Subaru slowed her steps as the village came into full view, the dirt path widening into something more deliberate, worn smooth by years of use. She did not fly this time. She did not rush. Every sense she had was stretched thin, waiting for the smallest hint of danger.
Another loop would break her.
She crossed the edge of the settlement carefully, eyes moving first, body following second. There was no sudden pressure in the air. No hostile mana flaring up. No invisible blade racing toward her neck. Just sound. Normal sound.
Voices.
Footsteps.
The creak of wood and the soft splash of water.
"…Okay," she whispered. "So far, so good."
It was a plain medieval village, almost painfully normal after everything she had been through. Wooden houses with sloped roofs lined the path, smoke rising lazily from a few chimneys. Chickens wandered freely, pecking at the ground. Somewhere, a hammer struck metal at a steady rhythm. The smell of bread drifted through the air, warm and comforting.
No mage waiting to ambush her. No insane red-haired warrior leaping out of the bushes. No light beam descending from the sky.
Nice.
She reached a small wooden bridge spanning a shallow stream. The water was clear enough that she could see stones at the bottom, sunlight breaking into ripples as it flowed beneath her. Subaru paused in the middle of the bridge, gripping the railing lightly.
This felt real.
She crossed the rest of the way and stepped fully into the village, her boots tapping softly against packed earth. As she walked, people noticed her. Heads turned. Conversations paused. Eyes lingered for a second too long.
A stranger.
But no one stopped her. No one reached for a weapon. A few villagers nodded politely. One woman pulled her child a little closer, not out of fear, but curiosity.
Subaru let out a breath she did not realize she was holding.
"Good," she muttered. "Don't look like a demon. Step one complete."
She wandered without a clear direction, letting the flow of the village guide her. She passed a well where two women were drawing water and talking quietly. She passed a small shrine with faded carvings and offerings of flowers that had seen better days. The village was modest, but alive.
As she walked, her eyes kept drifting down to her clothes.
The frilly dress.
The stockings.
She grimaced.
"I really need new clothes," she thought. Something simple. Something plain. Something that did not look like it belonged to a walking fantasy illustration.
Then another thought followed immediately, sharp and unwelcome.
A seamstress would ask her to undress.
Her hand shot up to her head, fingers pressing lightly against the turban.
"…Nope. Bad idea," she whispered. "That's a future problem."
She was not ready to explain horns. She was not ready to explain anything.
Information first. Shelter second. Clothes later, maybe never.
She eventually reached what looked like the center of the village. An open square with a few stalls, a notice board with faded parchment nailed to it, and a stone fountain that had seen better maintenance. People moved through the space naturally, buying, selling, talking.
Subaru stopped near the edge, pretending to examine the fountain while scanning the area.
This was the place.
A middle-aged man noticed her hesitation and approached with an easy smile. He had a broad build, weathered skin, and the relaxed posture of someone who had lived his entire life in the same place.
"Good afternoon," he said. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Subaru turned to face him, posture straight but not stiff. "No," she replied. "Just passing through."
"Thought so," he said, chuckling. "Name's not important. What brings you to our village?"
She hesitated for half a second, then answered with the safest truth she could manage. "I'm heading north. I saw the village and decided to stop by."
The man nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Not much else out here. This is a plain place. Alt Woods doesn't have much to offer, but we do have an inn if you're looking to rest."
Subaru's ears perked up. "Ah, Alt Woods," she repeated quietly, committing the name to memory. "I keep messing up names,"
"Yes," he said proudly. "Been called that longer than I've been alive."
She tilted her head slightly. "You seem to know a lot about this place."
He laughed, loud and genuine. "Of course I do. I was born here. Grew up here. Probably die here too. If you want to know anything about Alt Woods, you just ask."
Perfect.
She smiled faintly. "Then can I ask about the best route north?"
The man scratched his chin. "North, huh. Well, if you have enough money, you can take the sea path. It's safer and faster."
Subaru shook her head. "I don't."
"Ah," he said, sympathy flickering across his face. "Then you'll be going on foot. That path is rough. Monsters. Demons. All sorts of trouble."
Subaru's stomach tightened. "Demons are that dangerous, huh?"
He stared at her like the answer was obvious. "Of course. If it weren't for the Hero Himmel and his party eighty years ago, we wouldn't have survived this long."
Her eyes narrowed.
Hero. Party. Eighty years ago.
She kept her expression neutral, but her mind raced.
"So he saved humanity," she said slowly.
"That's right," the man replied. "Defeated the Demon King and ended the great war. Still, demonkind wasn't wiped out completely. They're fewer now, but they're still out there."
Subaru nodded, piecing it together. A central power. A king. Destroyed. The rest scattered. It fit.
The man studied her more closely. "Where exactly are you heading, if you don't mind me asking?"
She froze for a fraction of a second, then spoke before she could overthink it. "The northernmost side."
The words sounded ridiculous even to her own ears.
The man blinked. Then he laughed. "You must be joking."
She gave him a flat look.
His laughter faded. "You're serious?"
"I have my reasons," she said evenly.
"I see," he replied, tone shifting. "A few weeks ago, a man passed through here. He said only a first class mage, or a party with a first class mage, can pass through the Northern Plateau."
Her brows knit together. "Are you a mage?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered automatically. Then hesitated. "But I do not know what a first class mage is."
The man stared at her.
Then he laughed again, louder this time. "You must be joking! I'm no mage. I'm just a priest. Even I know that."
Subaru felt heat rise to her face. "I'm underinformed," she said quickly. "You see."
"Huh," he said, still smiling. "That's a new one."
He tilted his head. "What was your name again?"
She met his gaze. "I'm Subaru."
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