The dirt path opened into a clearing where the village came into view before Charles and Nora.

The houses, all wooden, had slanted roofs and small windows that reflected the light of the descending sun.

Electric poles stood at regular intervals, their wires swaying gently in the breeze.

The air smelled of fresh wood and something sweet—maybe freshly baked bread.

But what caught Charles's attention most were the women.

There were many, walking along the dirt streets, almost all holding small children in their arms or by the hand.

Some babies were crying, others laughing, their voices filling the air with a constant buzz.

The few men Charles saw stood still as statues, dressed in black tunics that made them look like guards or police.

Their faces were stern, their eyes scanning the village intently.

Charles noticed they wore belts with daggers and small devices he couldn't identify.

One of them, a tall man with short brown hair, spotted them approaching.

His eyes narrowed as they fixed on Charles, and without hesitation, he strode toward them with firm steps.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked, his tone curt and authoritative.

His hand rested near the dagger on his belt, though he made no move to draw it.

Nora, walking beside Charles in her black Master-rank tunic, raised a hand with a carefree smile.

"Relax, we're just here to buy ice cream," she said, her tone so casual it could've been about the weather.

Charles blinked, caught off guard.

'Ice cream? Seriously?' he thought, feeling a mix of disbelief and amusement.

It was the second time today Nora had used a ridiculous excuse to get him out of a jam.

He looked at the guard, expecting a laugh or a challenge, but to his surprise, the man simply nodded.

"The ice cream shop moved," the guard explained, pointing to a street on the right. "It's not in the central square anymore. Go that way, turn left at the third corner, and you'll find it. It's a shop with a red sign."

Nora tilted her head, still smiling.

"Thanks, you're a gem," she said, her tone bordering on sarcastic but still friendly.

Then, as if it had just occurred to her, she added, "Oh, by the way, know any shops around here selling lanterns?"

The guard looked at her for a moment, clearly puzzled by the question, but answered without hesitation.

"Yeah, there's one right next to the ice cream shop. They sell lanterns, batteries, and other useful stuff. Ask for Lila, she'll help you out."

"Perfect, thanks again," Nora said, stepping forward and motioning for Charles to follow. "Come on, Rian, we don't have all day."

Charles followed, still processing what just happened.

As they walked down the dirt street, the noise of children echoing around them, he leaned closer to Nora and lowered his voice.

"I don't get how your excuses work," he muttered, his tone a mix of admiration and exasperation. "Ice cream? Really? And the guy just buys it?"

Nora let out a low laugh, turning her head to look at him.

Her gray eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Unlike you, Rian, I've got permission to be around here and do what I want," she said, her tone smug. "As long as I don't break any rules, of course. The guards don't mess with me because they know who I am."

Charles frowned, a twinge of irritation hitting him.

"Rules? What rules?" he asked, his tone curious but a bit annoyed.

He was about to press further, but he noticed Nora's smile fade.

Her eyes drifted to a woman passing by with a small child wailing at the top of his lungs.

The sound was shrill, almost deafening, and Nora grimaced, as if it gave her a headache.

"You hate kids or what?" Charles asked, raising an eyebrow.

He couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.

Nora shot him a look, her expression half annoyance, half amusement.

"And you don't?" she retorted dryly. "That noise is unbearable. How do you deal with it?"

Charles shrugged, still smirking.

"Dunno, guess I can handle them," he said, his tone nonchalant. "They're not that bad. Just… being kids."

Nora rolled her eyes but didn't reply.

Instead, she picked up the pace, leading him down the street the guard had pointed out.

After turning at the third corner, they reached a small shop with a bright red sign that read: "Lila's Ice Cream."

The place had a wooden counter out front, with a young girl behind it, wiping down an ice cream tub with a rag.

She looked up as they approached, a friendly smile spreading across her face.

"Welcome!" she said, setting the rag aside. "What do you want today?"

Nora stepped up to the counter, resting a hand on it.

"Hey, Rian," she said, turning to Charles with a mischievous grin. "What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Come on, surprise me."

Charles blinked, a bit thrown off by the question.

He wasn't sure if Nora was joking or genuinely curious.

"Uh… chocolate's fine," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Nora let out a short laugh, clearly disappointed.

"Chocolate? Seriously?" she said, crossing her arms. "By the gods, Rian, you're so basic."

Charles raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Hey, chocolate's a classic for a reason," he shot back, his tone defensive but playful.

Nora rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't fade.

She turned to the girl at the counter.

"Alright, give me a big tub of chocolate ice cream for this boring guy," she said, jerking her thumb at Charles. "And for me, a big one of mint."

The girl nodded, disappearing behind the counter to prepare the orders.

Charles stepped closer to Nora, still wearing a crooked grin.

"Mint? Really?" he said, mimicking her earlier tone. "That's almost as basic as chocolate."

Nora gave him a light elbow nudge, laughing.

"Shut up," she said, her tone mock-annoyed. "Mint's refreshing, classy. Not like your caveman choice."

Before Charles could reply, the girl returned with two large plastic tubs of ice cream.

One was filled with dark, creamy chocolate, the other a vibrant green that smelled of fresh mint.

What really shocked Charles was the size.

Each tub was massive, enough to feed five people.

"What the hell, Nora?" he said, eyes wide as he stared at the tubs. "This is for just the two of us? That's… insane."

Nora laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction.

"Don't worry, Rian," she said, her tone teasing. "If you can't handle yours, I'll take care of it. Come on, grab yours."

Charles gave a quick nod to the girl at the counter, who returned a shy smile, before taking the chocolate tub.

It was heavy, and the cold plastic numbed his fingers.

Meanwhile, Nora signed a slip the girl handed her, probably a receipt or something, and tucked her mint tub under her arm.

"Thanks, Lila," Nora said warmly. "See you next time."

The girl, Lila, nodded.

"Come back soon," she said, returning to cleaning the counter.

Charles and Nora left the shop, walking back onto the dirt street.

Nora seemed in a great mood, humming a tune as she held her ice cream tub.

Charles, on the other hand, eyed his with a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Hey, Nora," he said, holding up the chocolate tub. "You really think we can eat all this? We're gonna end up with diabetes or something."

Nora burst out laughing, turning to look at him.

"Relax, Rian," she said, her tone a mix of amusement and nonchalance. "No way something like this could hurt us. Besides, what the heck is diabetes?"

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