Clatter, clatter~
On the main street of the Royal Capital, Lugnica, Al was dragging a prison cart behind Priscilla as they moved forward.
Along the way, many people were pointing and whispering.
"By the way, where did you pull this cart from?"
Grin sat cross-legged in the jolting prison cart, resting his chin on one hand with a look of helplessness.
"Oh, you mean this?"
Al tapped the sturdy frame of the prison cart and said,
"Borrowed it from the Royal Capital's Guards. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't asked, but you're actually a wanted man, kid?"
"Huh? Me?"
Grin pointed at himself, dumbfounded.
Al said in surprise, "Yes, that's what the Guards told me. Didn't you know?"
Grin nodded. "Just found out. Is telling fairy tales against the law now?"
Al laughed loudly. "Haha, not exactly. Your crimes are lack of identification and inciting panic among children. They call you the child agitator, or the intimidator."
Grin rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "That's crazy. Kids who get scared by fairy tales won't amount to anything anyway."
"Brother, you really can't escape this charge. Your fairy tales are too dark—queens attempting cannibalism, necrophiliac princes, and so on. It really would scare little kids."
Al explained; he had asked the patrolling Guards about this guy Grin.
Grin wasn't from the Royal Capital; in fact, he likely wasn't even a citizen of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air.
This made Al even more certain that Grin came from that planet in his memories, giving him a sense of meeting an old friend in a foreign land.
Furthermore, Al Felt that since Grin was a traveler, he must possess some special ability just like himself. Bringing him back would most likely be helpful to the Princess.
Because he lacked identification, Grin often hung around the Slums, a place of mixed crowds and constant danger.
Thinking back on his own ten years as a sword slave, Al Felt even more that this brother of his hadn't had it easy.
"Hey, Al!"
Priscilla, walking at the very front, called out and held a book titled 'Dark Fairy Tales' in front of Al. "Do you recognize this script?"
Al took the fairy tale book, flipped through it, and shook his head. "I can only recognize one or two words; I can't understand the meaning. Do you think it might be something like a Witch Cult gospel book?"
"Hey, hey! I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense! I'll sue you for slander, you know? I'll sue you for slander!"
Grin gripped the iron bars with both hands and shouted at Al.
"You two illiterate fools can't even recognize Simplified Chinese? Give it back!"
With that, Grin reached out his right hand and grasped the air. The pitch-black fairy tale book in Al's hand vanished with a 'poof' into a cloud of stardust, then flickered and appeared in Grin's hand.
Al said in amazement, "Whoa, brother, you can even recall that book? That's a handy ability."
"That's nothing. Let me show you two another trick."
Grin gave a disdainful smile and snapped his Fingers. Sure enough, the fairy tale book turned into stardust and vanished again.
Priscilla blinked her exquisite eyes and gave a light, brief round of applause. She asked curiously, "Besides these clownish magic tricks, can you do anything else interesting? Commoner."
Hearing this, Grin immediately pressed himself against the edge of the cage, leaning in as far as he could, and said seriously:
"I can! Princess, I can! If you let me go, I can even run away!"
"Hahaha, mortal, your farcical performance is quite entertaining."
Priscilla gave a refined smile. The world truly did revolve around her; even in the most rigid Royal Capital, she could encounter such an interesting fellow.
Boom, boom!
A series of dull thuds echoed from the distance.
Priscilla looked into the distance and judged, "Someone is releasing magic over in the North Street area."
Al asked, "Do you need me to go investigate?"
Priscilla waved her hand dismissively. "Are you suggesting that I should take over dragging this filthy prison cart?"
Al gave an embarrassed laugh. "Haha, true. Then let's head back to the mansion first."
Grin let out a long sigh. Judging by the commotion, that girl Felt's insignia theft plan must have started.
He had arrived in this world two months ago, and because he lacked identification, he was constantly chased by the Guards.
While hiding and dodging, Grin had met a certain blonde loli named Felt.
Later, through Felt's introduction, he worked as an odd-job man under Old Man Rom, earning a bit of pocket change to scrape by until now.
Now that he had finally unlocked a transcendent ability, he was unexpectedly headed for jail. Life was truly unpredictable.
As the prison cart moved along, Grin couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.
"Sigh~ Iron doors, iron windows, iron chains~ Holding the iron window, I look outside~ How beautiful life outside is~ When will I return to my home..."
Just as Grin was lying on his side in the prison cart lamenting the fickleness of fate, a tiny female voice suddenly reached his ear.
"Hey, what's with the ghost-like wailing? How did you get caught? You're so useless."
Grin calmly lowered his gaze and finally saw the blonde, red-eyed loli clinging to the back of the cart.
Grin, who had been listless, immediately perked up upon seeing the little girl. He responded in a voice that could only be heard up close: "Save me, save me."
Seeing this, Felt gave a mischievous grin and held up five Fingers.
Five silver coins?
You black-hearted brat!
"It's. A. Deal."
Grin squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.
Felt must have quietly gone through his wallet; otherwise, she couldn't have known exactly how much money he had.
"Hehe, another profit!"
Felt laughed happily, then pulled out a long, thin wire and inserted it into the prison cart's keyhole, wiggling it around.
Click, click.
The lock popped open.
"Brother, are you up to something?"
The prison cart suddenly stopped. Hearing the strange noise, Al also turned around to look at Grin.
"Run!"
Felt gave a startled cry, jumped away like a nimble little rabbit, and quickly began her escape.
"I'm out of here, brother! Shamak!"
Grin chanted the incantation to cast Yin Magic. Instantly, a cloud of pitch-black mist rapidly spread out with him at the center, covering a small area in the blink of an eye.
Within the black mist, Grin pushed open the prison cart door and retreated in the direction Felt had gone.
Under the sun, Priscilla was not affected by the Shamak; the black mist evaporated like steam before it could get near her, forming a clean circle of protection around her.
She watched Grin escape with a smile on her face, having no intention of chasing him.
"*Cough, cough*, Princess, do I need to bring him back?"
Al fanned his hands vigorously, trying to disperse the black mist in front of him.
"No need. As long as I wish it, the world will deliver that squid back to me."
...On the other side, Grin and Felt escaped into an alleyway.
"Huff, huff~ I'm exhausted, I can't go on."
Grin lay down against the wall.
"Don't stop, Grin! You're not the only one with pursuers behind you!"
Felt was a bit anxious, urging Grin to get up and keep running.
Grin looked at Felt helplessly and asked, "Don't tell me you've already succeeded?"
Felt pulled an amber-colored insignia from her bosom. The golden patterns depicted a dragon with spread wings, and at the very center was a glowing blood-red gemstone.
This thing was proof of candidate status for the throne; currently, only four had been issued in the entire country. Its value could well be imagined.
"Wow! The owner must be going crazy."
Grin fell silent for a moment.
"Impressive, right? Hahaha! But right now, the most important step is shaking off the little tail behind us!"
Felt laughed lightheartedly. Once she handed this insignia to her employer, she would receive five holy gold coins. That money would be enough for her to move out of the Slums.
As long as she got rid of the person tracking her, this operation would be a total success!
Then, Felt's little head tilted slightly, as if she had thought of a brilliant idea.
Grin Felt something was wrong and quietly used some strength to scoot further away.