### Chapter 25: The Annoying Pagos
In the busiest section of the Central Workshop, craftsmen hustled and bustled along the main road.
On one side of the road, I tightly hugged a giant brown paper bag, poking my head into the opening while my little nose twitched a few times.
…It smells pretty good.
I then reached into the bag and pulled out a steaming little snack, holding it up to inspect from all angles.
The skin looks crispy; the texture should be delightful.
With a big bite, I chomped down.
“Crunch… crunch…”
Moments later, I squinted my eyes into slits like a cat, flashing a blissful smile.
“Pepé, is it good?”
A quivering voice broke through my revelry. I turned my head to see Pasifal, his eyes drooping with dark circles. His face wore a sycophantic grin, paired with one side of his cheek puffed up awkwardly.
Good? I don’t want to tell you if it is.
I intentionally frowned, and instantly, his face shifted, his anxiety returning.
After what felt like an eternity, once I finally finished chewing and swallowed, I eased my expression and nodded at him.
“Mm.”
He’d run all the way to the street vendor to get this snack after I lectured him with my profound wisdom. They say it’s a well-known treat in Winter City. Though not quite at Captain Gray’s level, it was still decent enough.
Pasifal let out a long breath. “Are you still mad?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on, don’t be mad—I’ve brought you a whole bag!”
“You threw it away; it’s trash.”
“…So I can pick it back up?”
“Nope.”
“Then don’t be mad.”
“Not gonna happen.”
Honestly, I wasn’t mad; I just found his expression entertaining.
Plus, if he thought I was easy to please, planting the idea in his mind that “as long as you feed me, everything’s fine,” he might start picking on me like Carlos does.
Wait, Pasifal is nothing like that j*rk Carlos. He knows he can’t beat me, so he wouldn’t dare.
Anyway, I just can’t let my happy face show up too soon.
“Alright, after all this nonsense, let’s move.”
Duke Skarlij, standing nearby, turned and strode ahead. In that moment, I caught a glimpse of a smirk on his face.
What’s he smiling about?
I pulled another snack from the paper bag, took a small bite, and as I chewed thoughtfully, I reflected on my earlier performance, convinced there was nothing wrong with it.
He couldn’t be laughing at me; it was probably due to Pasifal’s comical expression.
As we walked, Pasifal rambled on about dull matters, but I maintained a disinterested demeanor. Eventually, he slumped his shoulders, trailing behind the duke with a look of desolation, like a puppy left out in the rain.
This scene didn’t last long before we arrived at a peculiar building.
The building resembled a derelict fortress from an olden time. Unlike the surrounding factories that had clearly been renovated, the crumbling walls were draped in moss and withered vines, giving off a strong sense of history.
A row of Shanter Army soldiers in leather cloaks stood atop the fortress wall, clutching strange weaponry and crossbows. As we stepped onto the staircase, they immediately adopted a defensive stance, and as soon as they recognized us, someone signaled down.
“Creak—”
The massive wooden door creaked open from within. Duke Skarlij waved to the people above and led us inside the fortress.
The interior was vast. In the open area enclosed by tall walls, people pushed mine carts around piles of rubble, seemingly sorting through them. Following the duke to the opposite side of the square and passing through an archway, I was greeted by rows of wooden racks displaying an array of bizarre weapons.
Curious, I paused, bit down on the brown paper bag with my teeth, and casually grabbed a spear that looked a bit like a halberd, weighing it in my palm. It felt significantly heavier than ordinary weapons.
“Every weapon here is a prototype designed by craftsmen; each one is a labor of love,” came the duke’s voice from up front. I nodded and gently returned the weapon to its place.
“However, the weapon I design for you will surely surpass these.”
“Thanks.”
Honestly, I just wanted a sturdy scythe—something durable would do. I didn’t expect the duke to care so much about what I needed. This had a lot to do with Angel’s request, but more importantly, I figured he viewed me as a daughter by now.
My emotions were a bit complex; I wasn’t very good at accepting kindness from strangers. It was like when I first met Grandma Claire—unfounded goodwill always threw me off, and I felt compelled to reciprocate quickly.
But Duke Skarlij… he seemed to already have everything. I couldn’t figure out what I could offer in return.
So, I kept following him as we walked deeper into the fortress, passing through a long corridor until we finally stopped in front of a brand new wooden door.
The duke knocked lightly.
“Pagos, open up; it’s me.”
After waiting for a moment with no response, he increased his knocks to a solid bang.
“Pagos, have you been drinking again?!”
At that scream, a ruckus erupted from within.
“You don’t need to hide the booze; just open the door.”
The sound of clattering objects echoed until, after quite a while, the wooden door finally swung open.
A massive bald man, with a bright red nose and a solid chest of hair, towering at least two meters, shook a bottle of alcohol in his hand, sporting a confused look as he surveyed the scene. When his gaze landed on the duke, who stood nearly a head shorter, a scarred grin spread across his face.
“Skarlij! Ha, what brings the wind to you today?”
He lunged forward, attempting to give the duke a bear hug, but was disdainfully pushed away.
“Cut it out! How much have you had today?”
“Not much, just a few bottles! Hey, Pasifal, you little rascal, you came along too… wait, what happened to your face?” The big man stepped forward and ruffled Pasifal’s hair, disheveling it. “Did you mess with someone’s little sister and get yourself a thorough beating? Hahaha, what a legend you are!”
“Not at all, Uncle Pagos…”
Pasifal forced a smile, subtly glancing at me before I shot him a glare, which made him hastily look away and adjust his hair. “I’ve long stopped doing that…”
Pagos slapped his hand onto Pasifal’s head.
“Bull! There’s no way the renowned playboy of Winter City could have suddenly settled down like this…” It was only then that he finally noticed me quietly standing nearby. “Huh, this little sister looks a bit familiar…”
Pagos wore a puzzled expression at first, but moments later his eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his bald head before blinking rapidly, finally landing his gaze back on me.
“…Pepé! You’re little Pepé!”
His loud voice startled me.
What? Does he know Peilo? …Wait, what’re you doing…
In my panicked gaze, Pagos charged toward me like a wild bull.
Whaaaaat—!!!
I nearly jumped out of my skin, wanting to turn and flee, but Pagos was too fast—he was right in front of me, lifting his massive hands to pat my shoulders with enough strength to almost send me plummeting to the ground.
“Pepé, you’re back! Hahaha—”
An overpowering stench of alcohol flooded my senses, making my head spin and my stomach churn. His rough grip on my shoulders made me crouch down, cradling the paper bag protectively.
“You’re hurting me!”
Seriously, what’s this giant doing? Can he not be so brutal? I’d love to smash a big ice chunk right into his face.
“Oh, oh, sorry, Pepé.” Pagos scratched the back of his sleek head with an apologetic grin before bursting into laughter again. “Hahaha! Skarlij, you brought your daughter back!”
“Pagos, let’s go inside and talk.”
“Oh right, look at my head, heh! Come on in; it’s freezing outside.”
Once the duke entered, I slowly stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in my clothes with small hands. I opened the paper bag to make sure the snacks weren’t squashed and then shuffled inside.
The stench of alcohol was overpowering. Tables and floors were littered with empty bottles, and boxes were haphazardly piled everywhere—it was an absolute disaster.
“When did Pepé return? Where did you find her?”
“It wasn’t us; the Holy Church found her in Silgaya, just recently.”
Looking at the smiling Duke Skarlij, I felt a mix of emotions swelling within me.
He didn’t deny that I was Peilo.
“Hahaha! Little Pepé, what were you doing in Silgaya? Were you playing with the Crown Prince?”
…Huh?
Who’s the Crown Prince? Are Peilo and he close?
“Pagos, could you lay off the drinking? If you keep rambling nonsense, I’ll send you to the mines to dig.”
“Hahaha! Skarlij, when did you become so stingy? I haven’t seen Pepé in ages; I’m just a bit excited!”
Be excited all you want, but don’t go randomly wild about it.
“Come on, Pepé, let me take a good look at you.”
Wait, what are you planning to do… don’t come closer!
Pagos’s massive form completely overshadowed me, and as I gaped up at the giant’s fierce face, I quickly hid the paper bag behind my back, trying to guess what he was about to do—
He reached out with both hands and grabbed my cheeks, pulling them to the sides.
“Pepé, have you missed your Uncle Pagos?”
!!!!!!
It hurt!
This old j*rk dared to pinch my face!
“I’ll—!!”
My anger flared up, and I threw a punch right into his stomach.
With a dull thud, Pagos stumbled back a step, looking bewildered while rubbing his belly.
“You hurt me!” I shouted, but inside, I was a bit nervy.
That punch had some force behind it, and he only took a step back? He didn’t seem affected at all!
“Pepé, how come you’ve gotten stronger?”
Pagos scratched his head, seeming like he wanted to make another move, but Duke Skarlij intervened, grabbing him.
“Pagos, she doesn’t remember her past.”
Pagos’s eyes went wide at that.
“Wait? Pepé, what’s wrong? You don’t recognize me? I’m your gentle Uncle Pagos who changed your diapers when you were a baby!”
“Don’t know you.” After thinking about it, I added, “I hate you.”
You change diapers, and you call yourself gentle? How ridiculous!
Way too annoying, this guy.
Pagos immediately froze.
Seeing the situation taking a bad turn, the duke quickly changed the subject.
“Pagos, I need a piece of Moon Crystal.”
“Moon Crystal?” Pagos’s attention was immediately diverted, “What do you want it for? Could it be…”
“Yep, getting ready for the Thirteenth Month.”
“Thirteenth Month! Hahaha, the Central Workshop is finally making the Thirteenth Moon Blade? Who’s it for?”
The duke pointed at me.
“For her.”
