The morning sunlight pierced through the gaps between the buildings of Millhaven city, reflecting on the surface of the busy streets. The sound of engines from small steam trains and iron-wheeled vehicles mixed with the shouts of merchants opening their stalls. The city was full of life, yet amidst the bustle, Dex walked alone with his hands in his pockets, his face slightly gloomy.
"Haaa… walking around alone is quite boring," he muttered.
Actually, Dex had invited Van to have breakfast together. But Van refused, saying he had to take care of something this morning, Whatever it was, Dex didn't ask further.
He kept walking past several food shops lined up, but none of them caught his interest.
"Huh, it's only been a year, but the food here is already so different. Maybe because it's a different city?" he thought.
Millhaven was indeed far from his hometown, The difference in culture and food ingredients was clear, Finally, after walking a bit far from the inn, Dex found a shop that looked old and almost abandoned, Its signboard was cracked, wall paint peeled off, and the glass windows were cloudy, But somehow, Dex felt compelled to enter.
When the door creaked open, his eyes widened.
The interior inside the shop was very different from the outside. The walls were lined with glossy wood, a simple crystal chandelier hung from above, and round tables were neatly arranged with clean cloths. The aroma of warm broth greeted his nose.
"Excuse me," said Dex, stepping inside.
He saw only three other people besides himself, Two hooded women sat in the corner of the room, engrossed in a quiet conversation, Through the gap of their cloaks, Dex caught a glimpse of blue and blonde hair.
Behind the kitchen counter, a middle-aged man wearing a worn apron was busy cooking, He was the only worker as well as the owner of the shop.
Dex approached. "Excuse me"
The shop owner glanced briefly. "Yes, welcome" His voice was friendly, though his hands continued deftly stirring the pan.
Dex was too hungry to mind the hurried attitude, After ordering his food, he chose to sit a bit away from the two hooded women, so he could eat in peace.
He occasionally glanced their way. "Weird, why are they still wearing cloaks in a quiet place like this?" he thought.
Not long after, the shop owner came with two steaming dishes.
"Thank you," said Dex briefly.
He looked at the first plate with sparkling eyes. "Haaa I didn't expect there'd be chicken noodles here too. I thought I'd never eat this again."
Dex intentionally ordered two dishes, his favorite chicken noodles, and one foreign menu he had never tried.
"Bon appétit," he said to himself, then began spooning the warm broth of the noodles.
"Still as good as before…" he muttered, a satisfied smile forming on his face.
---
On the other side of the room
The two hooded women sat with their backs facing each other, keeping distance from other customers, Though the room felt calm, their conversation was layered with unease.
"Liana" a soft voice came from beneath the dark cloak, belonging to the blonde-haired woman. "How much longer do we have to live like this? Constantly hiding, moving from city to city, pretending to be someone else, I'm tired."
The blue-haired woman called Liana turned, her face firm though her eyes held concern. "Princess, please endure a little longer, If we stop now, they will capture you, And if that happens…" she paused, her tone sharpening, "your life will be in danger"
Anna clenched the teacup in her hands, her fingers trembling. "I never intended to seize the throne, I just want to live peacefully, Why can't they understand that?"
Liana sighed deeply. "for them, royal blood is not just a symbol, but a threat, As long as you live, there will always be people afraid you could become the center of rebellion, Those factions don't care about your intentions, What they care about is the slightest possibility of danger"
Anna grit her teeth. "All because of that stupid power struggle I'm even sick of hearing the word 'Throne' I don't want to…"
"Princess" Liana interrupted with a firm yet gentle voice. "I know you're sick of it, I am too, But if you give up now, everyone who has died protecting you will have died for nothing"
Silence filled their table.
Anna lowered her gaze, staring at her reflection on the surface of the tea. "I just want to be free, Liana, Without the shadow of a sword behind me, without having to run every time footsteps approach"
Liana looked at her for a long moment, then reached out and held the princess's hand. "I promise, Princess Anna, There will be a day when you can live like that, But today, we must endure."
Anna looked back, her eyes glimmering with fear and exhaustion, but also a glimmer of hope.
But as if Fate slapped her hard, That was when the shop's door creaked loudly.
Liana immediately turned, her instincts tense, A foreign aura seeped in, cold and sharp.
"Damn it, how did they find out" she whispered, eyes narrowing.
Anna also realized, her face pale. "We have to leave now"
BRAAAK!
A loud explosion hit the floor just a few steps from another table, right in front of a black-haired young man who was about to take his second bite, His bowl flipped, hot broth splashing across the floor.
Dex froze staring at his ruined meal, The satisfied smile that had just graced his face vanished, replaced by a blank, furious glare.
"...seriously?" he muttered lowly, his tone more dangerous than any shout.
Anna glanced briefly, realizing the young man wasn't part of their pursuers, Liana also noticed, slightly shocked to see the cold yet desperate expression on the stranger's face.
Dozens of mages and swordsmen crowded the entrance, their aura pressing the air, But Dex didn't care. What mattered was that someone had just ruined his meal.
The air around his body vibrated, slowly swirling into a gentle wind current that made the tablecloths flutter.
Liana frowned. 'A wind mage?'
Dex stood up slowly, his eyes staring straight at the attackers. "Whoever just ruined my breakfast come here now "
Dex stared straight at the enemies. "Annoying"
The swirling wind around Dex intensified, wooden chairs creaked, menus fluttered, The pursuers who were originally focused on Anna and Liana now partly turned, puzzled by the young man standing casually yet radiating a menacing aura.
"Who's this brat?" one black-clad swordsman growled.
"Doesn't matter, just take him out quick..."
Before the sentence could finish, Dex lifted his hand slightly. The air in the room pulsed, WHUUM! a violent gust slammed toward the two nearest mages, They were thrown against the wall like rags hit by a storm.
"You know there are three things you should never disturb in this world" Dex stepped forward, his voice calm but piercing, "first when someone is sleeping."
A swordsman rushed toward him, his blade glowing with a faint aura, His movement was fast, but Dex only sighed. With a snap of his fingers, a spiral of wind circled his feet, WHOOSH! the floor seemed to turn slippery under the current. "second when someone is praying" The warrior lost his balance, tumbling under a collapsing table.
Two other mages immediately cast fire magic, Flames forming blazing spheres, thrown toward Dex.
Dex raised his hand, the air condensed into a transparent wall, BOOM! The fireballs shattered, sparks scattering but extinguished within the vortex of wind, "Fan the third Is when someone is eating bastard" The remaining heat blew back toward them, burning their robes and themselves.
"Liana, who is he?" Anna whispered in disbelief.
Liana narrowed her eyes, observing Dex's magic, There was no strong mana, but his control was incredibly clean. As if the wind itself was part of him.
Dex lightly jumped onto a table, his hair swaying along the air currents, He gazed at all the pursuers at once, then smiled faintly. "Rude troublemakers who don't know manners"
Three swordsmen charged at once, Their blades glinting, the sound of metal slicing through air, But before they could approach, Dex swung his hand downward, WHOOOSH! a burst of wind pressure struck the floor, creating an explosion that sent chairs and tables flying toward the enemies, The wooden pieces shattered, embedding into their faces.
One mage tried earth magic again, raising the floor into a stone pillar beneath Dex, But Dex simply bent his knees, then pushed himself upward with wind propulsion, His body shot forward like a bullet, kicking the mage's face hard until he fell unconscious.
The restaurant was now in ruins, overturned tables, shattered glass, smoke and dust filling the air.
Dex stood amidst the chaos, his breathing steady, his gaze cold. "Damn it I'm starving"
Brief silence.
One of the mages whispered to his companion, "Since when did Princess Anna have someone this strong"
Two of them tried to flee, yet they didn't move—they were running in place.
"None of you are getting away" Dex raised his hand, and crushed their bodies with air pressure.
Meanwhile, Anna and Liana stood on guard, they knew the person before them was incredibly strong, capable of defeating dozens of enemies from tier 3 of their respective Power Systems.
But deep inside, Anna felt a slight sense of relief, for the first time during her escape, someone appeared not because of politics or the throne, but for a rather funny reason, bringing a breath of fresh air into her life.