The streets of the Outskirts were as Arcturus had seen it before, but the only difference now was the amount of people wandering around. It did seem a lot livelier compared to the empty streets before and he preferred it that way. He wasn’t sure how many people were out and about, but he was rather amazed that there were many opposers of the government; they all ranged from young adults to elderly; he was also surprised to see several children running about with their parents.

Like his previous venture through the streets, he couldn’t help but to stare at the large metal wall barricading them. Murphy said that the metal wall just appeared overnight when the opposers were taken here.

Souhait hummed. Really?

I put two and two together. Walls of that size, length and caliber don't just appear overnight. They take years to be built. If it just appeared all of a sudden, then it must be the work of the Invader.

Do you think so?

The only power that I know of that can grant something instantaneously without hard work is the power of wishes. I don’t know what sort of power this Invader has, but it’s one that breaks all the rules of this world. If my hunch is correct, that means the Invader lies beyond those walls.

What if she is not on this island?

Then we look for her, obviously.

Murphy called out to Arcturus, to which he approached him. They were in a shabby vendor with a sign that read “COFFEE”. An elderly man greeted them. Murphy asked for two coffees as he handed him a rusty coin. Arcturus was amazed that the barista accepted one coin for two cups of coffee.

As they were waiting, Arcturus scanned his surroundings. Some people that were passing by him glanced at him, but darted their eyes away when he made eye contact. He knew he stood out with his bright scarlet hair and tall height. Ilacian men were known for being short and the women tall. He didn’t look like a woman due to his body structure. He just hoped no one would approach him to question him; he wouldn’t know what to do if he was deemed suspicious.

Relax. Since these people oppose the government, they most likely will not hand you over to the soldiers.

Easier said than done!

“Here’s your coffee, Murphy.”

“Thank you.”

The barista hummed as he stared intensely at Arcturus; the way his blue eyes were staring into his brown ones got him anxious. “You’re new around here?”

“Y-yes!”

“You don’t look like a Shiftie despite your earring. Where did you come from?”

Arcturus started panicking; he babbled before producing articulate words. “Well…”

Murphy cut in. “I found him floating in the water hanging on to a plank of wood for dear life on my fishing expedition a few days ago. Poor thing was shivering and almost froze to death.”

Alright, he is vouching for us. Try to come up with a fake name and story!

I can’t just come up with one on the spot!

Murphy continued, “He was unconscious for a while, but he just recovered yesterday!”

“Is that so?” He looked at Arcturus. “What’s your name, lad?”

Think of a name, quick!

“P-Percival Scarlet.”

“Percival? That’s quite a name. Why were you floating in the water? The waters in this area are extremely cold.”

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“I was…trying to see if the Despair Emerald Whale existed! I’m a traveling scholar researching the legends of the world. The last thing I remembered was being on a boat but then everything became blank. I woke up and found myself in this foreign land. The crew I was with seems to be nowhere in sight. I hope they’re all doing okay…”

Will this work?

The barista hummed. “Is that so? That’s rough, especially since you’re essentially stuck here now. Anyhow, I hope my coffee makes you feel better.”

Arcturus took a sip in order to wash away his nervousness. His eyes widened. It was the best tasting coffee he had ever had. Even the most expensive cafes in the bustling downtown of Lamina paled in comparison.

The barista chuckled with confidence. “I’ve traveled all sorts of places when I was your age, so I’ve perfected this coffee brewing recipe for seventy-five years. Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it.”

He then handed Arcturus a small scrap of paper. “Here you go. It’s my recipe.”

Baffled, Arcturus received it. “Are you sure you want me to have it?”

“I give it out to everyone who drinks my coffee. What’s the use of having a recipe if you cannot share it with others?”

He is right. Besides, that coffee tasted great even for someone who does not like coffee in particular–like me.

Wait, you can taste the coffee?

Because I am connected into your mind, I can sense anything you touch, smell, taste, feel and see.

Fascinating…

“Be careful out there, lad. Being on this isolated island does more harm than good for outsiders.”

His words felt very ominous to him, so he kept his guard up. He thanked him for the coffee and then walked off with Murphy. He took another sip; the taste was addicting.

Murphy chuckled. “I brought you there because his coffee tastes the best.”

“It really does taste amazing. I can’t believe such quality stuff has been hidden away in an isolated area for so long. What a waste.”

“There’s a reason why he passes his recipe to others just so they can preserve his legacy.”

Arcturus let out a bittersweet smile. It really was a waste to have such good coffee hidden away in an isolated land, but he also felt bad for the barista who had to be stuck here for twenty years without a way out. He put the recipe into his satchel and then patted it as a sign of reassurance. The two continued their venture through the Outskirts. He was surprised at how harmonious the city was despite being isolated from the rest of the city. They all seemed happy; he could see it on the people’s faces.

What surprised him the most was the fact that nobody gave him a second glance. While he stood out due to his height and hair, people just glanced at him and then minded their own business. Was it because he was next to Murphy, another foreigner? Was it because people assumed him to be a Shiftie due to the earring? Did they overhear his lies? Whatever their assumptions of him may be, the feeling of not being the talk of the town felt peaceful. He was glad he was able to roam around town without being too mindful of others’ gazes. He was still Arcturus Mercury, but, for now, he was Percival Scarlet–his scarlet guise.

What he also noticed was that other than Murphy and Sophia, there weren’t many foreigners. He mainly saw Ilacians. Older ones were more common than younger ones. In fact, he only saw five kids roaming about.

There were a lot of vendors and small stores from produce to clothes. They practically had everything a regular town or city would have, but in smaller locations. Murphy pointed at a small store in the corner of an intersection. “Over there is a stationery store. You can buy a new journal there.”

On his way there, a vendor selling hair accessories caught Arcturus’s attention. The elderly lady was selling beautiful hair accessories. One hair clip caught his attention. It was a large purple hair clip ordained with lavender aster flowers; it had reminded him of Nova’s Realm of Desires. Since he recalled Nova losing his previous hair clip when he had bathed him, he believes it would be great if he had gotten a new one.

Nova’s hair is beautiful, so I think this will suit him.

Nova is not the type to care too much about his appearance. He even keeps his hair at his current length because it is less maintenance for him. However, I am sure that he will cherish that hair clip forever if you buy it for him. Souhait sounded rather happy.

He then noticed a steel comb ordained with small blue flowers. He thought about how long Souhait’s hair was and the thought of him using a pretty comb to brush and decorate his hair was a nice imagery. He became flustered when he remembered Souhait could hear his thoughts. He could hear him chuckling.

You really think that comb will look good on me? From the annoying tone, Arcturus could tell Souhait was having fun teasing him.

T-think of it as a thank-you present of sorts.

Thanks.

He managed to snag a good deal by exchanging the empty jar he had with him for the hair clip and comb.