Chapter 60 - Market Incident (Part 2)
Nathan Evenhart:
The stall selling unique equipment had run out of the different weapons, which left me feeling a bit disappointed. Chloe had offered to buy something for me, but it turned out to be in vain. Each of us received a silver coin to enjoy the day, which was a decent amount of money. That single silver coin was equivalent to 100 bronze coins.
Despite that, my cousin always brings more silver coins that she saves from her allowance. I guess I'm the only one who goes out with just the minimum amount…
I glanced to the side and saw the little fox girl happily eating.
I think both of us deeply understand the value of money, knowing how hard it is not to have it
"This is actually pretty good," Kinue said.
The three of us had bought chicken skewers and sandwiches from a stall and found a bench in a park to sit down.
"Food like this is great, but my mom says it's not good to eat it all the time," Chloe commented.
Kinue nodded and continued eating. The sandwich we bought was large and even had meat in it. The fox girl's ears twitched with every bite she took, and I realized it was a reflex her body had when she enjoyed what she was eating.
"We always buy some every time we come to the city," I said.
I had already finished my sandwich and was working on the chicken skewer. The city park was beautiful, with a fountain nearby. A small bridge over a river was close to us, and we had spent some time watching the fish in the water before sitting on the bench. Kinue had been fascinated by the variety of fish, and I understood why. The first time I saw them, I was surprised too. The fish in this region were colorful, and I assumed it was due to the mana in the area.
I noticed that Kinue was hesitant about going out and being in the streets. She was afraid of large crowds, and even though she lived with the teacher in Apsalon, she still struggled to adjust to her new life. I understood how she felt. For a child who had suffered and faced hardships alone, being thrown into the opposite environment, surrounded by nobility, must have been overwhelming. Kinue's reluctance to spend money was a reflection of the difficulties she had endured.
"Where are we going next?" Chloe asked.
I looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost evening.
"We should head home. We still have a long walk to the carriage," I replied.
To keep our identities hidden, whenever we came to the city, we left the carriage at a house in the forest where some soldiers from the territory stayed. Martha was supposed to wait for us there, but she always ended up following us instead.
Our guardian was somewhere nearby, watching from a distance, and we could never find her no matter how hard we tried.
I walked over to a trash bin and threw away the skewer stick and sandwich wrapper.
As I approached the bin, I noticed a few men talking on the bridge out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored them.
Those guys have been in every spot we've visited all day.
The girls got up from the bench.
"Time to head back, unfortunately," Chloe said.
"But it was fun," Kinue added.
I looked at the two girls.
"Can we stop somewhere before we go?" I asked.
They both gave me a curious look.
"I need to buy some paper and a pen."
***
It was getting darker as the three of us walked out of the city, heading towards the spot where our carriage would be waiting. There were some farms and small houses along the way, and we stayed on the road, avoiding the forest.
"I really enjoyed today. It was a lot of fun," Kinue said.
"Don't you go out much when you're living with the teacher? I heard that Apsalon is a pretty modern and busy city," Chloe asked.
Kinue seemed to think for a moment. "We do go out a bit, but I don't like bothering the teacher. It's different when I can do it with friends," she replied.
I glanced over at Chloe and noticed she looked a bit shy at being called a friend.
Things have changed since I first met that sad girl three years ago.
I continued to gaze at the darkening sky as a carriage passed by us.
"That's strange, it's the third time that carriage has passed us," my cousin remarked.
I'm proud her basic assassination training is kicking in, but actually, it's the fifth time.
"I didn't notice," Kinue said.
Just as I was about to respond playfully, two men emerged from the forest. They were hooded, and they each had knives in their hands.
"Ah!" Kinue let out a cry, seeing the men rushing towards us.
"Nathan!" my cousin warned.
They must have jumped off the carriage earlier and came through the forest, which means behind us... the carriage...
I looked back and saw the carriage had stopped, and more men were getting off.
"If you run, you'll die!" one of the men shouted as they closed in. I noticed one of them was holding a bow.
That bow is a problem.
"What do we do?" a terrified Kinue asked.
We started running, and my cousin looked at me.
"Nathan, what now?"
The men were closing in from all sides, and the fox girl raised her hand. A yellow wall appeared in front of one of the attackers.
Chloe readied her hand and shot a jet of water, but it was weak.
"Mages!" one of the men shouted.
"Even better, they'll be worth a fortune," another said.
I analyzed the situation, trying to think of all possible scenarios.
"Run, Chloe!" I shouted, and my cousin dashed in one direction while I grabbed the frightened fox girl and ran in the opposite direction.
"Come on, Kinue!" I urged, pulling her along.
"But what about Chloe!?"
The man with the bow was about to shoot, but I pushed him back with the wind.
"The boy's a mage too!" someone shouted.
The men began closing in on us. Chloe was running into the forest with some of the attackers following her.
"The fox girl, get her!"
They advanced on us, armed, and I realized we were being surrounded. One of the hooded men approached with a shield and sword in hand.
"I... I..." Kinue panicked. She tried to cast a spell, but it failed.
If the mind isn't clear, the mana won't work.
I looked around, realizing we were completely surrounded by armed men. One of them grabbed us from behind, capturing us.