I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 419  [Event] [Semester-Exam At Vanadias] [7] A Not-So Bad Day

"Two hundred Eden?" I repeated, utterly dumbfounded.

"Two hundred, yes. And that's with a discount since you're, well, a Human and a tourist. You should be grateful," the man behind the stand sneered, barely concealing his disdain. He had a collection of trinkets and jewelry on display—if you could even call them that—but the price he quoted was outrageously inflated. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I silently cursed myself for not keeping my face covered. I had hoped to buy some pendants or souvenirs for Layla, Miranda, and the others, and this stand had caught my eye with its decent-looking items. But there was no way they were worth that much!

"Will you give me a discount if I beat you up?" I asked as I fixed him with a glare. Using violence seemed a good choice.

His eyes flicked down to the elf girl cradled in my arms, and his smirk widened. "Am I supposed to be scared of Mr. Lovey-dovey?" He chuckled, clearly amused by the situation even embarrassing the girl in my arms who twisted around.

I must have looked far from threatening with the elven girl nestled against me. "Oh, I see."

Without warning, I drove my foot into his chair, splintering it with a sharp crack.

"Hey! Call the guards! He's destroying my shop!" The man shouted in panic.

"I'm going to destroy your whole life if you don't give me a better discount," I shot back, my tone deadly serious.

"Damn Human! Who do you think you are?" He spat, his face flushed with anger.

"Someone billions of times more important than you, if you really want to know," I retorted coldly. "Now, how about a ninety-five percent discount?"

"R–Ridiculous! My items are worth more than everything you own, you brat!" He barked, his arrogance only fueling my irritation.

I'd had enough of his nonsense. My hands itched to demolish his entire stand, but just as I was about to act, I felt a gentle tug on my clothes.

"Um."

I glanced down to see the girl in my arms looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes. She reached into a hidden pocket of her dress and pulled out a small purse. When she opened it, my vision nearly blurred at the sight of all the gold coins inside.

This girl was wealthy—seriously wealthy. No wonder those thugs had been after her.

The stand owner's eyes lit up with greedy anticipation as he noticed the purse, his ugly grin stretching even wider. The sight made my blood boil.

"Wait," I said firmly, placing a hand over hers before she could pull out any coins. "Don't pay this old scammer. We'll find a better stand than this piece of junk." I snorted in disdain, turning my glare back on the man.

"You brat!" He snapped, his face twisting with anger as my words clearly got under his skin.

But I wasn't fazed. I had no intention of letting this con artist take advantage of us. "I-It's okay…" She murmured. Despite my protests, she shook her head and handed several gleaming gold Eden coins to the merchant. "Please, take whatever you want. It's my… thanks," she added, hugging the white plush tightly to her chest, as if seeking comfort from its softness.

Still I shook my head. "I appreciate the gesture, but not for this scammer—"

"Done deal! Here are the five pendants you asked for!" The merchant interrupted with a smug grin, snatching the coins from her hand before I could stop him. He tossed a small bag at me, already packed with the items. I caught it, glaring daggers at the man, but he simply shrugged off my anger.

As I turned my gaze back to the elf girl, I noticed her eyes lingering on a green leaf pendant displayed on the stand. The way she looked at it, with a mix of longing and hesitation, made me pause. Why wasn't she buying it if she wanted it so badly?

I sighed inwardly. That expression... How am I supposed to ignore it?

"Hey, give me the green pendant as well," I asked, pointing at the piece she had been admiring.

"As you wish, sir," the merchant replied, suddenly all polite, but I wasn't in the mood for his fake courtesy.

"Just give it to me already," I snapped, cutting him off.

"Urgh…" He grumbled, but he complied, reaching for the pendant.

Meanwhile, the elf girl looked up at me in surprise, clearly assuming I was buying it for someone else. She started to reach for her purse again, but I gently stopped her, placing my hand over hers to halt the motion. Instead, I flicked a few gold Eden coins from my space ring, sending them flying toward the merchant.

"Gyaa!" He yelped as the coins struck him squarely on the forehead, knocking him out cold. The loud thud as he hit the ground was oddly satisfying.

Ignoring the astonished stares from those around us, I calmly took the small box containing the green leaf pendant and turned to leave the stand. Even the elf girl was staring at me, her mouth slightly open in shock.

Once we had put some distance between us and the scene, I handed her the box with a quiet gesture.

"Eh?" She blinked, clearly taken aback.

"You wanted it, right?" I asked, wondering if I had misread her earlier.

Her brown eyes quivered slightly as she accepted the box, her fingers trembling as she opened it. The moment she laid eyes on the pendant, her lips curled into the most genuine, happy smile I had seen. "T-Thank you very much…" She whispered.

That shy smile was a critical hit straight to my heart. It was so pure, so sincere, that it made me start to question all the preconceptions I had about elves. Maybe this girl was different—maybe they weren't all the bastards as I thought them to be?

"So, when are your people supposed to come for you?" I asked, glancing at the elf girl. Two hours had already passed, and my plans for visiting the museum were long gone. I'd have to come up with an excuse for missing it later, not that I'd caused any real trouble.

[<Except for the whole running through the streets with a girl in your arms, knocking out Teraquin Knights, and taking down an Elven merchant, I suppose.>]

Anyway…

My main concern now was getting this girl to safety. "Do you think they'll be here soon?" "I think I can wait… if you leave me there," she said softly, pointing to a lone bench a little way off.

"Are you sure about that? You seemed like a pretty big target for those guys earlier," I replied. I was willing to stay until her people arrived if that's what it took to make sure she was safe.

"I–It's okay. Really…" She insisted, quickly shaking her head, though her eyes kept darting around nervously. She was tense, clearly, but if she said she was fine, I'd have to take her word for it.

With a slight nod, I walked her over to the bench and gently settled her onto it. "Next time, don't leave your house alone. Make sure you have someone trustworthy to accompany you, okay?" I said to her seriously.

"Yes…" She whispered, nodding her head but avoiding my gaze.

"Alright, then. See you," I said with a wave, ready to take my leave. But just as I turned to go, I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve.

"Um… are you here on holiday?" She asked hesitantly, her voice barely audible.

"Kind of. I'm leaving in a few days," I replied, slightly surprised by her sudden interest. Unlike most of the other elves I had encountered, who looked at me with nothing but disdain, she had shown fear at first but had quickly come to understand that I wasn't a threat. She was different—a nice girl.

She nodded slowly, her gaze softening as she released my sleeve. I gave her a final wave, which she returned, though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I couldn't help but smile as I walked away. In the end, it wasn't such a bad day. Definitely better than trudging through a museum exhibit about a history I had little interest in. After a short walk, I finally reached the museum, hoping to find the group still there. To my relief, they were scattered across the third floor. I spotted Amelia excitedly pointing out various objects while holding John's hand. John, though, looked as disinterested as I felt about the whole thing but was nodding along to keep her happy.

It was only further upsetting me.

Why was my brother-in-law having dates before me?!

"Where were you?" A sharp slap on my back snapped me out of my thoughts. I winced at the sting and turned to see Celes standing behind me.

"That hurts."

"Everyone was looking for you," she repeated.

"I was here the whole time, just got caught up on the first floor with the weaponry," I lied smoothly, hoping she wouldn't press further.

"I didn't even see you there," she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Are you saying you were stalking me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A-As if!" She stammered, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Quickly changing the subject, she grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward another display. "Anyway, come on! You'll definitely like this one!"

With nothing better to do, I let her lead me through the exhibit, her excitement almost infectious. At least I'd managed to salvage something from the day.