บท 138: The City Awaits

While Damien had been lost in thought, the conversation had moved forward without him.

"Oh, uh, right. Shopping for ingredients," Damien said, catching up.

"The story is that we're short on some supplies and needed the two of you to make an urgent purchase," Theo explained.

It felt like an unnecessary level of detail, but Damien realized having a plausible cover story was probably wise. He nodded his head in agreement.

"Both of you, do everything in your power to avoid drawing attention to yourselves," Theo added, his gaze sharp. "Especially you, Teacher. If anyone recognizes you, it could cause big trouble."

"I understand," Elyon replied, though his confidence seemed to waver.

Elyon, looking unusually pale, gave a stiff nod. Damien couldn't help but wonder if his reluctance stemmed from some bad experience in the past.