Part 1, Luna's Pov
We walked and walked for an hour but I still didn't know where this guy was taking me. However, I still don't think he is gonna do something like take...take advantage of me, or harass me. Thanks to the busy streets where the guards of the town were patrolling and local people were busy with their daily shopping.
" This place ... We have arrived," he spoke as we stopped in front of the very old-looking shop.
" Look at the notice... Sigh, Did you walk here not knowing it was going to be closed?" I tried to act angry but I wasn't angry since it wasn't his fault...
However, despite reading the notice he walked towards the door of the shop and inserted a key... And surprisingly the door opened.
" Is this your shop?" I suspected.
"Pitt! No, this is the special shop where we had to come and buy that important thing..." He spoke
"You go inside and come back once you are done... I am not walking inside such a suspicious place." I was on high alert.
Was this a trap after all? Maybe all the good things that he did for me until now were just to make me lower my guard and lure me into some trap...
" It's not a suspicious place... Don't you believe me!"
That question was unnecessary of course I don't trust him. How can I trust someone so easily?...
Even though I wanted to say that, my foolish pride made me utter something else.
" I am stronger than you... You wouldn't dare trick me."
I wanted to slap myself for being arrogant, what was I thinking before saying that?
" Haha... I am not doing anything suspicious though. Remember, I need you to help me form my mana vessel."
"Yes, I know...that's why I am letting you know that you can never force me to help you until I want."
"Alright just remember this... don't be afraid to enter after me!"
" Why would I be afraid?"
After this small talk, we entered the shop. Of course, I walked behind him to make sure that it isn't a trap. However, something odd happened, Ethan disappeared out of my sight...
" Huh? Where did he go?... He teleported, right? But Teleportation...that's 6th tier magic."
I was so shocked that I'd spoken out loud about Teleportation... I looked right and left to see if anyone noticed but that wasn't the case.
What was I supposed to do now? Should I walk through the door myself to check what happened? Or not get myself involved any further than this.
One thing was clear if I pass through this door, I would be involving myself in one of the shenanigans of the Nobles like the Augustine family.
Besides my safety wasn't guaranteed... Or maybe it was. But how could I rely on a guy to protect me who I had only considered an idiot?
" You think a lot...that's a big problem with you, I have been waiting on the other side for ten minutes."
" Wah!" I screamed.
He walked out of the same door all of sudden and stood in front of me...That scared the hell out of me, I never thought that we can also return after going through that door.
" You don't trust me at all..." He asked with a serious tone as if he was feeling disappointed about something.
" What is on the other side?" I asked.
" The Hidden Valley...It's a portal to that place."
" What? That's not a safe place...only strong and criminal mages go there. This is too dangerous for us."
" Just come with me... I have been there before."
I raised my eyebrows with suspicion... After knowing where we were going I was afraid but I was also curious. I have heard about that place from others only ... In the end I decided to believe in him and take a risk.
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Part 2, Ethan's Pov
. . . . .
The Hidden Valley was a place where mages often visit to buy whatever they need... And it was not just a false rumor that it was a shady place but someone like me who knows thier way around this place can easily avoid all the troubles.
" I never expected so much crowd..." Luna spoke, holding onto my hand tightly.
I never expected that she would agree without a fuss when I will ask her to grab my hand but there she was holding it like an obedient kid.
Come to think of it...I am mentally twenty-five years old and this version of Luna is around ten years younger than me. Maybe that was the reason why I feel so protective of her... If it was only about repaying a debt then I would have never gone out of my way to agree with her sudden confession and play the role of a fake lover.
Whatever is bothering her must be dealt with as soon as possible so that our relationship can be changed into real friends without any trouble.
I stopped in front of a particular pawn shop and pulled Luna towards the entrance with me. Unfortunately, the place was too crowded and didn't have enough space for them to even talk with the staff of the shop.
" Just what the hell is this place!"
Flustered by things that she didn't know and because of such a crowd, I thought she used me as a shield to protect herself.
" I will watch your back." She spoke.
" Pft... Why are you even hiding?" I asked.
" You don't know anything about being stabbed in the back so you can always trust me to watch it when I am with you."
Did I mistake her for being afraid...Far from afraid, she sounded cautious like we are on a secret mission. I knew I wouldn't have to wait, soon someone came to greet us.
" Woof! Woof!"
A small dog-like creature walked towards me, it had a humanoid figure but shared many similarities with humans. Like his small childlike hands and the fact that it walked on two feet.
" Eek! It will bite..." Luna after pushing me back raised her wand towards the weird creature.
" Whoa... Whoa, whoa...I am not going to bite." The creature ran zig-zag to avoid becoming a target of her attack.
I grabbed her hand that was holding onto the wand to stop her from attacking.
" You are too hasty, that's the person we came to meet today."
" What is he? How can it speak?" Luna asked, her body still shaking from the shock of seeing such a weird creature in the shop.
" Woof!.. Little girl, I am Drax the Dog Head... You follow me boy...you said you came to meet me, I also have something to talk to you about."
. . . . .
Part 3, Ethan's Pov
We followed Drax to his office ...There were many eyes on us but there was nothing to worry about since nobody seem to recognize us.
After reaching the office he told us to sit on the chairs in front of his desk while he sat over a huge chair.
Drax was someone I met when he was on the brink of death in my previous life. I still remember his regretful face because he wasn't able to fulfil some kind of responsibility that my father had given to him.
" There is no doubt ... My nose never lies, you are my master's son." He spoke excitedly. " I guess God truly exist... The patriarch of the Augustine family would never allow me to meet you, and I am not powerful enough to fight him."
Was he that happy to see me? I was never able to find much about him in my previous life, I didn't know what kind of relationship he had with my family.
Luna listened to Drax carefully and had some questions of her own after hearing that but she decided to remain silent and just observe.
" Luna, can you cast a sound barrier so that whatever we talk about here would not be heard by others?"
"...I- I don't know that spell, I never thought I will need to use it so I never tried to learn because I wanted to focus on other things first." She spoke.
It was my fault for assuming that she knew that spell but I guess even a hard-working person like her skips on learning some spells.
"Don't worry young master, nobody can hear our conversation."
" Alright then let me get straight to the point Sir Drax... I am here to ask for the 'The Red Dragon's mana Vessel' and 'Pendant of Elements'"
" You already know about them..."
The surprise was visible on Drax's face and then he looked towards Luna curiously.
" May I ask why you would ask for such an important thing in front of her who is a stranger?"
" She is trustworthy."
Drax analysed the expression on my face and narrowed his eyes.
" Alright, they belong to you in the first place," Drax spoke and then jumped from his seat. He wobbled down towards the room and brought a cloth and a knife, he carefully placed the cloth on the floor and using his knife he sliced his stomach.
" AAAA!" Luna screamed. "He Killed Himself!"
She ran towards the body of the DogHead who lied flat on and turned him around.
" Oh, Dear Goddess have mercy... the poor dog!" She looked really concerned.
" Haha, Luna you are misunderstanding.."
" You! How can you be so heartless... Why are you laughing?"
She shouted but soon she noticed that there was something weird about Drax. He moved out of her grasp and stood up with his open stomach.
" She is a decent girl." He spoke.
" Why did you even act dead?" I asked curiously.
" I wanted to check her reaction... Hehe, You chose a nice life partner young master." He chuckled.
" Yeah, she is the best...but she isn't my life partner" I replied but he shrugged as if not believing in me.
When Luna realised that Drax wasn't affected at all, She stood up with an angry face.
" You did it just to prank me?" She shouted and glared at both of us. " You are crazy... Why would someone slice their stomach just to check my reaction?"
" I didn't open my stomach just to scare you... I needed to take these things out of me."
Drax spoke and took out the items that I had come to collect here.