Kaelis wandered Orario without much direction after leaving the shop.
With nothing pressing on his schedule, he let his feet, and the winds carry him where they wanted, moving through the busier streets before eventually drifting toward the colosseum.
The closer he got, the louder the area became.
But it was not due to any cheers and whatnot, but from the sound of work being done.
The place was pretty busy.
Members of the Ganesha Familia were everywhere, hauling equipment, setting up barricades, and dragging large reinforced cages across the stone floor.
Inside the cages, monsters were chained up tightly.
Some small and restless, others larger and clearly irritated by their confinement.
Is that in armor?
Kaelis slowed his pace, watching from a distance.
So that's what they're for…
At first, he assumed it was for combat—some sort of exhibition fight or spectacle.
The cages were sturdy, layered with metal bars and magic seals, clearly designed to hold things that didn't want to stay put.
But as he looked closer, the layout didn't look like the battlefield type.
Not necessarily a fight then, he thought. And more like a display.
That lined up with what Hestia had mentioned earlier.
Monster Féria.
In the middle of it all, a man wearing an elephant mask himself stood out immediately.
"I AM GANESHA!"
He kept adding that line after nearly every sentence that came from his mouth.
And from his name alone, you could already guess he's one of the gods in this world.
The god was laughing loudly, arms thrown wide as he shouted encouragement and overly dramatic instructions that the familia members clearly filtered down to something practical.
"Hohoho! Careful there! You drop that, and I'm not paying for repairs!"
No one seemed offended. If anything, the mood stayed light despite the dangerous cargo.
Kaelis watched for a bit longer, then moved on before anyone noticed him staring too long.
He picked up a few things along the way—nothing overly special.
Food skewers, some wrapped sweets that looked popular, and a small bundle of dried fruit he figured would last a few days.
With his purchases tucked away, his steps naturally turned toward a quieter part of the city.
Maria's orphanage.
Since he dropped the kid off there on his first day in Orario, he hadn't came back since there wasn't any need to.
Now that he was bored waiting for tomorrow to come and go, he decided it wouldn't hurt to drop in and check in on the squirt.
The streets thinned as he approached, the noise of the main districts fading into something calmer.
That was when he noticed a familiar figure ahead of him.
Silver hair. Apron. A basket held casually at her side.
"Syr," he called out.
She turned, eyes lighting up slightly when she saw him. "Oh. Kaelis."
They fell into step beside each other without much thought.
"Heading to the orphanage?" he asked.
"Mhm," she nodded. "I stop by when I can. The kids get restless when something big's about to happen in the city."
They had talked before when he and Hestia and Bell went back to her restaurant for the second time.
She sometimes helps take care of the children at the orphanage and alleviate some of the burdens Maria carried.
The lady already looks worn and might keel over suddenly.
Turns out, after he left the orphanage that day, Syr had arrived shortly and was informed about the person named Kaelis valeblade.
"That Monster Féria thingy?"
She smiled. "You already know about it?"
"Uh-huh. Hestia told me about it not too long ago. Said it's some annual celebration. Was at the colosseum a minute ago and saw Ganesha and probably his people doing some groundwork."
"That sounds like them," Syr said, amused before she added,
"Still… it's good for the city. Even when things get dangerous, events like this remind people how to relax."
The streets around are a perfect example.
Stalls were going up along the road, some already half done, others still just wooden frames waiting for cloth and signs.
Merchants were arguing over spots, but it sounded more playful than heated.
Even the adventurers felt a bit different than usual.
Some were walking around without armor, weapons wrapped and slung over their backs instead of ready to go.
The usual edge people carried around the Dungeon wasn't as sharp.
Kids ran past, pointing at decorations being strung between buildings.
It would seem like Orario is just taking a breather.
The two continued walking in comfortable silence for a moment.
"I saw the monsters they're bringing in," Kaelis added. "Aren't they afraid of some getting loose or scaring people?"
"No," Syr shook her head.
"Just showing them. Letting people see what adventurers deal with. Some say it keeps fear from turning into ignorance."
"Besides. Those are weaker monsters. The place is teeming with strong adventurers who would deal with them before anything happens."
Kaelis thought for a moment.
"That makes sense."
She glanced at him sideways. "Are you going?"
"Yeah," he answered calmly.
Syr slowed her steps just a little, matching his pace.
"Well," she said lightly, hands clasped behind her back, "if you're already planning to go… how about we go together?"
Her voice was gentle and sweet. A little too sweet.
Like someone else took reigns for a second.
If Kaelis had seen her eyes, he would've easily picked up on the pink sheen in her irises.
And for just a brief moment, something subtle washed over the air—warm, pleasant, like a thought nudging another thought into place.
Other than her words, Kaelis didn't notice a thing.
Maybe it's because she works in a restaurant that her words got a little spice…
He just shook his head.
"Sorry but… Hestia already asked me."
Syr blinked, baffled.
"Oh?" she said, genuinely caught off guard.
"Yup. She had asked first and you know what they say, "first come first served"," he added, like it explained everything.
"So maybe another time."
That was it.
For half a second, Syr simply stared at him.
'He resisted…'
Kaelis, meanwhile, misunderstood completely.
He tilted his head slightly. "Uh… you okay? You look surprised."
"…I am," she said quietly.
Then she smiled.
It was bright.
Almost blinding in how sudden and genuine it looked.
The kind of smile that made people stop what they were doing just to look twice—no, three times.
Kaelis raised an eyebrow. "…Why do you look so happy? I thought people get depressed when rejected."
She let out a small laugh, covering her mouth with her small hand.
"It's nothing. Really."
He eyed her suspiciously. "You're taking rejection weirdly well."
"I just think it's nice," Syr replied, still smiling, "when people are honest."
If he noticed anything strange about her reaction, he didn't comment on it.
He just shrugged and kept it moving.
"…You're a strange one," he muttered.
Syr watched him from the corner of her eye, that smile never quite fading.
Very strange indeed.
Syr smiled. "Then I hope you enjoy it."
'Cause you won't be doing it again.'
They reached the orphanage soon after, the building quiet for the moment.
Syr adjusted her grip on the basket and pushed the front door open.
"Hello…! Maria…!"
Chapter 84 end.
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Didnt write anything before because I didn't know what to write.