“…Sister Lia.”
The address carried the unique voice of a youth, somewhere between clear and slightly raspy, along with ill-concealed tension and a hint of testing.
Eurelia looked at Hellen. His orange eyes were staring at her without blinking, filled with the trepidation of one who feared rejection.
His pale face even flushed with a faint crimson due to the title he had just blurted out; clearly, he was feeling quite shy and embarrassed himself.
[Hey? This kid really managed to say it? What the hell is with ‘Sister’? I’d much rather hear you call me ‘Brother’!] Eurelia grumbled in her heart, though her face remained fixed in that gentle expression she tried so hard to maintain as she gave a soft sigh.
Putting aside those chaotic thoughts and the oddity of being called a sister, a strange sense of grounding rose within Eurelia. Hmm… where was it coming from?
After hesitating for a long time—long enough for Hellen to think she might be unhappy and prepare an explanation to change the title—she finally responded.
“…Mm, I’m here,” she answered. Her voice wasn’t loud, but her tone was clear and certain.
[Whatever, sister is fine. Regardless, I have to keep this little brother steady first. If the negotiations fall through over a title, that would be a terrible loss.]
Hearing her affirmative response, Hellen’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed a fraction. The faint red flush that had risen from shyness and tension quietly faded, and a flicker of relief-filled peace passed through his orange eyes.
He nodded and stopped speaking. But this interaction seemed to gently place a valid red seal upon the fragile and utilitarian temporary alliance between them.
***
Eurelia turned her gaze out the window. The land looked increasingly barren, strewn with jagged rocks. Occasionally, some drought-resistant plants with thick leaves and thorny edges could be seen swaying in the dry wind.
In the distance were the silhouettes of even more desolate mountains, presenting a cold, hard grayish-blue color under the slanting afternoon sunlight.
According to what the coachman uncle had mentioned before, the next rest probably wouldn’t be until he called her, but at this speed, it would likely be evening at the earliest.
She rubbed the space between her eyebrows and turned her head, only to find that Hellen had been watching her. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but he seemed a bit lost in thought.
“…Mm?”
Hellen seemed to be jolted awake from his own thoughts. His orange eyes blinked as he met Eurelia’s gaze with some confusion.
Immediately, he realized he had been staring at her just now. Embarrassment at being caught flashed across his face, and he subconsciously raised a hand to scratch his somewhat messy aqua-blue hair.
“Sorry…”
“It’s fine. I’m not afraid of being looked at.”
Eurelia’s tone was relaxed, even carrying a hint of a joke, successfully diluting Hellen’s moment of embarrassment.
She looked at the youth’s earlobes, which were turning slightly red from embarrassment, and his orange eyes that always carried a calmness unbecoming of his age. Her internal conflict over being called “Brother” or “Sister” faded a bit.
[I didn’t expect this kid to be such a tough customer when he first woke up, yet after just a short time of getting to know each other, he’s turned into a pure-hearted youth? Sigh… he really is too young after all…]
Eurelia’s right hand subconsciously pressed against her own face, a gesture that looked like a somewhat helpless young girl.
This action fell into the eyes of Hellen, who had been secretly observing her reaction, and it was misunderstood. His orange eyes shrank slightly, and the faint flush on his face seemed to deepen.
He thought his rude staring just now had caused distress or displeasure to this companion who had only just barely accepted his title for her as Sister Lia.
“S-Sorry,” he spoke up quickly, his voice even lower than before. “I didn’t mean to… I just…”
He wanted to explain that he didn’t intend to offend and was just lost in thought while thinking about things. But the words felt hollow as they reached his lips, making it seem even more like he was making excuses.
His family upbringing made him deeply aware that staring at a woman for a long time was extremely rude, let alone when the other person was… er… his newly-acquainted companion and savior.
“Relax, I already said it’s fine. I’m not afraid of being looked at,” she shook her head, her tone carrying a bit of reassurance.
“I was just thinking about something,” she paused, feeling it necessary to explain a bit to prevent this Young Master from continuing to dwell on etiquette.
“I was thinking that once we get to Twilight City, I’ll need to figure out how to earn money and find a way to heal your injuries, and then…” Eurelia touched the wound on her neck. The bleeding had barely stopped, but it still hurt a lot.
Furthermore, she needed to find the two items that could suppress the Source of Calamity: Manzhushage and a weapon fused with Obsidian.
She temporarily pulled her thoughts back from these hidden goals and looked at Hellen, asking a more practical question: “How much do you know about Twilight City? We’ll probably have to settle down there first.”
***
Hearing this question, Hellen’s eyes lifted slightly as if he were reminiscing.
After a few seconds of silence, his tone became even flatter than when he discussed his own injuries, even carrying a sort of detached indifference.
“I’ve been there twice, always following… my elder brother at home.” He didn’t specify which brother it was, but Eurelia had no interest in knowing, so she didn’t interrupt him.
“Once was to attend a semi-public auction held at the largest merchant guild in the central district. The items were a mix—antiques, magic materials, rare minerals, special tools, and then some items of unknown origin but extremely unique nature.”
He paused for a moment as if weighing his words, then continued: “The other time was also in the central district, at a slave market. That time was to… procure a batch of labor. A branch of the family at the border mines needed more hands, so they bought some slaves there and sent them over.”
When he said the word “slaves,” his tone didn’t fluctuate much, as if he were talking about buying a batch of tools or livestock.
This was a commonplace dark side of the aristocratic world and a reality he had been exposed to since childhood as a member of it.
Eurelia had already heard of these things, especially regarding slaves. She had already made full mental preparations and had heard a bit about it from Sister Vera.
The slave trade in this world was rational and legal, but the source of most slaves… that was hard to say.
“The central district… sounds like it has very high consumption,” Eurelia summarized.
“That’s clearly not a place we can go right now. Are there other areas around the auction houses and slave markets? For example, places that are relatively cheaper, have a high floating population, and are easy to find work in? Uh… preferably somewhere safe.”
“Safe, huh…” Hellen lowered his head in thought for a while, then looked up again. He glanced at the ragged Eurelia—who was only inches away from being barely clothed—and then looked at the wounds on his own body, coughing twice.
“Indeed, safety is very important.”
[This kid… why does he like looking at me so much? Although I do look good and said I don’t mind, there’s… no need to look at me like some rare curiosity non-stop, right?]
Eurelia was somewhat puzzled by Hellen’s scrutiny, but seeing him quickly get to the point, she tossed that slight confusion to the back of her mind.
“But safety is relative,” Hellen said.
“For our current situation, the outskirts of the central district, especially the blocks connecting the docks and the main roads, might be a good starting point.”
“It’s a mixed bag there with a huge floating population. All sorts of people from every walk of life are there. The patrolling guards mainly keep their eyes on the valuable large merchant caravans and people like us who have nothing to our names.” His words had a bit of a self-deprecating flavor.
“Are you familiar with that area?” Eurelia went straight to the heart of the current problem and asked.
“Familiar… I wouldn’t call it that. However, identifying who can be contacted, who cannot, and what people do is still very simple.”
His tone was slightly proud as he raised his left hand and lightly pressed it against his chest.
“Look at their clothes, their speech and behavior, their belongings, and their eyes. Merchants, craftsmen, mercenaries, thieves, brokers, slave traders, fallen nobles, adventurers… even with deliberate disguises, there are always traces in the fine details. This is a basic skill the family requires us to master.”
Toward the end, his voice lowered. He seemed to recall those extremely rigorous lessons intended to mold him into a qualified Young Master of the nobility. This included how to quickly judge others’ identities, intentions, and value in complex situations.
Eurelia heard the shift in his tone but did not call it out. Not only because this skill was very important now, but also to avoid mentioning too much of the past he was unwilling to recall. That wouldn’t be good behavior.
“These are all very useful, Hellen. When we arrive, I’ll have to trouble you to keep a close eye on the people around us. We need to distinguish which jobs and commissions are relatively reliable choices as quickly as possible, rather than traps.”
She paused and looked at Hellen, deciding to tell him some more practical survival tips ahead of time.
“However, just knowing how to read people isn’t enough. Don’t easily reveal our true situation, don’t appear too eager, you can act weak appropriately, but the bottom line must be held. Once you get the money, leave immediately. Don’t linger, and don’t believe any promises of ‘better opportunities’.”
These were all things she had learned from the Holy Radiance Sword, and some from the anti-fraud videos from before her reincarnation.
Or rather… they were lessons taught by bloody reality.
She wasn’t sure how much this little aristocratic Young Master could understand, but she had to let him know these things for the sake of their future cooperation.
Hellen listened seriously, his orange eyes focused on Eurelia, recording her words sentence by sentence in his heart.
“I understand, Sister Lia. I will pay attention and speak less.”
“Mm-hmm. Being able to take it to heart makes you a good child.” Eurelia smiled and nodded, having already begun to approve of this little brother in her heart.
Even though she was only a teenage girl herself—on the surface. But that sense of approval was indeed growing quietly.
This little brother was obedient, had a good personality, no Young Master tantrums, didn’t cry or make a fuss, was so smart, and could still maintain this disposition despite growing up in the shadows. He was practically a human little lotus. In this world, that was too rare.
Hellen seemed a bit embarrassed by the phrase “good child” and slightly averted his gaze. The tips of his ears turned a bit red again, but the corners of his pursed lips curved upward, and his orange eyes brightened.
The validation from this sister in front of him seemed to slightly dispel the panic and unease in his heart caused by his family’s betrayal, his frantic flight, and almost losing his life.
Seeing Hellen’s bashful and fidgety appearance, Eurelia turned her head and let out a long sigh in her heart.
[Sigh… this kid really is a pure-hearted little chef; he has zero resistance against beautiful girls. But… he’s much better than that big bastard Loranster! Ten thousand times better!]
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