A Mythical Journey To Remember - Chapter 26

Chapter 26 - Old People

Rida had seen all kinds of individuals passing through her tavern over the years, from her early days as a young girl when her father owned the tavern, until now. Among them were murderers, nobles, commoners, workers, thieves, and people of all other sorts. Yet, she had never encountered a man quite like young Idas. There was something peculiar about him—a detached air that exuded confidence with each step he took. It was hard to describe in words, but the closest she could say was that he was someone who saw the world in a way that no one else did.

This enigmatic young man had inadvertently brought trouble upon Rida. It seemed as though both good fortune and misfortune trailed in his wake. Before his arrival, everything had been slow and a bit too sluggish for Rida's taste. Nevertheless, she had some coins in her pocket and wouldn't go hungry anytime soon.

But with Idas came change, along with an influx of wealth. Rida had developed a fondness for the lad. However, when local thugs inquired about his whereabouts, she divulged everything she knew about Idas to them.

During a subsequent confrontation with the thugs, Rida discovered that Idas was no mere merchant; he was a skilled warrior. Single-handedly, he incapacitated all of the assailants. Admittedly, his disheveled companion proved less useful, struggling against even one of the thugs.

Yet, amidst the chaos, Rida discerned something remarkable about Idas. He wasn't a naïve country boy who had stumbled upon a stroke of luck. When cornered, he launched an attack without the slightest hesitation. It was as if he regarded even the leader of the thugs as inconsequential. Perhaps he had faced formidable adversaries before, rendering him unafraid of those larger, stronger, and more numerous than himself.

Regrettably, Rida had betrayed Idas' trust, fearing that the young man might seek retribution. After all, most boys his age lacked a thorough comprehension of how the real world operated. Sometimes, good people were compelled to engage in unsavory acts under the threat of violence.

In the aftermath of that ordeal, Idas somehow emerged victorious. Remarkably, he persuaded the King not only to spare him but also to dispatch the thugs and offer him protection.

Nonetheless, those matters were no longer Rida's concern as she prepared for another day managing her pub. These were just the afterthoughts of a woman who didn’t have a lot going on her day. At least she was thankful that she didn’t end up on the receiving end of some revenge plot.

Abruptly, a deafening noise reverberated from the entrance, and scores of soldiers stormed in. Rida froze in shock, instinctively raising her hands as several soldiers aimed their bows at her without hesitation, poised to strike.

"Rita, you are under arrest on suspicion of conspiring to conceal the disappearance of an honorable local merchant!" bellowed one of the guards. "If you resist, we have orders to sever your hands and feet to prevent your escape."

Panicking, Rida promptly raised her arms and exclaimed, "W-Wait! I am unarmed!"

Rita sensed the palpable bloodlust emanating from the men surrounding her, realizing that any misstep would cost her life. Their presence indicated that someone in a position of power held a grievance, warranting the use of such ruthless guards. These men belonged to the infamous army regiment known as the Blood Hounds.

An elderly man entered the room, exuding an air of purpose. Rita recognized him as the King's advisor, rumored to be the true power behind the throne.

"Where is he?" he urgently asked, scanning the room. "Where is he?! What happened to the glass maker?"

"I-Idas?" Rika hesitantly responded, unsure. She had heard...

"No! The glass maker who aided him!" the man practically shouted, inches from her face.

"But didn't the merchant craft the glass bottles himself, grandfather?" interjected a young man in his early twenties. He possessed dark hair, blue eyes, and a budding beard. Handsome and scholarly, he exuded the aura of a warrior-intellectual—a fusion of two worlds.

The old man's gaze softened, and he clarified, "No, the young merchant named Idas dedicated his days to managing the market. It would be impossible for him to simultaneously produce the bottles."

The young man nodded. "I understand, but are we certain he was abducted or killed? Perhaps he simply ran away."

"No," the old man shook his head. "The merchant was at the pinnacle of his success, with no indication the previous day that he harbored such intentions. It would be illogical for him to flee at this juncture. Furthermore, he negotiated monthly payments during our deal. Why negotiate if he intended to run off before fulfilling his obligations?"

The young man furrowed his brow, seemingly unconvinced. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head. "You're right. Idas isn't our primary concern. It's the glassmaker. Their creations possess the potential to revolutionize local trade and become a specialty. Though I still have this gut feeling."

"The world doesn’t run on gut feelings,” the old man dismissed his words. “If I had known this would happen, I would have locked down the city and forced Idas to reveal the identity of the glassmaker," the old man lamented, shaking his head. "With age, I have become more of a schemer than a warrior."

Rita couldn’t understand the men's concerns since the city walls should be able to prevent any escape. However, her worries quickly shifted to the possibility of being imprisoned.

"Damn it! We've lost a valuable source of income!" The old man gritted his teeth, then took a deep breath to calm himself. "The gangs have grown audacious. Tonight, we must make an example of them. It will be a night the city will remember as the one when we rid ourselves of such scum. Gather a hundred guards and cleanse the streets. Execute anyone suspicious and put their heads on pikes outside the city walls."

A chill ran down Rita's spine, and she trembled when the young boy's gaze turned toward her.

"What about her?" the youngster asked.

"She overheard our plans. Kill her. She is probably involved with the gang responsible for the merchant's disappearance anyways," the old man declared coldly.

"W-What?" Rita panicked. "W-Wait! My Lord, I-"

Her words were cut short as a soldier hurled his spear, piercing her neck. Pain surged through her, blood spurted, and numbness spread through her body as she crashed into the counter she had diligently cleaned countless times. Darkness engulfed her.

***

During our two-week journey, sleeping on dirt lost its novelty. The discomfort of the hard ground caused my back to ache, and even the beautiful starry sky couldn't distract me from the occasional crawling worms that disturbed my sleep.

On one occasion, a small centipede spider almost made its way into my mouth while I was sleeping! Disgusting!

After two weeks, we were supposed to be close to Tiryns, or so a passerby told us. Still, I doubted the accuracy of his information, considering he was traveling in the opposite direction using a horse carriage.

Feeling stiff, I shifted the bag I carried over my shoulder. At least using the outdoors as a restroom was less unpleasant than in the city.

"Right here, sonny. You can leave it here, and my son-in-law will come to meet me," an old woman said.

I nodded and gently placed her bag down. She handed me a couple of copper coins and said, "This is for your help."

"No, ma'am, you don't need to do that. I have a mother myself, and if I weren't there, I would hope others would help her too. I prefer it if they did it out of kindness." I chuckled and shook my head, declining the money.

The old woman smiled and said, "Have a nice and safe journey, sonny."

I nodded, waved at her, and walked away with my companions. Budas gave me a puzzled look and asked, "Why do you keep helping old people along the road?"

"It's called being a gentleman. You should try it sometime," I replied, shaking my head with disappointment.

Truthfully, the real reason behind my actions was the possibility that these individuals could be Gods. After all, in my previous world, there was a story of Zeus disguising himself as a beggar and attempting to enter a wedding in a town. However, the bride's father turned him away, just like any ordinary person would. No father would want a potential murder hobo at his daughter's wedding. As a consequence, Zeus later destroyed that entire town.

So yeah, I definitely helped every traveler that needed it or any old person in general.

"What's a gentleman?" Auto whispered to Budas.

"It's one of those words Idas made up," the ex-bandit shrugged, then turned toward me. "I could have helped you carry some of the things."

"I chose to help those people, and I wouldn't involve you in that, even if you wanted," I replied.

If I stumbled into a God, I would want the rewards for myself!

As we engaged in small talk, I explained the meaning of 'gentleman' to them. We walked over a hill and finally caught sight of some walls in the distance.

Unlike the previous city, these walls were taller. What stood out even more was the deck and the ships in the distance, as we got a better look at the sea. Even from here, I could see many docked ships. Most of the ships in the sea seemed to be small fishing boats and no big ships.

What was that for?

However, I didn't have time to think about it too much. This was Tiryns, my last stop before Athens. As we approached, the walls became more distinct. Tiryns appeared older than the previous city, with cracks and moss growing among its walls.

Upon reaching the gates, we found a line of people entering. Even the salty smell of the sea couldn't mask the unpleasant smell of feces.

It seemed like the sewers at this place weren't well-maintained.

The line of people at the front gate continued to move. Finally, we found ourselves about ten people away when we overheard a couple of guards speaking in hushed voices.

"Why are they making us check if these people are dangerous when we have a monster attacking the town?" one guard whispered.

"Well, it's not like we'll be any help against monsters," added the other, his voice tinged with fear.