Testing My Luck in the New World

Volume 1 - Chapter 4

Various thug-types lined the streets, leaning on walls, sitting in gutters or were huddled together, either talking about something nefarious. More were gambling by tossing a pair of dice against the alley walls of buildings, clapping each other on the back when they won or complaining in obviously threatening tones when they didn't. Many of these sorts watched me as I tried to keep up a brisk, barely noticeable pace. Being the newest face in town amongst a bunch who likely lived here their whole life made me stand out way more than I would have liked, given where I was going.

I almost had the urge to re-equip my sword, but thought better of it since they might think I was the one trying to start something and I didn't want to give them an excuse to confront me. So, instead, I ignored them. I was not unused to people staring at me anyways.

"Am I really doing this?" I whispered to myself when I found what I was looking for.

I found the building I was searching for not too long after entering the eastern quarter. The name "De Grave Imports" was carved neatly into a sign hanging from a pole jutting out from the building itself. It was located in the furthest district of the eastern quarter, backed almost into a corner where it likely belonged. Right where Albert said it would be after I stopped by his shop again to get directions. Having to stop and ask for directions to a slave house nearly ripped the soul from my body, it was so difficult, but he brushed off my stuttering like it was nothing and told me in exact detail where to go and in a moment of focus so intense that I wasn't used to back on Earth, I unfortunately remembered the directions exceedingly clearly.

I was expecting the city slums to be where the slave house was hidden, but that wasn't the case at all. While there were more than a few thuggish people about, there was an equal number of regular, everyday people amongst the dwindling crowds in the streets, children included, if not more. None looked like the sort of destitute gutter rat that would sooner beg for scraps than work an honest job and there were no dilapidated shacks or torn up trash tents acting as shelters. It was just another part of the city.

For some reason, the De Grave building itself looked even more respectable than the Lazy Cat Inn. Its carved stone walls were neat and straight and looked almost like something I would have expected to see back on one of Earth's metropolitan many cities. It was, to my shock, a very respectable-looking place. The only exception being the men loitering about the entrance, each with swords attached to their hips. They were probably meant to appear as hired security, but when I focused on them, their info boxes clearly read "Hired Thug" under their names. Hired thugs and guards could be considered the same thing by certain types of people, but with them here in front of this building, I felt that only one title suited them.

I swallowed my pride and my fear and stepped up to them while they were mid-conversation. The one on the right, the balding man that looked like he worked himself to the bone to build up his muscles specifically to make up for his lack of hair, scowled at me while the other, a lanky man wearing a scarf that hid half of his expression just rolled his eyes for being interrupted in whatever he was saying.

The bald one took a step down the stairs and leaned into me.

"Ya, and what do you want? Why you just standing there? Got something to say?"

The thug's paltry greeting left me wanting and left me retching from the foul stench coming from his mouth. I didn't know if they invented toothpaste yet in this world, but if they did, this man clearly hadn't heard about it.

"Well?"

"I-I want to..."

"Come on. Out with it. I ain't got all day."