Chapter 32
‘Kids really do learn fast… or maybe it’s because he’s the protagonist of the novel.’
Jaina clicked her tongue as she watched Logian perfectly memorize all the moves after only two tries.
“At this part… like this, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she realized something else—Logian, who didn’t even know the meaning of the song, had memorized the entire thing phonetically. Jaina stared at him in disbelief.
‘Of course… not just anyone can be the protagonist.’
To think he became the strongest swordsman in the world despite starting much later than everyone else—he was extraordinary beyond measure.
Clap! Clap!
Their palms met without hesitation. Logian already knew the next move and moved ahead smoothly.
‘Honestly, there were a few parts I barely remembered and just glossed over…’
But Logian performed even those vague steps with clear, precise movements.
“This is fun. You know a lot of things, Jaina.”
“Next time, I’ll teach you something called ‘cat’s cradle.’”
“Cat’s… cradle? What a funny-sounding word.”
As the song continued and their hands met again and again, Jaina began to feel the strain.
‘His hands are so big—it’s hard to keep up…’
And just as her attention wavered for a moment—
Smack!
Logian’s quick movement sent Jaina, with her small body, stumbling backward.
‘Even if he’s older, I’m still a dragon! How could I lose balance like that…?’
Jaina was shocked internally. Logian quickly grabbed her arm, flustered.
“I’m really sorry, Jaina! You weren’t being pushed back at all, so I thought it’d be fine…”
“…You’re stronger than I thought, Your Highness. It’s not your fault. I’ll just have to grow up faster.”
Logian smiled and patted her head gently.
“I’ll be more careful next time. You can just go at your own pace.”
When Jaina looked up, her hair slightly messy, Logian softly reached over and began to fix it.
“I messed up your hair, so I’ll tie it again.”
“Your Highness is going to tie my hair?”
“Mm-hm. I’m good at it.”
And indeed, he was. Logian bought a red ribbon from a nearby stall and skillfully tied Jaina’s hair into a neat half-up style.
“You’ve got really nice hair, Jaina.”
It was her first time ever having her hair tied like that since being born a dragon. She spun around excitedly—
it matched her reddish outfit perfectly.
But Logian looked slightly dissatisfied. Clicking his tongue, he said as he watched her hair sway,
“Too bad they only sold ribbons nearby. I think other accessories would suit you too.”
“Since my hair’s short, ribbons work best. Are there really other things?”
“Oh, tons. Headbands, clips with ornaments…”
As he spoke, Logian noticed a side alley branching off the marketplace and grinned.
“Jaina, want to check that place out?”
Following his lead, Jaina walked into the narrow path. She thought it might be cramped or shady, but inside it was surprisingly spacious.
‘Not as chaotic as I thought… but not deserted either.’
Still, the people there weren’t moving around freely.
‘What’s going on here?’
Every shop sold completely different things. Strangely, the place felt familiar to Jaina.
While she was glancing around, Logian returned with a handful of hairpins he’d already bought.
“Actually, the shops near the entrance aren’t that great. They mostly sell ‘failed items’ or ‘discarded junk.’ The real stuff is deeper inside.”
“The real stuff?”
“Yeah. Every now and then, someone finds a treasure here. My father’s one example—he bought something imbued with a spirit’s power and awakened as a spirit mage because of it.”
Logian’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Jaina looked down at the spread-out goods while he whispered mischievously,
“To be honest, you can buy hairpins anywhere. I brought you here because I thought you might sense something… something normal humans can’t.”
He told her to pick anything she liked—he’d buy it for her.
Jaina was about to refuse out of habit when—
“Come on, you know you’re not supposed to let the girl pay on a date, right?”
Logian exaggeratedly winked, making Jaina gape slightly.
“That’s… cheesy.”
Logian replied with mock seriousness,
“Want me to buy you some pickles too?”
Thanks to his teasing, Jaina’s tension eased, and she began looking around.
Cracked pottery, broken mirrors, chipped teacups with the gold worn off—
the market was full of oddities.
She walked slowly, unlike the other visitors craning their necks in hopes of spotting treasure.
‘If it’s really a treasure, it wouldn’t be that easy to find, right?’
The thought triggered a realization.
‘Wait… if this is the place where His Highness’s father became a spirit mage…’
Then this was the same market where Logian, grieving his mother’s death early in the novel, had wandered aimlessly—
and by sheer luck, found a magical artifact.
Though timeline-wise, that artifact shouldn’t be here yet…
‘But maybe those items are.’
Logian didn’t know it, but this market also contained a dragon relic and the necklace once worn by Queen Leanne.
Jaina narrowed her eyes slightly. She could probably find one of them using her own power.
“Oh, this place looks interesting.”
Logian looked around curiously as they walked. The paths twisted like spiderwebs, but Jaina moved with certainty, as if she knew the way.
“Do you sense something?”
“It’s faint, but yes… some kind of energy.”
She stopped before a particular shop—it felt far older than the rest.
Ding—
“Welcome.”
Before the bell even finished ringing, an old man sitting with his legs crossed greeted them, as though expecting their arrival.
“I saw two small auras by the star chart yesterday. So it was you kids, huh?”
“That wasn’t us. You must’ve seen someone else. We’re not that insignificant.”
Though Logian usually spoke politely even to commoners, his pride was stung, and he answered bluntly.
The old man’s eyes flashed for a moment before softening again.
“Some rich kids, huh? My goods aren’t for sale just because you’ve got money. You need to be qualified.”
“Even if we paid double what you ask?”
“Heh. What good’s money to an old man like me? Just pick what you want first.”
Jaina closed her eyes. She could feel a faint energy—but it was muddled, hard to pinpoint. Then she calmly drew up her mana.
Something responded.
“That jar.”
“…What?”
The old man blinked in surprise when she pointed.
‘She picked that one? No way she knows what it is. But she definitely can’t afford it…’
After all, what kind of money could two kids sneaking out to the market really have?
“You’ve got a good eye, but that’s not something you can—”
“Will this do?”
Logian grinned and placed a pouch of gold coins on the counter. The old man’s expression changed instantly.
“Well… unless your parents come complaining later—”
“My mother’s not the type to get mad over a gift bought on a date.”
The old man cleared his throat awkwardly and pocketed the coins, though he still grumbled.
“Do you even know what you’re buying? That’s been in my family for three generations. They say it holds hidden power, but I’ve never—”
Before he could finish, Jaina cut in, clutching the jar.
“Yes, I know.”
The old man rubbed his eyes. For a split second, it looked as if some mysterious light had pulsed from the jar.
‘Must be my imagination…’
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
‘Couldn’t be. I’ve kept that thing three generations and never felt a thing.’
Then he laughed heartily.
“Well, a deal’s a deal. No take-backs.”
They were strange kids, sure—but he doubted they could sense anything he couldn’t, so he thought nothing of it.
A moment later—
Ding—
“Let’s pick something nice too.”
“Hey, old man! What kind of greeting is that for customers?”
Two more customers walked in.
The old man shrugged, thinking—
‘So the two small auras weren’t those kids after all.’
“Jaina, that one thing’s enough for you?”
“Yes, of course. Thanks to you, I’ve gotten something truly precious.”
‘To think I actually obtained a sacred relic here… what a find.’
If Michael was right that the dragon clans were weakening, then every relic like this would be invaluable.
Maybe if she brought it to her dragon kin, they’d finally appreciate her—she might even redeem her reputation as the “disgrace” and “half-blood outcast.”
‘But then again, why would I do something nice for the people who cast me out?’
Jaina pondered what to do with the relic. It was precious, but she had no immediate use for it.
“Jaina, shall we then— cough—”
Just then, as they stepped out of the shop—
“What’s that?”
A plume of black smoke rose in the distance. Screams echoed through the market.
“Please help us!”
“Save us!”
They ran toward the commotion—
a building was engulfed in flames, smoke billowing skyward,
and all around, people stood helplessly, unable to do anything but watch.
