Chapter 20.
The carriage moved leisurely on the cobblestone road. In the relaxed evening, just enjoying the surrounding markets and listening to the enthusiastic cries of vendors brought a sense of peace.
"Oh, Uncle, stop right here!"
Picking the liveliest spot, the group got out of the carriage by the roadside.
As a man, Eugene naturally had to be a gentleman and help the girls. However, just as he was about to move, Chloe and Lunoire jumped out of the carriage impatiently!
Yes, jumped out!
Level 4 skills, combined with the girls' anticipation for shopping, made the two rush out of the carriage first!
"..."
How long had they been suppressing this?
Eugene's mouth twitched. He looked at Ryuu beside him. At this moment, only the two of them were left in the carriage.
"Haha, Miss Ryuu, don't be so nervous."
"Tonight is just a casual stroll, nothing serious will happen."
Looking at the Elf girl's rigidly straight posture, Eugene was a little worried that she might become stiff. After all, having a good back is very important.
"Uh, um!"
Ryuu kept her gaze level, her reply stuttered.
"...Do I, am I that scary?"
Eugene gave a wry smile. Was he truly experiencing a species-based suppression?
Eugene, being an Minatour, constantly exuded a powerful, masculine aura and a rather aggressive demeanor. For an Elf, who prided herself on being pure, this was a dimensional attack. Let alone touching her, just sharing a room made Ryuu feel flushed and short of breath.
"Alright, I'll get off first, okay?"
Eugene really couldn't bear to see the girl's embarrassment and stepped out of the carriage first. He even suspected that if he flirted a bit, Ryuu might faint on the spot.
"Hey~~~ Boss! Hurry up and come!"
Chloe and Lunoire impatiently called out from the street. If it weren't for their unique identities, Eugene might have had a vision: What's wrong with my isekai romance story?
After waiting for two seconds, Ryuu also descended from the carriage.
The group wandered aimlessly through the gaily lit streets. After the turmoil caused by the Dark Faction, the people of Orario seemed to value every day. Although it wasn't an important holiday, the night market would stay open very late, and the streets were bustling with people.
"This! Buy this, meow!"
"I want to eat this, wow!"
Girls are both complex and simple. Especially when shopping.
Eugene followed behind the skipping girls, his repeated action being pulling out money!
Buy, buy, buy!
Buying all sorts of small ornaments and snacks. Occasionally stopping at a game stall would be Eugene's chance to show off.
The effect of Strong Luck was still active.
He gave the girls an on-the-spot demonstration of ring toss with his eyes closed and his back turned. This made even the nimble girls gasp in surprise. Their evaluation of Eugene also rose a few notches.
This blond guy, contrary to his frivolous appearance, actually had some substance!
"I thought he wouldn't be able to resist getting handsy with us, meow!"
"Hmm, although he dresses up like he's trying to be proper, he's surprisingly generous (emphasis added) and a good guy."
"As he said, maybe working for him in the future wouldn't be so bad, meow?"
"Right, at least we'd get to come out and play often like this!"
With their hands full of snacks and their arms hugging fluffy dolls, the two girls, sharing a common misfortune, whispered behind Eugene. The glances they occasionally cast at him had changed from initial wariness to sparkling brightness.
To be honest, they initially had no intention of helping Eugene. They had finally found a place to live and had just integrated into a warm family. Despite their daily complaints, deep down, they acknowledged and were content with it. If they got involved in this man's troubles now, wouldn't they be drawn back into the whirlpool?
If it weren't for the extremely enticing offer Eugene made, and the information he threw out that greatly angered the two women, they definitely wouldn't have agreed. In fact, after their conversation with Eugene, both of them immediately felt a little regretful.
Since there was no contract or agreement, it didn't count, right?
But after their first contact with Eugene, they found that this man seemed more interesting inside than his flashy and superficial exterior suggested? They felt that everything he did seemed to be well within his control, methodical.
"Let's observe him for a while!"
Anyway, if the timing wasn't right, they could still back out! The two, who considered themselves no longer part of the underground society, had absolutely no moral qualms about breaking an agreement.
"Um... Eugene-san, I still don't quite understand."
Ryuu, walking ahead, surprisingly started a conversation with Eugene. Although she still dared not look him directly in the eye.
"Are you talking about coming out to play?" Eugene chuckled, "I've already told you, it's to bond and build rapport."
"I may know some things about you, but that doesn't mean we're friends, does it?"
"Anyway, I don't have much to do these days, so I might as well try to get closer to you and establish some friendship. Don't be heartless and abandon me when the time comes."
"I find it hard to accept words like that," Ryuu's beautiful brows lightly furrowed.
"I won't go back on what I promised you."
"Ha, worthy of the Justice Goddess's emissary, then I can rest assured."
Justice...
Seemingly recalling the murders she had once committed, Ryuu's expression dimmed.
Because of the Dark Faction's plot, her closest friends had all died in the Dungeon.
For this, she did not hesitate to abandon justice, resorting to sneak attacks, poisoning, and assassination.
She even ended up becoming a wanted criminal in Orario.
"I can no longer represent justice..."
Although her dear friend Syr at the pub had counselled her many times, this self-perception was something she could never overcome.
"Ah... you're right."
"You are a criminal now," Eugene said, smiling, having fully seen through Ryuu's thoughts.
"But a criminal also has a way of living."
"If you can't represent justice, then you just don't represent justice."
"Times are always changing, and people should be too."
Because she couldn't save her friends and because of her frenzied slaughter, this self-hatred accumulated daily, causing Ryuu to gradually sink into a deep abyss of self-reproach, self-abandonment, and even self-destruction. In short, she was shackled by the past.
"If you constantly dwell on the past and don't move forward, you will inevitably fall into confusion."
"In that case, you will gradually become a relic of a bygone era."
"Isn't living in a stupor no different from being dead?"
Eugene's words were brief and to the point. He knew Ryuu well, but their relationship was currently only acquaintance.
If he rushed to make an impression by pointing fingers, lecturing, and launching into long speeches about her past, it would likely backfire.
"..."
Ryuu's eyes quieted. The way she looked at Eugene had fewer reservations.
Elves gradually become close to people they approve of. And deep down, she seemed to have a tiny thought forming.
"Oh, right!"
Eugene's voice suddenly rose a little. The lighthearted smile returned to his face:
"Actually, everything I just said was just nonsense, the effect varies from person to person!"
"For example, I myself hope to maintain the status quo forever!"
He stood still in front of the Elf girl. Her eyelashes slightly trembled, and her slightly upturned small face was bathed in a warm light.
"After all, having a date with such a beautiful lady is the desire of my entire life."
"Even if today repeated ten thousand times, I would gladly accept it!"
He stepped aside a little. Behind him were the sounds of cheerful people and the aroma of food and fine wine.
"So, please enjoy this evening to the fullest!"
Just like this, occasionally, just occasionally, empty your mind and don't think about anything.
Unfettered by the past, and unburdened by worries about the future. Even if only for one night.
A curve quietly grew on Ryuu's lips.
"What an odd fellow..."
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