Hellbents
Chapter 8: Tezia
“Hei hey! You guys know what happened at the south gate?” One of the restaurant visitors opened the conversation with a frenzy to the extent that the beer spilled.
Others nodded enthusiastically, “You once! A monster bought by a noble went berserk due to ineffective dope!”
“Ah, the nobles are indeed a problem lately, it feels free to pay taxes to them! Our money is instead used for parties or buying monsters that are used to raise levels because they are lazy or too afraid!”
“Oh, by the way, I heard that defeating the monster was not a guard warrior, but someone else,” everyone else who was at the table approached as if what they were talking about was secret, that's why, but it's useless if their voice is very loud, Ava who sits at the other end of the small restaurant even heard it.
“I also heard the rumors! Dozens of soldiers who initially fought the monster were found unconscious, while a 10-meter-long ape monster died at the hands of others, its mana stone was also taken.” Not dozens, only six people, besides that Longhand ape was only 4 meters high. The rapidly spreading rumors turned out to have been unnecessarily exaggerated.
“Wah, does this mean we have a ranker?!”
“Really too! The third prince is tomorrow night having his 18th birthday party, after which the Maturitate ceremony to let go of exploring to collect credit for bearing the throne, maybe the ranker is his acquaintance?”
Various speculations were then thrown here and there, Ava had stopped listening because of the information
what he received seemed to be enough. No one knew of his identity as the monster killer just now, that was all that mattered.
Then ... ranker? Based on the readings in the city's library, ranker is a term for people who in official documents are recorded at high levels and have achieved an award. But Ava was not a ranker, let alone with great strength. But the assumption was actually reasonable, no one would have expected that the monster was defeated by someone level 1. It is also beneficial for him, so the investigation will lead to the wrong target. Because he could have been sentenced for stealing noble assets, because technically Longhand ape is no longer a hunted monster, but an asset belonging to someone.
After paying for her food and drink, Ava went out down the street illuminated by the reddish-purple moonlight. Even though it was night the streets were still crowded with other pedestrians. Locals hang small lights and rows of colorful cloths, especially in the town hall where small hawker shops stand.
On one side of the town hall, many people gathered to see something. Ava approached to find out, after infiltrating the crowd, she saw a piece of paper glued to the notice board.
As gratitude for the blessing and ceremony of Maturitate Prince Ezra D’Albermare who has just reached the age of 18 years, king Melinon III invited the young men and women of the capital Tezia who lived in the capital from 18 to 35 years of age and were not married to attend the upcoming dance held:
Venue: City Hall
Time: 7pm 12th day 6th month 584
May the sunshine and the sky moon Igoceolon!
A dance?
Hm. Wouldn't anyone wear a lot of jewelry in there?
Not yet intent to steal it has been steady. But for now Ava will be looking to make money with
another way because he has not been able to sell which stone he just got, he may be suspected. Upon seeing the surroundings, Ava found a child sitting alone in front of a piano whose tone teeth were missing some, looking worn out from being discarded.
“Halo!” Ava greeted the boy kindly, but there was no answer from him. The girl approached, then pressed on
the remaining notes, they still work. The boy who had been silent now looked at him suspiciously, “Said my mother, little children should not talk to strangers. Dangerous.”
The corner of Ava's lips lifted next to her, “What your mother taught you. But can you slide a little so I can sit?”
Looking at Ava as if she had gone mad, the boy interrupted again, “Do you want to play this broken piano?” Even so, he moved.
Directly occupying a seat that is now enough for him to sit down, Ava replied calmly, “ Some still sound really. Just look at.”
Starting with four repeated tones, Ava then improvise with the notes that are still available. Miraculously, a simple melody was formed that was melodious to be heard. His actions began to attract the attention of the people around the hall that night. The boy next to her turned a blind eye to enjoy the clink of the piano Ava was playing. Carried a pleasant atmosphere, the girl involuntarily hummed softly along with her piano game.
Lexa once praised her musical talent, that she was a genius born to music and suggested her to be a member of a girl group or idol. With his face, voice, instrument skills, and the ease with which he danced, it was quite easy for him to be famous.
Ava ended her improvisation in a jovial tone, which was immediately greeted with a standing ovation from a larger audience than she thought. Ava's business smile rises, “Hei, now go around to collect money, later I will give you a part,” he pokes a tiny shoulder next to it.
The boy shook his spirits and immediately obeyed his orders. One two copper coins flowed smoothly from each spectator's hand. Ava's smile widened to hear “cring” coins are getting louder.
Success!
“Well, here's your allotment.” Ten pieces of copper easily vanished from his sight, moving straight away
into the boy's pants pocket. “Heh! Now go home, it's night.” Ava was then left out after getting respect. The town hall was already quite quiet compared to an hour ago. Ava also had to return to the inn to rest.
The lights that had been lit were now turned off, leaving moonlight alone in the deserted streets. Ava walked quickly while putting up her ears, just in case someone would attack her. Because what could threaten his life is not just monsters, humans too.
It was then that he heard a shout from the familiar voice, which he had just heard.
That brat!
Ava hurriedly ran, not too far from there, in the middle of the dark alley that was covered in the shadows of the night, the girl could see a petite figure that was at the dead end of the alley, curled up in fear behind the silhouette of a man who was facing two people who had their backs on Ava.
“[Observation].”
Name: Tony Merrick
Level 12
13 coins
Name: Dion Syan
Level 11
20 coins
Ah, Ava seems to know this kind of thing. Fodder. These village thugs smell money.
Utilizing her presence that the two people had yet to notice, Ava directly hit the back arch
the thug in his right, caused the person to fall unconscious. The other one was still not ready to receive an impromptu attack, unable to stop the fist that broke his nose bone. The blood that flowed profusely immediately soaked his mouth, chin, and t-shirt. “A-what?” Giving no chance to retaliate, another bogeman landed on the cheek. Panicked he stepped back, not paying attention to his path, he lapsed and fell. This time a hard kick floated one of his teeth. “Am-campoon! I won't repeat it again. Forgive me! Forgive me!”
“Go.” The cold tone coming out of Ava's mouth made her opponent shiver and take a thousand steps, he said,
leaving his accomplice still unconscious. Just in case, Ava also kicked the unconscious person's head.
“Who?!” Ignoring the intense vigilance of the foreign man covering the boy, Ava greeted him again exactly as he had before, “Halo! Didn't your mother teach you to avoid the quiet streets when you come home at night?”
“Kakak!” Realizing his identity, the little boy ran up to him. Her tiny arms hugged Ava's waist tightly. It's not strange that he's afraid. The girl then stroked the boy's curls. “Come, I'll take you home.” Still hugging him, the boy nodded slowly.
Clutching tightly to the hand that was half its size, Ava did not forget to mutter, “Thank you for protecting this child, but from here I will take over.” But there was no response. Finally for the first time Ava really noticed the figure of the man before her. One thing that really caught his attention was the golden bead that shone in that low-light spot.
A pair of golden eyes looked back sharply.