Chapter 87 - Unexpected Reward
As they approached the small wooden doors, Bral stepped to the side, gesturing for Idin to take the lead. "Go ahead," he said casually. "You're stronger. If anything happens, you've got a better chance of surviving."
Idin shot him a flat look. "Really? You're the one who insisted we check this out. You open it."
Bral raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just saying it makes sense."
Before their bickering could escalate, Amukelo sighed heavily. "You two were supposed to be the mature ones," he muttered, stepping forward. "Fine, I'll do it."
He crouched by the door, peering through one of the crude holes. Inside, he saw nothing but a shadowy, short corridor that seemed to turn to the right. He paused, listening carefully for any signs of movement. The silence stretched for several moments, and when he was confident nothing lurked beyond, he placed his hand on the rough wooden handle.
"Here we go," he said quietly as he pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the cave. The group tensed, weapons ready, but nothing came rushing out to greet them. Amukelo stepped cautiously into the corridor, the others following closely behind.
This chaptšr is updated by freeĻebnovÄl.cą«¦m.
The corridor was narrow, the air damp and stale. As they rounded the corner, the faint glint of something metallic caught Amukelo's eye. A chest sat against the far wall, old and battered but still intact.
He stopped abruptly and stared at it, his brow furrowed. "Uh... guys, do you see this?" he called back to the group.
Bral squinted at the chest. "Yeah, it's a chest, isn't it?"
Amukelo turned to him with a flat expression. "Wow. Thank you for that profound observation."
Bral smirked, while Idin, walking behind them, asked, "What do you think they'd even hide in here?"
"I have no idea," Amukelo admitted, stepping closer to the chest. He inspected it for traps or anything unusual. Finding nothing suspicious, he placed his hands on the lid and hesitated.
"Well?" Bral asked, his voice tinged with impatience.
Amukelo opened the chest slowly, the hinges groaning in protest. Inside, a warm golden glow reflected off their faces. Coins. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of gold and silver coins filled the chest. Amukelo stared at it in stunned silence.
"We're rich!" Bral exclaimed, stepping forward with wide eyes.
Idin crossed his arms, his expression amused but unimpressed. "Rich? In the past, this wouldn't have meant much to us."
Bral rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, we're not in the past anymore, are we? Now, this is pretty great."
Amukelo turned to them, his brows furrowed. "Wait. What do you mean, 'in the past'? What did you do before this?"
Bral gave him a sly grin. "Ah, no one told you? We used to be nobles."
Amukelo blinked, clearly puzzled. "Nobles? What's that?"
Idin's brows rose in surprise. "You really don't know?"
Amukelo shook his head.
Idin chuckled lightly. "Basically, we were rich people. Born into families with a lot of land, money, and power. You know, the kind of people who don't have to worry about quests or goblins."
Amukelo tilted his head, still processing. "So... like chiefs of a village?"
Bral laughed. "Bigger than that. Way bigger. We were the kind of people who could own a village, not just lead one."
Amukelo's eyes widened, his gaze shifting back to the chest. "Huh. Well, in my village, this amount of gold would be massive. Enough to change lives."
Bral leaned casually against the wall, grinning. "We were rich beyond what you'd think. This chest wouldn't even be pocket change back then."
"Wow," Amukelo said softly, still staring at the coins.
The group fell into a brief silence, each of them reflecting on the chest's contents and what it meant to them now compared to their pasts. Finally, Amukelo broke the silence. "So... what do we do with it?"
Bral clapped him on the back. "We take it, of course. We earned it."
As they made their way back, Bral carried the chest of coins with an exaggerated grin, holding it up like a trophy. The rest of the group walked around him, the tension of the earlier fight beginning to fade into a shared sense of accomplishment.
Amukelo walked with his sword resting on his shoulder, his thoughts swirling. After a while, he broke the silence. "So, if you had this kind of money, why did you decide to become adventurers? I mean..." He hesitated, his voice lowering. "If I had this kind of money, maybe my mother would still be alive. I wouldn't have had to take this path at all."
The group fell quiet for a moment, the weight of Amukelo's words settling over them. Idin, walking just behind him, finally spoke up. "It's way more fun," he said with a grin, his tone light. "The quest we just did? That was exciting, wasn't it?"
Amukelo frowned, considering it. "I'd lie if I said it wasn't," he admitted.
Idin nodded as if he'd just made a point. "See? That's the thing. For people like you, someone who's struggled to get by, this lifestyle might seem like a desperate last resort, or even a burden. But when you're born into a family like ours..." He trailed off for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful. "You become numb to convenience. To luxury. Everything is handed to you on a golden platter, but it all feels empty after a while."
Amukelo looked at him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "Empty? How can having everything feel... empty?"
Idin shrugged. "When you don't have to work for anything, when every challenge is solved before you even get to face it, life starts to lose its meaning. Sure, some people born into it learn to appreciate what they have and use it well. But a lot of us? We just end up bored, aimless. That's why so many nobles turn to... distractions."
"Distractions?" Amukelo asked.
Bral chimed in, chuckling. "Alcohol, gambling, women... you name it. Anything to feel something, even if it's fleeting."
Idin nodded in agreement. "Exactly. It so happens that the four of us chose a different path. Adventuring. And I don't think any of us regrets it."
He looked around at the group, and Bral, Bao, and Pao each gave a small nod of agreement. Bral then smirked, his grin turning mischievous. "Especially Pao."
Pao, caught off guard, snapped her head toward him, her cheeks instantly turning red. "Huh? Why me?" she stammered.
Amukelo, confused, turned to her. "Yeah, why is that, Pao?"
Her blush deepened, and she raised her hands defensively. "IāI don't know what he's talking about," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
Bral's grin widened as he looked at Amukelo. "Oh, you don't know? That's interesting."
"What? What don't I know?" Amukelo asked, growing more puzzled. His gaze darted between Pao, who looked flustered and refused to meet his eyes, and Bral, who was clearly enjoying himself.
Bao, watching the exchange with a cold expression, stepped in and kicked Bral's shin. "Cut it out," she snapped.
Bral yelped and hopped on one foot, still grinning despite the pain. "What? I didn't say anything!"
Bao ignored him and turned to Amukelo. "Don't ask stupid questions," she said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Amukelo frowned, confused. "What did I do?"
Bao didn't answer, instead turning her attention to Pao. Pao was still avoiding everyone's gaze, her face a deep shade of pink.
Amukelo looked at Idin for answers, but Idin merely shrugged. Then he turned to Bral, who was still smirking.
"Bral?" Amukelo pressed. "What's going on?"
Bral clapped him on the shoulder, his grin now sly. "I can't tell you, brother. I worry it's something you'll have to figure out yourself."
Amukelo groaned in frustration. "Figure out what?"
Before Bral could respond, Bao cleared her throat loudly. Amukelo turned to her, only to be met with a sharp, warning glare. He sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine," he muttered.
Still, as they continued walking, Amukelo couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on. He glanced back at Pao, but she was resolutely staring at the ground, her hands gripping her staff tightly.