[Eon's POV: ]
"Can't we eat first…?" Rein, no, Uriel complained with a sad expression as we walked through the bustling streets of the island's commercial area.
There were good-looking shops, cafés, buildings, houses, and much more all around us and the street was full of people with good-looking clothing, mostly mage clothing, and people wearing, using, and utilizing their magical artifacts for normal things.
Magical beasts, people of different races, gorgeous lights, and magic were all around us as we walked towards the big spherical building some distance away from us.
It was the adventurer's association branch of this floating island and our very first destination after leaving the academy premises.
We had to do some shopping and this was late morning so we also had to eat something as well as we hadn't eaten anything since the early morning.
Uriel was complaining but we had to finish the most pressing matter as soon as we could so we were going to the adventurer's association with our first friend.
Quin was surprised how we were helping her so much and she was concerned as she saw Uriel's hungry face but she didn't have anything to worry about.
"We will eat whatever you want after this is finished, alright? It will be Quin's treat anyway."
I said that in a simple voice but it surprised Quin more than it calmed my fiancée who was only overacting before her good new friend.
"W-why would it be my treat?" She was really surprised but I didn't have to answer her innocent question.
"Because you were the last one to reach the auditorium~!" She hugged her as she shouted that.
"Remember the bet she talked about?
One of the bad things about this simple-looking girl is her bad habit of taking the 'serious' bets too seriously.
And she is always serious when she herself calls the bet so… yeah. You were last, and you will be paying."
That Much was enough explanation for her to understand the bad situation she was in right now; however, she only made a sad face, clicked her tongue, and accepted her fate.
She will be giving us a treat, the very first one dedicated to our healthy friendship. And she didn't mind that even though it was unexpected.
-Shaaaaaaa…
We finally passed through the long passage and stood before the gates of the colossal donut-shaped structure where a bigger crowd of people in different clothing, armor, and gears was going in and out of the building and these gates before us, which were guarded by four strong guards and two mages, weren't just some simple gates.
"Wow…"
Quin was surprised as she saw the scene before her and the area surrounded by different people and bustling voices was somewhat overwhelming for her too.
"Aiyoo~! Did you hear? Someone caught a green rank bird all by themselves today."
"Humph! Those are just half-true things. That bitch must have stolen some big monster's prey. It is a miracle she is even alive."
"Leader! Leader! I heard the new batch of students just came here yesterday! Let's go recruit them!"
"Hmmm? I think I was scammed. This just looks like a common sword with low-level enchantments. I should have had it appraised before purchasing it for three gold."
"Fuck… not again."
"No! It was your fault! Who just opens a treasure chest in a dungeon like that you fucking newbie! We had to suffer because of you!"
"Hahaha! Chief, chief! Did you hear~! Pirate caps got hit by a mimic again~!"
"Heh. Noobs. My master is much stronger and smarter than those bunch."
"Alright. This time, we will open the door with the knob of the weakest creature."
"Yes, I memorized everything. There is no way we will get lost again."
"Muhahahahaha! With the power of my new magical wand, I will demolish every existence that dares to cross my path!"
"Kyaaaa! Who is that hottie~?"
"It is alright darling. We will buy another balloon."
"Fuck this! I'm outta here!"
The area around us was filled with adventurers and different people but one thing was common in every person that walked passed us.
They were wearing either expensive-looking gear and clothes or were wearing capes and hoods to cover them completely.
None of them were like the three of us who were wearing not-so-attractive clothes or had any attractive gear.
And Quin was also relatively shorter than the two of us who had a proper height that matched some of the younger adventurers in the area.
But it was fine, we didn't have any problem with those people so we just walked forward after Quin calmed herself down with Uriel's help.
Some people were watching us as if watching total strangers or some alien creatures but mostly, it was fine as the area was already filled with many elves, orcs, beast people, and even dwarves.
There was no reason for them to pay any great attention to some young humans like the three of us so we just walked forward and when we reached the gates, we took out our adventurer IDs and held them before one of the eye-like markings on the open gates.
For a moment, it seemed like the eye-like marking blinked but that was just the sign that our registration was complete and that we were alright to go.
"Wait a moment."
But Quin was different. She didn't have the adventurer's ID so she had to pay the toll fees of around one [M] like every other person without an ID. But the girl didn't have that either. Or it would be better to say that she didn't have the spare change.
"It is alright. You can use this one sir." I looked up at the person in the enchanted knight armor and handed him my ID.
Quin didn't know the procedure but she was quick to catch on so she caught onto what was happening.
"It's alright. We will get an ID for you while we are here so you don't have to face something bothersome like this again."
I said that in the special language that the guards didn't understand but that wasn't important to them.
The guards, all six of them including the one to that I gave my ID, were now gathered around each other, whispering something that Uriel and I obviously knew about.
But we didn't have much time here and she was hungry so I just walked up to them and asked in a calm voice, "Is something wrong sir?"
"Oh! Nothing! You can take this!"
All six of them turned back in surprise and bowed instinctively as if greeting an important person.
"It's alright. Keep up the good work."
I bowed to them too and walked back to Rein who looked at me with a dissatisfied expression and Quin who had an even more confused look on her face.
"Why did they do that Lucifer?" Quin asked with genuine curiosity as she looked back at the six strong guards who were far stronger than the people that were coming in and out of this place.
There was no reason for strong people like them who treated even those important-looking people normally to bow to someone like me who they didn't even know or was far more simple looking than the others.
And yes others around us were surprised with their behavior too but some of them just minded their own business or some that were in the group just whispered to their curious companions and walked away from the place.
Quin didn't know what all this meant and even if she understood the unique reason for their behavior was the guards and their actions, she couldn't understand just what I even did for them to behave like that.
"Oh. Was it because of your ID card? But Uriel said you two are <D> rank so there shouldn't be a reaction like that right? Grandpa's diary said <D> rank is impressive but relatively common and achievable by strong people."
eaglesnov?1,сoМ "Well yeah." She was pretty amazing to figure it out just from the clues available around the surroundings but I didn't know how to explain the reason for their behavior to her in simple words.
"Didn't I tell you, Quin?"
But in situations like these, as always, my Rein, no, Uriel was always there to help me.
"That bastard is rich. And by rich, I mean freaking rich! He is so rich sometimes I think he has looted some dragon's layer and stored it all in some endless secret space." She snatched my ID from my hand and held it before her eyes.
'Well, her words are pretty correct and that wording was also right but I didn't loot any dragon's layer. Sadly, I hadn't even seen any dragon.'
She knew that too and she also hadn't seen any dragon so one of our couple goals was to see or meet a dragon… or at least some famous divine beast during our after-marriage vacation.
Anyway, that was something for the far future so right now, Quin was looking at me with wide eyes as if I was some ghost she seeing for the first time in her life.
"Who are you, master Lucifer? Some hidden important person that is helping me with the intention of gaining something big from me in the future? But… what would you even want from me if you have that much money?"
She was surprised and she had already grasped why the six of them behaved like that, it was only natural they would.
The balance showing up behind my card was… well, [3,369,090,030 M].
Yes yes, It was absurd I know but it was all the courtesy of my good mother who was worried that we won't have enough money to spend during our time in the academy.
Rein also had a big sum attached to her adventurer's ID but that sum was nowhere near mine. And seeing from my mom's perspective, the sum I had right now was also nothing at all.
'I mean, it was just a little more than three thousand platinum coins so it actually wasn't that much to me but, to anyone else, it surely was a sum unimaginable to them unless they were a prominent king or an emperor or someone who had a substantial influence on the world economy like my mom.'
"Hehe. He is a very important hidden person Quin. To tell you the truth, I am too. And if you tell this to anyone, you might get hurt badly by some unknown people~."
Uriel answered instead of us and as Quin looked at her, strangely, she couldn't find any signs of those words being just playful or a joke.
She knew even though she was smiling, this friend of hers was the most serious she had ever been and she was saying that with a smile so it gave her pure goosebumps.
"Don't scare her like that Uriel. And Quin. Yeah, it may be true that I am rich and we might be some hidden important people but, we aren't helping you because we want something from you.
Well, at least not specifically something.
Your friendship and trust would be more than enough for us and you are already so special that just having a friend like you will be a lot more profitable to us than any amount of money or treasure."
I warmly smiled at her and she looked at me with an observing gaze, finding nothing but truth and purity.
Then she looked at Uriel and she also nodded at her with confidence and this made her smile warmly back at us.
"Thanks, you two…"
Rein grabbed her hand and the three of us walked inside the colossal donut-like building and as the two girls looked around and Uriel showed Quin the area and every cool thing around, I walked up to the reception and smiled at the happily smiling receptionist.
"How can I help you sir?" She asked with the same smile that she must have shown to every other person and I smiled back at her.
"Where can I find the receptionist named Balak beautiful miss?" I asked in a gentle tone that surprised the lady and sparked a unique emotion in her as she nodded at me with a better smile that was her own and pointed to the very right corner of the wide room.
"He would be there young sir. But I do not think he would be much of a help to you."
She had a new concern deep in her eyes as she answered me but I just smiled and bowed to her a little.
"I appreciate your concerns good lady however do not worry. It is not something important that you can not do.
Alright then, have a wonderful day miss~!"
She was looking at me with confused eyes now, her smile vanished from its ever-present place, and she tilted her head at me.
However, I just smiled at her and walked to the other side, leaving her to her own thoughts and a certain strange feeling of meeting a stranger like me.
But that was that, and I walked to this Balak person who looked gloomy, had dark circles under his eyes, stood in the corner where everyone just avoided him, and as I approached him and stood before him, he just looked at me with a dead look as if tried to his very soul.
"Hello, mister." I greeted him and he just nodded at me while looking down at me as if I was annoying.
"The weather is so nice outside and the day is bright too so why are you so gloomy mister?" I asked with concern but he just scoffed and looked around as if annoyed by the talk of some little kid.
"Even the birds singing yesterday's news are happy and singing. At least talk to the one trying to greet you."
And as soon as he heard those strange words, he looked back at me and into my eyes, seeing my smiling face and looking around to see if someone was near.
"Yes. The songs of yesterday are melodious but the winds of the present are more calming, don't you think young sir?" He asked in a low but calm voice, which didn't contain any fatigue at all.
It was contrary to his looks but that wasn't something I had to pay any attention to.
"Certainly good sir. The winds of the present are calming and soothing, always guiding the sailors during their journey in the search of the ultimate treasure.
But wouldn't the storm of tomorrow be considered more helpful to all the brave who dare face it head-on?"
"Certainly it would. However, they can also just avoid it like everyone, no? Good sir?"
"Yes, they can but then they wouldn't be the ones who saw through destiny, went against fate, and conquered the impossible, no? Good sir?"
"Haha, you are right. It is important to go straight."
"Certainly it is. And I would be happy if the good sir helps me in my conquest to the other side."
"Certainly it is. It would be my pleasure. Do you have any companions, sir?"
"None but those two pretty ladies captain. We entrust lives to you… but I won't hesitate to aim the cannon at you if a knife is pointed at them, good sir."
I smiled warmly at him and he gulped as he saw that smile.
My calm but a little dark smile which meant not much, but at the same time, a lot more than anyone can think about.
"Just give me a moment please."
And after saying that, he walked away inside the employee area somewhere, and I went back to the two pretty ladies with me.
The arrangements to meet this branch's manager was in place and we just had to wait a little bit now.
'Just a little bit…'
This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com