Truly, this city's roadways were designed to be as inconvenient as possible. If I were to continue in this way, who knew what sorts of robbery attempts I'd be subject to?
*Maybe I should get a taxi.*
I could only hope that hailing a cab was as similar in this world as it was in mine. The problem was, I wasn't exactly sure which vehicles were and weren't shuttle services...
*I hope it's this one.*
I wave at a passing horse carriage, which, to my relief, slows down for me.
I hop inside, and this carriage isn't nearly as fancy as the one I'd just been in.
*If this is an ordinary carriage, just how rich are those guys?*
This carriage was what I'd expect out of something called a "carriage" - a simple wooden interior with crude cushioning. It was several times smaller, too, and no fancy designs whatsoever. The distance from me to the carriage driver was short, too, so I didn't have to raise my voice to speak to him.
"Where to?"
"The Adventurer's Guild, please."
"Roger that. Hold on tight!"
With a crack of a whip, we were off.
The horses weren't nearly as fast as the ground wyrms, but since we were in such close proximity to everything around us, it did feel faster. I didn't have a window, but I could see out the front. Countless obstacles, namely people, flooded the streets, with many of them sliding out of the way just in the nick of time. It was almost like watching a speedboat slice through the waves.
*And instead of water droplets, I'm getting a face full of dust.*
Now, I truly understood why everyone was covering their faces. I struggled to do the same with my thin shirt.
*I need to buy a scarf or something for myself, too.*
After only a few minutes, the carriage grinded to a halt.
"Are we here?" I asked.
"Not yet," the driver replied.
I was about to ask what we'd stopped for, but I had my answer immediately.
A girl slightly taller than me stumbled inside. An unwieldy mishmash of rags covered her body, and her belly was exposed. Her brown skin was stained nearly black with soot.
"Adventurer's Guild, please," she said.
"Roger that."
Her cadence reminded me of Emma's confident, magic-enthused voice. She took one look at me before deciding I wasn't worth her time and facing back forwards.
"You have interesting eyes," I said.
"I have a boyfriend."
"..."
*Come on, man, I wasn't even being facetious.*
I'd never seen an eye color like that before. Her hair was an ordinary black, but her eyes were hazel with a tinge of crimson.
*Emma's gray, now this... I wonder how many other eye colors I have yet to see?*
"We've arrived," the carriage driver said as we slowed to a halt. "For the one with the blue hair, that'll be 1 Silver. For the Hazel Blaze, 75 Copper."
I fished around my pocket for the velvet pouch, pulled it out, and opened it. I probably should have studied the currencies beforehand, but fortunately, they seemed pretty straightforward.
Ruby's pouch had three different types of coins. A brown one which was probably copper, a silver one, and a gold one. They all had that lion-like emblem engraved on the heads side, and the rose-like design pattern on the tails side.
Hazel Blaze chucked a gold coin at the driver and unceremoniously hopped out. "Keep the change," she spat, stumbling away. She was vigorously clutching the strange burn mark on the side of her exposed abdomen.
*Hm...*
The carriage driver was trying his best to contain a smile with little success. "You can go," he said gleefully. "This more than covers your fare as well. I hit the jackpot today! Isn't she the best?"
"... Yeah."
*>System Quest: Discover 2 coin denominations above Gold. Expires in 3 months.*
*Great, another one.*
I hopped out of the carriage as well, thanking the driver for his services. He nods and speeds off, wasting no time loitering around.
*Gotta get that bag I suppose. Taxis seem pretty lucrative around here since not many have a mode of transportation.*
I turned towards the building we'd both been heading for. There wasn't a sign on it or anything, but its grandeur was on display for all to see. The surrounding buildings were shabby by comparison. It was almost like an anachronism.
*What even is this organization? Is it money laundering?*