Chapter 25: Sounds Good To Me

Raegar closed his and started focusing on the aura radiating from his body, which was on par with the Tier Two Adventurers that littered the guild hall. This surprised him, as he found it easy to control but tiring. 'I can keep this up as it drains little Aether and should slowly expand it over time,' he mused while waiting for his food. After some time, he quickly reeled in his aura to make himself appear as a Tier One beginner. While doing that, he remembered something his grandmother said about it during one of his many training sessions. *** Raegar had just finished a touch training session with Griffin, who pushed him to the limit and didn't hold back on his attacks, as the old man believed he needed to feel genuine pain to learn how to handle it. Covered in lacerations, bruises and broken bones, Elysia crouched down next to him with a sweet smile. ''Seeing you growing stronger makes this old lady happy, but it's not enough,'' she said. ''You must hide it to fool your enemies into thinking you're weak.'' He grew curious when hearing this and asked while sitting up, ''Why is that, Grandmother?'' ''There are many powerful people out there who will try to take advantage of you, but if you can get the drop on them by hiding your aura,'' she stopped speaking and smiled at him full of mischief. ''Wouldn't it be fun to surprise the attackers?'' Raegar chuckled, ''Yes it would, but I don't know who is more of a menace, you or that old man,'' he said. Elysia booped him on the head while giggling, ''You're a mouthy gremlin today aren't you? Let's just say Griffin was normal when we met and I sort of rubbed off on him over the decades.'' ''You two are silly,'' he said just as she started healing. ''Now come get some food, I've made something delicious for you,'' Elysia said while walking back to the manor as she explained the basics of aura control, which Raegar intently listened to. *** Moments later, he returned to reality as Marcus returned and set down a plate piled with succulent boar meat and creamy mash, accompanied by a mug of ale which made his mouth water. ''Here you go, Raegar. Grassland Boar meat with Elvish Mash Potato,'' he said with a grin. His stomach rumbled when the delicious aroma hit his nose, causing him to speak. ''Thank you, Marcus.'' ''Don't worry about it,'' the older man replied while dismissing him. ''Come find me when Mary appears. It's one silver, remember?'' ''Yes, I won't forget. There were a lot of monster materials, so it should take some time,'' he said before trying some of the ale. When the sweet liquid rushed down his throat, he felt refreshed, causing him to let out a sigh. 'So good! Better than drinking tea and water constantly,' he mused while drinking more. Following that, Raegar dug in to the juicy meat, the rich flavors hitting a spot he had almost forgotten amidst the bland meals he'd survived on during his time in the forest. As he savored each bite, more adventurers trickled into the guild. To his surprise, a few of them made their way straight to his table, causing him to think with a sigh while thinking as he chewed on a piece of meat, 'Here we go. The usual boasting adventurers start on a lone person.' Three adventurers approached and took a seat around the table, one man and two women who gave off a sickly aura, which caught his attention. 'Why do they feel like they are deathly sick? Strange,' he pondered. Moments later, Raegar turning to the man who appeared to be in his early thirties, with brown hair and yellow eyes. He waved down a server to some order drinks before turning his attention to Raegar. ''Sorry for bothering you, boy. Did you come from the Bloodfang Forest?'' the stranger asked, his voice laced with curiosity. Raegar raised an eyebrow. ''How do you know that?'' he replied cautiously. This time, one of the women spoke with a friendly expression that was over the top, which made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. ''We saw you leave the treeline while camping. As you're so young, I grew curious as our quest is to take some medicine to the village deep inside the forest.'' He grew intrigued but wouldn't be swayed as the three looked too friendly, which set off his alarm. Raegar looked at the woman who had long blonde hair with big blue eyes, but something was off with her. When he didn't answer, the man spoke again. ''Would you like to earn three gold coins? We need someone who can handle himself in the forest and it looks like you can by the way you handle yourself.'' ''Why are you approaching a fifteen-year-old?'' he questioned with a suspicious expression. ''But I'll decline your offer. It seems dodgy to me.'' The adventurers exchanged offended glances, but before they could speak, Mary reappeared, a pouch in hand. She motioned for him to come over, and he stood up, glancing back at the group as he made his way toward her. Raegar could feel the strangers' eyes trailing him as he made his way to the blonde woman. She handed him a small pouch and said, ''Four gold and sixty silver for everything.'' ''Thank you, Mary,'' he said, taking the pouch and slipping it into his magic bag. ''I'll be going now. I need to pick up some supplies before heading back to the forest.'' Following that, Raegar left the guild behind after giving a silver to Marcus and wanted to buy some food from the general store. He walks through Dreadshade and noticed there were more soldiers patrolling the streets. 'What's going on here?' he thought while walking toward the general store. Stepping inside, the layout of the place surprised Raegar, as it looked like it came straight out of an anime. Shelves lined with all kinds of good, causing him to scan them only to see canned food and other rations. While scanning the store's inventory, Raegar grabbed a selection of spices, some flour, sugar, and other basic ingredients, just what he needed to prepare proper meals back at his camp along with a metal skillet. Satisfied, he gathered the items and made his way to the counter, where an older man sat, his grizzled face softened by a warm, if tired, smile. ''Morning, boy. What can I do for you?'' the man asked, his voice carrying the weight of years, but in a friendly tone. ''I'd like to buy all these please,'' Raegar replied while placing it on the side. The shop keeper stood up and started going through the things before asking in a curious tone, ''Camping it seems, if you have the funds I can suggest a few others bits?'' ''Okay, that sounds good to me,'' he answered while the man started picking up stuff and adding them to the pile. Ten minutes later, he stood before a neatly arranged pile of goods as the older man carefully rattled off each item before concluding, ''That will be thirty silver coins, young man.'' Without hesitation, Raegar handed over the coins, the clink of silver marking the exchange. He quickly stored everything in his magic bag and, with a polite nod, turned to leave the shop, ready to continue his journey. When stepping outside, he felt the atmosphere had changed, but put it down to being out in the wilderness. Following that, he started exploring Dreadshade until spotting a weapon and armor shop. 'Maybe I could buy some better gear?' Raegar pondered while staring at his stained cloths causing him to nod. 'Forget about the old man. He hasn't got some angry spider queen chasing after him.' Raegar stepped into the shop, the faint hum of conversation filling the air as half a dozen people browsed and made purchases. Weaving his way through the crowd, he approached the armor section. While he examined a lightweight chest piece, a girl, a couple of years older than him, approached. She carried herself with a professional air and spoke in a polished tone. ''I assume you're a speed fighter. May I suggest the Ashenbound Armor?'' ''Does it offer good protection against fangs and piercing weapons?'' Raegar questioned. The worker nodded, a hint of pride in her tone. ''Yes, it's one of the best light armors we have in stock,'' she revealed. Intrigued, Raegar stepped closer to examine the armor. Its design was sleek yet durable, crafted primarily from strong, reinforced leather. Thin metal plates were lined beneath the surface, offering extra protection without sacrificing flexibility. He ran his fingers over the stitching and quickly noticed the face covering it came with which he liked the look of. Seconds later, Raegar shook his head before questioning, ''How much?'' [Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]