Episode 515

The central commercial district buzzed with its usual crowd.

Elderly men sat between alleyways, tossing breadcrumbs to pigeons, while young people laughed heartily, their hands full of paper bags brimming with goods.

The lively noise of street performances blended seamlessly into the surroundings. Near a stall selling skewers, a burly man crouched low. He looked as if he might drool any moment, and the elderly woman running the stall awkwardly fanned herself with a small fan.

“Looks delicious.”

“Want one?”

“How much?”

“Three skewers for one copper coin.”

“Ian! Hey, should we carry these around and eat as we go?”

With a whoosh, Berrick sprang up and turned around. Ian, who had been talking with the vendor, glanced at him. Unlike Ian’s silent ‘no,’ Romandro ground his teeth in frustration.

“Eating again?”

“Again? What did I eat?”

“Since we entered the commercial district, you’ve probably eaten enough to feed a whole family’s snacks for a week—fruits, bread, candy, ice cream. You’re not a kid. Even Vivi doesn’t eat like you!”

“If Vivi ate like me, that’d be a problem. Can you please put some thought into what you’re saying? And I didn’t eat any meat! Everything else just slid down my throat lightly.”

“Ian! Say something to him!”

But what could Ian do? It was Berrick, whose eyes lit up at the sight of food. Ian flicked a silver coin from his pocket, and Berrick caught it effortlessly with one hand. Romandro scowled in displeasure.

“You’re earning your keep now, so why do you keep dipping into Ian’s pockets?”

“It’s better if the rich kid buys it. So, Romandro, you’re not eating? Then thanks. Here! Take all of this.”

“All of this?”

“See? You can’t carry it all, can you? No choice, I’ll eat some.”

With a whoop, Berrick handed the coin to the vendor and began devouring the skewers like a man possessed. The vendor, still chatting with Ian, watched in amazement.

“Please, continue what you were saying earlier.”

“Oh, yes. Well, due to the war anxiety, the amount of fruit circulating has decreased a bit, but it’s not a major problem yet. It’s manageable. More importantly, the palace seems to be monitoring price fluctuations very closely. Since two days ago, they’ve even started providing us with some subsidies, though small.”

A faint smile played on Ian’s lips at the vendor’s words. It seemed the palace was doing its job well, and he looked satisfied.

The vendor chewed on his cigarette and dusted off the stall’s counter.

“Still, life isn’t as easy as before. Fewer customers come from other countries.”

“Burgos and Luswena?”

“Since the war, their numbers have been dwindling. Burgos visitors are almost nonexistent now, and Luswena folks have become stingy with their purses. It’s unfortunate, but we can’t help it. On the bright side, more people are coming from the borderlands to the center, so sales have stayed about the same. By the way, where did you come from?”

“I just came up from the borderlands myself. I was thinking of settling in the center, so I asked. Don’t worry about it.”

Clink.

Ian paid for the glass bottle and smiled warmly. The vendor nodded in welcome as he poured freshly squeezed fruit juice into a cup.

“Good choice. Life’s better here than at the border. Soon, the Crown Prince will ascend the throne, and everyone’s looking forward to how much more prosperous the center will become after that.”

“…I feel the same.”

As Ian raised his glass, he spotted Jin and Xiaoxi in the distance. Their attire suggested they were attendants of a wealthy household. Standing tall and striking, they drew the discreet glances of passing women.

“Ian!”

“You’re here! Did you finish your business?”

“Ah, just as I heard. The illegal expansion has made the entrance to the square quite inconvenient. But looking closer, it seems the elderly who came out to make a living are involved, so instead of demolition, it might be better to find another solution.”

The vendor, squeezing juice, perked up at the unusual conversation. This group seemed suspicious. One looked like he had trouble eating, perhaps a beggar; another, much younger, was asking detailed questions about people’s livelihoods. And the silver-haired man who just joined wore a mask.

Something about this felt off.

“Well then, shall we go grab a meal?”

“Sounds good! Master, you’re the best! Let’s go! I’m starving.”

“Berrick, with what you’re holding, that’s enough for five chickens.”

“Shall we go back to that place? The one that sells honey beer?”

“You’re not even listening. Crazy guy. Master, when you get home, starve him properly.”

Having spent a lifetime serving customers, the vendor found this group the hardest to read. They seemed like master and servant, yet also equals.

Unable to contain his curiosity, the vendor stopped Ian as he prepared to leave.

“By the way, are you family? Those two seem like siblings, but the red-haired man and the middle-aged gentleman…”

“We work together.”

“Ah, I see. Haha, sorry for prying. Please come again! Your brothers haven’t tried my fruit drinks yet, right? The fruit is very fresh—”

Clack.

At that moment, Jin approached the vendor, roughly placing a hand on the wall. The vendor stepped back in surprise. Through the mask, Jin’s pale eyes were strikingly intense, almost intimidating.

“Why? What is it?”

“Say that again.”

“I-I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking…”

“Say it again.”

“The fruit is very f-fresh…”

“Before that.”

The vendor rolled his eyes and looked at Ian. Ian gave a slight smile and dropped a hint by saying “brother.” It was a calm expression, as if he’d been through this many times.

“Brother?”

“Yes. Do I look like a brother to you?”

“Of course. Your glossy hair, the aura of dignity and elegance—you resemble each other perfectly. I haven’t seen the master’s face, but there’s a certain vibe, you know? Anyone would say you two look like brothers.”

A soft smile curved beneath Jin’s mask. It was a very satisfied smile. The vendor blinked, confused, while Jin pulled a gold coin from his pocket and instructed:

“Distribute drinks to the children and the poor.”

“Ah! Y-yes, of course.”

“I’ll be watching to see how your business goes. Good luck.”

“Th-thank you! Please come again!”

The vendor ran out to the main street to see them off, and Ian looked up at Jin, who was smiling contentedly.

“Is this so amusing to you?”

“What?”

“That I’m your brother now.”

It was already the fifth time. Every shop they visited, people asked who was the older brother and who was the younger. Ian had suggested they split up briefly.

Jin thought for a moment, then nodded, not denying it.

“It’s fascinating to experience something that shouldn’t be possible.”

“If I had accepted the passage of time in the Abyss as it was, you’d have been disappointed.”

“No.”

If that had been the case, it would have been painful.

Jin swallowed the last words and imagined it. They had endured so much in the Abyss in just over ten days—ten years would have been unimaginable. If that had happened, not only would they never have returned to the palace, but they might never have met again.

Ian smiled faintly at Jin’s firm denial and watched Berrick and Romandro walking ahead.

“Shall we get some milk too?”

“No need. Take whatever you want.”

Just then, a man’s shout echoed from somewhere.

“Long live the Crown Prince!”

Ian and Jin, along with Berrick, Romandro, and the discreetly guarding Xiaoxi, all paused in surprise.

Looking around, they realized the sound came from a nearby puppet show. Xiaoxi moved forward, but Jin gestured to hold back. They slowly approached and blended naturally with the crowd.

“Please take a look at this!”

“Hmph! Ask the Ministry of Magic!”

“Oh dear, then please look at this!”

“We’ll ask the Ministry of Magic about that too!”

“No, if you ask the Ministry of Magic about everything, what do they actually do?”

“We’ll ask the Ministry of Magic about that as well!”

As the puppet’s mouth opened wide, spouting absurd words, some spectators burst into laughter. The content was a serious offense—insulting the royal family—but the puppeteer continued without hesitation.

“So, when will the Emperor ascend? Shall we ask the Ministry of Magic?”

“No! That’s for the people of Burgos!”

“Huh? Why would you ask them?”

“Because they’re funding it!”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re going to war?”

Listening quietly, Ian tugged Jin’s sleeve. This was no longer something they could ignore. Just as Ian was about to tell Xiaoxi to intervene—

“You don’t know anything, do you?”

A sharp voice rang out. The puppets all turned to look at a woman in the crowd. Following their gaze, the others also looked. Though suddenly the center of attention, the woman seemed unfazed and continued speaking.

“If anyone saw this, they’d think His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was nothing but a puppet blindly obeying the Ministry of Magic. The Minister just got back, and already this mess? Before that, the Ministry was practically a ghost—existing in name only. How could it have run properly without a minister?”

Ouch. That hit a little too close to home. Romandro sniffled awkwardly, and Beric gave his shoulder a playful pat.

“And of course, the victor of a war claims the spoils. If the palace prospers, so too will the empire’s people. Unless you’re from Burgos, no Barielian would oppose His Highness’s decisions.”

“And who might you be?”

“Do you really want to know?”

The Puppeteer asked irritably, but the woman shot back with a look of disbelief. Laughter bubbled up again from the crowd.

Jin folded her arms, watching the scene unfold.

“Anyway, your skills are good, but you really need to proofread your lines better. And tell me—are you just full of hot air, or do you actually have the guts? If you pull that stunt out on the street in broad daylight, you’ll be arrested on the spot. See? The guards will be here any minute.”

Clink!

The woman tossed a few coins into the bowl and turned away. At once, the crowd snapped out of their daze and hurried off. The Puppeteer stood frozen, glaring in the direction she’d vanished.

Seeing this, Jin seemed almost hypnotized and took off after her.

Tap tap tap!

“Jeon-hwa—no, young master!?”

“Xia.”

“Yes.”

Ian asked Xiaoshi to clean up after the Puppeteer, then followed Jin with Beric close behind.

Romandro was stuck, unable to act, shaking his head helplessly. Deciding it might be best to deal with the Puppeteer later, he reached into his pocket for his ID.

“Hey, wait! You—”

Crash!

The Puppeteer flipped the table, and the cloth covering it fluttered in the air longer than expected.

Sensing something was wrong, Xiaoshi drew his sword—but it was already too late.

“What the—?”

“…”

“Xia, where did that guy go?”

“A suspicious person.”

“I’m not blind! What is this?”

The figure hadn’t sunk into the ground or soared into the sky. What on earth was going on? Romandro peeked under the fallen puppet Jin had been holding, then recoiled in horror.

“Is this… is this doll really made from human skin?”