Roderic extended his open hand and held it there expectantly.
What is he doing? Colt thought, frowning.
But Roderic didn't say anything or move.
Oddo was the same. But it felt like his reason for not moving was different. He also seemed disturbed by something.
There is no way! Colt's frown deepened. The Luminous Order would never do such a thing.
Colt was from the future, and the Luminous Order his mother was a part of was worthy of its name with the good deeds it did.
It would never let something like requesting money for an escort or rescue go unpunished.
But the way Roderic hesitated, waiting for payment, confirmed Colt's worst suspicion.
"Ahem. As you know, we fought monsters coming here. Also, it seemed like you were about to be robbed by these bandits. I heard they only go after the wealthy. So, your supposed loss should be much higher.
And we don't know what we are going to encounter. You know, some of the monsters are good at escaping. They might have run away during our previous fight."
Colt was sure of it now. The Luminous Order wasn't the same Order he knew of in the future.
He remembered Order knights bowing to beggars, offering food and blankets without hesitation.
No organization falls this low because of one corrupt member, so he isn't the only one. They wouldn't even dare to do such a thing if the Order were the same as it was in the future.
However, Colt put his hand in his pouch and took out five gold coins, putting them in Roderic's open hand.
His jaw tightened for a heartbeat before he forced an obedient smile.
"Young master, please accept my offering to the Luminous Order," he said.
The coins clinked softly as they dropped into Roderic's palm.
"Ah, you didn't need to. We are doing this for our people," Roderic said. But he didn't even hesitate before taking the money.
"No, no. I wish I could offer more, but this is all I can afford right now."
"I see. Don't worry about it. I will make sure this reaches the Luminous Order."
Colt watched the coins disappear into Roderic's coat, not toward any donation pouch.
---
"Thankfully, Alla is not too far away," Roderic said. "As you probably know, big cities generally aren't close."
Pebbles crunched beneath their boots as they followed the winding dirt road.
What he was saying was correct. Big cities needed more development, more people, more security, and even more investment.
So, countries didn't prefer placing them side by side and instead, spread them out throughout the country.
This way, they gained a lot of things. But the biggest advantage among them was that they could receive help from the big cities if there was an enemy attack, regardless of which corner they attacked from.
"But Alla is an exception since it was completely funded by the Luminous Order. The government doesn't have power over—" Roderic stopped himself, realizing he talked too much and said something he shouldn't have.
Colt already knew, though. Kirke was the only big city without a proper Luminous Order branch. And the reason was Alla.
He had heard about Alla from some of the street stalls when he was shopping and learning more about the Order.
In the future, Alla would be the headquarters of the Luminous Order, so he was familiar with the city.
"Ahem, what is the reason you are traveling to Alla?"
"For business. I am a merchant, and I received an offer from one of my relatives working for the Order."
If Colt had said he was going there to request help, the two might have ditched him. Now, though, they would probably try to create a "friendship" to pluck more feathers in the future.
"Ah, I see. Perfect. Alla needs more business anyway," Roderic said.
Colt was even sure that they had "saved" him only because he seemed rich. Colt obviously didn't need them, but he wanted to learn more about the current situation that he couldn't learn from the civilians and merchants.
He was hardly hiding his disgust when Oddo approached him.
He seemed to be a man of few words. So, Colt was surprised he was the one approaching.
"The man on the ground... How did you defeat him?" he asked.
Colt knew this question might be asked. But he was also prepared.
"I didn't. How could I beat such a huge man without a weapon? No, even with a weapon, I couldn't beat him."
The burly man didn't answer and looked at Colt, waiting for him to continue.
"They fought among themselves. And the leader-looking one hit that guy's abdomen." It was the quickest lie he could stitch together.
Oddo frowned. "He said, 'It is still five versus three' when we arrived."
He was talking about what Three said when Roderic and Oddo came to his "rescue."
He's sharper than he looks… troublesome.
"He must have forgotten about it since it had happened too suddenly. The big guy attacked the leader out of nowhere."
Oddo didn't seem to be completely convinced, but it was enough for him to stop questioning further.
They will learn the truth soon anyway, he thought as they left the forest.
---
The walls of one of the biggest cities in Seflil, Alla, were now in sight. They could see the lights seeping through the evening darkness.
The lantern glow shimmered above the walls like the stars in the sky.
Their two-and-a-half-day journey here was trouble-free. Since there were no monsters around here, there was no need for extra protection either.
Still, Colt was the real winner of this interaction. He had learned much about the current situation in Seflil, especially in the Luminous Order.
His thoughts cut off when a piercing scream tore through the darkness.
"Aaaaaaaaaagh!"
Colt was ready to move when he saw Roderic and Oddo running toward the sound first. He followed with surprised eyes.
"You heinous criminal! What are you trying to do?" Roderic shouted as soon as they arrived at the scene.
A man was pinning a struggling woman against the ground.
"Who the hell are you? Go to your own business. This here is my cousin," the man said.
The man's breath reeked of stale alcohol as he snarled at them.
The woman seemed to be trying to free herself from the man. Her fingers clawed at the man's sleeve, and her knuckles were white with desperation. "Please! Help me!"
"Shut up!" The man raised his hand to hit her. But before his hand connected, Roderic held the man's arm.
"What?" The man, surprised, looked at Roderic's hand that didn't move even though he tried to free his hand with all his strength.
Roderic didn't mind the man's questioning, and with a punch, he put the man to sleep.
"Disgusting pig."
Colt was surprised again. But this would be the last time.
Maybe the future I came from was cleaner than I thought. But this timeline isn't completely black either.
"Are you okay?" Roderic asked the woman on the ground, reaching his hand. This time, it wasn't to request money, but to help her up.
At first, Colt thought he was doing this since she was a woman. But Roderic didn't go beyond helping her.
Was it because he thought I was rich? Maybe he would "save" me even if I wasn't rich...
Of course, only one event wasn't enough to come to a decision. But the opposite was also true.
While Colt was thinking about this, Roderic approached him. "I am sorry, Mr. businessman. We will need to bring the lady to the city and hand over the criminal. So we won't be able to escort you to the Order's headquarters in Alla."
"It is okay. I think I can find my way inside the city."
"Ah, no, that is not it. I think your relative would know it, but the order only accepts civilians into the headquarters on Fridays, and merchants on Wednesdays to Fridays."
What kind of nonsense is that? What if someone needs them on Monday?
But Colt could already guess the reason.
Not completely black didn't mean white, it meant grey. So, not everyone in the Luminous Order was bad, but not everyone was good either.
Colt brought his hands together. "Thank you for your help up until this point. I believe we will see each other again."
"Huh? We can still escort you until we reach the entrance. We are going the same way anyway," Roderic said.
"It is okay, I am not going in right away. My relative asked me to meet somewhere else."
Colt couldn't go with them. If he did, he had to wait until Friday since he wasn't a real merchant.
Also, he was going somewhere else.
He would directly enter the Order from another entrance.
---
"What do you think? Will he be able to form business relations with the Order?"
Upon Roderic's question, Oddo nodded slowly.
They were already going down the hill overlooking the city, Alla, together with the woman they had saved.
A faint breeze carried the smell of distant hearthfires from the city below.
"Well, I also hope he does. We've already formed a connection with him."
Oddo didn't say anything and continued looking forward.
On the other hand, the woman was holding Roderic's arm as a support, already mesmerized by Roderic's handsome features.
"My lady, are you alright?" Roderic asked, feeling the gaze on his face.
"Ah, yes, yes. Thank you, once again, for saving me."
"Not at all! But you should be careful. Why were you even outside at this hour alone?"
"Ah, he was really my cousin."
"What?"
Roderic and Oddo were both surprised by the woman's words. They both checked the man Oddo was carrying on his shoulder. He was unconscious.
"He has actually always been a good guy. He also doesn't do such despicable acts. Or he never has done before."
"My lady, that makes him even more dangerous—believe me." Roderic's voice was, as always, loud. "So, did he just tell you to come with him?"
"Yes. He told me he saw a red rabbit over the hill and to check it together."
"Red rabbit? They're said to live in Kaera. There shouldn't be any here." This time, Oddo was the one talking.
He paused for a moment longer than necessary before speaking the name Kaera.
"Obviously!" Roderic threw a glance at Oddo and whispered. "It must be a lie to bring her out."
Of course, even that whisper was loud and gained a small smile from the woman they saved.
"Anyway, please be careful from now on."
With that, they arrived at the entrance of the city.
---
At the same time, Colt descended the same hill from another side.
"It should be around here somewhere."
Branches brushed against his sleeves as he pushed deeper between the trees.
The hill wasn't a forest, but there were still a lot of trees. The area was generally used to provide the city's lumber needs.
Of course, thanks to the heavy replanting laws, the area didn't go bare.
However, there was one thing most people didn't know about this law.
This law was only here so that they could hide the secret entrance.
And Colt was here for that entrance.