Chapter 419: Tourist

"Syra!"

"You're back!"

A cheerful chorus erupted as Syra and the others approached the distant village. The dragoness chuckled, patting the children who flocked around her. Their curious glances at the newcomers revealed a mix of intimidation and awe, particularly with Ynos's towering presence leading the way.

Immy's eyes sparkled with interest, while Essie happily waved at the children who gradually warmed up to her. Before long, she found herself giggling alongside them as they strolled down the road.

"You're so pretty!" exclaimed one of the young girls.

Essie's face lit up with a happy, somewhat smug smile, "You are cute as well!"

Meanwhile, Sidus observed the scene with a frown, and Breta, walking silently by his side, struggled to maintain her usual neutral expression, revealing subtle cracks in her emotionless facade.

Ynos, maintaining a serious demeanor, concentrated on not falling down and embarrassing himself in front of his siblings and mortals.

Unexpectedly, a young boy with wild brown hair approached him hesitantly, "Umm—"

Confused, Ynos turned to the puny mortal. "Y-You look so strong! And so big! How can I be as big as you? Is it because you finish eating all your vegetables? My mom said I will grow up to be strong if I eat my vegetables, but I don't think anyone can be as strong as you!" The child's eyes shone with awe.

Caught off guard, Ynos struggled to respond and ended up nodding with a grunt. The child beamed, "I'll eat all my vegetables from now on! I-I want to be like you!"

Glancing at his siblings for help, Ynos felt a bit flustered with the enthusiastic attitude of the little mortal before him. A light cough escaped his mouth before he answered, "Good!" His voice boomed in reply, sending the kid's hair flying and causing the group to suddenly stop and turn toward him in shock.

The child's previous expression turned blank in disbelief before his eyes shone as brightly as ever. "Whoah!! How did you do that!? Was that magic?!"

As the children marveled at Ynos's unintentional display of strength, a sense of amazement filled the air. "Wow, did you hear that? My ears are still ringing!"

****

Soon, a strange spectacle unfolded as the group approached the village gates. Ynos, now leading alongside Syra, had two kids on his shoulders and four more in his hands, all laughing wildly.

"Be careful now," Syra reminded him, to which he nodded. His stern expression had softened into a satisfied smirk.

'Mortals are strangely adorable,' Ynos mused as he continued to indulge in the children's shenanigans, creating a heartwarming scene of a strange earth dragon along with young mortal children laughing together.

"Syra! You're back already?" The village guard waved at the old dragoness with a smile.

"Yes, and this time with company," Syra answered lightly.

Sizing them up, the guard looked flustered as he glanced at Immy, and Breta before he turned to look at Syra.

"Are they mages, or knights? You know with the war we can't—"

Syra waved her hand to stop him and answered, "It's okay, they are family. I vouch for them," saying that, she still tossed him a coin to which the guard expertly snatched it mid-air.

"Well then, if you're going so far as to do that," moving out of the way, the guard waved them in with a light smile.

"Now, children, you go back home first, we have some grown-up things to take care of okay?"

"Ohh, but I want to play with Big Brother some more!"

Before they could complain even more, Syra shot them a stern gaze, "What did I say about talking about to your elders?"

A light shiver ran down their spines and the kids hastily replied, "B-Bye Syra!" With that, they rapidly dispersed as the group entered the city.

"What was that?" Ynos asked.

"Hmm? Oh, most of their parents work during the day, so I usually help them take care of the children," Syra replied.

"The guard said something about a war?" Immy asked as she approached.

"He's talking about the mortals' war," Syra answered.

"But aren't we still in the borders of the old Piya kingdom?" Immy asked.

"Oh, I see you know your geography," Syra said with a nod of approval. "Correct, but ever since your brother destroyed it, no country dared to lay claim to it. So it fell under his new church's control. The area around here is mostly safe, especially with one of his disciples taking up residence in a mountain not so far from here."

"Halbor?" Immy asked.

"Was that the Elf? If so, then yes, him and a large group of his people settled not far from here. They don't bother the villagers and the villagers don't bother them."

"Then the war?"

"It's between the other kingdoms, and mostly the mage consequences of the mage purge, which again your brother started. Truly, a troublesome fellow."

"Brother Aether did a good thing! He helped educate the mortals!" Essie jumped in, seemingly unsatisfied with Syra's answer.

The old dragoness chuckled, "Yes, yes, I never said he did wrong. Still, the aftermath is there. A lot of mages ran to the old Piya to avoid the hunt. Add to that, some of the knights that deserted, and a few remains of the old kingdom, and you'll see that the mountain range isn't too safe for mortals."

"Isn't the church handling that?" Breta spoke for the first time.

"Hmm, as far as I know, they are mostly focused on spreading their influence amongst the other kingdoms. The area around the headquarters is safe, for sure, especially with all the disciples, but further away is a no-man land."

"And why are you living so far away here?" Asked Sidus as the group approached a relatively large two-stories high house.

"Well, like I've said, I've come to grow fond of this place, and its people."

"So the main reason this place exists, is because of you, right?" Sidus continued.

Shrugging, Syra answered, "I help out here and there."

"I see," he nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Breta stopped before the house, her eyes wandering around the street where dozens of curious eyes glanced at them. There was no malice, mostly curiosity coupled with apprehension.

"What's wrong, dear?" Syra asked as she was about to open the door.

"I-" Breta hesitated before she continued, "Am I allowed to be here?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Everyone turned to look at her causing her to feel slightly uncomfortable, "I'm a Goddess, we are not allowed to intervene with mortal matters in the main world…"

Syria chuckled, "Oh, don't worry about it. You aren't interfering with them, if anything you are a tourist!"

"A tourist…?"