Nico hummed to himself merrily, turning his thoughts towards the latest acquisition he had placed in his pack. After that mysterious robed figure had given him the remarkably crafted weapon in return for a future favour, the man deemed the chat to have lost any of its value.
Nico recalled himself questioning the inebriated elder on how he should leave. Contrary to his expectations, the brown-haired boy witnessed the hooded figure remain nonplussed before he waved his limb in his direction.
Immediately following that, Nico sensed the surrounding space distort. The last thing he heard from the strange individual was a warning that the people chasing him were still in the city and that the old man could only teleport him back to the Merchant Association. Nothing further.
And so, that was how Nico had suddenly found himself staring at the metallic hexastyle structure symbolic of the Nurorsk Family's vast wealth and resources. He had noticed a few people giving him weird glances, curious about how he had just materialised out of thin air.
However, Nico paid them no mind, his thoughts focused on an entirely different matter.
'That was so freaking cool!'
Strangely, he did not suffer from any inertia. He guessed it was because he had only teleported a short distance and had the help of a concealed powerhouse. If not for those two factors, he would have most likely ended up retching as soon as the spatial transfer finished.
Which would have attracted far more attention than simply emerging out of thin air in a crowded place.
The boy thanked his lucky stars.
Nico's brows knit together as he thought of the drunk man. Inwardly, he had a sinking feeling that he was way out of his depth.
'Oh well, I guess the fruits of my naivety remain to be seen…' he shook his head and silently chuckled. Then turned his attention towards the massive golden building.
The entrance fee to the famed conglomerate turned out to be rather cheap.
Whether that was because of the sizable sum he carried with him, or because the Awakening Ceremony was so close that the Merchant Association hoped to attract more people through its doors, he did not know.
He also did not bother to find out.
After all, he was but a mere simpleton. Combat ruled every inch of his mind.
There was no space for other such trivial details.
'Heh, trivial indeed.'
After some milling, Nico discovered a stall that sold armour of varying sizes. And types, as well.
Chainmail, plate, leather… there were a vast number of different products on display. With his funds, Nico would have been able to buy some heavy protective iron armour, however, he was hesitant to blow all his cash on one item.
He opted for the leather one. Hopefully, it would provide him with ample protection while not restricting his movements during battle. After all, he was just a mundane person. It would not do if he was decked out in armour similar to the Local Guards and not able to move in at all.
'That's two things I can check off the list. Now, it's time for the rations…' Nico rubbed his chin in thought.
He instinctively glanced at his surroundings as he left the Merchant Association and discovered two hooded figures standing awkwardly to the side. His eyes narrowed.
Walking briskly, the boy turned left, travelling down the walkway in long strides. To his right, the raucous noise of a tavern filled with patrons echoed from a partially ajar door. He glanced at the window of the establishment, noting the two figures from before straining to catch up with him.
Nico clicked his tongue, doing his best to remain calm. He stayed vigilant, constantly using reflective surfaces to glean the location of his pursuers. He also lingered in places with a heavy presence of people.
That meant no side streets or destitute alleys. After ten minutes of the wild goose chase, with the members of the Stanburg Family gaining ground with every passing minute, Nico stumbled upon a large, pale building with an arch made of brick.
'The library…' he mentally read the sign plastered on the exterior of the building.
Its entrance seemed to be deserted, save for three people who huddled together, seemingly in amiable conversation.
A certain idea flashed in the brown-haired boy's mind.
Nico hastily studied them to see whether his plan would work. The first figure appeared to be slender, with brown hair cascading down her shoulders in waves. She wore light armour; the scabbard on her hip most definitely stood out.
Her pale skin glowed slightly in the sunlight, providing a somewhat otherworldly sight. She radiated a calm and content aura as if she was one with nature.
The boy gasped silently.
Not in surprise, but in sheer awe.
The object of that wonder being…
…her eyes.
They were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen.
They were riveting, compelling and mesmerising. Able to make you lose yourself merely through studying their profound depth.
And for good reason… her irises, it was like they never contained a set colour, always shifting between various hues based on her feelings and environment.
Those mood-ring eyes…
Nico intuitively had a sense they were special.
Beside her were two figures garbed in contrasting attire. One wore a full suit with a tie. She gave off an imposing aura, one that said she was not to be messed with. Especially in a battle of words.
The other sported a long grey trench coat that draped down to her knees. Similarly, she possessed dark brown hair tied into a braid, however, contrary to the other two, she emitted a gentle and soothing aura.
One that reminded Nico of his mother.
Each of the trio had the same mood-ring eyes.
'They look like a family of sorts…'
Taking a deep breath, Nico had a subtle glance backwards, noting the position of the two lackeys. He steeled his mind and approached the group, snippets of their conversation streaming into his ears.
"Can you believe it?! After all my hard work helping to keep that place clean of degenerate filth, they have still not hired me! I swear, these ungrateful fools are just salty that I'm using my status to its full effect…" the smartly dressed female sighed and allowed her shoulders to slump, appearing downcast.
The lady beside her wearing a trench coat remained unfazed, already used to her sibling's antics. She hid a smile, "It's okay, Toni. I'm sure you will get your chance soon. In the meantime, let's go get some popcorn to cheer you up."
Toni perked up, an evil smirk splitting her face. However, that action froze a moment later.
"I'm sure you know full well why you haven't been hired already. You're this close to receiving a ban, as it is…" The first figure covered in light armour joined in the conversation, her eyes scanning through the holographic bracelet on her arm.
"WHAT?!" Toni replied.
She whirled around, ready to give her sister a piece of her mind. That was when she noticed the approaching form of a brown-haired boy wearing a troubled expression, from the corner of her gaze.
A glint appeared in her eyes.
"You over there! Tell me, when one is being bullied, isn't it normal for them to fight back?"
Nico flinched. A bead of sweat slid down his face.
"...Yes," he replied hesitantly, unsure of where this conversation was heading. Although he gleaned from eavesdropping that the lady dressed in a suit was up to something, he just didn't know if it would implicate him negatively.
However, one look at the triumphant smirk on her face confirmed that train of thought.
He paled.
"That means I have grounds to take said bully to court!" A smug grin spread across Toni's face.
Noble - the figure dressed in a trench coat - facepalmed. Her sister had really gone and done it now.
The lightly armoured female, who appeared to be the leader (and the tallest) of the group finally raised her head and stared at Nico. Her mood-ring eyes displayed a tranquil light-blue hue that bordered on grey.
She ignored her sister, who huffed and folded her arms.
Her gaze softened, studying the hollowness of the boy's features. He had no doubt been through a lot for someone of his tender age.
Her heart broke for him.
"What's your name?" she instinctively spoke in a motherly tone.
Nico, who spared a quick glance at the smartly dressed lady, replied quietly.
"Nico."
"Excellent. What a wonderful name!" the taller female showed a warm smile.
She looked over the boy's shoulder and discovered two hooded figures approaching. Strands of fiery red hair peeked out from under their hood.
From the way they headed straight for Nico, it seemed as if they didn't harbour any good intentions.
Something seemed off.
That feeling only strengthened when she noticed the slight panic in the boy's eyes.
A second later, the cloaked duo approached, "Excuse me, we deeply apologise for our brother's actions. He did not mean to interrupt your conversation; we'll be off right away."
The two men bowed, before they each grabbed one of Nico's arms - who did his best to resist - and began to drag him away.
"Hold it!" the armoured female called, placing a hand on her scabbard. She stared at the newcomers intensely.
"Do you know them? She asked, looking at Nico.
The brown-haired boy frantically shook his head. The cloaked figures jabbed their elbows roughly into his side.
Nico quietly groaned and bit his lips to stay quiet.
He sent a pleading gaze towards the lady, trying to convey the predicament he was in.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she nodded.
The boy closed his eyes in resignation. There was no way she would believe him.
"Unhand him."
'Huh?'
Nico stunned, hastily opened his eyes. There, he saw the poised lady press her lips in a thin line. The hue of her eyes changed to a dark green.
"I said, unhand him. Now!" she said more forcefully, taking a step forward after seeing the two strangers failing to comply.
One of the cloaked figures scoffed, before increasing his efforts to drag Nico away. The brown-haired boy resisted with all his might, flailing his arms about to make it as hard as possible for the lackeys of the Stanburg Family to whisk him away.
"You leave me with no choice, then." the lady's face creased in displeasure before her eyes suddenly shone with an aqua hue.
The sound of ocean waves filled the air. The two lackeys snapped their necks backwards, their faces paling in terror.
They turned as white as a sheet.
"Y-You're the Saintess!" one of them gasped in fright.
"That I am… now if you know what's good for you, scram." the aqua in the armoured female's eyes shone brighter, forcing the duo to flee for their lives.
Nico tumbled painfully to the ground.
The lady dressed in the suit snorted. "Fools. Complete and utter fools…"
"Are you okay, dear?" Noble asked, walking up to Nico.
The boy looked at her for a second, before a bright smile filled with endless gratitude appeared on his face.
"I am now…"