"Are you coming?" Marcus asks, playfully teasing Alex from a distance.

Alex sprints over to catch up with Marcus, shaking off his head, not wanting to worry about this magic yet. It can be a problem for another time. Right now, Alex's cheeks are flushed, embarrassed about going on a date for the first time in three years. Stella walks beside him, completely unaware of what's troubling Alex.

***

Upon arriving at the Crystalcliff shopping district, Alex and Marcus stop at an Alchemist shop filled with potions of all shapes and sizes. Cauldrons lined up on a rack, empty bottles, and the ingredients. Alex watches as Marcus goes shopping for more potions and ingredients.

"I forgot that he enjoys potion's class," Alex mutters to himself, amusingly.

While browsing the magic shop, Alex discovered a stand selling charms- small accessories of various shapes and prices.

"What are you looking at?" Marcus asks.

"Are these charms, similar to real Charms?" Alex inquires.

"I don't know what you mean by 'Real Charms,' but they have magic within them," Marcus replies.

"Really, what kind of magic do they practice besides luck, which is common for earth charms?" Alex says, explaining the charms of Earth.

"There are all kinds of magic charms, and not just for luck; the studying types of charms are forbidden during tests and exams," Marcus replies, teasing while explaining the charms.

"Ah, that makes sense," Alex adds.

"Your cluelessness makes you cute every time," Marcus smirks, teasingly laughing.

Alex felt a blush spread across his face as he admired the charms in the display rack. He found two in particular: one showed a dragon silhouette, while the other showed a bouquet of yellow flowers. Considering his brothers, he thought they would enjoy these charms as he picked them up. Additionally, Alex spotted a charm shaped like a four-leaf clover.

"Oh wow, how cliché. *picking up the charm* its also funny!" Alex laughs.

Alex notices a charm shaped like a shield and a heart in rainbow colors. In the center, he spots two male symbols intertwined. He blushes as he sees additional heart charms depicting pairs of female symbols connected. This charm might represent support for the LGBT community back on Earth.

Alex can start by picking three delightful charms: for his brothers, the flower and the majestic Dragon Silhouette. For himself, he selects the familiar four-leaf clover charm from the display and happily goes to the counter to pay for it.

"Hello, I would like to buy these charms, please," Alex says, placing the charms at the front desk.

"Ah, what excellent choices! In total, that'll be about three silver coins," the shop owner responds.

Alex grabs his coin pouch to see how much money his grandma gave him for his outing. He sees quite a few coins and gems in different colors. Once he finds a coin that looks silver, he grabs three silver coins and hands them to the shop owner.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the shop owner says, taking the three silver coins.

Marcus arrived at the counter with his items to purchase, while Alex collected the charms and waited outside the shop with Stella.

"This town truly shines, and you did a fantastic job during the guild entrance exam quest!" Stella says, her smile brightening the moment.

"I agree, Stella," Alex replies with a smile.

Suddenly, Marcus caught up with Alex and Stella, while Shadow still coiled around his neck.

"Alright, I'm all ready to go," Marcus says. "So, what should we do now?"

As Alex contemplates what to do next, when suddenly, *stomach growls.* Alex's stomach makes a noise.

"I guess I'm hungry," Alex says, blushing with embarrassment.

"Then let's go to a café," Marcus replies.

"Okay, I'll follow your lead," Alex says.

Following Marcus's lead, Alex sees more shops, races, and animals that look like monsters but aren't. Most of them resemble horses, just like Stella, while some resemble other types of mount-class beasts.

"Alex, *pointing at the building.* That's the café; it's called The Crystal Café," Marcus announces, getting Alex's attention.

***

Upon approaching the small building labeled "The Crystal Café," one finds a charming little shop. Inside, it resembles a cafe you might encounter on Earth, adorned with crystals familiar from various spots throughout the town.

"Wow, it's kind of cute," Alex says in awe.

"I know, right?" Marcus replies with a smile.

Once seated at their table for two, Alex picks up the menus and is pleasantly surprised by how magical each item sounds; however, he appears concerned about what is edible.

"Um, I don't know what to get," Alex says nervously.

"This place is famous for its soups and drinks. I am personally fond of tea," Marcus replies.

"I never thought you were a tea drinker?" Alex inquires.

"Yes, my family enjoys drinking tea a lot," Marcus replies, teasingly smiling.

A waiter suddenly arrived, and seeing that it looked human. However, some features resemble animals. That includes ears and a tail. Alex couldn't stop looking at this new species.

"Welcome to The Crystal Café! What can I get for you today?" the waiter inquires with a smile.

"I'll have the Griffin Burger with Blue Water Spirits," Marcus answers, ordering his meal.

"I'd love to have the Dryad Salad and a Crystal Water, please!" Alex says, cheerfully glancing at the menu as he places his order.

"Awesome! I'll be back soon with your orders," the waiter says as he heads off to submit the order.

Alex watched the waiter in astonishment, captivated by the tail's independent movement, reminiscent of a fantasy role-playing game with a cat waiter character.

"Looks like you haven't met a Beastkin before, huh?" Marcus teases with a playful grin.

"Isn't that obvious? I've done fantasy role-playing long ago, so seeing them in real life is just amazing," Alex replies, still surprised by his tease.

"So I have to ask, at the Alchemist shop we just left, did you get new ingredients for your potions?" Alex asks.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Marcus teases as he leans close to the dining table.

Alex's face blushes again, seeing that Marcus loves to tease him for anything that he does, since Alex is still new to this magical world.

After a short wait, the waiter brought out the meals for Marcus and Alex. The familiars get their food along with their masters, a pile of hay, and some apples for Stella. For Shadow, some dead rodents. 

The burgers and salads appeared quite ordinary. However, when Alex bit into his delightful mixed salad. The crisp leafy greens, the refreshing cool crisp, the taste of each vegetable reawakens Alex's taste buds. As for the dressing, it tastes like berries, like red raspberry vinaigrette.

"Wow, this tastes incredible!" Alex exclaims in astonishment.

"Isn't this place incredible?" Marcus replies as he takes a bite of his griffin burger.

"I noticed you have three charms. Is there a reason for that?" Marcus asks.

"The bouquet charm, I'm giving to Nate, and the Dragon's silhouette charm, I'll give to Kevin. The four-leaf clover is for me, I just figured they would like them," Alex answers, smiling.

"I see, well, the bouquet of yellow flowers means friendship and joy. The Dragon's silhouette charm amplifies the wearer's magical abilities through their elemental affinity and bestows resistance to magical attacks. And lastly, the four-leaf clover, true to its designation, offers a 25% enhancement to both luck and hit probability," Marcus elucidates, clarifying the charms and their respective magical effects.

Alex's eyes and mouth express pure shock. He never realized those charms would be so powerful. Nonetheless, he feels pleased that Alex was able to buy them for his brothers. Suddenly, Alex notices another charm on the table, resembling a wand with fairy wings. He faces Marcus again, looking puzzled.

"Ah, what is this charm?" Alex asks, out of curiosity.

"This charm is designed to provide you with resistance to curses and any spells associated with Mortus (Death), Plasm (Blood), and Nighe (Shadow)." Marcus shares insights into this charm, empowering Alex in his magical journey.

"It's a little something special for you, new friend," Marcus adds with a playful grin.

Alex accepts Marcus's charm; his cheeks flush deeper. Alex feels uncertain about all of this, specifically, his feelings towards Marcus. Being a second-year student, also known for teasing freshmen.

***

Once Marcus settles the bill for their meals, Alex is amazed by the exceptional quality of the food relative to Earth. The warmth of the two suns envelops him, reminiscent of an afternoon. While strolling through town, Marcus takes Alex's hand, guiding him around as they leisurely await their return to Strasmiara.

Alex browses the shops; he indulges in some window shopping. Suddenly, a sign catches his eye: "Midnight's Passion." Peering through the window, Alex's cheeks flush red upon seeing toys reminiscent of those couples use with one another.

"Um," Alex gasps, feeling embarrassed just by seeing them.

"Can you believe how completely adorable you look right now?" Marcus playfully teases Alex once more.

Feeling a flush deepening on his cheeks, Alex turns away from Midnight's Passion and continues to search for stores that could help with combat or spellcasting. He intended to find resources for his Dragon-style martial arts and tools to improve his magic, such as quick casting techniques.

Since Alex is unfamiliar with Etheria and a life of adventure, he lacks a destination or specific items to purchase. Out of nowhere, Alex spotted a species he had never encountered before.

A young man in his early twenties, he has short cherry-blonde hair that appears almost pink. On top of his head are a pair of cat ears. He wears a single-strap harness with a shoulder guard over his right shoulder, and his upper body is completely bare.

His left arm is covered by an armored sleeve designed to resemble a single rose, featuring green armor and red fabric that imitates petals near the upper arm. A leather bracer safeguards his left forearm. His belt is embellished with an ornate buckle displaying a cherry blossom symbol. Below, he dons leather pants equipped with green armor on his right thigh and open-toe boots that extend outward like petals. To complete the look, his tail mirrors the appearance of his ears.

"Hey there, is my order ready?" the young man asks the shop owner, smiling. 

"Certainly, please hold on for a moment," the shop owner replies, heading to the back.

Alex surveyed his surroundings. He caught sight of the adventurer and noticed a staff secured in a holster on the man's back. The staff is made of light brown wood and polished to a shine. It has a carved heart at the top, beautifully adorned with cherry blossom petals.

"Are you checking out my awesome staff, kid?" the young man asks, teasing Alex.

Alex is taken aback, unsure of his reaction. He notices the young man turning around, his captivating green cat eyes reminiscent of sparkling emeralds, shimmering like pristine tropical waters.

"Yes, everything's great!" Alex answers, trying to look somewhere else.

"Awesome, I'm T'ae Glorypetal, but feel free to call me T'ae," he shared with a bright smile, reaching out his hand in a welcoming gesture.

"I'm Alexander Griffin, but you can just call me Alex!" he says with a friendly smile, warmly shaking T'ae's hand.

"May I ask, what type of Beastkin are you?" Alex inquires, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I can tell you're curious! That's perfectly fine; I'm a Leopard Beastkin," T'ae replies proudly.

Alex is both amazed and puzzled. If T'ae is a leopard, where are his spots, especially the ones a real leopard should have on his tail? Alex begins to ask.

"If you are a leopard, then..."

"That's right! I may not have the spots like a real leopard, but that's just part of what makes my clan unique," T'ae responds, addressing Alex's question with clarity and warmth.

"Oh, that's awesome!" Alex says with a smile.

"I see you're having a great time," Marcus playfully teases Alex, as he arrives at the location.

"Marcus!" Alex gasps.

"I really need to pick up the things I ordered, but it was so nice seeing you, Alex!" T'ae says with a cheerful smile.

"Alright, I'll see you around!" Alex smiles as he leaves with Marcus.

Alex is having so much fun, even spending it with Marcus, and they went to visit a shop that sells ink bottles for them to restock for class. 

***

However, on the outskirts of town, as night gradually settles in, mysterious figures come into view. They observe the town, hearing the purr of a cat with a hairless, demonic appearance. It gives a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat's.

"It's time to begin the hunt," the cat announces as it purrs.