"... I suppose you know everyone around here," Sigma rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Yep, I can't say that I know everyone's names, but I have met everyone, and in some other cities as well," Rose said. "Come to think of it, red hair… while I don't remember seeing anyone with red hair, I can't imagine that looking unnatural."
"I agree… usually, when we see or imagine new things for the first time, they seem a bit unnatural, right?" Ed asked. "Maybe it is a matter of region, and people with red hair are common in other areas."
Sigma nodded since it made sense… he didn't know why, though, and he just had a feeling that it was the case. Maybe Saria's family came from an area where people with blonde or black hair were uncommon. Nevertheless, that made Sigma realize that he would have a lot of work ahead.
"You… can you show a bit more expression?" Rose asked. "Staring blankly at me is starting to give me the creeps."
"Boss…" Ed said and then facepalmed. "You should choose your words more carefully…"
"Putting that aside, where can I find a map with the location of the other cities?" Sigma asked.
"As expected of Sigma, completely unfazed after hearing such a thing…" Ed raised one of his eyebrows and said. "We can lend him a map with the directions, right, boss?"
"Sorry, but no," Rose said and then shrugged. "He might have helped you, but I can't just give him the directions to the other cities. He understands that his story is too suspicious, after all. Besides, unlike us, their bases are pretty well-hidden. Revealing that kind of information might cause problems and lower their trust in us."
"I guess that makes sense," Sigma said, and then he thought that he would have to wander around a lot in order to find any other city.
While he had the option of getting along with the people in Geolia and eventually gaining their trust, it would take too long, and he didn't want to get involved with their problems all that much. Maybe he could use himself as bait and then lure the demons or bandits and get the information out of them. Still, he felt that he would need to get stronger to pull that off.
Sigma soon realized that seeing other people fight would also increase the skills that he could learn using the skill shop… that was another efficient way to get stronger. He was a bit in a bind when it came to deciding all that.
"The sun is setting, so why don't you rest for the night and think of what you should do?" Ed asked. "We didn't have time to eat that well, so we need to thank you properly for saving our asses."
"I am starving for a hot meal," Sabrina said, and then she stretched her body.
Eclair didn't say anything, but everyone heard her stomach growl… Sigma was enduring the hunger as well, and Ed had a point, so he decided to accept the invitation. The group prepared to leave, and then Sigma felt that Rose had something to say, but she just waved her hand and told them to go. It seemed that she didn't plan to punish those three since they brought back some useful information for them.
"Phew, it seems that boss won't skin us alive today…" Ed said and then sighed.
"I guess she realized that we will be in trouble soon, and the whole city will need all the help it can get…" Sabrina said while looking to the side thoughtfully.
Sigma learned a lot and was learning a lot, but it seemed that he arrived in the city at a bad time… he truly didn't want to get involved in their problems. Then again, if he stays and participates in some battles, he will see a ton of skills being added to the shop. Not everything would be bad news, after all.
In the end, the group arrived in a somewhat intact house that looked pretty new. Most of the buildings around were made of stone and wood, but the house looked like it had been made of clay brick… it looked better than most of the ones still standing, though. Since Sabrina was the one, who was made with magic. She looked pretty sure of herself and waited for Sigma to ask, but he just ignored her and followed Ed.
"It is pretty simple, but it's quite cozy. Make yourself at home," Ed said.
Sigma saw a lot of furniture around, and while it seemed a bit old, it looked in pretty good shape. Sabrina couldn't make everything with her magic, after all. There was a couch, a table, several chairs, and a chimney in the living room. There were several entrances to rooms in the corner, but Sigma decided to grab a chair and sit in the corner to rest his eyes.
The girls sat on the couch while Ed went to cook the things that he had brought earlier. He didn't want to say that it felt unnatural for them to just wait for the food while their older brother did.
"You can say it. It is weird that we aren't the ones cooking," Sabrina suddenly said.
"... That didn't even cross my mind," Sigma said with his eyes closed.
"After such a pause, your words don't bring much confidence," Sabrina furrowed her eyebrows. "You can laugh if you want, but we aren't good at cooking."
Sigma asked why he should laugh since he didn't care anyway. He just stayed silent, wondering what he should do. Resting until morning was probably his best option in order to practice with his new bow for a while. He was starting to get the hang of it since he trained when they took a break, but he needed a bit more practice.
"Come on, laugh! Your silence is even more unnerving," Sabrina protested.
"You really like those self-burns…" Sigma said and then sighed.