The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 206
“I picked what I liked, but I thought you might not like them.”
I do have a conscience!
Pheon alternated between looking at the pouch and the silly duck in his other hand before bursting into laughter.
“Seriously, you never act predictably.”
Pheon clutched the duck tightly, giving me a sidelong glance as he muttered.
“I’ll take it in a good way.”
I responded shamelessly. Since he didn’t say he disliked it, I’ll take it as a compliment.
I began to survey the stalls again.
While observing public opinion, I also finished buying small gifts.
“The princess is coming out today.”
“They say she’s going to show off her Esper abilities. It’s scary.”
“She can’t even properly protect us, so what’s she going to show?”
“Still, she’s performing all day today. Want to go take a look?”
It seemed like Shaelock was struggling more due to negative public opinion.
Just as I had heard, people were favorable towards Guides.
“Unfortunately, they say no Guides are coming out?”
“Imagine how scary it must be among the Espers. Even I wouldn’t want to meet one unless I was working.”
“Despite that, the Guides who keep working are really impressive.”
‘Maybe I should have stepped up.’
I don’t like standing out, but if I spoke directly about how hard Espers work… maybe the story would change a bit.
Next time, I want to arrange a meeting and talk about the efforts Espers make.
‘Hedonia has shaped public opinion about Guides, so I want to repay that.’
When I was acting as a stand-in, there were so many people who didn’t even know what a Guide was. Only Espers were at the forefront.
The perception shift is thanks to Hedonia.
I thought of Hedonia again.
‘This is serious.’
I was surprised at myself for connecting everything back to Hedonia.
* * *
Afterwards, we headed to a jewelry store located right in the center of the main street.
My main purpose was to buy a ring for Hedonia, but I also intended to pick out a brooch for Pheon.
It felt incomplete to rely solely on the wooden figurine.
With our blurry images, the only way the staff could judge us was by our clothes, yet they were still very polite.
“How about a round-cut diamond ring? It’s our most popular design.”
The detailed explanation reminded me of Pheon. This newfound experience was as refreshing as the festival itself.
I don’t think I ever studied this diligently before.
“Hmm…”
I pondered for quite a while.
Even without a price limit, finding a design and color that I liked wasn’t easy.
The ring I finally chose was a yellow topaz ring that reminded me of Hedonia’s eyes.
I liked the meaning of hope associated with topaz.
‘Hope.’
It symbolized the hope that Hedonia and I had found together.
Hedonia is the hope of my life.
Just imagining Hedonia wearing the ring made me happy.
‘I wonder how much he’ll like it.’
I wonder how surprised he’ll be.
Thinking of Hedonia staring at me wide-eyed made me smile. This is why people give gifts.
My hands trembled as I looked at the price tag, but I gladly paid for it for Hedonia’s sake.
The ring’s crafting would take a week. I held my excited heart and stepped outside.
‘It’s about time to head back.’
I had enjoyed the festival, surveyed public opinion, and finished shopping, so it was time to return. Just as I was about to take off the bracelet…
“Aaaah!”
“A monster has appeared!”
“Help!”
People started screaming and a massive crowd began moving.
A monster? I widened my eyes in shock as people moved away from me.
I felt like I might get trampled to death if I wasn’t careful.
“Karina, hold on tight.”
Pheon’s voice, stripped of its usual laughter, made me realize how dangerous the situation was.
Had a monster really appeared?
‘There should be Espers assigned for the festival, right?’
This festival was important for the Espers and the empire.
The imperial family wouldn’t have prepared carelessly. Even Adron had tried to convince me.
“We need to move first.”
I quickly nodded.
For safety, it was best to follow Pheon’s lead.
More importantly, I needed to be in a safe place so Pheon could protect the people.
An S-class Esper would be a great help in this situation.
‘We need to resolve this quickly.’
Hedonia and the other Espers would likely be taking action as well.
Thud!
A person running beside me suddenly fell. An arrow was lodged in their shoulder. I grimaced at the sight of the blood flowing and covered my nose.
The metallic smell made me feel nauseous.
‘Has the monster come this far?’
It seemed too fast.
Turning my head in bewilderment, I spotted a man with a blank expression.
Our eyes met, but he showed no sign of agitation.
Something was strange.
The arrow in the fallen person’s shoulder looked exactly like the one the man was holding.
