Aelius, now Kaelus, left Grolnuk's Anvil & Ale with a sense of purpose. He had six days until his new weapon would be ready, a perfect amount of time to get his bearings in the bustling city. He spent the rest of the day exploring, his enhanced senses taking in every detail. He walked through the market, marveling at the vibrant colors of the fabrics and the exotic spices. His stomach rumbled, a craving for a proper meal overwhelming him. For fifteen years, he had survived on whatever he could find in his cave—snakes, bats, and other creatures. He craved the taste of real food.
He found a local food stall and bought a single skewer of roasted meat. The taste was divine. He bought another, and another, until he had a whole gold coin's worth of food, a small fortune for a simple meal. He ate until he was full for the first time in his life, the flavors a symphony on his tongue. He then found an ale house with a bed to rent upstairs, a simple room with a single bed and a small window. At 50 copper coins per night, he paid for seven nights, giving him enough time to get settled before heading out on his first quest.
The next few days were spent exploring and familiarizing himself with the city. On the third day, he decided to visit the Alchemist's Guild. He knew he could sell his high-quality herbs for a better price here than at the Adventurer's Guild, which would take a percentage of his earnings. Inside the guild, he met with the Alchemist's receptionist. He took a few of the herbs from his Dragon's Void and placed them on the counter. The receptionist's eyes widened. These were exotic, rare herbs with immense medicinal value, far beyond anything the guild had ever seen. The receptionist consulted with a senior alchemist, who confirmed the herbs' potency and age. They were worth a fortune. After a brief negotiation, Kaelus walked out with 750 gold coins, a sum that eclipsed his entire fortune from the fist-size mana stones.
After his lucrative visit to the Alchemist's Guild, he went back to his rented room. He asked the blushing cashier if they had any books he could borrow. She handed him the only book they had, a worn picture book about a hero and his party slaying a fearsome dragon. Kaelus grinned to himself as he read it, a bittersweet memory of his past life as Kai surfacing. He wondered if his manga collection had been sold after his death, and the thought made him feel both sad and amused. He began to think of new techniques he could create, inspired by the shounen manga he used to read.
Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the sixth day had arrived. He made his way back to Grolnuk's Anvil & Ale, eager to retrieve his newly forged sword. As he approached, he noticed a crowd gathered outside the small armory. A loud, boisterous voice echoed from within, followed by a sickening thud. Kaelus pushed through the crowd and stepped inside.
The scene was chaos. Several men, armed with swords and axes, were harassing Grolnuk. One of them, a man with a sneering face, was holding a contract. Grolnuk was on his knees, a cut on his lip from a recent punch.
"Mr. Grolnuk, what's happening here?" Kaelus asked, his voice calm but firm.
One of the men turned to him, his eyes filled with contempt. "Hey, are you a customer? There's an armory beside here. Just go there. There's nothing good in here."
"Kaelus, get out! Don't mind me and just go! I'll find you soon!" Grolnuk shouted, his voice hoarse.
"Shut up and sign this contract!" The man with the contract punched Grolnuk again.
"No, I will never sell my this pl—" Grolnuk began, but another punch cut him off.
"You have no idea what kind of force The Sovereign's Forge is attached to," the man sneered, brandishing the contract. "The House of Ignis will make you vanish without lifting a finger. Just be a good boy and sign this contract. Also, give us half of the payment. Just retire and make good use of this 10 platinum coins." (1platinum coin = 1000 gold coin)
Kaelus's mana began to surge. His voice, calm just moments ago, now held the weight of a storm. "What's so good about the armory next door? It's full of poor-quality trash."
The thugs stopped their taunts and stared at him, their faces now contorted with rage. "You little brat!" the sneering man yelled. "Do you know who you're talking to?" He dropped the contract, pulled out his sword, and lunged at Kaelus. His blade, a gleaming piece of steel, moved with a speed that would have caught any adventurer off guard. But Kaelus was no ordinary adventurer. His eyes, now a deep, fiery brown, followed every minute movement. He sidestepped the attack with a grace that defied human physics, a single motion that blurred into nothingness.
He raised his hand, and a small, concentrated ball of wind magic formed in his palm. The wind swirled with a sharp, high-pitched whistle, the vortex so dense it was almost visible. It was a technique he had recently created, a Vortex Sphere, inspired by a famous shounen manga he had read in his past life. He unleashed the sphere, and it shot out, striking the man in the chest. The force was enough to send him flying back, rotating wildly as he crashed into the stacks of swords with a loud clang.
The other armed men, shocked and terrified, dropped their weapons and fled from the armory. "You'll pay for this!" one of them yelled as he ran, disappearing into the crowd.
Grolnuk, who had been watching in stunned silence, could only stare at the scene before him. The thugs, men who had threatened to destroy him, were all either unconscious or running in fear. Outside, the crowd of spectators was amazed, whispering about the new adventurer who had appeared out of nowhere. A wolfkin woman from a nearby food stall approached Kaelus. "Thank you for saving Mr. Grolnuk," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Is it okay that I knocked them out?" Kaelus asked, his voice calm. "I heard 'House of Ignis.'"
"Yes, it's fine," she replied. "Nobles can't directly intervene in commoners' lives, so they use men like these to harass us into selling our stalls. They want to expand their shops, but our stalls are in the way."
Another person from the crowd added, "We commoners are protected by the Magic Court, so they have to use intermediaries to threaten us."
Grolnuk, having picked himself up, wiped the blood from his lip. "By the way, you're here for your sword, right? Let's go inside my warehouse. There's something I need to give you."