Chapter 114: A Lively Evening and a Magical Encounter

Deep, resonant chimes drifted slowly from a distant clock tower, while the lingering scent of fireworks mingled with the glow of shop lights, which gradually illuminated the encroaching night.

Ordinarily, at this hour, the streets should have been deserted.

Yet, the commercial street at this moment was still teeming with people.

The clamor of laughter and footsteps intertwined, creating an atmosphere even livelier than during the day.

In preparation for the upcoming Academy Festival, grand celebrations were being held all over Ailanmia, and the most iconic commercial street was, naturally, no exception.

The street was adorned with festive decorations; colorful banners and lanterns stretched as far as the eye could see, swaying gently and rustling softly in the evening breeze.

Among the crowd were many tourists who had traveled specifically from out of town, clad in peculiar clothing and marveling at the bustling scenery.

At the street corners, performances of all kinds were readily found.

There were clowns on stilts, juggling bottles in the air, and artisans manipulating puppets in mock battles, much to the delight of gasping children.

Everything around them was suffused with an atmosphere of joy.

The moment Luluti alighted from the carriage, she eagerly darted off.

“Hehe, wasn’t I right? Such a lively scene is quite rare!”

Her small frame deftly weaved through the throngs, threatening to disappear from sight in moments. Yalin, who hadn’t had much time to rest in the carriage, could only drag his weary body, steeling himself to follow behind her.

There was no other way; it seemed no bodyguards had followed them this time.

Which meant that if anything untoward happened to Luluti, the people from the Astria family might very well flay him alive.

‘Ugh, how troublesome…’

‘Even though I’m facing my own demise, I still have to play these boring games with this brat.’

‘Damn it, I’ll definitely make this rich loli pay handsomely for this!’

“Wait, you’re walking too fast!”

The moving crowd somewhat hindered Luluti, allowing Yalin to catch up.

Luluti, however, seemed not to hear him at all. Her small nose twitched, and her eyes immediately lit up.

“Delicious! Let’s go see!”

She tugged on Yalin’s sleeve, following the source of the enticing aroma, and found a small stall selling grilled meat.

The young vendor had dark skin and a white towel wrapped around his head, clearly indicating he was a merchant from out of town.

In front of his simple cart stood a large, iron-cast grill.

Skewers of meat on the grill gleamed golden-brown from the charcoal fire, their edges slightly curled, emitting a delightful sizzling sound.

The rich aroma of meat, mingled with the scent of cumin, made Luluti gulp several times.

“It looks so delicious! Let’s quickly buy a few skewers to try!”

Yalin reached out to stop the eager Luluti. “Did you bring any small change?” he asked. “If you just pull out a pile of gold coins, you’ll easily attract unwanted attention.”

“Hmph,” she retorted, “If you can think of it, how could I not?”

Luluti, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a small cloth coin purse from beneath her cloak and dangled it in front of Yalin.

The coins inside clinked together, producing a crisp, jingling sound.

‘That’s Nomnom’s wallet.’

“See? Simple enough, right? This way, it won’t attract any attention!”

“Hmm… as long as Nomnom doesn’t mind.”

Luluti ignored Yalin, skipped over to the stall, and soon returned with five skewers of meat.

“Hehe,” she chirped, “I was only going to buy four, but the vendor said I was really cute, so he gave me an extra one! Pretty good, right?”

She lifted her chin and proudly waved the skewers in front of Yalin.

“Very nice, as expected of a young lady,” Yalin replied.

Yalin placated her as one might a small cat, but Luluti didn’t mind, utterly delighted.

“Here, two skewers for you,” she declared, “The other three are all mine!”

Despite her words, Luluti quickly devoured her three skewers, yet still yearned for more. She then snatched the last remaining skewer, and only then, contentedly, licked her lips.

“Where to next?” she asked. “Hey, is there anywhere you want to go?”

Continuing down the street, Luluti gazed around with curiosity.

Before Yalin could answer, Luluti immediately tugged on his sleeve, pointing towards a temporarily erected stage. “What’s that?” she asked.

Above the stage, a colorful halo of light enveloped the air, appearing truly magnificent.

“That must be a magic troupe,” Yalin replied.

“A magic troupe? Are they mages?”

“Well, not really,” Yalin explained. “You can think of them as fake mages.”

“Fake mages?” Luluti repeated, puzzled.

“Exactly,” Yalin confirmed. “After all, magic is a dangerous thing and shouldn’t be used carelessly. But some people use certain tricks to create effects similar to magic for entertainment.”

Yalin explained, smiling at Luluti. “Want to go take a look?”

“Of course!” Luluti exclaimed excitedly.

The two made their way through the crowd of onlookers to the front of the stage. On stage, a magician in a tailcoat and top hat was just beginning a new act.

Accompanied by the low strains of a string instrument, a swirl of white smoke began to spread across the center of the stage.

The magician bowed gracefully, then drew a red silk scarf from his pocket and waved it theatrically before the audience.

“What’s he going to do?”

Luluti tilted her head, asking softly.

“I’m not sure,” Yalin replied with a shrug, “just keep watching.”

The magician continued his movements. He unfurled the scarf and shook it in the air, as if to prove nothing was concealed within.

Then, with a sudden, sharp flick of the scarf and a whoosh that cut through the air, a white dove suddenly flew out from behind it.

The dove cooed a few times, flapping its wings, and soared into the distance, vanishing without a trace.

The crowd gasped in astonishment. Luluti, in particular, gaped in surprise, excitedly shaking Yalin’s arm.

“How did he do that? Was it magic!?”

“Who knows…” Yalin said with a wry smile. “If it could be easily seen through, it wouldn’t be magic.”

It had to be said, the performer on stage truly had some skill, for even Yalin couldn’t discern any flaws.

‘Perhaps he really did use magic.’

Once the audience’s applause subsided, the magician began his next act.

He took a black torch from his assistant. Simultaneously, the stage lights dimmed once more, and the atmosphere instantly grew mysterious.

“What’s he going to do now?” Luluti asked, shrinking her neck back nervously.

The magician brought the torch to his mouth, took a deep breath, and suddenly spewed forth a massive burst of orange-red flame.

Luluti let out a short, startled gasp. But before she could fully comprehend what was happening, the magician’s gaze suddenly fell upon her; he grinned and abruptly aimed the torch at her, unleashing another fiery blast.

In an instant, the flames, accompanied by a harsh whooshing sound, surged towards her!

Luluti instinctively let out a shriek and instantly threw herself into Yalin’s arms, clutching his clothes tightly, her body still trembling slightly.

After a long moment, she cautiously peeked her head out.

It was strange; despite being struck by the flames, she was completely unharmed.

“Don’t be afraid, young lady,” Yalin explained with a smile. “Those weren’t real flames. It was just a prop designed to mimic fire effects, just like that stone that emitted blue flames yesterday.”

“It… it was like that?”

Upon hearing this, the still-frightened Luluti slowly loosened her grip on Yalin’s clothes.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she glared at him, her face flushed. “You… you forget everything that just happened!”