Chapter 605: A Day in Tolgue II
With every new Realm increase, Food became even less of a daily necessity for Arthur, so he’d started forgetting about food for days at a time recently.
Seeing the stall before them reminded him of his lack of a meal, and he ordered two plates of a local speciality for himself and Rachel.
They sat on a nearby bench and enjoyed the meal in comfortable silence. Arthur bit into his food with enthusiasm while Rachel, taking her first bite, nodded in approval.
"This is pretty good."
"I know, right?"
After eating, they continued their walk, passing a group of street performers. One of them, a juggler, caught Arthur’s eye and before Rachel knew it, he had joined in.
Arthur grabbed a couple of oranges from a nearby vendor’s stall, tossed coins to cover the cost, and started juggling alongside the performer.
"Seriously?"
Rachel could only laugh, watching as Arthur effortlessly kept pace with the juggler. He shot her a wink mid-toss, causing the crowd to laugh and cheer.
Eventually, they moved on again, and as they wandered, Arthur spotted a booth offering carnival games.
"You know what we should do?"
Arthur said with a mischievous grin and Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh no, what now?"
He pointed to a large, brightly coloured booth where an oversized hammer lay waiting next to a "Test Your Strength" machine. The goal was simple—hit the lever hard enough to send the metal ball flying up to ring the bell at the top.
"Hold your horses there."
Rachel grabbed Arthur’s arm before he could walk away. As far as she knew, Arthur was a Superior Grandmaster at least. He had more than enough strength to bring this city to the ground with his bare hands if there was no one stopping him.
If he hit that lever, forget getting the jackpot, the machine would be instantly blown to smithereens.
She dragged him away to a shooting range, where they had to shoot down items to wind them and after paying, Arthur hit the top prize.
The small crowd around them cheered, and the booth operator handed Arthur a cheap-looking stuffed animal as his prize.
Grinning like a child, Arthur turned and presented the toy to Rachel with an exaggerated flourish.
"For you, m’lady."
Rachel rolled her eyes but accepted it, unable to hide her smile.
"Thanks, I’ve always wanted a cheaply-made stuffed animal."
"Only the finest for you."
"Pfft...!"
She was barely able to hold back her laughter at Arthur’s acting.
They continued strolling through the city, participating in everything they saw until the sun began dipping below the horizon.
The bustling streets began to mellow, the earlier vibrancy shifting to a quieter hum. Streetlights flickered to life, replacing the dimming light of the sun and though Arthur and Rachel had been walking for hours now, neither seemed particularly tired.
"Want to try something different?"
Arthur asked, glancing sideways at her and Rachel tilted her head curiously.
"What do you have in mind?"
He retrieved his Mercenary Guild card and pointed at the building down the street they were on before responding.
"How about we use the waypoint and hop over to another city for a while, see what it’s like there."
Rachel’s eyes widened slightly at the suggestion.
You’re serious? Just... jump to another city on a whim?"
"Why not? We’ve got time, and it’s not like we’re in a rush. Plus, it’s way faster than taking an airship."
"..."
Rachel was silent for a moment after Arthur’s suggestion. Being with him all day had infected her a bit with his randomness, so she shrugged and agreed.
"Alright then, lead the way."
Arthur tossed a coin and randomly selected the city it fell on, before informing the mages manning the waypoint about his decision.
Though they were shocked at his actions, they still did their job and activated it. The process barely took a few minutes to complete, and they were warped halfway across the Githal Region just like that.
Unlike Tolgue, this city had an ancient feel to it, with towering stone buildings that looked like they’d been standing for centuries. Magic-infused lamps lined the streets, casting a pale white glow on the dimming streets.
"Why do I feel like I’m in History class again..."
Arthur muttered under his breath as he saw the city around him, heading down the cobblestone streets with Rachel trailing behind.
This city’s streets were narrower than those in Tolgue, and they wound through the city like a labyrinth, leading them past towers, magic shops, and guild halls that looked like they’d been standing for centuries.
Heading deeper into the heart of the city, they stumbled upon a large plaza, with a grand fountain in the centre that depicted some sort of battle.
They continued walking, moving through the city’s maze-like streets, and as they strolled past an open-air tavern, a lively tune caught their attention. A group of bards was playing on a small stage, the music filling the plaza with a cheerful, melodic sound.
Arthur nudged Rachel with his elbow and nodded toward the tavern as he asked.
"Want to grab a drink?"
"Why not? I could use one after all this walking."
They made their way to the tavern and found a small table outside, right near the edge of the bustling plaza. The bards played on, and the scent of food wafted through the air from nearby food vendors.
When their ordered drinks came, they both took a sip before setting it down simultaneously.
"This... is strong."
Rachel remarked, blinking after her first sip and Arthur couldn’t help but agree.
They sat there for a while, watching the world pass by, their conversation drifting from one topic to another.
As the night deepened, the city’s magic-infused lamps brightened, and the bards in the tavern finished their set. Slowly, the streets began to empty as the merchants closed up shop.
"Not bad for a spontaneous trip, huh?"
When Arthur said this, Rachel smiled wryly and set her drink down before responding.
"Not bad at all."
After a while, they decided it was time to head back to Tolgue. The Mercenary Guild’s teleportation waypoint was nearby, and within minutes, they were back on the platform, warping halfway across Githal once more.
Courtesy of Arthur, Rachel was going to be staying in Tolgue for a few days, so as they headed back to the Noble Baron Hotel, Arthur’s eyes caught sight of a shiny silver bracelet through the display glass of a shop about to close.
Rachel turned to him, who had stopped to peer through the glass and asked.
"Something catch your eye?"
Arthur pointed to the bracelet inside and she followed his hand to spot the silver bracelet that gave off a soft glow as well.
"Looks nice? You want it?"
"I’m considering where to put it..."
The boy glanced at his hands which were quite filled up. The Cosmic Teleporter took up space on his right arm while his Left forearm was almost completely covered by the Stellar Guard.
While he was deliberating this, Rachel unhesitatingly walked into the shop and bought the bracelet.
When she handed it to Arthur, he blinked in surprise.
"I wasn’t even done deciding if I wanted to get it or not..."
"You looked like you were gonna take all day so I helped you make the decision."
She responded as she slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist, in the small space between the Cosmic Teleporter and his palm.
"Consider it a return gift for the stuffed animal earlier."
"Why, thank you. A very thoughtful return gift."
The two continued down the street and as soon as they stepped into the Hotel, the receptionists greeted them with so much enthusiasm, like usual.
"You’re really a valued customer here."
Rachel remarked, eyeing the way they practically beamed at Arthur and he only shrugged with a light smile as they headed up the elevator.
Once they reached Rachel’s floor, Arthur stopped just outside her door, leaning casually against the frame.
"Alright, next time, you get to choose where we go."
"Next time?"
His words made Rachel blink, taken aback and Arthur reminded her of his earlier statement in the day.
"Yeah. Didn’t I say we’re gonna go out every day?"
"You weren’t joking?!"
"Not in the slightest. So, better start planning."
Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but words failed her. She was left standing there, a little bewildered, as Arthur turned on his heel and headed toward the elevator.
"See you tomorrow!"
He called back, his voice echoing down the hallway.
Rachel stood there for a moment longer, shaking her head with a soft laugh.
"He’s impossible..."
