Chương 17: Canisava Night Market (2)

What intrigued Hale most about the night market was, without a doubt, the food. If asked what satisfied him most since transmigrating to this world, it would be the local cuisine. At first, he assumed Maddie was just an extraordinary cook, but he eventually realized the culinary culture here suited his palate down to a tee. The Canisava Night Market sat at the intersection of several major trade routes, which inherently made it a melting pot of diverse cultures.

Each food stall offered its own unique style and flavor; Hale felt that even if he ate until he burst, he wouldn't be able to sample half of it. Ryan, on the other hand, was far more captivated by the live performances taking place in the central square. The boy kept badgering him as Hale dragged his feet, idling from one food stall to the next. By the time Hale sampled a plate of stir-fried pepper snails and felt reasonably full, he turned around only to realize his two companions had vanished into thin air.

He had initially assumed that since Maddie stood well over six feet tall, she would be easy to spot in any crowd. But this was a bustling night market—tall individuals were far from rare, and the high stall canopies easily obstructed his line of sight. Hale circled the area several times to no avail. He wasn't overly concerned, though. They had agreed to meet up at the outside if they got separated, so he began navigating his way outward. Passing by an armory stall, he paused in his tracks.

He didn't carry a single weapon for self-defense. Given that he still couldn't control his magic reliably, he figured having an alternative method to protect himself was common sense. Besides, his system status panel explicitly noted that "Hale Wallace" possessed proficiency in wielding swords and bows. So he stepped up to the weapon stall, addressing the owner, "Boss, what's the cheapest sword you have?" The stall owner eyed him up and down, looking puzzled.

"I see you're wearing a fine wolf-fur cloak, traveler. Why are you looking to buy a cheap blade?"

"Just a preference. How much?" The owner scanned his display before reaching up to fetch a longsword resting on a high rack.

"This one goes for 80 Ron. See if it suits you." Hale secretly slipped his left hand into his pouch, counting his remaining cash: exactly one Sil and about 20 Ron. Just enough.

"Fair enough, I'll take it. Throw in a waist scabbard belt too, set for the right hip. Will one Sil cover the whole bundle?" The owner handed over the sword and belt, muttering under his breath about how rich folks these days were absolute cheapskates. Unable to strap the belt on with just one hand, Hale tucked both items under his cloak and continued searching for the exit. However, the layout of the night market was a winding maze.

By the time he hit the outer perimeter, he realized he had popped out on a completely different side from where they had entered. Hale was forced to circle the outer ring to locate the mask stall they had designated as their rendezvous point. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a group of men cornering someone in a dark shadow behind a massive oak tree. Judging by the small silhouette, it appeared to be a young girl. She was cowering against the trunk, looking utterly terrified.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going down. Hale thought fast for a brief second, then called out loudly, "Hey! What took you so long? I've been waiting for you forever!" As he spoke, he strode over toward the tree, reaching out to grab the girl's hand and pulling her toward himself. It was only then that he noticed a pair of fluffy rabbit ears poking out from her messy brown hair. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Hale blinked in surprise for a split second, but quickly smoothed his expression over. Just a Beastkin girl—I've got a literal Dragonborn by my side. The rabbit girl looked thoroughly startled, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She looked younger than Hale had initially guessed, sixteen at the absolute oldest. Ignoring the cornering men entirely, he hauled her along.

"Stop wandering off like that, I've been looking all over for you." The men stood there stunned for a brief moment, but quickly snapped back to reality.

"Hey, you! Hold it right there!" Hale didn't stop; instead, he quickened his pace, dragging the girl along as he tried to slip into the dense crowds of the night market. The thugs weren't about to let them slide, giving chase immediately.

"I said stop, are you deaf?!" The rabbit girl had a small, fragile frame and couldn't run fast. Within a few strides, the men closed the distance. A rough hand reached out, grabbing a handful of her brown hair and yanking her back violently. In that exact instant, a razor-thin whip of compressed water slashed out of nowhere, striking the man's wrist with surgical precision. The thug let out a sharp cry of pain, snatching his hand back instinctively.

Hale glanced toward the direction of the water whip, catching sight of a woman standing nearby. She wore a full-length gray cloak, her long golden hair falling over her shoulders, her face obscured behind a veil. Sensing her gaze on him, Hale gave a quick nod of thanks before pulling the rabbit girl deep into the moving crowd. Once he confirmed no one was following them, Hale pulled the girl into a quiet alley beside a vendor tent.

"Sorry about that. I figured you were in trouble, so I acted on my own. Do you know those men?" The rabbit girl shook her head rapidly, stammering without producing a coherent word. Hale asked patiently, "Are you here alone, or did you come with someone?"

"... m-mistress... sells clothes..."

"Your mistress sells clothes here? Do you remember where her stall is?" The rabbit girl looked around, nodded, and pointed down a specific aisle. Hale walked her over to a stall draped with women's apparel, where a middle-aged woman rushed out frantically.

"Loona! Good grief, where on earth did you wander off to?! I told you not to wander around, this place is packed and dangerous!" Loona, the rabbit girl, lowered her head apologetically.

"I wanted to... buy warm water..."

"You need to tell me before you step away, do you understand?!" The woman chided anxiously before noticing Hale standing nearby.

"Oh, traveler, are you...?" Hale waved his hand dismissively.

"It's nothing, I was just passing by." With that, he turned and stepped away before either of them could say another word. But in his haste, he collided directly with another passerby, sending them both wobbling back.

"Sorry, my fault!" Hale apologized profusely, only to freeze when he recognized who he had bumped into. It was the golden-haired woman in the gray cloak who had just helped them.

"Oh, it's you! Thanks again for back there." The golden-haired woman looked momentarily taken aback. After a brief pause, she spoke in a slow, measured tone:"Yes. It was me." It was only a few words, but her voice carried a clear, cool, and refined high-pitched timbre—reminding Hale of a frozen lake in mid-winter. He offered a warm smile.

"Really appreciate the hand earlier. The rabbit girl had just gotten separated from her merchant mistress; she's back at her stall now, right over there." He pointed toward the clothing stall, where the owner was still nagging Loona for being so careless.

"Why...?" The golden-haired woman hesitated slightly.

"Huh?"

"Why did you help that girl? She is a Beastkin."

"Uh... what about it?" Hale asked, genuinely confused, before realizing he probably needed to elaborate.

"Sorry, I'm from out of town, so I'm not super familiar with... the local demographics. Is there something different about Beastkin?" The golden-haired woman frowned slightly under her veil, but answered nonetheless, "Beastkin possess lesser intellect compared to humans. Many view them as an inferior race, treating them as mere servants or slaves."

"Ah," Hale said, scratching his head.

"I don't really get into all that. I saw someone who needed help, so I stepped in. Just like you. You didn't know us at all, but you still lent a hand, right?" He glanced around and spotted a nearby stall selling candied fruit skewers.

"Hold on a sec!" He walked over, purchased three candied fruit skewers, and showed them to the golden-haired woman.

"Take one! A little thank-you gift for earlier. Well... I'll be off now. My friends are waiting for me." He waved remaining skewers in his hand and melted into the moving crowd. After navigating the winding pathways for a while longer, Hale finally located the mask stall. Maddie and Ryan were standing there waiting, looking visibly anxious. Hale hurried over, offering an apologetic grin.

"Sorry for keeping you guys waiting! Took me forever to find the exit. Candied fruit, anyone?" Ryan stomped his foot in annoyance.

"Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is food! That's why you got lost in the first place!"

"I said I was sorry, didn't I? Come on, let's head straight to the stage area, alright?" Ryan reluctantly accepted the "peace offering," taking a furious bite out of the candied fruit. They then made their way to the central performance area, watching the street plays and circus acts until midnight before finally heading back to their inn.