Chapter 15: Go to Academy
A knight, a bearded man named Gareth, rode past the window. "Young master, why not take the teleportation gate in the noble district? It’s faster, and we’d avoid the bandits near the port."
Eden, without looking up, replied, "No, we’re going through the port. If there are bandits, you’re here, aren’t you?"
Gareth exchanged a worried glance with another knight. The capital offered two portals: the one for nobles, secure and fast, and the one near the merchant guild, in a seedy area controlled by the underworld. Eden had chosen the latter, a risky decision.
The carriage entered the dark alleys of the poor district, its wheels rattling over cracked cobblestones. The buildings, made of rotten wood, were covered in graffiti. Passersby, with gaunt faces, watched them from half-open doors. Suddenly, the carriage stopped.
"Why are we stopping?" Eden asked, closing his grimoire.
"Five men are blocking the way, young master," Gareth replied, his hand on his sword.
A fleeting smile crossed Eden’s face, quickly replaced by his usual boredom. He got out, his boots clicking on the cobblestones. He had chosen this route on purpose, hoping for a confrontation. The slow, ostentatious carriage was a perfect target for bandits. A meter away from the men, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black tunic.
"What brings you here?" he asked, his voice drawling.
A middle-aged man, a scar across his face, sneered. "Can’t you see what we’re doing, kid?"
Gareth intervened, half-drawing his sword. "Step aside, or—"
Eden cut him off, eyeing the bandits. "You’re swordsmen, not too bad. Your auras are decent. You could be D-rank adventurers, earn money honestly. Or die here."