Time of Correction (Part One)

Before the gods were born, Demon Kings already existed. These ancient beings entangled the world and brought it suffering. Guided by the gods, humans and elves waged a war against the Demon Kings that lasted thousands of years.

Although the Demon Kings entrenched across the land were eliminated one by one, and humans and elves achieved their final victory, ...the side of light was forever shadow. The weak Demon Kings were eradicated, only to be replaced by even more powerful ones...

"O hero chosen by the Holy Sword—clutch the sword in your hand tightly and defend this world! Remember, the gods shall be with you—"

"Ah—" Tiadam woke up in a tall bed at an inn. The soft duck-down bedding carried the scent of milk and bread. Delicate water bottles bore engraved images of the gods, while roses in the bottles gave off a faint fragrance. A beam of winter sunlight shone into the tranquil, peaceful room.

"This should be... an inn in the Upper District..." Tiadam forced himself out of bed, the lingering pain of being burned by flames still faintly throbbing in his heart.

"Ya... Yalila..." Tiadam smashed the vase beside him with one punch. "You damned half-elf, do you think I can't live without you?! I'm telling you, I'm a hero! A chosen hero! Someday I'll have wives and concubines aplenty, with children and grandchildren filling my home! You ungrateful XXXX, I XXXXXX!!!"

"Mm... looks like you recovered quickly~" Eliyi said with a smile from the corner by the wall, holding a set of newly bought clothes. "I'm really glad you were able to emerge from the shadow of heartbreak so quickly~"

"Eliyi, you bastard... was it you who saved me?" Tiadam casually picked up Eliyi's clothes. "Thanks~ I'll pay you back double for these clothes and the inn fees later."

"Oh~ those are just small expenses~" Eliyi pointed at the vase Tiadam had smashed. "That vase alone is worth at least thirty Kralimaya Gold Coins."

"Uh... a mere... thirty... Kralimaya Gold Coins..." Tiadam's stammering proved just how dire his circumstances were.

"Then how much money do you have right now~~" Eliyi asked softly.

"One broken vase is worth thirty Kralimaya Gold Coins?! You damned merchant, you must be skimming off me!!"

"Is that so?" Eliyi smiled faintly. "Then shall we call the innkeeper over and have him appraise the vase's value~"

"Fine, let him appraise it... who's afraid of who..."

A moment later, Eliyi called the innkeeper from the lobby to the room where Tiadam was staying. But when the two opened the door, they found only an empty room and an open window.

"Oh~ so he already ran away~" Eliyi said calmly. "Then, Innkeeper, please assess the value of this shattered vase~"

"This vase?" The innkeeper stepped forward, crouched down, and picked up a fragment. "This is a work by Mitellara, an artist from the royal capital. It is the King's Vase, one of the pieces in Banquet of the Gods. It features Qi, the Northern God King, as its central figure, and seeks to portray Qi, King of the Gods..."

"I'm only a merchant~" Eliyi cut off the innkeeper's explanation. "Please don't talk to me about artistic meaning and such. I only care how much it is worth~"

"My apologies..." the innkeeper replied. "The market price of this vase is around thirty to fifty Kralimaya Gold Coins. If you encounter an art enthusiast, its price could be even higher."

Eliyi tossed a small cloth pouch to the innkeeper. "There are fifteen gold coins in here. Consider it my advance payment for part of the damages to your inn on behalf of that friend. You'll have to get the rest from him."

"I see... then what should I tell Mr. Molakasu?" The innkeeper accepted the pouch and asked, "Should I report it truthfully?"

"That—" Eliyi drew out his breath. "Leave it to me..."

"Then... I shall take my leave, sir..." The innkeeper turned and left the inn.

"Did you hear that~ Tiadam~"

After the innkeeper had left, Eliyi knocked on the wardrobe door in the room. "Stop hiding. I know you're in there... How could someone who's injured and naked possibly jump out the window from a third-floor room and escape~ Anyone could tell that was impossible."

Everything happening now seemed to be entirely under Eliyi's control.

"Uh... this broken vase was really worth... thirty Kralimaya Gold Coins..." Fully dressed, Tiadam awkwardly emerged from the inn's wardrobe. "You really... are amazing..."

"Just professional habit... As an auction merchant, if I didn't even know what Mitellara's artworks were worth, that would be terribly unprofessional~" Eliyi said.

"This one vase... is worth two or three months of what I used to earn... I really shouldn't have become a bandit back then... I should've become an artist..." Tiadam complained.

"Who can say for sure when it comes to artworks and artists~" Eliyi glanced at Tiadam. "What do you plan to do next? Keep being a bandit?"

"Ah..." Tiadam said as he gazed up at the ceiling. "I was a bandit outside Canfor for five years. It's about time I changed careers. All the money I stole and all the brothers I gathered have left me... Maybe this is an opportunity... Eliyi, what do you think about me starting a small business?"

"Such as?"

"Selling bread?" Tiadam said offhandedly.

"Using Canfor as a reference... let me calculate. A decent street-side shop costs eighty to one hundred silver coins a year in rent, then... raw materials, daily expenses, and taxes... The first year's initial investment would be about two Kralimaya Gold Coins. And you currently have... how much?" Eliyi asked.

"Zero... zero coins..."

"Oh~ I almost forgot..." Eliyi looked at Tiadam. "You owe me fifteen Kralimaya Gold Coins, and you owe Mr. Molakasu fifteen gold coins... You have quite a lot of debt~"

"Uh... so what..."

"So I plan to have you do something..." The smile on Eliyi's face grew increasingly sinister.

"Mr. Eliyi..." Denolan came running up from the room downstairs at that moment. "M-Mr. Eliyi... um... um... the merchant I... found before, he's willing to... to work with... us..."

"You've worked hard~" Eliyi said as he looked at the panting Denolan.

"This... guy..." Tiadam looked at the blond man before him, who had hurried over in pajamas and still smelled faintly of bread. "I think... I know you..."

"He's awake already... but why does he look... familiar to me too..." Denolan also found Tiadam's face inexplicably familiar.

After staring at each other for several minutes, the two shouted at once, "It's you—"

"Since you two know each other, I'll entrust the Dragonblood Gem business to you. Go ahead and do it boldly; I'll strongly support you in terms of funding~" Eliyi then turned and left the room, locking the door behind him.

"Mr. Eliyi... don't... don't leave me with this... band—" Denolan tried to flee, but before he could finish speaking, Tiadam grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Brother~" Tiadam draped an arm around Denolan's shoulders. "What were you about to call me? A ban—dit—?"

"N-No..." Denolan was tightly held around the neck by Tiadam and unable to escape.

"Then please tell me about the Dragonblood Gem and the business Eliyi mentioned just now..." Tiadam wore a kindly expression.

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