Veer wore his typical knight armor with his sword attached as Eleana followed him. Eryssa and Lythria walked back to their dorm after breakfast, bidding goodbyes. Eleana wore silver knight armor, and her beautiful white hair cascaded down her armor. They were heading to the puppet bazaar, which was near the western borders of the Drudar Kingdom, close to the ancient ruins they had explored.
They mounted their horses and began their journey. Veer felt quite good as the wind caressed him, making him feel a bit relaxed. Looking at Eleana's figure, he was entranced — the white knight riding a white horse, her flowing hair billowing in the wind.
They reached the vicinity of the puppet bazaar a few prahars later. It was almost noon. They walked side by side, looking around. Veer could sense a tense atmosphere lingering in the streets; even the usual chorus of daily life seemed to have dimmed. Both Veer and Eleana had heavy hearts when Eleana gently said, "Veer, there's no need for you to join the war. Just protect Eryssa."
Veer nodded and replied, "Let's see." Then he remembered something and asked, "Do you remember when I collapsed that day while buying Alicia's present? Where was Eryssa at that time? Whenever I try to recall that moment, I still get a headache."
Eleana's face grew grave as she said, "It was the day before you became unconscious. Now that I think about it, they might have influenced you that day itself, and the effects showed a day later. Though, I'm not entirely sure."
They continued walking through the puppet bazaar's vicinity. This place was quite different from the other residential areas — even normal households had puppets assisting with daily chores.It was truly mystical how dolls could perform human tasks. In some households, they saw puppets gently cleaning outside, while in others, puppets sang as children enjoyed their melodies.
As they neared the main bazaar, they saw a variety of shops filled with all kinds of puppets. Some shops even had puppet shopkeepers. One puppet called out to Eleana, "Helloooo, lady! Do you want hair clips that never break, or a sword that turns into a clip? Hahaaa! Everything's here at the Defecator's Puppet Store, yay!"
Farther ahead, a patrolling puppet moved about the area, surrounded by children who followed it excitedly.Some puppets were dancing, others sweeping, while many were being displayed by their sellers.
Veer was dumfounded as he looked around. He seemed to recall something, but then forgot it. A gentleman approached them, rubbing his hands as he introduced himself, "Hello, heroes of our kingdom! I am Sebastian! Do you want a puppet that can protect you while you sleep? Behold my latest creation — the Slumber Knight! It will be perfect for you two."
Veer looked at the man, who wore a black trench coat and heavy circular glasses. Then his gaze fell upon the puppet the man was presenting — an armored knight as tall as him, wielding a greatsword and clad in golden armor. It even gave off a sense of pressure. But how could that be? Perhaps it was some sort of artifact?
Veer was about to say something, but Eleana interjected, "Let's go!" Veer looked at her, then turned away.The merchant continued to watch them as they disappeared into the alleys, his expression unchanged.
As they continued exploring, Eleana murmured, "I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. Also that merchant was strange."Veer felt the same. He looked around and noticed they had arrived at a crossroads, puppet sounds echoing from every direction. Two children ran past, carrying a spinning toy — most likely powered by the wind. The little girl suddenly bumped into Veer and said, "Ouch! Sorry, mister," trembling as she looked up at his imposing armor.
The boy rushed over and said, "Mr. and Miss, sorry! We'll go somewhere else."
Veer smiled and replied, "No worries."
As the boy saw Veer's face clearly, his eyes widened like bright moons. "Puppet uncle, it's you!!! You even bought a sister puppet! She looks just like that famous knight… Ahh, what was her name again…"
The girl grabbed the boy's hand, pulling him toward an alley. Veer stood frozen, forgetting even to breathe — and Eleana too.
Veer felt fear creeping in. Eleana was sweating as she asked, "Veer, do you remember anything?"
As Veer took a few steps, he suddenly felt something strange. He looked back at the desolate road — it was wavering. The whole scenery seemed to flicker in and out of his vision as he heard a voice:"Look at you now! Finally caught you, Starweaver! You dynast of rats… Where did you hide before this? Mythria? The Nameless Temple? Or some hidden kingdom? Who would've thought one of your kind would be here? Haha! Protecting a princess? How far has you guys have fallen! Hahaha…"
She seemed to be vaguely familiar as she again said," How long have I searched ? To find a rat here in this kingdom ..."
Veer clutched his head, trembling, as the scene faded away. He then heard, "Veer! Veer! Wake up! What's happening?" He opened his eyes to find himself crying — and Eleana's face close to his.