"Uncle~ do you have money?"
"Hm? Yeah, a bit..." Hazuki replied, cautiously patting his pouch.
"Yay!! Uncle, let’s go there!!" Ellyn pointed toward a cluster of colorful market stalls with twinkling signs and sweet aromas.
"Ugh... fine..." Hazuki groaned. Goodbye, money.
As they veered toward the food district, Ridan floated excitedly around Hazuki’s head, doing loops in the air.
"Ah~ Onii-chaaaan~! Let’s go there too~!" Ridan squealed in a high-pitched voice, mimicking a sparkly ani girl.
Hazuki twitched. "Damn you, Ridan. You’re not Ellyn. Stop acting cute!"
"Hahahaha~!" Ridan burst out laughing, spinning mid-air like a smug idiot.
"Uncle?" Ellyn asked, blinking down at him from her perch. "Who are you talking to?"
"This damn spirit floating beside ," Hazuki muttered, side-eyeing Ridan as he pretended to swim through the air like a dolphin.
Ellyn tilted her head. "Umm... if you say so..."
She sounded worried now, her hands resting gently on Hazuki’s head. Her eyes scanned the space where Ridan floated, seeing nothing.
Hazuki sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I sound nuts. I get it."
But Ellyn didn’t tease him this ti. Instead, she leaned forward, resting her small cheek against the top of his head. "...Even if you’re crazy, I like being with you."
Hazuki blinked.
Ridan floated closer and whispered in his ear, "Damn. That almost sounded sincere. She actually love you, Lost-kun."
"Shut up."
"You shut up."
Hazuki groaned louder, drawing a few confused glances from passersby.
"Uncle?" Ellyn asked again.
"Nothing! Just... talking to myself. Let’s just go eat."
The scent of grilled skewers filled the air, sizzling with spices that tickled Hazuki’s nose. His stomach growled so loudly that even Ridan floated backward in alarm.
"Ohhh—at~"
They approached a cozy little stall where a wide-chested wolfman with peppered fur manned the grill, his apron sared with sauce. He glanced up with a friendly smile—then froze.
His eyes landed not on Hazuki, but on Ellyn, still perched on his shoulders.
His nostrils flared slightly.
His eyes widened.
And then—
He began to bow.
Hazuki blinked. "Huh?"
But just as the vendor started lowering his head, Ellyn’s eyes snapped wide—pure panic.
She raised a single finger to her lips and shook her head sharply, her golden eyes pleading:
Don’t say a word!
The vendor flinched mid-bow, sweat beading at his temple.
A split second later, he caught movent in the corner of his eye.
Two beastkin guards, disguised in light clothing, stood several stalls away. They made frantic hand gestures—crossing their arms in an X, waving "No! No! Don’t blow the cover!"
On the other side, Mrs. Faria stepped out from behind a fabric stall, arms folded calmly—but her eyes were locked on the vendor. With a slight tilt of her chin and a stern look, she sent the ssage loud and clear:
"Play along."
The vendor swallowed hard and forced an awkward chuckle.
"Aha! Welco, little lady and... uh... noble sir!" he said a bit too enthusiastically. "Would you like to try our new grilled tailfin skewers? Freshly roasted!"
Hazuki, completely unaware of the silent panic around him, grinned. "Oh yeah! Gim two. No, wait—four. Ellyn, you want one?"
She bead. "Two, please!"
"Make it six!" Hazuki barked joyfully.
While the vendor worked fast and sweatily, sneaking nervous glances at Ellyn and Faria, Hazuki looked around and sighed in contentnt.
"This place ain’t so bad," he muttered. "Good food, nice slls, no one trying to kill ."
Ellyn giggled nervously from above. "Yup. Totally normal town~"
Faria, still in her casual disguise, exhaled slowly from a distance, keeping a close eye on the situation. That was close...
The knights remained positioned at strategic spots around the plaza—blending in with shoppers, all silently playing their parts.
For now... the secret was safe.
As the vendor handed over a small wrapped bundle of sizzling skewers, Hazuki was already unwrapping one like a starving man discovering civilization.
"Mmmph! Oh God, that’s juicy—finally!"
Ellyn clapped excitedly on his shoulders. "Uncle~ gim gim~!"
"Here, don’t burn your tongue," Hazuki said, lifting a skewer upward.
As the two munched away like carefree festival-goers, Ridan floated above them, arms crossed, an unreadable look on his face.
Inside his mind, tension swirled beneath the smirk.
This girl... she’s a royal. Not just any royal. A pure-blooded beastkin with no fur on her body except for her tail and ears—those traits exclusive to the old royal line. The way the vendor had reacted, the way the guards had signaled, even that woman pretending to be her mother...
He glanced subtly toward Mrs. Faria, who was chatting calmly with another vendor—but every movent of hers was precise, intentional. Too composed for a re townswoman.
...She’s a knight.
And this clueless idiot’s walking around with the heir of the Beastkin Kingdom on his damn shoulders.
Ridan sighed internally.
This idiot really is clueless. He doesn’t even notice how stiff all the vendors get when they see Ellyn, or "Ellyn’s mom." Or the guards stationed at every corner, subtly tracking his every step. This dumbass...
He floated down again beside Hazuki and Ellyn, a smirk curling across his glowing spiritual features.
Then—he spun midair and leaned close to Hazuki’s ear.
"Onii-san~ Onii-san~" he teased in a syrupy voice, "Let have a taste of that at too~!"
Hazuki nearly dropped his skewer. "Oh My God—stop doing that!"
"Uncle?" Ellyn looked down from his shoulders, cheeks puffed with at. "Are you okay?"
Hazuki glared sideways. "It’s this guy again! Floating at ghost, haunting my lunch."
"Umm... if you say so..." Ellyn said, still not seeing anyone there, but her hand patted his head softly in comfort.
Ridan only chuckled, floating backward and doing lazy rolls in the air.
But behind the grin, one thought remained heavy in his spirit:
I can’t say anything. I’m not allowed to. Not unless she herself reveals it.
His mind flashed to a mory—two mysterious figures, their presence imnse, their voices calm but final.
"You blow the mission for the boy, Ridan... and we seal you again. Permanently."
Ridan shuddered. Nope. Not doing that again.
He floated higher, lazily circling Hazuki again, watching the clueless human laugh, eat, and wander through a town filled with secrets, guarded stares, and unspoken truths.
Still... it’s kinda fun watching this unfold.
( End of Chapter )
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