Sphere opened his eyes slowly, trying to make out her surroundings. They were no longer in their opulent mansion. Instead of the familiar white and blue, the environment was now vibrant and colorful. Strange creatures, some with two, four, or many legs, roamed the area.
"Oof!" she grunted as something heavy hit her stomach.
"Sorry," a voice apologized.
She looked at the person beside her and realized she wasn't alone in this crowded place they found themselves in. She wiped his face and stood up. She left the captain, who followed suit.
"What's your plan?" Jikan asked while observing the surroundings.
They went to a part of the place where many homes were visible. Structures almost covered the moon. Many people were just preparing to close their shops, but there were some who were just about to open.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Sphere just nodded and continued walking.
"Why did you leave the palace if you didn't know what you were going to do?"
"That's the point. I didn't know what I'm going to do, so I escaped. I escaped to find out what I really want."
Jikan fell silent, unsure how to respond. As a servant of the Tempest family, he had limitations on what he knew, especially personal matters about the siblings. He thought he knew the seven siblings well, but Sphere's perspective as the next heiress was something he wasn't aware of.
Sphere was a serious child, according to Jikan. She rarely smiled, but she wasn't aloof. There seemed to be a lot running through her mind that Captain Jikan was eager to find out.
Despite the difficulties, they managed to find a place to stay. They had no money, a crucial element in the surface world. Their only option was to find a place where they could work, and Jikan's ability to communicate with new people made the search easier.
They found a restaurant where Insho, the owner, also had no place to stay. He hired workers who were also homeless. Most of them came from different places and were friendly. Insho became a friend to almost everyone working for him.
"Here is Honey and Day. They've been working here for a long time, but they're still young. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them," Insho introduced.
Insho then left to attend to customers despite being the owner. He was one of those who took care of people.
Sphere and Jikan quickly established a friendship with their two co-workers whenever they needed help. On the other hand, Sphere found it challenging to interact with them.
"Let me help you with that," Day offered.
"No, I can handle it. Thanks," Sphere replied as Day was about to take the tray from her.
Day couldn't do anything but let it go. As Sphere approached, carrying a tray full of food, she stumbled. Luckily, she didn't spill anything, but the water glass tipped over, spilling on one of the customers. Sphere quickly apologized.
"Sorry, forgive me."
The customer seemed to understand and accepted the apology. Sphere, however, felt embarrassed. Honey approached, bowing and apologizing as well.
"I'll handle this. You assist Day over there."
Sphere didn't object, allowing Honey to take care of it. As she went back to the counter, she noticed Jikan working with a broad smile on his face, seemingly enjoying himself and appearing like an expert. Sphere couldn't help but scoff.
After finishing their work for the day, Sphere dropped heavily onto the bed. She waited for Jikan to finish his bath before sitting on his own bed, giving Sphere a disapproving look.
"Seems like you really enjoyed yourself earlier," Sphere sarcastically remarked.
"Not really. It was necessary. Get used to smiling at others to survive in this job," Jikan replied.
"I have no intention of staying in this place. We just needed a place to stay for the night."
Jikan seemed to realize something. "Right. But it's not bad to smile, is it?" he hesitantly commented.
"I don't have the intention of staying in this place," Sphere repeated before letting out a sigh. Jikan turned off the light in the room before going to his own room.
*
Finn entered the inn from the back door. The shop was already closed, so he hesitated to enter a bit. But this was where they intended to gather after their mission, he couldn't be mistaken.
"Hey."
Finn almost cursed when Day suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The kitchen was dark, so it was hard to see, and Day's sudden approach wasn't helping. Honey followed from behind her and just waved her hand.
"What's up?"
This time, Finn cursed out loud when Kiel spoke behind him. They were just too quiet. Finn barely heard any footsteps, and it wasn't good for his heart.
"Can you guys appear normally? If my heart's too weak, I'd be dy.ing of a heart att.ack now," he hissed while holding his chest.
Kiel chuckled and patted his shoulder. "You need to work on that, man. In this field of work, you need a strong heart. What'll you do if someone suddenly att.ack us here? How'll you be able to defend yourself?"
"The possibility of that happening is low," Finn justified.
"But it could."
"Let's go inside our room," Day said before walking towards the stairs.
"Your room?" Finn asked. "Is this inn yours?"
Day shook her head. "We work here every night. If we want to gather useful information, this place is the most effective one. A lot of mortals go here every night to gossip."
Looking at Kiel, Finn asked, "What about you? Where did you gather information?"
"The bars in Pickwickian are great spots for gathering information, you know. I can't let the opportunity to go there be a waste."
Honey snorted. "You're just looking for a reason to drink and have fun."
"And to flirt with girls," Day added.
Kiel scratched the back of his head. "That's part of the plan, but you know that the mission comes first."
Finn squinted his eyes as he examined Kiel, and the latter noticed it right away. "Stop looking at me like that, Finn! I'm not like that, okay? I mean, I do flirt with girls, but I'm aware of my priorities."
"I'm not saying anything. Don't be so defensive."
Day and Honey chuckled as Kiel groaned and said, "I was worried for a second. I thought you're going to have a hard time opening up to us. But I can see that you're the type to tease people a lot."
Finn only chuckled. He never had friends before, so he didn't know that he could get along just fine with people. But now he knows that he could make friends as long as his real identity is hidden.