The dinner lasted until half past seven. Since Miss Reinhart was treating Shade to thank him for saving her, she firmly refused to let him pay the bill.
The two left the Shining Antler Restaurant together. Shade looked up at the starry sky and let out a long breath before saying to the girl beside him:
"Let's go. I'll take you home."
The witch smiled.
"What, are you worried about my safety?"
"Something like that. After all, the things that have happened these past two days have been very abnormal."
She had wanted to speak with Shade a little longer anyway, so she readily agreed to his arrangement. It was already too late for carriages traveling between Kael-Todd Town and the City of Time Wheels. The island city had little nightlife, and no one would head into the wilderness at night.
However, when Shade had taken Little Mia wandering around that afternoon, he had seen a carriage rental company in the west of the city. He planned to rent two horses there, or at least a carriage.
The two chatted as they prepared to look for a rental carriage nearby, but as they walked laughing toward the intersection beside the square, the witch suddenly stopped.
"Look over there."
She cautiously pointed across the square. Shade raised his head and gazed into the distance, seeing a figure swiftly pass beneath the city's central Clock Tower. Though the person wore men's clothing, Shade could tell she was a woman.
"The childhood friend you mentioned just now?"
"Yes."
The witch frowned slightly and looked worriedly in the direction the woman had vanished.
"What is she doing, hurrying around so late at night? Forget it. We should pry less into other people's affairs. Let's go."
She called to Shade and continued toward the intersection,