Earth: The Second

Market Talks

As a maid, Rika has always been diligent. She usually woke up one or two hours earlier than her teacher, right when the sun is rise. Around this time, the market has started to open, and she will be able to get the freshest ingredients. As a merchant student, she already mastered the art of haggling, even the sellers around her have given her the nickname ‘Headmaid from Hell’ because of how keen her eyes are when it comes to product quality, either food or non-food.

Every day, it takes a maximum of one hour to buy food for three times meal for her teacher and herself. But sometimes, she fancies an extra stroll around the market just to see new wares, foods, or even hot rumors that will fetch a price on her teacher’s shop. Today is a lucky day for her, since the stall that sells skewered meat is open, and she can enjoy the famous sweet-seaweed flavored meat. 

“Give me five! No! Ten of those!” she shouted to the seller.

“Oh, missus! early as usual heh? Alright! Ten meat skewers, coming right up!” replied the seller with a hoarse voice.

As Rika waited for her order to finished, her ear caught a conversation with people around her, first come from the group of adventurers that discussing the news about the loss of the Black Claws group.

“Wait is that true? You mean those Black Claws that been led by the ex-King Mercenary?” said one of the female adventurers.

“Yeah, that is what everyone said, I also heard that it happened in the village located outside of the city,” replied her friend.

“The village that Duke planning to relocate so he can build more commercial district right? They are still putting up a fight?”

“Apparently so, who knows? probably they finally able to hire someone who is stronger than Black Claws themself,”

“Hmmh, but the situation probably will get worse even for the village themself, their effort is admirable, but fighting against a noble has always resulted in bad things after another,” comment the girl as they walked away.

Whoa, someone is able to take down Black Claws? I wonder who they are. thought Rika. 

“Missus, here is your order!” the meat seller happily handing over a paper bag full of skewers and Rika exchanged it with five silver coins.

“Thank you very much!”

As she happily enjoys her treat, the conversation about Black Claws seems in the hot this morning. They are famously known as the strongest adventurers in the city, and will any jobs as long they evenly paid.

The citizen also knew about their contract with Udeka, the Duke. Especially when it comes to the ‘incident’ months ago, which resulted in the life of dozens of villagers. In that incident, Udeka never commands his official troops to attack the protestors, instead, he always letting the people which he ‘contracts’ doing the dirty jobs.

However, no matter how disgusted people are, the Duke always treats critics as an act of rebellion against the kingdom. People who align themself with the struggle of the villagers are getting prisoned, tortured, or killed. Not just one individual, but their entire family. Because of that everyone prefers to shut their mouth, and hoping that no spark of fire will bother their everyday life.

But who knows? Probably this rumor will be the start of the new resistance?

As Rika keep walking, once more she heard gossip about the stranger in that village.

“People said that he killed one of that Black Claws member!” a middle-aged woman seems to talk passionately among other middle-aged women with a bag of groceries in their hands. 

“Oh, do you mean the stranger that lived in that orphanage? It’s true that his face is not familiar around here,” 

“I watched him fetching the water once at the plaza! He seems like a strong man isn’t he?”

“Certainly! His face also isn’t that bad either, right?”

“He must be a strong adventurer from other cities!” the gossips then continue to the discussion of how handsome that ‘stranger’ is, just like what you expect from the adults like those.

Rika quickly leaves with enough information on her head. The Black Claws seem to be losing their dominance among the city, and a stranger which is the one that brought them justice. Quickly her mind returns to the past days, when her teacher teel his traveling stories, about Adma. and coincidentally, the same person that he talking about is appears in their shop, and bought information from her teacher.

Suddenly, at the corner of the street, Rika hit someone who is just appeared from the opposite side. Startled, she drops the meat skewer in her hand and fell right on that person’s hoodie mantle.

“Ouch! Hey!” Rika is on her way to spit that person up, but she is even more surprised by that person in front of her.

A short silver hair, with sharp blue eyes. Although he is hiding that hair under the mantle, Rika could see him clearly because she is right under his face. And the person that his Teacher always talking about, is not something that she able to forget quickly.

“Hey, you are that man from yesterday!” said Rika, unconsciously, she talked as if they have known each other, which make Rika embarrassed when she realizes it.

Adma looked at the girl in front of her, maid costume, glasses, and black hair that tied to the back of her head. Quickly, Adma realizes her face from Gon’s shop.

“Oh, I remember you, that maid from Mr. Green Shop,” Adma noticed the costume that she has been wearing. For some reason, Adma remembers the trend that he has heard before. “You are that, ko...kosu-pulayer?”

“Kosu-what?” Rika lifts her brow and giving Adma questionable looks. Realize that he probably mess something up, Adma letting out a sigh.

“Nothing, sorry I’m just speaking to myself. And sorry to make your food go to waste,” Rika realized that the half-eaten meat skewer that has fallen to the ground. But she looks at Adma’s mantle, and there are also food stains over there.

“Well, what is happening, already happened. It’s probably also my fault that I’m too focused on thinking while walking,” replied Rika. She just takes out one skewer and hands it over to Adma. 

“I remember you from the Gon’s office two days before. What are you doing right now?” asked Adma as he accepted that food.

“Doing an errand, isn’t it obvious? Honestly! The teacher always hands over the household duty to me,” Rika openly showed her dissatisfaction toward Gon as they walking together. “Oh, I’m just started to return to the shop anyway,” added Rika as she bites a huge chunk of meat.

“I see, that is where I also heading to,” replied Adma, he himself started to eat the meat that Rika give to her. Adma can feel the taste of sweet umami flavor going out from every bite of the meat. This rich taste is completely different from the bland bread and soup that he eats every day at the orphanage.

Rika realizes the change of expression on Adma’s face. That man is staring at the meat skewer on his hand intensively as if he sees something hidden inside it. “Delicious isn’t it?” A grin appeared on her face when looking at Adma.

Adma’s serious stare popped out as Rika said that, and he quickly returns to the conversation.

“Yes, the taste is… Enticing,” he said. This umami flavor also reminded Adma of the word ‘Monosodium’ spouted by Gon on his shop. He remembers at some point, that the same name of the ingredient is widely used in the previous worlds to cooking. So, how do the name and the substance still used even after millions of years past?

“Does that usually happen?” asked Rika. Once again, Adma snapped back to reality.

“Huh? Sorry, I’m not listening,” replied Adma.

“Yes! that is! You seem to not wary about your surrounding as if you see too far in front of you, and end up lost in thought!” she said.

Adma lost at words, even if he tells her about the monosodium glutamate that had been used eons ago, will she believe? Moreover, will this also pull him into unnecessary attention again just like yesterday?

“I just reminded of my old home,” replied Adma.

“Your home? So you come from a faraway island then?” asked Rika again.

“Hum, you can say that.”

“Are people that lived in your place is strong then?”

“I… Can not tell that.”

“Then why are you traveling? Are the sources on that island is not enough for the whole community?”

“That is also something I can not tell.”

“Well, is there anything then?”

Adma started to look at the girl beside him with doubt. “Are you interrogating me?” asked him.

“Me? Of course not. I’m just verifying some facts that I heard lately,” replied Rika. They are stopping in the middle of the street, and Rika starring at Adma with a smile. “I heard a rumor that Black Claws is suffering some loss yesterday after they went to the village at the outskirts of the city. Wonder what happened over there.”

“And you suspect that I have a connection with it?”

Still smiling, Rika replied “90% positives. This is a huge world, it’s not weird if someone turns up is far stronger than the ex-mercenary, but to know if a piece of information worth sale, I have to verify it first.” 

“... I guess you learned from the best after all,” Adma said that as he walked past her.

“So? You finally want to confess it?” asked Rika cheerfully.

“You probably already knew the answer, but you will hear about it when we arrived at the shop soon,” replied Adma.

***

From the outside, nothing has changed from the shop since when Rika leave it for groceries. The open signs have not been opened yet, and neither the curtain. She thought that the owner himself, probably haven’t woken up yet.

“Let’s come inside, I will prepare the shop and get master to work. He probably will be excited to see you as his first customer today,” said Rika. Adma followed her lead as she opens up the door, only to find that the master has already stood at the counter.

Beside him, is a figure of a man that Adma knew from his fight yesterday. leader of Black Claws, Boss.

“Fancy meeting you here, Adma!” said that man in an agitating friendly tone.