Chapter 174: Shopping with the Family

Outside, the square was still bustling with activity. Numerous families chatted excitedly, some still euphoric over the results of the Awakening, while others were already discussing plans for the coming years.

Children ran among the adults, awkwardly testing their newly awakened abilities, one little girl trying to sniff the air like a hunting dog, while a boy balanced on one leg to test his enhanced coordination.

Carriages came and went, merchants took advantage of the crowds to sell snacks and souvenirs, and the afternoon sun bathed everything in shades of gold and orange.

Judite crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in barely concealed impatience.

"What do you think they’re talking about?"

Lukas shrugged, trying to appear more unconcerned than he actually felt.

"I have no idea. Maybe it’s about my ability. Or about that light."

She nodded slowly, biting her lip once again.

"I think so too." She paused, her eyes wandering across the lively square.

"You should’ve seen that woman’s face when your light appeared. She looked like she’d seen a ghost."

Lukas recalled the woman’s expression after his Awakening had ended. The shock, the disbelief, the sudden respect that had appeared in her eyes when the crystal exploded with colorful light. It was as though he had done something impossible, something that shattered every rule she knew.

"It was... strange," he admitted quietly.

"But I don’t know what it means."

The two sat down on a stone bench beside the garden, where wildflowers created splashes of color across the well-kept grass. Bees buzzed lazily as they gathered nectar while the day gradually cooled.

As they waited, they talked about the children who had awakened before them.

Judite tried to guess which of them would become powerful in the future, analyzing each ability as though she were a general planning her army.

The boy with the heightened sense of smell would certainly become an exceptional tracker, she argued, but the girl with enhanced physical endurance had the potential to become a fearsome warrior. Meanwhile, the boy with enhanced coordination could become a legendary archer if he trained hard enough.

Lukas simply listened, amused by his sister’s theories. He knew Judite had always been more outgoing and imaginative, capable of seeing possibilities where others saw only facts. It was a quality he admired in her, even when her speculations became a little exaggerated.

Time passed quickly amid their conversations and observations of life in the square. The sun slowly descended toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The families gradually dispersed, and the square, once bustling with activity, slowly settled into the calm of late afternoon.

Nearly half an hour later...

The great doors finally opened once more, creaking upon their iron hinges. The sound immediately caused Lukas and Judite to turn around.

Clavor stepped out first, his firm footsteps echoing across the stone pavement. His expression remained exactly as it always was, calm, steady, and imposing.

It was the face of a man who had seen many things in this world, who had learned to control his emotions in the face of the unexpected. Even so, Lukas noticed something different in his eyes, a depth that had not been there before.

Aurora emerged shortly afterward, her light-blue dress whispering softly across the ground.

Lukas immediately noticed a subtle difference in her. She smiled as usual, her face carrying the same warmth as always, but there was a faint concern hidden within her eyes.

It was something subtle, so slight that few people would probably have noticed it. But Lukas knew her well. He knew every expression, every gesture, every tiny nuance of her behavior.

His mother was worried.

It was not obvious panic or fear, but a restrained anxiety, like someone who had heard something unexpected and had not yet fully processed it.

Lukas decided not to ask. If it was important, his parents would tell him when they believed the time was right. He trusted them, just as he always had.

Clavor simply smiled, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"Let’s go."

Without asking any more questions, the four of them returned to the carriage. Clavor simply helped Aurora climb aboard and waited until everyone had settled into their seats.

...

Since it was still early in the afternoon, they decided to spend the rest of the day in Great Rock City.

They would depart for the Dmond Manor the following morning, after spending one more night at the Stone Shield Inn, the same inn where they had stayed before the Awakening.

During the next several hours, they leisurely walked through the city’s bustling streets.

Great Rock City was an important commercial center, with merchants arriving from every surrounding region to sell their goods. Its cobblestone streets were lined with shops and stalls of every kind, each offering something different.

Aurora purchased several new fabrics from a specialty shop, selecting pieces of fine silk and soft velvet that would undoubtedly be turned into dresses and robes. The shopkeeper, a stout woman with quick hands and keen eyes, recommended the best colors for the approaching season.

Judite persisted until she convinced Clavor to buy her some sweets from a confectionery renowned for the quality of its products. She carefully made her selections, choosing honey candies, candied fruits, and small cream-filled pastries.

Every choice was accompanied by an elaborate explanation of why that particular sweet was absolutely essential to her future happiness.

Lukas took the opportunity to visit a small bookstore, where he purchased two books about monsters and another about medicinal plants.

The bookseller, an elderly man with thick spectacles and ink-stained fingers, seemed surprised by the boy’s interest.

"Not many children your age are interested in this kind of reading," he remarked while wrapping the books in brown paper.

Lukas merely smiled as he placed the books into his backpack. There was something about learning about the world around him that fascinated him deeply, understanding the monsters that inhabited distant lands, the plants that could heal or kill, and the secrets hidden within nature.

They also passed through the central market, observing merchants from many different regions offering exotic spices, weapons forged in distant forges, artisan tools, and curiosities brought from places Lukas could barely even imagine.