A Journey Unwanted

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Heart Kingdom]

[Pulchritudo]

"No, I’m afraid I cannot say I know of these dragons you speak of," the elderly gentleman replied with an apologetic smile.

Gretel resisted the urge to sigh.

Another dead end.

The words came from an older, well-dressed man whose tailored coat looked expensive enough to feed a family for months. His blond hair had been neatly slicked back, every strand in place, and his polished shoes were pristine.

He was simply the latest person they had questioned.

Another polite refusal and trail that ended before it had even begun.

"But I dare say..." the gentleman continued, his attention drifting away from Gretel entirely as his gaze settled on Shuten-dōji. His brows lifted with unconcealed fascination. "What manner of demi-human is this? I’ve never seen horns quite like those before. She’s remarkably exotic, extraordinarily beautiful, even. Tell me, where exactly did you purchase her? I should very much like to know."

Gretel felt her eye twitch.

Beside her, Shuten-dōji remained composed, the question seeming to wash over her without drawing even the smallest crease from her expression.

"She is not a demi-human," Gretel answered evenly, though there was steel beneath every syllable. Her silver eyes fixed themselves upon the gentleman until his smile began to falter. "More importantly, she is not an object, nor is she something that can be purchased, owned, or traded. She is an individual with thoughts, choices, and a will entirely her own." Her voice cooled another degree. "Now, if you have nothing more useful to contribute regarding the dragons, then I would appreciate it if you removed yourself from my sight before I decide that stabbing you is a more productive use of my afternoon."

The man’s face lost nearly all of its color.

"W-Well... honestly... h-how unbelievably crude!" he sputtered, attempting to salvage what little dignity remained.

Even so, his outrage lasted only a heartbeat.

He hurried away with surprising speed, disappearing into the crowd while pretending he had somewhere terribly important to be.

Gretel watched him go before letting out a slow breath.

"I’m beginning to think I was simply fortunate with the people I’d met before coming here," she murmured, rubbing lightly at her temple. "I knew prejudice existed, but hearing someone casually ask where another person was bought..." She shook her head in disbelief. "I honestly didn’t think conversations like that actually happened."

"Individuality guarantees every variety of person imaginable," Shuten-dōji replied with her usual tranquil tone. She watched the retreating gentleman without the slightest resentment. "Some possess compassion, others curiosity, while many mistake arrogance for a kind of refinement. This city carries the scent of indulgence and vanity quite strongly. When a society grows comfortable placing value upon appearances and status, people eventually begin treating others as possessions. In truth, I cannot say his attitude surprised me."

Gretel stole a glance toward the oni.

("She really doesn’t seem bothered by any of it...")

Not by the stares, the whispers, or even by being spoken about as though she were livestock.

The calmness almost unsettled Gretel more than anger would have.

"Still, I understand Robert far better now." Her gaze drifted toward the distant skyline where towers rose proudly over the city. "If this is how one of the kingdom’s greatest cities treats those it considers beneath it, then maybe his rebellion wasn’t simply born from idealism. If the other cities are anything like this..." she murmured, her voice trailing away as the thought finished itself in silence.

"To rebel against an entire kingdom requires more than courage," Shuten-dōji said after a moment, her eyes remaining on the streets ahead. "Armies are merely the obvious obstacle. Steel may stop a sword, but it cannot stop an idea. What one truly wages war against is the kingdom’s beliefs—the values people have accepted for so long that they no longer question them."

"And the people who are comfortable because those beliefs benefit them," Gretel added quietly.

Her silver eyes followed countless strangers moving between the towering buildings.

"There will always be those who convince themselves everything is fine simply because it works for them. Change becomes inconvenient for them. Looking at someone suffering becomes easier than admitting the system is wrong. It’s easier to tell yourself that different is dangerous than to accept you’ve been living comfortably because someone else wasn’t."

Shuten-dōji regarded her with interest.

"You’re remarkably perceptive for someone so young," she said softly. "Listening to you, I cannot help but feel that childhood was not something you were ever truly allowed to have."

The words came gently.

Yet they struck far deeper than any accusation could have.

Gretel’s steps slowed almost imperceptibly.

For a brief moment her silver eyes lost focus, lingering somewhere far beyond the streets of Pulchritudo.

She offered no denial.

Silence itself answered the oni’s conclusion.

After several moments Gretel forced a faint smile back onto her face.

"I think..." she began carefully, clearly eager to steer the conversation elsewhere, "perhaps we should ask someone el—"

Her words died instantly; every muscle in her body tightened. She stopped walking so abruptly that her boot scraped across the stone street. Her head snapped over her shoulder; at precisely the same instant, Shuten-dōji mirrored the movement.

"You felt it as well, didn’t you?" Shuten-dōji asked quietly.

Gretel gave a small nod, her expression hardening.

"...Yes." Her silver eyes swept methodically across the crowds. Merchants, children, travelers, nobles, and servants. Faces passed one after another, yet none lingered long enough to explain the sensation crawling beneath her skin.

"It’s an unusually intense gaze," she murmured. "It does not seem hostile enough to attack immediately. Someone was watching us very carefully." Her eyes narrowed. "No, probing us."

She continued searching: nothing.

Whoever it had been had blended seamlessly into the sea of people.

"I can’t identify them," she admitted at last, frustration creeping into her voice. "But, if even I could notice it..." She frowned thoughtfully. "Then perhaps whoever was observing us isn’t vastly stronger than I am. A Nil should never have sensed someone significantly beyond their level unless they allowed it. So maybe..."

She let the conclusion settle.

"...Maybe they’re a Nil as well."

Shuten-dōji remained outwardly serene.

("Impressive,") she reflected silently. ("She reached nearly the correct conclusion from nothing more than instinct. Her awareness is developing far faster than she realizes.")

The invisible pressure faded as suddenly as it had appeared.

"...Hm."

The thoughtful hum escaped the oni almost absentmindedly as red eyes lingered on the crowd a moment longer before she slowly turned back toward the street ahead.

"Hm, perhaps our questions have begun drawing more attention than we realized," Shuten-dōji murmured after a thoughtful silence. Her voice remained as calm as ever, betraying none of the caution one might expect after discovering they had been observed. "People asking after dragons are unlikely to blend into the crowd for very long." Her red eyes drifted thoughtfully across the busy avenue before settling several paces ahead. "Then again..." A small smile crossed her lips. "It is equally possible that whoever was watching us noticed Lady Echidna first."

Gretel followed her gaze.

The Mother of Monsters had wandered only a short distance away. She no longer seemed interested in either conversation or confrontation. Instead, she stood quietly near the roadside, her emerald eyes following the demi-humans scattered throughout the city. Some hauled crates far too heavy for ordinary people. Others swept storefronts or carried expensive parcels behind finely dressed nobles.

Echidna simply watched them.

Her expression revealed very little.

"Hm..." Gretel frowned thoughtfully. "Or perhaps..." She hesitated before voicing the possibility that had been bothering her. "...perhaps they recognized me instead."

Her hand unconsciously brushed against the hilt of her rapier.

"I’ve been careful ever since we entered the city. I’ve avoided patrols, stayed away from guard stations, and kept my distance from anyone wearing Heart Kingdom colors." She frowned more deeply. "So unless someone already knew my face, I don’t quite understand how they could have identified me."

Shuten-dōji inclined her head ever so slightly.

"Perhaps," she replied. "Or perhaps not."

She folded one sleeve neatly over the other as she continued walking.

"At present, every conclusion we reach is nothing more than speculation." Her tone remained leisurely. "Whoever observed us displayed admirable restraint. They allowed us to notice their presence..." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "...but not their location."

A quiet chuckle escaped her.

"That alone tells me they possess both confidence and patience. A rather crafty individual."

She seemed almost entertained.

"As frustrating as uncertainty may be," she continued, "there is little benefit in chasing shadows through crowded streets. If they truly possess an interest in us, then eventually they will reveal themselves. For now..." Her shoulders rose in an almost imperceptible shrug. "...waiting may prove wiser than searching."

Gretel let out a slow breath.

"I understand the logic..." she admitted quietly. "But it doesn’t make the feeling any easier to ignore."

Her silver eyes continued sweeping over passing civilians.

"It’s unsettling..." she confessed after a pause. "Knowing someone may have been watching us this entire time without us realizing it. It leaves me wondering how long they’ve been there."

Shuten-dōji smiled gently.

"A perfectly natural reaction." She paused for only a heartbeat before adding, "Though, perhaps we needn’t wait quite so passively."

Gretel blinked.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering immediately, Shuten-dōji slowly raised one elegant hand. Only then did Gretel notice what rested lightly between the oni’s fingers.

A talisman.

Its paper fluttered gently despite the almost nonexistent breeze, intricate characters flowing across its surface in ink Gretel could not quite decipher.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"You’re planning to use Sorcery?"

There was more curiosity than alarm in her voice, though concern quickly followed.

"Would that really be wise?" Gretel asked, lowering her voice instinctively. "Mikoto specifically warned us about the wards surrounding this city." Her gaze lingered on the talisman. "If they detect unusual forms of power, wouldn’t using your Spiritual Energy risk exposing us?"

Shuten-dōji regarded the talisman thoughtfully before offering a reassuring smile.

"Ordinarily..." she began, "...that would indeed be a concern."

She rolled the paper gently between her fingers.

"However, I have spent the journey quietly observing the warding system woven throughout Pulchritudo." Her red eyes drifted toward the distant rooftops as though mentally tracing invisible lines. "Its primary purpose is the detection of mana. The enchantments are exceptionally sensitive to magical signatures native to this world’s system."

She lowered her gaze back toward Gretel.

"As for foreign energies..." she continued calmly, "...they are acknowledged by the barriers, but not with the same degree of precision. Spiritual Energy, in particular, seems to register only when used in significant quantities."

A small smile returned.

"So long as I avoid anything excessive, small techniques are quite manageable."

Gretel listened carefully before slowly nodding.

"I suppose..." she murmured, "...that makes sense."

Even so, she eyed the talisman with lingering uncertainty.

"But then..." She looked back toward the oni. "...what exactly are you intending to do?"

Shuten-dōji’s smile widened ever so slightly.

There was a playful glimmer within her eyes.

"Nothing especially dramatic," she replied with quiet amusement. "Merely a little charm."

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