[Mission Completed]
[Reward: 200 RP, Shop Unlock – Mystery Item]
"Finally," Leon thought with a mix of relief and exhaustion. So the Sentri was the mystery behind this mission.
It was still hard for him to wrap his head around it—paranormal, magical entities existing in the same world he now found himself in. But as much as his rational, modern mind rebelled against the idea, the proof was undeniable. Everything had unfolded right in front of his eyes.
He glanced at Arial, who was busy organizing her book and vials with a practiced air of efficiency. Summoning his courage, he broke the silence.
"So, you remember your promise, right? The city is mine if I helped you," he said.
Arial froze for a brief moment before turning her head slightly, her face unreadable. "..."
Her lack of immediate response made Leon narrow his eyes, but before he could push further, she finally spoke.
"I'll keep my word," she said. "Meet me at city gate next morning."
"Fine. But you better not go back on your word."
Arial gave a faint, almost amused smile. "I'm not the type to break promises." She paused, studying him for a moment. "In the meantime, go back to that little girl. She's probably worried after not finding you there."
Leon blinked, caught off guard by the shift in topic. He thought of Elys.
"Yeah," he muttered, nodding slowly. "I should check on her."
Without another word, Leon turned and left the room. The cool air hit his face as he stepped out, and he took a moment to collect himself. The streets were eerily quiet.
He made his way back to the where Elys was. As he walked, his mind churned with questions. What exactly did Arial mean when she called him an anomaly? Was it just his connection to the system, or was there something deeper at play?
Leon adjusted his course as he neared the familiar building—a crumbling tannery on the outskirts of the city.
Inside, the makeshift shelter was quiet. He stepped carefully over discarded tools and scraps of leather, making his way toward the corner where Elys had set up a bed from salvaged blankets and an old cot.
She was already stirring, sitting up in the tangled blankets. Her short, messy hair stuck out at odd angles, and her eyes—still heavy with sleep—narrowed as they adjusted to the dim light.
"Leon?" she mumbled groggily, blinking at him.
"Morning," he said softly, his voice low to avoid startling her.
She yawned and stretched, the blanket slipping from her shoulders. "You were gone all night," she said, her voice a mix of concern and irritation.
"Had some business to take care of," he replied, sitting down on an overturned barrel nearby.
Elys frowned, her eyes sharpening as she fully woke up. "You're always off doing something dangerous. Did you at least come back in one piece?"
Leon smirked, patting his chest mockingly. "Still breathing, aren't I?"
"Barely," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You smell like smoke and… something weird."
"That would be magic," Leon admitted, leaning back and sighing. "Turns out, this city had a bigger problem than we thought."
Her frown deepened. "What happened?"
He hesitated, debating how much to tell her. "I'll explain later. For now, let's just say I dealt with it. But things might get more complicated from here."
Elys watched him closely, her sharp gaze making her seem far older than her years. "Complicated how?"
Leon shook his head. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I'll handle it."
Elys huffed, clearly unsatisfied with his vague answer, but she didn't push further. Instead, her stomach growled softly, breaking the tense silence between them. She froze, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tried to play it off.
Leon raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Haven't eaten, have you?"
She turned her head away stubbornly. "Not like there's much to eat here," she muttered.
"Lucky for you," Leon said, "I came prepared."
Leon opened his inventory with a thought, the system interface flickering to life in his mind's eye. A quick scroll through revealed a stash of modern-day snacks—protein bars, vacuum-sealed trail mix, and even a small water bottle. He selected a protein bar, and it materialized in his hand with a faint shimmer.
Elys's eyes widened slightly at the sudden appearance of the neatly packaged bar, but she quickly masked her surprise. "Where did you even get that?"
Leon smirked as he handed it to her. "Trade secret. Just eat it."
She hesitated for only a moment before taking the bar, her curiosity losing out to her hunger. Carefully peeling back the wrapper, she sniffed it and then took a cautious bite. Her eyes widened again as the rich, chocolatey flavor hit her taste buds.
"This is… amazing," she said, her voice full of surprise. She quickly took another bite, eating more enthusiastically now.
Leon leaned back, watching her with a faint grin. "Modern conveniences. Gotta love them."
Elys paused mid-bite, giving him a skeptical look. "This doesn't taste like anything I've ever had before. It's not from here, is it?"
"Let's just say it's a little… ahead of its time," he replied vaguely, waving off her question. "Don't overthink it."
She frowned but didn't press him further, too focused on finishing the protein bar. Leon handed her a water bottle next, and she took it gratefully, gulping down the cool liquid.
"Better?" he asked as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Yeah," she admitted, her tone softer now.
"So the Noble lady stomach is no longer growling?" he teased her.
Elys's cheeks turned pink. "I'm... not a noble lady anymore. Stop calling me that."
He raised his eyebrow. "Hmm."
Slowly, his hand reached toward her waist, pulling her a little closer. "But you look like a beautiful noble lady... to me," he said, his voice softer, his face near her neck. "And you also smell good."
As his breath brushed against her skin, Elys froze for a moment. Her hands went still, unsure of what to do. Should she push him away? The thought crossed her mind, but she found herself not wanting to.
She stayed silent, her hands resting in her lap, as she leaned just slightly toward him.