Aiden followed behind Furina, watching her excited expression as if she wanted to press her face right against the iron griddle, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"You guys finally caught up. If you were any slower, I would have eaten all this by myself," Furina looked back at Robin and the others, smugly lifting her chin.
"Yes, yes, who could possibly be faster than our Lady Furina?"
Robin smiled warmly, her tone carrying a hint of indulgence.
Soon, several portions of steaming hot grilled squid were in their hands.
As the team's head chef, Tifa only took a small bite before giving a precise evaluation, "The heat control is excellent, and the sauce is a secret recipe. It has at least three different spices mixed in, providing a great balance of sweet and spicy."
As she spoke, she carefully used a napkin to wipe away a stray drop of sauce from the corner of Aiden's mouth. Her movements were completely natural, as if she had done this a thousand times before.
Aiden froze slightly, turning his head away somewhat awkwardly, only to meet Tifa's gentle, watery eyes.
Having finished the grilled squid, the group continued moving forward with the flow of the crowd. On the streets of the Lunar Festival, every step offered a new sight. They passed a shooting game stall where the owner had carved wooden targets into the shapes of various Dungeon monsters, from Goblins to Orcs, all incredibly lifelike.
"Wow, this looks interesting."
Furina's eyes lit up.
"Let me try."
Firefly was also intrigued.
Under the stall owner's astonished gaze, Firefly picked up the specially made cork air gun. With barely any aiming, she rapidly pulled the trigger in a series of sharp pops. Her movements were fast and precise; the wooden Goblins fell one after another, and an entire row of targets was effortlessly cleared out.
"A-Amazing!"
The stall owner was dumbfounded, clutching his chest in heartbreak as he handed over a massive, fluffy rabbit plushie as the grand prize.
A cute blush crept across Firefly's face as she hugged the rabbit plushie, which was larger than her own torso. She looked a bit flustered, creating a sharp contrast with the clean and decisive skills she had just displayed.
Continuing forward through the noisy crowd, a little girl accidentally tripped and fell to the ground. Scraping her knee, she burst into loud sobs. The surrounding crowd merely cast a fleeting glance before being swept away by the current of the festival.
Hyacine, however, noticed it immediately. She quickly walked over, gently kneeling down, and took out a compact bottle of Healing Spray from her small bag.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Big sister will spray a little magic potion on it, and it won't hurt anymore."
She comforted the child softly, aiming the Healing Spray at the little girl's wound and pressing the nozzle lightly. A cool mist brushed over the skin, and the wound stopped bleeding and scabbed over at a visible rate. Like performing a magic trick, Hyacine then pulled a fruit candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and handed it to the little girl.
Standing not far away, Jeanne quietly watched this scene, a trace of imperceptible softness flowing through her eyes.
Aiden took in her expression completely. He walked over to a nearby stall selling handicrafts, bought a simple wooden hairpin carved with a moon pattern, and walked up to Jeanne to hand it to her.
"This suits you very well."
Jeanne paused in surprise. She silently took the hairpin and gripped it tightly in her palm. She kept her head down and didn't say a word, but the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
While the festival's lively chaos was a joy for some, for others, it was entirely overwhelming. Castorice had been quietly following at the very back of the group since the beginning. The crowded and noisy atmosphere made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She kept her head lowered slightly, her long silver-purple hair obscuring half of her face.
"Darling Castorice, look at that."
Hyacine noticed her apprehension and pulled her toward a goldfish-scooping stall. Firefly was already excitedly holding a paper net, locked in a battle of wits and courage with the agile little goldfish in the pool. Although she suffered repeated defeats, the smile on her face was incredibly radiant.
"Want to try?"
Aiden walked up beside Castorice and asked softly.
Castorice shook her head and whispered, "I... I will hear them."
The aura of death she carried always made her afraid to easily approach these vibrant, living things.
Aiden smiled. He picked up a delicate butterfly mask from a nearby mask stall and gently placed it over her face.
"Now you won't. Tonight, you aren't a messenger of death; you're just a butterfly that accidentally wandered into the mortal realm."
The mask hid her features and seemingly blocked out the stares of the outside world, giving her a small sliver of security. Under Firefly's repeated invitations, she finally mustered her courage, picked up a paper net, and carefully dipped it into the water. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps her extraordinary caution played a role, but she actually managed to successfully scoop up a small red goldfish.
As the little goldfish swam in the water bag, Castorice quietly watched that splash of vibrant red life through the eyeholes of her mask. She didn't say a word, but Aiden could sense that the faint, cold aura surrounding her seemed to have melted away just a bit.
"It's too loud here. Let's go check out that area over there," Robin suggested.
She pointed to a stone bridge spanning a canal not far away. The lights there were dim and beautiful, and the crowd was much sparser. On the bridge, many people were placing lotus lanterns inscribed with their wishes into the river. Warm lights floated slowly into the distance along the current, merging into a flowing river of stars.
The atmosphere was tranquil and serene. Aiden and Robin leaned side-by-side against the bridge railing, quietly watching this dreamlike scene.
"It's truly beautiful," Robin sighed softly. "Everyone's wishes, gathered together, turn into a scenery like this. It's just like 'Harmony'. Even though every note is different, when combined, they can play the most moving melody."
Her voice was ethereal and enchanting, seeming to blend seamlessly with the night itself.
"Yeah," Aiden nodded. "Our Familia is like that too."
Robin turned her head, her lake-green eyes appearing to brim with starlight under the lantern illumination. She looked at Aiden, a gentle smile curving her lips. "Mhm, we are 'family'."
Soon after, the rest of the group also arrived on the bridge.
"Let's release the most magnificent river lantern in the name of the Focalors Familia!"
Furina announced with high spirits. They bought the largest lotus lantern available, and everyone, holding onto a feeling of cherishment, wrote down their own wishes upon it. Finally, everyone together gently placed this river lantern, carrying their shared desires, into the water.
It flickered and swayed, slowly merging into that long river of light, drifting toward an unknown distance under the bright moonlight of the Lunar Festival. The festive noise continued. Holding all sorts of snacks in their hands, Aiden and his party wove through the bustling crowd, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the holiday.
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