“…Sister Lia.”
The address carried the unique quality of a youth’s voice, somewhere between clear and slightly raspy, laden with unmistakable nervousness and hesitation.
Aurelia looked at Helen. His orange eyes were fixed on her without blinking, filled with the anxiety of someone fearing rejection.
A faint blush even crept onto his pale face because of the title that had just slipped out; he was clearly feeling shy and embarrassed.
[Hey? This brat really knows how to phrase things, doesn’t he? What the hell is with ‘sister’? I’d much rather hear you call me ‘brother’!] Aurelia grumbled to herself, but her expression remained that of the gentle persona she was trying hard to maintain as she let out a soft sigh.
Setting aside the messy thoughts and the odd sensation of being called “sister,” a strange sense of stability welled up in Aurelia’s heart. Hmm… where did that come from?
She hesitated for a long time—so long that Helen began to think she was displeased and was about to explain himself and change the title—before she finally responded.
“…Mm, I’m here,” she replied. Her voice wasn’t loud, but her tone was clear and certain.
[Whatever, sister it is. Regardless, I need to keep this little brother stable. If the negotiations fall through just because of a title, that would be far too much of a loss.]
Upon hearing her affirmative response, Helen’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed a fraction. The faint red hue caused by shyness and tension quietly faded, and a flicker of relief-induced peace passed through his orange eyes.
He nodded and said nothing more. However, this interaction felt like a practical red seal of approval being pressed onto their originally fragile and utilitarian temporary alliance.
***
Aurelia turned her gaze out the window. The land looked increasingly barren, with jagged, craggy rocks everywhere. Occasionally, she could see drought-resistant plants with thick leaves and thorny edges swaying in the dry wind.
In the distance, the silhouettes of mountains appeared even more desolate, presenting a cold, hard grey-blue color under the slanting afternoon sunlight.
According to what the Coachman had mentioned earlier, their next rest would likely wait until he called for her. But at this speed, she feared it would be evening at the very least.
She rubbed the space between her eyebrows and turned back, only to find that Helen had been staring at her. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but he seemed a bit dazed.
“…Hmm?”
Helen seemed to be startled out of his thoughts. His orange eyes blinked, meeting Aurelia’s gaze with a hint of confusion.
Immediately, he realized he had been staring, and embarrassment at being caught flashed across his face. He instinctively reached up to scratch his somewhat messy water-blue hair.
“Sorry…”
“It’s fine. I’m not afraid of being looked at.”
Aurelia’s tone was relaxed, even carrying a hint of a joke, which successfully diluted Helen’s momentary embarrassment.
She looked at the boy’s ear tips, which were turning slightly red from bashfulness, and his orange eyes that always carried a calmness unbecoming of his age. Her internal conflict about “brother” versus “sister” faded slightly.
[I didn’t expect this little guy to be a tough nut to crack 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 still too young…]
Aurelia’s right hand instinctively pressed against her face, an action that looked like the helpless gesture of a young girl.
This movement was misunderstood by Helen, who had been secretly observing her reaction. His orange eyes shrank slightly, and the blush that hadn’t fully faded from his face seemed to deepen.
He thought his rude staring just now had troubled or displeased his companion—the one who had just barely accepted his title of Sister Lia.
“I-I’m 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 be offensive and had just been lost in thought. But the words felt hollow as they reached his lips, making it seem more like he was trying to cover something up.
His family education had taught him well that staring at a lady for a long time was extremely rude, let alone when the other party was… er… the companion and savior he had just met.
“Don’t worry, I told you, I’m not afraid of being looked at. It’s fine.” She shook her head, her tone carrying a hint of comfort.
“I was just thinking about things.” She paused, feeling it necessary to explain a bit so this young master wouldn’t continue to obsess over etiquette.
“I was wondering how I should earn money once we reach Twilight City, and I have to find a way to treat your injuries, and then…” Aurelia touched the wound on her neck. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but it still hurt a lot.
Furthermore, she needed to find the two items that could suppress the Disaster Source: Manjusaka, and a weapon fused with Obsidian.
She temporarily pulled her thoughts back from these hidden goals and looked at Helen, asking a more practical question: “How much do you know about Twilight City? We’ll probably have to settle there first.”
***
Hearing this question, Helen lifted his eyes slightly, appearing to be reminiscing.
After a few seconds of silence, his tone became even flatter than when he discussed his own injuries, even carrying a sense of detached indifference.
“I’ve been there twice, both times following… my elder brothers.” He didn’t specify which brother, and Aurelia had no interest in knowing, so she didn’t interrupt.
“Once was to attend a semi-public auction held in the largest merchant guild of 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, seemingly weighing his words, before continuing: “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 needed more hands for the mines on the border, 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 noble world and the reality he had been exposed to since childhood as a member of that world.
Aurelia had heard of these things long ago, especially regarding the slaves. She had already prepared herself mentally and had heard a thing or two from Sister Vera.
The slave trade in this world was legal and regulated, but the source of most slaves… that was hard to say.
“The Central District… sounds like a place with high consumption,” Aurelia summarized.
“That’s clearly not a place we can go to right now. Are there other areas around the auction house and slave market? For example, somewhere relatively cheaper, with a high floating population, where it’s easy to find work? Er… preferably somewhere safe.”
“Safe, you say…” Helen lowered his head in thought for a while before looking back up. He glanced at Aurelia, whose clothes were so tattered they were only inches away from failing to cover her, then looked at the wounds on his own body and coughed twice.
“Indeed, safety is very important.”
[This kid… why does he like looking at me so much? I know I’m good-looking and I said I’m not afraid of being watched, but… there’s no need to stare at me like I’m some rare curiosity.]
Aurelia was somewhat baffled by Helen’s scrutinizing glances, but since he quickly moved to the main topic, she tossed that minor confusion to the back of her mind.
“However, safety is relative,” Helen stated.
“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.”
“The people there are a mixed bag; it’s a huge floating population with all sorts of characters. The patrolling guards mainly keep their eyes on the valuable merchant caravans and ignore people like us who have nothing of value.” There was a hint of self-mockery in his words.
“Are you familiar with that area?” Aurelia went straight to the heart of the current issue.
“Familiar… I wouldn’t say that. But as for who can be approached, who can’t, and what people are doing, identifying them is quite simple.”
His tone carried a slight hint of pride as he raised his left hand and pressed it gently against his chest.
“Observe their clothing, their speech and behavior, their belongings, and their eyes. Merchants, craftsmen, mercenaries, thieves, brokers, slave traders, fallen nobles, adventurers… even if they are deliberately disguised, there are always traces in the fine details. This is a basic skill the family required me to master.”
As he reached the end, his voice dropped lower, as if he were remembering the extremely harsh lessons intended to mold him into a qualified noble young master. This included how to quickly judge the identity, intent, and value of others in complex situations.
Aurelia heard the shift in his tone but didn’t call him out on it. Not only because this skill was very important right now, but also to avoid bringing up past memories the other party didn’t want to recall; that wasn’t a good way to behave.
“These are all very useful, Helen. Once we get there, I’ll have to trouble you to keep a close eye on the people around us. We need to quickly distinguish which jobs and commissions are reliable choices rather than traps.”
She paused and looked at Helen, deciding to tell him some more practical survival tips in advance.
“However, just being able to read people isn’t enough. Don’t easily reveal our true situation, don’t appear too eager, and while you can act weak appropriately, you must hold your bottom line. Once you get the money, leave immediately. Don’t linger, and don’t believe any promises of better opportunities.”
These were things she had learned from the Sword of Saint Radiance, as well as from anti-fraud videos from before she crossed over.
Or rather… they were lessons taught by bloody reality.
She wasn’t sure how much of this the little noble master could understand, but she had to let him know these things for the sake of their future cooperation.
Helen listened seriously, his orange eyes focused on Aurelia as he recorded her words in his heart, word for word.
“I understand, Sister Lia. I will watch carefully and speak less.”
“Mm-hmm. Taking it to heart makes you a good boy.” Aurelia smiled and nodded, having already begun to approve of this little brother in her heart.
Even though she was just a young girl herself—on the surface. But that sense of kinship was indeed quietly growing.
This little brother was obedient, had a good personality, lacked the typical arrogance of a young master, didn’t cry or fuss, was quite smart, and could still maintain this temperament despite growing up in the shadows. He was practically a human lotus flower. In this world, that was a rare find.
Helen seemed to be made a bit bashful by the “good boy” comment. He looked away slightly, his ear tips turning red again, but the corner of his pursed lips curved upward, and his orange eyes brightened.
The affirmation from the sister in front of him seemed to dispel some of the panic and unease caused by his family’s betrayal, his frantic escape, and his near-death experience.
Watching Helen’s shy and fidgety appearance, Aurelia turned her head away and let out a long sigh in her heart.
[Sigh… this kid really is a pure-hearted little chef; he has zero resistance to beautiful girls. But… he’s much better than that big jerk Laurence! Ten thousand times better!]
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