Chapter 17 : Third District

Dusk was slowly settling in.

Lloyd was walking down a dimly illuminated street, his steps echoing softly against the pavement as he made his way toward the main avenue next to his residential area.

"Brrr... Is it me or has the breeze been feeling colder lately ?"

[Winter is coming.]

"Do you think we're in for a cold spell ?"

[Mhm, possible. Seasons in the Central Continent are quite capricious compared to your former world.]

"Let's just hope this winter won't be as harsh as last year..."

Lloyd remembered his first winter on Lunaris ; he would have frozen to death if it wasn't for the heating devices installed by Balgor.

When Igor—mysteriously—transferred the pet store and Kyubok to this world, he sent Balgor shortly after to replace the radiators and all other electrical equipment with magical devices powered by mana stones.

After living on Lunaris for more than a year, what Lloyd missed the most from Earth was the comfort that electricity and modern infrastructures provided.

While magic took the place of science and made life easier in Lunaris, it still fell short compared to the standards of South Korea.

"I don't understand why you insisted on going out so late in the day. It's not like we're short on time, we could have done this tomorrow..."

[It's the owner's fault for shutting himself in the pet store for an entire year. How do you expect to complete the next quests if you never left your district even once ?!]

"About that—"

[I hope the Owner is aware that he has no excuse.]

"..."

[Geez, I know Valora is big, but you don't even know what's right next to your street ! You didn't make any effort and it's making things harder for your guide, which is ME.]

"...sorry."

As much as Lloyd didn't want to admit it, Selita was right. He couldn't argue against her on that subject.

The reason why Lloyd was wandering in the streets of Valora when the night was about to fall was only because Selita insisted on it.

When she learned that Lloyd never stepped further than the residential area near his shop, she forced him to go out and spend the night outside so he could explore the city.

[Listen, I don't expect you to be familiar with all the districts of the capital, but it would be helpful for you to know the locations of important places you might have to visit later, such as the largest auction houses or the four Great Towers. It will save you a lot of time to complete future quests.]

"Yes, yes..."

Lloyd was already exhausted just by listening to the stubborn voice in his head.

'How come she changed her way of speaking so quickly...?' He pondered, recalling how mechanical and cold Selita sounded when he first met her compared to now.

[...Whatever you're thinking, stop it. Now hurry up, the sooner you complete your first mission, the better it is.]

'Ugh, she's slowly getting on my nerves. Not only did I hear her curse when she mentioned grandpa Cheon, but now she's also bossing me around as if I was her lackey. I wonder if she was a thug or something on her homeworld...'

Reluctantly led by Selita, Lloyd planned to first visit the Adventurers' Guild.

Their headquarters in the capital was always open to visitors, even in the middle of the night.

[The Adventurers' Guild is one of the rare organizations that is spread out on the entire continent. In most countries, all the major cities host a branch of the guild. Adventurers deal in a plethora of tasks ranging from simple exploration to large-scale monster extermination. It is the best place to visit if you need knowledge about a certain kind of beast, even if you're not registered as an Adventurer.]

...was what Selita explained before they departed from the shop.

The Adventurers' Guild had an entire department dedicated to gathering information about wild beasts and their habitats so they could better rank them. They called it the Menagerie.

It was the largest register of monsters and beasts existing on the continent after Kurious Knuckl's legendary memoirs.

The advantage of the Menagerie was that the guild updated it as regularly as possible, so they could always provide accurate intel to their registered adventurers before they left for a quest.

It wouldn't be an understatement to say that the intel provided by the Adventurers' Guild has saved countless lives over the years. Accurate information about the wild beasts roaming the continent was so valuable that even military organizations, such as mercenary groups and knight orders, relied on the Menagerie.

Although Lloyd wasn't registered as an adventurer—and didn't plan to—, he had a mission to complete on his own, and the Adventurers' Guild was the perfect place for him to find a wild beast he could tame within a week.

After having left his shop, Lloyd quickly made his way onto the main avenue of his district and took a carriage to the 3rd district where the Adventurers' Guild was located.

Even if absurd concepts such as teleportation or flight magic existed on Lunaris, the principal means of transportation remained land carriages.

Passing through a teleportation gate or boarding an airship was way too expensive for the common people. Even wealthy merchants and nobles couldn't use them on a daily basis and often had to travel by land.

As Lloyd's carriage made its way toward the 3rd district, the coachman, who was an old man with white hair and his back curved, bluntly asked.

"Foreigner, ain't ya ?"

"...Is it so obvious ?"

Not taking into account his unusual clothes that were gifted by one of his regular customers who was a real eccentric, Lloyd didn't particularly stand out. He looked like any other normal guy.

He was taller than average and had black hair which wasn't as common as in South Korea, but that was all.

He was surprised the coachman could tell he wasn't from Valor at first glance.

"I transport hundreds of people every week, young man. It ain't that hard for me to guess who's a local and who's not. I've never seen your face around there though, did you just move in ?"

"Huh, well, kind of...."

Lloyd was too ashamed to say that he had lived here for more than a year already.

"If I can give you some advice, do not stay out too late at night, especially in the upper districts. There have been multiple cases of... gruesome murders recently, to say the least. Vigilantes and Arbiters are running everywhere in the capital to find the culprits."

"...Murders ?"

"Yes, but this time it ain't your everyday pub fight between drunkards. From what I've heard, there was so little left of the victims that it took days for the Arbiters just to identify them. Authorities have blamed Crescent Moon terrorists, but rumors say that a monster lurks in the upper districts and hunts at night. I don't know what's your plan for tonight, but you shouldn't wander alone for too long once night falls."

"I-I see, thanks for the warning."

The coachman stood silent after that.

[What a pleasant welcome for your first day exploring the capital.]

'Indeed... Don't you think it would be better to head back to the shop ? We could always explore the city later, I still have a week left to complete the quest.'

[Don't worry, as long as you stay on the main streets and don't wander in back alleys, it should be fine. The old man said that Arbiters got involved and were on the case, so I doubt the culprits would dare to show themselves so openly.]

'Arbiters... Are they the police of this world ?'

[You could say so, although they act more like the inspectors and judicial police of your world. Or at least, that's what the bastar—Hum, the previous owner thought when he first met them.]

'Grandpa Cheon said that ?'

[Yes. He also said that the Vigilantes who patrol the streets and keep ordinary citizens safe are closer to those you call 'policemen' in your homeworld than the Arbiters.]

'I see... Let's hope we won't get in trouble, then.'

After driving through the capital streets for nearly two hours, the coachman stopped in front of a large commercial area.

"Sorry lad, I can't get us any further. My license doesn't permit me to drive in the upper districts."

"Is that the place where I requested to go ?"

"Yes, the 3rd district begins there and spans up to the Royal Academy further north."

"It's alright then, I'll just walk the rest of the way."

Lloyd got out of the carriage and reached out the inner pocket of his long coat to pay for the ride.

"If you're looking for the Adventurers' Guild, go up Goldenwhale Avenue and continue walking until you notice a tall chapelle adorned in silver. From there, take the first street on the right and you'll find the guild at its end."

"Thanks for the direction. Here, keep the change."

Lloyd took out ten silver coins and gave them to the coachman with a smile.

"T-Thank you very much, Sir."

The old coachman was so moved by Lloyd's generosity that he got out of his seat to do a 90° angle bow despite his weak body.

[Be honest, you didn't know the cost of a carriage ride, right ?]

'Cough... Well, not really.'

Lloyd smiled bitterly at the voice in his head. He didn't know he would be found out so easily.

[...It's worse than I thought.]

'It's fine, ten silvers do not seem that much for a two hours long ride. Even if I gave more than necessary, it wasn't too far from the real price, right ? Since the man was kind enough to also give me direction, I don't mind paying a little extra.'

[A little extra ?! Paying ten silver coins for a ride that wasn't worth a single one is what you call a little extra ?!]

'Wait, wait, did it only cost 1 silver ?'

[Sigh... Do you now understand why I pestered you so much to leave your shop ? How can you run your business properly if you don't even know the value of the currency you're using ? With ten silvers, you could have done an entire tour of the capital and still have some change left.]

'...That was my bad I guess, I will be more careful next time.'

When Lloyd stepped inside Goldenwhale Avenue, he was surprised to see the streets teeming with so much activity. Even this late, there was a constant stream of pedestrians.

Compared to Lloyd's district which was empty at this hour of the day, the lavish 3rd district was buzzing with life.

The streets were lined with towering buildings and bustling shops. Lloyd felt like there was something new to explore around every corner.

Despite its large size, the 3rd district—and more particularly Goldenwhale Avenue—had a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere, fitting of a place run by merchants. The locals seemed always happy to lend a helping hand to tourists and visitors.

Lloyd didn't expect such generous hospitality. He always thought the people living in the capital would be cold and rude, yet the scene in front of him proved him wrong.

As the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, the sight of the radiant orange glow gently filtering through the slender gaps amidst the towering structures was truly mesmerizing.

It left Lloyd in complete awe.

"Amazing..."

The scenery of the 3rd district was a stark contrast to his usual surroundings in South Korea ; Lloyd realized once again that he had been transported to another world that felt like it came straight out of a fantasy novel.

Even the air felt fresh and untainted, which was a welcome change from the polluted city air of Seoul he was used to.

Lloyd stopped on a bench for a moment and watched with intrigue as people of various races mingled and interacted with one another, creating a strange but very lively community.

[House Valor is quite open when it comes to accepting non-human travelers in their capital. It's one of the rare human kingdoms in the Central Continent that also accept hostile races in their territory.]

'What do you mean by 'hostile races' ?'

[Elves, beastmen, or demi-humans to name a few.]

While he was still in University, Lloyd didn't have the time to read novels and manhwas like other young people of his age, and after dropping out, the loss of his parents killed any desire left in him to have a hobby.

Nonetheless, he still had vague memories of the games he played and the movies he watched that were taking place in a fantasy world when he was younger.

None of them depicted elves or beastmen as hostile races. If anything, they were more often than not the submissive race dominated and enslaved by humans.

[I can guess what you're thinking, but you'll probably experience it by yourself in due time. I can only advise you to be careful around anything that isn't human on Lunaris. This world is more dangerous than anything you ever experienced. For example, those beautiful elven ladies you are staring at are far from the picture you might be imagining.]

'Is that so...'

[Yes, especially full-blood elves. Demons and devils aside, they are probably the most wicked and cruel race thriving on the continent.]

Lloyd knew that it was ridiculous to use knowledge coming from video games and movies to explain this world, but even so, Selita's words were still shocking.

'It's different from what I expected.'

[Don't get me wrong, humans aren't much better, but at least very few of them cross their moral limit so much that they would become real monsters. Elves, on the other hand, do it as naturally as breathing. The majority of elven countries have been founded on human flesh, bones, and blood. There's a famous human saying on Lunaris : 'you better burn yourself to ashes rather than get abducted by pointy ears'. There is a reason for this, as elves' cruelty knows no bounds.]

'If what you said is true, then how come some of them can live in peace among other races ?'

Lloyd pointed his gaze toward the group of elven ladies smiling and laughing together on a restaurant's terrasse.

To his naive eyes, they didn't seem the least bit dangerous. They just looked like girls of their age, enjoying the evening with friends.

[Because not all of them choose the path of death. Not all of the elven countries are at feud with their human neighbors, nor do they all share the same elven culture. Like humans, elven countries also take different approaches toward other races. Some are friendly, but most are hostile or even still at war with humans.]

'One of my customers is an elf, and he never caused me any issues.'

Lloyd recalled the eccentric elf he met soon after landing in Lunaris. He was the one who designed and gifted him his long coat and a few other of his clothes.

It's true that this elf was... special, but Lloyd knew that he had a kind heart.

[What I told you is the trait inherent to their species and the result of millenniums of history and war between humans and elves. It doesn't mean that all of them are evil, the same way not all humans are good. There are bad apples everywhere.]

'Everything isn't all black or white, is what you mean.'

[Exactly. Now, enough talking. Let's move before night falls.]

'Yes, yes...'

The irresistible aroma of local cuisine being prepared in nearby stalls and restaurants wafted through the air, tempting even Lloyd's picky taste buds.

At that moment, for the first time in a while, he truly felt alive. He took in every detail of the beautiful view unfolding around him.

[You really look like a country bumpkin.]

'Haha, maybe because that's the case ? I thought the 3rd district wouldn't be so different from the residential area near the pet store, but I was completely wrong.'

[Of course, you were wrong. Your store is located in a commoner area that is far from the center of the capital, whereas the 3rd district borders the Royal Academy and is just an hour of carriage away from the Royal Palace.]

As Lloyd strolled in the streets, Selita continued her explanation.

[In Valora, the closer a district is to the Royal Palace, the more reputed it is.]

'Does it have something to do with the district's number ? Like, the fewer the number, the better it is ?'

[In most cases, yes, but there are exceptions. For instance, the 11th district serves as headquarters for the Inquisition and is the sole district that lies within the walls of the Royal Palace. The 4th district, on the other hand, encompasses all the slums that are situated near the capital's outer gates.]

'By the way, what's the number of our district ?'

[Y-You don't even know this ?!]

'Haha, sorry...'

[Your shop is on the northeast outskirt of the 7th district, close to the 8th.]

'I see, thank you—pfft...!'

For some reason, Lloyd laughed uncontrollably at Selita's answer.

[...What ?]

'Mhm, n-nothing... I just thought of something... Have you ever heard of Gogogle Map ?'

(author nt. : yes it's not 'Gogole', but I think you guys are smart enough to understand what I'm referring to without me having to use the correct name of the company.)

[...No. What is it ?]

'Hum, nothing...'

[Oi, stop making fun of me already ! Or at least, make it so I can understand your joke...]

'Sorry, sorry...'

Lloyd and Selita enjoyed their time going up Goldenwhale Avenue, when a large hand popping out of nowhere suddenly grabbed Lloyd's shoulder from behind.

"You, stop right there."

Lloyd heard a person behind him speak in a low voice, brimming with authority.