Chapter 189: The Siblings' Request
Half an hour after his meeting with Obianuju, Elton slipped through one of the Umankan towns. He tried to keep a low profile, but it was impossible to move unnoticed. Curious, fearful, wary, and intrigued gazes followed him everywhere. He ignored them as best he could and pressed on.
At last, he reached a modest housing structure and gave a short knock.
"You can come in," came a voice from inside.
"Then, I'm coming in," Elton replied as he pushed the door open.
Seated at a table were three people. One of them was Obianuju, who brightened with relief at the sight of him.
"Sir Elton, I'm so glad you came and so quickly at that."
"You asked me to come alone. I was curious about what you had to say," Elton said, raising a brow.
"Hahaha… well, you saw the guards earlier. Some are mine, some only pretend neutrality, and some follow the mayor, who in turn answers to the governor. Even now, our Umankan politics are an irritating mess," Obianuju sighed.
"Honestly, that sounds about right. From my perspective, the Umankans are like humans with a few mutations. Complications come with the territory." Elton shrugged.
The other two guests finally caught his attention.
One was a young woman, slim and toned, about eighteen by appearance. Yellow skin marked with tribal etchings, long dark-green hair, rugged armor clinging to her frame, and a sword strapped to her back. She resembled Obianuju closely, though her gaze toward Elton was wide-eyed and brimming with excitement seemingly near infatuation.
The other was a yellow darker-skinned male with an athletic build, his black hair streaked green. His barbaric armor was adorned with bones, flesh, and hide trophies, all carved and enchanted by artisans. A sword rested across his back, and though he too resembled Obianuju, his expression was cold and guarded.
"Sir Elton," Obianuju began with a small smile, "this man is my younger brother, Obinna."
Obinna gave Elton a glare, then snorted and offered only a curt nod before looking away.
"Ahh, don't mind him. He's not very social and far too protective of us," Obianuju said awkwardly, clamping her hand on his shoulder. "Obinna, show some courtesy!"
"Owowow! Fine, fine. I'm Obinna. Happy now, sis?" he said, grimacing under her grip.
"Whatever…" she muttered irritably.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Obinna. I understand how you feel." Elton tried to ease the mood with a chuckle.
"And as for her—"
Before Obianuju could finish, the younger woman jumped to her feet. She darted over to Elton, eyes sparkling as she clasped his hand in both of hers and pressed it against her chest.
"My name is Obioma! It's an honor to meet someone as incredible as you! Stronger than me, at such a young age—it must be fate!" she declared breathlessly.
Elton froze, caught completely off guard.
"Obioma! What the hell are you doing?!" Obinna shouted, knocking over the table as he lunged to intervene.
Before he could reach her, Obianuju swept his legs out from under him, slamming him flat on his face.
"You two!" Obianuju barked furiously. "I told you to act respectfully, and you both do the opposite with ridiculous extremes!"
The siblings jolted, then hurriedly set the table upright and returned to their seats, stiff as statues.
Elton blinked, still processing. For a moment he wondered if he'd stumbled into some kind of illusion.
"My apologies, Sir Elton," Obianuju said with a strained smile. "The two of them are part of the group I intend to bring with me when we leave this place."
Elton shook his head, sighed, and answered calmly. "Very well. Then let's make preparations."
The four shared a meal and spoke at length about their plans. When Elton finally rose to leave, Obioma hurried to block his way.
"Umm, Big Brother Elton… please take this." She pressed a small object into his hand before her siblings noticed. "A token of my appreciation."
Elton felt no hostility from it, only sincerity—though that worried him in a different way. He accepted with a gentle smile.
"Then I'll cherish it. Thank you, Obioma."
"Kyaa! Far more handsome than the toads of our race…" she whispered with a flushed face.
"Obioma!" Obinna snapped, teeth clenched. "Show pride in your people! And you—stop encouraging her!" He jabbed a finger at Elton, who could only manage a wry smile.
Elton slipped out soon after. When he rejoined Christy and the others, he shared the gist of the conversation but left out Obioma's behavior. Just remembering it gave him a headache.