Iyas stepped forward slowly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He watched the townspeople bustling through the narrow street.
"Lif, look at them," he muttered under his breath. "Most of them are wearing rags."
Alif let out a dry chuckle, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "Yeah, haha. Guess the economy in this era hasn't quite balanced out yet, huh?" He paused, letting out a sigh. "So, what's the plan?"
Iyas scratched his head, his expression shifting to one of distress. "I want to go home… but the problem is, I don't have any money." He turned his head sharply. "Hey Bro, can i borrow some cash?"
Icam shrugged. "I've got nothing. Besides, we're in another world. Why are you even asking me?!"
"Oh..." Iyas nodded, then spontaneously
turned to a man passing by. "Excuse me, sir. Could I borrow some money?"
The man immediately shot him a suspicious look. "What's wrong with you people?! You're making no sense!"
"I just want to go home," Iyas said quickly, pitching his voice to sound as pitiful as possible. "Have mercy on the one waiting at home."
"You have a family?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No," Iyas replied bluntly. "My house is empty. I feel bad for it, the house is lonely."
"What on earth... you're getting weirder by the second," the man snorted.
Iyas pressed his hands together in a plea. "Please!!"
The man let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll give you twelve silver pieces. But remember! You owe me twenty back. Got it?"
"Yeah… don't worry. I'll definitely delay the payment," Iyas replied without a hint of guilt.
"Wait, delay?" Icam whispered, overhearing Iyas.
"Where is your house, anyway?" the man asked.
Iyas gave him a clueless smile. "It's in Indonesia, sir."
"Indonesia?" The man chuckled. "Which village is that?"
"Hey! Don't you dare call a whole country a village!" Iyas snapped.
"Oh, so your home is in another land. In that case, our business ends here," the man said coldly.
"Fine," Iyas replied shortly. He turned around.
"Time to go into debt with someone else."
"I'm coming too!" Alif called out.
"Wait, you two!" Icam shouted.
"You talking to me?" Iyas asked.
"To someone I actually know," Icam replied flatly.
"Ooooh, look at that!" Alif pointed into the distance.
"What?" Icam turned around.
"What's going on?! People in full uniform are heading over there!" Alif said, curious, still pointing.
"No way, I'm not joining that," Iyas said quickly. "Probably just a mass sacrifice."
Then, Iyas stepped forward. "Let me go check it out first..."
Icam stared at Alif for a moment, questioning Iyas's sudden change of heart from refusing to suddenly volunteering.
As Iyas approached, a loud voice stopped him in his tracks.
Iyas approached a rather small gate, guarded by a single sentry. Several soldiersand even a few adventurers, were allowed inside after presenting their Adventurers' Guild Membership Cards, which appeared to carry specific ranks.
"Hey! You there!"
"Yes?" Iyas answered.
"Where do you think you're going?!" the guard asked, halting Iyas instantly.
Iyas smiled back. "Anywhere, as long as it's fun."
"Well, you can't come through here!" the guard barked firmly.
Iyas arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do you own this land?"
"This isn't a public space!" Said the guard
Iyas reply with smile.
"Oh? A public toilet, then?"
"Hey!!" The guard snorted in annoyance.
"This is a special recruitment site for Hero Companions."
"Oh, cool..." Iyas's eyes sparked. "Let me see!"
"Hey! Look at the sign!" The guard pointed the sign.
Iyas squinted, his face going blank. "ಠ_ಠ The writing is too small, I can't see it."
"That's not writing! It's a symbol!" The guard shouted.
"Oh..." Iyas nodded repeatedly. "The symbol is very mysterious, isn't it?"
The guard glared. "ರ_ರ You're blind! Get out of here! Go on, beat it!"
"You didn't have to say it twice," Iyas grumbled. "So rude. One star rating!"
"Hmph! Filthy peasants! You don't deserve to be by Lord Kirios's side!" The guard mumble, still angry.
Iyas snorted and turned to leave.
Shortly after, Iyas found his two friends waiting for him. Icam was daydreaming with a weird smile, while Alif was bored, kicking at the dirt. Not far from the gate, they lie in near the stonewall.
Alif lifted his chin to look at Iyas, his boredom fading. "How'd it go, man?"
"I don't even know," Iyas muttered, moving to rejoin them.
"Huh?" Alif asked, confused.
"What?" Iyas raised an eyebrow.
"You went over there, didn't you?" Alif asked, gesturing with an open palm before dropping his arm.
"Oh, right! I just remembered!" Iyas said, getting fired up. "He just kicked me out for no reason! I was just looking! So rude! He even beat me up!"
(In reality, that never happened.)
"What?!" Icam worried. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine!" Iyas said truthfully, his face a mix of distress and sadness, though he maintained his anger. "But the point is, he was unfriendly!"
"We need to teach him a lesson," Icam said seriously.
The three of them approached the guard together.
"Hey!" Icam yelled. "You think it's okay to be 'unfriendly' and hurt my friend?!"
"You might not see it physically, but his heart is scarred, you know!!" Yet shouted.
"Uh… Icam, who are you talking to?" Iyas whispered.
"Not here?" Icam asked, slightly confused.
"A bit further up," Alif directed, pointing slightly.
"You think it's funny to mistreat my friend, huh?!" Icam asked with threat.
"Have mercy, sir...! I-I didn't," whined a small child.
"Forget mercy!" Icam snapped. "How dare you!"
"Uh, that's not him," Iyas interrupted.
"Then who?" Icam turned to Iyas, forgetting the child who quickly scurried away.
"Maybe the idiot standing over there," Alif said casually.
"Who are you calling an idiot?!" the guard barked. "Got a problem with the way I work?!"
"Then do your job properly!" Alif shot back.
"You're making no sense! You're not my boss!"
"Hey, you!" Icam shouted.
"What?" The guard turned his head away.
"How dare you break my friend's heart!" Icam pointed aggressively, fuming.
"I was just doing my job, clearing out people who don't belong here!" the guard said, shifting his stance to face Icam.
"Ohhh! You're good with words, aren't you?"
Icam sneered, still determined to defend his friend.
"It's just the truth!" the guard replied, annoyed.
Icam squared up, looking ready to throw a punch. His two friends watched with confident grins. "As payback, take this!"
The guard suddenly pulled out a bladed weapon.
"What is this?! You're resorting to violence?!" Icam grumbled, meeting the threat with words. "Don't think I'm scared, old man!"
The guard blew a traditional whistle loudly. "Suspicious individuals!!"
"What?! Now you're just making stuff up!" Icam quipped, hands on his hips.
"Uhhh... actually, he's right, Cam," Alif whispered.
"Who are you?!" another guard barked, arriving on the scene.
"Get out of here! Or we'll arrest you!"
"Arrest us?" Alif smirked. "Do you even have the authority?"
"We are Knights! Of course we have authority!" the guard replied, his brow furrowed.
"Oh... first time hearing that," Alif answered calmly.
"And now? Do you still have authority?" Icam asked firmly, his voice rising in challenge.
"What do you mean?" The guard was bewildered by the trio's strange logic.
(Could it be... has our authority been overthrown by these three?) the guard thought to himself.
"They're dangerous! Grab them!" one of the guards shouted.
"Argh! Don't catch me!" Iyas screamed in a panic. "Go catch some other criminals! You guys are just sitting around anyway!"
"Their mouths are so annoying!" one guard snapped, irritated.
"Alif! Iyas! Battle mode!" Icam yelled.
"Ready!" Alif stood at attention, giving a sharp salute.
"Prepare to regret this!" Iyas shouted enthusiastically.
A few moments later.
Behind iron bars.
"Prepare to regret this!" Alif shouted with the same enthusiasm—which turned into despair exactly one second later.
"Wow! Great job, Iyas!" he continued quickly. "Now we really regret it!"
Icam looked around. Damp stone walls, cold iron bars, and an indescribable foul smell.
"Where are we?" he asked quietly.
Iyas gave a thin smile, trying to stay optimistic. "The guard is so nice. He gave us a place to stay."
Icam turned to him with a deadpan stare. "Uh… I don't think that's what this is."
"It's like a 0.01-star hotel," Iyas added casually.
"….."
Alif suddenly let out a long, loud sound. "Aaaaaaah…."
"Hey! Shut up! Keep it down!" a guard barked from outside the cell.
"Huh?" Alif looked up. "You're the one being loud!"
"I told you to be quiet!" the guard snorted.
"Shut up or I'll slap you!" Alif shot back instinctively.
"Try it if you can!"
Alif knit his brows. "ಠ︵ಠ" "Take this!"
Alif thrust his hand forward—then stopped.
"Wait, what's this? It's like something is blocking us." Alif stared at the long iron bars in confusion.
"Those are called bars," Icam said coldly.
"Hmph. You're lucky this time, stranger!" Alif said, brave but foolish.
"What a weirdo," the guard muttered. "You're the ones who are going to be in trouble later!"
Twenty minutes passed. Icam paced back and forth while Iyas and Alif sat on the cot, dying of boredom. The guard continued his watch.
"Okay!" Icam suddenly announced with confidence. "I have a plan!"
"For what?" Alif asked suspiciously.
"To escape!"
Alif grinned. "Hm... interesting. Explain."
"It's simple," Icam said. "Iyas, you pretend you really have to pee."
Iyas blinked. "Huh?"
"Once the guard opens the door for you, we charge!"
"What about the other guards?" Alif asked.
"Ugh! Why are you like this!" Icam groaned. "You're overcomplicating it!"
Iyas sighed. "Fine..."
A minute later, everyone was on board. The plan commenced.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! I can't hold it!!" Iyas groaned dramatically.
"What's wrong with you?" the guard asked.
"I need to pee! Hurry! I've been holding it for so long!!" Iyas dialed it up, hunching over and clutching his crotch.
Icam pumped a small fist. (Great scheme, Icam!) he thought, accidentally praising himself.
"Alright, hang on..." the guard said hesitantly.
"Hurry!! Ahhh! Never mind... it's out. Splosh!"
Iyas's face looked relieved, but he ruined the moment by saying it with zero emotion.
"You peed right there?!" the guard yelled.
"No! As if!" Iyas shot back, denying it.
"Then what was that?" the guard asked, confused.
"Hey! You're ruining the plan!" Icam whispered, annoyed.
"Am I?" Iyas scratched his head.
"Are you tricking me?!" the guard's voice rose.
"I need to pee," Alif cut in flatly.
"Yeah right, liar!"
"Want to see? Don't believe me?"
..his anxiety peaking alongside an overwhelming urge to pee. Alif countered, insisting he wasn't lying, this was serious
The guard paused. "Uhhh... fine. But don't try anything!"
The guard pulled the keys from his belt and unlocked the cell door.
"Iyas! Now!" Icam shouted.
"Hiyattt!!"
Iyas lunged immediately—and slipped.
"Ouch!!"
"Huh?" Icam froze.
"The door wasn't even open yet and you already lunged! Are you guys stupid or what?!" the guard scolded.
"Hurry up! I can't take it!" Alif screamed. "I... I...!"
"Why are you sweating?" The guard ask properly.
"I can't hold it!" Alif can't hold it anymore.
The guard setting up his key, try to open the door, relaxy.
"Fine, let's go..."
"Forget it! Too slow! I'll just break this cell!" Alif was at his limit. Perspiration clouded his face, his nerves fraying just as badly as his bursting bladder.
"Ow!" And stopped by a bars.
"Wahaha!" The guard burst out laughing.
"Lord Kirios is going to love this!"
"Hahahaha!" Iyas joined in the laughter.
"Hey! I said Kirios!" the guard snapped.
"Will he really laugh, though?" Iyas asked casually. "He'll probably just say, 'Your joke is dry. Total dad joke.'"
"Cih! Whatever!" The guard snapped again.
"Oh, well..." Iyas said lightly, as if he'd completely given up.
END.
Prisoners of a new world since day one, they wait to see if fortune will weave a different thread for their journey.