At three o'clock in the morning—
Inside the airship's bar, many passengers were still seated, enjoying drinks.
Accompanied by a gentle background music, the passengers engaged in quiet conversations.
The overall atmosphere of the bar was lively and tasteful.
Moses ordered a slightly sweet cocktail and placed it on the table. It was something he could drink, so he didn't stand out.
He didn't notice the gaze from the corner, mainly because this person's Zetsu and their ability to conceal their presence was exceptionally skilled.
'The biennial gem exchange in Spice City is getting more and more boring in recent years. I thought I might as well join in the fun while being idle. But now, it seems that the decision I made at that time was really great. Otherwise, how could I have encountered... ah, such a beautiful gem.'
In the corner, a petite girl with golden double ponytails and delicate features like a princess doll, was staring intently at the bead Moses held. Her big wine-red eyes were full of undisguised admiration.
'It's a Sapphire for sure!'
'And it's naturally formed, exquisite and transparent. There's not a trace of carving… The quality is incredibly high!'
'It's just like a masterpiece that can only be seen in dreams!'
'Sigh, this wonderful encounter is truly the guidance of destiny.'
'It seems cute girls always have good luck!'
The name of the girl with golden double ponytails is Biscuit Krueger, an extremely powerful Double-Star Stone Hunter. So even from a distance, she could easily identify the material of the blue bead that the boy was playing with.
With her discerning eyes, just one glance is enough to let her determine that the perfectly round gem, completely bathed in a deep blue glow, was absolutely—
Not a sapphire!
But it doesn't matter.
As long as she pretended it was a sapphire, then it was an entirely genuine sapphire!
Sigh…
Biscuit looked at the radiant blue bead, even under the dim lighting, and couldn't help but be intoxicated and unable to extricate herself.
In any case, she must obtain that sapphire!
At this moment, captivated by the Rat Jewel's bead, Biscuit decisively regarded the gem as her hunting target.
This is what a Hunter does—
Upon seeing a prey they favored, they will use any means necessary to hunt until the goal is achieved.
'To snatch or to buy?'
Biscuit lowered her head and fell into deep contemplation.
Seeing that the other person is just a young boy, she is more inclined to buy it.
As long as the boy was willing to sell the gem, she could offer a price that would satisfy him, even if it meant losing everything she has.
That's right.
For the sake of something she liked, she would give her all.
'Never mind all that, let's go over and get acquainted first.'
Biscuit suppressed the radiance in her eyes. Her heart surging with excitement at the presence of the deep blue gem, and an unfamiliar hunting mood that had been dormant for a long time emerged.
She stood up from her seat, lightly lifted the red and pink princess dress with her hands, concealed her ability to hide her presence, allowed the Aura around her to naturally dissipate, and then slowly walked towards Moses, who was sitting by the window.
At this moment, she is just an ordinary little girl.
Ah, no, more accurately, she is an ordinary yet extremely cute little girl.
A lovely smile, full of innocence, appeared on Biscuit's delicate face, as she walked towards Moses step by step.
"Hmm?"
Moses sensed something, closed his palm holding the Rat Jewel's bead, held the cup with the other hand, and then turned around with a cold and indifferent look, portraying the image of a person who avoids strangers.
At this moment, Moses's current mood is not exactly bad, but he had no desire to have even a single word with anyone on the airship.
However, when he turned around and saw Biscuit, his cold eyes couldn't help but froze, and surprise emerged from them.
To outsiders, Moses's reaction seemed like that of a man pretending to be indifferent suddenly encountering a beautiful opposite sex that stirred his emotions, revealing genuine surprise.
But in reality –
Moses's change in expression had nothing to do with that reason at all.
"Eh!"
Biscuit, however, seemed to be startled by Moses's sudden icy gaze. She took a few steps back, and then, losing her balance, accidentally fell to the ground.
"Oh, brother, you looked so scary just now."
Sitting on the ground, crystal mist immediately appeared in Biscuit's big wine-red eyes.
Although she approached Moses as an 'ordinary person', his reaction was still quite alarming.
Moreover, the immediate reaction he gave, which is obviously a difficult one to get along with, immediately shifted upon seeing her cute face, displaying a more amiable attitude.
'Hmph, men.'
'However…'
'This face, it's at least a 95 out of 100!'
'It's a pity that he's too young, not my type.'
While on the verge of tears, Biscuit, mentally judging some of the information after contact, displayed an innocent and lovely appearance.
"…"
Looking at Biscuit, who seemed like she could burst into tears at any moment, Moses hesitated for a moment. Then, with a face full of apology, he said: "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
As he said that, Moses carefully put away the Rat Jewel's bead and got down from the high chair, walking over to Biscuit and extending his right hand.
"Are you okay? Does it hurt where you fell?"
"Woowoo, yes, it hurts, it hurts very much!"
Biscuit pushed away Moses's extended hand lightly, her cheeks puffing up high, and her eyes sparkling with teardrops.
She looks very much like a little girl throwing a tantrum.
"…"
Moses hesitated again, then retracted his hand naturally. While looking at Biscuit's seemingly about-to-cry appearance, he said with concern: "Little sister, where exactly does it hurt? I remember there's an infirmary on the airship, shall I take you there?"
"Hmph, my butt hurts."
Biscuit snorted and, at the same time, her eyes kept staring at Moses's retracted hand.
'I just pushed my hand away gently on purpose, but then you simply gave up on trying to pull me up?'
'Mocking me, aren't you!'
"Does your butt hurt…"
Moses noticed Biscuit's gaze fixed on his retracted hand.
"Anyway, just get up for now."
After saying that, he extended his right hand to Biscuit again.
This time, Biscuit didn't push it away, but instead held Moses's hand, standing up gracefully.
After pulling Biscuit up, Moses let go of his hand and asked, "Shall I take you to the infirmary now?"
"No, I'm afraid of injections."
Biscuit shook her head.
Moses nearly burst into laughter but held back. He then dropped the subject, and said, "Then, you can rest here for a while. By the way, where are your family members? Should I go find them?"
"No, you can't! I sneaked out because I couldn't sleep. If Mom and Dad find out..."
Biscuit shook her head again, and tears rolled out of her eyes.
Seeing Biscuit crying whenever she wanted, Moses, who knew the situation well, felt somewhat complicated. He sighed in his heart and, pulled out a few tissues from the table and gently wiped away Biscuit's tears.
There was no choice, who makes him the big brother at this moment.
Biscuit let Moses wipe away her tears. She could feel a kind of meticulous care in his gentle and unhurried movements.
'Wow!'
(′o`)
'Extra points, extra points!'