He managed to find a skilled tailor to outfit him with a robe that same day. The design was simple but it fits him nicely. The robe was long and loose, leaving plenty of space to move. It had large cuttings for the protrusions on his back and his tail, the sleeves were long enough to hide his sharp claws. It also had a pull-up hood which did a good job concealing his face. The robe was made of smooth and soft fabric, but it was very durable, also, expensive. It was plain with no patterns but did not look cheap at all, quite the opposite.

For the dramatic effect, he got himself two large copper plated chains and crossed them across his chest. He liked the idea of being able to hook things on them. The robe was secured with a large belt. On the belt, he attached a large satchel, big enough to pass as a backpack for a normal person.

All of this cost him over 15 gold, almost all of his money. He did not look extremely rich but good enough to pass as a wealthy noble. He did not worry about the expense as he will be able to make it back. This was an investment to his credibility.

He looked at his reflection in the water and nodded in approval. The sun was setting and he headed back towards the inn. Going back towards it while looking all fancy was not the best of his decisions. The streets were full of dangers.

Five of the beast men ran to him from behind. They were about to rob him. This did not go unnoticed by the Guardian.

“What do you want of me?” Guardian asked.

“Everything you have.” Demanded the bandit.

“Strip now and we might let you live.” Other added.

“No. If you want to continue living, go back where you came from.” Guardian replied crossly to their demands.

“Ha, you might be rich and powerful, but I cannot see your escorts here.” The bandits were not afraid of him.

“You screwed up, foreigner. Your kind has no place here.”

“Your men won’t be able to do shit to us if you won’t live to order them.”

“There is no need for people to escort me. I am sure you can see that I can fight.”

“Yeah yeah. But can you win?”

“Five against one. The odds are in our favour.”

Guardian was getting tired of this ‘there are more of us than you’ business.

“Just strip down. We will leave you alive if you do not resist.”

“Not happening.”

“Right boys, He is asking for this.”

The beastmen took clubs in their hands and was ready to club him to oblivion. He took his hood off and armed himself with a copper plated chain. It was not just a decoration, it had other uses.

The beastmen looked at his face. They were expecting to see a grey horned head. Their confusion did not last as long as it did not matter, he was still a foreigner.

“I told you he is too big, and they do not have tails.”

“Matters not. We are still robbing him.”

“Guys I do not think we should. I… I think I recognise him.”

“You think?”

“Is he the one who kicked your ass yesterday?”

“That, and killed two of my mates.”

“Even more reason to kill him.”

“I do not think we will be able to…” The conversation was cut short by a shriek of pain.

The guardian did not stand idly while beastman ignored him. He threw the chain and hit one of the beastmen in the face. They judged his reach wrong and he was able to weaponize his decorations.

“You fucker! that is it.” A bandit swore.

“Careful with him.”

The guardian did not have time to play around. He stretched his left arm and blasted three of them using his magic. Shockwave knocked the beastmen over. He quickly turned around and swiped his chain at the arm of the one who was trying to club him from behind. The other bandit stood frozen, he was the beastman who recognised him.

The chain wrapped tightly around the arm of the beastman. Guardian pulled it forcefully forcing the mugger closer to him, then he kicked with the full force to the side of his chest. To the muggers surprise the arm was separated from his shoulder.

Guardian ignored the one hesitating to attack and ran towards the knocked down ones. He stepped on the one who was in the process of standing and whacked at his face with a chain which still held a dismembered limb of his accomplice. He whacked again and again. Metal dug into the beastman’s muscles taking chunks of it away. Bandit tried to escape but couldn’t, he was held in place by the Guardian’s weight.

“What was that thing? Magic?”

“Bastard! Took us by surprise.” The other two cursed as they stood.

“Run.” Guardian advised the bandits “I am in no mood to stain my clothes.” He was careful to avoid any of the blood. That is why he used the chain for the job.

“What do you think?”

“He just killed two of us. The bastard needs to pay”

“More the reason to run! Come on guys we will get him next time.” The cautions one tried to reason. He would run regardless of what they have decided.

“We will remember you!”

“Please! I do not want to be bothered by you again. Next time I might be in a worse mood.”

The trio ran away. He wiped the chain on the fur of the one-armed bandit.

“Oh he is still alive, just passed out. Should I … or …” Guardian was unsure if he should kill him or leave him to die naturally; bandit would die from the blood loss anyway.

A woman ran towards him out of nowhere. She was a member of the beast race, they looked similar.

“Let him live I beg of you! We have children I need him.”

“He tried to mug me. He deserved this.”

“Yes. And I am sorry for his action. He is a thief, he lost his arm, he does not need to lose his life. I beg you to spare him. You spared the others, so why him?” The woman tried to reason with him.

“He is bleeding profusely, he would die regardless unless you are a healer.”

“No! No! No!” The woman ran towards her loved one ignoring the danger.

“Why… why did it come to this…”

“Bad luck? And thievery, it does not pay off.”

“He was forced to do this. We have no money and our children are starving.” She was sobbing while clutching the neck of the beastman.

“You are rich can’t you do something about this? I will repay you.”

“Do I look like a healer. I can rip the arm off, but not attach it. And even If I could why would I?”

“Sir, I beg you. I need him. You are a mage I have seen it. You must know things. Just keeping him alive is enough. I will do anything and everything if you keep him alive. No price is too big. Sir please, spare him. I know you can.”

“There is a way, but It is quite brutal.”

“Does not matter what it is as long as he lives.” She let her man go and was prostrating herself in front of him.

“Ha… I did not say I will do it.” He did not care about her situation. Parents were responsible for their offspring it was not his fault they were poor or had too many children to feed. He was responsible in killing the beastman and worsening their situation. However, the man chose to be a thief, chose to attack him from behind and all actions have consequences.

Guardian had enough of drama. He walked away from the sobbing woman.

“Please, please, please! I will pay you back. Think about the children! They will starve.”

The few last lines of her plea gave him an idea.

“No matter how big the price?”

“Yes! Anything! Make the blood stop.”

“Anything?”

“Sir, please. Whatever it is, just say it and it is yours.”

“Give me one of our offspring to do as I please.”

“Why would you need a child…” She stopped there, she did not want to know for the sake of her sanity. “Ok, you can have it.” She had no choice but to accept it.

“Are you sure about this? If you cross me I will come after you.”

“YES! Just hurry up. He is dying.” She loved her children but she needed her man. Without him, they all would probably starve. At best, she could keep one or two of the five. They could scavenge and steal food but this would not last and she did not want such a future for her and her children.

If her man lived she could mate with him and make more children. She committed herself to it there and then.

“I said yes! Yes! Yes!”

“Then it is a deal. I expect you to honour it. Your man might have no such thing but for the sake of his life I hope you do.”

He crouched and pressed his palm on the bleeding shoulder. The magical light weaved around his fingers and concentrated on the bleeding wound. As he let it go the magical weave burst into flames, cauterising the wound.

“I have stopped the bleeding.”

“Thank you. Thanks.” She said whilst brushing off her tears.

“It does not mean he will live. He had lost a lot of blood and might be in a shock, but he is stable.”

“That is good enough.”

“Ohh no. I do not want you doubling down on our deal if he dies later. It is for the best if we take him to my place. I have some stuff which will help, potions and the like.” He did not want her to just go like that. He was not letting them off, not before he secured his reward.

“Sir, I have no money to spare. We cannot afford this.” She has never seen a potion but she knew that stuff was expensive.

“I won’t ask for money.” It was to his interest that the man lived after all. And he had plenty of salves and potions at the inn.

“I cannot offer you another of my children. Ask for something else.” She misunderstood him.

“What I meant is that I won’t charge you for that. Your cooperation is all I need.”

He was not that sort of greedy monster who would give hope and then increase his price.

“Oh, Okay.” She was relieved to hear that.

“It is your man you carry him.” He told the woman as he motioned to follow him

She pulled him on her shoulders and started to slowly walk. The beastmen females were almost as strong as their male counterparts. She struggled with it but it was doable.

They went inside the inn. The innkeeper gave him a confused look.

“Do not ask., It is better that way.”

The innkeeper did not even what to ask. It was not his business, after all. The less he knew about it the better for him. However, he had to make one thing known.

“If all of you planning on staying in your room you will have to pay extra. Also, they will need to pay for their meals.”

Guardian handed the key to the beastwoman and explained which room is his.

“The woman won’t be staying. The man might need to stay for a few days. How much is it.”

“A copper per person.”

“He could get his own room for that.”

“He can if you pay. I am not suggesting he stays at yours. Even if he stays it is still a copper.”

“He will stay. I need to watch him.” He passed the copper.

“That is understandable. He looked quite injured, his arm and all. Are you a healer perhaps?” He broke his rules of not asking.

“Not exactly. I am a merchant of potions and salves, officially an alchemist but I do not brew myself.” Guardian disclosed this information. This would make the innkeeper less suspicious of the change in his attire.

“That explains things. You are not just a brute after all.”

“Of course not. I am a respectable person.” The guardian turned away from the innkeeper, he had to go to tend to his patient-cum-victim.

“Do you have some of the merchandise with you? I am willing to buy and if you made some discounts you would get on my good side.”

“We will speak about that tomorrow I have more urgent matters.”

“Yes. Have a good evening.”

‘Is it because he knows that I am wealthy?’ The innkeeper was oddly nice to Guardian now, and this made him think about it. People treated those who were wealthy differently. Getting the outfit had its benefits. Drawbacks too as It also attracted unwanted attention.

He opened the doors of his room and went inside. The beastman was lying on his bed, a woman was sitting beside him on a chair. She was holding his hand in hers, concern clear in her face.

“This is not how it works. I pay for the room so I keep the bed. He will be sleeping on the floor.”

The woman nodded. She knew her beloved was at his mercy.

Guardian took out a salve from the bag in the corner and smeared it all over the wound. Then he fed two potions to his patient. One of them was a stamina potion another one a weak healing potion.

“This will help him a bit. I expect him to get conscious in an hour or so. He is merely sleeping off his exhaustion and shock.”

“Thank you.”

“Then he wakes up he will be very weak. We will know the next day if the weakness will take him or not.”

“He will pull it off, he always does. He is very strong, That is why I married him.”

“Yes, of course.” He did not care about all that lovey-dovey thing. “I expect you will bring him his share of food from home. Do not expect me to pay for that. I am already paying for him staying here.”

“You do? Shall I take him home?”

“I would not advise that.” He wanted the beastman in his sight. The woman was still to deliver her end of the bargain.

“You better go to make sure you deliver on your end.”

“Ahh, yes…” she completely forgot what she had traded for Guardian’s mercy. “Won’t it be better if you picked the child yourself in the morning?” She did not want to be blamed for sending the one he did not like for an odd reason. She knew that noblemen could be extremely fussy about that.

“That is a clever idea. Now go, I would like you to convince your offspring to go with me willingly. What use would it be if it escaped from me the very next day.”

“What should I say?”

“That is your trouble. You know what is at stake, you will think of something.”

“I guess so.” She without confidence.

“Now go, it is getting late. Come back in the morning. Shiu!” He waved her off.

“See you tomorrow, sir.” She looked worriedly at her man before she left.

Then she left he restrained the beastman with some rope and left him lying on a wooden floor. It was time for him to get the remainder of his well-deserved sleep. He did not get much of it after all.

In the middle of the night, he was woken up by the groaning beastman. He was livelier than he anticipated.

“It is sleeping time, quiet.”

He knocked the poor sod out with a hit to the back of bandit’s head.

As soon as the first sun rays reached the sky. He was woken up again, this time by a knock on his door.

“This is way too early. It is barely dawn.” He complained quietly. ”Come in.”

“How is my… Ah sorry. Sir, you are still undressed.” A woman closed the doors.

Guardian had taken off his robes, but he still had his loincloth like he always did. ‘Does that mean I was always perceived as undressed?’ He was wearing only a loincloth for most of his life.

“It is fine. Come in.”

The woman gets herself out of the doorway and crouched beside her husband. She shook him gently. The man woke up, his head was throbbing, and his shoulder was burning in pain.

He looked confused at his wife. Then at the space where his arm was supposed to be.

“Ahh!” He shouted in terror.

“Come down deer, you are fine. It is fine.”

“My arm! He ripped it… But I am… I am alive. How?”

“All thanks to me of course.” Guardian smiled at him.

The beastman recognised his tormentor and passed out, the terror-inducing sight was too much for his weakened state.

“Dear, dear. Speak to me.”

“He is fine. Better than expected actually. He is weak and needs rest, that is all.”

“I brought him something to get his strength back.” She pointed at the basked besides her.

“Is it meat I can smell?”

“Yes. Rat meat, noting the wealthy man like you would enjoy.”

“That explains it. And I was wondering how were you able to afford meat. I was beginning to doubt the trough about your financial situation.”

“I would not dare to lie to you.”

He knew that she just lied to him, but he brushed it off as her trying to appear pleasant. The tactic he himself used on many occasions.

“So shall we go to your place, is it far?”

“We can go, it is not far. Before we go, does he need to be tied like this?”

“Are you questioning my methods?”

“No, no. I would not dare.”

“Good, he is tied so that he does not have strange ideas of running away from me and dying. I was the one to injure him remember.” That reminded him that he wanted to keep the thug here, so he fed a sleeping concoction to him.

“How much medicine he has to receive before he gets better?”

“This is the last one. After that normal nursing and plenty of food and liquid will help.”

“This is good.”

He put his robes on and they went outside the inn to start their journey to her place. They walked in odd silence. The woman did not know how to talk with nobility; she was still mistaken about him being a noble. guardian living in a rundown inn did not tip her either, she was quite daft.

She wanted to talk about her troubles, but she doubted that Guardian wanted to hear her sob story again. He made it clear he did not care about her hardships, this was a textbook example of a noble.

“Hey!” Someone was shouting towards their direction.

“Hey, Guardian was it! I have barely recognised you. New getup, ehh?”

“Do I know you?”

“Ohh I get it, I get it. You are pretending you don’t remember me since you are with a different girl eh. Well, at least I know what your tastes are now.” She continued.

“We are not like that. He is treating my husband that is all.” The beastwoman did not want to be responsible for getting him in trouble. She wanted to remain on friendly terms with him, her husband was still recovering.

“Is it?”

“It is as she says. Now, who are you again?”

“Come on, I am a friend of Iustitia. The beautiful tiger woman Brita.” She pushed out her chest proudly, showing everything she had.

“So what do you want from me? I am quite busy.”

“Not this again. You did not come to see us. The girls missed you. I have missed you the most, so I been looking for you. You know my offer still stands.”

He could not remember any offers. He made no deals with this Brita.

“Not interested.”

“Eh?! What is wrong with you? I am practically throwing myself on you.”

“That might be the reason why.” The other woman offered her opinion on the matter.

“Eh?” Brita turned her head from side to side in confusion.

“Sir here is a wealthy nobleman. He must have hordes of women throwing themselves to his feet. You need to offer something others can not. That is how I got my man.”

“Ohhh… That explains things.”

“You are not the brightest one, are you.” She whispered to the tigerwoman’s ear cheekily.

The dumb was lecturing the dumber.

“You wanna fight!” Brita got offended.

“This has to stop now!” Guardian was getting tired of this nonsense. Women were so troublesome.

“Ok, Ok. Just promise to visit us.”

“If that will make you disappear when I will.”

“See you then, handsome!” Brita said as she walked off.

He did not reply back to her, completely ignoring her goodbye.

“Was this somehow related to your business? Did I cause you trouble?”

“No, not really.”

The woman let out a deep sigh of relief. She almost got herself in a catfight. She did not want to be responsible for beating one of his clients. She could have totally taken care of that Brita.

They continued to walk towards her home.

“Turn here.” She motioned with her hand.

They were now in a slum district outside the city. It was not too far from a harbour. The slums were bigger than he imagined. It was like a city of its own. He was unsure if there were more people living in the city or the slums.

“The children are inside, still sleeping. Let me go and get them.”

She roused the children and gathered them outside the shack. They ordered themselves by height. The guardian looked at the five unsure which one is the best o pick. All of them were still very young. The oldest a teenager, the youngest probably learned to walk only a year ago. There were boys and girls but all of them looked almost identical to him, only their height was different.

After his recent experiences, he was reluctant to pick a female. The oldest was clearly a female, budging buds on her chest gave her away, the others were not so clear. He pointed at the one in the middle.

“This one” He picked his new servant.