Far away in the northern outskirts of the capital, there was an old town called Stonehill Town.

Despite being located far from the bustling and thriving capital city, it is flourishing with a large population. The reason for this situation was their soil which was rich in minerals. Because of that, most people here work as miners.

Of course, a thriving town doesn't mean every resident is prosperous.

In a dark little passageway that led deep into the mine, an 11-year-old boy sat in front of a crudely made door, a lantern beside him. With black hair, brown skin, and coffee-colored eyes, he blends in with his surroundings.

"It's about time." the boy mumbled. A sound came from inside, narrowing his eyes, the boy pointed the lantern forward. Sure enough, not long after that, a minecart appeared in front of him. Hastily, he opened the door.

"Neil, your shift ends here. Here's your paycheck, you can go back now, son." Outside the mine, a grizzled man handed 4 copper coins to the boy.

"Thank you, old man Joe."

Old man joe is a good man, Neil thought. He always gave him extra money.

Pocketing the money in his pocket, he started walking into town. It wasn't dark yet, maybe he could make more money taking visitors to the inn or something.

The rough and crude road slowly became even the closer he got to the city. Taking shortcuts here and there, he quickly made his way to the town entrance, looking for rare visitors.

He didn't really have much hope. The city is not famous for its tourism, most of the outsiders here come on business and are usually already familiar with various things. He was just trying his luck.

A certain youth entered his vision. Blonde hair and blue eyes, standard white knight outfit, and black outer robe. Coupled with the impressive-looking sword at his side, he looked impressive compared to the people around him. With this appearance, he could be a knight, a combat-type student from some school, or a noble in disguise.

The youth looked left and right, taking in the scenery around him. Obviously, this was his first time here.

Neil hesitated, he didn't want anything to do with a noble. But thinking that he could add more food to the table, he decided to suck it up and approached the guy. Money is more important.

Tidying up his messy clothes for a bit, he hurriedly went towards the youth. But maybe because of his haste, he collided with someone, hard.

The impact made him fall backward. Taking a sharp breath and pitying his ass, he looked up to apologize to the person he bumped into. One look and he knew he was screwed.

'Good job Neil, you are in trouble now'

"Sir, I'm sorry! It was an accident! I didn't mean that!" Neil gets up and apologizes profusely.

The middle-aged man he bumped into was a rich merchant in the city, who was infamous. He is known to be arrogant and temperamental, of course only to lower-class people.

Merchants usually have a good attitude on the surface even in front of ordinary people, after all, ordinary people are customers too. However, the middle-aged man in front of him, Tobias, was different. Maybe because he only dealt with high-end customers, primarily the mages.

"You rat! Don't you have eyes?! You soiled my clothes! Do you know how expensive this set is?! Now it's all dirty! You can't afford these clothes even if you sell yourself and your whole family!..."

As expected, the man let out an explosive rage. A crowd gradually formed around them as people stopped to watch, but no one took action.

Neil lowered his head so low that his chin touched his chest. In this situation, he could only quietly let the man vent his anger on him then beg for forgiveness if the man decided to make him pay compensation.

Being humiliated in front of so many people made Neil feel very helpless. He had been tired for some time, and so his mind was very fragile now. He could feel the heat in his eyes, but he forcefully held back his tears.

'His clothes aren't even dirty.' thought Neil feeling aggrieved.

"I think it is enough sir." A voice said among the crowds.

Surprised, Neil lifts his head a bit to peek at the person who talked.

A blond young man, the one he wanted to approach earlier comes into view, bypassing the crowd and approaching them.

Tobias stopped yelling to size up the young man, then his gaze stopped on the man's sword. He recognized this sword model. The kingdom's largest educational institution, the Tudor Academy had put a lot of resources into cultivating students for battle ever since the invaders came. This includes sponsoring their best graduates with the best equipment and funds. This sword is one example.

A normal student isn't much, but the top student is someone to look out for. Most of them were nobles, and if they weren't, they would rise to a high rank later.

"He is still a child, may you show mercy, sir." said the young man.

Tobias scoffed and turned his gaze to the boy, "Okay, just this once. You'd better not appear in front of me again."

With that, Tobias turned and left grumpily. Seeing that, the crowd dispersed until only Neil and the young man left.

"Thank you for your help, mister," Neil said full of gratitude. 

"It's nothing. More importantly, are you okay?"

"Well, my ass has seen better days."

The young man smiled, the kid picks up himself fast, "Then, I have to go now, take care."

"Please wait, Mister!" Seeing the young man preparing to leave, he hastily stopped him. He still remembered his intention to make extra money. Well, it's fine too if he doesn't get paid, take it as a thank you for helping him.

"I see you must be new here. Do you need me to guide you around? I know every place and corner of this city very well." 

The young man stopped in his tracks to look at Neil, "Hmm, I don't see why not." 

"Good! Then let me show you to an inn, it's almost dark. Oh right, my name is Neil." 

"I'm Ernest." 

"Only Ernest?" 

"Yes. Only Ernest."