Chapter 1: A Traveler

April, Year 790, Crestfall, Caera Kingdom

~~~

In the king’s bedroom, the queen stood by the window, staring out and watching as all of the nobles walked down the streets. Queen Isabelle Caera was a woman who was in her late thirties, yet her beautiful and refined features and her long, smooth black hair made her appear as though she was still in her mid twenties. And what stood out the most were the glow of her ruby red eyes. All who saw her were captivated by her beauty.

As the queen looked out of her window, the sound of the door opening echoed through the room. Checking to see her visitor, the queen turned to face them.

“Mother, you called for us?”

The young man who entered the room was Elijah Caera, the first child of the throne. He was naturally built, his form having been worked on for years as he trained constantly for combat for his nineteen years of life. He had short black hair, flat in the back but raised in the front, his forehead clearly visible. He wore a refined white outfit, befitting of a Royal, and he held a sword at his waist.

Behind him were his two younger sisters. Mirror images of their mother, Rosa and Elice were identical twins. The two wore formal dresses that, except for their color, were completely identical. While Rosa wore red, Elice wore black. So that they could also tell the difference between each other, the girls had different hair lengths. Rosa’s hair reached her shoulders while Elice’s reached her waist and was tied in a ponytail, both of them having their bangs frame their face. Both of them were also grown to sixteen years of age.

The siblings’ expressions were of a serious tone. Ordinarily, they were not called by their mother to her room. In fact, most of the time, they were not allowed to come into her room, being the only place throughout the castle that their access was restricted.

However, for whatever reason, the three were all summoned by her, one of the maids having fetched them. As such, they were confused by this sudden action. What could she possibly wish to talk about?

“Elijah, Rosa, Elice. Yes, I did.” Her response came with a warm smile. Queen Isabelle was a very kind woman, treating her subjects as family and her family even closer. She was much loved by everyone, including the townsfolk. Her children adored her as well, but respectfully kept their distance as per her request.

This request was seen as abnormal for a mother. Even if said mother was the Queen herself. However, the king had also made it clear that they should never get too close to their mother.

“What is your desire, Mother?”

“Your wish is our command,” the twins called, bowing in their mother’s presence. Elijah placed his fist on his heart, a common salute used in the presence of one who is superior in status. It was also seen as a sign of proper manners when used to greet one equal in status.

However, seeing these actions, Isabelle raised her hands in front of her and was embarrassed by their actions.

“Hey, hey! There’s no need to salute or bow in front of your mother!”

“I disagree, Mother. It would be rude if we were not to do so. Whether we are your children or not,” Elijah argued.

“But that’s precisely why you shouldn’t need to!” My children don’t know how to act casual in front of me! How I have failed as a parent! The queen was internally upset that she was being treated as the queen and not as a mother. It was as though her family had stifled their emotions around her.

Due to being raised as royalty, proper manners were taught early in their life. Being of Royal blood meant that normally, they wouldn’t have to do so.

Anyways, as Isabelle became internally conflicted, she was suddenly overcome with a sharp sense of pain coming from her lower abdomen. Quickly placing her hand on her stomach, Isabelle fell to her knees and spit up blood on her carpet. “Kah… Gah…”

As she coughed up blood, all of her children quickly dropped their stiff attitudes and reacted in great shock.

“Mother!” all of them called. Although they wanted to rush to her side, they were still conflicted. 

“I know you love your mother, but from this day forward, you are never to get close to her. You must maintain a certain distance in her presence. No matter her condition.” These were the king’s words 12 years ago. It was not a request, but an adamant order. Even as the prince and princesses, they could not disobey their father.

However, seeing their mother on her knees before them in such a state made all of them jump. Elice nearly ran forward, but held herself back. “Mother, are you okay? What’s happening!?”

“Hah… hah… it’s okay. This is what I wanted to talk to you about…” she responded weakly. Each of her children stood silently, waiting for a few moments as they watched their mother get onto her own bed.

Each of them was pained seeing her like this. Yet, they couldn’t even get close to her because of their father’s orders. They couldn’t even support her from a distance. Why couldn’t they help their struggling mother? Why weren’t they allowed? Shouldn’t they be allowed to go to her side in a time of need?

As she laid on her bed, Isabelle slowly spoke, softly but just loud enough so that her children could hear her. “Now that you are all of age, and now that I am in this state, I believe it’s time I told you why your father requested that you not come near me.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?” Elijah desperately asked, his foot having moved forward and his fists raised.

“Twelve years ago, I was placed under a curse by a sorceress named Annika.” 

At the sound of this shocking revelation, Elijah raised his head in surprise, his mouth hanging open as well. Elice was frozen stiff, but Rosa became angry. In this world of conjuring, it wasn’t uncommon for people to have various supernatural abilities. In particular, curses are nasty pieces of magic that have some form of deterioration effect on the target. Anyone cast with a curse is always restricted with conditions, and these curses are usually placed with an evil purpose. In a word, it could be said that curses are supernatural binding contracts that limit the target with different effects depending on the needs or wants of the caster.

“She appeared to be a young woman about your age, but there is no telling how old she really was. Nor how powerful. When she visited the castle back then, she cast a curse on me. ‘And so I curse you, the queen. You shall wither away from the inside, slowly suffering until you can no longer stand. If you survive for twelve years, the process shall hasten and cause more suffering. With the exception of the king, anybody who gets close to the accursed queen shall also be afflicted with this curse.’ That was what she said to me.”

“Mother, I’m confused! Why didn’t you tell us?” Elijah was barely struggling to cope with this situation. How do you react when you discover that your mother is inflicted with a curse?

“Yeah! Why didn’t you trust us?” Elice spoke up once again.

“I did trust you. All of you. I wanted you all to be able to grow up without worry. I wanted to be able to leave this world with all of you able to smile.” Isabelle smiled at her children as she laid on her bed and clung to her pillow. Her pain was visible to them. And just as she closed her eyes, she coughed up more blood, staining it red.

Rosa’s eyes widened and she placed her hands over her mouth. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She had never once seen her mother get sick, but to see her coughing up blood was more than she could bear.

Concerned, Elijah raised his voice. “Do you know how much time you have left?”

A brief silence took over the room. Nobody spoke or made a peep. It was simply deafening silence. After another minute of the agonizing silence, Isabelle spoke. “Another month… if I’m lucky…”

Another bombshell. In just a month, their mother would be taken from them. And for what? Was she placed with a curse for no reason? What kind of enemy did she make out of Annika? Was she an assassin? Did she even have a goal? For what purpose did she have to take away the queen?

As Elijah questioned himself about these endless possibilities, the girls behind him were pondering their own questions. Who was Annika? Was she a common sorceress? What about a kingdom? Was she associated with anybody?

If she were to die, would that end the curse? Rosa thought. She was bloodthirsty. The witch who did this to her family would pay. And she would pay dearly. If I find her, I’ll show her the might of the Magic Princess first hand! The Royal family of Caera will not be toyed with!

Alongside her angry thoughts, her expression turned grim. The Magic Princess of the Caera Kingdom, Rosa Caera, is considered a conjuring genius. Growing up as a Royal, the study of Conjuring came with the territory. While Elijah had no experience with Conjuring, and Elice was more concerned with her family’s politics, Rosa quickly learned various types of conjurings, often centered around her primary affinity of darkness. While she did know many basic techniques and some not so basic, the amount of power she could place in them was much stronger than anyone else could produce. As of this day, she has amassed a large number of spells, more than most could ever hope to achieve.

As she was silently venting her rage, Elice spoke up. “Wait, can’t Holy Water cure curses?”

“They can, but they’re so uncommon that we’d never be able to find one,” Elijah responded.

Holy Water is a liquid that can cure curses. Although, up to a certain level. Depending on how much power is behind the curse, Holy Water may be ineffective. However, even if Holy Water worked on this curse, it was extremely rare. Nobody knew how to make any anymore.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to find a way to cure me. I’ve long since come to terms with my fate,” Isabelle stated calmly.

“But we haven’t!” Elice cried. 

“I promise, my children. After I pass, I swear to watch over you from above. Please don’t be sad for me.” With this statement, Isabelle fell asleep. Even though it was noon. That alone was enough for Rosa to turn around and leave the room, her temper flared up enormously.

Sensing the tension coming from their sister, Elijah and Elice exited the room and chased after her.

“Rosa, calm down! What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to find somewhere that has Holy Water, or I’m going to find that witch and kill her! Surely that will end the curse!”

“There’s no way of knowing that would work!”

“Are you just going to accept this? Are you not even going to try?”

Hearing her sharp words, Elijah was left dumbstruck before his hot tempered sister. If someone hasn’t been able to find Holy Water in the last twelve years, why would someone be able to now? If Annika was off the radar, then how would they find her in a month, just to maybe see if the curse goes away?

Rosa had a bad habit of not thinking things all the way through. However, she had a fighting spirit. And it was infectious. She wouldn’t leave her mother to suffer through a curse. She’d kill if necessary.

Rosa stomped her way out of the castle, determined to find her mother Holy Water. Covering herself with a cloak, she began walking down the Commercial/Adventurer District. Still in the castle, Elijah and Elice began to do their own thing. While Rosa went to gather outside information, Elice began studying places that could have Holy Water, and Elijah began listening to rumors from the nobles, seeing if he could pry any information out of anyone regarding Annika.

~~~

About half an hour later, Rosa was walking down the streets. She had stopped at a couple of stands to ask some questions, but had no luck. As her stomach began to roar at her, Rosa stopped in the middle of the road, embarrassed at herself.

Now of all times?! I need a snack, but this is too important!

Her stomach growled a second time, forcing her to realize that she needed to eat something soon. However, she rarely ate food outside of her castle. She had no idea what the food commoners ate tasted like. Similarly, she rarely appeared in this district, so she was unfamiliar with any of the shops or restaurants.

Just as she contemplated this, someone bumped into her. Losing her balance, Rosa stumbled forward. When she nearly fell, her hand was caught by the stranger who knocked her over. 

“Woah, hey! Are you okay?”

The stranger asked his question as he helped steady her back on her feet. First, her mother’s secret. Then her hunger pains. Now being walked into. Being in such a crowded place was the worst.

However, she noticed something strange about being bumped into. She never felt anything. The guy who just nearly knocked her over definitely touched her. That’s how physical contact worked. You feel their presence. 

Did he push me over? But how? I thought I must’ve tripped, but… Now that I think about it, the guy is standing right in front of me as well, but for whatever reason, it feels as if he’s not there. What is this?

However, her mind immediately switched back to realizing she was knocked over. Becoming frustrated, Rosa looked up at the man who knocked her over.

“Hey, commoner! Watch your step! Don’t you know who I am? I’m…”

At the end of her sentence, Rosa stumbled on her words. She didn’t know what to say since she was supposed to be undercover. This was the first time she ever encountered someone outside of the noble class. As a young woman who was raised in the castle and only ever dealt with the high ranking nobles affiliated with the kingdom, this situation was rather new.

Not only that, but she was already hungry and didn’t have the energy to act as a proper Royal. Embarrassed, she lowered her head slightly so that the man couldn’t see her face.

“Oh, so you’re a noble. I apologize for my behavior. This is the first time in years since I’ve come here, so I often forget about the social class system. Please forgive me, Madame,” the man apologized. 

When she looked up at the man, the first thing she noticed were his thin framed glasses resting over his large silver eyes. The sides of his dark hair were pulled back into a tiny tail while his bangs framed his face. His face also kept an expression that looked as though he was curious and confused about everything yet disinterested as well. It was rather innocent looking.

As for his clothing, he dressed rather fancy. His white button up and black vest rested upon his shoulders, and his black pants and shoes also suggested nobility as well.

Is he a commoner? He’s dressed like a noble. A rather… beautiful one at that. Wait, forget that. Did he say he’s not been here in years? What’s up with that?

Grr…

As her face became flushed, Rosa placed her hand on her stomach, embarrassed as it growled at her. 

“That wasn’t me! Don’t get any bright ideas, you!” She desperately tried to deny it, becoming slightly angry at her new acquaintance.

With a slight but warm smile, the man turned another direction and pointed to a nearby building.

“If you’re hungry, the closest place to eat is at the Adventurers’ Society. It might get a little rowdy sometimes, but most everyone inside is good. There’s a tavern on the second floor and there’s a special VIP section on the third. Although, you’d need to get approval from the society master to go up there.”

Turning back to face Rosa, he noticed her regal wear underneath her dark cloak. This brought a form of realization to him, so he turned back towards the direction of the castle and pointed down the road.

“However, since you’re possibly nobility or of a higher status, you might not be satisfied with the food that adventurers eat. If you wish to find a more elegant restaurant in these parts, your best bet is to continue in the direction of the castle. Nobles tend to dine away from commoners, so it might be more suited towards your tastes.”

Rosa quietly glared at him as he directed her. So he is a commoner instead of nobility. I would never have guessed with his outfit. But still, who is this guy? Surely nobody in their right mind would help out a stranger unless made to.

As she stood, pondering over the stranger, her stomach growled at her loudly, causing her further embarrassment. The man turned around to face Rosa, smiled, placed his hand under his stomach and bowed before Rosa.

“I hope you have a good day, miss. Perhaps we might meet again.”

Raising himself, the man turned around to walk on in the direction of the Adventurers’ Society. However, as he began walking, Rosa raised her hand as if to stop him. And then, out of instinct, she called out to him, “Hey, wait!”

At her behest, the stranger stopped and turned around to face her again. His expression returned to its nigh confused face, his eyes widened as he looked back at the princess. His innocent appearance nearly baffled Rosa, but instead of pointing out his face, she spoke up and asked him something else.

“Can you take me to the building? I’m almost never in this District, so I have no idea where it is.” Rosa made herself sound as though she had never been here, however, that was a lie. She had gone down this road numerous times as she often comes and goes when leaving for business trips with other nobles. Her intention this time, hunger aside, was something else.

I’m headed there myself anyway for information. Guess I’ll have to eat there as well, though I don’t want to. And besides that, I want to find out just who this guy is. I don’t know why, but I’m getting an odd feeling about him.

“Sure, why not. It’s just over here.”

Beginning to lead her towards the nearby building, Rosa followed behind, maintaining a certain distance to the man. Just after they began walking, Rosa remembered something, something so basic.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m surprised somebody as highly ranked in nobility such as yourself would want to know my name. I’m honored.”

“Enough with the formalities. You’re getting on my nerves.”

“Do forgive me. My name is Riley, a commoner raised quite a ways out in the country. If my manners are lacking, you can blame it on that.”

“Riley…”

The name resounded in Rosa’s head. It wasn’t just that it was a rather uncommon name, but it was also somehow familiar. Had she ever met someone in the past named Riley? Maybe he was a famous adventurer? 

No, it’s also possible that he was summoned by the king. After all, he tended to find all forms of quality throughout his country. Whether they be commoners or nobility, the man would often summon people with talent to the castle, wishing them to become one of his personnel, offering different kinds of rewards depending on their potential service towards the kingdom.

A perfect example was Maria Beauclair, an ex-commoner who the king had found. 

This trait seemed to be passed down amongst generations, as the previous king, her grandfather, was the man who initially discovered Cadmus Drake. Although he just missed summoning him before Cadmus started his adventurers.

This was also a trait that Rosa had. Sometimes, she would notice something odd about people she’d see. Oftentimes, their current personnel was commonplace as there hadn’t been any recruited talents in a long time. However, when Duchess Beauclair first arrived at the castle, the young princess pointed out how she seemed smart for a commoner and also like a thief, both of which were accurate.

Regarding her observational skill, she began to feel something from Riley, other than familiarity with his name. His attitude was certainly respectful, and his innocence showed rather clearly on his face, a face of remarkable beauty, even for a man.

However, beneath that, she could tell there was something odd. Deciding to act on this feeling, Rosa began sharpening her senses, and looked deep into Riley.

What she was looking for was the amount of magic power, Ether, that resided in his body. Ether exists in everybody and everything, all in varying amounts. Some people had large amounts, making them have a certain knack for learning and utilizing magics, especially more powerful spells. 

On the other hand, those with minuscule amounts of Ether are not so fortunate. While they can still learn conjuring, their spells would be incredibly weak and inefficient. As such, they were often overlooked by society.

This time, Rosa raised her senses to the max, and she used her piercing gaze to stare into Riley, looking through his back, only to find a crazy surprise.

What the hell? No Ether at all? This is unprecedented! How is this possible? Well now I feel bad for the poor sap. He can’t use any form of Conjuring. He must’ve been picked on as a child. Too bad for him I guess.

Rosa slightly snickered into her hand as she realized this.

My Quality Seeking Eye must not be working properly if it’s giving me this kind of reaction in his presence. Maybe it’s reacting to the fact his presence is practically nonexistent.

As she quietly poked fun at Riley, her stomach growled at her, as if it was telling her to shut her mouth. Realizing how she was still hungry, she quickly stopped snickering.

In front of her, Riley could hear her stomach and barely smiled. It seems that Princess Rosa is quite hungry. She must not have eaten much today.

~~~

Moments later, the two reached the Adventurers’ Society. The inside of the building was quite neat and tidy, but the men and women inside were all toughened warriors. Some of them were large and had on heavy armor and a heavy weapon. Others would be small with light armor, but would be seen holding some kind of dagger or a medic kit. There were even some with rather unique clothing, suitable for those who flaunt their conjurings.

Seeing the rowdy atmosphere, Rosa was immediately bewildered. So many commoners in one place and all of them were doing some kind of strange activity. From arm wrestling to drinking contests, eating all kinds of foods and yelling throughout the building.

Riley, however, seemed to be quite used to this kind of atmosphere. It was as if he had come to one of its other branches before. Ignoring the other adventurers, Riley and Rosa made their way to the bar nearby on the bottom floor.

This place is so lively. Is this how adventurers normally are? This was the first time she had ever entered the establishment. It was an odd feeling she was overcome with. Ordinarily, within the castle, everything was quiet and boring. There was never much to do other than order around knights and nobles. Even politics became trivial.

Seeing this new side of the world, she began to find it rather exciting. However, at the same time, she didn’t know how to react either. One one hand, she looked down on everyone because of her Royal blood and the fact that the people didn’t act more regally. Yet on the other hand, she yearned for a life away from the castle, wishing to be around people who weren’t bound to the throne and were free to live as they wished. She didn’t want to live a life of boring politics. She wanted to live a life of freedom and exploration. And this is where she became conflicted.

As she walked with Riley, she pulled the hood she wore further down, trying to keep her face and the clothes underneath hidden. She especially made sure to hide the stars in her eyes as she wiped her expression away as well.

The people around them soon began to notice her, a stranger with a hood. Questions soon came flying from people’s mouths.

“Hey, who is that?”

“The one in the cloak?”

“I can’t tell if it’s a guy or girl.”

“Looks pretty weak to me.”

“Poor dude is going to get eaten alive. Surely they’re not an adventurer.”

“Wait, forget that. Who is the guy beside cloakie?”

“That guy is practically invisible. I can’t sense him at all.”

“Is he a famous adventurer? No, he’s gotta be an assassin.”

“Unlikely. That’s gotta be a noble. The hood must be his personal guard.”

“If that’s the case, we shouldn’t underestimate the one in the hood.”

Hearing the scattered speech of the rest, Rosa smiled wryly. She definitely stood out, and she almost stood out as weak. But because of Riley, who was dressed like a noble, she was mistaken for someone she wasn’t. With that in mind, the others didn’t dare approach.

Well, at least they’ll leave us alone.

Arriving at the bar, the two sat down and ordered their food from the bartender. Riley ordered something cheap. Lamb chops and mashed potatoes. Very basic. Yet Rosa, despite her size and blood, ordered something much more expensive. It was a grand steak, potatoes, corn, and a mug of beer.

“That’s surprising. I didn’t take you for a big eater.”

“Shut up! I’m hungry! That aside, this is really good! Why would you think this wouldn’t suit my tastes?!”

“I don’t know. I really couldn’t tell anyone what would suit who. I don’t have a sense of taste. Everything is bland to me. If nothing else, I’m not a picky eater because of it though.”

Rosa was immediately left flabbergasted but nearly expressionless. She’d never met anyone without a sense of taste either. She began to feel slightly bad for Riley, realizing he’s missing out on something great.

No presence, no Ether, no taste. How pathetic… No, actually I’m starting to pity the poor soul.

“Hey, Riley! Didn’t realize you were here!” A second bartender, a woman with a rather puffy and messy set of red hair on her head. She also had a small slash scar above her eyebrow, and her skin was tanned. She wore what appeared to be ordinary adventurer’s clothing with a leather apron in place of armor.

Seeing the young woman, who seemed around the same age as Riley, Rosa lightly glared and retreated back slightly in her seat. Riley smiled at the woman who appeared with a pair of wine glasses and champagne.

“Hey there, Edna.”

“You know, you oughta speak up! You know better than anyone that I wouldn’t have known you were here otherwise!” Edna pouted. Rosa observed her from the side, noticing how cutely she was acting with Riley.

Apparently, she also seemed to be aware of how little presence Riley had as well.

“Plus, I haven’t seen you in two years! Your adventurer work might take you all over the place, but you could at least stop by and visit! Or write a letter to me!” 

Seeing her like this reminded Rosa of a child. And from what could be inferred from her words, she must have been a childhood friend of Riley’s as well. Still, Rosa found it quite curious.

However, something else suddenly stood out.

“Wait, he’s an adventurer?”

Confused, Edna looked at the surprised Rosa. “Who’s she? It’s not like you to travel with anybody. It makes me angrier at you, too! You travel with her but not come visit me?! That’s not nice! Also, when did you start traveling with companions?! That’s not fair!”

“She’s just a passing acquaintance. I told her I’d escort her here.”

Disgruntled, Edna stared at Rosa hard. Feeling this was rude, Rosa huffed and looked away. Edna sighed before setting her down the glasses, popping open the champagne, and pouring it in the glasses.

“Hey, did you guys hear?”

“What?”

“Apparently, Indestructible Murus is in town.”

As Edna and Riley sipped some of their champagne, they and Rosa heard the talk of the people around them. The name Indestructible Murus suddenly became a very intriguing topic.

“No way! Isn’t he one of the most famous adventurers in the world?”

“Yeah! I heard that he managed to take down nearly every monster he’s ever fought unscathed!”

“Surely that’s a myth.”

“No, it’s not! Apparently, he once said that he would probably lose to someone as strong as Captain Cadmus or some of the other famous heroes, but I think that’s bull! I once saw him fight and it’s like his body is made of pure bedrock! He’s nuts!”

“Really? What does he look like then?!”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know! He had his back turned to me. All I could tell you is that he had a small ponytail, barely long enough to mean anything.”

“That’s so vague! There’s plenty of people with something like that in their hair!”

Edna and Riley merely smiled as they continued drinking. However, Rosa was curious. She knew the names of several known adventurers, but she had never heard of Indestructible Murus. Did his name come up recently? No, surely not. They made it sound like he’s been around for a while. Still, if he’s as famous as that, then why hadn’t she heard of the man?

“Hey, Riley. I have a question.”

“Oh? What’s up?” Riley asked curiously, making his innocent looking face once again.

“Who’s that Indestructible Murus guy?”

“Him?” Edna began to tease. “Oh, Murus is quite the tale! Let me tell ya! Apparently he first started traveling as an adventurer five years ago. His very first job was in a nearby kingdom, and it was to take down a coven of witches. At first, everyone thought he’d die. However, he came back to the kingdom, dragging five witches by their hair. And to top it off, Murus didn’t take a single scratch!”

Edna exaggerated her story greatly, making it sound like the greatest tale of all. In fact, it sounded rather far-fetched. Taking on one witch, or otherwise known as a rogue sorcerer or sorceress, would be one thing. But to take down five, it would take a party with a minimum of six people. And it was likely that members of the party would die and still possibly lose.

Still, if this story could be true, then maybe, just maybe, he could help the royal family.

If I could find this guy, maybe I could get a lead on that sorceress Annika. Rosa contemplated her new interest.

Meanwhile, Riley simply smiled beside her, having finished his champagne and moved onto the bottle, chugging it down right quick. “Indestructible Murus though. That name is terrible.”

“Oh, I’ve never heard you complain about anything before Riley!” Edna said smiling. However, in the next moment, she realized… “Hey, hold on! When did you steal the bottle?!”

“It’s empty.”

“Gah! You-You chugged it all away?!”

“Got anymore?”

“You won’t get anymore!”

“I’ll pay extra.”

“No! I forgot about that bad habit! I don’t want all my alcohol gone in one day!”

He seriously drank all of that and isn’t even buzzed? And he can drink this place dry? Rosa thought. This guy just keeps surprising her more and more. Whoever challenges Riley to a drinking contest would be wiped with the floor.

Suddenly, Riley got a little more serious. His face still seemed very innocent and curious looking, but the air around him felt different. He pulled out a poster with the picture of a wanted man worth 200 Upper Vess. In this world, that was a lot. Only nobles had that kind of money. More than that, if someone was wanted for that much, they were considered quite a threat.

Rosa stared silently at the poster and realized what it was. What’s he doing with that?

“I brought him back to the Alsphen Kingdom branch, but they said that if I wanted the reward then I’d have to come here for it since they couldn’t afford it. War has taken over over there so there’s really not much they could do about the money situation. I told them not to worry about the reward, but they said they’d send a letter here and asked me to visit the main branch, so here I am.”

Edna slammed her hands on the counter and yelled at Riley. “So you weren’t here to visit me! You were here to drink the place dry and then leave with your bounty money! You haven’t changed at all!”

“Oh? Well I guess it’s hard for me to change considering the circumstances.” His face remained the same as his eyes drifted to the corner of the room, thinking back to something from long ago. “Still, I wouldn’t come here just for my bounty. I was planning to stay here for another week or so.”

“What?! Stay longer!”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Hmph!” With her eyes closed, Edna pouted and turned around.

Rosa didn’t know how to react to this. She couldn’t tell if they were like siblings or if Edna liked Riley. Riley merely talked things away and maintained one of his two expressions. Yet Edna wore her emotions on her sleeves.

Rosa remembered her relationship with her own siblings. Honestly, their relationship was rather strained due to their social statuses.

Rosa and Elijah: when the two were together, they always worked on dealing with political issues. They didn’t have a family relationship. They had a business relationship. They never even had a proper childhood. From birth, the two were raised so that one day, one of them would take the throne.

Rosa and Elice: twins who looked the same and were always confused for one another. This often put them at odds and resented each other because they looked exactly alike. Plus, compared to Rosa, Elice was quite calm. All the anger she felt at being royalty, she bottled it up and hid it away. Meanwhile, Rosa enjoyed the advantages of being Royal, but she hated their boring and unexciting life. If there was one thing they agreed on, it was this.

Elijah and Elice: the two never interacted properly. The only time they did, it was to learn about the kingdom. Otherwise, they never spoke.

However, the one thing the siblings all loved in common was their mother. If she asked something of them, they would do it. That was their only convergence point.

Realizing she couldn’t compare Riley and Edna’s relationship with her own siblings, she decided to remain quiet.

“Well, either way. It’ll take some time to get your reward. Gramps will have to consult with Maria to collect your reward.”

“How long will that take?”

“You’d have to wait at least for two days. Gramps hasn’t come back from a personal request. He’ll be back tomorrow, and then he’ll have to go to Maria to collect.”

“Um, Gramps?” Listening to the two of them further confused Rosa. Was she related to someone within the society? More than that, did the guy have that much influence?

“Her grandfather is Cadmus. He runs the entire society.”

“Ah, I see…”

Despite her words, it took her a second to process these words.

“Wait, Cadmus Drake?!”

“Yep! That’s right! My name is Edna Drake!”

As Edna enthusiastically called out, Rosa was left dumbfounded while Riley began chugging down Rosa’s alcohol.

Who were these people? Edna is the granddaughter of Cadmus Drake? Cadmus wasn’t known to have a family, yet his granddaughter worked for him as a bartender. That essentially made her a Count in her own right. She had plenty of political power as well as massive influence with adventurers.

Not just that, but Riley didn’t call Cadmus the Captain or by his nickname. He didn’t use any form of respect while speaking his name. He simply called him by name. Even when one is a noble, everyone uses Sir, Mister, or their respective title when referring to their peers, superiors, or even their inferiors assuming one isn’t a commoner.

Did this mean that Riley was so familiar with Cadmus that they’d refer to each other so casually? Who exactly was this guy… who was stealing Rosa’s mug?

Riley set down the drink and released a dramatic sigh. “Well then, looks like I’ll be staying a while. Then do you got any jobs available? I might as well keep myself busy?”

“Seriously! That’s all you do is work anymore! You should make more time for your sis!”

“Sis?!” Rosa couldn’t react in any other way. Was this guy a member of the Drake family as well? But surely not. If so, he wouldn’t call Cadmus by his name. He would also call him grandfather. There was no denying these two were close, but she straight out called him her brother.

Not just that, but Riley also claimed that he was a commoner whereas Edna is nobility. Something wasn’t adding up…

As the conversation continued, Rosa wanted to know more and more.

Edna reached underneath the bar and grabbed a few papers before handing them to Riley. “These are a few jobs you could do.”

Riley grabbed the stack. Instead of looking through them, however, Riley stood and decided to keep them all. “Sounds good. Well then, Edna, Miss. I’ll go ahead and take my leave. I should get started while I can.”

“Hold up, Riley! At least rent a room!” Edna protested. Riley had already planned to leave when he stood. He was rather quick about getting his stuff done.

As for the room renting, there were rooms on the second and third floors. Second floor rooms are meant for those passing through the kingdom while the third floor is meant for those of special significance. Any adventurers who live in the kingdom have their own houses that they can reside in.

“Are you willing to let me use one? I thought about using an inn in town.”

“Shut up! Just take a room on the third floor!” Edna shouted as she threw the keys to his room at him.

Hearing the shout, most of the people in the room were exasperated. Everyone remained silent as they all turned to look at the bar and Riley himself. Rosa noticed this and looked around before turning back to find Riley sighing.

“Fine, I’ll take a room. But save the key for me until I get back. You know I don’t keep much on me,” he replied, tossing the key back at her.

“Yeah, I know that!”

“How much for the room?”

“It’s free.”

Hearing these words, everyone raised their voices. Rosa was also surprised. Surely it would require a decent sum of money to even rent a room. So why was it that Riley was allowed to get one for free?

“Hey, hold up! Who is that guy?!”

“That’s not fair! Why should some stupid noble get a room?”

“And for free! And on the third floor!”

“He’s just some wandering noble! He probably doesn’t even know what this place is!”

“And he doesn’t have Ether either! If anything, he should be kicked out of here!”

All of the other adventurers complained while Riley simply put his papers away and pushed up his glasses. Rosa, while still surprised at Riley’s free of charge room and service, became disgusted with the others.

Stupid commoners, causing such a commotion over a room. Especially because they think he’s a noble.

While Riley innocently smiled, he pulled out a single large, silver looking coin, and gave it to Edna, who took surprise from it.

“A greater Vess?!”

The adventurers and even Rosa were surprised by this. Vess are coins used as currency in this world. There are several versions of the coins.

Minor - 0.10

Lesser - 1

Average - 10

Upper - 100

Greater - 1000

Greatest - 10000

Very few people in the world had a Greatest Vess, and those that did were unlikely to ever show one. They were primarily used by the government as currency to pay for the expenses of weapons and various other funds that could help expand the kingdom. They were almost never used by anything less than royalty.

Greater Vess were more common and normally held by nobility, but they were also rarely used. Ordinarily, they would be used to pay for the expenses of certain guards and political marriages.

Nobody would use them so freely, so why would Riley do so? Especially since he wasn’t nobility. Did he have so much money that he could freely spend something like this and not suffer?

“Riley, I said it was free! Why are you giving me this?! Take it back!”

“No, it’s okay. It doesn’t sit right with me not to pay.”

“Even so, this is way too much!”

“It’s okay. I’ll live without it. I still got plenty of money to spend.”

As he smiled, Riley took a step back and bowed before the two. “Now, I may as well go ahead and take my leave. I hope the two of you have a good day.”

Riley then turned around and began walking to the exit. Exasperated by everything that just happened, Rosa turned and watched him walking away. Then, she noticed something that she didn’t before. Something sticking out of the back of his pants, his shirt, the part that stuck out, hanging partly over it.

What is it with this guy…? Wait. What is that?

As he walked to the door with his normal blank expression and wide eyes, someone stood in front of him. A large man with a big sword on his back. The guy stood at least six foot something and wore a cocky grin. Most people would be intimidated by his massive presence.

“So it would seem you would have quite a lot of money! How about you give it to me?”

“Hey, Bard! What are you doing? That person in the cloak is right there!”

“Please, they ain’t this guy’s escort. I doubt they’re anything special either!”

Rosa grimaced at his words, but deciding it would be better not to reveal herself as royalty, she kept her face hidden.

“Well, it would be true that he isn’t my escort, but it is also true that I’m not rich as well. I’m simply well off. Also, will you guys stop calling me a noble? I’m just a commoner.”

These words struck everybody in the building except for Edna and Rosa, who simply smiled. In fact, Edna didn’t even seem to care that some random person was trying to confront Riley. She just poured herself a drink from the shelves behind her. Another thing, she was called he so that the uncouth adventurers wouldn’t swarm Rosa.

Realizing that he wasn’t a noble, more of the adventurers stood and began trying to surround Riley, grinning devilishly.

“Hey, wa-”

Before she could speak up or try to defend Riley, Edna stopped her, placing her hand on her shoulder. Annoyed with this, Rosa turned around.

“What are-”

“Just watch. This will be a good lesson for them.”

Edna sported a wide grin, her pearly whites showing. Conflicted, Rosa turned back to watch the spectacle.

Riley’s in trouble! I mean, why should I care, though? I’m royalty… but… just don’t get yourself hurt. As she grimaced at the thought of Riley getting hurt, Riley stood with the same expression. He didn’t even look angry or threatened. He just stood rather blankly.

“Well, then. It looks like free money to us!”

“Hell, yeah!”

“Let’s get him!”

“Honestly, you don’t have to gang up on me. I’m stronger than all of you combined.” This seemed to anger all of the adventurers. He was arrogant, they all thought. Surely nobody could take out so many skilled adventurers at once. Not unless they had strength like Cadmus Drake. Which, of course, only heroes could possess that kind of strength, and Riley was in no way a hero.

Meanwhile, as he talked, Riley didn’t even look smug. His eyes simply looked to the corner of the room as he scratched his cheek with his finger.

With him having reached the last straw, Bard, the man who started the confrontation, charged Riley, causing Rosa to jump out of her seat.

However, Riley jumped one time, raised his leg, and dropped his heel into Bard’s head, hard enough so that the man’s face broke through the floor.

This display of absurd strength left everyone, including Rosa and excluding Edna, baffled. It wasn’t just strength he displayed either. He jumped very fast as well. Nobody saw his feet ever leave the ground.

“What did he do?”

“Insane!”

“What a monster!”

Bard, still conscious but unable to move, looked up at Riley in absolute surprise.

What… was that? He hit me… right? But I never felt him hit me? And still… it feels like he’s not even there! What is this absurdity?! “What… are you…?”

“You bastard!”

“Get him!”

“Don’t hold back!”

As everyone charged him, they all, in the next moment, found themselves, being tripped and in the air, and another moment later, Riley’s foot caught all of them and sent them flying through the entrance. An army of defeated adventurers suddenly exploded into the streets, spreading panic amongst the citizens.

Riley stood in the same spot he was challenged and looked confused, scratching his cheek like he didn’t do anything. Rosa was standing with her mouth gaping wide open.

“Who the hell are you?!” she called. She had never seen such a crazy fight. Rather, she still didn’t see one. Everyone was defeated so fast that she couldn’t tell that Riley did much.

What Riley did was drop down and sweep everybody’s feet so fast that nobody hit the ground before he tripped the last person; then he raised himself and wrapped everybody’s body around his foot, and he kicked them all far.

“You’ve gotten stronger again Riley! Last time this happened, you were a tad slower. Looks like this time, though, they still couldn’t avoid it. Hahahahaha!!!”

Edna simply laughed this off as Riley silently walked. And his exit really was silent. His footsteps still couldn’t be heard. “I’ll be back later tonight. Sorry about the mess.”

As he walked past all the defeated adventurers, none of them woke up. He simply blended in with the citizens looking at the fuss.

Meanwhile, Rosa sat back down, unable to comprehend what just happened. “Who is he?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that. I have a feeling you’ll find out soon enough.” Edna smiled at Rosa just like she smiled before, before downing a new bottle of alcohol.