11 A town tad too quiet

For the next 5 days they traveled together, they reached a town on their way to Blue Cross city, a storm brewed, the pair decided to stay the night.

"This town is very quiet, better be careful." Kazein thought to himself.

"Hey, is it just me or is it too quiet for a merchant's town?"

"Beats me."

Anna kept quiet and as they were gonna get to an inn, a young girl tugged on Kazein's sleeve. "Big brother! It's going to rain soon, so Papa asked me to invite you to our humble home." The little girl said with a cute voice.

"Huh? No-" Seeing Kazein was going to refuse, Anna interrupted him.

"Well, thank you. You see, big brother and sister here were just looking for a place to stay. So we're very grateful that you are gonna let us stay." Anna was quite kind to her, maybe she liked little kids.

"Hey what are you-" Again Anna interrupted him.

"Why don't you shut up for a while and get along?" She pinched his tummy, Kazein felt it and irked in pain but not revealing it.

The girl went ahead and guided them to a house by the slums. It quite smelled and was dirty, however, it was the slums after all. The girl then went in, as Kazein and Anna followed her in. Kazein felt something only he could feel.

As they got to the living room.

"Papa! I brought them here! Am I a good girl? Am I?" She playfully said.

And there, a man with blonde hair and a book by his lap.

"Yes yes Aika-chan. You're a good girl." He replied to Aika's question. He then patted her head and looked at Kazein and Anna. "Welcome to our home, I saw you two by the roof a while ago and it seems a storm is brewing, so I thought, why not let you stay the night?"

"Yes, and for that we are very grateful to Aika Chan's father." Anna replied.

"Ah, it's okay. Just call me John. By the way, where were you two heading? It looks as though you two were eloping for me. Hahahaha!"

"We weren't, I just happened to pass by when she got hit by a wyvern's breath and passed out. And it just so happened that we were both heading to blue cross city. That's all sir John." Kazein answered him.

"Sheesh! Kazein! You didn't have to tell him that!" Anna pouted.

"Why?"

"You know why! It's so embarrassing!"

Kazein didn't speak. John laughed and said "Well now, aren't you two too close for someone who's just traveling together. Welp, let's go up and I'll show you to your rooms. We only have one room spare, so you'll have to make do with sleeping together."

"Ah, don't worry about us. We've slept together countless times already."

Anna was shocked to what Kazein just said.

"Ah, oh my. Being young is good, but please keep it down tonight. Aika-chan might get curious." John nonchalantly replied.

"It's not like that!!! Really it's not like that! Kazein here is just bad with words. So don't think too much of what he says." Anna was flushed, Kazein stood by clueless of what it meant.

"Yes yes, no need to be shy, back when I was young I was that wild as well. Hahahaha~~!" He smiled and laughed it off.

Anna was shocked, as John escorted them to the vacant room.

"Well, I'll have to trouble you with this small room. If you need something, you can look for me downstairs. If nothing else I'll go prep our dinner." John then left the pair alone. After a while, Anna slapped Kazein.

"You idiot! Did you know what that sounded like?!" Anna was furious, how could she not? If Kazein said all that in public people would get the wrong idea.

"What? Did it mean something only you guys will understand?" Kazein was clueless.

"Tsk. Just, just watch your words later."

"Hey, did you notice?" Kazein looked serious.

"Yeah, this town is so quiet. It's strange we've only seen people by their windows. None would even go out." This was in fact, true. For a merchant's town to become so quiet and gloomy, there could only be 3 possibilities.

Later on, the sun set and Aika called them for dinner. But by the time they got down. It looked like all hell had burst out of its doors.