Chapter 31: A Lesson in Manners

Beside them, Serena occasionally giggled whenever she caught sight of his increasingly tired expression. Having known Erica for years, she was well aware that her friend could talk for hours without getting bored, and watching Chris struggle to deal with her enthusiasm was surprisingly entertaining.

Erica, however, didn’t seem to notice his suffering at all and continued chatting happily as they made their way through the city.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a shop that displayed various pieces of equipment designed for Beast Tamers. Inside, shelves were lined with saddles, harnesses, protective gear, and other items used by people who traveled with contracted beasts.

After entering, the three walked straight toward the counter, where a middle-aged man was organizing some documents.

"Hey! My friend here is looking for a saddle for his flying beast." Erica announced cheerfully.

The shopkeeper raised his head and gave them a polite nod.

"Certainly. We have several types available. May I ask what kind of beast it is?"

Chris hesitated for a moment. He obviously couldn’t tell the man that he owned a dragon, especially when dragons were believed to have disappeared from the world long ago. The shopkeeper might not even recognize the name.

"I can’t tell you the exact type. It’s a rare flying beast that people don’t encounter very often, but you could say it’s somewhat similar to a bird-type beast."

He paused, considering what kind of saddle would be most suitable for Azreon.

"I’m looking for something lightweight, preferably made of leather. It would also be good if the saddle could adjust its size depending on the beast, since mine might grow considerably larger in the future."

The shopkeeper nodded as he listened, seemingly understanding what the young man needed.

"I see. We do have a few saddles that meet those requirements, although they won’t be cheap. The ones enchanted to change their size are considerably more expensive than ordinary saddles."

"No problem. I have money."

"Very well. Please wait a moment while I fetch them."

The middle-aged man disappeared through a door behind the counter, leaving the three to wait.

As soon as he was gone, Erica turned toward Chris, her curiosity returning in full force.

"Hey, now that we’re alone, won’t you tell me what kind of beast you have?"

He glanced at her.

"Have you ever heard of a dragon?"

Erica blinked before shaking her head.

"No, but it sounds really cool! Is it some kind of rare flying beast? Can I see it?"

"No."

"Pleeease?"

"No."

"But I just want to—"

Chris turned toward her and looked directly into her eyes.

"No."

Erica froze, the rest of her words getting stuck in her throat. After a moment, she lowered her head slightly, suddenly looking much less energetic than before.

"O-Okay..."

Serena stared at her friend in disbelief.

’Did she actually become meek?’

She had known Erica for years and had seen her argue with teachers, tease nobles, and pester people until they gave in to her requests. Yet Chris had managed to silence her with a single word, and Serena wasn’t sure whether she should be impressed or laugh.

Fortunately, before she could do either, the shopkeeper returned, carrying three small objects in his hands.

Placing them carefully on the counter, he stepped aside to let them have a better look.

Chris stared at the objects, which appeared to be three miniature saddles, each small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of his hand.

"Wait, is this a model of a saddle?"

The shopkeeper shook his head.

"No, these are the actual saddles. They’re enchanted to adjust their size when attached to a beast, so you don’t need to worry about their current dimensions."

"Oh, I see."

Chris hadn’t known that they could be so small, but considering how useful they were for Beast Tamers whose contracted beasts could grow over time, it made sense that someone had developed them.

"These are standard models that we mass-produce, and they’re the only ones currently available that match your requirements. If you want something more specific, we can arrange a custom saddle, although that will take some time to make."

Chris looked over the three options. All of them were made of leather and had a comfortable-looking design, with a raised backrest and enough space for a person to sit comfortably while riding. In fact, they were spacious enough for someone to recline and stretch their legs, and two people could probably sit on one if they didn’t mind squeezing together.

The only noticeable difference between them was their color.

One was brown, another was dark red, and the last was black.

After considering them for a moment, Chris reached for the black saddle.

"I’ll take this one."

The shopkeeper nodded.

"That will be 750 gold coins."

"750?" Erica exclaimed from the side. "Isn’t that a little too expensive for a saddle?"

"It is certainly more expensive than an ordinary one." The shopkeeper explained patiently. "Most of the cost comes from the enchantment that allows it to change size. If you don’t need that feature, we can offer you a similar saddle for only 50 gold coins."

Chris shook his head without hesitation.

"No, I’ll take this one."

The enchantment was worth the extra money, especially since Azreon would continue growing stronger and larger. Buying an ordinary saddle now would only mean having to replace it later, and he preferred to avoid wasting time on something he could settle once and for all.

Taking the card from his spatial ring, he handed it over to the shopkeeper, who completed the payment before returning it to him.

"Thank you for your purchase. Please come again!"

Chris put the card away and stored the miniature saddle in his spatial ring before turning toward the exit.

With their business finished, the three left the shop and stepped back onto the busy street.

However, just as they were about to continue walking, a voice suddenly called out from nearby.

"Oh? Isn’t this Lady Erica? What a pleasant surprise to find you here."

The three turned toward the voice and spotted three young men standing a short distance away.

The one in the middle appeared to be the speaker. He had short brown hair, wore expensive-looking clothes, and carried a crooked smile that immediately made Erica’s expression change.

"Noran? What are you doing here?" She asked, her earlier cheerfulness disappearing as she looked at him.

Noran’s crooked smile widened as he looked at Erica, seemingly ignoring the other two people standing beside her.

"What a coincidence. I’ve been looking for you these past few days, but I didn’t expect to run into you here."

"Really? What a shame." Erica replied coldly. "Now that you’ve found me, you can stop looking."

Noran’s smile stiffened slightly, but he quickly recovered.

"You’re still as sharp-tongued as ever. I like that about you."

Chris raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two. From the way Erica was acting, it was obvious that she wasn’t particularly fond of this guy.

Noran, meanwhile, seemed completely unconcerned by her attitude. Taking a step closer, he continued speaking as though they were old friends.

"Since we’re both here, why don’t we find somewhere to have a drink? I’m sure we have plenty to talk about."

"I have nothing to talk about with you."

"Come on, don’t be like that. We’re both students of the Royal Academy in the capital, after all. We should get along."

Erica rolled her eyes. She had met Noran at the academy, where he had started pestering her to become his girlfriend shortly after they first met. At first, she had simply refused, hoping he would eventually lose interest, but he had proven to be far more persistent than she expected.

Being the son of another city lord, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted. Unfortunately for him, Erica was the daughter of Wingbell’s City Lord and came from a family with considerable influence of its own, making it difficult for him to pressure her directly.

That hadn’t stopped him from trying other methods, though. On several occasions, he had used his status to make trouble for people around her, hoping she would eventually give in to his advances to protect her friends.

Naturally, it hadn’t worked.

Seeing that Erica had no intention of entertaining him, Noran finally shifted his attention toward the two people accompanying her.

"And who are these two? Have you started making new friends while I’m away?"

His gaze lingered on Serena for a moment, and his expression changed slightly as he noticed her appearance.

Serena was undoubtedly beautiful, and even someone as arrogant as Noran couldn’t help appreciating her looks.

"Not bad." he muttered before turning toward Erica again. "You certainly know how to surround yourself with beautiful women."

Erica’s expression darkened.

"Watch your mouth, Noran."

"What? I was only giving a compliment."

He chuckled before looking at Chris, whose leather armor appeared rather ordinary compared to the expensive clothes Noran and his companions wore.

"And what about him? Is he your bodyguard?"

The two young men behind him laughed.

Chris didn’t respond, merely looking at Noran with an indifferent expression.

Noran seemed to take his silence as a sign of weakness, and his smile grew more arrogant.

"Or perhaps he’s some poor country bumpkin you picked up along the way? Judging by those clothes, he doesn’t look like he has much money."

He looked Chris up and down before shaking his head.

"Really, Erica, you should be more careful about the company you keep. People might get the wrong idea when they see you walking around with someone like him."

Serena frowned, clearly displeased by his words, but before she could respond, Erica stepped forward.

"Chris has nothing to do with you. If you have something to say, talk to me instead of bothering him."

Her sudden response surprised Chris slightly.

He wasn’t accustomed to people standing up for him. In the past, most people had either ignored him or joined in mocking him, especially when he had still been known as the Beast Tamer who couldn’t form a single contract.

For a moment, he felt something strange inside, though he couldn’t quite put a name to it. He felt a little weird.

Noran, however, wasn’t pleased with Erica’s reaction.

"Why are you getting so worked up? I was only joking."

"Then find someone else to joke with."

His expression darkened, and he stepped forward, pushing Erica aside with one hand.

"Move. I’m not talking to you anymore."

Erica stumbled a step to the side, her face turning furious.

"Noran!"

But he ignored her and approached Chris, stopping directly in front of him.

"What’s wrong, country bumpkin? Cat got your tongue?"

Chris simply stared at him without saying anything.

He had no interest in wasting his time dealing with a spoiled young man who thought the world revolved around him. Compared to the beasts he had fought in the Wilds, this guy was nothing more than an insignificant annoyance.

Unfortunately, Noran seemed determined to make himself a problem.

"Let me give you some advice." He said, placing a hand on Chris’s shoulder. "People like you should know their place. Just because you’re walking around with two beautiful women doesn’t mean you’re suddenly someone important."

Chris glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder.

"Remove your hand."

His voice was calm, but there was a noticeable coldness in his eyes.

Noran smirked.

"Or what?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Chris moved.

Grabbing Noran’s hand, he squeezed firmly, and the young man’s arrogant expression immediately twisted in pain.

"Ah! Let go! Let go of me!"

Chris tightened his grip slightly, forcing Noran down until he dropped to his knees.

"Y-You bastard! Do you know who I am?!"

The two young men behind him were stunned for a moment before rushing forward.

"Release him!"

"You’re dead!"

They threw punches at Chris, but their movements seemed painfully slow in his eyes. After fighting beasts strong enough to threaten entire groups of experienced warriors, dealing with three spoiled young men was hardly a challenge.

He easily avoided the first attack, then shifted to the side as the second young man swung at him.

Before either of them could recover, Chris grabbed Noran by the arm and threw him toward them.

The three collided and tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Looking at them, Chris shook his head.

’What a waste of time.’

Noran struggled to his feet, his face red with humiliation.

"You dare lay your hands on me?! My father is the City Lord of Stonewill! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I’ll make sure you regret this!"

Chris sneered.

"I hit you lightly, and you still want to continue? Fine, then. Let me give you a lesson in manners."

He walked toward the three young men, who immediately began backing away.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?!"

Chris didn’t bother answering.

A moment later, screams and curses filled the street as he beat them until their faces were swollen. Their earlier arrogance disappeared completely, replaced by fear as they realized that the man they had mocked was far stronger than they had expected.

When Chris finally stepped back, the three were barely able to stand properly.

"You’ll pay for this!" Noran shouted, holding his swollen face. "This isn’t over! Just you wait!"

His two companions quickly helped him away, and the three soon disappeared into the crowd while continuing to shout threats over their shoulders.

Chris watched them leave before turning around as though nothing had happened.

Erica stared at him with wide eyes, she never expected the encounter to end so quickly. Serena wasn’t as surprised, she expected that outcome.

Chris, however, merely brushed some dust off his leather armor.

"Well, that was annoying. Anyway, let’s go back."