The town's streets were wide and clean, with houses neatly arranged on both sides, the tallest being three-story buildings, but each household had a very large area.
There was no need to buy land here, so everyone's self-built homes were quite spacious and cozy.
As the four walked, the aroma of food wafted from a small restaurant facing the street, making them all involuntarily swallow.
They entered the restaurant, and a slightly plump, kind-faced proprietress greeted them warmly.
"Youngsters, please sit down, what would you like to eat?" the proprietress's voice was clear and bright.
Ikaruga spoke, "Bring us one of all your specialty dishes."
"Coming right up!" the proprietress replied and turned to busy herself in the kitchen.
Soon, delicious dishes were brought out one after another.
There were fresh stir-fried greens, fragrant stewed chicken, and steaming hot mushroom soup.
Ezreal and the others eagerly picked up their chopsticks and began to feast.
After the meal, the four purchased some food in the town.
Cana's card sealing effect for food was similar to an insulated box; it would spoil after a long time.
So the three only bought a day's worth of food, as well as some local specialty juices.
Of course, to thank the three for helping him hunt Magical Beasts, Ezreal paid for everything.
The return journey, riding the Shadow Worgen, was even faster than the way there, and there would be more human towns, so they didn't buy much.
The four simply looked around the town for a bit before heading out of it.
"By the way, Ikaruga, are you really not going back to your old home to take a look?" Cana asked as she walked, looking at Ikaruga.
"No," Ikaruga explained with a smile, "My father was an only child, and after my grandfather passed away, the old house was given to the neighbors. Including this time, I've only been here twice. There's no one here I know, and no one who knows me."
Ikaruga didn't show much emotion for this town where her grandfather once lived.
Her father had left here long ago to practice swordsmanship, and by the time she was born, he hadn't returned for nearly ten years.
Her grandfather also passed away early, so Ikaruga had no impression of him.
"I think this place is great, quiet, peaceful, and isolated from the outside world, but I don't feel a sense of belonging here. It's like when I was a child, listening to my father tell me stories of the Alfred Family, it felt very distant, yet there was a faint connection, like the string of a kite, do you understand?" Ikaruga stopped and looked back at El Town.
"Our family has five children; I have one younger sister and three younger brothers."
"Our family rules are very strict, and my father is also a very stern man. He dedicates himself to swordsmanship, striving to promote the family's swordsmanship, and he has taken in many talented disciples."
"From the age of three, I began to learn swordsmanship under my father's guidance. As the eldest sister, my father told me to strive to be a role model for my younger siblings. I couldn't lose to his disciples in swordsmanship practice."
"Because this is a family heirloom swordsmanship."
Ikaruga spoke softly, her eyes very calm. After looking at El Town for a few more moments, she started walking again.
Ezreal and the other two remained silent, quietly accompanying her and listening.
"After defeating my father, he forcefully demanded that I inherit the dojo, and we had a big argument. I left my hometown and traveled around, like a kite flying high."
"But now that I think about it, perhaps my father just hoped that the family's legacy could continue," Ikaruga tilted her head slightly, looking at the sky, "But I still want to live my life my own way."
The four continued forward, the atmosphere a little heavy.
Marcus broke the silence, "Ikaruga, do you plan to go back someday?"
Ikaruga was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know, maybe one day, but not now."
A gentle breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness, and withered leaves were carried high into the sky.
Cana stepped forward, hugged Ikaruga, and gently patted her shoulder, "No matter what, we support your decision."
Ikaruga froze for a moment. Cana's hair brushed her face, and the faint smell of roasted meat mixed with the lunch dishes was a bit unpleasant, but she only felt warmth.
Ikaruga's eyes reddened slightly, and her left hand subconsciously gripped the scabbard at her waist. The cold touch assured her that everything before her was incredibly real.
Ikaruga took a soft breath, released the scabbard, and hugged Cana, "Thank you, everyone."
Ezreal watched the scene before him without speaking. He had lived two lives, but he never knew how to comfort people.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already walked into the dense forest outside the town.
Ezreal stopped and asked softly, "Just to be safe, I'll confirm again, Ikaruga, you don't know anyone here, right?"
Hearing Ezreal's question, the three also stopped.
Ikaruga's delicate brows furrowed slightly, not understanding Ezreal's meaning, but she still answered with certainty, "No."
"Then, it's confirmed, they are enemies." Ezreal smiled slightly, tilted his head, and looked into the dense forest.
"Come out, you've been following us the whole way."
The dense forest was silent, and the chirping of insects and birds had also disappeared.
Marcus and Cana exchanged glances, each taking up a defensive stance.
Ikaruga stood beside Ezreal, her expression unchanged, but her left hand quietly pressed against her scabbard.
After a brief silence, a harsh guitar sound and eerie, chilling laughter echoed from the forest.
"Wahahaha! Little brat, you're pretty good, to actually discover us!"
"Oh oh woo!"
Two figures, one tall and one short, emerged from the depths of the dense forest.
The tall one had an owl's head, a strong and burly physique, standing nearly two meters two tall, with muscles even more exaggerated than Elfman's.
The short one had oily black hair, his tongue hanging out, dressed in rock punk-style clothes covered with small metal decorations, and a punk-style guitar slung over his body.
The tall one made strange hooting sounds as he walked, his eyes glowing green, occasionally waving his two hands.
The short one played his guitar with one hand as he walked, but the sound was pure noise, piercing the eardrums. His other hand was making a "six" gesture.
His walking posture was also very strange; sometimes he hunched his back, sometimes he straightened it, his left foot drawing circles and his right foot kicking, looking as if he had a mental illness.
..."Um, is your art style always this unique...?" Ezreal felt a wave of dizziness as he watched the two approaching.
"Blond brat, this is art, this is music! Rock and roll!" The short one violently strummed his guitar, emitting a harsh sound, and made two "six" gestures at Ezreal with both hands, his expression looking very excited.