"You bitch! I told you to get me a bottle of soju, and you bought a bottle of sake! On top of that, you took my cigarette!" A man's furious voice echoed through the house, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, waking up a young boy.
"What time is it? And are those two really at it again..." the boy mumbled in a deep and scratchy voice, having just woken up. He had black hair, blue eyes, a small mustache, and some hairs on his chin and cheeks.
"Well, maybe if you actually came home after work instead of hanging out with those whores, I wouldn't have to-" the woman shouted angrily, but her words were quickly cut off.
"And you don't think I know about your affairs? How can I always come home to an untidy house? I know what you do when I'm working – sleeping with a bunch of hobos!" the man retorted with disdain.
"At least the noblemen treat me properly and with respect!" the woman shot back in anger.
"What fallen nobleman is respectful to you? They just want a quick free fuck and leave you, you filthy whore!" the man's voice rose to a loud and bizarre tone.
"And that's my cue to leave before I get dragged into this mess." The boy finished getting dressed and silently sneaked out of the window, walking down the dark streets.
"It's still dark... I'm pretty sure we're still in summer. What time is it for them to have started such a ruckus... if only I was just a year older, I could actually buy a place to stay. Stupid law forcing people to be 15 to rent an apartment," the boy grumbled to himself in frustration as he began to run.
"Everything's still closed stomach growls and I'm so hungry... maybe I should've grabbed something to eat befo- who am I kidding, the old cunts would probably hit me the moment they caught sight of me," he muttered, wandering the streets in search of an open bakery to eat.
The boy stumbled across a lit cave with a hanging sign that read "The Twilight Cavern Alehouse." As he walked inside, a tall and muscular woman confronted him. "What's your business here, bum?" she said, emanating a menacing aura.
"I want something to eat for breakfast. What do you recommend?" The boy replied, annoyed at the woman's previous comment.
"This is a pub, dipshit, it's for drinks, not food! And what retard orders breakfast at 5 in the morning... Well, if you're really hungry, we have boiled chicken, pig's throat, and a bunch of other shit. If you're feeling fancy, we have last night's batch of chicken dumplings at a 10% discount. And if you want a drink, we have soju, sake, whisky, w-" The woman was interrupted mid-sentence.
"I'll take the chicken dumplings and a cup of water," the boy replied, interrupting her again.
"We don't have that," she replied matter-of-factly.
"What do you mean? You said you had chicken dumplings a moment ago," the boy questioned her, clearly annoyed.
"We don't sell water, retard," the woman stated, shocking the boy, who couldn't understand how one couldn't sell water.
"I'll just take the chicken dumplings, and if you have a mug, please." The boy's words came out without emotion, but his face showed frustration.
As the woman served him an empty wooden mug and the chicken dumplings, the boy summoned water from his hands and filled the bottle up.
"Ahh, you're a little magician, I see," the woman said with a smirk, thinking she could take advantage of him since those who dabbled in the arts of mahou (magic) usually earned a decent amount of money.
"Not really. I went to a magic camp a while back, although all we did was manual labor and meditate," the boy replied, his annoyance evident as a vivid memory of getting bashed by a metal bat came to his mind.
After finishing his meal, the boy paid for the food and walked outside.
"sigh I don't want to go back to that place," the boy thought to himself, the images of the two people arguing in the house still fresh in his mind.
As the sun began to rise, some shops started to open. Since it was a Friday, the markets began to set up. The boy decided to take this opportunity to his advantage, wandering around the market in search of a good deal before the scalpers arrived.
As he roamed through the wooden barracks, he came across a store selling accessories like necklaces, pendants, charms, earrings, bracelets, and rings.
"Hello, young man. Anything catching your attention?" the old man asked, staring the boy right in the eye.
"By any chance, would you happen to sell a silver ring, bracelet, or chain? I've been wanting one for a while but never found one I liked," the boy said in a slightly excited tone.
"Ahh, you've come to the right place! I am one of the best jewelers in Osakoro, renowned for my metal crafts," the man said, holding the boy's hand and feeling it excitedly. Meanwhile, the boy had zoned out, confused about why someone with exceptional metal crafts would be a jeweler and not a blacksmith.
The man pulled out a small wooden box of rings as the boy glanced at them and shook his head, indicating that he was unsatisfied with the rings.
"May I have your name, youngling? You indeed have a keen eye. If you do, I guarantee I have the right ring just for you and the right size for your finger. Although people may think you're eloped, as it would only fit your left hand's ring finger," the man said with a smirk.
"Uhm sure... my name is Artemis Grey," the boy stammered, fabricating a new identity in the moment. He found the man's demeanour strange and untrustworthy, unaware that he was unwittingly giving life to a whole new persona within himself.
The man pulled out a wooden red box, and as he opened it, the top of the lid had "Artemis Grey" written on it. Inside the box, there was a silver ring made of gold, with a stringy rune-like pattern from a red gemstone.
"This is my masterpiece. I'll sell it to you for the price of 2 silver coins. You know, this kind of item is one of a kind. I have the unique ability to mould an object tailored to any person. Consider it a deal, seeing as you just ran away from your step-uncle's home and only have 2 silver coins and 4 copper coins in your pouch," the man said with a grin.