Chapter 9: Chapter 8 – The Town Guardian’s Residence

The clerk handed Aoh the form to sign, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Aoh couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as she filled out the form and received her identity card, placing it reverently in her backpack.

With her identity now firmly established, Aoh and the old man set out to find an inn for the night. But their hopes were dashed as they encountered one fully booked inn after another, until finally they had no choice but to seek the help of a friend.

The old driver, who named himself Aarom, pulled the rented horse and led Aoh towards the Town Guardian's residence on the outskirts of town. The simple, unassuming home was surrounded by a tall wooden fence and guarded by two withered trees and a massive cross covered in green moss.

As they approached the courtyard, Aoh and the old man Aarom could hear the energetic sounds of young voices shouting, "Attack!" It was a stark contrast to the otherwise quiet surroundings.

But the old man reassured Aoh that there was no cause for alarm, and they entered the gate. Inside, they found an overgrown field filled with ripe vegetables, but to Aoh's disappointment, there was not a single fruit in sight nor any fruitful trees.

"Here you are!" Aarom exclaimed, greeting his friend with a warm smile. In the center of the field, they found a middle-aged man in his fifties instructing a group of young boys in swordplay. The man was rugged and muscular, his sun-tanned skin and silvery vest marked with a golden tag indicating he was a seasoned warrior.

The boys were young and inexperienced, the youngest no more than seven years old, the oldest no more than sixteen. They practiced their swings with wooden swords, their hair styled in the traditional ponytail knot hairstyle of a knight.

In this age, knights and frontier adventurers didn't seem to pay particular attention to fundamentals and systematic sequences in their swordsmanship nor did they change to a new sword style. They began by letting the child play with the sword randomly and perform extreme exercises every day, then they would immediately jump into real combat to practice sword skills.

This was very different from the sword styles Aoh learned from Amara's secret books. Although Aoh also didn't know much about the defensive and offensive arts of the animals in her ancient forest.

Looking at these youngsters practicing the sword, Aoh couldn't help but feel worried. "Should I, a white fox girl, be practicing swordplay with these children?"

When the middle-aged man noticed Aarom's arrival, his attitude became solemn at once. He ran towards the courtyard gate to welcome them and stepped aside to let them through. The middle-aged man was bowing his head to the side, which made Aoh tilt her head, wondering about the relationship between the two.

Aarom walked straight through the courtyard with Aoh. He took off his shoes and walked atop the platform under a roof, then sat down in a chair reserved for high-profile people.

And the middle-aged man also followed Aarom's example. He sat on the rear rather than adjusting the chair to face Aarom, bowed respectfully towards him once more, bumped his chest with his right fist, and then slowly started to talk. "Grandmaster."

Aoh was completely clueless regarding this kind of human etiquette. However, seeing that these men sat facing the long rectangular table and didn't say a word, Aoh couldn't sit on a particularly luxurious-looking chair. Otherwise, she would be regarded as shameless and not knowing her place. Thus, she took off her shoes and walked atop the platform. Recalling the chair patterns she saw in a book, Aoh sat in a lowly chair reserved for attendants, quietly just one chair behind Aarom to the right, and placed her hands on her lap.

It seemed she was successful, as the two didn't look at her with suspicion. Aoh sighed internally and moved the hood from her head, revealing her white pointed ears, so she would relax her sensitive parts. Her ears move back and forth slightly in delight.

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Aarom went straight to the point. "Osmund, my granddaughter met this hybrid girl beside me when she got injured. Amara treated her. Because of a great misfortune, this unfortunate hybrid girl has lost some of her memories. She comes from the distant tribal region and, because human blood runs through her veins, she became an outcast lady of the Beowulf, vassals of the Silver Wolf Clan. I want to let her stay at your place for a period of time."

"From the tribal region's most hostile non-human tribe, is it?" Osmund Alkayde had a thick beard, dark eyebrows, and stalwart features. He took a quick look at the non-human girl and said while lowering his head without holding any suspicion, "Yes, your subordinate has received the order. It's merely arranging a place for the hybrid to stay. Grandmaster can be at ease."

It would seem that Aarom had a status. Despite his age, he was able to order the middle-aged swordsman at will. Aoh could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Like this, she should be safe for now, right?

"Wow! This demihuman lady is so good-looking! Is she a silver wolf?!" The tallest one among the youngsters practicing swords in the courtyard walked to the front of the platform. He was a foot taller than Aoh, had small eyes, and looked robust yet plump. The youngster pointed at Aoh and spoke rudely, his tone containing a strong accent.

"Pyke! You must not be rude!" Osmund Alkayde berated the child.

Aoh looked at the tall, fat man and her ears gradually drooped as she displayed a disappointed expression. "Why," she thought, "in this elegant other world, where even the grasses and trees emit elegance, are there people who don't respect life like he does?"

At that moment, Aoh felt a sense of annoyance.

"Aoh is mad," she whispered to herself. "Amara told Aoh that people are bad and some are good, but he trampled that beautiful flower. Even though he's a child, he should apologize to the flower he destroyed. Aoh doubts most humans know how to appreciate all forms of life."

An arrogant boy carelessly trampled a beautiful flower as he walked by, crushing its delicate petals under his feet. Aoh felt she was too late to save the once vibrant and colorful bloom.

Aarom had an ugly complexion and only briefly looked at the rude and uncivilized boy, thinking, "The child of the premier knight house, I suppose? Hmph! He's as irritating as his upstart family." However, he said nothing else and stood up, rearranging the chair. "That will be all," he said. "I have to get back to the nearest city to trade the goods I left and I have more important things to do there. Miss Aoh, you'll be in Osmund's care."

"Understood, Grandmaster," Osmund Alkayde answered.

Aarom was firm and decisive with his subordinates. He stepped down from the platform as soon as he finished speaking, seeming a little concerned and reluctant to part as he turned around to look at Aoh. "Miss," he said, "thank you for being a good friend to my granddaughter Amara. Please stay here for a few months. I'll come back for you as soon as possible."

Aoh felt grateful for the old man's care and expressed her thanks formally, but she also felt uneasy in this new environment, sensing an eerie feeling in some parts of the residence.

"The carriage awaits," Osmund said as he stepped away, walking towards outside.
With that, Aarom jumped onto the ground and waved goodbye to Aoh. The old man's gesture was full of fatherly affection as he looked at her one last time before disappearing into the distance.

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