Kain and Mera wandered all over Adia, at least through the outer city.

Compared to Esten, this place didn't have any groundbreaking forms of entertainment, but the merchants and locals of Adia recognized this, so the forms of entertainment they offered were incredibly diverse.

For example, street performers weren't uncommon, but in Adia, there was a place called the "circus," where these people gathered to perform various acts. Naturally, these performers were ordinary people, and their shows were a testament to the limits a normal, magic-less body could achieve. They swung through the air, juggled multiple objects with extreme precision, even juggling while swinging, and sometimes two people would cooperate, holding onto each other while juggling and swinging! It was truly a feast for the eyes.

When the performance ended and the circus artists took their bows, Kain and Mera, along with the other spectators, gave a hearty round of applause and threw money onto the stage. Even Kain gained some benefits. From these people who had honed their skills for decades, what they showed was something Kain had a lot to learn from.

Besides the circus, another cool form of entertainment was the mobile floating restaurants on the river. Adia had a dense network of rivers. Aside from being used for trade and travel to other regions, people also traveled by boat extensively within Adia itself.

The mobile floating restaurant concept was born from this. After booking and paying, Kain and Mera boarded a luxurious yacht with an open-air restaurant on the top deck. They would sit at a table, enjoying their meal while taking in the cool river breeze and the city landscape on both banks.

Another thing worth mentioning was that there were many markets in Adia, so many, in fact, that you'd run into one after walking just a block or two. And because it was a city of commerce, there were all kinds of goods and merchants from everywhere, selling all sorts of strange things, even unique items from other lands. Although they didn't buy anything, just Browse was a pleasure in itself.

"Hey, Kain," Mera said suddenly while they were walking down the street. Kain tilted his head to the left.

"What is it, Mera?"

"We've been playing around Adia for a week. I think... it's time to go back to Esten."

As she spoke, she slightly lowered her head and put her hands behind her back, a gesture Kain often saw when Mera was hiding something.

And he had already guessed what it was.

"Is it about Myra?"

"Yeah..."

With Kain's direct question, Mera no longer hid it. Since the betrayal in the tournament finals, the relationship between the two sisters had become incredibly awkward. If they had simply grown to hate each other, it would have been better, as it would prove they still had a connection. But here, an invisible wall seemed to stand between them, and neither could cross it.

"I understand why she did it, so... I don't want to leave her alone anymore."

Mera was no longer the innocent young woman she was when she first met Kain, despite her profound soul. Through Kain's deductions and her own recollections, Mera had come to realize the kind of silent abuse her sister, Myra, had endured since their childhood. And it had even originated from the mother they both loved.

Mera was in great pain. Her beautiful memories of the past were now tainted with a sense of falsity, like an indelible scar. However, Mera chose to face it. To run from it would mean she was just trapping herself in an illusion. And she wanted Myra to be able to do the same.

Even so, the distance between them after the fracture was something Mera was momentarily afraid to cross. But thinking of Myra's image growing more distant, Mera resolved herself. This time, no matter what, she would overcome it with her sister. Even if her sister hated her afterward, it wouldn't matter.

"Myra is looking for our mother... maybe it's because deep in her subconscious, she wants an answer."

"But she'll destroy herself, so... I want to help her."

Mera turned to look at Kain, her eyes filled with a burning determination.

And all of this was fully absorbed into Kain's profound golden pupils.

"No matter what you do, I'll be by your side."

Hearing this, Mera blushed, her heart overflowing with happiness. As long as Kain was by her side, Mera didn't think there was anything she couldn't overcome. Not because he was Kain - the smartest person in the world, but because he was Kain - the man to whom she had given her heart and soul.

"Alright, we should find somewhere to have dinner tonight," Kain said, scratching his head in an awkward manner. He had always been a rational person, a trait that became more evident the deeper he delved into this world, after leaving the village he had lived in for fifteen years. Kain was no longer the "country boy," but when he was with Mera, he could say such "tender" words without feeling awkward at all.

Seeing Kain's expression, Mera also secretly smiled mischievously. She would occasionally tease Kain in this way. It must be said that, although they both seemed very different from when they first met, deep down, Mera in Kain's eyes was still, to some extent, the same arrogant young miss who was secretly protective of others. And Kain in Mera's eyes was still, to some extent, the same kind-hearted, if slightly foolish, country boy.

Suddenly, Mera nudged Kain.

"Look at what's over there."

Following Mera's finger, Kain saw a very quiet and shabby stall by the roadside. Behind the stall was a young woman wearing a cloak that covered almost her entire body. But what was written on the sign was what caught his attention.

"Challenge... your intellect?"

"What the heck is this?" Kain raised an eyebrow, then looked at Mera. She shrugged, indicating she had no idea either.

"How odd. She's not even selling anything, but she still set up a stall. And there's no prize either," Mera grumbled, while Kain's mind was already at work.

The woman must be wealthy, which is why she could afford to rent a stall to set up this seemingly "useless" stand that no one would visit. She needed to find someone intelligent enough to do something.

Still, Kain didn't see the need to get involved. He was more concerned about Mera.

"So? Do you want to try?"

"Yeah, doesn't that 'challenge your intellect' sign provoke you?" Mera turned to him, her voice excited.

Kain just gave a wry smile.

"Alright, I'll go with you."

"That's the spirit!"

With that, Mera led Kain by the hand to the mysterious woman's stall.

Seeing Kain and Mera standing before her, it took the woman a second to react. She clearly hadn't had any customers for a while, so she wasn't paying attention.

"You... you must know what I want to do, right?" The girl spoke, her voice very young, even a little childlike. Moreover, the first part of her sentence was hesitant, suggesting that these weren't her spontaneous words but a kind of memorized phrase she was repeating.

This girl wasn't the mastermind of the game; she was just a messenger. That's what Kain realized.

Mera didn't pay as much attention to that. She beckoned to the mysterious girl. "Bring it out."

"Yes..." The girl's voice became small and timid. This was her true way of speaking.

The girl took out three bowl-like objects and a small ball. "Now, I will hide this ball under one of the three bowls, and what you need to do is guess where the ball is."

The girl placed the ball in front and covered it with one bowl, then arranged the other two bowls in a row. She extended her hands and began to swap the bowls.

It must be said that, despite her timid demeanor, she was incredibly skilled at swapping the bowls, to the point that Mera's eyes were dazzled. Was it possible for a mere swap of three objects to make a mid-class Magus like Mera unable to see anything?

Of course not, if it were only a swap of three objects. But here, the afterimages left by the girl's continuously moving arms partially obscured Mera's view of the bowls. As time went on, it became harder for her to keep up.

Still, Mera didn't think she would lose, even without using magic.

When the swapping was finished, the girl's hands naturally stopped. And in that very moment, Mera looked up at the girl behind the counter, seeing her eyes glance towards the bowl on her left.

"Got you."