Lanchi wore a casual vest as he sat with Hughberlian and Talia on a bench in Heart Meridian Plaza, enjoying the lazy stretch of the afternoon.
The only sounds echoing around them were the laughter of children chasing and playing across the spacious plaza, along with the clinking of hand bells.
After spending the afternoon wandering around the nearby Commercial Street, they had found a perfectly suitable place to rest along the way, in an open area with a view of the main city.
The plaza stood on high ground, and from there, it was possible to look far into the city and see its lively people coming and going. Grand buildings surrounded them, many decorated with statues bearing the marks of ancient craftsmen.
Flocks of birds flew in the distance beneath the afternoon sky, where sparse clouds drifted by.
The area around Heart Meridian Plaza was filled with bustling streets of shops, restaurants from various foreign lands, and cafés. It was the center of the residents' daily lives and commercial activity, yet even after wandering for so long, they felt they had explored only a tiny corner of it.
The first breeze after leaving Commercial Street gently brushed against Hughberlian's cheeks, making her unconsciously narrow her eyes in comfort.
The din of the crowd, the musicians' performances, and the laughter and singing of people whose identities were unknown all carried up to this high place.
That afternoon, the three of them wandered around, stopping whenever they saw an interesting shop to buy South Wantina's specialty drinks and desserts.
Later, as they prepared to head home, they wandered back near Heart Meridian Plaza, and Talia suddenly stopped for some reason.
What appeared before their eyes was a small shop.
Children released from school cheered as they ran along the stone-paved