Chapter 13

The fact that he had transmigrated into another world sunk in faster once Leo watched all three of them sink their teeth into what looked charcoal, and swallow it whole.

"Would you have perhaps wanted one?" Kael asked as soon as he noticed the strange expression on Leo's face.

"I think I'll pass." He answered, fighting the urge not to throw up.

"But anyway, don't you think it's too risky for you both to be walking around like this? Aren't you criminals?" Leo had been meaning to ask. He had taken the extra measure to drape on a cloak, but Leatrix and Kael weren't as cautious.

"I see, I forgot you're awfully slow-witted, let me put it in plain words for you," Leatrix remarked, pinching her chin and narrowing her eyes.

"Hey!" He interjected sharply.

"We're under...or better yet an illusion spell has been cast over us since we first left the cabin." She informed him, as though something of the sort was a normal thing.

"Illusion? So all this time...." He couldn't complete his sentence, instead, he focused on Leia who had been laughing heartily this entire time.

"But isn't casting spells energy-consuming?"

Leatrix nodded, she cast a glance at the beast woman who made advances at every single man that spared her a glance. Her lips pulled back into a satisfied grin.

"As expected, they really are amazing." Her eyes held a soft gaze as she watched Kael rush over to the beast woman, pulling her away from her potential prey, causing a riot out of her.

Leo felt his chest tighten, but then again he had no heart, so what exactly was that? Why was he now warming up to the gravity user whom he first laid eyes on, on deck?

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Once they had successfully left the market, Leo believed they would stop to rest for a bit. Earlier that day, Kael had told him they were going out but never specified where.

He had been meaning to ask but didn't want to come off too strong, in the end, he still didn't know very much about them, and the nature of their work. 

"We're here!" Leia announced, pointing animatedly at the sign written in a language completely foreign to Leo.

"Where are we?" He finally chose to ask, Leia playfully slapped his back, "can't you read? We're at the traveler's tavern." She answered.

"Everyone." Leatrix suddenly announced, standing in front of them, blocking their way into the shop.

"Big sis, get out of the way already," Leia whined, bringing her lips together into a pout.

"No. Not until I've made myself clear." Leatrix swiftly interjected, with outstretched hands and a serious expression.

"Hey, what's going on here?" A worried Leo voiced out his concern because he knew nothing about this world, not even the basics to get him through everyday living. Although he didn't like it, his only choice was to stick with them for a while longer.

Leatrix glared at all three of them with serious eyes then cleared her throat, "listen up closely, our main goal of coming here is to purchase a teleportation shard. That means, we walk in and come out with that item only!" She placed heavy stress on the last word and hardened her stare on Leia, then at Kael.

They both gave her an incredulous stare, but she wasn't easily moved by their level-headed expressions. She had been on too many shopping trips, with nothing but experience to show forth.

Leo blinked twice. "A teleportation shard...you don't mean, we're going to see the King already?!" He blurted out.

Leia and Kael exchanged glances, "but of course, we don't get paid unless we complete a mission." She imposingly answered, making good use of her intimidating aura.

Satisfied with her point being sounded, Leatrix relaxed her shoulders and pulled the door open, "well then, let's go!" She charged storming into the shop, leading the way.

*Inside*

The moment they walked inside, the calm and collected Kael was the first one to part from the group. His listless gaze slightly brightened up, at the sight of cloaks, hung in a straight line.

Leia was the next one to fall, instead of fashion she rushed straight to a shelf, proving she had been there several times.

"It's here at last! The latest addition to the succubi set, Erotic allure! And it costs only two hundred gemstones! This is a steal!" She exclaimed, pressing the pink bottle against her cheek.

Kael had already tossed aside his old cloak and draped on a new one, with the same shade of brown, just with silver tassels.

Leatrix pinched her temples. "You're both hopeless."

She looked to Leo, then signaled him to follow her as she waltzed to the counter, where a young girl, no older than thirteen stood.

"Welcome, what would you like to purchase?" She courteously inquired with both hands crossed in front of her. She had twin braided brown hair and inky black eyes beady eyes, Leatrix locked her gaze on the second row on the shelf behind her.

Without looking, the young girl smiled cheerfully and said, "no need to put up your illusion magic here, I won't report you to the task officers." She said with a cheerful smile on her face.

Leia flinched, "how could you see through my spell?" She pensively asked walking forward, five potion bottles pressed against her bosom.

From where Kael stood, he tossed a death glare at her. A small magic circle encircled his palm, as he began creating one of his ice needles, starting from its sharp pointed tip.

She let out a nervous hiccup as her eyes bounced from the wall to the door, before finally settling on Leo. He passed her a reassuring smile, which was a sharp contrast to the death glares she received.

However, the longer her gaze lingered on him, she soon realized something was off about him. She blinked twice to confirm, but the horrid expression on her face didn't relax...rather it couldn't.

Leia and Leatrix exchanged confused glances with each other, then looked to Leo, wondering what about the average Joe was so frightening.

"Hey, miss are you going to keep staring at me like that or..." Right in the middle of his sentence, she cleared her throat and then turned around to take the teleportation shard off the shelf.

She placed it on the counter, "that'll be three hundred gemstones." She announced in the same cheerful voice, reverting to her unfazed self.

"Haa?! Do you think I'm kidding you? Answer the question first." Leia spat out, slapping hard on the table. The bottles in her hand dropped unceremoniously but were fortunately caught by Kael, who had his eye on her.

Leatrix swiftly picked up the stone before the woman's monstrous strength could break it.

"So you're a beast person, besides being an illusion magic user. That charm on your neck must be how you're able to blend it." The teen observed, unfazed by Leatrix's strength, instead, she asked...

"It's amazing how even with these..." She blinked thrice whilst speaking, and in seconds her eyes shifted from black to white.

"Wow, they changed color." Leo gasped, his reaction this time was shared by the other three, who by their stunned reactions had never seen anyone like this.

"Woah, what are you..." Leia was saying, till the girl sharply answered her, in a bold, unafraid voice.

"With these eyes, I can see through any deception with just a single glance. And you..." She said singling out Leo from the others, she narrowed her eyes and said...

"You're already dead." She declared, Leatrix reached for her stiletto with cautious eyes.

She had doubts at first glance but simply chalked it up as uneasiness in front of a new hire. But after she so boldly made that declaration, Leatrix's guard was placed higher than ever.

"But that's not all..." She swiftly chimed in, Leo furrowed his brows, unsure of whether he wanted to hear more.

The young lady twisted her lips, then touched the left side of her face, "it's like you're two in one...no! It's almost like this is your second time living... But you're not technically living either..." She rambled, not making much sense.

Leia sighed.

"Leave it be." She asserted with folded arms, placing a damper on the mood. "She must have seen through my spell because it was fading out, and thought to scam us with her bullshit story. That eye change must have been some cheap parlor trick to sell her scheme." The beast woman went on to say.

Leo sighed in relief, he had almost believed what the young girl was saying. Leatrix eyed her skeptically then dropped a pouch with exactly two fifty gemstones inside.

"If we land into one officer on our way back... I'll be back and bring this place to the ground. With You in it." Leatrix threatened, before turning to take her leave with the others in tow, swiftly following.

Kael placed four gemstones on the counter for his cloak, though what he had purchased was at least thrice the cost.

Once the rowdy bunch had left, the young teen snapped her finger and transformed into a full-grown adult male, with dark green hair. He swiped the pouch off the counter and then pinched his temples.

"That boy's soul... there's something off about it. I can't shake off the ominous feeling I get by just peering at the window of his gate. In all my life, I've never been locked out before, his spiritual energy is something else." He blurted out, about Leo.

With serious eyes, he said, "That guy is bad news."