Hero Scout 18 Chapter 18 - Which One?

Peasants were as busy as bees, guards marched relentlessly, and the air smelled as rancid as could be expected of a place without plumming. Unfortunately, that led to Kenji stepping into several 'accidents'.

At least Tenko didn't mind, sniffing of the air with interest, staring openly at everyone. Making oh-so-many quake in fear upon seeing her literal moons for pupils.

Violet was affronted by the entire town's existence. Holding her nose, she would constantly form crystalline shoes and replace them whenever they got too dirty. That proved to be a near-constant state of being, and thus she was constantly refreshing her feet to leave a trail of purple crystal that a train of beggars picked up greedily.

"Can you stop that Violet? Or do you really want to become the Beggar Queen?"

"I can stop whenever I like. You just focus on finding me a suitable room to sleep in, and an acceptable feast to partake of."

"You're that hungry, with that waist-line, where does it go?"

"Never mind where it goes!" Violet hissed, her nails becoming crystal claws, "I am tired, I am hungry, and I want a bath. A bath you hear me! It will be hot, soapy and with several scented candles!"

Kenji took a step back, as Violet's lilac eyes welled with tears.

"Ok! A bath, I get it, I'll find us somewhere with a bath!" Kenji didn't know why this was so important, but be d.a.m.ned if he would be the reason such a beauty would start bawling in the streets. Already the merchants on either side were giving him nasty looks.

"How can you make such a pretty nun cry?" one of the beggars hissed. "You're a b.a.s.t.a.r.d," then the beggar spat on him and ran. Really fast. Really Reall fast, in fact, Kenji seemed to notice what he had thought of as a busy bustle was more like everyone was just walking at a faster movement speed than he was.

"You there, merchant! Fancy a bet?" Kenji rummaged in his pouch, but only had golden coins.

"Eh, mind swapping these for some silvers? Because I want to bet one in an arm-wrestling contest with you afterwards," Kenji grinned. The merchant whimpered.

"Holy Knight, how could I ever compete with you with these fat arms of mine?" he whined, "but if it were for a gold coin...well, may the Wellfaring bless me." Grinning ear to ear, Kenji slapped down the gold coin and raised a hand.

"Kenji, are you sure?" Tenko whispered, "his so much higher a level than you."

"Eh?" but it was too late, the merchant grasped Kenji in a crushing grip, his fat feeble hand pushing Kenji's down as easily as a child. The merchant smirked, as he s.n.a.t.c.hed the gold coin away.

"The h.e.l.l- yes, information collection complete," Kenji announced, walking away as fast as he could before the merchant could offer any more bets. Knowing how vulnerable he was to gambling, and with only 4 more gold coins to his name, Kenji had to get them away.

"How could you tell his level?" Kenji whispered, Tenko putting a finger to her bottom lip.

"It's part of my [Eyes of the Moon] trait. I can see peoples levels and cla.s.ses, as long as they are not hidden. That Merchant had his real cla.s.s hidden for example, and his skills were too simple to be all of them," Tenko shrugged, Kenji going pale as a ghost. Did she know he was actually a hunchbacked old man wearing his dead friend like an old shirt?

"And your so low levelled Kenji. Even as a crusader, you would have a hard time in a high-level place like this." Kenji looked around, at the peasants, the dirty armoured guards, the sodden streets.
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"High-level area like where?"

"This. Everyone in this town has a decent level for humans. It must be on the border of monster controlled territory - explains how they're hunters are so strong at least," Tenko growled, Kenji becoming intrigued.

"How do you know about their hunters? I haven't seen any yet."

Tenko sniffed at him warily, "you brought Tenko here so Tenko could return home, right? Why else would we come to Tariak of all places."

Kenji opened and closed his eyes slowly.

"Yes." He said at last, "exactly that. But we should find a place to stay the night before going to your homeland, right? Uh, do you happen to work for the hunters?" If she did that could be some rent-free accommodation right there.

Kenji pulled away as Tenko's aura became filled with malice.

"No. My pack do not 'work for the hunters'," she spat, growling deep enough that a pair of closeby peasants clutched at their pitchforks. Especially wary now that he knew even the lowest peasant might be decently strong, Kenji provided his brightest smile and hurried along.

After asking half the town for directions, they were eventually directed to the Headquarters of the Golden Goose Adventurer guild.

"Kind of a dump," was Kenji's first impression of the ruined keep. Noting once again this kingdom really loved it's keeps, although perhaps not this one in particular, going off the amount of crumbled stone that crept past the 50% mark of the entire structure. A deep moat was largely filled with soil around the crumbled stone, and the huge wooden doors were thrown open so that a constant band of colourful adventurers could flow in and out.

Entering they found the hearty tunes, exposed wooden beams, busying waitresses and flowing mead that Kenji had long awaited ever since joining this fantasy world. Although he could do without the hostility, every adventurer armed to the teeth and only those with the cheapest equipment and most naive complexions failing to be scarred, wounded or grim to some degree or another.

It didn't take long to find out how everything worked around here. There was the expected counter where one could turn in quests and pay to have your level card updated for you, there was the mead, and then there were the adventurers that filled every s.p.a.ce to the rafters. No, few clearly slept beneath the tables they drank at, bedding nestled at their feet.

Placing some mugs of ale before his compatriots, Kenji leaned back in his seat and continued to survey the room. It wasn't too bad a place, a board on the far wall filled with quests and adventurer parties talking raucously with one another.

"Why am I not in a fine bed already?" Violet hissed, Kenji having to pull Tenko away from sniffing a fat man in layers of different coloured gambeson. Kenji paled as he realised each sported various insignias, splotches of blood and torn as if he had s.n.a.t.c.hed several gambesons from the dead then augmented them to fit over one another.

"You'll have a bed and bath soon I promse-"

The doors were thrown open (odd seeing as thus far they had been closed) and a dark plated pigman sauntered in along with a band of rogues, bandits, a.s.sa.s.sins and hunters.

"We're taking over!" The pigman roared.