2 New opportunities

Slowly, the sun rose, and the beauty of the town reflected before Vin's eyes. He made sure to keep his hood on as he passed by a group of children laughing and playing. As he walked away, a child came rushing in his direction and accidentally bumped into him.

"I'm so sorry, Mister," the child, a little boy, apologized earnestly.

"It's okay," Vin replied, his eyes meeting the child's.

"Whoa! You have red eyes!"

"It's a sign of strength." Vin successfully fooled the child and quickly walked away as the boy went to tell his mother, who was busy gossiping with another woman.

"Mother, I saw a man-"

"Yeah-"

"He was handsome and had red eyes, symbolizing strength."

"Bill!"

The boy immediately looked up upon hearing his mother's voice. The other woman also had a horrified face. "Mother, is there anything wrong?"

"No, no, no. Go continue playing and be careful with who you look at."

"Okay, mother."

The child, oblivious to what had just transpired, happily skipped off to his friends.

"He saw Dravil, didn't he?" the woman asked the boy's mother.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it was all in his head. Maybe... if not, we're all dead."

Passing by carriages of the rich and elite, Vin sighed, unsure of his mission or why he was here in the first place.

"I need to gather more information about who I am. There's just one place to go."

Determined to do whatever it takes, Vin continued towards the bar.

At least there, he would find men who would share stories based on reality.

Pushing open the door of a nearby bar, his eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of men drinking beer and engaged in discussion.

'Jackpot.'

As he sat on a dark corner chair, a woman quickly walked over to him.

"Sir, would you like anything?" she politely asked, looking visibly stressed.

"What do you have?" Vin inquired.

"We have beer, water, and sweetened condensed milk."

"Then I'll take the milk."

"Milk?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, milk."

"Okay?"

"Is there something wrong with my order?" Vin questioned, without trying to sound intimidating.

"I'm truly sorry, it's just that I've never seen a man order milk instead of beer," she shared her opinion.

"Really? Well, I guess I'm the first."

Nodding, she hurried off to fulfill his order.

While waiting for his cup of milk, Vin overheard a group of men discussing.

"I can't believe the king is actually recruiting warriors and knights," one of the men said, sipping his beer.

"Well, believe it! As for me, I want to apply so I can catch a glimpse of the princess. Many say she looks like a goddess," another man chimed in.

"Excuse me, sorry for the interruption," Vin spoke up, causing the men to fall silent.

"Yes?" one of the men inquired.

"I overheard you talking about the king recruiting warriors and knights."

"Indeed, the news has spread throughout the entire kingdom," one of the men explained. "The application form has been released, and many people are already filling it out," a man sitting to his right added.

"Oh, I see," Vin replied, taking his cup from the woman.

"Also, there is no fee to apply. It's your capabilities that will determine whether or not you'll be accepted," another man on the left explained.

"Sounds interesting!"

"But you haven't heard the best part yet. If you reach Rank A, the rewards are substantial," one of the men said.

"Interesting," Vin sipped his icy cold milk. "So, where can I find the application form?"

"There's one here in the bar, and the others are available at the office," the man replied.

"That's good to know."

"But before you go," the man sitting opposite him warned, "be careful. Before you can achieve a rank, you'll have to undergo training that can be tough enough to break a man's bone."

"If you can pass, you'll start at Rank F."

"F?!" Vin spat out his milk in surprise.

"Yes, F! There are six ranks: F, E, D, C, B, and A. If you manage to reach Rank F, you'll mostly be considered a rookie and earn only seven bronze coins. That sounds like quite the journey," the man finished, downing his beer in one gulp.

"Okay, all these explanations help me understand. So, there are mages and knights involved too?" Vin asked.

"Yes, exactly like I said. It's all outlined in the application form. You choose your path and give it your all," the man replied.

"Just one more question," Vin took a deep breath before continuing, "Do you happen to know anything about a person named Dravil?"

A heavy silence fell upon the bar as Vin uttered the name.

All eyes turned towards their table, fear visible in their gazes.

"Well, actually, yes," the man sitting across from Vin finally spoke, his words holding an air of caution, "Dravil, also known as the Devil, is a demon lord who some consider to be a vampire due to his blood-draining tendencies."

"With unimaginable power," added another man from the bar, "Dravil is a feared being who possesses the ability to obliterate entire universes."

"Wow, Dravil truly sounds like a dangerous individual," Vin remarked, his statement receiving nods of agreement from those around him.

"How come you didn't know about Dravil?" the bar's owner, a woman, questioned Vin with a furrowed brow.

"Well, I am familiar with him. I just wanted to gain a deeper understanding about such a powerful being," Vin replied, the others sharing their thoughts on the matter.

[I need to maintain a low profile around these people, considering they despise someone like me], he thought to himself.

"Anyway, we should get to work," the man seated to Vin's right said, standing up.

"Where do you work?" Vin couldn't resist his curiosity.

"I work at the palace as the stable keeper," the man replied.

"That's awesome," Vin exclaimed.

"Well, it's a humble position, but I can earn some coins to support my family," the man said, smiling at his words.

"Can I be of any help?" Vin asked, offering his assistance.

"Well, I can't really say no to that. I've always wanted an extra pair of hands," the man announced, to which Vin nodded in agreement.

After paying for the drinks, they both walked out of the bar and headed towards the palace.

"I'm Gregory, but you can call me Mr. Greg. Let's start with introductions," the man said, shouldering a bag.

"I'm Vin, Vincent," Vin introduced himself as they embarked on their journey together.