“I did what I came for without fighting at all. Sigh. Boring. What do I do now? Go back to school? Black continent? What to do, what to do?”(Me)

I mumbled at a really fast pace while standing outside, in front of the exit. I was depressed knowing that something interesting was over in under 1 hour. Even worse, it was without any resistance nor fight. By the way, I would never count beating thugs or the likes, because I compared beating them to something like killing a fly.

“Mmmmh. Let’s go back to town for now.”(Me)

I reached the gate of the town I stayed before quickly.

“You plan on entering again after leaving a few hours ago? Are you perhaps a rich noble or merchant? Where are your personal guards?”(Guard)

In some guard’s eyes I seemed rich but to nobles and other rich people it was only pocked money. I could see the stupidity in the social system of humans again. People who work all day are poor and a minority who does absolutely nothing is rich.

Well done humans.

Were my thoughts.

“Is that important? Just do your job, guard. Here the money.”(Me)

I smirked and gave him 1 silver coin to pay for the entrance fee.

“Go die.”(Guard)

He was really pissed at my attitude towards him and I even heard him curse at me after I passed the gate. Because of my trained senses, I could hear most of the things he said from far away.

I wanted to take a stroll through the streets and head for the inn I stayed before, in order to get another night to sleep under a roof. There was something strange about town though. At first I didn’t notice, because I was amused by the reaction of the guard.

After the first 10 or so metres, I felt that it was rather empty. It wasn’t that no one was on the streets, but more like the motivation of the people were turned down and only a few merchants were on the streets. I tried to figure out what their problem was. I knew 1 thing for sure.

The faces of the residents hiding in their houses and only looking outside, showed fear. Not something that had just come, it was more like fear of something that would be coming.

Me assuming that, was because of my view of races, it could also be called prejudice, but I’d prefer experience. My opinion of humans was simple. People who fear something in front of them would simply focus on it and would never dare to look away, while people who were scared of something to come, would hide, cower in fear and hope it would never find them.

I wanted someone to tell me what the problem was, but all the merchants either acted ignorant or innocent. And I already knew that there was no resident who would even come outside their houses. My last hope was to somehow hear about it at the inn. I entered and headed towards the counter. Even in the inn there were almost no adventurers.

The receptionist was still the same person a female Halfling with white hair. She wore a red ribbon and looked more like a puppet than a living being. It was hard to tell the age of Halflings, because they either age slower or faster, so I didn’t try to guess. If she had animal features, she hid them very well, I could neither see special ears, nor a tail.

“Good day, sir. What do you need?”(Receptionist)

She said that without any life, motivation nor emotion. It was the same as last time and so I began to really think of her as a doll.

“Ahm. At 1st I wanted to rent a room for the night again, but now I rather want to know what everyone is so afraid of.”(Me)

Except you though.

“Do you want the same room as yesterday?”(Receptionist)

She acted as if I never asked about information, which pissed me off.

“Yo kid, what’s the matter.”(Owner)

The owner of that inn came over to me. He was a nice old man with probably under 10 years to live.

“Something is about to come and I really want to know what. Your doll there won’t tell me though.”(Me)

“Don’t be mad, she was trained not to share any information with strangers.”(Owner)

I wouldn’t call someone I knew for an entire day a stranger. It was either a friend, a neutral person, an enemy, or that person was already killed by me.

“Hahaha, a scout on his way back to the capital stayed a night at this inn.”(Owner)

“You seem very proud.”(Me)

“Don’t interrupt my story, don’t you know it’s impolite to interrupt your elders. In my age, it’s hard to remember details and if you interrupt me I might forget more.”(Owner)

I gave him an indifferent look.

“Sigh, young ones these days. Well that scout said something about an invasion.”(Owner)

“And the townsman feel like the beastmen are the most likely to attack?”(Me)

“Either that or the demons. There are no other races next to our land.”(Owner)

“Does the honourable elder perhaps know of any reason demons would attack?”(Me)

I did my best to be friendly.

“No and don’t try to be polite, it doesn’t seem it comes natural for you.”(Owner)

“So it’s the beastmen. And the people are scared because this is the human settlement nearest to the continent of beasts. Now it also makes sense why the guard cursed me to death.”(Me)

I just overheard his lecture and said what’s on my mind.

“Indeed.”(Owner)

“Aren’t you scared?”(Me)

“I am already an old relict of this world, I won’t have much time left. Even if I die, I don’t have many regrets, but I want to return that question.”(Owner)

“Nah. I’m fine.”(Me)

It was really nice to talk to that old fox, but our talk was interrupted.

“Attack, we are under attack, run for your lives!”

I could hear desperate shouts from outside.

“It was earlier than I expected. I should prepare to leave then.”(Me)

“Hoho. If you are indeed strong enough to not fear a beastmen invasion, why won’t you save the people outside, but leave instead?”(Owner)

“Do I look like a stupid hero who would wander around saving random people to you?”(Me)