Back to the Inn

It was already the afternoon when Kayden's footsteps echoed through the quiet streets of the town, his mind consumed by thoughts of the mysterious petition written on the last page of the notebook.

'Actually, it looks like a task but, can a notebook give a task?' He wondered as he absentmindedly touched the small cloth bag at his side, which held the valuable object.

As for the sword, it was crudely fastened to his waist by the use of makeshift strings, swinging gently as he walked. It was not the best way to carry a sword, but for now, it was the only option Kayden could think of until he could acquire proper attire and equipment.

'And the same goes for Lily's revenge. I have no idea about the conditions for a request to be considered a task.'

However, since both tasks seemed to be exceptionally difficult, their respective rewards would be undoubtedly impressive.

Thus, Kayden was determined to complete both tasks, knowing that this could be his only chance to become the first place.

As Kayden headed to the inn, another issue came to his mind. He had just remembered that he had no money in this place, giving him a headache as he needed to buy several things.

First, he had to buy a sheath for his sword since it was considerably uncomfortable to carry it wrapped in rags.

Second, and related to the first, a belt designed for the sword to hang from his waist.

Finally, he wanted to buy a few things that could be useful in certain situations when facing enemies, such as small daggers or other throwing weapons.

Even though Kayden had not practiced his aiming too much when he trained at the base, his enhanced physical capabilities provided him with a decent precision when it came to hitting an objective with a throwing weapon.

A while later, Kayden arrived at the inn, where he found the innkeeper smiling in his direction as soon as he entered.

After greeting each other, Kayden headed up the worn stairs to his room.

Looking at the few objects scattered around the bedroom, his eyes finally stopped on a small candle that remained lit.

'It isn't the best idea to keep a lit candle in a room with so much wood, but fortunately, this is the case,' Kayden thought as he pulled the battered notebook out of the cloth bag before filling a bucket of water in the small bathroom next to the bedroom.

Dipping the cloth bag into the water, Kayden pulled it out while it was still dripping as he placed the notebook on top of the soaked cloth bag.

Carefully, he took the candle close to the notebook causing the flickering flame to touch one of its corners.

Little by little, the fire spread throughout the notebook, as the crackling flames filled the room. The pages gradually turned black before starting to change into ashes.

Eventually, only the ashes were left as the notebook could be seen anymore. Kayden poured water from the bucket over the remains of the notebook, completely extinguishing the flames.

It might look like Kayden was being overly paranoid in burning the notebook, making any evidence of the words it contained disappear. However, this was the safest option and the one that would ensure him to not encounter unnecessary problems.

Yes, he could simply hide the notebook inside the furniture or under it, but the inn's staff could find it when they came to clean his bedroom.

Moreover, although the innkeeper did not seem to be the type of man who snooped into other people's secrets, Kayden did not want to risk making a mistake due to his assumptions.

As for hiding it outside the inn, this was even worse.

Since Kayden could easily remember the contents of the notebook, it made no sense at all to leave the possibility of future problems.

In fact, the only situation where the notebook itself could be useful was if Kayden decided to report its contents to the Major.

Nevertheless, he had no plans to do such a thing. He believed that it was a better option to complete the task of stopping the Council on its own.

After finishing with the elimination of the notebook, Kayden went to the main hall of the inn with the intention of asking the innkeeper several questions.

The inn was not too crowdy at that moment, so Kayden could easily ask the innkeeper since he was not too busy.

Greeting him, Kayden said, "Do you know anyone who can answer some questions for me?"

The innkeeper nodded and replied, "I do, but you will have to pay for each question."

Kayden's face creased with a frown as the mention of money crossed his ears.

Pushing past his other concerns, he inquired, "What's the most effective way to earn a decent amount of money in a short time?"

The innkeeper paused, scratching his chin in contemplation. After a moment, he responded, "There are several ways, but if you're skilled in combat, hunting might be your best bet. You can sell the animals to the butchers on the main street for a good price."

"I see. Thanks," Kayden acknowledged.

"No problem, sir," the innkeeper responded.

Kayden left the inn as he headed to the forest for the second time on that day, feeling a tinge of sadness and rage when he remembered the poor but joyful Lily.

Eventually, the hut came into view, and nearby, he spotted the boar resting against the hut's walls.

The idea of carrying it to the main street to sell it for a substantial sum of money briefly came to his mind as it was surely an exceptional prey even when considering the entire town.

However, it quickly vanished since selling the boar would reveal to his enemies the extent of his strength, and he did not want to draw the Council's attention before making his move on its members.

Thus, once again Kayden ventured deeper into the forest, attuned to the subtlest movements and sounds around him as his eyes searched for smaller prey, such as rabbits or deer.