Roy made some calculations. A room in an inn wasn’t something a civilian could afford in a city like Aldersberg. Food and accommodation alone would cost seven crowns a day. If Letho were to be absent for a month and a half, Roy would be spending more than two hundred crowns. That was more money than he had on him.

And that was excluding other expenses, like lessons for common speech. He was planning on getting a class for that during Letho’s absence. Forever being illiterate wasn’t on his agenda since it would hinder him in his future career. Knowledge and books came at a steep price, especially in cities like Aldersberg. Learning is going to be expensive here.

***

Roy checked out of the expensive room and detailed his plan out in his mind. First, he’d have to rent a cheap spot, ideally one that would cost a crown a day. He’d need a big, hidden space nearby to sustain his daily training. Roy wasn’t going to ask Seville for help, for he’d just refused the dwarf’s request. Asking him for help right away would be a weakness on Roy’s side.

After that, he’d have to get a job that could make him some quick money. He couldn’t just spend and not earn. Roy had to be prepared for Letho’s long-term absence. 

And finally, he’d need a reliable teacher whom he could learn common speech from. I’ll try to haggle with them about the pay.

Roy spent the whole afternoon asking five landlords about their rooms for rent. Most landlords tried to take advantage of him because he was young and an outsider. The cheapest room cost more than three crowns per day, and that was excluding meals.

That made Roy realize that finding a cheap, suitable room in the city was unrealistic, so he went to the city gates and asked people around there. To his surprise, he managed to find a spot before sundown.

Behind the southern gate of Aldersberg, Roy was led through a wheat field that gleamed golden by a man in his thirties. The man was gaunt and stubbled. He was wearing a white shirt, a pair of white pants, and a beanie of the same color. Eventually, they came to a piece of land that housed a gigantic watermill and a few houses. The man was Hank, the owner of the watermill.

It was nearly sundown when they arrived. The setting sun sprinkled golden dust on the four houses sitting near the watermill. The smell of wheat wafted through the air as the autumn breeze blew across the fields, the fallen leaves dancing in the air. As the watermill was slowly running its course, water flowed across it. If Roy could stop time, the scene beside the river would’ve looked like an oil painting.

Roy took in the scenery as he followed Hank around. When his gaze fell on the coop on the right side of the watermill, Roy looked closer. He saw a young lady in a white apron with her back facing them. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was bending over to feed the chickens with the feed from her dustpan.

She was petite in stature. But that wasn’t the point. The point was the young lady’s back was protruded. She’s a hunchback.

When Hank noticed where Roy was looking, he smiled awkwardly. “My daughter is very ill, my friend. That’s why she’s in that state. Did she scare you? I’ll chase her away right now.” 

Because of his ugly daughter, nobody would rent Hank’s empty room no matter how low the price was. Now that this idiot’s here, I’m not going to let him go that easily. This boy is going to be easy to negotiate with.

“No.” Roy shook his head. He wasn’t someone who would laugh at the disabilities of others. “I don’t mind her. Just take me to the room.”

The girl in the chicken coop heard their conversation, and she turned around. When she saw Roy and her father, the girl stumbled to hide in the storehouse. The way she ran was awkward. Her legs were of unequal lengths, and her shoulders weren’t leveled. Whenever she tried to walk, she would sway and limp. Roy was reminded of a limping, old woman when he saw the girl running away.

***

The room Hank was renting to him was plain and simple. There was nothing but a bed made out of hay and a blanket. The room was clean, though shabby when compared to the inn rooms that were decked out in feather blankets, delicate furniture, french windows, and full body mirrors.

Roy didn’t complain though. After surviving in the wilds with Letho, he didn’t mind what bed he had. Ever since he came to this world, he’d led an extreme, minimalist lifestyle. Fortunately, the original Roy wasn’t a delicate young man, and thanks to that, the new Roy adapted to life quickly. If I was living like in my old life, I’d probably have to be a noble or a mage. 

Roy was happy with the place, though. There was a big plot of land beside the pond the watermill was built on. He could use that place to train his crossbow shooting. Hank even threw in free dinner, so Roy paid him 30 crowns to stay for the month.

***

When night fell, Roy came to the dining table. There, he saw Hank and his family. Aside from the gaunt owner of the water mill, there was a fat, pudgy woman wearing a gaudy, long dress and disgustingly crimson lipstick who was sitting beside Hank.

“Let me introduce you to my wife, Roy. This is Mana. She helps out at the mill.”

The fat woman was all smiles. “Ah, I was wondering why the birds were chirping so happily this morning. So, we have a guest. You have good taste, my friend. I guarantee there’s no other place that’s as cheap and clean as ours around here. Have a nice stay. You’ll love it.” 

The fat woman covered her mouth and giggled hoarsely, her meaty body trembling along. Roy glanced at Hank.

With a wife like her, it’s little wonder he’s so gaunt.

“You don’t look like a local, and your accent sounds unfamiliar. Where do you come from? Are you here for urgent business?” Mana took a pig trotter that was grilled golden brown and licked the fat off her fingers greedily.

“I come from a village in Lower Posada. A relative of mine took me here to work —  said I could gain some experience. But he disappeared the moment we arrived in the city.” Roy sighed on purpose and took a pig trotter to chomp on.

“Oh, what a horrendous relative.” The fat woman wiped her oily mouth with a napkin, sympathy flashing in her eyes. “Don’t worry, my friend. Aldersberg is a big city. If you’re willing to work for it, jobs are everywhere to be found. You’ll find one quickly.”

Roy looked at the couple. “Do you have any jobs you can recommend?” 

Hank shook his head as he pondered, the light making shadows dance across his face. “The butcher across? No. He won’t teach an outsider that trade. It’s too lucrative. The executioner’s assistant? No. Too much death. It’s bad luck for the mill.”

“Take my advice, young man. Since this is your first job in a big city, why don’t you lower your standards?” the fat women chimed in. “Hank left his home to work here when he was your age. He had to work for ten years to make some money and rent this mill. He’d done every job under the sun before that —  hogwash disposal, and even just being a stand-in for a booth owner. I think you should try those jobs out. The market in the city center needs workers, but do look out for certain people though.” 

Hank continued. “Mana’s right. If any revolutionist gives you pamphlets, remember to stay away from them and don’t buy into their propaganda. Of all the things they can do, they decide to revolt. One of these days, their heads will be under the guillotine.”

“I thought they were doing it to lower the taxes on peasants.” Roy quietly finished all the pig trotters and licked his lips. Hank’s dinner was great. The trotters were soft and delectable. These would be on par with Letho’s grilled meat if they add some honey onto it. Only issue is the amount. Probably only the first day’s dinner can be this good.  

“Oh, you don’t know. Of course. Baron Tavik has relented once, and honestly, they should have quit while they were ahead. But then their leader vanished into thin air, and they insisted on blaming the baron for it, forcing him to answer to them. This is just ridiculous.”

Roy knew the leader’s corpse was rotting in a certain dwarf’s wine barrel. The baron was wrongly accused in that case.

Hank continued. “You’ll have to look out for the Sparrow Triad too, my friend. Rebels aren’t the only danger in Aldersberg. Those bastards are evil. They do anything from scams to robberies. Don’t go to the lower part of the city. That’s Triad’s turf. They target outsiders, especially young, frail, handsome boys like you.” Hank smiled eerily. “Some nobles love young boys.”

***

“Thank you for the reminder.” Roy nodded and filled his bowl with potato soup. “Oh, right, Mr. Hank. I remember seeing a girl earlier. She’s your daughter, isn’t she? Why isn’t she here with us?”

The air froze after Roy mentioned the girl. The fat woman who was chomping down on her food choked on it. She thumped her chest, face red from suffocation, and Hank put his fork down. “She’ll only ruin our appetite, my friend. Just enjoy your dinner. She has her own place.” 

“Hmph!” After the fat woman had calmed down, her jovial expression was replaced by a contorted one. “Don’t mention that wretch ever again. It’s our business how we treat her. You stay out of it.” The fat woman didn’t bother to hide the disdain she held, though whether for Roy or the girl, that remained a mystery. “We’re kind enough to feed and shelter her. She can forget about dining with us.”

“What’s her name then?”

“That wretch? Call her Toya.”

***

Roy went around the place after dinner, and saw a lonely girl sitting at the storehouse’s doorstep, eating from her plate. He finally saw her face thanks to the sconce on the wall. The girl had a round face and petite features that matched her face’s size. Her eyebrows were thin, her lips tiny. Her cheeks glowed red under the light, and if only by her looks, Roy would say she was around his age. Quite the young lady. 

The girl’s perception was sharp. She realized Roy was there after just a moment, and she scurried away like a scared sheep.

Am I really that scary? I’m not a demon, Roy thought. He went over to see what the girl was having. Compared to the sumptuous dinner Hank and Mana had, Toya only had a shabby plate of dull mashed potato. Roy wondered why Hank and his wife would torture their own daughter. Just because she’s misshapen and unlikable? But Roy couldn’t interfere, for he hadn’t been there long. He had to familiarize himself with the place before he could do anything.

***

The moon’s silvery glow bathed the land. On the plot of land beside the pond stood a firm, gaunt boy with black hair and black eyes. He was kneeling on one knee, holding a crossbow with both his hands as he aimed at a gnarly tree fifty feet away. His body was centered, his shoulders leveled. His left knee was on the ground, his left foot leaning against the earth. His right knee was pointing outward as his right foot grounded him, forming a firm triangle with his left leg, supporting the boy.

The boy placed his hip gently on his left heel, while his right elbow was placed on the right knee, supporting the hand crossbow that was held in his right hand. Roy took a deep breath as he aimed at the tree, and he let it out slowly. The moment it ended, he pulled the trigger with his left index finger.

The arrow soared through the air, lodging itself into its target. Then Roy performed a series of actions with his hands and feet in succession, reloading his hand crossbow in four seconds. The boy dashed to the side and grounded himself again before changing into a standing position to shoot.

He kept dashing, stopping, changing positions, shooting, and retrieving the arrows more than five hundred times. Three hours had passed after five hundred shots, and his muscles were screaming in protest. Roy ended the boring shooting exercise, but he was panting.

The night breeze cut through him with its chill, but it couldn’t douse the flame within him.

‘You unlocked a new skill:

‘Unnamed level 1: You have begun to master the usage of ranged weapons (crossbows and hand crossbows) after receiving a witcher’s lessons and shooting thousands of times. Whenever you’re using ranged weapons, your accuracy, effective range, power, and piercing power will be increased by 5%.

‘This can also be used as an active skill, doubling the increment of the effective range, but at the same time, your stamina consumption is also doubled, and your movement speed is halved. The effect lasts for at least thirty seconds.’

***

Roy heaved a long sigh, a smile carving itself on his sweat-drenched face. Finally, my training paid off. I finally got a weapon skill. Then Roy changed the name to ‘Crossbow Mastery.’

Even though the increment for piercing power and damage was only 5%, it would become a 10% increase when Massacre’s buff was included. Because he’d killed three peasant rebels, humans were included in Massacre’s list of effective targets, making the skill one that could be used in many battles. If Roy activated Crossbow Mastery, he would be a powerhouse for a while on the battlefield.

Roy was planning on getting a crossbow, for Gabriel the mini crossbow couldn’t keep up with him anymore.