From behind his square glasses and bunny-toothed smile, he should have appeared far from intimidating, but I couldn't help feeling uneasy around him. Perhaps it was because I found myself in an area filled with getrios and very few humans, or perhaps it was something else; I was once again unsure."What are you selling?" the man asked again. His sparsely growing black hair and oversized suit didn't seem fitting for running a dusty shop like this.I had no other choice, and I didn't want to venture deeper into this area. So, I pulled out five gold coins and placed them on the counter."How much can I get for these?" I asked.The man examined each coin seriously, without using any equipment to assist him, which made me worry he might be a scam seller. However, he then glanced at me with scrutiny."These are extremely rare, my dear. I've only seen coins like these twice before. The first time was when I was young and traveled to distant lands; someone also sold these to my master, and th
Celine sat by the small drain, hugging her knees with a sad face, her hair disheveled and tangled as if it had never been combed. There were scrapes and bruises on her hands and legs from the fall earlier.Approaching her, I carried two delicious grilled fish skewers. Celine noticed my arrival and furrowed her brows in confusion."Sometimes things like that happen when you're working, don't dwell on it too much," I comforted her. I handed her one of the fish skewers, but once again, Celine just looked at me without intending to take it."You must be hungry after work, eat first. If your stomach is full, you'll have the energy to work again," I continued. Finally, Celine accepted the fish and began to eat it very slowly.I also enjoyed my meal, and it was no wonder Mr. Nick's stall was always crowded! The grilled fish was indeed delicious!Several stall employees passed by, heading to the back where there was an ice warehouse. They looked at me with hostility, for whatever reason, perh
Celine nibbled on a sandwich filled with slices of ham, cheese, and tomato slowly, her face lighting up momentarily as she observed the contents of the sandwich. It was nearly nine in the evening, and I had just finished teaching her the alphabet; now, she had to memorize it for me to test her the next day.Meanwhile, the banging noises from inside Celine's house still hadn't ceased. At times, I even feared that the shack would collapse because it seemed like Anne was throwing everything she could find. I tried to peek through the window, but the shack's door remained tightly shut, a miracle after being struck by whatever object so fiercely.Celine also tried to focus on studying, although her eyes occasionally wandered anxiously. I poured her a hot chocolate I had made, hoping it would calm her down for a moment."Are you okay?" I asked."Yes, my mother is usually like this when she's stressed from work. But I'm used to it; she needs a place to vent her anger," Celine replied. Black
"This rifle has a three-bullet slot, perfect for hunting without the need to reload after each shot. Look at this scope; you'll be able to see clearly within a radius of several kilometers," I explained a rifle to the young man who was now peering through the scope with one eye. He then aimed the muzzle of the rifle at me, reflexively causing me to step back in surprise."That's dangerous, lad. It seems you've never handled a rifle before," I asked. The young man bowed his head in embarrassment."Yes, usually I only hunt in the forest near my house, and there are only wild chickens there," he muttered."In that case, how about this set of bow and arrows? It's made of high-quality wood, not easily breakable, and comfortable to hold, minimizing the chance of missing shots!" I then presented the weapon. The young man held it in awe, pulling the bowstring and nodding in approval."I'll take this one!" He then handed over a silver coin and left with his new bow and arrows slung behind his
Celine is a clever girl. For three days, I've been guiding her in reading and writing, and now she can recognize letters!"Joe, look at this!" She smiled as she handed me a piece of paper with chicken scratch writing forming her own name, C-e-l-i-n-e. I clapped my hands with a warm heart; this was what it felt like to be a teacher when your student shows progress."You're so smart! I'm proud of you!" I exclaimed joyfully.Tonight, it seemed Celine was overjoyed because she kept smiling. She repeatedly examined her own writing with bright, sparkling eyes as if she couldn't believe she had written it."How would you write your name?" she asked. I then taught her how to write my name."Joe! Short and easy, right?" I said. Celine nodded as she wrote each letter.Then, because I was too engrossed in teaching her how to write, I realized it was already half-past ten at night. I glanced out the window, and Celine's house door was still tightly closed."Hasn't your mother come back yet?" I as
Cutting grass apparently requires skill and energy, as beginners like me work very slowly because there are many things I don't know. Straightening my aching back from crouching too long, my hands feel numb from holding the grass scissors. I feel like importing a grass cutting machine from my world so I don't have to struggle, and the results will definitely be much faster.Sweat dripping and my clothes already soaked with sweat, I gather the piles of grass to be collected in the corner, which is piled up with weeds. It's almost noon and decorations are starting to be put up and worked on, I don't understand whether Duke, whatever his name is, will sing or dance, hence needing navy-colored decorations with furniture glittering. Considering this is Lord Crys, I'm sure the furniture is made of gold, as evidenced by his servants wearing gloves to display it.I scan around to find Celine, but she's nowhere to be seen. However, three baskets of fresh flowers are then delivered to the back
"Healer!" Mr. Gunter shouted as he carried Celine to a gloomy and gray-toned house. The yard was covered with fallen leaves as if it had never been swept. Vines crawled on the wall, and the garden looked like a jungle with lush green plants."Hey, healer! Are you home?" Mr. Gunter called again. Celine's condition was still the same, thankfully the healer's house wasn't too far, although it was quite secluded within the alley. Impatiently, I knocked repeatedly on the wooden door.My action yielded results when an old, hunched man with white hair and beard opened the door, his small eyes staring at us as if he had just woken up."This child is poisoned!" Mr. Gunter entered the healer's house before the man could speak.Celine was laid on a thin mattress; the room smelled of pungent medicines. I didn't like the smell of hospitals, especially since I often got injured in Swinggelir, but here, it was even more intense as if someone was concocting something.The healer quickly approached Ce
They say, a man who hits a woman is a coward and a scoundrel. But would you agree if I slapped a mother like Anne just once, who has been extremely unreasonable with her child?I was almost about to deliver that slap if I hadn't caught a glimpse of Celine's shadow on Anne's face. I released my grip on her shirt until she bumped into the door.My anger still boiled inside me, causing my breath to rise and fall rapidly. I could also see a few people peeking curiously into my house, quickly turning away when our eyes met. I was sure my earlier yelling had piqued their curiosity."Hah, so you have manners too?" Anne said arrogantly.I looked at her sharply. "Don't talk to me about manners, you even hit her often. You should be ashamed of yourself," I replied emphatically."Don't expect me to thank you for saving her!" she exclaimed, pointing to Celine, who fortunately was still sound asleep."Oh? So you knew your daughter was poisoned, yet you pretended not to know on the street earlier?