"No, no. I bought it for myself from the blacksmith. I like how it looks and how sturdy it seems. I guess I will wear it everyday now." Gah-Hal says while rubbing the double cross.
Gah-Hal's casual response about the necklace sparked curiosity in Hogel's eyes. He examined the necklace with interest, noting the jewelery and the way it shimmered in the sunlight.
"That's a striking piece, Gahes. It suits you." Hogel remarks, impressed by the intricate design of the necklace.
Hanna returned from the fruit vendor, swinging the bag with the ripe oranges. She glanced at Gah-Hal's necklace and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh. For sure. That's a bold choice. It does look impressive." Hanna says, nodding in approval.
Gah-Hal beamed with pride at their reactions. The necklace, apart from its aesthetic appeal, seemed to have a subtle aura of significance to him.
"Thank you. I thought it'd be a nice addition." Gah-Hal replied, gently fingering the interlocked crosses on the necklace.
As they conversed, the trio finished their shopping and made their way through the marketplace, admiring the various goods on display. The sights, sounds, and aromas of the marketplace created an atmosphere of joviality and bustling activity.
After a while, they found a cozy spot to sit down, surrounded by the colorful stalls and the aroma of fresh produce. They unpacked their purchases: the honey, sweet loaves and oranges.
Hogel laid out the sweet loaves and opened the jar of honey, revealing its sweet and amber-colored contents. Hanna placed the oranges on a cloth and joined in, setting the fruits in a circle on the ground.
Gah-Hal suddenly stood up and looked at his teammates.
"I just remembered I have to visit one more place. Excuse me for a moment. It won't be long." Gah-Hal says as he starts walking away from his teammates.
"Oh okay then. See you soon." Hanna says.
Once Gahes is far enough Hogel and Hanna look at eachother.
"He's such a gadabout. I don't mind it if that means it's for our good." Hanna says.
"Sometimes I'm worrying about something even though I know I shouldn't. Is it my conscience trying to tell me to actually not make Gahes do everything by himself?" Hogel wonders.
"But he said that it won't be eternal. He wanted us to enjoy our time because soon it might not be so enjoyable. Trust him." Hanna says.
"Still. I feel like it won't be enough. Maybe soon I will be proven wrong." Hogel says.
Meanwhile Gah-Hal is walking through the streets towards the adventurer's guild. He remembered that there is something not giving him a peace. He walks to the adventurer's guild with violent walking style making big steps moving his body like he has a heavy armor on him.
As he reaches the adventurer's guild he opens the door and enters. He looks around and sees two guys who talked to him earlier in the guild sitting together by the table along with three other strangers. They look like they are talking about something funny.
Gah-Hal truns his violent walking style into normal and calm walking style. He approaches the table with his knuckles on his hips.
The whole table looks at the boy as he stands next to them.
"Oh. It's good that you showed yourself." The strong stranger says.
"So as I said before, this boy got 40 out of 40 points. You didn't believe me so ask him yourself." The strong stranger says.
"I just got a question to the two of you." Gah-Hal says looking at both of the strangers who talked to him before physical exam.
Everyone by the table look at the Gah-Hal while two of them are lightly smiling.
"Fine. What's the question?" The strong stranger asks.
"Are you both brothers? You look very alike and you don't seem to take a step away from eachother." Gah-Hal asks.
Strangers take a quick gaze at eachother before one of them replies.
"Yes. We are brothers." The fast stranger replies.
Gah-Hal smiles and raises his head a bit.
"So you are Kira and Arik, right?" Gah-Hal says confidently.
"Yes. That's us. I am Kira and this is Arik." The strong stranger says.
"Why?" Arik asks.
"Give up at being adventurers." Gah-Hal says serious.
One of the dudes by the table laughs.
"See? Even boy agrees with me." One of the dudes says.
"Why are you telling us to give up, boy?" Kira asks.
"You won't pass the psychology examination. No wonders. I can see what kind of person are you by just looking at you." Gah-Hal says seriously and confidently.
"Who are you to tell me what should we do? What are you gonna do? Pay the psychologists to fail us?" Kira says angered.
"I don't need to do anything. Tommorow you will see by yourselves even if you apply for second try. Trust. I know what you are." Gah-Hal says keeping a serious attitude.
Two of the guys by the table start chuckling.
"I wouldn't let that slide, but boy is right." Another one of the dudes says.
The exchange left Kira and Arik fuming. They exchanged more glances, this time laced with something closer to frustration than the veneer of camaraderie they had been projecting.
"What's your problem, kid?" Kira finally snaps, his composure breaking.
Gah-Hal didn't flinch in the face of their anger.
"My problem? I just think it's best for you to find another line of work. Adventuring isn't for you, that's all." Gah-Hal says keeping his word and not getting to the point of all this by purpose.
Kira and Arik's faces show fury. Anger and frustration palpable in the air. Gah-Hal's words had struck a nerve and it was clear that they were not used to being challenged in this manner.
"Calm down, boys. He's just a kid who has some right, but still." One of the strangers sitting with them tries to mediate.
But Gah-Hal remained steadfast, his gaze locked with Kira and Arik.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. We've seen more than you can imagine. We are more than ready for this." Kira says struggling to contain his anger, leaned in closer to Gah-Hal, his voice low and dangerous.
"You think you can judge us based on what? A few seconds of interaction?" Arik chimed in, his tone equally threatening.
Gah-Hal held his ground, meeting their intense gazes with unflinching confidence.
"Maybe you saw more than I did, but unlike most people I can see through people. You will remember my words when psychologists deny you." Gah-Hal says
The two strangers who had been observing the interaction exchanged a glance and one of them leaned over to whisper something to the other. Gah-Hal's confident behaviour had clearly left an impression.
Kira and Arik, seething with anger, pushed their chairs back and stood up. It was evident that they wanted to avoid any further confrontation, even if their expressions still held a dangerous edge.
"Let's go, Arik." Kira said through clenched teeth.
"Yeah." Arik replied and they both walked out of the adventurer's guild, leaving a heavy atmosphere in their wake.
After a second the other dudes sitting by the table also stood up and followed the brothers.
As Kira, Arik, and their companions exited the adventurer's guild, there was a palpable tension that lingered in the air, a result of the heated exchange between them and Gah-Hal. The two brothers, Kira and Arik, had clearly taken offense to the boy's judgement.
Gah-Hal, on the other hand, remained composed and unyielding, his confidence in his assessment unwavering. He watched as they departed, their anger radiating from them.
Gah-Hal then sat down on the chair of the different table next to him. He sits leaned on the chair's backrest with his arms crossed and smile.
"Feels good being right." Gah-Hal says sitting proudly.