The next morning, Tris and Rin went out for a walk around town.
They went from shop to shop, selling the materials and items they had collected the previous day.
They kept only magic crystals to use for guild missions, since that would earn them more money than selling them directly.
After selling all the hides, fangs, and claws from the wolf, Tris began dividing the profits:
"This is the money for the wolf materials. Take it."
He handed Rin all the money she had earned herself.
Rin: "Master, please keep it. You've always been the one buying things for me. How could I keep taking more?"
She quickly waved her hands and shook her head in refusal.
Tris: "Take it. From now on, whatever you hunt yourself, you keep."
Rin hesitated: "But…"
"Take it," Tris said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.
Unable to resist, Rin accepted all the money.
Looking at the shining gold coins in her hands, she felt overwhelmed.
It was the first time she realized how quickly gold could be earned.
Back in the slums, to survive, Rin had to work endlessly and still often went hungry.
Compared to that, earning so much in just one morning was something she had never even dreamed of.
After dealing with all the materials and items that could be sold openly, what remained were the weapons and armor Tris had taken from the bandits.
Selling dozens of sets of gear at once in normal shops would draw too much attention and make people curious about their origin.
If the bandits had bought them themselves, it would be fine—but if they had stolen them, it could easily cause trouble.
Therefore, the best way was to dispose of all those items through special merchants, just as Tris had done before.
Tris and Rin then headed toward the slum district after that.
Since he needed to hide his identity while investigating and trading, Tris let Rin wander around while he handled his own business.
Worried that Master might have to go through the trouble of finding her after he finished his work, Rin decided she would only stroll nearby.
Looking at the scenery of the slums, Rin couldn't help but recall her old home.
Although Aldor was much larger than Dorn, its slums were just as poor and backward.
'No… the people here seem even hungrier than the poor in Dorn.'
Rin concluded after observing.
The houses were even more dilapidated and ragged. The people walking around looked weak and lifeless.
The poor in Dorn could at least fill their stomachs with cheap bread to survive each day. But here, it seemed that many couldn't even satisfy their hunger with the cheapest bread.
Rin tried to recall her conversation with Master when they first arrived in Aldor. She remembered that he had analyzed and commented on the state of both places. Seeing it with her own eyes now, Rin finally understood his words.
As she continued walking, Rin saw an older woman selling black bread from a large basket.
It was a sight Rin was very familiar with.
Many poor people would go to big bakeries in the city center early in the morning, buy defective or day-old loaves at a low price, then bring them back to the slums to resell for a small profit.
Rin herself had once done that kind of work.
Feeling a bit nostalgic, Rin approached the basket and asked to buy one loaf. The woman said:
"One loaf for five iron coins."
'That's expensive,' Rin thought.
She used to sell such bread for three iron coins back in the slums of Dorn.
Maybe the woman wanted to overcharge her because Rin didn't look poor, or perhaps prices in Aldor were higher. Rin guessed as she paid.
In this kingdom, the main currencies were copper, silver, and gold coins, with ten of the lower denomination equal to one of the higher. However, among the poor, there was also a fourth type—iron coins—ten iron coins equaled one copper coin.
Since Rin didn't have any iron coins, she paid one copper coin and bought two loaves.
Holding the hard black bread, Rin immediately felt a familiar sensation.
She took a bite, and its taste and texture were just as tough as she remembered. Still, Rin quietly ate the bread with genuine enjoyment.
The woman selling bread watched her with surprise. Judging by Rin's clean appearance and fine clothes, she had assumed the girl was from a wealthy family and only bought the bread out of curiosity.
That was why she had raised the price by one iron coin.
But seeing Rin eat the bread naturally and happily, she began to doubt her assumption.
Curious, the woman asked:
"You look unfamiliar. Why did you come here?"
Rin replied: "I came from somewhere else. I'm just walking around."
Then, before the woman could ask anything more, Rin waved goodbye and walked away, continuing to eat her bread.
Not far ahead, Rin saw a small child staring at her bread with longing eyes.
The child was thin and looked one or two years younger than Rin.
The sight reminded Rin of herself not long ago. So she immediately walked over, pressed her remaining loaf into the child's hands, and slipped a few copper coins underneath it.
"Keep it safe," she whispered.
She couldn't give too much money—carrying large sums in a place like this could bring misfortune. Rin knew that very well.
So even when giving just a few copper coins, she did it discreetly.
Feeling the weight of the bread and coins, the child looked at Rin in surprise.
Then, seeing Rin turn to leave, the child suddenly realized and quickly said:
"Thank you, sister."
After wandering and seeing the familiar poverty again, Rin felt more deeply the gap between the rich and the poor, between those with power and ordinary people.
She had only recently learned to use spiritual energy, yet it already allowed her to earn so much money.
If everyone could learn to use spiritual energy, would there be no more hunger or suffering?
Rin had once asked Master that question, and his answer was not optimistic:
"In reality, even with teachers, not everyone can learn to use spiritual energy.
And even if everyone could, making the gap in strength between individuals smaller, society would still have class and wealth divisions. Some might live better, but others could end up worse. It's impossible to predict—too many complex social factors.
Moreover, not everyone wants everyone else to have power. When too many people possess strength, it only leads to more conflicts and competition for resources."
Recalling those words, Rin sighed with a touch of sadness, and at the same time walked back to her original spot.
Then suddenly, someone behind her patted her head and said:
"What a well-behaved little girl."