Trying to Save my Favorite Character from His Tragic Fate

Ian throws the coins to a tent owner who fumbles in the air, trying to catch all of them simultaneously. He has taken a long hooded cape that has been out on display for sale. He drapes the cape on Kyrie's shoulders. 

"I am not cold," says Kyrie.

Ian knows that his actions are childish, but he is reluctant to let Kyrie walk while drawing in so many stares. However, he is not sure how to convince Kyrie to wear the cape without exposing his jealousy.

Kyrie looks at Ian pout, and his heart squeezes.

[That is totally cheating…]

Kyrie crosses his arm to hold on to the corners of the cape from the other side. He pulls it onto his body. The warmth of Ian's hands that touches his shoulder lifts away. 

Kyrie looks at Ian carefully for the first time after his confession. It would be a lie that he is not in the slightest embarrassed of what he said. However, he sees that Ian still carries his gentle smile with him.

Their hands caress each other accidentally while they walk by each other's side. Without the slightest hesitation, Ian takes Kyrie's hand. Anyone who is passing by can catch a glimpse of their silly smile that spreads across their face. 

Seeing that Ian starts taking the initiative, Kyrie cannot control his smile from spreading wider.

Ian clears his throat.

"What do you want to do now?" asks Ian.

"Shouldn't we look for the relic first?"

In a good mood, Kyrie starts swinging his arm that is connected with Ian's.

"We tried to look for it this morning, but we couldn't find its true form anywhere. The relic's essence is everywhere in the city."

Kyrie looks around at the people who are casually walking past them in the street. He has almost forgotten that these people are illusions. There should not be a single living being here, yet everyone brims with life. These are the memories of Udarr of his beloved city.

"What did Erebus tell you to do?" asks Kyrie.

"He says that the only way is to wait until the relic shows itself."

"That is quite ineffective…"

"Yeah… We still have the time limit. In this world, a couple of days have passed. Yet…"

Ian takes out his pocket watch, and the longest needle is barely moving.

"Time is moving slower here…" Ian continues.

Kyrie lets go of a sigh but takes in a deep breath to calm his nerves. He changes back to his cheery mood.

"That means we will have some free time, right?"

Ian nods.

"I want to look at those swords," Kyrie points at a weapon shop.

They walk into the shop, and an old dwarf walks out to greet them. Ian and the old dwarf immediately recognize each other.

"Oh! Young man! You came to my store!!! Your friend is here too!"

The old dwarf, with his unusual energy, runs over with his short legs to Ian. He pats Ian's butt since he cannot reach Ian's back.

Ian flinches and petrifies by the old dwarf's sudden over friendliness. 

The old dwarf, who was in a good mood, meets Kyrie's threatening eyes. The old dwarf breaks into a nervous sweat and quickly stops touching Ian's butt.

His face spells out the words 'it's a misunderstanding…' The old dwarf turns around rapidly to change the mood and starts introducing his weapons.

[Old fart… That is mine to touch!]

Kyrie hovers his hand over Ian's touched up butt cheek but cannot bring himself to touch it. He uses his other hand to take the perverted hand off like he struggles to tame his own hand from acting in its own will. 

Ian turns around and looks at Kyrie's bizarre behavior. Kyrie spreads out a guilty smile and starts slapping his perverted hand. 

The old man who catches Kyrie in the act secretly sends Kyrie the I-know-what-you-are-trying-to-do smile while wiggling his eyebrows. 

Kyrie sends out a warning stare that the old man should just shut his mouth regarding other people's business.

As such, the short old man and Kyrie have a staring competition where they send messages through the different liftings of the eyebrows and narrowing of the eyes. Somehow perfectly battling each other with the wordless communication that they sent through the eyes. They end up including the movement of the head in the mix for extra effectiveness.

They look like two angry puppies gazing at each other while growling threats, but nothing else happens beyond just standing there. As if a leash is restricting them, they act as if they cannot use their fists.

The old man closes his eyes, spreading out a smile. 

"You are a good one, young man," he declares while extending his arm for a handshake.

"You are not bad at all, old man," Kyrie takes his hand.

They end the fight in a draw.

Ian blankly looks at these two weirdos' interaction with question marks floating on top of his head. Did he miss something?

The old man nods in satisfaction. He places his arms on his back and starts walking towards the door that leads towards the smithy.

It has been a while since he has met a man of culture.

"Why were you guys staring at each other's eyes?" Ian furrows his brows.

"We had a cultural interaction..."

"Cultural interaction?" 

Ian thinks back of the ones he had in his own academy, although he has watched them from far away. Yet, nothing that he has seen come close to what he just witnessed. 

Kyrie's eyes catch on the merchandise on the displayed table. He quickly turns around, causing Ian to clash into him for following behind.

Kyrie groans as he holds his nose. Ian reaches out to look at Kyrie with concern, separating Kyrie's hand from his nose to see.

"Sorry…" Ian looks at Kyrie's nose, reddened. 

Using the opportunity, Kyrie widens his eyes and blinks cutely at Ian. 

"I am hungry…"

"Huh?" Ian gets flabbergasted.

"Buy me something to eat, Ian…" Kyrie shyly tugs on Ian's sleeve.

"What do you want to eat?" Ian asks, unaware that he has been charmed.

"Hmm… something savory... " Kyrie spreads a smile showing off his neat rows of teeth.

Ian's eyes soften, and he cups Kyrie's cheek.

"Okay… I will go look for something to eat."

The old man comes out with two swords in his arms. Both swords look awkward being carried by the old dwarf. They are long enough for the old man to have to stay aware not to drag the swords' sleeves on the ground unconsciously. 

Kyrie helps the old man by taking the swords up and putting them on the closest display table.

"Say… Old man… How much for your rings?"

"Rings? Ah! Those!" The old man climbs up a stool to reach the rings that are displayed.

"They are rings that can store magic spells!" The old man places a ring that is inside a box on the table.

"Why are these in a weapon store?"

"Oh… well… I just happen to get interested in making them," replies the old man while scratching the back of his head.

"Ah! Wait! I have one with better quality!" The old man jumps out of the stool and comes back, running with a ring.

"This one has better design!"

Kyrie takes the ring on the old dwarf's hand. This ring, unlike the ones displayed, has a simpler but more elegant design.

"I will buy this one then!" Kyrie places the ring back to the old man's hand, "Also… We will get the swords."

"You haven't looked at them yet!"

"You are the master blacksmith, Fondrick Ironbrewer. How can your swords be bad?"