"Now what should we do?" Kina asked, resting her hands on her hips.
"We can't continue with the sales because your admirer bought all of them," she added with a smirk.
Ryojin sighed. "Yeah, we can't. She might come to collect them, so I think the right thing to do is pack up everything and close the shop." He paused, his voice lowering. "And will you please stop calling her that—my admirer."
"But she is," Kina insisted, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Didn't you see how she was looking at you?" She nudged him playfully. "It was clear she's fallen for you."
"Will you please stop that?" Ryojin muttered, rubbing his temples. "Now I have to meet her tomorrow." He shook his head. "Why did I even agree to her offer?"
"Don't ask me. You know why," Kina replied as she started placing tomatoes into a basket. "It's not like you're being forced. If you don't want to go, then don't. Honestly, I'd prefer that you didn't. That girl is a weirdo."
"Not going doesn't feel like the right approach."
"Okay," Kina said indifferently.
Ryojin let out a small sigh before helping her pack the remaining tomatoes into boxes.
"At least I earned five gold coins because of you," Kina said with a satisfied smile. "This money will help the kids so much."
Ryojin looked at her, noticing the way her face brightened at the thought of helping the orphanage. To Kina, five gold coins were a blessing. To Francine, it was probably nothing—a mere trifle spent on a whim.
It was the brutal truth of their world. Status and wealth determined everything. A poor elder would be treated with disdain, even by their own family. Meanwhile, a rich young man would be admired and respected, no matter what kind of person he was.
Ryojin knew that reality too well. He had spent his childhood scraping by, treated like dirt by society. The contrast between Kina and Francine was just another reminder of the world's injustice.
"Well, that was fast," Kina remarked, glancing at the packed boxes. "Now we can go."
"Yeah," Ryojin replied, lifting the boxes onto his shoulder.
The two walked through the bustling marketplace, weaving between vendors and customers. As they moved forward, Kina suddenly stopped turning to her left, her gaze locked on something in the distance.
"Hey," Ryojin called out. "I thought we were heading this way?"
"Yeah, but I need to check something out. Come with me."
Curious, Ryojin followed her through the crowd. They wended through narrow pathways until they arrived at a large hut in the center of the market. A long line of people stretched from its entrance.
"What is this place?" Ryojin asked, eyeing the structure.
"It's the Spiritual Sanctum," Kina answered, excitement lacing her voice. "It's where people learn about spirit pacts. It rarely opens, so this is my lucky day!"
Ryojin raised an eyebrow. "You want to learn about spirit pacts? Don't tell me... you haven't formed one yet?"
Kina's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Not yet," she admitted, her tone more serious. "No one has ever taught me how to do it. So I'm going in. If you want, you can go back to the orphanage."
Ryojin considered her words before nodding. "I'll join in."
Kina blinked, surprised. "Are you sure? Even though you already have a spirit?"
"Yeah."
With that, the two joined the queue. Most of the people in line were young adults, eager to learn about spirit summoning.
As they neared the entrance, Ryojin noticed a man collecting money from each person before they entered.
"They charge just to learn?" he asked, frowning.
"It's not just learning," Kina explained. "At the end of the lesson, everyone gets a chance to enter a sacred room and perform a summoning. Wait... don't tell me, where you come from this was free?"
"Yeah."
"Then you must come from an affluent kingdom."
Ryojin didn't respond. Back in his village in the kingdom of Rega, summoning was freely taught, but after the war, who knew how much had changed? Maybe fewer people even knew how to perform the ritual now.
Summoning a spirit was sacred. The ritual had to be precise because it determined what kind of spirit would be bound to a person for life. Perhaps this structured teaching was a good thing after all.
As they stood in line, Ryojin suddenly felt something—an odd, familiar sensation. It was faint, but it sent a chill down his spine. His eyes darted around, scanning the crowd.
"Who are you looking for?" Kina asked, noticing his odd behavior.
Ryojin didn't respond. The whispers in his head grew louder.
"Devour…"
"Devour…"
"Devour…"
"Rio!" Kina grabbed his arm, snapping him out of it. "What's wrong? You're shaking and sweating."
Ryojin blinked, finally aware of his own trembling. The energy in the air felt similar to what he had sensed at the orphanage that morning, but this time, it was weaker. Still, the whispers reacted strongly.
He exhaled, steadying himself. "I'm okay. Don't worry."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Kina studied him for a moment before turning back toward the entrance.
The strange, suffocating energy still lingered. Then, a voice boomed from the distance.
"Hey, you fool! Can't you see where you're going?!" a man shouted angrily. "You spilled all my apples!" He paused. "Don't just walk away—apologize!"
Ryojin turned toward the commotion, and the energy spiked. His instincts sharpened." This is it. This is the source."
Just as he was about to move toward it, Kina grabbed his wrist.
"Hey, let's go in."
Ryojin hesitated. The queue had moved forward, and they were now at the entrance. He cast one last glance at the area where the energy was strongest, but in an instant, it was gone—vanished, as if it had never been there.
Clenching his fist in frustration, he stepped into the hut.