Inside a city weapon shop, three people are selecting some gear. Most of the attention is on Barry, whose current armor is far too conspicuous. Everywhere he goes, people step aside for him. Following Linton's plan, Barry picks a more ordinary set of armor and is now in the process of changing.
Linton and Gassain also get the chance to upgrade their equipment, courtesy of Barry. After all, they are helping him search for the princess. However, Gassain doesn't need much and casually throws on some light armor, giving him the appearance of an adventurer. As for Linton...
"Don't they sell staves around here?" Linton asked.
"Huh?" The weapon shop owner looked at him, puzzled.
"What are you doing?" Gassain asked, "Staves are sold in magic shops. This is a weapon shop. Why would they have staves? And why do you need one?"
"To disguise myself as a mage. I don't know how to use combat qi, so I can only pretend to be a mage," Linton replied.
"Well, that's true, but you don't need to buy a staff for that. Just because you're not spending your own money doesn't mean you can randomly buy things. If we can't find the princess, you'll be in even bigger trouble," Gassain said, rubbing his temples, wondering what had happened to his uncle. After not seeing him for a few months, he seemed to have become even more troublesome.
"Are staves that expensive?" Linton asked.
"Of course! The most basic staff costs at least 1 gold coin," Gassain explained.
"Uh... okay then." Linton looked around and noticed a wooden stick by the counter. "How much is this staff?"
"Sir... that's not a staff. It's a fire poker," the shopkeeper explained.
"Well, it looks like a staff to me. I'll take it," Linton said, grabbing the poker. He waved it around, and with the robe he had previously bought, he actually looked a bit like a mage. Of course, real mages use staves with actual magical effects, while Linton was wielding a fire poker.
As he was playing around, the wooden door beside him opened, and Barry, now fully changed, walked out. His new outfit concealed the brilliance of his former armor, making him look like an ordinary adventurer. He even wore a mask covering half his face, making him hard to recognize.
"Are you a mage?" Barry asked, surprised by Linton's posture. Mages were a rare profession, requiring even more talent than combat qi users, and they weren't commonly seen.
"No, it's just an ordinary fire poker," Gassain muttered beside him.
"..." Barry was speechless. Linton, who was carrying a sword, was now pretending to be a mage. What was he thinking? Was Barry trusting the wrong person?
"You just don't get it. In typical stories, when the protagonist picks up a random fire poker from a shop, it often turns out to be a god-tier weapon," Linton said seriously.
Barry didn't say anything, took the fire poker from Linton, inspected it, and said, "Nope, it's just an ordinary fire poker."
"I can't believe I fell for that, even for a second," Gassain sighed, embarrassed that he had been momentarily swayed. "Uncle, what have you been doing these past few months? Have you been listening to nothing but bard stories? Are you even thinking straight?"
"Why are you all so unromantic?" Linton shrugged. "Haven't you heard of the Meloway family motto?"
"I've said it before, our Meloway family doesn't have a motto," Gassain replied, rubbing his forehead.
"Uh... fine, fine." Linton shrugged again. "Have we finished shopping? Let's head out."
"I'm starting to feel like... I've been tricked," Barry said quietly.
"No, no, Lord Barry, even though this guy seems unreliable, he's really good at tracking, I swear!" Gassain quickly assured him, lying to cover up the situation. They were already in too deep, and he couldn't back out now.
"I see..." Barry nodded slightly but gave them a warning glance. He didn't think anyone would dare mess with him in such a serious matter. This was a big deal, and he believed these two wouldn't have the guts to trick him. Still, Linton seemed a bit too unreliable for his liking.
Despite his doubts, Barry decided to move forward with the plan. The three of them soon made their way through the streets and out of the city gates. Their destination was a massive forest to the west of Degarnot City. This forest was so vast that it spanned the entire Roshand Province, though the portion within the Meloway family's territory was just a small part. According to Barry, the fire-swallowing beast had been spotted within this section of the forest.
The forest was dangerous, with treacherous terrain, hidden pits, and deep chasms. It was also a haven for magical beasts, and no one knew how many or what types of creatures lived there. Encountering a fire-swallowing beast wouldn't even be surprising, which was part of the forest's terrifying reputation.
On the way, Barry explained the details of Princess Yalan's disappearance. She had been missing for four days, and by now, she could have already entered the forest or might still be in Degarnot City, preparing for something. Of course, it would be best if she were still in the city, where the Meloway family was conducting a thorough search. But they also had to search the forest, despite the dangers, since it would be difficult to send in troops for a full search.
Regardless, Barry thought Linton's suggestion to find the fire-swallowing beast first was a reasonable plan. Since the princess was looking for this creature, the odds of encountering her while tracking the beast were high. However, Barry wasn't sure how to find the beast, but Linton seemed confident.
After walking for an entire night and setting up camp along the way, they reached the edge of the forest by the next morning, where they began encountering low-level magical beasts. Linton had encountered similar creatures outside the town where he had been staying, so it appeared to be the same species.
With two swift slashes, Gassain dispatched a boar-like monster. This creature was relatively dangerous, classified as a level 2 magical beast. Linton had never fought anything above a level 1 beast, and handling a level 2 beast required at least a beginner level of combat qi mastery, which Linton didn't have.
Gassain, however, was a natural talent. Unlike Linton, he was among the most skilled of his generation in their family. Awakening combat qi at 13, he had broken through to an apprentice level within three years and was now a level 4 swordsman, a remarkable feat for his age. Handling a level 2 magical beast was easy for him, not requiring much effort.
Barry nodded slightly in approval of Gassain's performance. His solid foundation and hard work were evident from his smooth execution, making Barry appreciate his diligence.
"Have you been on the battlefield?" Barry asked.
"Yes, I had my first campaign at 20," Gassain nodded.
"Did you earn any battle honors?"
"Well... I was a bit scared back then," Gassain said sheepishly, scratching his head.
"And now? Who are you following?" Barry asked.
"I used to follow my father, but... he was recently assassinated. I'm still investigating the culprit," Gassain replied honestly, not afraid of Barry's suspicion.
"When your father's situation is resolved, you can come find me. You could become my knight apprentice," Barry offered suddenly.
"What?" Gassain was surprised and excited. This was an incredible opportunity! Barry was the captain of the Maple Leaf Guard, and becoming his apprentice could lead to an eventual position in the guard, one of the highest honors for a knight.
"Of course, if you help me find the princess, there will be rewards," Barry added. "Consider this one of them."
"Uh..." Gassain froze, realizing that finding the princess could secure him a place as Barry's apprentice, but the problem was... could they even find her? Barry didn't know, but Gassain did. They had lured Barry here to deal with the assassins, and Linton had been making things up all along.
Feeling guilty, Gassain avoided eye contact with Barry. Fortunately, Barry wasn't paying too much attention to him, instead focusing more on Linton. Ever since entering the forest, Linton had been constantly looking around as if searching for something. Did he really find any clues?
However, Linton hadn't said anything, which made Barry anxious. After some thought, Barry finally asked, "Have you found anything?"
"I've been thinking... The princess doesn't know her way around this forest, right?" Linton asked.
"Yes, the princess has never been here," Barry confirmed.
"So, she must not be traveling alone," Linton said. "If she managed to shake off your pursuit, she's no fool. She wouldn't trust just anyone. Does the princess have any friends in this area?"
Gassain was stunned. Did Linton just call the princess a fool? His arrogance was getting out of hand.
"Friends..." Barry thought for a moment and shook his head. "I haven't heard of any."
"Well, in that case, we'll have to rely on magic," Linton said.
(End of the Chapter)