Chapter 4: Curwell
"Hot and steaming bread! Fresh out of the stove! Buy 'em while they're still warm, only for two copper!"
"Freshly picked vegetables and fruits for sale! Tart Berries are now in stock, bought from Yarrin!"
"Have you heard of the news from Rosa Street?"
"Aye, another shop got shut down"
"Honey, what would you like for dinner?"
"I want mommy's special stew!"
"Hey! Watch where yer' goin' blockhead; I'm walkin' ere!"
"Who you callin' a blockhead, ya deaf boar! If ya couldn't see; I'm walkin' ere!"
"Why you...!"
"Hey! Break it up you two! Or both of you'll be stayin' in the dungeons... Again"
The streets are filled with numerous shops and normal people going on with their everyday lives and routines. Charlie's cart is slowly moving along the smooth stone road, encountering a bit of traffic against a few other carts and numerous people walking around the street.
Ezio was curiously looking around, the busy streets reminding him of Venizia and Roma. The bustling city filled Ezio with nostalgia, especially back in Florence. But he'd also come to appreciate his quiet and remote life in the countryside back on Earth.
"Welcome Ezio, to the City of Curwell! The city is known for its highway trade and being under the rule of two Princess Knights! I've been here a couple of times and I gotta say; I earned a lot of gold every time I came to do business." Charlie says with a wide grin, rubbing her index, middle, and thumb finger together at Ezio; The universal gesture for money
"Haha... It sounds like you're very good at this job, Charlie" The Assassin sweatdropped at the rather obvious love for money in her eyes.
"Good? I'm an expert at this point- I've been a merchant for years so I know a few things in this line of work" The tomboy merchant puffed out her... small chest with pride. What a sad thing
While Ezio nodded at the merchant's words, he disagreed nor agreed to her 'supposed' veterancy in the merchant business. Perhaps if he saw how she does things, then maybe he'll accept it.
However, he seemed curious about what Charlie said before 'The Princess Knights, huh? Sounds like important figures just from the 'Princess' title alone'
"Say, Charlie- How much do you know about these Princess Knights?"
"Can't honestly tell ya'll that much other than the common stuff- There's Seven of these Princess Knights, ya see, and all of them serve under one banner called "The Shield Alliance" which was enacted a century ago so this kingdom is still pretty new compared to the nearby kingdoms that I frequented for my business."
'So that means all of this unification is still fresh, only one generation or two...' Ezio thought to himself before Charlie continued
"And one of these Princess Knights is the leader of this alliance known as the Goddess Reborn or the Reincarnated Goddess. A religion figure to all of the folks in the lands of the Alliance; Practically, mostly everyone follows this religion." Charlie said as she stopped to let a group of people pass her carriage, reaching the other side of the street.
"Are you a follower as well, Charlie?" Ezio curiously asked, seeing his tomboy friend not showing much attention nor fervor to this religion than a normal religious should.
"Nah, not really- I'm not one for religion, to be honest. I'd rather see it to believe it than pray because some priest preaches it so. Till then, if I saw something that was done by the Goddess like a miracle or something then maybe I'll become a follower." The tomboy merchant grudgingly said to the Assassin, making him feel slightly bad for poking a bad subject for her. And curious as to why but that's for another time
'I'll have to ask Venus about this 'Goddess Reborn' once I sleep... If she shows up'
Curiously, he felt as if a disapproving pout and glare were aimed at him. He looked around to see anyone but it seemed impossible with the number of people.
He focused his eyes and the world around him suddenly turned gray with the sea of people glowing white with the nearby guards glowing in green. He stopped his focus and the world immediately regained its color.
"Hey Ezio, you's all right?" Charlie snapped her fingers in front of him, snapping him back to reality
"A-Ah, my apologies- I was just thinkin' on how beautiful this 'Goddess Reborn' is" Ezio, with his flirty and charming nature, effortless laid out an excuse with a slight of truth in it.
Hey, he was honestly curious!
"Ahhh, well- I've never seen her myself but I heard that she's real knock-out in terms of looks! Maybe you'll have a chance of meeting her if you traveled to Eahvine, the capital; That's where she lives and is the patron city dedicated to her" The merchant chuckled as she nudged him with her right elbow, smirking at him as she does so "Think you'll have a shot at her or somethin'?"
"Perhaps but I am quite shameless of thinkin' of another woman when I have a pretty one beside me" Ezio unconsciously slipped out of his mouth, accompanying it with a charming smile
Inside his mind, however, is a different story
'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Dammit, Ezio! I can't believe you just said that!' He mentally screamed at himself for going back to his roots 'Remember what Sophia taught you, Ezio- You gotta tone down the flirting, conscious or not'.
He still remembered the time when he unintentionally charmed a bunch of noblewomen from Paris visiting Florence at the time.
The amount of aggressive flirting and touching still made him shiver even though he was already married to Sophia. Apparently, that made it better for them. Oh mio dio, they were persistent.
Let it be told that single french noblewomen do not like their prize being denied
Back to the real world, Ezio was still displaying that stupidly sexy charming smile of his which brought a shade of red to dear Charlie and a good shiver up her spine. Even the forgotten nephew beside her, Dania, looked up from tinkering with her broken crossbow, wide eyes as if surprised at her aunt's followed response.
"O-O-Oh, you flatterer! I-I-I'm not p-p-pretty! T-T-There's a bunch m-m-more beautiful w-w-women than me! Ha-H-Haha!" The extremely embarrassed merchant looked away at the Assassin's charming smile, her tomboyish way of speaking replaced with how a maiden stutters when who she admires pays attention to her.
Her reaction pretty much made Ezio chuckle at how cute she just looks 'She must not get many compliments regarding her looks that often... Perhaps I should press on, teasing her might be fun'.
Before he could tease the feather-hat wearing brunette any further with her nephew, Dania, getting second-hand embarrassment just by looking at her auntie's embarrassed face- The cart suddenly stopped in front of a large two-floored building with a symbol consisting of a buckler with a sword and axe crossed behind it.
"T-This is the local guild, you can get some information 'round 'ere on what the lands of the Lily Alliance is and even earn a few coins for yerself'" Charlie said with her some of her embarrassment somewhat gone
"Aww, are you already sick of me, dear?"
"N-N-No! It's not like that! I-It's just that, I, uh-" The merchant stammered over her words, thinking that Ezio had the idea of her trying to get rid of him.
Her line of thought was broken by Ezio's, she looked to see him covering his mouth as if he's trying to hide his laughter while his eyes sparkled with mirth
She pouted with a blush, not knowing that just made Ezio laughed slightly harder.
A few seconds passed as Ezio laughter subsided
"Are you done?" Charlie deadpanned with a pout
"Ha, haaaa...! Forgive me, senora- You were just too tempting not to tease" The teasing Assassin apologized lightly
"Hmph!" She turned away, her feather fluttering as she looks upset "I hope you're happy toying with a maiden's heart, you scoundrel"
"Ahh, toying with you implies that I was lying with my words which I was not- I meant everything that I said truthfully, Charlie"
Nothing was said between them at first, Ezio tried to peek at her turned-away face but he could only see one of her ears which was burning bright red, meaning that his words did get to her
'Perhaps I've over-done it...' Ezio said to himself
The Florence Nobleman slowly opened his mouth to apologize once more, thinking that he took his teasing too far before suddenly a small bag was shoved infront of his face
"H-Here... Some money to get you started and... As thanks for saving us back in the forest" The now bashful merchant offered, turning to look at the Assassin with her blushing face
The Assassin stared at the bag offered for him before he accepted them "Thank you, Charlie- And I just did what I could do at that situation."
Charlie snorted at Ezio's words then she looked saddened, her red blush mostly disappearing "Yet your actions pretty much saved us... Well, most of us, at least" Her grey eyes glancing at the covers of her carriage behind her.
Ezio shared Charlie's expression, glancing at the covers as well- Even though he doesn't know this deceased guard that he didn't manage to save in time from the bandits, he still offers them peace that they may reach the afterlife.
As well as knowing that the twins were inside the carriage with the dead body, seeing their two grief faces and spilled tears, they must've known him- Probably a friend, a close one at that.
"I regret that I wasn't able to come sooner, maybe he would've been still alive..."
"Ezio..." Charlie tried to assure the Assassin before she was cut off by him
"-But I've come to accept that I cannot save everybody from death... "
'Not by myself, that is.' A thought popped up in mind
The tomboy merchant could only nod at his words, the Assassin put the small bag, which felt quite heavy with the number of coins inside, into one of his pouches as he gets off the carriage then turning back to the merchant
"Thank you again for bringing me here, Charlie- I was quite lost before I found you four."
"No problem, Ezio- I'll have to take care of this as well." Charlie nodded her head back at the covers as she looked at him "If you have the time, find and visit me near the market; I'll be setting up shop here for the time being to sell my goods"
"I look forward to it. Till next time, Charlie and Dania" The Assassin responded with a small bow, earning a tip of Charlie's feather hat and Dania's shy nod.
"See ya!"
The tomboy spurred her horses forward, the carriage going through the slightly crowded city streets as he saw Dania asking Charlie something to which she looked like she was denying something before they were too far to make it out from the sea of people infront of him.
The Assassin smiled to himself then looking forward at the guild building.
'Let's see what I can do here'
Ezio walked through the doors of the building, his eyes scanning the inside of the building. It was a large lobby, everything being mostly dark oak wood. Moving his eyes to the left, he can see a bunch of billboards on the walls with notes of paper pinned to them, some folks standing in front it as they looked like they are armed with armor and weapons, just like the red-headed twins and the shy girl.
Ezio then looked infront of him and to his right; At his right, he can see a bunch of comfy couches, an unlit fireplace, chairs and tables with a few being occupied by more armed folks that seem content with talking to themselves.
Then in front is a bunch of booths that is stationed by a bunch of folks in slick clothing that made them look quite professional, such clothing that only very rich bankers from his old world would wear as they had the money to spend.
Walking softly towards one of the empty booths, he caught a few of the nearby armed fellows giving him a curious look for a quick moment before returning to talk with their teammates.
Arriving at one of the booths, he sees a gorgeous female with long black hair reaching her upper back and glasses that seems to enhance her beauty, a moderate bust that is just nice, sitting as she read a piece of paper in her hands. She wears a sort of black vest with a white shirt and black pants and a pin that has the symbol displayed outside on her vest.
Ezio calls out to her "Excuse me, Signora?"
The glasses-wearing, seemingly covering her eye color, the woman looks up from the paper she is reading, noticing the white-robed stranger in front of her as she puts away the piece of paper to give him her full attention
"Welcome Traveler, to the De Forum of Curwell! Do you require our services?" She recited with a professional tone, as if she done this multiple times. She probably did.
"Yes, I just arrived here from a place far away- And I'm quite new to these lands so I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions"
"Of course! I am willing to help! What sort of questions do you have?"
"Oh, I have many questions, Signora"
== He who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask remains a fool forever ==
"-found as soon as possible, understood?"
"It shall be done, my lady."
Claudia Levantine watches her loyal servant as she exited her office, leaving the Command in Chief alone. She lets out a sigh as she leans back on her seat, mentally exhausted.
"This is a dreadful situation we got ourselves into"
She muttered to herself as she remembered her conversations with her Goddess, Celestine, on how to prepare themselves for the dreaded event in the future
"-And once we find this figure with our Scouts, what do you wish to do with him?" Claudia asked
"I shall convince him to join us, Claudia- We need all the help and trusted allies we can get. We cannot win this with only us" The Goddess Incarnate said
"And if he doesn't agree to join us?"
"..."
Silence reigned over them with Claudia staring at her Celestine who seems to have her eyes closed
"...He will not reject it" She persisted
"And how do you know that, My Goddess?" Her Command in Chief argued
"I do not know but I just do" Celestine placed a hand on her left breast, feeling a sort of aura telling her to trust her instincts
"You make him sound as if he's our last hope in winning this, Celestine! One man to save the entire kingdo- No, the world from this darkness. That's too much to bear for one person much less someone we don't even know"
"He will not carry it alone, we will all share the burden but having him on our side might stop our fall"
Seeing how determined her Goddess in her choice, Celestine just relented and nodded despite her doubts about this mysterious individual who can save them from their demise.
Shaking her head, Claudia rid of her thoughts as her scout runners hopefully find this individual and report it back to her.
Eventually, she may have to tell it to her fellow Princess Knights soon, just to speed up the process if her runners don't find the mysterious individual in a week.
Demanding, if she says it so herself. However, if Celestine's description of this man is accurate then they might find them sooner or later. A man in white robes with a strange A symbol on his sword.
White robes, the only people she knows that wear those type of clothing are the religious priests and priestess from the Church as well as the occasional monks from the mountain ranges to the East.
Certainly, a man in white robes isn't too hard to find, right?
Right
Soon enough, she hears her door opening and closing. Looking up to see who it is, brought a smile to her face.
The man stands there with a soft smile directed at Claudia. His grey hair paired with brown eyes along with a slightly pretty face makes him look quite dashing. He seems to be wearing a robe and glasses, signifying his status as a researcher.
"Klaus! What are you doing here?" Claudia stood up from her chair as she walked to the man with a friendly smile, very different from her usual stoic self.
She proceeded to hug him and kiss him once on each cheek, making Klaus return it with his own affection.
"I heard that you returned to Eahvine due to being summoned by the Goddess so I thought I wanted to visit you." The man said to her as they separated
"I see. Would you like some wine?" The woman offered him a glass to which he accepted
"Gladly!"
== Don't Believe Without Questioning ==
Walking amongst a crowd of people to hide felt like second nature to Ezio. Of course, he's been in this Assassin profession for decades as even after his retirement; He still managed to blend himself in crowds.
'Is my clothing really that common here or am I that good in blending in?'
Wait, no- Even back in Italia, he has not seen anyone wearing white robes except for high priests from the church. Yet he still managed to blend himself and avoid numerous guards who couldn't seem to find himself despite his very obvious unique attire.
He let out a sigh, preferring not to complicate it further and just chalk it up to skill. Looking down on the paper notice in his hands, he sees the instructions on what his quest was.
After talking with the lady, who calls her Favena, back in the De Forum. She explained that the purpose of their organization was to take up quests from anyone for a fee before offering those same quests to their registered 'Adventurers' who complete those quests to earn their pay.
Most cities across the kingdoms and lands usually have some sort of guild system to ease the pressure upon the government from the daily needs of their citizens. It's a good system to earn a quick buck as well as to help improve the economy.
Of course, there are regulations placed in order to keep their management from being overflowed in quests and money. And to combat both opportunistic guild members and to prevent a backlog of quests. As well as the type of quests they are willing to accept and give out to the adventurers.
Quest are ranked on how much coins they offer as well as the danger they possess, ranging from E to S. This way, they are catered to the respective ranks of Adventurers to ensure the highest probability of success and lowest probability of death.
Most quests are usually bodyguard, extermination, fetch, and delivery-related. Special quests are rare and often are too dangerous or too mysterious to take on for any normal adventurer who prefers to fight for money and fame.
They also measure the adventurer's skills and consistency of how well they are doing in completing quests before rating it to one of four levels of adventurers; Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Bronze Adventurers are mostly newbies to the guild system and they are given low-danger E to D quests as to not send them to their death and perhaps even provide some experience to the life of being an Adventurer.
However, prove your salt in combat and you could get yourself an occasional C-Rank; This is where the danger starts to show itself and a chance of getting promoted early if you do well.
Silver Adventurers are a step up from their Bronze Counterpart, they are more experienced and can handle bodyguard or exterminations that is ranked C-B, perhaps even A ranked if they are skilled enough
Gold Adventurers are rarely found and promoted but they are very respected and strong. This rank up proves their competence to do A ranks on the daily basis with some doing low-tier S ranks.
Platinum Adventurers are considered legends as it took considerable skill and consistency to be promoted to Platinum. However, due to the difficulty of getting to Platinum and the danger of S ranks that it took, only a select few are worthy of such title.
To get promoted in the system, you must do a certain number of quests and attend an interview at your local guild as they decide whether or not you are worthy to be promoted.
'Easier said than done...'
Ezio thought to himself as he himself decided to sign up to be an Adventurer, to have an access to earn some money mostly but to also learn some information for himself and in the future.
After processing and remembering the information in his head, he decided to focus on his current task to which is written on the notice.
'Deliver a package for a man named Simon, owner of a business called 'Simon's Stuff Store'... How original' The Assassin sarcastically commented to himself as he continued reading 'Seems like he lives in Rosa Street'
Favena told him that Rosa Street was located to the South Part of the City. He tried to memorize the map pinned to the board back in the De Forum but he couldn't remember it.
'Well, I could always...'
Ezio began to scan around his perimeter, seeing nothing but two-storied houses and buildings. He let out a sigh as he slipped out of the crowd, found a discreet alleyway with barely any people to see him
Stretching out his legs and arms, he begins by climbing up a convincingly placed stairway of wooden crates and barrels. The Assassin looks to the wall of a building infront of him as he places his hands in broken-down holes and ledges to pull himself up, scaling the wall as he ascended to the roof of the building.
Feeling like he's back climbing buildings again in his younger years, he accelerated his climbing as finally reached the roof. It was an angled roof, nothing too foreign for Ezio.
Looking far into the distance, he attempts to spot any tall building for him to climb and lo and behold- He sees a large church-like building off into the distance.
Smirking at the unspoken challenge, he begins to make his way towards the large church and this was south so he may be heading to Rosa Street as well.
Win-win for him!
As Ezio ran across the rooftops, jumping from one building to the next, swinging across using ledges, even wall-running. He felt... felt...
He felt alive! The rush of free-running across buildings, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his feet walking on air for a moment before hitting the solid ground made Ezio ecstatic! missed this feeling!
'Tree-running doesn't compare to this!'
He continued running like a spirited young lad with a silly smile on his face.
Eventually, he stopped near the church as he marveled at how similar the architecture compared to his previous world. It looked like a church from France but unlike the normal churches, this one seemed a lot bigger. With a long torso with some rounded spaces that acted as rooms from the outside, he sees his vantage point...
'Though, I've climbed taller buildings but still...'
His vantage point was a tower with a pointy tip that was connected to the main building, seeing that it also served as a bell tower for sermons, he guessed.
Thinking that he admired the large church enough, he looks slightly upward to see a lamp hanging from a post. Glancing at the wooden support, he sees no visible cracks.
Smirking at an idea, he calculated the distance between the end of the building and towards the church as he can see that a large road is gaping the distance so a normal jump is not possible.
Nodding to himself, he walked back a few inches before bursting into a full sprint as he jumped for the lamp post. Grabbing onto it, he uses the momentum of his sprint to launch himself across the road and onto the roof of the church.
A boy, no older than 6, on the road looked up to see the white-hooded Assassin directing his free fall towards the church.
His eyes widened and bright-eyed as he turned to the woman next to him, pulling on her dress almost too excitedly.
"Mama mama! Look!"
The boy's mother looked down to her son who looked back up with his finger-pointing. She followed where he pointed and saw...
The large church beside her and the slowly darkening sky, indicating nightfall is almost here
A smile appears on her face as she grabbed her son's attention "Honey, we can go inside tomorrow, okay?"
The boy gave her a look of disbelief as he shook his head "No, no! I saw a giant white bird fly by!" He persisted to which the woman briefly laughed
"I'm sure it was a lovely bird, honey- Now come on, we still have to get back home and prepare dinner before daddy comes home, ne?"
The mother led her son in a direction as the boy still stared at the slowly distancing church as he muttered "But I saw it..." with a pout
Back to our so-called 'giant white bird', Ezio climbed up the tall tower by using various small ledges that are just big enough to grab and put his feet on.
Eventually, he reaches the open space of the tower with a large bell hanging infront of him. Pulling him inside, he sees the bell has a sort of rope attached it and a small trapdoor at the corner of the small space.
He kneels down, reaching for the trapdoor and trying to open it.
The trapdoor barely budges but no opening and he sees no lock for him to try lockpicking.
'Must be locked on the other side... Wait, no, why am I even trying to open this? This is a church, nothing is here other than maybe an old priest'
Ezio questioned himself but then again, it must be his ever un-sating curiosity that he always he had to this day. Plus, all those secret tomb and location explorations didn't exactly help squash his curiosity for anything.
Shaking his head and focusing on his original objective as he momentarily put away his curiosity for later. He sees a wooden platform sturdy enough for his body weight, so he begins to slowly tiptoe towards said platform before stopping at the edge.
Standing up with the balance of a gymnastic yet being light enough to be like a feather as he felt no strain from the platform he is standing on.
Yet that doesn't matter to him as his eyes look around the city, a spark of wonder washes over his as sees the numerous buildings and the giant walls that surround the city.
A medium-sized castle stood up proudly in the middle of the city, a sign of the ruling power over it. Surprisingly, the map from the De Forum described the city only had two large districts but seeing how vast the land he can see from here, it's more like it has three!
After observing all sorts of landmarks he can take note of, he took a moment to close his eyes and breath in deep.
Despite the possibility of death by losing his balance and falling to his second doom, he did not fear it yet it felt... welcoming as if visiting an old friend.
He felt like this back on the tree he climbed on but nothing could beat his fondness for nostalgia...
'This really takes me back...'
A cool smile as he looks down to the ground and sees something that was a friend for all Assassins everywhere.
A bale of hay in a cart.
Without hesitation, he immediately swan dived towards the bale of hay; Performing a perfect Leap of Faith.
Feeling his body surrendering itself to the hands of faith for the second time was a reminder that this was no dream and it was in fact real.
The moment of faith ended in a split second, making him open his eyes as he sees darkness around him and...
The smell and touch of hay around him
"Heh... Hello again, Hay- Been a long time since we did this"
== May It Never Change Us ==
After resting in the bale of hay for who knows how long, he immediately got it to see that the sun is almost setting and he forgot that he still hasn't delivered his package yet!
'Merda! I must hurry!'
Letting the feeling of nostalgia during a quest was not the best time for him to do. Luckily, he somewhat knows the way after that little moment on top of the church.
Soon enough, he reached the supposed Rosa Street. All that's left now is to find Simon's shop.
Walking around Rosa Street, he looks around to a few shop owners closing their establishment for the day yet he could see on their faces that they looked a bit... distressed.
He also notices a few shops that were boarded up and closed before noticing the sign 'Simon's Stuff Store' on one of the closed shops. Ezio sees a somewhat chubby man infront of the shop who appears to be locking up with a bag on his back.
'Something feels wrong around here...'
Approaching the chubby man silently from behind, right as he stopped just a few meters away, he called out
"Excuse me! Are you Simon?"
"Eh?" The chubby man flinched as he turns around to see Ezio, his eyes closed with a large mustache covering almost his entire mouth and nose.
"Oh! Yes, I'm Simon. Are you the one who has my delivery?" The chubby man asked, to which Ezio pondered on how he can see him if his eyes are closed!?
"Uh, yeah! I am, here's your delivery Sir and I need your signature here" Ezio handed over the package along with a written paper.
"Of course, of course- Let me sign it" Simon took out a feather and a jar of ink as he dipped the tip of the feather before writing his signature on the bottom of the paper.
Ezio nodded as he rolls the paperback and places it in one of his pouches as the fat man gave him his thanks "Thank you for delivering this to me, I was about to leave before you showed up"
The Assassin can't even see Simon's mouth but the mustache does it for him instead.
'Strange...'
"No problem, Signore- May I ask what happen to your shop, it looks too boarded for it to look like a proper business."
"Ahh... This?" The fat man motioned to his former shop with a sad look "Unfortunately, I had to close it down to make ends meet. Taxes have been on the rise lately due to the war and some of us common folk is suffering for it."
Hearing his unfortunate situation, Ezio couldn't help but clench his fingers tightly with frustration but he immediately latched onto another part of his sentence
"War, you say?"
"Oh? You don't know the war that is going on here for a decade? Almost everybody in the land knows about this" The fat man seemed confused at the young man
"Ah, that's because I'm a foreigner across the ocean- I decided to travel here and try to make my fortune" He smoothly replied his mostly-lie, already thought of this way ahead of time with Charlie.
"Is that so? Well, boi, if you're here trying out your luck to make it big- You'd have more chance of earning gold fighting in the Goddess' army as a mercenary but..." Looking up and down on Ezio's robes, noting the lack of armor as well as his only weapons being a sword and dagger, he shook his head "From what you're wearing, you'd be better off trying something else"
Seeing how Simon looked over him, he couldn't exactly deny his statement- Despite how well-fit his body is and his skills are on par with most masters, he is still flesh and blood. Something that steel can easily cut through.
'I'd rather not die without completing my goal first'
Nodding along with the fat man, making a mental note to buy some armor once he has the money to do so and asking someone, preferably Charlie or Favella or even Venus, about this ongoing war.
"That's fair- I'm not exactly dressed for war. But back to our first topic; Other than the war, what seems to be the cause that is bankrupting businesses such as yours?"
The fat man tsked in irritation as he answered "Damn Minister decided to raise our taxes while we were already struggling to make our own profits. And the merchants that come here to buy our products are constantly getting harassed by local bandits and monsters. Now there's barely any of 'em that tries to reach into the city" He let out an irritated sigh as he continued "The Garrison isn't doing much either, they're just content in sitting on their asses!"
Ezio hmmed as he remembered saving Charlie and the others from a bandit ambush, he also rose a brow at the local garrison's lack of action if this man's rant about the Garrison is actually believable
'I might have to dig up some information on that as well' He made yet another mental note inside his thoughts before stopping the fat man infront of him rambling on even further
"If someone decided to say... provide you the necessary funds to help you start up your business again, would you be able to do it?" Ezio asked, planning to help start up the economy once again and perhaps even get his own cash flow going.
Can't really save the world with just his current equipment, weapons, and himself now, can he? Always be prepared for the conflict ahead as his Uncle Mario would say.
Simon let out a brief guffaw "Hahaha! Not to offend ya, stranger but you don't look like one to be rolling in money." But his next words were serious "But yes, with just a bit of funding- I can re-open my shop. But so long as those bastards keep harassing our merchant buyers; There's no way that I can keep my business up for long"
The fat man continued "Like what my father told me before I inherited his shop 'Starting up a business is easy, But keeping it afloat is much harder to do' " Sounding somewhat wise there.
From Ezio's experience with businesses and management, it is quite certainly harder to keep a business running than opening one up.
Simon then puts his package that Ezio delivered into his backpack "Well if yer' done asking questions- I'll be going now so thank you again for the package"
"Of course, Farewell" The Assassin replied
The fat man only gave a nod in reply as he began to walk off before he can no longer be seen. The nearby lamp posts began to flicker slightly as a small fire out of nowhere erupted inside them
The now-lit lamp posts provided Ezio lights over the now dark streets, looking up to see that night has now replaced the sun during his talk with Simon. The Assassin stares at one of the lit lamp posts
'So that's magic, huh? I wonder if I could use it too...'
He absently thought about the uses of such power as he walked through the lit-up streets
== We Work In the Dark, To Serve The Light ==
Deciding to turn in his quest tomorrow in the morning, he began to search for an inn or tavern to stay for the night and-
Growl~~
-Get some dinner as well...
"Ahh... Just a bit longer, stomach" The hungry Assassin patted his stomach to which only growled even louder
Asking other nearby people for directions to the nearest inn, he eventually found one. The building itself looked like a two-story house with a wider first floor from what he can tell from the outside. A wooden sigh also hanged from the door, advertising it's business and name 'A Wayfinder's Rest' with a tankard carving beside it
From the outside, he can already see a lot of activity inside the building but Ezio shrugged as he opened the door, making his way inside.
Once he entered the Inn, a wave of warmth passes through him with the faint smell of cooked food like boiled sausages and beef stew tickling his nose as he breathes in all in.
'Ahh~ That smells good'
The Assassin looked around to see numerous people occupying the tables with few on the stools near the counter; some looking like your average folks living behind the city walls with a few adventurers groups scattered around here and there.
A few ladies in dresses with similar green aprons tied around their waist are holding up plates of food and drinks for their customers.
'Must be the barmaids or something close to that' Ezio mused as he walked to the counter, silently slipping into one of the stools as he thought to himself about his previous conversation with Simon
'War, huh?' Even though the Isu Immortal that brought him here, Venus, did mention of a war spanning centuries and he was the one to end it as well as to prevent the follow-up war that a mysterious man wanted to start so he and his lackeys could rape the entire female population into submission...
Just like back in the forest before he meets Charlie and trio adventurers, she didn't exactly tell him the clearest of objectives on how to achieve this...
'Even more, reason to talk to her tonight once I fall asleep'
Eventually, one of the ladies, presumably a barmaid from the apron she is wearing, comes up to the white-robed Assassin, the hood covering the upper half of his face in shadow- Making it hard for her to see his entire face.
"Excuse me, Sir?" The purple-haired bar maid called out "What would you like to order?" She says with a smile as she held a wooden empty platter in her hand
Ezio looked to her, breaking away from his thoughts, and replied with a smile that seemed to fluster her slightly "What does the chef recommend M'lady?"
The barmaid seemed to push down her blush as she replied quickly "How about a lamb stew with loaves of bread on the side and a mug of ale, Is that all right with you?"
The Assassin immediately nodded at the bar maid's recommendation to which she quickly said "Give me a few moments to prepare it for you, sir!" before walking off to the back
'Probably the kitchen' Ezio thought to himself before he felt someone eyes on him to which made him discreetly look around the very loud and busy room
Watching over each patron, they don't seem to pay him any mind- Preferring to focus on their meals or their mates.
Doing a double-check, he activated his power that was dubbed 'Eagle Vision'; Dimming the lights around him as everyone around him emitted white auras around their bodies but he's looking for a gold aura
Unfortunately, none of them carried a single golden aura. Ezio sighed as he turned off his eagle vision but still feeling of being watched, making him slightly on guard, despite feeling no sense of malice or killing intent.
'This doesn't even feel like Venus' influence... Whoever this mysterious watcher is, they're good...'
That feeling immediately vanished in an instant once the pony-tailed purple-haired barmaid from before was near him once more, carrying a wooden platter carrying a bowl, some load loaves of bread and a mug that is bubbling at the top.
"Here you go, stranger!" The purple-haired bar maid chirpily said as she placed the platter infront of him, her eyes closed with a wide smile across her face.
"Ah, thank you" Ezio accepted the platter with yet another smile, earning a nod and grin from the purple haired maid as she left to serve the other customers as he looked at the meal he bought,
The stew was a steaming rich brown color with various meat, most likely the cooked lamb, pieces and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and perhaps grain onto the stew with pieces of green onion grass sprinkled on top. A spoon and knife is placed on each side of the bowl
The loaf of breads looked freshly baked as well if the heat around didn't evidence enough. Along with the mug of ale that was bubbling at the top.
Ezio, combined with having only eaten dried meat and stale bread with Charlie before entering the city, was simply drooling at the aroma of the meal infront of him.
But he composed! No no, remember your manners, Ezio...
...Even if his stomach demands that he ravages the food infront of him but he was taught better than that.
'Enough inner monologue! Time to eat!'
The Assassin grabbed a spoon, tenderly scooping out some of the soup and a piece of lamb meat that was dipped in the soup's juices.
Bringing the spoon close to his open mouth, his mouth closed as the stew goes down his throat and him chewing on the piece of lamb meat before swallowing...
'...Delicious'
With that one thought, he continued to eat the stew with enthusiasm but with noble-like manners. Even after decades in his previous life, his mother's dining etiquette and manners was still drilled into his mind up to now when he was still but a child.
Pausing himself from eating all of the stew, he grabbed one of the two loaves of bread on the side and bite down, leaving only half of it. The fresh steam from the insides of the bread paired with the very flavorful stew bursts the taste buds in his tongue.
It made him wonder what kind of spices were used to make this delicacy... And maybe being so hungry had a part of this meal tasting so good.
But he still hasn't tried the last part yet...
Looking at the mug of bubbling ale, his hand dramatically shook as he grabbed it and brought it close to- The smell of alcohol entering his nose made him miss this
Despite him owning a vineyard with his wife and children, he was only allowed one cup of wine and no fewer thanks to his old age and chest pains!
It was horrible... Owning all those grapes yet only being able to drink one cup of it felt like it was a sufferable tease...
Yet he understood his wife, Sophia, concerns about his health so he just let it go and stuck to water...
Now though, regaining his younger body once more- He grinned as he took a swig from the mug of ale, the sweet fermented flavor invading his taste buds.
'Ah! The taste of alcohol, how I missed you!'
He finished his swig with a relieved sigh, placing the mug of ale as he continues to finish the stew and loaf of bread. Soon enough, the bowl, platter, and mug were empty with tidbits of ale or stew still remaining as scraps.
Ezio felt satisfied as his hunger finally subsided, it's demands for food were complied as it now quieted down. He rested for a moment, letting his brief moment of euphoria die down. Free-running tends to take a lot of energy due to how much he moves so most of his Assassin's brethren tend to be big eaters to restore their lost energy.
A giggle soon interrupted him, prompting Ezio to look over to the source only to see the purple haired maid again
"It seems you enjoyed your meal greatly, stranger... From how you ate, I assume you haven't had a hot meal for days" The purple haired maid commented with the same smile from before
"Ah... I suppose you could say that" Ezio replied with a dash of embarrassment in his tone, his years of being an Assassin and being able to endure days of hunger with only rations and water yet only a few hours of free-running made him this hungry.
Perhaps him returning to his younger self had something to do with it? He did not know but not really concerning at the moment.
He took a moment to really analyze the maid infront of him, She looked around the same age that he is with her looking to be quite beautiful, only accompanied by purple hair and eyes that reminds him of ripe grapes.
Yet those eyes of hers hold a thirst to sate curiosity and a flavor for mischievous activities...
The purple haired maid let out a brief giggle "I've seen several travelers eat like that every day so it's not really a rare sight... So are people wearing hoods over their heads"
Said hooded man raised an eyebrow with a smirk as he spoke "Quite the curious one, are you?"
The maid shrugged with a smug smirk of her own "My ma always told me that I've always been more curious than a robin. Got me into scraps of trouble sometimes."
"And you don't think this hooded man might do that same trouble for you?" The Assassin asked
She merely shook her head "Nope. I'm confident in my ability to tell if a person is dangerous or not; You, sir, are definitely the latter"
Ezio let out a good-hearted chuckle at her assumption, earning a confused look "Well, you're half-right" While he is dangerous and a killer, only those he considers his enemies are deserving to die.
The maid hmm'ed in response, seemingly to be in thought, before speaking once more "Then it seems I need to further improve my skills! My name is Evelyn, may I know your name; traveler?"
"Ciao Evelyn, an alluring name for a beautiful woman. I am Ezio, a foreigner not from these parts" He spoke true with his words and compliments, seeing no need to lie to her nor give her the full truth.
His compliment worker wonders as she blushed slightly but surprisingly countered with her own "Why thank you, It always feels good to be complimented by a handsome fellow such as you. Your hood might hide your face but not completely, Ezio~" She said his name with a purr
But Ezio was unfazed by this, striking Evelyn with surprise and confusion. Instead, his smirk further widened at her response.
'You are decades too young and inexperienced to make this old man blush, my dear"
The charming bastard, formerly old man, who is Ezio thought to himself as he faced numerous women, from all different occupations, who tried to sway him with their feminine charms- Before and after marriage.
Unsurprisingly, they failed. Their own tactics used against them. His mental strength and endurance to fall to such charms and seduction only improved once he grown out of his brash younger years.
"Knowing that I brought some good for you brings joy to my heart, Evelyn" The former old man joked
Evelyn was about to reply before a call was directed to her to which she replied with "Coming! I'll be there in a moment"
Ezio remarked "Looks like we'll have to talk again at later time, Evelyn- I wouldn't want to keep you all to myself when there are others needing you."
"It seems like it. If you want to stay for the night, there are a few open rooms that can be rented for cheap." The maid said with a bit of hope in her tone
The Assassin thought about it for a moment before agreeing, it is quite late by now and he wants to speak to Venus about a ton of things in this world.
"I will- Perhaps I shall see you in the morning, Evelyn"
"Mhm~ Till next time, Sir Ezio" She purred out her name before quickly walking to a customer who asked for a server. Ezio looked for a moment before turning to the counter to see a brown-skinned with a beard, wiping a mug. He looked slightly buff, telling by the muscles in her arms. He also wore simple clothes with an apron at the front
"She's quite the flirt, isn't she?" The brown man commented without looking at the young man in front of him "Don't worry about her- She tends to do that to our customers she takes a liking to. Though, you are one of the few who actually resisted her flirting" His voice is deep, like damn bro, along with an accent that sounds oddly like Arabic.
Ezio shrugged at him "I've entertained my fair share of women in the past- So she won't have me blushing so easily"
The brown man glanced at him for a moment before returning to wiping another mug "She'll take it as a challenge, my man. She's quite competitive and forwards with what she wants, that's for sure"
The Italian spared a look towards Evelyn only to see her talking to a different male customer, an adventurer judging from his armor and propped up weapon on his table, as he blushed at what the purple haired maid had said.
"Hm~ Talking from experience?" Ezio asked the brown-skinned man only to receive a silent nod from him
"Name's Jamar, bartender and muscle for this establishment" The now named brown-skinned man, Jamar, introduced himself to the hooded man
"Muscle?" Ezio asked though he has a rough idea as to why
Jamar nodded with a huff, continuing with him wiping mugs every so often during his conversation with the assassin "Aye- Some pervy or drunk bastards tend to cat-call or even grope the bar maids. It got to the point that a barmaid was almost assaulted. Luckily, he was caught by a nearby guard and thrown into the dungeons before he did anything but that already made the woman quit. Hence why the owner hired me to ensure the safety and order of this place"
That story made him frown, wishing the almost assault luck to wherever and whatever she is doing now, but it made sense. The barmaids here are very beautiful, so a drunkard will eventually crop and try something with one of them.
"That boss of yours sure has a good idea when it comes to protecting their employees," Ezio said
Jamar shrugged with indifference "It keeps the girls safe and I get paid for it. Not a bad offer for me. By the way, you still have to pay for your meal- I also deal with running customers who think they can avoid paying"
The Assassin nodded as he paid the necessary coins for his meal with additional coins for a room to which the brown-skinned bartender and bodyguard obliged.
Ezio decided he had enough for today, immediately going inside the room that he paid for- The room was quite small, a clean bed in the middle of said room as a drawer is located to the left and a large wooden bucket right near it. There is also a chest to the right with a small window at the top, big enough to let in a cat's size.
Only a lit candle on a candle holder on top of the drawer was the only source of light in the room bar from the moonlight coming in through the small window
Our reincarnated Assassin let out a sigh as he unbuckled all of his equipment and removing his Assassin robes, leaving him only in his Florence noble outfit that he used to wore before settling in Roma.
Putting all the equipment and robes nice and tucked into the small chest to the right, he made sure to lock the door before removing his leather boots and hitting the bed, feeling the soft and clean mattress and pillow as he blow out the candle's fire, leaving the room in darkness with the moonlight pitching in through the window
It took only a matter of seconds before sleep took his consciousness, him wanting to meet the Isu immortal known as Venus once again.
This concludes Ezio's first day in the world of Eostia.
== Fear Not The Darkness, But What May Lurk Within It ==
Under the pitch of darkness and night, along the road towards Curwell, is a caravan with a lit lantern infront of it to provide some light along the way. The dark forest surrounding them.
A man and woman sat at the front of the carriage with the man holding the reins to his horses, they also hear a few other footsteps beside them to which the woman looked to see the origins.
Five individuals, three women and two men, that armed with armor and weapons. One of the men and woman carry a crossbow and bow respectively, clothed in leather armor and cloaks. Tips of black hair can be seen sticking out from their hoods
The other two women, one blonde short-haired and the other brown long-haired, both wore metal armor that looks used and recently cleaned. The blondie wields a sword and shield combo while the brunette carries a mace, holding it with two hands.
The final individual was a slightly handsome-looking blondie with his armor being full-on metal and looks it costs a pretty gold coin with a long two-handed sword in his hands. He looks confident yet slightly anxious.
The blonde man, who is assumed to be the leader of the five armed individuals, walked up to the woman that is sitting on the carriage "Ma'am, my apologies for asking but I sincerely advise to stop and set up camp before resuming in the morning..."
The female black-haired archer with her hood covering face as she nods along to her leader "Indeed... Traveling in the night is very dangerous as monsters could use the darkness to ambush us" The grip on her bow was tight, her other hand already holding an arrow on the ready.
The rest of the members agreed with their leader and the female archer, the fear of walking in the darkness getting to their nerves.
The woman nodded in agreement, she looks to the man beside her as he spurs the horses "Dear, they're right. We should camp and wait for daylight. I'm exhausted and hungry too..." She pleads with her husband to which he shook his head
"I know, I know... But we're already so close, just another hour of riding and we'll be at the city gates... And I don't really want to camp out here in the woods... It feels like-" The husband tried to continue before he suddenly stopped at the sight infront of him
The wife was confused to why he stopped only to follow line of sight to see a figure on the road...
A motion-less figure lays infront of them, they were looking from them so they can only see their back.
The husband stopped the horses which halted the carriage and the five armed adventurers.
"Are... Are they alive?" The wife asked fearfully to which the blonde leader from before stepped up with the other blonde beside him, holding a torch.
"We'll check it out, my three companions will ensure your safety. Jessica, you're with me" The blonde leader said to which Jessica, the female blonde nodded with her reply
"On your lead, Edward"
The two blondes cautiously approached the still body on the road, their weapons already unsheathed as they searched the darkness around them, fearing as if something is about to spawn from them.
They soon arrived at the body, Edward The Leader asked for Jessica's torch to which she handed it over to him, drawing out her shield in the meantime.
The blonde leader took a kneel as he placed his shoulder on the body to make it lay down on his back to which it did, and the sight placed a frown on the leader's face.
The body was a man around his twenties, wearing simple peasant clothing that a tree cutter would wear. His face was stuck in an expression of surprise and fear.
At first, Edward's thoughts was to be of monsters who managed to get the jump on him. However, most monsters would bring their kill with them and eat them, and he sees no disfiguration that the body was messed with.
And another clue that confirmed his thoughts was the body's wounds...
Two holes in his chest, deep enough to possibly reach his heart and kill him in an instant... The holes aren't wide enough for a normal sword or claw to be used to It must either be something small...
'Maybe a knife? Or..." His thoughts were disturbed when he heard something from the darkness, prompting him to stand up and look towards the origin of said noise
"Something or someone is nearby..."
A snap answered his worries as an arrow flew fast towards him
By instinct, he leaped down to avoid the arrow, missing him completely. Jessica looked alarmed, searching for the hidden archer.
Edward shouted towards the direction of the carriage with all of his might
"AMBUSH!"
An Arrow flew to which hit Jessica's shield but another snap of a bow was heard, another arrow flew from behind them which hit Jessica's back in a spot that wasn't covered by any of the armor
"AGH!" Jessica grunted out of pain as numerous arrows flew from the darkness of the trees
Edward stood up as Jessica took a kneel as she hid behind her shield, arrows flying towards to which few of them struck their armor but one occasionally got a hit on them, most missed their shots.
"We need to return to the carriage!" Edward said as he pulled Jessica back to the carriage to which she complied
Reaching back to the carriage under the hail fire of arrows from all directions, Edward was hit with terror at the sight infront of him
Monsters were attacking his companions, green-skinned goblins were overwhelming his friends and companions as they already took down the male archer, the monsters laughed in their hideous voice as they mocked his fallen comrade and stabbing him non-stop. The horses dead on the ground with arrows all across their body.
A scream sounded off as the wife of the husband, who sat on the carriage with an arrow stuck in his throat, as two goblins climbed and grabbed the wife by the leg; Bringing her down to the dirt
Jessica, seeing the woman in peril, yelled to her blonde leader "Edward, go! I can still fight!"
Nodding in instant, he let go of Jessica, who stumbled slightly before regaining her balance, as Edward charged towards the wife with his long sword in his hands
The two goblins leered at the woman as she tried to back up before they decided to stab the woman in the leg
"Agh! N-No...!" The wife begged as she lost the feeling in her leg, resulting in her being pulled closer to the goblins. When they got close enough, they stood on top of her as they held their arms. One of the goblins grabbed the wife's upper blouse and ripped it, revealing the wife's bra to them to which they drooled with a leer while she looked terrified
Before they could go any further, their heads were immediately sliced off as Edward managed to stop them from defiling her any further, his sword bathed in the two goblin's blood
The blonde leader grabbed the woman by the arm as he dragged her to one of the carriage's wheels "Come on!" To which she can whimper in pain as a reply
After setting her down near one of the wheels, he said to her sternly "Stay here, my friend Jessica will protect you" to which she can only nod with a whimper
Turning around to go help his remaining friends from being killed by these hideous goblins, he felt a large heavy object struck him hard
"GAH!"
He crashed into the ground as he felt his armor bending from the force, his body feeling the pain from a blunt attack. He coughed up blood as he tried to stand up, shakily.
Only for a large foot pressing down onto his chest
Looking up, Edward saw the ugly sneer of an orc's face- The orc glaring right into Edward's blue eyes, it's body twice the larger than a normal human's with only a loincloth as it's clothing
"Draghhh!" The orc yelled out to the goblins, to which they stopped and looked before responding with their own disgusting voices
"Vaghh!"
"Raggh!"
"Kikiki!"
Edward can see from his prone position that the female archer and the other female warrior of his group are beginning to be overwhelmed by the number of goblins around them
"Nooo!"
"Damn you"
The shouts of the two women left Edward heartbroken as he tried to get the orc's foot off his chest, struggling to push against it or even move sideways
"Move, you monster! I won't let you-Nghhh!" He tried to push with no avail, the weight of the orc's foot being too heavy for him to get out
The orc looked back to the puny human right under its feet, its sneer turning into an ugly grin as it held up a large club in its hands. The vile creature lifted it's weapon into the air before bringing it down with a roar
"Graggghh!"
Edward saw his coming death, his terror-filled wide eyes seeing the approaching club unto his head.
He only heard the screams of his female compatriots and the ripping off clothes...
Before darkness was the only thing he can see
Ooohh... Dark way to end the chapter
I know me, it's pretty fucked up...
*ahem*
Hello! It is me, once again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, apologies that it took so long. I've been trying to conquer my laziness for a while now and I am losing. Luckily, I managed to get this out for all of you to enjoy!
Before I start spewing some information on this here; Author's note, I wanna thank you all for following and favoriting my story, It really makes me happy to know that my story is making some, if not most of you, entertained as you read it. Thank you for also giving your reviews and telling me what you think of the story.
Now, after all of that is out of the way, we go back to me telling you some stuff that you may or may not read.
From the ending of this chapter, it's pretty clear that Ezio's next day will be involving some action against these goblin monsters and the Orc bastard. I ain't gonna lie, as much as I want to keep writing Ezio exploring Curwell City and interacting with it's people, I also need to start putting in some action for mah boi Ezio over here!
Be warned, Ezio is not overpowered here like in the games- He won't go all sicko mode on these mofos, killing them left and right like a badass Ezio when we control him.
That can happen but not frequently.
Anyway, if ya'll wanna ask some questions or have some sort of idea for the story as it progress, make sure to drop it in a review or a PM. I'ma answer it to ya personally