Pact…weapon…?

  I deadpan at the man.

  He has to be pulling my leg.

  The shopkeeper put his hands up in a disarming manner, clearly from seeing my expression. He bends over the table, looks like this may take a minute to explain.

  “N-no. Nowadays… adventurers like you might’ve activated a secret—er, skill, to make something of that sort happen. It’s not entirely bad you see?”

  He speaks, but his tone tells me he’s not entirely trying to convince me. The latter part felt like it was more to disrespect and deter me. Are pact weapons a…a bad thing in this world?

  I don’t want to press on further, but I can’t help it. I know it wasn’t me that activated some secret skill, but instead something else. Could it be a pact weapon?

  But it’s in the name. PACT. WEAPON. Is this guy assuming I made a pact with something? No, can’t be. My memory doesn’t go that far back.

  My eyes narrow down to his. Not breaking line of sight. Not breaking contact at all. Doesn’t look like I’ll get anywhere lest I bring it up again.

  I shake my head, “Maybe. Or maybe not. Either way—appreciate the help.”

  The guy didn’t answer all of my questions, but gave me a reasonable basis. The whole…Pact Weapon thing interests me, but if I think that it might not be the case, then there’s no point in receiving a lecture on what it is.

  If I learned anything in this world, is that my curiosity can get me killed. Too much delving into negative things will get me killed. And surely…I don’t know if I can survive another life-threatening situation.

  I turn to the side, about to walk away before the shopkeep speaks again.

  “...hey kid, wait.”

  Now that, garners my attention. Kid?

  I turn back to him, and he speaks once more.

  “You came in here with no weapon, didn’t you? I find it hard to believe that you only came here with a question about a longsword.”

  His eyes dance all around me. He’s analyzing me. Looking for something that speaks out to him. I don’t think he’ll figure me out. Hell, I haven’t even figured myself out yet.

  To be fair, I was never from here to begin with.

  I sigh, might as well cut him some slack.

  I nod my head. “Yep, and now I’m leaving.”

  I fully turn and begin my steps. Heading out. However, something rang through the air. Almost as if it was slicing it.

  I turned around in the nick of time, and caught it with my left hand. As to what I caught was nothing more than just a dagger. My grip tight on it’s handle.

  The shopkeep crosses his arms, “You don’t look like you are from around here, but over here? We don’t let adventurers leave empty-handed, especially against what’s out there.”

  “You’re either armed or you’re a corpse. Store policy.”

  I don’t say much. I’m not startled, but moreso surprised. He threw it at me. A dagger? For free? There’s so much to unpack here.

  But only one thing escapes my mouth.

  “Thanks. Surely you weren’t going to throw a weapon at an unsuspecting bystander.”

  He gives out a hearty laugh.

  “You are more cunning than you look.”

  I wield the dagger in my hands. Small, nice fit. Never learned much with a weapon like this. Closest thing I’ve ever had to this was probably a pocket knife. But then again, it’s better than nothing.

  A smile crept on my face, I wave at the shopkeep, thanking him. Now…this is something to go off of.

  I left the store with a renewed sense of vigor. A newfound purpose. Still halfway exhausted from all of the walking I had done physically, but this gave me a new angle.

  A new angle to work off of.

  I begin walking again, following the masses. Not the best in quality, but it'll do for now—at least until I figure out what’s going on with that sword.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  I wield it in my hand. I guess this town is more of a “community” than I thought it was. The way he said it made it feel like a rule like that isn’t universal anywhere else. So basically, no weapon, no future.

  Good to know.

  I pocket the small dagger in one of my leg straps. While the pants were baggy, and surely not combat-utilized, it had its own utilities. Something a mountaineer would wear personally. Minus…a lot of pockets.

  Now that I have a weapon, the next goal is to keep moving. Move on from this town. Food? Shelter? Less of my worries. I can chance it and see if there’s a far bigger settlement somewhere else.

  Now that I know my chances are better with this dagger, I can confirm on that. I haven’t felt hungry in the last day either. Water may be a problem however. Maybe I should get a canteen…

  Well, that’s assuming that I’m not town-hopping and I’m out there stranded in the wild. Or, the badlands as I like to call it. Nothing but dirt, rare patches of grass, and the occasional monster from time to time.

  But then again, I have limited pockets. Limited room. If there’s anything else I need to get, it’s a canteen. Never to sure on that.

  But this area, this town is pretty massive. There has to be a store somewhere, right? A survival store? Maybe the armory has a canteen…

  Even if they had one, I doubt I could ask for another favor. The shopkeep already did enough—I’m not looking to rack up a tab.

  I turn around, doing a whole 180. My eyes scout each wooden building. The signs really don’t tell me much. Other than the obvious symbols that I needed to be shoved right in front of my face.

  However, there was one that did catch me eye. It wasn’t the sign, but the building. The way it was formatted. If my suspicions were right, then this MIGHT just be what I’m looking for.

  I approach the entrance, and two men exit the double doors. I don’t pay them much mind—one guy has his arm slung around the other, both dressed in snazzy suits. The faint smell of alcohol trails behind them.

  I enter soon after, and my eyes take in the sight. A bar, multiple people, the sound of music. All at once.

  I look to the right, there appears to be someone playing the piano. A woman, to say. She seems happy. The mood, the joy, all of it. Happy spirits. Her fingers press each key with confidence. Her feline-like ears twitch in accordance.

  There seems to be a variety of people here, a welcome hub, one could say. People dancing along on the open floor, others drinking and having a good time midday. People really drink midday around here, huh?

  I shake my head. Canteen. The music, the chatter, it doesn’t overwhelm me not one bit. It’s not sincerely loud enough to get me rattled, to the point where I can’t hear my own thoughts. I guess that’s what happen when you fence in front of thousands.

  I walk up to the bar, and take a seat. The bartender notices me, and motions that he will be with me in a moment. Not that I was intending to drink anything. I don’t even have money to buy anything. Is there currency in this world? Possibly is everything free?

  Maybe, somehow it is. But…

  But… nah. Throw that thought away too. Not trying to crack down on the world’s political and economical problems right now. I’ll assume that you clearly need to buy something.

  As I hone in on my thoughts, keeping to myself, I couldn’t bother but listen to the conversations of those next to me. I wouldn’t say I was eavesdropping, but to learn more about the world. I didn’t have a choice.

  “...aw man…I gotta head to Korioh Landings.”

  “...th-there? Are you serious?”

  “Yeah…they’ve sent for me. And you know they don’t take kindly to people like me.”

  “Do you really have a choice?”

  “Not really. It’s an onboarding task. You know how the republic gets.”

  Republic? Korioh Landings? What do these…names mean? I try to fill in the blanks, but I come up with nothing. It’s not like I can ask them mid conversation and get them to fill me in on it too.

  “If only I could have someone to go in my stead…”

  “Give it up man, nobody would. The lot may be nice…but it’s not convincing enough to do work over there.”

  “Anybody would go there…I just can’t. That’s the reason.

  I quit eavesdropping. The conversation isn’t doing enough for me. If this…Korioh Landings, is anywhere near me. Then I’ll make sure to stay clear of that. The way those two address make it seem it might be actual Hell.

  I felt a soft nudge on my right shoulder, I turn to the right, and there it was. Those two men I was eavesdropping on.

  “Hey, would you go to Korioh Landings?” The blond asks me. His eyes green and dulled. He looks to be around his 30’s. His pointed ears give him another characteristic.

  Is this…? No. No need to jump to conclusions.

  I play dumb, as if I wasn’t eavesdropping on them. “Korioh Landings?”

  He waves his hand to explain himself more, “Yeah. That national park of a place. Big, quite big. Filled with history. You’ve never heard of it before?”

  I shake my head, “Can’t say that I have.”

  He looks at me, and as if the best idea had hit his brain. His eyes light up. I don’t like where this is going.

  He analyzes me. From my face, to my attire. He mutters something to himself. Nothing short of approval.

  He takes something off of his suit. A golden pin. Or moreso, a golden insignia. It’s of some logo I can’t make out yet.

  His friend stiffens, their eyes widening greatly, not to mention their mouth slightly parted in what I assume to be shock.

  My gaze locks onto the golden insignia. It’s small, but somehow, it feels heavier than it should.

  Whatever he’s about to offer—it’s important.

  “Look. If you can go in my stead, I’ll offer you this.” He says, his tone hurried. Almost negotiating with me. I wait an extra second, he doesn’t seem to be explaining what this entails.

  His friend mutters, speaking something of you shouldn’t be doing this and you know how long it’ll take you to get another one?!

  I don’t pay much attention to that guy. I focus on this. If I choose my next words carefully, then maybe I could get more information out of this.

  I know. I know I said I wouldn’t step a single foot in this…Korioh Landings place. But how can I judge a book if I never seen the cover? Am I justifying my own actions? Greatly.

  I look back at him, “Rare. How bad do you want me to go?”

  Odd question. But it instills something within him. A sense of urgency. He looks back, and there, a lengthy carriage. I see it too, through the windows. I can only assume that must be a bus-like. And next stop?Korioh Landings.

  If I don’t go. He has to. And he knows he doesn’t want to.

  Thing is. It depends. Just how bad is Korioh Landings? And just how much does this guy need me to go instead?

  He looks right to me again. Thinking of something. He digs deep into his suit pocket and pulls out an bandage and places it on the bar table.

  A bandage? Is this guy serious?

  I was about to deadpan until my eyes noticed it. It’s outline, flickered slightly. With a white color. How can something black have an white outline? Is this an illusion?

  “This. Last deal.”

  His words, this must not be his first time negotiating his way to something. But he’s already put more on the table than he’s realized.

  I practically have nothing, and those two items? Those could help me. I don’t have much time, and neither does he.

  He’s manipulating me. I know that much. He might be sending me to my death. The way he gave up that golden pin that fast is uncanny. He’s not sending me off with a map or anything.

  Do I have a choice?

  I might have pushed him to add another card, but I still have no idea of how much both of those things are worth. What if I lose them in Korioh Landings? It’s all hypotheticals. I can question myself with hypotheticals.

  Or Just do it.

  I nab the pin from his hand, and bandage. I don’t say much as I exit the building, tucking both items away. That guy just got fleeced—he just doesn’t know it yet.

  The lengthy carriage outside? I board it. Guy doesn’t question me. I take my seat. The insides are red, velvet even with these gold accents. It contrasts heavily versus the carts and regular carriages I’ve seen earlier.

  Many other people board, but I don’t pay attention much to their face. I take a seat in the back and give out a heavy exhale.

  First, the shopkeep, and now that guy. Do I really stick out like a sore thumb? He could’ve asked anybody else. Did he only do it because I was the nearest to him?

  I look down at my poncho.

  Nah. I think I fit right in.

  Oh well. Korioh Landings. Make way for me. Don’t crush me while you’re at it.