The commander stared at Archer, waiting for his answer.
He looked up at the guard with the most innocent-looking face a 13-year-old boy could muster.
“I can understand why you might think that, but I assure you I am not causing any trouble. I am simply here to find a friend,” he said.
Turning his attention towards the naughty girl who wouldn’t stop nibbling his ears, he started stroking her.
The commander watched the boy for a few seconds before looking back at Yahir, who was just staring at Archer.
Leaning forward as he whispered something into Yahir’s ear.
“Be careful of this one. He destroyed two Kagian castles. Our kingdom is extremely happy about it but doesn’t want to take the risk of him destroying something here.”
Yahir’s expression turned to one of fear as he looked back at Archer. But instead of seeing a devil, he saw a lost and broken boy who needed help.
Shaking his head as he replied to the guard.
“Don’t worry, commander. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Archer heard everything they said but didn’t bother with it, as he was not there to destroy anything.
Currently, he was holding Sera, who was getting too excited and unable to escape. She gave him puppy dog eyes, hoping he would release her.
Looking at her made him smile, and he knew what she was doing, but in the end, Archer let her go.
She started to fly and sat on his shoulder with a grin as she started licking him.
As he stroked her, she started purring.
But once he stopped she crawled inside his shirt, clinging to him.
Just then, Yahir called out to him, and he turned to see what he wanted.
“Archer, we’re going ahead to the castle to arrange some business. I suggest exploring the town outside the southern part of the castle. It’s full of traders.”
He nodded at Yahir and started his walk toward the southern part of the castle, well aware that the traders were disturbed by what he had done to the Kagians.
Upon walking for 20 minutes, Archer reached the castle town and was immediately struck by the impressive architecture.
Apia Castle’s structures were expertly crafted and adorned with intricate details, serving as a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship of its builders.
The town built by the southern wall was filled with a plethora of sea-themed decorations, including seashell motifs embellishing the walls and sculptures of sea creatures lining the streets.
Archer surveyed the square and saw people selling beast parts, potions, food, and miscellaneous items.
Continuing to look around, his eyes landed on a small shop tucked away in the corner.
Curious to see what it had to offer, he made his way over to it.
Upon entering, he was greeted by a riot of colors and patterns as bolts of fabric lined the walls and shelves.
The air was thick with a sweet, unfamiliar scent that reminded him of the Samoan culture back on Earth.
As he looked around at the shop’s wares, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him.
Marveling at the designs and craftsmanship on display, appreciating the attention to detail that went into each item.
A young woman in her early twenties approached him with a charming smile.
“Hello, young man, how can I help you?” she asked.
When he turned around, he saw a woman who was twice his size, with light purple hair and a pair of smart-looking glasses that caught his attention.
‘Women in glasses are hot,’ he thought to himself, shaking his head as he replied to her.
“I want basic black pants and shirts, oh, and some boots.”
The woman smiled and nodded as she examined him while mumbling to herself.
“I know what size you need. Go take a seat as I gather your items.”
Archer nodded at her as she walked off.
He went and sat down as Sera appeared from his shirt and started rubbing her head against his cheek.
As he stroked the ruby-red scales of his little dragon, a smile spread across his face.
She basked in the attention for a moment before crawling back into the safety of his shirt, ready for a nap.
He waited patiently, his ears perked for any sign of her return. Soon enough, he heard the soft sound of her footsteps approaching.
Despite her undeniable beauty, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was working in such a random clothing shop.
Pushing the thought aside, he focused on the present moment and waited for her to arrive.
As she approached him, she gestured towards the seat next to him, conjuring a pile of clothes and boots out of thin air.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise but said nothing as she turned to him and spoke.
“There are 12 shirts, 12 pants, and five pairs of the same boots. Altogether, it will be four gold coins for the whole order.”
He smiled at the worker as he took out the coins and handed them over, his eyes scanning the clothes.
The black tunic was made of thin yet durable material, with no embellishments to speak of, and the pants and boots matched in color, completing the simple yet practical outfit.
She smiled and thanked him for his patronage.
“Thank you for shopping with us, can I help you with anything else?” she asked.
Archer carefully packed the clothes into his item box, making sure they were neatly folded and organized.
He finished, turned to the woman, and thanked her for her help.
“Thank you for your assistance,” he said with a smile. “I appreciate it.”
The woman returned his smile.
“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure to help you.”
After saying goodbye to the worker, the boy left the shop and stepped out into the small town.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air he looked around, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling streets.
There were vendors selling their wares, children playing games, and people going about their daily business.
Archer started to walk, his eyes scanning the area as he explored the town.
Spotting a stall that sold some nice-smelling food, he walked over to it and looked at what they were selling.
Stopping in front of the stall, he instantly smelled coconut and some kind of sweet-smelling fruit.
There was a girl who looked no older than 19 behind the stall, with a man cooking in the back.
She spotted Archer and smiled as she spoke. “Hello, boy. How can I help you?”
Looking up at the brown-haired girl, he replied.
“What is that smell?”
She quickly answered with the same smile.
“That’s breadfruit served with coconut cream, and palusami wrapped in taro leaves, and cooked in coconut cream.”
The palusami looked like pork wrapped in some sort of banana leaf and smelled delicious. The breadfruit looked amazing as well.
Archer decided to buy as much as he can because he loved the smell, he asked a question before ordering.
”How long would it take you to make 200 of each meal?”
His question shocked the girl and man who was cooking, as he turned to look at the boy who ordered so much food.
When he saw the little boy who ordered it, he started laughing before speaking.
”I doubt a child your age has that type of coin for such an order.”
Archer shook his head as he asked. ”How much?”
Watching him, the man raised his eyebrow.
“13 gold,” he said.
He quickly took out the coins and placed them down before taking a seat.
“How long?” Archer asked.
The two people behind the counter just stared at him with deadpan expressions before the man shook his head and answered.
“Two hours, young sir, but we have many snacks you can eat while we cook.”
Archer looked at the man as he motioned for him to continue speaking.
“We have PaniPopo, Koko Alaisa, Fa-ausi, and Sapasui ready to serve right now. What would you like?”
Liking the sound of all the food, he ordered two of each.
“Two of each, please.”
The pair were shocked once again, but they quickly shook their heads as they got to work preparing his order.
Ten minutes passed, and the girl placed four dishes on the table.
One looked like sweet rolls that smelled of coconuts and syrup, the second looked like rice pudding, and the last looked like donuts with chocolate sauce. 𝘪𝑎.𝒸𝘰
Archer got excited and asked.
”How much for the four dishes?”
The man answered his question while introducing the two of them.
”I’m Malaki, and the girl is Fia, my daughter. The snacks will cost one gold.”
He gave Malaki the gold coin, but as he was about to speak Sera’s head popped out of his shirt and stared at the food.
The father-daughter pair were shocked yet again when they saw the little red dragon poke her head out making Archer laugh at her antics.
[A/N – Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]
𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮