Aurora Scroll

“My name is Jarret Heskins. Little buddy, I’ll explain to you as plainly as I can. Two days ago, there was a new law in effect in Osemore. No adventurers may enter the town’s borders and conduct business here. Any act of wanton “adventuring” shall no longer be tolerated,” the mid-twenties man overflowing with the charisma of a leader said to Cain with a patient face.

“Well, that’s a shitty law that’s what. Let me in, I got a quest to complete with the guild.” Cain no longer bothered with politeness. After days of sleeping on the ground and multiple times jolted awake in the night because of crawling insects, animal hoots, and monsters wanting to eat him, his current tolerance against bureaucratic bullshit was very low.

“Unfortunately the Adventurer’s Guild in Osemore town has been decommissioned and closed. It’s been gone since the law came into effect.”

“You kidding me? I have a quest to bring letters to Osemore. You want me to just burn these things then? There’s also the matter of the bounty of this one sorry bandit, well genius?”

Cain took the letters from his backpack and waved them in front of the important man. He’d also taken the severed head from the sack and threw it on the important Captain’s feet. Not important to Cain of course, but to others. He wasn’t blind to the fact that his show of disrespect to this man angered the other guards.

“…We’ll take the letters and give confirmation of delivery. You can show that at the next guild establishment to receive your reward. As for the bandit… On behalf of the people of Osemore, I give my gratitude but since the bounty was issued by the Adventurer’s Guild, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Normally, I would give you the compensation from my own pocket if I have to but the town had just been through a difficult time. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, so this bandit who has been terrorizing the area is dead because of me and you just give me a thank you, isn’t it? I used precious Victa to turn your roads safe from this parasite, I’m not a charity.”

“I understand… perhaps you can try the guild at Mokash town?”

“I came from that direction! Now I have to go back to claim the bounty? I don’t have time for that shit.”

“I’m sorry, little buddy but that’s the only way.”

“Haaaaaahhhh…” Cain looked to the sky and sighed in an exaggerated manner.

Seeing words fell on deaf ears, Cain tried a different approach.

“Fine, in return for the bounty. Just let me in to get a warm meal and buy some supplies. Your town is in a tough spot right? I‘m offering an honest and fair transaction.” Cain emitted his Victa with the intensity of a Level 1, perhaps showing he was not a snotty brat that can be pushed around would change things.

“...So, you’re a Level 1. Does not change a thing.”

“Why are you pushing me out? Yes, I’m an adventurer, what’s wrong with that?” Cain’s tone was low, he felt very annoyed.

“Everything! Your kind nearly ruined this town and thousands of lives inside it.” Jarret finally showed some emotion. He sighed and told Cain the story of five days ago.

According to him, a foreign reckless adventurer group killed the pup of a local monster king. The Rank 2 monster king was enraged and created a Beast Tide. Osemore town was implicated, many lost their lives. The battle sparked another Tide, this time a Rank 3 monster even appeared. Fortunately, an expert Pathseeker passed by the area and saved the town. The incident created a severe distrust against adventurers and the law to prevent adventurers from operating in Osemore was created.

“Firstly, you know this kind of ridiculous ban won’t work for long, right? You’re obstructing the travel and trade of your own town. With the sheer amount of adventurers in existence, this makes no sense! Secondly, what did I ever do to you? Fine, I’ll compromise. Let me in for an hour to eat then I’ll be off your hair. How many decent meals you think I can find in the wilds?”

“Sorry little friend, I still can’t let you in… That is the law.”

Cain had been living like a caveman so he wanted some warm meal and bed but these people didn't want to budge. There were days when one's patience just had a very short fuse.

“Fucking LAAAAAW!”

Cain threw the letters to the air and slashed them to pieces using his sword. Then he turned away from the town’s gate. Jarret watched Cain unsheathed his sword like a tranquil lake. He gave a hand signal to prevent the other guards ready to pounce on Cain to stop. While Cain was leaving with clear anger in his steps, the captain of the guards remained a picture of calm.

“Captain Heskins, should we-”

“It's fine, Roger. Let him go. When you think about it, that kid really hasn’t done us any wrong. We rudely closed our door to him simply because he’s an adventurer,” there was even a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

“But his impulsive behavior… it’s yet another proof those adventurers are hot-headed and an unruly bunch. Sooner or later, they will bring another disaster,” Roger, who lost a brother because of the Tide spat out.

“…You are right. Someone… please clean this up,” Jarret couldn’t leave a severed head in the middle of the town’s entrance in bright daylight.

An hour later.

“Captain, may I come in?” Someone knocked on the door of his office.

“Come in,” Jarret was writing something on a parchment. “Report,” he said without stopping his work.

“I’ve put a tracker on adventurer boy from earlier using my Arte. I think he snuck into town,” Franco said.

***

After five minutes of anger walking, Viers had an epiphany. That he didn’t give a shit.

He wanted to eat and buy some food for the journey to the next town. He had run out of supplies two days ago from a desperate escape from three Doberman-sized Rank 2 possum monsters and Viers had lost his supplies during the escape.

So he sneaked in, rules be damned.

He was trained in the art of breaking into fortified places by the best of the best. The bat human of Arkham, hooded Medjay from Egypt, ghost of a certain Mongol-invaded island, and many more.

He had infiltrated the fortress of Vatican to fist-fight the pope, this town’s flimsy wall was nothing compared to that. It wasn’t high enough or manned enough. Considering Viers could jump over five meters high now, going in from an area less guarded unseen was child’s play.

He put up the hood of his coat but he expected someone who had seen him at the gate would recognize him so he prioritized getting his much-needed essentials without delay.

“Thank you for your patronage,” the shop’s clerk said as Viers went out of the shop.

‘Food pill… Just like that time,’ Viers felt nostalgia while looking at the ration he bought.

Food pills were very popular amongst travelers. It was small, easy to carry, doesn’t go bad easily, nutritious and curb hunger. For adventurers who normally went from place to place, this was the first go-to choice. Viers also bought other food from the store, he didn’t want to eat only energy bars for the rest of the week.

But pills, huh? A bit similar to xianxia cultivation pills…

Next, he bought some clothes to change the tattered garment he currently wore then went to an eatery wearing fresh new clothes.

Klong– klong– klong–

With a plate of curry rice and a bowl of salad on the table, Viers watched the festivities on the far side of the street.

There was a church there and a wedding was underway. The ceremony seemed to be over since the bride and groom went out accompanied by the tolls of the bell. The newlywed looked happy, showered with flower petals their guests and families threw at the two.

Wow, so young… Viers muttered.

The groom was only about 15-year-old. The bride was visibly a little older, one or two years above the groom perhaps. Viers once again felt the difference of culture between this world and Earth. The young couple's wedding was perfectly normal in the eyes of this world’s society.

Congrats, Viers raised his glass of fruit juice before taking a drink from it. And here they come.

Viers leisurely ate the rest of the dishes while three men made their appearance at the restaurant’s entrance. They talked to the owner for a bit before continuing walking to Viers’ table. In a picture of elegance, Viers put the last spoon of the delicious spicy curry rice down and wiped his mouth with a white napkin before answering perfectly as the three arrived.

“Hello, officers. What can I do for you?” Viers said, not one bit intimidated.

“Little friend, you are under arrest.” The one who spoke was the captain Viers argued with at the town’s gate.

“Mmm…” Viers took another sip from his drink. “On what charges are you arresting me? Vagrancy?”

“Illegal entry. Seeing this is your first offense, I’ll let it slide but make no mistake, there won’t be a next time. Men, take him.”

“Humph. Really, what an unpleasant town. Don’t touch me.” One of Jarret’s men put his hand on Cain’s shoulder and he shrugged it off, along with a pressure of Victa from a Level 1. The young guard with only a Level 0 power looked surprised and scared by Cain’s display of power.

The guards escorted Viers out of town. Viers followed without a fuss, he already got what he came for. Viers didn’t let down his guard, always ready to unleash his power should any of them tried anything funny. He was a Level 2 after all, only the captain could match him.

“On behalf of the town of Osemore I apologize for this rudeness, but please leave.” Jarret spoke to Viers after they arrived at the exit gate.

“You should have just let me in. What a waste of everyone’s time and energy.” Viers dryly said the issue.

“…The law is absolute,” Jarret replied.

“Then I hope that law won’t strangle you to death one day.”

“You little brat! Do you think you can talk that way to the Captain!?”

Franco raised his hand, wanting to slap Viers in the face. Naturally, Viers wasn’t going to let it happen. He was a survivor, his fighting experience might not be overly wealthy but he was no longer the inexperienced Viers from one year ago.

Viers grabbed Franco’s wrist, easily.

“Feeling lucky, punk?” Viers squeezed his grip tighter. Eyes flashed with ruthlessness. Franco was hurting from the grip.

“Grgh! You–”

Viers only used Level 1 strength while Franco was also a Level 1. They raised their Victa at the same time, ready to fight.

“Enough!”

The pressure from the Level 2 Jarret enveloped them both, a clear warning.

“Please. Leave.”

It seemed Jarret’s patience against Viers’ behavior reached his end.

“Humph.”

Without delay, Viers left. He had no other business here.

Twenty minutes later.

On the road to the next town, just outside a nearby forest, he found something.

It was a patch of blood on the ground. Looking at the amount, whatever made it must be quite big in size, bigger than a human adult. The strange thing Viers found about it, there was no body or signs of the body being transported. As if the corpse suddenly disappeared into thin air.

The patch of blood was strange, so Viers decided to look around for a bit.

He found bullet shells not long after.

“…”

Viers squinted his eyes, his face was unreadable, nobody could know what he was thinking.