Chapter 10 - Actually, I Have a Cheat Too

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

Not So Ruthless

 

 

"I'd like to buy a cloak," Ge Yan said, standing at the mouth of a narrow alley, sporting two swollen lumps on his forehead. Rex turned to face him, silhouetted against the light, while the morning sun caught Ge Yan's face, making the lumps shine like bright red buns, almost fragrant with the imagined sweetness of pastry—a must for a sweets enthusiast like him.

 

After a brief silence, Rex turned toward the bustling street, taking a different path than the one they'd come by the day before.

 

Ge Yan hurried to catch up, now acutely aware of the stares they were drawing. Before, he hadn't understood their significance, but now, knowing what they meant, he felt uncomfortable under those gazes—especially from the rugged types who'd murmur to each other as they watched him pass. Instinctively, he stayed close to Rex.

 

After a while, Rex stopped suddenly in front of a shop.

 

Ge Yan, lost in thought, didn't notice in time and bumped right into Rex's solid frame, ending up with a fresh bruise on his nose. He rubbed it, ready to complain, but a glimpse of the shop sign changed his mood instantly. The sun felt brighter, his aches faded. Maybe Rex wasn't as heartless as he'd thought; maybe there was a softer side somewhere beneath that ferocious exterior.

 

The shop was a small tailoring establishment, modest but well-stocked.

 

The tailor bustled over to greet them, and Ge Yan asked for a cloak. Only then did the tailor notice him, his expression flickering with surprise, unable to help it—Rex's presence was so intense that anyone next to him tended to fade from notice.

 

Ge Yan didn't mind. In fact, he found the tailor's reaction refreshing; unlike others, he merely looked surprised, without any hint of greed in his eyes, reinforcing Ge Yan's decision to get a cloak.

 

"Get him two practical outfits as well," Rex's low, resonant voice instructed the tailor.

 

Ge Yan knew his clothes were filthy and torn, but he hadn't expected Rex to notice or, let alone, care. A slight warmth stirred in him. Perhaps this man wasn't as ruthless as he seemed. It was… oddly touching.

 

Soon, the tailor brought two simple outfits and a cloak. The cloak was plain and unremarkable—nothing worth being picky about. The two outfits were indeed practical, made from coarse but sturdy fabric, with no attention to flair. Compared to the original owner's preference for clothes that were both stylish and soft, these were more functional, which was probably for the best. Given the previous owner's apparent inability to afford much, his current clothes had looked nice but lacked durability, serving more as decoration than utility.

 

Rex paid, and they stepped back onto the street.

 

Ge Yan donned the cloak, and sure enough, people stopped giving him those pointed stares. His spirits lifted, he caught up with Rex and asked, "Where are we headed?"

 

It seemed an innocent question, but Rex suddenly stopped, turned, and regarded him with an inscrutable gaze. Ge Yan, caught off guard by the depth of those eyes, felt a shiver. Since meeting him, he hadn't once managed to read Rex's thoughts. The silence stretched for a moment, interrupted only by the clamor of voices up ahead.

 

Two mercenaries, weapons hanging at their hips, passed by, talking animatedly. They were discussing the arrival of a famed mercenary group in Tris Town—the Black Wolf Mercenary Corps. It seemed they were searching for someone, and from the sounds of it, that someone was no ordinary figure. The search was causing quite a stir, with a hefty bounty of a thousand gold coins offered for any accurate lead, big or small.

 

Ge Yan wasn't sure how much a thousand gold coins equated to, but he knew that one gold coin was worth a hundred silver, and Rex had just bought his clothes and cloak for a mere thirty silver coins. A thousand gold must be an astronomical sum, and it was clear the two mercenaries were tempted.

 

Rex had been watching Ge Yan's expression the whole time and noted with interest that while he looked curious about the Black Wolf Corps, he didn't show any particular reaction. Satisfied, Rex threw out a brief "Follow me," and strode into an empty alley.

 

Ge Yan had almost gotten used to Rex's habit of making sudden decisions without explanation. At least he'd find out soon enough.

 

Their winding route led them to an inn, significantly larger than the one they'd stayed at the previous night, with people bustling in and out. Guests and diners, once idle, were eager to gossip. Unsurprisingly, today's hot topic was the inn they had stayed at yesterday, and the bodies discovered there this morning. To Ge Yan's surprise, some people seemed aware that the place was a shady establishment, yet most were fixated on the gruesome details of the corpses found inside.

 

Rex requested a room.

 

Are we really going to sleep in the middle of the day again? Ge Yan wondered, though part of him welcomed the rest. His injuries were only half-healed, and the thought of resting instead of traveling was appealing. As soon as they entered the room, Rex shut the door with a sharp snap.

 

Ge Yan turned in confusion, only to feel the weight of Rex's gaze on him. His deep, measured voice came from above, and Ge Yan felt his heart jolt.

 

"How much do you know about Jimmy?"

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