Chapter 11: Genesis (3)
Misha couldn’t help but stare in admiration at the beautiful scene in front of her. Crisscrossed strings were attached to the roofs with a ball of glowing lights and it shone like stars brought down from the sky. Vendors called out from their stalls, and crowds filled the street. The air itself felt alive in the middle of the early evening.
While scanning the area, Misha’s eyes immediately landed on the nearest stall.
Several cloaks were hanging from a wooden rack. It was a cold night, and she needed something to keep her warm. Most importantly, she wanted to hide her current appearance especially when she had been feeling a few stares from here and there.
An elderly merchant looked up from his seat when she approached the stall. "Interested in a cloak, miss?"
She nodded slowly. "How much is it, sir?"
The merchant lifted a plain dark-brown cloak from the rack. "It’s 5 coins for this."
It was a good thing that King was kind enough to leave her some money. She would have to resort to begging if it weren’t for him. The only problem she had at that moment was that... was 5 coins expensive or not?
Since she had no idea how the currency worked, she tried to haggle. "That’s a bit much for a plain cloak."
"Plain?" He raised a brow at her remark. "This is quality wool."
Misha picked up the cloak and inspected it carefully. She was clueless whether it was a quality cloak or not, but it was thick enough to protect her from the cold, and that was all that mattered.
"There’s no embroidery or anything fancy in it, it’s just a cloak."
The merchant opened his mouth but Misha pressed on. "I’ll pay 2 coins for this."
He immediately laughed in amusement when he heard her words. "Two? You drive a harder bargain than Raiders twice your age."
"Of course! I’m going to even add a thank you if you’ll allow me to have this for 2 coins." She grinned playfully.
"It’s tempting."
"Yes, very tempting, right?"
"But it’s not tempting enough." He smirked. "Four."
Misha sighed dramatically. "Three?"
The merchant rubbed his beard, pretending to think about it before he added, "How about 4 and a free compliment?"
It didn’t seem like the merchant was willing to lower the price more than that so Misha could only give in. "Fine..."
After giving her payment, the merchant handed the cloak to her. "You’re terrible at haggling."
She pouted at him. "That’s not a compliment at all."
"It’s the only one you’re getting, young miss." This time, he flashed the same grin she had given him earlier.
She couldn’t help but sigh as she finally wore the cloak.
Ding!
「 〔 Wayfarer Cloak 〕
Grade: Rare
Description: A cloak enchanted with basic spatial magic.
Effects:
• Hidden Pocket ( 5 slots)
• Stored items weigh nothing while inside.
• Minor resistance against wind and rain. 」
Misha was shocked when she saw the window. Who would have thought that it wasn’t just an ordinary cloak, but it actually had such effects?
She immediately looked back at the elderly merchant with a bright smile spreading across her face. "Grandpa, thank you!"
The old man blinked a few times at the way she called him before chuckling. "Grandpa, huh?"
He stroked his beard once more. "At least someone around here still has manners."
Seeing her obvious excitement, the corner of his lips lifted into a pleasing smile. "Take good care of it, girl. That cloak has traveled farther than most raiders."
"Eh? If it’s already used, shouldn’t I get it at a lower price?"
"That’s already the lower price."
She could only eye him suspiciously before sighing. "Well, this is already good enough for me." She couldn’t stop herself from smiling. "So thank you, grandpa. By the way, may I know your name?"
His eyes softened slightly. Most people didn’t bother asking since the people who bought from him never came back. "A little advice, young lady."
"Hm?" She looked at him with innocent, warm brown eyes.
"You should always remember one thing: never underestimate ordinary-looking items. The things that will save your life rarely look impressive."
Misha nodded thoughtfully. He wasn’t entirely wrong about it when he put it that way.
"Name’s Tobias." He turned away and returned to organizing his wares. "Safe travels, young lady."
"Thank you, grandpa!" She grinned before heading back into the bustling market.
The old merchant gazed back at her leaving figure, watching her disappear into the crowd with an oddly thoughtful expression.
≈≈≈
While walking, the moment the scent of roasted meat reached her nostrils, Misha’s stomach growled loudly. It was only then that she realized that she had somehow forgotten about food.
Ever since entering the tower, she had been busy trying not to die. Three-hour tutorial, awakening, and existential crisis. Food had unfortunately failed to make the list.
Now thay she was surrounded by the smell of freshly cooked food, the emptiness of her stomach became impossible to ignore.
Drawn by the scent, Misha found herself walking toward the nearby stall without a second thought.
Several skewers of meat rotated above glowing coal, crackling softly as juices trickled onto the flames below. The smoky scent alone was enough to make Misha’s mouth water. Her eyes remained fixated on the skewers, and her stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly.
Ignoring her embarrassment, she pointed at one of the skewers. "H-how much is this?"
The vendor raised three fingers. "Three coins."
"Three?"
"It’s Fire Boar meat."
Misha could only stare at him cluelessly.
As if that explained everything.
Unfortunately, since she was not the only one buying from him, judging by their reactions, it apparently did. She immediately pulled out the pouch from her pocket and handed him over the payment.
The vendor accepted it and passed her a wooden skewer loaded with four thick chunks of meat.
Misha didn’t waste a second as she brought it straight to her mouth.
"Ah-!" She quickly pulled back since the meat was still scorching hot.
"Hooo! Hooo!" She fanned her mouth while blowing repeatedly on the skewer.
After waiting a few more seconds, she cautiously took another bite. The moment the taste spread in her mouth, her eyes widened. It was unbelievably tender. The meat nearly melted in her mouth like butter, releasing a rich, smoky flavor that spread across her senses. For a brief moment, every problem she had seemed to disappear.
She finished the last piece in seconds and before she knew it, the skewer was empty. Misha stared at the bare stick in her hand. "I think... I could eat 10 more."
Her stomach immediately agreed and the night market seemed determined to make matters worse.
"Sunroot stew! Fresh Sunroot stew!"
"Roasted nuts here! Have some roasted nuts!"
"Sweet honey cakes! Straight from the oven!"
Misha looked left, then turned right, and then left again. There was simpply too much food she wanted to try. Since she still wasn’t full, she decided to try one from each stall.
Before long, she found herself strolling deeper into the night market with a half-consumed meat pie in one hand and a cup of warm cider in the other. The atmosphere almost felt festive. Laughter drifted through the streets. It was difficult to believe that she was inside a tower.
Her gaze wandered casually across the crowd. It was during one of those aimless walks that she noticed someone who caught her attention. A young woman stood near a jewelry stall.
At first glance, she looked striking enough to draw attention anywhere she went. Pale silver-blue hair framed her face, and two horn-like ornaments protruded from the sides of her head.
What caught Misha’s attention the most was her outfit. It was a one-piece garment that hugged her figure from neck to thigh. Pieces of armor decorated parts of her arms, shoulders, and waist but large portions remained uncovered.
The outfit looked rather sexy, expensive, and most importantly... It looked cold.
"Who wears a one-piece outfit on a cold night?"
