20 Market

"You sure like to faint a lot," Kurogane remarked as he observed Zenith's eyes opening.

Zenith, in a groggy voice, asked, "Did I kill it?"

"You sure did. It was quite impressive," Hudson replied.

Zenith replied, "Thanks, but if it wasn't for you guys, I would have died."

"That's why you are D rank, and we have a party. In my opinion, a group of C rank adventurers would have to work together to kill that boss, while you did it by yourself. You shouldn't put yourself down by fainting," Hudson encouraged.

Kurogane added, "When I saw you in the forest, I thought you were a dumbass, but now I see a monster that has just shown its potential."

"Thanks, guys," Zenith expressed, getting up off the ground. He then asked, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Kurogane responded, "Go to the Adventurers Guild and collect the reward for completing the spider cave."

"Okay," Zenith said, and they all headed back to the Adventurers Guild. At the front desk, Kurogane informed, "We have cleared the spider cave."

"Okay, we shall check it at a later date. If not done, you will be ordered to pay the money gained, a fine, and banned from joining any adventurers guild," the lady at the desk said as she handed over the 30 silver coins.

"Okay," Kurogane acknowledged. He turned to Zenith and Hudson and said, "Let's go." They all left and headed back to the inn. At the inn, Hudson asked, "Do you want to eat from the inn diner, or should we make our own food?"

"I say we make our own food. It teaches us how to cook and saves us money," Kurogane suggested.

Zenith agreed, saying, "We should make our own food."

"Okay, I'll go and buy groceries," Hudson offered.

Zenith asked, "Can I also come?"

"Sure," Hudson said, and they both headed out to buy groceries for their meal.

"I suggest we prepare our own food; it teaches us how to cook and saves us money," Kurogane proposed.

Zenith concurred, stating, "We should indeed make our own food."

"Alright, I'll go and purchase groceries," Hudson offered.

Zenith inquired, "Can I come along as well?"

"Of course," Hudson replied, and they both set out to buy groceries for their meal.

"Twenty silver coins? These prices are outrageous," Zenith thought to himself and replied, "Thank you for letting me know," as he began walking towards the exit. The old man handed him a piece of chocolate, saying, "Here."

"But I can't afford this," Zenith protested.

The man reassured him, saying, "I didn't ask for money, so don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Zenith sought confirmation.

The man replied, "Yes."

He savored the chocolate, allowing it to melt in his mouth. The taste was as exquisite as the aroma, a pure excellence that made it the greatest chocolate he had ever experienced; it felt as though he could die for this.

"How is it?" the man inquired after Zenith had relished the flavor.

Zenith responded, "It's wonderful, the best thing I have ever tasted in my life."

"I am happy to hear that," the old man said, a smile appearing on his face.

Curious, Zenith asked, "Why did you give me such a valuable thing for free?"

"Out of kindness, when I was your age, I too wandered into a bakery enticed by the aroma, and it was the same exact item—a chocolate cake. I asked about its price, and the man behind the counter replied it was 18 silver coins. Hearing that price made my heart drop. I thanked the man for his response and turned to leave, but he called me back, offering a piece of the chocolate cake. So, I felt compelled to return the kindness he had shown me. But please, don't share this with others, or I may end up going out of business," the man recounted.

Zenith responded, "My lips are sealed if you just tell me your name."

"It's Alfred," the man revealed with a chuckle.

"Thank you for the piece of cake, Mister Alfred. I will make sure to repay your kindness in due time," Zenith promised.

"Don't worry about that. Just live your life," Alfred insisted.

Zenith then ventured outside, taking a stroll through the market. He visited various shops, inquiring about prices to gauge the average cost of items, until he inadvertently took a wrong turn, leading him away from the market and onto a different street.

"I guess I've made a wrong turn," Zenith muttered to himself as he realized he couldn't spot any more shops. He turned to head back when he heard a voice call out, "Hey you."

Turning around, Zenith saw a group of boys. "What?" he asked, noting that there was no one else around they could be addressing.

A chubby boy in a red shirt and light blue pants stepped forward and inquired, "You new here?"

"What if I am?" Zenith replied, wondering why he should entertain this line of questioning.

"I don't like your tone," the kid retorted.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Zenith challenged.

The kid's face flushed with anger. "I was just going to ask you to drop your valuables and leave, but it seems like you have a death wish, so I'll make sure to fulfill that."

Zenith felt a pang of worry since he had left his katana at home, assuming the kingdom was safe. It seemed he was mistaken. However, he had faith in his agility and combat skills.

The boys began to close the distance, expecting Zenith to flee. However, Zenith remained rooted in place, unnerving the boys slightly. They dismissed it as bravado and continued their advance.

Just as the boy in the blue shirt was about to throw a punch at Zenith, someone yelled out.