After the man disappeared into the crowd, there was a brief silence between Amukelo and Pao. Then, suddenly, Pao stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"Ahh, thanks for coming," she said, her voice muffled slightly by his shoulder. "Some people don't understand what no means."
Amukelo was caught off guard. She never hugged him, but it wasn't flustered or shy, it was warm, full of gratitude, full of comfort. She stayed there for a moment, and he let his arms settle gently around her, holding her back, not speaking, just letting the silence speak for both of them.
Then she pulled away and looked up at him. Her face brightened, and the weight of the moment lightened in an instant.
"Ahh… you wore your suit," she said, smiling widely, her eyes flickering with something playful.
Amukelo scratched the back of his head, suddenly bashful. "I figured it was the best choice. Last time it worked well, didn't it?"
Pao's smile deepened. "I specially chose something that would fit."
Then, without waiting, she turned around to show him.
Amukelo blinked. His breath caught in his throat.
She wore a noble dress—light blue with white trimming, simple but undeniably elegant. It fit her perfectly, not only in appearance but in presence. The confident way she stood, the way she spun just a little to let him see, the way she looked back over her shoulder waiting for a reaction.
"So?" she asked, "How do I look?"
Now that he took a real moment to actually see her, something fluttered in his chest and spread all the way to his cheeks. They turned red instantly. He wasn't used to this—being stunned into silence. But she looked so... herself, and more than that—he could feel that this wasn't just a nice dress or a coincidence. She had dressed up for him.
"You look..." He paused. It wasn't even just about finding the right word, but feeling it. "Beautiful," he said.
Pao's face lit up. She gave him a smile so wide and so bright that it felt like it reached all the way to her heart. "Thank you," she said softly.
There was no blushing. No awkward laughter. No sudden nervous glances or fumbled words. It wasn't like the early days when their emotions had been too big for their words. Now, there was a calmness between them. A closeness that didn't need to be filled with stammering or excuses. Just warmth. Mutual understanding. A quiet comfort that only came with time.
They began walking, side by side, toward the magic shop. Their arms occasionally brushed as they moved through the crowded streets of Llyn, but neither of them pulled away. It was a small thing, a quiet intimacy that had grown naturally over time, unforced and genuine.
They reached the magic shop. As they stepped inside, the same clerk from last time looked up from behind the counter.
"Ohh," he said, straightening with recognition, "it's you again."
Pao gave him a cheerful wave. "Yep. Is the grimoire I wanted still available?"
He glanced at the shelf. "Yeah, no one seems to want to spend that kind of money for a single spell."
Pao's smile didn't falter. She didn't even wait for more explanation. She made her way over to the shelf where the grimoires were lined up, her eyes instantly locking onto the one she wanted. She reached up, pulled it down with both hands, and walked straight to the counter.
Without another word, she placed it down—gently, almost reverently—and began placing the coins, one after another, counting them out in tidy stacks.
The man blinked at her in amusement. "You've been hunting this one for a while."
Pao didn't stop smiling. "And now I have it."
She tucked the grimoire under her arm like it was some prized treasure, and together she and Amukelo stepped out of the store and back into the sunlight.
As they walked, Amukelo raised an eyebrow and said, "That was way faster than the last time."
"No hesitation this time," she replied confidently. "I knew exactly what I wanted."
"So what'd you get?"
She extended the grimoire toward him.
"Remember the ruby grimoire we saw the first time?" she asked.
"The chains one?" he recalled.
Pao nodded. "Exactly. But now with my water clone spell, I think it'll be extremely useful."
Amukelo tilted his head, intrigued. "You think they'll work together?"
"I'm sure of it," she said. "If I can bind someone in place with this, and my water clone is nearby, it can cast basic water spells on them without me having to lift a finger. And if I can bind enemies at the same time I won't even need to drain my mana reserves to sustain them."
Amukelo blinked. "That's… actually really smart."
Pao grinned. "I know. I've been thinking about it for weeks. But now that I actually have it, I can finally test it."
As they stepped out from the shop, Pao was still hugging the grimoire to her chest like it was a sacred artifact, her expression a mixture of joy and pride. Amukelo watched her from the corner of his eye with a quiet smile. The way she lit up over something she loved—it never got old.
"So," Amukelo asked casually, his hands tucked in his pockets, "like last time… do you want to go eat something?"
Pao tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then her eyes glanced upward at the sky. It was clear, soft clouds drifting lazily, the sun casting golden streaks between tree branches.
"Sure," she said softly, "but… let's go on a walk first. It's a really beautiful weather."
Amukelo looked up too, then back at her. "Yeah. That sounds good."
They walked side by side through one of the larger parks near the market. The grass was green, freshly cut. Flowers had started blooming near the path's edge. Kids ran around, chasing one another between the trees, while older folks sat on benches, talking or just enjoying the breeze. For a while, neither of them spoke. They just walked. Amukelo kept glancing at Pao every now and then, seeing how relaxed she looked. There wasn't the usual edge in her steps, no tightness in her shoulders. After everything, she seemed lighter. And that made him feel lighter too.
Then, as if something just occurred to her, Pao turned her head slightly and asked, "Right… Amu, you changed your training plan today, didn't you?"
Amukelo nodded. "Yeah. We went in early to sort that out."
She smiled. "How was it? Did they let the three of you be in the same class even in personal training?"
Amukelo laughed under his breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… they did. At first. But… things changed a little bit."
Pao raised an eyebrow. "Changed how?"
Amukelo couldn't help the small grin creeping on his face. There was something satisfying in saying it out loud. "I'm not training with Bral and Idin anymore."
Pao stopped walking for a second, confused. "Why? What happened?"
Amukelo turned to her, pride leaking into his voice now. "Because I got assigned a different training partner."
Her curiosity flared immediately. "A different partner? Who?"
He couldn't hide the satisfaction in his voice now. "Padrin."
Her eyes widened. "Padrin? You mean the one who recently became a gold rank adventurer?"
Amukelo nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, he outgrew his last partners really quickly, and when he heard about my progress, he wanted to see if I'd be a good match for him. So we had a spar."
Pao stared at him in awe. "You sparred with him?"
Amukelo laughed, more bashful now. "I mean… yeah. But don't get too excited. I only won the first round because he was using one hand."
"Still!" Pao said, her voice rising with excitement. "That's Padrin! That's amazing!"
Amukelo chuckled, shaking his head. "After that, he took it seriously. I lost three rounds straight. But I almost got him in one of them. I pushed him a bit."
She beamed at him, her steps picking up as they continued walking. "You're already amazing. And now you're going to get even better. That's incredible, Amu."
He blinked at her, taken a little off guard by the sincerity. There was no teasing in her voice, no playful smirk. She just believed in him, without hesitation. And something about hearing it from her, right now, hit deeper than usual.
He scratched his cheek and laughed softly. "I… don't know what to say to that."
Pao gave him a warm glance. "You don't have to say anything. I just know you're on your way. You have all those big goals, and I know you're heading there."
Amukelo grew quiet for a moment. Then he looked ahead, his voice softer now. "You know… I haven't really thought about my goal much recently. Becoming like Elian. The man my mother used to read me stories about. I still want it… but it's not always in the front of my mind anymore. Lately, I've just been… happy. Training, questing with all of you, watching you grow. Especially you, Pao."
Pao's steps slowed slightly. She looked at him, her gaze gentle. "Amu…"
He didn't look at her at first. His eyes were a little distant, as if he was still sorting through his thoughts. "My mother used to tell me… just live a fulfilled life. Be kind. Be brave. Help others. That's what she wanted for me. And I guess, with everything going on… I feel like I'm doing that now. I didn't expect it to feel like this."
She reached out, touching his arm softly. "I think… that's exactly what your mother meant."
Amukelo turned to her.
She took a breath, her expression thoughtful but full of conviction. "Whether it's your priority or not right now, you are heading in that direction. You're kind. You don't want to hurt people, even when they're trying to hurt you. But you're getting stronger every day. Not for pride, not for glory—but to protect the people who can't protect themselves. That's what Elian did, right?"
He stopped. His gaze dropped to the ground, then back to her. There was a quiet shine in his eyes, something almost too soft for words.
He smiled. Not the proud, teasing grin he liked to wear around her—but something smaller. More genuine. "Thank you."
Pao smiled back, and they kept walking.
For the rest of their time in the park, they didn't say much. They didn't need to. Where once their moments were filled with nervous laughs and unsure glances, now they had something steadier. A closeness that came from knowing each other. Trusting each other.