Descendant of Sloth
Chapter 63: Peace is so Fragile..

Chapter 63: Peace is so Fragile..

"WELCOME TO THE CITY OF VELMORIA"

The bold, elegant letters gleamed under the soft light, capturing our attention immediately.

"Damn, that’s so cool..." Hina said, holding the tickets up as if they were sacred relics.

"Never heard about it." I muttered, taking a lazy slurp of my noodles. "Is it that great?"

Hina turned to me with an exaggerated scoff. "Yeah, well, keep sleeping all day or reading those boring books, and of course, you’d never know." She stuck her tongue out, teasing.

I shot her a side glance, unimpressed. "Hmph."

Ignoring me, she inspected the tickets more closely, flipping them front and back. "These look really fancy... where did you even get them?"

"My dad gave them to me," Serina said with a proud smirk. "He runs a textile business, so he gets invitations to big events all the time. He even has a brand store in Velmoria." Then, her gaze flicked toward me, and she grinned. "Oh, speaking of which—the hoodie you’re wearing? That’s actually from my dad’s brand."

I glanced down at my sleeves, raising a brow. "Oh. If I remember right, I just picked it up from the shop and walked out."

Serina froze. "You... robbed my dad’s clothes?" Her smile twitched.

"No problem, right?" I said casually, taking another bite of my noodles.

Her tense expression melted into a chuckle. "Well... I guess if it’s you, I’ll let it slide." Then, her eyes sparkled with excitement. "But see? You’ve got good taste! That hoodie’s made with high-quality fabric—it’s durable, stylish, and super comfy, right?"

I stretched my arms slightly, feeling the material. "Yeah. Been through a lot of fights in this. Still holds up."

Serina’s face lit up with pride. "I knew it! Top-notch quality, I tell you!" She nodded to herself, clearly satisfied.

Hina rolled her eyes. "Forget the hoodie—So, you want us to come with you?" Hina asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Of course! That’s why I came here today," Serina said with a bright smile, glancing at me as well. "Let’s go together and check it out. It’ll be fun!"

"Woahhhh!! THANK YOU SO MUCH, SERINA!!" Hina squealed, practically lunging at Serina and wrapping her arms around her.

Serina tensed, her body stiffening. "Ahh... Hina... air... need air..." she wheezed dramatically.

I watched the two of them, their energy completely unmatched to mine. One word came to mind—Weird. I shook my head slightly and walked toward them, taking one of the tickets from Serina’s hand.

The texture was smooth, almost velvety, and had an expensive, royal-like quality. The golden engravings shimmered under the light, and on the front, large, cartoon-like bunny girls were illustrated, inviting the holders with playful winks and open arms.

I raised an eyebrow. Who even designs these things?

"So... how many days are we spending there?" I asked casually, flipping the ticket between my fingers.

"As much as we want! These are VVIP passes," Serina explained, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. "That means we get hotel rooms and free access to all the secured attractions as well."

"Ohhhhhh," I muttered, nodding slowly. The words secure attractions stuck out to me. What the hell does that mean? I thought, but I didn’t bother asking out loud.

"And don’t worry about money. If there’s any extra expense, I’ll cover it." Said Serina.

"Hehe, that isn’t a problem in any way... or more like, it will never be," Hina said, smirking as she leaned back in her chair.

Serina arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Hina’s smirk deepened as she tapped a finger against her lips. "It’s a secret... between me and Esther," she said, her voice dripping with mischief.

I didn’t react, still twirling the ticket between my fingers.

Serina, however, pouted. "Ehh? What secret? Tell me, tell me!"

"No, no. A secret is a secret," Hina declared, closing her eyes and pretending to zip her lips shut.

Serina groaned dramatically. "Oh, come onnnn! You can’t just say something like that and then not tell me!"

Hina only giggled, her expression darkening for a second as she lost herself in thought. If only Serina knew—I had more gold and jewels than most kings in history, stashed away in places no one could imagine. But I didn’t care for wealth. Money, treasure, luxuries—none of it ever mattered to me.

I sighed, barely paying attention to their antics. Instead, I placed the ticket back on the table and stood up.

"Cool. Let’s go."

Hina’s head snapped toward me, her face lighting up. "YEEEEE!" she cheered, bouncing in her seat.

Serina chuckled. "Looks like someone’s excited."

"Of course!" Hina grinned. "This winter break was looking so damn boring, but now—now it’s suddenly lit up!" She twirled the ticket between her fingers. "A grand city, endless entertainment, and a VVIP pass? Best. Timing. Ever."

I only shook my head, walking toward the kitchen. Please let it be peaceful...I muttered internally, though I already knew my silent prayers would be ignored.

With these two around, peace was never an option.

The sky stretched in dull shades of gray, the thick clouds swallowing any trace of sunlight. A thin layer of snow blanketed the ground, crunching underfoot with every step. The air was crisp, biting at my skin, but despite the cold, we were finally ready to leave.

Hina stood in front of her building, an excited grin plastered on her face as she struck a dramatic pose. One foot forward, fists punching the air like some action hero about to embark on a legendary quest. She wore a small bag strapped to her waist and, for some reason, an oversized pair of sunglasses.

"We are gonna have so much funnnn... Let’s do it!!" she shouted with boundless energy.

I let out a long yawn, my head resting against the cold brick wall as I lazily glanced at her. "Do what?" My voice was sluggish, still filled with sleep. "Serina isn’t even here yet... And more importantly—" I shifted my gaze to her unnecessary accessory. "Why the hell are you wearing sunglasses when there’s no sun?"

Hina visibly stiffened. A drop of sweat formed on her temple.

"Sh-Shut up already!" she snapped, suddenly flustered. "I’m just... wearing them to, uh, get the feel of going somewhere cool!"

I blinked at her, unimpressed. "Sunglasses make the journey feel cool?" I asked slowly, "Logic level: Hina."

Her jaw twitched. "You little—!"

She stomped toward me, her face turning red with irritation.

"What?! I’m just making an observation!" I held up my hands in mock defense. "Like, is this a thing? Do sunglasses automatically make you ten times cooler? Should I wear some too?"

"Yes, you should—oh wait, never mind, they won’t help you."

I narrowed my eyes. "And why’s that?"

She crossed her arms, grinning smugly. "Because your personality is so uncool that no sunglasses in existence can fix it."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Wow. That’s the best you got?"

Hina’s grin widened as she leaned forward slightly. "I could go harder, but I don’t want you to cry before we even leave."

"You wish," I muttered, looking away.

Just then, a faint shimmer of white aura flickered around her clenched fist.

I immediately turned my face back toward the street, acting like I saw nothing. My hands casually slid into my hoodie pockets, and I whistled as if the previous conversation had never happened.

The snow crunched beneath my foot as I subtly shifted farther away from her.

Peace was so fragile.

*Peep* *Peep*

A sleek black sedan rolled to a stop in front of us, the engine humming softly against the quiet winter morning. Hina and I turned our heads in unison as the back door swung open.

Serina stepped out, dressed in a snug blue turtleneck sweater, with a stylish belt, paired with a denim mini skirt and long, thigh-high black boots that clicked softly against the snowy ground.

"Hina, Esther... Good morning." She greeted with a warm yet composed smile.