As dusk faded, in the quiet bookstore, Yalin lay in a rocking chair, dozing.
The impact of the burst of the bubble economy exceeded original expectations, most directly reflected in the drastic drop in customer traffic at this bookstore.
Most pedestrians on the street looked dejected, their spirits far from what they were a few years ago. The rooftop of the Tokyo Tower, however, had become a popular spot, with desperate failures leaping from the top every day.
The funeral home business had never been so busy.
Considering this is the type-moon world, dangerous things might arise from this.
He was quite troubled by this; if he really encountered something, how to deal with it would be a problem.
Physical entities were manageable, but evil spirits and the like would truly leave him stumped.
However, so far, he had not encountered any non-human monsters.
"Is the store manager in?"
A crisp, pleasant, childlike voice sounded, causing Yalin to immediately put on an enthusiastic face.
"I am."
As the saying goes, a guest is a guest, and harmony brings wealth.
If he couldn't make a single sale today, it wouldn't be a good omen.
A little girl with black hair and red eyes stood pretty at the door, hesitating whether to enter directly.
At the foot of the steps outside the shop, two Servants in maid outfits silently waited in the distance, saying nothing about the girl's actions.
As expected of type-moon, strange eye colors always appear.
"Cute little customer, what can I do for you?"
Looking at the girl, as delicate as a doll, Yalin's voice softened, his tone gentle.
Humans are always more lenient towards beautiful things, and he was naturally no exception.
Besides that, there was another trivial reason.
Yalin once hoped that Aika could be more lively and have more friends. This would fill the emptiness and void in her heart.
The little girl in front of him was one of Aika's few remaining achievements, perhaps even her only "friend."
Their friendship originated from a chance encounter in a park several years ago.
Hmm, this was a friend unilaterally certified by Aika. Yalin was pessimistic about whether Mishaya of the Linglong Pavilion in front of him even knew she had an additional friend.
When he heard Aika say it so innocently, Yalin lowered his head and covered his face, unable to bear looking.
It sounded too pathetic.
In addition, the parents of the Sajo Family and the Linglong Hall family seemed to have a good relationship, occasionally engaging in academic exchanges, giving off a sense of déjà vu like the Tohsaka and Matou families.
Mishaya of the Linglong Pavilion did not get happy at Yalin's compliment. She wrinkled her nose and glared at him.
Then, in a feigned mature tone, she said, "Store manager, I need some books." She handed Yalin a note.
She was a regular customer of this bookstore, though she had previously come with her mother and had a deep impression of Yalin.
Of course, for a girl from a strict, proper, and polite family, this impression was not exactly positive.
Yalin took it. The elegant handwriting matched the owner's impression, and then he walked towards the bookshelf.
Seeing the shop owner's attention shift, Misaya's eyes darted around, quickly locking onto the third shelf.
According to the classification, that area was for children's books.
She moved to the bookshelf unnoticed, casually pulling out a fairy tale collection with a prince holding a sword on the cover.
Misaya placed the picture book on the counter, her small face then tightening, as if it was just a casual act.
Yalin's eyes were strange at this, as if he understood something, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.
So that's it, no wonder she was recognized as a friend by Aika.
Even though she always tried to appear mature and reliable, she still retained her childlike innocence.
To avoid Misaya becoming angry, he didn't expose the girl's little secret. After calculating the value of the books, he calmly put the books and the picture book into a bag.
"Thank you," Misaya said calmly, but a hint of guilt flickered in her pupils.
For her, the time for childishness had long passed. Her goal was to become an adult early, a qualified Magician, and help her father.
Yet, she still loved stories about princes who defeated all terrible monsters and rescued princesses, unable to let them go.
Her original picture book was accidentally damaged, so she secretly included one when buying books.
The owner of this bookstore, though not serious, would not reveal secrets.
"Cute little customer, welcome back next time." Looking at the girl's guilty expression, Yalin chuckled, unable to resist ruffling her little head.
"Stop! You rude person."
Misaya was a bit stunned, then immediately broke free from the mischievous hand, her crimson eyes glaring angrily at Yalin.
For a girl who aspired to become an excellent Magician like her father and to carry on and expand the Linglong Hall's legacy, she detested such impolite actions.
Her original gratitude vanished instantly.
"I'm sorry, Miss Misaya, please forgive me."
What she didn't expect was that this Assistant Manager Yalin immediately apologized, without any intention of resisting.
"You, you, you!"
This caused Misaya's prepared reprimand to be instantly choked off, leaving her only able to glare angrily at Yalin.
Hateful, abominable, detestable, annoying.
After a while, the girl left the bookstore, unwilling to stay a moment longer, her books carried away by the two maids.
She couldn't get along with such a frivolous fellow.
Hmph, he's just an ordinary person, no need to get angry with him, it's not worth it.
The girl comforted herself, while also adding Yalin to her blacklist, vowing never to come here again.
She hated adults like him the most.
Yalin happily watched Misaya's retreating figure.
Teasing cute children is really fun.
Having raised Aika for so long, he even had the mindset of an old father.
Just as Misaya's figure was about to disappear, Yalin's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression became serious.
Aberrations, several terrifying aberrations that made one's hair stand on end just by looking at them, had somehow infiltrated the park, surrounding the girl's unavoidable path.
Even though they roughly maintained human shapes, Yalin knew these were genuine monsters.
They stealthily encircled the unaware Misaya and her two maids, like predators.
"That child, as the offspring of a prestigious Magician family, must have defensive Mystic Codes. She should be fine.
On the contrary, if I follow, and my own abnormality is exposed, things could become quite troublesome, even dangerous."
Yalin watched the park, muttering to himself.
The Magician community has an unfathomable lower limit. Those with morals and gratitude are extremely rare. Leaving Misaya aside for now, it's hard to predict what kind of person her father is.
Aika, being relatively normal, is actually the anomaly.
Yalin weighed the pros and cons in his mind, finding it to be a high-risk, low-reward situation, then helplessly waved his hand.
"To expose myself to danger for a little girl I'm not familiar with, especially when she's unlikely to have problems."
"Even if the probability is extremely low, such thoughts and actions are too foolish and completely inconsistent with the philosophy of a stable life."
"If other Yalins knew, they would probably laugh at me. Such a losing business should never be done."
Yalin mumbled, but his right hand opened the hidden compartment of the counter, taking out the sword and gun he had prepared for years.
"Suddenly remembered, the results of my training during this period need to be reviewed. I'll go out for a stroll for now."