Capítulo 54: Not Very Good at Bartering
Rentaro climbed into the wagon under Kilg's hasteful urges, two other figures coming into view.
Seated along a bench was a youth perhaps in his early thirties, though it was difficult to ascertain with the existence of cultivation.
He wore a white uniform, donning a sheathed blade at his side. With black hair and golden pupils, many young women would fawn over him.
In stark contrast to his appearance, a young girl lay sleeping, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair was a pompous pink, wearing a white and pink dress decorated with floral embroidery.
Behind Rentaro, Icrin's eyes sparkled as he blurted out in shock, "So pretty!"
The man snorted, "I don't enjoy prying eyes, how about you mind your own business?"
His voice was threatening, but his eyes also contained a trace of worry.
Things were not as simple as they seemed.
Icrin muttered under his breath, "I wasn't talking about you."
Roy and Rjuka followed close behind, the man reaching for his sword hilt in caution, ignoring Icrin's remark..
"Sir, I thought it was only the two of us who paid for a spot on your wagon?"
A small slot slid open on the wall of the wagon, Kilg's eyes peering through, "The more the merrier! I'm just trying to spice up the trip a bit!"
The man puckered his lips in annoyance, no longer speaking as he closed his eyes to rest.
"I hope everyone is ready to go, we have quite the journey ahead of us. Guf, Shnu, let's get a move on!"
Kilg called out and the two grey horses pulling the wagon neighed loudly, the wagon wheels grinding over the terrain as they tumbled along the ground.
Rentaro looked over his shoulders, just in time to see Icrin open the jade box.
Inside the box was a small, but beautiful staff carved with meticulous engravings.
Accompanying the staff was a piece of paper, as well as a rolled-up scroll.
Icrin read the paper, before grabbing the staff, biting his finger to drop a splotch of blood on it.
The engravings shined briefly.
'I guess everything requires a drop of blood, huh?' Rentaro mused off to the side.
Held in Icrin's hands, the staff suddenly increased in length before decreasing once again.
Rentaro caught a glimpse of the paper, reading a short message from Astrona.
The staff had been specially crafted by him and Icrin's parents. Astrona had even engraved a formation that allowed it to change in size as the owner willed it.
Icrin unrolled the scroll, reading it briefly before putting it away.
Rentaro could see his eyes tremble. He comforted him, but didn't pry any further into its contents. Some stuff was just too personal to ask.
Weeks passed as they ventured through many open woodlands, sometimes traveling off the paved trails.
It seemed that Kilg was very familiar with the area, being quite the braggart in regards to knowing numerous shortcuts to shave off time.
The two horses pulling the wagon were also astounding, seemingly lasting for weeks without need for rest.
The beasts of this world—they were far too strong to compare to those of his old life.
Rentaro also became more familiar with the other two guests, learning that the girl's name was Fia, while the man's was Zain.
Fia was very friendly and more than pleased to share some of her journeys, her pink eyelashes fluttering and her pink faerie-like irises enchanting Icrin with every look from her.
Icrin spoke of his and Rentaro's struggles, exaggerating his strength dramatically in hopes of leaving a good impression.
While it wasn't what he was going for, Fia giggled uncontrollably every time, prompting Icrin's face to redden.
Despite his cold hearted exterior, Zain also developed an interest in regards to Rentaro and Icrin's abilities.
Rentaro had shared a bit about his summoning abilities, though he didn't dare to mention the existence of his system.
He also summoned Kyon, but refrained from bringing out the Colo-Colo.
After all, it never hurt to keep some tricks up one's sleeves.
Aside from the day to day chit-chat, the two avoided mentioning their origins or family history.
Rentaro naturally had no interest in prying.
If they wanted to divulge more about themselves, then they would.
If not, then so be it.
The little window slid open, and Kilg laughed, "Well, it seems the ice has thawed out by now, huh?"
His gaze focused on Rentaro and Zain, the fat on his face jittering.
"My dear Guf and Shnu are rather exhausted after traveling nonstop for what has almost been a month! I hope you can understand the need to let them rest for a couple days."
Rentaro nodded along easily while Zain reluctantly agreed.
Just then, the bushes surrounding the wagon shook and several figures made their appearance.
They were all men dressed in varying armors with different weapons; Rentaro thought they dressed the role of clichéd bandits too well.
"Hoh? Trouble is here." Kilg muttered as if it were a normal occurrence.
From the cart, Rentaro caught a glimpse of Zain's brows furrowing, while Fia held close to him. He grasped the hilt of his sword, ready to take action.
'I guess I can't slack either.'
Rentaro thought, fiddling a small needle between his fingers while gazing out of the back curtain.
He unsummoned Roy, Kyon, and Rjuka. The three of them would make for great surprises, especially Rjuka with his unsettling abilities.
Then, he summoned Colo-Colo. Under his orders, it quickly flew out of the wagon, before taking cover below it.
Although its personal strength wasn't much, the value of its recon abilities more than made up for it!
One of the men walked up to Kilg, holding an axe threateningly as he demanded, "You see a girl? Young, pink hair, real flowery clothing?"
Rentaro glimpsed at Fia, 'They are after her?'
He didn't feel surprised despite this "revelation."
One look at her faerie-like appearance and the elegantly dressed man by her side was enough to assume they were of high standing,
'But what will Kilg do?' Rentaro looked around cautiously.
"Young... Pink hair... Flowery clothing?" Kilg's chubby hand rubbed his chin in thought.
"Yes. Now cut to the chase! She's definitely in your wagon; we have tracked her scent all the way here."
"Tracked her scent? Well, I have quite the sense of smell! I might be able to help you!"
"I... We don't need your help, now stop playing games. If you hand her over voluntarily, we might just spare you."
Kilg tapped the wooden flooring next to him, pleading, "Well, this is quite the predicament. Do you have any coin? You must understand how tough it is to run a traveling caravan!"
The other men laughed mockingly as they felt a sense of desperation from Kilg's words.
"Sure, brother, we will give you quite the reward!"
"We have some tasty food, that should be up your alley! Right, big guy?" another mocked.
Silently inside the wagon, Zain unsheathed his blade, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Coin will do, just like this one." Kilg said, a gold coin rolling out of his left sleeve and between his fingers.
The bandits took notice of the reflecting light with greed and one of the men lunged forth without control.
"Tch." Kilg clicked his tongue scornfully, his black cane sliding out of his right sleeve and into his hand.
He smiled, raising the bottom of the cane to the man's chest, "Bang."
His voice was quiet, but a burst of energy shot out of the cane.
The bandit froze, his mouth wide open. He looked down at his chest in shock.
There was a huge hole where his heart should be, but before he could utter another sound, his body fell to the ground.
Under everyone's shocked gazes, the man was killed instantly.
Kilg sighed, "You were offering me a reward, and yet you dared to try and take what was mine? Not very good at bartering, are you?"
He spat on the ground, almost hitting the man's body.
"I almost ruined a good meal."
The others looked on in fear, their bodies shuddering.
'A good meal? What are you talking about?' their minds raced.
Kilg continued, talking to the horses, "Guf, Shnu, the two of you are quite hungry, aren't you? Go ahead and eat your fill."
Enlivened by his offer, they neighed loudly before lowering their heads to the body. Their mouths opened, their large teeth chomping down and brutally tearing into the fresh corpse gluttonously.
The sight was far too gruesome, even for the group of bandits.
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder