Vol 7 Chapter 46

That would have been the case if an eerie voice hadn't come from the deep darkness between the buildings behind him at that moment.

"Who are you?"

Kapros immediately turned around with stiffened shoulders, but all he could see was a narrow, dark alley barely wide enough for a person to pass through.

As he narrowed his eyes and stared into that darkness, the same voice spoke to him again from the opposite direction, behind him, with a laugh.

"Ahaha. Looks like I scared you."

"...If you're talking to me, you should identify yourself first."

This time, instead of turning around carelessly, Kapros asked while subtly moving his hand toward the Superior staff at his waist, and the ghost-like chilling sensation he had felt on his nape wavered and suddenly changed to a human presence with a swoosh.

"Don't do that now that I'm out. You're trying to reach for something dangerous again, whatever it is. Don't you remember me, hyung?"

Only then did Kapros hastily turn around, finally recognizing who the voice belonged to. A tall man stood as if he had sprouted from a place where there had been no one moments before. Seeing his lips curved in a smile visible under his deeply pulled-down hat, Kapros became certain it was indeed who he thought it was.

"You're..."

"Lucrecian. If you say you don't remember even after I gave you my name, it might hurt my pride a bit, you know?"

Though his clothes were somewhat different, he was exactly the same as when they had met in Tolang before. Lucrecian, the guild master of the assassin guild and one who was carrying out the Shadow Knight quest. He slightly lifted his hat with his fingertip to reveal his brilliant purple eyes as he spoke.

"You remember me, right?"

When Kapros quietly nodded, he let his hat fall back to cover his eyes.

"Did you come here alone?"

"No."

"Then are you still traveling with those people from before? Wow. They're quite persistent."

"Not those guys."

"Oh? You've split up now?"

Though it had been quite a while since they had met just once, Lucrecian showed no signs of awkwardness or unfamiliarity. It felt strange to Kapros to find himself being drawn into answering due to the other's casualness.

'But that aside...'

"Just now, how did you appear?"

At Kapros's question, Lucrecian showed a smile still seemingly full of mystery.

"Ah, that. It's a quest reward skill. I can melt into shadows and ride them. It's super convenient, but people get really surprised when I talk to them in that state. Strange, isn't it?"

It would be stranger not to be surprised when an eerie voice speaks from the darkness with no presence or appearance. Thinking he was still the same guy, Kapros slightly furrowed his brow, and this time Lucrecian asked his own question as if it were his turn.

"Since I answered, you should answer my question too. That thief just now, it was your magic, right?"

"Yeah."

"A magic that beats up opponents remotely while being invisible. Though I couldn't see it properly, I really like it."

No, Aerial Servant wasn't magic for beating people up.

When Kapros stood silently, Lucrecian grinned and grabbed his shoulder.

"Since meeting again like this must be fate, want to eat together if you have time? I have lots of questions but can't ask them all here."

"That's fine, but... I need to buy potions first."

At his words, Lucrecian questioned "Potions?" then discovered the pile of broken potions scattered nearby and let out an "Aha."

"So that's what it was. Got it."

Kapros wanted to ask what exactly he had got, but Lucrecian seemed to have already figured out the correlation between the broken potions and the thief with his quick wit. Pulled along by him casually grabbing his arm and urging him to hurry, Kapros headed back to the street lined with street stalls.

The potion stall where he had bought before was still doing business in the same place. When he said he came back to buy again because his potions broke, the vendor offered several exaggerated words of comfort before giving him another potion bag while charging only about 2/3 of the previous price.

"I'm giving you this huge discount because your situation is so pitiful. So please make sure to promote my shop a lot later!"

"..."

"Ah yes, of course. You run your business so ethically, you'll surely succeed. Well, sell lots."

"Oh my, your companion speaks so well too. Haha! Take care, customers! This is Korokoro Shop, taste satisfaction guaranteed!"

When Kapros looked with incredulous eyes at Lucrecian, who had stepped in to exchange pleasantries with the vendor before he could speak, Lucrecian turned back with a grin, perhaps sensing his reaction even through the hood covering his face.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"...No. Never mind."

"I'll carry this, so let's hurry. I know a good place nearby. We need to go quickly since it's popular and seats are always scarce."

Kapros quickened his pace to follow Lucrecian who was smoothly making his way through the crowds.

'Did he use some skill? He's moving too fast.'

How long had he frantically followed, feeling he would lose sight of him if he looked away even for a moment? Where Lucrecian stopped was in front of a restaurant at the entrance of a quiet street.

"It's here. Let's go up one more floor."

Following the stairs made of hardened white sand, they found an interior full of neatly arranged tables. Unlike the quite deserted outside, inside was packed with customers.

"Hmm. Already full even though it's broad daylight. But there's still a spot over there. Let's go sit."

The place Lucrecian suggested was an empty corner spot that people seemed to avoid because light didn't reach it well. After waiting for Kapros to sit, Lucrecian sat in the seat across from him, handed over the potion bag, and looked around familiarly.

"This is a store that a café brand popular offline created in MIST. It's especially popular with female users because the food is good and the interior is pretty."

Only after looking around at those words did Kapros realize there really were many female customers here. Cold sweat immediately ran down his back the moment he realized they were the only men.

"Is there any particular reason we have to eat here..."