Kyle didn’t know how to answer.
“That’s too much,” he said, holding the fish out for Selene. “You already escorted me to the Big Bazaar. Without you, I would need months since I don’t know the safe paths.”
Selene just smiled. “Kyle, without you, I wouldn’t have found a fitting Colossus. I had no idea it was so hard to find a Peak Beast. If I had asked anyone else to accompany me, they would have probably led me to a far stronger Colossus, and that would have killed both of us.”
“I underestimated the danger, but thanks to you, we still succeeded.”
“Just accept the gift. I insist,” Selene said.
Kyle just awkwardly looked forward.
“But this fish was like 25 Ether Pebbles. That’s expensive.”
Selene laughed. “Kyle, being a Beast Tamer is expensive. You know my background. Do you truly believe 25 Ether Pebbles is a lot for me?”
Kyle just looked at Selene with an uncomfortable expression.
“She’s right,” Theodor commented. “The wealth of the Forthing family is measured in Ether Crystals.”
Ether Crystals.
One Ether Crystal was a million Ether Pebbles.
Kyle looked at the ground and sighed.
“Thank you, Selene. I won’t forget this,” he said.
“It’s fine,” Selene answered. “Let’s continue.”
“By the way, please don’t consume the fish yet. Not everyone likes dwarves or half-dwarves.”
Kyle just nodded.
The two of them continued walking through the Big Bazaar for a while.
Eventually, they reached the other end, and Selene told the guard there that they were leaving.
At the end of the day, the two entrances to the Big Bazaar would compare their list, and if someone hadn’t left by the end of the day, they would ask questions.
Finally, the two of them left the Big Bazaar, and Kyle was greeted with his first look at the mainland.
Forest.
There were several roads leading away from the Big Bazaar, but everything else was covered in forest.
“And that’s it,” Selen said, looking at Kyle. “As long as you keep to the roads, you shouldn’t encounter a lot of danger. Maybe there are a couple of bandits lurking around, but you do not look like an easy target with your armor and your big hammer.”
“There are signs at every crossroad,” she said, pointing at a bunch of signs. “With those, you won’t get lost.”
“Thank you so much, Selene,” Kyle answered. “I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“Well, I don’t think you need to repay me for anything,” Selene said with a smile, “but if you ever want to visit, feel free to come by. I live in Forthing’s Hold. It’s quite a bit to the east, but I’m sure you can manage.”
“Forthing’s Hold, got it,” Kyle said with a smile of his own. “I’ll come visit you at some point.”
Selene nodded with her own smile and jumped onto Skweera’s back.
“Well then,” she said. “It was nice meeting you, Kyle. I hope we’ll see each other again at some point.”
“I hope so as well,” Kyle said.
“Take care, Kyle. I hope the Fighter Guild treats you well.”
“Take care, Selene. Don’t let the Colossus bankrupt you!”
Selene just laughed.
She waved one last time and then told Skweera to run down one of the roads.
Kyle was left standing in the middle of the crossing with his big fish.
After some seconds, Kyle sighed and ate the fish.
‘I was with Selene for only a couple of hours, but I already miss her,’ he thought.
‘On the other hand, this fish is amazing!’
After eating the entire fish, Kyle felt energized, and all the bad feelings vanished.
“Alright, Boss!” Kyle shouted, eliciting a couple of glances from the distant guards. “Where to?”
“I didn’t think you would actually survive the journey,” Theodor said. “It would appear that the chances of my last wishes being fulfilled are not completely extinguished.”
“Go to any random city,” Theodor said. “I don’t know how the world has changed in the past centuries. We’ll just have to look around.”
“So, you’re saying you have no idea where to go?” Kyle asked.
“Insolent! I always know what to do, and I’m telling you to go to a random city!” Theodor shouted.
“That doesn’t fill me with confidence, Boss,” Kyle commented as he looked at the signs.
“This is a feeling I am confronted with whenever I hear the words that you allow to escape from your mouth,” Theodor answered.
Kyle chuckled a bit. “I like the phrase of that. You should be a comedian, Boss.”
“I am not funny!” Theodor shouted with confidence.
Kyle just chuckled. “Anyway, Hillscape seems to be the closest. Should we go there?”
“That is a random city, yes,” Theodor answered with annoyance.
“Alright,” Kyle said as he walked down the road leading to Hillscape.
He saw trees on both sides of the road, and he heard the sounds of birds chirping.
There were a bunch of wildflowers near the edge of the road.
He looked forward and noticed that the flowers covered both sides of the road, but didn’t stretch into the forest.
“Quite a bunch of flowers,” Kyle commented.
“Human Lillies,” Theodor commented with annoyance.
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