By the time Izan, Daiki, and Kawa reached the city…
Izan stopped walking.
For a moment, he just stood there—completely still.
"…Whoa…"
Towering skyscrapers stretched high into the sky, so tall their upper halves disappeared into the clouds themselves. Their glass surfaces reflected the sunlight, glowing like pillars of light rising from the earth. Some buildings were connected by massive bridges suspended in the air, linking parts of the city to smaller districts and even extending outward toward the surrounding forest.
Far below, a long, winding river circled the city like a protective ring.
The water was unbelievably clear—so clean it reflected the sky like a mirror, soft blues rippling with the movement of the current. Sunlight danced across its surface, making it shimmer as if it carried light within it.
Izan's eyes widened as he slowly took it all in.
This wasn't just a city.
It felt… alive.
Daiki noticed his expression and smirked.
"Heh… come on," he said. "Let's go have some fun."
He started walking ahead, Kawa following right behind him.
Izan blinked, then quickly caught up, though he still trailed slightly behind—his eyes constantly wandering, taking in every detail.
As they stepped onto one of the large bridges leading into the city, Izan suddenly froze again.
A loud hum passed by him.
His head snapped to the side.
"…What was that?"
Vehicles sped across the road—sleek metal machines moving smoothly, their motion fast but controlled. Some glided quietly, others let out soft mechanical sounds as they passed.
Cars.
Izan had only ever read about them in books.
Seeing them in person… was completely different.
His eyes followed one as it drove past, the sunlight reflecting off its surface.
"…So this is what they look like…"
For the first time, it truly hit him.
Just how advanced the world really was.
He slowly looked ahead again, his gaze drifting back toward the river beneath the bridge.
The water flowed calmly, its surface so pure that he could faintly see the stones beneath it. There was no dirt. No pollution. Nothing disturbing its natural beauty.
It was… perfect.
—
Once they crossed the bridge and entered the city streets, Izan noticed something else.
There was no trash.
Not a single piece.
The streets were spotless, the stone pathways clean as if they had just been polished.
People walked around calmly, greeting each other with smiles, small conversations filling the air. There was no tension, no arguments—just a quiet sense of harmony.
Izan's eyes shifted again.
A group of boys stood near the street, gently guiding an elderly woman across, making sure she got to the other side safely before stepping back.
Further down, a few people were cleaning parts of the sidewalk—without being told, without being paid—just… doing it.
Izan blinked.
"…Everyone's… helping each other…"
Daiki walked beside him, hands behind his head.
"This city's the best in the world," he said casually. "Nothing bad ever happens here."
Kawa glanced around as well.
"Everyone's respectful," Daiki continued. "Everyone's free… and everyone's got a positive mindset."
He shrugged slightly.
"If someone's not feeling well, people notice. And they help."
He pointed ahead.
"Even the police don't really 'police' like that. They mostly just help people out with small stuff."
Izan stayed quiet, looking around again.
No hate.
No tension.
Not even a hint of anything negative.
"…How is that even possible…" he murmured.
Then he looked at Daiki.
"Who's the leader of this city?" Izan asked, then paused before adding, "…and what's the name of the city? I forgot to ask."
Daiki smirked.
"Aurelia's sister," he said. "And this is the city of Aetheris."
Kawa stopped walking.
"WAIT—" she said loudly. "I didn't know Aurelia had a sister running a whole city?!"
Daiki laughed.
"Yeah, you didn't?"
Izan blinked.
"…Aurelia has a sister?"
Daiki nodded.
"Her name's Amelia. They're twins."
He looked ahead, his expression softening slightly.
"She's just as kind as Aurelia… maybe even more protective."
Kawa crossed her arms, still surprised.
"…That's crazy."
Then she sighed.
"Anyway, let's get to work already. It's already afternoon."
Daiki nodded.
"Yeah."
Izan looked down at the commission request in his hand.
"The first one says… finding missing pets."
Daiki immediately shook his head.
"Missing animal friends," he corrected.
"In this city—actually, this whole country—they don't call them pets."
He glanced at Izan.
"Amelia believes animals are better than humans by nature."
Izan blinked.
"…Huh?"
"Yeah," Daiki continued. "She says if anything, they're above us—and we're the ones beneath them."
Izan paused for a moment…
Then nodded slowly.
"…Yeah… that kinda makes sense."
Nearby, Kawa had already crouched down, casually playing with a random cat that had wandered up to her.
Izan smiled slightly at the sight.
"…I kinda want to meet her now."
Daiki smirked.
"You probably will eventually."
They began walking again, heading toward their first task.
As they moved, Izan looked around thoughtfully.
"…How do we even find them?" he asked. "And how do they get lost in the first place? Don't they recognize their owner's scent?"
Daiki shook his head.
"Not always."
He pointed toward the busy streets.
"Some of them have conditions. Too many smells, too many people—it messes with their senses."
Izan nodded.
"…Yeah… that makes sense."
Then he looked at Daiki again.
"…So how do we find them?"
Daiki's smirk returned.
"This… is my specialty."
Daiki cracked his neck slightly, rolling his shoulders as a confident grin spread across his face.
"One of my abilities," he said, tapping the side of his nose, "lets me track animals by scent."
Izan blinked, immediately interested.
"…By scent?"
Daiki nodded proudly.
"I don't even need an item from them," he continued. "As long as the animal's been in the area for a few days—and I know what kind of animal I'm looking for—I can pick up its scent and track it down."
He smirked wider.
"Doesn't matter if it's a cat, a bird… even a wolf. I'll find it."
He crossed his arms slightly.
"…Of course, it's a high-level skill."
Izan's eyes lit up.
Without wasting a second, he pulled out his notebook and started writing everything down quickly, clearly impressed.
"That's… actually insane," he muttered as he scribbled notes.
Daiki chuckled.
Kawa, on the other hand, rolled her eyes.
"…Here we go again."
—
With Daiki leading the way, the process became almost effortless.
One by one, they tracked down the missing animal friends.
A small dog hiding behind a storage building.
A cat resting comfortably on a rooftop, refusing to come down.
Even a nervous bird perched high in the branches near the river.
Each time, Daiki would pause… focus… then move with certainty.
And each time—they found them.
Returning them was even better.
Owners lit up with relief, some nearly in tears, others hugging their animal companions tightly while thanking them over and over again.
Izan watched it all quietly, a small smile forming on his face.
"…This feels nice," he thought.
—
Their second commission—finding lost items—took a bit longer.
Searching through streets, asking around, retracing steps.
But eventually… they finished that too.
—
By the time they were done—
Kawa stretched her arms lazily, clearly bored.
"…Can we do something actually interesting now?" she complained. "That was way too easy."
Daiki scanned the commission board again.
His eyes landed on something.
"…Helping at a café."
He looked at Kawa.
"…That work?"
Kawa groaned instantly.
"…Are you serious?"
She sighed, dragging her hand down her face.
"…Fine. Whatever."
—
They made their way toward the café.
It didn't take long to find it.
Because it was huge.
The building itself stood out immediately—wide, modern, and beautifully designed with large glass windows that reflected the sky. Inside, the place was packed.
Completely packed.
As soon as they stepped in—
Noise hit them.
Voices overlapping, dishes clinking, orders being called out.
Hundreds of customers filled the space, every table occupied, lines forming near the counter.
Izan froze.
"…This is insane…"
Daiki blinked.
"…Yeah… we might've underestimated this."
Kawa just stared.
"…No way."
A receptionist quickly approached them, slightly out of breath but still trying to maintain composure.
"How may I help you?" she asked.
Daiki held up the commission request.
"We're here for the worker request."
Her eyes widened slightly with relief.
"Oh—thank goodness."
She didn't waste a second.
"Follow me!"
She quickly led them through the crowded café and into the back.
The moment they stepped inside—
It was chaos.
Stacks of dirty dishes piled high, almost overflowing.
Ovens blazing, trays sliding in and out nonstop.
Workers rushing back and forth, sweating, calling out orders, trying to keep up with the overwhelming demand.
The heat alone hit them instantly.
For a moment…
All three of them just stood there.
Silent.
Processing.
—
"…Yeah," Kawa muttered.
"…This is gonna be a long day."
Rin and Sayaka waited by the gates as Aurelia and Amelia arrived.
For a moment, they couldn't even tell which was which—they looked exactly alike.
They both greeted them and thanked them for waiting.
Sayaka looked at them with curiosity, trying to figure it out by their aura, but even their auras felt the same.
Aurelia noticed and smirked slightly.
"Trying to tell which is which?" she said.
"I'm Aurelia, and she's Amelia. The only way you can tell is by small things—her favorite colors are yellow and purple, that's why she wears that necklace. Mine is green."
Amelia smiled softly and gave a small wave.