The man rubbed his chin with his sable glove before glancing at the young boy, “Oh, I see. It’s like that, then. Well, get to it–I’m expecting my payment by tonight. If I don’t have it, well…”

There was something being alluded to by the man’s words, though he didn’t know what it was, Reno certainly did as she visibly shivered.

“…I know!…I know…I’ll have it,” Reno said through a quivering voice.

The tension in the air was palpable as the darkly-dressed man stared down at the girl before returning to smile, patting her on the head, “Well, that’s all I came here to say! As long as you know.”

Just as the mysterious man turned away to leave, he noticed what was hanging from around the man’s neck–a necklace bearing the unmistakable badge of an adventurer.

He’s an adventurer…? He thought.

“–“

There was silence for a solid minute as Reno stood there, not breathing again until the man was out of sight completely.

“Who was that?” He finally asked, quietly.

“–” Reno inhaled then exhaled, trying to gather herself, “Oswell…”

“Oswell? What’s he want with you? He’s an adventurer, isn’t he?” He asked.

Though the girl was sparse of answers before, it seemed this encounter opened her up a bit as she was left vulnerable by the encounter that the young boy hardly understood.

Reno seemed hesitant to answer, but after looking at him for a moment, she did, “…It happened a couple weeks ago.”

“–” He listened.

“I had just lucked out big time–I managed to snag a purse from a highborn lady. I ran and I ran; feeling how thick that purse was, almost bursting with coins…I thought ‘I did it. I’ll make it out of here’ but…” Reno explained._.

“But?”

“I bumped into “him.” I was so happy that I finally got a big snatch that I wasn’t watching my way–and so I ran straight into him. I broke the potion he had just bought–it was an accident, but he wasn’t hearing it,” Reno looked at him, “Those magic potions are real expensive, ya know? They draw a real pretty coin.”

As she explained the story to him, Reno’s snaggle tooth was on display though her voice was noticeably more timid when discussing anything relating to this “Oswell” figure.

…Is an adventurer somebody to be this scared of? They’re good people, right? He thought.

“…Anyway, those three losers tried defending me–though I think it’s because they didn’t want to lose their cut. Oswell tore them a new one–then, he took me…” Reno’s words trailed off.

“…’Took’?”

Reno seemed more hesitant than ever to answer as she slowly nodded, “It was just for one night. He took me away to show me “what would happen if I didn’t pay for that potion”–there were others. Other…kids. Most of them were demi-humans, ya know?…Kept in cages. Being sold off to highborns for a pretty coin…”

“–“

It was an abhorrent realization brought to him, and he knew it wasn’t any sort of lie or exaggeration by the way it was being told to him.

What made him believe this more was his own experience with it; this brought a boiling anger to his blood as he clenched his fists.

“So, if I don’t pay up, he said I’ll be next…He’ll make his money back by selling me,” Reno said quietly, “…I already paid back the sum of that potion–but the ‘interest’ or whatever it is he wants–it’s impossible…”

“It’s unforgivable,” he mumbled.

“Huh?” Reno looked at him.

There was a resolve swirling in his amethyst eyes that was noticeable even to the golden-haired girl recounting this story.

“…Do you know where he is?” He asked.

“What? Why do you want to know that…?” Reno asked, confused.

“Somebody like that…I can’t stand around and just let them continue doing what they’re doing,” he said.

“Huh?! I just told ya that Oswell is dangerous! Real dangerous! He beat my guys up worse than you did! He’s a certified adventurer, ya know?!” Reno got close to him with her words.

Though his mind was already made up. There were many things wrong with this, in his mind. Too many wrongs to ignore.

…An adventurer like that is a stain on what it means to be one. He’s a villain–it’s as simple as that, he thought.

“Let’s make a deal,” he looked at Reno.

“Wha-?”

“I’ll help you out with this Oswell situation, but in return, you have to give me a tour of Elsia!” He announced his deal.

This sort of offer took the slum-dwelling girl by surprise as she raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if there was a screw loose in his mind.

“…Are ya crazy or something? That’s not a fair deal at all. Oswell is…dangerous, ya know? I even heard he’s a ‘Champion’ rank swordsman of the Mountain God Style!” Reno told him.

That information made him sweat a bit, but he wore a confident smile, “That’s all?”

“…That’s all?” Reno repeated.

“My father is a King-rank swordsman! My instructor was just as good! My teacher is a Grand-class mage!…So I’m saying: that’s all?”

“–” Reno was astonished by his words.

There was a trembling look in those sapphire eyes, but the girl who wanted to stand on her own finally seemed to accept him, “…Fine. A deal’s a deal.”

“Alright, then. Let’s leave that for tonight–for now, what about this restaurant you keep boasting of?” He smiled.

Though he smiled, he was trembling with a mixture of fear and anger at the thought of this “Oswell” figure.

Somebody connected to trafficking…using the title of an adventurer as a shield…Sorry, Vandread, looks like I’m going to get myself into some trouble, he thought.

Reno seemed taken out of it still, but slowly smiled as she nodded, leading the way, “…Alright, it’s just down this way.”

He followed behind her down the unpaved streets of the slums, falling beneath the grayness of the clouds up above as he kept his eye out for the mysterious man now.

Though he did his best to play it off as if he wasn’t worried, “I hope this place is good–I worked up an appetite chasing you around.”

Reno glanced back, “Gramps Urming makes the best potato pies–you can hold me to that!”

“‘Gramps Urming’?” He repeated.

The girl nodded, holding a genuine smile now as the new topic seemed to work to move her mind away, “I’ve known him since I was little. He’s always done right by me! Even gives me free pies whenever I come by!”

“Sounds like he’s a good person,” he smiled.

“Mhm!” Reno nodded with a beaming smile, “Though if you get him angry–well, good luck!”

“Huh?! ‘Good luck’?!” He replied.

There was no clarification given from the girl as she chuckled from his attempt to gain a proper answer, but none such came as the two soon arrived at the desired destination.

In the sector filled with desolate buildings and littered streets, the establishment certainly stood out as it was larger than most, built of wood with a sign attached to the front:

“Urming’s Fan-Fantastic Pies!”

Cute name, he thought.

There weren’t any other buildings or houses that neighbored the restaurants, just maple-leaved trees that seemed to be purposefully planted around the buildings rather than spawning naturally.

There was a small set of steps that led up to a porch before the front door, which Reno had already ascended.

“…Is it open?” He asked, slowly walking up the dingy stairs.

What served as a door was actually quite standout from the rest of the building: a large set of two doors, forged of dark-brown, smoothed wood that was bolstered by a doorbell resembling the head of a silver bear.

Reno didn’t seem nervous in the slightest, in fact, any stress she felt seemed to evaporate as she approached the door, using the silver doorbell to knock. There was a special rhythm that was used–though it could have just been something playful from the girl, it seemed too deliberate to be that.

One-Two. One. One-Two. One-Two-Three: the rhythm of the knock.

“–” He gulped.

Why is there a code?! Just what am I about to walk into…? He thought.

Reno glanced back at him, “It’s supposed to be closed right now–but Gramps Urming serves you if you know his special password!”

“I see…”

Just then, after the special set of knocks against the door, thunderous stomps grew closer to the otherside of the front entrance.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

“–” He found himself gulping again.

“Do ya have any idea what time of day it is?! Can’t be forcin’ an old man like me to move around so much!”

It was a rough, but deep voice coming from the other side of the door, accompanied by the heavy footsteps. There was no doubt about it as he listened to those imposing steps, stomping all the more closer to the door.

Whoever this ‘Gramps Urming’ guy is…he’s huge! He thought.

Reno seemed excited while he, on the other hand, was preparing for utmost doom. As he waited to meet the mysterious owner of the shop–the door finally opened.

“–“

He froze when seeing the figure that became present in the doorway; there was no way for him to prepare for what he saw.

It wasn’t a man, at least in the sense he was used to. What he saw was a figure that towered over him, covered head-to-toe in thick, coarse fur of a black shade. It had a snout and black eyes, with the left bearing a prominent scar.

–A bear.

It was a bear; standing on two legs, staring down at him as it was dressed with a beige loincloth and nothing else but a bandana around its head. Across its belly, a patch of silver fur was left in a streak.

“Err…” He let out, frozen.

“Hey, Gramps!” Reno called out.

Once the young girl had greeted the bear, who had a wheat straw sticking out from between its lips, he was beginning to piece together what was going on.

This bear is…? Hold on–is this a demi-human?! I thought they all looked kinda, more…human?! He realized.