Chương 96: Interlude - Eurynomos

Eurynomos frowned as the shopkeeper struggled to suppress a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he asked. The man kept laughing for another few seconds before finally clearing his throat.

"Sorry," he said, still fighting another fit of laughter.

"It's just... this is a bakery, and we can't afford to employ someone of your highborn status." His face reddened as he tried to contain himself. Eurynomos simply stared at him, his frown deepening. Without another word, he turned and strode out, slamming the door behind him with all his might—which, unfortunately, wasn't much. The door closed with a loud thump, followed by another burst of laughter from inside. Eurynomos ignored it and took a deep breath. The smell of freshly baked bread calmed him somewhat...

until he realized where it was coming from. He immediately continued down the street. It wasn't the first shop where he'd tried to find work, and every attempt had ended the same way. After wasting half the morning, he was back where he'd started: jobless, penniless... save for the single gold coin he'd acquired. Stolen from a noble. The town was already bustling with activity. People filled the streets as shopkeepers opened for the day. Street vendors shouted their prices while customers gathered into lines.

The air was filled with the smell of fried meat and spices. His stomach growled. He hadn't had a proper meal in days. The city wasn't particularly large, but it had a certain charm. The people were... different. He couldn't quite put it into words. Even though most of them struggled to make ends meet, they still smiled and tried to enjoy life. He didn't quite understand it. The city wasn't particularly prosperous, and the few jobs available barely paid enough to survive.

It was the first time he'd lived among humans, and everything felt unfamiliar. He didn't want to admit it, but he quite liked it here. Even if he was broke. The cobblestone road bit into his bare feet with every step. It hurt, though he'd slowly gotten used to it. Before long, he stopped in front of the Adventurers' Guild. The sight of the building made him frown once more. It wasn't his favorite place in the city, but at least the people inside were more like the ones he was accustomed to.

The guild itself wasn't anything special. It was a rundown building with a surprisingly spacious interior. One side housed the bar, lined with dozens of tables, while the other was reserved for the guild's official business. He hated that side. The wooden floor creaked beneath his bare feet as he made his way toward the bar. It was still early morning, so only a handful of tables were occupied, with a few regulars sitting on the barstools.

Eurynomos stopped in front of the counter and, with some effort, climbed onto one of the tall chairs. The man sitting to his left turned and immediately bowed.

"Your Majesty." Eurynomos ignored him and looked at the barkeep.

"Something strong."

"Your Majesty," the man continued, "why would you ignore someone as lowly as me?"

"Shut it, Rivel," Eurynomos spat.

"But... Your Majesty..." Rivel said, clutching his chest in mock pain. The man looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had short chestnut hair and wore leather armor. A spear rested against the bar beside him, while a shield was strapped to his back. Rivel continued rambling while Eurynomos ignored him. There was no reason to entertain fools. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The barkeep walked over and placed a glass filled with white liquid in front of him.

"Really, Dave?" Eurynomos asked.

"Again?" Dave shrugged.

"Sorry, kiddo. Guildmaster's orders. Can't serve alcohol to kids."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not a kid!" Dave chuckled.

"Sure, sure." He wandered off to serve the latest customer who had taken a seat at the other end of the bar. Eurynomos frowned slightly and took a sip of the milk. It was the second time he'd had milk, and it wasn't as bad as he'd expected. He was usually served some kind of berry juice, and he still preferred that over the milk. They were probably out of juice, he thought. Once the glass was empty, he leaned against the chair. Life as a human was much more difficult than he'd expected it to be.

For one, finding work so he could feed himself was impossible. He was always hungry and thirsty, and... weak. His body was far too frail. He wasn't even sure he could hunt a Demon Hound in this state. It was pathetic. As he was deep in thought, chairs scraped against the floor as people took the empty seats around him. He ignored them and continued going over his plans for the future: to take over the city. A small smile spread across his face before someone slapped him on the back.

From the sheer force, he almost fell off the stool. Eurynomos turned, his hand opening, but before he could act, he stopped. The man sitting on his right was Hal, the same one who always paid for his food and drinks, so he released the mana building up in his hand.

"You need to stop doing that," Eurynomos spat. Hal mockingly bowed.

"As you command, Lord." He somehow managed to keep a straight face, and Eurynomos was reconsidering smiting him. Why had he told them the truth? He should have just kept his mouth shut.

"How is your conquest of the world going?" Hal asked. Eurynomos just shook his head and collapsed onto the bar. Why? Why? The teasing was getting out of hand. Why had he talked so much about his plans with those morons? Even if they didn't believe him, they could at least stop with all the teasing. He buried his head in his hands. Then a woman's voice came from behind him.

"How's the cutest ruler of the Demon Continent doing?"

"He's fine," Rivel answered.

"Dave got him some milk to calm down."

"Milk?" she said.

"The next one's on me, little Eury." Eurynomos kept ignoring them; he'd tried multiple times to make them stop. Yet the more he tried, the more the teasing continued. Ignoring them usually made them stop faster. Some time later, they finally stopped, and he sat back up. His glass had been refilled, and the group around him was talking about the quest they'd picked up.

"It's a goblin infestation just outside town," Rivel said.

"That's the only quest nearby."

"Do we have to do a quest? Can't we just relax at the bar all day?" Hal said before taking a big gulp of beer. The girl, Xenia, slapped Hal on the back of the head.

"We can't just keep spending our funds!" Then she glanced at Eurynomos.

"Besides, we can take little Eury with us! He can start his adventurer training early!" Eurynomos' eyes widened. Because of the monsters in the forest surrounding the town, the guards at the gate never let him leave. That usually didn't stop him; there were ways to sneak away, and he'd managed it a few times, but he had no idea where to go or what to do. Now, this was a chance to explore the world a little and maybe earn a coin or two.

"Yes," he said.

"That's the perfect plan!" Everyone chuckled and went back to teasing him, but at least he had his first real adventuring job. Carrying the group's bags... A few minutes later, Xenia returned to the bar.

"Little Eury!" she called.

"Look what I got you!" Eurynomos turned and saw a small pair of shoes.

"A gift for your first quest!" Not long after, they left through the main gate of the town. He turned, glanced at the guards who usually didn't let him leave, and waved at them. Above the gate hung a wooden board with the town's name carved into it. City of Wolk. … The journey through the forest was exhausting for Eurynomos. It was the first time he had to cover such a long distance in his new body. His party was a few meters ahead of him; his small legs weren't made to travel such long distances.

"Try to keep up, Majesty!" Rivel shouted from the front. Xenia reprimanded him, and Rivel shut his mouth. The quest was already over, and they were now scouting the last part of the forest for another quest Rivel had picked up. Xenia had stopped teasing him after the battle with the goblins because, according to her, he was a brave boy. He hadn't needed to do anything during the fight, just stand there and watch in boredom. At least the teasing had stopped. A few minutes later, the party stopped.

"A dungeon," Hal muttered from the front. Eurynomos strode to the front and glanced at the cave entrance. A smile slowly crept across his face. His plans for conquering the city could finally start. He let out an evil laugh. Which, naturally, earned him even more teasing. While the group discussed what they were going to do, Eurynomos felt mana signatures approaching their position. They reeked of corruption.