The two men and the bunny made their way to the village. It was the first time Silvi was going to go to a human village without being attacked or killing, so, after understanding what was going on, she was very excited.
‘How many humans? Can we kill? We can’t eat, but can we kill?’ Silvi was rattling off question after question. Derek was doing his best to answer and explain.
‘It’s a human village, so, although there aren’t a ton of people, there are a lot. No, we shouldn’t kill any of the humans there. Of course, there will be times when we have to kill other humans, but that time isn’t now. Before you ask, no, you can’t eat any of those humans either. It just doesn’t sit right with me. Also, you’re not eating any other bunnies or rabbits from now on, either.’ He communicated his thoughts to the bunny.
‘No fun,’ she sent.
Because they hadn’t been far from the village when they ran into Silvi, it didn’t take long before the front gates appeared in their vision. Walking up to the gate, they waited for the guards to acknowledge them and let them in. They went forward, and the gate shut behind them.
“I’m going to introduce Silvi to a few people, then I’ll head to the inn. You can go and do whatever. If you come there, I’ll buy you a drink.” Derek smiled as he saw Bronson visibly shudder. I don’t know if he will ever be able to get over the taste of that ale. Being from Earth, and being a former student at a university, Derek had tasted some truly awful alcohol, so, to him, the taste didn’t matter as long as it was cold and he was in good company.
“I may keep you company, but I don’t think I will partake in the ale this time,” Bronson answered.
‘Ale? What is ale? Is it food?’ Silvi chimed in. It was interesting to Derek, knowing that she was actively listening to their conversation. Or at least to the conversation when it sounded like they were talking about food.
‘You’ll learn about it later,’ Derek answered. I mean, she is 6, so in rabbit years, she’s what? 30? Definitely old enough to drink.
“I’ll see you later,” Derek said as they closed in on Brandi’s courtyard. “This is me.” He and the bunny turned to the left and walked toward the courtyard. Bronson nodded and kept walking farther up the street toward the inn.
Arriving at the courtyard, even with the sun down, Derek could see Brandi toiling around with her newfound skills. Thomas was sitting on the bench, his gaze never leaving the girl.
Soon, she finished what she was working on and turned around. “Derek! You’re back!” she exclaimed.
“Sure am, and”—he motioned towards Silvi—“I brought another friend. This is Silvi. She’s my bonded beast companion.”
Brandi stared at the purple bunny with wide eyes. “She’s so cute! Is she a bunny?”
“Yup, I bonded with her, so she took on some of my features. She used to be a Horned Rabbit.”
“That’s awesome!” Thomas chirped. “So, that’s what happens when you bond with a contracted companion.”
Derek nodded. “Alright, I just wanted to come around and introduce you all to Silvi,” he said, then his tone became serious as he looked at Thomas. “If you still plan on traveling with me, make your preparations tonight. I think we’ll be leaving sometime tomorrow. I talked to Bronson. He’s the guy the Gracefall family sent to look for their missing noble. Found his body lying dead by the dungeon, so he’ll be heading back to Torith.” Derek looked deeply at both kids when he said the last part.
“Anyway, I talked him into being our guide to the city, and he’s agreed to show me around a bit once we get there. He seems like a pretty decent guy for someone from a noble family, even if he is just their employee or whatever.” He chuckled.
“You’re leaving tomorrow?” asked Brandi.
Derek nodded. “Yeah, I’ve stayed here too long as it is. There are some things I need to find out, too.”
“A-are you going to come back?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“Of course I am. I don’t know how long it will be, but I can’t just leave Miss Master Smith by herself. I have big plans for you—if you agree.” He patted the girl on her head.
“I agree! I agree!” she yipped.
Derek burst out laughing. “Settle down. It’s going to take some time for me to get everything in motion. Plus, I haven’t even told you what my plans are. What if I wanted to sell you to the highest bidder? Huh? I don’t think you would like that, would you?” he jested.
She shook her head. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“True, but you need to be less trusting towards people, especially with all the secrets of your new class. Remember that,” he reiterated. “Anyway, even if I’m not able to get everything set up like I want in Torith, I’ll still stop by before going to another city to check-in.”
“Okay, you better,” she said.
He turned and looked at Thomas. “You better go spend some time with your grandparents. If everything goes well, it will be some time before you’re back in the village.” Thomas nodded and took off running towards his place.
He turned back to Brandi. “Have a good night and try not to work yourself to death. Remember to take breaks and get a proper rest. You are no use to anybody if you wear yourself out.”
Derek left the courtyard and headed up the street to the inn. He planned on having a drink or two, then getting a good night’s sleep.
Walking into the inn, Derek saw that the place was a little livelier than usual. This was probably prime time for the village, so it made sense. All the times Derek had spent here before, he either came in really late and went straight to his room, or he was there too early for the bustle.
In any case, none of that mattered. His normal seat at the bar was still open, and Bronson was on the stool next to it. He walked over and took a seat. While waiting for Bart to make his appearance, he snuck a glance at Bronson trying to force down a spoonful of what looked like stew. Derek had eaten the inn’s stew before, and while it wasn’t as bad as the ale, it was not good by any means. It was edible, at least.
“You nobles and your fickle taste buds,” Derek said.
Bronson finished swallowing the stew and looked at him. “I’m not a noble. I’m the guard captain and master’s personal butler,” he replied.
“That’s an odd combination of jobs,” Derek commented.
“It is what it is. The master trusts me, so he made me his personal butler,” he said matter-of-factly.
Silvi suddenly hopped onto the bar and sniffed around. She made her way to Bronson’s stew and sniffed so close that she almost dunked her nose in it. ‘This food? Doesn’t smell like food. Taste good?’ she transmitted to Derek.
‘It is food. It’s called stew. It’s not very good stew, but it’s edible and will at least keep you full,’ he explained.
Bronson looked at the Void Bunny and removed the spoon from the stew. Then he slid the bowl to the spot in between Derek and himself. “Go ahead. I’ve had my fill.”
Silvi cautiously stuck her tongue out and had a taste. ‘Better than raw boar. Not as good as cooked boar. Can we cook it?’ she asked.
If Derek had been drinking anything at the time, he surely would have spat it out at that question.
Seeing Derek burst into laughter, Bronson questioned him, “What happened? What is so funny?”
“Silvi asked me if we could cook the stew to make it taste better,” he said, chuckling all the while.
Bronson cracked a grin at that, too.
“I’m sorry that my stew isn’t up to yer… pet’s standards.” Bart rounded the corner of the bar.
“Well, she said that it was better than raw boar, so there’s that.”
Bart shook his head. “Well, what can I get ya?”
“Two ales. Put one in a bowl for the rabbit,” Derek said.
Bart frowned but didn’t ask questions. He poured two ales, one in a mug and one in a bowl, then slid them to Derek and Silvi.
Derek took a big gulp. “Just as bad as ever. You’ve really outdone yourself. People will come from all parts to get a taste of this ale… Well, that and the storage ring reward for the dungeon.”
Bronson frowned when Derek so casually mentioned the dungeon rewards.
“What? There’s no use in hiding it from the villagers. You’ll be able to send a squad or two at most before the others realize something is up. I like the people here, so I may as well give them a heads-up.” Then Derek’s tone shifted, and he stared daggers into Bronson’s eyes. He activated Channel Void, and his eyes turned purple entirely. He entered a Void Shift and pulled himself to the open seat on the other side of Bronson.
Bronson jumped out of his seat and turned. Derek had disappeared before his eyes and was now behind him.
“Remember,” Derek said, “I like the people here.” Then his usual tone returned, and he reached over to his mug. He took a swig and set it back down on the bar. “Just a heads-up.”
