Chapter 96: A Very Harmonious Town
Saul moved closer. "Ada, is something going on in your town?"
"...You'll find out later." Ada didn't explain and simply hurried forward.
Seeing that Ada wasn’t willing to elaborate, Saul had no choice but to follow quietly for now.
As they got closer, he saw that the town’s outer wall had two entrances.
One was a large gate, reinforced with thick wooden beams and standing half a meter taller than the wall itself.
The other was a much smaller door, just over two meters high and quite narrow.
By this time, the sky had darkened considerably. The large gate was shut tight, while the small door remained open.
A single soldier in padded armor stood by the small door, leaning lazily against the wall, holding an iron-tipped wooden spear. He yawned listlessly.
Saul looked around but didn’t see any other guards.
"Ada, is your town really this poorly defended? We’re near the border, right? Is this safe?"
Ada lowered his voice. "Our duchy has been at war with the northern Kenas Duchy for years. A wizard lord and most of our guards were sent to the front lines."
"Huh?" Saul acted panicked. "Then who’s protecting the town?"
His voice seemed a little too loud, making the drowsy soldier glance up at him.
Ada quickly pulled Saul aside and gave the soldier an awkward smile.
The soldier, however, ignored them. He didn’t even collect an entrance tax—contrary to what Saul had expected—and simply let them pass.
They walked deep into the town before Ada finally stopped in an empty alleyway.
He frowned at Saul. "There are wizard lord’s men in the town. Be careful what you say, and don’t draw their attention."
"I'm sorry," Saul apologized sincerely. "I’ve suffered a lot out there and just want to find a safe place to settle down. I’m afraid that after finally making it here, I’ll find out this place isn’t safe either."
He lowered his head, looking dejected.
Seeing this, Ada’s scolding softened.
He ran a hand through his damp hair and sighed. "If you have questions, ask me at home. Don’t poke around outside."
"Okay, okay," Saul nodded quickly.
But he had already decided that tomorrow morning, he would go out and gather information himself.
After all, rumors from the common folk were often a valuable source of intelligence.
Still, to avoid causing trouble for the kind-hearted Ada, he would be careful about who he spoke to and how.
For the rest of the way, Saul behaved himself.
Ada glanced back at him now and then, satisfied that he was staying quiet and not asking questions.
Though the sky was darkening, there were still many people on the town’s streets.
The wealthier families had already lit their lamps, while the less fortunate hurried to finish their work before nightfall.
Adults, exhausted from a long day’s labor, prepared to rest for the night.
Children, however, did their best to delay going home.
Ada remained silent the entire way, greeting others only with a nod, quite different from the man who had eagerly called out to his long-lost acquaintance outside the town.
It was only after they turned into a narrow alley that Ada finally seemed to relax.
The path was rugged and uneven.
Unlike the main streets, this road was full of potholes, making it difficult to walk. It seemed to have rained recently, leaving puddles in the lower areas. Stepping stones had been placed down to avoid soaking one’s shoes.
Saul mimicked Ada’s careful steps, but his footing was too heavy. The stone wobbled beneath him, splashing a few drops of water. He nearly splattered a passerby.
The passerby dodged just in time and scolded him, "Watch it!" But upon seeing Ada, their expression softened into a smile.
"Oh, Ada, you’re back?"
"Aunt Jenny," Ada responded with a friendly grin.
Aunt Jenny had a basket in her arms. She reached inside and pulled out a string of bright red chili peppers.
"I just dried these. Take them home to eat with your bread."
Ada tried to refuse, but Aunt Jenny shoved the peppers into his basket anyway. "They’re not too spicy, so Penny can eat them too. She should get used to it."
She laughed heartily.
Ada, ever the honest man, felt too embarrassed to refuse again and reluctantly accepted.
Aunt Jenny then turned her gaze toward Saul, scanning him from head to toe with a curious smile.
"Visiting relatives?"
Saul grinned but didn’t answer.
Ada quickly spoke up. "He’s an old friend from my village. He couldn’t survive outside, so he came to stay with me."
Aunt Jenny’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"New to town, huh? You look sharp, just a bit scrawny. Hard work will fix that."
"Yeah, yeah," Ada replied quickly, pulling Saul away.
They continued walking until a burly man with a thick beard appeared ahead, dragging a skinny old man behind him.
Despite the cool early spring weather, the bearded man wore little clothing.
His shirt was open at the collar, revealing a muscular chest. A curved blade hung from his waist, occasionally tapping against his thigh as he walked.
"Captain Jeff!" Ada greeted him warmly. "You’re bringing the old lunatic back again?"
The burly Jeff hoisted the frail old man higher.
Ada quickly handed his hoe and basket to Saul and stepped forward to help.
"The old lunatic went to see the mayor again, ranting about his tragic past. If I hadn’t dragged him away, he’d have gotten himself beaten."
Jeff massaged his sore wrist as he spoke.
As if on cue, the old man wailed suddenly.
"Those damned barbarians!"
Everyone was used to the old lunatic’s outbursts.
Only Saul turned to look, noticing that despite his vacant eyes, the man’s gaze wasn’t truly chaotic.
He didn’t seem insane—he seemed like someone who had lost all hope.
"I’ll take him home then," Ada said. "Captain Jeff, would you like to come in for some water?"
Jeff waved a hand. "No need. I have to get back to patrol."
Ada smiled and watched him leave.
At that moment, the old lunatic shouted again, "Don’t trade with the barbarians!"
His voice was filled with despair.
Saul noticed Jeff’s steps falter. His right hand instinctively reached for his curved blade.
But Jeff didn’t turn back or say anything. He simply kept walking, hand still on his weapon, his pace quickening.
Ada, busy trying to quiet the old man, didn’t notice Jeff’s reaction at all.
"Forget it, Saul. Drop the stuff and help me out."
The struggling old man was proving to be more trouble than Ada could handle alone.
Saul tossed away his wooden staff, shifted the hoe and basket to one hand, and effortlessly lifted the old man by his armpits—hoisting him up as if he weighed nothing.
"Uh…" Ada was surprised by how light the burden suddenly felt. He glanced at Saul in surprise. "You’re stronger than you look."
Saul replied casually, "Had to get strong to survive."
"Now I really believe you made it here on your own."
Together, they carried the old man into a narrow courtyard.
Ada’s home was a small, cramped yard.
Surrounded by buildings on all sides, laundry lines stretched across the space, draped with underwear, shoes, blankets, and even wild vegetables hanging out to dry.
Beyond the laundry, they spotted a man crouched against a wooden window, peeking inside one of the houses.
Ada immediately flared up.
"Jayce! You bastard, stay away from my sister!"
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