Chapter 176: Bad Enough

I pushed open the tavern door and stepped inside. The warmth hit me first, followed by the familiar smell of roasted meat, cheap ale, and smoke drifting beneath the wooden beams. The crowd had thinned since earlier. A few patrons quietly nursed their mugs while others slumped over their tables after drinking far too much.

At the back of the room, the merchant was exactly where he’d promised he’d be. His head rested on the table beside an empty mug, his shoulders slumped, looking thoroughly drunk.

I walked over to him. "Hey."

No response.

I poked his shoulder. Nothing. I cleared my throat. Still nothing.

With a sigh, I kicked one leg of his chair.

He jerked upright with a startled grunt. "Ugh, what? Who...? Oh." He blinked a few times before focusing on me. "It’s you, kid."

Without saying anything, I tossed the leather pouch onto the table. It landed with a heavy clink.

The man stared at it for a second before hurriedly pulling it closer. His sleepy eyes widened as he untied the string and looked inside.

"By the sands of Thessir..." he whispered. "You found it, kid."

"Yeah," I replied. "Couldn’t get the cart back, though."

His shoulders immediately relaxed with relief. "Who gives a damn about the cart?" He laughed, clutching the pouch to his chest. "I can pay them back now. Finally."

I nodded and crossed my arms. "I took ten silver for myself. Didn’t need anything more than that. Good luck with... whatever you’ve got going on."

He looked at me as though I’d grown another head. "Only ten silver?" He shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "Kid... thank you. At least let me buy you a drink."

╔═══════════════════════╗

• SIDE QUEST COMPLETED

────────────────────────

Find the stolen pouch and bring it back.

Rewards:

• 100 EXP

• 50 LC

╚═══════════════════════╝

I glanced at the notification and smiled. "Nah. That’s enough for me. Thanks."

The merchant chuckled and gave me a respectful nod. "Then may Solvane light your path, kid."

"I’ll need all the luck I can get."

Leaving the tavern behind, I stepped back into the cool evening air and opened my status screen.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Ace | LC: 181 | EXP: 312/651 | LVL 7

╠═══════════════════════╣

> HP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 115/115

> MP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 95/95

> STA ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 72/100

────────────────────────

> Class: ROGUE

> Known Abilities:

• Dead Lantern

• Mirror Knifel

• Shadow Leap

• Wall Runner

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> PERKS

• +15% Magic Damage

• +10% Critical Chance

• Backstab Damage

• Light of the Believer

╠═══════════════════════╣

> [ BAG ] [ MAP ] [ SHOP ] [ QUESTS ]

╚═══════════════════════╝

"Nice." I nodded to myself. "Need to complete more quests."

I opened my inventory next.

╔═════════════════╗

> INVENTORY

╠═════════════════╣

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

───────────────────

> Coin: 14 Gold 1 Silver

╚═════════════════╝

Good, I was practically rich... well, not rich but at least not poor.

After closing every window, I continued toward the city walls. While walking, I opened the system map and examined the surroundings. There had been more question marks scattered around the area a few hours ago, but now only a handful remained. I guessed most of the quest givers had already gone home for the night.

"Ace-nya!"

I turned around and spotted Nanda jogging toward me from the edge of the forest.

Leaves clung to her hair and cat ears, several fresh scratches marked her exposed arms, and her clothes were covered in bits of dirt. Despite the cold evening air, she was sweating lightly and breathing harder than usual, as though she’d spent hours wandering through the woods.

"Nanda." I smiled faintly. "Hey."

"Hey." She stopped in front of me, catching her breath while her tail swayed behind her. "I’ve been searching the forest with everyone else for Pix. Got tired, though, so I was heading back."

"Searching for Pix?" I asked. "Why?"

"They found a letter in her room." Her ears lowered a little. "Looked like a suicide note."

She exhaled quietly before continuing.

"The teachers and the city guards don’t think we’ll find her alive anymore. They’re hoping we can at least find... her body."

"Poor girl." I frowned. "Wonder what drove her to it."

"We don’t know-nya." She shook her head, her tail twitching anxiously. "Were you coming out of the tavern? Drinking your worries away? I would too if that little rascal Elena paid me back! Heh, just kidding. I don’t drink."

Nanda liked talking, huh?

She playfully nudged my side. "Were you drinking? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? eh?"

"No. Just taking a walk."

"You didn’t hear about the search parties?"

I shook my head. "If I had, I would’ve helped."

"I wouldn’t get your hopes up." She sighed. "Everyone already thinks she’s dead, so now it’s more about finding her than saving her."

For a moment neither of us spoke. The moon hung high above the city, washing the streets in pale silver light while stars shimmered overhead.

Nanda finally stretched her arms. "Anyway, I’m heading back. Wanna come?"

There was no chance. If I walked with her, she’d probably spend the whole trip talking about Pix, and that was the last conversation I wanted to have.

I folded my arms and looked back toward the sky. "I’ll stay out a little longer. You go ahead."

"Okay." She smiled again, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Night, Ace."

"Night."

"Byeee-nya."

With one last wave, she headed toward the city while I remained standing beneath the quiet night sky, watching her disappear through the city gate.

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Ken wiped the sweat off his brow and attacked again. He cast some sort of spell I didn’t know the name of, one that let him jump much higher than before. Once he was at least five metres in the air, he nocked three arrows and fired them straight at me.

I bent my knees and cast Shadow Leap, appearing beside him in midair while he was still falling. Before he could react, I slashed across his chest with my wooden dagger.

We both crashed onto the ground. Ken groaned and sat up, rubbing his chest. Since the dagger and arrows were made of wood, neither of us had been seriously hurt. Even so, the arrow that had struck my leg earlier still throbbed. If this had been a real fight, the pain alone would’ve brought me to my knees, and Ken would’ve finished me off without much trouble.

So that settled it. I needed to get stronger.

"Man," Ken panted before letting out a long breath, "that arrow would’ve dropped you if this were real. That’s exactly why the Ranger class sucks in tournament fights."

"Good thing I’m not a Ranger."

He snorted. "Says the guy who can practically use every class."

Before I could answer, he tilted his head. "Oh, crap. Did you hear?"

"About Pix?" I asked. "Yeah."

"They’re saying she committed suicide." He stayed seated, still catching his breath. "And she didn’t even leave a reason. Why would someone do that? It doesn’t make any sense."

"Ace?" A student stepped into the training arena and waved at me from the entrance. "District Captain Sora is here. She says she needs to speak with you."

"Alright," I replied. "I’m coming."

"Sora?" Ken frowned. "Man, what does she want this time?"

"I guess I’m about to find out."

I stored my dagger, which had turned normal after the tournament ended, in the system inventory, looked up at the full moon hanging above the academy, and let out a tired breath before following the student toward the only exit leading back to the circular street.

Captain Sora was waiting near the tailor’s shop with two guards standing behind her. The student gave me a quick nod before returning to whatever he had been doing.

I stopped a few paces away from Captain Sora and studied her expression. She didn’t look angry. If anything, she looked curious. Man, I hated curious people. They brought all sorts of trouble.

"Captain Sora." I gave her a polite nod. "To what do I owe the..."

"I have witnesses who claim you were the last person seen with Pix before she disappeared," she interrupted. "I’d like to ask you a few questions."

"Sure. Yeah, I was with her yesterday evening... can’t remember the exact time, though. But it was dark."

"Why did you meet?"

"She called me over," I lied without hesitation. "She wanted to thank me for... avenging Jelda."

"And then? They said you left together."

"We did." The lie came naturally now. "She wanted to take a walk, so I went with her. She seemed... upset."

"Upset about what?"

"Now that I’ve heard about the suicide letter, I think I understand." I frowned. "She was there physically, but mentally she felt absent. Her shoulders were slumped, and she barely spoke and all that."

"Did she tell you why?"

"Jelda’s murder hit her hard." I shook my head. "I honestly didn’t know what to say. The whole situation was awful."

"Had she been like that ever since Jelda died?"

I nodded. "Yesterday I found her crying."

"Where?"

"Near the jewelry shop that sold Jelda the fake necklace." I folded my arms. "She just stood there staring at it... crying."

Captain Sora slowly nodded. "Gods..." she murmured. "First Jelda, now Pix. Two deaths in such a short time."

"You really think she killed herself?" I asked. "I only heard people whispering about a letter."

"There is a letter." She let out an exhausted sigh. "Now I have to notify her mother. As if today wasn’t already bad enough."

Of course the letter was real. I was the one who planted it. And, couldn’t lie, her room was a mess. Even a dog wouldn’t live there... not even a dog. A cockroach.

"I hope we find her alive," I said quietly. "Or... at least find her body, huh?"

"So do I." She straightened her posture and gave me a small nod. "That’s all for now. You can go."

"Of course. Have a good evening, Captain."

"You too."

I turned around and headed back toward the arena while the three guards remained where they were, quietly discussing their next move.

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