Someone trapped under the ground – leaving only his head out in the middle of a town busy preparing for a memorial for the late king – would surely attract some attention.
It did.
Resulting in collective shocked gasps and riotous curious questions.
"Oh Shifas! He's gonna die!"
"He must have done something terrible first!"
"No fighting here, come on!"
"It's a hundred day memorial for King Verghan's demise, don't you dare start a fight here!"
"I can't deal with another scoundrel destroying my food cart!"
Amongst all that ruckus, Heon levelled a look at the green-haired earth mage and then at the healer mage, who only worsened his situation by his threats. "Do you really need to attract people's attention now?"
Sunny – the only victim as well as the guilty party – was also screaming his unburied head off. "Let me out of here, you bastard! I swear I'll kill you!"
Azran brushed him off, instead choosing to appease the crowd of Aldlake town with both hands in the air.
"My name is Azran, a bounty hunter asked by the head of Yarrin village near the outskirt to catch him," she motioned to Sunny, still buried up to his neck and spouting off threats after threats, "After he murdered two innocent women, a ten year old child, and attempting to murder a bar keeper."
However, a gruff voice was heard before anyone could respond to Azran's statement.
"Hey, everybody! Silence! What's all of this commotion about?!"
The crowd on Azran's left parted, revealing a man worthy of such a commanding voice wearing a mediaeval armour with a sheathed sword hanging by his hip. He was followed by two other armoured men with spears in hands, similar to what Azran's previous companion brought.
Aldlake's City Guard, by the look of it.
Their breastplates were well-kept so that they reflected the afternoon sun's punishing light. It meant that they had too much free time polishing the light metal. So, this sudden disturbance in their town was a rare occurrence, hence their quick action of coming here.
If it didn't involve him and his two polar opposite companions, Heon would sneer, saying that it must be the most exciting thing happening lately in this town for the city guard to appear in a couple of minutes.
But as it was, Heon followed Azran's example.
With both hands raised in an unthreatening manner, he beat the green-haired girl who looked about ready to repeat Sunny's highly probable crime to the city guard. "We came in peace. It's just a misunderstanding, really."
"Misunderstanding, my arse!" Azran quickly rebutted such foul language from a girl. She turned to glare at Heon, "You still try to protect your friend?"
"I'm protecting no one–"
"Oh, sir! The honoured Aldlake City Guards!" Sunny cut it, stealing the spectators' attention from Azran.
"Please don't mind my dear friend, Azran Albahran. She was just being petty after we lost ten thousand Pasai to a thief on the way here. You must know how upset a girl can be even for the smallest things!"
A perfectly charming smile on Sunny's handsome face completely threw the city guards and everyone around them.
However, Heon and Azran were immune to his quick change of emotions that tended to be on the mad side. Moreover, how smooth he made things up on the spot, surrounded by a foreign crowd and armed guards, all the while being buried up to his neck.
The leader of the city guard, the man with the sword, spoke again, "State your name, where you come from, and what are you trying to do here?"
"My name is Sunny Graver, I would like to bow respectfully, but the circumstance doesn't allow me, unfortunately."
The smile remained as the red-haired boy continued with another lie.
"We came from the capital, and we are trying to go to Purva Forest to heal Azran's troubled mind. We heard there is a powerful forest spirit who can purify people out of the negative energy surrounding their soul."
The city guards then redirected their scrutiny to Azran. She couldn't hold back and went to kick the resident healer mage's head with her right foot. Clearly seeing her intent, Heon hurried to grab the green-haired girl's hand, stopping her before she did something stupid.
"Wait, wait, wait!" he told her, staring intently at her eyes.
It was the first time he ever held a girl's hand and locked eyes, something he had never done in his entire life.
"He just called me crazy!" Azran retorted. A little bit of fury bled through her words. "Let me go!"
Heon felt every pair of eyes on them. Swallowing his nervousness at being the centre of attention again, he smiled, trying to appease Azran into not making another scene. "It's not the place nor the right time to unleash your anger at him."
The leader of the city guards zeroed in on Heon, making him shuffle his feet awkwardly. He was suddenly aware of himself.
Even if his clothes didn't differ much from the people of this world, it was pretty clear that something on him caused some similar frowns to occur on the crowd's faces.
Heon looked down, finding a hole right in the centre of his grey hoodie, as well as the school uniform he wore underneath. It showed his chest, as well as his back, as a result of Azran's spear yesterday. Or perhaps the day before, he wasn't quite sure.
But, somehow, the glaring hole on his clothes didn't seem to be the cause of this much attention. Surely, it wasn't also because of his light brown hair with some white strikes on his head, was it?
Consciously, Heon pulled the left sleeve of his hoodie, trying to hide his hand in case the light tan color turned to black again.
"You haven't stated your name," the city guards' leader narrowed his eyes, making him look more dominating than before.
Gulping, Heon didn't miss how the leader's hand crept closer to the handle of his sword hanging from his hip. "My name is Heon Lightwalker–"
"Is that your true name?"
Brow furrowed, Heon nodded slowly. "Yes."
Then, his eyes widened as the leader pulled out his sword. He didn't even have time to say anything as two spears, and a sword were suddenly directed toward him.
"Heon Lightwalker, you are under arrest for killing the late King of Bahran Pasai, Verghan Basha the Undivided!"