HPDBC Chapter 30: Misunderstanding
Chapter 30: Misunderstanding
Chapter 30: Misunderstanding
"Here's your change," the vendor said, reaching into his pouch.@@@@
"No, please keep it. In exchange, can you tell me where the post office is? I need to send some letters," Felix replied.
"Oh... how nice of you! Of course! The post office is that big building; it's also the Adventurers Guild. They have messengers who send letters," the vendor said, pointing at a building in the distance.
"Okay, thanks," Felix said as he started heading toward the guild.
As Felix walked away, the vendor muttered to himself, "I can hardly believe it; one guava costs five bronze coins, yet that young man offered me a silver coin for my entire stock of 1,409 guavas.
"Perhaps he is either naive or exceptionally generous. Well, I just got a tip of 29 nickels; I should buy a cake for my wife when I go home."
Felix stood before the imposing three-story structure of the Adventurers Guild, its vibrant red, brown, and white façade glistening in the sunlight. The structure towered over the bustling town square, where vendors shouted their wares and townsfolk mingled.
"Fresh fish! Get your fresh fish here!" a vendor called out, his voice carrying over the din of the crowded marketplace.
A group of women in colorful kimonos approached Felix, their wooden sandals clicking against the cobblestone street. However, when they saw the Yotsuba clan symbol on his back, they backed off, terrified, and continued on their way.
Nearby, a tea shop owner carefully arranged cups on a low table outside his establishment. "Come, come!" he beckoned to passersby. "Try our new sencha blend, straight from the southern provinces!"
Two samurai, their swords clinking at their sides, engaged in hushed conversation as they strode past the imposing building. "We must prepare the guard rotation," one murmured.
An elderly man, seated on a bench beneath a gnarled cherry tree, nodded sagely to no one in particular. "Ah, youth," he sighed. "They rush about like leaves in the wind, never stopping to appreciate the beauty around them."
The sound of a shamisen drifted from an upper floor of the three-storied building, its melancholic notes a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere below.
A young apprentice, arms full of scrolls, hurried into the building's entrance, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.
"Watch where you're going, boy!" a gruff voice called out from behind him. It belonged to a man with a very long beard. "Those scrolls are worth more than your life!"
"Bath house here! Warm, refreshing water!" a young girl called out, her voice barely audible above the cacophony of the street.
Two poets, seated at a small table outside a sake house, debated the merits of various verse forms. "The haiku captures the essence of a moment," one insisted. "But the tanka allows for greater depth of emotion," the other countered.
Felix gazed at the vibrancy of the area, was amazed. Some past thoughts surfaced, but he didn't pay much attention to them, as he knew what his goal was: to walk in his father's footsteps and make his father's forgotten legacy known to the world.
Though still grappling with his past trauma, Felix had made progress in dealing with his past trauma. He had been rebuilding himself from scratch, trying to become a new person. Only time would tell if the battle inside Felix's mind would be won by virtue or by sin.
"I can't get out to Midono to talk to them because there won't be any new passes given to me," Felix thought.
"And without those passes, I won't be able to come back to Midono. Plus, I need to be with my Clan leader, or they'll get more suspicious than they already are."
Felix's eyes were drawn to the large, ornate sign hanging above the entrance, identifying the building as the Adventurers Guild. The gate was surrounded by clan flags, each fluttering in the breeze.
Above all the clan flags was one that Felix recognized from the castle: the flag of the Higashihara Kingdom. It displayed a Catasticta sibyllae butterfly, its wings black with two rows of cream-colored spots near the edges. In contrast, the other flags had black backgrounds, while the kingdom's flag was a striking red.
"Did you hear about the new quest posted?" a young woman with long black hair whispered to her companion as they exited the guild. "They say it's dangerous, but the reward is substantial."
"Bah, probably just another wild goblin group chase," her friend with a ponytail replied, shaking his head dismissively.
[Bump]
Suddenly, the woman with long black hair bumped into Felix.
"Hey... watch where you—" she began, ready to place blame on him. But as soon as she looked up, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with color. She seemed to see sparkling stars around Felix.
"Hazuki... pinch me because what I'm seeing feels unreal!" Kurono exclaimed to her friend.
"Kurono... you shouldn't say things like that out loud," Hazuki replied, her cheeks rosy as well. She struggled to maintain her composure.
"Are you alright?" Felix asked in a comforting, reassuring voice.
[Ba-dum]
Felix's voice echoed in Kurono's mind as her heart raced; she felt as if her entire body pulsed in response. She was lost in his voice—a melody that captivated her.
"Hey Kurono... let's go! We have work to do!" Hazuki shouted, breathing heavily.
With that, she grabbed Kurono by the collar of her kimono and dragged her away.
"I wonder what happened there; I hope she's fine,Maybe she was surprised to see to many boxes on my back" Felix whispered to himself as he watched them leave.
As he stood there, Felix began to notice his surroundings. People were staring at him—some intrigued by his clothing adorned with the Yotsuba clan symbol and others captivated by his looks. After all, he was a western man in this land.
Despite feeling their gazes upon him, Felix remained composed and pushed open the heavy wooden door adorned with intricate carvings of flowers and butterflies. The interior was warm and inviting.
Inside was a large hall filled with dozens of people milling about; some were gathered around a notice board plastered with colorful flyers detailing various missions and bounties.
"Why is there a crowd outside?" a man standing near the window by the main door asked aloud.
"Maybe some bigshot passed by," another man replied.
"Do you think it's the Alef rank trio?"
"Nah, why would they bother? Don't you remember? They work right under the Emperor."
[Whoosh]
"You're my partner now. Whatever we face, we do it together. Just promise me you won't run away after seeing her," the head adventurer said seriously as he began to ascend the wide staircase on the left.
There was another similar wide staircase on the right side of the reception area.
"Why do I have this feeling that I'm being dragged into something weird again?" Felix whispered with blank eyes.
Meanwhile, in an old abandoned house on the outskirts of Midono, a trio of mischief-makers conspired.
"Boys, today is the day we start business in Midono. After the disaster in the slums, our whole monopoly was destroyed," said a man wearing a Sugegasa hat that cast shadows over his eyes. He was of medium height with a big belly.
"Yes, Boss!" his two minions shouted in unison.
"But we won't lose hope. I have connections in Midono, so we'll be rich in no time." He grinned widely.
"Yes, Boss!" they echoed enthusiastically.
"But Boss," one minion said, sporting buck teeth and a Motodori hairstyle with his eyes closed, "I heard that laws are very strict here."
"Very strict," replied the third minion. He had very short black hair and yellow eyes and spoke little, merely repeating what others said.
All three wore matching black jinbeis; however, the Boss had on a long-sleeve t-shirt under his jinbei and sported a white belt tied around his waist.
"Don't worry about that; I made sure it's secure. You just have to use a code to complete the trade."
"Yes, Boss!" they shouted again.
"Here's what you have to say to the man you will trade with: 'Are you in L...'"
He handed them a bag. "Now go and deliver it to this location," he ordered.
"Yes, Boss!"
[Bam]
The door slid open loudly on the third floor of the Adventurers Guild as Yoshito entered with Felix beside him.
"Hey, Guild Master!" Yoshito called out.
"Why can't you enter without causing a ruckus?" A feminine voice responded from behind a curtain.
The room was empty except for cushions scattered on the floor and multiple doors leading in various directions; servants waited outside each door.
"I brought someone! Look!"
"What creature did you bring this time, Yoshito?"
"It's not a monster; it's the samurai we asked for from the castle."
"Finally! About time they sent someone."
[Swish]
A hand emerged from behind the curtain that separated them. A figure briefly appeared before retreating back behind it.
"He looks like he's worth my time," she said thoughtfully.
[Slide]
The door on the left opened as two servants rose from their seated seiza positions. They approached the curtain silently before pulling it aside to reveal the figure hiding behind it.
Felix was confused by what he saw. "What is a child doing—"
[Whap]
"Mmph..." Felix couldn't finish his sentence as Yoshito's hand covered his mouth.
Felix had said that because he saw a girl sitting in the elevated designated space.
She wore a light pink kimono with a translucent pink coat over it that reached just below her knees. The upper left petal symbol on her coat was green, while the other symbols of everyone else were just outlined in green. A high-waisted kimono belt adorned with green designs cinched her waist.
Her strawberry blonde hair was styled in braided pigtails that fell just below her waist, turning auburn as it passed her elbows. She had face-framing strands of strawberry blonde hair also transitioned to auburn at their tips, and twin butterfly-shaped ribbons adorned both sides of her head.
"Yoshito, I'm rather pleased you silenced him; otherwise, he might have met his end by my hands today," she said her tone laced with a mix of irritation and relief.
"Your quite the foolish man, I think." she said, her tone sharp.
Despite her small stature—around 140 to 145 cm tall—her voice was mature and exuded confidence.
"I am Chiharu Chosokabe, the Guild Master," she introduced herself, her serious expression contrasting with the casual way she picked another candy from the bowl nearby, embodying her nonchalant yet sharp demeanor.
To anyone else, she might have appeared to be just a child, but she embodied cuteness in every way. Her wide, sparkly magenta eyes resembled precious jewels; if they were real gems, someone would pay millions—or even billions—of gold coins for them.
"Sorry for this, Guild Master," Yoshito said nervously, as if intimidated by the cute girl who ran the entire guild.