Show Me Your Stats!

It seemed like it was time for work as people began to stir and get up from their seats. Hera winked and extended her hand to Ayra for another handshake. Ayra also stood up from her seat as she clasped Hera's firm, rough hand.

"I'll see you next time. This place is so cramped, so if you live here, you'll probably keep running into me."

"Yes, it would be nice to see you again next time."

"Oh, you sound so soft after working down south, don't you?"

With a chuckle, Hera kicked her friends' backsides as she opened the door and stepped out. Thinking it was time to head back, Ayra paid the owner.

Though it was called money, it was actually a chunk of magic stone, not a proper currency. Apart from areas that had developed for centuries under the protection of a dragon, there was no real local currency. Because of this, in places like Solar Estate and other regions, it was difficult to counterfeit and the versatile magic stone was often used as a substitute for money. Among these, magic stones that had been processed into flat shapes, similar to coins, were a specialty of the Labyrinth and a major source of income.

The change Ayra received was a small pouch of salt. She carelessly tucked the pouch into her clothing and staggered a bit as she walked. She had drunk a bit too much while chatting at the tavern.

"Ugh, I can't walk anymore today..."

Her legs were sore from the long walk, which was probably the first time in a while. Once she got back, she planned to wash up and sleep. But, if she sleeps too much, would people think it's strange? That aside, would her abilities still function well when she's drunk? What about when dealing with a drunk person? With such thoughts swirling in her mind, Ayra stumbled and fell forward after tripping on a rock.

Even in her drunken state, her sense of shame was intact, and Ayra quickly scrambled to her feet. Dusting off her knees and glancing around, her eyes met those of a man who had been staring blankly at her. He wasn’t from the area; he had fiery red hair and eyes, strikingly handsome, but looked like a beggar or perhaps a wandering minstrel. His clothes were ragged enough to make him seem like a beggar, and he carried an instrument similar to a lyre, as though he were a minstrel.

Ayra quickly averted her gaze, clearing her throat and trying to act nonchalant as she hastily passed by. At least only one person saw her fall, so that was something to be thankful for.

As Ayra hurriedly walked away, she could feel the man's gaze briefly following her, but then it seemed to lose interest and drift away, indifferent.

On the way back to the castle, Ayra silently reviewed the facts she had learned today.

The first important point: This estate isn't as bad as it could be.

The locals certainly looked impoverished, but at least no one appeared to be starving to the point of emaciation. The meals served at the tavern were not exactly gourmet, but they were edible.

While the residents had a strong inclination to exclude outsiders, that was to be expected. Most of the people had never left the estate in their lives. Moreover, Solar Estate wasn’t a region that frequently interacted with outsiders.

It wasn’t surprising that the locals had small shrines or symbols to Morunka, the mountain god, scattered about. Morunka was a local deity that had been worshipped long before the Solar family ever settled here. Even if the estate falls, the indigenous religion will survive.

"But the atmosphere among the retainers is a bit... unsettling."

Before the inheritance ceremony, she would need to examine the estate thoroughly. It wasn’t part of Ayra's original life plan, but since she was going to become the lord, she wanted to understand her land deeply. With that thought in mind, Ayra returned to the same path she had taken earlier. As she opened the terrace door to enter, she froze in place.

A knight, fully armored, was standing straight with his back to her bedroom. The door was open, but he hadn’t stepped inside.

As Ayra entered through the terrace, the knight turned and bowed respectfully. His uniform was slightly different, implying a rank higher than her personal guard. He removed his helmet and introduced himself.

"Good evening, Lady Ayra. I am Bloom, the Vice-Captain of the Guard."

When he took off his helmet, his short, golden hair and green eyes were revealed. He bowed again, more deeply this time.

"Ah, Vice-Captain Bloom..."

Ayra trailed off, giving him a questioning look. While he hadn’t stepped inside the bedroom, the fact that he had opened the door bothered her. Bloom, the Vice-Captain, bowed even lower, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"I came to check on your head injury, but you were not here. My apologies. The knights were negligent and failed to notice your absence."

"No, there’s no need to apologize. But... my head injury?"

"Did you not fall down the stairs?"

"Ah, that knight!"

Only upon hearing about the stairs did Ayra remember him. She felt a little awkward, wondering if he had really come out of concern.

"Thanks for worrying about me. In any case, there’s no need to apologize for not noticing I was gone. I just wanted to go for a walk. You can go now."

"Yes, understood. However, for your safety, please take a knight with you next time."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Then I will take my leave."

Really, was that all he had to say? Vice-Captain Bloom put his helmet back on and left after closing the door behind him.

Of course, Ayra had no intention of taking a knight with her next time. Bringing a knight along and touring the estate would be the same as spreading rumors about her as a noble. Touring the estate was something she could only do now, before her face became widely known as the lord.

As Ayra tapped the back of her hand, the Pebble, pretending to be asleep with 'zzZ' floating above it, popped out. It stretched, raising one tiny hand as it shivered with a little shake of its body. It looked tired, perhaps from the journey, much like Ayra herself. @@novelbin@@

"You're tired too, huh? Well, since we have a schedule tomorrow, let's just go to bed early tonight."

The fatigue from battling the cold all day had taken its toll. Ayra trembled, quickly washed up, warmed herself in front of the fireplace, and crawled into bed.

❄

When Ayra woke up, she found the sun was already near its zenith. Groaning, she reluctantly climbed out of the warm bed.

"The lab... I miss the warm and comfortable Labyrinth personal lab."

It was strange that, in such a cold region, both the floor and walls were covered in stone. She thought that she would have to find some time to use heating magic. She couldn’t just leave it like this. After slowly getting dressed, eating, and finishing everything, Ayra jumped out of the terrace window just like she did yesterday. Following the same route, she left the castle and headed straight for the city. The castle’s security seemed dangerously lax.

For the next few days, she secretly ventured out, performing quests and exploring the estate while using her abilities. The place she visited most often was the central plaza in the heart of the city. The plaza, surrounded by shops, had constant foot traffic, making it the perfect place for her to observe people.

On this day as well, after a long day of roaming the city, Ayra was mentally and physically exhausted, and she made her way to the center of the plaza. Dragging her feet, she almost tripped again.

It was at that moment she heard a mocking chuckle. When she lifted her gaze, a familiar face appeared. The red-haired man who met her gaze and immediately flashed a grin.

"What are you looking at?"

Wait a minute, hadn’t he been sitting here a few days ago? Ayra furrowed her brows. This striking redhead was definitely the same man she’d seen before, sitting in the same spot with the same clothes, holding the same instrument. He had never once left this spot while she walked around the plaza, and it looked like some dust had accumulated around him.

Annoyed by the sudden confrontation, Ayra put on a bright smile and responded.

"A handsome troublemaker bothering the good people of the estate on such a nice day?"

With a soft, teasing tone, Ayra’s sarcastic remark was likely to make him confused for a second before getting angry. But instead, he seemed to take it all in happily.

"Yeah, I’m pretty good-looking and kind-hearted, huh?"

He even seemed to enjoy himself. Ayra was too stunned to be angry. With his free-spirited attitude, he must have been a wandering minstrel, she thought. When she looked at the instrument he was carrying, the man straightened up and plucked a string.

"Ah..."

For a moment, Ayra listened to the loud, jangling sound coming from the instrument. He wasn’t a minstrel, he was a beggar. No real minstrel could play this poorly. He must really be a troublemaker.

Seeing him in short sleeves on such a cold day, barely able to make a living, Ayra couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.

When he pulled a couple of magic stone pieces from his pocket and handed them to the man, the man raised an eyebrow. As Ayra got a closer look, she noticed that not only his eyebrows but also his eyelashes were red, and his eyes were an even deeper red, like a ruby. The man stared blankly at the pieces of magic stone in his hand before suddenly jumping to his feet. Then he grinned.

"Since you gave me something, should I sing you a song?"

Without waiting for her response, he started strumming his instrument with little care.

"In the stable, there are three pigs.

One is plump, one is chubby, one is skinny.

The three pigs eat their hay and yeast.

The three pigs, so friendly,

One is eaten by a dragon,

One is eaten by a claw,

And the last one, sick, dies!"

Ayra’s thoughts on hearing the tragic song about the three pigs?

"You should never try to make a living with your singing..."