There has never been equality within civilization, but the world is fair from beginning to end. --Sage Muhod
Old Hoy's sudden, thunderous roar had plunged the tavern into a deathly silence. It was as if the roar of a forest's beast - king had forced all the beasts to cower.
After a long while, old drunkard Sid, who was around Hoy's age and sported a head of white hair, rose to his feet. He raised his glass towards Hoy.
"Captain Hoy, after all these years, you've still got that same old fire. Here's to you!" With that, Sid tilted his head back and downed a full glass of beer, the excess spilling down his chest.
In his youth, Hoy had served as the captain of the Wildfire City Guard. He was a master of swordsmanship. Rumor had it that in his prime, he'd possessed a fighting spirit and could take on powerful orcs one - on - one. It was truly remarkable.
However, after his son's death in battle and due to his advancing age and declining physical strength, he'd left the guard and opened this tavern, fading into obscurity ever since.
He was a humble man, never boasting about his past. As a result, none of the younger generation in Wildfire City knew of Hoy's former glory.
"Sid, those days are long gone." Hoy motioned to Robin. "Su, get Sid another glass of beer. It's on me."
"Oh." Robin was still reeling from Hoy's earlier roar. He'd never witnessed such power.
In the Milky Way, no matter how powerful a human was, they couldn't emit sound waves capable of attacking others. It wasn't a matter of physical energy but a limitation of the body's structure.
If a person's vocal cords were to produce a sound of that frequency and intensity, they'd surely be torn. Yet, on the surface, Hoy seemed unaffected. Through the scan Origin had done last night, Robin knew that Hoy's body structure wasn't different from what he was used to in his previous life, at least not beyond the limits of the species.
So, for Hoy to achieve what he did purely with his physical body... this just wasn't scientifically possible!
That wasn't all. What truly astonished Robin was that just before the roar, he'd clearly felt a familiar wave. He'd detected this type of wave with instruments during his teleportation in the Milky Way, but it had been nowhere near as strong as it was now, to the point where it could be felt directly by the body.
What kind of wave was this? Was it the source of power in this world? Or perhaps related to the so - called Soul Forbidden Zone from his previous life? Robin was deeply puzzled.
In a daze, Robin handed the beer to the old drunkard, barely registering Sid's thanks. When he came to his senses, he found himself back beside old Hoy.
"What's the matter, young man? Surprised?" Hoy held a wine glass but wasn't drinking it, merely taking small sips.
In food - scarce Wildfire City, wine was precious. If Hoy were to imitate old Sid and down a whole glass in one go, Anna would scold him to no end.
A thought flashed through Robin's mind, and a term emerged from the depths of the boy's memory. He looked at Hoy. "Fighting Qi?"
"No." Hoy shook his head in denial. "My old body can't handle the massive consumption of fighting qi. These are just some tricks of element resonance I picked up when I was young. Nothing to be amazed about. Any mage on the continent, even just an apprentice, could do better."
In this world, fighting qi wasn't a power to brag about. Sure, it could grant power beyond normal limits, but it also inflicted significant damage on the body. Nobles were fine, as their family - inherited secret techniques could minimize this side - effect.
But civilians who discovered fighting qi on their own weren't so fortunate. The more frequently they used it, the faster their bodies weakened, as was the case with Hoy now.
Hoy downed the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp, then patted Robin on the shoulder. "Su, it's great that young people are ambitious, but being impulsive isn't a good thing."
Facing Hoy's sincere warning, Robin felt a bit conflicted. Had he been impulsive? Maybe so. It was just a momentary lapse, a confusion of time and space, making him think he was still in the Milky Way.
"I understand, Hoy. I'll remember this." Robin conceded, a bit dejected.
Then he looked up. "I've got something to do at the temple this afternoon, so I can't help out in the tavern. You know, it's about the cemetery."
"Go ahead, but be careful on the way. Watch out for that big outsider seeking revenge." Hoy refilled his glass.
If Anna saw this, she'd have a fit. And right then, Anna, drawn by the commotion in the tavern, stood not far behind Hoy, hands on her hips, glaring at the old man enjoying his drink.
Everyone in the tavern looked at old Hoy with pity. This was truly a sorry sight.
In the afternoon, Robin waited until the rush of customers had passed before leaving the tavern.
Snow continued to fall from the sky in large, goose - feather - like flakes, and the cold wind howled through the streets. Yet, the number of pedestrians on the street didn't decrease; instead, it increased.
There were many new faces, mostly tough - looking mercenaries. All of them seemed to be in a hurry, their faces etched with an inexplicable sense of anxiety, like animals desperately seeking shelter before a storm.
"Is something about to happen in Wildfire City?" Robin furrowed his brow. He knew that these mercenaries, who lived on the edge of life and death, had a much sharper sense of danger than ordinary people and were better informed.
The presence of nervous mercenaries led to an increase in the number of patrol soldiers on the streets. Mercenaries could often be considered robbers, the main instigators of public - security problems. They were undisciplined, impulsive, and capable of causing harm or even killing people.
The increase in patrol soldiers also put Robin at ease. He'd been worried about the mercenary from the morning seeking revenge. Although he might be able to defeat him with all his might, he wouldn't come out unscathed.
In short, it wasn't a good trade - off to hurt others and himself.
Because the Homecoming Festival was approaching, there was still a festive air on the street. Many places were adorned with bright, festive ribbons, but the faces of the pedestrians didn't reflect much joy.
It was all because of the orcs in the Thunder Mountains!
The approaching Homecoming Festival meant that the annual looting spree of those wretched orcs was drawing near.
However, these were the city lord's headaches. Robin didn't have the luxury to worry about them. He tightened his robe and silently made his way towards the temple along the narrow street.
"Crack, crack." The snowflakes crunched under Robin's feet. He habitually raised his head and blew warm air onto his palms. Even though his hands weren't cold, he was startled to see two figures slumped against the wall at the corner up ahead.
Covered in snow, one large and one small, they seemed to be father and son. The little boy was huddled completely in his father's arms, his small face, partially exposed, showing a look of confusion and pain, numbed by the cold.
The father leaned against the cold stone wall, his eyes, now dull, filled with sadness and helplessness.
People walked by on the street, but they paid no heed to this tragic scene.
Robin stood there, stunned. For someone who'd spent the first half of his life in a prosperous interstellar civilization, this was an unimaginable tragedy.
After a long moment, Robin pursed his lips, as if trying to taste the indifference in the air. He walked forward and reached out to close the father's eyes.
The sound of horse hooves came from behind him, followed by a carriage pulling to a stop. Robin turned to see four tall horses, a delicate and luxurious four - wheeled carriage, and a beautiful, exquisite face peering out from the open window.
The owner of the face had milk - white skin, wine - red, lustrous, and slightly curly hair, and a pair of crimson, crystal - like eyes. Everything about her exuded an almost unreal perfection, representing a life of luxury far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
At that moment, the stark contrast between the lower - class father and son who'd died in poverty and the upper - class girl in all her opulence was palpable.
Robin was momentarily taken aback, not because of the social irony, but because this face was an exact replica of the daughter of the fleet governor from his previous life!
"Young man, you're quite unique." A soft voice emerged from her delicate lips, melodious and pleasant, like a gentle feather tickling the earlobe, making one eager to hear more.
"Excuse me, beautiful lady." Robin snapped out of his daze after a moment. He then let go of his inhibitions and gracefully performed a Chinese etiquette gesture from his previous life, exuding an air of nonchalance and an indescribable elegance.
"Jasmine." The voice was soft and tender, and the interest on the beauty's face grew stronger.
"Su." As a gesture of courtesy, Robin also introduced himself.
Just then, a patrol soldier walked by. Jasmine raised her hand and waved him over.
The soldier immediately approached when he saw the girl summoning him. When he got close, he knelt on one knee, heedless of the cold snow on the ground, and saluted respectfully. "It's an honor to serve you, Miss Hall."
Jasmine was accustomed to the soldier's deference. She pointed at the father - son corpses on the street, her expression solemn. "Carry these poor souls to the cemetery and bury them."
The soldier didn't question the girl's order. He turned and called a few of his comrades. They quickly wrapped the frozen father and son in straw mats and carried them away.
Robin witnessed all this. The girl shared the same surname as the city lord, and judging by the soldier's respectful demeanor, she must be the city lord's only daughter. He wondered which lucky fellow would marry her in the future, gaining both the beauty and inheriting the baron's title and fiefdom.
After a while, Robin composed himself completely. He'd come to terms with it. The girl from his previous life was in that past life. He didn't need to carry over those old ties into this new one. There was no point.
After the soldiers had taken care of everything, the girl turned to Robin. "Because of the orcs, refugees flock to Wildfire City every year. Many of these homeless people end up freezing to death. These things are difficult to prevent. With the threat of the orcs looming, the City Hall can't spare more resources to deal with this. After all, the safety of Wildfire City comes first."
These words seemed like an explanation to Robin, but as the city lord's daughter, Jasmine didn't really need to do this. In fact, she herself wasn't sure why she was saying these things. She just didn't want this young man with his dark, clear eyes to have a bad impression of Wildfire City.
Realizing her momentary loss of composure, Jasmine quickly changed the subject. "Can you tell me what you do in the city, Su?"
"Me? Oh, I'm a night - watchman at the cemetery on the outskirts of the city. I'm on my way to the temple to pick up this month's rune stone." Robin answered frankly, showing no signs of humility despite his lowly status, as if engaged in an ordinary conversation.
A pure smile spread across Jasmine's face. A night - watchman with such an imposing demeanor and grace was truly unique.
"I'm also going to the temple. I can give you a ride." Jasmine offered.
"Thank you very much." Robin didn't hesitate to get on the carriage. Ignoring the coachman's unfriendly look, he sat down beside him.
He knew better than to try to enter the carriage's interior. If he did, Miss Jasmine might not say anything, but the coachman would surely have a fit.
As if to express his displeasure, the coachman shouted, "Miss, hold on tight," before Robin had even settled properly. Then he whipped the horses hard, startling them into a quick trot, pulling the carriage forward.
Contrary to the coachman's expectations, Robin didn't show any signs of panic. Instead, he leaned back lazily in his seat, looking quite comfortable.