The Anomaly's Path

"To fix that disaster on your head."

"Huh?"

But before I could say anything, Sylvia’s grip tightened on my shoulder like a vise. She didn’t just lead me, she dragged me past the fancy shops and out into the busy street, ignoring the people staring at us.

"Wait—Sylvia, hold on!" I groaned, trying to dig my heels into the ground. "My hair is fine! I tie it back! It stays out of my eyes when I fight!"

"It looks like a mop," Sylvia said flatly, not slowing down. "Tomorrow is banquet, Leo. I refuse to let you walk in looking like some stray who hasn’t seen a mirror in months."

Behind us, Roan and Alice weren’t helping at all.

Roan was practically wheezing with laughter, keeping a safe distance behind Sylvia while giving me a mock salute. "Godspeed, Leo! May the barber have mercy on your soul!"

"If she makes them shave your head, I’m calling you baldy for the rest of the year," Alice added with a grin, crossing her arms as she walked along behind us.

"You two aren’t helping!" I shouted back.

_

Ten minutes later, after being dragged three blocks through the plaza, I was shoved into a chair at the best barber shop in the city. Roan and Alice immediately took the sofas by the window, settling in to watch with amusement.

I cursed silently under my breath. Damn it.

Honestly, having long hair hadn’t even been that bad. Sure, it was a pain to wash after training, but over the last few months, I had actually gotten used to tying it back into a low ponytail before stepping into a fight. It felt natural now.

But I knew better than to argue with Sylvia when she was in full Vice President mode. If I refused, she wouldn’t just nag me, she’d probably half beat me. Choosing my battles was the only way to survive my sister.

Accepting my fate, I closed my eyes and let out a long breath as the quiet snip of scissors filled the air.

After some moments, the barber announced, "All finished, My Lord."

I opened my eyes and looked into the mirror.

The long, messy white hair that used to fall past my shoulders was gone. The back and sides were cut short and clean, while the top was styled neatly, with a few soft strands framing my forehead and blue eyes. It took away the tired, rough look I usually had, making my features look sharp.

I stared at my reflection for a moment, running my fingers through the top of my hair.

It felt strange. The long, messy ponytail had been like a shield, something to hide behind while I figured out who I was in this world. Looking at myself now, without that wild look, I didn’t look like a guy drowning in another man’s past anymore.

I looked clean. And of course, still ridiculously handsome.

Sylvia looked at me from three angles before giving a short nod. A faint, smile flickered at the corner of her lips. "Mhm. You look like a Celestial now, little brother."

Roan let out a low whistle from the sofa. "Damn, Leo. You actually look like a proper High Noble now instead of a tired mercenary leader."

"Shut up, Roan," I dryly replied, running a hand through my lighter, shorter hair.

_

Once we left the barber shop, Mom led us through a few more stalls in the plaza. The shop assistants sent our clothes to the dorms.

Mia sat on my shoulders, holding my new hair and pointing at the floating lanterns and magic beasts above the crowd. She giggled and tugged on my hair like it was a toy.

Mia bought some candied fruit and shared it with Alice and Roan. They looked surprised to be treated by a little kid. Roan took a bite and his eyes lit up, while Alice held her snack like it was dangerous, not sure how to eat it properly.

Watching Roan chew awkwardly while trying to look cool, and Alice staring at her food like it might attack her, made me feel warm inside. Soon, the sun started to set, painting the streets in gold and purple.

The crowds thinned out as evening came, and our long trip was finally over.

Isabella smiled warmly at the three of us, her emerald eyes shining with a soft, affectionate glow. "I’m so glad you all joined us today. Roan, Alice, make sure Leo doesn’t overwork himself tonight."

"We’ll try, Lady Isabella," Roan said smoothly, giving a nod, before offering a sly, innocent smile. "Though, of course, that depends entirely on whether your son actually listens to us instead of dragging us into another mountain of work."

Alice instantly nodded in deadpan agreement. "Ah, yes. Absolutely right, My Lady. We want to rest, but your son is a workaholic tyrant who forces us into slave labor."

I snapped my head toward them, glaring daggers. What the hell are these two bastards doing? Are they seriously throwing me under the bus right in front of my family?!

"I can hear both of you, you know," I muttered dryly.

Isabella giggled softly behind her hand, while Sylvia just shook her head with a subtle, unimpressed scoff. Sylvia checked her watch, giving a brief nod before turning her sharp eyes toward me.

"My three hours are up. The President is probably drowning in the event reports I left on his desk," Sylvia said flatly, her voice returning to its usual commanding tone. "Don’t embarrass the family tomorrow night at the banquet, Leo."

"Yeah, yeah, I won’t," I said, waving my hand. "Now go."

Isabella giggled softly and took sleeping Mia from my shoulders. They turned toward the central bus station down the main street, where mana-powered buses waited to carry guests across the city. Sylvia gave me one last look before following our mother down the path.

"Goodbye, Leo! We’ll see you tomorrow!" Mom called out with a wave, disappearing into the crowd toward the station.

Once they were gone, the street fell quiet. I let out a long breath and turned around, only to see Roan and Alice quietly sneaking backward into the crowd, trying to disappear.

"Where do you think you two are going?" I asked dryly, crossing my arms.

Roan paused mid-step, offering a strained, overly bright smile while pointing down a side street. "Ah! You know, Leo, bro... my back suddenly hurts again! I think I need to go lie down in the dorms for... six hours."

"Yeah," Alice added, nodding with complete deadpan sincerity. "I just remembered I have to go and meet up with that bastard Riven. Can’t help at the stall tonight."

I scoffed, a cold smirk playing on my lips as I stepped forward and grabbed both of them by the backs of their collars.

"Nice try, you two bastards," I grunted, dragging them back as they groaned. "You’re coming back to the stall with me. I promised Malva we’d take over the night shift, and I’m not doing it alone."

"You’re a tyrant, Leo!" Roan whimpered, though he stopped resisting and fell into step alongside me, sighing in total defeat. "A cold-blooded, merciless tyrant."

"Damn it bastard," Alice muttered, shaking her head, though the slight twitch at the corner of her lips gave away her amusement.

We walked side by side down the lit street toward the stall. The cool evening wind blew, rustling my hair. I ran a hand through the top of my head, a quiet smile touching my lips. Between the crowd chaos, the awkward fitting, and Sylvia’s nagging, it had been loud, tiring, and chaotic.

But looking back at the last few hours, listening to Roan and Alice bicker beside me...

It really wasn’t that bad of an afternoon off.

_

When we reached the main corner of the plaza, the stall was completely packed.

The three-story building stood out on the street, its wooden sign glowing with brass letters. The smell of roasted meat, melted butter, and sweet pastries filled the air. The ground floor was full of people.

The second floor booths were packed. Through the glass walls of the third floor, noble families sat enjoying the evening view. The crowd was even bigger than during the day. The night rush was just beginning.

"Damn," Roan muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the line outside. "It looks like a battle zone in there."

"And we’re the backup troops," I said, pushing through the side entrance straight into the hot, busy kitchen.

Inside, the heat hit us right away. Garret stood at the main grill, sleeves rolled up, sweat on his face as he flipped skewers fast. Damon carried heavy crates into storage without stopping. Sera worked at her counter, calm and quick, filling mugs with tea and punch and sliding them down the line without slowing down.

...And right in the center of it all was Malva.

She stood at the main pass, her pale face completely blank, her dark eyes checking every single plate before letting the servers carry them out. She was directing staff, keeping supply numbers in her head, and holding the whole place together with her cold, quiet stare.

"We’re back," I called out, stepping up to the pass.

Garret looked up from the grill with a wide grin. "About time, Leo! The crowd on the third floor is drinking us dry!"

"Look at you, Leo," Sera noted calmly, glancing over from her drink station. "Got your hair cut. You look almost decent."

"Thanks, Sera," I dryly replied.

I stepped into the middle of the kitchen and clapped my hands loud enough to be heard over the grills and noise, getting everyone’s attention.

"Listen up, everyone!" I called out. "You’ve all been working hard while I was gone. Garret, Damon, Sera, and the rest of you — stop what you’re doing, hand over the simple tasks, and get out of here. Go enjoy the festival with your families or friends. You’ve earned the night off."

Garret let out a loud laugh, wiping his forehead. "Are you serious? Man, I’m heading straight for the beer stalls!"

"Don’t get too drunk," Damon grunted, though a relieved smile cracked his face as he set down his last crate.

Sera wiped her counter down clean, untying her apron. "Thanks, Leo. We’ll be back early tomorrow for the final day prep."

Within minutes, Garret, Damon, Sera, and all the other workers packed up their things, said their goodbyes, and headed out the door in high spirits. Soon enough, the entire stall cleared out, leaving only Roan, Alice, Malva, and me behind to cover the rest of the night.

Roan let out a long, dramatic sigh and picked up a server’s tray. "Duty calls... time to go smile at noble faces."

Alice reluctantly grabbed a stack of clean plates and followed him into the dining hall, muttering about charging extra for service. That left me alone at the pass with Malva as the evening rush started picking up.

"..."

"..."

We stared at each other for a moment.

"Malva," I said softly. "Your shift is done too. You don’t have to stay here tonight. Why don’t you go out into the plaza and check out the festival?"

Malva didn’t move. She stared straight ahead, her voice flat and cold. "I have no one visiting. So, I’ll just help here."

"..."

A quiet silence fell between us.

I stayed silent for a second, a small knot forming in my gut.

I realized then how little I actually knew about her. I knew she was a commoner with an S-rank core and Void affinity who bound herself to me with a Mana Oath because she needed money for what reason I don’t know.

I knew she was cold, reliable, and worked harder than anyone else in Class Ascendant. But I didn’t know anything about her life, her past, or what she did when she wasn’t working.

Damn it, I thought to myself. I really don’t know a thing about her, do I?

Yet, standing here right now, she was offering to stay and help me run the kitchen without a second thought. It was a small, quiet change from when we first met, back when she saw me as just another bastard who wanted something from her.

Now, she was stepping up to share the weight. She didn’t give a big speech or offer warm words, that wasn’t her.

Instead, she quietly grabbed a fresh apron, organized the order slips, and pushed the kitchen tongs toward me before I could reach for them. It was her own quiet way of looking out for me, making sure I didn’t burn out after a long day.

I took a breath and smiled softly as I took the tongs. "Alright, then let’s get to work."