Moments later they arrived at crossroad. Bronze realized that they are not heading back to Eimas, as Vali goes exactly to opposite direction.
"We're going somewhere else?"
"Oh right! It seems we heading to our usual town." Answered Hemeth.
"The watchers breeding town?"
"Uh... Yep, dunno why we going there right now though, Eimas is much closer... Vali!"
"Hm?"
"Why we not going back to Eimas?"
"It's easier to sell at our place, trading at Eimas is a disaster. Also there's some other 'business' i need to do there."
"But what about Domy? He's training back there alone."
"That's his problem, besides he wont be ready anytime soon anyway."
"So we're gonna back to Eimas after this?"
"Eventually."
"Is your hometown still far? Getting real tired lifting this." Complained Bronze.
"It's not our hometown... just usual place for now, besides we can switch position Mr.Bronze, the Watcher legs is barely heavy."
"Nah, I'm good, Don't worry Hemeth."
Vali looks around making sure no incoming trouble, while occasionally looks at Bronze and Hemeth, watching them acting like a best friend. Even more watching at how friendly Bronze is towards Hemeth.
After a long walk they finally arrived, It's a small town and more like a big village. There's dirt and rock mixture as city wall and big wooden gate to enter the town, there's also a pole behind the gate with cloth fluttering at the top with symbolic letter 'G' on it, must be some kind of flag. Near the gate stood two guards.
The guards saw Vali and opened the gate immediately, they greet them politely like greeting a customer and let them enter the town. Vali then headed to some kind of ranch with Hemeth and Bronze behind her lifting the watcher. The ranch looks empty with nothing inside and a stall with a person in it.
"Miss Vali? You're back!"
"Yes, we brought you new watcher."
"Splendid! We're running out just about now!"
"Running out? What do you mean? Where's the rest of the Watchers?" Asked Hemeth suddenly. Hemeth looks quite shocked with what the ranch owner just said.
"Well.. you see, Apparently it's quite impossible to breed them. They really a wild beast after all, don't worry though they didn't harm anyone when they ran."
"So you lost them? I almost thought you killed them." Said Hemeth looks kind of relieved.
"What!? No! Why we would do such a thing? They just suddenly rampaging and escape, that's all."
"Well I'm not fond of detail, just pay us as usual and we're on our way."
"Yeah! Of course miss Vali! wait here!"
"That guy went from zero to one hundred pretty fast."
"Yea..." Said Hemeth then paused. "He was looked pretty down before he notice us."
"You can do the deal as usual, I have to go to supply store."
"Sure thing!"
"Bronze you go with me."
Bronze then put the Watcher down and start sleeping on the bench near the ranch fence.
"Nope, Sorry. I'm quite exhausted, gonna sleep here for a while."
Vali didn't want to leave Hemeth with Bronze so she stays until the deal is finished and goes to the supply store with Hemeth after.
"Rare for you to wait Vali, what's gotten into you?"
"Sometimes i just don't understand whether you really smart or just pretending to be smart."
"Wha- what's that suppose to mean!?"
"BARNEM!" Shout Vali suddenly.
In front of them is the supply store with a sign "Everything you need, You ever wanted is Here" written, and a shocked bald man inside of it.
"Oh! little Vali! You're back!"
Vali then walk fast to the man she called Barnem and gets very close to him.
"You bald liar, how dare you tricked us!?"
"W-wait calm down! What is this about?"
"Don't act like you don't know! The net! It's fraud!
"The net? The last one i sold to you?"
"Exactly."
"What's with the net? It was my masterpiece."
"Masterpiece? You said the net was super strong, even can withstand a 'Beiruk', but it got ripped by mere Watcher!"
"A Watcher? Ripped my net? That's impossible."
"Tell that to Bony, he has hole on his shoulder thanks to that."
"That's... hard to believe, heck even if 'Beiruk' ripped it I would still shocked, it was 'THAT' strong."
"It's true, I was there too when it happened."Said Hemeth. Hemeth looks anxious ever since they've arrive at the store, seems wanted to say something, but don't want to interrupt the conversation.
"Did you bring the net..?"
"We do! wait!" Hemeth began unpacking their equipment, getting out the broken net. The shop owner named Barnem looking at the net in disbelief, his eyes widened with his eyebrows raised, he looked like someone who made amazing statue for many days and got smashed right in front of him when it finished.
"This... This is not possible!! Little Vali.. you know me, there's no way I gave broken equipment or fraud gear to you! Well.. just for you at least..., I mean look! The unripped part is still strong as steel! did you really sure it was a watcher that did this?"
"Yes." Answer Vali.
"Did you catch the watcher that did it?"
"No I killed it."
"That's too bad."
"Pretty sure it was a Watcher, since the healing stuff is working."
"Ah well.. I'm still can't believe this, but I'm truly sorry. As compensation I will resupply all of your need for free, just this time! But I just want you to know lil Vali, there's no way I intend to do anything that caused harm or trouble to you or your team."
"I believe you Barnem, we're an old friend anyway. But free is too much, maybe half price will do, we don't want you to go out of business."
Hemeth looking at how fast Vali changed her attitude when Barnem gave her compensation, she never believe or forgiving people that fast before, must be a record for her.
"Oh thanks, you're very kind lil Vali... by the way my name is 'Bernam' though not Barnem." Said Bernam almost crying because of it.
"I was about to say that!" Shout Hemeth.
"... Anyway hows the town now?" Asked Vali, ignoring Hemeth.
Bernam suddenly changed his expression, He had very serious face now. He sit on his chair and start clasping his hands near his mouth, it almost touched his lips.
"Grim as usual, the 'Gambits' didn't make it easier here at all."
"It's been a months since they settled here, I thought it'll be a great change of pace. But, seems i was hoping to much."
"What they do?" Asked Vali, also with suddenly serious face on her.
"Sort of things, did you heard about the ranch? I think those Gambits people who set the watchers flee... or even killed."
"What!? but the owner said they rampaged and escaped." Shout Hemeth.
"I'm not sure, I wasn't there when it happen. In fact no one actually know what happened, except for those Gambits i believed. Thanks to that many people injured in past few days can't be healed immediately."
"Who's injured?"
"Mainly hunters like you guys. Since this place is kinda "Hotspot" for a hunters or adventurer."
"You should talk to them Vali ! Without your help they would never even settled here in the first place."
"That I might do. But we had our own problems Hemeth. Between Me, Gambit and this place was happened a month ago, and it was over for me back then."
"But-"
"She's right Hemeth, we can't count on lil Vali all the time. This is this town problems."
"Then I'll just pick our supplies now." The serious face on Vali took a drastic change.
"Y-yeah sure..." The cool serious looking at Bernam face turned back into depression.
Vali and Hemeth then pick their new gears and supplies, Hemeth never look such happy face on Vali before. After they finished Hemeth decide for them to sleep and rest at inn. But, Vali refused and said she still had some 'matter' to do, so they go on separate ways.
Meanwhile at the ranch Bronze woke up, he yawn and then noticed a letter next to him that said Vali and Hemeth were heading to this place, it is a map of the town with X mark on it, So he then headed that way.
Bronze looks around the town while he walks, he noticed its not really a lively place. He saw some guard just having an argument to a group of people, he heard words of Gambits people causing a ruckus or fights. After walks for few minutes he saw a bar, and goes right into it.
Inside he saw gloomy bartender, and just that. He never saw such horrid looking bar in his life before.
"Yo!" said Bronze while snapping his fingers."You got anything to drink?"
The bartender startled and looks at Bronze.
"C-customer! sure ! what is it you want to drink sir!?"
"... Is there any Durri juice?"
"I'm afraid not sir..."
"Just gave me anything sweet then."
"Is... water with sugar fine?"
"Are you serious?"
The bartender didn't answer, he had this pale face on him.
"Holy crap he is serious." Bronze thought, Of course he didn't said that out loud.
"Say... what's going on around here? Is this place always like this?" He then said, trying to distract the sad looking bartender.
"Huh? oh... no not always."
"Then?"
"Usually bunch of adventurers and hunters filling the place up, but ever since that Gambits people took over, things started to changed."
"Gambit... Family?"
"Yes!"
"Heh! I know I have heard Gambit name before, so that's what those people on the street was talking about."
"Oh..? you knew them?"
"Yep, they were among strongest family back then right then just disappear few months ago."
"I'm not really understand these kind of things... I just want to work at my bar, but ever since a month ago exactly when those people stay, things became bad for me."
"I know that they were having an issues with another strong family, and since they disappear, I assumed it's not going so well for them. Well.. that was months ago, so it might be their remnants that stayed here then.
"I-I see... if only they never came here it'll be much better."
"Yo bartender, what kind of talk is that? That would be mean you averted your misfortune to someone else."
"N-no! I didn't meant that way!"
Bronze then dropped couple of silver from his pocket to the table.
"Hopefully yer place get better, sad thing to see a bar so empty."
"What is this for? You didn't order anything yet?"
"For the chat." Said Bronze as he left the bar while waving, with his back at the bartender.
"..! P-please comeback again! I'll try to have Durri juice on the menu next time!"
After going outside Bronze looks back at the Bar and mumbled.
"Man... I really could use something to drink right now... maybe I shouldn't refused the sugar water... But, if i go back now it'll be so uncool."
He then checked the map and continued to go to the X mark. Bronze kept walking as the X mark leads him to an alley and finally arrived at a dead end.
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