Tikona is curious

Leaving the severe and oppressive atmosphere of the Adventurers’ Association, the trio stepped into the clamorous and lively market of the West District, as if entering another world.

The afternoon sun, warm and inviting, spilled over the crowded stalls and the shoulder-to-shoulder throng of people.

The air was a unique and vibrant city scent, a mixture of the fresh aroma of fruits and vegetables, the toasted smell of bread, the pungent odor of various spices, the sour tang of tanned leather, and the stench of livestock.

Xia Ya walked in the lead, trying to carve a path through the crowd.

In his hand, he clutched a small procurement list he had just redeemed at the Association—a “friendly reminder” from Guild Master Barton.

Against a monster like the Minotaur, with its tough hide, immense strength, and a habitat infested with poisonous vines, some basic items could greatly increase their chances of survival.

The list included: potent flash powder, universal antidote, a durable capture net, and a few portable smoke bombs.

His mood, however, was far from being as lively as the market.

The appearance of Tikona Flame had completely disrupted his carefully laid plans to avoid the original story’s plot.

The “Crimson Gold Flame Dragon” from the original story, the one who fought Beilixiya to a standstill, was now walking right behind them in the flesh!

“Beilixiya! Are you really of the Silver Dragon bloodline? It doesn’t quite feel like it! The aura of a Silver Dragon should be a bit colder…”

Tikona, like an over-energetic cub, stuck close to Beilixiya’s side, her eyes sparkling, filled with curiosity about her kin.

Her voice was clear and bright, easily audible even in the noisy market.

Beilixiya seemed a little uncomfortable, but the sense of affinity from their shared bloodline prevented her from truly disliking Tikona’s excessive enthusiasm.

She hugged the massive “Wrath of the Stars” (still imposing in outline despite its cloth sheath), carefully avoiding the crowded pedestrians, and answered softly, “I… I don’t know the specific bloodline either. The Young Master said it might be a rare mutation…”

“A mutation? Cool!”

Tikona exclaimed in amazement, her gaze falling back on the greatsword.

“Wrath of the Stars… that’s such an awesome name! Can I see it? Just a touch!”

As she spoke, her hand was already reaching for the cloth-wrapped hilt, her fingertips about to graze the rough fabric.

“No!”

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Xia Ya spun around and grabbed Tikona’s wrist.

Tikona’s wrist was slender and was held firmly in Xia Ya’s grip.

She was taken aback for a moment.

“Hey! Little Young Master! What do you think you’re doing? I just want to take a look!”

“You can look, but no touching.”

Xia Ya released his grip, his body still positioned between Tikona and Beilixiya.

“Beilixiya’s weapon is special. And we are currently on a mission, not at a gallery showing.”

He glanced at the scimitar at Tikona’s waist.

“I assume you wouldn’t let just anyone touch your blade, would you?”

Tikona was at a loss for words.

She looked at her own ancient-looking, single-handed scimitar, “Heart Scorcher,” with its crimson crystal-inlaid hilt.

Indeed, it was her treasure.

She pouted and snorted, “Stingy! Fine, I won’t look!”

But her gaze still lingered on “Wrath of the Stars,” clearly not having given up.

Beilixiya looked at her young master standing protectively in front of her, then at the defiant Tikona, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

‘Is this some kind of possessiveness?’

‘The Young Master is so cute.’

She gently tugged on the corner of Xia Ya’s clothes.

“Young Master… it’s alright.”

“It’s not alright.”

Xia Ya replied without turning his head, his eyes scanning the stalls on either side.

“Focus on the mission, Beilixiya. First, let’s go to the alchemy shop to buy flash powder and antidote.”

The rest of the procurement process became a “curiosity tour” for Tikona and an “art of interruption” for Xia Ya.

In a small alchemy shop filled with the smell of strange potions, while Xia Ya was frowning and haggling with a gaunt old alchemist, trying to knock a silver coin off the price of three universal antidotes, Tikona was huddled next to Beilixiya, staring at the tip of her tail as if studying a rare creature.

“The scale pattern on your tail is different from mine! It’s finer, and the sheen is more subdued…”

As she spoke, she couldn’t resist reaching out a finger, seemingly wanting to feel the texture of the silver-grey scales.

Slap!

With a quick hand, Xia Ya precisely placed the small bag of potent flash powder he had just bought between Tikona’s outstretched hand and Beilixiya’s tail, nearly smearing it all over Tikona’s face.

“Here, this is your share.”

Xia Ya said with a deadpan expression, shoving the flash powder into Tikona’s hand and successfully interrupting her “research.”

Tikona: “…” (Her face contorted in an expression of draconic disgust.)

At a stall selling ropes and trap materials, Xia Ya carefully selected a capture net that met the standards for toughness and weight-bearing capacity.

The stall owner was a burly man with a fleshy face, boasting with spittle flying that his nets could trap a rampaging giant bear.

Tikona, taking advantage of Xia Ya’s focus on the nets, quietly sidled up to Beilixiya and whispered in a mysterious tone, “Hey, Beilixiya, that little young master… isn’t he incredibly annoying? So controlling! Are you his guard or his collectible? Is he always like this? He won’t even let me touch your tail?”

Beilixiya’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she instinctively wanted to defend him.

“The Young Master… he’s just trying to…”

“Shopkeeper, this net, plus that bundle of spare rope, how much in total?”

Xia Ya’s voice suddenly rose, drowning out Tikona’s “whispers.”

At the same time, he turned, “accidentally” flicking a tough capture net so that the edge of the rope just brushed against Tikona’s ankle, forcing her to instinctively jump back.

“Ouch! What are you doing!”

“Sorry, my hand slipped.”

Xia Ya apologized without a hint of sincerity, conveniently stuffing the purchased net into his own pack.

Then he said to Beilixiya, “Let’s go, time to buy the smoke bombs.”

Beilixiya looked at the fuming Tikona and her young master, who had a “I’m busy, don’t bother me” expression, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a slight, unconscious smile.

The smoke bombs were purchased at a dwarven stall specializing in military supplies.

The dwarven owner had a booming voice and pounded his chest, guaranteeing that his smoke bombs were “as thick as a fart in a dwarven tavern and dissipated faster than a goblin making a getaway.”

Although Xia Ya was tempted to show off a classic dwarven joke from his previous life in front of Beilixiya, he held back, fearing a blow to the knee.

This time, Tikona had learned her lesson.

She didn’t try to get close to Beilixiya again.

Instead, she stood with her arms crossed, leaning against a nearby fruit cart, her gaze darting back and forth between Xia Ya and Beilixiya.

She watched as Xia Ya naturally paid, as Beilixiya quietly took the smoke bombs from him and put them away, and as the unspoken understanding flowed between them… it left a strange knot in her stomach.

‘What was this relationship? Master and servant? Partners? Or something else?’

She couldn’t figure it out, but she just found that little young master very annoying.

With their shopping complete, the trio left the bustling market.

The atmosphere was a bit strange.

Xia Ya weighed his now considerably lighter coin purse and sighed with a pained heart; all of this month’s allowance had gone to pay for his recent medical bills.

Tikona followed behind with her arms crossed and a disgruntled look on her face, her golden ponytail swinging angrily with her steps.

Beilixiya walked in the middle, looking at her silent young master in front and the sulking Tikona behind, her amber dragon eyes filled with confusion and a hint of… distress?

She didn’t quite understand why her young master was so wary of this kinswoman, nor why Tikona held such animosity towards her young master.

‘Clearly… she seemed like a very straightforward and interesting kinswoman?’

“Hey!”

Tikona finally couldn’t take it anymore.

She quickened her pace, caught up to Xia Ya, and blocked his path, looking him straight in the eye.

“Little Young Master! You have a problem with me, don’t you? You’ve been nitpicking ever since we met!”

Xia Ya stopped and looked at her as if she were an idiot.

“Miss Tikona, I have no problem with you. I just hope that during the mission, everyone can focus on the objective and reduce unnecessary distractions. After all, the Minotaur won’t go easy on us just because of your curiosity.”

“You!”

Tikona was choked by his attitude, but she couldn’t find much fault with his words.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and pointed at Beilixiya.

“Fine! Then I am making a formal request! After the mission is over, I want a good look at Beilixiya’s sword! That should be alright, right? I promise I won’t touch it! Just look!”

She made sure to emphasize “no touching.”

Xia Ya was silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over Beilixiya’s slight nod and Tikona’s stubborn face, before finally nodding.

“Alright.”

Tikona snorted, accepting a temporary truce.

She turned to Beilixiya, her face instantly breaking into a brilliant smile, as if the earlier unpleasantness had never happened.

“Beilixiya! You heard him! After we take down that Minotaur, you have to let me get a good look at your ‘Wrath of the Stars’! It’s a deal, okay!”

Beilixiya looked at Tikona and, unable to refuse, nodded.

“Mm.”

Xia Ya looked at the two dragon-kin, but he didn’t relax.

For now, he could only take things one step at a time.

He looked up at the sun overhead. It was noon, and the sun was already beginning its slow descent to the west.

“It’s getting late.”

“Let’s move out. Target: the abandoned lumberyard, at the edge of the Black Forest west of the city.”