Near the plaza, Sophia walked with a slouch, her shoulders hunched and one hand clutching her stomach through the fabric of her clothes.
'Ugh, I shouldn't have eaten the whole thing.'
A sharp pang made her wince, her footsteps faltering for a moment. After walking for a few minutes, she stopped by a nearby vendor where the steam from a large pot carried the fragrance of toasted tea leaves. She bought a cup of warm tea, specifically requesting it be salted, and began taking small, cautious sips as she resumed her pace. The warmth of the cup against her palms provided a small measure of comfort.
As she neared the plaza, the atmosphere shifted. She could see people crowding the area, their voices blending into a distant hum. Among them, a group of children had claimed a small corner, skillfully jumping and dodging a skipping rope against the stone pavement. Seeing their innocent enjoyment, Sophia let out a small smile, but it was tinged with a lingering sadness that pulled at the corners of her lips.
'Ah, it's Cal.'
Her gaze drifted toward the fountain area, where she noticed Cal sitting by the wide stone basin. Much like her, he was using a 'disguise amulet', which had muted his striking features; his beautiful golden hair and eyes had been transformed into a mundane light brown. His usually handsome face was now much plainer, though it still carried a subtle trace of his previous looks.
Sophia quickened her pace, her boots scuffing against the ground as she moved toward him. As the distance closed, her eyes widened slightly.
'Sir Seraphix? He was with Cal?'
On Cal's lap, Seraphix was curled into a small ball of fur, fast asleep and breathing steadily.
Finally reaching the fountain, Sophia blurted out, "Cal, listen, I'm not late today, okay!" She punctuated her statement by pointing a finger toward him, despite the teacup still clutched in her other hand.
By the time Sophia had arrived, it was already more than 40 minutes past their planned meeting time. Cal, who had noticed Sophia's approach long before she reached him, merely gave a casual wave of his hand, his expression stoic.
"I've heard what happened. Are you okay now?"
"I'm fine. I just threw up everything," Sophia said, her voice dropping into a casual, almost detached tone as she took a seat beside him. She reached out, gently 'stealing' Seraphix from Cal's lap and settling the sleeping fur onto her own.
"That doesn't sound fine at all," Cal commented, his brow twitching slightly at her nonchalance.
"More importantly, why is Sir Seraphix lying on your lap?" Sophia asked, her fingers absentmindedly brushing through Seraphix's soft fur. "This is the first time you two have actually met, right?"
"Well, Seraphix approached me first. He even knew who I was immediately."
"Really? That's amazing. I guess that's to be expected of him," she murmured, her gaze softening as she looked down at the beast.
Sophia continued to chat with Cal while stroking Seraphix, her hand moving in repetitive, soothing circles. They talked casually about random things: the shifting clouds, the bustle of the market, and the specific street food that had triggered her food poisoning. However, as the words flowed out of her, a sudden realization dawned on her.
'Am I always this chatty?'
To an outsider, the conversation would have seemed more like a lengthy monologue from Sophia, punctuated only by Cal's short, straight-faced comments once or twice. She bit her lip, her hand pausing mid-stroke.
'Does he find me annoying when I talk this much?'
Out of nowhere, Cal suddenly cut in, his voice slicing through her internal rambling.
"Sophia."
"Eh, yes?" Sophia said, flinching slightly and nearly spilling the remainder of her tea.
"Has something happened?" Cal asked, lowering his tone into something more grounded and serious. Despite knowing how peculiar Sophia's food preferences could be, Cal knew she wasn't reckless enough to eat something that would 'clearly' make her ill. The only reason for such recklessness he could think of was that she was under high distress.
Sophia stayed quiet, her gaze dropping to Seraphix. She resumed stroking his fur, her fingers trembling just a fraction. Not getting an immediate answer, Cal let out a soft sigh, the sound disappearing into the noise of the plaza.
"If you don't want to tell me, it's fine."
"Cal, can you place a sound barrier around us?" Sophia requested suddenly. Her hand stopped moving entirely, burying her fingers deep into Seraphix's fur.
Cal watched her in silence for a moment, observing the tension in her frame, before discreetly channeling his mana.
"I did."
"Thank you. Cal, can I ask you a couple of things first?"
"Sure."
"Has your father told you about what happened yesterday?"
"He only told me that you were involved in an incident, but he didn't elaborate further."
"Did he tell you anything about Sir Seraphix?"
"He told me that Seraphix is a nine-stroke beast and you were his master."
After hearing the answer, Sophia let out a long, shaky breath that seemed to drain the energy from her body.
"Okay, I guess it's fine," Sophia said, her voice turning gloomy. Her shoulders slumped, her demeanor shifting into the complete opposite of her cheerful chatter from moments ago. She looked Cal directly in the eyes, her expression heavy.
"Cal, I will tell you everything."
***
On the busy streets of the Central District, Cal and Sophia walked side by side, their silhouettes blending into the midday crowd.
Sophia was carrying her Cat Backpack v0.1, as Seraphix quietly took a nap inside. In her hand, she held a local snack. It was a dried, fish-like creature with a shape that appeared almost 'alien' to the uninitiated. She nibbled on it as she walked, her cheeks moving excitedly.
They were on their way to purchase new tickets for their flight to the academy. Beyond that, they had an additional task Cal had explained earlier: a visit to the administrative office to renew their passports, which were set to expire the following year.
By normal standards, neither of them should have needed passports; such documents were typically reserved for commoners traveling abroad. However, since they were attending the academy in 'disguise' as commoners, they had to meticulously prepare their paperwork.
As they walked, Cal's mind drifted back to the story Sophia had shared earlier.
'A spy, huh.'
Although the news had reached him late, Cal had already learned the details of the incident involving Sophia. But, even hearing it a second time, he couldn't help but be in a boiling rage.
For years, Cal had done everything in his power to ensure Sophia never had even a tiny bit of exposure to the 'filth' surrounding the Cold War. To him, it was better if she remained entirely unaware that a conflict even existed.
Despite appearing overprotective, there was a reason behind his decision. Cal glanced sideways at Sophia, his eyes softening for a fleeting second before returning to their usual stoicism.
'You're too kind.'
Hearing her describe the distress that had been eating at her only reinforced his realization of how innocent she truly was. In her story, she had expressed how heavily it weighed on her that she had been the cause of two deaths.
For Cal, the unfortunate death of the Imperial Psychologist was one thing, but he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Sophia felt 'regret' over the spy.
'He was threatening your mother's life. How can you even consider regretting his death?'
The fact that an 'accident' had caused her this much turmoil made him realize, with a sinking feeling, how much more it would shatter her if she ever had to kill someone on purpose.
"Agh!"
The sudden exclamation broke his train of thought. Sophia had bumped into a passerby, the impact causing her snack to stick to the man's expensive coat before falling unceremoniously to the dusty ground.
"Hey! Watch where you're..." The man began to bark, his face reddening with irritation. But his voice trailed off, dying in his throat.
Standing right behind Sophia, Cal had shifted his stance. He released a glint of his 'aura', a cold pressure that seemed to drop the temperature of the immediate area except for Sophia. He stared at the man with obvious killing intent, his eyes cold and sharp. The man's bravado vanished instantly; he paled, backed away with a frantic stumble, and scurried into the crowd without another word.
"Ah, I'm sorry about your clothes—!" Sophia called out, reaching a hand toward the retreating figure, but the man had already vanished into the sea of people.
Sophia let out a small, disappointed sigh and knelt down to pick up her fallen snack.
"Cal, please wait."
She walked a few paces away, her shoulders slumped, and regretfully dropped the ruined food into a nearby trash bin. Cal watched her back in silence, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he waited in the exact same spot.
'Sophia, you don't have to apologize to that man.'
On this pedestrian road, there was a clear separation between those coming and those going. It should have been impossible to bump into someone unless they were crossing the line. From Cal's perspective, it was clear the man had intentionally veered into Sophia's path.
After a moment, Sophia returned to his side, dusting off her hands.
"Sorry for the wait. Let's keep going."
Cal watched her, searching her face for any trace of resentment.
'Not even a tiny bit of anger in you.'
"Okay," Cal finally answered, his voice low.
They resumed their journey toward the airship agents. As they walked, Cal unknowingly clenched his hands into tight fists. Despite his expression remaining perfectly flat, a barely constrained anger was boiling deep within him. What frustrated him most was that he wasn't even sure of the source; was it because Sophia had been wronged, or because she was so 'nonchalant' about being a victim?
'It would be better if you just became angry instead.'
***
On the pedestrian street of the Central District, Sophia and Cal walked together. They had just finished purchasing their flight tickets to the academy, a task that had proven far more taxing than expected.
"That was a close one," Sophia said, letting out a long breath and adjusting the strap of her Cat Backpack as she walked.
"Indeed."
During their visit to the flight agent, they had encountered a frustrating obstacle: there were no regular seats left. Even worse, this was the last available flight for the winter schedule. The only way to secure a spot was to purchase VIP tickets. This created a dilemma, not because of the exorbitant price, but because of the flight regulations themselves. In any standard flight, commoners—the identity they were currently 'disguised' as—were strictly forbidden from purchasing or using VIP services.
Fortunately, Cal had managed to resolve the problem with ease.
"I never knew our student cards could be used like that," Sophia commented, glancing at the identification tucked away in her pocket.
They continued their walk toward their next destination: the administrative office. It was located only a short distance from the flight agents, a medium-sized, four-story building that stood solid against the city skyline. The exterior was well-maintained, and the entrance was a hive of activity, with people constantly going in and out.
As they stepped inside, a light 'manatronic' chime notified the staff of their arrival. Sophia, feeling the weight of the day, immediately headed for the waiting area to find a seat. Cal walked forward to the reception desk, retrieved a small wooden plate with burnt-in writing, and returned to sit beside her.
"Cal, how long do we have to wait?" Sophia asked, leaning back against the wooden bench.
Cal silently handed her the wooden plate. "It will take some time."
"Ugh, it really will," Sophia said, her eyes widening as she read the number etched onto the surface. This wooden plate served as their queue ticket, and the gap between their number and the current one was daunting.
Sophia began to look around the room, her gaze drifting over the other waiting citizens.
"There are indeed a lot of people today. Why does everyone want to travel abroad all of a sudden?"
As she scanned the room, her eyes landed on a familiar figure. It was a young man with a long face, dark blonde hair, and blue-gray eyes. He wore a simple outing outfit, but what caught her eye was the unusual cat pin fastened to his collar. He was walking back from the counter, having just finished his own business.
'Is that... Lucas?'
Lucas, the young attendant from the merchant guild, noticed Sophia staring and recognized her. His face lit up with a smile as he approached.
"Miss Sophi, we meet again," Lucas called out, coming to a halt and bowing slightly.
"Hello, Lucas! It's been a while," Sophia answered, her gloominess vanishing as she straightened up in her seat, looking genuinely excited.
The two began a small chat, with Sophia asking how he was doing and Lucas reminiscing about her previous purchases at the guild. However, in the middle of their exchange, Lucas tilted his head slightly, a look of curiosity crossing his face.
"Miss Sophi, you are here... then are you perhaps a commoner?"
"Ah, that's..." Sophia froze, her hands beginning to fidget with the hem of her cloak as panic set in. Although she hadn't explicitly claimed to be a noble at the guild, her refined mannerisms and the scale of her purchases were certainly not those of a commoner.
Before the silence could become awkward, Cal suddenly stood up. He moved with a relaxed grace, stepping into the conversation to shield Sophia.
"That's right, we're commoners. Nice to meet you, I'm Cal," he said, extending his hand for a firm greeting. "And as you can 'see', I'm Sophi's brother."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't notice you earlier," Lucas said, immediately bowing again in apology. Cal reached out, catching Lucas by the arm to stop the deep bow.
"No, please. We're on the same 'rank' in society. You don't need to treat us with such deference."
Cal skillfully took the reins of the conversation, guiding it away from the dangerous topic of nobility. He focused on their 'shared' lives as academy students studying abroad, adopting a friendly, casual manner that was a far cry from his usual coldness. He leaned in slightly as he spoke, making it easy for Lucas to feel a sense of camaraderie. Before long, they were talking as if they were old friends.
"So that's what it's like to be an academy student... that feels surreal. By the way, Cal, what major are you in?" Lucas asked, clearly impressed.
"I'm in the medical mage major, and my 'sister' over here," Cal said, reaching over to affectionately pat Sophia's head, "she's studying mana engineering."
Lucas looked stunned by the revelation. "Isn't medical mage one of the most competitive majors out there? You must be really smart, competing with those 'nepo' students."
"Ha ha ha, indeed," Cal laughed softly, though his eyes remained sharp. "Most of my classmates are a bunch of nepo babies."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Lucas turned back to Sophia, his expression turning a bit more serious. "Miss Sophi, when you came back from the merchant guild, do you still remember the driver who took you home?"
"Hmm... I don't actually remember. I don't think I even saw his face to begin with," Sophia said, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall. "What about it?"
"Well, he's been missing. I already reported it to the authorities, but there is still no news about him."
"That's unfortunate. If I ever see him again, I will make sure to report it!" Sophia said, her voice filled with earnest confidence.
"Thank you. His name is Rory, and he's actually my benefactor. I was worried that something had happened to him."
"Lucas, sorry to interrupt, but it's almost our turn," Cal suddenly chimed in, pointing toward the counter where their number was about to be called.
"Oh, no, sorry for taking so much of your time! I'll be leaving too."
"It's alright, it was fun talking to you," Cal said, placing a friendly hand on Lucas's shoulder and giving it a light, reassuring squeeze. "I hope we meet again, Lucas."
"The feeling is mutual," Lucas said with a wide smile. "I hope we meet again, Cal."