Walking in the open market area of the imperial capital, a young girl and boy walked together with their hands imprisoned in each other, fingers intertwined with each other and they had a radiant mood as they walked through the busy streets.
This was the outer part of the capital and the shops on both sides of the road were either stalls or small one-floor shops.
But despite that, the various distinct types of street food this place had were something even more amazing than the regular hotels of the capital.
There were countless types of food on the street and the girl with normal-looking short brown hair was really excited while looking at all those things.
From different beast meat to the special plants, salads, eggs, different drinks, and such things were all around this place.
They perhaps were here to try all of these things and the girl was genuinely excited about this... unlike the boy who only had a radiant face with a masterfully hidden concern for something that was approaching them.
This was an open street, bustling with countless normal people and some adventurers as well as some 'unique' people and… two hooded figures were walking toward this young couple, or more precisely, they were walking in the opposite direction of the two of them.
The road was well made with refined stones as its base, with a good layer of some fine soil.
The street was large, people were shopping, working, smiling, some angry and crying.
This was a main street and not any alleyway, so there was more brightness than the back alleys.
But the two people walking on the opposite side as the two of them were something that shouldn't walk this freely on a main street like this one.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWearing a black hood, the two figures walked naturally as the two of the young ones walked just as naturally while looking around the amazing street and food items like the clueless children they should.
But the boy was not as pure as the young girl with them. He knew about these two hooded people and was doing an excellent job not showing this fact.
Some butterflies could be seen wandering this area, which was just as natural as anything else here.
Just that they were roaming around the two hooded figures and the surrounding vicinity more than the follower shops and sweet shops on the street.
The two groups walked without stopping. The boy's heart was as calm as ever. There was no hesitation in his actions at all either.
They were both walking on the same side of the road, so it was natural that their paths would cross in a while. But there was no reaction from him.
And even as the two of them passed by these black hooded figures, naturally, there was no reaction from him and he just nodded at the excited voice of the young girl with him.
The two groups crossed paths and... just naturally continued walking with no special pause at all.
Just like any other person walking on the street, this interaction which couldn't even be considered an interaction, was definitely just… normal.
The boy and girl continued towards the small rabbit meat shop some distance away as the two hooded figures just walked further away from this place on the same road.
There were five butterflies visible in the sky some distance away from each other, and all of them had different colors.
Red, light red, light yellow, green and black. And they all had a unique patterns on their bodies.
All five were gathered around each other, flaying in a group, exchanging information. But they parted ways after a while.
Three of those butterflies had just randomly started floating in the same direction as the two hooded figures, while the two just parted ways and went in a random direction.
They were butterflies, so their flight was just normal with a weird path, as if just floating with the wind currents.
She hesitated and looked back from the old but healthy shop owner, at him, and asked 'what's wrong' with her eyes.
This was sudden, and she was genuinely worried because of this concern-filled sigh.
But the calm smile he gave as an answer said that he was perfectly fine, and she barely believed that… but just for now.
Three butterflies flew, far away from each other, following the hooded figures, which, too, were naturally three.
Three hooded figures, the two that the boy and girl had passed by, as well as another figure that was 'walking in the same direction as them' on the other side of the door.
This third hooded figure was different from the two of them and was wearing a far better hood than the two.
Both groups were wearing black hoods, but they were different from each other. Even the materials and texture of their hoods were different.
The inside part of the two hooded figures was red, from what was visible, while the one he was wearing had blue. It was also a high-ranking artifact and not just a simple hood with high enchantments like them.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThere was a sword hanging around the waist of this young person and the sword looked just like any normal Katana blade one can find in the weapon shops.
But there was definitely something different about this sword.
This single hooded figure was shorter than them, and maybe younger too, from the hand that was visible on the outside.
The same hand which was pointed at the two red hooded figures a moment ago.
The butterfly was flying in front of him, so maybe this unintelligent creature had seen something strange in that split second, or at least the more intelligent creature who could see with the eyes of these butterflies had definitely seen that...
In the subtle moment he lifted his hand, inside his sleeves, two small golden lights flushed and then he just put his hand down, without any more movements.
This was not much quick so if focused, one could see that and from how the butterfly was before him, they had seen this more clearly than anyone.
The light was strange, as if some creature looking at them from that sleeve.
From a normal perspective, his movements until then were natural in anyone's eyes but, what he did at last before just stopping at a fruit center was definitely not normal.
This person had walked from the same direction as the two of them and he was too normal to wear that high-quality artifact in the broader evening light.
He was strange, not as much as some truly weird things in this market but his last action was truly suspicious.
And maybe because of these things until now... there were now two more butterflies flying around the area this figure was standing.
The young couple enjoyed their delicious food, and the single hooded young figure started walking in the opposite direction, the two hooded figures from before just continued walking towards the south-west gate of the capital, and the butterflies in the area danced with the winds, flying away as the winds lead them… or at least that's how it looked.