Chapter 61: The oppressive feeling of the little pink chicken and the girl’s hasty escape.

Morning sunlight streamed through the Silver Moon Guild’s massive glass dome, scattering golden flecks across the bustling marketplace. The blonde girl moved lightly, like a carefree lark, leading two curious lolis by the hand, strolling through this fantastical shopping paradise.

The Silver Moon Guild lived up to its name—a colossal haven of everything.

Here, dazzling jewels and ornate gowns vied for attention, right next to fragrant bakeries and cluttered general stores stocked with jars and trinkets.

Not to mention the clanging, spark-flying zone—dwarven masters’ hammers rang out rhythmically, while colorful smoke wafted from alchemists’ huts, carrying strange, sweet scents.

This was an adventurer’s resupply mecca. Sword-wielding, leather-clad figures were the norm.

Modern zoning kept the chaos organized, making shopping a breeze.

And weaving through the crowd were plenty of green figures—goblin merchants and artisans.

Hold up, ditch those stereotypical images! No forbidden saintess-goblin fantasies from Aphrosia’s past-life novels! These goblins were full-fledged citizens with high racial stats!

Sure, their love for shiny coins was bone-deep (greed was real), but many high-intelligence goblins channeled that cunning into legitimate pursuits. They were either sharp, calculating merchants or meticulous, masterful craftsmen. Their forging and enchanting skills? Even renowned dwarven smiths gave them respect.

Need to upgrade your prized weapon? Trust these green experts! (Though, in a big forest, you’ll find all sorts—low-stat goblins sometimes fell back on petty thievery.)

But beware! Their coin obsession made haggling with a goblin merchant tougher than convincing a dragon to part with its hoard. Every copper was guarded like dragon scales.

“Boss?” Aphrosia’s crisp voice rang out at a weapon stall gleaming with cold steel. She pointed to a pair of sleek, faintly blue-glowing daggers. “How much?”

Blue-tier weapons! After all her struggles, it was time to treat herself!

“Seventy-eight silver coins, with a deerhide sheath included, miss. Interested?”

“Seventy-eight silvers? With a sheath?” Aphrosia’s fingers grazed the daggers, feeling their cool, latent power (Blue-tier! Time to upgrade from a slingshot!). Her lips curved in delight, eyes sparkling like she’d found a treasured artwork. “Deal!”

Her decisiveness stunned the goblin vendor, Rog. His beady eyes widened, his prepared sales pitch stuck in his throat.

Aphrosia deftly counted out the silver coins from her ring, their clinking making Rog’s whiskers twitch. He grabbed the money, fearing she’d back out, and quickly handed over the sheathed daggers.

“Boss, you’re straightforward!” Aphrosia beamed, slinging the daggers onto her waist, their sleek lines and blue glow adding a sharp adventurer’s edge to her look. She even patted Rog’s burly shoulder, making him flinch.

“Keep the good stuff for me next time!”

“Of course, esteemed customer!” Rog nodded eagerly, his eyes glinting with “big spender” joy. These daggers had lingered unsold; selling at list price was a windfall!

He flashed a toothy grin, rubbing his hands. “Anything else? We’ve got new elven shortbows, enchanted arrows…”

“Next time!” Aphrosia waved, pulling the starry-eyed lolis along. “Come on, Mistfeather, Blazewing, let’s stock up on ‘strategic supplies’—like giant cream rolls and rainbow pudding towers!”

Money felt great—she could finally eat well, and the kids? A bonus.

What a steal! Those daggers were worth at least two gold coins on the market, but she snagged them for seventy-eight silvers. For reference, the exchange rate here is 10,000 coppers to 100 silvers to 1 gold.

“Yay! Aphrosia’s the best!” Blazewing cheered, tugging her toward the food district’s tantalizing aromas.

“Wait, no fair! I’m the big sister! Why’d you name Mistfeather first? Bad review!”

Mistfeather was quieter, her sapphire eyes studying Aphrosia’s new weapons. She cautiously touched the cool sheath, sensing a faint, pure “holy light” that made her tilt her head.

“Aphrosia… this has a ‘light’ scent?” she mumbled, puzzled. It resembled the holy mark on their master (Flo) but was older, refined, fused into the weapon.

“Hm?” Aphrosia glanced down. “Light? You mean the enchantment? ‘Frostwind Touch’ is wind-based.”

She brushed it off, assuming it was the loli’s curiosity about magical items.

As they turned to dive into the crowd toward the sweet scents,—

“Chirp!”

Blazewing froze, muscles tensing like a startled beast. She whipped around, ruby eyes sharp as blades, locking onto a shadowy corner on the second floor, hidden by a massive, flickering magic lamp.

A short, warning growl rumbled from her throat—the kind a forest creature makes facing a predator.

Simultaneously, Mistfeather gasped, gripping Aphrosia’s hand, her own trembling. Her ice-blue eyes shrank, sensing an invisible threat.

A faint, sickly-sweet floral scent, laced with potent magic, slithered over like a cold viper!

Mistfeather knew that scent! It matched the cursed magic mark on Flo—sweet, bone-chilling, from that pink chicken!

Aphrosia’s smile froze. Blazewing’s bristling alertness and Mistfeather’s pale face weren’t mistakes!

A chill climbed her spine, her hand on the dagger hilt sweating. She snapped her gaze to the second-floor corner!

The lamp spun, casting wild shadows. Something… moved in the darkness?

Or was it just the light? But the sticky, malicious gaze, like a beast in floodwaters, made her hair stand on end!

“What’s wrong?” Aphrosia’s voice was low, heavy with unprecedented gravity. She instinctively nudged the lolis behind her—not shielding them? Aphrosia, really!

Her time and miracle powers stirred faintly, forming an invisible defense.

“Something… bad!” Blazewing bared her teeth, leaning forward, ready to strike, aiming upstairs.

Mistfeather clung to Aphrosia, voice trembling with fear. “It’s… her! The pink one… scary scent!”

Pink? Scary scent?

Aphrosia’s mind blared alarms! A name exploded with bad memories and danger—Ifrora!

Damn it! That persistent pest! How was she here?! How did she find her?!

Wait—she was Aphrosia, not Flo…

But how to explain Mistfeather and Blazewing? Their energy signatures wouldn’t fool the pink chicken!

Just then, a faint, delighted laugh drifted from the second-floor shadows, like a feather brushing the heart, chilling to the bone.

Aphrosia’s heart sank.

No time to think—she scooped up the bristling Blazewing, gripped Mistfeather’s hand, and hissed, “Go!”

Forgetting sweets, she darted like a startled deer, pulling the lolis into the crowded trinket district, using the chaos and masses as cover!

The moment they vanished, a figure wreathed in soft pink light emerged behind the lamp. Cherry-pink hair flowed dreamily under the neon glow.

Ifrora held the starry music box, her crimson eyes curving with delight, tracking the fleeing golden speck in the crowd below.

“Oh my~ Our little canary’s instincts are sharp!” Her voice was cloyingly sweet, brimming with toy-finding excitement. “Even her two little friends… such cute reactions~”

Her slender fingers grazed the music box’s spinning starry core, showing Aphrosia’s golden light moving frantically, trailed by red and blue specks.

“But…” Ifrora tilted her head, her pure smile glinting with a childlike curiosity, like one tearing butterfly wings. “Running so fast—what’s she hiding? That ‘little secret’ so like pointy-eared mister’s… or…”

Her fingertip traced the box’s smooth surface, her whisper carrying absolute certainty.

“…is she my pointy-eared mister?”

The light cast stark shadows on her stunning face, making her sweet, dangerous smile all the more breathtaking.

The pink devil’s “friendly” greeting was counting down.