As Ethan spotted Arthur, the latter also noticed his arrival.
Arthur's expression eased slightly, his usual sharpness softening for a brief mont.
"Oh, you're here."
Ethan walked up to him. "Yeah, I'm here, but..." He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Why do you look like that? Did sothing happen?"
Arthur gave a small, reassuring smile.
"It's nothing, really."
"Nothing?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing."
Arthur hesitated for a mont before sighing. "It's just... my little sister was acting kind of weird."
Ethan blinked. "Wait—you have a little sister?"
"Yeah." Arthur leaned slightly against the wall, arms crossed.
"Did sothing happen to her? Did she get hurt?" Ethan asked, feeling a twinge of concern.
Arthur shook his head. "Not really. I checked—she doesn't seem hurt."
"Then...?"
Arthur frowned. "It's just... I feel like sothing's off. Like she's hiding sothing from . And when I asked, she wouldn't tell what it is."
His voice carried a rare trace of frustration.
Ethan smiled helplessly.
As a big brother himself, he understood that feeling all too well.
"Well, sotis stuff happens. Siblings don't always tell their older brothers everything, you know."
Arthur sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're right. I'm probably overthinking it. If it were really important, she'd tell . No point worrying over nothing."
"Exactly," Ethan nodded. "Personal space is important in tis like these."
Arthur straightened up and glanced at the sword hanging by Ethan's waist.
"You're pretty well-prepared today," he remarked. "Did you get attacked again? Or was the assassin still waiting for you when you got back?"
Though it was worded as a question, it felt like Arthur already knew the answer.
Ethan sighed. "No one attacked . The assassin was already gone when I returned—just like you suspected."
Arthur gave a small nod. "As expected."
Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "Did you tell anyone about the assassin's attack? Soone you trust?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. I don't know who was behind it, so I can't risk telling anyone. But I did co up with a plan—for now, at least."
Arthur nodded approvingly. "Good. Having a plan is always better than acting blindly."
Then his expression turned thoughtful, and he stroked his chin. "But... I still think your best course of action is to inform your family."
Ethan's expression grew more serious.
He had considered that option—but the problem was, if the person who sent the assassin realized that Ethan was on to them, they might beco desperate.
And desperate people make stupid decisions.
Decisions that could put his life in even greater danger.
Seeing the troubled look on Ethan's face, Arthur sighed. "Well, if they attack you again, you can just escape like you did before, right?"
Ethan thought about OmniMark and nodded. "Yeah."
Arthur pushed off the wall and started walking out of the alley.
"Alright, enough talk. Let's see if you actually have any swordsmanship skills."
Ethan followed him. "Where are we going?"
They stepped out onto the main road.
People bustled about—so carrying baskets filled with fresh vegetables and fruits, others with tools slung over their shoulders. The city was alive with morning activity.
Arthur glanced back at Ethan. "We're heading outside the city walls. There's no good place to train inside."
He reached into a pouch and pulled out a black cloak, tossing it to Ethan.
"You'll need to cover your hair and outfit. You stand out too much."
Ethan caught the cloak and frowned slightly. "Did you just pull that out of your pouch?"
Spatial pouches weren't uncommon, but they were expensive. The fact that Arthur had one and used it so casually was... surprising.
Still, he didn't question it. He draped the cloak over himself, hiding his silver-white hair and noble attire.
As they walked, Ethan observed the streets around them.
So people were stepping out of their houses carrying hamrs and drills. Others wielded odd-looking tools Ethan didn't recognize. Shops were opening up, with workers sweeping the floors.
Yawning rchants rubbed their eyes, while energetic street vendors shouted out morning deals.
It all felt... normal.
Too normal.
For a mont, Ethan had the strange illusion that he was back on Earth—not in a fantasy world.
Except, this wasn't Earth.
This was a world filled with different races—elves, dwarves, beastn...
Yet...
He hadn't seen a single non-human since arriving here.
A nagging feeling crept into his mind.
Walking briskly, he caught up to Arthur. "Can I ask you a weird question?"
Arthur gave him a sideways glance, muttering, "That sentence alone is already a weird question. But go on."
Ethan scratched his head, awkwardly. "Uhh... Well, why aren't there any non-human races in this city?"
Arthur stopped walking for a second and gave him a strange look.
"That's... a weird question. You really don't know?"
Ethan sighed. "Honestly? I never put much thought into it before. I just suddenly realized—I know that other races exist, but I don't see any of them around here."
Arthur's gaze shifted slightly, as if asking, "Did you seriously not think about this until now?"
Ethan cursed the original Ethan Mijuri for not knowing basic things like this.
Arthur, still looking a bit perplexed, finally said, "Well, I don't know the exact reason, but if I had to guess... it's probably because of the Second War of All Races."
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