Takahiro
I narrowed my eyes at Yushiro, his calm demeanor unnerving as we walked toward the town. He'd done something, I just knew it. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting the sky in hues of orange and purple, while the city ahead of us buzzed with activity. The constant stream of carriages and the fading daylight made everything feel a little more alive, even though I couldn't shake the sense of unease gnawing at me.
About thirty minutes after Yushiro released that green orb, Truth and his team arrived to collect the bandits we'd taken down. Truth's sharp eyes scanned the area, and though they didn't say it outright, it was obvious he had questions about what happened to Jerry.
"You know, you could've warned us," I muttered to Yushiro.
He raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, what the hell did you do to Jerry?" I demanded, my voice low but firm. "He went down like a sack of bricks, and we're all standing here like we're waiting for him to get up any second. So, what exactly did you do?"
Yushiro shrugged casually, his expression neutral. "What I did was simple. Naiz said he wanted to finish the mission in two or three weeks. But that wouldn't be possible with Piggy's constant motion sickness slowing us down. So, I thought—why not cure the problem without sacrificing the mission?"
My patience was thin. "And Jerry?"
"Ah," Yushiro continued, undisturbed, "I used a Dream Bug. They're effective in calming motion sickness, but this one was old, so it had a less potent chemical effect. I made sure it wouldn't harm him, just knocked him out for a bit. Should be out for about two hours."
I blinked, a little impressed despite myself. "So you knocked him out to speed us up?"
"That's the gist of it," Yushiro replied, sounding almost proud of his solution.
Donovan nodded thoughtfully. "That's smart. If it gets the job done without any lasting harm…"
"Exactly," Yushiro added, his voice smooth as ever, not a hint of guilt or hesitation.
We didn't linger on the matter much longer, as we were nearing the gates of the town. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to Jerry's extended nap, we'd managed to push ahead of schedule. The guards at the gates recognized our entourage after the butler flashed them some sort of emblem. They nodded and ushered us through, and we entered the town, the contrast between this place and Coral Town immediately apparent.
This town was bustling with activity. Carriages rolled past us in both directions, and there was a hum of conversation in the air. The sun was setting beyond the horizon, and the glow from the lamps beginning to light the streets filled the surroundings with a golden hue. As we moved further into the town, the streets started to thin, and soon enough, we found ourselves approaching a massive estate.
The gates stood tall with a symbol engraved—one that resembled a J or a smiling face, depending on how you looked at it. The guards at the entrance opened the gates, and we drove through, entering a sprawling yard that looked perfectly manicured. The trees and hedges were pruned into symmetrical shapes, and the grass seemed almost too perfect to be real.
A seven-minute walk later, we were standing at the doorstep of a grand house, where we were met by a group of servants dressed similarly to Miss Annette. They greeted us with polite bows, and at the front, a group of men in sleek black uniforms followed suit, bowing deeply as we approached.
"Welcome back, young master Donovan," they said in unison.
My brain froze for a second, and my gaze shot over to Donovan, who was suddenly the center of attention. Young master? Donovan?
The confusion must've been evident on my face because Yushiro, still walking ahead without breaking stride, turned his head slightly. "Donovan is from the Jasper House. An Earl House."
My eyes widened. "Wait—Donovan is a noble?"
"Yup," Yushiro said, not even batting an eye.
"When did you know?"
"Since I heard his name."
"How?"
"Books," Yushiro replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I stared at him, completely baffled. But before I could ask anything else, we were ushered into the house. The butler moved to carry Jerry inside, and I fell in step beside Yushiro, still trying to process this new piece of information.
Inside, we were led to a cozy lounge where the staff quickly set out cookies and juices on a low table. As usual, Yushiro was the first to grab a cookie, biting into it with a pleased expression. It was almost impressive how quickly he managed to find joy in something so simple.
The rest of us settled into a more confused silence, though I could see the others struggling to keep their eyes open, exhausted from the day's events.
Kenji was the first to speak up, scowling at the table in front of him. "What are we doing here?"
Gareth gave a tired sigh. "This is our first stop."
"Can we leave yet?" Kenji muttered.
"No, we have to wait for Jerry to buy gifts before we can leave."
Kenji groaned loudly, making no effort to mask his frustration.
"How long do you think we'll be here?" he asked again.
"At least a day. Before we leave, we'll meet with Earl Jasper."
"Earl Jasper?" Kenji blinked. "Like an Alpha of the pack?"
The entire room froze. Gareth and Naiz stared at him, confused, while I felt a weird sense of secondhand embarrassment.
"What do you mean, 'Alpha'? You mean like wolves, right?" Gareth asked, his voice thick with confusion.
"Yeah," Kenji said, clearly not understanding why everyone was staring at him like he was a fool.
Before the awkward silence could stretch any longer, one of the servants entered, bowing gently as she spoke.
"Good sirs, the Master of the house is ready to see you."
It was time.