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n?Without looking back, Howard was unaware of Vivia’s turmoil.

nSince Vivia had not revealed much, Howard couldn’t guess her thoughts.

nThus, his face bore a clean smile as he and Jelia walked the streets of Lorinda.

nThe slight tug on his clothing, a familiar sensation, gave Howard a fleeting illusion of happiness.

n“Howard… where are we going?” Jelia asked softly, looking up at Howard with a small smile curving her lips.

n“You can call me brother if you like,” Howard said with a smile, “Do you know where to buy clothes in Lorinda, Jelia?”

n“Clothes?” Jelia pondered for a moment, then nodded.

n“There’s a market on the street. Are you going to buy clothes, brother?”

n“Yes, but not for myself. Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to get you some better clothes.”

n“Since you’ve chosen to work with me, you can’t always wear these clothes.”

n“Howard…”

nIt was futile.

nJelia’s voice was very soft, and she didn’t finish her sentence, so Howard didn’t notice.

nHe only felt that Jelia’s grip on the hem of his shirt had tightened.

nAs a native who grew up in Lorinda, although Jelia had no money to buy clothes, she knew all the places in Lorinda that might sell them.

nMore precisely, Jelia was intimately familiar with every road in Lorinda, big and small.

nThis was knowledge necessary for survival. 𝑖.𝑐ℴ𝑚

nThus, guided by Jelia, it didn’t take long for Howard to find the Lorinda marketplace.

nThe marketplace, in reality, was just an ordinary street but one that housed a greater number of shops, distinct from a bazaar in that these establishments had formal storefronts.

nTheir true clientele were not the residents of Lorinda, but rather the members of caravans passing through.

nIt was these caravan members who had the means to leave the shops laden with goods.

nFrom Jelia, Howard learned that Lorinda had no ready-made clothing stores, but it did have fabric stores that accepted custom orders and shops selling second-hand clothing.

nThe locals rarely shopped for clothes at these two types of stores; they preferred purchasing fabric to make their own garments.

nNot only was this more cost-effective, but it also ensured a better fit.

nHowever, lacking any tailoring skills, Howard had no choice but to focus on the fabric stores or second-hand clothing shops.

nThe second-hand clothing shop was marked by a sign featuring crossed spindles and bundles of fabric, with the words “Second-Hand Clothing” written below.

nHoward, however, doubted the effectiveness of this label in a place where literacy rates were less than one in twenty.

nThe second-hand clothing shop was small, covering just about a dozen square meters, with the vast majority of its space given over to the second-hand garments.

nAfter wandering among the tightly packed racks of clothing, Howard and Jelia finally caught the attention of the shopkeeper.

nThe shopkeeper appeared to be a middle-aged man, around forty, somewhat balding, and slightly overweight, with labored breathing.

n“Young man, what kind of clothes are you looking for? I dare say, my shop has the most comprehensive selection in Lorinda!”

nThe shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his balding head, his gaze skimming over Jelia who followed Howard, a flicker of disdain passing through his eyes.

nAlthough he was tempted to chase the filthy orc out of his shop, the prospect of earning silver coins held him back.

nSome people always have their peculiarities.

nIf he drove the mixed-breed out, he might irritate the customer in front of him… and end up not selling any clothes, ultimately hurting his own business.

n“Something like…” Howard mulled over a few descriptive terms, but considering the cultural differences, he eventually just nudged Jelia forward.

n“You see, look for clothes that might fit her.”

n“An orc! Well… Sir, we might not have clothes for her body type here.”

nThe shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead again, his expression becoming tense and his gaze at Howard turning somewhat odd.

nIn his view, allowing an orc slave to follow closely was already a severe peculiarity; he hadn’t expected this young man to actually consider buying clothes for an orc.

nHad something stimulated his brain? 𝘳.𝑐ℴ

nAllowing an orc to move around in the shop and selling clothes to an orc… these were two entirely different concepts!

nThe former might at most draw some people’s disdain, but the latter could lead to being ostracized by the people of Lorinda, ruining his business!

n“Didn’t you say your shop has the most comprehensive range of styles in Lorinda!” Howard frowned, surveying the second-

nhand clothes on the racks around him, not finding anything suitable for Jelia’s size.

nGenerally, the items displayed on the shop racks are the ones in better condition, mostly for adults, with nothing suitable for a seven or eight-year-old girl.

n“Sir… I truly don’t have it here… Clothes of this size are already scarce,” the shopkeeper said, casting glances at a few other customers on the other side of the shop.

nNoticing Jelia on this side, those customers showed expressions of disgust, as if they had seen something filthy and repulsive, and turned to walk out of the shop.

nNot just them, even those who initially intended to come in chose to leave upon seeing Jelia!

nRealizing this, Howard felt a weight in his heart.

nHe had underestimated the malice these people harbored toward orcs.

nIf Jelia wasn’t by Howard’s side, she might already have been driven away.

n“Howard… let’s not buy anything,” Jelia tugged at Howard’s shirt, speaking softly.

nHer voice carried no strong emotion, just a chilling calmness.

nHer response wasn’t just a reaction; growing up in Lorinda, Jelia was all too familiar with the residents’ animosity towards orcs.

nThis reaction was expected.

nWhile she appreciated Howard’s concern, she knew his intentions were unattainable.

nAs long as they remained in Lorinda, as long as she was an orc, her situation wouldn’t fundamentally change.

n“Take me away from here, Howard,” Jelia said, pulling on Howard’s shirt.

nShe expressed no outrage or visible distress over the unfair and discriminatory treatment, knowing well that even if she did, no one would care about her feelings.

nHoward looked down at Jelia.

nHad she known this would be the outcome all along?

nHe remembered the odd expression on Jelia’s face back at the inn when he mentioned buying her clothes, and his fist unconsciously clenched tighter.

nWas she afraid?

nThough it was a blur, Howard now saw the shadow of someone else in Jelia.

nHe reached out to grasp Jelia’s somewhat cold hand, holding it tightly.

n“Do you have larger clothes, for a girl around eleven or twelve?” Howard stared into the shopkeeper’s eyes.

nWithout any overt action, an invisible pressure weighed upon the shopkeeper, rendering him unable to utter the word “no.”

nIf he did, something unpleasant might unfold here.

n“We do! There are a few dresses in the storeroom, well-

npreserved, nearly new. Shall I bring them out for you to see?” The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands nervously clenched.

n“No need,” Howard shook his head, “Pack them all. I’ll take them.”

nAs if granted a pardon, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into the back storeroom.

nAlthough Howard hadn’t shown any frightening expressions, at that moment, when he asked his last question, the shopkeeper distinctly felt a strong aura of menace.

nResorting to violence over such a matter…

nHoward might not do it, but it was clear he wouldn’t just let it go either.

n“Sorry… we don’t have the exact size, it might need some adjustments when we get back.” Howard touched Jelia’s hair, smiling, “It might not fit perfectly, but it shouldn’t be too bad.”

nIf it was just a matter of adjusting the size, Howard could manage that much.

n“Thank you.” Jelia’s voice seemed to choke up a bit, and when Howard looked down, he noticed a slight redness around her eyes.

nSmiling, Howard once again ruffled Jelia’s hair.

n“Since you’ve chosen to work with me, I guess that makes me your boss. Letting my employee walk around looking unkempt isn’t something a responsible boss should do.”

n“Employee?”

nA novel term, seemingly connected to “boss” in some way.

n“Yes, employee,” Howard nodded.

n“You’ve decided to work with me, right? That makes me your boss. It’s a contract, a bond that must not be broken.”

nA contract?

nJelia was familiar with the concept, which seemed to signify a close relationship, an equal exchange.

nSo, between her and Howard, there was a contract?

nFollow current novels on 𝘳.𝑐𝘰

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