Chapter 28 - 27
Near the carriage, a grateful merchant rushed over.
"Thank you, young hero! Truly, we owe you our lives. May I know your name?"
"Lumberling," he replied simply.
"If you hadn’t been here, I fear none of us would have made it," the merchant said. He then reached into his coat and produced a small token stamped with a silver insignia. "Please accept this token. It grants a five percent discount on purchases and three percent bonuses when selling to any of our branches."
Lumberling took the token and nodded. "Thanks, I’ll take it."
"We’ll rely on you if something happens again."
"No problem."
As Lumberling climbed into the carriage, he caught the intense gaze of the little girl from earlier. She stood on the cushioned bench, staring up at him with wide, sparkling eyes. Her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides, her posture straight and serious.
Then, to his surprise, she suddenly stepped forward and planted her feet apart in a firm stance. One hand went to her chest in a rigid salute while the other extended forward in an invisible sword thrust.
"I am Jen, protector of Grandpa and smasher of bad guys!" she declared with a high-pitched growl.
The pose wasn’t perfect—her balance was a little off and her form was sloppy—but the fire in her eyes and the proud lift of her chin made Lumberling pause. For a moment, she looked like a tiny Knight standing at attention before her commander.