Afterward, Kayden and Diana tried the popular tea leaf readings from the West, watched various performances, and then stopped at something unusual.
“Pick a piglet that will bring you golden luck! From number 1 to 8, a total of eight piglets are waiting for the race to begin!”
A crowd was gathered in a corner of the central square, writing down numbers. Kayden and Diana stopped together at the sight.
“Want to try?”
“Would you like to try?
They both asked each other at the same time, then laughed. Hand in hand, they approached the pen surrounding the piglets.
Tiny piglets were twitching their ears or chasing each other’s tails. Diana smiled unconsciously and squatted in front of the pen.
“Kayden, which one will you bet on?”
“I keep getting drawn to that one.” Kayden pointed to a piglet that was attracting everyone’s attention with its energetic and playful behavior. “And you?”
“Hmm, I…” Diana trailed off as she carefully examined the eight piglets. She stopped at one that seemed particularly familiar. After a moment of contemplation, she pointed to the smallest piglet. “I’ll bet on that one.”
“Why?”
“It just feels familiar for some reason.”
Kayden shrugged and wrote down the numbers for both piglets, handing them to the organizer. They took the seats given by the organizer and sat down. It wasn’t long before all the seats were filled, and the crowd grew restless.
“When is it starting?!”
“Start already! My neck is getting stiff!”
“Haha, such enthusiasm. Thank you, everyone. The race will now begin!”
The organizer, seeing the angry crowd, hastily stuffed his money into his back pocket and smiled broadly. He picked up each piglet and placed them at the starting line. Once all were ready, he raised his hand.
“I’ll count to three and drop my hand, then the piglets will start running. Let’s see who wins the 5 million Mote prize! One, two… three!”
Waaaah! Cheers erupted as the piglets dashed from the starting line. The excited crowd stood up, shouting.
“Number 3! Number 3 is in the lead!”
“No, it’s number 7!”
“Come on, number 2!”
“Number 3 will win!”
Everyone cheered for the piglet they bet on.
Kayden’s piglet, number 3, was the fastest. As it began overtaking the others, people stomped their feet.
“Yes, that’s it!”
“Run straight to the finish line!”
Diana watched the enthusiastic crowd, then turned her gaze to her bet, piglet number 4. Her eyes widened in shock. Huh…?
The face of piglet number 4, which had been normal, began to distort. The terrifying sight sent chills down her spine. Soon, the snout of piglet number 4 extended, its eyes turned red, and a fireball shot out from its mouth. It all happened so quickly that there was no time to react.
Boom!
“Kyaaaa!”
“Mo-Mo-Monster!”
“There must have been a mutated monster among them!”
The pen exploded with a loud bang. People screamed and fled. Chaos erupted instantly.
“Diana, this way!” Kayden urgently pulled Diana away from the rampaging monster, steering her and the crowd away from danger.
If I draw my sword, my identity will be revealed. The first concubine’s side will use it as an excuse to question my qualifications.
Kayden’s fingers twitched as if about to draw his sword. But the golden sword or weapons created with the help of spirits were too conspicuous.
Golden weapons had become synonymous with the ‘Third Prince,’ so as soon as he drew them, news of the third prince being in the marketplace instead of the ballroom would reach the first concubine. Then, they would argue that Kayden had abandoned his duty, questioning his qualifications. That would be troublesome.
If I were alone, it might be different, but Diana would also be dragged into the gossip.
“Enka.”
Kayden summoned the low-level spirit of light, Enka, to hold off the monster until the guards arrived. The monster, annoyed by the golden butterflies obscuring its view, roared and flailed.
“This way! Come this way!”
Kayden grabbed a piece of debris from the nearby arena and used it like a club, shouting to the people. Hearing his voice, they hurried behind him.
Diana helped with the evacuation but then felt a chilling sensation down her spine and turned sharply. She saw the monster, having shaken off Enka, charging toward a child and his parents who hadn’t yet escaped.
“Ah…!”
Instinctively, Diana reached out to them. Her eyes briefly glowed a vivid purple. Yuro.
Slash— A thin, purple line extended into the air, silently slicing the monster in half.
The child and parents, saved at the last moment, collapsed to the ground, panting.
“Just now…”
<What…>
Meanwhile, Kayden and Elfand momentarily felt a chilling aura akin to that of a monster nearby and held their breath. But when they turned their heads, all they saw was Diana’s pale face.
Could there be another mutated monster around?
Kayden pulled Diana closer, scanning the area warily, but his gaze soon returned to her.
But…
He was certain that just a moment ago, the chilling sensation had come from the exact direction where Diana was standing.
“Kayden?” Diana looked up at him innocently as if she knew nothing.
Kayden, still confused, was about to speak when the guards arrived, shouting.
“Are you alright?”
“Sorry for the delay! Where’s the organizer?”
“Oh gosh, I never imagined there’d be a mutated monster among them! Please believe me!”
The organizer, who claimed he had no idea about the mutated monster, was taken away for investigation by the guards.
“Thank you for your help.”
“Thank you…!”
In the meantime, people gathered around Kayden and Diana, expressing their gratitude for their efforts to protect them despite the chaotic situation.
Kayden couldn’t ask Diana about the strange feeling he had and pushed his curiosity aside. But deep inside, a small doubt began to grow, wondering if Diana was hiding something.
* * *
The night of the Founding Festival passed quickly. As midnight approached, Kayden and Diana moved to watch the parade.
“It was a bit hectic, but I still had fun.”
Diana smiled, placing her rabbit mask on her lap. She and Kayden had taken off their masks and pulled up their hoods again.
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