CLANG! The guards smalled their halberds on the ground, standing tall beside the tower's door. "We arrived!" They shouted.
Merlin looked out the window, seeing the parade and sighting, "What is all of this?" She jumped, floating down like a leaf.
"I didn't expect you to come ," Merlin said with a smile, looking at the dragon in the carriage.
"It's better this way," Arad replied, jumping down with Jack and Aella behind him.
The guard commander approached them, "We have ensured the delivery. If this is all, we shall retreat to our posts,"
Merlin looked at him with a smile, "Good job. We will make sure to put it to good use,"
The commander bowed slightly, "Please call us if you need anything," the guards then left.
Merlin looked at the dragon, "I should get to work immediately," She then pulled a paper from her chest, handing it to Arad, "Give this to the guild to end the quest, and don't forget to visit me tomorrow to take anything I don't need,"
"Anything you don't need?" Aella stared at her.
"Of course." Merlin smiled, "I only need the heart. The rest is yours," She replied. "But I don't suggest you sell anything. Use it to make weapons and armor," She added.
Arad took the paper and smiled, "Thanks," They left the dragon with Merlin and returned to the guild to get paid. On their way, Jack noticed that people stared at them, wishing to speak but hesitating.
"I might ," Jack smiled, "I can't wait to hear what Lydia has to say,"
"Don't forget the stuff we got from the dragon's cave. We need to take care of that as well," Arad smiled.
"Count the coins and put them aside. For the rest, it will take time to drain them into the market," Jack approached Arad, "The items that the dragon collected are stolen from carriages. Those people can come asking for them for free, which is ridiculous considering we had to fight a dragon for them."
"I see. You can deal with that?" Arad asked, and Jack nodded, "I'm an expert at fencing," He smiled. "But for the time being, keep them in your house,"
"I'm both exhausted and ready to run," Aella sighed, "Can we hurry to the guild? I want to get back home to sleep,"
Arad nodded, and they rushed to the guild.
CRACK! Arad opened the door, and everyone stared at him. "He's back."
"They weren't hanging with Alcott in vain. They are dragon slayers now,"
"I heard the dragon looked terrifying,"
"I'm telling you, he must have punched the dragon. Like he did the werewolves."
The adventurers didn't stop whispering even when Arad passed close to them, "Arad! Over here," Nina called with a smile.
"Nina here is the paper from Merlin," Arad put the paper on the desk with a smile.
Nina stared down and then looked at Arad's face, "It was a dragon. Very well," she then approached Arad and whispered, "Good call, not bringing it here. That would have complicated a lot of things," She smiled.
"I guessed so," Arad sighed, "How much is the reward?"
"Twenty gold coins. Ten from Merlin and ten from the city council." Nina said and then approached Arad again, "I suggest you pay everyone a drink, as a celebration. Adventurers are known to envy and cause trouble, but that should keep them in check,"
"You think so?" Arad said, looking at Nina, Jack, and Aella.
Jack approached him, "She's right. We paraded the city. What's the harm in a few drinks?" Aella also seemed to approve, so Arad looked back at Nina.
"How do you do that?"
"I already had it prepared, and I made sure to keep the price down," Nina looked back, and Arad saw a few barrels lined up in the back room, "Total cost came to 99 silver and 99 copper coins."
Arad stared at her, "One copper less than a gold coin?"
Nina waved her hands, "Merchant stuff, they say it looks better,"
Aella touched Arad's shoulder, "You better tell them something," She looked back.
Arad looked at her with a wry smile and then stared at the adventurers, "Well," Arad didn't know what to say, "Free drinks on me, to the dragon kill," He said.
The adventurers shouted. They didn't care how he said it. They got drinks.
Nina stood, "Okay! Okay! Calm down. I will make sure everyone gets his share,"
Arad, Aella, and Jack were about to leave when some adventurers approached them, "Already leaving?"
"Yeah," Arad replied, "We're a bit exhausted and can't wait to get a good night sleep,"
Hearing Arad's answer, the adventurers smiled, "Can't fault you for that." One of them laughed, "I would sleep forever if I fought a dragon,"
Jack patted Arad's shoulder, "See you later, chief. She's waiting," He pointed at Lydia, staring at them from the corner.
"Should we go as well?" Aella smiled.
Arad and Aella walked back to their home. But they stopped by the plant shop on the way to get more seeds for the vases and pots. Arad also wanted to thank the old man for his advice. It helped him cast the gravity magic.
CLING! CLING! "Old man Cain, it's us," Arad said with a smile, but he saw that Cain had other customers. A Six eyed Tiefling with a pink-haired little girl on his shoulders and a tall red-skinned woman.
"Welcome. Did you need anything?" Cain smiled, waving his shaking hand to Arad.
"Some seeds to plant in pots and vases for decoration," Aella walked from behind Arad and replied.
"HA!" The little pink-haired girl shouted, glaring at Arad with glowing eyes, "It's an empty one," Arad stared back at her, but when their eyes met, he felt his scales itching. [That little girl is dangerous,]
"Kali, behave and don't comment on people," The six-eyed man glared at her, and the little girl looked down, "Sorry,"
Cain laughed in the back, "Will flowers do?"
"Ah, yes," Aella replied.
Cain nodded and looked back, "Jemima, please bring me the sixth box," A few moments later, a woman who looked in her forties walked in. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail behind her, and her eyes had a sharp black depth to them. She handed the box to Cain with a smile.
Arad couldn't help but notice that something was off about the woman. Using his void eyes revealed nothing. Everyone in the room seemed magicless, but for some reason, they terrified him.
"Please take a look at those," Cain said, and Aella started inspecting the seeds.
"How is your body?" The six-eyed demon asked.
"Nothing changed," Cain smiled.
"Don't push yourself too much," The six-eyed demon replied.
"Arad, those are all," Aella said.
After paying, it only costs a few copper coins. Arad and Aella left the shop, heading to their home. ^Mom, those people didn't seem to have any magic,^
[I don't know, something was off,]
When Arad and Aella reached the house, they found it still under construction. "Hehe," Aella giggled, "We should have expected this," She sighed.
"They won't finish building in such a short time," Arad looked around, "Let's get back to an inn for tonight," He added.
"Let's inspect the place before leaving," Aella said with a smile, "I want to see how they are progressing,"
The two looked around for a while, inspecting each small room and hole the builders dug.
"They already tore down the old shack and are about to construct a new one," Arad looked at the house.
"They seem to have avoided the garden, look!" Aella pointed at the footprints on the ground. They seemed to wrap to the back. The workers carried everything around the house premise to avoid the garden.
Hustle! As Arad and Aella walked around, they heard noises in the bushes. Aella pulled her bow, but Arad smiled.
A large wolf emerged and approached Arad, wiggling his tail while panting. Arad patted the wolf with a smile, "Were you protecting the place? Didn't anyone attack?"
Aella patted the wolf, "Let's get back to the inn,"
As Arad and Aella walked back across the forest, she stopped, pointing at the distance, "Look,"
Arad looked, and he saw a moose staring at them from behind the trees. It was the one he saved. "I guess he lives around here,"
"Yeah," Arad replied, and the moose ran to the forest.
Arad and Aella returned to the inn and spent the night.
In the morning Arad and Aella headed to the guild to get a quest to fill time, but then someone kicked the guild's door open.
"Where is the dragon slayer?" A blond-haired young man shouted with open arms, "I order them to stand before thee!"
No one replied, but the young man seemed to spot Arad quickly, "Here you are," He walked toward him. But he quickly shifted his gaze to Aella, "What a fair lady. My greetings," He bowed slightly.