Rosa and Lilia halt mid-stroll as peculiar whispers snag their attention.
"Sssst, you—lovebirds."
A cloaked figure steps closer. Long ears peek out from a patched green hood, revealing an elven identity. In one hand, she raises a crystal ball that glows faintly against the fading sky; with the other, she pulls back her hood, confirming their suspicion.
"Care for a glimpse of your future?"
Her ears twitch playfully as a gentle smile spreads across her face.
"Lovebirds, huh?" Lilia shrugs as she steps forward. "That one's a first. Usually people just assume we're sisters—me being the older one, of course." She smirks and puffs her chest out.
She glances back at Rosa. "Right, Rosa?"
But Rosa lowers her gaze, shuffling awkwardly. She scans the cobblestones as though counting them, a faint blush warming her cheeks.
"L-lovebirds? Us? N-no way we look that close, right? I mean, I appreciate Lilia as a friend but…" She keeps rambling under her breath, voice trailing until she's her own only audience.
"Stop reacting like that! You're making it way more awkward than it needs to be!" Lilia protests, pointing at her, face just as flustered.
The elf chuckles, her warm gaze unwavering. "That's exactly what lovebirds would do~."
"We're not!" the two snap back in perfect sync.
"Now, now, no need to get so riled over a tiny jest." The elf's ears twitch again as she glides closer. "Shall we begin a little fortune-telling, then?"
Lilia exhales, recovering her composure. "I guess a reading won't hurt. What do you think, Rosa?"
Rosa steps closer and nods silently.
The elf's smirk widens. "Understood. But keep in mind it'll cost you a bit of fortune. Say… twenty gold?" She extends her hand, palm up.
"Now that I think about it," Lilia muses, fishing coins from her pouch, "this feels oddly familiar. Like I've heard these lines before…" She produces two gold coins, each engraved with a shining '10,' and places them in the elf's waiting palm—though they slip at the last moment. Fortunately, the elf snatches them midair.
"Ah, now that you mention it, I think I read it somewhere too," Rosa murmurs, her eyes fixed on the elf.
The elf lifts her crystal ball higher, wiggling her other hand above it. Her eyes gleam with bluish warmth as she pours mana into the sphere. Glyphs inside begin to glow in shifting rainbow hues before bursting outward in a sweeping aurora.
Rosa and Lilia both widen their eyes at the sight. Rosa, however, is struck by more than the colors: the sheer skill. Controlling multiple glyphs at once, weaving them into so many shades, scattering them with such delicate precision—it takes immense focus.
The aurora dwindles into nothing, and in its place the streetlamps awaken—tall metal pillars crowned with glass chambers, where glyphs bloom white as they mend with the bluish glow beneath them.
The elf closes her eyes, takes a long breath, then opens them with a twitching smile. A bead of sweat glimmers on her temple.
Lilia blinks first. "So… what does it show?"
The elf glances aside, stalling. "Um… it shows that…" Her eyes dart left and right.
Suspicion narrows Rosa's gaze. The light show was real enough, but when did the elf actually prepare a reading? Rosa knows from her sister's lessons that fortune-telling requires groundwork: gathering details about a subject—their speech, relationships, dress, even surface memories—then weaving those into a reading. Without that, it's just theater.
And Rosa doesn't believe in fortunes anyway. Techniques may be elaborate, but they're still party tricks—cards and crystal balls included. What bothers her is that this elf hasn't done any groundwork at all.
Lilia waits expectantly, arms crossed.
The elf clears her throat, ears twitching. "W-walls! I see walls!" She scans the street frantically, then brightens as if stumbling on treasure. "Yes—walls, tall and proud, surrounding you and everyone you know! And if you break your walls, others will crumble too!"
She then turns dramatically to Lilia. "As for you… let's see…" She stares skyward for a moment before snapping her fingers in inspiration. "Ah! You are so focused on what's in front of you. But be careful—if you don't tend to what you cherish, it may slip from your grasp."
The crystal's glow fades to nothing. The elf exhales in relief.
"These are but glimpses of your fate, brave travelers," she intones, reciting as though from memory. "Heed them, and you shall—"
Rosa's eyes widen. She recognizes the words. Word for word.
At the same moment, Lilia bursts out: "Aaaah! I remember now! Those are the witch's lines from The Tale of the Smitten Witch! Don't tell me you're pulling fortunes from bedtime stories!?"
The elf clears her throat again. "Ahem! You know what they say—there's always wisdom in every story… Haha… Hahahahaha!"
Rosa stares flatly at her. "And you know what else they say? Please return our money."
"E-eh!? No waaay…" The elf whines, clutching the twenty gold like a lifeline.
"Now, now." Lilia steps in with a grin, utterly unbothered. "The spectacle was worth the gold, even if the fortune was a complete bust. Let her keep the coins."
The elf freezes. Her ears twitch once, her smile falters for a heartbeat before smoothing back into practiced warmth.
"Well, if you say so. It's your money anyway. Not like I can stop you." Rosa sighs, puffing her cheeks in a pout. "Even though I wish I could," she mutters under her breath.
"Now that I think about it…" Lilia tilts her chin, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "What's a lone elf doing in a remote kingdom like this?"
"Ah, you're right," Rosa adds, voice more thoughtful. "No escort angels either. Usually elves only come here on diplomatic visits. But you don't really give off that kind of presence."
"That's because I'm an exile." The elf says it with a bright smile—far too casually.
"Oh…" Rosa's gaze drops awkwardly.
"S-sorry to hear that," Lilia murmurs, folding her hands in apology.
"It's fine, really! I'm not bothered at all." The elf raises both palms reassuringly, smile still fixed in place.
She clears her throat once more, shifting the mood. "As for your question, I'm looking for my brother. We both love festivals, so when I heard there's one here, I thought… maybe we'd cross paths." Her eyes sparkle as she clasps her hands together, almost childlike.
"Oh, what a coincidence! We're going to the festival too!" Lilia leans in eagerly, almost too close. "What does he look like? Maybe we can help!"
"Well, you won't have a hard time spotting him." She tilts her head, ears twitching playfully. "He looks just like me."
"There aren't many elves in this country, let alone this city," Rosa says, shaking her head. "I doubt he could sneak past everyone's notice even if he tried."
"You have a point." Lilia lightly taps her chin, considering.
"Then I'll head to the festival as well." The elf bows politely, then tilts her head with a brighter smile. "If you learn anything about my brother, let's meet there."
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The scent of roasting meats and sweet fruits drifts through the square, teasing the empty stomachs of travelers as they queue before the stalls. Voices overlap in a gentle hum, rising and falling with the rhythm of footsteps on cobblestones.
Vendors cry out for customers, some punctuating their calls with a burst of flame as pans sizzle. Platters of food are stacked high, skewers kept warm over glowing coals, colorful fruits sliced and fanned out to tempt the eye.
At the heart of the square, the main attractions are taking shape: the harvest contest and the closing theatre. A small opera stage towers above the crowd, props and painted backdrops set in place as glyphs are carved and sigils prepared. A few performers rehearse, their voices carrying faintly over the bustle.
In front of the stage, long tables gleam under the weight of this year's harvest. Grains and nuts are heaped in bowls, fruits and roots piled in bright pyramids. Beside them, cups of diced samples wait with tiny wooden forks, each paired with a clay dish of dipping sauce.
"How tasty~" Rosa smiles in bliss as she chews the dipped apple slice, savoring the mix of flavors on her tongue.
"There's more over here!" Lilia calls out, spearing a diced pear with her wooden fork before popping it into her mouth. "Haaah, there's no better bliss than sweets at a harvest festival~ I'm in heaven~"
"Agreed." Rosa chuckles beside her, dipping her own pear slice into the sauce and eating it with a happy sigh. "Hahaaaa~ What a bliss~"
An old lady ambles over with a warm smile. "How about tastin' our biggest watermelon over there? It's even bigger than a cow, y'know?"
Lilia's eyes sparkle with excitement. "Really!? I wanna see it!"
"Isn't that obviously too big?" Rosa asks skeptically. "I can only imagine the hassle of carrying it all the way here."
"Aaah… that's a long story. Why don't you girls grab a bite while I ramble on?" The old lady gestures for them to follow as she waddles ahead.
"I guess a little story won't hurt. Right, Rosa? Besides, we get to see a huge watermelon!" Lilia prances after her, grinning.
"Well, I suppose…" Rosa sighs but follows along.
"So, what's the story?" she asks, keeping pace with the old lady.
"Well, lemme tell ya—haulin' hundreds of kilos of watermelon ain't easy. We had to cart this beast with horses all the way from the farm," the old lady explains as she leads them through the crowd.
When they arrive, both Lilia and Rosa's eyes widen at the sight: a massive table holding a watermelon as big as a cow, surrounded by a colorful spread of fruits.
"How huge! It's even bigger than I expected!" Lilia bursts out, her voice a mix of excitement and amazement.
"Oh, I heard there's even bigger ones way up north. Folks say they're about the size of a house," the old lady adds, handing each of them a juicy cut.
"A house!?" Rosa and Lilia yelp in unison.
"Right? This one alone was already a helluva trouble to carry." The old lady pats the colossal watermelon with pride. "Now imagine draggin' one that big."
She continues, "Speaking of trouble—our trip near turned sour. One of our mares slipped, poor thing, and snapped her leg clean. Couldn't even stand. Of course, we had healers ridin' with us, so it didn't come to the worst… but she wasn't fit to pull a cart after that. Not with a load this heavy. So we asked our mages to levi the carriage all the way to the city. Tough work, let me tell you—couple of them even fainted."
Just as she finishes, a floating platform drifts into view, carrying another watermelon almost as large as the one on the table.
"Oh, speak of the devil," the old lady chuckles, turning her gaze toward it.
The platform wobbles slightly, a wide bench at the front and an empty space behind now occupied by the giant fruit. Four figures—likely mages—lean against its side, their shoulders heaving as they pant with exhaustion. At the front, another mage sits hunched forward, sweat dripping as the tip of her staff glows faint blue, her magic straining to keep the platform aloft.
Rosa smiles at them sympathetically. Carrying something that size with levitation must burn through mana like a furnace. She's tried once herself. Never again. She takes another bite from her slice of watermelon, juice running down her fingers.
The platform settles with a soft thud. The mage in front presses a trembling hand to her mouth.
"Uuugh…" she groans before dropping to her knees.
"Oh my, oh my." The old lady hurries over, crouching beside her. "You've done a fine job, all of you. Must've been hell of a haul. I'll fetch you some water, hold tight."
She straightens, dusts her hands, then turns back to Rosa and Lilia with a warm smile. "Now, now—I'd best tend to my mages. But you girls, help yourselves. Take all the treats you like." She waves her hand up and down in a coaxing gesture. "No need to be shy, you hear?"
"We appreciate it, but I think we've had enough sweets for today," Rosa says with a smile, raising one hand in polite refusal.
"We'll just come back later if we want more!" Lilia chirps, licking the last of her watermelon juice from her fingers with a playful grin.
"Ho ho ho, you younglings. Best to enjoy your youth while you still can, y'know?" the old lady chuckles as she shuffles off toward the tired mages.
"She's got a point… Hey, wanna hit the roasted chicken stall over there!?" Lilia snatches the watermelon rind from Rosa's hand and tosses both hers and Rosa's into a waste bin.
"H-hey, wait!" Rosa protests, but Lilia doesn't even give her time to answer before dragging her along.
The smell of charred chicken skin teases their noses as they approach. The stall glows with hanging glyph-lamps in a scatter of colors, their light mingling with the steady bluish shimmer of the small crystals affixed to each post.
"Mmm, smells amazing~ Hey, Rosa, you don't mind if I order twenty skewers, right? Since you said it's your treat anyway~" Lilia grins mischievously.
"Eh? Ah… um…" Rosa freezes. She did promise to treat Lilia to settle her debt, but she didn't expect twenty skewers right off the bat. She looks at Lilia, then at her pouch, then back at Lilia again—eyes glassy with panic.
"Pffft—hahaha! That face! Relax, I was kidding. No need to take it so seri—Ow, hahahaha! Hahahaha! That hurts!" Lilia breaks into laughter as Rosa pummels her shoulder with tiny fists, cheeks puffed like a sulking hamster.
"Hey, lovebirds!" a voice cuts through their squabble. "You buying something or just standing there?"
A white-haired elf stands behind the stall, cloaked in worn green. She casually spins skewered chicken over neat rows of heat glyphs, bluish glow rising from below. With a flick of her hand, fire magic crackles, licking across the meat to char the skin just right. The aroma of sizzling fat thickens in the air.
Rosa and Lilia freeze. They know that elf.