Hi, your missing author here, I was a bit burnt out so I took a break and worked myself to clean up the piling paperwork that had been accumulating on my desk. In addition, I took a break from writing this novel.
~~
On the day of The Winter Festival
As heavy snow fell from the sky, blanketing the city streets, three figures emerged from a cozy inn.
The first was an ordinary man with yellow hair and simple clothing. However, there was something about how he carried himself—an air of carefree ease, seemingly unbothered by winter's biting cold.
The second was a young child, with a lively face, shining yellow hair, and bright golden eyes. Every part of his existence seemingly brought a shine to the world. Out of the three, the child was the only one dressed in thick winter clothing, protecting himself against the harsh weather.
And the last was a beautiful woman wearing a dark attire similar to a combat outfit but who wore the outfit had silver hair that draped towards her back, her pale skin was without blemish, and her face was party-covered with a dark blindfold, her fox ears and tail was no longer hidden.
At first, Blade wanted to disguise herself as Clail but Chrone insisted it would be fine if she appeared as her own self, mainly because her original appearance was in the theme of the winter, and Chrone wanted to enjoy Blade's original appearance more, especially with a fitting environment.
Around them, the city's streets were alive with energy. People walked by with joyful expressions, and children ran through the snow, laughing and playing, their faces lit up with pure delight.
Many decorations covered the streets as merchants and vendors alike tried to sell their goods on this special day.
"Look at the city. It's charming, isn't it?" Chrone said, turning to Blade.
"It is indeed charming but we won't be staying here for long, enjoy it while you can" Blade reminded him of her original intent of coming here.
'I wonder how they're doing' Blade thought as the image of the 2 siblings along with the administrator guild's leader and his daughter.
"Father! Look!" Alden excitedly pointed at a food stall.
"You want it? Then let's buy it." Looking at Alden's outgoing personality Chone smiled with pride and all of them approached the vendor.
The vendor who saw their group approaching put on a friendly smile and greeted them and realized he recognized two of the three in the group.
"Well if it isn't Father and Son pair, what can I do for you." He shifted his gaze at Blade, first noticing her blindfold which made him sympathetic to her but his gaze turned from pitying to surprise as he noticed she was a fox-kin.
"... I presume she is the mother of Alden hm, I am surprised you managed to wed a fox-kin haha."
"No, no we're not wed, she's just a friend of mine" Chrone instantly denied the claims "Well, let me introduce her first, Meet Blade, due to her... impairment, she stays at home most of the time, but since it is a special occasion, I wanted to take her outside to exercise."
"Blade huh, I'm sorry to hear about your situation must be hard living like that." He said with a hint of sadness.
"No need to pity me, I have my own method to look upon the world" Blade answered plainly.
"Well no need to be sad over old spilled milk, she's doing fine as it is so let's move to another subject, what are you selling Will." Chrone seeing the sympathetic William redirects the conversation.
"Oh, well I've been storing these drinks for the winter festival, It's fermented ginger beer, since the first time I tasted it, I thought it was great for the winter-" Will took 2 cups and filled them "Here, free of charge."
"Oh, you shouldn't have!" Chrone immediately took the offer, manipulating the cup with Telekinesis skills as his non-corporeal body grabbed the cup and handed it to Blade and Alden.
Alden, full of excitement, took a sip but immediately grimaced and spat it back out, causing Will to laugh heartily.
"Haha! Not everyone likes ginger beer, especially kids who hate spicy drinks."
Blade took her cup calmly, savoring the drink. As the liquid spread through her, a soothing warmth enveloped her, unlike the intense heat of a crimson lotus.
"Thank you." She returned the wooden cup to Will.
"If you're interested, I have bottled ginger beer for sale as well." Will gestured to the crates of bottles behind him.
"Wow, you really stocked up for winter, huh?" Chrone commented.
"Haha, I saw a business opportunity and wanted to capitalize on it. Who knows, maybe it'll become a popular winter treat!"
Alden, recovering from the shock of the drink, sheepishly placed his cup back on the table. Blade intervened, finishing the rest for him.
"I wish I had some honey for little Alden here, but I didn't get the chance to harvest any before winter," Will said with a chuckle.
"That's too bad. But hey, if ginger beer catches on, you might have a chance to sell sweetened ginger beer next year."
"Good idea! Anyway, it looks like little Alden here wants to explore more." Will turned to Alden, who was already looking at the nearby stalls with curiosity.
"Haha, it seems so. It was nice to see you, Will. Good luck with your business."
"If you spread the word, I'll guarantee you some free bottles!" With that, they parted ways, continuing to explore the city.
~~
As they wandered down the crowded streets, Blade could feel multiple stares directed her way—some filled with distrust, others with open hostility. Alden, sensitive to the unfriendly looks, took Blade's hand for reassurance. She gently squeezed his small hand in return.
Though Blade didn't feel much attachment to Alden, his presence added a faint light to her otherwise solitary life. His cheerful spirit remained untainted by her own desolate world.
"Don't mind the stares," she murmured to Alden, her tone calm. "They are harmless in my presence."
"Sheesh, they really hate demi-humans," Chrone muttered, scratching his head as he positioned himself to shield Alden from the hostile stares.
With a sigh, Blade focused, letting a small amount of her killing intent seep out and target each vile gaze. For a brief, intense moment, anyone casting a hateful look her way felt terror grip their bodies as if their very senses had betrayed them. Muscles locked, they found themselves unable to look away, paralyzed by an instinctual fear—a primordial dread that warned they were in the presence of something capable of erasing them in a single thought.