After some days, Zane and Maria continued to go toward the city.
"Hey Maria, this doesn’t look like a village. It looks like a city to me," he said while looking at the city from afar.
"Yeah, looks like it. And it seems I have heard about a city behind the Demon Mountains."
"So you know why? Why were you shocked when we saw it?"
"It’s because I only heard it once in a royal court meeting."
"Royal court meeting! If you are able to enter that meeting, that means you must be a high-rank assassin, right?" Zane said while looking at her face.
"Yeah, that’s why the princess made me your guard and your maid."
"I see... What did they say about this city?"
"The city lord of this city was asking the king to make a road that could lead them to the royal capital. They also said the monsters were growing stronger, but what I have seen so far is the opposite."
"Yeah, I am also confused about this mountain. They say it has many monsters and demons, but so far we only saw wolves and some goblins."
"And also this weather... I feel mana from it," Zane said while catching some snow.
"Mmm... Mana in snow? How is that possible?" Maria asked, kneeling to grab a handful of the white powder. A sudden look of surprise crossed her face as her eyes widened. "Wait... you’re right. There really is mana woven directly into the ice." She stood back up, walking toward Zane.
"Well, we will have to find out when we reach there," he said.
Zane and Maria spent five more days before reaching the small city.
Zane started to notice something was wrong.
"Maria, have you noticed that we have not met any monsters since the goblins?"
"Yeah, I noticed," she said, looking around.
"This is the same as when we entered these mountains too. Something is wrong," he said, making a serious face.
As they got closer to the city gate, Zane noticed that someone was following them.
"Why don’t you come out?" Zane said, stopping in his tracks.
’I thought I was the only one who noticed the person following us. It seems the princess’s training really worked,’ Maria thought to herself while looking at Zane.
"Wow... You are a really good kid. How long have you noticed me?" A sharp-eyed man called out, stepping out from behind the trees. He wore dark leather armor suited for stealth and carried himself with the quiet composure of an experienced tracker.
"Two days ago..." Zane said.
"Aah..." The man sighed. "It seems I have gotten weak," he said while looking down.
"What are you doing here, Josh?" Maria said while looking at him.
"Do you know him?" Zane asked.
"Yeah, he is my older brother."
"Whaaat... You have an older brother?" Zane was shocked.
"It’s been a while, Sister," Josh said while waving at Maria.
"Just answer my question."
Joshua sighed. "I am here on a mission to investigate these mountains," he said while looking toward the peaks.
"Did something happen?" Zane asked.
"And who are you?" Joshua asked while looking at Zane.
"I am Joshua Vane," he said, placing a hand over his chest.
"So, sister, what brings you here with this kid?" he said, touching his chin. "You know this is a dangerous area, right?"
’Don’t tell him that I am the Fifteenth Prince,’ Zane said in Maria’s mind.
’Okay,’ she replied telepathically.
"I was assigned to protect this kid by the princess," she said, putting on a proud face.
"How important is it that the princess had to assign you to protect him?" he asked, tilting his head to the right.
"Why do you care?" Zane asked, turning around and walking toward the city gates.
Maria and Joshua just looked at each other and started following Zane, entering the city gates without saying anything more.
"What is the name of this city?" Zane asked while looking around, seeing people selling fruits, meat, and artifacts, with kids running around the streets.
"This city is called Ironcliff. It is known for adventure because of the Demon Mountains, although it is the smallest city in the Kingdom of Drakoria," Joshua said while buying apples.
They continued walking until they entered an inn, where they booked three rooms so they could bathe and sleep as the sun was setting.
Before going to sleep, they went downstairs to get some food.
"Hey waiter, can I have the best food in this shop?" Zane shouted.
"Okay!" the waiter answered.
A few moments later, a fifteen-year-old girl brought a feast to their table. Everyone in the inn stared at them, as it was their first time seeing their faces in the city.
Then, one of the adventurers in the inn approached them.
"Hey, you guys, why don’t you treat us to a meal? Isn’t that right, guys?" he said, looking back at his team.
"Why should we?" Joshua asked.
While this was happening, Zane focused entirely on his meal, not flinching for a second.
"Mmm... Hey kid, didn’t you hear me?!" he yelled, slamming the table.
CRACK!
Before the table shattered, Zane casually snagged a large roasted meat plate mid-air. The table broke, and the rest of the food fell onto the floor. Zane didn’t flinch or get angry. He just laughed and said, "More food please, and a new table!" He lifted his hands and smiled. "This food is so good! Maria, Josh, you should taste it too, it is delicious!" he said, taking another bite and looking toward the waiter.
"Huuuh...?" Everyone in the inn, including Maria and Joshua, was confused by his reaction.
STEP... STEP
"Hey kid, didn’t you hear what I said?!" the man said, making a terrifying face.
"Mmmm... I heard you, but where I come from, people ask nicely if they need food or anything," Zane said, looking him straight in the eyes.
"What is that kid trying to do? Is he trying to fight Dennis? Has he lost his mind?" people in the inn started whispering to each other.
"Hey Boss, this kid is trying to challenge us," another guy on Dennis’s team said, walking toward Zane while licking his dagger.
Meanwhile, a girl wearing a cloak was watching from the corner.
Everyone turned around to look at her. She stood up and removed her cloak.
"Huh? Sandra, what are you doing here?" the waiter shouted.
"Mmm..." Zane looked at her.
"They are my guests, so leave them alone," she said, looking at Joshua and Maria.
"Well, well... If it isn’t the City Lord’s daughter! You are here looking for adventurers to help you find your father in the mountains again, huh?" Dennis said, stepping right up into Sandra’s face.
"Hahaha!" Dennis’s team started laughing at Sandra.
Sandra clenched her fists and ground her teeth.
’It’s true that I came here looking for someone to help me find my father, who disappeared three months ago trying to investigate what was happening in the mountains,’ she thought to herself, looking down.
Zane and his companions watched, and then...
"Hey big guy, why don’t you let the girl go and finish what we started?" Zane said, standing up from his chair.
"Hey kid, have you lost your mind? Maria, warn this kid! This is not child’s play!" Joshua said, shaking Maria’s shoulder.
Maria continued eating the food she had saved when Dennis broke the table. "Just watch... And stop shaking my shoulder, you fool," Maria said, smacking her brother on the head.
"Hahaha! Guys, look at this kid! He just said ’let’s finish this’! Hahaha!" Dennis laughed, covering his face.
"Hahaha!" Everyone in the inn started laughing, knowing that Dennis was one of the strongest B-rank adventurers in the city.
Slowly, his laughter started fading as he peeked at Zane through his fingers.
Dennis charged toward Zane with his fist raised, but Zane didn’t run or dodge.
He simply vanished and reappeared behind Dennis, slamming the massive adventurer face-first into the floorboards. As Dennis groaned, Zane casually snatched a piece of meat off a nearby tray, took a bite, and muttered, "Weak..."
Everyone was frozen in shock. Dennis’s team charged forward together, attempting to attack Zane.
Zane didn’t even flinch. He turned, looked at them, and cast a low-tier offensive spell.
"FIRE BULLETS !"
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM!
Zane raised his hand, pointed his finger, and hit every one of them in the legs.
He walked back, sat down, and said, "Food, please."
The whole inn fell completely silent. The patrons looked at each other in utter disbelief.
"What just happened...?"
"Dennis’s team just got one-shotted by a ten-year-old kid..." They slowly sat back down and resumed eating in quiet shock.
Dennis’s team was tossed outside while the people inside continued their meals.
"Thank you for saving me," Sandra said, looking down.
"There’s no need to thank me. I was going to beat him anyway," Zane said, stuffing food into his mouth.
"Hey sister, are you protecting this kid or are you just tagging along?" Joshua whispered into Maria’s ear.
Maria smacked him on the head again.
"Auuu... Sister, was it necessary to hit me like that?!" he groaned, holding his head.
"So... Tell us what’s happening in the mountains, and about your father," Zane said, wiping his hands clean.