Chapter 51: The Dark Alley and the Three People
Tap, tap, tap, tap… tap, tap, tap…
The footsteps transitioned from hurried to leisurely, and then settled into a slow rhythm behind them. The young girl kept her head down as she walked, but the little girl beside her just couldn’t resist looking back to sneak a peek at the man following them. She tugged at the older girl’s clothes and whispered, “Sister, he’s coming…”
“Mm.”
The older girl nodded lightly, acknowledging she was aware.
“It seems like he wants to say something to you…”
“……”
“Sister, is he… is he a Pope Knight?”
“… Mm.”
“Ah oh…”
Betty was somewhat shocked, her surprise mixed with confusion. Of course, she noticed that the woman who had visited the town and was warned by Grandpa to be careful was now obviously associated with the man trailing behind.
They seemed to know the older sister and… it didn’t look like just any relationship.
A Pope Knight…
The little girl vaguely recalled hearing that title before.
Though she had always lived in the town and never ventured outside, she often overheard adults chatting.
In her mind, Pope Knights were those powerful knights from the Church who slayed Abyss monsters. She had heard lots of legends about them, and even her grandpa had told her a few stories. Although it was rare to see a Pope Knight in the Eastern Continent, even the elders of Meiser Town spoke of them with a sense of respect.
“Even in a rotten place like the Holy Church, there are still a few decent guys around… though, those types are few and far between.”
She recalled this was something Grandpa had once said.
Thinking of this, Betty suddenly felt a hint of curiosity about the man behind them.
“Sister…”
The little girl looked up and hesitantly called out to the older girl.
She was still nervous, but started to realize that if he was a Pope Knight and knew her sister, maybe he was a good person. Besides, she had seen him take off his hood back at the tavern, revealing his silver hair and blue eyes…
A Meiser person.
Meiser folks couldn’t be bad people…
So the little girl tilted her head, considered it for a moment, and whispered to the older girl, “Aren’t you going to talk to him? He seems like he has something to say to you…”
The older girl remained silent.
“Hey, sister…”
“We could go back to the town, and maybe he can help us…”
Still no response.
The two continued walking through the dark alley. The little girl gazed up at her sister for a moment, saw that she really didn’t want to interact with the man, and pouted her lips, deciding not to say anything more.
Despite her young age, she wasn’t naive enough to miss clues. She could see the confusion in her sister’s eyes, and guessed there must have been something happening, so her sister was probably debating something in her heart…
This wasn’t something she could just jump into.
Betty couldn’t help but glance back again; the man was still behind them, about ten steps away, matching their pace without getting closer or speaking, just following slowly.
Under the vast night sky, the man’s cloak swayed gently with his steps, the silver buttons glinting softly in the moonlight. He no longer had his hood up, revealing a scruffy face outlined sharply in the darkness, with a slightly furrowed brow that hinted at an indescribable sadness and sorrow. His deep blue eyes were fixed on her sister’s back, gazing as if enchanted.
That expression suddenly gave Betty a slight pang in her heart.
He must be a really powerful person…
But…
Why did he look so vulnerable?
Suddenly, the man noticed the little girl staring at him and quickly composed himself, smiling warmly at her.
Ah!
That smile startled Betty, and she quickly turned her head back.
He noticed me…
I hope he doesn’t cause any trouble for my sister…
But he looked so comforting when he smiled… Like he could be trusted? She felt like he was a really nice person…
So, what exactly is the relationship between my sister and him?
Could it be…
That kind of relationship?
The little girl was nearly bursting with curiosity.
But since her sister remained silent and showed no signs, she had no choice but to shut her mouth and quietly follow along.
Three figures swayed under the deepening night, stepping into the increasingly dark alley. There were no lights along the roadside, only the faint glow of weak flames flickering from the windows of mud houses illuminating their path. The older girl guided the little girl, gradually retracing their steps until they reached the entrance to Drunkard Street, turning the corner where the acrid smell in the air lessened a bit.
And finally, the man spoke up.
“Hey, I’m just wondering… how long are you planning to walk like this?”
He seemed to have pulled himself out of whatever earlier mood he was in, with his hands clasped behind his head, speaking languidly as if he had just woken from a nap, his tone dripping with the same lazy ease he had at the tavern.
“You’re not familiar with this place, are you? Just got here to this town recently?”
“If you keep walking like this, you’re going to stumble right into Nedlin Gang territory… What? You’re just having a bad time here, feeling all riled up and can’t help but go looking for trouble?”
“……”
The older girl ignored him, staying silent and quickening her pace.
“Ah, I knew it must be something like that…”
The man picked up his pace to match hers, the soles of his sturdy boots thudding against the ground, unfazed by her disregard. He yawned and peered around, looking as if he had lost all energy.
“This place, when I first came, I tried looking for someone who could make desserts… but there was nobody. The food here is all terrible; nobody cares about how things taste, they think as long as it’s cooked, it can fill your stomach. And… the ingredients and spices are often strange; I can’t get used to them, let alone you…”
He continued, as if remembering something suddenly: “Oh right, back at the tavern… everything I said was just drunken nonsense, jokes… you know, just joking around! Don’t take it to heart; we’re just two people having a very casual relationship, a very casual one…”
“Leah and I, just like that woman from Ethanbel, we’re all disciples of Mr. Ryan. I came to the Eastern Continent this time just to find them… Did I mention that to you before? I can’t quite remember… Hey, I’m telling you…”
He paused, his tone taking on a teasing lilt, “You’re not jealous because of her, are you?”
“Sure looks that way…”
After he remarked this, he instinctively tensed up, his steps faltering as he assumed a cautionary stance as if ready to dodge an incoming attack at any moment.
But after waiting for a moment, nothing surprising happened.
The older girl seemed to ignore his words, continuing to walk ahead without even turning her head, while the little girl understood what he meant, her eyes widening as she quickly glanced at the man then back up at her sister’s face, covering her mouth in shock.
She subsequently received a gentle but firm “thump” on her head from the older girl.
“Ouch, that hurt…”
The little girl complained softly, while the man behind them caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness in his eyes, which vanished just as quickly. He kept following the older girl, muttering casually, “Weird, maybe it’s been too long since I had something sweet… My head feels dumber than before… Am I still sleepwalking? Huh? Can’t hear what I’m saying? That’s too bad…”
“I wanted to tell her there’s a great place where the food has a Western Continent flair, the seasoning might be lacking, but it’s decent overall… And they don’t close until late… You can sit and eat for a long time…”
“……”
The older girl suddenly stopped in her tracks.
