Mark Benson did not feel the slightest bit of anger at the other party’s slow reaction.

After all, so many years had passed; even the best memories would have faded, not to mention how much both of them had changed in appearance as they grew up.

“You’re Maureen! Maureen, who became a Dragon Knight?”

Charlie’s eyes widened instantly, his face showing an expression of disbelief. The scar between his brows seemed to truly open a third eye, so much so that he hadn’t even noticed the two strangely dressed, yet identical, twin sisters standing behind the other person.

“I can’t believe you’ve become a soldier in the town now!”

Mark Benson smiled and nodded at him. Their relationship was more than just childhood acquaintances; the mother of three-eyed Charlie had once helped him out of dire straits several times.

“Oh, my, oh my! Maureen! It’s really you!”

Chapter 0012 Entering the Town

The arrogance of the city guard from before vanished without a trace. He hurriedly dropped his spear and lowered his head, about to kneel.

“Re- respected Dragon Knight, I- I truly deserve to die for my offense.”

Having suddenly recognized the other person, he immediately became anxious and uneasy, but a pair of hands stopped him, preventing him from kneeling.

“Charlie, don’t do this, okay?”

Mark Benson shook his head with a wry smile; the other’s reaction was truly beyond his expectations.

Time spares no one. The Charlie who once followed him to beat up the mayor’s son had now had his rough edges worn away and become more worldly.

“No, no, no, you’re a big shot now. How could I dare offend you?”

Three-eyed Charlie was no longer the reckless, lawless youth he once was. A Dragon Knight and a small fry like him were worlds apart. The fact that the other still remembered him made him feel flattered.

“Forget it. How is Aunt Emma?”

Mark Benson thought of three-eyed Charlie’s mother, a very kind-hearted woman.

After losing the pillar of the family, Mrs. Emma had raised little Charlie on her own, and life had not been easy.

“My mother has already passed away, from a fever five years ago.”

At the mention of his mother, three-eyed Charlie’s eyes immediately grew moist.

He no longer doubted that the other was his childhood friend, the famous orphan in town, Maureen.

“All right, I need to go into town to rest for a bit. When you’re off duty, come find me! I’ll treat you to a meal. Here, this is the entrance tax!”

Mark Benson stuffed a Portland Republic silver coin into three-eyed Charlie’s hand and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

A childhood friend now working as a town guard was, all things considered, a decent living.

“No, no, no, that’s not necessary. How could I possibly take your entrance tax?”

Charlie quickly waved his hands, refusing to accept it. For a city gate guard, whether to collect the tax or not was entirely up to him.

“Take it, it’s your duty. Anything extra, use it to buy yourself a drink. Just as you said, I’m a big shot now—I’ve got money!”

Mark Benson’s last words made Charlie rub his hands together and chuckle, as if he’d returned to the days of running around the town with Maureen.

“All right, Maureen, I’ll come find you after my shift.”

Charlie nodded at Mark Benson, hugged his spear tightly, straightened up, and stood with excitement in his heart.

Mark Benson, along with the Gemini sisters, brushed past him and entered Cedar Town through the thick stone walls.

“Three-eyed Charlie! Who are they? Where did they come from?”

A fellow archer on duty atop the stone wall shouted down, his voice full of curiosity. The scene at the town gate just now had left him puzzled—had this guy offended some big shot?

“Terry, they’re locals, not outsiders.”

Three-eyed Charlie, gripping his spear again, shouted back.

“Locals? How come I’ve never seen them? What’s the story with those two women?”

“That’s because you’re an outsider, of course you don’t know him. The two women? Hmm, probably slave girls!”

(Slave girls… poor girls!)

“All right, that big shot just gave you a silver coin. You owe me a drink.”

“What? You could see that from so far away? Damn it, fine, no problem, you damned archer!”

“Hahaha, an excellent archer’s eyes are as sharp as a black-feathered hawk’s, hahaha!”

……

……

“Two rooms, and hot water for bathing! Hmm, is there anything to eat?”

Mark Benson easily found the town’s inn and casually tossed a few silver coins onto the counter in front of the innkeeper.

The innkeeper, Edmond, who looked extremely old, had no idea that the knight before him was once the little thief who repeatedly stole food from his kitchen.

“Yes, we have freshly baked wheat bread today, smoked meat pies, and boiled wild ox meat. To drink, there’s green fruit juice, sparkling ale, and green fruit wine. If you’d like, I can quickly have these three dinners sent up to your rooms.”

The innkeeper, Edmond, squinted his aging eyes at the five Portland Republic silver coins in front of him. Their actual value was even higher than the silver coins of the Sland Empire.