An hour later—an hour that started as a walk but gradually became a run—they arrived at City 12.
They had crossed through the entirety of the town they'd started in, made their way through a stretch of forest, and finally reached the city.
Compared to the poor district of Town 87, this place was on a whole different level. If Town 87 resembled a crumbling slum dragged from the darkest corners of a medieval era, then City 12 evoked the charm and design of a flourishing Renaissance settlement. Of course, when compared to a modern metropolis, it was still rudimentary—but compared to what they had just escaped, it stood several levels above.
Though the people bustling around them weren't exactly wealthy, dressed mostly in plain and modest garments, none of them looked like they were a single meal away from death. No, this looked like a real city. Mothers walked with their children, casting protective glances to make sure none got lost in the growing crowd. Guards in armor patrolled steadily, keeping a watchful eye out for potential troublemakers.
Merchants lined the streets, calling out from behind their stands, trying to tempt passersby into buying their goods. Their stalls brimmed with produce, crafted tools, and simple trinkets. Altogether, the city radiated a lively energy—especially in the section Mikael and Kiara found themselves in: the bustling marketplace.
One might expect their presence, with their unique and elegant clothing, to draw a lot of attention—and indeed, they did receive some glances. However, while their attire clearly appeared luxurious, the local commoners lacked the frame of reference to grasp just how advanced those clothes truly were. To their eyes, the duo simply looked like a rich couple traveling in style. After a brief look, most turned away, minding their own business.
Kiara's eyes gleamed as they swept across the bustling street, eventually locking onto one of the stands lining the roadside. The rich scent of grilled meat wafted through the air, teasing her nose and making her stomach growl ever so softly. She tugged gently on Mikael's sleeve, her voice playful and eager. "Husband, why don't we go try the roadside food?"
Mikael turned his head in the direction she was gazing. Several stands stood nearby, manned by merchants with well-worn aprons and smoke-covered grills. One of them, in particular, had skewers of meat sizzling over hot coals, the golden brown glaze dripping slightly onto the fire and producing tiny bursts of flame. The smell was enough to make even someone like him pause.
He gave a casual nod, his lips curving into a faint smile. "Sure. Let's see what this world's version of grilled meat tastes like."
Together, they walked toward the stand, their contrasting figures drawing a few curious glances from bystanders. Kiara clung to his arm with open affection, her expression radiating joy at the simple idea of sharing food together. The merchant behind the stand noticed their approach, his eyes momentarily widening at their appearance—especially their more refined, out-of-place attire—but quickly replaced it with a friendly grin.
"You two look like you could use a bite!" the man called out, gesturing toward the skewers still hissing with heat. "Care for some skewers? Freshly grilled boar meat, marinated in my own special sauce. Best in the city!"
Mikael eyed the meat with a neutral expression, but Kiara's eyes were already sparkling with interest. She leaned in closer to Mikael, her voice low and a little teasing. "It does smell good, doesn't it? What do you think, husband? Should we try a few?"
He chuckled lightly, feigning consideration for a brief moment before slipping his hand into his pocket. "Alright, let's indulge a little. We'll take two grilled boar meat."
"Certainly! Two grilled boar meat, coming right up!" the merchant replied with enthusiasm, quickly handing over the skewers. He then added, "That'll be four bronze coins."
Without hesitation, Mikael withdrew his hand from his pocket, producing four bronze coins which he passed to the merchant. With their food now in hand, the two of them strolled away from the stand, each holding a freshly grilled skewer.
Kiara took a bite and let out a soft, contented hum, clearly savoring her meal. A few seconds later, her expression shifted as a thought came to her. She turned toward Mikael and asked, "I didn't think about it at the time, but how did you pay the merchant? We're not even from this world so you shouldn't have their money right?"
"It's simple, really. I recently bought the Money System Upgrade. It cost 500 LP and allows me to convert LP into the local currency of whichever world I'm currently in. That way, I'll always have money on hand when exploring new places. It's pretty practical—and cheap—so I'd say it was a worthwhile purchase."
"True. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to buy these grilled boar meat skewers," she replied with a light smile.
After their short exchange, they resumed their walk through the lively marketplace. Skewers in hand, they wandered at a relaxed pace, unhurried and content, taking the time to observe the city around them while enjoying the quiet comfort of being together.
They didn't do anything particularly special—no dramatic encounters, no remarkable events—yet time slipped by unnoticed. The hours seemed to blur together, flowing effortlessly as they shared a moment of genuine peace and simplicity.
Even though their outing had been so modest—a simple walk through an unfamiliar city—it had still been deeply enjoyable. They appreciated the experience, letting themselves be fully present in the moment, and by the end of it, both felt more at ease than they had in a while.
But, as with all good things, it eventually had to come to an end. With a reluctant expression softening her face, Kiara glanced up at him and said, "Hubby… it's not that I'm not enjoying our date. Quite the opposite, actually. But… didn't you have something you needed to do in this world? Is it really okay to spend all this time just being with me?"
'Ohh…' At that moment, Mikael realized he had completely forgotten to explain to Kiara what he was actually doing in this world. In truth, he hadn't planned on telling any of the girls about his real purpose here. He wanted the aura and mana generator he intended to craft to be a surprise, which is why he had only vaguely mentioned that he "had something to do," without offering any further explanation.
But now that Kiara was here with him, it was obvious that he couldn't keep her in the dark. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her—he had simply been caught up in the moment and let it slip his mind. Kiara, being… Kiara, hadn't asked for details, content just to spend time with him. Especially during the date, which had made her feel like the happiest woman alive. Yet, as time passed, she recalled that he had come here with a specific purpose in mind, and so she decided to bite the bullet and remind him that he hadn't come to this world just to have fun.
Realizing his 'blunder' in not informing her earlier, Mikael opened his mouth and began to speak. "You see, earlier, when I finished reading The Do's and Don'ts Before Reaching the Spiritual Foundation Realm, I had a thought about the aura and mana generator."
Tilting her head slightly, causing her short blue hair to sway with the motion, she asked, "The aura and mana generator… That name rings a bell, but I can't remember exactly what it is?"
Mikael raised an eyebrow in surprise, but after a moment, he understood. He had never really explained what it was to her. So he began, "The aura and mana generator is something I invented while I was in the Dirarnia world. It works as a substitute for the aura- and mana-rich air that existed there."
"Without it, the lack of aura and mana in the air would make it impossible for me to keep growing my cores outside of Dirarnia. But thanks to this creation, I'm still able to advance. In fact, when I use the generator, I can grow both of my cores by 50 units per hour!"
"I won't dive too deeply into the technical details of how it works, but just know that creating it required my most advanced understanding of array structures, along with the use of extremely high-quality materials. Without those materials, the entire mechanism fails—it simply won't function. Unfortunately, I no longer have any of those resources left, which brings us to the reason I came to this world in the first place."
"My goal is to gather more of those top-tier materials, so that I can craft a fully functioning aura and mana generator for you, for Amelia, and for Lyra. Right now, only Amelia has access to a weakened version that I made using the last of what I had. While it allows her to make some progress, it's still over three times slower than the rate I'm able to achieve. As for you and Lyra… your cores are completely stalled."
Mikael turned his head slightly, his emerald green eyes locking onto her deep blue ones. Even as they continued walking side by side, he spoke in a tone both relaxed and warm. "Originally, I wanted to give it to the three of you as a surprise—a kind of gift to show how much I care. But since you insisted on joining me, the surprise ended up getting spoiled… though I'd say it was worth it. We got to enjoy a pretty amazing date together, so in the end, I think it balances out, right?"
A soft gleam flickered in her eyes, a gentle shimmer that deepened her expression with warmth and quiet affection. Her gaze didn't waver, filled with something both tender and playful. "It's more than balanced, Darling~ I had a wonderful time," she whispered, her voice tinged with affection and mischief, like a private melody meant only for him.
She continued looking at him, her expression glowing with warmth and a touch of longing that made the moment feel suspended in time. Then, slowly, her lips parted. Her voice dropped, velvet-smooth and low—almost sultry. "Let me show you just how grateful I am."
Before Mikael could react, she had already closed the short distance between them. Every movement she made was purposeful and flowing, her presence wrapping around him like a caress. Her scent—a soft, sweet fragrance—drifted into his senses, delicate and familiar.
And then, her lips met his.
The kiss didn't rush. It began softly, almost like a question, their lips brushing together with the gentleness of a sigh given form. But as moments passed, the kiss deepened, emotion welling between them. Around them, the world seemed to dim into silence, leaving only the warmth of shared feeling, the unspoken connection carried through that lingering touch.
After an indefinite stretch of time, their lips slowly parted, their tongues brushing one last time as if saying 'goodbye' in a final flicker before separating.
Still wrapped in the moment, the two of them resumed walking without exchanging a word, deliberately ignoring the attention their 'bold' display had drawn from curious onlookers in the street.
They walked together in quiet comfort until Mikael broke the silence, a teasing undertone threading through his voice. "Now I'm not even sure who ended up receiving the gift…"
Kiara let out a soft giggle, her expression playful as she lightly tapped his arm and gave him a mock-reproachful look. "On a more serious note, hubby, I'm curious—do you already have a plan to acquire those high-rank materials? I'm guessing you do, but if not… might I suggest we go rob a major dwarven city?"
Mikael was just about to answer, his lips parting, when he glanced briefly at their surroundings and realized that maybe this wasn't the best kind of conversation to be having in the middle of a public street.
After all, he had no desire for eavesdroppers to hear them talk about something so delicate. If he were more mundane, he would have had to walk away to find a more secluded spot. But thanks to his mastery over magic, there was no need for such inconvenience. With a subtle movement, he cast a Sound Bubble spell, instantly sealing off their voices from the surrounding passersby.
Only then did he answer. "Yeah, that was actually my original plan—head to a major dwarven city like Durkazan or Grunhelm and clean out their vaults. That alone would probably get me everything I need. But then I thought, since we're already here… why settle for anything less than the best? So instead, I've set my sights on the capital itself—Morndural City. I'm thinking we just walk in and empty their vault straight into our inventory. What do you think?"
"Why not?" she replied with a lighthearted smile, as if robbing one of the most heavily defended cities in the world was just another casual suggestion.
Author Note:
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