Birds flapped their wings, soaring across the heavens, lifting their gaze to the sky.
The fading moonlight gave way to a radiant golden sunrise, illuminating the world with a warm, amber glow.
*Chirp chirp chirp*
The birds’ song gently stirred the drowsiness from their bodies, making them feel lighter.
“Mmm… Ugh…”
Stretching to relieve her stiff body, she softly shook those lying next to her on the bed.
“Elena, Rivera, wake up. It’s already noon.”
“Mmm…Master…”
“…Ugh… It’s cold…”
Elena rubbed her eyes, waking up, covering her mouth as she yawned and then pursed her lips.
“Haaam… Mm.”
Rivera, shivering from the cold, also opened her mouth, mimicking Elena.
“Haa… Brrr…”
The golden dragon, wrapped in thin cloth, shivered as her skin trembled beneath the flimsy fabric.
“Ah-choo!”
With a sneeze, a drop of mucus ran from her nose. Rivera’s brows drew into a single line, frustration evident.
“…”
Keyal looked over Rivera.
Her clothes—a tattered white scrap of fabric with torn edges and patches of dirt—were clearly long overdue for replacent.
‘Wow… No chance of fixing that.’
In such thin clothes, it was no wonder she was shivering. Even a dragon, immune to hot and cold, was bundled up tightly in blankets, coughing.
Keyal approached Rivera.
*Tap*
He lifted her gently by her hollow underarms.
“…Dad?”
Ignoring Rivera’s murmur, he brought his face close to her chest.
Closing the gap, he sniffed Rivera’s scent.
“D-Dad…?!”
Rivera squird, her legs dangling as she clung to his forehead, trying desperately to push him away.
…Though her efforts seed to have little effect.
As he caught a whiff, Keyal’s expression twisted.
‘Oh my… this sll!’
Forcing himself to hide his grimace, he put on a smile as Rivera looked at him, tilting her head in confusion.
“…”
Carefully, Keyal set her down on the bed sheet.
“…Rivera.”
“Huh?”
“For now… shall we get cleaned up?”
---
Passing through a crowded alley, they entered the bustling marketplace.
Rivera reached into a brown bag, taking out a snack and savoring it with a broad, joyful smile that could warm anyone’s heart.
“Hehe. Is it that tasty?”
With crumbs all over her mouth, Rivera carefully offered so to him.
“Want so, Dad?”
Seeing the fish, fried whole with its scales intact, Keyal shook his head.
“I’ll pass.”
Rivera, sucking her fingers, gave him a disappointed look, and Keyal felt a pang of guilt.
‘Ugh…’
Since birth, he could never stomach fish.
Eating it made him gag, and, in severe cases, he’d end up in the bathroom, retching for hours.
Just seeing it now was making him queasy… the thought of eating it? Terrifying.
---
Our destination was a well-known stall in town.
This one specialized in clothing.
Keyal patted Rivera’s head.
“Huh?”
She tilted her head, a question mark practically floating above it. Keyal grinned slyly, pressing down gently on her head.
“…Hehe.”
A mysterious smile crept onto the half-demon’s face.
His gaze road over Rivera’s tattered cloth with a smirk.
“D-Dad?”
“Ahem… It’s nothing.”
At her hesitant question, he cleared his throat and looked toward the modest silhouette of a building.
They had arrived at a peculiar clothing shop, selling modern-looking attire slightly out of place in the dieval world of TBG Heroes.
“There it is. Let’s go inside.”
Keyal gestured to the building, and they made their way toward it.
---
Inside, the shop was unexpectedly opulent.
The clothes, each one shining and pristine, made the otherwise simple interior feel luxurious.
A quiet gong rang out as a shop attendant rushed to greet them.
“Welco, sir! Is there a specific item you’re looking for?”
Keyal smiled, nodding.
The attendant motioned for them to follow, guiding them through the shop.
‘Is there sothing to buy?’
There was. Plenty, in fact.
Rivera looked up at Keyal.
“…”
Another sly smile crept over her father’s face.
He looked like one of those sneaky old n slipping in and out of questionable establishnts.
The little dragon's mouth dropped open, realizing that Keyal Klein, her father, had been wearing that odd smile since before they arrived.
He was undoubtedly imagining all the cute outfits he could dress her in, the thought unknowingly bringing a smile to his face.
Rivera followed behind at a leisurely pace, glancing shyly at her father, her face reddening as she cast furtive glances his way.
*Snap*
Next to them, Elena gritted her teeth.
“…”
Elena glared.
The young dragon’s red eyes flickered in nervous response.
As the unsettling atmosphere spread, the attendant instinctively sensed the danger and froze, bowing.
“…I apologize.”
Keyal pressed a hand to his forehead, bowing his head in embarrassnt.
‘Show a little maturity… we’re indoors, for heaven’s sake… and in soone else’s store.’
Thinking this, he lowered his head further to et the attendant’s gaze.
He was just over thirty, so maybe it seed absurd to call the others here old by comparison, but…
“Why are you mad?”
“Then why are you angry?”
Compared to the two of them, he was practically the adult.
---
After buying a few winter outfits, they left the store.
Throughout the trip, he’d been tempted to buy maid uniforms or mini skirts for fun, but…
The seething glare from Elena—her eyes practically shooting lasers at him and the attendant—made him decide otherwise.
‘…For a mont, I thought she was a horror movie villain.’
Rivera, dressed in an ivory overcoat, flapped her oversized sleeves.
The coat looked a bit large on her small fra.
The sleeves completely covered her petite hands.
“I thought I got a youth size…”
Rivera was noticeably shorter than others her age.
A quick glance confird her height barely reached his waist; she likely didn’t stand taller than 160 centiters.
“Do you like it?”
“Mm-hmm. But it’s a little big.”
Of course.
Looking down at her legs, he saw the coat trailing along the ground.
It swept up dirt and completely concealed Rivera’s fra.
“…”
At that mont…
He felt a chilling presence behind him.
Elena was staring at him with a wide, almost murderous grin.
‘…Is she sulking because I didn’t buy her anything?’
Keyal hesitated, then spoke to Elena.
“A-Are you alright, Elena?”
His voice shook, his whole body instinctively tensing at the intimidating presence of the elf behind him.
Was it an instinct? Or a gut feeling?
Was she jealous? Or just feeling left out?
Thoughts tangled ssily in his mind.
One wrong word, and he felt as though his head might roll under the force of her terrifying aura.
Though technically, her killing intent wasn’t even aid at him.
“E-Elena?”
“Master.”
“Yes… yes?”
Her gaze softened slightly, though a shadow of madness lingered.
‘Damn… that’s terrifying!’
It felt like a scene straight out of a horror film.
“Would you… buy sothing too?”
The spirit in front of him asked, her voice cold.
*Shiver*
Her feeble tone made his knees tremble.
“Oh… is there sothing you need?”
*Crack*
Elena clenched her left hand, as though she were about to crush and tear sothing apart.
“Hehe, it’s nothing much. Just… I need a little sothing.”
‘I just asked, didn’t I…?’
She gave another unsettling grin, filling his vision.
“Pretty please? You’ll… do it for , won’t you?”
It sounded like a request, but it was a threat. She wasn’t asking—she was demanding, leaving no room for refusal.
Reading her intentions, Keyal nodded.
Knowing he was dood if he said no, he decided to play it safe.
Maybe she wouldn’t actually kill him… but if he didn’t comply, soone was likely to get torn apart by this elf.
So, with one hand holding the young dragon’s sleeve and the other gripping the elf’s tense hand, he led them along.
Below him, Rivera, and beside him, Elena glared at each other. To an outsider, they might have looked like parents and their daughter.
If only he weren’t wedged between them.
‘Ugh… Damn, that hurts.’
He wondered how such delicate-looking hands could possess this much strength. But then he rembered—
‘Oh, right.’
They were both 6★ Heroes.
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