Chapter 131: Priority (1)
xf1g“Ha ha! No. I was thinking about it, and it seems like I was in the wrong earlier. Honestly, I did overcharge. Normally, I wouldn’t ask for so much, but I guess I got too greedy. Let me redeem myself. I’ll show you something really fun.”nT9xI2q
K6lofX4Tess put her hands on her hips and said,amj
g9EgXIg“No way. The mood is already sour enough. Amy, just kick him out.”8SK
ULhoq“That’s that, then. Goodbye.”AzF
N5K24iAs Amy was about to close the door, Zis, looking desperate, shoved his hand in to stop it.w1YhsW
u7ylLe4There was no scripted scenario, but as someone seasoned in this line of work, words came quickly to him.0Hq
OXwLvh“J-Just wait! If your friends don’t want to come, you can come alone.”NedobM
Mnn“Why would I? This seems suspicious.”PxE1M7
oyts“Fine! I’ll tell you the truth. I… I got in big trouble.”LFLuk
0zTN3“From whom?”eq4
CHI“Even the street hawkers have an association. It seems my actions reached the ears of the higher-ups. So, they told me to guide the offended guest around the island. They said if word gets out, tourists won’t use the services of hawkers. Can you just stop by for a moment? If not, I’m totally cut off. I might really have to beg like a beggar.”cWR
OCE“Hmm.”C4Sa
M5WzAmy didn’t let her guard down. Zis, already scared, anxiously awaited her decision.071t
h4Z6C“Alright, I’ll go out for a bit of fresh air. Wait here while I change.”DInQU
HDLRQZis’s head perked up. Of course, that was why he had come, but he hadn’t expected to get her consent so easily.2lWVhi
5gabOn the other hand, Tess was flabbergasted. She hadn’t expected Amy to fall for the hawker’s words.co1tS
GHWHcThinking Amy’s heart was hurt because of Shirone, she hurriedly followed Amy.BZ4Ds2h
v4AA“Amy! Why would you ever follow him? How can you trust that guy?”6CGX7XQ
990“It’s okay. If it feels dangerous, I’ll just come back.”OCQ
FPWQGqi“Let’s think about it a bit more. What about Shirone?”h6T3
FW38“Forget it. Let him do as he pleases. Rian must be hungry too, how long are we going to wait? It’s better this way. I’ll eat out, and you can have a cozy time with Rian.”Bkm49a
a9UOyaiAfter changing and fixing her hair, Amy headed to the entrance. Despite Tess’s persuasion, she was determined.UanA
QyBZu6“Do you really have to go? Then you have to come back quickly, okay? Just go for a breeze. If you’re late, we’ll come looking for you.”STZc
KisB“Got it. Rian, I’ll be back in a bit. If Shirone comes back, let him starve.”0myYNyL
hZ9NNfcRian was thoughtful. His usual ravenous demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious contemplation of the situation.XVAe
Rxy57Was it really right to let her go? However, if she wanted to go, it would be ridiculous to stop her.Yyg4eAc
0FfK“Zis, was it? Let’s go.”b3i5t4a
bULJV“Eh? Oh, okay!”Dwai
emCZis was dumbfounded. He had lost his senses ever since she descended the staircase in a black dress styled like a young girl.zoQW
l8CBuWith Amy gone, the villa felt desolate. Tess, with a heavy heart, sighed and shook her head.8rwTH
NyvH8Wc“Ah, how did it come to this? The atmosphere was good just a moment ago.”5iJr3
S23Z“Should I have gone with her?”X00mC
hAM1h“Idiot, don’t you understand a woman’s heart? How miserable would Amy feel if her partner’s escort was someone else? And where on earth did Shirone go?”0Yux
KhVtOUWalking to the window, Rian watched Amy board the carriage.opiqe4m
np7eThe stars over the sea sparkled as if they were about to pour down.kCWZ6BC
o8tXP* * *W2yTN
FSYcNooZis sat opposite Amy. Having got her on the carriage, he could consider the plan more than 80% successful.hc8yBn
VNtQjF“Alright, alright! Then, we’re off! Hey, get moving!”oQDw
8SqkVUAs the coachman nodded and shook the reins, the two-horse carriage jolted forward.CtUS
Dna1UKZis kept talking non-stop. He wasnt a local for nothing; he rattled off even the most trivial facts no one wanted to know. Did it matter if the vegetable store owner had an affair with a widow?e9Cy
1cmTAmy didn’t say a word, just gazing at the night view outside the window, deep in thought, paying no heed to Zis’s words.dFo8arl
5vQdA2DEventually, Zis realized this and fell silent.nvZf8a
WVtVlGsIn truth, just looking at Amy’s face was his greatest joy. Her calm demeanor now was a stark contrast to her angry expression earlier.F8lx
ID2cWNCould Falcoa really be planning to sell off this beautiful girl? The reality hadn’t sunk in until she was seated in the carriage, but now fear crept in.i3Pc2
t9Jv6m4“How long will it take? Where are we going?”BKA
tBQjAmy spoke for the first time, hitting right at the core of the issue, startling Zis, who scrambled for an answer.7UptX
6CAQe“Ah, well… It’s a bit far. It’s the best place in Galiant. Really, you’ll see when we get there.”Dyb
gad“Really? The boss who targetted me wants you to take me there?”rPg0YDW
4rpYCTbZis felt his heart drop.pCm8i
S4fUm8Since when did she know? From the beginning? Then why did she get on the carriage, and why had she remained silent until now?fS1u
fVdLXZis’s face froze, unable to muster any more lies, his mind going blank.XNN
FN4“Well, that’s…”MbR9
XqDNUj“No need to lie. I can see it in your eyes. You’re pleading out of fear; only a fool wouldn’t know. Just do your best. I’m only going to play along this once.”SXmjqH
IzOYEc“Play… along?”8mcmT
UIXqqS“Yeah. Whatever reason you became a scapegoat, quit it after this. I’m saving you because you’re too pitiful.”7rl
1ZtfGNZis’s face flushed with heat.KJgRh
Q4O“What! Me, pitiful?”JxHSHp
sifXZ“Then what, enviable?”BoZ
sGX“This, this is really…!”9Zh
1heoBefore Zis could erupt in anger, Amy asked,5SADdhU
5OITS“You, you threw a gold coin at me, didn’t you?”zSGUo
5QYmU“That, that was…”8NG6JQ
nnZCZis averted his eyes. Just recalling the daytime incident made him flinch. That act had earned him a severe beating from Falcoa, a trauma he’d never forget.7pJbb2k
V7yITh“People like you don’t last long in this line. Those with a lot to protect only get used and discarded.”sNMyW
y3v37“Tch, how would you know? A noble who’s lived in luxury thanks to her parents.”9Ol
JoE7MM“At least I know more than you. I used to dabble in this world too. Of course, I was at a much higher position than you.”ZfhjOLs
XV2Zis bit his lip. In the end, that was the truth. No matter how much he tried to stand tall or raise his voice, it was impossible to stand eye to eye with her.pDRV
1CJQZJ“Are you pitying me?”Mgy4Q
YP6NjTY“Yes.”zYvBk
Gruk5IC“I don’t want your pity. Not at all.”QjbLM
ftl“Then leave this world behind. This might be your last chance.”4003L
6GohPZis lowered his head, feeling defeated. She was right. If she hadn’t taken pity on him, he and his sister would be experiencing hell by now.6kdhCX
eZ5K“Tch.”WBN37
UyplWqFAs Zis clicked his tongue, Amy looked out the window. The cool sea breeze seemed to gently soothe her eyelids.OnaYkEl
40OfC“I don’t dislike someone like you.”6wdIBm
WJBE“What?”Ivn8LI
HaM0MGh“The part where you threw coins at me. A man should have at least that much backbone. If you were just some backstreet thug, I would never have boarded this carriage.”imQT
DZ8oPDZis’s face turned red as a beet.fGg1a
DZEWV“Damn it. Are you giving me the illness and the cure? This is why I don’t like nobles. Just like earlier. Some mock, others hold back. Completely self-centered.”U1MHF
NMaAmy, propping her chin, cracked a smile.GXZ5jKG
onfbd“Ah, Shirone? That kid is also a commoner. That’s why he stopped you.”dDSrkq
HfD2dd“What? A commoner? Not a noble, but a commoner?”D70G9X
lCClZis’s eyes widened. He had thought it was a joke at first. Otherwise, why would such a beautiful girl be with a man of lower status than herself?sbps5u4
BE7Z“Yes, a commoner. What does it matter? Or, does it matter?”1I4
MoRAVSz“But wasn’t he your partner? It looked like a couple’s trip.”AH5q1L
XmZy“Right, he’s my partner. The one who brought me to this remote island and then disappeared somewhere… my partner.”6JIF
lMxlVAmy smiled sadly, her lips curved like a cat’s. Watching her gaze drift into the distance, Zis’s mind tangled in confusion.07xtZvG
uFCMaybe he had been wrong from the start. He should have just picked up the coin from the ground. Even if it hurt his pride, it wouldn’t have led to this situation.Q6DEX7i
1SrPN“Damn it! Cursed be! To think she’s taking a risk out of pity for me? Does she even understand what danger means?”UID3x
hVZlShe was taking it too lightly.TzpWt0
8cjl7Falcoa was the team leader of the Freeman organization. What was the Freeman organization? A fearsome group of elite fighters ruling over Galiant.0XpZC
9So6wWhen Zis was young, the island’s commerce was divided among several organizations. There were occasional power struggles, but the balance of power was never broken.jZlQs
uhEQQiHowever, everything changed when the Freeman organization landed on the island five years ago.19Ee
Wi1GaThey expanded their influence at an incredible rate, and existing organizations were disbanded without a fight. Eventually, a coalition was formed to stand against the Freeman organization, but it was easily crushed.Y4eQ4
MIACvvGThe war ended in just three months.JIobQ6
Z6RThe Freeman organization was a group of monsters that had disbanded all other factions in just three months.uoxAW
Thi“It’s not just Falcoa. The thugs up the chain are all terrifying figures. I’m taking her into such a place.”ryPOmr
oewZis clenched his fists. He wanted to stop her but couldn’t find the words.mIA
73O9Y1Maybe she could escape since she was a magic academy student. But his sister wasn’t. If Falcoa decided, he could make the street hawker’s sister disappear without a trace.KXEYFJc
ntTqM“I have to protect her. At least my sister… I must!”0ly1E
7j86fs***TEYMJ
Nc50After parting with Marsha, Shirone reached the beach. He had run non-stop, leaving his legs wobbly, but the real challenge was yet to come. Since the villa was halfway up a mountain, he had to climb the slope.RStahzs
uUO“Whew, why is my luck like this today? It’s been nothing but running.”nfh
PNt7XEIt was after sunset, so Rian and Tess would be cooking by now.iQsW0g
xfAIf Amy was still waiting, he had to deliver the unfortunate news as soon as possiblethe news that he had left the grocery basket behind.0Ts
egfTbT“Either way, it’s like facing death.”Dxpfqs
YHhXYShirone gritted his teeth and sprinted up the slope. By the time he reached the villa, he was gasping for air.CUzAh
T7GBarely making it to the entrance, Shirone, bent over, knocked on the door.agLLsd9
GlO“Rian, Amy, Tess. I’m back. Open up, please. Agh!”loB
UHuQAs the door suddenly opened, Shirone fell forward. The response was much quicker than he had expected.qSr
B665M“Shirone! Where have you been all this time? Do you know how long Amy has been waiting?”YR6I
GQKT“Ah, sorry. There was a reason. Let’s go inside and talk. My legs are shaking.”YoYE
gaX4There was no smell of food in the villa. Shirone felt even more apologetic, wishing they had eaten first.UHEealB
eYGHU“Did you wait a lot because of me? But where’s Amy?”VBz
Nz9Tess didn’t know how to explain. Should she say Amy went out because she was tired of waiting? Or that she was disappointed in Shirone and followed Zis?5VY8
GNWH“What’s with that look? Did something happen?”VwhwJ
pMgrYOK“That’s… Ah, this is awkward.”XOo
iMDK9hTess’s hesitation was because she didn’t want to stir unnecessary misunderstandings between the two.TmTdBbB
oMsHowever, Rian had grasped the crux of the matter.BRJ9sYC
YHWhe“Amy went out with that guy Zis we met at the harbor.”MuSo0Ql
al9I“Huh? Zis? The one who overcharged us? Why would Amy follow him?”Wlv
twx“No idea. He suddenly showed up while she was waiting for you. Said he wanted to make amends for the daytime incident and took her away in a carriage somewhere.”nJG
uq5u“Amy just went along without any reason?”tdr
7NVMcAbTess interjected.iriJMSl
jhHoqOh“Yes! This is all because you were late. Amy was so lonely by herself. Tell me, what happened?”Y26uqr9
yFzShirone deferred his answer. Now wasn’t the time for such discussions.zitN2D
zPZpN“Let’s go. Do you know where?”GBuU
8LIej“We have no idea. Why are you so anxious? If you cared, you should have been nicer from the start.”6N4b
AqRqgF3“It’s not because of me she left.”6MLp
hkqCzCu“What do you mean? Amy was so angry!”xFxtRFL
53h9“Amy is quick-tempered but not impulsive. Even if she was angry at someone, she wouldn’t do something to worry them. At worst, she would have waited for me to return and then given me a piece of her mind.”ZxoMfH
IbLTess was stunned. Shirone knew Amy well, so he was probably right.GWvW
UVFNBesides, thinking about it, that did seem like her. Quick to anger but tender-hearted, seemingly prickly but deeply considerate.ryM
cmKj“So, there’s really something wrong? It’s just a hawker. Isn’t Amy outstanding even in the magic academy?”sa2yX
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