As the proud morning sun rose to once again watch over the lands beneath, its golden rays illuminated the world, washing away the biting darkness of the night and touching upon the eyelids of two young adventurers who were sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags.
Seira thought that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, however, not only did she sleep, but she slept even better than Shye did.
What a wonderful coping mechanism.
Woken up by the sunlight, Shye and Seira groggily sat up—Shye yawned, still yearning for a few more minutes of sleep while Seira had a smile on her face as though nothing happened yesterday.
A few moments later though, as memories came flooding back, the smile on Seira's face vanished.
The world isn't as colorful as it used to be.
She was glad that she witnessed this side of humans though, otherwise, she would probably have died without knowing why had she maintained her previous naivety.
Surprisingly though, she retained the core of her identity—friendliness, unlike most people after going through some sort of trauma.
While she would now exercise caution in trusting others hastily, she remained open to forming new friendships and unafraid of approaching unfamiliar individuals—not in the least.
She was a bit afraid of Shye right now though, and Shye knew it as well.
Hence, he made an active effort to at least reduce the fear gripping her heart.
"Hey, are you scared of your boss big brother? Hmmph! You should be as I can whoop your ass anytime I want!" Shye taunted—first thing in the morning.
"W-Wha? Who's scared of you?! W-Whoop my ass? Are you a filthy pervert like Arden?!" Seira retorted, crossing her arms over her bountiful bosom.
"S-SHHH!! Quiet, you stupid little...That's not what I meant!"
...
The two of them once again argued like idiots for a few exchanges before stopping.
Realizing that the slight barrier made of fear had already dissolved, both of them felt happy—albeit secretly.
By now, if she couldn't recognize that Shye was someone special, then her mind must surely be overrun with flies!
As the two of them walked along a common path, Shye suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, Seira, have you heard of the auction in Blackburrow City?" He curiously inquired.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, why? Will you attend?"
"Yeah, do you know the auction's exact date and time?"
"Heh! Who do you think I am? Of course, I know! It's exactly 15 days from now and will start at exactly 10 in the morning. However, White Clover Auction House would sell passes the day before and you must purchase one if you want to attend."
"Oh, I see, how did you know all this? You're quite formidable, Seira!" Shye flattered, prompting Seira's ears to clap in glee and her nose to point skywards.
Hearing Shye's praises absolutely pleased her, almost washing away the fear and wariness in her heart.
"Hahahaha! You have eyes, Boss Big Brother! You have eyes! I, Seira, am indeed good at gathering information! As long as it's within a few cities away from Balkrow, you can count on me! Nyahahaha!"
Seeing how pleased she was, Shye almost laughed out loud.
Seira was simply too amusing.
Just yesterday night, she was scared witless. Look at her now, boasting and sh*t.
Shye felt delighted as the previously awkward atmosphere between them had dissipated completely.
Subsequently, when he was about to switch the topic to a random one suitable for chatting, Seira suddenly spoke again.
"For you to want to attend the auction in Blackburrow City...I guess you've heard of the rumors huh?"
"Rumors? Well, I've heard that there will be an auction but I don't know what will be sold...Will you please enlighten me, O' formidable Seira?"
"Hahaha! Tch! It can't be helped then, I shall tell you what I know. From what I heard from the friend of a friend's cousin, there would be a little bit of everything. Unique and Epic skills, a few rare herbs, high-grade unique gemstones, and finally, the star of the show, crafting materials from (S) ranked creatures!"