Chapter 33 - Dorthy's

Ebonshear - Adventurers Guild - Late Afternoon

Simon sighed softly to himself, shifting his gaze away from the platinum plate dangling beneath his chin and onto the two Wolfen girls following close behind him. Kayae's eyes were wide with excitement as she sniffed the market air, her bright red tail happily swishing back and forth as her eyes darted from stall to stall. Meanwhile, Suavi was still brooding over Nina's apparent survival.

Although the group's foray into the adventurers guild hadn't been exactly according to plan, he couldn't really complain about the results. Well, aside from the rather large tear in his right pant leg where his old knife had been.

Simon shook his head as he thought back to the previous event. I'm glad I didn't have to kill her. After the true guild master's statement regarding the gods, the meeting had gone rather smoothly. While he had originally wanted a gold-ranked plate to remain somewhat out of sight, Nina had been adamant about using her platinum grade plate that was designed for noble use, stating that the risks of being a gold rank with his stats far outweighed the benefits, thus he reluctantly agreed with the Elf and accepted the platinum plate.

[

-General Information-

Name: Simon

Alias: Impaler

Race: Human

Age: 50

Mana: 3350

Mana Regeneration: 3350

Adventurer Rank: Platnum

Merchant Rank:

Noble Rank:

Country:

Patreon Deity: Ova

-Physical Characteristics-

Gender: Male

Height: 172cm

Weight: 425kg (-)

Hair Color: Black / Gray

Skin Color: White

Eye Color: Hazel

Mana Color: Black / Red

-Stats-

Free Stats: 0

Strength: 4500

Dexterity: 6000

Vitality: 7750

Versatility: 3000

Speed: 2250

Intellect: 6700

Wisdom: 6700

Magic Power: 67000

Magic Control: 67000

Class 1: Sanguine Juggernaut - Blood - 259

Class 2: Frostbringer - Ice - 175

Class 3: Locked

-Titles-

~Last Defender of a Fallen World~, Lone Survivor, Bandit Slayer, Savior of Krakios Village, Impaler, White Wolf Slayer, Herbalist, Horrible Botanist, Scavenger, Liberator, Merciless Taskmaster, Guardian of the Meek, Friend of the Beastmen, Spirit Binder, Friend of the Spirits, Spirit Contractor

]

Nina had made several alterations to the plate's information. At first, she had gone line by line explaining what each of the edits would do but after a few impatient wiggles from the two girls on his lap, he eventually waved her off and had her do whatever she thought was best.

Obviously, all information relating to Earth was removed, his stats were lowered to acceptable levels in her eyes, and she had been able to hide some of the less savory titles he had picked up since arriving in Elia, mainly Cannibal, Soul Eater, and Bastard. The latter had been at his personal request and had caused no small amount of amusement for women in the room.

On a much more serious note, for some reason, his Last Defender of a Fallen World title had originally resisted her attempts at concealing it. It wasn't until Hector the [Archivist] came into the room and edited the plate himself that the title finally allowed itself to be hidden. Neither of the two was aware of why the title had resisted concealment so much but after several hours of attempting to hide it, neither bothered trying to explain the odd event.

Argo for his part had been ecstatic when Nina appeared with the trio and quickly fell to his knees at her new appearance. Judging by the tears streaming down his face, he was quite happy that she had finally reconciled with the Sacred Tree, even if she hadn't been fully forgiven.

A loud grumbling brought him back to reality as the crimson-haired girl blushed slightly while averting her gaze. "Kayae, you kn-" Suavi's words were cut off abruptly as her own stomach let out its own muffled growl before she looked away in embarrassment as well. He let out a soft chuckle and pulled the two girls in close as they walked down the main street.

All around them merchants were loudly hawking their wares screaming at passers-by to glance at their wares while street performers happily entertained children while not so subtly motioning towards their respective donation boxes.

The group paused for a moment to watch as a rogue juggled several massive two-handed swords in the air while the mage behind him shot arrows made of fire through it before exploding into thousands of different colors. Magical fireworks? Interesting. He thought to himself before feeling a small hand tug at his coat. Kayae and Suavi were staring up at him with puppy dog eyes, glancing back and forth between the performer's donation box and himself.

The old soldier let out a sigh while rolling his eyes and tossed a gold coin into the donation bucket. The action nearly caused the surprised rogue to drop his swords while the mage missed her cast and accidentally hit a stray bird. "Birdy no!" someone cried before another voice yelled out "Nailed it!" and tossed a handful of coppers into the box. The mage awkwardly apologized to the crowd while rubbing her neck before beginning her act again, making sure to avoid any flying creatures that may pass by. Suavi giggled to herself while Kayae sniffed the air in the direction of the now well-cooked bird.

The rest of their trip was rather uneventful as they navigated the twisting streets of Ebonshear while remaining on the lookout for the restaurant Nina had recommended to them.

Thankfully, the guild master had also been kind enough to send a missive to the guards stating that due to some technical issues his plates would be delayed until the next day and to allow the caravan to stay within the holding area for the night. Kayae had been rather excited at the news while Simon had merely replied with narrow eyes before asking her what she wanted in return.

Thankfully the request wasn't that egregious and would actually serve as a boon for the trio. Nina had requested the guild be given a first look at whatever goods Simon's caravan had been carrying, which he accepted with the stipulation that the price offered by the guild wasn't too far below market value. The Elf had happily agreed before suggesting that the trio head out to a Beastmen-friendly restaurant named "Dorthy's" on the outer edge of the trade district near the slum quarter. While the guild did have its own cantina, it didn't offer much in the variety department.

"Huh?" Kayae muttered as she suddenly found herself running into Simon's back.

"We're here," he stated while glancing up at the small wooden sign that simply read Dorthy's: Beastmen Welcome.

Sorry Kurtin, I'll have the girls eat your share as well.

Like a true gentleman, Simon opened the door to allow Suavi and Kayae to enter first. Only for the two girls to quickly dodge away from the door.

A mug of ale flew through the air, aimed at his head. What the hell? Simon thought as he pulled the girls back and poked his head through the now open doorway. Sitting at a lone table in the corner, a group of four men wearing armor were throwing food and hurling insults at the middle-aged beast woman behind the counter. In front of her was an older human. Her husband, presumably, was attempting to block the plates of food. Beneath them, a small girl with long rabbit ears was cowering.

"You call this drivel food?! We wouldn't even serve food this bad to traitors kept in the dungeon."

Simon scanned the other tables in the room. The restaurant's other occupants seem to have left shortly after the soldiers entered. Opting to leave the scene rather than get themselves involved in the mess that would follow. Kayae looked up at Simon expectantly while Suavi's eyes glowed softly before she turned and gave him a nod.

A small grin appeared across his face as he entered boldly through the door. Suavi and Kayae entered right behind him, quietly making their way through the commotion and to a table in the back.

Am I really that obvious? He gave a single shrug before walking into the line of fire between the soldiers and the owners. One of the men glanced at him and shrugged before hurling a fork at him, clearly not thinking much of the old man in front of him. It returned soon after, point first, pinning his other hand to the table, followed shortly after by a shrill shriek.

"Is there a problem with the food?" Simon asked with a raised brow, All four men's faces paled as they glanced at the platinum plate hanging from the newcomer's neck.

"Alright then, you seem to have finished their meal. Please allow me to pay for it in honor of your service," he stated while observing the coat of arms painted on all of the men's shoulders.

Despite his seemingly kind words, all of the soldiers fidgeted uncontrollably before nodding yes. Three men got up quietly and tried to flee the restaurant while the impaled man was left to struggle with the fork.

"Oh? You seem to have injured yourself. Allow me." Simon put his mouth close to the man's ear and whispered, "If you or your friends ever come back here or ever cause any trouble for the owners, I will impale you on your own sword and leave you dangling from the city walls for the crows." The man's face turned whiter than a ghost at his words while Simon effortlessly pulled out the fork from the table and his hand.

Simon turned towards the doorway where the other three had been waiting outside, all jumping at his gaze, "Excuse me, your friend seems to have drunk a little too much. Could you carry him out with you?" He flashed them a savage grin. They quickly retrieved the terrified man and ran out the door as if their lives depended on it. It had, actually. "Have a nice night!" he finished with a friendly wave.

The middle-aged woman, Dorthy presumably, slowly approached from behind the counter and gave a low bow along with her husband and their daughter. "T-Thank you. They've caused trouble in the past but never to this extent," she says weakly, looking around the trashed restaurant and sighing while the daughter retrieves a broom and starts cleaning up.

Simon nods, "I figured. They didn't look like standard guardsmen, so I assume they were some of the Baron's soldiers since they were wearing his coat of arms rather than the guards. If they come back, send your daughter to the Adventurer’s Guild. Ask for Nina and tell them Simon sent you. If you explain things to her, she should send someone to deal with the problem. But I doubt those four will come back here."

Kayae and Suavi snickered quietly while Dorthy nodded. "Y-you were quite persuasive, weren't you?"

Simon raised an eyebrow, "You heard that? Oh, I guess you would." His gaze focused on her long rabbit-like ears causing the woman to blush slightly. Based on the nametag he wore, her husband 'David' coughed loudly to draw Simon's attention away from his blushing wife. Suavi and Kayae's quiet snickering became loud laughter.

"How may I help you, Sir?"

Simon relented with a soft smile, "A table for three, please. None of us have eaten anything aside from travel rations in a long time, So please keep the food coming." He grabs the two girls that had come up beside him and pinches their cheeks. "As you can see, these two could really use some meat on them. Something high in fat and protein would be best, but whatever you have is fine." Suavi and Kayae blush brightly despite trying to escape his grasp, clearly embarrassed by the treatment. Simon finally relents and releases them as they are led to a now clean table by the kitchen entrance.

Simon takes one look at the provided chair before opting to pull up a nearby barrel to sit on instead before giving David an explanation after seeing his confused expression, "I weigh a lot more than I look like I do. I’d rather not break any more of your chairs." David shrugs while his daughter, who was bringing out water to the table, looks amazed. The small rabbit girl glanced at Simon's plate, so with a smile, he passed it over while rubbing her hair. Her brown eyes went wide as she read the information, fidgeting slightly with each stroke of his hand.

Hmm...her ears are softer than Kayae's. Some type of shampoo perhaps?

A loud cough echoed through the room bringing Simon back to reality. He looked around the room with a lifted eyebrow. Kayae and Suavi were glaring daggers at the rabbit girl while her father glared daggers at him. "Hmm?" He glanced to his side and saw the small girl, clearly embarrassed and unsure of what to do. Simon raised his hand quickly before the girl trotted off, still receiving glares from the two girls.

"Sorry" he mutters to the glaring father before asking his own question, "Her hair was quite soft. Does she use some type of shampoo or conditioner on it? I finally managed to give these two a bath after a long journey on the road but I wasn't sure what to use on it." David's glare quickly shifted to a questioning glance before approaching the red-haired Kayae and examining her hair, rubbing his fingers through a few strands, "She's got a lot of split ends, her hairs dried out, and her hair’s a lot thicker at her roots than at the ends. Her hair's also really brittle." he replied before examining Suavi's hair. "Hers too. Almost exactly the same. Where'd you pick these two up at?"

"I found them on my journey to Ebonshear. The two of them had been wearing tailored rags when I picked them up. We just got in this morning so the first thing I did was give these two a bath. Kayae here," Simon said while patting the red-haired girl's head, "Had more knots in her hair than anything I've ever seen. Took almost an hour to get them all out without ripping out her hair. Suavi's wasn't much better but at least she didn't keep yanking away every time I tried getting one out."

David nodded with a smile before lightly stroking his beard, "New clothes than too, must be Maria's work, only person I can think of that would have tailored clothes like this for two Beastkin. She's not cheap but she does do good work and loves money more than politics. Kinda crazy and makes questionable fashion choices though."

A loud sigh escaped Simon's lips as he leaned back against the wall, "Tell me about it. I never knew a set of underwear could cost that much." he replied with a grimace before giving a sideways glance to the two girls beside him, "Among other things."

The other man gave him a knowing, sympathetic nod, "Explains the thigh gap." he replied before glancing back to the clanking kitchen behind him, "Should be a bit until the food is done. If you like, I can work on their hair. I'm a [Barber]. Not exactly a [Beautician] or a [Hairdresser] but I like to think I'm pretty g-" Three gold coins flew into the man's hands before even managed to finish speaking.

"Keep the change. I'll go after them if you don't mind." Simon stated before pointing to the ponytail behind his head and forming a pair of scissors with his fingers.