Chapter 3: Rubia City, Day Two, Part One

I wake up to the sound of the lively city coming though the window.

"(How strange, yesterday it wasn't as loud when I woke up.)"

I open my eyes. The bright daylight blinds me.

"Urgh..."

I rub my eyes and look up towards Marie's bed. Unlike yesterday she wasn't sitting there, waiting for me to wake up.

As I raise my chest I realize that she isn't lying in bed either.

I look around the room, no Marie in sight.

"(What time is it anyway?)" I wonder.

I look out the small window and see the sun shining high in the sky. It must be about noon.

I pull away the cover of my futon.

My companion was standing at attention.

Yesterday's memories of listening to Marie masturbating below the sheets are recalled into my head as I look back towards her bed.

The fluffy white sheets are arranged orderly. Marie had always been very proper, and even though I don't like admitting it, often times she was the one to make my bed on the days the head nun would inspect our rooms.

As I reminisce, I notice a small piece of cloth poking out from below the cover.

I stand up and take a step towards her bed to grab the piece of fabric.

It was small and white and very soft - In my hand I held a pair of panties. The same pair I had admired just yesterday and that Marie wore on our date.

As my fingers felt the soft cotton fabric, my member once again made it's presence known as it throbbed in my gray pajama pants.

-gulp-

I look around the room once more and towards the door. There weren't any sounds other than that of the city life coming from the half open window.

"(It's alright, isn't it? This is my chance to finally release some pent up stress.)" I try to justify myself while already moving the panties towards my face.

-sniff-

Marie's usually sweet scent, paired with a something else, a deeply erotic fragrance and a light smell of pee fills my nostrils.

A wave of heat radiates across my body, starting at my loin.

My free hand wanders down towards the hem of my pajama pants.

-chlup- -chlup- -chlup-

"Nhh..."

Standing before the bed, I start furiously stroking my dick while sniffing my beloved childhood friend's worn underwear.

-chlup- -chlup- -chlup-

"Haah... HAahh...Hhaa..."

Quickly a scene fills my mind.

Marie is right in front of me, her face flushed brightly and distorted in pleasure.

"Mnnaahh.... Aahhn.... Nhaaah..."

Her moans fill my ears as she is hovering above me, her face only a few centimeters away.

Many times I imagined the moment when I would finally have sex with her, but it had never been as clear as today.

However, something was different. At first it wasn't clear, but somehow I knew that this time, it wasn't me who was inside of her.

As I was laying face up on the bed and Marie on top of me on all fours, someone else was standing behind her.

He was the reason for the rhythmic movements of her body and her blissful expression.

My heart begins beating faster as I imagine her face moving back and forth as she is pounded from behind, my dick laying below, on top of my body, while another one's was making wet noises inside of her pussy.

The scene was incredibly real, I could hear every sound, smell every scent and feel the rocking of the bed, just as if it was real.

"Ghhn..."

I feel myself getting closer, a tingling feeling spreading through my nether regions as I make myself ready to finally release the pent up pressure I had felt since the night she went to his room. I budge my hips as I stand in front of her bed.

"Nhh... Marie...I... I'll... nHhn..."

-clank-

A shock runs through my body as the sound coming from the door reaches my ears.

In one jerking movement I pull up my pants and turn around, hiding the panties behind my back.

Marie's head pokes out from behind the door.

Her hair was damp and it was obvious that she just came out of the bath.

"I... ah... Uhm..." I stammer, trying to explain myself while wondering whether she had seen or heard me.

She simply smiles at me with a brightness rivalling the sun's.

"Haah..." I sigh as I realize that saying anything more is pointless.

"It's almost noon, you know? Ragnar is gonna come down soon." she chirps, still beaming.

"Ah... I'm sorry..." I mumble.

"I... I just woke up, I'll change right away."

Today was the day we made plans to visit the city with Ragnar. Although I'd rather not have us spend too much time with him, the fact that he's an experienced adventurer means he knows what we need and how much we should spend on it. Both Marie and me have no idea what makes a good weapon or what type of armor we'd need on the journey, so having him with us makes sense, even if I don't like it.

I walk towards my piled up clothes that lie on the ground at the bottom of my futon and start getting dressed.

I feel slightly ashamed as Marie's gaze hits my bare backside while I pull up my pants.

After secretly stashing away the panties and putting on my shirt, I grab the purse containing our funds and walk towards the door.

...

We leave the room, entering the wooden corridor that leads to the other parts of the inn, and move to the tavern area.

I see the short, black haired barmaid behind the counter to the right of the fairly big room.

She looks to be in good spirits, humming to herself while polishing the tankards that had once again piled up overnight.

For some reason Marie is staring at her with a fierce look in her eyes, almost like she's angry. Sure, the maid wasn't there when we looked for her yesterday, but usually Marie wouldn't mind something like that.

I ignore the strange occurrence and scout out a table towards the back where we could wait, but before I can start moving there, I hear a deep voice behind us.

"Waiting for me?... Oh, no braids today?"

`

I turn around. Ragnar is standing behind Marie, who had turned her head towards him, her mouth slightly open. Because of the size difference, she had to raise her chin a lot, as he stood right next to her.

"We aren't. And why'd I try to pander to you?" She answers coldly.

I smile a little.

"I overslept, so we also just got here." I add.

Ragnar looks over to me. "Well then, since we're all well rested, let's get to it."

"But before that." He adds, facing Marie again. "How about a kiss for your husband?"

Marie pouts.

"Hmph, like I would."

"(I'm sorry Ragnar.)" I proclaim in my head. "(But I'm the one in her heart after all.)"

"Huh? Are you angry because of yesterday?" He asks smugly.

"(Huh, yesterday?)"

"What are you talking about?" She mumbles.

Ragnar moves his face down towards Marie's and brushes her wavy blonde hair off her cheek with his right hand.

"I would have thrown her out if you'd knocked, you know?"

Marie's pout vanishes, being replaced by bashful expression while her face begins to redden.

"And besides... you're my wife, so you'll always be first to me." He adds in a stern voice.

At those words her mouth gapes slightly and her blush becomes even more intense.

"Now, give me a kiss."

After a small pause her eyes wander in my direction until her gaze meets mine.

A moment passes. I know what's about to happen. There's no way I wouldn't with the expression she's making.

I know I should hate this, but the heart that is beating so loudly in my chest admits a different truth.

I gulp as a smile forms in the corner of her mouth.

Marie's eyes snap back to Ragnar who was still hovering above her with an amused expression.

She opens her mouth widely before sticking out her tongue. My breathing stops as a look at her. It feels like the moment is frozen in time. My beloved childhood friend is standing before me, waiting for another man to thrust his tongue into her mouth, even though I'm right here next to her.

Her breath is labored as she waits for Ragnar to enter her. From the side I see her chest rising and falling with each breath.

Until finally - He moves his face forward, connecting her parted lips with his.

"Nhhn..."

Marie let's out a small, muffled moan as his tongue enters her mouth.

I see her cheeks moving as their tongues twirl around each other and he tastes the inside of her mouth.

A strand of spit starts flowing from the place where their mouths meet, wetting her white cotton top at the side of her neck.

"Nhh..."

-chlurp- -chlurp-

I notice my dick, which had been getting erect inside my pants. My fingers clench up as I look at my precious Marie sharing a passionate deep kiss with another man.

"Hhhnhn..."

-chlupu- -chlupu-

As they stand there, connected to each other, Marie's body moves closer to Ragnar's, clinging to his chest as he lowers his arms onto her bottom.

He grabs her ass, digging his fingers into the fabric.

The shape of her cheeks becomes visible as the cloth is stretched.

My eyes are involuntarily drawn downwards, as my cock pulsates inside my trousers.

After a few seconds I look up again to notice that Marie's eyes had focused on me once more.

Judging from the heat on my face it must be flushed. I don't know how to react to her gaze and my mouth opens slightly.

As if she needed a confirmation, Marie's hands, which had been hanging to the side until now, start moving upwards.

Her slender porcelain arms reach up around Ragnar's, embracing him from below as she gulps down their combined saliva.

My mouth opens further, about to say something before she once again focuses on him. She's brushing her body against his like a bitch in heat as their tongues move in unison.

"Nhhhn... Nhhh..."

-chlupu- -chlupu- -chlupu-

It truly looks as if they had melted together, so tight was their embrace, when suddenly Ragnar pulled back his head against the resistance of Marie's arms.

"Ahh.." Marie let's out a regretful moan as her mouth stands open and her tongue is connected to his by a strand of spit.

"Haaah, that was a good one. You're learning." he proclaims unphased, his hands letting go of her ass.

Her arms move back down towards her sides as she looks at him half dazedly.

"Sorry you had to see this, but it didn't feel right not to give my wife a kiss in the morning, you know?" He says looking at me.

I open my mouth once more before closing it again. I probably look like a fish gulping for water.

"Well then, let's get going before the good stuff is gone." he announces before starting to move away from her, and past me, further into the big tavern area.

Marie and me stay still for a second until she turns to me with a wide smile. My dick is still bulging in my trousers as I look at her melted expression.

"Hehe... Seems like I can't win against him... but... you really like this sort of stuff anyway, right?"

She looks down on my pants.

I open my mouth once more.

"I...uh..."

"HhnHnn... It's alright." She interrupts.

Before I can say more, Marie quickly draws close and whispers into my ear.

"From now on I'll show you lots of good stuff."

She gives me a peck on the cheek before running after Ragnar and hugging his arm from from behind, her body clinging to his side as they walk in the direction of the inn door.

"Ah... haaah..." I sigh after I realize what just happened, my heart still beating fast.

As they walk past the counter, Marie once again looks at the shortstack barmaid, now with a smug smile.

After a second I follow her, walking past the black haired girl. She has a mean expression on her face as she stares after them.

I exit the inn and stand on the busy street where Ragnar and Marie are waiting.

The sun is high up in the sky and a gentle breeze is blowing on this beautifully clear summer day.

Marie continues holding onto Ragnar's arm, her chest pressing into him, as I walk besides them towards the main street.

Seeing her like this should feel bad, but at the same time I feel a stirring in my chest that makes me want to see more of this side of her.

As we enter the main shopping street after a few minutes of walking, we are once again greeted by the bustling life of the city. Yesterdays familiar smells fill my nostrils and the sound of the people enjoying their lives ring in my ears.

Ragnar stops, first looking down at Marie, who looks back at him with an innocent smile. A smirk spreads across his face before his eyes wander to me.

"We've got quite a bit to do today but let's enjoy the city while we can."

With those words he walks on, Marie next to him with me following behind.

Ragnar moves briskly through the crowd. He's larger than any of the people around and gets quite a few stares, mostly from girls and women turning their heads to marvel at him. After having their fill, some throw jealous looks at Marie who seems to enjoy this kind of attention, judging by the spring in her step.

Most of the looks she gets are of course from men, who can't help but ogle her once-in-a-million kind of cuteness.

"Here we are." Ragnar proclaims after about five minutes of walking.

The shop we stopped at had a big wooden sign hanging outside. On it were two swords crossed over a heater shield.

He looks down at Marie and signals her to let go. She takes a step back and stands next to me before he starts talking again.

"The owner of this shop is the best blacksmith in the kingdom, and the only one who knows dwarven technique. He's a bit peculiar though. Try not to get on his bad side."

We look at each other and enter to the ring of the door bell. The smell of iron was in the air. There was no one at the counter towards our left and the entrance area of the shop was empty, save for the many pieces of armor and weapons hanging on the walls and shelves. A few dressing rooms were situated to the right of the room and through an open door opposite to the entrance another equally stacked room was visible, making the store seem unexpectedly big.

"Welcome! Welcome!" I hear a deep but friendly voice coming from somewhere further inside.

-clank- -clonk-

The sound of falling metal could be heard from the same direction as the voice.

"I'm coming!" the now louder voice sounded, when finally a rough and stubby looking man, a bit smaller than me, showed up in the doorway. His face was round and scarred and his red beard reached down to the leather apron he was wearing. Parts of it looked like they were burned by fire.

"Ah! Ragnar! Back already?"

"That I am, Halvard. Didn't I tell you? I picked up the Saint from Aster village and now I'm off to the capital again."

"Ah! Yes! I remember, you were saying something about a Saint. Thought you just had a few too many that night. Hahaha!"

The man called Halvard bursts out in loud laughter.

It seems they know each other quite well.

"So this lassie here is the legendary Saint, eh?" His eyes scan the flustered Marie as she bows to greet him. "Doesn't look like much."

"Her name is Marie."

Ragnar seems slightly irritated by the rude comment, but seemingly doesn't feel like speaking up about it.

The man's eyes widen as he sees Ragnar's expression.

"Hah! Seriously?" Halvard suddenly yelped. "I didn't expect her to be your type! Your targets are usually a bit more on the busty side. Hahaha!"

Now it was Marie's turn to look irate as she gave Ragnar a mean side-glance.

"Yes yes, you bastard. Now, how about you take my order?" Ragnar grunts.

"Now wait a second! You haven't introduced this lad over here." He points at me.

"I'm Alan. Nice to meet you."

"Marie's boyfriend." Ragnar adds mockingly.

Halvard looks me in the eyes.

"Bahahaha! Though luck, laddie. No woman can resist that guy, must have slept with half the capital by now!"

"Well well well, then let's get you guys fitted, shall we?"

With those words he rushes towards the back room without looking at either of us again.

I wonder whether what he said was right as I glance at Marie who had begun examining a shelf full of small silver trinkets.

"Halvard!" Ragnar thunders.

Halvard, who was already halfway through the back door turns around, looking at Ragnar.

"Now what is it?"

"Mithril for her."

"She's that precious, eh?"

He smirks as he once again storms away.

"Gh...That guy gets on my nerves." Ragnar mutters.

Silence spreads across the room with the loud man gone.

I begin looking around the room, at the impeccably crafted swords, daggers and lances lining the walls. Some are beautifully embellished while others are simple and practical, yet elegant. Some of the designs remind me of Ragnar's sword and I wonder how long these two knew each other.

After a while I hear Marie's voice.

"So Ragnar..." She asked in a high pitched tone. "You came through here before, on the way to Aster, right?"

"Huh? Yeah I did. Why'd you ask?"

"Oh, I was just wondering since you didn't know any inns here... Where did you sleep?"

"At... a friend's." He replies reluctantly.

She responds with a monotone "Hmm."

"Aha!" Halvard screams from somewhere in another room, interrupting her interrogation.

-clank- -clonk-

Metal sounds can once again be heard as he emerges from the bowels of the shop, holding a bundle of leather and metal atop a flat black box.

"Now here you go laddie!" he shouts as he smashes the heap onto the counter.

Both Marie and me look at the heap with a perplexed expression.

"Hah? Don't even know how to put on armor?

"This goes here... that there... this here... that around that part... and make sure it's fastened..."

He explains as he hands me the pieces of the light steel armor that are made to fit around the clothes.

The armor doesn't have much material in the chest area, but my right arm and shoulder are well covered to allow for mobility while still protecting against monster bites.

Ragnar looks at me intently with a stern expression I would not have expected from him.

"It won't do any good against bandits, but for the occasional monster this should be alright while not weighing you down."

"When did I ever disappoint? Hehe." Halvard giggles.

I'm almost moved by Ragnar actually caring about my survival.

"Don't look at me like that. Marie'll be sad when you kick the bucket." He says, noticing my expression.

"Now onto the miss." Halvard grunts. "Made this for the duke's daughter before he got excommunicated and thrown in jail for suspected cult activity. Sick bastard that guy, but I guess Ragnar'll like it, hahaha!"

He opens the book-sized black box he had rested on the counter, revealing a beautifully shimmering white material.

"Ouhhh! Always a sight for sore eyes, it is! I'm sure it'll look good on you."

I gaze upon the pearly metal almost in a trance before coming back to my senses. This is supposed to be armor, but what's inside the box looks barely enough to cover a hand.

Marie herself looks as dumbfounded as me, but then suddenly opens her mouth before turning to Ragnar.

"Mithril is special, you see. The form of the piece doesn't matter much, it's the craftsmanship that counts." Halvard explains.

I look closer on the piece and finally understand Marie's surprise.

Inside the box were two pieces of 'armor'. Firstly, something looking like two small triangles connected by an iridescent string - a tiny bikini-, and secondly a pair of panties that only had any semblance of fabric towards the front, the important parts covering the crotch being cut away, only leaving two strings to the sides to keep them in place.

"These are made of pure mithril, so I doubt even you could buy them off me for a fair price."

He looks at Ragnar.

"...But sadly none of my wealthy customers are as depraved as the duke was. I'll give 'em to you for half the price, five thousand gold coins, how's that sound?"

I gulp. Five thousand gold coins are almost enough to feed a man for a lifetime. There's no way Ragnar would have this kind of money to spare, even if he is the Hero.

"I'll buy it off you for the full price, but you owe me a favor, how about that?" Ragnar proclaims.

"Wh- Did you become rich and stupid at the same time?!" Halvard bursts out.

"Hah, you wish. No way in the Abyss I'd have that kind of money. The church is paying, they won't care how much I spend, so might as well help out a friend, eh?"

"You dirty bastard you. So that talk about being chosen as Hero also wasn't just bullshit then! Alright, you'll have that favor from me. I suppose I get the gold from the local chapter?"

"Aye, that's right."

"Alright! Now then, why don't you see if it fits, lassie? If not I'll have to make some changes."

"Come on, take it to the dressing room or do you want to strip in front of all of us? I wouldn't mind, hah!"

Halvard bluntly shoves the box into Marie's chest, who gets pushed back slightly as she grabs it.

"Th- This is armor?" She asks in disbelief.

"It is! Don't you know anything? Pah!" He slaps his hand on the counter. "I'll admit, this one's a bit tasteless, but dammit if it isn't crafted to perfection. And that's the only thing that counts for mithril! Of course you'll need to get it enchanted first to get any protection off it."

Marie looks back at Ragnar. She seems even more puzzled than before.

"Eh? Didn't they even teach you about enchantments? The finer the materials and the greater the craftsmanship, the stronger an enchantment put on a piece of armor will be. With mithril, even when it's crudely crafted you'll get enough out of a simple protection enchantment that you can skip any other armor. Though you'd need to find someone who can work the material first."

Halvard nods as Ragnar explains.

"And my craftsmanship is the best in the damn kingdom I tell you!"

"Ah... uh, okay..." Marie mumbles, still holding the box with the shining white material inside.

"Let's go then." Ragnar says as he gently pushes her back with one hand.

She looks at me with an unsure expression before moving towards one of the dressing rooms as Ragnar follows her, closing the curtain behind them.

I observe the closed curtain as it moves slightly.

-rustle- -rustle-

The sound of cloth being handled.

"Hnn?!" I hear a squeak coming from Marie.

Even in this situation my member starts awakening.

I look back at Halvard, who started doing something behind the counter, to calm myself.

-rustle-

"Wh- Hnya! Th-This... Hnn..." I again hear her voice behind the curtain.

-swosh-

The curtain is pulled open, revealing an almost naked Marie with Ragnar standing behind her.

My heart skips a beat as I marvel the interplay of her pure porcelain skin with the sinful attire.

The only thing she's wearing is the beautifully iridescent micro bikini and cut out panties.

Marie's supple skin is sweaty from the excitement and her hands, that are crossed in front of her crotch, move restlessly.

I am in awe of her overwhelming beauty as I stare at her with a gaping mouth.

Her budding chest is barely covered, only just hiding a small area around her nipples.

The lustrous white of the mithril contrasts beautifully with her cherry blossom colored areolae poking out to the sides of the pearly metal.

My eyes wander downwards, over her exposed stomach and belly button towards her crotch.

The panties are spun in a way that even the sparse material towards the front is see-through, showing the slight fluff of her pubic hair. Her hands prevent me from seeing the most important part but I can imagine the the cutout section in which the contour of the panties is merely held by two strings to the side of her vulva. And in the middle of it...

"Come on, don't stare at me like that." She squeals with a flushed face, shifting from side to side.

"Well, if that ain't a nice fit!"

Halvard yells from behind me.

"Yep, fits like a charm, right?" Ragnar comments as I see a slight movement of his arm behind her.

"Hnh?!" Marie once again squeaks.

"A-Anyway I'll take it off now..." She hastily says as she once again closes the curtain with one hand.

-rustle- -rustle-

"NhHn.. Wh-"

-rustle-

"Nhh- No.. Hhhn- ... " I hear her whispering behind the curtain.

After about two minutes of strange sounds the dressing room curtain is opened once more.

Ragnar steps out with a wide grin, Marie standing behind him with an even bigger blush than before.

She was again wearing her white cotton top and long blue skirt.

Marie's fingers are touching over her stomach as she awkwardly steps out of the small room.

"Now onto the weapons, just bring us a good dagger and an arming sword. Both of them are magic users, so I doubt they'll need them." Ragnar says as he puts the black box down on the counter.

"The dagger for the lady? I think I have just the thing." Halvard turns to me. "You can look around to see if you find something that fits you. That's the most important thing for a blade after all!"

I nod absent-minded.

"And you lassie, come follow me!" He says as he pulls on Marie's right hand.

"Hnh?!"

The two of them leave the room, Ragnar following.

After they are gone, I turn towards a shelf filled with small to medium sized swords.

My eyes scoot across the display for a while without finding anything that looks especially appealing to me. I take another look around the room and notice a small, wooden barrel towards the corner of the room where a few weapons, including a huge, two handed broadsword and an axe had been haphazardly deposited. My eyes abruptly stop as I glance at a comparatively small one-handed sword among the assorted arms.

It looks quite simple in comparison to a few of the more ornate ones, but something about it fascinates me.

The handle is bound with black cloth treated with some kind of resin, the guard is in the form of a straight cross and the hilt is fashioned into a rhombus shape, with an equally shaped hole inside.

I take the sword from the barrel, revealing the sheath made of black leather before I draw out the blade, about eighty centimeters in size and tapering towards the end.

Somehow I know this is the one.

"Ohou! Knew it!" I hear Halvard exclaim before the three of them return. I put the blade back into the sheath and turn around.

Marie is holding a small dagger, made of a light metal, in her right hand. The blade was thin at the handle before growing slightly in width up to about a fourth of it's length and then tapering to a point towards the end. I can see a bit of the brown leather handle beneath the guard that is slightly pointing upwards in an arch. In her left hand she holds the sheath, covered in the same kind of leather as the handle.

She looks like she doesn't quite know what she's supposed to do with the items in her hand.

Halvar points at the dagger in her hand.

"This one's made of moonlight steel, so it's got an innate light attribute."

"Should come in handy." He adds.

"And that one-" He looks at the sword in my hand. "Interesting choice."

"I put quite a lot of effort into that, but it was more of an academic adventure, haha!"

"Honestly I couldn't bring myself to throw it away even thought no one bought it, been sitting in there for years now."

"Anyway... That's all then, isn't it? Your gear still holding up?" He asks Ragnar.

"Of course, though once we reach the capital I won't be needing your sword anymore."

"Eh... I'll believe it when I see it." Halvard responds with a stern expression.

Ragnar looks at me.

"Take off the armor and let's go."

"Ah, yes." I respond.

I quickly take off the armor I am still wearing, putting it in a bag Halvard had handed me, together with the sword.

"I assume you'd rather take this with you than have it delivered?" Halvard asks as he points towards the black box with the mithril in it.

"Damn right, wouldn't want a courier to get any strange ideas. Delivery for the rest though, we still have a few things to do." He turns back to me. "Oh and don't forget to pay, Al. The church isn't going to splurge on some country boy."

"Oh, right. Of course."

I am here of my own volition, expecting the church to pay for my armor would be mad.

I pull out my purse and look at Halvard.

He furrows his brow as he eyes me.

"That would be... forty silver for the armor and thirty silver for the sword." He says in a contemplative manner.

"Alright."

I take out seven large silver coins, each being worth ten silver pieces and put them on the counter.

That leaves my travel reserves at a measly fifty silver.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He says.

I nod.

"Thanks."

"The Church'll pay for the lassie's right? It'll cost a bit more then, hehehe."

"Don't go overboard or they'll notice." Ragnar responds with an amused smile.

"Eh, don't worry. I'll fleece 'em just right."

"I know you will, you bastard."

"Now let's get going." He says, first looking over to Marie, who just finished putting the dagger into the bag with the rest of the armor, and then to me.

He takes the black box and shoves it into my hands before walking towards the exit.

"Say hello to Paula before you leave the city, poor lass was heartbroken last time you vanished without saying anything!" Halvard yells after him as he leaves the store.

Marie gives Halvard a mean look before she quickly follows after Ragnar.

"Uh, thanks again." I say as I walk behind her.

"Come again! Come again!" Halvard screams after us

The bell rings as the door closes.

The sounds of the street once again become prominent and the heat of the day washes over my face. It was past noon now and the streets had become slightly less crowded as the people took refuge from the sun inside.

Marie turns around, her face still slightly flushed, and smiles before hurrying over to Ragnar, who had already taken a few steps.

We start walking once more.

"You got a good price on that sword, you know?" He says without looking at me.

"People pay a premium for Halvard's goods, especially the weapons. Either it's somehow defective or he's taken a liking to you."

"Uh, is that so?"

"(He didn't seem to particularly like me, did he?)"

"How much would a sword like this usually go for?"

"About two hundred silver coins at the least, I'd say."

I gulp.

Maybe I should have checked it more thoroughly.

...

We continue moving along the street and after a while, pass a stall that sells cooled, candy covered apples.

"Ah!"

Marie points at the stand.

"Hmh?" Ragnar turns to her. His eyes follow the direction of her finger.

"Haah.." He sighs. "Why not? Wait here."

He takes a few steps off the road towards the stall, and quickly comes back with one apple.

He hands it to her and continues walking.

I feel a bit dejected. Normally she'd only show this spoiled side of her to me.

"Thanks!" Marie says in a cutesy voice as she bites into the apple.

Her small mouth fills up quickly and her cheeks begins looking like a hamster's.

"(I guess it's alright as long as I can witness her cuteness like this.)"

Marie turns to me, her mouth red from the colored candy.

She smiles and gives me a kiss on the lips.

"Tastes sweet, right?"

"It does."

End Chapter 3