The afternoon sun began to sink as Tiadam walked through the Upper District streets with Denolan in tow. Though Canfor had been declining for many years, as a once-prosperous old city, the people of the Upper District still lived fairly well. Marble-paved streets, towering trees flourishing through magic, and shop clerks haggling with customers amid dazzling displays of goods filled the area.
"No matter when I come, this shop's entrance is always packed..." As a bandit, Tiadam greatly hated lining up. "How much longer are you people up front going to take? We've been waiting forever."
"Kid, just wait—your turn's a long way off!" a voice called from the front of the line.
Tiadam: "XXX"
"Um... um... Tiadam..." Denolan said softly from behind him. "Sorry, but... why does everyone lining up with us look so fierce...?"
"Of course they look fierce." Tiadam leaned against Denolan's shoulder. "That blacksmith ahead can enchant weapons to resist certain magic. If the nearby thieves and bandits want to rob goods from mage or witch shops, they have to get their weapons enchanted here. Otherwise, they'd just be marching to their deaths."
"Resist magic..." Denolan asked, "Can it resist Rosa Kevin's Curse?"
"No. Rosa Kevin's Curse can only be purified by clergy through miracles," Tiadam answered. "Even if a weapon can resist it, humans are still made of flesh and blood. They can't withstand Rosa Kevin's Curse."
"But we're going to a banquet tonight... Why do we need to enchant weapons? Uh... besides, you didn't even bring a weapon..."
"If you go to a banquet hosted by mages without magic-resistant gear, you might not even know how you died. As for weapons, this place doesn't just enchant them—they sell them too. As long as you have money, there's nothing you can't buy in Canfor's Upper District." Tiadam moved another step forward in line.
Another half hour passed, and the queue outside the weapon shop started to feel strange. As a bandit who lived by the blade, Tiadam naturally grew irritated after waiting for so long.
"Hey... kid, want to... get out of here sooner?" Tiadam placed a hand on Denolan's shoulder and gave him a strange smile.
"Um... um... I think it's safer to just wait in line..." Denolan replied.
"Hold this~" Tiadam tossed the cloth bag on him to Denolan, then stepped out of his place in line.
"What are you... going to do?" Denolan asked.
"Shh—" Tiadam said mysteriously. "Keep it down. Just stay here and wait in line..."
Denolan: "Okay..."
Tiadam walked about ten meters away from the line, looked at the group standing at its very front, then picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at them.
"Ow—who the hell hit me?!" A man near the front of the line clutched the smooth back of his head and cursed. "XXXX, I'm bleeding! Which XXXXX threw that at me?!"
"It was the man in the third row behind you..." Tiadam quietly said as he stood beside the man. "I saw him throw the stone with my own eyes..."
"So it was you, Tiadam—" The man grabbed Tiadam by the collar. "Long time no see. Why are you back again?"
"Red... Red Daggers... Tute..." Tiadam said in surprise. "Why did you shave your head...? Wasn't your Mohawk pretty distinctive...?"
"You should be thanking yourself for that! Last time, you robbed our group's goods on the outskirts of the city. The leader punished me and made me keep my head shaved for half a year as a warning!"
"Uh... well... isn't your leader a little heartless...? Making someone shave their head in winter... It's easy to catch a cold..." Tiadam took advantage of the distraction and punched the bald man square in the face.
Blinded by pain, the bald man covered his nose and released Tiadam. "You little bastard, you dare act wild on my turf?!"
"Your turf?" Tiadam said with a roguish grin. "There are plenty of big shots in Canfor. Who the hell are you supposed to be...?"
Before Tiadam could finish, he felt dozens of eyes staring at his back.
"Um... what's going on here...?" Tiadam realized that everyone in line except Denolan had stepped out of it.
"Red Dagger Guild, First Enchantment Hall..." Tiadam muttered as he read the notice posted outside the blacksmith shop. "Elemental resistance, ten silver coins. Elemental enchantment, five silver coins. Arcane resistance, ten silver coins. Arcane immunity, five silver coins. Mind resistance, fifteen silver coins. Venom/curse resistance, fifteen silver coins. Venom/curse coating, fifteen silver coins..."
"Um... Mr. Goblin, how many coins would two weapons with elemental resistance cost?" Denolan asked.
"How much money do you have?" The goblin who was enchanting weapons stopped working.
"I only have this much..." Denolan handed Tiadam's cloth bag to the goblin.
"One Kralimaya Gold Coin and twenty-five Kralimaya Silver Coins..." The goblin took a dagger and a warhammer from beneath his bellows. "Your money can only buy this hammer. I'll throw in the dagger for free..."
"Uh... is that okay?"
It was Denolan's first time buying a weapon, and he had little experience. Unable to make up his mind, he hesitated, though he was still a hundred times better off than Tiadam. Dozens of burly men had already surrounded that brat.
"You little bastard—brothers! He's the one who robbed our group's goods last time! Brothers, kill him!"
"Yeah—" the burly men shouted in response.
Tiadam: "Um... misunderstanding... misunderstanding..."
Denolan: "Should... should I buy them...?"
Just as Denolan finally made up his mind, Tiadam also prepared to run. He punched one of the burly men in the groin.
"Ooh~~ you damned brat~~ you fought~~ dirty~~" The man collapsed while clutching his crotch. Using his falling body as a springboard, Tiadam leaped up and stomped on another man's face, then made a second jump to escape the Red Daggers' encirclement.
"Damn brat, everyone, get him—" The bald brute roared, and dozens of men retrieved their still-unenchanted weapons from the blacksmith shop owner.
"Excuse me... excuse me... thank you... thank you..." Denolan hugged the weapons he had just bought and squeezed his way out through the crowd.
"Tiadam—I'm going to kill you—"
An exceptionally thrilling chase unfolded on the streets of Canfor's Upper District. Dozens of burly men carrying swords and blades pursued a young man around twenty years old.
"I wonder... whether that guy who smells like bread bought a weapon with elemental immunity... Damn it! Damn it!" Tiadam cried out in alarm. "I should've had him draw their aggro—"
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