CHAPTER 473: TOURING VII

A/N : Ahh, I was busy with some work at home, plus planing for my new book as well as furure arcs for this one, but now every thing over, so from tommorow we are back at double chaps update ]

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He took a slow bite of the aura fruit. It was warm and sweet, the flavor pulsing faintly with energy. "Not bad," he said.

Freya smiled. "See? Simple things can still be good."

They kept walking side by side, the sounds of the market flowing around them—vendors calling out, laughter from children chasing floating lights, the soft hum of music from a nearby courtyard. The air shimmered faintly with soul energy, turning the night into a gentle glow of colors.

Marina was still darting between stalls, now trying to convince Arnold to buy matching wristbands made of glowing silk. Catherine stood nearby, pretending to be disinterested but clearly amused. Valeris and Sophia were deep in discussion with the map vendor, pointing at different ley-lines and marking routes.

Veyra passed by holding a small wooden case filled with glowing herbs. "Found what you were looking for?" Asher asked.

She nodded. "Yes. These will help refine my soul resonance further. And they’re rare—grows only under moonlight."

"Good," he said. "Glad you found something useful."

Freya nudged him lightly. "And you? Found anything worth keeping?"

He looked around at the group—laughing, trading small treasures, enjoying the night without worry. "Yeah," he said quietly. "This."

She smiled, her expression softening. "You’re getting better at saying the right things."

He gave a small shrug. "I mean them."

They reached the edge of the market where the lanterns floated higher, drifting toward the upper tiers. A soft breeze carried the scent of incense and night-blooming flowers. The streets beyond led toward the Grand Pavilion—its towering structure visible even from here, crowned in silver light.

"Tomorrow’s going to be busy," Valeris said as they regrouped. "We’ll need to be at the Pavilion by sunrise for the registration."

Marina sighed dramatically. "Which means no sleeping in."

Catherine grinned. "You’ll survive. Barely."

Arnold stretched, looking content. "I say we call it a night before someone buys the entire market."

Freya glanced at Marina’s arms full of trinkets. "Too late for that."

They all laughed, turning back toward their lodging. The streets had quieted a little, but the lanterns still drifted above like slow-moving stars.

They were about to turn back toward their inn when Asher suddenly slowed, his eyes catching a familiar figure near one of the corner stalls. The old man stood quietly in front of a beast shop, hands folded behind his back, watching a small caged spirit-fox curl into its tail of blue fire.

Asher blinked in surprise before a faint smile crossed his face. "Grandfather?"

The old man glanced over, his eyes bright with that same ageless spark Asher remembered from Volaris. "Ah," he said softly, "I thought I’d lost you all in the crowd."

Asher stepped closer, noticing the shop’s sign—"Menagerie of Thousand Souls." Inside, faintly glowing cages and pens lined the walls. Spirit beasts of every kind moved within—scaled, feathered, shadow-born, and luminous. Some were small as cats, others large enough to fill a courtyard. Their auras shimmered with suppressed strength.

"Interested in this place?" Asher asked, though he already knew the answer. His grandfather’s expression said it all—eyes gleaming like a boy discovering wonder for the first time.

The old man gave a low chuckle. "You already know me too well, boy. Back in Volaris, I had hundreds of these little creatures. You remember my azure wyvern hatchlings?"

Asher nodded. "You spent weeks trying to teach them to fly before they learned to breathe fire."

"That’s right," the old man said, his voice filled with fond nostalgia. "And they burned half my study before they got it right. But by the stars, it was worth it."

Asher smiled faintly. "So, should we check it out?"

"Of course," his grandfather said, eyes gleaming. "Wouldn’t miss it."

Freya, who had caught up beside them, tilted her head toward the glowing shopfront. "A beast shop? This I have to see."

Asher nodded toward the others. "We’ll meet them later. Let’s take a look."

They stepped inside. The air was thick with life energy, humming like a living current. Rows of shimmering enclosures lined the room, each containing a different kind of spirit beast—crystal-eyed falcons, cloud panthers, ember-scaled salamanders, even a few rare shadow cubs that vanished and reappeared between blinks.

Freya walked ahead, eyes wide. "They’re beautiful," she murmured, watching a small serpent of silver mist coil lazily around its branch.

The shopkeeper, a tall man with a soft gray beard and eyes glowing faintly with beast aura, approached with a polite bow. "Welcome, travelers. You have an eye for fine creatures, I see."

The old man smiled. "Indeed. You keep impressive stock."

"We do our best," the shopkeeper said. "Each one here was bred under moon-tier contracts. They respond only to proper spirit resonance. If you’re looking for companions or training beasts, I can recommend a few—"

Before he could finish, one of the nearby cages pulsed with a sharp light. A small creature, no larger than a hawk, stirred within—a dark-plumed avian with glowing crimson eyes and faint runes along its wings. The aura around it felt sharp, cutting, almost like a blade.

Asher felt the faint hum of danger from it. "What’s that one?"

The shopkeeper followed his gaze. "Ah, that’s a Nightrazor. Rare and difficult to tame. Born from shadow storms beyond the Eastern Wastes. Even minor resonance interference could make it lash out—it recognizes strength above all else."

The old man’s smile grew broader. "Perfect."

Asher sighed with a small laugh. "You really haven’t changed."

Freya grinned. "He’s already planning how to train it, isn’t he?"

"Of course I am," the old man said cheerfully. "Creatures like that don’t come by often. Look at its wings—see those veins of dark light? That’s a pure Cutting Law affinity."

He turned to the shopkeeper. "I’ll take it."

The man blinked, then smiled knowingly. "You must have a strong core to handle it, sir."

"Oh, I do," the old man replied smoothly, his aura flickering faintly for an instant—ancient, calm, and immense. The beasts nearby fell silent under its weight.

Freya felt it too and looked at Asher. "He’s something else."