Half a day later, outside the Labor Dispatch Center in the slums.
Passersby stopped in their tracks, looking in astonishment at the crowd gathered outside.
Sobbing rose and fell, weaving through the air like a melancholy symphony.
“Your mother's name? And the name of the hometown you lived in twenty-five years ago?”
Theia held a yellowed envelope, gently questioning the simply dressed girl in front of her.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over her long silver hair, casting a faint red hue.
The girl's body trembled slightly, her eyes filled with a trace of fear.
She cautiously sized up the silver-haired, red-eyed elf before her.
Terrifying legends about the Demon Race flashed through her mind, making her knees weak.
“Your mother's name, and the name of the hometown you lived in twenty-five years ago.”
Theia repeated, her voice as soft as a feather.
“...Yelle Vicky... My hometown is... Molo City,” the girl replied in a voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
“Yes, you are indeed her daughter. Here is your letter.” Theia handed over the envelope.
The girl quickly snatched the envelope, pulling her hand back like a startled deer, and bolted.
Her footsteps sounded incredibly frantic in the dusty alleyway.
Theia sighed softly, her silver eyelashes drooping.
She really didn't understand why Lin Gui insisted on having her do this job.
With her status as a half-demon, she was lucky enough not to scare everyone away.
“Hey, Elven Sister! Thank you!”
The girl's crisp shout suddenly echoed from outside the door.
Startled, Theia looked up, only to see the dust kicked up at the mouth of the alley, glittering in the setting sun.
The figure was already long gone.
She pouted and mumbled in a low voice.
“She thanked me, yet she still ran off so fast...”
As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh.
That smile was like melting ice and snow.
The sunlight pierced through the clouds, inadvertently tugging at the heartstrings of many onlookers.
“Hey, Theia, did you tell her to write a reply?”
Lin Gui, who had just returned from exchanging five hundred silver coins at the bank, asked.
He handed two silver coins to the informant as he turned to ask her.
Fine beads of sweat from his running around still clung to his forehead.
“Uh—I forgot,” Theia said, sheepishly rubbing the tip of her nose.
“Then hurry up and go after her!”
Urged repeatedly by Lin Gui, Theia reluctantly walked out of the dispatch center.
Theia leaped across the city rooftops.
With a light kick, she used the protrusions of the scattered wooden houses to leap to the highest point of the slums.
The top of an abandoned watchtower.
The wind whipped up her silver hair, drawing a graceful arc in the setting sun.
Placing her right hand over her forehead, a faint light shimmered in Theia's ruby-like eyes.
Before long, she spotted the girl in a nearby alley.
After leaving the dispatch center, Anni clutched the letter tightly, her lips curling upward uncontrollably.
She skipped forward in the golden glow of the setting sun like a joyful fawn.
Her steps were light and agile, weaving nimbly through the labyrinthine slums.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the eaves, casting mottled shadows on her.
The little black dog from next door followed her, wagging its tail.
Anni fished a small breadcrumb out of her pocket and tossed it over.
She even mimicked the fat wealthy man from her memory, tilting her chin up at the little black dog.
“Blackie, I'm in a good mood today. Here's a reward for you~”
“Hahaha~”
She burst into laughter first, spreading her arms to feel the cool breeze sweeping through her fingers.
She jogged all the way home.
Before she even stepped through the door, Anni's crisp voice rang out inside.
“Grandma! Grandpa sent a letter!”
At the doorway, an old woman leaning on a cane had been waiting for a long time.
Time had etched deep wrinkles into her face, but her eyes remained bright.
She took the letter from Anni, her calloused fingers gently caressing the envelope.
She didn't seem overly excited, as if this were just the most ordinary letter.
After tearing it open and reading it, she smiled faintly, crow's feet crinkling at the corners of her eyes.
Puzzled, Anni asked, “Grandma, why aren't you crying? So many people at the dispatch center were crying before they even opened their letters.”
The old woman patted her granddaughter's head and said with a smile,
“Grandma is already eighty years old. I'm long past the age of getting sentimental over every little thing.”
Her voice was as warm as an evening breeze.
“Is that so? I don't really get it...”
“You will understand in the future.”
Just then, a soft cough came from the roof.
“Ahem—hey... remember to write a reply, little girl.”
“Deliver the letter to the dispatch center. Lin Gui will take care of sending your letters back to New Covenant City.”
By the time Anni looked up, Theia was already long gone, leaving only the wind chimes on the eaves gently tinkling.
By the time night fell and the Labor Dispatch Center was about to close,
Lin Gui took down the envelopes from the wall, counting them under the dim light, and let out a long sigh.
The lamplight stretched his shadow long, swaying against the mottled wall.
Out of the six hundred and seventy-nine letters, one hundred and eighty-four remained.
Half a day was more than enough for the laborers to run around Caran City several times.
The recipients of these remaining letters had probably fallen during the great evacuation long ago.
Putting the envelopes into his backpack, Lin Gui clapped his hands and said to Theia,
“Thanks for the hard work. I'll buy you dinner.”
Rubbing her shoulders, Theia asked casually,
“How much money did you make from this trip?”
Make money? Lin Gui rolled his eyes. He was paying out of his own pocket, okay?
“Barely enough to make a living.”
“Soft-hearted? Kind?”
Theia looked at Lin Gui with a trace of worry. In this dark age, good people never ended up well.
The flickering candlelight was reflected in her red eyes.
Furthermore, Theia could tell that he didn't seem to plan on doing this just once.
Lin Gui was naturally no saint. If it weren't for the system binding, this would have been his last trip.
He couldn't talk about the system, so he could only let Theia jump to her own conclusions.
Leading Theia, Lin Gui left the slums and entered the Citizen District.
Compared to the dirty and chaotic slums, this area near the castle was much cleaner and tidier.
The cobblestone paths were smooth and flat, lined with meticulously manicured greenery.
Small stone villas with red tiled roofs were neatly arranged, and the people passing by were all dressed in splendid attire.
Even the servants and waiters wore clothes without a single patch.
A faint floral fragrance filled the air, forming a sharp contrast with the dusty smell of the slums.
“Apologies, we do not serve half-demons here.”
“Sorry, Miss Theia is not welcome here.”
“Sir, your attire does not meet our standards for guests. We only serve patrons dressed in Kalu clothing.”
“Halt, commoner. Only nobles may enter here. Your footsteps will contaminate the air.”
...
Having met rejection after rejection, Lin Gui was incredibly frustrated.
Theia, on the other hand, was long used to it, and was actually amused by Lin Gui's sullen look.
Her laughter was as crisp as wind chimes.
“I think I understand a little why you don't have a single friend. They don't welcome half-demons here... or broke losers.”
Lin Gui complained, pointing to himself.
His clothes were indeed washed out to a pale shade, but they were very clean.
Even when he showed his silver adventurer badge, the other party didn't hide their disdain.
The waiter's gaze was as contemptuous as if he were looking at filth.
“It's already considered pretty good. At least this city allows me to earn money and live here...”
As if recalling her experiences in other cities, Theia's eyes dimmed a bit.
Her fingers unconsciously wound around a strand of her silver hair.
Looking at Lin Gui, she smiled.
“And, I also met a friend like you~”
“I'm actually quite happy. At least you're different from the others, you aren't afraid of my eyes.”
Lin Gui rolled his eyes and said,
“I don't know what there is to be afraid of.”
“Half of the blood flowing in my body is from the Demon Race, you know~ That means I have a real demon blood relative.”
Pointing to her eyes, Theia said seriously,
“And, I actually quite like my demon father. He loved my mother, and he loves me...”
“I'm also a street kid who grew up in the trash cans of the slums, a filthy thing in the mouths of nobles, and someone who should be expelled according to the literal words of the city-state treaties...”
“By all rights, you should also despise me and feel disgusted... just like them.”
Lin Gui stopped in his tracks, pointing to a local wealthy merchant outside a luxury restaurant who was whipping a waiter without restraint.
The merchant's mouth was full of derogatory remarks. The reason he was whipping the waiter was because he had discovered a patch hidden deep beneath the man's white shirt.
It was a patch that only someone from the slums would have sewn on...
Theia smiled helplessly. A half-demon capable of causing panic, and a commoner of lowly birth.
No matter how one looked at it, they weren't comparable.
“Alright, since the restaurants don't welcome us, I'll cook myself and let you taste my cooking.”
“Eh??”
Rate on N.U.
