The Old and the Young

''Wow! We are rich!''

''So much money!''

''Shh don't make us a target for robbers.''

''What b*llshit robbers? Didn't we get the money from the robbers? I want them to try and rob this daddy.''

The hunters were excitedly exclaiming inside one of the rooms at the inn. There were some among the hunters who came to the city to sell the furs and carcasses of the animals they hunted, but the most they got for them was 70 silver coins, and it was for a rare beast with beautiful fur. Normally, the pelt of a regular fox was sold for 50 copper coins. The sackful of coins Mayton brought contained about a thousand gold coins. This meant 100.000 silver coins or 10.000.000 copper coins. Even the annual profit of the tannery in the slums wasn't close to this.

Mayton wanted to buy a shop for the hunters in the city with the money for them to process materials from hunted animals. Younger hunters could even go to hunting themselves if they wanted. He planned to settle them and then go find someone to teach him how to read.

He only needed enough money for hiring someone to teach him for a few days. Since he already knew how to speak the language, he was confident of learning how to read in a short period of time. After that, he wanted to stabilize his cultivation with the help of the cultivation technique he got from Angeza's master. That way, he would have more confidence in going to the fair of souls. He guessed Grau had some malicious intentions in his invitation, but he had to attend the fair for the sake of his parents and fellow villagers. Thus all he could do was increasing his strength as much as possible in the limited time he had.

Next afternoon, since Mayton still couldn't stay under the sun for too long, Mayton and a few of the hunters went to the market district of the city to find a suitable place for their shop. The market district, unlike the slums, had proper, paved roads crowded by both sellers and buyers of various products. There were luxurious shops with fancy goods inside as well as street peddlers with cheap products, occasionally mixed with a hidden gem. There was a saying in the Flaming Heart City; if something exists in the one thousand kilometers radius of the city, you can find it on sale in the market district.

''Friends, why don't you take a look at my wares?''

''Do you see this shard? It is from the previous gem on the governor's mansion. Only fifty silver for you!''

''Come, come. Take a look at this herb! I guarantee that you can't find it anywhere else!''

Currently, Mayton's group was in the relatively cheaper part of the market district. This place consisted of modest shops lined up at the sides, and hawkers concentrated at the square nearby. Since the hunters wanted a place for their business, as well as a place to house them, they wanted to buy a big enough courtyard which could be used for both of their purposes. Actually, the slums were the better choice financially for a place like that, but since Mayton planned to leave the hunters to their own devices soon, he wanted them to be as safe as possible. He already offended the boss of one of the bigger gangs operated in the slums, Andam. So he didn't dare to settle his fellow villagers in the slums.

''Uncle, we are looking for a real estate agency which deals in property around these parts of the district. Can uncle help us by pointing out one?''

Mayton asked a hawker nearby while playing with a gold coin in his hand. The hawker looked disappointed at first. Best customers were ignorant ones like hunters and villagers for the hawkers around here since they could easily swindle them. He thought these uncouth hunters were going to buy something when they approached instead they asked for directions. So he was quite disappointed to miss a chance to earn some easy money. But after seeing the coin in Mayton's hand, his eyes brightened. One gold was more than he earned in a month.

''If you want to buy property around these parts, the best choice you have is the Dealer. They can find anything and everything that exists in this city for the right price. Property, rare gems, herbs, even legendary cultivation techniques. As for it's location, you should go...''

the hawker answered with his eyes glued on the gold coin in Mayton's hands.

It was almost sunset when they arrived at the shop named the Dealer. The Dealer was a huge six storied building made from stone. The biggest one at the market district actually. A stream of people entered and exited the building continuously. From their outfits, it was easy to conclude that people from all kinds of backgrounds mingled here.

''Uncles, all of us shouldn't enter. It looks like it's crowded inside. I think me and uncle Doyle going together would be enough.''

None of the hunters objected to Mayton's suggestion. They already saw Mayton as their leader despite him being a twelve years old kid.

''Welcome dear customers, how can I be of service today?''

A saleswoman with neat, clean clothes and a professional smile on her face asked Doyle. But instead of Doyle who was looking around curiously, it was Mayton who answered;

''Hello, can you please help us find a shop with...''

Mayton told all the details of the property they wanted, and in less than two hours they completed the deal.

''Is there anything else I can help you with?''

Asked the saleswoman this time with a more sincere smile. She got a commission from every sale she facilitated, and these unassuming customers were unexpectedly spending lots of money.

''Actually, there is. I am looking for someone to teach me how to read. A cheap teacher would be good.''

They didn't have too much money left after buying the store and all the equipment needed. Only about a hundred gold coins were left for Mayton if you deducted the hunters daily expenses for the short term. Even though one hundred gold coins were probably more than enough to hire the most expensive teacher available, Mayton wanted to have some extra money on him when he attended to the fair of souls.

''Cheap... Dear customer, you should know that people who know how to read are really scarce. People who teach it are even scarcer. Normally, the price is pretty standard for this kind of job. But if you agree to not hold us responsible for any possible consequences you might face, I know just the teacher you want. Yesterday, an old man came and said he can teach how to read for a fraction of the regular price. The problem is, it isn't verified whether he can really do the job or not. If you are interested...''

Mayton and Doyle left the Dealer after getting the contact details of the cheap teacher for a token sum of ten coppers. It was already evening and shops were mostly closed. Since there weren't any open shops to browse the hunters returned to the inn to spend their last night there before they departed for their new abode.

Mayton separated from the hunters midway. He wanted to find this 'cheap' teacher as soon as possible. There were only five days left until the fair of souls. He wanted to be ready for any mishaps that may happen there. Surprisingly, according to the information he got from the Dealer, this prospective teacher of his was living in the slums. This also explained why it was cheap. No one rich enough to hire a teacher for learning reading would associate with people from the slums let alone learning anything from them.

''Hmm this should be the place but...''

Mayton muttered to himself. He stood in front of a derelict stone house in one of the oldest parts of the Flaming Heart City. This part of the city used to be popular among the higher stratum of the populace decades ago. But then a rebellion took place in this region of the empire and parts of this district got destroyed at a long lasting siege since it was close to the city walls. Rich people who were forced out of their homes because of the war never came back. Thus their homes fell into disrepair and in time got populated by the homeless and the poor. Now it was a proper part of the slums.

Mayton really wasn't expecting someone who can read to live in such a miserable house. This building didn't even have a proper roof to keep the rain out.

'Well since I came this far, I might as well try my luck. Who knows maybe there really is a legitimate teacher inside.' Mayton thought to himself and softly knocked on the door.

''Who is it?''

A vigilant female voice answered Mayton. This voice was really familiar.

''I said who is it?''

The voice said this time louder and a bit impatient.

'' Miss, how can you forget me in two days. It is me, your savior, whom the old man with you swindled.''

Before the young woman at the other side of the door could answer, another familiar voice was heard;

''Brat, who swindled whom? Didn't I tell you all I know?''

------------ - -------------- ------------

Meanwhile, back in Mayton's abandoned village, right next to his old home in front of his parents' graves, a little girl and an old man stood side by side. The little girl was muttering something while the old man just stood there doing nothing.

''Miss, when will it be over? We have been here for nearly two days already.''

Old Mert asked hopelessly. He was frustrated. After hearing Mayton's name, this lady insisted that the little brat Mayton, whom Old Mert loved like his own son, was part of a sinister plot. The future of this world is at risk, she declared with a grim voice. We must take the necessary precautions for the oncoming disaster, she said. Unfortunately, Old Mert wasn't convinced however much she said such grand things. What could some world shaking calamity have to do with the brat he saw growing up in this remote village?

So he decided to leave this strange girl behind and find out what happened to the surviving hunters. According to the message they left for him, they started their journey to the Flaming Heart City weeks ago. They ought to be in the city right now if nothing untoward happened en route. But even cities could be dangerous. Especially for the strangers. Thus he wanted to find the survivors and keep them safe. Just when he got ready to leave and said his goodbye to the little girl;

''If you try to leave, I'll kill you.''

said the cute little girl without blinking an eye, infuriating Old Mert in the process.

When Old Mert asked the reason, the answer he got infuriated him even more.

''You are contaminated. I have to cleanse all your filth before you can leave. Just wait your turn.''

She said with a pitying look in her eyes. Old Mert really wanted to teach her a lesson but, unfortunately, he was simply not strong enough. This cute little girl could really kill him whenever she wished. Now she has been drawing strange symbols all over the village while occasionally scribbling some unintelligible words on the ground or muttering some gibberish. She called what she did ''setting up a formation''. But once again she failed to convince Old Mert.

Old Mert wasn't someone ignorant of the ways of the cultivators. He saw many people set up formations before. People much stronger than himself. They either had ready to use plates with formations engraved on them, or they used charts to determine where to draw a particular symbol like a beast or a heavenly body and set up their formations. But this girl didn't use anything like a chart, she just randomly did whatever she wanted. The symbols this little girl drew were simply never seen before in the world. The characters she used to write, what Old Mert assumed to be words, didn't exist in the world. The gibberish she muttered was just that, gibberish. Her actions made no sense what-so-ever to Old Mert.

Old Mert was anxious about the fates of his fellow villagers, so he wanted to at least help a bit to finish whatever she was doing faster. But he got ignored by the little girl no matter what he did after she declared that she was setting up a formation. The only way to get a reaction from her was to try leaving the village. Then she reacted in the way of deadly glare.

And the answer Old Mert got for his question was more gibberish.