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The tranquil atmosphere of the emerald grassland was shattered.
A sharp, piercing shriek—the unmistakable cry of a Wave Eagle tribe merchant—tore through the air, advertising human royal garments for the price of two crystals.
The sound was jagged, vibrating with a predatory hunger for profit that replaced the rhythmic whistling of the tall grasses they had left behind.
As they moved deeper into the outskirts of Sky Demon City, the scenery underwent a jarring transformation.
The soft, sun-drenched emerald stalks that had danced around their knees were swallowed by dusty, stony roads that felt cold and unforgiving beneath Dreleon's boots.
On both sides of the path, the horizon was blotted out.
Huge, exotic banners and flags representing the Thousand Kingdom Alliance hung from stone dwellings, their heavy fabrics casting long, flickering shadows that fought against the golden sunlight.
Dreleon's eyes narrowed.
He observed the inhabitants with a soldier's scrutiny.
These were not the half-human hybrids or normal animals he was accustomed to.
They were pure beasts—wolves, leopards, and bears—yet they walked upright on two legs with a terrifying, artificial grace.
Their front paws, once meant for tearing flesh, now moved with the dexterity of human hands as they sorted through silks and spices.
"This is the result of the grueling training they received since birth," Vanessa remarked, noticing Dreleon's silent observation.
She caught the way his gaze lingered on a bipedal lynx.
"They are taught to mimic our form to better serve the trade routes."
"It is… efficient," Dreleon replied, his voice a flat line of emotion.
Vanessa turned to him, her cerulean dress fluttering like a captured butterfly in the dusty wind.
Her eyes were laced with the excitement of a new adventure, a spark of life that seemed out of place in this den of beasts.
"Dreleon, you can purchase anything you like.
Don't worry about the cost; it is all on me."
"I thank your highness for such generosity," Dreleon responded, his posture becoming even more formal and stiff, "but this one does not dare accept such a gift."
Vanessa stopped, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion.
"Oh?
And why is that?
Am I truly so scary that you cannot accept a simple trinket?"
"No," Dreleon said, the word leaving his lips instantly.
He paused, regaining his systematic composure.
"Your highness should know me better than that.
I have no interest in these worldly things.
My purpose is your safety, not the accumulation of silk or stone.
However, if your highness the Princess is adamant, I am willing to accept my punishment for my ignorance in refusing you." He bowed his head low, the plates of his armor clinking softly.
A sharp sting—a pang of unrecognized sorrow—hit Vanessa's heart at his robotic devotion.
She sighed, the sound lost in the roar of the market.
"Suit yourself, Dreleon."
They transitioned from a run to a slow, deliberate walk.
Vanessa moved from stall to stall, her curiosity piqued by the eccentric goods of the animal kingdoms and human kingdom alike.
Dreleon remained exactly one meter behind her.
To any observer, he looked idle, but in his mind there was a battlefield of data.
His Spatial Perception was pushed to the limit, mapping the heartbeat, weight, and intent of every creature within his radius.
Instead of seeing a market; he was seeing a series of potential kill-zones and suspects.
Vanessa stopped abruptly in front of a stall guarded by a Sky Tiger.
The merchant was a massive creature, a complete tiger standing seven feet tall on his hind legs, his voice a low, heavy rumble that vibrated in Dreleon's chest.
On his table sat small glass bottles, each filled with liquids that shimmered in multiple, eccentric colors.
"What is this?" Vanessa asked, reaching toward a bottle that glowed with a rhythmic violet light.
"Five crystals for one bottle," the Sky Tiger growled, his eyes full of a rude, experienced arrogance.
"I don't know the contents, little girl, but the humans near the boundary fought like starving dogs to get their hands on them."
She was already feeling frustrated by Dreleon's reply, vanessa's fury ignited.
She was a Princess of the Jungle Lion Tribe; to be called a "little girl" by a common merchant was an insult to her bloodline.
"As I am feeling merciful today, I will take them all.
Pack them immediately and send the bill to my camp,"
she commanded, her voice regaining its tyrannical edge.
The Sky Tiger didn't tremble.
Instead, he let out a mocking laugh that bared his yellowed fangs.
"Hahaha!
Judging by those fancy clothes and the silent puppet standing beside you, you must be some minor royal.
If so, Miss Princess, kindly pay upfront or crawl away.
This is Sky Demon City, protected by the Thousand Kingdoms Alliance.
Your titles mean nothing to the law of the market."
Vanessa felt trapped, her face flushing with rage.
"You… Do you have any idea what may happen to you once you step outside these walls?"
"What!
You think the Sky Tiger tribe is wea—"
The Tiger's mockery was cut short.
Dreleon didn't move a muscle, instead the air around the merchant's head rippled.
Using Space Telekinesis, Dreleon used his three microscopic, thin-needle powered by compressed spatial energy.
They traveled through the air; appearing directly inside the Tiger's ear and crushing his brain from within.
The sound was a sickening slurp.
A fountain of dark crimson blood erupted from the Tiger's ears and eyes, his massive body collapsing forward onto his glowing bottles with a heavy, final thud.
Dreleon stepped forward, his expression as cold as stone.
Before the first scream could leave a witness's mouth, he began the cleanup.
Seeing Princess showing interest in these items, he opened his dimensional bag given by snake to fill it with all the items vendor had and then said to Princess, "your highness, we can look elsewhere to shop there's nothing more to purchase,"
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