Two hours of travel passed, and Haina didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue.
As they left the Red and White Queen District, the city center of the capital, Glass Island, the smoke-belching factories and speeding trains gradually increased.
Choking thick fog was accompanied by the Fishy smell of fish and shrimp, and the sound of steam whistles mixed with the cries of vendors.
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from the street-side bakeries, and people wearing thick trench coats and top hats walked down the street.
A down-and-out painter in a beret sat on the street, sketching the dark, towering buildings across the street, and the snake-like metal pipes that coiled around the factory exteriors; an Inspector in silver-white armor flew overhead on a majestic, two-meter-tall white griffon.
An eleven- or twelve-year-old red-haired newsboy, carrying two bundles of newspapers, loudly proclaimed on the street:
"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 the internal affairs of other nations, and Her Majesty the Queen expresses strong condemnation!"
More than half of the Glass Staircase News had already been sold, with only a few copies remaining. The rope had to be tightened again and again to prevent it from slipping from his shoulder.
The other bundle of newspapers behind the newsboy had sold less than a quarter.
With somewhat chapped lips, he loudly hawked: "Lloyd's Weekly for only five red coins Hanging Day approaches, the November death row list has been confirmed! Thirty-eight people will be sentenced to death this month, the second highest month in the past three years, with a clear list of those sentenced to death!
"The third round of apprentice recruitment at Nikas Gypsum Factory in the port area, age lowered to fourteen!"
"A painter on Green Flute Street committed suicide at home last week! Lloyd Port Bank was robbed yesterday, all robbers have been 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."
Only then did Haina realize. Aiwass saw how hard the newsboy was working and wanted him to sell out his newspapers sooner.
"It's almost noon, no one will buy them. And this is the Lloyd District, full of sailors, fishermen, and laborers, they don't have that much money to buy newspapers."
She whispered: "How about I buy them all?"
"No, just one of each is fine."
Aiwass shook his head: "That child is working, not begging."
"…I understand."
Haina was filled with respect.
She nodded seriously and instructed: "I'm going to buy the newspapers, you be careful."
Aiwass opened his eyes and nodded silently.
As soon as Haina left him, a girl tiptoed over.
She was a bit dirty, thinly dressed, and gaunt.
Looking at Aiwass, who was wearing a hood, the girl hesitated, unsure how to address him.
"…Uncle, buy a bouquet of flowers."
She whispered.
She had clearly noticed Aiwass sitting in a wheelchair although the patterns on the wheelchair suggested Aiwass should be a wealthy person, and likely a kind one. Because she had just secretly overheard their conversation nearby.
But because Aiwass seemed to be disabled, her tone when promoting was still not firm enough.
Aiwass reached out and touched her head.
When he extended his hand, the girl suddenly trembled as if shocked, her body recoiling slightly in fear. As if afraid of being hit.
But because Aiwass's hand was very slow, and the hand emerging from his sleeve was young enough. She quickly realized she seemed to have addressed him incorrectly.
"It's Older Brother."
Aiwass said softly.
His fingertips touched the girl's hair, but only felt dust and grease. Clearly, she hadn't washed in days.
But the girl obviously knew this.
Because Aiwass had touched her hair, she immediately took half a step back in panic, and in turn apologized to Aiwass: "I'm sorry, my hair is very dirty… I'll go now…"
"Still, sell me a bouquet of flowers."
Aiwass said with a light chuckle.
As he spoke, his outstretched right hand opened.
His palm, which had been empty moments before, suddenly held a red coin with a value of 1.
This was not an Otherworlders ability, but a simple magic trick, yet it made the girl's eyes widen.
She looked at the banknote, then at Aiwass. She clearly thought Aiwass was an Otherworlders adult, and hesitated, not daring to take his money.
And Aiwass's mouth beneath his hood curved slightly upward.
His fingers deftly tightened, slowly pulling back the banknote in his hand.
But just then, he suddenly let out a soft "hmm," and reached for the girl's back of the neck: "Hey, what's this?"
As he spoke, he deftly pulled a brand new red coin from the girl's neck.
Watching the girl's eyes widen in surprise and confusion, she clearly hadn't figured out how it had flown there.
Before the girl could refuse, Aiwass deftly folded the red coin twice with three fingers of his right hand, then placed it into the large money pouch hanging on her chest and abdomen.
Aiwass slightly lifted a corner of his hood, revealing his young face to the girl, and showed a genuine smile.
"Shh…"
He raised his hand to his mouth, making a shushing gesture.
Immediately after, he put his hood back on and extended his clean, slender right hand: "Little Miss, where are my flowers?"
"…Ah, here you go!"
Only then did the girl react, her cheeks slightly flushed as she handed Aiwass a withered wild rose.
"Are you buying flowers, Aiwass?"
Just then, Haina returned, holding newspapers and looking somewhat confused.
Seeing this, the girl jumped in fright, almost falling to the ground. Seeing Haina dressed as an Inspector, her face instantly turned pale, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
But even though she was this scared, she didn't immediately run away. Instead, she bravely forced herself, stammering and trembling, softly saying: "Wai-wait a moment, Sir! I-I still need to give you change…!"
With her trembling hand, she stubbornly counted out nine crumpled copper coins from the paper packet hidden inside her chest, and respectfully handed them to Aiwass. Immediately after, she carefully folded the brand new 1-value red coin Aiwass had given her and put it away. She tucked it inside her chest, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
She was under Haina's gaze the entire time, and when she bowed and left, her legs were already weak with fear.
"I'm not that scary, am I?"
Haina hadn't cared when people feared her before.
But now, perhaps because she had discussed some things with Aiwass. Or perhaps because the girl looked so young and innocent, being feared by her made Haina feel a bit frustrated.
After watching the girl walk away, she quietly said: "Do you want me to throw away the flowers for you?"
These dirty wild flowers really 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, realizing something.
Compared to his attitude towards her, Aiwass's attitude towards those two children was clearly much friendlier.
"Hmm, I like innocent children."
Aiwass nodded in response, rarely lying and speaking a heartfelt truth: "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?"
This sentence, however, sounded like a joke, and Haina joked back: "You can't treat children like cats and dogs."
"It only sounds like it."
Aiwass's lips curved slightly, and he didn't explain further.
He was indeed insulting people just the adult ones.
In his opinion, those adults with dirty minds, who were greedy and two-faced, were not even as good as cats and dogs… Of course, that included himself.
Amidst their conversation and laughter, guided by Aiwass, they finally arrived at the Pelican Bar.
It was less a bar and more a private residence or a warehouse. Its front door was painted white, with an exaggerated, almost cartoonish depiction of a pelican with its mouth wide open. Various fish were stuffed into its large mouth and floated in beer foam, as if the pelican was stewing fish in beer inside its mouth.
Next to it hung a wooden board with a long string of onomatopoeic words for a drunkard's burp painted in capital letters.
This was the sign above the bar.
In other words, this "Pelican Bar" should strictly speaking be pronounced "(Burp Sound) Bar."
It was almost noon, but the door was not closed. There were even quite a few customers inside.
Clearly, it also operated as a restaurant during lunchtime.
The moment Haina slowly pushed Aiwass in his wheelchair inside.
Her footsteps suddenly halted.
She widened her eyes, falling into astonishment.
Because the bartender leisurely washing wooden beer mugs at the counter was not human but a rare Wild Elf!
The Elf race, besides having a lifespan four to five times longer than humans, is also generally much taller than humans. Even females are usually over 1.8 meters tall, occasionally reaching two meters, and male Elves often grow to 2.4 or 2.5 meters.
This means that if an Elf's upbringing is poor, they can easily become hunchbacked from frequent interaction with shorter humans during their teenage years. However, if their upbringing is good or rather, Elves cared for by parents they generally do not become hunchbacked.
Therefore, hunchbacked Elves are called Wild Elves. The number of Wild Elves is much smaller than that of Elves.
Elves place extreme importance on honor, family, and lineage, and thus are quite prejudiced against Wild Elves and their parents, believing them to be a disgrace to the Elf race. Because if an Elf's parents die for reasons of honor, they usually entrust their children to relatives for care.
Only if they die in shame… for example, if they are sentenced to death, would they not entrust their children; or if they are abandoned by their parents, or rebellious children who ran away from home, these are the reasons they grow up to be Wild Elves.
Wild Elves lack the elegance and poise of Elves, but possess similar lifespans, wisdom, and Otherworlders powers, and are therefore usually considered unstable elements.
They are generally active in rural areas, and their professions are usually swindlers, assassins, and mercenaries. All Wild Elves in the capital, Glass Island, are theoretically registered. If anyone causes trouble, they can be easily identified, so freedom-loving Wild Elves usually disdain staying in the capital.
But for some reason, the Wild Elf bartender showed no reaction when he saw Haina. He merely glanced at her with disdain.
However, upon seeing Aiwass, Mr. Bartender clearly froze, even stopping his hand movements for a moment.
Even though Aiwass was wearing a cloak, the bartender easily recognized his identity.
As if he had never expected him 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.