The very next day.
Athissa barely slept before she woke up early in the morning to check the market.
It was a cold morning, and few people were wandering outside, but the market was already open.
“I should buy some food for this journey,” Athissa muttered as she covered her head with the hood of her cloak.
Their journey toward the Ravenfort Pack would take several more days.
Athissa had no idea what kind of food they would encounter along the way, nor did she trust herself to survive solely on whatever Mary considered edible.
The streets were already filled with merchants arranging their goods.
The smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the air, mixed with the scent of roasted meat, fruits, herbs, spices, and damp wood.
“This is enough!”
Then Athissa’s stomach growled.
She placed a hand over her stomach.
“Shhh, don’t embarrass me.”
Her stomach growled again.
“Traitor.”
Athissa looked around and saw the nearest food stall.
“Good morning, miss!” The merchant greeted her cheerfully.
“Fresh bread.
Just baked this morning!”
Athissa looked at the bread.
“I’ll take twenty.”
The merchant blinked.
“Twenty?”
“Yes.”
The merchant grinned and slowly began putting the bread into a large basket.
‘Is twenty even enough?’ Athissa thought as she watched the merchant.
“Make it thirty.”
The merchant froze.
“Thirty?”
“Actually…” Athissa looked around the stall.
“Do you have anything that lasts longer?”
The merchant stared at her.
“We do.”
“Then I’ll take them.”
By the time Athissa left the stall, she had bought dried bread, smoked meat, dried fish, cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and several jars of preserved food.
“Hmm, is this enough?” Athissa muttered while thinking hard.
The merchant had to call his son to help carry everything outside.
“Miss,” the merchant said nervously.
“Where should we put these?”
Athissa’s mouth hung.
She hadn’t thought about that at all.
“Umm, can you put them at the side?
Right over there,” Athissa said, pointing at the corner.
“Someone will pick it up.”
“Alright,” the merchant said and began moving the baskets.
Athissa glanced around while waiting for them to finish moving.
“I’ll be paying now.”
Athissa grabbed a handful of silver coins and placed them at the counter.
Then she moved quickly to where the baskets were located.
The merchant began counting the coins, and Athissa used that time to touch her ring.
Then the baskets disappeared.
Athissa then moved quickly away from that stall while making sure no one was paying attention to her.
“Miss, here’s your change.
You paid too much—”
The merchant lifted his head, but Athissa was nowhere to be found.
His son arrived a few moments later.
“Father, where’s the baskets?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Athissa continued deeper into the market as food wasn’t the only thing they needed.
“I should buy a small amount of things from time to time.
So it won’t be hard to store them in my ring’s space in public,” Athissa muttered to herself.
She bought several blankets.
Then several more.
She even bought a portable cooking pot.
Then another one.
Athissa bought cups, bowls, plates, spoons, knives, ropes, medicinal herbs, candles, matches, soap, spare clothes, water containers, tents, and even two extra cloaks.
“Do I really need all this?” Athissa asked herself.
“Yes, I do!”
But she frowned.
Still not satisfied with the amount she bought.
“I should buy more dried meat,” Athissa said and looked at another stall.
She had also bought a basket with her to make it look like the items she bought, but it was rocks inside.
After thirty minutes.
Athissa was finally satisfied.
She smiled happily while patting her ring.
“I won’t have to think about food for a while,” Athissa said as she opened her pouch.
Then her smile dropped.
“Three silver coins left…” Athissa closed her eyes.
She inhaled deeply as regret was sinking into her shopping spree, but she shook her head.
“No, I need this,” Athissa convinced herself that she did the right thing.
Athissa turned around and was about to go back when she noticed a tingling sensation at the back of her neck.
Instinctively, she looked back and saw a figure retreating to the tree.
A strange feeling in Athissa’s gut resurfaced.
Her feet wanted her to drag back to the hotel, but she stopped.
“He will know where I stay.
This is bad,” Athissa whispered.
Then she saw a milk stall.
“Hi, ten bottles of milk please,” Athissa said and dropped the remaining coins she had.
“Coming,” the merchant said and packaged the milk securely before placing it in Athissa’s basket.
Athissa smiled sweetly, but her focus was observing the man following her.
The man particularly not good at hiding.
Every time she slowed down, he slowed down.
Every time she turned her head, he suddenly became extremely interested in a random wall.
Athissa narrowed her eyes.
She thanked the merchant and began walking as if she had noticed nothing.
The market slowly disappeared behind Athissa.
The streets became quieter with fewer merchants and pedestrians passing by.
Athissa deliberately chose a road with several narrow alleys branching from it.
Behind her, footsteps continued.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Athissa sighed internally as she gripped the basket.
The milk bottles were the only things inside that actually mattered beside the rocks.
‘Please don’t make me spill my milk!’ She thought.
The moment Athissa stepped into the narrow path, the footsteps behind her became faster.
Then she stopped.
The footsteps stopped too.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Athissa slowly turned around.
The man stepped out from behind a wooden cart.
He was thin.
Very thin.
His clothes were worn and slightly dirty, and his hair looked as though he had not properly combed it for several days.
Athissa stared at him, and he stared back.
The man glanced at the basket with hungry eyes as he swallowed nervously.
“G-Give me your valuables.”
Athissa blinked.
“What?”
“Your valuables,” he repeated, though his voice cracked slightly.
“Give me everything you have.”
Athissa looked at his shaking hands.
“Are you robbing me?
At daylight.”
The man stiffened.
“Yes!”
Athissa tilted her head.
“You don’t sound very confident.”
“I-I am confident,” the man said with cracked voice.
Athissa sighed.
“I only have milk with me.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“Then give me the milk!”
You want some milk too?