Rings, gemstone earrings, and bracelets all went into Kain's bag - a simple donation from rich to poor, with a dash of friendly pressure.
Anissa, removing her necklace, frowned.
"You may not even hope to get away with it. Especially you, sly bastard," Anissa hissed, piercing Kain with a glare. "I swear on my family's name, I will find you and make you suffer."
"Save the threats for someone else. That was the first and last time we saw each other," Kain tied the bag and waved his hand. "Come on, there'll be a lot of people here soon. We don't need the extra company."
Shocked by Kain's insolence, Derek nodded silently heading into the forest - it would be impossible to track them there.
Catching Anissa's venomous stare, Kain turned around and tripped over a torn bag of rice, falling in the middle of the cart.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Anissa exploded with laughter. "That's what you should do! The gods see everything! I hope bad luck will always haunt you."
Shaking off the dust, Kain nodded. "I'm afraid you're too late with that curse."
"Agh...?"
Then, he disappeared after Derek.
Blood, corpses, and the dead raven made Roy's face pale as he fell to the ground, clutching his trembling shoulders.
"Anissa... It's the end. The guards are dead, we got robbed, and most of the rice is scattered on the ground. How are we going to pay our debt to Old Eye now..."
Unlike her brother, Anissa did not fall into sorrow, on the contrary, the smirk on her face only grew brighter.
"Pfft, stop complaining. That's because you're always panicking, that's why father didn't tell you that not rice is our product."
"What?" Roy gulped. "What are you talking about?"
"Did you think our debt could be paid with rice? Hah, my dear brother, you are too naive," Anissa shook her head, approaching the cart.
Her eyes narrowed as she slipped her hand in as if wanting to pull something out.
But... She found only a cold emptiness.
Now, her face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.
...
Tap.
Following Derek down the winding road, Kain opened his sack. A palm-sized black cube lay among the jewelry, eerie and mysterious.
'Is it a jewelry box? I don't know what it is, but it's well hidden, so as not to be known by the guards and maybe even Anissa with Roy,' Kain thought, but didn't risk touching the cube, wanting to keep it a secret.
"I don't understand you, Kain. I mean, we could replace their guards and bear with that nasty girl. Get a reward and buy a drink at one of the taverns with it."
Kain lifted the sack, shaking it. "You don't think we can sell this?"
"Hah, of course we can. It's worth more than all the hides and fangs we carry on our backs, but... The Fraun Family. I don't think you should have messed with them. You made a big mistake. If I could, I'd stop you, but you acted so fast I had to play along," Derek scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I understand. Thank you for that."
"Hmm?" he raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you do it then? That girl seems vengeful."
Silence.
What did Kain have to answer? Derek couldn't understand him anyway.
'Unfortunately, my time is limited,' Kain thought, looking at Derek's back. 'I can't spend weeks or months learning to hunt and selling hides to save up some money. Valkyra is coming for me, and either I find the Ascension Rune or become a mere sacrifice to the deity.'
Thanks to Derek's experience, as he said by nightfall they approached the northern gate. Despite the time of day and the blue moon illuminating the worst of the city, there were many people wanting to pass through, far more than Kain expected.
"Damn..." he muttered glancing at the crowd of people and only a few guards. "Now that's a line. We'll be standing here until morning."
"Don't worry," Derek waved his hand. "It's always like this, lots of people in, lots of people out. Just checking everybody in."
Kain was wary. "Could we be in trouble?"
"Unless you have drugs in your pocket and there's a bounty on your head - no," Derek poked him in the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."
"I thought at the Hollow Patch you could get anything."
Derek nodded. "It's all true, it's just that the actually desirable stuff people sneak in other ways."
One person after another, it wasn't long before the line reached them. Two guards, one with a formidable dog on a chain, gave them menacing glares.
The skinny one with the list looked at Derek through an eyebrow.
"Mr. Derek, tell me, do you purposely come in always on my shift? I see you're not alone this time. Finally got yourself an assistant?"
"Hahaha, something like that," Derek laughed, clapping Kain on the shoulder, then he dropped the bag. "Full inspection as usual?"
Kain internally gulped. He wasn't afraid the guards would see the jewelry, but the black cube was definitely too conspicuous.
The man with the dog approached, letting a hound sniff them quickly, and they were free.
"Are you kidding me?" the skinny man flagged and flipped the list over. "It took me twenty minutes last time to examine every single one of your hides, mushrooms, roots, and other shit. You hunters have no papers and no shame!"
Then, he waved his hand. "Come on in. As you can see, I have a lot of work ahead of me."
Stopping at the gate, Kain turned to watch as the hunched merchant with a sly grin handed the skinny guard a pouch with a suspicious jingle. The merchant passed on as his cart was left unchecked.
Kain smiled bitterly.
'Some things never change anywhere, right? Corruption, desire for profit, and human nature. What a frightening mix...'
After a few steps, the stone walls and darkness were replaced by bright lights illuminating the twisting and countless streets. Towers and hills full of unremarkable houses, the smell of alcohol, herbs, and distant laughter reached Kain.
Tap.
Derek clapped him on the back, forcing him to take a limp step forward.
"That's quite a view, right?"
With his chest wide open, Derek sighed.
"Welcome to the Hollow Patch. The worst of the best city!"