The way back to the starting line (part 5)

"Of course, young master."

In the end, it was the violet-haired man who gave up on learning more details and moved back, grabbing a pen and a stack of papers that he began filling with notes.

"Speaking about magic pellets – it's extremely dangerous to use them while you have orihalcion coins on you. The unleashed phenomenon will deviate from the one intended by a lot."

While already on the third page, the pawnshop owner glanced up and pointed out, sounding rather strict.

"Also here."

The pawnshop owner sighed and reached out to the side, taking out thick rectangular glasses and putting them out for the black-haired man to try on.

"What are those for?"

Medea raised his brow, checking the glasses with hesitation.

"If you stand by the young Miss Zorivia's side with how you normally look, you will never learn who is continuing to mess with her behind her back. Those and a few changes to your posture will make you appear less threatening. And here, that's everyone who interests you with the brief explanation of what they did. Have fun taking revenge for her."

The violet-haired man breathed out, pushing a whole stack of papers through the hatch and nodding at the now bespectacled black-haired man.

"Speaking of which, that girl of yours showed up at my little shop almost seven years ago. She was very polite but also very... jumpy..."

The violet-haired man leaned back and looked up while recalling a certain event.

"You do have a bit of a shady presence, mister."

"Look who's talking~."

Medea snickered at the pawnshop owner and got chuckled back at.

"Anyway, she bought a rather special ingredient that, although it isn't comparable to the orihalcion coin, was still rather costly. A fossilized sap of a species of trees that went extinct around the same time that people lost the ability to use magic."

The pawnshop owner added while moving to the very back of his shop and hiding the small halcyon coin in one of the top shelves.

"It is said that the ancients believed that it had such song healing properties that when prepared correctly, it could bring dead back to life."

The violet-haired man said, looking at Medea, who lowered his new glasses to make proper eye contact while taking out multiple marbles that the black-haired man added to his pellet casket.

"That answers some of the less important questions I had. Thanks for today, mister."

"Young master."

The black nodded at the violet-haired man and turned around to unlock the door but stopped as he was called.

"The girl who is the young Miss Zorivia's personal maid nowadays, passes by the old temple together with her fiance as they are returning from work. I don't believe that you know her, but you will find her name on the updated list."

"...~!"

The pawnshop owner said with a polite smile, to which Medea leaned back, pushing the thick glasses back up, and grinned wildly.

The accessory was doing a good job of masking the full brunt of the unhinged fury of the expression by blocking his eyes, but still...

"Can I interest you in some fine choice of gardening tools?"

"It's okay; I'll work with what's on hand. See you around, mister~"

The violet-haired man didn't miss a chance to try to make some additional transactions, but Medea shook his head and exited the place after returning the key.

-----

A dark-blond-haired young woman was walking hand in hand with a tall young man with light-brown hair.

Both of them looked like honest people used to the hardships of life that they braved together since early childhood.

"I can't hardly wait, Sam... it's still two months until our wedding, right?"

The woman's eyes lit up, and she smiled while looking at the dimly lit temple of the god of commerce in which the ceremony was supposed to take place that they were passing.

"Things are finally turning around. You are the best thing that happened to me, Mary."

*chuu*

Sam laughed, leaning to the side and kissing Mary's head affectionately as they passed an old stable that had been left empty for years.

*WHOOSH*

As the pair were walking in the late evening spreading the lovey-dovey mood all around them, a rusty hoe was swung...

*WHAM* *CRUNCH*

"ARGH!" *THUMP*

"SAM?!"

The tool reached its target – instead of plowing the ground, it burrowed into Som's back with enough power to push him to his knees and cause Mary to cry out in shock.

*SLAM* *CRUNCH*

Before either of the two could grasp what was going on, a hooded person who started the attack walked from behind the stable's corner and broke the girl's leg with a violent kick.

"AAAAGH!"

"M-Mary...!"

The woman wailed in pain, making the wounded man momentarily forget about his own suffering and attempt to crawl his way toward her to help.

*SMACK* "OUGH!" *THUMP* "AAAAAAUGH!"

While Sam's movement was severely hampered by the handle of the rusty hoe sticking out of his back, Mary got slapped to the ground, and the aggressor stepped on her right wrist with his left foot while already raising his right leg up high.

*WHAM* *CRUNCH* *SQUELCH*

As the raised foot came down, the sole of the shoe encountered Mary's fist clenched in pain – the encounter ended with the woman's flesh and bones losing the battle of endurance, breaking and shattering into a bloody mess.

"AAAA-GHUGH...!"

*WHAM*

Mary's scream was cut short by a quick kick on the head that broke her jaw.

"I wouldn't say that she's the good part of your life, my man."

"...?!"

The hooded attacker stepped away from the knocked-out girl and moved to the crawling Sam, speaking in such a casual voice that the light-brown-haired man ended up taken aback to the point of stunned silence.

Their voice was low but smooth and feminine, making it hard to discern the gender of the person just by their silhouette alone – especially since their clothes were rather baggy.

"You see, I was sent here to teach this girl her place. You are just collateral." *SQUELCH*

"GHAAAGH...!"

The hooded individual shrugged their shoulder and pulled the rusted hoe out of Sam's body, making the man scream in pain.

"You two are supposed to marry, aren't you?"

*SLAM* *CRUNCH*

The attacker asked while raising the hoe over their head and dropping it down at Mary's other leg, breaking it too with the dull tool.

"Sounds like a bad idea."

They sighed.