From Blade To Spell

Earlier this morning.

Near Boss Spider's bandit camp.

A group of masked men were searching the area.

Suddenly, one of them approached and said in a cold tone,

"Captain, the person we were looking for is dead."

The captain, also masked, was stunned. His eyes narrowed, and he cursed under his breath,

"Damn it. I knew I couldn't trust those bandits with such an important task. I should've handled it myself."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his rising frustration. Then he spoke with quiet resolve,

"Let's move. We need to track her whereabouts. As long as we capture her, we can return, and finally enjoy the freedom we've all been chasing."

A masked man suddenly spoke in a cold tone,

"Captain, how about we inquire at Brindle Hollow village?"

The captain nodded and replied,

"Let's go."

The group reached the village within half an hour, riding swiftly on horseback.

Upon seeing them, the guard stationed in the watchtower was stunned. He quickly rang the bell and shouted,

"Strangers! State the purpose of your visit to Brindle Hollow!"

The masked men glanced up at the armed guards but didn't take them seriously. The captain responded arrogantly,

"Did a girl come here today or yesterday?"

The guards didn't appreciate the tone. One of them, stationed at the gate, recalled the boy and girl who had passed through earlier. But the boy had generously handed him a silver coin, an act that earned quiet respect and was later shared among the guards.

So the guard shouted back,

"Are you kidding me? No one's visited Brindle Hollow in the last two days."

"Besides, it rained heavily three days ago. No sane person would enter the Dark Forest after that. You'd best move along."

As he spoke, he pulled out his bow and aimed it coldly at the masked group, his eyes sharp with warning.

The captain saw the guard's reaction and realized that their target wasn't here. He didn't want to waste time arguing, especially when time was already slipping away.

He turned to his men and said,

"Let's go check Tulip Town. If we find her location there, we might get lucky. If not… we'll return."

Without another word, the masked group turned their horses and rode off, leaving behind a trail of dust and unease.

On the other hand, Aaron and Maria were seated inside an inn. The place was lively, filled with people from various regions who had come to Tulip Town to purchase tulip flowers. These flowers had many uses, but in this age, they were primarily valued as a dye material.

Aaron munched on a roasted potato and said,

"Miss Maria, let's go and buy clothes. It might take some time for our horses to be fed."

Maria thought for a moment, then nodded. Although she wanted to keep her identity hidden, deep down she longed to wash up and feel clean again.

Aaron walked over to the landlady and asked,

"We'd like to take a bath. How much will it cost?"

The landlady replied,

"Four copper coins. Don't worry, the bathrooms for men and women are separate. But remember, you only get one tub of water. If you need a refill, it'll cost another copper coin."

Aaron asked,

"I want to buy clothes. Do you have any recommendations?"

The landlady smiled warmly and replied,

"There's a tailor shop just two houses down from mine. You can check there."

Aaron took out six copper coins and said,

"Here. Please prepare a bath with water. We'll be back soon."

The landlady accepted the coins with a smile.

"Okay."

Aaron took Maria and headed to the tailor shop.

As soon as they entered, he saw two people, a man and a woman, managing the store. A few customers were inside, inspecting clothes. Some of them glanced at Aaron and Maria and began whispering among themselves.

"Hey, look, another group of commoners."

"Don't they know this place is expensive?"

"Think they'll embarrass themselves?"

"Ah, I never get tired of watching this."

Though whispered, Aaron and Maria could hear every word clearly.

Aaron ignored them and said calmly,

"Show us your clothes."

The man, dressed neatly, looked at Aaron with mild disgust but still responded in a composed tone,

"Sir, you might not know, but our clothes start at one silver coin each."

Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin, casually spinning it between his fingers.

The man's expression shifted instantly. He bowed deeply and said,

"Apologies, sir. I've made a mistake."

Aaron was too lazy to pay attention to the murmuring crowd and simply said,

"Show us your best clothes, for me and for her."

The woman stepped forward and guided Maria toward the racks, while Aaron examined the garments on display. He found simple pants and shirts made from plant fibers, surprisingly soft and durable.

The man beside him explained,

"Sir, this cloth is made from the silk plant. The plant produces silk fruits, which are harvested and woven. Each piece of shirt costs four silver coins."

Aaron casually picked out two black shirts in his size, two underwear and then selected two plain pants. He also requested two large pieces of cloth to use as masks, which were handed over free of charge.

Meanwhile, Maria quickly chose a skirt priced at fifty silver coins. She returned and said,

"Aaron, shall we go?"

Aaron was stunned. In his previous world, girls often lingered while shopping. What he didn't realize was that Maria wanted to stay longer too, but she remembered she had no coins. So she quietly suppressed her desire.

Aaron nodded and promptly paid for everything. After receiving his change, he left the shop without delay.

Back at the inn, the bath had already been prepared.

Aaron turned to Maria and said,

"Miss, you take your bath first. After that, meet me back in the room."

With that, he headed to their room, placed a fresh set of clothes on the bed, and then walked toward the bathroom to inspect it.

The bathing room was simple and modest. It contained a wooden bathtub, a hanger for clothes, a bucket, and a wooden mug for pouring water. The scent of cool air lingered in the air, offering a brief moment of comfort in an otherwise rugged journey.