After capturing both the thief and Pía, Astrid was finally able to focus on her shopping. The explanation given by the woman, who called herself Mama Hollín, convinced her to buy everything she offered. After that, several merchants approached her, rubbing their hands together, and began to offer products from their stores.
Since the heroes were sponsored by the major monarchies and lesser kingdoms of the races, money was no issue. So Astrid bought a bit of everything. Small gems filled four large bags, which she then placed on Adriano's shoulders.
Astrid had acquired so many gems because, being a type of battery, they deteriorated quickly if the attack was powerful. To have a weapon that could withstand her level, a large quantity of gems was required.
'Still, I couldn't find any minerals,' she thought while walking back to the city.
Mama Hollín's only explanation was that, due to the proximity to the Races' Wall, most of the minerals were bought directly by the kingdom of Longer because of the war against the fallen.
'It's odd that only gems are sold and not minerals,' she concluded. 'This doesn't happen in the rest of the continents. In fact, I think it only occurs in the kingdoms close to the Races' Wall, maybe.'
Adriano led the way back, while Pía dragged the thief behind her like a cat carrying its kitten by the neck. According to Pía, she would turn him over to the guards once they returned. "You don't convince me! You're suspected of following us, so I'll make sure you end up in prison at the very least," was her excuse for taking him. Although the thief complained, he seemed too weak to confront Pía.
"L-let me go!" the thief howled.
"Ha! Say what you want, it all ends here," Pía retorted.
"Yes, she's way too intense…"
"What did you say?!"
"N-nothing…"
'Hey, hey, miss,' Astrid thought. 'I also think you're way too intense. That disgusting personality is the only thing ruining your little face.'
"You!" Pía pointed at the thief's chest. "By the way, what's that cheap trinket you bought?"
"Huh?"
Pía was referring to a small oval stone the thief was holding against his chest. It was a dull red color and no wider than three fingers. It was a decorative crystal, also offered in the square. Although it wasn't the cheapest, it wasn't very valuable either. The difference between it and Astrid's purchases was so stark that she couldn't help but let out a "Pfft!"
'The difference was so great that even Mama Hollín looked angry. Her face seemed to say, "Is that all you're buying?" Haha! No! I shouldn't laugh; I used to be poor too.'
"I only bought it as a gesture of apology," the thief said.
"Are you a rat trying to be nice? Don't play with me! And more than an apology, I think you insulted us," Pía argued. "Instead, Miss Astrid bought everything, see?"
"That's way too excessive. Um… Normal people wouldn't buy that much!"
'Normal? You really know how to get under my skin, little one!' Astrid thought.
The veins on her forehead were becoming visible.
'Also, why does this pest speak to us so casually? It was so natural that I hadn't even noticed it,' she thought.
Deciding it was time to end the charade, she spoke up:
"When we get to the city, Pía, make sure not to run into this guy again. We'll leave him with the guards and be done with it."
"Huh? Why?!" Pía and the thief said in unison.
"What do you mean 'why'?!"
Apparently, Pía was refusing to let go of the thief. But Astrid had to stop her there. If they continued, it was certain that sooner or later the guy would join them.
"He's a stranger and unpleasant. This guy—"
"Miss Astrid?"
Even the indifferent Adriano glanced back at the sudden change in Astrid's demeanor.
'Ah! No, no, no. Remember, you're a hero. Stick to your role as the calm and elegant girl. Be a leader, but how the hell is a leader supposed to act?!'
"Cough, uh? He's annoying." Astrid was now stammering. "Ahem. It's more than obvious that these kinds of things are not for someone like him."
She was referring to the risks of walking with a hero. She wasn't saying it out of compassion, but as a way to end the conversation.
"I'm telling you, these kinds of things are not for someone like you."
But breaking the serious mood, Pía interrupted:
"Ha-ha-ha! You see, everyone can see how weak you are."
"You're wrong! Haah. At this rate, I'm going to have a heart attack."
How dared they ignore her serious advice? Even though she was the leader, no one paid her any attention. Frustrated, Astrid ended the discussion:
"Just shut up."
Her voice wasn't loud, but the coldness and the undertone of her words chilled the atmosphere.
"Ughhh!" Now the duo fell silent.
For some reason, seeing Pía with the thief annoyed her. It wouldn't have mattered if it was Adriano, but the sight of that pair made her blood boil. Wishing to rid herself of this annoyance, Astrid vowed that once they returned to the city, she would personally make sure that guy disappeared.
She lied to herself, saying:
'We have enough with Pía being the noisy one in the group.'
Trying to distract herself, she took one of the four bags from Adriano and checked its contents. Seeing her purchases relaxed her. She was so engrossed that she stopped paying attention to her surroundings.
◇◆◇
'I wouldn't be surprised if my face were pale,' Eídal thought to himself. At that moment, Pía was dragging him toward the city. 'I also don't know how much longer I can stay on my feet.'
It's worth mentioning that Eídal had already used the thorcam [contain emotions] a total of four times, and the dizziness from the side effects was unbearable, to the point where he felt like he might vomit.
Encountering the heroine's group hadn't been easy. When he checked the initial route plotted by the thorcam [track objects], Eídal was surprised to find they had veered off the main road. Activating the thorcam for the third time to contain emotions, he mustered the strength to approach a group of rickshaw pullers and, pointing to a faded map, asked what he could find if he strayed from the main path.
The response was:
"Not much really, but further along this area," said a middle-aged man, pointing to a part of the map. "There's a market, like roadside stalls. You can find all kinds of gems and decorative trinkets. Ahhh, it's a shame, but they no longer allow the sale of minerals."
Another man added:
"Oh! It can be used as a shortcut from the main road. But to get back on the main road, you'll have to climb a steep slope."
From that conversation, Eídal took the excuse of the shortcut.
'But it was of no use; in the end, they didn't believe me.'
Returning to the current situation, he couldn't help but let out a sigh. He tried not to resist too much to keep his stomach's contents from churning further.
"Hey you," said the girl dragging him. "What's your name?"
She was the young woman he had bumped into.
'I'm getting tired of this girl, Pía,' Eídal thought. 'If I remember correctly, the man ahead is named Adri… Mmm, Adriano or something like that, and the Heroine… Astrid is a nice name.'
If Eídal was honest, the heroine named Astrid gave him the impression of being quite tough. Although he couldn't deny that her attitude seemed somewhat cool. He realized that she was the type of person who kept her words to herself and only intervened when absolutely necessary.
'She moves and speaks like my tutor,' Eídal compared.
As they made their way along the gravel road toward the city, Astrid calmly examined various gems from a leather bag. She weighed them up and down as if measuring them, checked their texture, and lifted them to try and see their interior against the light.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" Pía insisted.
In contrast, this young woman was nothing special. Her movements were clumsy and her tongue was sharp.
'She's a lunatic,' Eídal thought.
There were no people like that in his village. Previously, overwhelmed by her questions, he had exploded with a "Too intense!" but it was because he didn't know how to respond.
'How I like it! How ridiculous!'
For the first time, Eídal felt like his heart might burst from the pressure. He couldn't deny that he was on the verge of shouting in anguish. He had pushed the thorcam [contain emotions] so hard that even the display was burned into his retina. It was because of her and her intense questions that the third use had been exhausted, which is why he was now on the fourth use of the thorcam.
So far, Pía had been the only one to force the thorcam to reset, wasting the third use. Eídal wasn't sure if that was normal. It hadn't happened during his trials with the two drunks or during his first encounter with the heroine.
'Using this thorcam over and over, will it cost me anything besides a headache?'
"Don't you hear me?! I'm asking for your name!"
"Eh? W-well, yes. My name…"
"Well?"
Eídal wasn't sure if giving his name was the right thing to do. He could invent one, but something in his heart refused to let him.
"It's… Eídal. Eídal Granier."
He even included his tutor's surname. Maybe he was being foolish, but saying his name was his way of convincing himself that there was no turning back from this adventure.
"Eídal," Astrid murmured, glancing at him sideways.
"Eídal? I think I've heard that before. Wait, let me think. Hmm!" Grimacing, Pía held her head, which allowed Eídal to slip free from her grasp. "No, nothing comes to mind."
Eídal sighed and thought:
'Typical of Pía.'
Suddenly, the clatter of wheels echoed on the gravel road. Eídal and Pía stepped aside. It was a cart pulled by a pair of horses, driven by a middle-aged man in a black tunic. Once it passed and the dust cleared, Eídal saw that the cart carried several boxes with packets inside.
'Tobacco? In my village, I rarely saw anyone smoking, but I guess in big cities, it's a good business.'
According to what Eídal had heard during the long hours at the bar, a new way of smoking had recently become quite popular, replacing powdered tobacco and pipes. They were called cigarettes. These boxes carried hundreds of them.
When Pía resumed walking, Eídal didn't follow. He could feel a tingling in his feet that was rising to his stomach. Something was wrong. Not with the cart, but with the ground. It was trembling with a movement imperceptible to those walking.
"Are you okay?" Pía asked. "Ah! I see, you're upset. But let me tell you, if what you want is compensation for your wrinkled clothes, then I'll hit you!"
Eídal swallowed and, using the fourth use of the thorcam [contain emotions], prepared himself for what was to come.
That sensation marked the moment: it was time to act.