There were currently quite a good number of people trying to get inside the city. Circling to protect the city was a towering wall. I looked up and the sheer scale of it astonished me. They looked different from the last I remembered them, as they were rebuilt anew after all the chaos that ensued here.
The damage they suffered must have been tremendous. The wall here now appeared to be more reinforced. Breaking them during a siege would be exceedingly difficult without the proper tools. However, I imagined I could easily crumple it.
My reflection suddenly appeared standing on the ground, looking up. “Nothing but a castle of sand. A poke is enough to make the walls crumble.”
I disregarded her. A poke was just an exaggeration. It wouldn’t be that easy. That was just those ghosts being cocky. Taking out an entire wall of this size would require a bit of work, and not just a poke.
I turned to Ishan. “You should go ahead first.”
“Really? Alright then, if you say so.” He talked with the gate guard, and the latter seemed to have recognized the group.
I looked around and saw a cage. My eyes narrowed when I beheld the creature inside. It wasn’t human. It had brown feathers, exactly like birds’. Long legs, with talons, covered in brown feathers. The torso had skin like a human’s, the ears on the side of its head were long and feathery. And its arms covered in feathers had wings on the back, wings like a bird, and hands in the form of talons.
It looked depressed as it sat inside the cage. And considering from the breasts that it had, it must be a female.
“What is that?” I asked my knights.
Gavin glanced at it. “A demihuman, or to be specific of its species, a harpy.”
“Harpy…” What a surprise to see one here in person. I only knew about them in fantasy, where they had a variety of… um, designs. “What’s it doing here?”
“There are still often demihumans scattered all over, or just ended up here somehow. As they conspired with the demon king, humanity has regarded them as enemies.”
“And they captured them for what? To imprison?”
“Yes, but in the end, a lot of them will be used for whatever purpose, like entertainment.”
“Now the victor can do whatever they want with the losers.” Just how things work.
“Hahahaha. Just like what happened to you, didn’t it?”
Shut up.
I was the loser. And I suffered for it. No longer. This time, I’d be the victor.
Although, I thought my classmates wouldn’t stand for something like this. To treat demihumans like this, to be just captured because of existing and to be used for entertainment. But then again, a lot had changed. You could experience a lot of things in a war, and that changes people.
People overall might look at the demihumans as inferior or repulsive now. Too much resentment after all they put them through. And I quite understand that.
“So, we’ll be going ahead then,” Ishan said. “Have fun out here.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
With that, Ishan and his team left, going into the city. It was our turn, and we had our horse move forward. Gavin moved in front of us and jumped off his horse to talk with the guards.
“Is that you, Sir Gavin?” One of the guards seemed to recognize him.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve last seen you. Finally, back from that secret mission of yours, eh?”
From the looks of it, the guard didn’t know about Gavin’s mission to guard the cave where I was kept. No, I doubted anyone outside the hero’s inner circle would know about his mission or for what purpose. Nor did anyone even know I was ever still alive. It was their shameful past.
“Indeed. It is a good time for a rest.”
“Definitely! You’re just about time for the festival.”
“Festival? Oh, now that you mention it, the moon dance festival.”
I remembered hearing about this moon dance festival. It was a festival where they would celebrate under the moon, in the open. Where everyone was free to dance all night. Apparently, it was a festival that gives rest for the people, to give them time to forget about the troubling things. To forget the hard times, and to represent a new tomorrow.
“Oh yeah. Hehe! I’m sure you’ll have a great time! You missed last year’s celebration.”
“Then there could be no better timing.” Gavin grinned. “Do I need to write my name on the log?”
“Oh yes, please, everyone in your group.”
“Everyone in my group…” Gavin turned towards me, and I nodded.
Writing my name on a log was fine with me if it avoided making things more complicated. Refusing to do so would only attract attention. Better keep it low for now until I learn what we’d be facing. Besides, not like my name would bore any significance. Just a common name lost in the sea of others. With this festival about to take place soon, there should be many names written in that log.
Gavin started writing on a paper.
“You’ve brought your team with you, I see.”
“Of course. Even some of us need rest,” Gavin answered as he wrote.
“That girl, she with you?” He was talking about me.
“Yes, she is with me. Why are you interested?”
“Knights guarding her… Is she someone important?”
“You could say that. But I would prefer you not to mention to anyone about this, about her.”
The guard nodded. “Sure. She must be a pretty big deal. But not the first. She’s a noble, isn’t she? Some nobles do that.”
Gavin smiled, but gave no direct answer. “I’m done writing. Can we go inside now?”
“Ah, yes. Go ahead.” The guard directed his hands towards the entrance.
“Alright, thanks. Keep up the good work.”
“Sure do!”
Gavin returned to the back of his horse, and we continued on inside. The city was beautiful, so clean. It wasn’t anything like I last saw this place. The roads were paved with bricks; they were clean, and no garbage littered the streets. The street itself was bustling with people chattering all over. It was lively. Truth be told, I sort of missed seeing a place this lively. It gave off a different vibe entirely. Something less lonely, in a way.
The buildings were mostly different from the last time I saw them. Now they were finer and more modern, in a sense, more ornate and straight. Most houses were made of bricks, and the architecture of the buildings was more uniform than the random designs from a medieval city. To put it in some words, somewhat symmetrical and classical. Almost looked between gothic or renaissance.
Almost like they had a great shift in culture or something… Definitely an influence of the heroes. Like they were trying to make things as modern as possible.
Overall, they did pretty well to this city. Quite astonishing that they built all of these in just a few years. But then again, there was magic, which would help things progress faster.
“What shall we do first?” Elyscia asked.
“First, I need to find a place to stay,” I said.
“Ah, that’s right. We need to find an inn or a hotel.”
“Mistress, I might need to report first of my arrival to the knights’ commander,” Gavin said.
“That is fine.”
“I’ll bring Avelyn with me.”
Avelyn flinched in surprise. “Me? Wait, why me?”
Gavin raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be the one to guide the mistress. As you said, you know nothing about the city.”
Avelyn puffed her cheeks.
“So, you will come with me. Besides, it’s too high a profile for two or more knights to walk with the mistress.”
“Oh, come on, that means I have to talk to those tough guy knights. Annoying too. There’s going to be a lot of them there.”
“Yes.”
“Is there a second option?”
“No.”
I smiled. It was quite amusing how she attempted to get away from the prospect of going there. However, she had no choice. “Avelyn, go with Gavin. You’ll be fine,” I said.
Avelyn lowered her head in defeat. “Y-Yes…”
I turned to Elyscia. “Elyscia. Let’s lose the horses. I don’t need them here. I’d like to take a walk.” And it was a bit difficult to navigate around with these many people in the way. I also didn’t want us to pull some horses, that might limit our actions and slow me down. In this city, there might be some interesting things to check out.
“Very well, milady.”
I also wanted to take the chance to walk around. We were in a festival season, so there must be a lot of things out here to see on the way.
I got off the horse. “You have money, right?” I asked her.
“Yes.”
“Great!” I handed out the rein of my horse to Gavin. “Take the horses with you. Find where to leave them close by so we can retrieve them quickly. Preferably someplace where they can be taken care of.” I might order them to bring the horses once we find a good place to stay.
“There should be a stable called Flurry Touch nearby. I’ll leave these two horses there.”
Good, I could just order Elyscia later to retrieve them if needed.
“By the way, Elyscia,” Gavin continued. “Where do you plan for the mistress to stay?”
“I’m thinking of the Heavenly Wine Hotel.”
“Ah, I know that place. Understood.”
We left the horses in Gavin and Avelyn’s hands. As they left, I looked around.
“So, Elyscia. How much money do we have?”
“It should let us afford several days at a luxury hotel.”
“Oh, a luxury hotel.” That sounded like an interesting idea. I lived in luxury inns during my hero days — at least luxury in their own way. And it was incredible. I dread to think what a common inn would look like. But a hotel, huh? New stuff. If I had the option to experience the best, then I shall take it. “Very well, let’s take that. Is this Heavenly Wine Hotel luxurious?”
“Yes. I know the owner.”
“Awesome! Lead the way.”
“Understood.”
I started following her, but then I suddenly stopped. I looked in a particular direction with narrowed eyes.
“Hm? Milady?”
I sensed something strange. It was incredibly faint, like some kind of unnatural presence. It was then that my reflection appeared, looking in the same direction.
“Huh… Interesting. But this is something we should avoid. Ignore it.”
What? You know of it?
“There is no benefit to focusing on such an unimportant matter. It might only jeopardize us both.”
Oh, you’re concerned about me?
“We are in your body. If something happens to it, we are affected.”
In that case, tell me what it is.
“We don’t know. But we do know it is best to keep our distance for now. It is pointless to poke our noses into it.”
I deliberated whether to follow what she said, or not just to spite her. However, she sounded serious. If something spooked her, then perhaps it was best to do what she suggested.
“Spooked? Oh please, not the case at all. All things have its place, this is not yours. Whatever it is, it has not bothered us yet. There is no need to pile another set of matter upon us.”
I guess you’re right.
I should focus on my own business. No point in jumping into something avoidable and had nothing to do with me.
“Milady…? Is everything alright?”
“... Nothing, Elyscia. Just got distracted. Let’s continue on.”
“... Very well.”
I walked beside her while looking around with intrigue. “Oh yeah, can we check out some food first?”
We were the special kind of undead. We should be able to appreciate food. At least I hoped so.
“There should be food vendors on the way. Is that fine?”
“That’s fine.”
“We can eat more at the hotel, if you wish.”
“That’s a good idea!”