Chapter Nine
"Are you full?" Yak asked, taking out some leftover food from his pocket after leaving the tavern.
He didn't forget to pack his things before leaving.
“That’s about it…” Lady hesitated for a moment before saying, “Thank you.”
She probably understood that if it weren't for Ark, she might have died inside.
After all, she had no proof, and no one would care if she died on the street in this city.
She should thank Yak, otherwise she might be dead by now.
Yak simply nodded.
“I didn’t expect to find witchers inside,” Ark said softly. “I’ve dealt with them before; they’re all very capable. Do you remember that girl?”
"What's wrong?"
“I know who she is. If I’m not mistaken, it should be Nina. Denos knows that girl too. She graduated with top marks from the Spellcasting Academy, completing all the courses in half the time of others. She’s a true genius.” Acton paused and said, “I’m not surprised that she became a Witcher, since most people learn that stuff to fight monsters. But I didn’t expect her to be here.”
He lowered his head thoughtfully and slowly closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, he sighed slowly.
"Lady, move back a bit."
Lady paused, then turned to see Ark shoving the short sword in his hand into her hands.
Yak stood in front of her, trying to make a friendly face, but that was impossible with his face.
The little emoticon on its head looks like it's smiling happily, the kind of harmless, cunning smile a merchant might have.
He saw the guy sitting in the corner, holding a long knife.
He had been watching the two men the whole time, but in the blink of an eye, the scabbard had vanished. The moonlight reflected off the blade, casting a glare on Lady's face that looked as if it were about to slice flesh off.
“An unfamiliar fellow.” The man slowly rose to his feet, speaking softly as he did so.
He looked like he had drunk quite a bit and was a little tipsy.
There aren't many people in this city, and even fewer monsters. It's hard to say whether there will even be a hundred. Most people who frequent this city know these guys, or at least have seen them before.
But neither Lady nor this guy had ever seen each other before, which is why they were getting into trouble at the tavern.
"Evan! Long time no see," Ark greeted him. "You don't look old at all after all this time."
He paused, realizing he might have seen this guy before, and stared at Ark for a long time, trying to recall.
"Oh, it's you." He realized he had indeed seen this guy before, and the knife in his hand was sheathed.
Yak sighed; that made him much less hostile.
Ivan the Wandering Swordsman—you really see him everywhere. He usually carries a knife and a small cloth bag, and maybe a horse. Ark remembers it was a black horse. This guy roams around various cities, occasionally working as a mercenary. He goes to see if there are any quests he can take on. He buys alcohol with the money he earns, and his last bit of sanity is keeping some money for rations.
Monster cores can be sold for money; they're a collection of chaotic elements from the outside world. They're useful in many things. Ark was genuinely afraid that he'd kill Lady on the spot just to make some money.
This guy has done this kind of thing quite a few times.
"Still in business?" He frowned at Ark. "How many years have you been on this? I remember it's been over forty years. No wonder you're a monster, long life is really good."
“Heh, what else can I do? These are all the things I know,” Ark said. “My carriage is over at the city gate. I have some good leather and a whetstone. You can come and take a look if you’re interested.”
“A whetstone? I don’t need that.” Ivan glanced at the girl behind him. “Your friend?”
“Yes, my friend,” Ark said. “She’s a very pretty girl, isn’t she?”
“It’s good, but she’s not human.” Ivan frowned. “Is she safe?”
"At least I've never seen her hurt anyone."
"Keep an eye on her. There are paladins in this city. I don't know exactly which one, and there are many other clergy, in the double digits."
“I saw a Witcher here just a moment ago,” Ark said. “What’s going on here? There shouldn’t be so many troublesome guys in this city.”
"Oh, I remember you're very well-informed, why wouldn't you know about this?"
“All I know is that there’s a salt shortage here, and I made a fortune off that. That’s all I really know.” Yak looked at him. “What do you know?”
"I know, but I have no obligation to tell you."
“A genuine silver coin.” Yak took the coin out of his bag and tossed it over; the man caught it easily.
"Ha, I love your straightforward way of speaking." After he finished speaking, he bit the silver coin to confirm the teeth marks. "It's just a rumor that there's a demon here."
Ark's eyebrows twitched. He was usually expressionless, but even so, his expression still moved involuntarily upon hearing the news.
"Really?" he asked in a low voice.
"It's just a rumor."
“Rumors don’t usually involve priests and paladins here. It’s unusual enough that even one of them is here.” Ark took a deep breath to calm himself. “Alright, I know where I am now. I guess there are other people here, right? Buddy, a silver coin is enough for a long drink, so say something. I want to know who else is here?”
“I don’t know everything, but I’d say there are quite a few strange things here.” Ivan patted Ark on the shoulder. “I can’t remember all the people I’ve met, but I advise you to leave quickly. You won’t make any money here.”
“I’ll have to disagree with the second half of that statement. I’ve already earned enough.” Yak waved goodbye to him. “But I think the first half is quite right. I should go now.”
"I hope I can still find out about these kinds of gossip next time we meet." Evan waved his hand and sat back down in the corner.
Lady found the two guys' conversation a bit strange, but Ark led her away.
"Um, Ark..."
"Hurry up, someone's following us," Yak said in a low voice.
Lady paused, then suddenly realized something and turned to look at a shadowy spot behind her.
There seemed to be something vaguely standing there, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. It could be a hallucination, or it could be a ghost.
"Who is that?" Lady asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling that it’s not friendly to us,” Ark said softly. “Let’s go, it’s late enough already.”
He genuinely didn't know who the guy following him was, even though he knew quite a few people. But he didn't have the ability to identify someone just by their aura.
He had no choice but to leave this place as soon as possible. It was nighttime, and he was too far from the carriage. If he were attacked here and injured, he wouldn't even be able to get bandaged up.
However, it can't be too fast, because if it is, that guy might take other measures once he realizes he's been discovered.
As midnight approached, they finally spotted the carriage beside the city gate. The carriage had lanterns hanging on it, the door was open, and they could vaguely sense that someone lived inside.
Denos is probably still awake, because it will be troublesome at night without anyone keeping watch. Although the city has many magical arrays that make its surrounding area much safer, monsters are rare in places like this, but rare as they may be, encountering one could be very troublesome.
For example, on the road, I encountered a clump of moving black mud. This inferior monster seemed to be newly born, a monster that had sprung from chaotic elemental fission.
However, Ark and Lady simply went around it; the poor creature would probably be destroyed by passing guards before sunrise tomorrow. It would die so soon after birth; after all, it was a monster, and one couldn't show mercy to monsters.
The only way to utilize the chaotic element is through monsters, because these monsters can multiply and their cores are a manifestation of the chaotic element. It is also the only manifestation that can be directly utilized at present.
Because going out at night is dangerous, this has two meanings, for both monsters and humans. Humans might be attacked by monsters if they go out at night, so many guards are stationed to prevent this. Monsters that want to survive shouldn't attack humans.
“We’re late,” Ark said to Denos from outside the carriage. “Open the door for me.”
"Wait a minute." Suddenly, a noisy voice came from inside, and after a long while, the door was finally opened.
"It was a bit messy just now, let me tidy up." Denos saw Lady behind Ark: "All done?"
“Hmm.” Ark glanced at the cards scattered on the table, his temples throbbed, and then looked at the monster curled up in a ball in the corner of the carriage.
He was about to take this opportunity to introduce his companion to Lady, but he saw it wave frantically and then climb out through a ventilation opening inside the carriage.
It has to be said that it's truly terrifying; it wouldn't be surprising at all for this monster to appear in a nightmare. Its overall appearance is exactly that of a traditionally stereotypical demon.
Lady didn't say much after she came in, and obediently sat on the coffin behind the carriage.
It seemed that the two coffins served a similar purpose to the bed here, except that there were only two coffins. She panicked a little when she realized this.
Fortunately, Yak pulled out a sleeping bag from the corner.
There was a fire inside the carriage, and the flames inside ensured that we could spend the night warmly even as the temperature dropped.
Looking at it this way, although the carriage is a bit small and would feel cramped if stuffed with things, it's very cozy. At least at night, it makes you feel like you're at home.
Lady sat beside the coffin, looking at Ark sitting next to the box.
Denos is now sitting next to the coffin, seemingly tidying up something.
"What are you doing?" Lady probably felt a little embarrassed that she hadn't said anything after being taken care of all day.
She had planned to escape once she reached the city, but even now she doesn't know if she can survive if she leaves.
There's a strange problem here that's causing too many dangerous people to gather. It wouldn't be surprising if someone suddenly died outside.
It seems like I can only stay here now and pray that these two guys are good people.
So she wanted to say something, at least to appear as if she were part of it.
"I'm packing up the goods; I'm going to the trading street tomorrow. I need to make a list of the goods."
"I'm writing in my journal and doing some accounting at the same time."
The two answered almost simultaneously, because they had been busy with their own things and, without Lady's precise explanation, both assumed she was calling them.
Lady rested her head on her hand, feeling a little annoyed. It seemed that the two of them were busy with their own things and didn't have time to come and see her.
However, that wouldn't be good. I'm not sleepy yet, so I need to find something to keep myself occupied.
Suddenly, she noticed a light shining from the carriage beside her. She paused, then remembered that there were indeed two carriages.
But now all three of them are here. If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be anyone in the other carriage.
Candles are expensive consumables, and even though Ark, as a merchant, is far more wealthy than the average person, he shouldn't leave a candle in an empty carriage.
That's such a waste; Ark doesn't seem like the type to waste resources.
"Why is it lit up there..." Lady paused, because before she could finish her sentence, the light inside had already disappeared.
It seemed they stopped because they heard what she said.
"Um, can I go over there and take a look?" Lady hesitated for a moment before asking Ark over there.
He glanced at Lady, then at another carriage outside the window.
“No problem, as long as you don’t go too far.” Acton paused and said, “By the way, that carriage seems to be empty after the cargo was unloaded. If you don’t feel comfortable sleeping here, you can take a sleeping bag and sleep over there. I’ll bring you a stove.”
"No, no, I'm just a little curious." Lady felt it wasn't right to use her precious resources because of her job. She blushed and shook her head.
Driven by curiosity, she got out of the carriage and slowly walked to the door.
Ark didn't stop her, because she was safe as long as she was within sight. There was a protective barrier set up by Denos around them, making the girl safe there.
There are some things he still wants this person to know, even though that might upset the child.
Lady slowly walked to the carriage door and gently pushed it open.
Her screams echoed through the sky. She stumbled backward, so frightened that she pressed herself against the carriage, tears welling up in her eyes. She was truly terrified.
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