They walked for a while through busy streets and shopping areas, stopping occasionally to check on some loud merchant's stock if it looked mildly interesting and sometimes even buying something. That being said, Jack was busy carrying around a huge pile of wrapped boxes and bags bought from overly grateful sellers, each promising Shin the best of fortunes. If Jack was honest, and pushing his master's apparent wealth aside, it was getting so ridiculous that he even had to start using his spirit to handle the growing weight of the goods.

  "The key, my student, is to be magnanimous and spread the fortune, and in time it will come back to you."

  "You think you could spread some of that fortune another time? I think I'm losing feeling in my fingers."

  Shin let out a full belly laugh.

  "This is a time-honored tradition. I did it when I was learning, and now I make each of my students do it for me."

  "Or you're too lazy to use the ring."

  "What was that?"

  "...Nothing."

  He gave a hum as the scenery changed from relatively dirty to impeccably clean. A large gate manned by a dozen heavily armed soldiers guarded the way as people were processed by one of them; most were kicked away, but a few would make it through every so often, mostly the rich, from what he could tell.

  "A small thing set up to keep our part of the markets clean, no need to worry."

  Both Jack and the guard were grabbed by the back of their clothes, armor in the other guy's case, and suddenly felt the ground fall out beneath them as Shin was flying twenty feet off the ground, as most of the people below bowed in some fashion.

  "Aren't we supposed to go through the gate?"

  "Only the mortals and untrained use that way. Eventually, if you get close to my level, you'll be flying more than walking."

  "Wow."

  Shin smirked, satisfied with himself. The guard had a resigned look on his face. Jack guessed he was used to this sort of thing by now.

  Setting down on the ground, the duo recovered before falling back in line behind Shin, following him into a large elaborate building with floating cloth lions standing guard outside the door and bolts of cloth and silk hanging in a window.

  "They're not real, I do hope you know that. Just some fancy work done by an apprentice inscriptionist."

  Jack nodded dumbly, following Master Shin inside. The interior was full of mannequins wearing grand dresses and fancy robes, each with a little plaque he couldn't read. Touching the hem of a deep purple robe he felt the faintest traces of spirit in it, only to have his hand smacked away by the guard.

  "It's rude to touch if you can't buy; keep your hands to yourself."

  "I-just... as you say, but I thought I sensed spirit in this robe."

  "Ah, it's about that time; your first breakthrough does more than make you smell bad and feel good, it unlocks several abilities and enhances others, among them is being able to sense spirit without circulating it, but it requires training to use effectively. You'll learn the basics at the sect when you get there. For now, you can explore it, but don't try to sense any customers, it's rude."

  Master Shin walked to the desk and started speaking about something. Walking around the store he felt a mass bump into him from behind, turning around, he saw a trio of women. Each of them was incredibly beautiful in their own right, but the apparent leader of the group was stunningly so. She was almost as tall as he was, dark green hair, red eyes, and adorable freckles. She was the vision of beauty as far as Jack could think or remember.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  She said something to him. His master peeked his head around the corner.

  "She thinks your foul-smelling, disgusting gorilla-faced self should get out of her way, or she'll have someone cut you down."

  "She said that?"

  "I added the smell part, but essentially, yeah."

  He swung back round, returning to his conversation with the shopkeeper.

  Guess she was the stuck-up heiress in his story now. It felt strange to directly see the stereotype right in front of him.

  She yelled a bit more at him, his guard getting redder with each word.

  Master Shin did translate, so he decided she was still insulting him, and being the good person he was, Jack just left her without engaging anymore. He was sure she was trying to get a reaction, but it's kind of hard to be insulted like this when you can't understand them. Pulling next to his master, Jack idly looked around, trying to feel out the spirit in the clothes without touching them.

  Something tapped on his shoulder, turning, the girl was there with her pose.

  Loudly, she said something to his face as she pointed at him, face smug as the duo behind her cackled, drawing humor from this.

  "I finally managed to convince her to sell at a discount, money-grubbing chosen. Oh, and the girl wants a fight."

  "Excuse me, what?!"

  "Exactly, prices these days, honestly, can't even buy dragon scales these days without seven different people trying to kill you, back in my day, it was only three."

  "What? No, the fight part!"

  "Eh, she thinks you were rude despite being her inferior, also she thinks you smell."

  "Did you add that?"

  "Indeed, I did my student."

  "So, what do I do exactly, say no?"

  "Strictly no, she IS actually your superior, so you don't have the right to refuse, you could, but it would be worse than if you lost the fight."

  "How exactly could it be worse?"

  "Others would take it as a sign of free game."

  Ah, he understood now.

  "So what, am I supposed to fight her here and now then?"

  "No, out in the street mainly, fewer problems for the store owners that way."

  "Then I guess I accept her challenge."

  Shin communicated that to the girls, each of whom looked happy at the acceptance, but menacingly. The lead girl said something and headed outside with her head held high, her lackeys trailing behind with half-covered smiles.

  "Youngsters, always so eager to fight, heh, it brings back memories."

  "What happens if I win?"

  "Honestly, I doubt you'll put up much of a fight. She's from a rather powerful family, so I doubt you'll be a challenge, but she might show some compassion if you give her a good show. Actually, I'll make this into a lesson. If you can give her one honest hit, I'll let you look through more scrolls AND buy you a better weapon than I planned on."

  "Welp, no motivation like money and stuff."

  "That's a mortal way of thinking, but I agree, now get out there and get beaten by a girl."

  Jack slowly made his way outside of the shop, a small ring of people already forming around the area where he presumed he would fight the girl. As soon as he walked out, the duo of lackeys began announcing something, hyping up the crowd and their leader based on the tone they were using. The girl herself only said a couple of words as she held out her hand, as he saw the queen do when she was around people, rest her soul. So, doing the only thing he thought of, he walked straight up to her, took her hand, and kissed the back of it, like a gentleman would. Instantly, people went silent, and her followers were too stunned to continue the hype train, the girl's face itself having gone into total nuclear meltdown from how red she became. With a sudden jerk, she pulled back her hand and quickly walked away, her friends breaking out of their stunned state to follow.

  "BAH HAHAHA" Audible inhale. "AHAHA"

  "Did I do something wrong?"

  "Something wrong he says. HAH, my student, I think you and I have a long and glorious destiny together, the Heavens will tremble as the women swoon to us, HAHA."

  Shin was patting his back and shaking him hard enough that he could feel bruises forming.

  "I am so confused right now, also ow."

  "You kissed her hand, you amazing barbarian. I don't know how you do it in the tribes, but you all but asked her to marry you!"

  Hm

  "Hmm, I see, and how screwed am I exactly?"

  "Best case, you'll fight off a handful of assassins by the end of the week, and thankfully, you won't have to since you'll be gone tomorrow."

  "Soooo, what about the lesson?"

  Shin seemed to calm down, wiping small tears from under his mask.

  "Eh, I'll let it slide this time since she did leave before it could formally start, but I'll only let you pick either a scroll or weapon, only one."

  Now, Jack almost wished he punched her instead, guess being a dick really is profitable here.