Takumi didn't understand why Vivi would be here so early in the morning.
But from the look on Vivi's face, she was definitely shaken up.
This must have been the first time she'd seen someone die right in front of her, which explained why Igaram covered her eyes.
Although Igaram was puzzled as to why Takumi was there too, now wasn't the time to ask. With a heavy expression, Igaram asked, "What happened here? Who killed that person lying on the table?"
"It was him, Captain Igaram."
"Yes, it was him. We saw it with our own eyes."
The bystanders immediately pointed to the bounty hunter, Hoss.
Hoss just smirked, didn't say a word, and took off running toward the densest part of the crowd.
"Damn it, stop right there!" Igaram wanted to chase after Hoss, but Vivi was still there, and she was clearly in shock. He couldn't just leave her alone.
But as the captain of the Kingdom Guard, with all these people watching, if he let a murderer escape, the residents of Alubarna might lose faith in the Guard.
As Igaram hesitated, Vivi, her face pale, gently pushed his hand away from her eyes, trying to stay composed. She forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, Igaram. Go after him. Don't let that man escape."
"But if I go, what will you do?"
"Igaram, you're the captain of the Guard. Protecting the people of Alabasta is your duty. If you don't go after that murderer and he kills again, what then? As a princess, I can't put my safety above the well-being of the citizens. Go, I'll be fine. Really."
"Princess Vivi." Igaram looked like he was about to cry. "You're so noble… and you're only seven… Alright, I understand."
Igaram turned to Takumi, who was about to walk out of the crowd. "The Guard should be here soon. Even though I can't stand you, Takumi, I'm asking you—please look after the princess until they arrive. Thank you!"
Takumi: "…"
He didn't really want to…
Vivi nudged Igaram, "What are you waiting for? Go after him!"
"Right, I'm on it." Igaram immediately chased after Hoss.
Meanwhile, Takumi walked out of the crowd.
He hadn't agreed to watch over Vivi and didn't plan to stick around.
Vivi saw Takumi leaving, glanced at the lifeless man slumped over the table, gritted her teeth, then turned to the concerned faces of the townspeople. Smiling, she said, "It's alright, everyone. Please go home. The Kingdom Guard will take care of things. Don't worry; we won't let any criminal get away."
"If Princess Vivi says so, I'm sure Captain Igaram will catch that murderer."
"Yeah, I believe it too. Our Kingdom Guard is really something."
"That's right. Let's do as Princess Vivi says and head out."
"Okay…"
The crowd muttered among themselves, but soon they began to disperse.
Vivi stayed behind, doing her best to keep her discomfort in check.
After about ten minutes, the Guard finally arrived.
"Princess, we got a report that someone was killed here. Why are you alone? Where's Captain Igaram?"
"Princess Vivi, it's too dangerous here. How about we escort you back to the palace?"
The guards were shocked to see Vivi alone.
Vivi shook her head, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Igaram went after the murderer. You take care of things here. I have something to do, so I'll be going."
"Huh? Princess Vivi, where are you going?"
"Princess, you shouldn't be running around. What if something happens?"
Vivi smiled, "I told you, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll head back to the palace soon. But first, I need to find someone."
With that, Vivi started running in the direction Takumi had gone.
The guards didn't have time to stop her.
Since it was still early, most of the taverns in Alubarna hadn't opened yet. Takumi wandered around for a while before finding a small tavern that had just opened and was still empty.
The tavern owner was an old man in his fifties.
He was polishing a glass when Takumi walked in. The old man glanced up at him, then continued polishing, asking, "Kid, you sure you're in the right place?"
Takumi walked up to the bar, sat down, and tossed a handful of Beli onto the counter. "Give me a glass of your best liquor."
The old man looked at the Beli on the counter, chuckled, put down the glass he was polishing, pocketed the money, and poured a large glass of liquor for Takumi, setting it in front of him.
Takumi took a sip. The taste wasn't bad, but it didn't quite have the kick of the rum he'd had in Loguetown.
"Seems like I underestimated you," the old man said with a smile.
Takumi gave him a blank stare.
The old man continued, "Most kids would be crying after a sip of this stuff, but you look like you're actually enjoying it."
Takumi: "…"
Not in the mood to chat, Takumi continued drinking.
The old man might have been chatty, but at least he poured a generous drink.
For the same price, the tavern he'd visited yesterday only served a glass of about 200 milliliters, while here, the glass was at least 500 milliliters.
After finishing the large glass, Takumi took out another handful of Beli and set his flask on the counter. "Fill it up, and pour me another."
"You've got a strong tolerance for someone your age. It's impressive," the old man said as he took the money and started refilling the flask.
Takumi sat on the barstool, waiting.
Soon, footsteps echoed from outside the tavern.
"I knew I'd find you here," Vivi's voice called from the doorway.
Takumi: "…"
She really found me…
Vivi ran into the tavern, climbed onto the barstool next to Takumi, and leaned on the counter, smiling at him. "I asked around and finally found you here. I didn't know you could drink. That's pretty impressive."
Takumi: "…"
So, what do you want?
When Takumi didn't respond, Vivi pressed on, "Takumi, today was the first time I saw someone die right in front of me. It scared me so much, but you didn't even flinch. Aren't you afraid at all?"
Takumi: "…"
Fear? I wish I could feel it. But no one gives me the chance… It's a real problem.
******
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