Egru couldn’t even hear what Levian was saying. His only thought was to protect the flour bread left in his possession.

He tucked the flour bread wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper inside his shirt. His visible stomach bulged slightly. As he carefully rebuttoned his robe, he felt a piercing gaze.

“?”

“There’s no point in buying you anything. Are you a squirrel? When are you going to eat if you just keep storing things all day?”

Levian clicked his tongue, openly sighing.

“I-it’s my choice…”

“Sure, what can I expect? From someone who gets his food snatched by seagulls even when I buy him something nice.”

“T-that was ages ago…!”

“You should have seen your face back then.”

Levian chuckled, holding his forehead.

“The way you looked at your hands in disbelief was so funny. Now you’re even losing to seagulls?”

“……”

Egru’s lips protruded, pouting excessively. Levian flicked the plump lips a few times with his index finger as if brushing them upward.

“Isn’t this because you just hold onto things, saying you’ll give them to that brother of yours? When I tell you to eat, just eat. Don’t just say you understand without actually doing it.”

“……”

“Oh? Now you’re not saying anything at all?”

Egru turned his head completely to the opposite side. Levian raised one eyebrow and smiled.

“You shouldn’t treat me like this. I even introduce you to jobs. Without me, you wouldn’t even have work. You’re getting too cocky for someone who’d have no job without me.”

“Y-you take almost all my salary as an introduction fee.”

“Other agents are worse than me. Do you think you could have survived this much in the system without me? Especially in an area notorious for its poor treatment of demons.”

Levian lifted Egru’s wrist and shook it.

“You should be grateful just for not having to walk around with bells dangling here.”

“?”

“Well, to be precise, they’re not bells, but it’s similar.”

Levian rambled on about things Egru couldn’t understand. Then there was a heavy metallic sound, creeeeak. It was the sound of a rusty iron door being pushed open.

Egru quickly raised his head. As he reflexively tried to look around, his brown head was firmly pushed down.

“A-are we here?”

“Not yet. Wait.”

Levian, entering a hidden warehouse behind the entrance, lifted a couple of long levers. After a clicking sound, there was a series of booming noises. It was the sound of colorful amusement park lights turning on.

“Ugh, so stiff.”

Only then did Levian put Egru down on the ground. He walked away a few steps, exaggeratedly rolling his shoulders. Egru, who had been hesitating on the spot, finally raised his head.

“Wow…”

A cascade of colorful light bulbs poured down. Jewel-like vibrant colors melted into his amber eyes.

Although not all the lights were illuminated, it was enough to move one demon hybrid who had been in a bad mood.

Levian looked down at Egru while lighting his cigarette. He seemed satisfied with Egru’s appearance, his jaw slack as if it had dropped.

“…Ah.”

Belatedly coming to his senses, Egru quickly expressed his gratitude first.

“T-thank you, Levian. Let’s go out now.”

“What? We just came in, what are you talking about?”

“We shouldn’t sneak in.”

“Why?”

“The amusement park owner will be sad. I-I thought we came in after buying tickets…”

“Ah, that?”

Levian rolled his amber eyes around.

“The amusement park owner said it’s fine.”

“N-no. How would you know?”

“I know everything.”

Is that really true? Egru was puzzled but decided to trust Levian.

Levian really does know a lot, after all. In fact, he secretly didn’t want to leave.

‘A-an amusement park! A real amusement park…!’

If so, it was now time to take in the sights eagerly. His skinny green fingers fidgeted with excitement.

Egru gazed absentmindedly at the sparkling lights. The amusement park he entered for the first time was literally fantastic.

He paused while examining various decorations with a pounding heart. A radiant light emanated from a ride where famous horse statues were lined up in a circle. As if knowing Egru’s mind, Levian quickly asked:

“Hey, want to ride a pony? They’re probably sleeping, but we can just wake them up.”

“N-no, it’s okay.”

“Do you think you get chances like this often? Then do you want to ride the merry-go-round?”

“Is that the merry-go-round?”

“Yeah.”

“T-that’s okay too. I don’t want to ride now.”

“Geez, do as you like.”

Egru thought he’d like to come here with his brother someday. Not necessarily an amusement park in the system.

‘I-if the new owner is kind like Levian says…’

He could work hard, pay off his debt, and regain his freedom. If he returned after earning lots of money, maybe D’Élysée would look at him differently too.

“What’s with those curious eyes? You even borrowed money once saying you were going to an amusement park.”

“It’s my first time actually coming inside…”

“…Ah. Come to think of it, I did give that money back. Why couldn’t you get in?”

“T-that’s…”

Egru slowly lowered his head. Even though he tried not to think about it, it kept coming back. To forget the past, he shook his head deliberately.

“I-it’s nothing.”

“Nothing my ass.”

Muttering quietly, Levian put the cigarette to his mouth. Egru quickly tugged on Levian’s suit jacket.

“T-this is a no-smoking area…”

“Where?”

“There’s a sign right here.”

“Hmm.”

After quietly rubbing his chin, Levian placed Egru in front of him to cover the sign.

“Now it’s fine.”

Levian nonchalantly started smoking again.

“N-no. You shouldn’t smoke.”

“No, really, it’s okay. Huh?”

“I-it’s not okay at all. It’s drawn here not to smoke.”

“Fuck, this place is my… friend’s. So I can do as I please.”

“Really?”

“That’s why we can come in at night too.”

Egru nodded obediently, bobbing his head.

‘The amusement park owner is his friend.’

Levian really is amazing.

Levian glanced down at Egru standing blankly.

“You do this. Don’t bother people.”

His large hand grabbed a long tube displayed at a nearby stand and handed it to Egru.

Egru quietly looked down at it. A transparent yet mysterious rainbow color rippled.

‘I-is it a drink?’

Egru licked his lips. The moment he opened the lid and was about to gulp it down, Levian snatched the long tube away in one swift motion.

“It’s not for eating, idiot! It’s bubble soap!”

“?”

Seeing the bewildered expression, Levian roughly ruffled his bangs.

“No, geez. It’s for blowing. Are you showing off how poor you are? Trying to eat everything.”

Egru’s pointed ears drooped. It was slippery and bitter, but not entirely undrinkable.

“Ha.”

Saying “Like this,” Levian blew soap bubbles. Round bubbles popped out one after another. Egru’s pointed ears shot up vertically.

As the slowly floating bubbles settled, Egru quickly cupped his hands. They popped as soon as they lightly touched his green skin. With his mouth agape, Egru alternately looked at Levian and his palms.

“Now, you try.”

“Okay!”

It didn’t take long to learn how to blow bubbles. The two stood side by side in the middle of the nighttime amusement park.

Levian smoked cigarettes, and Egru blew bubbles. Every time bubbles flew up, Egru smiled brightly.

However, the happy time ended quickly because he had swallowed a considerable amount of bubble soap.

Egru glanced up at Levian. He was in the middle of chain-smoking.

‘I-I shouldn’t bother him…’

Looking around alone, Egru carefully pointed to an unlit hat vendor stall. Levian nodded. It meant he could use it as he pleased.

After careful consideration, Egru chose one hat. It was a puffy hat with fluffy fur.

“H-how is it…?”

To the cautious question, Levian glanced and answered.

“Looks like a toadstool.”

Egru became dejected at once. He slowly took off the hat and fiddled with his hair. After looking at himself in the mirror, he soon conveyed something to Levian.

“…You want to trim your hair?”

Levian asked, exhaling cigarette smoke. Egru nodded.

“What’s the point of doing that? What good will it do to look pretty to others? Do you want to get caught by pig-like bastards?”

“W-why would I get caught?”

“…Because you look too stupid. They’d want to beat you with clubs.”

“I just won’t get caught.”

“Don’t be stubborn. There’s no human hairdresser who’d cut your hair anyway.”

“Y-you could cut it for me.”

“Huh, why should I?”

Levian sneered.

“I-I went to the Papal Headquarters but my hair was all messy. The color is dirty too. I-I wish I had a brighter color…”

Suddenly, the hand bringing the cigarette to his mouth paused. Levian’s gaze settled on the dark brown hair.

“…You used to be blonde too.”

“R-really?”

“Some people’s hair color changes as they grow. Yours darkened particularly.”

Beep beep beep.

At that moment, Levian’s communication device started ringing.

Roughly checking the caller ID, Levian grabbed Egru by the nape of his neck and hung up the call.

Egru dangled as he was moved. The way he was swiftly transferred seemed strangely familiar. Levian asked while stepping on the discarded cigarette butt:

“By the way, did you actually see the Pope? Did you two talk?”

“Yeah, he was super kind. And extremely beautiful.”

“Hmm.”

Levian suddenly stroked his chin. Then he started looking at his own face in a small mirror decorated on a ride.

“Hey.”

“?”

“…What do I look like?”

Egru stared up at Levian. For a while, he tilted his head this way and that, pondering sincerely.

“…A bit disobedient-looking?”