Chapter 55: Become My Disciple
Riley stood directly in front of Dapper while Shinro was behind him. That was how they ended up lining up, as queues were formed hastily. Trying to swap places now might stir irritation from the already tense crowd.
Shinro, meanwhile, was sweating nervously as he watched others hand over their payments—two thousand Yexen each.
’Two thousand Yexen as a one-time payment... It’s a lot, but I guess not so much when you think about it covering our gear. Still, I haven’t seen a single person get turned away. What will happen if I tell them I don’t have money? I don’t even have any special talent. Compared to everyone here, I’m just trash from a tiny village...’ he thought, anxiety dripping from his pores.
Dapper suddenly sensed something off and turned his head. "Shinro, didn’t you say you were robbed? How are you going to pay that fee?"
"Y-Yeah... I honestly don’t know. Even the money I had before getting robbed wasn’t up to a thousand Yexen," Shinro admitted, his voice trembling. "Surely they won’t kick me out just for that, right?"
Sigh. "Just take it, man," Dapper said, pulling some money from his inventory. "Let’s hope it doesn’t get stolen again before it’s your turn."
Shinro accepted the money with trembling hands, his eyes wide. It was the most cash he’d ever held in his life.
"T-Thank you..." he said, stuttering as he tucked the bills into his underwear, glancing behind warily and slipping into defensive mode.
"Riley, what about you?" Dapper asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Riley responded, turning slightly, her jet-black eyes meeting his.
"I mean, do you have your fee with you?"