Mark

Mark woke from his sleep. After confirming his surroundings, he saw no one in the alley he had slept in. Everyone must have gone to Jax’s house. To check out the atmosphere of the people, he headed out of the alley as well, and at the same time to quench his thirst, headed towards the well.

The air of the village was surprisingly normal, but there was no way that no one found out about the fire set to Jax’s house. Mark supposed everyone was too used to death by now.
On the way to the well, he met Jill. She was peeking around the side of some talking women, when they caught each other’s eyes.

“Mark! Have you heard about it?”

“About what? I’ve just woken.”

“They say last night Jax’s house was set on fire.”

“Really?”

Mark showed a surprised face, and threw the bucket into the well. The well pulley made creaking sounds as Jill continued to talk.

“Well did you know? They said that George died as well.”

Jill lowered her voice when mentioning George.

“Mark. They say George died.”

“I’m listening. How did he die?”

Mark dipped both hands into the bucket and drank water from it. The bucket was too heavy to hold while drinking.

“I heard that Hax and George were getting drunk together. Apparently, while the both of them were sleeping at Jax’s house, one of them knocked over an oil lamp.”

The water was truly refreshing and delicious to Mark.

“Seeing as the streets are so quiet, everyone must be at Jax’s house?”

“Mhm. Oh right. Just now, Robert said he’d be going.”
“Where?”

“To sell leathers.”

Mark was startled in the middle of his drinking.

“He’s going today? Today when?”

“I don’t know. Mark, are you really going to follow him?”

“Jill, Hang on a moment. I’ll be back in a bit after seeing Robert.”

“Mark!”

Ignoring Jill calling him, he went towards Robert’s shop.
Robert was in the front of his shop, rolling up his leathers and tying them with a string.

“Robert!”

Without looking up from what he was doing, Robert replied.

“What is it.”

For a moment, Mark was speechless. He couldn’t think of how to persuade Robert into going together. But when he saw Robert tying his leathers, an idea floated into his mind.

“Robert. You’re going to sell leathers aren’t you?”

“Right.”

“Won’t the leather be heavy?”

Robert looked bothered by all the talk. Stopping what he was doing and straightening his back, he stared at Mark.

“Did you come to make fun of me.”

“It’s not that but I just wanted to help you out.”

“Help with what?”

“Carrying the leathers. I’ll lend you a hand.”

“There’s no work for you.”

Robert turned away to stoop over his work again. Mark was feeling anxious…

“You should be able to take some more leathers if I helped. You’d be able to sell more at once.”

Robert straightened his back again.

“Why are you doing this.”

“I want to help you, get some coppers while I’m at it, and see what a big village is like.”

Thinking for a moment, Robert grabbed a bundle of leathers, weighing it a few times in his hands.

“How much can you carry.”

“I’ll try holding some.”

Mark took up a bundle of leathers.

“That’s 5 leathers.”

The bundle of leathers was too heavy to carry, and the way he had to hold it was uncomfortable as well.

“Wait for a bit.”

Robert made a shoulder strap out of strings. Lifting the leathers onto his shoulder, Mark felt that although it was easier now, it would still be hard to walk for long.

“How long will it take to get there?”

“3 days.”

“How many hours of walking each day?”

“12 hours.”

“If it’s 4 leathers I think I’ll be fine.”

“Can you really walk while carrying 4?”

“Of course.”

“If you collapse on the way, I’m leaving you behind.”

After just a moment of thinking, Mark replied.

“I think it’ll be okay with 4 leathers. I only want 20 coppers.”

“Alright then.”

Robert had easily agreed, making Mark feel he was too hasty in calling out the price. But he reminded himself that his aim wasn’t to make money.

“We’ll be departing soon, so be back after getting ready.”

“I got it.”

Mark ran out of the village while thinking there were a lot of things to prepare before leaving.
Going to the place where he buried the pouch of money he’d taken from Jax’s house, he dug it back out. From the pouch he took out 2 silvers, and headed back to the village.
The first place Mark visited was old man Roland’s tool shop.

“h.e.l.lo.”

“Right. What will you buy?”

“Do you have shoes to sell?”

“I do.”

Old man Roland went into the back room of the shop, and it was a long while before he came back out.

“It’s the pair my grandchild used to wear, how about it?”

Taking the shoes into his hands, Mark carefully looked over it.

“Can I try wearing them?”

“Go on.”

Mark took off the cloth wrapped around his feet to try the shoes. It was a little big, but felt useable.

“How much are they?”

“40 coppers.”

“Too expensive. 20 coppers.”

“This kid. That’s made out of rabbit hide. How warm do you think it is?”

“Who would wear these kinds of shoes in this kind of heat?”

“35 coppers.”

“25 coppers.”

“30 coppers. I won’t lower it further.”

“I want to buy a belt too.”

“That’ll be 8 coppers.”

Mark held out 1 silver and old man Roland gave him his change of 62 coppers.

“Good bye now.”

“Come again.”

The second place to go to was the inn.

“Auntie.”

“You came for rye bread?”

“Nope. Do you have beef jerkies?”

Auntie Kate went into the back of the inn and brought out a burlap bag.

“How many do you want?”

“How much for one?”

“2 coppers.”

Peeking inside of the bag, Mark saw the beef looked tempting to eat. It sounded like a fair price.

“Give me 9 please.”

He handed over the coppers.

“By chance, is there a pouch to carry the beef in, and a waterskin?”

From behind the counter, Kate took out a small pouch and a leather waterskin.

“That’s 8 coppers, and 40 coppers.”

“Fill the skin with water please.”

The waterskin was quite expensive, but Mark thought he would have much use for it from here on. Receiving the small pouch, he placed the beef jerkies and remaining coppers inside of it, then hung it on his waist. Going outside, he headed towards Robert’s shop.
Robert was sitting out in front, looking like he was finished preparing.

“Are you ready?”

“Can you wait for a bit?”

After saying that, Mark ran out of the village to where he had buried his money.
He dug out the dagger and pouch full of silvers. The dagger was placed into the waist of his trousers.
Taking out the coppers from the small pouch he bought at the inn, he gathered his money into the other pouch. With the two of these pouches, he went back.
Upon seeing Mark holding those two pouches, Robert asked about it.

“What’s in those.”

“Beef jerkies and rye bread.”

Mark shoved in the pouches between the bundle of leathers he would be carrying, then lifted it all onto his back.

“Let’s go now.”

“Alright let’s go.”

On Robert’s back was three large bags, a bow and arrows. A dagger was visible by his waist.
Together with him, Mark left the village. On the way out, Mark had furtively glanced around to see if Jill had come out to bid him farewell, but she couldn’t be seen. She was probably mad. It made Mark feel a little uncomfortable, but he reasoned that since they would part either way, this was fine.

Leaving the village, the two walked a long while without conversation. Mark was feeling like his shoulder would go out, but he resisted the pain. The endless walk without any talk might have been wearing him out.
So he began talking to Robert.

“Robert.”

“What?”

“What did you do in the past?”

“Why do you ask.”

“Because you seem fit. Were you something like a mercenary?”

“That’s right, I was a mercenary.”

He had given an honest reply. Continuing, Mark asked about various things.

“For how long?”

“4 years.”

“Wow. That’s really long.”

“Then have you seen a lot of monsters?”

“What kind?”

“Well, ones like goblins. Or orcs.”

Mark had put to mouth whatever monster that came to mind.

“Goblins I’ve seen plenty of, and orcs several times too.”

“What were they like?”

“What exactly do you want to know?”

“How dangerous they are. I’m curious about how strong they are.”

After a brief moment of thinking, Robert answered.

“Goblins are small. Between 2 and 3 feet. Their height should reach up to around your chest.”

Seeing as Mark himself was 4 feet tall, it seemed to be about right. Robert continued to talk.

“They’re also on the weak side. But they’re dangerous because they move in packs.”

“Are they dangerous simply because of their numbers?”

“That’s the biggest reason. They usually move around in groups of 10 at the least, 30 at the most. It’s not that difficult for one armed adult to face one goblin. Purely thinking in terms of strength, even three goblins wouldn’t be hard. But it’s not that easy.”

“Why?”

“Goblins use poison darts. Being hit means getting poisoned or paralyzed. Think about it. Will it be so easy to dodge the darts shot by dozens of goblins?”

Mark imagined such a scene happening. It was dreadful.

“Not only that, their teeth are very sharp, as well as the nails on their hands and feet. Some of them even carry weapons. They’re unexpectedly fast, so underestimating them is a peril.”

“I see. Then how were the orcs like?”

“Orcs…”

Robert’s speech slowed to a halt. It was a long time before he spoke again.

“Orcs are truly scary monsters.”

Hearing that, Mark thought that orcs didn’t cla.s.sify as weak monsters.

“Not even veteran mercenaries can easily deal with orcs. On top of being extremely strong, most of them move around armed. Their weapons are mostly stolen from humans, but just that alone is enough to make them a threat.”

“How strong are they?”

“Barehanded, veterans wouldn’t win.”

“What about experts?”

“Experts aren’t people.”

Mark decided to revise his opinion of orcs. He didn’t expect them to be so fearsome.

“Then how about facing them with magic? Can they be defeated with something like Magic Arrow?”

“It would be difficult with Magic Arrow. Orcs are so tough that they can press forward while being hit. It needs to be at the level of Fire Arrows to give them some damage.”

“Can Magic Arrow be used against goblins?”

“It’ll be hard to kill them with one shot, but it should be possible.”

Robert was surprisingly forthcoming with his answers, so while they walked, Mark continued to ask about everything he was curious about.
The conversation with Robert was an enlightening one. The experience of Robert’s mercenary days were exciting to hear, and informative as well.

The two had walked until night, and Robert had proposed preparing for bed.
Lowering his burdens onto the ground, Mark could finally relax. He then looked to see what Robert was doing.
The person in question was taking out two leathers from a bundle. He was rolling up one to use as a pillow, and the other as a blanket. After observing that, Mark did the same.

It was tiring, but sleep didn’t come for Mark.
He thought that he perhaps being too tired preventing him from sleeping.

Mark was shifting restlessly, when he coincidentally looked to the sky.
The stars were especially shining, and the moon appeared so large as to be right in front of him. But rather than feeling appreciation for that beautiful scenery, he was worried instead.

There was no sights as enchanting as this back on earth. It dawned on him more than ever that this was another world.
Many thoughts entered his mind. Mark first wondered about what to do from now, but came up with the answer before long. Regardless of what story he had chosen in that survey, he must first become strong. For that, he needed to learn more magic. Reaching the bigger village should present him with ways to learn magic.

Then he thought about Robert. As a result of all those conversations they had together, Mark viewed him in a much friendlier light. But he forbade himself from letting his guard down. The only one that could be trusted was himself.

Mark tightly hugged the pouch full of silvers, and before long, sleep overcame him.