"Naira," I called, leaning slightly over the small wooden table.
"Hm?" She didn't even look at me.
"We came here… for a mission, right?"
"Hm."
"Then why are we relaxing in a café like this?"
A small spoon clinked softly against the glass. Naira and Dania sat across from me, looking completely at ease. The midday sunlight reflected gently off the surface of the ice cream, which was slowly beginning to melt.
We had arrived in Orion City early this morning. The plan had been simple—gather information regarding Professor Denis's request.
But the moment we passed through the main street, a colorful ice cream flyer hanging conspicuously in front of this café had somehow turned into an "urgent priority."
And now… here we were.
I let out a quiet sigh. Sometimes I honestly couldn't tell whether they were simply too relaxed… or just that confident.
"What's wrong, Azca? If you don't eat it soon, it'll melt," Naira said casually, still enjoying another spoonful.
"That's not what I meant! You said that and then we just—"
"—Ahem!"
Both of them cleared their throats at almost the exact same time. Short. Firm.
I fell silent.
Then it clicked.
"Well," Dania said, crossing her legs gracefully, "we are going around the city. But that doesn't mean we aren't working."
I frowned slightly.
Naira shifted a little in her seat. "Look about thirty meters behind me. And to your right."
I followed the direction she indicated.
Several soldiers of the Kingdom of Asteria were patrolling nearby. Their movements weren't rushed, but the rhythm was too precise to be mere coincidence. Two stood at the corner of the street. Another paced slowly back and forth, as if observing the flow of citizens passing by.
"Since the news about the monster attacks in Atala and Ascorfield spread," Naira said quietly, "Asteria has raised its level of vigilance. Especially in areas near the southern border."
"Even so, the people here don't seem worried," I murmured.
Dania gave a faint smile. "Even though Orion City is close to the southern territory, the city center itself is still quite far from the border."
"And look at the decorations along the street," Naira added. "Royal flags. Honorary ornaments. Those weren't put up by coincidence."
I glanced around.
Sure enough, decorations hung from nearly every building along the street.
"So… that means?"
"There's an important guest."
"Who?"
"Princess Avra."
The moment her name was spoken, something in the air seemed to shift inside my mind.
Naira briefly glanced toward a group of soldiers chatting with a flower vendor nearby.
"From the looks of it, the Princess will arrive tomorrow," she said. "I don't think we'll be able to move freely during this mission."
"Yeah," Dania added. "The royal personnel and their escort troops already recognize our faces."
I let out a slow breath. "So what's our plan?"
"Eat the ice cream first."
"Naira, I'm serious! And stop feeding Dania!"
Naira released a small sigh. "We can't move freely for now. We'll find an inn and wait until the situation settles down a bit—while continuing to gather information."
I bit my lower lip for a moment.
"May I suggest something?"
"Yes?"
"…What if I'm the one who moves?"
Both of them looked at me at the same time.
"You two can't move because the central troops recognize your faces, right? Since mine hasn't been identified yet—except by Carina—I should be able to move freely."
"How are you so sure they don't know who you are?" Dania asked.
"Because Carina and I keep each other's secrets."
Silence lingered for a moment. The afternoon breeze drifted gently through the air, brushing the tips of our hair.
At last, Naira nodded slowly.
"Alright. You'll handle the field movement. We'll work from behind the scenes."
My chest felt a little lighter—though the responsibility I had just taken on was far heavier.
—
※※※—※※※
—
The next day, in the heart of OrionCity.
From early morning, the atmosphere already felt different.
The streets were more crowded than usual. Decorations had been added everywhere. Royal banners fluttered in greater numbers, their colors swaying above the roads. Lines of soldiers stood stationed at several strategic points. The central troops were easy to recognize by the cut of their uniforms and the insignia on their shoulders—more formal, more striking.
I walked slowly among the townspeople, dressed in a simple white dress with a turquoise cardigan. Nothing flashy. Just ordinary clothing that wouldn't attract attention.
I had been wandering around for nearly half the day.
Asking merchants. Shopkeepers. Elderly residents sitting quietly in front of their homes.
All about the old laboratory in Orion.
The result was the same every time.
Nothing.
Most people simply shook their heads. The rest could only offer vague answers—maybe there used to be one, not really sure, or try asking the elders in the southern district.
Fatigue slowly crept into my body. My legs felt heavier with every step.
But the real exhaustion came from the dead end.
If we stayed here too long, the risk of our identities being exposed would only grow.
My steps faltered.
My balance slipped slightly.
And then—
'Thud!'
I ran straight into someone.
My body lurched backward, and I ended up sitting hard on the ground. A sharp sting shot through my waist. In front of me, a young man had also fallen. A wooden box tipped over, and flowers scattered across the cobblestone street.
"Ah—I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"
Panic spilled out of me as I apologized repeatedly.
But the young man simply smiled, not the slightest hint of anger on his face.
"It's alright," he said calmly, already reaching down to gather the scattered flowers. "I wasn't paying much attention either."
My face burned with embarrassment. I quickly knelt down to help him before the flowers were trampled by the people passing by.
"Really… I didn't mean to."
"It's fine," he replied lightly. "When it's this crowded, bumping into someone is pretty normal. It's not the first time it's happened."
He gave a small shrug.
"So… I'm used to it."
I didn't know how to respond. For some reason, his steady gaze made me feel oddly flustered.
"You're a tourist, aren't you?" he asked after a moment.
"Huh? Ah—y-yes."
"Thought so. Yesterday, I saw you walking around here with two of your friends."
My heart skipped a beat.
"H-How did you know that?"
He pointed his thumb behind him.
I followed the direction he indicated—and suddenly realized the café we had visited yesterday wasn't far from here.
"Oh! Right. We stopped by that café yesterday."
"So… where are your two friends now?"
"U-Um… they're walking around."
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You're not… lost, are you?"
I shook my head quickly.
"N-No! Of course not! I'm not a child!"
He let out a soft chuckle. His tone was light, not mocking.
"Alright, alright. I believe you."
Then he glanced back at the holographic address still floating in front of me.
"By the way… where are you from, and where are you trying to go?"
I projected the address again from my communicator.
"I've searched almost the entire city for this place… but I couldn't find it anywhere."
He leaned closer, studying the hologram more carefully.
"Hm. Isn't this supposed to be in the southern district? Back then, that place hadn't changed its name yet."
"Huh? No wonder I couldn't find it."
"That area was renamed about sixteen years ago," he explained. "These days it's mostly abandoned. It was destroyed after the war."
"War?" I blinked. "Against whom?"
"A kingdom from the south. They launched a counterattack and devastated that district."
I fell silent.
A war?
But the Professor had said something about a monster attack.
Why were the townspeople talking about a war between kingdoms?
Something didn't line up.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Ah—no! Nothing's wrong."
Before my thoughts could wander any further, a sudden commotion spread through the street. People began moving quickly toward one direction. The sides of the road filled with crowds, and the soldiers straightened into tighter formations.
"What's happening?"
"Princess Avra is arriving."
He reached into the box and picked out a single daisy.
Then he held it out toward me.
"Here. A flower for you."
"Huh? Why?"
"To welcome her," he said with a gentle smile. "Just look around."
I glanced around.
Children, adults—even elderly people were holding the same flowers. Their faces were bright with anticipation.
Then my gaze returned to the young man standing in front of me, still smiling warmly.
I accepted the flower slowly.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He lifted the wooden box again.
"Well then, I'll head over there. I need to hand these flowers out to everyone."
"…Alright."
He started to leave, but after a few steps he suddenly turned back.
"Oh, right. If you don't mind—what's your name?"
"Eh? My name is… Azca."
He smiled.
Warm. Sincere.
"That's a beautiful name. It suits you."
My chest tightened unexpectedly. I didn't know how to respond.
"See you again, Azca."
And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd.
I remained standing there, staring at the flower in my hand.
My face felt warm.
Then realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
"Ah! I forgot to ask his name!"
※※※ (Chapter 15) ※※※