Vol 6 Chapter 46

While Kapros was looking at Caesar's face with a strange feeling, as this unexpected action, even if capricious, felt very meaningful to him, Caesar suddenly turned to look at him. Kapros flinched for a moment, thinking Caesar might have been annoyed at being stared at, but Caesar was merely holding out the finished meat skewer to him.

"...Thanks."

As Kapros slowly thanked him and took the skewer, their fingertips brushed momentarily. That instant reminded Kapros of the sensation when Seung-jo had handed him the cane in reality, surprising him, but Caesar seemed somehow even more surprised. They both withdrew their hands, causing the meat skewer to fall and roll among the dust on the ground.

"..."

Caesar, who had been looking at the fallen skewer, frowned deeply. His gray eyes suddenly darkened, and grinding his teeth, he turned back to the vendor and ordered again.

"One more."

"What? Oh. If-if you dropped it, I'll just give you another one."

The vendor, intimidated by the frightening intensity, hurriedly made another skewer and held it out. Fortunately, they were able to give and receive the new skewer without either being so startled this time. They walked silently before sitting on a quiet street bench. Being somewhat removed from the busy street, there was no one around, and it seemed like the perfect spot to watch people bustling by right in front of them.

As Kapros was just chewing his skewer with nothing to say, Caesar suddenly asked him first.

"...That hood. Why don't you take it off?"

Kapros almost choked, more surprised by the fact that Caesar had initiated normal conversation with him for the first time than by the content of the question. He hurriedly swallowed the piece of meat he was chewing and tried to think of how to answer, but no suitable response came to mind.

Usually, people wore their hoods down to just below their eyes, but Kapros currently had his hood pulled down almost to his lips since even a moment's carelessness might let Caesar see his face. Though it was suspicious enough to make anyone wonder, he had no choice. Come to think of it, this was why the enemy had charged at him earlier, and why Caesar had kicked them away then.

"..."

As Kapros hesitated without answering, Caesar narrowed his eyes as if realizing something.

"Don't tell me..."

"..."

"You must have some issue with your face. If that's the case, it doesn't matter."

To think that was his conclusion after all that tension. Though it was fortunate for Kapros, it also weighed on his mind, making him wonder if it was really okay for him to continue like this.

Though Kapros neither confirmed nor denied Caesar's words, the other seemed to consider it settled and started eating his meat skewer again. However, this time his fierce manner of eating, as if he might chew up the wooden skewer stick too, was quite concerning. In the past, when Jeong Seung-jo ate food hurriedly, he had a habit of eating so roughly that others worried his teeth might break and had to restrain him, and it seemed that habit still remained. After trying to hold back, Kapros finally said something.

"Are you planning to eat the stick too?"

Caesar looked up while chewing the meat and gave Kapros a strange look.

'Surely he hasn't sensed something familiar about me from just that.'

While Kapros held his breath, slightly tense, Caesar blinked several times before turning his gaze away and muttering quietly with an incomprehensible expression.

"How annoying..."

"What?"

"..."

Though Kapros asked again because the voice had been too quiet to hear properly, Caesar didn't answer and turned his head away, stuffing the last meat skewer into his mouth all at once. Though Kapros felt suspicious, he realized that probing further would do him no good, and opened his mouth to finish his remaining meat. That was when it happened.

"So this is where you were!"

Suddenly, someone appeared behind Caesar, firmly gripping his shoulder. Kapros almost started casting a magic spell, thinking it might be the security force, but Caesar surprisingly turned around calmly without being startled. A man Kapros had never seen before, with striking red hair, stood behind Caesar wearing what seemed to be an ingratiating smile. Kapros felt a slight shock that he hadn't sensed any presence until the man was right next to them.

"Guild Master, you suddenly disappeared, so it was a bit difficult finding you."

'Guild Master?'

If he was calling Caesar Guild Master, did that mean this man was a member of the Pale Knights guild from Zagreb? Since this was the first time seeing Caesar's guild member up close, Kapros watched carefully while entering a state of alertness.

"I told you to get lost."

When Caesar frowned, the man laughed good-naturedly.

"Get lost where? I, the Vice Guild Master, have been handling all the accumulated work with difficulty, so isn't it your turn to grant my request, Guild Master?"

Though the man was laughing, his eyes showed not mirth but sharp calculation. It felt like looking at a second Yoon Seok-ho. Kapros couldn't believe such a person would sincerely follow Caesar. Just looking at his eyes gave him an unpleasant feeling, making him unconsciously clench his fist in tension.

Caesar maintained his expressionless face at the man's words. Seeing his expression, which had somewhat returned to normal until just now, change back to how it had been when Kapros first saw him, made his chest feel constricted.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I don't care about such things. You'd better keep within my limits."

"How scary. I wasn't planning to do anything special anyway. But... who is this person beside you? Are you acquainted?"

After slipping past Caesar's low warning with a snake-like grin, the man asked with exaggerated surprise as if just noticing Kapros. Kapros kept his mouth firmly shut and showed no reaction for now. The man, who had been looking at his hood as if trying to see through it, rubbed his chin with his finger and said playfully.

"Could it be that our Guild Master has a taste for men? I can't see the face well. Hmm... are you shy? Hello. I'm Yogurt, the Vice Guild Master of this person's guild. Hahaha. I named myself Yogurt because I really like yogurt, but everyone calls me Gert. Excuse me, but how did you meet our Guild Master..."