Interests.

After collecting the dragon's manacore, Octan, and Lena moved out of the cave.

"I will need to go back and get my pouch..." Octan said ruffling his hair.

Lena had quickly understood which pouch he was talking about, as it was the one he would always use to store cores or loot he wouldn't plan to sell. Despite it being around palm-size, it seemed to hold a visually infinite bottom. Despite having never seen Octan take anything out of the pouch, he would always shove or throw into it without much care for space.

Manacore in hand, Octan strolled back to the manor. Octan knocked and patiently waited.

Eventually, he was welcomed by both the manor's staff and lord.

"It seems..." The noble eyed the core within Octan's hand. "That the task has been completed."

"Yeah, I killed the dragon," Octan answered.

"That does indeed, seem true." The noble continued to eye the manacore.

"I will hand it over if you want," Octan said. "But, I will have to regretfully ask for compensation first."

"But of course," The noble said, smiling. "Please, you can go ahead and rest until your reward."

"No need," Octan said barging in. "I'm only going in to get something real quick, and I will come back. I believe that will be more than sufficient time for my reward."

And, as he said, Octan entered, got his pouch, and left.

Lena followed she did wonder if that was the right way to act around the noble who hired him but decided to not ponder over it too long.

As they made it back into the cave, Octan pulled out the manacore and threw it into the pouch. And, as always, the pouch did not seem to make any motion or puff up to indicate that a new item had occupied its space.

Lena watched as Octan then looted what he seemed necessary off of the dragon's carcass. While recently she had started being in charge of looting, Octan told her to leave this one to him, as he would rather not damage such a rare existence's leftovers.

Octan and Lena then Left the cave moving for the manor. On the way back from the cave, then back to the cave, and then finally back from the cave, Octan and Lena had been completely silent. Finding no reason to converse, they didn't.

Octan this time was welcomed some distance away from the manor. Welcomed by a part of the noble's guards, and the guard himself.

"Have you left the dragon's corpse behind?" The nobleman asked, seeing as the two walked almost empty-handed.

"I've taken what I needed. After all, you did declare the adventurer's free to loot it." Octan said, studying the party of guard. "And, now I would like my compensation, please. I do not plan to stick around for long. If possible, leaving right now would be ideal."

"Forgive me, traveler," The nobleman said. "This might come as... insensitive."

The nobleman didn't reply. Instead, he gestured a guard-forward.

"However, I find it hard to believe that someone such as you was able to slay the creature."

"And why would that be?" Octan asked.

"The magic meter, while it doesn't showcase the complete extent of your magic power, it shows the difference between you and the person before." The nobleman nodded, tapping his cane. "And you, traveler, were not much of a difference to that brute."

Octan nodded, finding the man's reasoning plausible.

"Still, whether I was the one to slay it or not, you promised a fair share for all."

"That I did, dear traveler." The nobleman tapped his cane once more. "Regretfully, I will have to retract my statement."

The guards surrounded Octan and Lena as if on cue, closing in on them.

"Don't get me wrong, my promise was as genuine as one can get," The nobleman said. "It's just that, when given such an easy escape from a burden, I would be nothing short of an idiot for not taking it, don't you agree?"

Octan deeply nodded, agreeing with the man.

"Though," Octan said. "What about the kid? Are you sure you can just kill a kid over greed?"

"Oh, please, dear traveler," the man scoffed. "You surely are not so blinded."

Octan nodded even deeper, almost bowing.

As the guards circled the pair and closed in with slow steps, Octan sighed.

He wondered, just where it would end, if ever. How even after so much, and so long. It's still so visible.

'He' had won a second time.

The guard at the back rushed in, attempting to strike his blade at Lena. Lena didn't flinch, she found no reason to. She has stood in the way of creatures, monsters, beasts, and even humans. This was no different. 

Suddenly, the guard fell to the ground.

All of them did, forming a perfect circle lined with their corpses.

"Do you still believe me incapable?" Octan asked the nobleman.

"No," the nobleman said, smiling. "Forgive me, traveler." The nobleman turned around, facing a member of the manor's staff, then once again tapping his cane.

"May I ask," Octan said, giving the smirking nobleman to face him. "Were you going to conduct a similar test, if it was Kolidas in my stead?"

"What an unnecessary question, traveler," The nobleman said. "Someone of your stature must understand, he was never supposed to make it back."

"Then, why test me? Surely you do not believe me weaker than him?"

"Now, no. But, I had to test you, traveler. Your survival might've been a fluke, or you could've been a lucky runaway." The nobleman's lips curved ominously as he said his final words. "Or, you could've been tired after your battle with the being."

"How did you tame it?"

"Tame it?" The nobleman sneered. "I did nothing as such. That cavern was nothing more than a lair it had chosen for itself. I simply made use of it, that is all."

"And how long has it been there?"

"2 years now. Now and then I release a public announcement, each time increasing the reward, and changing the directive information. Not only that, but I carefully choose where my announcement is posted. We can't have the masses catching onto my schemes now, do we?"

"Still, A ranked adventurer was among your raid party. I won't believe the guild would've let his death go by so easily."

"That may be so, traveler. But, I have the protection of the state. Try as they may, unless declaring war, I do not find fear in such a circus. Not only is their current director a naive fool, but the founders the guild's oath is based on were nothing short of idealistic children."

"I hear the sword freak, Everett, isn't very forgiving, though."

The nobleman shivered, the mention of the top-ranked adventurer sending a chill down his spine.

"That... That is true. But, I believe you know as well. He is too entranced in the Western continent. They say the last he was seen in the East was a decade ago."

"I didn't know that," Octan confessed.

"Well, now you do, traveler. Take it from me as a compliment for your endeavor."

"Sir," The staff member approached the nobleman, bowing as he called for his attention. Stretching out his arms, a miniature hand-sized chest lay in view.

The nobleman opened the chest, checked its contents, and dismissed the staff member.

"Here, traveler," He said, moving towards Octan himself. "The promised reward."

Octan took the chest from the nobleman, checked its contents, and then nodded.

"It seems we are done." Octan handed the chest over to Lena.

Octan moved away, first stepping on the blood pool surrounding the corpses' heads, and then stepping over the corpses. Lena followed. She raised her leg, stepping over one of the numerous guard corpses. Lena notices an opening in the back of their helms. Something had pierced right through their forehead, leading them to their sudden death.

The two walked away, not to be interfered with.

Octan strolled, passing the nobleman's grounds, he never looked back or elaborated any of his actions to Lena. Neither did Lena ask the man to, nor want him to. Lena held the hand-sized chest, its contents audibly clattering within. She didn't bother to check the contents herself as she was only asked to carry them.

Now, Lena pondered. Just, what is their next goal? If the chest had really held the promised reward, their travels would truly become aimless. Two vagabonds without even a goal of survival. Merely wandering the world, they had no purpose nor reason to. No connection to any land, and no place to call home. For the first time, Lena felt a string pull at her heart. Her consciousness sank into an abyss.  She pondered, was that what the letter had wanted, was that what life had promised her? 

A life of... nothing. If asked, she could not name a single thing about her current life. There was nothing that she could brag, or complain about. There was no one she could brag or complain to. The twelve-year-old girl followed the aimless traveler, becoming a part of his empty world.

...Yet, even that tinge. Even the pain that plagued her. The sudden regrets about her choices,  the sudden cluelessness, and the emptiness that invaded her being.

She ignored it all, as she always did.

This is how things are, and that's why they are like that.

Accepting life as is, she gazed at the man's back, following him. Not a smile, nor a frown.

Only a single thought in mind.

"The baggage is still at that place," Lena said.

"Wha--" Octan blurted, coming to a sudden stop. "Is it worth it to go back... But he was already moments from shitting himself... Would he attack if I suddenly returned...?" Octan agonized over the fact that going for the bag might just bring up unnecessary problems.

"Meh," Octan shrugged, "Just forget about it, I will get another one at the next village." He moved.

Lena nodded to the man's back, indifferent to the outcome.