Chapter 34: A Girl With Silver Hair(1)
"Red-light district? What's that?" Asta asked with innocent curiosity.
Hearing his question, David sighed, trying to figure out how to explain.
"Well… how should I put this, Asta? Imagine a place where people don't just live, but… sell, let's say, attention and care. But it's not like a market where you buy bread, and it's not like a tavern where you drink beer. It's… hmm… kind of like if a girl said to you, 'I'll show you a special kind of magic, but for a few coins.'"
"Special magic?" Asta repeated, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yeah. And the red lanterns outside? They're there to signal that they're not selling swords, armor, or magic scrolls. People go there to… relax. But not the kind of relaxation you get after lifting weights and shouting, 'One more set!' It's… different."
"Wow! Let's go check it out! I've got money!" Asta said enthusiastically, already starting to walk forward.
Suddenly, a woman's alluring voice stopped him in his tracks:
"Hey there, sweetheart. Come here…"
The voice came from behind a slightly open door, just wide enough to reveal a graceful hand gesturing him inside.
Asta froze, a silly grin spreading across his face.
"Oh, is she talking to me?" he asked loudly, feeling a little disoriented.
He was just about to step toward the voice when, like a flash of lightning, Sekre appeared right in front of him. Her wings spread wide, blocking his view, and she let out an angry caw.
"Stop, you idiot! You're not going in there!" her piercing gaze seemed to shout.
"Hey, Sekre, what's wrong?" Asta asked, trying to peek around her wing.
Sekre, her feathers slightly ruffled with embarrassment, let out another angry chirp and snapped her beak right in front of his nose. If birds could roll their eyes, she absolutely would have. Then she turned and spotted the culprit — David, who had brought Asta to this street in the first place.
Like a tiny arrow, Sekre darted toward David and viciously pecked the top of his head.
"Ow! What the hell, you crazy bird?!" David shouted, covering his head with his hands.
But Sekre wasn't done. Her chirping now sounded like a series of furious accusations:
"You're trying to ruin Asta, aren't you? What kind of ideas are in that brain of yours?! Get out of here before I rip your ears off!"
Shocked and thoroughly pecked, David stumbled backward, trying to escape her wrath. Sekre, satisfied, returned to Asta, perching firmly on his head. Her entire posture screamed, "You're not going anywhere. We're leaving, and we're leaving now!"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Asta said, raising his hands in surrender. "We're leaving. Calm down."
He decided it was better not to argue with Sekre, especially when she was flapping her wings so menacingly, as if ready to chase him out of town herself.
---
Twenty minutes later
Asta was walking along a forest path, letting Sekre guide him. To calm her down, he gently patted her head. He didn't fully understand why she was so upset, but he knew that this always worked.
At first, Sekre had hated being touched, but over time, she'd grown to enjoy it. Now, she even loved when Asta hugged or stroked her feathers—though only Asta was allowed to do this.
Suddenly, a distant sound reached Asta's ears—a noise like an explosion. He stopped, listening carefully, and turned in the direction of the sound.
"Did you hear that, Sekre?" he asked.
Sekre chirped in response, confirming that she had heard it too.
Following the sound, they soon arrived at a field littered with deep craters filled with water. The trees nearby were soaked, as if they'd been drenched by a sudden downpour.
In the middle of the field stood a girl with silver hair, breathing heavily.
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Hey, everyone! I'm in a great mood and feeling super motivated. I'm planning to release around 12–15 chapters by Monday, and I'll be giving it my absolute best!
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