Aya Tone embarked on his journey to the Imperial Capital alone, opting not to bring Li Jia with him as he boarded the plane.
S-rank dungeons were fraught with peril, each presenting unique dangers and even monsters with distinct abilities.
Confronted with such unknown hazards, he lacked absolute confidence in his ability to protect Li Jia.
Furthermore, and most crucially—
This mission was not one that could be resolved quickly, and given Li Jia’s personality, she would undoubtedly insist on a double room.
What might transpire with two girls sharing a single room?
Perhaps a shared bath? Or snuggling close?
Or even intimate conversations?
It was truly difficult to imagine~
Aya Tone thought: ‘Heh, don’t even go there.’
He still couldn’t bring himself to look directly at a woman’s body, let alone share a bath?
‘No, absolutely not.’
‘It would lead to… nutritional deficiencies.’
****
“Miss, the aircraft is about to land. Please fasten your seatbelt.”
A sudden jolt stirred Aya Tone from his slumber.
Opening his eyes, he saw a flight attendant smiling kindly at him.
“Oh? Are we there already?”
Aya Tone blinked his drowsy eyes, gazing out the window to find the sky had darkened considerably, indicating he had slept for quite some time.
He straightened his somewhat wrinkled clothes and rubbed his eyes.
Following the flight attendant’s instructions, he waited patiently for the plane to land.
Stepping out of the airport, he was immediately enveloped by the vibrant energy of the Imperial Capital.
Even under the shroud of night, the neon lights ensured the streets outside remained brightly illuminated and bustling.
‘The Imperial Capital…’
Never in his life, neither before nor now, had he visited this grand city.
He had heard tales of its cuisine, distinct from that of the south and well worth sampling, though the cost…
‘The cost?’
A sudden realization caused Aya Tone’s small face to fall.
He had just remembered an awkward truth: he was broke.
Having spent the last two days reveling with Xiao Jiu, the two thousand-plus yuan he had carried was now reduced to mere pocket change.
His backpack contained only two identification documents and a single change of clothes.
‘Is that all?’
Fire Finch had booked his flight, causing him to momentarily forget the stark reality of his own poverty.
‘Perhaps… I could ask Fire Finch for a loan?’
‘No, no, no!’
The thought was stillborn, immediately crushed by Aya Tone and buried in a hastily dug grave.
Borrowing money from Fire Finch was absolutely out of the question.
The Imperial Capital was vast; he refused to believe there weren’t opportunities to earn money.
“Uncle, to the Vermillion Bird Guild, please.”
Aya Tone did not head directly to the White Tiger Guild headquarters; after all, he was technically a member of the Vermillion Bird Guild.
Being unfamiliar with the Imperial Capital, it was only natural to seek out his own organization for a sense of security.
[It would also be easier to borrow money, right? Hehe.]
“Alright!”
****
Ten minutes later.
“Seriously, no one told me a taxi ride would be this expensive!?”
Aya Tone stood outside a university gate, staring blankly at the payment details on his phone.
‘-108 yuan. Is this for real?’
The biting cold wind was nothing compared to the chill in his heart.
His already meager funds had been brutally slashed by a third.
‘Adding insult to injury, truly.’
‘Tears welled up.’
‘Could it be that they saw he was from out of town and deliberately overcharged him?’
The more Aya Tone pondered, the angrier he became, but the driver had already departed, leaving him no one to confront.
He could only commit the incident to memory with a vengeful resolve; if he ever took another taxi, he’d be a dog!
‘Woof, woof, woof!’
Putting away his phone, Aya Tone looked up at the gate before him.
“Beiyuan University?”
‘What the heck?’
Hadn’t he told him to go to the Vermillion Bird Guild? How had the driver managed to bring him to Beiyuan University instead?
‘Surely, they wouldn’t scam him like this?’
Aya Tone grumbled as he opened his navigation app, cursing the ‘dog driver.’
‘Not only did he swindle his money, but he also misled him.’
However, after typing “Vermillion Bird Guild (Imperial Capital Branch)” into his navigation, he realized he might have misjudged the driver.
The route displayed on his phone pointed directly into the university campus.
‘Ahem, ahem, it’s all Fire Finch’s fault for not arranging someone to pick me up.’
‘Hmph!’
Aya Tone once again shifted the blame to Fire Finch.
Then, taking small, quick steps, he entered the esteemed halls of a university many could only dream of attending.
****
Meanwhile, far away in Yan’an City, Fire Finch leaned against her bed, engaged in a video call with Bai Xiao.
Fire Finch: “What? You didn’t pick them up?”
Bai Xiao: “The person I sent waited for two hours, but they didn’t see your child.”
Fire Finch: “…Alright, just ignore them. When the time is right, they’ll naturally seek you out.”
With that, she closed her tablet.
It wasn’t the first time Aya Tone had wandered off; he tended to get lost even when going slightly farther afield.
In due time, some kind soul would undoubtedly escort him back.
‘I’ll just ignore him.’
Fire Finch carefully snuggled down further into the bed.
‘I mustn’t disturb Xiao Jiu, who is already asleep.’
Only after she was fully tucked under the covers did Fire Finch feel reassured enough to gently pull the small figure beside her into her embrace.
Compared to Aya Tone, who wouldn’t even allow a touch, Fire Finch much preferred the docile Little Aya Jiu.
The way she curled up in her arms to sleep was utterly adorable.
‘Those tiny lips, those small eyes, ah~’
‘I can’t take it anymore~’
‘Smooch, smooch, smooch. I should find a chance to abduct this child, hehe.’
****
Aya Tone had no idea that while he was on his distant journey, his child back home was already being coveted by someone.
Currently, he stood bewildered on the campus main road.
A university at night was a stark contrast to its daytime counterpart, with students constantly coming and going along its paths.
With his petite stature, he nearly got lost amidst the bustling crowd.
“Seriously! What kind of sane person builds a guild inside a university? Are they out of their minds!?”
Indeed, Aya Tone had predictably gotten lost.
He had confidently strolled through the campus gates, only to wander farther and farther afield.
By the time he snapped back to reality, he had no idea where he was, though the surrounding environment suggested he was near a cafeteria or similar establishment.
Considering the time, dinner service should have long concluded.
‘Why are so many people still here? How strange.’
“Grumble~ Grumble~”
Just then, the tantalizing aroma wafting from the cafeteria awakened the ‘tapeworms’ in Aya Tone’s stomach.
‘Come to think of it.’
From Yan’an City to the Imperial Capital, he seemed to have been asleep the entire time, and any food in his stomach had long since been completely digested.
Now, smelling the scent of food, he finally remembered that he needed to eat.
‘But…’
“No ‘buts’! Nothing in this world is more important than eating!” Aya Tone declared, pushing through the crowd and plunging headfirst into the cafeteria.
‘Find the guild? That can wait. Eating is paramount.’
“Auntie, I want this, this, and this!” Aya Tone skillfully stood on his tiptoes, pointing at several appetizing dishes displayed in the serving window.
Seeing a small girl, the cafeteria auntie was generous, serving Aya Tone a massive portion.
The students nearby watched with eyes full of envy.
‘Was this still the cafeteria auntie they knew? Had her perennial stinginess finally been cured?’
‘Could this little girl be a divine doctor!?’
“Wow!”
Aya Tone’s eyes lit up, and he happily thanked the auntie who had served him.
“Thank you, Auntie~”
Being thanked by such an adorable little girl, the cafeteria auntie felt her very soul was healed.
‘How she envied those who had such charming children.’
In contrast, her own child was practically a lump, the kind that made her irritable just thinking about them.
After paying, Aya Tone clutched his food tray and found an empty spot to sit.
As it was past the main dinner rush, only a handful of people remained in the vast cafeteria.
There were plenty of empty seats.
Picking up a sparerib, Aya Tone unceremoniously devoured it in one bite.
‘Mmm…’
While the taste was merely decent, its affordability was unbeatable; a few dishes only cost a little over ten yuan.
Such a price would be unimaginable outside.
‘How blissful…’
‘It was truly his paradise~’