"Well, thank you for your help."
"It's just a small matter! So, what kind of candy do you want to buy?" After hearing Sakura's response, Muelsyse waved her hand dismissively, though she nodded with satisfaction internally.
What had happened with Mobius earlier had left Muelsyse feeling a bit insecure. But now it appears... she wasn't the problem.
"Well... something suitable for children."
Faced with Muelsyse's question, Sakura thought for a moment before answering.
"Oh, for children... let me see."
With that, Muelsyse clapped her hands and walked skillfully to another section of the store.
"..."
Seeing this, Sakura didn't hesitate. She picked up an empty basket and also grabbed the basket Muelsyse had "forgotten" on the side before following her.
Their conversation then went like this:
"John's Mother's Orange Storm is delicious and great for kids!"
"Yeah."
"There's also strawberry flavor."
"Yeah."
"And this assorted flavor, but it depends on the kids' preferences."
"Yeah, okay."
...
With Muelsyse's help, Sakura ended up with a whole basket of candy.
"Thank you for your help. My name is Sakura, and I'm glad to have met you."
After leaving the candy store, Sakura didn't rush off but instead politely thanked Muelsyse.
"Oh, it was just a little help. My name is Muelsyse, and I'm happy to get along with you!"
Muelsyse's lips curled into a slight smile as she introduced herself to the serious pink-haired 'Cautus' before her.
However, some of Muelsyse's words weren't just pleasantries, like "I'm happy to get along with you."
It really was nice spending time with Sakura, who humbly accepted her suggestions. Any frustration she had felt because of Mobius had vanished without a trace.
"I originally wanted to buy you a box of your favorite candy as a thank-you gift, but I gave up when I saw you bought so much yourself."
Sakura's eyes fell on the handbag filled with candy in Muelsyse's hand. After a pause, she continued, "So, I was wondering if you have any plans later? How about I treat you to something to eat?"
"Oh, that's not necessary. I just helped you pick out some candy." Muelsyse spoke, a bit embarrassed, as sweat slowly formed on brf forehead. Obviously, Sakura's words had successfully shifted the awkwardness from her to her.
"Don't worry about it. You helped me, so I'll treat you to a meal. It's a courtesy."
"Besides, I was hoping you could show me around the city. I just got here and don't even know if there are any good restaurants."
As she said this, Sakura raised her lips slightly and smiled gently at Muelsyse.
"So you're new here? Well then, let me show you around!" Muelsyse was slightly stunned by Sakura's honesty, but then she suddenly became excited.
It could be said that the earlier matter of "hurrying back to check on that green-haired woman" was completely forgotten.
After all, Mobius could run away from the problem, but not the responsibility, and missing out on a new friend in front of her was something Muelsyse didn't want. Therefore, she still felt it was more important to spend time with this new friend.
"Well, then I'll be counting on you, Muelsyse."
"It's no trouble at all! Just like you said, it's a courtesy!"
Afterward, Sakura walked around the city under Muelsyse's guidance.
--
In the Laboratory—
Mobius noticed what Sakura was doing. She paused for a moment before immersing herself back into her experiments.
After all, she didn't have much time left.
The next time Ifrit would receive "treatment" wasn't far off. Even though it was still the early stages, Ifrit would have to undergo treatment once or twice a week.
And Mobius hoped to develop a suitable analgesic that wouldn't be easily detected by those people before the next "treatment" to reduce the mental pain Ifrit would endure.
As for why she was focused only on the mental and not the physical pain... well, for Mobius, no matter how bad Ifrit's body became, she could bring it back as long as she wasn't dead.
But the mental aspect was different... If the mind collapsed, it wouldn't be easy to treat. Besides, she had promised Ifrit that night to help relieve her pain.
Although Mobius herself admitted that her bottom line was very flexible, she still disdained deceiving children.
So, it was actually a good thing for Mobius that Sakura had distracted Muelsyse. After all, it avoided unnecessary harassment.
...
"Phew—maybe we should find a place to store our things first."
Muelsyse couldn't resist buying a lot of items while shopping, so she had too many stuff in hand. She temporarily set down her "trophies" on the ground, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and then suggested to Sakura.
"No need for that trouble; let me help carry these." Sakura stepped forward and easily lifted the "trophies" in front of the panting Muelsyse.
"Hey! Sakura, aren't you tired? Wait—how did you walk so far without sweating at all?!"
Muelsyse looked at Sakura with calm breaths and a relaxed expression, speaking in surprise.
After all, they had just walked through most of the city at a brisk pace. Even she, an elf, was feeling a bit tired.
"I have good physical strength. After all, I'm also a martial artist."
Before Muelsyse could respond, a flicker of oddity flashed across Sakura's eyes.
A "killer" should also be considered a martial artist, right?
"I see."
Hearing this, Muelsyse nodded gently, a trace of understanding in her eyes.
However, speaking of martial artists, Muelsyse's thoughts turned to a particularly straightforward friend of hers... someone who was incredibly strong but usually wielded a shield and focused on defense.
"In that case, Sakura, your skills must be very impressive." As she spoke, Muelsyse looked at her new friend with a curious expression.
"I wouldn't say that. It's just some self-defense skills. Besides, I rarely spar with others." Sakura modestly shook her head in response to Muelsyse's curiosity.
But in a sense, the second half of Sakura's sentence wasn't wrong. She rarely sparred with others in this world. If it was a friend, she wouldn't fight at all. If it was an enemy, she would simply eliminate them swiftly.