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

Shaking off his doubts, Alex rushes to catch up with Marcus, feeling embarrassed about the words "It's a date" coming from him. Alex's cheeks remain flushed. Stella walks beside him, completely unaware of what's troubling Alex.

***

Upon arriving at the Crystalcliff shopping district, Alex and Marcus stop at a magic shop filled with potions of all shapes and sizes. Filled with wonder, Alex notices the ingredients for potion-making as he watches Marcus select some of them.

"I forgot that he enjoys potion class," Alex mumbles.

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' 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 laughs.

Alex felt a blush spread across his face as he admired the charms. He found two in particular: one showed a dragon silhouette, while the other showcased a lovely flower. 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.

"How funny and cliché!" 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 enchanting Shield and the majestic Dragon Silhouette. For himself, he selects the familiar four-leaf clover charm from the display and happily proceeds to pay for his choice.

"I would like to buy these charms, please," Alex says.

"In total, that comes to three Silver coins," the shop owner responds.

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

"Please do 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 at the doorway for him to finish his shopping.

"This town truly shines, and you did a fantastic job during the guild entrance 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?"

Once Alex contemplates what to do next, suddenly, *growl* 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 soaps and drinks. I am personally fond of tea," Marcus replies.

"I never thought you were a tea drinker," Alex says.

"My family enjoys drinking tea, and I do too," Marcus replies.

A waiter suddenly arrived, and seeing that it looked like a human with animal features, including 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 magic shop we just left, did you get new ingredients for your potions?" Alex asks.

After a short wait, the waiter brought out the meals for Marcus and Alex. The burgers and salads appeared quite ordinary. However, when Alex bit into his salad, he was pleasantly surprised by a delightful mix of crisp greens, refreshing fruits, and a distinctive dressing.

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

"Isn't this place incredible?" Marcus says as he bites into his burger.

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

"The shield I'm giving to Nate, and the Dragon's silhouette, I'll give to Kevin. The four-leaf clover is for me," Alex smiles.

"If one is familiar with the subject, the Shield charms safeguard the wearer from all attacks, encompassing physical and magical assaults. The Dragon's silhouette amplifies the wearer's magical abilities through their elemental affinity and bestows resistance to magical attacks. Furthermore, 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 and surprise. 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 enhance your magic, providing 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.

"And this is a little something special for you, new friend," Marcus adds with a playful grin.

Alex accepts Marcus's charm; his cheeks flush deeper. He appears willing to assist, yet Alex remains uncertain about his identity in class—specifically, whether he is a second-year student 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.

"Ah..." 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 exited Midnight's Passion in search of 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 playfully teases 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.

"Everything's great! 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.

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

Alex and Marcus have been having fun and visited 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 go on a hunt," the cat announces as it purrs.