"Don't be nervous. Relax a little." I was walking down the streets of Aegros City, hand in hand with Aefina. The stares from passersby had her wound tight, her grip on my hand growing stronger by the second. By now, a fine layer of sweat coated the girl’s palm.

It was strange. Back on the island, she’d slaughtered an entire pirate crew without blinking. She’d let me see her naked after months together. Yet here on the street, she’d turned into a completely different person.

Was it the crowd’s attention? Was Aefina afraid of people?

Aefina was undeniably stunning—heads turned wherever she went. And sure enough, trouble found us quickly.

"Hey, kid! What’re you doing with my sister?" A sharp-faced runt blocked our path, flanked by two muscle-bound giants over six feet tall. He jabbed a finger at us, drawing every nearby gaze. My hand tightened around Aefina’s. Thrust into the spotlight, the girl tensed even more.

"L-Luo Sa? What’s wrong?" Aefina whispered in my ear, overwhelmed by the gathering crowd.

"It’s fine. Just follow my lead. When I say ‘go,’ beat them senseless—but leave them breathing." Having a girl fight for me stung my pride, but those brutes looked like they could snap me in half. Pride could wait. Besides, this trio’s script felt off. I was curious how they’d play it out.

"Damn it! Let go of my sister!" The runt shrieked, furious we’d ignored him while whispering intimately. *Seven out of ten for acting.* If I were a bystander, I might’ve almost believed Aefina was his sister… *Yeah, right.* Their faces shared zero resemblance. Insulting my intelligence!

"I… I don’t know them," Aefina stammered, trembling under their intimidation—or the crowd’s stares.

The runt clutched his chest dramatically, voice shrill: "My poor sister! He’s bewitched her! He’s a dark sorcerer!" *Eight out of ten. My limit. No higher.*

Hulk #1 leaned down to the runt: "Fourth Young Master, let us cripple him first. We’ll take the young mistress home—her memories will return."

Hulk #2 nodded eagerly: "Yes! Kill the… sorcerer first. Then take the… young mistress."

The runt turned to the crowd: "This man’s a dangerous dark sorcerer! Stay back—he might cause a riot and escape. My guards will handle him. Just make sure he doesn’t flee!"

"Dark sorcerer" was a catch-all scapegoat. From kidnapping girls to slaughtering entire towns—every atrocity got pinned on them. Real dark sorcerers *did* practice vile arts: mind control, reanimating corpses, human sacrifices. Their title fit.

I had to admit—their scheme was slick. They’d seized control. Under public scrutiny, most people would crack under pressure. If the victim wasn’t vastly stronger than these goons, they’d lose. And the winner could spin any story.

Too bad my Aefina made those two hulks look like maggots. *No typo. To her, they were literal maggots.*

"Darling," I said sweetly to Aefina, "go beat all three. Leave them breathing." Someone targeting *my* dragon girl had made me… *slightly* annoyed.

"Huh… Luo Sa? Are you sure?" Aefina took two steps forward but glanced back, worried. My expression must’ve startled her. But she hadn’t protested "darling." My annoyance faded a little.

The ignored hulks lunged while I was distracted. To them, the frail-looking Aefina wasn’t a threat—especially since the runt had ordered her unharmed. They aimed to barrel past her straight at me…

*Probably the worst decision of their lives.*

***Thud—AAGH! Crack—URRRGH!***

Four sounds: flesh hitting flesh, a hulk’s scream, snapping bone, and the second hulk’s wail. Aefina punched once per brother. In an instant, they paid dearly for ignoring the Silver Dragon. She turned to the runt, advancing slowly.

"Sorry! My mistake! I’m blind!" The runt kowtowed instantly, slamming his forehead to the pavement.

"Aefina, wait." I stopped her, looming over the groveling man. "Your guards gave my companion and me quite a fright~ Shouldn’t you… compensate us?"

"Gold coins!" Aefina called out.

"Yes! Yes! My apologies!" He thrust his coin purse into my hand. I weighed it—substantial. Aefina’s nod confirmed it was gold.

"Since you’re so sincere, we’ll let it slide. Next time, watch where you point that finger." I pulled Aefina away without looking back. *Nailed that bluff. Just like in novels. Worked perfectly!*

"Luo Sa… you’re bad," Aefina murmured in my ear.

"Bad? *They* started it." I shrugged. I’d expected trouble the moment I convinced Aefina to travel with me. Here, status showed in clothing. My pirate-given sackcloth and her simple, slightly worn white dress screamed "nobody." And with her beauty? Trouble was inevitable.

I counted the coins: thirty-six gold. Here, one gold coin could feed a poor family for a year. My savings—six silver coins—were lost when pirates captured me. No big loss. *One gold = ten silver = one hundred copper = one thousand red stones.* I didn’t even own a single gold coin.

I pulled out six gold coins, then handed Aefina the purse with the remaining thirty. She loved gold—let her keep it. I only needed pocket money.

*I’d underestimated a dragon’s greed.*

"Luo Sa… what will you do with those six coins?" Aefina stared at my handful, ignoring her own thirty. *Seriously? You have five times more!*

"Hmm? Buy you proper clothes first. The rest… we’ll see." Letting her wander in one dress was unacceptable. I wouldn’t risk anyone seeing what they shouldn’t.

"Buy? Exchange gold for things?" Aefina tilted her head, eyes still glued to my coins.

"Yeah. You can’t just wear this everywhere." I still missed her real intent.

Her hand flicked. The gold purse vanished, replaced by a heap of silver coins. She held them out: "I’ll trade with you. Give me the gold. We can use silver to buy things."

***[If you ever see a dragon buying things with gold coins, it’s definitely an imposter. —Luo Sa]***

After wandering awhile, we found a decent-looking clothing shop.

"Welcome! Shopping for this lovely lady?" A clerk greeted us warmly, no judgment in her eyes despite our shabby clothes.

Aefina relaxed slightly at the compliment, her grip loosening. *Yep. All females love beauty praise.*

I nodded. "Go pick what you like."

"…" Aefina glanced between me and the racks. Her eyes sparkled with interest, but she stayed rooted. *Where’s your dragon dignity?!*

"This young lady seems shy…" The clerk’s gaze softened with pity—she probably thought Aefina was a traumatized slave.

"She’s just nervous. I’ll show her around." I politely declined help. I’d pick for her. I wasn’t great at girls’ fashion, but what choice did I have?

Aefina stared at the colorful clothes like a kid in a candy store. *Adorable.* But after minutes of hesitation, I grew impatient.

"How about this?" I held up a white dress—similar to hers, but far more elegant.

Aefina nodded vigorously, her silver hair flying wildly.

"Clerk, this one. Do you have a smaller size?" I held it against Aefina. Too big. People here did heavy labor—their builds were sturdier. Aefina’s slender frame looked fragile by comparison.

"Right away." The clerk returned with a smaller size. It fit perfectly. I leaned in, whispering: "Do you… sell women’s undergarments here?" *Why’s this so embarrassing?!*

"…Yes." The clerk glanced at Aefina’s curious tilt, her pity deepening.

"Help her pick a few sets. This child…" I sighed heavily. *Let her keep misunderstanding. At least I won’t look like a kidnapper.*

After a quick explanation, Aefina followed the clerk obediently.

Soon, she emerged in the new dress. Already breathtaking, the proper clothes made her glow. *Truly—clothes make the dragon.*

"Well?" I asked as she hurried over.

"It’s… strange," Aefina admitted, tugging awkwardly at her chest. *Ah. I see.*

I bought her several outfits and undergarments. Thirteen silver coins later, I decided the craftsmanship was worth it.

I held the backpack the store had given me, leading Aefina—beaming with joy—out of the shop. My own backpack held various seasonings; it couldn’t be stored with clothes, lest it pick up unwanted smells.

At the door, I heard the same server whisper softly, “Meeting you is truly her good fortune…”

I blinked but didn’t reply.

‘Strictly speaking, I’m the lucky one for meeting her…’