Chapter 12: Town of Shar

Five days passed since their farewell with Ecuti and her father. The whole time, Ahli was recovering in the room of the Dragon Nugget. By the morning, Ahli had woken up early and prepared for leaving the inn. He put on the tunic that was given to him by Mr. Granger, as his shirt was badly damaged in the battle against the bandit.

He grabbed the belt of the deck box and put it on his waist. After he wore it, Ahli walked toward the window to check if anything suspicious outside. After he confirmed that it was clear, he closed the wooden window and lock it. Ahli took a string and tied both locks. He made sure the lock of the wooden window was properly tied, so no one could open it from outside.

Ahli then approached the door and slowly opened it as he took a peek between the gap that became wider and wider. He popped out his head and checked along the hallway if anybody was around, and the situation was also clear.

Slowly he closed the door again, avoiding making any noise. Ahli then grabbed the chair in the room and put its top back under the handle of the door, to prevent it to be opened by anyone. As he finished with everything, he took a deep breath.

"Okay, then. All fine. CARTA"

As he said that while touching the deck box at the side of the belt, the window of the card mage system appeared before him. He went through the equipped deck immediately and sorted the list of cards that were included in it. As he came to the three cards that he got from the battle with bandits, he started to focus on them.

BURNING THE MEMORY

1+Fire Mana

Choose 1.

- Deal 3 damage to target unit.

- Discard up to two cards and draw that many cards.

DISPUTE IN THE PACK

4+Fire Mana + Fire Mana

Target enemy unit deals damage to each other enemy units equal to its power. At the same time, each other enemy units deal damage to that targeted enemy unit.

ABRASION

X+Fire Mana

Destroy X inanimate object.

Ahli understood very well how beneficial these three cards are for his future battle. He got a burn spell as well as a draw in Burning the memory, a mass sweeper in Dispute in the Pack to deal with many enemies, which is much better than using Shaking Fire, and lastly a disarm tool against many foes with Abrasion.

Whatsoever, Abrasion is an X spell, which means with as low as two mana sources available, Ahli could just pay the amount of X, as well as of course one fire mana, to destroy from 1 up to an infinite number of enemy weapons.

RATTLE RATTLE

The door handle was turned a couple of times, meaning someone was on the other side of the door, trying to open it. The twist and turn then stopped, followed by multiple knocks on the door.

"AHLI! ARE YOU AWAKE?" Sharon's voice was quite loud as she spoke. Ahli wondered if it would not bother the other guest in the Inn.

He quickly closed the window of the system and walked toward the door. "COMING!"

Ahli removed the chair from under the door handle and opened the door wide. He saw Sharon who seemed to be prepared. She looked into the dark room as Ahli still closed the wooden window.

"Were you…?" Sharon's question was immediately replied to with a nod from Ahli.

"O-kay. Are you ready to go?" Asked her again.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Ahli walked toward the window and untied the knot on the lock. He then grabbed the dark moss green robe that was given to him by Mr. Granger and put it on.

"Looking proper now. And you look good." Commented Sharon who scanned Ahli from head to toe.

"Really?" Ahli somehow felt happy given the compliment, so he made a 360 turn, to show his full outfit to Sharon.

"Yeah, I mean it. Now, let's go." Sharon rolled her eyes as she answered Ahli. She seemed to be regretting giving Ahli the compliment.

She was already passing the door as she suddenly turned 180 degrees and walked back toward Ahli.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot to give you this." She handed to him a short sword. "I assumed you do know how to use a short sword."

Ahli took the short sword from her as he was confirming to Sharon, "Well, not a real one, only a prop for cosplay."

"Cosplay?" Again, Ahli quickly reminded with Sharon's question that he sometimes blurted out too much unnecessary information that made her confused.

"Oh, it's a hobby that exists in my world." Quickly Ahli answered in a way that should make Sharon understand it fully.

"Oh, I see. So, in your leisure time, you practiced sword fight? That's good." From the way she continued the conversation, Ahli could assume that Sharon had fully believed what he said.

"More or less." He placed the short sword on the right side of the belt.

"Are you okay with the sword on the right? Can't you do anything with the deck box?" Asked Sharon, expressing her concern as she seemed to feel that the sword position seemed not right.

"Well, unfortunately, the deck box is in a fixed situation. But don't worry, I've trained pulling a sword with my left hand." Ahli tried to show how he handle the sword using his left hand. He tried to pull it however it was not able to be done in one go. He saw how Sharon's face showed a deep concern for him, even though he was able to pull the sword in the end.

"Fine then. Shall we go?"

The two left the inn and walked toward the town of Shar. Their journey took no more than two hours to complete.

When they passed the gate of Shar, Ahli saw how the guards were not strict in checking the coming people. He and Sharon passed them without any problem occurring at all.

"So, where are we going?" Asked Ahli who clearly did not know what Sharon was up to in the town aside from collecting info. "Aren't we going to collect some info?"

"Yeah, that's the only business we have in this town. Just follow me and try not to attract any attention." Ahli moved his position from Sharon's side to her back as it would be easier for him to follow her.

She took him toward an alley that was quite big. In it, with many street vendors and people roaming through it. They passed through the street and Ahli saw how traditional markets in every world surely are the same. There are butchers with products of questionable hygiene, and all sorts of things could be found there.

"We're here." Sharon's words made him move his attention from the vendors toward the front.

He saw plank above a seller that he assumed was selling some candy art, as the crowds were hindering his view of a better look. The plank itself has a picture of a boar head on it and was connected to a building at the right of the street.

Sharon took a turn below the plank and entered the establishment. Ahli quickly followed and what he saw inside was a dimmed lighted tavern, with questionable people getting drunk in the middle of the day.

Sharon looked around the inside of the tavern and as she finally locked her view to a certain part of it, she walked toward it with Ahli following. At one of the corners, a bald old man wearing a patch on his right eye was enjoying his booze. There were 4 bottles at his table and nothing else.

As Sharon stood in front of him, she placed 3 pieces of gold coins in front of him without saying anything. Ahli also did not speak anything as he observed the situation. The old man responded to her action by looking at her.

"Oh..., hi..., pretty miss.... You came... again...." He smiled at her drunkenly.

Sharon smiled back at him before she turned to face the bar counter and put up a hand gesture to the barkeep, showing the number 3. The barkeep replied with a nod, making Sharon turn again to face the drunken old man. She took a chair and pulled it before she sat on it.

"Long time no see, Mr. Nald." Sharon made another gesture that was aimed toward Ahli, telling him to sit as well, on the seat beside her and Mr. Nald. Ahli quickly followed the order.

"It's been…how long…3 months…4 months….?" Asked Mr. Nald drunkenly.

"Yeah, around that long I guess."

The barkeep came to the table. He carried 3 bottles of booze and placed them on their table. Sharon took the 3 gold coins and gave them to the barkeep, who left immediately.

"So…what honor…do…I have…this…occasion…?" Asked Mr. Nald again. He took a sip of the bottle he was drinking, which stopped halfway as he realized that it was empty. He grabbed one from among the ones that were just being brought and started to drink from it.

"I have several questions today." Said Sharon straight to the point.

Mr. Nald stopped sipping and put the bottle down on the table. He looked at her and said, "With this …amount of bottle…, I'd say…, you… may ask me… as many as you want..."

Sharon smiled and looked at Ahli as if she was saying, 'We got this.' She then continued by asking, "Any new info regarding the card mages?"

"Ah…, you really… not wasting… any time…. Sometimes… you need… to savor the moment… you know…?" Teased Mr. Nald.

He took another sip before continuing. "They…are preparing… to assault… the rebel hideout… in Olf City…. It seemed… the one… in charge there… was a new… card mage lady…."

Hearing a piece of info mentioning a new card mage lady made Ahli question whether that would be Jena, however, the possibility was low as he himself did not know whether or not she joined with the card mages.

"Do you know how does she look like?" Asked Sharon as if she understood that Ahli wanted to hear the info in further detail.

"Small…and quite sadistic…I heard…other than that…I know not…" Luckily for Ahli, the description was way off from how Jena's appearance is.

"I see. By the way old man, do you have any info regarding a female that seemed to be foreign at the town of Pire, a month ago?" Sharon and Ahli's eyes met as she finished with that question. He gave him a nod as his gratitude for representing him asking the question.

"My…, that would be… difficult… to answer… The amount… of ale… surely… not enough…" Ahli almost raised from his seat hearing the answer if Sharon did not raise her hand to halt him.

[YOU SAID WE COULD ASK AS MANY AS WE WANT, OLD MAN!]

"Aaah… your lady…isn't it…, young man?" Said Mr. Nald as Ahli's intention was so clear to him. He then took another sip of the ale.

CLING!

Three more gold coins were put on the table by Sharon as she said, "We'll be back in a week. We hope by then we'll be hearing good news."

She gave a bow to Mr. Nald before she stood and leave the table. Ahli looked at the gold coins when Mr. Nald's fat left hand grabbed them and pulled them toward himself.

"So rare of her to act like this. It seems you are special to her." Of a sudden, Mr. Nald spoke as if he was never drunk. Ahli was surprised by it and wondered if he faked it just because it was Sharon.

He became intrigued by what Mr. Nald said about Sharon however, and he looked in her direction, seeing her leaving the establishment.

"Take care of her. I'll see you in a week." Said Mr. Nald again.

Ahli quickly bowed and left the table chasing Sharon. Outside, he saw her was waiting for him.

"What took you so long?" Asked her with a grumpy face. "Come on. Let's go."

As she turned, Ahli quickly ran to her front, halting her movement. "Sharon, I'm sorry you have to spend another 3 gold coins for him. I'm sure will pay you back."

"How?"

"Huh?" Ahli realized he did not think through on how he will make it happen. He racked his brain and questioned himself about it.

"You don't have any money and you basically don't know how to obtain one. Yet, you spoke of paying me back." Sharon folded her arms in front of her. "You shouldn't speak of something you can't do; you know?"

"I know. It just…" Ahli looked to the ground in shame. He was feeling foolish blurting lines he read from the fictions he consumed.

"And yes, you should feel sorry that I spent another 3 golds for you. It was technically the last money we had." What she said made Ahli more feeling guilty.

She then put her left hand on Ahli's left shoulder as she leaned into him. "Which is why, you now have to work."

"Huh?" Ahli simply did not understand by what she meant with work. More questions filled his mind as Sharon took his hand and dragged him toward the crowds, leaving the street.