Vanessa’s movements froze abruptly.
“Hi~ Little Aurora, I hope I’m not interrupting your transaction!”
In that moment, the pitch-black magical energy that had been building up in those flame-colored eyes instantly dissipated. The tiny black needles vanished along with the fading magic, as if they had never existed.
Vanessa turned her head in shock.
At that moment, two figures in black robes—one large, one small—stood not far behind her.
Looking at them, the larger one revealed a few strands of pink hair beneath the hood. The big eyes behind the mask curved slightly, carrying a familiar smile.
The smaller one was completely wrapped in a black robe, only revealing a pair of sapphire-blue eyes, which were now staring at her vigilantly, not missing a single movement.
Almost instantly, Vanessa recognized them.
It was that witch girl and that vampire girl.
“Sister Nana—!”
The moment Aurora heard that voice, she practically bounced out of the pile of gold coins.
She turned around joyfully, her face shifting from obsession to pure delight as she stuffed coins into her bag.
“You came to see Aurora—!”
She spread her arms, ready to pounce on the pink-haired figure in the black robe—
Then she saw the annoyed look in the eyes behind the mask.
Wait.
Sister Nana… looked really angry!
Before she could react, an icy voice filled with anger rang out:
“Stop, Aurora.”
Aurora’s movements halted.
Vanessa turned to face the two uninvited guests. Her voice was cold, carrying obvious hostility:
“I don’t recall our private transaction allowing outsiders to show up.”
“Eh~ I just wanted to say hello~”
Yilena spread her hands and shrugged, her tone lighthearted—completely unlike someone facing an obviously angry person.
“Sorry, sorry, miss~ But your transaction is already over, right? We just passed by, just passing by~”
Vanessa gritted her teeth and pinched her arm hard.
“Aurora—”
Then she looked at the pink-haired figure in front of her, then at the little vampire behind her who kept staring at her, and finally at the little idiot who still stood there with a “I have no idea what’s going on” expression.
“…Hmph, lucky for you.”
She snorted coldly, turned around, and pulled her cloak’s hood back over her head.
Then, without looking back, she walked toward the outer district.
Her steps were fast.
Even carrying a hint of fleeing.
Edward was still lying on the ground licking his fur, but when he saw his owner leave, he immediately followed.
He raised his head, his emerald eyes landing on the small figure in the black robe, pausing for a moment.
Then he averted his gaze and followed his owner into the outer district.
Slap—!
A crisp sound.
“Ouch—!”
Aurora fell backward, landing on the ground, both hands covering her forehead. A clear red mark had already appeared there.
She looked up, tears welling in her eyes, staring at the pink-haired witch who had just withdrawn her hand:
“Sister Nana! Why did you hit me!”
Yilena retracted her hand, looking down at her from above.
At that moment, the playful look in her big eyes was replaced by annoyance mixed with blame.
“Is Little Aurora an idiot!”
Her voice was soft, but Aurora couldn’t help shrinking her neck.
“Your transaction partner was about to make a move on you, you know.”
Aurora froze.
She blinked, then seemed to realize something. She whipped her head around toward the direction Vanessa had disappeared.
But there was no one there.
“N-No way…?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“She was thinking of… silencing me?”
She subconsciously touched her chest, then her neck, and swallowed hard.
“The eyes of that person just now—”
A small voice sounded from behind.
“Had already gathered a lot of magical energy.”
The tone was absolutely certain.
“Didn’t you even notice?”
From behind Yilena, the small figure in the black robe stepped out.
Yiruo looked up, her sapphire-blue eyes still carrying the lingering traces of the magical fluctuation from before.
Just moments ago, she and Yilena had been hiding, watching Vanessa come to this shop, watching Aurora bring out the goods, and also seeing the other party release her magical energy.
They even saw that while Aurora was crouched on the ground, face buried in gold coins, the black magical energy gathering in that woman’s eyes.
It was an extremely subtle magical frequency.
Only under magical detection would one see that tiny black needle.
Just now, that black needle was about to pierce the back of Aurora’s neck.
Only a second away from being released.
If they hadn’t appeared in time…
The air was silent for a few seconds.
“Eh~”
Aurora suddenly snapped out of it, looking up toward Yilena’s back.
“Sister Nana brought someone else to see Aurora!”
Her attention had completely shifted to Yiruo, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Yiruo was a bit puzzled.
“Magic attacks don’t work on her~”
Yilena’s voice came from above.
She reached out and ruffled both little ones’ heads at the same time.
“Little Aurora is a special elf with an anti-magic constitution~”
“The moment magical attacks touch her body, they dissipate. That’s why she’s the best person to handle those forbidden magic items.”
Yiruo looked up at Yilena.
So earlier…
“If the other side had been more impatient,” Yilena looked down at her, “and after realizing magic attacks didn’t work, switched to physical attacks, she would have been in danger~”
She withdrew her hand from Aurora’s head and lightly flicked her forehead.
“Did you hear that, Little Aurora!”
Aurora covered her forehead and nodded vigorously:
“I-I know! This time was my mistake, I accept the punishment!”
Then she looked up again, her eyes shining as she stared at Yiruo:
“But Sister Nana, aren’t you going to introduce this little sister to me?”
Yiruo was taken aback.
She hadn’t expected the topic to land on her.
She instinctively shrank behind Yilena, but that hand still pulled her forward.
“Ah~”
Yilena pushed her to the front.
“This is my child~ Little Yiruo, come on, call her Sister Aurora~”
Yiruo opened her mouth, ready to go along with this “introduction ceremony”—
Then she saw the expression on the little golden-haired elf’s face freeze.
Aurora stared at her blankly, mouth slightly open, eyes wide.
And then—
“Wah…”
She collapsed to the ground.
“W-Why is there a child thief… Obviously… obviously so cute… how could she do this…”
Her voice trembled. She curled into a ball, hugging her head, muttering to herself:
“It shouldn’t be… Sister Nana is so beautiful, how could she have a child? Could… could it be that I’m not the only child Sister Nana likes anymore…”
“Sister Nana… has a child…”
Yiruo: “…”
She turned to look at Yilena.
Yilena was covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
Clearly holding back laughter.
Just then—
A furious roar came from behind:
“Aurora—!!!”
The voice was full of anger, making the goods of the small shop tremble.
Aurora instantly shot up from the ground, like she’d been struck by lightning, her short golden hair even bristling.
She froze in place, mechanically turning her head.
There stood an elf woman—same golden long hair, same pointed ears, same furious expression.
“B-Big sister…”
Aurora’s voice was as small as a mosquito.
Ofina strode in, grabbed her ear, and yanked:
“Are you showing off again! Is Yilena really that likable to you!”
Yiruo watched this scene, then looked at the witch girl beside her, who was bending over laughing.
The deep district of the underground market…
Was indeed very “brutal.”