Chapter 377: Deal [1]

The market in the city was quite lively, as the people from diverse races flooded its space.

Most of them were humans, but there was also a mix of vampires and werewolves.

Elves were more active in their own territories with a very few of them actually interested in visiting other places.

As for the Dwarves... well they weren’t the most enthusiastic about visiting the markets of other races except working in the Forge... creating weapons in the day and drinking for the night.

The reason I had visited the market wasn’t to sightsee but because Diana had sent me a message while I had been in the central mansion of the Levaiths.

She had asked me to meet her at this very place, for reasons known to her... though I had a fair idea of what the girl wanted.

To be specific, I knew that the parasite wanted to get all the possible information from me, while we were in the duchy... far away from the headmaster’s direct influence.

I was curious about what methods it would use on me, while at the same time I was also debating whether I should just take the initiative.

Doing things by the parasite’s way felt a little pathetic to me.

I mean... looking at the situation from a neutral perspective, it was me who had an edge over Diana, not the other way around.

Still... everything could be decided only when Diana arrived and looking around—

Where was she?

I scanned the entire area with my mana sense to search for any traces of Diana, but... there were none.

It was Diana who had asked for the meeting, yet instead of me, it was her who seemed to be late for arriving here.

Was there no sense of punctuality in the era of the parasite, however old that pest might have been?

Sigh.

Opening my device, I checked the location sent by Diana, before searching for the landmark around the area.

Considering Diana had sent the right location, this should have been the very spot—

Hm?

Wait... maybe I was standing in the wrong place.

***

It had been around an hour since Diana had asked Kael to meet her.

Yet the kid was nowhere to be seen.

Diana had the thought of messaging him once again, but then... that would have sounded a lot more desperate.

She had thought over everything so far, and the conclusion she had reached was fairly simple.

She would just keep talking about Nemur and making the kid cough out all the information that he knew about him.

Diana didn’t think that Nemur was trying to harm Kael, but there was certainly some mystery to the relation between the two, and Diana... her instincts were trying to warn her about a hidden danger, but she couldn’t just pinpoint the exact reason.

If she had been in her original body, a moment would have been more than enough for her to solve this entire situation, which at the moment, due to the limitations of her present self, had become a sort of headache for her.

Walking towards a nearby stall, Diana ordered a plate of the fried meat that was being sold there.

It was not the best, but good enough for her to pass her time until Kael arrived.

Was he intentionally trying to delay meeting her?

The thought briefly passed Diana’s mind, but she didn’t put much focus on it.

Why would Kael even do something like that?—

Diana thought to herself, though she felt her pride being slightly hurt for some reason.

"Is that good?"

Just as Diana took a relatively large bite from the plate, an aloof voice called from behind, making her turn around to see a familiar pair of black eyes looking back at her.

"It’s ob-kay."

With her mouth stuffed, Diana somehow managed to utter the words... however incoherent they might have sounded.

Kael just raised his brow in return with a small nod of acknowledgment for whatever Diana had tried to say.

"Do you want one?"

Seeing Kael looking at her plate, Diana shifted it towards him, prompting the Frost to give her another deep look.

"No... enjoy it."

Taking a step back, Kael observed the people around with curious eyes, while Diana observed him in return.

She had already decided everything that she had to say, but now that Kael was standing before her... the words somehow began to feel a little heavier than usual.

Was she scared of a failure?

That could be the reason behind her overthinking everything so far.

Any mess-up while talking with the kid could derail all of her plans. Even if the damage done was small, Diana wasn’t one to underestimate the chain reactions that could very well turn all of her plans upside down.

The silence between the two stretched for long, as Diana tried to finish her plate as quickly as possible—

"Miss, do you need an extra?"

The stall owner, seeing Diana’s speed as she gobbled up the meat, asked in a polite tone which had hints of pride in it.

With Diana’s naturally delicate yet breathtaking appearance, complimented by her silver hairs and grey eyes... she appeared to be a replication of some goddess descended into the mortal realm.

Even her clothes... an ankle-length skirt combined with a fitted jacket that hugged her upper body, with its hem reaching just below her waist, added to her beauty, making it more mesmerizing to the eyes of the people around.

A girl like that enjoying the food made by him was all the more reason for the stall owner to pride himself upon.

"Uh... I guess—"

"No, that’s enough... how much is it?"

Interrupting Diana with his sharp voice, Kael gave the stall owner a bunch of credits which were far more than the actual price of the dish.

The stall owner wanted to glare at Kael for interrupting the beauty besides him, but seeing such a large amount, he kept his mouth shut, though the guy didn’t forget to reciprocate the gesture of kindness with a very genuinely polite smile.

Diana, placing the plate on the table before her, gave Kael a look that was closer to a small pout, though the latter ignored it completely, as he began to walk away.

"Let’s go."

His voice echoed right after, prompting Diana to follow him.