Chương 61: Chapter 60: Food Hunts

"AHHHHH!" A shout of pure frustration ripped through the festive air, loud enough to momentarily drown out the rhythmic thrum of drums. The crowd, a shifting sea of color and laughter, turned in unison toward the source. There, standing before a knife-throwing stall, was a girl whose presence was as striking as a bolt of lightning. Her tail lashed behind her with the speed of an agitated whip, stirring the dust of the road while her hands clamped over her head in frustration.

Elina looked less like a calamity and more like a disgruntled teenager.

"Goddammit! Another round!" She slammed the wooden counter with a handful of coins.

"This time, I'll win. I swear on my scales."

"H-here you go, another three knives." The stall owner's hands were trembling so violently that the blades clattered against the wood.

"You got this, Elina! Go for it!" From the side, Lina cheered with radiant energy.

"You can do it! Think of it as food!" All three knives flew forward, whistling through the air. Yet, for all their terrifying speed, the blades defied every trajectory of pride and buried themselves deep into the wooden wall.

"…And you lost… again." Lina let her hands fall limp to her sides. Her head bowed toward the ground, her enthusiasm deflating like a punctured balloon. Elina's face, meanwhile, deepened into the shade of a ripe tomato, her embarrassment simmering into a low, boiling rage that made the air around her feel heavy.

"T-the knives were unbalanced! It's not fair!" Elina struck the counter in a fit of pique, her amber eyes flashing with draconic heat.

"Yes! We need a refun—" Lina started to shout loudly as well, but swallowed her words mid-sentence. The stall owner stared at the pair in hopeless terror. One word from them, and her life would be forfeit, but luckily for her, the 'little monsters' possessed a conscience.

"W-we'll be leaving now!" Lina suddenly grabbed her by the arm as Elina's tail coiled defensively around her leg.

"You can keep the change! You never saw us here, got it?" … The two rushed away from the stall, weaving through the gaps in the crowd. They didn't stop until they ducked into a quieter alleyway, leaning against the cold stone of a building to catch their ragged breaths as their hearts hammered a frantic rhythm against their ribs.

"That… that was close." Elina placed her hands on her knees, her tail curling around her waist as if trying to hide itself.

"Yeah, we could've gotten into a lot of trouble." Lina reached down to smooth her new outfit, which had become slightly disheveled during their sprint. The fear of news reaching the ears of Noa or Vionette acted like a bucket of ice water on their tempers. After taking a long, stabilizing breath, Lina surveyed her surroundings, her blue eyes lighting up as she spotted a fresh target for her hunger.

"Hey, big sis Elina… let's get some of that." She pointed toward an ice cream stall where a small cloud of frost mist hovered in the air.

"What the hell is that?" Elina's eyes narrowed.

"I've never seen something like that."

"I haven't either, but big bro mentioned something like this," Lina said.

"I think it's called ice cream. Eryndor has lots of connections with otherworlders, so it's no surprise they can make it using the magic here."

"Oh, that makes total sense!" Elina slammed her fist into her open palm.

"Okay then, let's go get some." …

"Hey," Lina began as they walked, "what do you think big sis and bro are doing right now?" Elina glanced upward, her pupils darting upward as she pondered.

"Mmm… probably doing something idiotic, unlike us." Lina looked back at her, her expression deadpan.

"Unlike us… huh?" Continuing their banter, they eventually reached the ice cream shop, which was run by an elderly, gray-haired demon. The ice cream was stored in a magically reinforced container that prevented it from melting by absorbing ambient Aether, casting a soft, ethereal glow around the tubs of cream.

"Awww… the line is a little long." Lina joined the back of the queue, her face sagging into an unsatisfied pout.

"Don't worry… it will only take about fifteen minutes." Elina stood beside her, and though her words were meant to be encouraging, her own face had already melted into dramatic despair. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. They waited, and waited, and waited, until only twelve people remained ahead of them. They passed the time admiring the festival decorations, and when that grew boring, they resorted to a high-speed game of rock, paper, scissors.

Then—"Hey, you cute little miss. Would you let us go past you?" A voice, oily and thick with unearned arrogance, came from directly behind Lina.

"Come on, move aside. We're in a hurry." It was a group of three men who had just cut the line, weaving through the patient citizens with a sneering disregard for the rules. Now, they stood behind the two girls.

"Don't worry, if you just move aside, we won't do anything to that pretty face." The man in the lead, a black-haired elf with a jagged scar across his chin, placed a hand on Lina's shoulder, his face contorting into a creepy, predatory grin. Lina stood dead still. The world around them seemed to quiet as the festive music faded into a dull, distant thrum. She reached slowly for the hilt of the sword at her waist, and her soft pink lips began to lift.

"Forml—""Hey, human…" Elina's voice cut through the air as she grabbed the man's hand and peeled it off Lina's shoulder with a strength that made his bones groan. Lina cut her words short, her eyes flickering toward Elina.

"Do you have a death wish?" The man tried to yank his hand back, but her grip didn't budge. He looked down at the girl holding him, his sneer beginning to falter.

"Who the hell are y—" The words died in his throat. His soul seemed to leave his body as he finally looked at her—truly looked at her. The girl he had dismissed until now was a dragon, and her amber eyes were already burning with fierce intensity. Before anyone could react, the metallic ring of unsheathing swords echoed from three directions, the steel singing a lethal melody. Three blades came to rest against the throats of the men who had dared to cut the line.

"Please don't get your hands dirty, Lady Elina," a familiar voice called out.

"We will handle these guys ourselves." It was a trio of royal knights, led by Numael, the second-in-command of the guard. They hadn't been dispatched specifically to protect Lina—Noa knew she was more than capable of protecting herself—they had simply stumbled upon the scene while patrolling.

"What a bummer…" Lina turned around, her lips curving upward, her blue eyes mirroring the same intensity that often filled Noa's when he stepped into a fight.

"I thought I could finally use some of my moves in a real fight instead of big bro beating my ass." The black-haired man swallowed hard, his throat clicking against the edge of the knight's blade. …That was a royal? And a dragon, too?

"Just take them to the prison and see where they're from," Lina ordered after glancing at Elina, who nodded in agreement.

"Don't kill them unless you find out they aren't from around here."

"I will, Lady Lina." Numael bowed slightly before straightening. Is this really the same girl who acts so cute in front of her family? he wondered as he signaled his men to haul the prisoners away. She has learned a lot from them … perhaps too much. Isla told me something that day, too… After the formal bow, Numael and the knights began marching back toward the royal castle, each holding a prisoner. One knight punched the man in his grip with an irritated scowl.

"You damn—! You just had to ruin our free time!"

"Yeah!" The other knight landed a blow on his own captive.

"We better get more off-duty time, or you're in for—""Shut it, you two!" Numael barked from the front, landing a blow of his own on the black-haired elf. Elina and Lina observed as the six of them disappeared into the crowd.

"Okay then, back to waiti—what the hell?" Elina froze as she turned back toward the ice cream line, unintentionally taking a step back.

"Uhhh…" Lina's mouth hung half-open, her eyes hooded in a look of complete hopelessness. The people who had been standing in line in front of them were now kneeling on the ground, having witnessed the entire exchange. They had cleared a wide, unobstructed path that led directly to the ice cream stall, their heads bowed in a mix of reverence and survival instinct.

Elina and Lina looked at each other, the silence stretching between them for a few breaths, before both of their faces broke into a matching, mischievous smirk.

"I mean… if they insist on giving us the VIP treatment…" Lina began.

"We won't get scolded for breaking any rules if they are the ones making us skip, right?" Elina finished. … Lina walked alongside Elina, happily devouring an all-vanilla cone topped with a rainbow of sprinkles. She moved with rhythmic grace until a small drip reached her finger; she paused, her eyes widening, and quickly licked it off with a soft, satisfied hum. Elina had opted for a three-scoop mountain of ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

She took a massive bite, her tail swaying in a slow, rhythmic arc of pure bliss. She closed her eyes, a beatific smile spreading across her face as if she had just ascended to heaven.

"Theeesee… are sooo gooood!"

"I know, right?" Lina nodded. As the two walked, passing the people on the road, Lina's gaze was snared by something else—a brightly colored candy cart.

"Let's get some of that too."

"Hell yeah! Lead the way!" Lina and Elina sprinted toward the cart, jumping mid-step in a synchronized burst of joy, their ice creams held high like torches.

"Two of these, please." Lina pointed toward the largest lollipops on display.

"Oh my, what a cute girl." The cart owner, a vampire, smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling as she pulled two lollipops out.

"But young miss, do you have money to pay for these? If you don't have money, I'll give you a smaller one for free." She handed them over regardless.

"Where are your parents? It's dangerous to be out alone in a crowd this big."

"Don't worry, I have a lot." Lina reached into her pocket and pulled out a shimmering gold coin with a triumphant smirk.

"Big sis Vionette gave me some money to use today. She told me not to come back until it's all gone." She placed the coin on the counter with a lingering clink.

"Vionette…? You—you don't mean Her Majesty Vionette?" The woman's eyes widened as she stared at the coin.

"Yeah. Well, we'll be—huh?" Lina turned around to hand Elina her share, but the dragon was nowhere to be found. She scanned the area with her blue eyes and spotted Elina standing a few steps away, ordering two faloodas from another stall with intense concentration. Lina simply smiled and followed her.

"I'll be off! Keep the change!" … The two continued to walk, their conversation a constant stream of praise for the snacks they were consuming, their hearts light and their bellies full. They eventually reached a large, branching crossroad where the festival's crowd converged in a swirling vortex.

"Hey, look over there." Elina nudged Lina, pointing toward the left road where four figures were standing.

"Those are…"

"…Miss Rose and the others?" The two looked at the four—who hadn't yet noticed their presence—in a state of quiet surprise. Lina and Elina shared a knowing glance before they began to walk toward the squad with identical, playful grins.