A Joyful Friend

"In your dreams, darling!" Daisy giggled, took out three coins, and handed them to Vir. "Here, take it!"

"Only three coins?" Vir made a sad face.

"What did you expect, mighty man?" then her gaze fell on Aira. "Hi, little girl," she greeted. "I'm Daisy, what's your name?"

Aira looked nervous when Daisy leaned over and looked at her so closely, she looked away again, then looked down. Vir just smiled and watched them.

"A-Aira."

"That's a pretty name." Daisy without hesitation rubbed the little girl's head.

But then Daisy was a little surprised because Aira didn't seem to want to get to know her further. The little girl quickly hid behind Vir.

The young widow frowned, then looked at Vir with a big question mark in her eyes about Aira who seemed to be scared.

Vir smiled, took a deep breath, and said, "Sorry about that."

"You said she's not your daughter, huh?" Daisy smiled, folding her arms under her large breasts.

"Come on!" Vir chuckled again, then put the three coins he had gotten under his clothes. "Do I look like a married man?"

"Uh-huh," Daisy stifled her laughter. "After all, what crazy girl would marry you, right?"

"Damn it!" Vir laughed softly as he glanced at Aira behind him. "You're making fun of me."

"So, what happened?"

Vir blinked one eye at Aira, and Aira quite understood the meaning of the gesture that Daisy did not see. Well, to hide her true identity.

"I found her in a pathetic condition in a dead region."

"Southeast Country?"

Vir sighed heavily and nodded. "Looks like her parents meant to find—you know, that damn legend?"

"Aurea?"

"Yeah!" Vir looked annoyed. "I want to kill the person who first spread this lie, asshole!"

Daisy understood that. In fact, many poor people were trying to get rich faster by obtaining the scales of the golden dragon they called the Scalgon Aurea.

Even though, everyone knows, the Golden Scaled Dragon that is said to be from the Terrac species does not exist, it is just a myth.

The myth that swirled around and was believed by the poor people was that the emperor got his wealth from finding a Scalgon Aurea.

And yes, people who lost hope of ever becoming rich chose to believe the myth and flocked to find the dragon.

"Such a pathetic fool's dream!"

"Hit me!" said Vir. "I have visited all the great lands—well, except the Central Empire, and have never seen or met a dragon as special as that."

Daisy took a deep breath as she looked at Aira who was still frightened behind Vir.

"Not having the heart to see her alone in such a dangerous location..." Vir shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I brought her along. And she rarely talks, which is annoying for me sometimes."

Daisy laughed softly, "Don't say that, you idiot!" she said to Vir. "Come on in!"

"Wow! That fast?" Vir chuckled. "Finally..."

"Don't you dream, you old fart!" Daisy laughed again as she waved her hand in such a way as to turn her back on Vir. "Don't forget to move those branches first!"

"Aye, Princess!"

"It won't work, Vir!" Daisy disappeared into another room of the tavern. "Keep trying all you want!"

"Hey!" Vir winked at Aira again. "We'll get dinner and lodging this time."

Vir moved the branches from his cart to a spot inside the tavern, to the right of the pile of firewood that Daisy sold.

After that, the man moved his cart to the left side of the tavern, where there were several other carts belonging to Daisy.

"Come on!" Vir led Aira by the hand into the shop.

Then from inside one of the other rooms, Daisy called out, "Don't forget to close my shop too, Vir."

"Are you sure?" Vir called back.

"It's almost night, you stupid man!"

Vir laughed, then helped Daisy by closing the shop. The wide-open, wall-less front was closed using boards lined up so tightly that it was completely enclosed, and held in place with a beam across the middle of the row of boards.

Looks like Vir is used to doing this, Aira thought. Well, of course, seeing him joking so openly with Daisy had told her a lot. Vir had frequented this tavern.

"She is," Vir said in a hushed voice to Aira, "an Orientrius."

"Do you need to tell me this?" Aira snorted softly.

"Damn it!" Vir chuckled. "I'm just trying to keep you from getting scared."

"I'm not scared!"

"Oh, really?" Vir glared at Aira with his hands on his waist. "Then what was that, huh?"

"Never mind," the little girl said as she left the man. "You're overreacting!"

"Me?" said Vir as he caught up with Aira. "Overreacting? Oh, you annoying little brat!"

Orientrius was the main tribe that inhabited the Eastern Lands. They were characterized by clear white skin, golden brown eyes, and red hair similar to that of the Asurry.

Vir took Aira to the other room after he finished closing the shop. While they were in the other room, Daisy was preparing dinner for the three of them.

"Sit down!" she ordered as she placed three pottery plates on the thick wooden table.

Vir and Aira sat close together, waiting for Daisy to finish serving them the food.

The food was quite special to Aira, who in the past few days had always eaten what they could find without being able to choose.

Daisy provided hot wide bread, smoked fish meat, and raw vegetables on each plate. And a cup of water for each of them.

"Come on!" the young widow smiled, especially at Aira. "Let's eat!"

Aira still looked timid, but she enjoyed the food Daisy gave her. Unlike Vir, the man seemed to have no burden at all in eating the food.

"Yuck!" Aira snorted in response to the man's way of eating.

"What?" Vir's eyebrows rose higher as he looked at Aira, his mouth smeared with tomato sauce.

"You're disgusting!"

Vir just grinned and continued chewing regardless of Aira's protests about the way he was eating.

Yeah, the little girl thought. He's such a glutton that even the poisonous dragon's heart was eaten with gusto, how disgusting!

"Hey," said Vir. "I know what's in your head, so just stop it. Don't make fun of the way I eat!"

"Oh, whatever!"

"So," Daisy said deliberately louder, she smiled as she shook her head. "Why are you visiting this Eastern Country? Isn't the tria-petalis flowering in the South at this time of year?"

Vir shrugged his shoulders.

"You can make more money with that, you stupid man!" Daisy giggled.

"I thought that plant was getting rare," Vir said.

"Oh, really?"

"And I don't like the smell."

"Stupid!" Daisy shook her head. "And you'd rather be a firewood seeker? Wow, what a wise choice!"

"Hey, come on now!" Vir grinned. "Don't make my self-esteem plummet in front of this little brat!"

"Yeah, like I care about you," Aira snorted. "You're such a lazy guy!"

"Damn, you're ungrateful!" snapped Vir. "You little punk!"

Daisy smiled as she watched the little fight between Vir and Aira. For one reason or another, she was beginning to disbelieve Vir's stories about Aira before. No, they actually seemed close, like they had known each other for a while.

Vir saw this in Daisy, and asked, "What's wrong?"