"Oh? That old ancient magic circle thing. Since the Dalmasca Army ran experints on it, they must have found it sowhere in Dalmasca, right? So the higher-ups at the Central Magic Association told to look into it while I was there anyway. They’re seriously demanding, aren’t they? If I don’t get a special bonus out of this, I swear I’m going to turn evil."
"And the church has sothing to do with it?"
"Yeah. I an, you can’t just go up to the people involved and ask, ’Hey, where did you find that ancient magic circle?’ They won’t tell you. But the Church and the Central Magic Association rely on each other in a lot of ways, so I figured maybe the Church had heard sothing. And by donating Moongrain, I could win their favor, which might help down the line. You should’ve seen those kids at the orphanages—so thin, it broke my heart. They clearly aren’t getting enough food. Everywhere I went, they were crying with joy."
"That was a good thing you did. So, did you learn anything useful?"
"Well, just bits and pieces so far. Apparently, fragnts of sothing like it have been found in old ruins. The church here is actually built over so ancient ruins too. They showed so patterns still left on the walls inside."
"Oh? So there really is sothing there," Rex said with interest.
"Well, I’m not sure if it’s the sa thing or even related. They’re just tiny fragnts. But if I keep gathering more of them, maybe things will start to make sense," the man replied.
Rex chuckled softly. When the man gave him a puzzled look, asking, "What’s so funny?" Rex grinned mischievously and gave a teasing smile.
"Aaron, I didn’t think you were the type to take your work so seriously. That’s kind of surprising."
"I’m always serious about my work," the man answered, a bit defensive.
"What else are you carrying besides the Moongrain? I an, to look like a proper rchant, you have to actually trade, right?"
"I’ve also prepared so jewelry—precious tal accessories. I’m planning to sell them in the capital. I’ve hidden the box under the seat."
Rex leaned down to look. There was a sturdy wooden box with iron framing and a strong lock. Items like jewelry, gold, and other valuables were usually stored in such locked boxes inside wagons for safety.
"Wow, impressive. As expected of a rich rchant from Pristina. You’re legit."
Watching Rex look impressed, Aaron suddenly got an idea—he thought about giving one of the pieces as a gift to Shiao Yi.
...
He soaked a chunk of hard rye bread into a soup made from boiling vegetables and dried at with a pinch of salt. Just the usual simple al—but knowing it would be the last day he had to eat like this made him happy.
In the villages they stayed at along the way, there were many places that didn’t even have bread or at available for lunch. There weren’t many proper inns either—sotis they had to rest in huts that were barely more than a roof overhead. Still, it was better than sleeping outdoors, he supposed.
On such days, the dinner always ended up being soup made from vegetables and dried at Amal had bought at the first town. Breakfast was just hard black bread and cheese. It was really a sad al.
Soone like Louis might be fine with roughing it outdoors and eating basic food, but delicate people like Shiao Yi—or Aaron—just weren’t built for that. The northern wind was cold, and there was no way he could sleep on the hard ground.
Ahh... I missed freshly grilled hot at and fluffy bread. Aaron longed for sweet and tangy raspberry tarts. He wanted a peach tart from Ramje in Rosaria—just thinking about it made his mouth water.
"It looked a little more decent back when I rember it," Amal said, tilting his head in confusion.
Even though this was supposed to be a major road connecting Dalmasca’s capital with Rosaria, the scene was too quiet. You’d expect more people and wagons passing by. But there were surprisingly few.
That likely pointed to an economic and trade decline. Maybe Dalmasca was more stagnant than they had imagined.
After lunch, while Shiao Yi was resting, Aaron quietly walked over to him. He had waited for the mont when Captain Dominic had gone off with Amal to check the state of the road. The captain’s eyes were too intense—better not to be under his watch when doing this.
"Shiao Yi, here. I have a small gift for you," he said gently.
He took out an item from the collection of precious tal accessories he had prepared for trade. What he showed was a pair of ear cuffs—small and delicate, made of crystal glass that was gentle on the skin, each set with a small blue stone.
"These are called pair cuffs," he explained. "They’re ant to be worn by people who care deeply for each other, like couples or lovers. Each person wears one. It’s said to bring eternal love and happiness."
Shiao Yi seed interested. He picked up the cuffs, silk cloth and all, and held them in his hands.
"They won’t fall off?" Shiao Yi asked.
"When you put them on, you channel a bit of magic into them. That makes them adjust perfectly to the shape of the ear, and they stay in place without slipping off. You should wear them as a pair with Captain Dominic," the man said.
"Thank you, Aaron," Shiao Yi replied with a gentle smile that lit up his face.
That smile alone was enough to make the man feel satisfied. He truly wanted Shiao Yi to be happy.
When Captain Dominic returned to where Shiao Yi was sitting, Shiao Yi imdiately showed him the ear cuffs.
After that, the captain looked at Aaron and gave him a small bow of his head. His face was expressionless, but the sharp, icy look in his eyes was gone.
Then, right there, Shiao Yi and Dominic helped each other put the cuffs on.
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