“Let’s go, Nio. Today is a good day to walk around the city so I’ll show you all you need.” Reed said as he put a white laced staw hat on Nio’s head partnered with a cute fluffy sundress that reaches past her knees.

“Where are we going?” Nio asked innocently. Her words didn’t break off as usual as she showed quite a proficiency in speaking words, unlike the other day.

“We will go see various places so you can familiarize yourself with the city. I’ve done this before with Sig but that’s together with Alisa that time. Right now, it’s just the two of us.” Reed happily explains as he also dons a shoulder bag filled with their today’s necessities.

“Oh, a date!” Nio exclaimed as he clings on Reed’s arm.

“Ahaha…please don’t say that aloud when we are out. Wait, no, this is not exactly a date.” Reed hastily corrected Nio’s assumption but he himself is quite confused on what words to use.

“Reed is so gullible.” Nio said in a teasing tone.

“It’s quite frightening to see you learn so fast…especially that kind of attitude. It’s not wrong but it’s just too blunt.” Reed said as if he is admonishing Nio’s fiendish teasing.

“Hey, let’s buy some point card today! The new event released some cute units!” Nio said as she suddenly took the lead while pulling Reed’s hand.

“Yeah, but let’s be prudent with our allowance today, okay?” Reed replied to Nio. “Well, I’ll be using Nio’s financial support from Headmaster Meld so I guess it’s okay?” he said inside his mind.

After their conversation, Reed and Nio step out of the house and made their way towards the business district. For the past few days, Reed discovered something about Nio.

That is, even as someone as small as her, she is too attractive. She far outclass so many girls at her age and she doesn’t have just a charm as a child, she also has a strong charisma that Reed finds amusing. Not only that, Nio has an absurd luck with pretty much about everything.

Most importantly, Nio is slowly shedding the personality she initially showed everyone and slowly manifesting her true self. Since her vocabulary is sparse at first, she was cautious and careful with her words, however, right now, Nio is radiating some of her personality that she left unseen before.

“Are you disappointed? I’m really not that childlike now.” Nio said as she walks backward as she looks at Reed with a glee smile.

“Well, I could be more surprised but when I think about it, you are older than me.” Reed said with a wry smile.

“…I’m really going to get angry if you keep saying that I’m old!” Nio protested with a pout. “But…say…will you still like me despite that?” Nio asked Reed bluntly.

“No comment…” Reed said in a weak voice.

“Well, whatever! We are we going first?” Nio excitedly asked as she bobs her head up and down as she looks at the tall buildings and dozens of stores lined up.

“Don’t you want some clothes or toys? Maybe a place to eat first or something sweet?” Reed laid down his suggestions.

“Anything is honestly fine for me as long as we are together!” Nio happily said as she snuggles closer to Reed.

“That’s no good. You should try to think of something you wish to do, Nio! Today, let’s do things you really wanted to do.” Reed lightly scolded her.

“Uh…I see…sorry. Then, I saw in the net the other day that there’s a crepe shop here. It was my first time seeing something and I wanted to taste it.” Nio said as she pointed in one direction.

“Have you been surfing the net while I’m gone?!” Reed immediately asked with anxiousness creeping his back.

“Yes! I’ve always loved looking at foods! I even watched some anime and looked at some games!” Nio happily said with an innocent smile.

“Is that all?!” Reed followed another question.

“Yes. Is something wrong?” Nio tilted her head quizzically from Reed’s panicking countenance.

“No, not all. I see…” Reed breathed a sigh of relief.

After confirming that Nio hasn’t touched the bad part of the internet, like what Sigrun might actually do as a deed.

They make their way to buy some of the crepes at one of the famous stalls where they waited in line for ten minutes.

As soon as their turn comes, the man who is making the crepe sprouted a big smile.

“Oh, what a cute little sister you have there, bro.” said by the man who seems to be in his mid-twenties. He skillfully makes the crepe while conversing.

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“We are actually--!” Nio was about to say something. She immediately holds herself back and pauses.

“Yes, she’s still a little clingy but I can boast that she is the cutest around.” Reed said as she patted Nio’s head as a sign of affection and praise for controlling herself from saying anything unnecessary.

“Ahahaha! A little cheeky there for having the cutest one around, huh? Well, your lil’ girl definitely stands up with that cutest thing. Say, how bout a lil’ discount for your lil’ sister? She’s a cute lil button after all. Half the price.” The man offered with a joyous smile.

“Ah, really? Thank you. Then, I’ll get the mango and my little sister will get the strawberry.” Reed told the man his order.

“Aight, coming up!” Replied by the man as he deftly does his job.

Their crepe was made immediately and was carefully wrapped in a paper towel. The man said his goodbye to the two of them.

Reed and Nio went to the nearby park with a lot of benches and a dazzling water fountain at the middle and large trees giving a comfortable shade.

They sat together, side-by-side and started eating their crepe.

“Ehehehe!~” Nio giggled while leaning her head on Reed.

“Hmm? You looked so happy, is it tasty?” Reed took noticed of Nio’s elated mood.

“I was called cute a lot of times that I feel a little embarrassed now but at the same time, it’s quite an uplifting word. It is especially good when you are the one who called me that.” Nio bashfully said as she hides behind Reed’s arm to prevent him from seeing her reddened cheeks.

“Ahahaha, what are you saying now? You’ve always been cute.” Reed reassured her.

“No…that’s not a compliment you can easily come across back at the sacred mountain. We are dragons after all and all we can do is fight for food or fight for territory.” Nio said with a voice indicating nostalgia.

“Don’t dragons have a concept of beauty?” Reed threw a pretty lighthearted question.

“Hmm? I’d say…no? In our race, I’m pretty much young so I don’t have any specific knowledge about it. That’s why, although a little bit awkward, the sense of being praised comes naturally at me like happiness in form of words. Especially after seeing so much in the net lately.” Nio said those words sincerely as she started nibbling at her crepe again.

“Is that so? Then, starting today, even tomorrow, even the day after tomorrow, as long as we are together, I will always compliment you as long as you stay as a good girl.” Reed said as he looks straight into Nio’s eyes.

“Ahh!!” Nio covered her face with the crepe and started pounding Reed with her hand in her embarrassment.

“Ah, stop it please!” Reed pleaded with a troubled smile.

“You’re treating me like a child!” Nio cried out as she continued her strengthless attack.

“Do you prefer if I call you something befitting of someone older?!” Reed tried to rephrase his words with an appeal but Nio’s attack didn’t cease.

“Don’t call me old!” Nio once again said.

“Which one…?” Reed asked with a dry laugh as he playfully blocks Nio’s attacks.

After Nio satisfied herself from hitting Reed and stopping their banter, Reed looks at Nio curiously as she looks back at him with a confused countenance.

“You are quite gung-ho with your age, huh.” Reed said with a gentle smile floated on his lips.

“Gung-ho? What…does that mean?” Nio pointed out a word she doesn’t understand. After all, Nio just only learned the basics of vocabulary for everyday use. Complicated words are still unexplored.

“It means you are like fixated on it of hung up on it.” Reed explained in lay man’s term.

“Is that so? Well, because…I heard from father that human dies early than any other races and you are a human. As much as possible, I don’t want my age to be brought up because it reminds me that…you have a shorter lifespan. When that thought crosses my mind, I feel a little lonely.” Nio confessed her thoughts about it.

“I see, you are definitely a good girl.” Reed told her as he looked up at the sky.

“I also get angry because of your lack of delicacy!” Nio added with a furious tone.

“Ahahaha! I’m sorry! That won’t happen again. You girls, whatever the race you are from, are always odd about the simplest thing.” Reed once again threw a curveball.

“I hope you know what you are saying…” Nio said with a crestfallen voice towards the dense man in front of her.

“Nio, stop sulking. We still have a lot to do so cheer up! I’ll take you anywhere so let’s go! You have me for the whole day after all.” Reed said as he outstretches his arm towards Nio with his hand beckoning her.

“I have you…for the whole day…” Nio repeated those words that seem coated with sugar and honey.

Her excitement once again shot up and her joyous mood returned. Before sulking, there are a lot of things that caught her attention earlier and wanted to sate that curiosity of hers. The feeling of exploring something new rages stronger than her sulking mood earlier so she took Reed’s hand sprouted a wry heartfelt smile once again.

“Where should we go next?~” Nio said those words mixed with a hum.

“Say, how about we ride a train? Let’s go to the next district with a lot of stores. After that, in the same district, they have a lot of baths. That’s right, let’s buy some clothes before going to one.” Reed suggested to Nio who opened her eyes in sheer curiosity.

“That, that, let’s go! I saw something about the train on the net yesterday too so I badly want to ride one!” Nio excitedly jumps.

“Ahahaha, sure enough, she’s pretty much a child. Nothing really changed about her in the end and she is as curious and active as one. She still even gets jumpy with every new idea.” Reed said inwardly as he savors Nio’s innocent smile.

Reed and Nio proceeded to their next destination while stopping over some stores as a detour.

Sometime later…

“Ah, wow! It’s moving! It’s fast! The houses are like moving! Hey, Reed, look!” Nio tugs on Reed’s clothes as she watches the scenery outside the moving train. She is deeply engrossed on the trip that she didn’t notice the people around her smiling warmly at the sight of her.

A woman standing in front of Reed smiled at Nio.

“Ahahaha, I’m sorry about her. Here, please take this seat.” Reed tried to offer her his seat, however…

“Please don’t mind me. I’m not that frail and besides, your sister might not like it if you are away from her. Thanks for being a gentleman though.” The woman said sincerely.

“Such a dignified person. Once again, I’m really sorry for all the ruckus my little sister is causing.” Reed once again apologizes not only to the woman but to the other passengers too.

“No, no, on the contrary, it’s quite a sight for sore eyes. You are blessed with a cute and adorable little sister, young man.” An old man said with a wry smile. “It reminds me of my daughter when she was young. Now, she is all grown up now and married.” The old man added with a sigh.

The other passengers nodded in confirmation as Reed looks at them one by one. Reed could only laugh lightly at the situation as the other passengers warmly watch Nio tugging on Reed’s clothes.

Shortly, they arrived at a station but it was not their stop.

A group of thug entered.