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墨書 Inktalez
“Boss, two buns please.”
Newton stood in front of the stall, smiling at the man before him.
“Oh, out shopping for your family, huh?”
The Boss looked at the adorable child with delight and gave Newton a discount.
“Looks like no one suspects I’m the so-called Wandering Merchant after all.”
Indeed, Newton had taken off his coat and changed his clothes, hiding his backpack as well. Although this limited some of his methods, it significantly reduced the chances of being exposed.
“Just have to be careful not to appear too often in conjunction with the identity of the Wandering Merchant; otherwise, it would be easy to get discovered.”
Newton took a bite of the bun; it tasted quite good. His ability to do this reflected the maturity he had always shown. Despite his short stature, few people regarded him as a child. Coupled with his decisive nature, there were indeed individuals in this world who were particularly short, so very few would connect these two identities when faced with someone who seemed so youthful.
After finishing the two buns, Newton felt nearly full but still needed to gather some information to plan for his journey to the next city.
The tavern was undoubtedly the best place for gathering news, but given his appearance, he would attract too much attention there. It was better to go to a restaurant instead. While it might not be as effective in terms of information, it offered much higher safety.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Newton ordered a variety of dishes as if he had stolen money and was indulging himself without restraint. The waiter didn’t ask many questions; as long as there was money to be made, that was enough.
However, to Newton's surprise, it wasn’t long before three familiar figures walked in.
“Come on over! Sit down! Order whatever you want.”
Leading the group was a smiling man who greeted none other than Miraj and her companions, whom he had just parted from not long ago.
“Thank you.”
Miraj sat down with her younger siblings and encouraged them to order whatever they wanted, since someone was treating them.
"Can you really let me join the Guild? And learn that magic called Reception?"
Miraj was quite excited.
"Hmm? A wizard from the Guild? But that guy really gives me a bad vibe," Newton listened intently to the conversation nearby.
"Of course! Talented individuals like Miraj are exactly what our Guild dreams of. Not only Miraj, but your siblings can also join our Guild and learn magic together."
The man spoke with enthusiasm, looking like a con artist trying to lure in new recruits.
"Can we really learn the same magic as our sister?"
This was a painful thought for both Elfman and Lisanna. Watching their sister become who she was now and feeling helpless made them determined to become just like her, ensuring that she would never be seen as an outcast.
"Absolutely! However, receiving demons might require some innate talent. You two can start by trying with animals."
His words were reasonable. Reception, as the name suggested, involved gaining the abilities of other beings by receiving their physical forms. However, if one's body couldn't handle it, they could easily be influenced by the received being and go berserk. Someone like Miraj, who could receive demons right from the start, was undoubtedly gifted.
Although Newton didn't know much about this, he didn't sense any deceit in the man's words. It seemed these three had indeed found a good place.
Newton raised his cup slightly, silently toasting to their future, hoping they would lead good lives ahead.
Afterward, Newton lost interest in their conversation and began to listen casually to all the dialogues he could catch in the restaurant, contemplating his next course of action.
"Ah, is it those three guys?"
"That's right. Although I don't know what they look like, that cloak definitely belongs to them."
"But it seems we haven't seen the Wandering Merchant."
"Are you silly? If we saw the Wandering Merchant, that would be a problem. What could they possibly have in common? It's possible those three were taken to the Wandering Merchant's camp. If we head over there, we might even catch the Wandering Merchant. That would be a big score."
"But can that guy handle it?"
"Hey, don't underestimate that guy. He's known as the Fraudster Doff, and he's an expert at deception. Look at those three; they're completely lost."
"Hehe, that's true."
"And those two girls are clearly not bad either. Selling them as slaves would also be quite profitable."
"That's right. Boss, that boy seems pretty good too."
"What? You actually like him?"
"Boss, it's not like that..."
"Haha, fine. We'll leave that boy for you."
Newton fell silent. He never expected it would be because of him. It seemed he had indeed made the right call; Doff really was a problem. With a sigh, Newton didn't prepare to take any action.
Clearly, this situation had exceeded what Newton could handle. Almost all the forces in the city were on the move now. Unless Newton was willing to blow everything up, but could he really do that? Besides, what if there were people inside who had mastered defensive or spatial magic? Newton would be in deep trouble.
"Sorry."
Newton could only utter that one word to the three of them before returning to his meal.
The trio, along with Doff, were taken away, and nearly half the restaurant followed them out. This further confirmed Newton's resolve not to approach them.
"Sorry."
Another apology escaped his lips, but Newton felt a deep discomfort within. The meal he had initially found enjoyable now tasted like sand and dirt; he mechanically placed it in his mouth and chewed, unable to discern any flavor.
"Ha... you can't win against them. If you go, you'll either die or be captured and turned into a tool for making props. What are you thinking? Didn't you already decide to adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange in Alchemy? They haven't offered any payment or reward; there's no need for you to go..."
Newton desperately tried to convince himself, but he couldn't help but recall the words of his parents when they set out to seek the mysterious years ago.
"Search your heart; do you really intend to leave?"
Father Newton's gaze was stern.
Newton placed his hand on his chest and silently nodded.
"We old folks..."
Mother's eyes were filled with tears.
"I'll come back during the New Year, and I'll call during the holidays. If there's no signal when I reach a place, I'll send you messages to keep you updated. With a way to contact you, I can assure you I'm safe at any time. And when I turn thirty... a man should stand on his own by then. If I haven't achieved anything by thirty, I'll return and stay by your side for the rest of my life."
Newton interrupted his mother's words.
"You may not have become a scientist, but at least you're a nuisance. Good people don't live long, while nuisances can last for a thousand years. Don't worry, I plan to live for a thousand years."
"A thousand years? I know about the thousand-year tortoise and the ten-thousand-year turtle."
Father Newton said with irritation.
"Hey, Dad, if I'm a turtle, then you..."
Newton said with a grin.
"Are you asking for a beating?"
Father Newton raised his hand as if to strike.
"Alright, we're not kids anymore; stop messing around."
Father Newton felt a bit embarrassed by Mother's reprimand and looked at Newton seriously.
"Newton, do you still remember our family motto?"
"Don't do anything shameful."
Newton placed his hand on his chest.
"That's right. We can't control what you do outside, but I have two requests for you: First, never forget our family motto! Second, stay alive..."
"Oh, Dad, so my family motto is more important than my life..."
"Bang!"
Newton slammed his fist on the table, drawing the curiosity of many around him. However, upon seeing the fierce expression on his face, they all shivered and quickly turned away.
"One should live without shame, Father. Even in another world, I won't bring disgrace upon you..."
"Ah, there's a coin left here!"
Newton turned in surprise to see a coin lying exactly where the three from Miraj had been.
"Wow, Father, does this count as fate?"
Newton chuckled as he walked over.
"Sister, can I have this coin? I'll trade you for gold."
In the end, Newton tightly grasped the coin.
"Ha, with a reward in hand, my reasons for saving someone just became even more compelling."
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