As Lucian turned to Jake, wanting to order something, he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down at Aurora, who was sitting on his lap.
"What about me, daddy?" she asked.
"You'll be staying with me, of course," he replied. Then he continued, "After all, what kind of father would I be if I left my daughter behind?"
She giggled, passing a triumphant gaze at Aria, who simply replied with a "hmph" before looking away.
Lucian turned to Jake before asking, "What are you eating?"
"A Manamancer beast at 7th stage," Jake replied.
Lucian simply nodded. He never let them do things of the same stage—always higher. Even when eating, no one was allowed to eat any magical beast of the same stage, only higher, except for him, who wasn't an awakener. Jake had probably gotten used to the life of the forest; he didn't order normal food, instead choosing a magical beast.
"Order me some, but make it a Manamancer beast meat at stage 3," Lucian said.
By then, Jake was already done eating, so he went to place the order. Lucian could feel the twins' gaze on him, so he turned to them before asking, "What is it?"
The twins looked at each other before saying, "Chief, is it okay if we go to visit our father?"
Lucian looked at them before saying, "For now, no. I still have use of you two. Anything can happen." He didn't go into much detail and just left it at that.
It seemed they understood something was wrong, so they didn't say much. By now, Jake had already returned.
While Lucian was waiting for the food to arrive, he smelled a familiar scent coming his way. He didn't react much until he heard hooves getting clearer. Due to all the noise around, pinpointing the particular sound he wanted to hear became difficult, but he was working on it.
After a while, he smelled the scent standing close to him. He didn't react. The others also quieted down.
Sarah, who had just arrived bringing this mortal's food, kept staring at him. When she had returned to her room the night before, she wondered what she had done. She couldn't even sleep because she kept thinking of the feeling. Sometimes when she turned, it still felt like his mouth was on her nipple. She tried doing anything to get it out of her head.
Centaurs had a good sense of smell, so she remembered his scent—wild and unbothered, like a blood rose with many thorns on it. She didn't plan to come to work today, already telling her elder sister she wouldn't be at the inn. But feeling things might get out of hand if she didn't address it, she came back.
She was going to approach him earlier when she saw him coming down the stairs, but she couldn't gather enough courage to face him. This was the first time she was feeling this way. After waiting for a while, staring at him from a distance, she saw one of his companions stand up and head to the counter, probably to place an order. She went there, and after hearing it, she knew it was for Lucian because that was the same order he made yesterday. So she made it herself and brought it to his table.
After getting there, she didn't know where to start.
Sarah stood there awkwardly, the plate of Manamancer beast meat in her hands. She couldn't bring herself to look directly at Lucian, who was still sitting calmly with Aurora on his lap.
"Your food," she finally managed, her voice tight. She placed the plate on the table with slightly trembling hands.
"Thank you," Lucian replied politely, as if nothing unusual had happened between them the night before.
The tension was palpable. The twins exchanged glances, while Julia simply just looked at them but didn't say anything. Aurora simply smiled innocently, though there was a knowing glint in her eyes.
"I..." Sarah started, then cleared her throat. "About the festival today. It can get quite crowded. If you need a guide, I would be willing to show you around."
Lucian tilted his head, appearing to consider the offer. "That's very kind of you. I believe we would appreciate a local's knowledge. Especially given my... condition." He gestured vaguely toward his blindfolded eyes.
Sarah nodded, then realized he couldn't see the gesture. "Yes. Of course. I'll meet you at the front entrance around noon, then."
As she turned to leave, Lucian spoke again. "Oh, and Sarah? I wanted to thank you for your hospitality last night. It was... memorable."
The centaur froze, her face flushing crimson.she now know he probably knew it's was her probably due to the sound she made and what she told him. Without turning back, she hurried away, her hooves making a staccato rhythm on the wooden floor.
Jake whistled low. "Boss, what was that about? Did something happen between you two last night?"
"Nothing of consequence," Lucian replied, without much change in his expression cutting a piece of the meat with practiced precision despite his blindness. "Now, about our plans for today. Aria, you, Damian, and Julia will go to the merchant guild as discussed. Damian, I want you to you to bring me the clothes it's seems I'll be participating in this festival we all need to change to something different first before we go on our way ."
"Got it, captain," Damian said without much enthusiasm, clearly not excited about the festival.
Lucian turned toward where he knew the twins were sitting. "Lirien, Lirielle, I have a special task for you. During the festival, I need you to observe Sarah carefully. Note her interactions, especially if she speaks with anyone who seems out of place."
Then Damian asked." You don't trust her boss."
Then Lucian looked at him like he was looking at an Idoit before saying." I don't trust nobody."
"Yes, chief," they answered in unison, their voices hushed.
Aurora tugged at Lucian's sleeve. "What about me, daddy? What's my job?"
Lucian looked at her after thinking for a while he said. "You, my little girl, will be my eyes. You'll tell me everything you see that might be important."
"I can do that!" Aurora exclaimed happily. "I'm very good at watching people!"
"I know you are," Lucian murmured, Tho still staring at her after with no one knows what he was thinking.
After breakfast, the group dispersed to prepare for their assigned tasks. Lucian returned to his room with Aurora, waiting for Damian to bring the new clothes. As they sat in silence.
The voice in his head, which had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke again.
"That centaur woman has a protective ward around her. If I had to guess, the person who cast it is as strong as this demon."
It paused for a moment, then continued,
"This demon probably sensed it—that's why she didn't invest much of her power into last night's activity."
Lucian didn't reply right away. After a short silence, he finally asked,
"Is she the one who's also staying at the inn?"
The voice answered,
"No. If there were someone that powerful in this inn, I'd be the first to know. So no."
Lucian fell into thought. Ever since he had entered this room, the ringing in his head had grown increasingly loud—just like it had back in the forest when he came face to face with an Etherborn Warden, a magical beast. But this time… the ringing on his head was five times louder. That could only mean that whatever was up above was at least five times more powerful than that creature.
After a while, shifting his blindfolded gaze upward, he asked the voice,
"Can you sense who cast the protective ward around her?"
The voice responded,
"No. But it's ancient magic. Not human. What I can say is—it's been with her since she was born."
"Interesting," Lucian mused, nodding slightly. Then he asked,
"Could it be related to her centaur lineage?"
"Maybe. But it's stronger than just racial traits," the voice replied.
While Lucian was still conversing with the voice, someone suddenly interrupted.
He looked down to see Aurora staring up at him, eyes wide and curious.
"Daddy, what are you doing? Why are you looking around and nodding?"
He was about to answer when a knock came at the door. Damian stepped in, carrying several sets of clothing draped over one arm.
"I brought options," Damian said as he walked in, laying the garments neatly across the bed.
"These should fit you well. And I found this for Aurora." He held up a small, beautifully crafted dress in a deep, vibrant green.
Aurora's face lit up with joy.
"It's perfect! Thank you!" she squealed, clapping her hands.
As Damian exited the room, Lucian reached out, running his fingers over the fabrics of the various garments.
"Describe these to me, Aurora. What colors are they?" he asked.
Aurora eagerly took his hand and guided it to the first outfit.
"This one is navy blue with silver threading. It's very fancy, like what nobles wear. This other one is simpler—dark brown leather with a white shirt. And the last one is all black, like what assassins wear in stories!"
Lucian nodded, his expression unreadable.
"Is that so? And which do you think would suit me best?"
Aurora tilted her head in thought, her tone serious as she considered.
"The navy blue one. It matches your hair, and it makes you look important."