Jingle—!
Opening the door to a small shop tucked deep within the black market, I stepped inside.
Step. Step. Step.
My boots echoed faintly against the dusty floor as I slowly approached a middle-aged man standing beside a large drawer. His back was turned to , his posture relaxed. Clearing my throat lightly, I called out to him.
"Excuse , can you show so good quality Dinsion Cloaks?"
The man turned around, his sharp eyes scanning from head to toe. Without saying a word, he bent down, pulled out a thick stack of pamphlets from under the desk, and slamd it onto the counter in front of .
Slam—!
"Choose," he said bluntly.
"..."
I wasn't particularly bothered by his attitude. In fact, it was the kind of straightforwardness I preferred. Without a word, I started flipping through the pamphlets, examining the options carefully.
Dinsion Cloaks were rare and incredibly useful items, a special cloaks designed with dinsional storage magic woven into their fibers. Wear one, and you could casually walk around carrying a full arsenal of weapons, even sothing as massive as a military-grade rocket launcher, without raising a single eyebrow.
Right now, though, I wasn't looking for heavy weapon storage.
This ti, the purpose was different. Ruby had specifically requested it. We weren't planning to carry any explosives or guns, we needed it to carry Lily, the small elf girl I had rescued from the auction house.
Both Ruby and I were preparing to leave the Frostvile kingdom for a few days, and we couldn't risk leaving Lily behind with soone else. Just the thought of her crying again whenever Ruby left her alone made my chest tighten.
At one point, we considered leaving her with our Master—Envy. But that idea was quickly abandoned. Even I could imagine the terror Lily would feel if she had to face Envy's cold, piercing gaze every day. She had already endured enough. There was no need to add more to her growing trauma.
'You're gonna get beaten to death by your master soday,' Sera, inside my head, remarked sarcastically.
"...!"
Yeah, no thanks!
ntal note: No more bad mouthing Master Envy. I value my life far too much.
Flip—!
Turning to the last page of the pamphlet, I clicked my tongue in disappointnt. None of the designs appealed to . They all looked either too flashy or too shabby for my taste.
"Can you show more?" I asked, a frown tugged at the corner of my mouth. "These all look... ugly."
"Yes." The man answered simply, not a hint of offense in his tone.
Despite being a black market shop that prided itself on having almost any item imaginable, his Dinsion Cloak collection seed strangely limited in terms of style and color options.
Rustle—! Rustle—!
The shopkeeper nudged open a large drawer and pulled out a big box. After a brief search, he retrieved sothing from inside and once again slamd it onto the counter.
"Here."
Compared to the previous cloaks, this one was different. A sleek leather cloak with a shiny, polished surface. The collar was lined with white fur, giving it an elegant yet practical look.
Curious, I picked it up and ran my fingers along the material. It felt sturdy, but light.
Sera, what do you think?
'It's good,' she said, sounding genuinely impressed for once.
A small smile crossed my face. "Alright, I'll take it."
The shopkeeper gave a curt nod. "Two hundred thousand."
"..."
I blinked, stunned for a mont at the steep price. Before I could protest, he added, "It's not just a Dinsion Cloak. It's also an anti-Elental detector, and it's made from highly durable threads. Almost impossible to tear."
Hearing that, I could only nod. Finding an anti-Elental detector woven into a cloak was rare. Considering the dual functionality, the price wasn't unreasonable.
"Fine. I'll take it."
I completed the paynt, tucked the cloak into my inventory ring, and stepped out of the shop. I quickly checked the ti.
2:30 P.M.
Almost ti for my flight.
Without wasting another second, I quickened my pace, weaving through the narrow alleys of the black market until I reached a quieter street. Once there, I reverted to my original appearance, hiding the disguise I had worn earlier. Pulling out my Nova uniform from my storage ring, I dressed swiftly.
"Alright..." I muttered under my breath.
It was ti to board the flight.
Ruby and I had decided to take separate flights to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Her flight was scheduled about thirty minutes ahead of mine, so she should already be in the air by now.
Stepping onto the main road, I stopped down a taxi.
"To the airport," I said, sliding into the backseat.
As the car pulled away, I leaned back against the seat, letting out a small breath.
…
24 hours later.
Location : Vanilla City, Aquadore.
The mont I stepped out of the airport, a rush of fresh air greeted .
It carried the strong, salty scent of the sea, brushing against my tongue with a sharp tang that imdiately awakened my senses.
The sunlight was warm, and a light breeze tugged at the hem of my jacket.
I glanced around, taking in the sight before .
Foreigners from various kingdoms bustled about, their different styles, clothes, and mannerisms blending into a lively, colorful tapPeople from distant cities andestry.
Vanilla City was famous for hosting one of the largest beaches in the world — Mira Beach — nad by the Second Queen thousands of years ago.
Since then, the na had stuck to every tongue like a tiless lody, and the legend surrounding it only grew with each passing generation.
Aquadore, the kingdom that housed Vanilla City, was surrounded mostly by water and lay far removed from the Demon Continent. It was one of the rare few places where monsters doesn't bother co, making it a pri location for both tourists and adventurers to relax without fear.
Navigating through the crowd, weaving between groups of travelers and families dragging their luggage, I scanned my surroundings carefully.
I was searching for her.
Ruby had arrived ahead of .
"Where is she...?" I muttered under my breath, shifting my bag on my shoulder.
Just then, two soft hands slipped over my eyes from behind, cutting off my vision.
I stiffened slightly, only to catch a faint scent of sunflowers drifting to my nose it was warm, familiar, and comforting.
A small smile ford on my lips.
"Ruby," I called out, recognizing her touch instantly.
She let out a small, playful chuckle and slowly pulled her hands away.
I turned around, and my gaze imdiately landed on her.
Her crimson hair frad her small, delicate face perfectly, glowing under the afternoon sun.
She wore a round, flat-based hat, and a pair of sunglasses perched neatly atop it.
A light yellow shirt and matching shorts completed her outfit, giving her a charming and refreshingly casual look.
To put it simply, she looked dangerously adorable.
"You're late!" Ruby pouted, crossing her arms and giving a playful side glance.
"Huh?" I blinked, caught a little off guard by her cuteness. "I wasn't the one piloting the plane, you know."
"Such a la thing to say," she teased, flashing a wide grin.
"And here I thought you'd co running straight into my arms."
I sighed inwardly, trying very hard not to let my emotions show on my face.
Ruby was being unusually bold today, and for the first ti in a while, I found myself feeling... shy.
Luckily, with her sunglasses and hat concealing most of her identity, no one recognized her as the current Rank-7 Hero.
To the bustling crowd, we were just another young couple enjoying their vacation.
"I've already booked our hotel for tonight," Ruby said, her fingers lightly tugging at my sleeve. "Co on, let's get going."
Only the two of us were staying at the hotel for now.
Our entire class was set to arrive tomorrow morning, and once they did, I'd have to move into the academy-designated lodging.
But for tonight...
It would just be Ruby and .
"Alright," I nodded, feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness bubbling inside.
Before I could even take a step, Ruby grinned mischievously and, without warning, grabbed my hand in hers.
Her grip was warm and steady, sending a jolt up my arm.
I flinched slightly in surprise.
She was really being too bold today.
"Let's gooo!" she chid happily, swinging our joined hands lightly between us as we started walking.
All around us, couples strolled leisurely holding hands, laughing together, resting their heads on each other's shoulders.
It was like we had wandered straight into a romantic painting.
The atmosphere made feel awkward and sowhat self-conscious.
Still, I couldn't bring myself to pull my hand away. Ruby's hand in mine felt... right.
Trying to shake off the swirling emotions, I turned to her.
"You didn't book so fancy hotel, did you?" I asked cautiously.
I wasn't exactly a fan of extravagant, flashy places, sothing simple and quiet suited far better.
"Don't worry," Ruby replied with a playful wink.
"It's nothing too grand. Just a nice sea-facing room with a big living lounge. I really liked it."
I let out a small sigh of relief.
A sea-facing room actually sounded pretty good.
I turned my head slightly to the right, catching a glimpse of the vast ocean shimring under the golden afternoon light.
"And what about my room?" I asked curiously.
"Hm?" Ruby tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
I stopped walking and faced her, our hands still linked together.
"...Don't tell we're sharing the sa room?" I asked slowly.
"Yes," she answered without a hint of hesitation, blinking innocently up at as if sharing a hotel room with was the most natural thing in the world.
"..."
I now feel nervous for so reason…
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