The Flying Emporium

Despite Severin’s head start, Magda reached the outside at basically the same time as him. It wasn’t hard to figure that she could’ve easily stopped him at any point along his escape. In the past, she must’ve been an accomplished adventurer, after all, and even if that life lay behind her, her class and her levels stayed with her even now. He never really stood a chance.

The conditions they were in emphasized this even more. While Severin was heaving and had to support himself, the woman stood there relaxed, not even breathing hard. Then again, even Emily, who had been dragged along the first half of the way, was in better shape than her boss when she caught up with the two only moments later.

Severin was aware of all this, but at the moment he hadn’t thought things through. He simply started running. Still, it was a success insofar as that he immediately felt relieved once and had left the ‘enemy’s territory’ and caught some fresh air.

Also, if Magda would insist on questioning him, he decided he would simply stonewall her. There was nothing she could do about it if she didn’t want risking souring their relationship.

Right at this moment, however, she didn’t intend to press Severin for an explanation for his’ and Emily’s strange behavior, anyway. She was more interested in the people heading towards them than the question of how the people to her side knew about them. In reality, even as a knowledgeable member and rank promoter of the Adventurer’s Society, even she didn’t know every existing class; much less every existing skill. In such a world, Emily’s previous blunder wasn’t nearly as suspicious and as big of a deal as Severin made it out to be. If anything, his own behavior might’ve made the situation worse, drawing unnecessary suspicions to the matter. If Magda would prove to show an excessive amount of interest in the matter later on, it would, for the most part, be because of his overreaction. Either way, now was not the time. People headed towards them.

After having had no luck entering the main store, the new arrivals had decided to try their luck at the building next door. Though it wasn’t visibly advertised as a kitchen, the tables and chairs placed in its direct vicinity made it easy enough for anyone to guess that the building was also part of the so-called Emporium. If they didn’t already know that beforehand, that was.

Only when they found themselves once again standing in front of closed doors, they finally headed for the universally recognizable building with the large green windows.

It was at this point that the three people burst out of said building.

Seeing two people next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, dressed in the same tight-fitting uniforms, walking towards them, Severin determined that he indeed had never seen them before. He was confident in this evaluation, even at this distance.

They didn’t wear any discernable badges, either, and their flying artifact, which might’ve given something away regarding their identities, had apparently already been unsummoned as well. Still, Severin had his suspicions.

At the same time, Severin became aware of his pathetic display. He took a few deep breaths, straightened up, and let go of the wall he used to support himself. He was still exhausted, but decided he should approach them to meet them halfway in a show of respect and goodwill. Especially since it wasn’t even his own shop he was standing in front of right now, to begin with.

Em and Magda, without saying a word-though for different reasons-also came along.

The distance between the two parties quickly closed, but when they were still ten meters or so apart from each other, the uniformed arrivals suddenly stopped.

The man on the left raised his right hand; as a greeting, but also as a way to ask Severin and Co. to also halt their steps.

Virtually at the same time, the other person, a surprisingly tall woman, took the initiative and addressed Severin specifically.

“Are you the owner of this establishment? Severin?” Her voice was loud and clear, and the question somehow sounded surprisingly respectful, considering the fact she didn’t even bother to introduce herself.

This fact served as one of the reasons Severin decided to refrain from going through the whole ‘Who wants to know that?’-spiel.

The other reason was the suspicious glances the woman and her male partner shot towards Magda and the Society’s branch behind her. It appeared as if those two were unexpected factors, while Severin and his assistant obviously weren’t. In combination with the timing of their arrival and the fact they wore uniforms-uniforms that weren’t green- Severin felt his previous guess regarding their identity confirmed. Therefore, he didn’t hesitate and directly answered the woman.

“Yes. That’s me.”

As if his answer was a direct command, the man and the woman, who still stood shoulder to shoulder, simultaneously took a step to the side. Revealing a third person behind them.

Severin was naturally already aware of their presence, thanks to his map, but that didn’t mean he was any less surprised when the small figure was revealed.

Just for a split-second, Severin wanted to complain. He had asked only for one thing: no more children.

‘Maybe those aren’t Markus’…’

Then immediately he realized, ‘That’s not a child. It’s a…!’

His mind went blank.

The revelation of Samuel being a half-giant had done little to Severin. The [Berserker] simply was larger and more muscular than regular people. Much larger, admittedly, but still.

This person in front of him, however, who barely reached above his navel…

Something was different. In Severin’s mind, that person wasn’t just smaller.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the long, stereotypical beard framing the face that clearly belonged to a person much older than himself, but right now, he truly felt like he stood before a character out of one of his fantasy books.

“Never seen a dwarf before?” The deep voice sounded amused.

Severin silently shook his head in admittance.

Then he snapped out of it.

The dwarf was just two meters away from him now, but Severin had been too absorbed to realize.

He knew he must’ve been staring. Knew he had been rude.

“I’m Severin,” he said as he hurriedly closed the distance between them and reached out his hand.

Then, thinking that the guests had already known that much, and that maybe an apology, or basically any other response would’ve been better, he felt his head becoming hot.

Luckily, the man didn’t leave him hanging, and though he didn’t reveal his own name in return, he grasped Severin’s hand.

“Pleasure meeting you.”