They all came out of the Hunter Guild.
"Now we have to wait one week," Kai said.
"Yes. We should find a place to live," Liza replied.
"But we don't have money. How will we pay the rent?" Sara asked.
"First, we should find a cheap place and ask about the rent," Liza said.
"Look! There's a place," Eris said, pointing toward an old, worn-out building.A crooked wooden sign hung outside, reading:
A Cheap Place to Stay
"It sure looks cheap," Kai said.
They all went inside.
"Welcome," an old man greeted them.
"Sir, what's the rent for one room?" Liza asked.
"Twenty copper coins per night," the old man replied. "But one room won't be enough for five people."
He gestured toward the corridor.
They followed him.
Creeeeeek.
He opened the door.
"What the fuck!" Kai shouted.
It was a tiny room, with only one bed and barely enough space for a single person to stand.
"So small," Kai muttered.
"Yes," the old man said calmly. "Because it's the cheapest place in town."
We can earn sixty copper coins in one day, three rooms should be enough, Liza thought.
"Okay, we will come again tonight," Liza said.
"Yes, of course," the old man replied.
They exited the building.
"We should find some jobs to earn money," Liza said. "We should split up and meet here at six o'clock."
She pointed toward the clock tower.
"Marcos and I don't know much about this town," Kai said. "So we should split into two groups. Marcos and Sara will be group one, and I, Liza, and my little sister Eris will be group two."
Before anyone could protest, he grabbed Liza's and Eris's hands and ran toward the market.
"Hey!" Liza shouted.
"What?!" Marcos yelled, staring at them. "Wait, you bastard!"
They vanished into the crowd.
"What should we do now?" Marcos asked Sara.
"I think… we should find some work too," Sara replied.
"Okay, let's go."
They headed toward the market as well.
Kai ran through the marketplace, dragging Liza and Eris along, weaving between people.
"Hey!" someone shouted as Kai bumped into him.
"Sorry, sir!" Liza apologized.
"Stop!" Liza shouted.
"Not now," Kai replied.
"Hahahaha!" Eris laughed happily.
"Excuse me!" Kai said loudly.
They stopped near a quieter street.
"Hh—hh—what do you think you're doing?" Liza panted.
"Nothing," Kai replied. "Just giving the lovebirds some alone time."
"Hahaha, I think it was fun," Eris said.
"Don't support him," Liza said.
"Okay, we should find a job," Kai said.
He walked forward.
"Yes," Eris nodded.
"Hey!" Liza called after him.
They stopped in front of a small weaponsmith shop. The sound of metal striking metal echoed from inside.
"Excuse me," Liza called out. "Is there any work available?"
The hammering stopped.
Thump… thump… thump.
A middle-aged man with a wooden leg stepped out from the workshop, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Work?" he repeated, looking them over. "I need helpers, but it's not easy work."
"We're fine with hard work," Liza said.
He glanced at her, then at Kai. "I need someone to hold blades steady while I hammer them. Sparks will fly, and burns are common."
"I'll do it," Kai said without hesitation.
"Hm." The man studied him for a moment. "Can you endure pain?"
Kai smiled faintly. "Try me."
"I pay twenty copper coins for holding," the man said. "If you can keep the blade steady."
"That's fair," Kai replied.
"And what about her?" the man asked, nodding toward Liza.
"I can help too," Liza said. "I'm trained with weapons."
The man hesitated. "If you know how to handle a blade, you can assist with shaping and cooling. But I won't slow down for mistakes."
"I won't make any," Liza said confidently.
"Alright," he said after a pause. "Thirty copper coins for assisting."
"That works," Liza replied.
"And the little one?" the man asked, glancing at Eris.
"I can help by carrying tools or cleaning," Eris said softly.
The man shook his head. "Too dangerous. Stay outside."
Eris nodded. "Okay."
The man led them inside.
"My name is Jeff. What are your names?" he asked.
"My name is Liza," Liza said.
"I'm Kai," Kai replied.
"My name is Eris," Eris said softly.
Jeff nodded. "Alright, Kai, hold this."
"Yes," Kai said.
"Hold it steady," the man said.
Kai grabbed the blade with his bare hands.
Sparks burst.
The man paused. "You didn't flinch."
"It tickles," Kai replied calmly.
"Hah," the man grunted. "Good."
Liza assisted smoothly—cooling blades, passing tools, adjusting grips. After a while, the man nodded in approval.
"You've handled weapons before," he said.
"Yes," Liza replied.
By the time the sun dipped low, several blades lay completed.
"That's enough for today," the man said, handing them their coins. "You both worked well."
"Will you have work tomorrow?" Liza asked.
"Yes," he replied. "Come early. I don't waste skill."
"We'll be here," Kai said.
They stepped out into the street.
"That went well," Eris said.
"Yeah," Kai replied. "I like that guy."
On the other side of the market—
Sara sat on a wooden box while Marcos carried crates into a shop.
"I also want to help, Marcos," Sara said.
"No," Marcos replied, holding a pile of boxes. "They're heavy."
He placed them into storage.
"But—"
"It's okay," Marcos said, patting her head.
"O-Okay," Sara said, her face turned red.
"And now these are the last ones."
He placed the final boxes inside.
"Hey sir, it's done," Marcos said.
"Oh, thank you, young man," the shop owner said. "Here's your money."
"Thank you, sir," Marcos said. "Let's go."
"Yes."
"How much did we earn?" Marcos asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Ten copper coins from this job, five from the fruit shop, and fifteen from cleaning two shops. That's thirty copper coins."
"Okay, let's return."
They returned to the rental building and saw Liza, Eris and Kai waiting.
"Hey," Kai said.
Marcos grabbed Kai by the collar.
"Why the hell did you run away?"
"Oh, because I was in a hurry to make money," Kai replied.
"You—"
"Let's see how much we earned," Sara interrupted.
"We earned fifty copper coins," Liza said.
"Wow, that's great," Sara said.
"And how much did you earn?" Liza asked
"Thirty." Sara.
"That's more than enough. We can rent rooms and eat tonight." Liza.
"Let's go." Kai.
They went inside.
"Excuse me, we want three rooms," Liza said.
"Yes, of course," the old man replied.
"But only two people can sleep in one room," Eris said.
"Then Liza and Eris in one room, I'll take one, and Marcos and Sara—"
"No!" Marcos and Liza shouted together.
"Sara and Eris will sleep together. I'll sleep alone. You and Marcos share," Liza said.
"Okay. Hehehe," Kai grinned.
They went to their rooms.
That night—
Liza, Sara, Eris, and Marcos sat on one bed while Kai stood nearby.
"Tomorrow, after work, we'll practice for the examination," Marcos said.
"Okay, but WHY AM I THE ONE STANDING?" Kai.
"Shut up." Marcos.
"Shhh! Eris is asleep," Liza whispered.
"She must be tired," Sara said.
"Okay. Let's sleep," Marcos said.
"Okay." Kai.
Liza, Kai, and Marcos returned to their rooms.