Yuda, who had slept in, slowly opened his eyes. Having spent the night pressed up against Tia, his body was pleasantly warm, but a little stiff from not being able to move freely.
Unlike last time, he hadn’t accidentally grabbed her chest, so there was no panic. Instead, he calmly sat up. Tia was still fast asleep, as if trying to catch up on all the rest she had missed over the past few days. Even as he carefully got up, she continued to breathe evenly, completely unaware.
He climbed down from the couch but still felt groggy from sleep. He slowly made his way to the bathroom, washed his hair, and quickly cleaned his body. The moment he regained his senses, the first thought that came to mind was that he needed to go grocery shopping. He could get by with a quick breakfast, but he needed ingredients for lunch and dinner for the next few days.
When he came out of shower, Tia was awake. Sort of. She was sitting up but nodding off again, hardly better than still being asleep.
“Tia, if you’re sleepy, go ahead and sleep more.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her response came quickly, though she seemed half-conscious. Then she flopped over and promptly dozed off again. Judging by that, she probably wouldn't be up until lunchtime. The weather wasn’t cold, and as a beastkin, her body temperature was naturally high, so she was unlikely to catch a cold. Still, Yuda worried and fetched the thin blanket she usually used to cover her up. He watched her sleep for a moment before heading to the kitchen. After quickly preparing and eating breakfast, he set aside some food for Tia in case she woke up while he was out.
“There’s food in the kitchen, so eat when you wake up.”
“Mmm~”
“I’m going to the market.”
“Mmm-hmm~”
At least she was answering. Probably half-asleep nonsense. Yuda took a portion of the money he had received for the pelts and magic stones they sold yesterday from his magic pouch and slipped it into his pocket before heading for the southern boulevard.
Serenia Fortress was divided into districts aligned along the cardinal directions. The northern boulevard, surrounded by small walls, housed the lord’s manor, several inns, and guilds. The western boulevard bustled with adventurers and mercenaries, so it had general stores, blacksmiths, and many restaurants. The eastern boulevard had just about everything such a a magic tower, shops, eateries, clothing stores.
Lastly, the southern boulevard was where many merchant companies competed to sell goods like food. It was the most frequented area by the townsfolk. Despite the fortress being remote, its dense population and high consumption rate meant many merchant groups had set up permanent operations there.
To meet the demand, merchant groups arrived weekly in waves. Thanks to this, Serenia's citizens had access to surprisingly fresh vegetables and quality meat for a fortress tucked away in a corner of the continent.
The moment Yuda stepped into the southern boulevard and saw the crowd, he sighed. Thankfully, the wide four-lane road made it somewhat manageable. If the streets had been narrower, it would’ve been a nightmare. Since he had a lot to buy and wanted to be home before lunch, he had to hustle.
He skillfully haggled with the vendors and scored some freebies along the way. Before long, both his arms were weighed down with goods. He’d bought just about everything. Despite his young appearance, he carried the bags with surprising strength. If no one had been watching, he’d have just stuffed everything into his magic pouch, but with so many eyes around, that wasn’t an option.
His last stop was at the far end of the southern boulevard, so he had to retrace his steps back. He carried two large bags and a cardboard box which was quite a load for a kid. As he walked, he overheard a conversation from right beside him. A father and son duo, likely shopping for ingredients for their restaurant.
“Hey, isn’t that Yuda?”
“Oh, you’re right. Never expected the bookworm to become a hunter. Right, Dad?”
“Indeed. He’s a fine young man. I’d make him my son-in-law if I had a granddaughter. Oh well.”
Their words slid past him, clear as day. Oddly friendly vibes. Maybe they’d always liked him, he figured but that thought shifted as he kept walking.It wasn’t just them. More than a couple folks were doing it. Something had happened while he was clueless, and now passersby stopped, stared, and chatted about him.
“Something’s off.”
At first, he thought it couldn’t be about him. But the name being mentioned was unmistakable — and far too familiar.
Yuda.
It wasn’t a common name. Names like Hans or Charles were dime a dozen, but Yuda? He had never met anyone else with that name. Puzzled, he turned toward some of the whispering townsfolk. They flinched, then smiled warmly and nodded at him like they were greeting a friend.
“?”
Since when were people around here so friendly?
With both hands full of groceries, he couldn’t return the greetings properly, so he just nodded his head. It might seem a bit rude, but it was better than nothing. After acknowledging the greetings, Yuda quickened his pace.
Something was definitely strange about the townspeople today.
Some passed by without a glance, but when he reached the plaza, several people started clapping or whistling at him.
“Is this some new form of bullying?”
If he at least knew what this was all about, he could appreciate the praise and applause. But having no clue made it feel like he was being mocked. When he finally got home, he set down the groceries and opened the door.
“I’m back, Tia.”
There was no response. Maybe she was still asleep. He started to step inside quietly, but then he noticed something.
“Huh?”
There was a pair of shoes at the entrance that hadn’t been there when he left. Large shoes, maybe size 280. They likely belonged to Kaseun. There wasn’t really anyone else who’d visit. Yuda guessed the owner of the shoes quickly and brought in the box he’d left at the door. As he was taking off his shoes, he heard footsteps behind him.
“Oh. You’re back?”
Tia yawned and scratched her head. Her silky hair was tangled from sleep.
“Did you sleep well?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Why not?”
As he organized the shoes, she grumbled and opened the box to inspect the groceries. Meat, vegetables and fruit. No snacks.
“The captain came over. Was banging on the door like he was gonna break it down. Seriously, what kind of crazy comes over yelling first thing in the morning?”
She even sweared, unusual for her around Yuda. Though she had a past as a mercenary, she normally held back when they were together. That she let it slip now showed how irritated she was.
She scowled and rummaged through the box, clicking her tongue when she found no snacks. Yuda pulled a pouch of dried fruit from his magic pouch and handed it to her. He’d packed it for their forest trip but hadn’t used it. Her ears twitched, and her tail swayed in delight. She genuinely looked happy. Smiling brightly, she looked up at Yuda.
“Thanks for shopping. Just put the stuff in the kitchen and come to the living room. I’ll take care of organizing it later.”
“Okay.”
Tia headed for the living room with the dried fruit. As Yuda passed by, he glanced over and saw Kaseun snoring on the sofa with his head tilted back. After putting the box on the kitchen table, he walked into the living room where Tia, sitting on a small one-person chair, was munching on dried fruit and poking the sofa with her foot.
“Captain. Wake up. Yuda’s here.”
“Gah!, huh?”
Kaseun jerked awake with a loud gasp, blinking as he tried to remember where he was. When he saw Yuda, he smiled groggily.
“Ah… Yuda. Long time no see.”
“Long time? It’s been less than a week. You senile already? Well, you are getting old.”
“Don’t be so rude. Sorry for disturbing your sleep.”
Tia scoffed and chomped on the dried fruit. She was clearly still mad about the morning visit.
“So, what brings you here?”
“What, can’t I visit without a reason? Hah.”
“You always have a reason.”
Kaseun’s eye twitched. Tia looked away.
“Stop interrupting. Honestly, what’s gotten into you…”
“Yes, yes. I’ve become like this thanks to you, haven’t I?”
Kaseun groaned and ignored her.
“Anyway, Yuda. Since you went shopping, you must’ve been to the southern boulevard, right?”
“Yeah. Even in the morning, it was packed.”
“Well, of course. But didn’t anything seem… off?”
Now that he mentioned it, something definitely was off. Yuda didn’t want to admit it, but the look on Kaseun’s face was the same kind of smug pride the townsfolk had shown earlier.
“So, you do know something. Everyone was acting strange, and were staring at me but I didn’t get why.”
“Hahaha! Of course! It’s only natural. The lord himself praised you, boy. I bet everyone who looked at you had read the public board.”
“The board?”
Come to think of it, people in the plaza had been especially enthusiastic, even clapping. So that’s what it was. Still, why had the lord praised him? Curious, he considered heading to the plaza to see for himself, but the idea of more awkward attention made him hesitate.
“Here’s a letter. I don’t know the contents, but it’s from the lord, addressed to you. Since I’m listed as your guardian, a messenger brought it to my house.”
Kaseun handed over a sealed envelope. Plain, sealed with wax, no writing on the outside. Yuda opened it and took out the letter. Tia, curious, came up behind him and leaned against his back, her chin resting on his shoulder.
“Come on, read it. What’s it say?”
Yuda unfolded the letter and read. The writing was neat and easy to read.
────
To Yuda Arshe,
Chapelin Piercen, Lord of Serenia Castle, sends this letter.
Last night, I heard you wiped out black wolves in the eastern forest. They say you were with a silver-badge mercenary, but a 13-year-old kid hunting those vicious beasts? Hard to believe. Sorry for doubting you, but I had it checked. The pelts you sold to the clothing shop and the mage tower were definitely from black wolves. I also heard the silver-badge mercenary who was with you praised you for taking them down yourself. A silver badge mercenary would not speak carelessly, so it is clear that a thirteen-year-old boy really did take down black wolves.
I salute your bravery and skill with applause and praise.
The townsfolk were on edge with black wolves moving into the eastern forest lately, but this should calm them down. As lord, I’m honoring your deed by posting it on the plaza board for all to know. And as thanks, I’d like to invite you to tonight’s dinner to chat.
If you’ve got time, come by in comfy clothes.
────
It was an invitation. But isn't it right to think of someone as just a porter when they usually go along with a mercenary? Clearly, when Tia was disposing of the wolf's hide, she had said that this guy had caught it... but it's easy to take that as a joke.
Tia, reading over his shoulder, thought the same. She peeled off his back, scowling at the letter, miffed.
"What’s this? I went wolf-hunting too, and I’m barely a footnote? They don’t even think I hunted? Okay, I didn’t, but still!"
Kaseun chuckled.
"You’ve got one too. Right here."
When had he hidden it? Kaseun reached behind his back and took out a slightly crumpled letter. Unlike Yuda's letter, the envelope had a pinkish hue. Tia, upon seeing the proffered letter, screamed, "Eek!" and snatched the letter from Casuen's hand.
"You lunatic! It’s all crumpled! Why would you hide it there, your sweat could’ve ruined it! Ugh, today sucks!"
"Should’ve respected your elders instead of whining."
"Respect my ass. Anyone else, maybe, but you? Never."
Glaring at Kaseun’s smug grin, Tia flipped him off and tore into her letter.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
Thanks.
For a lot of things!
Apparently, today’s the first day of the summer solstice. grab some samgyetang or a whole chicken and take care of yourselves!
Let’s power through the heat ahead, hehe.
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