Vergil stared at the silver sterling resting on his palm as he walked through the cold morning air.
One side of the coin carried the crowned emblem of the Kingdom of Lume.
The other side displayed a rough, engraved map of the kingdom itself.
His thoughts immediately drifted toward the cost of paper.
Previously, twenty sheets of paper had cost him one bronze sterling.
A single silver sterling equalled exactly one hundred bronze…
Vergil’s eyes brightened slightly as the numbers clicked.
That means I can buy two thousand sheets.
A moment later, he frowned, reining in his excitement.
No, I don’t need that much.
It would draw far too much attention.
A cold gust of wind swept across the open road, making him shiver lightly under his thin layers.
Vergil glanced down at his current attire.
The wool sweater he owned had already become far too small after his sudden growth spurt over the previous year.
His leather sandals were badly worn, the soles thinning down to the dirt.
Even his thick cotton pants had started fraying drastically near the bottom edges.
I need a new sweater.
And proper winter shoes.
And pants too.
After thinking briefly, Vergil made a definitive decision.
I won’t return to the village today.
I’ll head directly to Rock Hill Town from here while I have the coin.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
What had originally begun as a terrifying disaster had unexpectedly turned into a stroke of good fortune.
As the long lines of released hunters walked along the wide dirt road, lively conversations gradually rose around him.
“Who do you think it was?”
“Was that dead man really the one who killed Shawn Hill in the woods?”
Hearing the whispers, Vergil turned his head slightly back toward the mining grounds.
From the corner of the winding road, he could now partially see the wooden platform rising clearly above the fence.
A stiff corpse hung from it, swaying slightly in the winter wind.
Only the back of the body was visible from this initial angle.
Several minutes later, the dirt road curved sharply around the perimeter of the mining grounds.
Stone buildings now lined one side of the path, while the open field stretched along the other.
This time, as the angle shifted, Vergil finally caught a clear sight of half the dead man’s face.
His expression softened slightly, a quiet solemnity settling over him.
Brother, don’t worry.
I’ll destroy the Hill Family for you someday.
Though not now.
Not even after becoming the strongest person in the surrounding region.
Only once he became the absolute strongest in the entire world would he ever consider touching the Hill Family.
Vergil had read enough fantasy stories in his previous life to understand exactly how such things worked.
Kill a younger villain, and the older generation appears to seek revenge.
Destroy the older generation, and an even older ancestor suddenly emerges from secluded cultivation afterwards.
Acting recklessly before becoming truly, undeniably invincible would only invite endless, suffocating trouble.
A sudden, loud noise interrupted his thoughts.
Vergil quickly stepped aside onto the snowy grass as a grand carriage escorted by mounted riders passed rapidly down the road, kicking up slush.
As he continued walking, he quietly listened to the nearby villagers discussing their post-release plans.
Many intended to visit the markets of Rock Hill Town before returning to their isolated homes.
Sam planned to buy expensive medicine for his sick mother.
Ham wanted to buy toys and warm winter clothes for his young granddaughter.
Others discussed buying basic household supplies to survive the coming freeze.
A few younger men openly planned to spend part of their silver enjoying themselves inside the town’s taverns.
Vergil remained entirely silent, keeping his head low.
He simply walked alongside them toward the towering walls of Rock Hill Town beneath the softly falling snow.
Several hours later, the group finally reached the massive town gates.
After briefly showing their identification badges to the guards on duty, they were allowed inside without any issue.
Vergil kept his own badge tied securely around his neck beneath his shirt, like a simple locket.
Within the Kingdom of Lume, every noble territory issued its own specific identification badges to its residents.
As long as someone remained within the official borders of their lord’s territory, the badge allowed them to freely enter towns and cities without taxation.
But crossing into another noble’s domain required paying hefty entry fees at the borders.
Rock Hill Town and all the surrounding border settlements belonged to the vast Valemont Duchy.
Vergil silently guessed that the original founder of the Valemont Family must have been the fortunate wanderer who discovered the dying Green Crystal Wyvern long ago.
Once inside the bustling town, the villagers gradually gathered near the side of a busy, snow-dusted street.
As the oldest and most experienced among them, Ham naturally assumed the leadership role for the group.
“So,” Ham said, rubbing his rough hands together against the biting cold.
“Everyone’s staying the night here, right?”
Vergil nodded quietly alongside the others, keeping his hands tucked into his sleeves.
Kevin spoke up next, his breath fogging in the air.
“It’ll be far too dangerous returning to White Fawn Village this late.”
“Without Captain Mark and the guards, travelling the dirt roads at night is just asking to die.”
Ham nodded in immediate agreement.
“Then let’s secure our rooms first.”
He glanced around the crowded streets, noting the influx of travellers.
“Otherwise, we might end up sleeping outside in the freeze.”
Looking around, Vergil noticed numerous familiar faces throughout the crowded thoroughfares.
Hunters from the other border villages had clearly reached the exact same conclusion.
Just like his own group, they had all come to town to spend the unexpected silver sterling they had received from the Hill Family.
Following Ham’s lead, the villagers soon entered a modest, two-story inn located near the marketplace district.
Ham approached the counter to speak with the innkeeper alone, while the rest of the hunters waited nearby in the lobby.
Several minutes later, the old man finally returned carrying three heavy wooden keys.
“I booked three rooms for the nine of us.”
He handed one key to Kevin and another to Rick.
“With me,” Ham continued, gesturing to the remaining two, “will be Sam and Vergil.”
Kevin nodded, pocketing his key.
“Peter and Toby will stay with me.”
Rick shrugged, spinning his key around his finger.
“Then Luke and Burt are with me.”
Ham raised the keys slightly to emphasise his next words.
“I already paid the full inn fee upfront.”
“Later tonight, each of you owes me exactly one bronze shilling.”
Everyone nodded without a single complaint; it was a fair price for a warm bed.
The moment the logistics were settled, Vergil immediately turned toward the exit.
“I’m heading out.”
Without waiting for further conversation or instructions, he turned on his heel and began walking away.
Behind him, Sam’s voice suddenly echoed across the inn lobby.
“Vergil, wait!
I’m coming with you!”
Vergil glanced sideways as Sam hurried over to walk beside him through the exit.
Almost immediately, Vergil began considering the best way to shake him off later in the day.
He absolutely did not want anyone discovering his Origami Skill under any circumstances.
Especially not now.
Later in life, he fully planned to publicly reveal himself as a cultivator through completely different, standard Skills.
Origami, however, needed to remain hidden in the dark forever.
It was a style perfectly suited for lethal ambushes and covert, untraceable attacks.
Just like inside the mine tunnels.
He had successfully eliminated targets from a distance without once exposing his physical body or attracting the slightest shred of suspicion.
That execution alone proved how terrifyingly dangerous the Skill could become if cultivated properly.
For now, Vergil decided on a simple, compromised path.
Help Sam buy the necessary medicine for his ailing mother.
Buy his own winter clothes afterwards.
Return peacefully to the inn.
Then tomorrow morning, right before everyone else woke up, he would secretly slip away into the streets and purchase the paper alone.
If he bought thousands of sheets of paper today, he would have to carry the heavy bundle straight back into the shared room with both Ham and Sam watching his every move.
That scenario was far too risky for his peace of mind.
Vergil looked toward Sam as they hit the snow-dusted street.
“Let’s go buy your mother’s medicine first.”
Sam nodded gratefully, a wave of relief washing over his anxious face.
The two teenagers headed deeper toward the bustling town centre.
Although other smaller medicinal stores existed throughout Rock Hill Town, only the prestigious Sterling House carried nearly every type of medicinal herb, fruit, and therapeutic plant available within the region.
Their products were notoriously expensive.
But the quality always remained perfectly reliable.
As they approached the grand town square, Vergil noticed a large, noisy crowd gathered around the public notice board.
He immediately grew curious about what the local authorities had posted.
But Sam continued walking ahead with a single-minded focus, completely ignoring the commotion.
Weighing his options, Vergil ultimately followed his friend, stepping through the grand entrance of Sterling House.
The interior of the establishment was incredibly spacious and brightly illuminated by elegant crystal lamps hanging from above.
Large wooden shelves lined the left and rear walls of the first floor, filled to the brim with decorative objects, finely crafted lamps, and expensive furnishings.
An L-shaped service counter stretched along the centre of the room, staffed by four neatly dressed, professional women.
On the right side of the hall stood a grand wooden staircase leading upward.
Without stopping to look at the luxury goods on the first floor, Sam immediately headed straight for the stairs.
Sterling House possessed four distinct floors in total.
The first floor sold high-end decorations and luxury household items for the wealthy townspeople.
The second floor specialised entirely in medicinal goods and rare herbs.
The third floor dealt exclusively with magical items and cultivator resources.
And the fourth floor remained strictly private, closed off to the general public.