Chapter 670: Scar

"Greetings, Sir Cyrus Burnwick!"

Four young ladies greeted Cyrus at the same time.

Their voices rang through the entrance of Wendy and Ralph Toy Craft, but Lucy couldn’t see who they were because her master was standing in front of her, blocking her view.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to get a look around her Master.

Before she could manage it, her eyes caught sight of his face.

Ezra was already wearing his mask.

Lucy paused.

She had not noticed when he put it on.

One moment, they had been preparing to leave the shop, and the next, he had turned her away from the entrance and stood in front of her.

What was going on?

"Greetings, ladies of the House of Melody."

Cyrus welcomed the newcomers with a soft smile.

"Awwn! Sir Cyrus Burnwick is so cute!"

"Kyaaa! You can say that again!"

"I don’t care what the others say about you being a coward or anything. If you ever feel lonely, you can visit the House of Melody. I’ll entertain you well."

The four girls quickly gathered around Cyrus.

One stood close to his right side, while another leaned forward with a bright smile.

The others joined in, their attention fixed on him as they continued showering him with praise.

Their sudden enthusiasm caught Cyrus off guard, and a faint blush appeared on his face.

"Ehnn, you don’t say."

He scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly.

Cyrus was clearly enjoying the attention, even if he was trying to act as though it meant little to him.

Latifa, who was standing beside Cyrus, eyes narrowed as she watched Cyrus entertain the ladies.

She looked as though she had something harsh to say, and her lips parted slightly.

Before she could speak, Cyrus turned towards the girls and returned to his usual businesslike manner.

"Let’s get you ladies what you want."

He said calmly.

One of the girls immediately raised her hand.

"I want a Sir Ezra Ashenlocke doll, your doll, and a Sir Ravenor Burnwick doll!"

She announced excitedly.

Cyrus looked at her raised hand, then at the others surrounding him.

"Wow, that’s a lot of big figures you want."

He replied, his tone remaining relaxed.

"Oh, do you guys have Mr. Maxwell’s figure too?"

Another girl asked.

"I want Lady Vera Ashenlocke and Lady Diane Bergwyn’s figures!"

A second voice followed.

The girls began mentioning more names, their interest shifting from Cyrus himself to the figures they wanted to buy.

They seemed ready to spend the rest of their visit discussing their favourite young alchemists and the figures they hoped the shop had in stock.

The older woman accompanying them finally stepped forward.

"Girls, girls."

The nanny clapped her hands, her serious tone cutting through their excited chatter.

The four young ladies turned towards her.

"We didn’t come here to buy figures of your favourite young alchemists. We came to have your own figures made, remember? You’ll soon be debuting as prospect Nebula Roses. We can’t stray from our mission."

The older woman looked at each of them in turn, making sure they understood her words.

Her expression was firm.

She had brought them here for a purpose, and she wasn’t going to let them forget it just because they had spotted a few figures of people they admired.

"Yes, Nanny."

The girls replied together.

Their enthusiasm had not disappeared, but they obediently stopped listing the figures they wanted.

Cyrus raised his hand and gestured towards the staircase.

"All right. Let me lead you upstairs so we can talk some more."

He said, turning to show them the way.

The ladies followed the direction he indicated, with the nanny walking behind them to make sure they stayed together.

Their footsteps soon carried them towards the upper floor, and their voices gradually became quieter as they moved away from the entrance.

Before following Latifa upstairs, Cyrus glanced back at Ezra.

Ezra had used Cognis concealment to hide his presence while he observed the group without drawing attention to himself.

His presence was still there, but it had become difficult to notice him unless someone already knew where to look.

Cyrus’s smile faded slightly as he watched his friend.

Something must be going on.

He could tell Ezra had a reason for acting this way, especially since he had gone out of his way to block Lucy’s view of the entrance.

However, Cyrus couldn’t figure out what the reason was.

He considered asking, but then dismissed the thought.

Well, I can ask another time.

Cyrus followed Latifa upstairs.

Once they were gone, Ezra turned towards Lucy.

She had not moved.

Her body was stiff, and her hands trembled at her sides.

The excitement she had shown only moments ago, when she held her newly crafted figure, had vanished completely.

She looked as though she had forgotten where she was.

From the moment she heard those words, her reaction had been immediate.

The House of Melody.

Ezra watched her quietly.

He remembered seeing a similar reaction from Lucy when she learned that the Melodious Scholar had attended the Grand First-Year Combat Festival.

Back then, the discovery had left her visibly shaken.

Now, simply hearing the name of the House of Melody had brought back that same fear.

Her breathing grew heavier.

Her fingers curled slightly, but the rest of her body remained frozen, as if she could not make herself take a step.

A reflex scar, huh?

Ezra looked at her plain-faced.

He did not need to ask whether something was wrong.

Her trembling hands and unsteady breathing made that clear enough.

Instead, he raised one hand and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

Snap!

Lucy blinked.

Once.

Then again.

Her eyes shifted towards Ezra before moving around the shop.

She seemed to be checking whether the people who had greeted Cyrus were still nearby.

The entrance was no longer blocked by the group, and the shop continued operating as usual.

Customers examined the displays, while staff members carried on with their work.

Nothing around them suggested that anything unusual had happened.

Yet Lucy was still struggling to calm herself.

"Let’s go."

Ezra said directly, already turning towards the exit.

"O-okay."

Lucy breathed out, trying to steady herself.

She glanced towards the staircase where the members of the House of Melody had gone.

Her gaze lingered there for a moment before she quickly looked away.

Then she followed her master outside.

Even after leaving the shop, she could still feel the same uncomfortable sensation in her body.

Her hands were no longer trembling as violently, but the fear had not disappeared.

Ezra noticed.

But he did not tell her to stop worrying.

He simply continued walking at a pace she could follow.

Lucy stayed close behind him.

Outside, the cold air of Thornwick brushed against their faces.

The street remained busy with people visiting the shops, and the sounds of passing vehicles mixed with the calls of vendors farther down the road.

The tour guide had gone ahead without realizing that Ezra and Lucy had not followed him out.

By the time the two reached the area outside the shop, he was already looking around for them.

"There you are! I was looking for you two. I didn’t know you hadn’t come out with me."

He said, relief showing on his face.

The guide had assumed they were right behind him.

When he reached the street and discovered they were missing, he had begun to worry that he had somehow lost the most important guests assigned to him.

The thought had frightened him more than he wanted to admit.

His duty was to guide Ezra and Lucy around Thornwick and ensure their sightseeing went smoothly.

Losing track of either of them would have been a serious mistake.

However, the relief on his face faded when he looked at Lucy.

She was not as cheerful as she had been earlier.

Only a short while ago, she had been excited about her wooden figure, talking about showing it to the other girls at the Ashenlocke Estate.

Now, she stood close to Ezra with her gaze lowered.

The guide’s brows drew together.

"What happened, Miss Lucy?"

He asked worriedly.

"It’s nothing. I just don’t feel well."

Lucy replied without looking him in the eyes.

As she spoke, her hand reached out and caught the edge of Ezra’s sweater.

She held it without seeming to realize what she was doing, her fingers gripping the fabric as though it gave her something to hold on to.

Ezra noticed her hand.

He glanced down at it but made no attempt to pull away.

He let her continue holding his sweater.

"Okay."

The guide nodded.

He did not press her for an explanation.

If she was feeling unwell, there was little reason to keep her standing outside the shop.

The group gathered their belongings and headed for the parking lot, where the Royal Phantom Rolls and its driver were waiting.

Lucy kept her wooden figure with her, holding it carefully as they crossed the pavement.

Once everyone was inside the vehicle, they resumed their journey.

They travelled from Toy City back to Solcrest before continuing towards Redhaven, where their next destination awaited them.

Crimson Bay.

By the time they arrived, the day was already moving towards evening.

The beach was crowded with visitors.

Some people walked along the shore, leaving footprints in the sand, while others sat in groups and enjoyed the sea breeze.

Vendors moved between them, selling refreshments and small souvenirs to those waiting for their turn to explore the bay.

Beyond the beach, the harbour was filled with vessels of different sizes.

Their hulls rocked gently against the water, and the calls of workers carried across the docks as they prepared for the next groups of visitors.

The sight of the sea drew the eye at once.

From the shore, the water had a reddish tint, though it was not as strongly crimson as its name suggested.

The colour grew more noticeable farther from the beach, where the sea stretched towards the horizon.

The tour guide had already booked a cruise ship for himself, Ezra, and Lucy, which would serve as their means of exploring Crimson Bay.

Naturally, he had arranged a first-class cruise ship.

That meant they did not need to wait long before boarding.

While other visitors relaxed on the beach and waited for the exploration ships to return with the previous groups, Ezra and Lucy were able to begin their own tour.

The guide led them towards the boarding area.

The ship was large enough to accommodate several visitors, with open spaces along its sides where passengers could look out over the water.

Its railings had been polished, and the deck was kept clear so people could move around without difficulty.

The crew welcomed them aboard and directed them towards the area prepared for their group.

Once the ship had departed from the harbour, the buildings along the coast gradually grew smaller.

The noise of the crowded beach faded behind them, replaced by the sound of the vessel moving across the water.

Ezra stood near the side of the ship, watching the sea.

As expected from its name and the knowledge he had already gathered, the water was crimson.

At least, it appeared that way near the coast.

The colour was not especially strong around the beach and harbour.

It looked more like a red tint spread across the surface, blending with the reflections of the sky and the light around the shore.

But as the ship sailed farther out, the change became more obvious.

The water grew darker and richer in colour.

The crimson shade stretched beneath the ship, becoming clearer as they moved away from the shallower coastal waters.

Lucy leaned towards the railing to get a better look.

The red sea extended in every direction, meeting the ordinary blue water farther away.

The contrast between the two made the border of the kingdom’s waters seem almost unreal, as if two different seas had been brought together in the same place.

The guide began explaining the reason behind the unusual colour.

According to him, the crimson appearance was caused by the reflection of the sand beneath the water.

The colour of the sand gave the sea its distinctive look, especially in the deeper parts of the bay.

However, he did not explain what made the sand itself crimson.

That information was confidential.

Instead, he continued telling them about the bay’s history and the remarkable features that had made it a popular destination in Thornwick.

There were many things to learn about Crimson Bay, from its unusual waters to the creatures that lived beneath them.

The guide spoke with the ease of someone familiar with the region, pointing out areas of interest as the ship continued along its route.

He also mentioned that the main first-line base of Britannia’s naval command base was located somewhere along the farther reaches of the Crimson Sea.

The base was not easy to find.

Even if someone sailed towards that area, they would not be able to locate it simply by looking across the water.

The entire large base was concealed by camouflage technology, keeping it hidden from anyone who did not already know where to look.

The guide explained the matter without revealing its exact position.

Ezra listened quietly.

He looked towards the distant stretch of crimson water, but the base remained out of sight.

There was no clear sign of a large military installation anywhere along the horizon.

For an ordinary visitor, the sea appeared open and empty beyond the passing vessels.

The guide soon returned to describing the bay’s history and the creatures that could be seen during the tour.

As the afternoon passed, the light began to change.

The sun sank lower, and the sky gradually shifted towards the colours of evening.

The cruise ship slowed before coming to a stop at the designated viewing area.

Then the lights beneath the Crimson Sea came on.

At first, the glow appeared as scattered points beneath the surface.

More lights followed, spreading across the water until the area around the ship became bright enough for the passengers to see what lay below.

The change was striking.

With the lights illuminating the water, the sea’s true clarity became visible.

The crimson colour was still present, but the water itself was clear enough to reveal the creatures swimming beneath the ship.

Passengers began gathering along the railings.

Some leaned forward to look into the water, while others lifted their Starlixs, Paras and Zphones to capture the view.

A few children watched the fish with wide eyes, pointing whenever something large passed beneath them.

Big and small fish swam around the ship.

Some were long and slender, moving through the water with quick turns.

Others were short and round, their colourful bodies catching the light as they passed.

Their scales reflected different shades, and some fish swam close enough to the illuminated areas for the passengers to see their fins moving.

A few children were given fish food to feed them.

They carefully tossed small amounts into the water, then watched as the fish gathered near the surface.

Their excitement spread to the adults beside them, several of whom leaned over to take pictures.

The deck became livelier as more people noticed the creatures below.

Lucy had finally returned to her usual self.

She moved around the viewing area, taking pictures from different positions.

Sometimes she held her Starlix 11 out over the railing to capture the fish beneath the ship.

At other times, she stepped back to include the illuminated water and the ship’s lights in the same picture.

She even changed her position several times when a fish caught her attention.

"Over here..."

She murmured to herself, trying to get a better angle.

Lucy looked much more like the excited girl who had admired her figure earlier that day.

Ezra, on the other hand, remained near the railing.

He watched the fish swim through the illuminated water.

His sharp eyes followed their movements, but he did not limit his attention to the creatures close to the surface.

He looked deeper.

Beyond the level ordinary humans could see clearly, his vision picked out movement farther beneath the ship.

The lights did not reveal everything, yet he could still make out shapes moving through the depths.

He continued observing them in silence.

The tour guide stayed nearby, explaining what he could about the creatures that appeared during the evening.

Meanwhile, the other passengers continued taking pictures and feeding the fish.

The cruise ship remained at the viewing area for some time, allowing everyone to enjoy the sight before the tour continued.

A few hours passed...

By then, their sightseeing tour had come to an end.

There were still many places to visit in Thornwick beyond Solcrest, Redhaven, and Toy City.

They could have spent more time exploring the region, but the day’s trip had already given them enough to see.

The group returned to the harbour and disembarked from the cruise ship.

The evening air had grown cooler, and the crowds around the beach had begun to thin.

Some visitors were still arriving for their own tours, while others were making their way back to the city.

Ezra, Lucy, and the tour guide returned to the Royal Phantom Rolls, where the driver was waiting for them.

Their journey back to the hotel passed without incident.

Once they arrived, Ezra and Lucy said goodbye to the tour guide and the driver before heading inside.

The day had been long, and Lucy had plenty of pictures to look through.

She also had plenty of souvenirs bought, which she wanted to show her fellow friends back at the Ashenlocke Estate.

But for now, however, it was time to rest.

Because tomorrow, they will begin their journey back to the Ashenlocke Estate.