Armed Florida Man Holds Security Guard Hostage and Invades Local Finance Firm to Sell Used Clothes

Chapter 8 - Armed Florida Man Holds Security Guard Hostage and Invades Local Finance Firm to Sell Used Clothes

After walking miles on the road for hours, Felix reached the city before nightfall. Up close, the city walls were breathtaking. The thick brick barriers towered approximately 50 feet high. A dozen militia soldiers in metal helmets and white tunics, carrying long spears, patrolled the wall-walk, gazing down at the peasants in the farms below.

As Felix approached, a patrolling guard on the ground noticed him. The guard frowned and blocked the entrance. 

"I haven't seen you before. Who are you? Which village are you from?" he bellowed, expressing his authority.

Felix grinned and started sprouting nonsense. "Hello, sir. I'm just a country bumpkin from a deserted village called Jacksonville. I've just become an adult, and I wish to find work in a big city."

The guard lowered his weapon and sneered at Felix with disdain. He waved his hand dismissively. "You must be an idiot from Terra City or the like. If I were you, I would go home. There is no future here! Do you realize that this place is Aero Academy City?! Only noble children can enter and study to become a great mage!"

"Oh? A school? For which age range? Middle school, high school, or college?" Felix was interested.

"You're speaking nonsense! Get lost!"

"But can I enter?"

"I said, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! WE DON'T WELCOME THE LIKES OF TERRA HERE!" the guard barked.

Felix pursed his lips and glared into the guard's eyes. After taking a long sigh, he pulled a loaded handgun from his system inventory and pointed it at the guard's face. "You said something about a great mage. Does this little magic of mine qualify?"

"!!!" 

From an onlooker's perspective, the gun materialized out of nowhere, shocking the gate guard. He took a step back, sweating profusely. "You… are you a mage?"

"Mage this, mage that. Well, if you count this boomstick as a wand, yeah, that's right. I can use magic. Want me to show you? It's gonna be loud."

Without waiting for the guard to react, Felix pointed the gun at the guard's feet and pulled the trigger once.

*BANG*

The bullet missed the guard's foot by an inch. 

The thunderous gunshot sound alerted the patrols on the walls and behind the fortifications. They turned their attention to the commotion below and noticed Felix holding a mysterious object in his hand. 

Meanwhile, the loud gate guard stumbled and fell on his back, eyes wide with fear as he stared at Felix. He shrieked like a panicking maiden.

"F-FORGIVE ME! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I DIDN'T KNOW! I DIDN'T MEAN TO OFFEND YOU!" The guard wet his pants as he crawled backward.

Felix snorted and put the handgun away. Fixing his cold stare on the panicking gate guard, he uttered in a low tone, "Can I go in now?"

"Y-YES! YES, MY LORD!"

"Hmm."

Ignoring the reactions of the other militia guards, Felix passed through the giant gate and walked into the city unhindered. After he had passed through, the soldiers regained their composure, exchanging looks before starting to yell.

"Go inform the captain! A-An unknown mage just showed up at the south gate!"

.

.

Walking 300 yards away from the gate, Felix glanced behind him. Noticing that the soldiers didn't follow him, he loosened his expression and let out a long sigh.

<That was a good act,> Jessica praised.

"I almost snapped and shot that guy in the face," Felix wryly smiled, proud of his self-control. He looked ahead and admired the scenery. 

All the buildings were made of bricks, their architectural style resembling major European cities during the Renaissance Period. At the edge of the district, only one-story or two-story houses were present, situated close to each other with small gaps between them. No fences existed here.

However, deeper into the city, the structures were larger and taller, with the paved roads also wider. The stone-paved streets were 40 feet wide, slightly wider than many four-lane roads in the modern world. On both sides of the inner streets, stalls and local shops extended into the roads, occupying two lanes and leaving half for pedestrians and vehicles. Yet, nobody seemed to mind.

Local townsmen wore colorful clothes made from cotton or linen. Men donned bulky long-sleeved shirts and oversized pants, which required them to wear shoulder belts. Most also had thick aprons with multiple pockets on the front for storing tools and belongings. 

The women dressed in one-piece long dresses. Their skirts covered their feet, dragging along the streets as they walked. The long-sleeved dresses covered most of their skin, leaving only their necks visible. Strangely, the women either wore green or brown dresses.

Because of the local fashion trend, Felix stood out like a sore thumb. Looking at his short-sleeved tunic, leather belt, wool pants, and high boots, he felt like a country bumpkin.

"I shouldn't have changed my clothes," Felix complained.

It was too late to regret. As Felix continued touring the city, one of the street vendors called out to him.

"Hey, handsome man over there! How about some panther fruits? Only one copper a piece!"

Felix raised his eyebrows and looked at the fruit vendor and her baskets full of alien objects. Colorful edible fruits were neatly sorted, but Felix couldn't recognize any of them as they had striped colors. The panther fruit seemed to be apple-like black balls with a cat's face emitting a fragrant scent of roses.

Since Felix had no money, he laughed and asked the vendor, "Ma'am, I have no money. By the way, do you know any shop that accepts barter trade or any pawn shop that can purchase newly woven clothes?"

The shopkeeper smiled and pointed at the largest building in front of the inner walls, which segregated the inner city district from the outer region.

"You can try your luck at the Turo House's Merchant Guild. They usually trade with local peasants and traveling merchants. Oh, avoid the Lundop Guild. The Lundop's noble family is on the decline, and they don't offer much money for any product. The Turo Family is more generous."

"…Thanks, ma'am."

Felix didn't expect to get such good advice from the get-go. Following the shopkeeper's suggestion, he visited the largest building in front of the inner city's gate.

…

The Turo Merchant Guild was a fancy cathedral-like structure made from white marble stones. Featuring Roman pillars and smooth flooring, it made walking straight without slipping difficult. Felix estimated that the giant building was over 350 feet in height. 

Curious about how rich these people were, Felix approached the building and walked toward the front stairs. 

As he approached, a security guard in chain mail armor and a white tunic rushed toward Felix, raising his hand to stop him. 

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Felix looked up and frowned, smacking his lips in frustration. 

"My name is Felix from Jacksonville Village. I'm here to sell clothes."

The guard raised his eyebrows and looked behind Felix. His expression turned dark. "Where are your caravans and cargo, then? Kid, this place is not a tavern or a brothel that you can just come and go. Scram and don't come back, okay?"

Being stopped for the second time today, Felix was in a bad mood. His voice was low and cold. 

"Do I have to show you my wares before I can even enter the building?"

The guard scoffed, "Know your place, brat! You're not even a merchant. Stop pretending and go home. Otherwise-"

*BANG*

Once again, Felix brought out his handgun and fired into the sky. Then, the boomstick pointed at the man's face. 

"Otherwise, what? Want me to put a hole in your head for being obnoxiously rude to your customer? Know your place, brat! Go get your manager!"

The guard had the same reaction as the gate soldier. He fell on his butt and stared at Felix in disbelief.