Morning, Inside an Alley

The narrow alleyway was dim, bathed in the faint orange glow of the rising sun. Smokes hissed from nearby pipes, filling the air with a metallic tang.

Marco landed awkwardly on one knee, his broom clattering to the ground beside him. When his eyes lifted, they locked onto Tyla — and he froze like a statue.

"What... what a beauty... Is that a fairy from the heavens?" he breathed, his voice trembling with awe.

Tyla blinked, utterly lost. "...Who is this creepy guy?" she asked flatly, glancing at Kurt.

Marco quickly adjusted his tinted goggles and grinned, puffing up his chest. "I am Marco. Marco Vangeese. I am very single... and ready to mingle."

"Huh?" Tyla stared at him blankly, unsure if she should laugh or run.

Yumina leaned closer, whispering behind her hand, "I think he’s hitting on you."

"Oh-ho-ho!" Kurt chuckled, giving Marco an approving thumbs-up. "You’re quite bold. You just met her, and you’re already making your move."

"Love at first sight," Marco declared dramatically, striking a pose as though on stage. "Hehehe... well, the worst she can say is no, right?"

But before anyone could react, Tyla visibly shivered. Her body trembled, and a chill ran down her spine so strong that even her breath turned misty.

"Tyla? What happened?" Yumina asked, genuinely concerned.

Tyla hugged her arms and frowned. "Tsk... I don’t know why, but hearing a man confess to me like that... it sent a shiver down my spine. Ugh. So cold." She suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around Yumina, pressing close for warmth. "Ah... now it’s warm."

"Huh? But I thought the cold never bothered you?" Yumina blinked, half-laughing, half-confused.

"I need a bath," Tyla muttered dramatically. "A long one. Just for standing in the same place as him."

Kurt burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Ahaha! Oh no, Marco, looks like you’re officially rejected!"

But when Kurt turned toward Marco, he stopped mid-sentence.

Marco was lying on the ground — eyes blank, expression hollow, limbs spread like a fallen soldier.

"...Marco?" Kurt poked him with his clawed toe. No response. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Ah, looks like he’s dead," Kurt said solemnly, shaking his head. "Death by heartbreak."

Yumina sighed. "That was fast. He fell faster than his broom."

"Serves him right," Tyla muttered, looking away with mock disgust. "You don’t flirt with someone you just met in an alley."

From the ground, Marco’s faint, broken voice croaked, "Ahh... worst she can say is no, they said... Who the heck invented that cursed phrase...?"

Yumina stifled a giggle. Kurt chuckled again, helping the lovestruck fool up by the collar.

"Welcome back to reality, Romeo," Kurt said, grinning. "Now stop flirting and focus. You’ve got work to do."

Marco groaned weakly, clutching his chest. "Ugh... even rejection hurts worse when the girl looks like that."

Tyla rotated her fist. "Keep talking, and I’ll make sure your next heartbreak is physical."

---

A few minutes later...

"Ahh... Such a nice Fried Firecarp..." Marco mumbled with his mouth full, savoring the crispy fish in front of him. He sat inside the Dragon Peacock Restaurant, one of the city’s more exotic places—its walls lined with vibrant, shimmering peacock feathers that were treated as sacred relics. The air smelled of roasted spices, oil, and sweet ale.

Yumina rested her chin on her palm and sighed. "He really bounced back from rejection so quickly. That was... impressive."

Kurt smirked. "Marco’s heart is made of rubber. No matter how many times life punches it, it just bounces right back."

"So?" Marco said, pointing a greasy fork toward Kurt. "What’s the deal, Kurt? You dragged me into an alley, introduced me to the most terrifyingly beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and now you’re buying me lunch. It better be worth more than my half-day factory pay."

Kurt leaned forward, his voice lowering. "It’s simple. These two ladies want to get as close as possible to the World Tree roots. You know, like... a normal tourist visit."

Marco froze mid-bite. "Oh... understood, understood..." He nodded, then suddenly slammed his hands on the table. "LIKE HELL THAT’S NORMAL! That place isn’t a tourist spot—it’s the heart of all the Industrial Cities combined! You can’t just waltz in there! Even Grandmasters need permits!"

"Come on, Marco..." Kurt nudged him with his elbow. "These young ladies will pay you well."

"Like hell I care about mone–"

"They’re ready to pay off all your debts," Kurt interrupted.

"..."

"And that is only the advance. "

"..."

"Oi ... Marco?"

Marco blinked. "My debt’s around six hundred thousand Lydia... Are they serious?"

Yumina looked shocked, while Tyla simply crossed her arms, expression unreadable.

"I’ll pay you six million Lydia if you help us," Tyla said flatly.

Marco froze mid-blink. "S-six million?" He coughed, trying to act calm. "Ahem... Who needs money, anyway?"

"Obviously you," Yumina said dryly.

"It’s true... but... no, no, it’s not worth risking my life. Tell you what —I’ll agree, but only on one condition." Marco raised a finger dramatically. "Along with that six million Lydia... give me one million upfront and—"

"Alright, then marry m—Ahhhhh!" Marco’s words turned into a scream as he was sent flying through the air, smashing several tables before crashing into a pile of broken wood.

The restaurant fell silent.

"Oh no! Customer! You’re destroying everything!" The owner, a burly Dragonion with scaled arms, ran toward the scene with panic and rage.

"Shut up. I’ll buy this place for twice the price," Tyla said coldly, glaring at him.

The owner paused, his anger instantly dissolving into a cheerful grin. "Ahh... deal! Please, take your time, dear customer!"

"Fast," Yumina muttered beside her.

Within thirty minutes, the entire restaurant was officially theirs.

"So fast..." Yumina whispered in disbelief, watching the bank transaction finalize. She’d noticed Tyla’s premium black card—there was a faint golden engraving that read ’Ty’ ’l’ but before she could read more, Tyla stored it away.

The other customers, sensing the shift in power, quietly left the place, leaving only the four of them.

"This place alone costs more than the commission you promised me," Kurt muttered, jaw slightly open.

Tyla didn’t respond. Her mind drifted elsewhere— to the strange reality that her bank account balance was constantly rising. Every hour, millions were being deposited automatically. Her past self, Tyler, had apparently built a vast business empire throughout the world. Profits in the billions flowed endlessly. It was surreal.

"Alright," Tyla said at last, propping her boots on the table, "Sixty million Lydia. Get me there quickly."

Kurt and Yumina stared at her, both speechless. They even fanned her with those peacock feathers and they couldn’t hide their awe. They were clearly overwhelmed by her wealth.

Marco, meanwhile, stood up shakily, brushing splinters from his jacket. "No, no, I’m not someone who cares about money that much."

"Seventy million," Tyla said, not even glancing at him.

"..."

"What? Not enough? Eighty—"

"Please stop, Boss Lady!" Marco quickly dropped to his knees, hands raised in surrender.

"Boss Lady?" Yumina blinked.

"Boss Lady!" Marco said with desperate reverence. "Remember how I told you about the Firecarp inflation? Please, solve that problem for us! I’ll do anything you say!"

"Inflation?" Tyla tilted her head. Her eyes gleamed faintly with curiousity. "Explain."

---

Meanwhile...

Far away, in another city under the same pale morning light, a violent explosion tore through a marketplace. Fire erupted skyward, scattering debris and smoke. Civilians screamed and ran for cover as a shadow moved through the flames.

A tall figure stepped out from the inferno—jet-black wings unfurling behind her, curved horns gleaming like obsidian. Her orange eyes burned with fury.

"I can sense it... Tyler is in that direction," the dragon girl hissed, her voice low and dangerous.

"Oh, stop running ahead, Zuzia," another voice called out.

From behind the smoke emerged a brown-skinned girl wearing a short, white dress— sexy and completely inappropriate for the freezing climate.

"Stop beating up everyone who tries to flirt with us," she sighed, brushing soot from her shoulder.

"They probably started to hit us, because of your outfit" came a calm voice from the shadows. A pale woman stepped forward, her face hidden behind a smooth mask. Her voice carried no warmth, no inflection—only stillness.

"Ahh, Lanny," Zuzia said with a teasing smirk, her black wings folding back as the fire’s glow reflected off her horns. "You really don’t have emotions, do you?"

"If you want, I can pretend like before," Lanny replied flatly. "Smile, laugh, fake concern. Would that satisfy you?"

Zuzia rolled her eyes and began walking again, her talons scraping the burnt stone beneath her. "Don’t worry. Once we find Tyler, he’ll fix that."

Myrtle said with a sigh. "You sound like a lovesick dragon, princess."

Zuzia grinned, "Don’t worry, you are gonna mate with him, as soon as we find him."

"Wha—!" Myrtle’s face reddened.

The three girls— Zuzia, Myrtle, and Lanny —continued through the city, leaving behind a trail of smoldering debris. Their eyes burned with determination. No matter what stood in their way, they were going to find Tyler.