Macia Town – Morning
The streets buzzed with voices, carriages rumbled past, and the sll of fresh bread filled the air.
Hazuki stood in front of a small bakery stall.
"Owner!!" he called, already pointing excitedly.
"This bun, that bun, and that one—five in total! And coffee! Big mug! Bigger than an ale mug!"
The shopkeeper, a petite beastkin woman with flour smudged on her sleeves, blinked in surprise.
"Uh... Mister custor... these buns are a bit large. Are you sure?"
"Yes! No more questions! Just give my buns!!" Hazuki grinned widely, cheerfully.
But to the owner, it looked a little creepy.
To Hazuki, however, he was just happy about buns.
A mont later, he plopped down at a small wooden table beside the stall. His hands drumd impatiently on the surface.
Ridan floated down from above and landed directly on the table.
"Fruity bun! Fruity bun!" he chanted, bouncing slightly in place.
Of course, only Hazuki could hear him.
Hazuki slamd both palms onto the table, like a kid eager to start breakfast.
"Coffee! Coffee!! Coffee!!"
The owner flinched a little from behind the counter.
"C-Coming right up, sir!!"
Ridan spun around happily. "I want the one with purple jam in the middle!"
Hazuki nodded seriously.
"...That’s the good one," he said.
Monts later, the tray was delivered.
A towering pile of buns, steam rising from their golden crusts. So were dusted with powdered sugar, others revealed bright fruit jam peeking out like hidden treasure. Beside them sat a mug as large as a soup pot, filled to the brim with dark roasted coffee.
Hazuki’s eyes sparkled with excitent.
"Woooo... BIG!!" he exclaid.
Ridan hovered nearby, spinning joyfully like a misty halo.
Both of them vibrated with anticipation.
Hazuki reached out and grabbed the first bun—plump, soft, with a subtle sweet aroma.
He slowly brought it to his mouth.
Took a bite.
Chewed.
His eyes widened.
"DELICIOUS!!" he shouted, slamming both palms on the table in pure joy.
Nearby custors jumped slightly at his shout.
"Really!?" Ridan zipped forward, eyeing the other buns eagerly.
He floated over to the purple one, the one with a hint of blueberry jam seeping from its seam.
The misty spirit extended a hand, gently touching the surface.
Then, slowly, it opened its mouth.
Munch.
His eyes lit up.
"UOOOHHH!!!"
"MUNCH MUNCH... WHOA, THE BLUEBERRY JAM!! NICE!!"
Hazuki was already on his second bun, kicking his legs slightly under the table like a happy child.
Behind the counter, the shop owner blinked in surprise.
Her gaze fixed on the tray.
The purple bun.
She hadn’t served it with a bite mark.
No one was near it—at least, not visibly.
"...Huh?"
She leaned over the counter.
One bun clearly had a bite taken out of it.
But the only person at the table was the black-haired human, and he was busy with a completely different bun.
She blinked again, puzzled.
Around the edge of the bakery stall, several beastkin custors stood with half-eaten bread, staring in shock and disbelief.
Voices dropped to hushed murmurs.
"That’s... the human, right?"
"You an the one who handled all the monsters at the west and east gates?"
"Alone," another added quietly.
Soone leaned closer, whispering behind a paw,
"There’s talk he’s the one who cleared out the forest days ago... the big monster horde. All of it. By himself."
Another nodded slowly,
"Didn’t he also fight that D-rank adventurer team? Silveroad? With just fists and kicks?"
"Yeah. In the arena. Took them all down. Not even a weapon."
Everyone’s eyes returned to Hazuki—who, at that mont, was dunking an enormous bun into his coffee, chewing happily with an expression of utter bliss.
One beastkin murmured, "And I’ve heard... he talks to the air. Like, a lot."
A different one, older, frowned.
"It’s not just talk."
The others turned, ears twitching.
His voice lowered further.
"I saw it happen myself—after the second gate fight. He was talking to soone... but there was nobody there."
He took a slow sip.
"And then, a nearby monster corpse split in half. Without anyone touching it."
Silence descended again.
One whispering voice said, "...Is he cursed?"
Another muttered, "...Or possessed?"
"Maybe he’s blessed by sothing even worse..."
At the table, Hazuki stretched his arms with a loud yawn, still eating his bun.
Ridan spun overhead like a ghostly food critic.
"Next! Next! Try the lemon jam!"
Hazuki nodded seriously.
"Lemon... it is," he said with a smile.
Hazuki reached for the lemon bun, confidently bringing it to his mouth for a big bite.
But then, he froze.
His face twisted instantly, eyes twitching, one brow lifting in surprise. His jaw stiffened as if he had just licked the underside of a toad.
"Blergh—"
He turned his head slightly, puckering his lips as if soone had slapped him with a bucket of vinegar.
Across the table, Ridan was happily floating in mid-air, munching on a peach bun as if it was a royal feast, completely unbothered.
Hazuki stared at him with glassy eyes.
"Yo, Ridan..." he said trembling.
Ridan looked up, cheeks still full. "Hmm? What?"
Hazuki held up the lemon bun again, took another exaggerated, slow bite—trying to fake a smile.
His expression softened, eyes closed in dramatic chewing.
"Mmm... this is... delicious, Ridan."
Ridan blinked in surprise.
"Really?"
Hazuki nodded, still chewing and suffering silently.
"Yeah. Want a bite?"
Ridan floated over, curious.
"Err... sure."
Hazuki held out the bun.
In his head, a mischievous chant began:
Bite. Bite. BITE!
Ridan opened his mouth, took a big crunch.
For a full second, he paused mid-chew.
"BLEEEERGH!!!"
"IT’S SOUR!!"
"WHY IS IT SO SOUR!?"
Hazuki shouted, slamming his palm on the table as if he’d been poisoned.
The beastkin bakery owner flinched, ears twitching.
"Y-Yes, Mister Custor?!"
Hazuki stood up slightly, clutching the half-eaten lemon bun as if it were a bomb.
"Blergh... Why is this lemon bun so sour?!"
The owner tilted her head innocently.
"...It’s a lemon bun. Of course it’s sour."
Hazuki froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
"No way."
He took another tiny bite to confirm, then his face contorted again.
"Back in my old place—"
"—Lemon buns were sweet! Like sweet with just a little bit of sour! Not this! This is betrayal!"
Ridan was still hovering nearby, tongue hanging out, looking like he was suffering.
"Why does it taste like it hates ?!" he wailed, clutching his face dramatically.
The owner scratched her cheek, still polite but puzzled.
"Um... maybe try the peach one next?"
( End Of Chapter )
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