“Here, your wages!”
“Th-thank you, miss!”
Dean quickly reached out, snatching the coin Leya had flicked his way from mid-air. The coin had come so fast, and the sunlight was so blinding, that he couldn’t quite tell if it was a copper coin.
He only found it odd that he’d seen just one. Just as he was about to ask for clarification, Dean suddenly paused.
‘Ah… one coin is fine, then!’
‘Perhaps the young lady isn’t doing so well herself…’
‘Besides, she’s not a bad person at all. No, in fact, this is the first time I’ve ever met someone as kind and gentle as Leya.’
‘Even if it’s just for the first time I’ve ever earned someone’s respect, one copper coin is enough.’
Without even checking the coin’s denomination, Dean, lost in his own thoughts, simply tossed it into his tattered pocket. One truly couldn’t blame anyone else for his current predicament.
“Now, take me to an inn. I need a place to rest.”
“Yes, of course, miss!”
There was no hint of dissatisfaction, not even a flicker of annoyance, on his face. At that moment, Dean himself couldn’t fathom why he found Leya’s commands utterly impossible to refuse.
From his initial surprise upon meeting Leya, to his joy at accepting the task, then his astonishment after her lecture, and finally, his profound gratitude when she treated him as an equal.
All these feelings culminated in a deep, heartfelt respect for Leya.
The image of Leya in Dean’s mind was rapidly occupying the deepest recesses of his consciousness, at a speed he likely couldn’t even comprehend.
****
Silence reigned throughout their journey. Leya was not, by nature, a talkative person.
On the contrary, her inner world was deeply solitary, preferring peace and quiet. Whether it was Roy before, or Erica now, they were destined to be nothing more than fleeting passersby in Leya’s life.
In her heart, she had never truly prepared a place for either of them.
“Hmm? What’s that place ahead, bustling with voices and so lively?”
“Oh, that? That’s the s*ave market, heh.”
Dean merely glanced at it, his tone betraying a deep aversion to the place. It was, as the saying went, a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor.
“A s*ave market?”
Hearing this, Leya cast an equally displeased glance in that direction, her eyes reflecting the same sentiment as Dean’s.
This wasn’t because Leya was poor and thus harbored resentment for the place. Rather, she was astonished that such a thing as a s*ave system genuinely existed in this world.
Even more shocking was the government’s brazen allowance of its rampant operation within the city.
To Leya, what was this if not the blatant trampling of human rights?
“Heh heh, have you heard? In three days, the Rose Orchid Merchant Alliance will be holding its annual auction here!”
“Oh— I’ve heard! I’ve heard! Especially since the Rose Orchid Merchant Alliance somehow acquired an underage elf this time. Tsk, tsk… wasn’t the last time an elf was auctioned decades ago?”
“Nonsense, it was only a few years ago, wasn’t it? Well, it doesn’t matter anyway; none of it is something we can afford. Tsk, tsk, but I heard those elven women are all as beautiful as flowers. Just to touch one of their little hands would be worth it!”
****
As the saying goes, the speaker may have no intention, but the listener takes heed.
Upon hearing the news about the young elf, Leya largely surmised that it might be Erica.
‘Had that girl’s brain been kicked by a donkey? I truly don’t understand. She was hidden deep within that forest; if she had just been a little careful, there’s no way she could have been caught, right?’
“Miss?”
Noticing Leya merely standing still with a troubled expression, Dean, fearing he might have somehow displeased her, asked with concern.
“Let’s… let’s go. I’m fine!”
“…Alright.”
‘Fine, indeed?’ Dean didn’t quite believe her, but there was little he could do.
Besides, even if something were truly amiss, it had nothing to do with him, so he decided not to pry further.
The presence of two taciturn individuals was already awkward enough. With this new, unsettling matter, their journey became even more devoid of conversation.
All that remained was an eerie silence.
They walked until they reached the inn’s entrance.
“Thank you for today, Dean.”
“Ah? Oh, you’re welcome! Serving you, miss, is my honor. I’ll never forget this day!” Dean responded, utterly flattered that Leya would thank someone like him.
“There’s no need for that, hehe. I’ll be staying here for the next few days. Since we’ve met, if you ever find yourself in trouble, come find me within these next few days. If it’s within my power, I won’t refuse.”
“This… Miss, you truly are the kindest, most beautiful person I, Dean, have ever met in my entire life! I sincerely wish you all the blessings of heaven!”
“…Is that so? Well, then the honor is mine, hehe. All right, all right, it’s getting late. I apologize for delaying you for so long. Let’s hope fate brings us together again.”
With that, Leya turned and walked into the inn without a backward glance.
“No, that’s not right… it’s clearly *my* honor, young lady…”
He murmured softly, accustomed to the increasingly contemptuous and mocking gazes of those around him.
Yet, unlike before, this Dean was no longer the cowering man who dared not lift his head.
Instead, he walked past everyone with his head held high, full of dignity and pride.