Three days had passed since Eric began his new lifestyle.
In the morning, he would go for a short jog, followed by basic calisthenics like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks, and then move on to shadowboxing. If anything, aside from his fire magic, Eric liked to throw punches when fighting, so he chose the same training regimen he'd followed in his past life.
His new routine piqued the curiosity of various people around him, but most speculated that this new habit of Eric's was his coping mechanism after losing to Lucas. He himself didn't care as long as those people didn't bother him.
After finishing his physical training, Eric came to the front door of the mansion. There, his entire family was already waiting, along with many knights fully clad in armor and mounted on strong horses.
"Father, Mother. Wish me luck!" said the girl with pale blonde hair—Laurene. Melissa hugged Laurene and stroked her hair. "Are you sure you want to take the Zeris Academy entrance exam today?"
James added to his wife's words. "Your mother is right. The Zeris Academy entrance exams are held throughout the winter, there's no need to rush..."
"This is our decision, Father, Mother. The sooner, the better. Neither of us can afford to sit back and relax, considering our competitors are from all over the Empire." Lucas voiced his opinion.
Melissa and James sighed in resignation. Their bitter smiles made it clear they couldn't persuade their two children any further. Eric leaned against the door with his arms crossed. Laurene and Lucas's smiles faded as they looked at Eric's calm expression.
Melissa and James turned around, slightly surprised that Eric had come to see his siblings off. "My son, you're here. Do you want to say something to your two younger siblings?"
Eric huffed at Melissa's question. "Good luck, though. And don't follow any strangers, especially when they're offering you candy, okay?"
Laurene rolled her eyes. "We're not kids anymore! And you stink!"
"It's called manly sweat," Eric replied with a blank expression. Laurene stopped arguing with her older brother.
Lucas didn't respond, just gave Eric a slight nod. Meanwhile, James simply shook his head at Eric's sarcasm. Laurene and Lucas climbed into the carriage, and before they left, James briefly briefed the knights on routes, supplies, rest stops, and so on.
Finally, the carriage rolled out across the snowy mansion grounds, leaving James, Melissa, and Eric behind. The man with the braided hair then asked Eric, "What are you going to do next, Eric?"
"Hmm... sleep? I'm tired," Eric replied with a yawn. Melissa smiled and called her eldest son over. "You'd better eat something first, son. Don't let your stomach stay empty after such strenuous activity."
Eric sighed and nodded silently. For the first time, the three of them had breakfast together in a rather cozy atmosphere. Deep down, Eric was actually lying to his father, he didn't want to sleep but wanted to explore downtown alone.
If he told James he wanted to explore the city, James would surely send his knights to escort him for safety reasons. But now, with his soul manipulation power, Eric didn't need an escort, so he secretly visited downtown without his parents' knowledge.
After breakfast and returning to his room, Eric took a slightly worn cloak and put it in a light bag. Avoiding the patrolling knights and the servants present, Eric managed to slip out of the mansion grounds.
After a few minutes of running down the hill, he finally reached the economic heart of the Ostheno region.
***
Themeus City is divided into three districts: the Inner District, home to wealthy entrepreneurs and several luxury businesses. Ostheno's family mansion is also located in this district.
Then there is the Middle District, which serves as the economic backbone of the city. It features a wide variety of vendors and shops, and many tourists and visitors from outside the city prefer this district, resulting in a higher volume of money circulating here.
Finally, there is the Outer District, which is mostly filled with the homes of commoners. The guardhouse Eric visited earlier is in this district, as are the other guardhouses.
Eric darted around with his hood pulled high, completely covering himself from head to toe. His appearance blended in with those around him, especially the travelers and outsiders.
"Skewered beef! Made from the finest cuts—give it a try!"
"Fresh fruit! Picked straight from the mountains!"
"Soft fabric! Stylish clothes! Just 1 silver coin for a pair!"
The merchants and vendors were all hawking their wares, the central district was bustling even though it was still early morning. Eric just wandered aimlessly back and forth, he only wanted to look around the city and didn't want to buy anything.
A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he set off toward a destination. As far as he could recall, this city also had an Adventurer's Guild, though it wasn't as large as the one in Zeris City. He spotted his destination—a fairly large two-story building—and immediately walked inside.
The scent of sweat, oil, perfume, iron, and a hint of blood assaulted Eric's nose. "These brats need to shower more!" Eric grumbled, watching the adventurers making a fuss. True to its reputation, the Adventurer Guild was filled with adventurers of all sorts of professions and occupations.
Eric moved and stopped in a corner, observing his surroundings. At first, the adventurers eyed him with scrutiny, but they went back to their own business after deciding he wasn't a threat and was just an ordinary adventurer.
Just wait until I rip out their guts and insides, then-
He pinched his thigh. That dangerous thought returned, the impulse truly coming out of nowhere. A little calmer now, his thigh still stinging with pain. Then the main door opened and an old man entered.
Instantly, the guild's atmosphere—which had been lively and noisy—fell silent, a sudden stillness settling over the room. The old man wore light iron armor that looked worn but was still sturdy, there were bloodstains on his sword sheath.
Since Eric was looking from the side, he couldn't make out the exact expression on the old man's face—he had a fairly thick beard—but deep in his heart, he had once seen a sharp glint in the old man's eyes.
"A man of sheer commitment..."
The old man stopped at one of the receptionists. The young receptionist was nervous but served the old adventurer professionally. "H-how can I help you, Mister Ferguson?"
The man silently placed a sack on the counter. A heavy and gruff voice came out, "Two sets of wyvern claws. No, actually three...turns out the place already became a nest."
The adventurers there were all in awe and whispering to one another.
"Crazy bastard! Taking on a pack of wyverns all by himself!"
"As expected of a Gold-rank Adventurer…"
The young receptionist took the sack and walked through the back door. Shortly after, she returned with a small pouch. "Here's the payment, Mister Ferguson. The Guildmaster also throws some bonus for 'the extra claws'. Thank you for your hard work!"
The old adventurer took the pouch and stopped by the quest board. The adventurers crowding around the quest board made way for him as if they didn't want to block his path.
He scanned the board quickly, looking for a high-paying quest. He picked one and handed it to the young receptionist. Seeing his persistence, the receptionist sighed but still approved the request.
The old man immediately headed for the exit. The sound of his footsteps echoed loudly in the silence, as soon as he stepped out, the guild returned to its usual state.
"Isn't this the fifth time he's taken a Gold-rank quest solo?"
"I don't know if he's money-crazy or just naturally stupid."
"Did you guys hear? Rumor has it he's doing this for his daughter..."
"Ah, his daughter... no wonder."
"Wow, he hasn't rested at all...!"
Eric listened intently. "Fool. He'll hit his limit soon." He thought the old man was crazy and overly ambitious. He sighed but ultimately moved on since it wasn't his place to truly judge a stranger based on first impressions, especially someone who was struggling.
He left the guild and headed toward the outer district. The buildings in the outer district tended to be old and dilapidated, yet that didn't dampen the residents' spirits for carrying out their daily activities.
When he arrived at the entrance of an alley, he caught a sweet scent. The scent piqued his curiosity, and upon following it, he found it emanating from a small shop bearing the sign "Little Twister."
Before Eric could enter, the shop door opened and someone stepped out. The hooded figure walked with a limp, supported by crutches. What startled Eric was that the hooded figure's right leg was missing from below the knee and replaced by a prosthetic leg, the left leg was even worse—it was gone from below the thigh, replaced by a longer, sturdier prosthetic.
The hooded figure avoided Eric as if not wanting to cross paths with him. He was puzzled at first but continued on his way into the shop. Jars of assorted sweets and candies in various colors and shapes filled the display cases. Several child-friendly posters and signs adorned the walls.
Shortly afterward, an elderly woman with a walking stick emerged from the back of the shop. "Who is it? Ah, a brat. What do you want? If you're just here to look around, get out of here!"
Eric was stunned to hear that, this was the first time someone had snapped at him so rudely on a first meeting. "Hey, old bones! What kind of shop is this?"
"Are you blind or something?"
"Nah, just curious."
"You mean intellectually challenged?"
The old woman kept pushing his buttons, and it began to irritate Eric. "Whatever, give me the red ones and the green ones." The old woman smirked but complied with Eric's request.
He tossed a gold coin casually onto the table, causing the old woman to raise her eyebrows at the sight of the coin. "I'll be damned. A noble brat is gracing my already bankrupt shop with his presence...!"
Eric ignored her and popped the red candy into his mouth. A sweet and tangy flavor filled his mouth, and not only that, Eric could smell a hint of herbs. Then he tried the green candy. A minty, refreshing taste hit the back of his throat, leaving a refreshing aftertaste once the candy was gone.
"Hmmm... not bad, old bones. Let me carve your name as a token of appreciation for these candies!" Eric gestured grandly. The old woman stared at him with disgust but played along.
"Carve my name?"
"I mean, I'll carve your name on a gravestone and put it in front of the store."
"Bah! Insolent! Kids these days don't respect their elders anymore!"
For a while, they exchanged sarcasm and insults, and after some time, Eric returned to the mansion, bringing home several bags of candy he'd bought from the old woman.
***
In a dark cave, a group of suspicious-looking people had gathered. Standing at the very front was a man of medium build, his face calm and his smile friendly. If one were to see him, they would assume he was a member of the Radiant Church.
But in reality, he wasn't.
"My lord, the news is true. Those heretics of the demonic cult perished at the Battle of the Great Amber Bridge."
"Hmm… how unfortunate. We could have guided them to join our group. But oh well..."
One of the group members spoke up. "Shall we proceed with our plan, Brother?"
"Of course, absolutely." The man looked at his loyal follower.
"Soon the world will welcome the rebirth of our god!"
The man's fervent voice echoed through the cave, and thus another dark faction made their move.