Dinner at Tikona’s House

Tikona expertly navigated the labyrinthine alleyways of the slums, avoiding suspicious stains on the ground and the ill-intentioned gazes from the corners.

Her usual flamboyant aura was now much more subdued.

The golden scales on her body appeared somewhat dull in the dim light, and her eyes darted warily, driven by a primal instinct to guard her territory.

She clutched an oil-paper package tightly in her hand, from which wafted the rich aroma of grease and spices—roasted pork ribs and soft white bread, which she had made a special detour to buy from “Old Limpy’s” deli with the bounty she had earned from subjugating the Minotaur.

It was her younger sister Xilin’s favorite food.

Finally, she stopped in front of a door pieced together from old wooden planks and scrap iron.

The door was crooked, and a faint, orange glow of firelight shone through the cracks.

She knocked on the door in a special rhythm—two short, one long.

A soft footstep was immediately heard from inside, followed by the sound of a latch being drawn.

“Sister!”

A slender figure appeared behind the door.

The one who opened the door was a girl who looked even younger than Tikona, about thirteen or fourteen.

She too had the characteristic features of a dragon-kin—a pair of emerald green horns and gem-like vertical pupils, which were now sparkling with joy.

A tail covered in fine, bluish-green scales swayed gently behind her.

Unlike Tikona’s vibrant, tan skin, Xilin’s was a near-translucent pale.

Her figure was also more slender and delicate, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

Her clothes, though worn, were clean—a patched cotton dress, covered by an ill-fitting old jacket that was clearly a hand-me-down from Tikona.

“Xilin! I’m back!”

A brilliant smile instantly bloomed on Tikona’s face, sweeping away all traces of her earlier fatigue and vigilance.

She quickly entered the small but exceptionally tidy shack and handed the oil-paper package to her sister.

“Look! Ribs from Old Limpy’s! Still warm!”

“Wow! Thank you, sister!”

Xilin’s eyes lit up instantly.

She carefully held the package, greedily inhaling the tantalizing aroma.

In the center of the shack was a simple stove made of a few bricks.

On top of it, a chipped old clay pot was simmering with some unidentifiable paste.

The light from the stove fire illuminated the mottled walls, stretching the shadows of the two sisters as they huddled together.

Tikona skillfully took two chipped clay bowls, tore the still-warm ribs apart, broke the soft bread into small pieces, and gave the larger portion to Xilin.

“Was it a good day, sister?”

Xilin asked softly, nibbling on a piece of bread.

“Of course!”

Tikona took a large bite of a rib and said, her words muffled but full of pride.

“When your sister is on the job, how could it not be? Look!”

She proudly pulled out the brand-new bronze badge from her pocket and brandished it in the firelight.

“From today on, your sister, Tikona Flame, is an official Bronze-rank adventurer!”

“That’s wonderful! You’re amazing, sister!”

Xilin praised her sincerely, her eyes fixed on the badge with a look of longing.

“Hehe, it was nothing.”

Tikona proudly lifted her chin.

Watching her sister eat with satisfaction, she felt incredibly content.

This was her motivation, the meaning behind her perseverance in this muddy place.

“Oh, right! Xilin!”

Tikona suddenly seemed to remember something.

“I met one… no, two very interesting people today!”

“Oh?”

Xilin looked up curiously.

“One is a dragon-kin! A dragon-kin just like us!”

Tikona’s voice unconsciously rose.

“Her name is Beilixiya! She has silver-grey horns and amber eyes! And she’s super, super strong! She carries this huge sword called ‘Wrath of the Stars’! It’s so cool! You should have seen it, she broke the Minotaur’s neck with one punch…”

She gestured wildly with her hands, trying to reenact the stunning scene.

Xilin listened quietly, a look of amazement and joy on her face.

“Silver-grey horns? Amber eyes? That must be a very rare bloodline, right? You finally met one of our own kind, sister? That’s wonderful!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Tikona nodded vigorously, her face alight with undisguised excitement and affinity.

“Although that little young master she serves is super controlling, he wouldn’t even let me touch her tail… But Beilixiya is a really nice person! Quiet, but so strong! I’m telling you, when I get the chance, I’ll definitely introduce you to her!”

“Mm!”

Xilin nodded vigorously, her eyes also full of anticipation.

Meeting one of their own kind was a great comfort to the two sisters.

Carried away by her excitement, Tikona took another bite of rib, but then her brow furrowed with a thick layer of disdain.

“And then there’s the other one! That annoying little young master! Xia Ya von Wolfgang! You can tell he’s a pampered noble brat just by looking at him! Not much skill, but a whole lot of attitude! He was so critical of me! And he kept stopping me from talking to Beilixiya! So stingy! And mean! And… and super cunning!”

She remembered being “played” and left behind by his spatial magic in the Association hall and took a vicious bite of meat as if she were biting Xia Ya himself.

“Someone your age knows how to use spatial magic?”

Xilin keenly picked up on the key information, a flash of surprise in her green eyes.

“That’s amazing. Grandpa Scrap-collector said he’s lived half his life and has hardly ever seen anyone who can use spatial magic.”

“Hmph! Who knows what kind of trick he used!”

Tikona pouted.

“Anyway, he’s just an annoying pest! Just because he’s Beilixiya’s master, he…”

Her words trailed off for a moment.

Her golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly as if she were recalling some detail.

“…But, even though he’s annoying, he was pretty quick on his feet when we were fighting the Minotaur… His timing with the flash powder was spot on… And the way he looks at Beilixiya…”

She unconsciously rubbed the rim of her clay bowl with her finger, her voice dropping, a thoughtful tone creeping in.

Xilin watched her sister quietly.

She had always been an observant child.

When her sister described the young master named Xia Ya, although her tone was full of disdain, the density and detail of her words far exceeded her description of their kinswoman, Miss Beilixiya.

When her sister mentioned Beilixiya, it was pure excitement, affinity, and admiration.

But when she mentioned that Young Master Xia Ya… it was disdain, complaints, but also mixed with a certain… acknowledgment of his abilities?

“Sister,” Xilin spoke softly, interrupting Tikona’s thoughts, her green eyes holding a hint of cunning and curiosity, “it seems like… you have a particularly strong impression of that young master named Xia Ya?”

“Huh?!”

“W-Who has a strong impression of him! Don’t be ridiculous, Xilin! He’s just an annoying pest! I wish I could stay as far away from him as possible! I… I…”

Her words became jumbled, her eyes darting around.

She subconsciously grabbed a nearby water jug and took a large gulp, trying to hide her fluster.

“So you hate him, sister?”

“Gulp… Just eat your food!”

Seeing her sister’s flustered reaction, Xilin didn’t press further.

She just lowered her head and sipped the bland paste in her own bowl, a wise light shining in her emerald eyes.

The fire crackled, illuminating Tikona’s slightly embarrassed face and Xilin’s thoughtful expression.

Tikona’s heart was beating a little fast.

She tried hard to banish Xia Ya’s roguish and distant face from her mind, only to find that all her complaints had only made his image clearer.

‘That annoying little young master… just what kind of person is he?’