Chapter 57: Suspicious Viya

After work ended that afternoon, Night Lei and Faon headed back together.

Night Lei had waited for Faon for a short while because Miss Eve had specifically kept him behind to ask why Night Night was extending her leave.

Faon didn’t think much of it; he felt she was just being her usual responsible self.

He explained it with the excuse of “traveling together.”

The other party didn’t press further, as the Church wasn’t particularly busy.

Before he left, Eve said with a smile, “I’ll be waiting for that girl Night Lei to come and ask for leave as well.”

Faon didn’t mention this to Night Lei during their chat on the way home.

He didn’t want to take credit for such a thing.

However, after their private conversation at lunch, a faint, lingering sense of ambiguity hung between them.

The feelings from earlier hadn’t entirely dissipated, and as they walked, Night Lei deliberately moved closer until the distance between them narrowed.

Faon didn’t seem to mind and continued their casual conversation.

Night Lei kept a soft smile on her face the entire time.

Once they reached the center of town, their topics shifted toward daily life, causing the strange atmosphere between them to gradually fade.

Eventually, the conversation turned to their new neighbor, Veya.

“So, Veya visited you yesterday?”

Faon asked with some surprise in response to Night Lei’s inquiry.

“Yes, though I only spoke a few words with Miss Veya. She left right after giving us a gift. She seems like a very straightforward person,” Night Lei said with a laugh.

Now, she could truly feel the change in Faon.

Their conversation hadn’t stopped once during the walk.

She actually quite enjoyed this way of interacting.

In the past, when Faon performed Mana Tuning for Night Night, he would barely say a word to her.

At most, he would say, “Please do not worry, Miss Night Lei.”

Furthermore, Faon was knowledgeable and handsome, making it very pleasant to talk to him.

“That is indeed her style,” Faon nodded, offering nothing more on the subject.

“Are you very close with Miss Veya, Brother Ang?”

Night Lei’s tone drifted upward.

“Or… is there some history of rivalry between you?”

“Why do you ask that, Sister Night Lei?”

Faon asked curiously, catching the underlying meaning in her words.

“It’s a secret,” Night Lei whispered with a smile.

“So, what is the relationship between you and Miss Veya?”

“Good adventuring partners, or perhaps brothers in arms… One could even say soulmates, or even teacher and student.”

Faon thought for a moment before laughing and listing several possibilities.

“If I had to pick the most accurate one, we are friends.”

He had nothing to hide regarding his relationship with Veya.

Moreover, he didn’t want to simply brush her off as an “old acquaintance” when someone mentioned her.

That would be far too dismissive of his partner.

Faon actually placed great value on this friendship that was almost like a mentorship.

Back when he was just starting out and his path as a Knight was barely taking shape, she had allowed him to adventure alongside her, a Witch.

That alone had been the greatest act of kindness.

“It seems a lot really did happen between you and Miss Veya… If there is a chance, would you tell me about it?”

Night Lei invited him with a gentle laugh.

Faon shook his head with a smile.

“That… if the opportunity arises, it’s better if Veya tells you herself. She doesn’t like being in the spotlight.”

He added the last part as if he felt his previous words were a bit improper.

“I suppose that’s fair… Even a married couple might not know everything about each other,” Night Lei said softly.

“And I understand. You were an Adventurer, Brother Ang. There must be many things you cannot talk about.”

Hearing her response, Faon felt a sense of relief.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he had become so tense.

“However, I can still tell you stories about the things I encountered during my adventures, Sister Night Lei,” Faon said with a smile.

“Hehe… then I shall look forward to it, just like I used to,” Night Lei replied, smiling.

As it was nearing rest time, the usually quiet town center had become quite lively.

Although Clevia Town didn’t have an Adventurers Guild or facilities as complete as Xingbo Town, people would occasionally set up stalls near the bridge that crossed the small river in the center of town.

This happened roughly once every three or four days.

The scale wasn’t large; it could barely be called a “market.”

The variety of goods was scarce, as most items were for self-sufficiency.

This, combined with the lack of shops like those in Xingbo Town, made Faon fail to understand why Xingbo Town would discriminate against the Half-Demons here.

To put it bluntly, these people were “patrons” who spent money and brought in foot traffic.

But he couldn’t change their views.

Right now, he only wanted to live a peaceful life with his wife, and he was capable of protecting the two sisters, Night Lei and Night Night.

Thinking about it, Clevia Town wasn’t even a real “town.”

It was more like a small village where Demi-Demons gathered.

Its presence was so low that before the War began, even Magic Creatures rarely appeared.

Because of this, almost everyone the two encountered at the market was an acquaintance.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Faon! Would you like some apples? They’re free!”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Faon! Thanks to the medicinal formula you improved, my child is doing much better!”

“Good afternoon, Miss Night Lei! It’s rare to see you out with Faon today!”

The two moved forward, greeting people along the way.

“You really are popular, Brother Ang. You’re practically a heartthrob,” Night Lei teased.

Faon finished speaking with an acquaintance and turned back, shaking his head with a smile.

“You’re exaggerating, Sister Night Lei. It’s just that the residents of our town are kind and the local customs are simple… I’ve been to other border towns, and they are completely different. The Half-Demons there are very xenophobic; even passing Adventurers are in danger.”

“I don’t think that’s it. I think you’ve earned everyone’s respect yourself,” Night Lei said with a smile.

“That… is probably more due to the Town Mayor’s hard work,” Faon scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Just as he was about to say something more, the two suddenly heard a voice.

It was the voice of Cassie, the little cat-girl responsible for delivering mail.

The two looked toward the sound and saw Veya standing in front of Cassie.

She held a letter in her hand and was looking down at the girl.

Noticing their gaze, Veya turned her head.

Before she could speak, the little cat-girl ran up to Faon, her voice trembling as if she were about to cry.

“Waaah… Mr. Faon! This new lady won’t say a single word! I told her she needs stamps and an envelope to send a letter, but she ignored me!”

Veya simply watched silently, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

Faon gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Veya, let me see?”

‘Has this woman still not learned how to mail a letter…?’

Then again, it wasn’t surprising.

Veya had always been dedicated to the path of Magic Collection; it was normal for her to forget these everyday details.

Veya walked up to him and handed over the letter.

“For you,” she said flatly.

Her gaze lingered for a split second when she noticed Night Lei, though her expression remained unreadable.

She then gave a small nod, which served as a greeting.

Night Lei was actually quite surprised.

She hadn’t expected Miss Veya to greet her first.

She returned the nod with a smile.

Faon didn’t look at the contents of the letter, as the problem was obvious at a glance.

“Why are you trying to send this like a postcard? Veya, why do you only remember the format for postcards? You can’t send it like this here. Miss Cassie, could you please help her prepare an envelope and stamps?”

Cassie nodded vigorously upon hearing this.

She rummaged through the small bag at her waist for an envelope and stamps.

After helping to pack the letter, she immediately ran off to mail it.

Only Veya, Night Lei, and Faon remained.

Night Lei spoke with a smile, “Good afternoon, Miss Veya. I didn’t expect to run into you here. Thank you for the tea leaves you gave us yesterday.”

Veya simply nodded expressionlessly.

Night Lei continued to smile, not feeling at all offended.

For her, knowing the woman was Faon’s friend was enough to remove any sense of wariness.

After some brief pleasantries, the three of them began walking toward their homes.

During the walk, Faon asked curiously, “Veya, what made you decide to send a letter so suddenly?”

“Is our upright Knight interested in prying into the contents of other people’s letters now?”

Veya said with a hint of sarcasm.

Faon laughed.

“I’m not prying. It’s just that you used to always ask for my help with letters. Seeing you try to mail one on your own is a novel experience.”

“Oh? Is that so? Since when did you have a hobby of observing people? I had no idea.”

Veya’s tone remained calm.

Instead of staring at him as usual, she looked off into the distance.

“The Mayor asked me to come fill out some forms. I was just sending a letter to the Battle Maniac.”

“To the Captain?”

Faon asked with a smile.

“Mhm,” Veya responded softly. Then, she gave him a side-long glance.

“What is it?”

Faon asked instinctively.

“Nothing,” Veya replied with her usual composure.

Night Lei watched the entire exchange silently.

She suddenly began to reflect—

‘Was I really that obvious usually?’

When they reached the door to Night Lei’s house, she gave them a friendly goodbye and went inside first.

The remaining two continued walking for a short distance.

“Is she the Sister Night Lei you mentioned?”

Veya suddenly asked, her voice still devoid of any emotion.

“Yes, a friend I met after moving here. Didn’t you visit her yesterday?”

Faon answered with a smile.

“I came back quickly. There wasn’t much to say.”

Veya shook her head.

When they arrived at Faon’s door, she spoke in a low voice.

“In a few days, can you come with me on a trip?”

“Is it for a Magic Collection?”

“Yes. A certain area has been occupied by Magic Creatures. If I take care of them myself, I might cause too much damage to the environment.”