36 Chapter 4: The Living Map
'When will this road end? I have been walking for four hours now and there are still no signs of ending,' sighed Jason.
Currently, he was sitting under a tree. It was almost dusk and stars were already visible in the distant sky. At this rate, he was going to have to spend the night on some tree.
'Did I go the wrong way? In that case, maybe I should return back. I can always try again tomorrow. Getting lost would be even more of a problem.'
Just as he decided to head back, suddenly Jason heard the rustling of leaves towards some trees further away from the road.
'Huh, what is someone doing inside the forest at this time of the day? A thief, perhaps?'
But despite his apprehensions, Jason slowly and steadily approached the source of the rustling. Even if it was a thief, he was most likely here to bury some of his earlier loot. If he was cautious, not only could he find the path to escape this wilderness, but also could probably reap a rich harvest off the thief's loot.
As Jason cautiously drew near, he could hear whispers from people nearby.
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"Boss, why are we hiding all this treasure here? Why don't we put it deep inside the river or somewhere inaccessible? If some passerby decides to take a leak and accidentally finds these treasures and takes them away, won't we be in deep trouble?" asked a person.
The other person, seemingly the boss, replied, "Fred, I know that I did not tell you anything before. But as we are almost done with the entire thing, I might as well let you in on what all this is about."
"You see, this is no ordinary treasure. This is a living map of the Royal Castle of the Lionheart Kingdom. With this map, any movement of important people inside the castle can be tracked in real time. That means any enemy that wishes to attack the kingdom can completely destroy the kingdom by only sending a few assassins and killing the king and his aides without having to wage a bloody war. Do you realize it now?"
"What? But boss, why did you accept such a dangerous assignment? We are just two small pickpockets who barely make a living. Public execution will be the only thing waiting for us if anyone gets even the slightest whiff of what we are doing."
"What could I do? That bastard John coerced me into accepting the treasure and taking it away from the palace."
"John the imperial jester? Oh God this thing is so messed up!"
"I know. And tomorrow, when the royal entourage will pass by this road, the Jester will somehow separate for a moment and secretly pick this map up."
"What he plans to do with this, I cannot say. But for our safety, we will leave this place forever tomorrow. Pack up your things as soon as you get back. We will leave the first thing tomorrow morning."
"What? We have to leave this place? Boss, I don't want to leave my Jenny..."
"Shut up, do you want to live or not. Only when we cross the boundaries of this kingdom will we be truly safe. That whore doesn't even give you any face. I really don't understand why you are so infuriated with her."
"Forget it. I have removed all traces and kept a marker that only the Jester will recognize. Let's get going now."
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As the two people left, Jason came out of his hiding bush.
'Ah, so the road is nearby. It is a good thing that I did not leave before. But what do I do about this matter now...'
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'Finally, the city has arrived.' Jason exclaimed as he gazed around all the dazzling buildings and shops all around him. Even though it was dark now, the entire place was bustling with activity.
'Let me try to get some food and a place to spend the night. I wonder if a hundred bronze coins would be enough for anything.' Jason thought as he approached an inn.
"Excuse me, could you tell me what is the price for one night at your inn along with food?" Jason asked at the counter.
"Of course sir, we have everything that would suit your needs. Could you tell me how much do you plan to spend for the night?" The receptionist said as he looked up from the counter.
"Ah, you see I currently have only one lesser silver coin. I was wondering anything is possible with that."
"Definitely sir, wait...one lesser silver coin?"
Finally, the receptionist took a good look at Jason and immediately realized his shabby countenance.
"Shoo, does this place look like something that a beggar like you could afford? Get lost immediately. A dog like you should only sleep on the streets," The receptionist dumped his previous fawning attitude and berated ruthlessly.
"Hey, even if you don't have anything for me, you don't need to be so rude right?" Jason replied with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Security, how did this beggar get into this inn? Throw him out immediately!"
In a blink of an eye, two hunks with bulging muscles came rushing in. Before Jason could say anything, they picked up Jason by his arms and ruthlessly threw him back out onto the road.
"Next time, know your place. This is an inn where humans stay, not a kennel for mongrels. Guards, if you see this cur anytime near this inn, give him a beating he would never forget." The receptionist said and went inside followed by the two hunks.
"Arrgh," Jason cried out as he tried to soothe his back. His body was already frail and the impact was really rough. He could only swear out in pain.
'Motherfuckers. I swear that I will buy this goddamned inn within one year at the maximum. Isn't it just about having enough money? Mr. receptionist, in one year, we shall definitely meet again'
Suddenly, an unexpected voice of an old man rang out from behind him,
"Young man, do you need a place to spend the night? I can offer you one wish..."
"Wish, I definitely wish. Why would I not wish? Old m.. I mean uncle, please lead on..." Jason immediately shouted at the top of his voice, afraid that the old man might retract his offer if he delayed.
"Haha quite the energetic one aren't you? I think you will be perfect. Hahaha"
'Eh?'
