Lost In The Callallis Maze

chapter 6

"That went smoothly," I said quietly.

"Yes, but stay alert. We're not out of the woods yet," he replied, guiding the wagon into the bustling city.

The busy roads were filled with wagons and carriages moving in and out of the city,

"Hey! Kely! Bring a sack full of rice and flour from the market!" A person shouted bursting out from a tavern.

"ALRIGHT!!" Someone replied.

"Mama, I wan'a that smoall horse. Gibmee" a child said to his mother, throwing a fit.

The people in the city were lively, who seemed to live each day hoping for a better today or life. A huge difference to how we used to live.

The tall houses and opulent facilities were a stark contrast to what I was accustomed to. The streets were filled with people of all kinds,

"..hey, have you heard of the arrest warrant for the house of Veparila by the Astrain Empire?.."

"..Alright, put those boxes here.."

A lot of activities were going on, chattering to gossip to work.

"...this city seems lively, huh?" I mumbled, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

On the road, I saw a family walking out of a store – the father, mother, and two children – which reminded me of my possible position. But that was all left behind; as if my past self was killed along with my family. I was not the same as before.

We soon reached a parking space for wagons, and as I got down, I couldn't help but notice the stares of the people.

A certain woman had a very dumbfounded expression as her eyes landed on me, not my armour but rather my eyes... And she quickly left. However, I didn't think much.

"Hey, don't you think people are staring a little too much?" I whispered to him as he hopped out.

"Don't think too much... Your armor might be standing out a bit more than I thought," he whispered back.

".. I shouldn't have worn it... then, hell descend on earth.." I sighed.

Another person approached us – the caretaker of the wagons, it seemed.

"Ah, hello! Are you new here?" The man with a very simplistic face asked.

"Yes, we're staying here for a while and hope that you'll take care of our horse," he replied.

"For how many days, I ask? The fee is decided by the week," the simplistic man then said.

".. Hmm, we haven't decided yet. However, we will stay here for more than a week. Then you'll be informed," he said.

The man then handed us a piece of paper.

"Could you sign it? Ah, and there'll be an advance fee. You may trust us, and if you encounter any difficulty, you can report it directly to our main base, located around the center of Avaloria," the man said as he took back the signed papers.

"Thank you for using our services! There's a hunter association branch just ahead; you can rest there!" the man said.

"... Was he trustworthy? He doesn't seem to be," I said as I glanced at the featureless man, to which he smiled.

"It's a company; let's not worry. We'll hurry to the hunter association first," he said as we walked out of the wagon caretaker's space.

"Hunter association? Why not a tavern or inn?" I asked as we merged with the crowded street.

The street buzzed with the sounds of bells and the shouts of vendors. The cacophony of people talking became almost deafening.

"The rise of monster outbreaks is increasing all over the world. To safeguard the citizens of kingdoms, the concept of a hunter association was introduced. This organization attracts individuals wishing for "fame" or "justice" and employs them. it's becoming famous as a decent career choice for those seeking an adventurous life, albeit with their lives on the line. The facilities of the guild are far better than local taverns, which is why we're heading there," he explained.

".. Right, but couldn't they just recruit soldiers from among the voluntary citizens?" I asked.

"Soldiers require training, but hunters do not. Plus, it's clearly stated in the contract that the guild isn't responsible for any deaths," he replied.

"It all comes down to greed, huh?" I said as we approached the hunter guild house sign.

"I mean, they introduced a new career path that allows one to gain renown. Humans kill for validation, so I think it's a clever idea. They also provide better protection than guards," he said.

Many groups of hunters and people were moving in and out of the building,

"..Brother kiye, did you hear that the famous 'red demons' will be back after 13 days of subjugating a large group of trolls?"

"Ah yeah, I think it was a group of 41.. ish? They're great at their work but reallyy... their naming sense makes me wanna barf..." the hunter with peculiar eyes sighed, noticing my glance but paid no mind.

"...hey smithi, check that young girl's armour. That defo cost a big penny."

"IT'S SMITH, but yeah.. must be royalty. Not rare for them to be here but... Ignore them, it'll only cause us trouble..."

A duo of hunters whispered to eachother... Though I could hear them..

We then approached the front of the association house.

The hunter association building itself was fancy, with intricate designs as if carved out of a tree. The bustling atmosphere of the street gave it an "alive" feel.

However, The fact that hunters were allowed to carry weapons on sight felt a bit ridiculous however.

"It's kind of ridiculous that weapons are allowed... That big bald guy could slaughter everyone here if he wanted," I whispered.

"Don't worry; such an act of terrorism would mark a hunter for life. If he did that, a bounty would be placed on his head, and he'd be hunted for the rest of his life," he whispered back, chuckling a little.

As he pushed opened the door to the guild house, We were greeted by cautious and curious eyes from every corner, there weren't many who were present due to it being a time just after direct sunfall however, those glances were still overwhelming.

The scent of warm foods and chattering of people fell silent upon our entry,

Despite the eyes, I was looking around the guild house; a massive room where spiral tables lined both sides of the house, and in the middle a section of receptionists lay examining and helping hunters there.

A kitchen was laid beside the left of the house and several rooms, which I didn't know what for. A staircase to the left of the reception area led to the second floor, which was open and had alot of rooms.

Which I reckon were for rent,

Walking up to the receptionist, everyone kept glaring at us. Many seemed in awe of my armor and his presence.

"H-hello, are you here to register as a hunter or book a room?" the receptionist asked, a bit taken aback by my armor and his appearance.

"We'd like a room for two," he said.

"Alright, that'll cost you four copper pieces per night," the lady said, handing us the key.

As we headed for the stairs, a drunk man stopped us.

"Oi, what does royalty have to do here, huh?!" the man shouted, clearly intoxicated.

"We're not royalty, just passing travelers," I said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Ahaha, I'm sorry for his rude behavior. He's been having a rough time recently," his companion said, pushing him out of our way.

"Leave them be; let's hurry to our room," "Alden" whispered.

"What're you doing, punk?! Haaah?? Aren't you supposed to be on my team? Why are you siding with these corrupt demons?!" the drunk man shouted at his companion.

By that time, we had already gone up the stairs.

"Shut up; you're going to cause us trouble if you keep that up!" I heard his companion shout.

We headed towards our room, in the second floor overwatching the main floor.

As "Alden" opened the door to our room,

I immediately lunged to the bed, finally falling for a moment of rest after a long day of many events that went beyond my capacity to handle.