"Please, spare me the gratitude for hospitalizing you. I did it only for my reasons, not yours," the man said.
With that, he bowed his head, his dark suit shimmering underneath the lantern's luminance. As Asahi bundled up near the fireplace, the man introduced himself. "I am Trid, a member of The Blacksmiths from Blacksmith Haven, father of Primrose. So tell me, before you drink your hot chocolate, what on earth were you doing in such a dangerous spot like Sleepy Serpent Shores?"
Asahi let out a weary sigh as the mug warmed his hands. Only powerful teleportation magic could have flung him so far, and he couldn't shake the suspicion that Aiyana was behind it. The idea of being whisked away to the edge of the ocean made him wonder if fate or mere chance was to blame.
"Well? Are you going to answer, or do we have to kick you out?" Trid said, his agitation obvious even as Primrose intervened, trying to calm him.
