"So, you're from a neighboring town?" asks Felix.
"Yes," replies Emma with a fake smile.
The crowd pushes them further and further. Emma is not used to wearing these clothes and trips, but Felix saves her. He grabs her shoulder to give her support and pushes people aside to move forward.
"How do you like the crowd here?" he asks.
"It's something I'm experiencing for the first time. Why are people acting like this? I don't understand," Emma says.
"What do you mean you don't understand? It's so common. Magical supplies get restocked at this time, and people go crazy to refill their resources. You won't find anything once the crowd clears."
Realizing she made a mistake, Emma tries not to say, "Oh, I meant they should do something about it. People like me might die from being squeezed in this crowd."
Felix laughs. "I've never seen anybody die from getting squeezed."
Emma starts laughing too, feeling at ease.
"Why haven't I heard about you before? I know about most of Frieda's cousins," he asks.
Emma gives an awkward laugh. "I wouldn't know."
"Ugh. Who is this person pushing? Sir, you should watch out!" says Felix as a middle-aged man tries to shove himself toward Emma.
They change direction.
"So, Emma, which magic tier are you?" Felix inquires.
Emma puts on a smile, thinking, "What the heck? What is a magic tier? Frieda, you were supposed to tell me about your world. Where is that girl?" Trying to come up with an answer, she blurts out, "T-Tier 3."
Felix smiles upon hearing Emma's response. "I was right."
"What were you right about?" Emma asks, feeling a sense of danger.
"By the way, you should hold me tightly. I'm going to use a little bit of magic. Don't get scared."
Felix's feet release black smoke.
"Aah! We're burning!" screams Emma.
Felix laughs, "Just hold on tight."
Emma feels her body getting hot and closes her eyes. She senses a black energy—something evil.
She screams, "Aah! Stop it!"
She falls to the floor.
"Emma, are you alright?" Frieda asks.
Emma opens her eyes and looks around, realizing they have cleared the crowd and are on the outskirts of the market. Nobody but Emma, Frieda, Luna, and Felix are there.
"Uh-uh," Emma shivers. "What was that?" she thinks, glancing at Felix.
Felix stands in front of her, with Luna and Frieda on either side.
"I think I should leave," says Felix. "You can thank me later, Emma. And I hope I don't run into you three again. Why do I keep encountering you?"
Felix leaves the scene.
Frieda shouts, "His manners!"
But Felix is already gone.
Emma stands up, leaning on Frieda for support.
"Are you okay, Emma?" asks Frieda.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know; I think I felt anxious being in the crowd," replies Emma.
"Oh, my poor baby! I shouldn't have left you in that crowd." Frieda hugs Emma, and Luna joins in.
"Me and Luna were out of that crowd just a few seconds before you two. I shouldn't have let go of your hand."
"It's okay, Frieda. You did nothing wrong."
"Ah, we should eat something. We'll find some food vendors ahead. Let's go, Emma and Luna."
They walk a few meters ahead and find a street vendor selling "Mermaid Pearl Pudding." The pudding has a blue hue, shaped like a regular pudding but resembling jelly with a whitish coating of coconut, adorned with edible pearls.
The pudding is served in a seashell-shaped bowl, topped with a sprinkle of gold mist to mimic the color of sunlight reflecting on the water.
They each take a serving. Emma's eyes widen as she takes a small bite. "What is this? This is so delicious! Ummm, my mouth is filled with a combination of jelly and water. So sweet! I love it!"
Frieda and Luna also take a bite. The vendor selling the pudding smiles at them, feeling as if he's watching his daughters have the time of their lives.
"Sir, what are your hands made of? How do you make such delicious pudding?" Emma begins to enthusiastically ask about the treat.
The vendor smiles and says, "I'll give you one more serving, but you don't have to pay for it."
Frieda and Luna stand to the side. "When you give her food, she starts yapping. But at least we're getting free food," says Frieda, purrs Luna, jumping with excitement.
They eat another serving and say their goodbyes to the vendor. Emma finds it hard to leave but smiles and follows Frieda.
As they walk, they come across different houses and people doing their usual "magical jobs." Emma looks deep in thought. Frieda and Luna exchange glances and finally decide to ask her, "What's the matter, Emma? Why do you look so troubled?"
"Oh, I was just wondering why there are no vehicles around. Why do people prefer to walk when they have trains that can teleport them? You guys are mages and alchemists; can't you just fly?"
"So that's what's making you think. It's just that magic laws here are very different. You won't find anyone openly using magic, especially in these towns," Frieda explains, glancing at Luna. "You'll find a lot of people using different types of magic openly in the main capital of the kingdom, though."
"But why are these towns so restrained about using magic?"
Frieda thinks about how to explain the situation. Just a few steps away from the station, she says that she will tell Emma about "The History of the Kingdom" once they get on the train.
They walk towards the ticket center, where they see a human—or rather, a human-looking creature—at the table. He looks like a dwarf but clearly isn't human. He's wearing a worn-out white uniform and a hat. He looks closely at Frieda and Emma. Frieda jumps in front of the window to block his view.
"Two tickets for humans and one for an animal, please," she requests.
"Is your friend from here?" he asks in a high-pitched voice.
"Yes. She is my cousin. Her brother is in another town, so we're going to fetch him," replies Frieda.
He looks at them suspiciously but eventually hands over three tickets.
Frieda lets out a sigh of relief.
The human-looking creature gives them a suspicious glance as they leave.
Frieda says, "Well, we'll take our leave. The train is here."
They move out quickly.
"He was looking at us so suspiciously. I hope he doesn't inform the authorities," Emma remarks.
"Yes, he did look at us suspiciously, " Frieda agrees.
"But why didn't he look completely human?"
Frieda and Luna exchange concerned looks.
"Let's find our seats first. What's the seat number?"
"It says 28 on mine," says Emma.
"Uh, mine and Luna's also have 28 on our tickets. We must all be in the same compartment."
The compartment has six seats, three facing each other, and a door. It looks high-quality. "Must be made of magic," Emma mutters.
"What are you muttering about, Emma?" asks Frieda, opening the door. Someone is already sitting inside the compartment.
Emma and Luna look at that person in shock.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Emma? Why do you guys look so shocked? Did you see a ghost?" asks Frieda.
She turns to the front and sees a tall boy with white hair sitting there, looking somewhat unhappy.