A girl ran as fast as she could, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "Howling wind" she chanted, a strong wind blowing.
"Oh no… it doesn't affect it at all!" she cried out.
The monster behind her growled, its deep, guttural sound shaking her to the core. She stumbled but kept running.
"Someone, anyone, please save me!"
A piercing howl of pain echoed through the air. A massive bat screeched, its wings flapping wildly as a blade cut through its flesh. With a final slash, the beast fell.
"That makes twenty-five," Satoshi muttered. A young man stood over the creature, wiping blood off his sword. His sharp eyes scanned the remains. "Only five of them actually have crimson fangs. Those are worth about five thousand Gelts. The common fangs are a hundred each, so that's another two thousand… Seven thousand Gelts total." He let out a sigh. "Barely enough for a proper meal, much less a place to stay."
Pulling out a worn map, he examined it under the sunlight. "There should be a town nearby. I should go there and rest before venturing any further."
The town was lively despite the late hour. Vendors called out to potential customers.
"Fresh fruits and vegetables! Get them while they last!"
"These armors are tested and proven to protect you from any monster attack!"
"The finest swords ever crafted! Super sharp! Buy one, and I'll cut you a deal. What do you say?"
At a nearby gambling table, an adventurer slammed his fist down in frustration. "Damn it, I lost again!"
A gambler laughed loudly, tossing his winnings onto the table. "Come back when you have more money!"
Nearby, two adventurers conversed excitedly.
"Ready to hit the dungeon?"
"Yes, let's go."
Satoshi walked through the crowd, taking in the bustling atmosphere. "This place is quite lively."
He made his way to a pawn shop and approached the owner, a stout man with keen eyes.
"Hey, I'm here to cash in some monster remains."
The man took the fangs and examined them. "Five crimson fangs and twenty common ones… I'll give you nine thousand Gelts for them."
Satoshi nodded. "Alright, I'll take it."
As he turned to leave, his stomach growled loudly. He placed a hand over it, feeling the pangs of hunger tighten in his gut. "Damn, I haven't eaten in so long… I really need some food."
The smell of something delicious wafted through the air. Following his nose, he found a tavern, its doors open to the noisy laughter of men and women drinking inside.
"Hahaha! We got a good haul today!" a male adventurer cheered.
"Yes, a hundred thousand Gelts," his female companion responded.
"All thanks to her. She might be useless in combat, but she kept us alive through the process."
Satoshi took a seat at a vacant table. A waitress approached him.
"What will it be today, sir?"
He glanced at the menu. "I'll have some fried tofu and steamed vegetables."
"Alright, give us a second." She left, then quickly returned with a glass of water.
"Thank you," Satoshi said. As he waited, he noticed a hooded figure sitting in the corner. A girl, most likely. Was she royalty?
Before he could think further, the waitress returned with his meal. "Here you go, young man."
Satoshi's stomach growled again at the sight of the food. "Thank you. This looks great."
"That will be four thousand Gelts. You can pay upfront when you finish eating."
Satoshi frowned. "Damn, I chose the cheapest thing on the menu, yet half my money is gone. I'll be broke by morning. I should've asked my father for some kind of pension…" He sighed, shaking his head. "Well, at least my stomach will be—"
The door suddenly burst open with a loud crash.
Armored men strode into the tavern.
"Those men… they're imperial knights," someone muttered.
The waiter hurriedly whispered, "Be careful how you act around them, or we'll be in big trouble."
The leading knight sneered, looking around the tavern in disgust. "This place is filthy." He spit on the ground.
"We came for the tax," another knight announced. "Make sure it's ready in five minutes, you old hag."
"And while we're here, we might as well get some free beer," a third knight added.
"Yeah, I'm feeling quite parched," another knight chuckled.
The restaurant owner, an elderly woman, bowed her head. "I'm very sorry, but my business is in crisis. If I keep paying these taxes, I'll go bankrupt. Please, I'm asking for time."
The lead knight scowled. "I don't care about your situation, old hag. You should've saved money for us."
Without warning, he struck the woman across the face, sending her crashing into a table.
"You'll feel an even more agonizing pain if you don't hand over the tax," he threatened, drawing his sword.
Before he could advance, the hooded girl stepped forward, placing herself between the knight and the fallen woman.
"I'm going to ask you to kindly leave her alone. She already told you she doesn't have the money. Why are you so greedy?"
The knights turned to her in shock.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them demanded.
The girl's voice was steady. "You should be protecting the people, not instilling fear for your own personal gain. That's how corrupt your empire has become."
One of the male adventurers hurriedly intervened. "Alright, that's enough. I'm sorry about her behavior, knights. She's usually quiet. How about you come back another day so the old lady has time to sort this out?" He placed a hand on the knight's shoulder in a show of goodwill.
The knight's face twisted in rage. "How dare you touch me with those filthy hands?"
Without hesitation, he drove his sword through the adventurer's gut.
Blood spilled onto the floor as the man fell, gasping for breath.
His female companion let out a piercing scream.
Another knight sneered. "For disrespecting us, I sentence you to death." He raised his sword, swinging it toward the girl.
She shut her eyes, bracing for the impact.
Cling!
She opened her eyes.
Satoshi stood in front of her, holding up a small knife against the knight's blade. His expression was calm, but his eyes were burning with quiet fury.
The knight growled. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You dare raise a weapon against me?"
Satoshi's grip tightened. "If it means protecting this girl, I'd raise this knife at you any day. You call yourselves knights? Don't make me laugh. From what I've witnessed just now, attempting to take an innocent life just because she's talking the truth, you're nothing but corrupt scumbags."
The third knight smirked. "You'll pay for that… in blood."