X
Yarokan City, after all, was a border town. Following a night of walking, Eve decided it would be far more practical to simply take a carriage than to torture herself by continuing on foot.
Thus, her itinerary was temporarily altered. Eve made her way to the nearby city of Bigmeluo to find a place to stay and search for a carriage.
Having no prior experience purchasing carriages, Eve initially went straight to the stables.
And so, this scene unfolded…
The stablehand looked at the masked girl before him with a troubled expression. He crouched down, patiently explaining, “Little one, our stables only sell horses and hay feed. No matter how much money you offer, we can’t custom-make a carriage for your master…”
Eve: ‘…’
‘Drat! They’re completely treating me like a child!’
Facing the stablehand’s benevolent gaze, Eve knew his intentions were kind. She took a deep breath, suppressing her irritation, and asked, “Then, Uncle, could you tell me where I can buy a carriage?”
The address of “Uncle” seemed to warm the stablehand’s ears, and his eyes softened even further as he looked at Eve. “If you want to buy a carriage, you should go to the merchant guild. While they are all shrewd merchants, I must admit they have a complete selection of luxury goods.”
“Alright, I understand. Thank you, Uncle. Goodbye, Uncle.”
Having learned where to acquire a carriage, Eve departed without a backward glance.
Only the stablehand remained, sighing with admiration. “She even knows to say thank you! What a good child!”
****
Following the stablehand’s directions, Eve found a random merchant firm in the city, and indeed, they sold carriages.
However, the price was rather ‘touching’ – a horse and carriage together would cost a staggering 15 gold coins!
‘Was this carriage made of gold dust?!’
‘That’s fifteen gold coins!’
‘Why don’t they just rob people outright?’
The best horse at the stables could be bought for just 35 silver coins! And one silver coin was enough for her to eat fries all day at Mama Ham’s Pub!
It wasn’t that Eve didn’t have enough money, but this was a clear rip-off, a consumption trap with absolutely no value for money. There was no way she would foolishly jump into it.
As for why she didn’t just buy a horse herself…
Setting aside whether Eve even knew how to ride, Alice’s past attempts at carrying her on horseback had left her with psychological trauma. Ride a horse herself? ‘Never in this lifetime!’
Eve pondered for a long time before looking up at the merchant guild owner who was attending to her. “Boss, don’t you have any cheaper carriages?”
At her words, the owner, who had been respectfully smiling, stiffened. His attitude immediately did a complete 180, his smile vanishing as he snapped, “No!”
“But 15 gold coins is far too expensive…”
“Expensive? What’s expensive about it?”
The owner’s voice suddenly rose, drawing the attention of many people in the merchant guild. “Our carriages have been this price for years! Don’t just spout nonsense with your eyes wide open! Sometimes, you should reflect on yourselves, on whether you’ve worked hard enough to earn money, really!”
Various whispers and discussions from the people behind her reached Eve’s ears.
Eve truly wanted to applaud the owner before her.
‘What a conniving merchant!’
‘A clever scheme indeed!’
He intended to use the crowd’s judgment to back her into a corner. For someone without much cunning, this situation would force them to either pay an exorbitant price for his carriage or slink away in disgrace, losing face before everyone.
Regardless of the choice, the buyer would always be at a disadvantage.
‘He had perfectly grasped the psychology of the situation.’
‘It seems this is another one who takes me for a child.’
‘Does he think this will allow him to mock me?’
Eve sneered inwardly.
‘Joke’s on him! As long as I’m poor enough, this unscrupulous merchant can’t trick me!’
‘And as long as I’m wearing a mask, I’m not afraid of losing face!’
Some people might appear to put on a mask, but in reality, they are taking it off.
Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, Eve leaned back in her chair and brazenly continued, “Then, Boss, do you have any other options? Perhaps a carriage rental service? Or what if I buy a horse from the stables and just purchase the carriage from you?”
The owner’s face darkened. He turned, grabbed a feather duster, and shooed Eve away as if she were a fly. “Go, go, go! Where did this poor brat come from? Such bad luck! You want to ride in a carriage like the noble lords?”
“If you truly want to ride in a carriage, go become a bodyguard for a merchant caravan! See if they’ll even take your puny frame…”
Eve was chased out, but she wasn’t angry in the slightest. Instead, she had gained a new way to travel by carriage, straight from the mouth of that unscrupulous merchant.
‘That’s right! Why bother spending this outrageous sum when I can just find a merchant caravan passing through Xigelili and hitch a ride?’
‘My perspective has broadened!’
‘That unscrupulous merchant… no, that boss was a kind soul after all!’
And so, Eve altered her plans mid-course once more. This time, she intended to head straight to the Adventurers’ Guild in the city.
She had originally planned to obtain an adventurer’s identity once she reached Xielan, but if she couldn’t even get there, it would all be meaningless.
****
After Eve departed from the merchant guild, two figures at a nearby table exchanged glances. They simultaneously rose and left the guild, trailing far behind Eve.
Seeing Eve disappear into the dense crowd, the two immediately followed, keeping their eyes fixed on her distinctive mask to avoid losing her.
After winding their way far from the marketplace, the cover of the crowd vanished, and the girl no longer had a way to conceal her movements.
Moreover, perhaps due to the recent throng of people, Eve’s vigilance had significantly dropped. She even hummed an unknown tune to herself.
‘Just a naive little brat, after all, unaware of the world’s dangers.’
The two stalkers exchanged wicked smiles, openly resuming their pursuit.
When they saw Eve confidently stroll into a deserted alleyway, their hearts bloomed with delight. Without hesitation, they slipped in after her.
A deserted alley, a seemingly fragile girl, and two smirking toughs.
It seemed an indescribable, R-rated scenario was about to unfold.
But was that truly the case?
“Sometimes, one simply has to lament how truly ‘simple’ the people of this world are!”
Eve stopped, tilting her head slightly. “What do you two think?”
No emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness—could be discerned from the profile of her silver-white mask. Only the girl’s calm voice could be heard from beneath it.
Only then did the two stalkers grow wary. “You… you knew we were here the whole time?”
Eve clapped her hands. “Indeed. Though you’re just two small fry, it seems you’re not entirely irredeemable. Good job, I suppose~”
“Damn you! You’re asking for death!”
“Don’t get too arrogant, you little brat!”
“Look at the situation clearly! You’re just a defenseless little punk, and you’ve been cornered by the two of us in a dead end!”
“No matter what happens here, no one outside will hear you, no matter how loudly you scream! If you don’t want to die, hand over all your valuables!”
The two men wore ferocious expressions, their greedy eyes fixed on the magnificent deep-blue bracelet adorning Eve’s wrist.
The moment they saw it, they were certain it was an absolute treasure!
‘To wear such a treasure so openly, she truly has no fear of being coveted!’
“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
“So, this was the only reason you were following me? How utterly boring.”
Eve shook her head, then snapped her fingers. “Wennya!”
The two men felt a flash of golden light before their eyes. Instinctively, they turned their heads to look at the alley entrance behind them.
There stood a towering figure, clad in a maid’s uniform, radiating a divine aura from head to toe.
“Oh ho ho! Is Wennya finally going to begin her long-awaited maid’s ‘cleaning’ duties? Hooray!”
But that wasn’t all. Before the two could fully register the divine maid before them, a dull thud echoed from behind them once more, as if a heavy object had fallen.
Thud—
They whirled around, only to see the formerly petite girl with a coffin—taller than herself—slung over her shoulder, seemingly ready to use it as a weapon. It had appeared from seemingly nowhere.
Hiss…
Both men simultaneously drew a sharp, cold breath.
Seeing their calves begin to tremble, Eve asked with a beaming smile, “Gentlemen, do you understand the situation now?”
“You’re the ones surrounded by us~”
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore The Blackened Loyal Dog Knight? This Young Lady Will Never Submit!. Start reading now!
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