Begining of the journey

She proceeded to tell Kyle about several stores she recommended. He stored

the shop names and their specialties in his head as he watched Olivia prepare

the food.

Just as she finished her explanation, the food was done.

"Here you are." Olivia offered him the completed sandwich. The ingredients

were enclosed in a crispy baguette, the well-cooked meat and special salty

sauce blending together thickly to waft a savory aroma. It was enough to make

Kyle drool.

"Thanks," he said as he accepted the first sandwich.Picking it up in his hands, he took a hard bite— the commoners seemed to

favor this kind of tough bread. The taste of the juicy meat and salty sauce

spread throughout his mouth. He couldn't help but turn his lips up into a smile.

"It's delicious," Kyle said in great satisfaction, making Olivia sigh a breath of

relief.

Just like that, Kyle polished up both sandwiches. The little girl working at the

stall looked up at him, watching the way he ate with awe.

"Come again anytime, big bro!"

C-Cut that out!"

As he departed, the little girl called out to Kyle with a big smile. Her

attitude had completely flipped from earlier as her wariness of him softened,

then wore off. Olivia quickly tried to shush her, worried that she came across

as overly familiar.

"Thank you. I'm going somewhere far away for a while, but I'll come visit you

again soon. Bye bye," Kyle said, smiling at Sophie. With a small bow at Olivia , he

walked away from the stall as Sophie waved him off enthusiastically. He left the

back alley and returned to the main street to head for the shop that Olivia had

told him of.

...Hm?

After walking for a while, he noticed he was being watched by someone. Kyle

stopped in his tracks and glanced around him, but there were so many people

around, he wasn't able to identify the source of the gaze.

Was it just my imagination?

Despite feeling uneasy, Kyle continued walking.

After that, Kylecompleted his shopping quickly He had just finished purchasing weapons, clothes, and a backpack to store his

items in. He had sold the casual nobility clothes he had been wearing for his

travel funds. They were high quality, and the price they sold for reflected that.

Kyle had finished changing into his new clothes: a black robe that allowed him

to appear like a rookie adventurer-for-hire with modest funds. All he had left

was to purchase food supplies, when...

"Hey."

Someone called out to Kyle from behind. He turned back to see a man dressed

like a hoodlum trying to peer beneath his hood with a glare. Kyle looked back at him skeptically. Perhaps this was the person he had sensed watching at him

earlier...

"What?"

"Ain't ya that Kyle kid?"

"...No, I'm not. If you've got the wrong person, I've somewhere to be." Kyle

had nearly faltered for a second before he tried to brush the topic away. But

the man stepped in front of him boldly, blocking his way.

"Now... just hold yer horses. You have black hairs. That brat also used to had black hairs. You are definitely him."

As he spoke, the man bent forward with his eyes peeled to unabashedly peer

at Kyle's face. Kyle wiped any trace of emotion from his face and stared back at

the man.

"Hey. Cat got yer tongue? Why don't ya say somethin'?"

"Excuse me. I felt your foolish prattle unworthy of my time. Exactly what does

that have to do with me?" Kyle asked, voice subdued from holding back his

simmering rage. The man gave a wicked grin.

"Well, to put it bluntly, the description of the brat exactly matches yours. If he is alive right now he should be around your age too. You were wearin' noble clothes at first, so I

couldn't speak to ya so easily, but now yuh've changed into some hood that

avoids drawin' peoples attention. So, as an information broker, everythin'

clicked into place. That's why I spoke up to ya."

"You've got the wrong person." Kyle immediately shot down the man's

conjecture.

"Don't try tuh pretend. Ain't many black-haired brats around here. Yer Kyle,

ain't ya?"

"I'm not," Kyle denied, then began to walk away. But the man rushed up to

stop him.

"Hey, wait!"

"Let go." Kyle shot a cold glare at the man who grabbed his shoulder with familiarity.

"S-Stubborn one, ain't ya?"

"Because you're wrong."

"...Tch, cunnin' brat y' are. Well, whatever. But hey, you seem to be doin'

quite well for yerself. How much money you got on ya?"

It was just one question after another. The man continued to flap his tongue

about endlessly, but Kyle figured out his motive with those last words.

His aim was blackmail.

He should have just reported Rio right away, but he foolishly let his greed lead

him astray.

Well, that makes it all the better for me, Kyle thought coldly.

"I've had enough of this. I'm not opposed to using my right to strike on you,

understood?" Kyle said, reaching for the knife hidden at his waist threateningly.

Right to strike referred to a law where nobility had the power to cut down any

commoner that affronted them, on the spot, without a trial. Of course, Kyle was

not a noble, but because he had been dressed as one until just before, he

figured he could use the man's misunderstanding to threaten him right back.

Just as he predicted, fear flashed in the man's eyes.

"H-Heh, that's a bluff. How about I kick up a fuss 'n yell for the soldiers right

here 'n now? We may be outside the city walls, but the security here's pretty

decent. Not a lot of 'em, but they still patrol this area. Ain't gonna matter to me

if soldiers come, but you'd be in trouble, wouldn't ya?" The man asked in a

high-pitched voice, as though he was trying to convince himself.

"Not particularly. Would you like to try?" Kyle replied indifferently.

"Y-You're sure about that?"

"You don't need to check with me before you yell. We'll see who gets into

trouble once you do," Kyle replied pleasantly, making the man bite his lip. In the

face of such a big fish, the man felt conflicted.

"...If you're done here, I'll be going now." With a frosty nod at the frustrated expression on the man, Kyle left, concealing himself within the crowds of people

and heading towards the exit of the capital.

He didn't notice the small figure observing him from afar at all.