VI : Officially, Adventurer

"You two suck," Liliora said as Isaac and Meng finished up their story about how they met Polus.

"Where did that come from?" Meng asked.

"How can you not see him hiding above you?" Liliora said. "Look at the size of him. No offense, Polus."

"None taken," Polus said from the front of the cart. He was in charge of manning the cart since Tristina was picky about who held her reins.

"Says the one who was asleep through the whole thing." Isaac pointed out.

Liliora shrugged. "I was tired."

Isaac and Meng rolled their eyes. Polus stashed away some of his wares to make space for the three of them in his cart. Despite that, the cart was still pretty packed.

"What's our next destination?" Meng asked, changing the subject.

"Ironwood Forest," Polus said. "We can either rest up there for the day or we can keep going to Riverside through the night, though I don't recommend it. Bandits everywhere."

"We'll rest up for the night," Isaac said. "How long will it take for us to get to Riverside?"

"Two days, give or take," Polus said. "Depends on the weather and Tristina."

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"She's a bit impulsive. If I can't rein her in, she'll jump on the first animal she could find and swallow it whole."

"And that's a problem because?"

"She gets angry if we interrupt her when she eats," Polus said. "And she has a big appetite. A big appetite. So if she decides to stop, then we have to stop."

Isaac sighed. "I guess it can't be helped." He wasn't looking forward to seeing Tristina mauling some poor animal.

As they journeyed on, Isaac thought about what he planned to do when he got to Losteria. His biggest concern would be the expedition that the merchants would go through to go to the White Kingdom. By now, Isaac was sure that Elisa had told Scarlet the whole thing so she would take the appropriate measures.

His main objective would be to act as an envoy, convincing the merchant fleet that the White Kingdom means no harm. They're in the process of rebuilding and they would welcome business trades with other cities with open arms.

But it's riskier than it sounds. One of the Three Coins has decided to go with the merchant fleet. Whenever the Three Coins are involved, you know that things are serious not just in the context of Losteria, but for all of Arya.

The Three Coins have a much bigger influence than just in Losterian borders. Since they are the only city that's "lawless", or so to speak. There are no rules or regulations in Losteria. People are free to do just about whatever they want aside from the really bad no-nos like murder.

The ones who keep the whole city in check is the Three Coins. Not to say they're saints themselves, but they are fair. If deemed guilty, then you will be punished.

Because of the freedom that exists only in Losteria, it also means no taxes. Those who make a profit can keep all of it without having to pay the city. Because of that, Losteria became the center of the trading world.

Every merchant wants to sell their wares in Losteria. Every person wants to buy the wares there since there is some stuff that is illegal in other kingdoms but not there.

This is also why the Sovereign Empire couldn't take the Three Coins down even if they wanted to. Losteria would crumble otherwise. The Empire itself has made deals within the Losterian market, even illegal ones. They are too valuable to lose.

Losteria is a neutral city. They don't side with anyone but themselves. They will work with other people for the right amount of coin, but it's all business and nothing is personal. They could be working with the Empire today and go against them the next day.

It's all a matter of who could fill their pockets more.

"Have you been to Losteria?" Isaac asked.

"Oh, all the time," Polus said. "You're not a real merchant until you've tasted Losterian wine. I make it a point to visit it at least once a month since that's where I make most of my money. That and there's no Empire scum running around. Losteria is like my second home."

"I'm actually surprised the city is still standing with how it is," Isaac said.

"All thanks to the Three Coins," Polus said.

"What are they anyway?" Meng asked. "I've only heard about them but don't really know them."

"The Three Coins consists of three mercenary groups." Polus held up his hand as he counted them out. "The Cloud Brigade, the Windy Fleet, and the Marching Caravan. Each of them being in control of the sky, ocean, and ground routes respectively."

"Routes?"

"Merchants have a map that shows routes into different cities that they can go to. They're called the Losterian Pathways." Polus pulled up something from his pocket. A folded parchment, which Isaac assumed was a map. "Those who are aligned with the Three Coins will all have this map. It shows the safest routes to take to avoid any confrontation from monsters, bandits, or the Empire."

"Seems pretty pointless," Isaac said. It's great, but a map? Can't they give something more useful like a sword?

"That's what you think." Polus grinned. "You see, these maps serve as a guide and also as letters of recognition. For those who travel these routes that Losteria has written, they will be under the Three Coins' protection. The Three Coins have made an effort to eradicate these routes of all threat and danger so their merchants could travel safely."

"They can do that?" Isaac asked.

"They cover the skies, land, and sea. It's like a benefit from doing business with them."

"Won't other merchants follow them though?" Isaac asked. "I mean those who are not in the Three Coins' favor. They can just use the routes you mentioned. It's not like it's hidden or anything, right?"

"Yes, that's true. But they won't have the protection from the Three Coins." Polus said. "If bandits or monsters would suddenly attack them, they would have to fend for themselves while those who are under the Losterian banner would be protected."

"Huh." Isaac was impressed if that was true. Because of that, Isaac understood why Losteria is a big thing for merchants. "If it's as good as you said, then how did you end up being captured by the Empire? And why don't we just continue our journey through the night if they're going to protect us anyway?"

Polus chuckled nervously. "That was on me. I strayed from the Pathways. The Three Coins were responsible for protecting me from danger when I'm on the Pathways, but outside of it, I'm on my own. And they don't have rescue services either." He said. "And the Three Coins aren't gods or anything. They're humans. They can only do so much when it comes to protecting. Night time is when monsters and bandits roam freely, so it's best to take as little risk as possible."

Isaac sighed. He would've liked it to push onwards, but that won't mean anything if they're dead. Slow and steady wins the race.

From what Polus had told him, it's more likely that the ones that will be coming to the White Kingdom would be the Windy Fleet. Since they controlled the ocean routes and the merchants were traveling by sea.

"So I'm assuming the Three Coins run everything in Losteria?"

"I wouldn't say they run the place," Polus said. "They're just keeping it in line. It's a very tricky balance of power if you ask me."

Isaac didn't argue. Maintaining a balance between three great powers would be difficult. The Three Coins are mercenaries. They do things for their own benefit. They were probably more interested in having power over the entire place rather than sharing it.

"Let's just hope it doesn't crumble by the time we get there," Isaac said.

Line Break

Thanks to Polus and Tristina, they managed to reach Ironwood Forest relatively unscathed.

When they reached the place, the sun was already setting. Isaac thought about finding a place to stay, but Polus had different ideas. He got off his cart and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the cart twisted and toppled itself into a makeshift stand, displaying all the goods and wares that he has for sale.

"Oooooh." Liliora awed. "Neat trick."

"Handy, isn't it?" Polus said. He was standing behind the stand while Tristina was curiously looking at everything she could see. "You can get some rest. I have some work to do."

"You're going to sell your things here?" Isaac asked.

"I am a merchant, in case you've forgotten." Polus wiggled his eyebrows. "Can't go wrong with making a few extra coins."

Isaac had nothing against it as long as it doesn't cause any trouble. "Be careful and keep an eye out."

"Will do," Polus said.

"Oh, can I stay?" Liliora asked. "I want to watch him do merchant stuff."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "You're just here to play with Tristina."

"Am not!" Liliora argued but it was obvious that she was lying.

"Suit yourself. Just be careful." Isaac said while Liliora cheered gleefully.

Isaac and Meng made their way to the local tavern and got a room for the party. They settled in before Isaac lay down on the bed, feeling tired even though they didn't do much.

"How are you feeling?" Meng asked.

"If I'm being honest, I can't really say," Isaac said which wasn't wrong. He was feeling excited, nervous, scared, and everything else in between. "I think I'm just anxious."

"We're going on a journey to a city of mercenaries," Meng said. "Through a land filled with dangers, being hunted by the Sovereign Empire, all to hopefully prevent a war and help the White Kingdom. I think you can feel more than just anxious."

Isaac sighed. They still have a long journey ahead of them. Their longest period on the road would be their journey from Riverside to Losteria. Since Losteria is so far west, the only town they'll come across from here to there would be Riverside.

After Riverside, it's a point of no return. Going back would just be a waste of their time and energy.

"I still hate the fact that we have no fighters with us," Meng said.

"The Three Coins will protect us," Isaac assured her, but she didn't look convinced.

"That's not even a guarantee," Meng argued. "What if the merchant's lying? What if it's a trap? What if the Three Coins won't cooperate? Have these thoughts not run through your head?"

"Of course they have, but what other choice do we have?" Isaac asked. "This is make or break for us. If we succeed, the White Kingdom will be saved. They have a time limit and we need to provide them with a solution as soon as possible."

Meng sighed. "You're right." She said. "I'm sorry. I guess my feelings are all over the place as well."

"That makes two of us, it seems," Isaac muttered. But what Meng didn't know, was Isaac was playing a bigger gamble here than both she and Liliora realize. Isaac was chosen to be the Pale King, so if something happened to him during this adventure, the White Kingdom is going to have a problem. "Meng, can I ask you something?"

"If it's got anything to do with sex with you, the answer's no."

Isaac frowned. "What? No. What makes you think that even crossed my mind?"

"Can never be too careful." Meng shrugged.

"No." Isaac shook his head. "I wanted to ask this. Hypothetically, if you were suddenly to bear responsibility for hundreds of people, how would you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let me paint a scenario," Isaac said. "Let's say the White Witch suddenly said, 'Hey, you're the Queen now. Enjoy.'." Isaac felt nervous telling her that since that summarizes what happened to him basically. "What would you do?"

"Hmm." Meng didn't seem to pick up anything suspicious about that story, which was good. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would she suddenly give up her crown like that? Is there any explanation?"

"Let's say she didn't explain anything," Isaac said. "She just suddenly gave you all her power, authority, and responsibilities."

Again, Meng pondered. "Hmm." She said. "I'd probably do it."

"I mean, who wouldn't? You basically become the Queen with barely any work."

"It's not about being the Queen," Meng said as she fiddled with her yellow hair. "It's about taking responsibility. People's lives are in my hands now. I can't let them down."

Isaac chuckled silently. Meng noticed it. "What? Something funny?"

"No." Isaac smiled. "I liked your answer. You're a good person, Meng."

"I thought that was already established."

"Not really."

Line Break

The next morning was hectic. Isaac found himself waking really early in the morning because of the music. The sun hadn't even risen yet. He wondered what the commotion was all about downstairs. He saw Meng sound asleep on the other bed, which was really weird since the sound downstairs was really loud.

Isaac got down and was surprised by what he was seeing. It was the liveliest atmosphere he'd ever seen. It's as if all men and women in town decided to gather here tonight. Everyone was cheering, dancing, laughing, and drinking. The whole tavern was filled. The music was coming from a band of musicians playing instruments in a lively tune. Everyone was in a good mood.

And at the center of attention where people had made space, was Liliora dancing her heart out to the music. Everyone cheered with her. It wasn't like she was dancing for entertainment or sexually or anything like that. She was just dancing to her heart's content. As if she had no worry for the world.

Isaac noticed a familiar purple outfit near the bar, also cheering and drinking. He decides to ask Polus about this.

"Hey!" Isaac almost shouted over the loud music and crowd.

Polus turned around and saw Isaac. He broke into a massive grin and held his hands up. "Isaac! You're here!"

Polus clearly had too much to drink. He smelt like alcohol while his face was flushing red. "What happened?" Isaac asked.

"Your friend there is amazing!" Polus said. "Look how much gold she made me!" Polus held up his bag of gold which looked pretty heavy. They must've racked in a fortune.

"That's great!" Isaac half-shouted. "What's happening here?"

"We're just having a good time!" Polus grinned as he hiccupped. "Everything's fine!"

Isaac wasn't sure about that. Everything's okay, but not so much as fine. He worries about how Polus was going to rein in Tristina tomorrow if he has a hangover, but that's a problem for the morning. "I'm going for a walk!" He told Polus.

"Cheers!" Polus said as Isaac slipped by the crowd and went outside. Once he was outside, the silence was almost unreal. The tavern was still loud and lively, but not so much from the outside. Since it was still early in the morning, the moon shone brightly on the town. There weren't really many torches to keep the place lit, but the moon made it bright.

Isaac walked down the Ironwood Town main path. He wasn't going anywhere. He was just taking in some fresh air to clear his mind. At the stables, he noticed Tristina curled in a ball and was sound asleep. Much to the dismay of the other horses, she took up a lot of space. He still was a bit scared of Tristina, despite seeing how gentle the creature actually is. Maybe Icirin just instilled in him a deep fear of reptiles.

Icirin . . . Isaac hadn't thought of that incident in a while. How the Snow Dragon was close to devouring him and then just left him alone. There was a weird moment between him and the dragon that he couldn't understand.

Isaac wondered if it meant something or if it was just a fluke. He had a sick thought in his head that Icirin was just waiting for Isaac to grow just a little bit more before she ate him. He shuddered at the thought and put it in the far corner of his mind.

Whatever it might be, Isaac takes it as a good omen since, well, he's still alive.

After half an hour of walking around, Isaac headed back. The tavern had quieted down a bit as people were starting to pass out from too much drinking. Isaac just hoped his friends weren't as wasted as they were.

He was wrong.

Liliora was passed out inside the cart while Polus could barely stand.

"Are you still drunk?" Isaac asked.

"No." Polus lied. "Just a side effect from my hangover medicine."

"What's the side effect?"

"I'm seeing double of everything."

Isaac threw his hands up in exasperation. "He can't rein Tristina in like this."

"Well, what about Liliora? She might be-" Meng was cut off by Liliora throwing up rainbows from the cart and onto the dirt path.

"Dibs on not doing it," Meng said.

Line Break

If Tristina cooperated, handling her was really easy. It's similar to riding a horse and Isaac has ridden a horse before.

But the keyword here is 'if'.

This was the third time Tristina veered off the path and chased down a cow mindlessly grazing the empty fields.

The cart shook behind him while Isaac hung on her reins for dear life while Tristina excitedly bounced after the cow.

"Can you get that lizard under control?!" Meng shouted as she get tossed around the cart.

"Be my f*****g guest!" Isaac shouted.

Once Tristina got close to her prey, she pounced and trapped the poor thing. She licked her lips before she dug into her meal.

Isaac and Meng were in terrible shape, while Liliora and Polus were in a much worse state than they were. Isaac felt like everything that they were drinking and eating the night before has successfully exited their body the same way it entered.

All four of them groaned in pain as Tristina munched on her newly found food. Isaac's hands were sore from gripping the reins tightly. "I hate this lizard," Meng muttered.

"It beats walking the whole way through." Isaac groaned.

"I'm reconsidering that statement," Meng said.

After she finished her meal, Isaac gently pulled her reins and Tristina was back on the road yet again. By this point, Isaac just hoped that every other animal within their radius had mysteriously gone missing by some force of nature because it's still a long way from Riverside.

They took this brief peaceful period to recompose themselves after being tossed around by Tristina.

"What are your plans in Riverside?" Meng asked. "Are we staying for the night?"

"I'd prefer if we just keep going, but that depends on how Polus and Liliora are." Isaac glanced behind him and see the two passed out cold. "As for plans, I'm thinking of registering as an adventurer."

Meng seemed surprised by his answer. "You want to become an adventurer?"

Isaac shrugged. "Seems interesting. My mom and dad were adventurers and I've heard some amazing stories from them. So I figured, why not?"

Meng didn't argue. "I'm fine with it. But do you know what an adventurer entails?"

"Uh, traveling?"

Meng rolled her eyes. She starts explaining what an adventurer actually is. In concept, adventurers are similar to mercenaries. The only difference is that adventurers take up jobs instead of being hired for one.

Some cities will sometimes have guilds, which is an adventurer's equivalent to a tavern. That's where you register as one and where you come and accept jobs or quests that are posted. If you're an adventurer, the guild will be almost like a second home to you.

The jobs and quests for adventurers vary differently from a simple escort mission to slaying monsters. When you finish a quest, the guild will pay you according to how much reward has been put up but depending on the quest, the guild will sometimes pay you with a bonus.

"Similar to merchants," Meng continued. "Adventurers need to keep their reputation up. The better your reputation is, the more credible of an adventurer you are. People would sometimes ask for you personally if you get a good enough reputation, maybe even increase your rewards."

"Sounds like fun."

"But I still don't recommend you being an adventurer."

"Why not?" Isaac asked.

"Because you can't fight," Meng said. "Not only that, you can barely even hold a sword."

"I can learn." Isaac shrugged.

"Well, I applaud your optimism," Meng said. She wanted to say something else, but Tristina suddenly stopped and perked up. "What's wrong?"

Her head was looking to the left and so Isaac followed her gaze, straight onto a deer. "Ah, s**t." Isaac gripped the reins again. "You might wanna hold on."

"Oh no, not again- AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Meng screamed as Tristina pounced her way towards the running deer.

Line Break

It took about a day and a half before they reached Riverside. They rode all day and were severely delayed thanks to Tristina. At night, they rested in an abandoned hut. The next morning, Polus was feeling better and took the reins from Isaac, something Isaac thanked the gods for. With Polus on the reins, Tristina wasn't distracted very much. Only once, but it was a short stop.

At least it was better than the dozens of times Tristina chased after every goddamn thing she saw when Isaac was on the reins.

"Maybe you just suck," Liliora said. She was also feeling better now, much to Meng's annoyance.

"You suck." Isaac countered.

Along the way, they found a slithering river that follows the path that they were on. "We're close," Polus said. "If we follow this river along, it will take us straight to Riverside."

"Let me guess," Liliora said. "They call it Riverside because it's beside a river, right?"

"Close. It's actually next to a lake."

Liliora frowned. "Why not just call it Lake Town or something like that?"

Polus shrugged. "I have no idea, but I prefer Riverside compared to Lake Town."

The argument stopped there as they soon reached the aforementioned town.

As Polus said, the town was built next to a massive lake with a pier jutting into it. A few small boats were mooted to the pier, floating about.

The town itself was considerably big, but not like an actual city or kingdom big. It's like five villages rolled into one. Their buildings were definitely more modern with bricks and hardened mud compared to the stones and planks of villages.

In the center of the town would be the town hall, as Isaac guessed. As they made their way through, Isaac spotted the tavern and also the guild. The whole town seems to be centered around fishing, similar to the White Kingdom.

"Isn't this lovely?" Polus inhaled deeply before exhaling. "The fresh winds of Riverside."

There was nothing fresh about the smell of mud and humidity on this hot afternoon.

"I take it you've been here before," Meng said.

"Oh, plenty of times," Polus said. "Since this town is on the way to Losteria."

"Okay," Isaac said. "Here's the plan. We're not here for sightseeing. Rest up, gather supplies, and collect any information you can. We'll leave at sunset."

"Aw, can't we stay here for a night?" Liliora pouted. "I was looking forward to it."

Isaac shook his head. "We can't waste any time. The faster we get to Losteria, the better." Isaac said. He kinda has his own itinerary for the moment, so he intends to follow it. "What will you guys be doing?"

"I will be selling and buying things, as usual," Polus said as he snapped his fingers and his cart turned into a stand. "Will you be helping me again today?"

Liliora grinned. "Maybe. There's something I need to find out first."

"Liliora has been helping you sell stuff?" Isaac asked.

Polus grinned as he nodded enthusiastically. "She's a succubus, so she can draw people's attention very well. Really good in reeling customers."

Isaac shrugged. "And you? What will you be doing?" He turned towards Meng.

"I guess I'll have a look around town," Meng said. "I'll see if there's anything we should get before we leave for Losteria. Maybe a few tools for myself."

Isaac nodded. So long as they don't cause any problems and be back by sundown, Isaac didn't mind what they were doing. With that, they went their separate ways for now. Isaac knew where he was headed.

Straight to the guild.

The guild looked like the oldest building here, with its walls built with stones and rocks instead of hardened mud and bricks like the other buildings Isaac saw in this town. The guild was built like a fortress, with four watch towers surrounding each of its corners. Two banners hung on either side of the wooden doors, showing an insignia of a curved blue teardrop. Probably the guild's crest or something.

There weren't many people entering and leaving the place, so Isaac didn't expect it to be crowded.

Passing the two armed guards standing outside of the wooden doors, he entered the guild. As he suspected, it wasn't very crowded. Compared to its outside look, the inside of the guild felt cozy. To his left, was the dining area. A bar stood at the far end of the room with several dining tables and chairs arranged neatly in front of it. To his right, it looked like a rest area or a place for adventurers to socialize. More tables and chairs for them with some of them being occupied.

At the far end of the room was the counter. Next to it on the wall, was a bulletin board where Isaac could see all the jobs that have been posted by employers needing help. Isaac went to the counter, where a nice cat lady was waiting.

Isaac said that because she had black cat ears sticking out of her hair and Isaac saw the unmistakable tail gently moving side to side behind her.

"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" The cat lady asked.

"Um, I'm here to register as an adventurer."

"Oh, are you transferring from a new branch?"

"No. This is my first time."

"I see." The cat lady was all smiles and cheerful, which felt weird to him. "To register as an adventurer, you will have to give me your name and we will do a few tests."

"Tests?" Isaac asked He didn't know that there were tests to take.

"It's nothing fancy." The cat lady said. "We need to determine the color of your Aryan Crystal."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "What's that?" Isaac asked and the cat lady explained. An Aryan Crystal is a mineral that can easily be found underneath the Aryan continent. It's not particularly uncommon and is not used for much else other than one single thing. Because of their unique magical properties, Aryan Crystals can turn a person's energy into colored light. It doesn't necessarily mean magical energy, but it's more like the body's innate power.

So guilds use the Crystals as a way to gauge how powerful a person is. Different colors represent different aptitudes and affinities. For example, if the Crystal lights up in blue, that means that person has an aptitude for magic spells in general. Then there are specifics like a green color means an aptitude for healing magic, yellow color means an aptitude for combat magic.

If the Crystal glows in red, it means that person has a talent for combat. Then the specifics boil down to technique or weaponry. For example, silver color is for swordsmanship, brown color is for archery, and so on.

The purpose of adventurers having to wear these Crystals is first off, to let everyone know that they're legitimate adventurers that have been registered. The second one is to make sure that they don't lie for a job. Some people would lie about their abilities just so they are offered a high-paying job, only to put themselves in danger for a job that they can't handle or cause more trouble for the employers.

"I see," Isaac said. "What do I need to do?"

"Just tell me your name and we will begin the test." The cat lady smiled. Isaac told her his name. The cat lady wrote something behind the counter and her room glowed briefly before the light died back down as soon as it appeared. "How would you like to wear your Crystal?"

"Excuse me?"

"We've got plenty of options." The cat lady said. "You can either wear them as pendants or as bangles. We can also do earrings or maybe you would like to embed one into your weapon."

Isaac wasn't keen on showing anyone about it, but he needed it to be somewhere he could pull out. "Give it to me as a necklace."

"Will do, sir." She did some more things behind the counter before she handed Isaac the necklace. A simple string laced around a clear rock, no bigger than a pebble. "Just hold the Crystal and put your energy into it. It will show its colors afterward."

Isaac held the Crystal by his fingers and imagined his energy flowing into it. The Crystal flickered into life as its white light grew brighter ever so slightly. Eventually, the light stopped getting brighter but the color didn't change. It was still colored white, which Isaac had never heard of.

"Um," Isaac said. "Wasn't it supposed to change colors?" The cat lady ignored him. She was more interested in the white glowing rock in his hand.

"Amazing." The cat lady said. "In all my life I've never . . ." She wasn't all smiles now. She snapped back into reality and looked around, to see if anyone noticed. It seems like no one did. From behind the counter, she clasped Isaac's hand and wrapped his fingers around the Crystal. "You tell no one of this. You show this to no one." She said in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked but the cat lady didn't seem interested in explaining the whole thing to him.

"If people ask, tell them your Crystal didn't glow." She said. "And if they need confirmation, tell them to see me."

"Hold on, lady." Isaac held his hands up. "What's the matter?"

The cat lady looked like she could barely contain her excitement. "You have returned after so long. We will await your arrival. Stay safe, my King." She bowed. Then, she disappeared in a blink of an eye. Isaac thought she was hiding behind the counter, but when he looked there was no one there.

Then he thought he was hallucinating. "Hello? Cat lady?" Isaac called.

"She probably went back home." One of the people in the guild said. "They do that."

So Isaac wasn't hallucinating and a cat lady was confusing the hell out of him. On his way out, he kept turning his head to the exit to see if the cat lady would come back. She didn't.

The situation left Isaac confused. Why had the Crystal glowed white? From what the cat lady said, it's not as if it's unheard of but it's more likely that a white glowing Crystal was rare. And for whatever reason, she was in awe about it.

More importantly, she called him her King. Isaac was the Pale King, but up until this point, only a handful of people knew about it. The only one outside the Palace that knew about this was Iola and even then, Isaac didn't confirm anything with him.

So if the cat lady was referring to Isaac as King, she's either got the wrong person or she meant King for another kingdom.

And Isaac was trying to convince himself that it was the former.

But as per her warning, Isaac decided to keep this to himself. The others have enough on their plate to worry about and he didn't want to be a burden to them.

After a few moments in the tavern trying to clear his head, Isaac waited near the town exit where they were supposed to meet at sundown.

It seems Polus go here earlier than he was when he saw him tossing carcasses of small animals into the air and Tristina caught them with her mouth and she munched on her meal happily.

"Heya," Polus said as he tossed another carcass. Then he noticed the look on Isaac's face. "Something wrong?"

"Nope." Isaac lied.

"I'm a merchant. I can tell when people are lying."

"I'm fine," Isaac said. Polus looked like he wanted to ask, but decided not to press it.

Luckily for him, Polus decided to change the subject. "Speaking of which, I have something for you." Polus went to the back of his cart and was rummaging around.

After a few seconds, he came back with a set of armaments. On one hand, he was carrying a wooden bow and a quiver of arrows. On the other, was a beautiful sword. Its handguard was decorated with a royal design. It's a single-edged blade made for slashing. The other side of the blade was hardened, but it was flexible enough to deflect other swords.

"What's this?" Isaac asked.

"I thought you'd be able to recognize a sword on sight," Polus said. "Finest sword from the east."

"I know it's a sword, but what's it for?"

"It's for you," Polus said as if that was obvious.

Isaac sighed in exasperation while Polus laughed heartily with his banter. "I'm just playing with you. I brought you the finest equipment you can get north of the Elven Kingdom."

"You know I can't use neither of these properly, right?" Isaac said.

"Our enemies don't know that." Polus winked. "Besides, you need to always be able to defend yourself, and having this would be better than that sorry piece of metal you call a sword."

Isaac had to admit, the sword that Polus was holding right now looked infinitely better than the rusty old sword he has. And there was some sense in his logic. "Well, I'm saving my money for the journey, so-"

"Oh, you silly goose." Polus groaned. "I said I'm giving it to you and I meant it. It's a gift."

Isaac seems to be taken by surprise. "A gift?"

Polus nodded. "Think of it as a token of appreciation for saving me. And also letting me borrow your friend to make some money."

It seems like Polus was genuinely showing his gratitude towards Isaac, so he figured it'd be rude to decline even though he had no idea how to use a bow or a sword.

"Thanks," Isaac said as he took the weapons.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you this," Polus said. "By any chance after our journey, will your friend be up for a new job opportunity?"

"You mean Liliora?" Isaac said. "You're gonna have to ask her that yourself."

Polus seems to consider that possibility before Meng and Liliora arrived. "You went shopping?" Liliora asked when she saw Isaac holding a bunch of stuff.

"No." Isaac slung the bow over his shoulder and strapped the quiver on his back and the sword on his waist. "Polus just gave me some stuff."

"A bow?" Meng raised an eyebrow. "You can shoot a bow?"

Saying that Isaac could even shoot a bow was generous. Most archers would rely on their aim and accuracy when shooting a bow. For Isaac, he relied on hope and luck that the arrow would hit where he wanted it to.

"I can't," Isaac admitted. "It's just in case."

Meng shrugged as she climbed up the cart. Liliora did the same while Polus climbed to the front of the cart. Tristina looked eager to go so with a gentle lash of the reins, they were off to Losteria.