Level 5: Axel
HP: [████████???] 135/170
Mana: [????????] -1/100
Stamina: [██████████??] 100/120
Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests | Crafting]
Pressing the inventory option, another translucent box appeared in front of me. As it opened, the carriage jolted over a rock on the road, causing me to jump slightly. The top of my head bumped the ceiling, sending a dull throb through my skull. The horses neighed uneasily, but the coachman managed to calm them down easily.
I rubbed my head, glancing out the window. This district, Norman, wasn’t supposed to have roads this bad.
“Damn…” the driver muttered. “Must be those rocks people threw at that poor guy’s house.”
“Whose house?”
“Don’t know his name,” he replied. “But he was caught having an… intimate relationship with an elf. It’s not illegal, but it sure isn’t acceptable around here.”
“So people just throw rocks at his house?”
“To drive him out of the city, yeah.”
“You sound like you pity him,” I said. “Not hate him like the others.”
“Love is love,” he said. “Doesn’t matter the race. It should be like that… but I get why folks are angry.”
“Hmm.”
I shifted my focus back to the translucent box floating in front of me. My inventory was empty, with the exception of the royal piece of clothing I wore. Strangely, the box displayed a silhouette of me, highlighting the placement of the clothing on my midsection. Impressed by the level of detail, I tapped the armor icon. Another box appeared.
======================
ROYAL CLOTHING
======================
Armor: 0
Poison Resist: 10%
Enchantment slots: ? (None)
Upgrade Capacity:
[□□] (2 Upgrades Remaining)
======================
“I should’ve checked this stuff sooner,” I muttered. “What else am I missing? Any quests?”
Another translucent box popped up.
================
NEW QUEST
================
Quest Title: Treasure Hunt
--------------------------
Deadline: -
Objective:
* Explore Gora Ruins and find the map
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
that leads to the treasure location.
--------------------------
Rewards:
- Gold: 1
- Experience: 25 XP
- x4 Rare item material
- x2 Common item material
==========================
[Accept] [Decline] [Enhance]
I didn’t know where the Gora Ruins were and wasn’t eager to risk my life exploring them. Closing the quest box, I opened the map. A small carriage symbol marked my current location, moving toward the boys’ dormitory. Scanning the map, I noticed a yellow exclamation mark near the girls’ dormitory.
Curious, I tapped on it. A bubble appeared, reading: ‘Someone has been stealing underwear from the girls’ dormitory. Put a stop to it.’
No rewards were listed, but even if there were, I wasn’t about to touch that quest. If the theft wasn’t common knowledge and I showed up offering help, everyone would wonder how I knew.
“Next…” I muttered, scrolling further.
Another yellow exclamation mark appeared, this time with a less embarrassing description on the map: ‘A homeless man is asking for help. Retrieve his stolen wooden leg.’
“That I can do,” I said to myself. “Hopefully, the reward includes those rare item materials.”
My plans for starting the day with a hot coffee were derailed. First, I needed to deal with that homeless man’s situation and track down his stolen wooden leg. Why anyone would steal something like that was beyond me. Were people in Kinowa really that desperate? Stealing another man’s prosthetic to sell it off—it was either pitiful or depraved.
As the carriage rolled along, I glanced at the translucent map hovering in front of me. The exclamation mark marking the man’s location was steadily growing closer. He was in the district of Hio, the same place where Jane’s father had taken me to a vailhouse after I was nearly dead.
“Can you stop here?” I called out to the driver.
“The boys’ dormitory is just ahead,” he replied. “You sure you want to get off now? Still raining, though.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, nodding. “I’ve got something to handle in Hio.”
“Suit yourself, boy,” he said, pulling the reins to stop the horses. “Take care. Stay out of trouble.”
I hopped out, shut the carriage door behind me, and looked around. “Hmm.”
The map still floated before me, the exclamation mark close now—just a short walk away, maybe five or six minutes. As I started down the street, the sun finally broke through the dark clouds, and the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. It wasn’t ideal weather for walking, but I had no choice. Being an insomniac meant starting days like this was nothing new to me.
Rounding a corner, I pulled my school uniform over my head to shield myself from the lingering drizzle.
“Did you hear about that idiot?” A man’s voice broke the relative quiet.
“No, what?” his companion asked. “Oh, you man that guy? Ugh… what an idiot he is.”
“Having a relationship with an elf,” the first man said, his voice laced with disgust. “Gods forbid! What kind of sick mind—”
“Disgusting,” the second man interrupted. “It’s… my brain just can’t comprehend it. Why would anyone do that?”
“Because some people are broken in the head,” the first man said. “Straight-up broken.”
“You’re right. Absolutely vile. Disgusting.”
“Hope he fucks off from this city. I got kids here. Kids. I don’t want them to see these sick-minded people.”
“We can only hope, friend. We can only hope.”
Their voices faded into the background as I turned down another street. Ahead, an open space surrounded by houses and taverns came into view. In the center were market stalls, most of them empty due to the weather. A few hardy vendors were setting up, placing goods on display despite the rain’s lingering threat.
At the far end of the square, I spotted two guards stationed at the entrance to another street. I remembered them—they were tasked with checking who could enter the district, filtering out the poor, homeless, and even stray animals.
“Halt,” one of the guards said as I approached. His eyes narrowed, scanning me. “Remove that school uniform from your head. Let me see your ears.”
I sighed, pulling the uniform hood down. “Not an elf,” I said plainly. “See?”
The guard relaxed slightly, nodding. “You’re good to go. Sorry about that, citizen. The Queen ordered us to be extra cautious… anyway, off you go, boy.”
“Hmm.”
“Hey, you heard about that guy?” I heard as I walked away, the other guard talking to his companion. “I was there, throwing rocks at him.”
“What good would that do?” the guard who’d just talked to me said. “We could’ve just hung the bastard. Damned elf-fucker. Who in their right mind would have a relationship with an elf? Some people are just as dumb as a rock, I swear.”
At the end of the street, I stopped to consult the map one last time. The exclamation mark hovered just three blocks away, pinpointing a back alley between two shops. This translucent box and its features were proving to be incredibly useful.
Glancing up at the sky, I noticed the rain had finally stopped. “Good,” I muttered, quickening my pace. “Finally, it stopped..."
