Chapter 14: The Scribe's Relief

  The sun was beginning its slow descent behind the towering red clay roofs of Oakhaven by the time Farmer Elias’s ox cart finally pulled through the massive western gates. The city was transitioning from the loud, frantic energy of midday trade to the slightly more relaxed, rhythmic hum of the early evening.

  Elias dropped them off near the edge of the merchant district, offering them one final, tearful thank you before steering his gentle ox toward the seed markets. Zeno hauled the massive burlap sack of remaining vegetables over his shoulder with effortless ease, carrying it as if it weighed absolutely nothing.

  They walked directly to the Adventurer’s Guild. The cavernous stone hall was just beginning to fill with returning parties. Lyra navigated the crowd with practiced ease, leading Zeno straight toward the reception counters at the far back. To her slight disappointment, the older, highly stressed scribe from the night before was nowhere to be seen. Instead, sitting behind the polished wooden counter, was Elara. The receptionist’s mint-green hair was tied in its usual strict bun, and her piercing violet eyes looked exhausted.

  Elara looked up as Lyra and Zeno approached. She immediately recognized the messy-haired boy who had caused her so much paperwork the previous day. Her posture instantly stiffened.

  "Lyra. Zeno," Elara said, her voice tight, perfectly professional, but laced with a heavy dose of preemptive dread. "Please... tell me you are just here to check the boards. Tell me you did not engage in another unsanctioned high-tier battle. I am still recovering from filing the badger pelt."

  Lyra smiled warmly, sliding the neatly folded parchment across the polished wood. "Nothing unsanctioned, Elara. We are just here to report the successful completion of a registered Rank D subjugation quest. Iron-Shell Beetle extermination at Elias's farm. The farmer has officially signed the completion verification."

  Elara’s violet eyes narrowed suspiciously. She picked up the parchment, scrutinizing Elias’s shaky signature as if searching for a forgery. She read the details carefully.

  "You cleared a nest of five adult beetles," Elara noted, her tone skeptical. "And Farmer Elias reported zero property damage? No massive fireballs? No collapsed farmhouses?"

  "No fireballs," Zeno confirmed brightly, setting his heavy sack of vegetables gently on the floor. "I used the small sledgehammer. I was very careful not to break the dirt too much."

  Elara pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, slow exhale. She didn't understand how a Rank F Pugilist was cracking earth-infused shells without causing an earthquake, but the paperwork was flawless.

  "Very well," Elara sighed, the tension slowly leaving her shoulders. She reached under the counter, opening the heavy iron lockbox. "The bounty for the subjugation is twenty-five silver coins. A highly efficient job, Lyra."

  Elara pulled out twenty-five gleaming silver coins and stacked them neatly on the counter. Lyra immediately stepped forward, her emerald eyes focused entirely on the money.

  "Elara, please divide it," Lyra requested, her voice steady. "Twelve silver and five copper for Zeno. The remaining twelve silver and five copper is mine. However, I want my entire portion, minus two silver for my living expenses, to be immediately applied to my Guild debt ledger."

  Elara paused, looking at the young scout with a hint of genuine respect. "Are you sure, Lyra? That is ten silver and five copper directly to the ledger. It will reduce your total outstanding debt by a very significant margin."

  "I am sure," Lyra nodded firmly. "I want it gone."

  Elara pulled out a heavy, leather-bound book and a quill. She meticulously recorded the transaction. She then scooped up Zeno’s portion and handed it to the boy.

  Zeno took the coins, dumping them happily into his pouch. It was getting incredibly heavy now. He had thirty-two silver coins in total. He felt like a king.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Transaction complete," Elara said, closing the heavy ledger. "Your outstanding debt is now manageable, Lyra."

  Lyra took her two remaining silver coins, a massive, unburdened smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, Elara. We will see you tomorrow."

  They stepped away from the counter and exited the Guild hall. The sky was now a deep, velvety blue.

  "Okay," Lyra said, turning to Zeno and crossing her arms. "You have thirty-two silver coins. That is a lot of money. Before we go back to the sleeping halls, we need to make an investment."

  Zeno tilted his head, looking puzzled. "An investment? Is that a type of duck?"

  Lyra blinked, then laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, Zeno. It's not a duck. Think of it like... buying a second stomach for your fists. Right now, your hands are taking all the impact. We need to buy something to help them digest the punches better so they don't explode."

  Zeno’s eyes lit up with immediate understanding. "A stomach for my fists! That is genius! I want two of those!"

  "Good," Lyra grinned. "Follow me."

  She led him away from the grand central plaza and toward a quieter, specialized section of the merchant district. This area was filled with small workshops smelling of hot metal and tanned leather. Lyra stopped in front of a narrow wooden door with a small sign: Silas & Son - Leatherworking and Augmentation.

  She pushed the door open. A small, brass bell chimed brightly overhead. The interior was incredibly warm and smelled strongly of rich, oiled leather and natural beeswax.

  Standing behind a heavy oak worktable was a man in his late twenties. He wore a heavy leather apron over a simple grey shirt. He had neatly trimmed, curly blonde hair and deep, intelligent brown eyes. He was currently using a small, incredibly sharp knife to carve intricate runic patterns into a belt.

  "Welcome," the man said, his voice smooth. "If you need a simple patch job, it takes two days. If you need custom fitting, it takes a week."

  "We need Pugilist wraps, Silas," Lyra said. "Something highly durable. Something that conducts pure kinetic Tena without burning or shredding."

  Silas stopped his carving. He wiped his hands on his apron and looked up, his brown eyes focusing immediately on Zeno. He walked around the table, his gaze analytical. He reached out and picked up Zeno’s right hand, turning it over in the light.

  Silas’s eyebrows shot up. He ran his thumb over the dense, incredibly hard muscle and bone structure of Zeno’s hand. A strange, almost feverish light flickered in his brown eyes.

  "This is..." Silas murmured, his voice dropping to a whisper that was slightly too intense. "The bone density here is completely unnatural. It feels like solid granite wrapped in skin. You hit things very, very hard, don't you, boy?"

  "I punch things," Zeno confirmed. "Sometimes they are rivers. Sometimes they are big bugs."

  Silas chuckled, a low, rasping sound. He didn't let go of Zeno’s hand. Instead, he leaned in closer, staring at Zeno’s wrist with a look that was less 'wise craftsman' and more 'hungry scientist'. "Tell me... if you ever happen to die in a terrible accident... could I have a small sample? Just a tiny piece of your ulna? For research purposes, of course."

  Lyra stepped forward, placing a hand on the hilt of her dagger. "Silas. The wraps. Now."

  Silas blinked, the feverish look vanishing instantly as he straightened up, clearing his throat. "Right. Wraps. Of course."

  He walked over to a locked wooden cabinet at the back of the shop and pulled out a long, neatly rolled strip of dark, almost black leather.

  "Mountain Bear hide," Silas explained, unrolling the thick wraps. "Incredibly resilient to kinetic friction. Treated with oil rendered from deep-earth roots. It acts as a perfect conduit."

  Silas expertly took the long strip of dark leather and began to wrap it around Zeno’s right hand. When he was finished, Zeno held up his hands. The dark brown wraps looked rugged and professional.

  "Try it," Lyra encouraged. "Just a tiny spark."

  Zeno closed his eyes. He focused on his center and pushed a fraction of energy into his hands.

  The dark Mountain Bear leather instantly responded. Instead of a jagged, buzzing spark, a smooth, incredibly stable aura of deep blue Tena hugged the contours of the wraps. It didn't flicker. It didn't threaten to explode. The conductive leather absorbed the excess vibration, smoothing out the flow.

  Zeno opened his eyes, staring at his glowing, stable fists in absolute awe. "My control... it feels quiet."

  Silas smiled, crossing his arms. "Normally, these cost thirty silver coins. But... I will give them to you for fifteen."

  Zeno gasped. "That is half price!"

  "Consider it a scientific grant," Silas said, his eyes glittering again. "But there is a condition. You must return here in exactly one month. I want to inspect the leather. I need to see how the material degrades against the sheer absurdity of your bone density. It is... a personal project."

  "Okay!" Zeno agreed happily, counting out fifteen silver coins. "I will come back so you can look at my leather! Thank you, Mr. Creepy Leather Man!"

  "You're welcome," Silas replied smoothly, scooping up the coins.

  As they left the shop and walked back out into the cool, dark streets of Oakhaven, Zeno felt entirely different. He wasn't just a boy from the forest anymore. He had a Guild card, a loyal partner, and now, he had a second stomach for his fists. The journey to a thousand chapters was still incredibly long, but as Zeno walked alongside Lyra, the heavy sack of vegetables bouncing lightly on his shoulder, he was finally ready to face whatever the Nine Kingdoms decided to throw at him.