Chapter 419 [Event] [Semester-Exam At Vanadias] [7] A Not-So Bad Day

Chapter 419 [Event] [Semester-Exam At Vanadias] [7] A Not-So Bad Day

"Two hundred Eden?" I repeated, utterly dumbfounded.

"Two hundred, yes. And that's with a discount since you're, well, a Human and a tourist. You should be grateful," the man behind the stand sneered, barely concealing his disdain. He had a collection of trinkets and jewelry on display—if you could even call them that—but the price he quoted was outrageously inflated.

I silently cursed myself for not keeping my face covered. I had hoped to buy some pendants or souvenirs for Layla, Miranda, and the others, and this stand had caught my eye with its decent-looking items. But there was no way they were worth that much!

"Will you give me a discount if I beat you up?" I asked as I fixed him with a glare. Using violence seemed a good choice.

His eyes flicked down to the elf girl cradled in my arms, and his smirk widened. "Am I supposed to be scared of Mr. Lovey-dovey?" He chuckled, clearly amused by the situation even embarrassing the girl in my arms who twisted around.

I must have looked far from threatening with the elven girl nestled against me. "Oh, I see."

Without warning, I drove my foot into his chair, splintering it with a sharp crack.

"Hey! Call the guards! He's destroying my shop!" The man shouted in panic.

"I'm going to destroy your whole life if you don't give me a better discount," I shot back, my tone deadly serious.

"Damn Human! Who do you think you are?" He spat, his face flushed with anger.

"Someone billions of times more important than you, if you really want to know," I retorted coldly. "Now, how about a ninety-five percent discount?"

"R–Ridiculous! My items are worth more than everything you own, you brat!" He barked, his arrogance only fueling my irritation.

I'd had enough of his nonsense. My hands itched to demolish his entire stand, but just as I was about to act, I felt a gentle tug on my clothes.

"Um."

I glanced down to see the girl in my arms looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes. She reached into a hidden pocket of her dress and pulled out a small purse. When she opened it, my vision nearly blurred at the sight of all the gold coins inside.

This girl was wealthy—seriously wealthy. No wonder those thugs had been after her.

The stand owner's eyes lit up with greedy anticipation as he noticed the purse, his ugly grin stretching even wider. The sight made my blood boil.

"Wait," I said firmly, placing a hand over hers before she could pull out any coins. "Don't pay this old scammer. We'll find a better stand than this piece of junk." I snorted in disdain, turning my glare back on the man.

Anyway...

My main concern now was getting this girl to safety. "Do you think they'll be here soon?" "I think I can wait... if you leave me there," she said softly, pointing to a lone bench a little way off.

"Are you sure about that? You seemed like a pretty big target for those guys earlier," I replied. I was willing to stay until her people arrived if that's what it took to make sure she was safe.

"I–It's okay. Really..." She insisted, quickly shaking her head, though her eyes kept darting around nervously. She was tense, clearly, but if she said she was fine, I'd have to take her word for it.

With a slight nod, I walked her over to the bench and gently settled her onto it. "Next time, don't leave your house alone. Make sure you have someone trustworthy to accompany you, okay?" I said to her seriously.

"Yes..." She whispered, nodding her head but avoiding my gaze.

"Alright, then. See you," I said with a wave, ready to take my leave. But just as I turned to go, I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve.

"Um... are you here on holiday?" She asked hesitantly, her voice barely audible.

"Kind of. I'm leaving in a few days," I replied, slightly surprised by her sudden interest. Unlike most of the other elves I had encountered, who looked at me with nothing but disdain, she had shown fear at first but had quickly come to understand that I wasn't a threat. She was different—a nice girl.

She nodded slowly, her gaze softening as she released my sleeve. I gave her a final wave, which she returned, though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I couldn't help but smile as I walked away. In the end, it wasn't such a bad day. Definitely better than trudging through a museum exhibit about a history I had little interest in. After a short walk, I finally reached the museum, hoping to find the group still there. To my relief, they were scattered across the third floor. I spotted Amelia excitedly pointing out various objects while holding John's hand. John, though, looked as disinterested as I felt about the whole thing but was nodding along to keep her happy.

It was only further upsetting me.

Why was my brother-in-law having dates before me?!

"Where were you?" A sharp slap on my back snapped me out of my thoughts. I winced at the sting and turned to see Celes standing behind me.

"That hurts."

"Everyone was looking for you," she repeated.

"I was here the whole time, just got caught up on the first floor with the weaponry," I lied smoothly, hoping she wouldn't press further.

"I didn't even see you there," she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Are you saying you were stalking me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A-As if!" She stammered, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Quickly changing the subject, she grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward another display. "Anyway, come on! You'll definitely like this one!"

With nothing better to do, I let her lead me through the exhibit, her excitement almost infectious. At least I'd managed to salvage something from the day.