The moment Rayn and Kanna entered, several curious eyes turned their way. The gazes lingered even longer when they noticed the enormous greatsword strapped to Rayn's back. After all, a child carrying a blade taller than himself was an unusual sight anywhere. Still, Hill Town was prosperous and well-traveled, so most patrons quickly looked away, though many continued sneaking appraising glances.
Rayn led Kanna to an empty table, and before long a waitress approached with a professional smile. Her eyes drifted to the sword, her eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.
"Welcome. What would you two like to eat?"
"Kanna, you can order," Rayn said. He flipped through the menu once, then handed it to her.
"This, this… and this too!" Kanna pointed enthusiastically at every colorful dish that caught her eye.
The waitress froze mid-scribble and glanced at Rayn, stunned. Two children ordering enough food for a small battalion was suspicious to say the least.
"It's fine. She has a good appetite," Rayn reassured her.
"…Understood. Please wait a moment," she said politely before retreating. Since Rayn wasn't joking or causing trouble, she gave up trying to persuade them. Not my money, she thought and walked off with the order.
Rayn leaned back in his chair, quietly studying the tavern. Some patrons were plainly dressed locals chatting with the staff, while others, well-clothed merchants accompanied by leather-armored guards, looked to be stopping through on business. Even though Fiore was mostly safe, traveling merchants always hired protection.
The tavern buzzed with overlapping conversations:
"Hey, did you hear? Talia's underwear got stolen!"
"Seriously? That widow? She's still got it!"
"This shipment looks good. Hope it fetches a high price!"
"Boss! Two more ales over here!"
"Can you believe Finn raised prices again? Says things in town keep disappearing. What a joke!"
The noise was messy, but Rayn listened carefully. His senses had sharpened over time, and the details began to piece themselves together.
Underwear… random stolen goods… complaints from shopkeepers. So the thief steals anything? No pattern, no fixed location, east side, west side, anywhere.
Rayn tapped the table in thought. If they ignore valuables and steal nonsense, then either they're insane or… this isn't a normal thief.
"A magical beast?" he murmured. That was always a reasonable guess for strange phenomena. But he quickly rejected it with a shake of his head.
"If it were a magical beast, Master would've mentioned it. He's traveled more than anyone. He would've recognized it instantly."
His mind shifted.
"A dark guild, maybe?" he muttered. But then he sighed. "No… a dark guild wouldn't steal underwear. They'd do something far worse."
The more he analyzed it, the less logical a single thief seemed.
"Unless they steal purely for the thrill… or there's more than one culprit," he concluded. His eyes narrowed. "If it is a thief, maybe we can bait them…"
A soft clink interrupted his thoughts. He blinked and looked up. The table was now covered with steaming dishes.
"Please enjoy your meal," the waitress said with a bow before leaving.
Kanna stared at the food, eyes sparkling, drool threatening to form, yet she didn't move. She clenched her tiny fists and looked away in agony.
"No… Rayn hasn't started yet…"
Rayn raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you eating?"
Kanna looked up. "Are you done thinking, Rayn?"
Her expression said everything. She was waiting for him. Realizing this, Rayn let out a soft breath, smiled, and nodded.
"Yes. Let's eat."
"Yay!" Kanna cheered, immediately digging in. At least she no longer gnawed on spoons like she did when she first arrived in this world.
When they finished their meal and stepped back into the night streets, Rayn asked, "Kanna, did you notice anything strange in this town?"
Kanna skipped along, then tilted her head. "Mmm… there's no bad smell, but sometimes the magic particles in the air disappear."
Rayn stopped walking. "Disappear?"
"Only a tiny bit," she clarified. "Very little, and only sometimes. Not even as much as one person casting magic."
Rayn's expression grew serious. Missing objects were one thing. But the disappearance of intangible magic particles, even in small amounts, made the situation far more complicated.
So much for the underwear-stealing pervert theory.
This could no longer be called a simple theft.
766 Words
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