Market

Alden's gaze hardened. 

"Before you get the wrong idea, I have no qualms protecting you. I would be overjoyed and would do everything in my power to ensure a single hair on your head is not harmed. However, I know you, Al…" 

Alistair took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping slightly. 

"I know that you will feel burdened by my protection. I can see it in your eyes… how you long to repay me for everything I've done. Though, between you and me, I wouldn't hesitate to oppose Drakon again, if I had a second chance. This is my love for you, son. I know you're not my biological child, but in my heart, you and Celeste are equal." 

Alden felt his vision grow blurry at the older man's admission. 

He clenched his fist and looked away, wiping a stray tear. 

A tumultuous mix of emotions clashed in his heart. 

Joy, sorrow and regret. 

Yet, even under the crushing weight of those sentiments, his mind remained firm. 

Alistair showed a sad smile. 

It was as if he had gained a peek into his thoughts. 

In a way he probably had, Alden thought. 

The conflicted look on his face did him no favours there. 

The composed and unfazed mask he had worn earlier during the discussion splintered apart like shards of glass. 

Alden rubbed his face, biting his lips. 

Ignia, sensing his chaotic emotions, nuzzled her head closer to his chest. 

Alden held his bond tight, his mind and heart heavy. 

Incomparably so. 

After all, he was about to leave his home right after he had just returned.

He would also be leaving his precious Cece behind… 

The very thought broke Alden's heart. 

Yet, for her sake, he would do anything to ensure she remained safe and sound. 

…Even if that meant hiding in the Wilderness outside the Sanctuary. 

"Since you have made up your mind, I won't try to dissuade you. However, I urge you to be careful and avoid taking on more than you can chew. Be alert, cover your tracks, and make sure not to enter the areas where the true horrors lie. Since you're most likely going to leave under the darkness of night, I'll help with any preparations you need before then." 

Alistair couldn't help but give some fatherly advice one final time. 

Alden nodded and took a shaky breath. 

"Thank you for everything." 

The Guildmaster's sad smile deepened. 

"It has been my absolute pleasure. I love you, son." 

"I love you too."

With that, both men stood up and embraced each other, Ignia wrapped around their necks. 

***

"You there, young man! I'll make a special offer just for you! Get two snow rabbit pelts for the price of one! How about it?" 

"Don't listen to that old geezer! You can get three rabbit pelts for the price of one over here!" 

"Young man, ignore those rowdy fools! I'll make you an irresistible offer! For just ten silver, you can have all these Moonberries!" 

"Young man…" 

"Young man…" 

"Young man…" 

Walking through the bustling marketplace, Alden tried not to wince at the raucous cacophony. 

The voices of many bickering merchants overlapped, echoing like a sonar wave. 

Whenever a stall owner called out to him, he would refuse their offer with a polite smile and keep moving through the busy throng. As he weaved in and out of the lively crowd, Alden kept an eye out for any stands that sold venison. 

Since he had just returned from the Wilderness, Celeste wanted to celebrate the occasion with a fancier meal than usual. 

The dish also happened to be Alden's favourite. 

'She probably chose it knowing how much I like it.'

A warmth rapidly spread through Alden's chest. 

However, it quickly cooled when he thought about what he would do come nightfall. 

He sighed, a forlorn ache pricking his heart. 

Shaking his head, Alden focused on the current task at hand. 

He had travelled to the marketplace to procure the venison needed for dinner, but also to complete any last-minute preparations, such as buying a simple movement and defensive technique. Alistair had promised to give him a utility skill before he left, so he did not need to worry about that aspect. 

As for attacking, Alden was confident his decay was potent enough that he did not require the services of an offensive technique. He idly observed the bustling scene around him with a curiosity that quickly turned to amusement when two merchants entered a particularly fierce quarrel. 

Only the presence of Paladins and the members of the Ember clan stopped them from exchanging blows. 

Alden chuckled inwardly at the sight. 

Soon, he reached the part of the market reserved for mages and warriors.

It was situated at the far end underneath a long tarp, with the number of guards on display much more pronounced. After all, weapons, cores, techniques…. anything remotely related to a person's survival outside the Sanctuary was traded here.

As such, the value of these items was considerably high.

It would make sense for more sentries to guard such a place. 

Rummaging through his pockets, Alden fished for the mana crystals the Guildmaster had given him.

Since he wasn't planning on buying a high-end technique, the amount he had on him was negligible. 

Nonetheless, it would be enough for what Alden had in mind. 

Walking up to a particular stall, he nodded to the middle-aged woman, scanning the numerous items on display. 

"What would you like to buy, lad?" 

Alden showed a small smile as he absently replied. 

"A low-level skill for movement and defence… perhaps even [Haste] and [Shield], if you have them?" 

The stall owner wordlessly pointed to two manuals. 

Alden's face lit up. 

"Great! How much?" 

"Five crystals." 

After paying the required sum, Alden happily picked up the two handbooks. 

He thanked the middle-aged woman, humming to himself. 

He circulated his mana to ward off the cold, turning his thoughts toward his latest acquisitions. 

Both [Haste] and [Shield] were standard low-level skills everyone in the Sanctuary had in their arsenal. The former enhanced one's speed and reflexes, while the latter formed a small magical barrier around the caster that repelled any harm. 

Although the two skills were basic, they served as a solid foundation for any starter mage. 

They were simple… but very effective. 

Alden had feared that none were circulating in the market, but luckily his worries had turned out for nought. Feeling like a weight had been removed from his shoulders, the young man surveyed the other stalls, curious if anything would catch his eye. 

The first stand sold flame-related skills. Alden briefly stopped to inquire about their names, interested to see any high-level skills before he swiftly moved on. 

The second stall distributed beast cores, specifically ones that were unpurified. Alden no longer had any need for them now that he had awakened, so he only spared them a passing glance. 

The third stall, meanwhile, sold weapons and was the one that attracted his attention the most. 

He was curious to see if there were any high-quality daggers on offer. Although Alden was comfortable using the shortswords belonging to Charmy and Scar, such that he would not be worse off in battle while using them, his preferred choice of weapon lay with the knife. 

Something about its small size and nimbleness appealed to him the most. 

'Ah, looks like there isn't any. Oh well, it's not the end of the world. I can ask Alistair to let me borrow one from the Treasury.' 

Nodding to the merchant, Alden left the stall. 

As he did, his expression slowly darkened. 

He had not been surveying the last three stands out of idle curiosity alone. 

Instead, there was a different, more pressing reason. 

…Alden sensed a gaze trained on his back. 

At the first stall, he thought someone may have been entranced by his unconscious aura as a mage. 

At the second, he reasoned someone could have been dazzled by his peculiar hair.

The third, however…. was when Alden concluded that this was no mere coincidence. 

Someone was targeting him. 

Alden gritted his teeth. 

Suddenly, he bumped into another person, the two skill manuals in his hands spilling onto the ground. 

"My apologies!" 

Alden hurriedly apologised, crouching down to pick up the skills that had fallen… when, just as abruptly, he snapped his neck behind, his eyes flitting across the market with a chilling gaze. 

A blur of red faded into the crowd from where he thought the person was targeting him. 

Alden's expression darkened. 

'Good thing I left Ignia at home.' 

He had suspected something like this could happen, and thus had the necessary foresight to plan accordingly. 

Alden was suddenly grateful for his paranoid nature. 

He shuddered to imagine what would have happened if he had been a naive fool and taken his pet familiar with him, instead. 

Shaking his head, he apologised once more to the person he had bumped into and turned around, walking back towards the mundane market. After some careful searching, he managed to procure the last slab of venison being sold for the day, paying one gold coin for it - a hefty sum for such a luxurious meat. 

Nonetheless, Alden wasn't fazed. He always had a habit of carrying some form of currency - mundane or magical - so he encountered no difficulty whilst paying. The other option would have been to barter, but Alden had nothing on him that would be suitable for such a trade. 

Thanking the merchant, he kept a wary eye out for any more trouble as he slowly walked back home, his feet leaving footprints in the snow.