After a half-hour at a brisk pace, the capital's silhouette cut into the horizon.
The heavy wooden wheels of the wagon groaned as they hit the uneven stone main road, jolting the passengers with every stride of the horses.
Walls of white stone—weathered by centuries but reinforced through continuous repairs—rose before them like a cliffside.
When the guards at the great gate inspected and returned their metallic guild cards, Alaster let out a relieved breath.
They were finally inside.
The clatter of iron-shod wheels echoing off the narrow stone streets replaced the quiet rustle of the woods.
The elf felt the cool shadow cast by the massive bulwarks and the city's high buildings.
He looked up from the floor of the vehicle, observing watchtowers outfitted with heavy ballistas and colossal siege engines capable of wounding a level 100 monster.
The immediate danger of the eastern grove was behind them.
Now, it was replaced by the symphony of a bustling market district, where merchants shouted their prices over the crowd.
The distant metal clanging from blacksmith workshops echoed through the streets, mixing with the thick scent of roasted meat in the air.
— Hey, Al, what do you plan on doing with your split? — Jinneth asked, turning toward him with a wide smile.
Alaster, who had stretched out on the wagon's hard wooden floor, shifted uncomfortably as a bump rattled his spine.
He raised a violet eyebrow.
— My split? From what?
Mirage, seated on the opposite edge with her back against the canvas wall, let out an amused huff, twitching an ear.
«For a second, I forgot he really is just a low-level newbie», the catgirl thought.
However, her eyes casually darted across the elf's exposed, well-built torso before she answered aloud:
— From the Wyvern, dummy. It's an A-Rank boss; the guild's dismantling department will easily pay us over 50 gold coins for its corpse.
— Wait, seriously? We're getting paid for that? — Alaster asked.
He propped himself up on his elbows as the wagon swayed past a crowded fruit stand.
Liena looked at him with her usual serious eyes, but a tiny smile softened her features.
— Of course we are. In this world, every part of an Alpha Wyvern is precious.
— Its scales are highly coveted by artisans to forge heavy armor — Liena continued —, and its organs have dozens of uses in alchemy. Practically the entire carcass can be utilized.
— Furthermore, being a level 100 creature, it possesses an excellent crystalline core worth 10 gold coins all by itself.
— Though its meat tastes horrendous, it must be said — Deinderatrix commented from the driver's seat.
She handled the leather reins with ease, steering the horses through the dense crowd.
Alaster, still lying on his back, tilted his head to look at her.
From his low angle, he could see her back and the pronounced curves of the mage seated on the front bench, outlined against the bright sunlight.
Settling back onto the vibrating wooden planks, he heard Arya chime in.
— We're heading straight to the guild headquarters first to register and claim the corpse — the elven archer added, tightening her leather gloves. — Before someone spots it by the border and tries to claim it as their own loot.
Liena let out a clean laugh, and Mirage seconded her with a fierce grin.
— Who would be foolish enough to think they can steal my reward and live a loooong and happy life? — the cat hissed, her claws subtly extending.
A subtle chill ran down Arya's spine.
Plenty of rumors floated around the guild halls whispering that the catgirl had made more than one troublesome guy disappear.
Most people didn't believe it, and the guild's own investigations had never managed to prove a thing.
«I don't have any proof myself», Arya thought, looking at her companion out of the corner of her eye.
«But I don't have any doubts either. She is absolutely capable of wiping anyone off the map if they cross her line».
— Besides, there aren't many local adventurers who can take down an Alpha Wyvern solo — Liena concluded, crossing her arms.
— And no strong clan or powerful party would want to start a feud with another strong clan over a single Wyvern, especially when they are fully capable of hunting one down themselves.
At that moment, Deinderatrix pulled gently on the reins, bringing the horses to a halt near a side avenue packed with inns and taverns.
She turned her head over her shoulder:
— Liena, can you take over? I need to stop by the inn first to change out of these shredded clothes. I'll meet you guys at the guild in twenty minutes.
— Alright, Detrix — the halfling replied.
Deinderatrix gathered her tattered red robe, stood up from the driver's bench, and jumped to the stone pavement with a light hop.
Instead of walking away, she marched along the side of the vehicle and approached the back of the wagon.
Leaning over the wooden tailboard, she peeked through the opening of the canvas cover.
— See you shortly — the mage said, poking her face inside to throw one last look at the bare-chested elf.
Alaster smiled back as he watched her turn around and disappear into the sea of moving people.
He was wiped out.
It was a deep, heavy dullness in his head that he knew all too well from his past life.
It was identical to the brutal mental burnout of spending three consecutive days fixing lines of broken code without sleep.
His muscles felt fine, revitalized by the level-up, but his mind was just frying.
He sank back into his spot, closing his eyes and listening to the low chatter of the girls.
They were already loudly debating buying new clothes and visiting a restaurant in the eastern district.
«Now that I've leveled up, I feel physically much stronger», Alaster reflected in silence while the wagon bumped along the road.
«But this encounter with an Alpha Wyvern in a place that should only harbor weak creatures confirms a suspicion».
«This world does not follow rigid rules. There are no invisible walls or areas restricted by creature strength».
«They function like natural habitats... ecosystems where predators can move if disturbed».
«Without more information, I can't determine what forced that monster down into the meadow, but the takeaway is clear».
«My current spells are limited. If I don't expand my combat options, I will never be safe the moment I step outside the walls».
— I think I need to get my hands on a grimoire — Alaster murmured suddenly, breaking his own silence as he sat up.
— I know just the place — Arya answered from the front, turning slightly on the bench.
— It's called The Sea Sapphire. The person running the shop is trustworthy. They might even have a few rare grimoires matching your... "attribute" in stock.
The elf emphasized the word with a specific tone.
Both knew that information regarding Alaster's special affinity could not leak outside their circle.
The risk of drawing the attention of dangerous factions was simply too high.
— Thanks, Arya — the elf nodded.
— It's over toward the southern sector, about a kilometer from the inner wall, right on the main commercial street — she explained over the sound of a nearby blacksmith's hammer.
— I'll go with you, Al — Jinneth interjected immediately, leaning toward him, her gray eyes shining.
— I'll be your guide. I know the commercial district's alleys inside out, and you won't find the shop easily on your own if you want to head there today and get it sorted quickly.
Alaster cut her off with a soft smile before the girl could start rambling.
— You don't have to sell me on it, Jin. Let's go together.
«Jinneth really is sweet», Alaster thought. «It's not just innocence; she's attentive and considerate. She's someone you can fully rely on».
What the programmer failed to grasp, absorbed as he was in his thoughts, was that his appearance as a slender, bare-chested High Elf kept the young baker completely spellbound.
Jinneth shifted nervously in her seat, staring at his chest, entranced by his frame.
She was secretly fantasizing about pouring sweet honey and scattering raisins all over his smooth skin, lost in her own thoughts...
Until Alaster abruptly broke her gaze to ask about the currency.
After a few minutes, the wagon came to a halt before the main Guild building.
It was an imposing three-story structure constructed from carved granite blocks, crowned by a large banner displaying a sword, a bow, a staff, and a shield.
Alaster descended from the vehicle flanked by Jinneth on one side and Mirage on the other.
The catgirl's black tail swayed rhythmically near his lower back, tracing lazy arcs that the still-shirtless elf failed to notice.
Crossing the massive oak doors, they entered the main hall.
The place looked like a gigantic tavern, packed with sturdy wooden tables, filled with the loud hubbub of laughing adventurers, clinking beer mugs, and the scraping of chairs.
At the far end ran an exceptionally long counter of polished timber where a row of receptionists handled requests.
The adventurer crowd was varied: men in dented plate armor, girls in leather jerkins, and mages in long robes.
Alaster could not help but notice a detail that resonated more and more in his head.
It was not the first time he had stepped into the guild and noticed that the proportion of female adventurers was significantly higher.
It was a peculiar situation that kept triggering his curiosity, a demographic detail he couldn't quite stop analyzing.
From a few nearby tables, a group of men who looked like common thugs threw contemptuous glares at the sight of a half-naked newbie walking in.
But the moment Alaster held their gaze with the frostiness of his violet eyes, the men averted their eyes to the floor, intimidated by his presence.
Conversely, the female adventurers at the adjacent tables began to observe him with a far more calculating gaze.
At a side table, a female warrior clad in full steel armor—which fitted perfectly to a slender silhouette—sat next to a burly man holding a large battleaxe.
The woman raised a gauntlet and signaled Liena to come over.
— Excuse me, I'm going to say hello to some friends — Liena said, stopping. — Arya can surely handle the paperwork for the rewards.
— Sure, I can ask at the counter to have the reward split into five equal shares without any issue — the elven archer replied.
Liena departed toward the steel warrior's table, while Arya turned back to the remaining three.
— You three had better take a seat at one of the open tables. I'll go manage the carcass drop-off and the bounty; there's no need for all four of us to stand in line.
— Fine by me. I also have to take my leave for now — Mirage announced suddenly, stretching her arms.
Everyone looked at her in surprise, and the catgirl simply smirked, pointing to the quests on the main board.
— I'm part of the official city guard detail this week. So I have to join a contingent of thirty high-level adventurers to patrol the outskirts and hunt down any remaining wyverns from the Alpha's pack.
— I'll also be overseeing the non-combatant team going to harvest the materials we left behind. I'm off.
Before spinning around, Mirage playfully whipped her tail against Alaster's back, brushing his skin and tossing him a lingering gaze.
The elf interpreted it in his own way.
«Mirage is kind in her own manner... if she hadn't shown up with that aerial strike, we wouldn't have made it», he thought gratefully.
Jinneth, however, detected the cat's clear intent.
She quickly stepped forward, brushing Mirage's tail away with a swift swipe of her hand.
This earned her a sharp sideways glance from the assassin before she disappeared down a side corridor.
After saying goodbye to Mirage, Arya walked toward the main counter.
— I'll be right back, I'm going straight to Mila — the elf indicated.
Alaster watched her head toward one of the windows, where a woman in her late forties was stationed.
Mila wore an immaculate white shirt and possessed a professional demeanor; round spectacles accentuated her mature beauty. Her black hair fell elegantly down the sides of her face.
Alaster felt the receptionist lock her gaze onto him from a distance.
«Why is she staring at me like that?», the elf thought.
Then, his eyes drifted down to Mila's enormous, bursting breasts, and it hit him.
He recalled how, just a few days ago, he had been trapped between her mature, curvy body and the wall where the bold woman had cornered him.
She had made a proposition that set his desires ablaze.
A wave of heat rushed through his body as he remembered her exact, shameless words:
"Next Thursday, we can have some fun if you want... I'll let you do whatever you want to me."
Alaster swallowed hard, staring at the beautiful receptionist.
Then, he turned his head to the right, looking back at Jinneth.
He remembered the young baker's advances and her distinct, beautiful tan bikini line.
His mind drifted back to when they had been together by the bay window of her room, lingering near her reading daybed.
They had been so incredibly close to doing absolutely everything on those sheets... everything except drinking tea.
«I'm supposed to be focusing on learning magic... these grimoires are insanely complex», Alaster thought, his mind spinning.
He looked to his right again. There was Jinneth's sweet face, staring at him.
Under her fitted tunic, her small but firm, prominent breasts shaped her clothing beautifully—a youthful beauty who cooked for him with genuine affection.
He looked to his left. There was Mila, a total MILF.
The receptionist's gaze was dripping with desire.
Alaster swallowed once more, remembering how bold she was, openly inviting him to seek her out for fun.
There wasn't a shred of shyness in the mature woman's eyes. She clearly didn't want a relationship or romance.
«She doesn't want love... it's obvious she just wants to jump my bones», Alaster thought, a mix of arousal and intimidation swirling inside him.
«I hate to admit it, but she intimidates me a bit, and she gets me going too».
He looked to the right: love and affection.
He looked to the left: desire and no-strings-attached pleasure.
«I see... being attractive has its own complications», he concluded.
He shook his head to clear the intrusive thoughts.
«Option C. Let's go with C... C for Concentration. I need to concentrate on magic».
— Let's sit down — he finally managed to tell Jinneth, forcing his voice to remain steady.
Alaster approached an empty table and, out of habit from his previous life, gently pulled out the wooden chair for Jinneth to sit before taking the one right beside her.
Instantly, a vivid blush covered the girl's face, and she sat down rigidly.
Alaster caught it out of the corner of his eye, and a self-critical thought crossed his mind.
«Hold on... do guys in this world not do basic stuff like that? Great, now she probably thinks I'm desperate».
«No, no, I can't keep thinking like I'm still on Earth; it's just a nice gesture. I'm over-thinking things».
While Alaster lost himself in his thoughts, Jinneth shifted nervously in her chair.
She stealthily eyed the elf's bare torso, feeling another wave of heat wash over her as she detailed his pale skin and the definition of his muscles.
They were clean contours that resembled those of a god, completely unlike the heavily veined, rugged look of grizzled veteran warriors.
The baker licked her lips, locked onto his masculine frame, while thinking to herself:
«I should mention something... about being a couple? No, the guild atmosphere isn't the best for this, and he's... like this...».
Alaster, ignorant of his companion's internal battle, redirected his mind to more practical matters.
«Speaking of expensive things, the truth is I still don't fully understand how the money works here».
— Jin — he called out in a low voice.
The girl startled, snapping out of her trance.
— Huh? Yes? Tell me whatever you want, Al — she replied, forcing her usual smile.
— Could you explain the actual value of coins to me a bit? Since I'm completely new to the city, I don't really know how market prices or basic living costs are handled.
Jinneth smiled, relieved by the change of topic.
Untying a small leather pouch from her belt, she extracted a few pieces to use as an example.
She leaned toward him, narrowing the distance across the table.
— Look, this is the smallest piece — she said, placing it onto the wood. — It's a Half. It equals exactly half a copper coin and is used for minor transactions, like buying a simple bun at my parents' inn or an inexpensive fruit, like an orange.
«Got it, the equivalent of cents», Alaster calculated mentally, nodding his head.
— Then there's this one — Jinneth continued, displaying a notably larger piece. — A full Copper coin. With this, you can already afford a drink in a tavern or a loaf of bread; a simple single meal. It's the unit most commonly used by everyone in day-to-day life.
«Basically, the value of a dollar», Alaster translated in his mental index.
The girl dug into her pouch again and pulled out a peculiar piece: it had the same diameter as the copper one, but featured a silver center and a square hole in the middle.
— This is a Drito. It equals exactly 10 copper coins. It's the most common currency for more important purchases among the city's residents.
«A ten-dollar piece», the elf noted.
— And finally, the high scale — Jinneth concluded, though she wasn't carrying any. — Silver coins, which equal 100 copper coins each, and Gold coins, which are the most valuable of all.
— A single gold coin equals 100 silver coins (or 10,000 copper coins).
Alaster opened his eyes slightly as his mind processed the conversion:
«A silver is 100 dollars, and a gold equals 1,000 dollars. That means the 10 gold for the Wyvern's crystal equates to 10,000 dollars straight up for just a single part of the creature!».
— Hey, Jin... then for the Alpha Wyvern's corpse, they're going to hand us a fortune — he commented, astounded by the profitability of the monster.
Jinneth smiled, putting the pieces away.
— Yes, it's a massive amount of money for someone like me.
— But for you, Al, since you're a mage... that's just a breather for your pouch. Being a mage is very, very expensive.
— That's why it's so rare to see independent mages roaming the streets — she added. — Most adventurers prefer to choose physical classes simply because they can't afford the grimoires for the most basic spells.
«So the grimoires the guildmaster gave me saved me a lot of money. I'll make sure to thank him properly... when I'm not broke, obviously», Alaster thought.
— Jin, do you know how much a spell of a higher tier than the ones I currently use costs?
Jinneth looked toward the floor for a moment, trying to recall.
— I don't know the exact price for the highest categories, but I understand that grimoires for intermediate spells usually hover between 50 silver coins and 2 gold coins, depending on the element's rarity. But I'm not entirely sure; prices vary depending on the merchant.
Alaster shifted his gaze toward the guild counter.
There, Arya held a massive, dark scale of metallic appearance, about the size of her palm, showing it to Mila for the official appraisal.
The movement did not go unnoticed.
The elf observed how several veteran adventurers at the surrounding tables craned their necks with furrowed brows upon recognizing A-Rank material.
A few minutes later, the elven archer returned toward them carrying a metallic tray where several identical, heavy leather pouches rested.
She placed it in the center of the table with a sharp thud.
— Take whichever one you want; they all contain the exact same amount from Mila's initial appraisal — Arya indicated.
Jinneth stretched her hand out, grabbed one of the bags, and untied the drawstring, her eyes shining.
Upon confirming the gleam of silver and gold coins inside, she murmured in a trembling voice:
— It's too much. With this, I can expand... set up a full business... I'm rich!
The young baker erupted into silent joy, stowing the pouch into her belt with a massive grin.
Alaster took his own bag, weighing the metal while scanning the room.
— Looks like we've become the center of attention — the elf whispered, noticing that the room's atmosphere had grown heavy with the stares of onlookers.
However, the murmuring at the tables was cut short by the sharp sound of heels clicking against the stone floor.
From the guild's massive doors, Deinderatrix was advancing toward them.
The mage had changed clothes in record time.
She now wore a fitted red silk dress with a pronounced neckline, complemented by sections of brown leather armor with silver metal ornaments serving as rigid pauldrons.
In her right hand, she carried a dark wooden staff plated with silver metal covered in runes, topped with a large gem.
Her walk carried an elegance that drew the gazes of the entire room.
Arya raised a hand to signal the party's location.
— Oh, there you are! — the mage exclaimed in her usual sweet voice.
She pulled out the vacant chair right across from Alaster and sat elegantly, resting her elbows on the table.
— Al... I see you still haven't found anything to cover that beautiful torso — she commented, letting her gaze roam across his chest with a mischievous smile.
The elf cleared his throat, slightly flushed.
— I will as soon as we head out, I'll buy a shirt... — he replied.
Arya pointed to the metal tray.
— One of those pouches is your share of the reward, Detrix. You can take whichever.
— That doesn't matter at all right now — the mage dismissed with a wave of her hand.
She locked her dark eyes onto the High Elf and softened her tone even further:
— Lovely Alaster... I have something special for you.
The smile on her red lips deepened as she reached into the folds of her dress and extracted a small, black velvet box, sliding it across the wood of the table toward him.
Alaster picked it up with slightly hesitant hands.
— It wasn't necessary, Detrix... seriously, I already received my share of the reward.
— Oh, of course it's necessary... — she insisted, intertwining her fingers beneath her chin.
Arya and Jinneth watched the scene with raised eyebrows and a rigid tension in their postures.
«I hope it's not what I'm thinking... it wouldn't make sense in this context», Alaster thought, appealing to his common sense as he opened the box's lid.
The eyes of everyone present at the table—and the adventurers watching out of the corners of their eyes—widened.
Resting against the black velvet backing was a large ring.
It was a band of masculine design crafted from golden metal and set with silver metal featuring dense rune formations, crowned at its center by a cut, translucent gem that refracted the light.
Everyone at the table thought exactly the same thing:
— A wedding ring?