"I-I'm done." Kara came down the stairs in a luxurious blue dress with an open back.
"Let's go." Jack said as he turned around and started walking, hands in his pocket.
"Done. Now, let's go." Phina said as she held Kara's hand and slowly pulled her close. Her face then turned serious. "If you mess up my deal, you WILL feel my wrath."
"Thanks." Kara smiled.
"Now, let's go! I have some people to meet!" Phina was very excited. It was her first party in her entire life, previous life included!
"Nobles aren't exactly easy to befriend, you know." Jack said with disdain. His hate for nobles was very apparent. "I don't understand why you two WANT to be in a room full of those self-righteous pricks."
"I don't know why YOU can't shut the fuck up and let us be happy." Phina said with a contrastingly polite smile. "If you have nothing important or pleasant to add, please keep your mouth shut. Thank you."
"I-...fine. I get it." Jack rolled his eyes. "Just don't expect me to jump for joy at the first sight of a noble."
"Thanks, just stay like that for the rest of the month. You'll adjust by then." Phina smiled.
Jack sighed as he kept looking around the surroundings. It was his job to protect Kara, after all. "Do you want a carriage or are we going by foot?"
"Are you crazy? Do you want to be laughed at to death?" Kara looked at him with confusion. "We're taking a carriage, on me."
"Good, because I am not going to pay a single copper." Jack said as he walked with his back slouched over.
"Time to party!" Phina said as she rushed on to the end of the street.
"Does she-"
"Give it a second." Kara interrupted Jack's question. Slowly Phina paused at the end of the road and slowly walked back to them.
"Where is the carriage?" Phina asked in a whisper as her face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Just follow us." Jack said as he took the lead.
They walked through the city as everyone looked at them. The whispers filled the street.
"Must be the young lady of House Kinus. No one else would be so bold to walk in expensive clothing in the middle of the street no less!"
"No guards with her...should I approach her? The worse she could say is no..."
"Who's the redhead? She's so energetic."
"How long till we get there?" Phina whined. "I'm getting tired of following you slowpokes."
"It's right around the corner actually." Jack pointed to the right ahead.
"Really?!" Phina immediately rushed ahead, close to the wall. She took the right and before she could realize, she was right in front of manure. She couldn't stop her momentum. 'Shit. Heh, literally.'
"Woah there!" a hand immediately grabbed Phina by the waist, stopping her from falling in. She recognized the short brown-haired man. His lean figure and short stature contrasted his thick yet short beard. It was Ringo. "It would be a shame if you ruined your...dress. It's you. The woman that was with Fardo."
"Uhm...Bingo, right?" Phina asked as she balanced herself.
"Ringo...actually." Ringo corrected. "Hey, sorry about this morning. I was going to give you some overprized items, but Fardo gave me reality check. So, I work at the stables now!"
He gestured towards the horses behind him. It was a large barn with a very, VERY, fancy booth. The booth itself was very small, barely 2 by 1 meters. The booth was made of pure gold and was decorated with a white material that Phina did not recognize. "What's that?"
"Platinum..." Ringo said with incredible greed. "I just want one piece of platinum...just one. That's my goal in life."
"Is it expensive?" Phina asked. She was very unclear of the value of the currency here.
"A single platinum coin is worth 100 gold coins." Ringo said in a whisper.
"And a gold coin is...?" Phina asked.
"..." Ringo sighed. "A gold coin is worth 100 silver coins."
"What's it value though?" Phina asked directly.
"With a silver coin, you can eat properly for a day and sleep at an inn for a night." Ringo explained. He was very weirded out by Phina. Even bloodthirsty people like the Mings knew the value of a silver coin. After all, they still needed to maintain their weapons at a blacksmith in order to constantly fight at the Edge.
"Don't run off on your own." Jack came around the corner. He saw Ringo and smirked, "Don't bother, Ringo. She doesn't have a single copper to her name."
"I'm not..." Ringo said in a loud voice. He stopped himself and took a deep breathe, "I'm not scamming people anymore."
"Weird, you usually explode whenever you see me." Jack said in a low voice.
"It's because you're an asshole!!" Ringo couldn't hold it back anymore.
"See?" Kara said in a whisper.
"Of course I'm an asshole to you!" Jack said with a chuckle. "Bad people deserve bad things, plus it's hella fun making fun of you!"
"I said I wasn't bad anymore!!" Ringo grit his teeth.
"Oi, new guy! Stop yellin' at the customers and get yer ass over here!" Igur, the man in charge of the stables, said in a gruff voice.
"Yes, sir!" Ringo said respectfully as he glared at Jack who just smirked back at him. He stood behind Igur respectfully.
"Ah, me dear lass Kinus! How may this old man help ya?" Igur said as he approached Kara.
"Master Igur, we wish for a carriage. We have a budget of 2 gold." Kara said respectfully.
"Drop the 'Master', Kinus! I owe yer father me life!" Igur said as he put his hand on Kara's shoulder. His hand was very muscular. Igur was a very tall man, almost a full 3 meters in height. He wore no shirt and a plain black pants, which were covered by beast furs. His long platinum blonde hair was tied into a single ponytail. His large beard was so long it was braided into 3 different parts! After the braiding, it was reaching his collar bone.
Igur continued. "I can getcha a great carriage good enough for a grade 3 noble, but it'll cost yer little group 2 extra gold coin."
"That's too far above our budg-"
"Fine." Jack said. "I'll pay the extra gold coins."
"Really?" Kara was taken aback.
"Of course!" Jack smiled. "Just imagine the damn nobles' faces!"
"Where do you have that kind of money? I only have 4 gold coins from actual work, the rest I get from my dad." Kara was impressed by Jack for once. He was willing to give most of his savings to make some nobles embarrassed that a non-noble rocked up to the party in a carriage better than theirs.
"Do you think Fardo got me to put up with you for 4 years by simply asking? I get paid 2 silver everyday." Jack said calmly.
"..." Kara's eyes widened in realization. "YOU MADE 29 GOLD COINS OFF OF ME?!'
"Well, yeah. Fardo knows I don't tolerate you, so he gave me a little incentive." Jack smirked a little. "Every second I'm not training or resting, I'm just working. I have a little more than double your income."
"Calm down, rich boy." Phina said as a sinister smirk crept on her face. "You're hitting soft spots here."
"No. He's not. Where did you get that from?" Kara asked.
"Not you..." Phina's smirk turned to a smile as she looked behind Igur. "I'm talking about poor little Ringo."
"I'LL KILL YOU!!" Ringo jumped at Phina, but was quickly smacked to the ground by Igur. All it took was one punch.
"Heh." Phina chuckled then looked to Jack. "You're right, it IS fun!"
"Please don't learn from him, Phina." Kara asked in a sad tone. She would never be able to handle it if she had to deal with 2 Jacks.
"I don't believe I've had the pleasure. Igur Malkia of the Blacksmiths." Igur stretched his hand out.
Phina grabbed it and introduced herself. "Seraphina Ender, apparently an enforcer."
"Apparently?" Igur said as he looked at Phina. He knew she wasn't lying, he could feel the strength in her grip.
"I lost my memory in a forest." Phina smiled bitterly.
"I see. I have a few connections if ye ever need help. But it'll cost ya a buncha gold coins." Igur said.
"Really?!" Phina's grip increased, but Igur felt no pain whatsoever. "You can help me with my memory?!"
"Not me, but some people most likely could. If they can't, then no one could!" Igur boasted with confidence. "But me people don't take kindly to strangers, they do however love the smell of gold!"
"We'll be late if we don't hurry." Kara said as she saw the sun set.
"Aye, I'll get it for ya in a few seconds." Igur smiled. He then picked up Ringo and slapped him awake. "Get up, ya lazy bum! Go get me the 2 griffins in the back! Don't forget the Lion carriage or I'll whoop yer sorry ass!"
"Yes, sir!" Ringo moved as he was rubbing his head, a small bruise forming on the back of it. He came back with 2 large beasts, each about 3 meters in height. They had the body of a lion, head of an eagle, and 2 large wings on their backs. Their bodies were covered by white pristine feathers.
"Woah…" Phina's jaw dropped.
"Now that's what really deserves a status of nobility!" Jack approached the 2 beasts. "They're Royals, aren't they?!"
"Good eye, kid." Igur smirked. "Trained from birth. They're worth way more than ye can ever afford, but I owe Kinus a lot plus yer only renting them. Now, let's strap them to the carriage so that you guys can go have fun!"
Ringo came out with a carriage that had a golden lion head. The insides were styled with leather cushions and golden doors.
"I'm starting to think we underpaid…" Kara said.
"Come on! Go have fun!" Igur said with a smile as he got the griffins in position. He then whistled loudly as an old hunchbacked woman came from deep in the stables. She wore a very basic white shirt and black pants her white hair reached her back. She approached Igur and said, "Where to this time?"
"You will go with the kids fer the evening. Just don't fecking ruin the carriage!" Igur said as he went back to his little shack.
"Well…hop in." Jessica, the old woman, said.
The trio's faces seemed to glow, Phina especially so.