Protector Avin matched their pace perfectly, whether they were fast or slow, he was always within arm's reach. No one would have suspected that this unassuming middle-aged man was actually a legendary Blue Depth Core Arcanist from the Arcellius Family, one of humanity's few Rank 3 Kings! In terms of pure combat strength alone, he stood above the zenith of the human world. Even the likes of Sir Winstin, Cardinal Hui, or Lady Mingyu could not hold a candle against him. He was in a class of his own! Only people like the Sword King could possibly hope to match him! If he did not intentionally restrain his aura, then everyone throughout the city would have felt his tremendous presence. Nobody would have believed that the source of the heavenly phenomenon months ago was a person!
"Did you hear about the Battle of Liguang?" one of the street stall owners murmured to his friend.
"What happened?"
"Apparently, the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom tried negotiating with the Li Family, but in the end, everyone died!"
"What? Everyone?" His friend was dumbfounded. "How?"
"They say there was a flash of light and the whole town was destroyed in one hit…"
Elsewhere, someone whispered in another conversation, "I heard that four of the Ten Dawns died in the battle."
"What? Four? Isn't that really bad news then?"
"It doesn't look good for us," she sighed. "The empire might retaliate and even take the fight here now."
"It was a mistake to join this war." Her friend was downcast. "The Alzar Kingdom is always pushing us around and look at the result."
A third conversation took place with other people. "My friend said that the kingdom is going crazy now. They're sending lots of soldiers to the frontlines. This year's batch of recruits are in for a tough time."
"It can't be helped, right? The battle killed so many of our people that it wouldn't surprise me if we start losing. We might even have to head there ourselves."
"Hey, hey… Let's not joke about that. I have a family to feed. I'm not going to war."
"Who knows what the kingdom will do? They also lost their heir apparent… Why can't this stupid war end already? It's all the damned empire's fault!"
Protector Avin heard everything clearly through the busy market sounds and frowned slightly. The Battle of Liguang was a gigantic battle involving the three great powers of humanity and even here, on the other side of the world almost, they could feel the aftershock! It was obvious how great of an impact the battle was. Normally, Protector Avin would not be concerned. After all, he was not conceited enough to believe he could singlehandedly change the tides of war, nor was he interested in doing so. He simply wanted to protect, nurture, and revive the Arcellius Family. Nothing more and nothing less. However, Freon chose to head to the battlefield to help his friend, the heir apparent. With the heir apparent perishing herself in the Battle of Liguang, then Freon most likely… Protector Avin felt regret. He should have stood his ground harder and stopped Freon from going at any costs, even if it meant taking drastic measures! His gaze turned to Nassandra. What should he do about her? Considering the current circumstances, the kingdom would…
"Oh, look at that!" Nassandra dragged Yuna over to another stall where someone was selling dolls. Her eyes beamed as he stared intently at one in particular. She was practically announcing that she wanted it!
Yuna buried her shyness and asked, "How… much for this doll… owner?"
"Sorry about that, miss, but it's not for sale. That's my last doll of that kind and I won't be able to get any more anytime soon, so I want to keep it for advertising purposes."
Yuna gave him a strange look. Was it not the point of a merchant to sell things? What was the point in keeping merchandise otherwise? She replied nervously, "My sister… really wants it, so… can you please… sell it? We're willing… to pay more…"
"Sorry, but no can do. I'm willing to sell the other dolls though, so how about it?"
However, Nassandra shook her head. She was not interested in the others. Yuna felt her heart ache, so she tried to press the matter more. "Can you… at least… say why… you can't get… any more?"
The merchant shrugged his shoulders. "It's not too much of a secret. It's because of the Battle of Liguang that happened recently. You must've heard about it, right? The one where…" Suddenly, he became quiet, yet his mouth continued to move. Yuna cocked her head in confusion, but Nassandra glanced back at her uncle. She did not understand why he silenced him with a spell.
"We shouldn't bother this man any further. Let's go," Protector Avin said authoritatively, brokering no room for debate. The two girls then bowed to the merchant and left.
Following that, they continued to enjoy the festival in high spirits, all the while remaining oblivious to what happened in the Battle of Liguang. Call it doting or overprotective, but Protector Avin wanted them to relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about anything. Youth was so short and fleeting. One blink of the eye and it was over. When one looked back to reminisce, it should be filled with bright and colorful memories, not sad and miserable times. Nassandra was still too young, even if she was a Ten Dawn. There was a time and a place for everything. And yet, time had to move forward eventually. Once they finished playing around, Protector Avin had heard all he needed to know about the Battle of Liguang. He knew everything. The next step was breaking the news…
Yuna and Nassandra were holding an assortment of trinkets and memorabilia from the festival, while chewing on seasonal delicacies. They really did resemble sisters. Soon, the three arrived at Shirley's mansion. Since Freon and Nassandra's home was destroyed in a fight against Gunther's family, Shirley offered to let them move in, since she had just gained a mansion from Princess Samanthie. It was too large for their family of four anyways. Moreover, because Shirley's mother was uncomfortable living the life of a noble, she had dismissed most of the mansion's staff, except for a few key personnel. This left it woefully empty and devoid of life. As they entered, Protector Avin narrowed his eyes in one direction before snorting dismissively. It was the same old mouse wandering around again, but he decided to do nothing for now.
"Oh, you three are finally back!" Shirley's mother, Adel, said. "Did you see Inari? You must've passed him since he left just now."
"No, we didn't…" Yuna was confused. They kept missing this mysterious 'Inari' person every time, but this went beyond simple coincidence. It felt like they were being avoided, but she had no idea why.
"Come and get inside! I've prepared a lavish feast for tonight alongside your favourite dishes! We should celebrate the new years proudly!" she laughed. It was obvious where Shirley got her boundless energy from. She treated the two girls like her own daughters and warmly ushered them in.
"Thank you for your hospitality as usual, Lady Adel," Protector Avin said from behind.
Although he was a Blue Depth Core Arcanist and possibly one of the strongest people in the human world, he did not forget his manners. And as much as he hated to admit it, the Arcellius Family was gone and any material wealth they had was gone with it. In other words, he was broke! He could technically gain money with his talents, but he was the Protector of the Arcellius Family. He was not about to stoop that low. Nassandra originally had savings from her work as a Ten Dawn, but those were destroyed alongside their house. The Zino Kingdom, specifically the Three Sages and the Conquestian, were unlikely to lift a finger with how tense things were. He still had to settle his debts with them sooner or later anyways. Regardless, he had plans in the making, except he needed more time for them to come to fruition. Staying at Shirley's mansion was thus a lifesaver.