Author Note 1: Sorry for the lateness of this week chapter, Dragon Dogma is sucking my soul.JK, enjoy the chapter.

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Chapter 7

Currently we are settling inside an inn called Waltzing Waltz. This inn is considered the best among all the trading towns on the stretch of road that connect the two borders. Even the price is the best.

Flora and Silver should be enjoying their bath now, and now I’m drinking diluted wine and chomping on a roasted pork ribs with herbs. Finally a well deserved rest and food . And of course I already took my bath first.

While I'm busy enjoying the juicy ribs. Gosh the juice dripping from each bite, but my alone time didn't last long because Silver and Flora walk toward my table with Silver’s waving her hand toward me.

“Woo, the ribs look delicious!” (Silver)

“At least this looks more palatable than this mornings food.” ( Flora)

“ That remark hurt me you know, but I am inclined toward agreeing with you. Well order your own food, this one is mine. Boss!”

Moment later a man come toward our table, appearance wise, he should be in his 40’s but his toned muscles prove that he is not simply a cook in this establishment.

“ So what can I get for the two ladies?”

“ I want ribs just like master!”

“ Meatball Spaghetti please.”

“ Oh and a jug of juice and two cups for them.” (Cage.)

“ Will be right back.”

While waiting for the food the arrive, Silver’s eyes are fixed toward my plate and Flora seems like she’s trying to say something.

“ Erm…erm… Cage. I would like to say sorry for what happened before.”

“ Ah,never mind that. But make no mistake, they are enemies because they attacked you, my employer.”

Ah, maybe I should explain why we have this conversation and who we got the money from.

Everything started when we out from the woods. We are on our way to Boliz, a trading town. But halfway toward it, there are six red dots. Strategically located on a stretch of road that have thick shrubs on the side of the road. A perfect place for an ambush.

“ Flora. Silver. A kilometre from our present location should have some bandits waiting for us.”

“How did you know that?”

“This.”, as I waved my wrist around. “ What do you guys think? Going around them is too dangerous as there are monsters in the wood. They are mostly around level 5 to 8, and no magic user among them. Personally, I think we can handle them.”

“ No…” ( Flora)

“ What do you mean?” (Cage)

“ Yeah, that right! What is that supposed to mean? Shouldn't we just crush them and get it over with.”

“ Even if they are bandits, they are still a sentient being just like us. Shouldn't we get along? Why don't we just walk by them, maybe they won’t bother about us. Or even if they hold us maybe we can negotiate with them.”

“ Flora, do you remember what you told me this morning? How the bandits troupe attacked your carriage? What happened afterward? Do you forget about it?”

“ But still…”

“ Hah, OK. But if something goes wrong, we do it my way.”

“Thank you!”, Flora said with her sincere smile, while giving a slight bow.

“ You are a person of higher standing than me. You shouldn’t bow to a person that easily.”

With Flora being stubborn to not kill them, I readied some hidden aces in my sleeve. A preparation when everything goes south.

Every magic started with mana ball collected on space that you are aware off. The ball then will be assigned with element.

The amount of mana used varies. For example, if a lvl 1 fire mage trying to invoke mana ball will have to spend a minimum of 10 mp and no maximum. With my 1/10 cost of the original mp, I created a 100 mp ball at only 10 mp. In order to achieve my goal, I added another stage toward it: compression. The compression of boulder-size flame ball into a marble size is another 10 mp. Finally, I added another stage of complexity into it: control. With control, I can move the flame ball at will.

To finish my no.1 ace, I created another five similar balls and have them hovering 10 feet in the air. With that, my no.1 ace is completed. My second ace is Silver.

Less than an hour later, we finally arrived at the ambush spot. By the wish of Flora, I whispered to her, “ Flora, we are here.”

“ Thank you. Excuse me! We know that there is somebody out there! Show yourselves!”

**rustle** **rustle**

Only three of them emerged from the thick shrubs, and just like the radar indicated, they seems to be a troupe of bandits consisting of only men.

One of the men that looks like the leader approaches us.

“ Hoo, so you can detect us eh? Oh! What’s this? Aren’t you the bitch that ran into the forest some days ago? Thank you for the gold that you left behind. Oh, because your bodyguard seems to have killed some of us, it's only natural for us to kill you and that boy too.”, while grinning without hiding his attention, he continued ,“After we done playing with you.”

Seeing that Flora’s face became pale, I knew that things had gone wrong. Plus this guy annoyed me so much.

“ Flora..close your eyes”, I whispered to her ears again. I can see that her cheeks flushed red, and a silent sob could heard.

“Get’em boys!”, one of them brandish their short sword, while the other handles the spear and the leader unstrapped the throwing axe from his waist.

With a single swipe of my hand, the ball I prepared earlier shoots down from the skies and stopped directly in front of them. One balls is in front of each of them : the three that attacked us and the other three that are still inside the shrubs.

“ You talk too much, < FLASH> “

Bright flashes followed by cracking in the air can be heard. Not long after that, the smells of burning flesh is permeating in the air. It seems like my junior is right, burned human flesh smells like burned shrimps.

“OoAAaaaRrrgHH..”, screams can be heard from multiple places and they all come from the bandits. Their eyes were already burned beyond saving and their faces suffered fourth degree burned.

“Silver, drag the three of them from the shrub.”

Moments later, Silver emerged from the shrub and dragged each one of them.

“Silver, stay with Flora.”

“ Aye aye Sir”

Wait? Where did she learn to say that? Anyway let’s search their body. I found a several pouches of coin bags in the vicinity and on the bodies. While I was searching the bodies, some of them demand mercy, heck some of them even cursed me. Tough luck to them, I want them to suffer. Anyways the total amount of coins is 20 gold ,25 silver and 12 copper coin. The currency in this world is split in to the following: 100 copper = 1 silver, 100 silver = 1 gold, 100 gold = 1 white gold.

With one silver coin being equal to 1 USD in the old world.

Old world eh? I’ve only been in this world for several days but I didn't even think about going back..Do I want to go back?

While pondering about that, we left the dying bandits behind and continued back on our journey to the town.

By the time the first signs of evening were just appearing, we finally reached the gates of the town.

“ Hold! Permit please.” ( Guard)

“ Sorry sir, we don't have any permit to enter the town.”

“ Then you will have to register yourself for a temporary permit and pay taxes.”

“ How much are the taxes?”

“ 50 copper per day for children, and 1 silver for adults. The permit will cost you nothing for the first time.”

We were ushered to a room inside a guard house, by the way Silver already turned into her human form. We are only required to fill in some documents. For the sake of anonymity, I filled in the document with the minimum information requirements.

Paying for the taxes for 4 days, we finally go into the town. Even when it's already evening, it's still full of people, but the amount of people is still small compared to where I come from. In this town, the tallest and biggest building is set in the center of town. Based on my analysis, the building is the hubs for business here. But first, we need to find some clothes. Leaving Silver who can change her clothes at will aside, Flora and I need a change of clothes. While maneuvering among the crowd using radar we finally reach a clothing store.

“ Welcome dear customers, how can I help you?”

“ Ah, I need you to find something that fits this girl, a full set, and something that suits her; and can you point me to the men’s section?

The attendant shows me the men’s rows and then attends to Flora. Anyways, I picked several change of clothes and underwears. Three tunic and a black hooded cloth, a mask, a bag and several pairs of underwears.

Its took another hour for the girls to finish picking their clothes and the total cost me 97 silver coins. Haa… I dont know which is more tiring, shopping with the girls or the thought of the money spent during shopping.

With bags of clothes in boths hands, we walk towards an Inn called the Waltzing Waltz.

“ Welcome how can I help you?” a young lady in her 20’s greets us.

“ Hi, Can you tell me the service here.”

“ The most basic room will cost only 50 copper per day, without food; and the most expensive room will cost 1 gold coin, with the best food in town, personal bathrooms, and we will even do your laundry.”

“ Do you have a double room with foods and personal bathroom?”

“ Yes, and It will cost 2 gold.”

“Then a single room and a double room, with foods and personal baths. Make it adjacent rooms.”

“ That will be 3 gold coin. How long would you like to stay?”

“Four days.”

“Then the total will be 12 gold coins. Lets me show you to the rooms.”

This inn is two stories tall and really big, it can easily accommodate a lot of people at the same times. Delegates from the two countries stay here all the time, as do merchants, guildmasters, and other important people from time to time . It seems like Flora stayed here before.

“ Here we are. To the left will be your room sir, and to the right will be for the girls. Enjoy your stay.”

By the way, Flora didn't say a single word from this evening while Silver is” uwa-uwa awoo awoo “ since we entered the town.

“ Anyway take your much needed showers and then we get dinner together down stair.”

The room is quite spacious, similar to that of a four-star hotel room. The queen size bed is soft and fluffy, and the bath is stunning. Marbles tiles line the floor, and the bath is filled with warm water by using a magic stone.

When I done with my bath, I ushered myself to the dining hall and ordered myself ribs and wine. The two of them seem to be in their room.

❅~~

We quickly went back to our rooms after the dinner to sleep. Flora and Silver should already be sleeping, and Silver should be able to handle Flora’s safety should anything go bad.

I should think of a way to get us to the border safely, I will asked around for information tomorrow. For now, I need to treasure my much needed sleep.

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Author note 2: That's all folks. And the usual please.