After cleaning himself as best he could, Arion made his way toward the larger city, bypassing the small village. The city bustled with life, the streets crowded with people. His first destination was the Adventurers' Guild, where he could sell the resources he'd gathered.
Arion stepped into the building, and unfortunately, he still looked every bit the real beggar. His clothes were torn and stained, and despite his efforts to clean them, they failed to fool any trained eye. The guards at the entrance shot him disgusted looks, as if his very presence was an offense.
He walked up to the reception desk, where a young woman with wide blue eyes and blonde hair cascading over her shoulders sat. She raised an eyebrow as Arion approached, her polite smile twisting into a condescending smirk.
"Do you need something… sir?" she asked, her voice barely masking her disgust.
"I have resources to sell," Arion said coldly, ignoring her tone. "From a Shadow Wolf and Forest Hedgehogs."
Her eyes widened in shock. "What? A Shadow Wolf? And Forest Hedgehogs?" The surprise on her face was clear. "Those resources need an expert to hunt face to face! Did… did you hunt them?" She glanced at his bloodstained, tattered clothes, thinking these must be the marks of a real battle. She had no idea most of that blood was his own, from those miserable first days.
"Of course," Arion said with a touch of arrogance. "And I have proof."
Arion pulled out meat, fangs, hides of the Shadow Wolf, and parts of the hedgehogs and rabbits. A faint glow emanated from the items, confirming their quality.
The receptionist gasped and stepped back slightly. "T-this is real!" She quickly regained her composure, though the surprise never left her face. "Shadow Wolf meat, hide, and fangs… rabbit horns and teeth, hedgehog meat and hides… That's a lot! Rare goods for a place like this!"
"How much will you pay?" Arion asked, sensing an opportunity to bargain.
After some back and forth, they settled on a price: 250 copper coins for everything.
"That's a good deal!" she said, trying to close the sale quickly before Arion changed his mind.
"250 copper?" Arion muttered to himself. "My gods, that's a fortune!" His joy was overwhelming; 250 copper was more than what he earned in five whole months of working at the castle. "Yes, I agree."
With a pouch now heavy with coins, Arion felt like a king.
"Now, time to shop! First, clothes for me."
He headed into the bustling market, filled with shops and crowds. Entering one clothing shop, he wandered among the racks. Even plain linen clothes looked luxurious after days in rags.
Then he saw the prices.
"Linen shirt: 30 copper? Simple trousers: 25 copper?" His eyes bulged. "What the hell?! 55 copper for plain clothes? All my work in the forest gone in an instant thanks to these insane prices!" He sighed bitterly. "No wonder everyone in the village wears rags!"
Despite the shock, he had no choice. He paid 55 copper and got himself a new shirt and trousers. Leaving the shop in clean clothes, he felt like a new person. "At least I don't look like a disgusting beggar anymore."
Arion returned home, where Leora and Kalin were playing in the yard. He had also bought some bread and vegetables along the way so they could have a decent meal.
"Brother!" Kalin shouted, running toward him.
"Did you bring more meat?" Leora asked, her eyes shining with hope.
"I brought you a good lunch today," Arion said with a smile. "And after lunch, we're going on a special trip."
They sat to eat. Arion felt content watching the children eat eagerly. Leora nibbled at the bread carefully, while Kalin stuffed vegetables into his mouth, sauce smearing his cheeks.
"Kalin! Don't eat like a beast!" Leora scolded him, trying to wipe his face with a cloth.
"I'm not a beast!" Kalin protested, looking at Arion. "Right, brother? I'm not a beast, right?"
"Of course you're not, Kalin," Arion said in mock seriousness, eyeing the sauce on Kalin's cheek. "Beasts eat in a much wilder way! You're just… eating greedily!"
The children laughed, and Kalin tried to eat more politely.
After lunch, Arion looked at them seriously.
"All right, little ones. We're going on a trip. We're buying new clothes!"
Their eyes widened in shock. They hadn't had new clothes since their parents died two years ago. Their clothes were worn and torn.
"New clothes?!" Leora cried out in joy.
"Wow!" Kalin said, mouth open.
They headed to the market. With his new clothes, Arion felt a bit of confidence. They entered a children's clothing store.
"My gods!" Arion muttered under his breath. Children's clothes were even pricier than his own! "Small trousers: 40 copper? A little dress: 60 copper? What the hell?! Are these damn merchants selling gold-threaded clothes?"
Arion felt deeply embarrassed about haggling. There were mothers and little girls around. He didn't want to bargain in front of the children or make them feel ashamed. He remembered cursing the system, but now, facing these expenses, he felt like a father who lost his paycheck on the first day of the month.
"Pick whatever you want, little ones," Arion said with a forced smile, while his coin pouch screamed in pain. "Don't worry about the price."
Leora picked a pretty blue dress, and Kalin chose a green shirt and trousers. Arion paid the amount bitterly, pretending not to care. Another 110 copper vanished instantly.
"You filthy market! You've swallowed all my money! I'll get my revenge on you one day!"
He looked at Leora and Kalin in their new clothes, their faces lit with joy. For a moment, Arion forgot his anger.
"At least they're worth it. These smiles… priceless."
The coin pouch shrieked as if a spear had pierced its heart: "Ah—110— current balance: 132."
The little family returned home, Leora and Kalin showing off their new clothes. That evening, as Arion watched them playing with a simple wooden and rope toy, he felt a moment of peace.
"Who would have thought I'd become a babysitter?" he thought dryly.
Before bedtime, he helped Leora prepare soup for the next day. His hands were still clumsy at cooking, but he was learning.
"Remember, Leora, the secret to cooking is to show the pot who's boss! You have to scare it!"
Leora looked at him seriously, then burst out laughing. "You're funny, brother!"
When the children finally fell asleep, Arion stretched out on his mat. Staring at the ceiling, he reflected.
"I need a more effective way to make money. Hunting is good, but exhausting. And there's a limit to what I can carry."