"Oh, by the way, buddy," Ridan floated beside Hazuki, his voice casual but his eyes subtly scanning the trees.
Hazuki blinked. "Hmm? What now?"
"It’s better if we follow this path here," Ridan said, gesturing with a flick of his spiritual aura.
Hazuki narrowed his eyes. "And why exactly?"
"Hey, just trust ," Ridan said with a smug air. "Didn’t I save you before? I warned you about Bernardina, rember? If I didn’t tell you to run, you’d already be at his house right now—dessert and main course."
Hazuki shivered at the mory. "Ugh... you didn’t have to put it that way."
"Then take the path," Ridan said, floating ahead like a ghostly tour guide. "Or... you know, take your chances with more guys wearing lipstick and asking you to ’stay for tea.’"
Hazuki crossed his arms. "Fine. But if you try to trap again, I swear I’ll bury you. Or better yet, find so high-ranking exorcist to draw creepy seals on you."
"Oho~ spooky," Ridan teased.
Hazuki sighed and adjusted his bag. "Alright, this road then?"
"Yeah," Ridan nodded firmly.
Hazuki groaned and stepped onto the path. "Why do I feel like this is going to be another disaster?"
"Because you attract them like flies to honey, muffin boy."
"I’M NOT MUFFIN BOY!!"
Ridan snickered. "Keep walking, muffin boy. Adventure awaits."
What Hazuki didn’t know... was that Ridan wasn’t choosing this path randomly.
Up on the hill, hidden among the trees, two figures watched from a distance—grinning. They signaled Ridan with a simple hand gesture, one that only the spirit recognized.
Ridan knew them. He feared them.
They weren’t just ordinary wanderers—they were the sa two mysterious beings who had disguised themselves as the blacksmith Hesbeirn, the cigar vendor, and even the halflings who "accidentally" dropped the map.
He couldn’t tell Hazuki. He wasn’t allowed to tell Hazuki.
If he defied their plan... well, getting sealed for another thousand years sounded mild compared to what they could actually do.
"This road, huh..." Hazuki muttered again.
"Yeah," Ridan said, his voice softer this ti. "Trust ."
Hazuki, oblivious as ever, smiled and whistled, enjoying the scenery again as the two walked onward—one idiot and one bound spirit, both caught in a fate neither of them fully understood.
And sowhere, far above the forest canopy, the two watchers vanished with a smirk.
anwhile, in the Beastkin Kingdom...
Princess Ellyna lay sprawled across her bed, her tail lazily flicking as boredom clawed at her like an itch she couldn’t quite reach.
Haaah... if only sothing exciting would happen...
Then—
A sudden flurry of voices echoed outside her room.
She sat up. "Hmm?"
Getting to her feet, she padded toward the door and opened it just as two royal maids rushed past, nearly bumping into her.
"Umm... What’s going on?" Ellyna asked, blinking.
One of the maids gasped and turned around. "Ah! Princess Ellyna! The rchant who brings supplies to the palace—he’s brought in so new items! Hot items!"
Ellyna tilted her head. "Hot items?"
"Yes, sothing that just arrived from the southern trade routes! Everyone’s curious!" the other maid chid in with a bright smile.
"We were just about to go check them out, Princess," the first added. "Would you like to co with us?"
Ellyna crossed her arms and gave a thoughtful hum.
"Hmm... I am bored..." She tapped her chin, her ears twitching.
Then she grinned.
"Alright. Let’s go see what all the fuss is about."
When Ellyna arrived at the rchant’s display area, a large crowd of maids had already gathered, eagerly inspecting frilly dresses, elegant nightgowns, ribbons, perfus, and various other trinkets that made any girl’s heart flutter.
Ellyna stood back with a faint smile, allowing them to enjoy the mont.
After the initial excitent settled and the maids began chatting among themselves, Ellyna finally stepped forward to browse.
Fragrances... silky fabrics... oh, this lace is adorable...
Her eyes landed on a particularly cute frilled dress in soft pastel tones. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers over the fabric.
"Oh, this is cute..."
At that mont, the rchant—a middle-aged beastkin with fox-like features and a long striped tail—stepped forward from behind the stand. He imdiately lowered his head and placed one hand over his chest in a formal bow.
"Ah, Your Highness Princess Ellyna. What an honor it is to have you grace my humble stall. I am truly privileged to present these goods before you."
His voice was smooth, respectful, and just the right amount of reverent—typical of soone well-trained in dealing with nobility.
Ellyna offered a graceful nod, her expression composed, though her ears twitched ever so slightly in amusent.
"Oh? You flatter . I’m just here because I was bored," she said with a soft chuckle.
"If I may say so," the rchant added with a smile, "the mont you stepped near, it’s as if the air itself brightened."
The nearby maids giggled, whispering about how smooth the rchant was.
Ellyna, however, narrowed her eyes just slightly, still smiling.
"I have a variety of perfus here, Princess," the rchant said, gesturing to a delicate row of bottles arranged neatly on a velvet-lined tray. "This one is from the Human Kingdom... and this one here cos all the way from the Halfling Kingdom."
Ellyna leaned in slightly and gave a soft sniff to each sample. "Mmm... they sll good."
"Yes," the rchant smiled. "But... if I may be so bold, Princess... I have sothing even more exquisite."
Ellyna raised a brow. "Oh?"
The rchant lowered his voice just a little, his tone conspiratorial. "There’s more inside the carriage, Your Highness. A special batch—extrely rare. From the Dragonkin Kingdom. Nearly impossible to get, but I managed to acquire just a few."
Ellyna’s eyes sparkled with interest. "Really? From the Dragonkin?"
"Yes." He gave a subtle glance around.
The guards nearby were laughing and chatting with the maids, who were still fussing over accessories and gossiping about fabrics and colors. No one was paying attention to the rchant or the princess.
With a courteous, almost whispering tone, the rchant leaned slightly closer. "If Your Highness would like to take a look... they’re right inside the carriage. Just over here."
He gestured politely to the ornate, covered wagon parked just off to the side of the courtyard.
Ellyna tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "...Very well. I’ll take a look."
( End of Chapter )
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