Two hours of travel passed, and Haina didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue.
As they left the Red and White Queen Districts—the city center of the capital, Glass Island—the smoke-belching factories and speeding trains gradually increased. A choking thick fog was accompanied by the fishy smell of shrimp and the sound of steam whistles mixed with the cries of vendors.
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from street-side bakeries. People wearing thick trench coats and top hats walked the pavement. A down-and-out painter in a beret sat on the street, sketching the dark, towering buildings and the snake-like metal pipes coiling around the factories. Overhead, an Inspector in silver-white armor flew on a majestic, two-meter-tall white griffin.
An eleven- or twelve-year-old red-haired newsboy, carrying two bundles of newspapers, loudly proclaimed:
"Glass Staircase News headline today! Bishop Mathers of the Red Queen Parish has recently been appointed as a Spiritual Councilor by Her Majesty the Queen! The number of Spiritual Councilors from the church has now increased to six!
"The Chancellor of the Exchequer plans to tax matches and kerosene lamps next year! The Stibium Kingdom has expelled three Knights from Avalon for murder, espionage, and interference in internal affairs! Her Majesty the Queen expresses strong condemnation!"
More than half of the Glass Staircase News had already been sold. The boy had to tighten the rope repeatedly to prevent the bundle from slipping from his shoulder. The other bundle, however, had sold less than a quarter.
With chapped lips, he hawked: "Lloyd's Weekly for only five red coins! Hanging Day approaches—the November death row list has been confirmed! Thirty-eight people to be sentenced to death this month!
"The third round of apprentice recruitment at Nikas Gypsum Factory—age lowered to fourteen! A painter on Green Flute Street committed suicide! Lloyd Port Bank was robbed yesterday—all robbers arrested! Come and see! Only five red coins a copy—"
"Senior Sister," Aiwass suddenly spoke. "Help me buy two newspapers."
"Hm?" Haina was stunned. "Someone from your family should deliver Glass Staircase News, right? Do you want to buy a copy of Lloyd's Weekly?"
"No, buy one of each," Aiwass emphasized.
"Oh, I understand." Haina realized Aiwass saw how hard the newsboy was working and wanted to help him sell out sooner. "It's almost noon; no one will buy them here. This is the Lloyd District, full of sailors and laborers—they don't have much money for newspapers. How about I buy them all?"
"No, just one of each is fine," Aiwass shook his head. "That child is working, not begging."
Haina was filled with respect. She nodded seriously. "I'm going to buy them; you be careful."
As soon as Haina left his side, a girl tiptoed over. She was dirty, thinly dressed, and gaunt. Looking at Aiwass in his hood, she hesitated. "...Uncle, buy a bouquet of flowers?" she whispered.
She had noticed Aiwass in the wheelchair. Though the patterns suggested he was wealthy, she had overheard their conversation and hoped he was kind. But because he appeared disabled, her pitch lacked confidence.
Aiwass reached out to touch her head. The girl recoiled in fear, as if expecting a blow. But because Aiwass's hand moved slowly and appeared young, she relaxed.
"It's 'Older Brother,'" Aiwass said softly. His fingertips touched her hair, feeling only dust and grease.
The girl took a step back in panic. "I'm sorry, my hair is dirty... I'll go now..."
"Still, sell me a bouquet," Aiwass said with a light chuckle. He opened his right hand. His palm, empty a moment before, now held a red coin with a value of 1.
It was a simple magic trick, not a Transcendent ability, but the girl's eyes widened. She hesitated, not daring to take it from someone she assumed was a powerful adult.
Aiwass's mouth curved upward beneath his hood. He deftly tightened his fingers, pulling the banknote back. Then, he let out a soft "hmm" and reached for the back of her neck. "Hey, what's this?"
He pulled a brand-new red coin from behind her neck. The girl stared in confusion. Before she could refuse, Aiwass folded the coin and slipped it into the large money pouch on her chest. He lifted a corner of his hood, revealing his young face and a genuine smile.
"Shh..." He made a shushing gesture, then extended his clean hand. "Little Miss, where are my flowers?"
"Ah, here you go!" The girl handed him a withered wild rose.
"Are you buying flowers, Aiwass?" Haina returned with the newspapers.
The girl jumped in fright. Seeing Haina in her Inspector armor, her face turned pale. She trembled uncontrollably but didn't run. "Wai-wait a moment! I-I still need to give you change...!"
She stubbornly counted out nine crumpled copper coins and handed them to Aiwass. Only after she tucked her red coin safely inside her chest did she breathe a sigh of relief and leave, her legs weak with fear.
"I'm not that scary, am I?" Haina felt frustrated. Watching the girl walk away, she asked, "Do you want me to throw those away for you?" The withered flowers didn't suit Aiwass's attire.
"No need," Aiwass replied. "After all, it's a child's kind thought."
"You seem to really like children?" Haina pondered. His attitude toward the children was much friendlier than his attitude toward her.
"Hmm, I like innocent children," Aiwass nodded. "It's like liking cats and dogs; being with them helps me relax. There are many other things I like, but the one thing I don't like is people."
"That sounds like an insult," Haina joked back. "You can't treat children like cats and dogs."
"It only sounds like it," Aiwass's lips curved. He was indeed insulting adults—those greedy, two-faced minds.
They finally arrived at the Pelican Bar. It looked more like a private residence or a warehouse. The front door was painted white with an exaggerated depiction of a pelican, its mouth stuffed with fish floating in beer foam. Next to it hung a board with a string of onomatopoeic words for a drunkard's burp.
It was almost noon, and the place was operating as a restaurant. As Haina pushed the wheelchair inside, her footsteps halted. The bartender washing mugs was not human, but a rare Wild Elf.
Elves are generally much taller than humans, reaching over two meters. If an Elf is poorly raised or abandoned, they often become hunchbacked from interacting with shorter humans; these are called Wild Elves. They lack the typical Elven elegance and are usually considered unstable elements—assassins, swindlers, or mercenaries.
The Wild Elf bartender glanced at Haina with disdain. But upon seeing Aiwass, he froze. Even with the hood, the bartender recognized him.
As if he never expected me to come here today.
Why, Mr. Bartender? Do you think I... should be dead by now?
Aiwass narrowed his eyes, his deep blue pupils as profound as the ocean.