—This guy is...
Finally, the helmet fell. A sharp jawline, long golden hair that shimmered like angelic silk, piercing blue eyes, and a flawless smile with perfectly white teeth were revealed.
—Damn handsome! —Joaquín and the girl shouted at the same time.
—Je~ come on, guys, it's not that big of a deal —said the knight, scratching his cheek lightly with one finger, clearly embarrassed.
Then he cleared his throat softly and continued:
—Anyway... where exactly are we?
—Wait a second, isn't it normal to introduce ourselves first before giving out any information? —asked the girl.
—Right, how rude of me —the knight placed a hand over his chest and said in a polite tone— My name is Kairus, I'm twenty-one years old, and I'm a member of the Knight's Legion in Nocturne. —Kairus bowed, then stood and pointed at the Dark Lord— And this one here is Joa—
—Jake! I'm Jake! —said "Jake," quickly covering Kairus's mouth— And I'm not exactly sure about my age, but it's probably around Kairus's.
—Uh-huh... Jake, sure —said Kairus, glaring at the man once called Joaquín.
The girl smiled faintly as she looked at both of them.
—Nice to meet you, Kairus, Jake. I'm Hikari, I'm nineteen, and I run this bakery with my sister.
—Hmm... You've said that a few times already, but I'd like to ask—what exactly is a bakery? —Jake asked, stroking his chin as if using every brain cell he had.
—Ah, it's basically a place where all kinds of sweets are sold.
—Oh! You're like a merchant! —Kairus exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
—Something like that... I guess —Hikari said, a drop of sweat running down her face.
The girl raised one finger, pressed her fist against her open palm, and continued:
—Oh, right! Before I forget—right now, you're in Japan. Specifically, in Tokiwacho, Yokohama.
—Japan...? —Kairus muttered, scratching his head.
—Toki... what now? —Jake asked, tilting his head to the side.
—Yeah... that's a bit hard to explain right now. For the moment, just know that here there's no such thing as a place called Nocturne, no magic, and no strange creatures with three heads that breathe fire.
—What kind of uncultured fool told you that Cerberuses breathe fire?! —Jake shouted indignantly.
—Yeah, they're actually pretty friendly once you pet them a little...
—So Cerberuses don't destroy cities or breathe fire from their mouths? —Hikari asked, her eyes dimming in disappointment.
—Nope —Jake replied.
—Sorry to shatter your fantasy... —Kairus added, patting Hikari's shoulder as if consoling her.
Then he raised his hand from her shoulder and said with renewed energy:
—Anyway! Since you saved our lives and gave us information about this world, we need to repay you somehow!
—"We need to"? —Jake echoed.
—Yes, we need to.
—Isn't a simple "thank you" enough?
—We must properly show our gratitude.
—I don't want to! —said the Dark Lord, crossing his arms in an X.
—We must properly show our gratitude.
—No.
—We must properly show our gratitude...
—No means no.
—We must show... gratitude... properly...
—No matter how much you insist, I won't change my mind.
—Guess there's no other way.
Kairus turned around and gave the Dark Lord a "light" smack. The impact was so strong that the shockwave set off a car alarm down the street.
—We need to?
—We need to! —Jake said, rubbing his swollen cheek.
Hikari watched the scene with an awkward smile drawn across her face.
—You two get along pretty well, huh?
Jake and Kairus looked at her, narrowed their eyes, and made the same expression with their mouths—one that perfectly reflected their deepest feelings.
—What world do you live in? —they said in unison.
—That's my line! —Hikari replied.
—Anyway, back to what we were saying—Is there anything we can do for you? —Kairus asked, brushing off his clothes.
—Hmm... something you could do for me...
The girl went silent for a few moments, thinking. Then suddenly, a shadow crossed her face, and a slightly wicked smile appeared on her lips.
—Hehe.
—What do you mean, hehe...? —Jake and Kairus asked, confused.
---To be continued in Chapter 4---
[What could Hikari's devious plan be to "accept" their help? Leave your guesses below!]