CHAPTER 36: THAT FAST?

"What do you mean by that, boy?" Leonard’s voice lowered as his eyes narrowed at the soldier. He was offended by that.

The soldier smirked, clearly amused at Leonard’s reaction.

"You look like you can’t even afford proper boots, and you’re telling me you want to open a business under the lord’s domain? Hah!" He laughed out loud, showing the absurdity of it all.

"Don’t waste my time. Get lost before I decide you’re here to stir trouble."

Leonard clenched his jaw. He could feel the heat crawling up his neck. However, he forced himself to calm down. Now was not the time to cause trouble. He’ll

Save that for later that once he’s done with this matter.

"We’re serious," he muttered again in a calm tone, even if the soldier’s mocking tone still rang in his ears. "I already have a place and people willing to work with me. All I need is permission to make it official."

The soldier’s smirk faltered a moment. He leaned forward and squinted his eyes as though trying to still take Leonard’s words as a lie.

"Hmph. Even if what you’re saying is true, why should I let some ragged beggar waste the lord’s time?"

Before Leonard could answer, Anika suddenly stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed on the soldier.

"Why are you acting like that? Aren’t you supposed to be doing your job?" she asked, confused about the matter.

The soldier blinked, clearly caught off guard by her tone.

"My job?" He scoffed. "My job isn’t to babysit fools who don’t know their place. It’s to keep trash like you from wasting my lord’s time."

Anika frowned, her brows coming close together.

"What’s wrong with you? Since when does a soldier get to decide who’s worthy or not? Isn’t that the lord’s job? You’re acting like—"

"That’s enough!" the soldier quickly cut her off. The irritation was evident in his rising tone.

"You little bitch. Do you think this is the city? Out here, people don’t walk in and demand things like spoiled children. So show me some respect, you brat."

Anika’s mouth opened. She was deeply stunned. For a second, she just stared at him, like she couldn’t believe the arrogance coming from a soldier.

"Oh well, Sir. Sorry for my partner’s actions." Leonard quickly stepped forward before it could escalate further. His jaw clenched, his thoughts running sharp.

’I didn’t want to bow down to this man, but how could I forget? This isn’t the city. This is the outskirts. And here, besides status... there’s only one thing people value more than anything else.’

Money.

Without another word, Leonard slipped his hand into his pocket. The faint sound of coins broke the silence. He pulled out a few silvers coins, holding them loosely in his hand.

The soldier’s eyes locked on the coins as soon as Leonard pulled them out. His smirk grew wider, and he lifted his hand slowly as if showing that he was the one in control.

Leonard pressed the silvers into his palm without saying anything.

The man chuckled, weighing the coins as if savoring the moment.

"Right. That’s better. Brats like you should know your place." He slid the coins into his pouch and puffed out his chest.

’This fucking bastard,’ Leonard cursed in his mind,. ’Enjoy it while you can. Once I’m done with this, I’ll make sure you regret opening that filthy mouth at me.’

"Remember that lesson if you want to survive here." The soldier leaned closer, his voice was low and mocking.

"So can we enter now?" Leonard questioned.

For a moment, the soldier stared at them. Then, as expected, his lips stretched into a mocking smirk.

"Of course. Why didn’t you say so earlier?" He stepped aside and motioned towards the other soldiers at the back to open the door.

"Go right in. The lord will be waiting for... such distinguished guests."

Anika’s hands curled into fists at her sides. Her jaw clenched, fury brimming in her eyes, but Leonard moved just enough to block her view of the soldier.

"Let’s go," Leonard muttered to Anika before they started walking.

The disbelief was painted clearly across Anika’s face as she faced him.

"Leonard... why did you do that? He didn’t deserve that! That money came from our hardwork!"

Leonard glanced at her, smiling faintly as if to soothe her anger.

"What matters right now is that we get to meet his lord," he said gently. "We can get back to him later, okay?"

Anika hesitated for a moment, her lips pressing together. After a second, she gave him a sharp look but said nothing more.

As they neared the door, another soldier stepped forward to lead them. This one looked kinder, without a trace of rudeness on his face.

"Come with me," he said simply.

Leonard gave him a small nod, relieved that at least not all of them were the same breed of arrogant fool.

Anika shot one last glare at the first guard before following close behind.

They were led through the heavy stone doors. They were greeted by a large empty space. The air inside was cool. It also smelled like old books and ink.

On the side, the walls were lined up with torches and a few banners. However, the banners looked rustic and old already.

After passing through the large empty space, they went through a long hallway. Finally, after a few more walks, they entered another door that led them to a room that looked very much like a big office.

At the center of the room was a large wooden desk, covered in scrolls and papers. Behind it sat an old man with a long gray beard. He was sitting upright as he wrote something with a quill.

Leonard and Anika stopped just a few steps in front of the desk.

The man didn’t look rude. While writing, his expression was calm, though his brows were furrowed a little from concentration.

Without glancing up, the man spoke. His voice was rough and deep.

"What do you want?"

"We’d like permission to do business under your lordship’s domain." Leonard cleared his throat and spoke with confidence, even if he was unsure on the inside.

At that, the man briefly raised his eyes, studying the two of them with a glance that felt like it was judging them. Then, just as quickly, he returned to writing.

"Do you have a place already?" he asked flatly.

"Yes," Leonard answered at once.

{Workers?"

"Yes."

The writing of the quill stopped. The old man finally set it aside and looked at them properly. His eyes, though tired, looked sharp and unwavering.

"Alright then," he said, almost casually.

"Pay fifty silver coins, and you can start."

Leonard blinked. His mouth opened slightly before he could stop himself.

"Huh? That fast?"