The Town

The marketplace buzzed with life as children ran around, laughing and chasing each other through the crowded stalls. Everywhere I looked, wooden stands overflowed with fresh fruits and vegetables, their colors vibrant under the warm morning light. The scent of ripe produce and freshly baked bread filled the air, blending with the hum of conversation and the occasional call of merchants advertising their goods.

Quilya and I trailed behind Marreanne as she led the way, her eyes darting from one stall to another, clearly fascinated by everything on display. Meanwhile, Krein and Miss Kreziana had stayed behind in the carriage.

"You guys can go and explore the town. But be sure to be back before noontime. We'll be waiting in this carriage."

That was what they told us before we left.

Suddenly, Marreanne spun around to face us. "Hey," she said with a bright smile. "Do you guys like apples?"

Quilya and I exchanged glances for a brief moment before responding in unison, "Yeah."

Without hesitation, Marreanne turned back to the stall. "Miss, I'll take five apples, please."

That was fast.

Wait—five?!

"Hey, Marreanne," Quilya let out an exasperated sigh. "You still haven't finished the ones you bought in Karirana yesterday!"

But it was too late. Marreanne had already handed over the payment and was now walking back to us, a small basket of apples in hand.

"Here. Apples." She grinned, handing each of us one.

I raised an eyebrow as I took mine. "You know three would've been enough for us. Why'd you buy five?"

She hesitated for a moment, as if thinking of a reason. "The other two are for Mom and Dad," she said matter-of-factly.

She clearly didn't buy extra for that purpose.

I frowned. "You already bought a bunch of apples yesterday. They're probably still eating those right now."

"Riah, just let her be," Quilya sighed. "It's her money anyway."

Fair enough. I shrugged, taking a bite of my apple.

As I chewed, I let my gaze wander around the bustling market. Men pushed wooden carts through the crowded paths, shouting at others to step aside. Townspeople bustled past us, too preoccupied with their errands to pay us any mind. The buildings had an old-fashioned charm, their weathered stone walls, wooden beams, and rooftops covered in clay tiles, reminiscent of a time long before modern conveniences. There were no cars, no neon signs—only horse-drawn carriages and chariots rolling through the cobbled streets.

Despite the absence of technology, the town was anything but dull. It was alive—filled with laughter, music, and the lively chatter of merchants and customers. The people lived simple lives, yet their smiles were warm and genuine. It wasn't just a place—it was a melody, a rhythm of daily life that thrived in its own timeless way.

The town wasn't particularly large, yet the sheer number of people moving through the streets was overwhelming. The busiest areas were the narrow roads lined with small shophouses, where merchants loudly called out the prices of their goods, competing for the attention of potential buyers.

As we made our way through the crowd, a particular store caught my eye. A clothing shop. The sign above the entrance read: Shìjué de Cynthee.

Without looking away, I instinctively drifted toward it, only to nearly collide with a man carrying a massive basket full of cabbages. Luckily, I managed to sidestep just in time, narrowly avoiding a very messy situation.

Phew.

"Aeriah is probably thinking the same thing," Marreanne remarked.

"What?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.

"My goodness, Quilya," she huffed, turning to her. "Do you realize we're the only ones in town wearing something like this?"

She wasn't wrong. To us, our outfits were completely normal, but here, we stuck out like a sore thumb. I was certain we looked ridiculous in the eyes of the townspeople. Besides, we badly needed a change of clothes. We had been wearing the same outfits for who knows how many days and nights. Just thinking about it made me cringe.

"Pick anything you like," Marreanne said. "I'll cover the cost."

I glanced around, taking in the clothing of the locals. Almost everyone wore robes with wide sleeves, resembling Japanese kimonos or Chinese hanfu. Even the farmers dressed in similar attire.

Now that I thought about it, everything in this town followed the same aesthetic. The clothes, the hairstyles—almost everything except for the buildings. Then there were the store names, written in what looked like Romanized Traditional Chinese. Even the inscription above the door of Commander Alec's chamber had been in the same script.

Something about this place was off.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I had enough on my mind already—I didn't need another mystery weighing me down. Never mind. I'm probably overthinking it. Still, I couldn't ignore the eerie similarities. Having spent most of my life buried in books, I knew a thing or two about Chinese culture. In fact, I had an entire collection of books by Chinese authors back in my room.

"Shouldn't we take a bath first?" Quilya suggested suddenly. "I mean, we stink from all the sweat. And we haven't changed clothes in da—"

"Shh! Shh!" I slapped a hand over her mouth before she could finish.

God, what if someone heard that? I could never recover from the embarrassment. Quilya seriously needed to learn some restraint.

That said… she had a point.

"I have an idea," I said. "Why don't we find a public bath? There should be one around here."

They exchanged looks, their expressions somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked, confused.

Quilya smirked, eyeing me with mock disdain. "Wow. You do have a brain after all, Aeriah."

She and Marreanne burst into laughter, while I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the clothes.

After browsing for a while, I settled on a simple brown robe with a white collar, paired with a black sash. The design was plain, but the contrast made it look elegant in a natural way. More importantly, it fit perfectly.

Marreanne chose a blue robe similar to mine, cinched with a crimson-red sash that, surprisingly, complemented the color perfectly.

Even just imagining her wearing it, I could already tell she was going to look stunning.

Quilya, on the other hand, picked something simple and practical—just the right fit for her. She wasn't picky when it came to clothes. Everything suited her effortlessly. Draped over her shoulder was a yellow hanfu with golden accents.

Wait… is that yellow and gold combined? I can't wait to see how Quilya will look in that!

Once we had all made our selections, we followed Marreanne to the counter. We stood off to the side, waiting while she paid for the clothes. I wasn't expecting to hear the price, but when I did, it nearly made me choke.

Mine cost ten silver coins—not too expensive, all things considered. But Quilya's? Five gold coins.

My goodness, Quilya. Return it immediately!

Marreanne, however, seemed completely unbothered. She smiled as she walked back to us, effortlessly carrying the bags of purchased clothing.

"Let's go," she said, leading the way.

Just where is she getting all this money? Is she magicking it out of thin air?

"Here's yours, Quilya," she said, handing her a paper bag with her new outfit inside. "And here's yours too, Aeriah."

I took mine and nodded in thanks.

"So… does anyone know where we can find a public bath around here?" I asked.

"We'll ask around," Marreanne replied.

"I was the one who suggested it in the first place. I'll do the asking," I said.

Without waiting for their response, I stepped away from them and into the crowd. They didn't argue, which meant they were fine with it.

Besides, I had another reason for offering—I wanted to repay Marreanne, even if it was just a small gesture. She had been paying for everything since we got here. It was about time I did something useful.

"Good day, sir. Do you happen to know if there's a public bath around here?" I asked politely, addressing a cabbage vendor.

Wait a minute… he looks familiar.

"You're the girl I almost ran into earlier, aren't you?" Instead of answering my question, he threw one back at me. "Sorry about that, I was in a hurry," he added with an apologetic smile.

So it was him. No wonder he seemed familiar.

"No, it's okay. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for not watching where I was going," I replied. It was true—I had been too fixated on that shop earlier to pay attention to my surroundings. "It was my fault, really. No need to apologize."

The man was tall and well-built, with tanned skin and a bright, easygoing smile. He wasn't wearing a shirt, leaving his muscular upper body exposed, and he only had a pair of brown leather pants on. He must lift heavy baskets of cabbages every day—that would explain his physique. Yet, despite his rugged appearance, his personality was completely different from what one might expect.

This is exactly why people shouldn't be judged by their looks.

"Still, I feel bad about it," he said sincerely. "Anyway, what was it you were asking again?"

"The public bath," I reminded him.

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before his face lit up as if he had just remembered something. He was a cheerful guy, that much was obvious.

"Oh! There's a place nearby with a public bath, just like what you're looking for. But I'm afraid I can't take you there—I need to watch over my stall," he said. "Would it be alright if I just give you directions instead?"

His gentle nature and kind temperament caught me off guard. If anything, I was starting to feel guilty for bothering him. How was I supposed to respond to someone this nice?

Come on, Aeriah. Get a grip.

"N-No, you don't have to trouble yourself," I stammered, doing my best to sound formal. "Just pointing me in the right direction is already a huge help."

"Really? That's a relief." He smiled again. "There are two public baths here in Lashevierr. One is for men, and the other is for women. The one you need is close by. Just go straight down that road, and you'll see a park on your left. The public bath is right in front of it." He pointed towards the street.

"I see. Thank you so much, um…"

"It's Leiy," he said, his grin widening. "Leiy Grimior."

"Alright. Thank you, Leiy. You're a lifesaver!" I flashed him a smile before turning to leave. Then, on impulse, I glanced back at him. "By the way, I'm Aeriah Riesseville."

For a split second, surprise flickered across his face, but he quickly recovered. Maybe he just hadn't expected me to introduce myself. It wouldn't have been fair if only I knew his name, right?

I gave him one last smile and was about to jog back to where Quilya and Marreanne were waiting when he suddenly stopped me.

"Wait, miss. Take this," he said, grabbing two cabbages from the large basket beside him. He placed them into a smaller handbasket before offering it to me.

What is he trying to do?

As if reading my mind, he spoke again. "Consider this my apology for not being able to guide you there myself. And since there are two, let's say one is also for what happened earlier," he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

I stared at him, utterly speechless. This guy was too kind. I couldn't possibly accept this.

"N-No, y-you really don't have to—"

"Take it."

His tone was firm, and his gaze was steady as he held the basket out to me. There was no refusing him.

I hesitated for a moment before finally taking it from his hands. Honestly, I should be the one apologizing for almost running into him earlier. He hadn't done anything wrong—he had no reason to say sorry.

"T-Thank you," I mumbled, the words barely leaving my lips.

That was all I managed to say before I finally turned away and made my way back to where Quilya and Marreanne were still waiting.

By the time we stepped out of the public bath, we were already dressed in our new clothes. I was still carrying the small basket with the two cabbages inside. Honestly, I had no idea what to do with them. I figured I'd just leave them in the carriage later.

Walking in this outfit proved to be more challenging than I had expected. It was my first time wearing something like this, and it was a little difficult to move in. Thankfully, the hem wasn't long enough to drag on the ground, so I didn't have to worry about stepping on it. Otherwise, things would have been much harder.

We were making our way back to the carriage, walking side by side in silence. None of us spoke a word. Eventually, I decided to break the quiet.

"Anyway, Quilya, you still owe me an explanation," I reminded her.

She gave me a brief nod, taking a bite of the apple she was holding before finally speaking.

"I can only tell you the surface of the information, Aeriah. The rest… you'll have to discover on your own," she warned. "Is that alright?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes," I answered with full resolve. Right now, she was the only one who could help me make sense of my questions.

"Tell me the truth about yourself, about what really happened, and about how this world is our home."

I needed all the answers I could get. Any piece of information could help.

"Alright," she sighed. "Aeriah, forgive me. This is all I can tell you for now. You were born here, which makes this world your homeland. And I'm sorry—I lied to you about my family dying in a car accident. That was just a story I made up to hide my true identity. I couldn't let you know the truth back then."

She paused, looking straight at me.

"But now, we're here. You deserve all the answers you seek, but there are reasons why I can't tell you everything just yet. The rest… you'll have to find on your own."

I remained silent, waiting for her to continue. I didn't want to interrupt her while she was still speaking, and I think she understood that. She picked up where she left off.

"Do you still remember that night, when we first met?" she asked.

"No," I said. "We first met one morning at the orphanage, and I'll never forget that."

I heard her chuckle.

"No, Aeriah. We had already met long before that."

I frowned in confusion. "But I don't recall ever meeting you before then," I replied.

Quilya turned to Marreanne. "You can head back first. I have something important to show Aeriah."

Without hesitation, Marreanne gave a nod and walked ahead, leaving the two of us behind.

"So, I guess you still don't recognize me at all," she said.

Before I could react, she flicked my forehead.

In an instant, the world around me shifted. The landscape changed, and the streets of Lashevierr vanished.

I spun around, scanning my surroundings. Towering trees stood in every direction, enclosing us in a dense forest. Where are we? What is this place? Are we in the middle of a forest?

Panic started to rise in my chest, but Quilya spoke before I could voice my confusion.

"Relax. This is my memory sphere."

My attention snapped to her.

"Memory sphere?" I repeated. That term—it sounded familiar. Hadn't Rellea mentioned something like that before?

"Only those with absolute control over their power can activate their memory sphere," she explained. "It's where I store my memories. But I'm not showing you any of them right now—that's why I brought you here instead."

"Get to the point already," I scowled.

She closed her eyes, as if concentrating. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but I decided to stay silent and let her continue. It only took a few moments before she finally spoke again.

"Look at me closely, Aeriah. This is who I am."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I stood frozen in place, unable to move, unable to speak. My eyes widened in shock as I stared at her, my mind struggling to process the truth before me.

"Quilya... you are..."