Night had already spread its veil on the west by the time Dante reached his destination. The big cities would reveal their true colors just as the suns retreat, but the same couldn’t be said about the smaller ones. Those usually had far too small a population to keep things bright, so it was a little surprising to see how lively things were upon his arrival.

The drop point for his last delivery was in a small fishing town on the shoreline of Riovanta, named Costa Serena. Dante had expected it to be a calm place that would help with the storm raging in his mind, but contrary to its name, the town was ablaze with the colors of a rowdy festival.

[It is the Rio Carnival.] Volcan said, having noticed his confusion. [A five-day event that celebrates the arrival of summer.]

’I see...’

Dante had no idea when he decided to make the town his last stop, but he didn’t hate the idea.

’A festival, huh? Sounds great.’

Once Spatial Awareness was done, adding details to his 3D Model, Dante checked the warehouse where he’s supposed to leave the goods, confirming that the client had followed his instructions before opening a portal inside. Soon after, drones came out of it, carrying large crates and stacking them at the center of the warehouse.

Each of the crates contained weapons and ammunition. Though the client preferred to remain anonymous, it wasn’t that hard to figure out they were related to the rebellion army hiding somewhere to the west. Dante wasn’t interested in the conflict ravaging Riovanta, so he didn’t bother overthinking this job.

-Yeah, just don’t think about it.-

-Who cares how many get killed?-

-It’s not your problem.-

The drones soon finished their work. The portal was closed, and the client was informed. With that done, Dante was finally free.

’A break, huh?’ he thought, gazing at the town in the distance. ’Guess it wouldn’t hurt...’

Turning in the opposite direction, Dante stared at the silver moon glowing in the distance. His gaze then fell to its reflection on the boundless mirror below. Losing himself to the sound created by its shifting surface, he continued to stare, his mind growing quiet with each passing second.

~[ ]~

Teleporting into an empty alley, he dismissed 8-6 and equipped a jacket with a good hood to cover his head and walked out. Dante had considered wearing his oni mask instead, but that would have made the trip pointless, especially since he planned on trying the local food.

His choice was proven right soon after as a fragrant scent from a nearby stall caught his attention. The vendor was fanning the grills lined with what looked like skewered shrimp. Just looking at them tickled Dante’s appetite, and so he didn’t hesitate to walk over and get some. No sooner did he get some of it into his mouth than a dam was broken, and a wave of unrestrained hunger washed over him.

It occurred to him just then that he hadn’t eaten anything in the last few days. His NutrimaCore had allowed him to keep going despite coffee and beer being the only things he had consumed, but its reserves were already running out.

Suddenly regaining his appetite, Dante moved from one stall to the other, ordering everything that caught his attention. Being a coastal city, seafood played a big role in its cuisine. Everything had some fish in it, but shrimp seemed to be used more often than the rest.

[Pastel de camarão.]

[Bolinho de camarão.]

[Camarão empanado.]

[Arroz de camarão.]

Volcan took it upon himself to name each of the dishes as Dante ordered them. Since he understood the local language perfectly, Dante tasked him with translating everything he said, using his Voxcore to make it seem as if he could speak it. The fluency of the output allowed him to blend in, drawing less attention than the other tourists. It also put the vendors at ease, though some seemed a little wary of him because of it.

[Camarão no espeto.]

’Another shrimp dish?’

Dante was starting to wonder if he had travelled to Shrimp Town without realizing it. Not that it was much of a problem—people wouldn’t be lining up in front of this stall otherwise. Waiting for his turn to order, Dante looked around and observed the festivities.

Not a single neon sign was in sight, yet the place was more colorful than Neo-Vatra. Everything from the decorations to the clothes people wore somehow made the place look vibrant. Unlike the concrete jungles he was used to, the small fishing town lacked the gloom that always persisted in the background, casting a gray filter on everything.

-They sure smile a lot.-

Dante took a step as the line finally moved. It wasn’t that the stall was slow at serving its customers. A group of three had just cut the line, going straight to the front and causing the delay. Dante had noticed them at the edge of his Absolute Awareness, but chose to say nothing since he was still at the back. Going by the uniforms they wore, they seemed to be security personnel working for one of the big corpos exploiting the country’s resources.

-You’re gonna let them leave just like that?-’

As he followed the arrogant fools with his eyes, Dante happened to catch sight of a young woman. Going by her clothes and the flower basket in her hand, she was clearly one of the locals selling those colorful garlands to tourists. He had successfully avoided a few since his arrival, but it seems his luck had run out as she locked eyes with him before he could look away.

"Hey, mister with the hood!" She called, waving at him from where she stood.

Dante’s first reaction was to ignore her, but the girl didn’t seem to get the hint, walking over with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, hey, mister! I haven’t seen you around before. Are you a tourist?"