Furan used his God's Eye skill to check the owner's status and found out that the owner was a DEMON of rank A. He thought further,
"If she meant us harm, we would already be dead… since she gave us a free place to stay and was honest about killing people in self-defense,"
Furan became more convinced that the owner was a good DEMON with no malicious intentions.
"Owner, we're going now, we're going to look for more information since we just arrived in this city," said Furan, preparing to continue their search for information about the city.
"Alright, but just call me Kirana from now on... safe travels, and be careful..." said Kirana.
"Okay... Anori, say goodbye to Kirana," Furan told Anori while gently placing his hand on her back.
"We're leaving now, big sister Kirana... goodbye," Anori said, still a bit scared of Kirana.
Furan and Anori left the inn and wandered around the market to gather information. They passed many merchants and asked a few questions, also looking for information on nearby inns and their prices. Furan noticed Anori's steps slowing down, and she kept glancing back at something they had already passed.
"Anori, what are you looking at? Do you want something?" Furan asked, curious about what had caught her attention.
"Nothing... Anori doesn't want anything... Where are we going next, Furan? Let's just go," Anori denied it and asked back.
It didn't take long for Furan to look back and spot what had grabbed Anori's attention. He turned around and saw a large skewered meat shop bustling with people. It was no wonder it was crowded — the size of one meat skewer was as big as a baby's fist, cut into perfect cubes, with four pieces on each skewer.
They were glossy brown, perfectly cooked, and the aroma was so enticing that it reached them even from a distance. Furan hadn't noticed it earlier, perhaps too focused on gathering information to pay attention.
Suddenly, a small sound came from beside Furan, making him crouch down in front of Anori and hold her shoulders.
"krruuu... kruurrrkk... rrrrkkuuuukkk...?" the sound of a hungry stomach.
"What was that sound, Anori? Where did that come from... hahaha... Are you getting hungry? What do you want to eat? Since we're already here, it'd be a shame not to try some food,"
Furan joked, laughing as he recognized that Anori's stomach was growling because they hadn't eaten yet, despite carrying some fruits and herbs.
"That was Anori... Anori's stomach," Anori answered, a bit embarrassed as she looked down.
Seeing Anori's minimal reaction, Furan held her hand tightly and led her to the skewered meat shop they had passed. He had noticed Anori looking at the shop earlier but not saying anything, so he took the initiative to ask why she hadn't said anything, even though they had walked quite a distance from the shop.
"Hey, Anori... do you want to eat this?" Furan asked, smiling.
Anori nodded slowly, looking down and holding onto her clothes with her left hand. Furan looked for an empty table, and once he found one, they sat down. Furan ordered four skewers and two warm teas.
"Anori, why were you so quiet, and why didn't you ask when we passed this shop? You wanted to eat here, didn't you?" Furan asked, puzzled by Anori's reaction.
"Anori was afraid... afraid Furan would leave Anori if I asked for too much... so Anori didn't dare ask... especially since Furan only has a little money," Anori replied.
"Huh?... Asking for too much? Anori, you're like my family now... just think of me as your older brother, okay? This money is ours, earned together, so next time, don't hesitate if you want something... just tell me, okay? I'll handle the money. Even if I can't get it right away, I'll make sure to get it for you, okay?"
Furan hugged her and patted her head, realizing that Anori still felt insecure about being accepted and was afraid of being left behind.
"Okay, big brother..." Anori said, nodding slowly.
While waiting for their food, Furan used his God's Eye skill to check the statuses of the people around them, but he was puzzled as to why everyone's luck stat was below ten. As he observed further, he noticed someone in a black cloak eating alone.
Furan attempted to check that person's status with his God's Eye, but he was shocked when all that appeared were question marks (???).
***
Name: ???
Race: ???
STATUS
-???
-???
-???
PASSIVE SKILLS
-???
-???
ACTIVE SKILLS
-???
-???
(*host cannot examine target's status due to a significant power difference)
***
"Hey, it's rude to stare at a girl like that," a voice came from the cloaked person and entered Furan's mind.
"Sorry, forgive me, I was just curious..." Furan apologized, realizing the person was aware of his skill.
"Hello, here's your order. Enjoy! Four skewers and two warm teas. Let me know if you need anything else... don't hesitate to order," the shop's employee said as they served the food.
Furan was only distracted for a brief moment, no more than two seconds, but the cloaked person had vanished from their seat, leaving only a pouch of money on the table to pay for their meal.
"Who was that person?... Why were their status details all question marks? Was it because they were so strong I couldn't read their status?... And why did they suddenly disappear?"
Furan wondered, but he didn't dwell on it too long. Even though the person was powerful, they hadn't posed any threat.
"Anori, let's eat. If you want more, don't hesitate to say so, okay?" Furan encouraged Anori to speak up if she was still hungry.
"Let's eat, eat, eat," Anori responded, smiling and swaying her body and tail side to side.
"Mmm... it's so good, big brother... let's buy this again sometime... it's chewy and easy to bite... thank you, big brother," Anori stood on her chair and kissed Furan's cheek.
"Eat properly, Anori... look, your mouth is all messy..."
Furan took a napkin from the table and wiped Anori's mouth. Anori and Furan continued eating their skewered meat.