Chapter 14: Phlegrei (1)

After being trapped in an opulent if boring castle for over a month, as Caellum meandered through the capital city of the Emberfield Kingdom, he truly realized that he was in a world completely different from his own.

The building architecture was of a different style, the people wore different clothing, there were carriages drawn by creatures that looked like horses, and even the streets were cobbled differently.

There were only a few things he could say that were even a bit similar.

One was the way people behaved- those selling goods called out to passersby while holding out samples, those with places to go rushed by quickly, and children.

And the second was the sea.

Phlegrei, the capital of the Emberfield kingdom, was a city built on a flat land formed from the erupted remnants of 2 dormant volcanoes visible in the distance and the sea.

The kingdom's castle was near the center of the city, and after walking as far as he could to get out of the immense castle's shadow, past what looked like the city square, which had a large fountain with different statues pouring water, past what seemed like the wealthier business district, and past what smelled like restaurants, Caellum took a break on a small, moderately busy bridge to take in the view and catch his breath.

The backdrop of the castle was blue-green water as far as the eye could see, blending into a clear blue sky.

With ships on one side and the edges of a coastline on the other, it could only be described as beautiful.

And as the wind blew, ruffling his white hair, Caellum inhaled the unique salty breeze found only by the sea and enjoyed the sun beating down on him.

How lovely.

This was the life. Sea, sun, fresh air, and freedom.

Bump.

As somebody bumped into him, almost instinctively, Caellum grabbed the thin arm that slipped into his shirt, then his pant pocket in one smooth motion, twisted it, and used his body weight as leverage to toss the person to the ground and yank their hands behind their back, and pin them with his knee.

"Let me go!" A squeaky voice shouted out.

Ah yes.

The third thing that was similar about this world and the last was-

Pickpockets.

No matter what world you were in or what country you visited, there were always pickpockets.

"I said, let me go!"

As the…child he had pinned to the ground struggled hard, almost dislodging him, Caellum took in his appearance; short and scrawny, with rag patched clothes, messy dark brown hair, and heavily tanned skin, before digging his knee in deeper and threatening the boy in a cold voice.

"If you don't shut up, I'll call the guards. I believe the punishment for attempted theft is losing your right hand and then being thrown into the volcanic mines. Wanna try it out?"

The kid immediately stopped moving, his breath hitching from fear.

With practiced motions, Caellum patted the kid down and filched…no, relieved him of several copper coins from all over his body.

From his shirt to his shoes, he made sure to leave nothing behind, completely cleaning out the stash of coins.

"Oh? Quite a few coins. Not too shabby for this time of day. Thank you for the donation, I'll buy myself a hearty meal with this."

"Hey! That's not fair! You can't steal my money! You're supposed to let me go after giving me a stern warning to do better!" the kid complained, turning his head to the side and glaring at Caellum with an indignant expression, as if he were truly wronged.

Hearing it, Caellum lightly knocked him on the head, laughing in disbelief.

"What kind of robber complains when he gets robbed? Aren't you a little too confident I won't turn you in?"

"If you were going to turn me in, you wouldn't be talking to me right now or stealing my money. You'd be screaming for the guards to come and save you like all the other nobles." The kid replied confidently as he glared at Caellum before his eyes widened in shock.

"Wait. You're not an old man. But your hair is white? Are you an elf? Is that how you caught me? With magic?"

"Of course not. I'm human and don't have magic. What kind of nonsense is that? Are you drunk?"

"I knew it! Big brother says elves are beautiful, handsome, and perfect looking. You're too ugly to be an elf. And too skinny."

Irritated, Caellum immediately knocked the boy on the head again.

Who says I'm not handsome?

This face of mine is very handsome, I'll have you know.

As for the skinniness, I'm working on it.

"Are you going to continue talking nonsense, or are you going to act properly? If it's nonsense, I'll call the guards to come help you lose some arm weight. If it's properly, I have a job for you that will pay better than your thieving will. At least for the day."

The boy was silent for several seconds before speaking in a bright and polite tone.

"Good morning, young master. How can I help you today, young master? Do you mind letting me up, young master?"

Funny kid.

Caellum quickly let him up, shaking out his aching limbs as the young child dusted himself off and looked him over.

He did the same, noting that the kid looked around 10 years old, and while his clothes were of poor quality, he wasn't dirty by any means.

In fact, he was rather clean for a street kid.

"Age?"
"15," the kid responded mullishly.

He's lying, but it's workable.

"Name?"
"Urch."

Like urchin?

Your parents didn't even try, did they?

Caellum clicked his tongue in pity while Urch scanned him up and down before muttering bitterly.

"How did you catch me with your scrawny build? You really look like a sickly old man. You're as weak as one, too."

"Aren't you even scrawnier than I am, little kid?" Caellum fired back as he went back to looking at the sea while surreptitiously taking in his surroundings.

Despite the little scuffle, nobody was paying attention to them.

"Well, I'm a poor orphan, so of course I'm scrawny. What's your excuse? And don't call me a little kid!"

"Well, I'm also a poor orphan," Caellum replied honestly, but Urch scoffed in disbelief as he looked Caellum over once more.

Average height, thin build, deathly pale skin that blended into the white hair, sharp purple eyes.

Although the man before him looked thin and weak, the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, and even the quality of the clothes that he wore made it clear that he wasn't a beggar from the street.

He held himself as if he were someone important who was used to people doing everything for him.

But then the way he had caught and pinned him down before stripping him of every hidden coin made it apparent that he wasn't just some noble or regular person.

Who was he?

Meeting the purple eyes that shone like gems that seemed to see into him, Urch quickly focused on business.

He needed to earn back his money, otherwise he wouldn't be able to eat today.

"You mentioned a job? What's the job, young master?"

"Tour guide," Caellum said simply as he leaned backward against the bridge and let the breeze flow through his hair.

He was subtly checking out the area while examining the little brat in front of him.

"You want me to show you around the city? Me?" Urch looked over Caellum once again, noting the quality of his clothing and shoes.

There was no way he couldn't tell that they were from different worlds, right? What would a poor kid like him know about giving a rich guy a tour around the city?

Seeing Urch check him out, Caellum laughed before explaining.

"Yes. I have places to go and need to get there efficiently. I assume you know the city well. If not, I'll get someone else. Naturally, I won't pay you, and I'll keep your coins as a lesson to pick your targets a bit more carefully."

At the threat of losing the hard-earned coins, Urch quickly stood up straight while saluting Caellum like a commander.

"I know this city like the back of my hand and can take you anywhere you need, young master. Please believe in me!"

"I thought you might. Then let's go. First, I want to get a change of clothes to hide this hair of mine, then let's get some food, and finally, let's go to the bank. Can you do that?"

"Yes, young master."

"Good. Lead the way." With a casual move, Caellum flipped over the copper coins he had stolen from Urch.

The boy quickly caught them and made them disappear before looking at Caellum in confusion.

"Why…?"

"Why did I give you the money back?"

Urch was silent before nodding, "I could run away. By the way you look, you probably can't keep up."

"If you were going to run away, you would have run by now instead of talking to me and contemplating my offer." Caellum shot back Urch's own words at him before grinning, "and if you run, so be it. You think you're the only thief in the area? I guarantee someone will try again, and I'll give them the same offer. Now, are you running or are you playing tour guide?"

"Welcome to my tour, young master. Would you like me to get a carriage, young master? I saw you huffing and puffing earlier. If we have to move around at your pace, we might not complete everything you want done today." Urch commented cheekily as he bowed at Caellum with a flourish.

"……"

You damn cheeky brat.

Haven't you learned to respect your elders?

Unable to help himself, Caellum reached out and rapped Urch on the forehead.

"Go get a carriage. This young master doesn't like to walk."