The Orphan Picks up Bow and Magic

Chapter 2: The Mercenary's Offer

Hidden within a secluded corner of the slums, he ingeniously constructed the makeshift shelter using weathered wooden planks, chipped stones, and fragments of clay tiles. Stacked on top of one another, the shelter could only be called shabby.

Entering his den, he immediately took out the spoils he had gained from the day and set it on the floor.

Before the vendor incident, he had stolen from other people who passed by him. Today's routine of thieving had yielded him two drawstring pouches, a loaf of bread, and some meager change that he had picked from the pockets of passing individuals.

Driven by hunger, he reached for the loaf first. It was hard as a rock, but he didn't mind, chewing with relish. Once his hunger was sated, he turned his attention to the pile of coppers.

-Fourteen coppers... decent enough. A loaf of bread usually goes for one copper, so this haul isn't bad... but it's still not enough.

Unimpressed with the meager change, he hastily moved on to untying the first pouch.

[Clatter]

As its contents spilled out, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Five silver coins!? That makes it thirteen in total!"

Thud!

Urgh!

In his exhilaration, he sprang up, his head colliding with the low ceiling.

"That hurts damn it..."

Stroking the lump that formed in the back of his head, he contemplated succumbing to his impulse after leaping in excitement as he slowly sat back down to check the last remaining pouch.

Rubbing the emerging lump on his head, he chastised himself for his impulsive leap of joy, before slowly settling back down to inspect the remaining pouch.

Lying amidst the common silver and gold coins on the floor were unusual greenish coins he'd never laid eyes on before.

".... Huh-"

In his life, never had he gotten the opportunity to see gold and green colored coins before. Confused with the green-colored coins, he decided to count the gold and silver ones first and keep the green ones aside, just in case.

"That rascal... was he a noble!?"

The pouch he'd filched from the young noble had held a staggering fifty-seven gold coins, twenty-three silvers, and three mysterious green coins. He wasn't certain about the value of gold coins, but he had a rough idea about the silver ones.

-I'm not dreaming am I...?

Pinching his cheeks from both sides until they grew hot, he once again eyed his loot in front of him in a daze, seemingly shocked and in disbelief of the situation.

-Gold coins huh... well I've never thought about it but, If a hundred copper coins is equal to one silver coin, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that ten silver coins is equal to one gold coin?

Thinking of such thoughts, he spotted a triangular object nestled among the scattered coins.

Picking it up, he carefully observed the object. Mostly crafted from gold, it bore an intricate engraving of a serpent facing north, coiled around the crest of the kingdom etched on the ruby-red stone portion of the object.

-What a peculiar coin, along with the green-colored ones. He thought

Stashing them in a secure spot, exhaustion soon overtook him, drawing him towards his makeshift bed, his brows furrowing in deep contemplation.