A Journey Unwanted

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Heart Kingdom]

[Pulchritudo]

Mikoto supposed this was rather convenient.

Getting involved with the Duke would benefit their efforts to protect the church while at the same time earning them information about the dragons. It was quite convenient that two separate objectives had aligned so neatly.

Yet despite that...

There was still one glaring problem.

Goiim.

Remaining in the middle of the park had quickly become impractical. They were an unusual collection of people even by Pulchritudo’s standards. Curious glances lingered longer than they should have, conversations nearby quieted whenever someone noticed Shuten-dōji’s horns or Echidna’s unsettling presence, and Mikoto himself attracted attention simply by existing.

Conveniently enough, Goiim offered another solution before anyone else could. She led them to one of Pulchritudo’s more luxurious inns without so much as asking whether they trusted her.

The establishment was spacious and immaculately maintained. Polished black stone tiles stretched across the floor, their surfaces glossy and lit up by elegant chandeliers above. Long red carpets embroidered with black patterns cut through the room, leading between neatly arranged dining areas.

The walls were painted a rich dark red, broken only by lavish paintings depicting a regal woman clad in black armor. Every portrait carried the same expression of authority, as though the Queen was watching.

Oak tables and finely crafted chairs filled the room and conversation drifted through the establishment while elegantly dressed patrons enjoyed expensive meals and wine. Beautiful waitresses dressed in refined black dresses moved between tables, carrying silver trays filled with food and drink.

Compared to the noisy streets outside, the inn felt strangely composed.

Their group occupied a secluded corner away from the busiest sections of the establishment.

According to Goiim, this particular inn refused to discriminate against demi-humans, making it one of the few respectable establishments where Shuten-dōji could sit without drawing hostility.

The oni appeared perfectly comfortable.

Seated beside Mikoto, she leisurely lifted a massive mug of ale before taking another long drink, seemingly unconcerned with anything around her.

Mikoto watched her from the corner of his eye before clicking his tongue.

"Tch, I don’t understand you. How can you willingly drink something that tastes like piss? There are so many things in this world worth putting in your mouth, and somehow you choose that."

Shuten-dōji lowered the mug with an amused smile that barely lifted the corners of her lips.

"It is not always about the taste. Sometimes one drinks simply to feel something, however fleeting." Her fingers lazily rotated the mug. "Though I will admit, this hardly compares to proper shōchū. By comparison, this is rather disappointing. Still, it serves its purpose."

"Hm." Paimon, seated on Mikoto’s opposite side, tilted her hooded head curiously. "I’ve honestly never understood why people enjoy alcohol so much. It smells strange, and everyone who drinks it either starts laughing too loudly or crying."

Even indoors she still hadn’t removed her red hood.

Shuten-dōji’s smile grew a little wider.

"You appear old enough to discover the answer yourself." She glanced toward Goiim. "Why not order a drink? Our generous benefactor seems willing to pay."

Across the table Goiim didn’t so much as blink.

"My funds are not limitless," she replied in her usual even tone. "I would appreciate it if nobody confused generosity with poor financial judgment."

Her pale eyes drifted briefly toward Gretel and Robert, who had stepped away to speak with one of the inn’s attendants regarding lodging arrangements.

Nearby, Echidna remained seated in complete silence.

Unlike everyone else, she seemed wholly uninterested in the conversation. Her emerald eyes wandered lazily across the establishment as though searching for something only she could perceive.

For a brief moment Goiim’s gaze lingered upon the Mother of Monsters before calmly returning to Mikoto.

Mikoto rested one thick gauntlet against the table.

"You really intend to explain this job here?" he asked, glancing around the occupied room. "There’s no shortage of ears nearby."

Ordinarily it would have been a trivial matter to make a barrier that prevented sound from escaping their table.

He doubted Goiim knew that.

"It will not be necessary." Her answer came without hesitation. "I would know if anyone here were attempting to eavesdrop. If there were prying eyes or wandering ears, I would have noticed them already."

Mikoto studied her for another moment before giving a small shrug.

"Fine." His armored forearm settled more comfortably atop the tabletop. "Then stop dancing around it and give us the details."

Beside him, Paimon looked increasingly uneasy. "...Are you really going to steal something?"

"Yeah." The answer came immediately without guilt.

Paimon visibly shrank.

"But you said you were an Angel..." she murmured uncertainly. "Would... would an Angel really steal?"

Mikoto rolled his eyes.

"I’m pretty sure I left whether I’m actually an Angel completely up in the air." He waved a gauntleted hand dismissively. "Besides, quit acting like a nark. If you don’t want any part of this, then don’t get involved."

His red eyes shifted toward her.

"And while we’re at it, dealing with the Duke helps your church too. Seems like you’re conveniently forgetting that part."

Paimon lowered her gaze.

"Still..." The protest never fully formed.

"You should never compel yourself to walk a path your own conscience rejects." Shuten-dōji’s calm voice cut gently through the conversation. She placed her now-empty mug onto the table with a wooden thud.

Paimon looked toward the oni, her blue eyes widening ever so slightly. Up close, Shuten-dōji possessed a presence unlike anyone else at the table. Perhaps it was the elegant traditional robes. Perhaps it was the graceful horns rising from her head. Or perhaps it was simply her beauty and composure.

Paimon couldn’t quite decide.

"But..." she murmured after a long pause, "...I really do want to help."

"There is nothing wrong with wishing to help." Shuten-dōji’s voice remained gentle. "But there is a difference between helping others and forcing yourself to become someone you would struggle to recognize afterward." Her red eyes lowered thoughtfully toward the empty mug resting beneath her fingertips. "If your heart tells you that this course is wrong, then turning away is not cowardice." She looked back at Paimon. "It could be called wisdom. If you choose to leave, girl, now would be the kindest moment to do so."

Paimon fell silent; she stared at the tabletop, fingers nervously twisting together beneath the edge of her cloak. Her expression wavered between determination and uncertainty.

Mikoto let the silence linger for only a second before exhaling.

"What she said." He turned his attention back toward Goiim. "For now, quit worrying and pipe down." His red eyes narrowed slightly. "Now spill."

"Very well..."

Goiim folded her arms with elegance; her expression remained unreadable as her pale eyes passed over everyone seated around the table before settling upon Mikoto.

"If we are truly proceeding with this arrangement, then you must know the circumstances." Her voice remained the same. "Duke Bluebeard is counted among the Heart Kingdom’s most influential Dukes. Not because of unmatched martial strength or anything like that, but because of his immense wealth and the reach of his political connections. Gold opens more doors than might ever could."

She paused for a moment.

"And men like him understand that better than anyone." Her fingers lightly rested against her sleeve. "As such, his treasury is guarded with exceptional care. You should expect the most severe security available to someone outside the Royal Family. He employs an assortment of highly trained mages, veteran guards, specialists in magical detection, and numerous retainers whose sole purpose is reinforcing his estate’s defenses. Simply walking through the front gate without invitation would be enough to invite immediate suspicion."

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"If you intend to obtain what I seek, then you will have no choice but to enter his private estate itself."

"And where exactly is that?" Mikoto asked without much interest, his tone flat.

"It lies some distance north of here," Goiim answered immediately. "You would struggle to miss it even if you tried. The estate dominates the surrounding landscape."

"Hm..."

Mikoto folded his thick gauntleted arms across his chest, and his red eyes drifted shut. To everyone else it merely looked as though the beautiful boy had grown momentarily bored. Only darkness never greeted him; his awareness shifted effortlessly.

Far above Pulchritudo...

A lone crow glided across the sky; its ordinary black eyes became his own.

The bird banked sharply, wings beating harder than they naturally would as if an invisible force urged it onward. Rooftops blurred beneath it as it swept over the sprawling city, soaring above avenues crowded with people.

North.

The city gradually gave way to broader roads and increasingly lavish estates before one structure utterly eclipsed the rest.

Perched atop a broad, elevated hill stood an enormous manor complex.

Elegant black architecture stretched across the hilltop like a fortress. Multiple mansions, servant quarters, gardens, and fortified walls surrounded the central residence. Decorative though the estate appeared, Mikoto immediately recognized that appearances were deceiving.

("There.")

The crow continued circling overhead; invisible ripples brushed against it.

Mikoto felt them instantly.

("Wards.") His thoughts remained calm. ("Far stronger than the city’s.")

The magical defenses blanketing the estate were layered with surprising sophistication. They overlapped one another almost seamlessly, creating an invisible net stretched across the grounds.

("Interesting...") His instincts examined them almost automatically. ("If I teleported directly inside, I’d be noticed immediately.")

That alone made the estate considerably more troublesome than anywhere else they had visited. His attention drifted toward the center of the estate.

("And she still refuses to tell us what we’re actually stealing.") His expression remained unchanged. ("Breaking into a place like that without knowing the target would just be doing her work blindly.")

The connection dissolved; the crow resumed being nothing more than an ordinary bird.

Mikoto opened his eyes.

Only to find Paimon’s face uncomfortably close to his own. The hooded girl blinked innocently, leaning forward with obvious curiosity before tilting her head. As soon as their eyes met, she awkwardly leaned back a few inches.

"Why’d you close your eyes?" she asked. "You looked like you disappeared somewhere for a second."

"None of your business." The response came immediately.

Paimon’s cheeks puffed into a pout.

"Hmph..."

Mikoto ignored her entirely; his attention returned to Goiim.

"So." His red eyes settled upon her. "You’ve got an actual plan then?"

"I do." Goiim nodded once. "There is soon to be a grand banquet hosted at the Duke’s estate." She continued as though discussing something normal. "It is being organized in celebration of the Princess’s successful expedition. Nobles from throughout the surrounding territories have been invited, merchants of influence have received summons, and countless servants are presently preparing the estate."

She calmly folded one leg over the other.

"Pulchritudo’s teleportation infrastructure allows rare delicacies and exotic goods to be transported here from across the continent in remarkably little time. Because of that, Duke Bluebeard intends for this banquet to become a display of his wealth and influence."

"And naturally..." Mikoto murmured. "The Duke himself will be attending."

"Precisely." Goiim inclined her head. "That evening will provide the greatest opportunity."

"Opportunity for what?"

"To gain his interest."

Silence settled briefly around the table; Mikoto stared at her.

"And exactly what kind of thing interests a man like him?"

Goiim answered without hesitation. "Young women." Her voice remained completely devoid of embarrassment. "Youthful beauty." Another pause followed. "...Preferably with their chastity still intact."

"Eh?" Paimon blinked, once, then twice. "...I...I’m sorry..." She scratched her cheek. "...Did I actually hear that correctly?"

Heat immediately rose to her face; her ears began turning pink beneath the edges of her hood.

Mikoto barely reacted.

"I’m guessing you don’t qualify." The words slipped from his mouth almost lazily.

But for the first time since meeting Goiim, something changed. It was incredibly slight, so slight that anyone else would have missed it. The corner of Goiim’s mouth almost lowered. A movement so minute it barely qualified as an expression.

Mikoto noticed it and ignored it, then casually turned toward Paimon instead.

"Hey." His tone remained the same. "Are you a virgin?"

Paimon froze, every thought visibly leaving her head.

"...H-HUH!?" Her entire face exploded red. "You—you—you can’t just ask someone that out loud!!"

Several nearby patrons turned to look, and a waitress nearly stumbled.

Paimon immediately covered her burning face with both hands.

Mikoto looked completely unimpressed.

"So that’s a no?"

"W-What!? No!" She shook her head violently. "I mean yes!" Another awkward pause came. "I-I mean... that’s—that’s not what I meant!" She looked ready to sink beneath the table. "I-it should be after marriage and everything..."

By the end of the sentence she had completely deflated.

Shuten-dōji quietly covered her smile with one arm as a soft laugh escaped her.

"My..." She chuckled. "What an unexpectedly ruthless method of gathering information."

Mikoto merely shrugged.

"So Gretel counts too," he spoke as though discussing supplies. "But sending only two people sounds stupid."

Shuten-dōji slowly nodded.

"Indeed." Her amusement faded back into thoughtfulness. "Two young women entering such a gathering alone would attract precisely the wrong kind of attention. Even should they succeed in drawing the Duke’s eye, they would possess very little room to maneuver once separated."

"Yeah," Mikoto answered simply. "I’ll send in a friend with them."

The matter seemed settled in his mind.

Across the table Goiim rose smoothly from her chair.

"If that much has been decided..." She adjusted one black glove. "...then I shall concern myself with securing invitations."

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