Chapter 126: The Galiant Island (2)
bF1Shirone greeted with a smile, “Yes, we came here for a vacation with friends.”V7k9
sxpc50IIn contrast, Amy openly frowned, having experienced the dark alleys and the underworld in her younger days, she knew why they were being approached.KVh
38YX“Looks like you’re students. Which school? Must be a prestigious one, right?”Hnm
hLwJ“We’re from Alpheas Magic Academy.”u6O3Z
YwDtpCO“Ah, I know that place. It’s close by, so many students come here to hang out.”JCPh
JpgMAmy regretted revealing not just that they were students but also their school, practically inviting trouble.SxX0q
R5NZAK“But you folks seem pretty built for mages.”3Og4j
yppa“What? We’re from Kaizen Swordsmanship Academy! We’re swordsmen, so of course, we’re tall, you idiot!”LI1MY9R
30jPHTjAs Zis had anticipated, Tess snapped back. Proud of her physique, she didn’t appreciate being lumped together with Rian as being ‘big’.MC8NNA
BOrJhxy“Haha! Sorry, I’m not good with words. I meant it as a compliment, but I guess you took it the wrong way.”utcUl
FSsB86UZis thought it was over. Living life on the edge for money meant not adhering to societal norms, even in front of nobility.WSSTVt0
M1rSswEven if there were trouble, hiding for a month was usually enough, since those from across the sea wouldn’t bother coming back for revenge.v2LHwG7
sWXDSjk“Anyway, welcome. I’m Zis, a local guide. Hiring me will take care of everything from tours to meals and accommodation.”XMFmaA
JQag“We’re still discussing among ourselves. We’ll think about it.”oYB3
G8sezShirone repeated what they had said to other hawkers who had approached them, but Zis’s group was different. Having caught their weak point, they persistently pushed their services.y3zi
SAF6n“Come on, why like this? You’re from prestigious schools, so you must have money, right? We’re really in need. You came here to spend money, didn’t you?”7dzD5
8jQBnMrShirone then realized they were not just simple hawkers. Sensing the same, Rian and Tess’s expressions hardened.eRHcwY
S0HXYXMeeting the swordsmen’s gaze, Zis’s friends flinched and stepped back, but Zis himself didn’t blink.JQvlM8H
E55Xxbc‘Heh, they can’t do anything to us anyway.’Wok3
7OfzExZZis, who had been a hawker since he was young, was well-versed in mainland information.g3n
D5xAlpheas Magic Academy strictly prohibits the use of magic outside. And needless to say, Kaizen Swordsmanship Academy, which emphasizes knighthood, would not tolerate misbehavior in a tourist spot.i7EONv
slk5hUm“Anyway, I’m Zis, your local guide. Hire me, and I’ll take care of everything from tours to meals and accommodations.”g4I3QeE
1VGmbpg“We haven’t finished our discussion yet. We’ll think about it.”YxRreCl
m0QShirone repeated what he had said to the other hawkers.BK3v
oG4f9oHowever, Zis and his crew were different. Having found their weakness, they insisted on their services persistently.JOk6
8pegh4“Ah, why are you being like this? You’re from prestigious schools, so you must have money, right? We’re really in need here. You came here to spend, didn’t you?”hfDevH
kwRUShirone then realized they were not just simple hawkers. Sensing the same, Rian and Tess’s expressions hardened.7rXFYGr
BbaMeeting the gaze of the swordsmen, Zis’s friends flinched and stepped back, but Zis himself did not blink.ruT
kDFyoB‘Heh, they can’t do anything to us anyway.’StXQSf
XLPqZis, who had been hawking since he was young, knew the mainland’s information well.QVy
IFJaON3Alpheas Magic Academy strictly forbids the use of magic outside. And needless to say, Kaizen Swordsmanship Academy, which emphasizes knighthood, would not allow any mischief at a tourist site.HkWWC
5UC“Come on, trust me. I’ll show you the most fun way to enjoy Galiant Island. Let’s go. What kind of man lacks resolve? Splash some cash in front of these beautiful ladies. Right? You’ll go, won’t you? Then I’ll carry your bags.”L99
hFwRH4“Hold on! Let us discuss one last time.”unKcn
uiKWKwA“Phew, okay. But really, it’d be mean to refuse now after coming this far.”RHil
9cJZis was already holding the heavy bags in both hands.PlaO
ljYiZTzShirone looked at his friends, perplexed. This was a first for him, and Zis’s attitude made it difficult to deal with him harshly.S1aIaAc
zpPCj“What should we do? Should we leave it to him?”zsxAkM
fucs8“He knows our school, that’s why. They know we can’t act rashly, so they’re acting bold.”ZxFYqxL
AqVUsHearing Amy’s words, Tess was irked. It was a mean tactic but effective. Normally, she would have already thrown a punch, but she was still holding back, which proved her point.GsMp
6b22w8WMeanwhile, Rian didn’t pay much attention. His only concern was Shirone’s safety.P1F
yosG“I don’t mind. If Shirone wants to, I’ll follow. And if they insist, even if he says no, I’ll just beat them up.”gXhotZ
OmZIg9For Rian, this trip was not just a vacation. It was the first outing with Shirone since the knightly vow, a preparation for many such future encounters.XDs
3KPvq“Ah, my arms hurt. Can’t you decide quickly? Even this waiting is costing money.”rNT5
UW1eh“That bastard!”d06y
xbqS74Tess moved to confront Zis, but Shirone stopped her. He wanted to avoid unnecessary violence since the school’s honor was at stake.dXUkfe
OQazp“Okay, we’ll hire you. How much do you need?”9FaNuId
l2ugGZ6“Haha! Good decision. I’ll give you a special discount because it’s you guys. Just give me 5 gold.”QiWS0
VqmQ“5 gold?”PWF
3oUs5Shirone’s eyes widened in shock. 5 gold just to hire a guide was outrageous. The island’s prices were unknown, but it seemed excessive even for an expensive place.Ymks
oGYUe“Isn’t that too expensive?”6qeGO
frWrdVz“Hey, what are you talking about? For 5 gold, you won’t have to lift a finger. I’ll arrange a carriage, find you meals and accommodations, and show you around. It’s a bargain for that price.”13TGt
BBpwiAmy was frustrated. They didn’t want to start trouble right away, but it seemed they were being taken for a ride from the start. Even if they did provide the services, 5 gold was an inflated price, ten times the market rate.9L0djB
d9RDEZ‘Ah, I should have cut them off right from the start.’1aVSs8S
UdhzpAmy regretted remembering past incidents. Why had she forgotten? Such types needed to be stamped down, or they would only become more demanding.nxDaua
XVsUJwj“But even so, 5 gold is a bit much…”7Eka
ZGOJ“This is a tourist spot. It’s natural for things to be pricier.”GSv
Ab5Mx0O“Um, but still…”JQ5JXjE
xdFt“Forget it. Just give it to them and let’s go somewhere else.”hWFH
APNAmy rummaged through her purse. Carrying such people around would only backfire. Once they give in, they would be blackmailed for more money using their weakness.9B0sp
fh4I0xi“Here, take 5 gold. Take it and leave.”mpE
H00bJAmy scattered the gold coins at Zis’s feet. The shining gold coins bounced around his feet.nDk
XunQZ“Wow, gold! Real gold!”LfBBy9j
BLNeaRoZis’s friends scrambled to pick up the coins that had fallen to the ground. Zis, however, remained frozen, unable to move.C4IS
XYalj5aHad someone else thrown the money, he might have scrambled like his friends. But he couldn’t bring himself to crawl on the ground under her disdainful gaze.9SEUSa
DeO4“What are you doing? Are we beggars or something?”E5F2gn
zsa“We don’t need a guide or anything, so just disappear from my sight.”ONtvqd
N2V“Really? Is that your final answer?”4easp
FjzxZTI“Wait a moment. Let’s not get too heated…”gWKl
NUAX53Shirone tried to mediate with an awkward expression. While it was infuriating to be overcharged, Amy’s aggressive response was unexpected.KuK
VC3nKz“Shirone, it’s okay. Let them come at us. What can they possibly do? They’re just scammers, looking to milk more money under the guise of showing us around. They’re irredeemable scum.”kFl
ZEapsxnZis’s friends flinched. It was precisely the kind of business they were in.XNrCK
suByShirone turned away, frowning.YcL0ov
tbddlfW“Amy, stop it.”t86MF
cPs3“What do you mean stop? They think we’re avoiding them because we’re scared. Wouldn’t it be better to set an example here…”LGZ5o
pbj45r“Still, stop.”cdNo6
ierOnly then did Amy close her mouth. Shirone, not being a noble, might have felt uncomfortable watching the earlier scene.7mj2L
iZpeBut if not handled this way, these leeches would cling on, draining them dry.iTg
OXmxZis clenched his teeth, holding back his anger. Pride was all he had lived on. Despite the insults from nobles, he never let it break his spirit.4S0J5HP
NTysz“Zis, let’s just go. We got the money.”eeKzuc
NTv“Give it here.”72h6K
bd2gU9“Huh? What?”53n
GXuNtVO“The gold coins. Give them here. You want to live being treated like this? Don’t you have any pride as a man of the island?”y1B5V
9DwskKaZis snatched the gold coins from his friends one by one. The heavy weight of the coins was exhilarating just to hold.hDFRie
rp9nABut he clenched his fist, suppressing his desire, and looked coldly at Amy.xdE76o3
N5m“Hmph, arrogant nobles. It must be nice to throw around 5 gold coins. How does that feel? I can’t even imagine.”4e7
JI1qF8NWith a defiant chin-up, Zis scattered the gold coins at Amy’s feet. The coins gleamed as they rolled around.my6XhK
XfFrx9u“Ah, so this is how it feels? Fantastic. Let’s go, guys.”0m8tUG
v7bZis and his friends disappeared into the alley.gokzX2
b7gAmy was dumbfounded by their audacity, but by then, the subjects of her ire were gone.gsfC
z10cn“Ugh, just letting them go like that. Shirone, why did you stop me? These types need to be taught a lesson.”wRPG4
jPD8HJ“I know. But if you really disliked it, you could have just said no or shown your anger. There was no need to go this far.”xc7CS3
AwhVGy1“What do you mean? Are you saying I’m looking down on people because I have money?”Dl0kdN6
guD“I don’t think that. But it ended up looking like that, didn’t it?”Wp6UsWr
k4qY5“Do you even understand what kind of people they are? You’ve been through it when you were younger, haven’t you?”3pkJlp
zfPNmaShirone bit his lip. Maybe Amy was right. But no matter the opponent, he didn’t want to see her demeaning someone else’s dignity.88K9uEW
OROA“Let’s just go. We should find a carriage first.”Fb9nn
ac19fARWith Shirone remaining silent, Amy turned and walked away first. Tess, watching the scene, scratched her head in confusion.arFNN
baZ“Ah, this is awkward.”88K
LEZF5***PkqEq1
l79Y4fIn the alley besides Dock 3, Zis bickered with his friends. They were supposed to make a fortune with the arrival of the ship, but now with the customers gone, all they could do was argue.vpoi
s3JDj9P“Zis! How could you give the money back! That was 5 gold, enough to avoid paying our dues for days.”Dvl2
lfAk“Do you guys have no pride? Accepting money thrown at your feet like beggars?”807E8hN
6N5H“So what? Money is money.”xfAMMu
WoxTm5“I can’t do that. Damn girl! There’s a limit to looking down on someone!”vvnyK
3guXbTZis’s fist trembled with rage. But his friends couldn’t understand him. Why was he so upset?TfxLlDb
4RhujqtSure, the act of scattering money was humiliating even to them, but the arrogance of the nobility wasn’t new.7XIHT
aV2“Zis, be honest. You fell for that girl, didn’t you?”bZvSAby
uVML“What? Why would I fall for her?”aFl
hrD2s6“You always act tough in front of girls you like. But she’s a noble. It’s impossible, and given how easily she gave 5 gold, she must be from a high-ranking noble family.”H7ShlZ
5FAtER“So what? Just because she’s a noble? I’m Zis. I’m going to be the ruler of this harbor!”RVR9gz
biXJq1eAt that moment, footsteps echoed from the dark part of the alley. The distinctive sound of shoe soles with studs hitting the ground made Zis’s hair stand on end.Xjl
dvSQMPHis friends felt the same. In the harbor, there was only one person who made that sound when walking.MNXb
HcY0Az“Hey, Zis.”jAFkBcR
57H1Uo2It was a middle-aged man of medium build with a rough appearance and sharp, snake-like eyes. He was Falcoa, the action team leader of the Freeman organization that Zis and his group were part of.eRvrxGZ
iDhfZis shivered. Falcoa was cruel. True to his violent nature, he wasn’t concerned about getting hit. He would rush at 10 or 100 people alike, hitting anyone in his path. He wasn’t called the madman of Galiant for nothing.jQNj
XgkST“Ah, Falcoa. Hello.”8CmA
Ap2Falcoa chewed his jaw, draping an arm around Zis’s shoulder. The repulsive smell hit Zis’s nose hard. An addict, Falcoa never let go of the root he chewed on.dLw
cXCp“Give it here. You got the money, right?”8Ld
5PJI3lC“Ah, well… no, we don’t.”z0orE
7y5UVWm“You don’t?”Ii1sRZR
ukkGxA cold light flickered in Falcoa’s eyes. Realizing trouble was imminent, Zis’s friends prostrated themselves on the ground.LrekeIs
sA5EiO4“Please, spare us! They said they wouldn’t take our carriage! Even though we stuck with them until the end, they threatened us…”vzxHivo
WEH“Really? Then what was that you threw earlier? Was that not money but shit?”syY4Jj
N3t7Zis’s heart sank. Falcoa had been watching from the beginning.WID8hKq
OFQzWas this how a frog feels when bitten by a snake? Strangled by fear, he could hardly breathe.k72ETvP
x5rDeSG“Ah, what to do with you cute things?”Z2P0j
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