THE LAST HOBBIT'S

16 - City of Misella

...'This atmosphere made him nostalgic, but his goal would never be forgotten. The Lunar Orchis is the place to look for information.'...

...*****...

"Arslan, what are you doing?" Nature asked. He was finally able to catch up with the 1.3 meter tall young man and pay attention to the surroundings.

"I just want to take a look," Arslan replied without a tone. He noticed a queue where there were many people around 14 to 23 years old. It consisted of various races, including humans, Elves, and dwarves.

These people were queuing in front of a large building. There were three people in charge of taking down the registrants. These people only needed to reveal their identities and with magic, the officers immediately entered their names as contestants of the magic knights.

"You're number 432, don't be late."

"Good,"

Nature also looks at him. There were three lines in the queue and he whispered to Arslan. The naturist said, "Do you think I'll just take part in this match?"

"Mn?" Arslan watched the teenager beside him and then without saying, "I won't prevent you if you really want to come along. After all the maximum limit for that in this match is 23 Years and the minimum limit is 14 Years. Besides, there are no more criteria."

"Then you too," Nature embraced Arslan with a smile. He always looked down when talking to his friend.

Natur continued, "My age happens to be 14 years old and your age can't be much different from mine, right. So let's do it, it'll definitely make money."

Arslan took a breath and looked ahead. He shook his head slowly and released the embrace of Nature on his shoulder. He said, "I can't go. You just do it yourself,"

"What?" Nature blinks, "Why? I think you're very good at magic."

"................." Arslan crossed her arms and exhaled. This blonde-haired teenager beside him most likely had no idea how old he really was. He was no longer fit to compete with the current generation, although his face showed no signs of his age that had exceeded half a century.

"Arslan, you're coming. Don't be afraid, I'm with you."

"Aren't you supposed to be looking for water ginseng?" Arslan open voice. He looked at Natur and again said, "You still have a mission. I think it's a lot better to prioritize than the others,"

"After all..." Arslan continued, "I didn't come here to be a magic knight."

"If it wasn't for that, then why did you come here?" Nature frowned and followed Arslan's direction.

"I came for it." Arslan stared at the building in front of him. Adjacent to the building where these people signed up.

Arslan said, "Only in the building... You can find ginseng water."

"Lunar Orchis...?" Natur blinked reading the nameplate of the dark red building before him. He asked, "What is that place?"

"The place where you can buy and sell anything. The best business and the cause of the disaster in every city" Arslan walked over, his facial expression unchanged. An himself continued to follow him from behind without saying anything.

Before entering this city, Arslan had already remembered the events of the past. There were a lot of mixed feelings after seeing this place. There was a changing atmosphere, but some were still very familiar to him. This building called Lunar Orchis is one of them.

Nature asks her sparrows to leave, while she begins to enter the building before her. Holding his bow firmly, Natur began to hold his breath for a moment. The sight before him made him tense.

"A-Arslan," Nature approaches. This place is too crowded with things that do not know what it is. He held firmly onto his white hood as the people inside this place looked towards him.

"What are you looking for, son?"

Natur was surprised when a big man with a long beard asked him. The figure was across from a long table. Behind him were some cabinets filled with strange, shiny objects, and there were even things like glass bottles.

An himself began to lift Arslan and then sat the young man in a chair so that his body could be a little higher than the table in front of him. An action is enough to make Arslan jerked, but not at all blame.

"Are you a dwarf?" the long white-bearded man opened his voice when he saw Arlan. His forehead shriveled while continuing to pay close attention to Arslan's facial lines.

"We're looking for water ginseng. Did you sell it?" Arslan open voice. His facial expression was calm and did not answer any questions from the subject in front of him at all.

"Water ginseng is a difficult plant to obtain," the big man said. "I actually have, but that water ginseng will be auctioned tonight."

"Arslan, what does that mean?" Nature asked. He made Arslan look up at him.

"That means... The price will go up,"

"What?" Nature frowned, "Why should we buy water ginseng? I'll find the plant myself,"

"Hey, Son. Are you sure?" the big man said, "The water ginseng is in a very distant and dangerous place. Are you seriously going there?"

"Hmph," Nature snorted. He crossed his arms and said, "Any danger whatever the place... I'm not scared at all. I have faced danger several times and am very confident in my abilities. So say, Uncle. Where is the water ginseng?"

!!!

Natur's mouth opened wide so surprised. He blinked and looked at the white-bearded figure before him.

"You're right, Uncle." Natur said, "The Wasser State is in the easternmost part, very far from Elfenrasse. How am I gonna get there?"

"Aren't you very brave?" one of the customers opened his voice and made Arslan and Natur turn to him.

The customer was a man sitting with four friends. They seem to be taking a lunch break in this place if you look at the dish on the round table.

"Ha ha ha, son. What do you need ginseng water for? It was a rare plant and was even highly sought after by collectors, let alone nobles. You better play with your friends,"

"For what reason are there children in this place. You guys better go out and go to Wimmi Junior's cottage. It's more suitable for your age,"

"You guys"

"Nature," Arslan interjected and made Natur stare at him. He shook his head as a gesture so that his friend would not be provoked.

"But Arslan, they..."

"If you can't stand it, then try to get out with An and wait for Sofia. The girl must be looking for us" Arslan said calmly and made Natur catch his breath. An approached Natur and patted the teenager softly, he looked smiling.

Arslan watched as Natur and An started walking out. He was still sitting in his place and while looking at himself immediately met a view with a large man in front of him.

"You're this... What race are you from?" the long-bearded man watched Arslan closely and then said, "You look like a dwarf, but neither do you. The posture of your face is a little similar to that of the human race, but strangely enough... I feel like this is wrong too. So you're... Which race are you from, son?"

Arslan noticed the subject before him and then shook his head. He sighed softly and said, "I am 68 years old and I am from the Garielnains race. Am I still worthy of being called a child?"

!!!

The big man in front of Arslan was of course surprised, some of the customers who heard the confession were just as shocked. They looked at Arslan, paying close attention to this young man and were not at all sure that this figure before them was of a distant age from the word 'young'.

"Are you pranking me?"

"Does my face look like I'm kidding?" Arslan said calmly. He paid no heed to the views of those around him and then said, "I want to find information about the best sword forger in the city. Can you help me?"

"Hey," a customer from the human race approached Arslan. He asked, "The gas you mentioned... What was?"

"Garielnains,"

"Right, what kind of race is that? I've never heard of it,"

"It was the same kind of race as me," Arslan replied without a tone and the figure beside him looked astonished.

A female elf came near Arslan. He was also curious about something and then asked, "I also just first heard there was such a race. What's... You have a kinship with the dwarves?"

"............. Mn,"

"Which region do you live in?"

"West," Arslan replied without a tone. He looked at the big man in front of him and asked, "So how? Don't you have any information about someone I'm looking for?"

"Hey, I'm still talking to you." the man next to Arslan re-opens. He said, "You're saying that the Garielnains are in the west, but what's the name of the location? If it's a village, it means it has a name, right?"

The Elf near Arslan also spoke up. He said, "I often went to the western region, but never heard of the Garielnains race. So seeing you... Really makes me curious,"

Arslan was honestly not comfortable with these people, let alone some customers who were curious about his identity. He took a breath and then looked at the elf beside him.

Arslan said, "Ras Garielnains is indeed related to the Dwarf race, but our characteristics are the same as the Giant race. We don't live in groups, we just live alone and we don't really like being involved with the outside world."

Arslan continued, "I want to meet one of my family and he's the best weapons forger in town. The thing is, I don't know his real name because I call Ains a lot."

"Hm... There was only one best weapon forging person in the entire Elmora Kingdom," the big man with a white beard opened his voice. He looked at Arslan and said, "The figure is greatly admired, even by the nobles. He's Mr. Trian Shimmer Brown."

"Trian Shimmer Brown..." Arslan muttered softly.

******