Klein stepped down from the plane, the cool evening air of Crownfall greeting him as he walked through the bustling airport terminal.

The capital of the Human Domain, Crownfall, was busy as always.

The city outside the airport was a sprawling metropolis of towering buildings and the constant flow of people and vehicles.

He hailed a taxi outside the terminal and the driver nodded as he gave the address of an inn in the mid-tier district.

Klein watched the city pass by and the taxi stopped in front of a quiet inn.

He paid the driver and stepped inside, the bell above the door ringing softly as he entered.

The old innkeeper greeted him warmly "Welcome. Single room for the night?"

He paid for four nights in advance without hesitation, taking the key as the innkeeper slid it across the counter.

"Second floor, last room on the right."

Klein nodded again and headed upstairs.

Entering his room, he let out a soft sigh ’First, I need to find this black market.’

---

But after three days of investigation and searching in the capital, he got no leads.

Klein sat on the edge of the bed in his small inn room as he stared at the map spread out on the desk.

Three days of wandering the underground districts, visiting shady places, and discreetly asking questions yielded nothing but dead ends and suspicious glances.

No one was willing to talk openly, and those who did only gave vague rumors or outright lies.

Klein let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

He stood up, walking to the window as he looked out at the sprawling city ’If I keep pushing like this, I might attract the wrong attention. I need a different approach.’

Taking his mobile, he looked at the time ’Let’s go eat.’

He then went to eat in the hotel he was staying at and the dining area on the ground floor was quiet and dimly lit with soft overhead lights.

The aroma of warm food filled the air as a few guests sat at scattered tables, enjoying their meals in relative silence.

As he looked at the room for an empty table, his gaze landed on a woman sitting alone near the corner.

She was a mature woman with brown hair tied in a simple ponytail and dressed in casual clothes that blended in with the crowd.

Nothing about her stood out at first glance.

But Klein stopped in his tracks and his eyes narrowed slightly.

’Cursed energy... from her?’

He was surprised and went to sit with her on the same table, pulling out the chair opposite her.

The woman looked up at him with an almost indifferent expression.

Klein offered a small, polite smile as he sat down "Mind if I join you? The place is a bit crowded tonight."

The woman looked at him for a moment, "Go ahead."

Klein sat there and ordered the food "I will have the same as what this beautiful lady is having."

The woman glanced up at him and frowned slightly.

He glanced at her for a moment ’I am not letting go of the only clue I got after three days.’

He decided to start the conversation lightly, "You’re here for business? Or just passing through the capital?"

The woman took a sip of her drink, her brown eyes flicking to him briefly before returning to her plate.

"Business. You?"

Klein smiled faintly, "Same. The capital is full of opportunities."

"Mhm." She nodded and went quiet.

-_- Seeing this, Klein sighed in his heart ’Should I try flirting with her?’

"You don’t seem surprised that a stranger just sat down at your table," he said in a light tone.

The woman picked up her glass, taking a small sip before placing it back down.

"Should I be?" she asked in a calm voice carrying that same indifferent tone as before.

Klein smiled faintly at that, tilting his head just slightly as he looked at her.

"Most people would at least question it, or assume I have some kind of ulterior motive."

"Which, to be fair, wouldn’t be entirely wrong."

Her eyes shifted toward him again, this time holding his gaze for a second longer.

"And what motive would that be?" she asked.

Klein let out a quiet breath and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Well," he said, leaning forward just a little, resting his elbow lightly on the table, "I did say the place was crowded..."

His gaze lingered on her, not in a way that was overly bold, but just enough to be intentional.

"...but I could’ve chosen any other table."

"Yet I picked yours."

Realizing the meaning behind his words, the woman’s brows drew together faintly, as she wasn’t sure whether he was being serious or just playing around.

"You’re quite direct," she said.

Klein shrugged lightly, "I find it saves time."

The woman set his fork down and looked at him "I am married."

Keeping the smile on his face, he replied "Happily?"

The woman was dumbfounded by the question and a quiet laugh escaped her lips without even realizing it.

She pointed her fork at him "Don’t bite off more than you can chew, young man."

With a shrug, he replied, "It doesn’t hurt to try it once."

The server returned briefly, placing the food down in front of them before stepping away again.

Klein glanced at the plate for a moment, then back at her "I’ll trust your taste. Seems like a safe choice."

She let out a faint laugh "You don’t even know what I ordered,"

Klein picked up the fork, glancing down briefly before answering "Then I guess I’ll find out."

A short pause followed as he spoke "Besides... I already made one good choice tonight."

Her gaze stayed on him again.

There was still that faint trace of annoyance in her expression, but it had shifted slightly now, mixed with something harder to define.

’I thought this young gun had ill intentions towards me and he is only F rank. But seems like he is just a naive youngman trying to hit on ladies.’

A quiet breath escaped her as she set her fork down "Young man, your flirtations don’t work on me."

"You should try it on girls your age. They might fall for you."

Smiling, he replied "You look very young to me, Miss."

The woman stared at him for a second, shaking her head slightly "Such flattery won’t work on me."

Klein blinked slighty "Hm? I’m not saying it to flatter you... It’s true that you look young and beautiful, Miss."

Her fingers stilled slightly against the table seeing the honesty in his eyes.

’Haa... what the hell am I doing? Even reacting to a young man’s compliments.’

Then, as if deciding something, she stood up "It was a pleasure having a meal with you..."

With that, she left the place.

Klein watched her go for a brief moment and then he looked back down at his food

’Did I make her mad? Well anyway, I will just try to get more clues from her for the time being.’

---

It was already night

Klein teleported back to the Spirit Realm, feeling the familiar shift of energy wrapping around him as he appeared inside Orpheus’s wooden house.

The space was quiet but Orpheus was nowhere to be seen.

He stepped out of the house and walked a short distance and saw her sitting on the grass with an elf woman beside her.

The woman had long, pointed ears, silver hair, and bright green eyes, her slender figure dressed in simple robes.

Huh...

Klein felt a sudden feeling in his blood as he looked atthe elf woman ’What is this...’

His heartbeat quickened as he walked closer to them as a familiar pull tugged at his chest.

Orpheus noticed him and a warm smile appeared on her lips as she turned to look at him.

"Klein. You’re back... She is the one I was talking about."

The elf woman turned as well; with curious eyes as she looked at him.

As Klein locked eyes with her, his gaze shrank in shock.

"...Aeloria?"