“Why don’t we stay in the castle?” (Erin)

“Its not worth the hassle. Staying in the castle I have to interact with the nobles if I want or not. Nobles are the Fucking Dumbest Idiots out there! The only thoughts they have are either done with greed or between their legs. They have zero common sense and think being noble and rich lets you get anything.” (Bara)

“Let me guess they. Treat you like shit for being a mercenary.” (Erin)

“Not really. They see me as low noble through my accomplishments. So that's not the problem. They think, because I am a woman that I am inferior to them and weaker than the other heroes. In other word they think I am willing to marry the next best noble for the smallest amount of power.” (Bara)

“How many ugly bastards proposed to you?” (Erin)

“To many! At first I was completely overwhelmed and almost got trapped in marriage. Luckily other nobles didn’t like it and managed to annul it before it could get to dicey for me. I should note that they only did so, because they thought I would fall for them if they did that. After that I simply beat up every one that proposed to me.” (Bara)

“Of course the higher nobility did not like it and demanded that Bara should stop it, or else she would face serious repercussions. We could convince Bara to stop, by bringing the higher nobility to agree that Bara could decide.” (Charles)

“I simply said that I would marry whoever could beat me in a duel. Needless to say at the next noble gathering I attended I was challenged to countless duels. Everyone who wanted to marry me challenged me. Even some poor fat bastards, who thought being a man made them superior to women.” (Bara)

“I still remember the first duel very vivid. The first challenger Bara faced was the son of Duke Enricks. Young, handsome, intelligent and an accomplished general, who could rightfully boast about his strength and finesse in combat. Only downside he thought only with his cock, when it came to woman. Then the day of the duel came. Young Enricks wasn’t foolish. He entered the arena fully armed, with multiple weapons and a master crafted armor. Every man was cheering him on and giving him advise on what he should do with Bara on their first night.” (Henry)

“Then I entered the arena and the crowd erupted. I entered it clad in a white dress from Madam Tausand. I was armed with a mourning veil. … I beat the ever living shit out of him. You should have heard, how the ladies fired me on, when I had brought him on the ground and started bashing in his armor in. I only stopped when the king ordered his guards to stop me. Unfortunately the dress was ruined. More red than white. Luckily Madam Tausand insisted that I didn’t have to pay her.” (Bara)

“Two days later it was announced that the young duke had succumbed to the injuries he had suffered. Rumor had it that they had to amputate his right arm in order to get him out of the armor.” (Henry)

“Believe it or not after that I had five more duels. Needless to say every challenger died, either during or after the slaughter. Funnily after that I got a lot of thank you letters from young noble ladies, who thanked me for killing young Enricks. Some even asked me if I could marry them.” (Bara)

“And after that you were never bothered again?”(Erin)

“There were some assassins, but nothing dangerous. Another thing was that Duke Enricks lost his only male heir. He only had one son and three daughters, who he wanted to marry of for profit. He developed severe depressions after I indirectly ended his son and went around raping whover he could in order to get a male heir. “ (Bara)

“I hope you killed him slowly.” (Erin)

“No I wasn’t fast enough. Before I could he was executed by his eldest daughter, Milea. Rumors has it that she beheaded him herself with a massive axe. I am compelled to believe it. I wasn’t there and I never spoke with her about it, but I wouldn’t put it past her. She is called the bloody duchess after all.” (Bara)

“I like her.” (Erin)

“I should let the two of you meet, when this all is over.” (Bara)

“And how does she deal with all the suitors?” (Erin)

“She always had been a tomboy, with a love for waraxes. After I heard the rumor I went into they Duchy and offered to train her. Milea is a prodigy with the waraxe. I only could teach her some tips and tricks. The rest she thought herself. She choose the same path as me. Her first challenger got cleaved in half, by her before he could counterattack. After that the king outlawed duels for marriage and implemented a law that woman are allowed to choose for themselves.” (Bara)

“There has to be more than that for a king to implement such a law.” (Erin)

“It is more or less an open secret that Duchess Enricks, Bara and some other “convinced” him to do so. Nobody has been brave, or foolish enough to challenge the law, or all the women, who are in favor of it.” (Charles)

While we were talking we reentered the tourist district. We were on the search for an Inn we could stay at. Being not native to the city meant that we didn’t know any of the many Inns, thus we decided to go by first impression. The location, the outer appearance and the guest that the Inn had, only that mattered in the end for our choice. In the end we chose an Inn, which had a deer as its sign. It looked well kept and was located in a calmer part of the town. It had three floors and apparently a good kitchen even from out her we could smell the food and it smelled delicious.

“Charles, Henry would you be so nice and reserve us a place?” (Bara)

“Sure. What is planned until the meeting?” (Charles)

“Nothing do what you want. I would suggest we meet up once this evening and when the bell rings.” (Bara)

“Understood.” (Charles)

With this we our ways parted. Charles and Henry went into the Inn to get our stay and Erin and I went back into the busy streets of the town.

“Why are you so eager to go back?” (Erin)

“Haven’t you felt the suspicious aura around on of the buildings?” (Bara)

“I have felt multiple. I was curios so I increased my perception. There were multiple such auras, probably where the underworld is. And id like to mention humans are disgusting! How can such a town even exist.” (Erin)

“Corruption and not looking, where you should look. Now back to the aura I felt. It was a lone aura in one of the backstreets. Totally out of place. So I got curios.” (Bara)

Erin didn’t say anything to this and didn’t object going to investigate. She seemed to be a bit absent. No that we were walking in silence through the town. I suspect its sensory overload from all the things she senses in the town. I can’t blame hear it’s her first time in a town after all. Despite that she was still not walking into walls or other people.

“Sensory overload?” (Bara)

“… Yes… All the new signatures of magic, … its a lot to take in and to sort all of the signatures.” (Erin)

“So is your brain lagging?” (Bara)

“A little. … Whats the signature over there on the balcony?” (Erin)

“That’s a cat.” (Bara)

“A cat!?” (Erin)

“A cat!” (Bara)

“A cat! Why do they have such a weird signature they’re cats! Just ordinary harmless animals!” (Erin)

“I don’t know. It’s one of my top ten unsolved mysteries. Just take it as it is and don’t question it.” (Bara)

Erin shock hear head in disbelieve, but ultimately gave up with a sigh and continued her sorting of the signatures. I don’t know how she can sort these signatures. For me they are only weaker and stronger and some that are odd, like cats for example. Generally I can only differentiate between alive or not, strong or weak and if its a cat, or something similar to a cat. It seems that Erin is capable of seeing more than me and thus able to categorize these signatures she gets through her detection. For me it is simply to crude to try to categorize it in any capacity, for it to be of any substantial help. Being a Mage sure has its benefits.

Erin’s stomach let out a growl. A normal human wouldn’t be able to hear it, especially not, while the sounds of the street where around. I can’t blame her though. All the thinking probably cost her a lot of energy. Conveniently our route had also taken us through a street filled with stands and shops selling food. The smell probably contributed too and I was hungry too.

“Do you want some foot?” (Bara)

“Sure, why not.” (Erin)

We quickly found a stall that sold meat skewers to a reasonable prize. I am always surprised how they manage to get so much meat, to be selling it at such affordable prizes.

“We might have a small problem.” (Bara)

I searched in my purse that I had hidden in my clothes. It wasn’t empty or anything, but there was on major problem. All the coins I had were to big. I could never pay with these coins in the streets. Most people her don’t even have enough money to change one of the coins I had in my purse.

“I don’t have any fitting coins.” (Bara)

“No problem I know exactly were we can get some pocket change.” (Erin)

Erin said and pointed at one of the narrow alleyways leading into the dark.

“Sounds like a good idea.” (Bara)

Beating up some thugs to get their stolen money, was no bad idea. More importantly it was an easy and probably “legal” way to get some pocket change. The law was in favor of the rich and the dark alleys had only law when there was somebody there, who enforced it. I don’t mind corruption, as long as I have the better cards. Still corruption is bad for a good world. Frankly I don’t like these kingdoms enough to care.

We quickly entered the alleyway Erin had pointed at. It was empty, but we didn’t have to wait long until out victims appeared. They were five. They looked a bit unusual for thugs, more well kept and civilized than the average thug I know from other streets. They probably belong to some kind of organization.

“Well, well what do we have hear! Two lost ladies.” (Thug)

Urgh! Why do they have to be so stereotypical.

“Give us all your money and we will let you go!” (Other Thug)

Neither me and Erin moved an inch, or showed any kind of reaction, physical or emotional to his threat. I didn’t even bother drawing my weapon or reaching for it.

“Don’t get cocky just because you just so happen to have a weapon!” (Random Thug)

The thugs were clearly agitated by or lack of reaction. To combat this they pointed their weapons at us and in a vain effort to appear more intimidating.

“I always wanted to try some Oni.” (Unfortunate Thug)

Suddenly Erin dashed forward and grabbed the thug by his face. Then she bashed him into the wall. I kicked the closest thug right between his legs. Before he hit the ground moved past him and punched another one in the wall. The other two turned around to run away. Erin grabbed the slower one and threw him into the other. Then she slowly walked towards the two thugs, who were trying their best to stand up and run away. Before they could do so Erin had reached them. She proceeded to kick them both into the wall, like a football, rendering them unconscious like the others,. Sadly humans don’t posses the same physics like a football.

The only thing remaining of our money acquisition, when the thugs would regain their senses would be some cracks in the walls and some bloodstains.

“They didn’t seem to be loaded. They only carried some copper coins with them.” (Erin)

We were walking along the streets, happily eating our food we got with the thugs money. Her comment reminded my that she basically knows nothing about this world and how it works. I should tell her about how currency works.

“They weren’t loaded. They were probably on their way towards somewhere and only carried pocket change around. Enough of that! I should tell you how money works.!” (Bara)

“A good idea.” (Erin)

“Luckily it’s rather easy. There are nine types of coins and three metals. The coins can be divided into: small, medium and large. Further into copper, silver and gold. Ten small copper are one medium and ten medium are one big copper. Silver is the same. Ten big copper are one small silver. Commoners usually only need copper for their daily business. Silver is used by rich commoners and between merchants. Gold is a bit different. Hundred small gold are one medium and hundred medium are one big. The same goes for silver to gold. You need hundred big silver for one small gold.” (Bara)

“Why the split between silver and gold?” (Erin)

“Filthy Commoners shall not touch the metal of nobility!” (Bara)

“Are they that petty!?” (Erin)

“They are nobles, of course they are that petty! Here is an advise based on my experience: Every noble is an arrogant, egoistical, stupid piece of shit until proven otherwise.” (Bara)

“That bad?” (Erin)

I just nodded vehemently. Until now I could only say nobility was trash with some few expectations. We walked along eating our food in silence.

After a short while we finally reached our destination. The strange signature was still there. It was located in a row of houses in one of the numerous sideways.

“What do you think Erin?” (Erin)

Erin looked at the house. Then she raised her hand and a summoned a small flame. After the flame she conjured some other elements after another in her hand. After she was finished, with her little display she answered.

“Some kind of heavily specialized barrier. Its no defence or detection barrier, Instead it is fire, wind and ice based. I think its unusual properties make it strange in your perception.” (Erin)

“You can sense all that in your perception!?” (Bara)

“Yes” (Erin)

“Sometimes I wish I was a mage…” (Bara)

I was relived that it was strange in a strange way and not in a dangerous way. Still I was curious.

I opened the door, closest to the barrier and entered. When I opened the door I was greeted by the smell of old books.