Unlasting World

As I walked around the kingdom's capital, I got to see some areas that I haven't visited before.

There are multiple diners and shops the more I get into the city. There are also certain shops, like magic tools, herbs, and meat markets. But of course, that's not what I'm looking for.

What I'm aiming for... is right there.

The path to the center of the city is a little hill-like. It kept on getting higher and higher, mainly because this city is built around a single large hill at the center. And not far from that center hill, there are certain spots where you can see the whole city, since you are quite high up. 

Right now, I am at that spot. It's a large three way junction that connects the center ring road to a small western road, which then leads to the Western Main Road. And from here, anyone can clearly view the entire western area of the kingdom.

And right now, I'm staring at the people's market, the largest shopping area in the entire kingdom. It is shaped like a perfect square, with the length of the sides almost the same as the main road that is right next to it. You can see the crowd going in and out, carriages parked right outside of the market at the roads, as well as the tents that are all over the entire market area. 

The tents that were put for a single shop are made with multiple colors, creating a big randomly coloured area at this western part of the kingdom.

It looks beautiful, but I know for sure that once I'm looking at it up close, it won't look as pretty.

I arrived at the market after about ten minutes of walking, and I stood corrected about my stance.

Up close, it almost felt like the slums. The ground is dirt, and even sometimes wet. The shops are mainly made of wood, and the colorful tents that they had above the shops look quite dirty since they never really clean it.

But, it is a market. I have been to many community markets before back when I was younger, and it's pretty much the same condition. Dirty, crowded with people, but the stuff they sell was always super cheap.

Looks like I'll be doing a lot of shopping here in the future.

After arriving, I began to look around the market stalls to see what kind of items they sell. Some are selling cooked food, drinks, even weaponries. 

Wow, most of them sold food though. There are others that sell fruits, vegetables, meat... which made me wonder what I would do if only I had my own kitchen. I would be cooking some stuff that I know doesn't exist here, using these very materials that they are selling.

Mom taught me how to cook, but only for a little bit. Not because she looked at me like some talented chef, but because I know that she can't cook for me forever. So I want to be able to cook for her when the time comes. 

But I guess that's all kind of wasted, isn't it? Now that I'm dead and all?

As I was walking around, I saw a certain situation that caught my eyes. A lot of people are crowding over something, and I can hear someone yelling. 

Must be some debt collector or something, so I approached to see the crowd out of curiosity. As I got closer, I could hear the rowdiness even better, and I was certain that it was a fight.

But it doesn't sound like a debt collector talking…

"Stop declining! We know you are faking it!"

"No, we didn't! We took these fruits just a day before the attack!"

The arguments of some men can be heard within the crowd. It was closed by the people around it, so I couldn't see what's going on. I tried pushing myself into the crowd so that I could see better. 

It's really not like me to get into this kind of thing, but why do I feel like I know the voice?

"The village stopped selling the fruits two days ago! How did you have them, then?!"

"We already have this from three days ago! Just a day before it stopped selling!"

"Oh reallyy~? You think you have the proof of it?"

As I moved into the crowd, I could listen to the murmurs of the people around me. According to the witnesses, two knights came and trashed this guy's shop. By the time the owner came, it was already badly trashed. His wife and kids who were at the shop couldn't do anything and were afraid, so as the family leader, he came to defend them.

At least, that's what I heard from the people around. Ugh, I still couldn't see...

"Take us to your upper leaders, then! They know about the proof!"

"You think you can just ask to meet our leaders? Sorry lad, but just give it up! You stole these fruits!"

I finally got into the perfect spot, at the front. I saw a knight… two knights, talking loudly with the shop owner who looks like a poor guy from the slums. And I can see his face clearly…

Urek?

"I said no! We bought these using our own money three days ago!! If you don't trust us, we can't do anything about it. But if we can talk to your upper-"

"Heh! As if you can do anything by meeting our superiors. Why are we even doing this, bro? Let's just take it by force!"

"You're right!"

The knights started moving to take them by force. The bags filled with fruits, vegetables that they bought from the village that day, are all taken away. Urek can only watch in anger, since he couldn't do anything because going against them would endanger his family's safety as well as his own.

But Urek's son, Ven, tried to hold the bag that was being pulled away.

"You!"

BAKK!!!

The knight with the red paint on the side of his hand kicked Ven away. Ven was thrown far back from the kick, and his nose is bleeding badly.

"Ven!"

His mother rushed to aid him, but it was too late. The knight already had his leg up, ready to land his foot on Ven once again.

I just couldn't watch any longer.

GREBB!!!!

"Wha--!?"

Man, of all the times that I would cause some attention… it has to be now.

But first, thank god. Or else, Ven would be beaten up by that knight to no end, causing an even larger ruckus. Second, why are these knights beating up residents? 

And most importantly… I'm just so pissed that I couldn't even think properly.

Plus, I kinda owe Urek one, so I can think of this as returning a favor.

In any case, I am not regretting this decision at all.

I grabbed that knight's leg before it could hit Ven, and I threw it away as hard as I could. The knight was thrown really far away and landed on his butt, which startled the other knight very much.

"Bro!"

The second knight shouted and ran to aid his fellow knight. Meanwhile, the knight that I just threw turned his angered gaze at me.

"Y-You Bitch! Who do you thi-"

"Who do you think you are? Some clown in a knight costume? I know a fake knight when I see one."

"You!!"

That was actually a bluff. I don't actually know if they are fakers or not, but I know that genuine knights wouldn't do these things. So I bluffed, and I continued what I was doing.

I walked towards the two knights, and the second knight who was still standing unsheathed his sword and rushed at me.

His movement is so sluggish, there are openings all over the place, and his eyes weren't even looking in the right direction. He even held the sword wrong, not to mention how stupid he looks when he ran.

What the hell…? Is this some kid's game?

I gripped my left hand where my space ring resides, and I called out my knight's sword. In an instant, my knight's sword and its scabbard arrived magically on my hip, sheathed. 

I unsheathed it faster than the blink of an eye, and I knocked the knight's sword away even faster than that.

KLANK!!!!!!!

His sword was thrown very far away and stabbed the ground as it landed, but he didn't stop there. He pulled out a knife from his side pocket and attacked again. This guy just doesn't learn.

As he swung his short knife, I quickly moved my left hand and captured his swing. With the sword handle, I smacked the top of his head rather lightly, but his face still slammed the ground super hard. 

Oops, did I still hit too hard?

"If you all would do this nicely, no one would get hurt, you know?"

"Cheh! Who are you!?"

The first knight who got thrown away is now standing up again, and he looks like he wants to challenge me.

"Just a passing adventurer."

"Damn adventurers! You think you can take care of everything yourself?!"

He unsheathed his sword and attacked, the same exact way his buddy below me did. 

Bah… this is getting old.

FTAANGGGG!!!!!!!!!

His sword flew away after I knocked it, and I quickly grabbed his arm with my left hand. With barely any force, I lifted him up and slammed him to the ground.

"Gahaak!!"

He spewed blood. How was that a strong slam?? I barely used any energy!

The second knight behind me started to wake up, and I gave him a sharp stare. He looks quite scared from just looking at me, and I noticed that he won't continue making a scene.

I ignored him, and simply walked away towards Urek's family.

"Leave now, before this gets ugly."

The two knights picked up their swords and ran away as quickly as they could, panicking. 

I knew it. If they were a real knight, they wouldn't turn their tail and run. They would continue to fight me, knowing that they are on the right.

But since they ran away, I guess there's no reason to chase them.

I looked to the ground and saw a fruit on the ground. I picked it up and walked to Urek.

"Hello, Mister Urek."

I said to him as I gave him the fruit, and he stared at me with shock and confusion.

"Ahhh... You are... Rize?"

"Haha, for a second there I thought you forgot about me."

I looked around to see the faces around us, and they all looked relieved. I guess everyone else also wanted to help out, but isn't brave enough to do so since those fakers do bring weapons with them.

"Thank you, Rize… Things would've been so much worse if it wasn't for you."

He looked at Ven worriedly, and I followed his glance. Ven is currently being treated by his mother inside the shop. The nose bleed stopped, but I guess that boy will hate knights forever from now on.

"Why did they suddenly come here and do all these? Don't they usually ask first?"

"That's what I would like to know. But I know for sure, they must not be real knights. Probably just some kids in a knight costume."

"Hmm, maybe. They could also be real knights, but corrupted down to the core."

"Damn right, they are."

I chuckled at how angry he was, and I turned my gaze towards the fruits inside the baskets on the ground. I kneeled to pick them up, and remembered what those knight fakers were talking about.

"By the way, Urek. These are the fruits from... back then?"

"Yeah, they are still fresh though! We found a way to keep them away, without having to rot after days. I thought it's a good technique for business since the village was closed down since the attack. Pretty cool, right?"

He explained to me proudly, and I chuckled as I lifted the box before giving it to him. 

"Let's start the clean up!"

I said that because I pity Urek. I couldn't just leave him in that situation, so I helped him out.

He happily took the box from my hands and placed it back on top of the wooden table inside his shop. I lifted more boxes and also placed them according to how Urek wanted it.

An hour away until the third bell, and the store is looking better. Some of the fruits are still dirty since they fell on the dirt ground, but Urek's wife and Mana, the daughter, are cleaning them up just nicely with water and a towel. Ven, with a bandage all over his face, helped sweep the floor with a broom from sharp wooden pieces because those fake knights destroyed a table. Everyone else already left after seeing that the issue was solved, while some other market sellers came to Urek to ask about what's going on.

From their conversation, it seems like this wasn't the first time some fake knights came and trash someone's shop. There were multiple cases like this and the market owners won't be able to do anything, and just let their goods be taken away.

After the other sellers left, Urek and I talked around for a bit before I continued my journey on the market. He said that he never would have guessed that the village is going to get attacked, but he is glad that the bear was stopped, or else his only source of money will be gone.

"Ahahaha... Is that so..."

"Yes! If that village stopped sending out fruits, I don't know what I would do for a living. Luckily, we have our own techniques for keeping the fruit fresh and can last many days!"

"And that is...?"

"Cooling it!"

"Huh?"

Urek quickly went to the back of his shop and brought back a box made of metal. He placed it in front of me on the ground and opened it, and I can see that there is ice inside. Not ice cubes, but ice. Like, actual sharp ice that looks like sand.

"Wha--How did you get this much ice on a sunny day?"

"Magic, my friend!!"

He closed the box and put it back, and as he moved around, he explained to me how he got it.

"We made a deal with an ice magician. He has his own diner at this western main road, and he frequently buys ingredients with me. I asked him for some of his ice magic, and in return, I can give him some discounts on the fruits. Oh, and he is also a part time adventurer, you know?"

"Aah... I see."

An adventurer who also opens a diner… must be some hard working dude.

Also, this idea of cooling the fruits, it's almost like...

"So it's a freezer?"

"Freezer?"

"Umm, I mean, that's what you would call it... Right?"

"Hmm... I guess that makes sense. We'll call it a freezer, then!"

Ah... I remembered something from my world. Sorry, creator of refrigerators...

After a while, the shop is all cleaned up. All the fruits on the floor have been picked up and cleaned, and the tent is now fixed as well. We can't do anything about Urek's broken table, since he can just buy a new one.

"If those knights somehow come back, you can contact someone through the Adventurer's Office. Just talk to the receptionist and give her my name. She will notify me so I can come to investigate."

"That's... a big help! Okay, I keep that in mind. Thank you, Rize, You have been a lot of help!"

"No, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be able to live here."

"Right. I will contact you if the knights come back. In the meantime, drop by here once in a while! A few apples a week can help you stay healthy, you know?"

"Will do, Urek. I'll buy an apple next time I visit."

I waved my hand to them as I left. It's already sundown, so I guess I should buy a meal soon. I could always order it on the go, if it's at a diner. But at the market stalls, the food is always on the go. 

During the walk, I spotted a good wonderful smell coming from a stall. It's...

"Cooked chicken, isn't it?"

I visited and asked the shop owner. Seeing me suddenly asking, he grinned and replied.

"Yes! 7 Jules, each!"

"I'll take it."

With a bag of cooked chicken in my hands, I continued my walk around the city. I visited the other places that I haven't visited yet, and everything just looked really enjoyable for a night walk.

It is already dark and the night is very lively. But being alone does make it sad, so I went back to the inn.

The test comes in two days. But, even a single day can go in a flash. 

I guess my plan for tomorrow is to do a single Gray mission, then done for the day.

Let's hope nothing bad happens…