It took Dagger a few tries to orient himself to the right room, but he found it after checking a few doors. Strangely, there were no guards or maids to be seen on the fourth floor at all, leaving the airy space feeling oddly unwelcoming. It felt impolite to enter the chamber without using the door, despite doing so all the time at his own house. After all, it was essentially trespassing into the princess's room, something that would otherwise be a crime worthy of execution.

With another moment's hesitation, Dagger finally shadow-stepped into the room, reappearing in the shadows beside her closet.

"Hello, Princess," he spoke, trying his best to not spook her. Sitting on her bed with her head bent to a book, the girl jumped but to her credit did not make a sound. Instead, the young woman quickly set the book aside, then stood gracefully and gave him a curtsy.

"Greetings, Demon of Raizakar," the second princess said politely, bowing her head as she spoke. "My name is As'rya Sophera, second Princess of the Kingdom of Raizakar. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her long hair was in a fancy braid, and she wore a neat white dress with frills on the hem and sleeves. He would have expected something fancier for a princess, but it didn't matter; the dress would hinder her on their journey and would have to go.

"I tried to pack light," the princess remarked when Dagger said nothing, "Since I was unsure of our travel situation. The carriage can hold these bags, yes?" As'rya asked, gesturing to four suitcases of varying sizes resting beside her.

"Well, actually," Dagger scratched his beard with a grimace, "We won't be travelling by carriage, your highness." Gauging her for a reaction, he was mildly surprised when she didn't blow up, pout or even reveal an inkling of frustration.

"I understand. May I ask how we will be travelling? I would like to repack my things in an appropriate manner."

"We'll have to travel on foot, and we will be avoiding any cities or villages along the way, if we can," he told her. "Which means mostly through the forests. The Queen has stated an 'absolute need for secrecy'."

"Alright," the princess said, squaring her shoulders. "It will take me a bit to pack a different bag, if you wouldn't mind waiting outside."

"Sure," he agreed quickly. He'd rather not linger in here either. "I will have to go into the city to get some supplies before we go anyways. I'll meet you back here afterwards."

"Oh!" As'rya brightened at the mention of the city. "Could I accompany you? The market is one of my favorite places to visit."

"Er," Dagger paused, frowning slightly. "Unfortunately, that's not going to be possible." The young woman seemed to deflate. He added gruffly, "It's for your safety, Your Highness. I will be back soon." Before she could protest, he disappeared from the shadows.

Dagger had needed to leave town immediately on many occasions before, and was well prepared for immediate travel. He kept several storage areas around the city, two in dilapidated houses not even the peasants would want to try and stay in. He kept three in total with a variety of supplies spread between them; the vigilante headed towards the first, quickly making his way through the nice cobbled streets until he reached the rougher uneven path of the market.

The man kept his presence masked as best as he could, staying in the shadows and avoiding groups of people. Finally reaching one of the last stalls, he paused and approached an elderly woman with a purple shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She calmly watched him approach, a small smile pulling up the wrinkled corners of her lips.

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"Causing some trouble today, hmm?" the woman spoke, her voice creaky but her tone light. "And it seems you're here to cause some more."

"Agatha," Dagger grumbled, rubbing at his beard. "You wouldn't believe the morning I've had..."

Agatha ran a small stand selling homemade jewelry, obscure and often overlooked. She was one of the only people that had treated Dagger with any sort of kindness or friendliness over the years, despite knowing his reputation. The old lady would just chuckle and reply that they 'had finally received the god's wrath'. Not harboring any fear or resentment towards him, she instead would occasionally talk to him about his travels, relaying her own stories from when she was still fit to travel.

"Are you sure you have time to tell stories today, young man?" Agatha chided, pulling out a necklace on a chain, depicting a fiery orange sunset. Agatha had an uncanny intuition, unnerving Dagger time and time again. She seemed to know things she shouldn't; it was almost like she could read his mind.

"No, I don't," Dagger agreed, "But I do need my supplies."

"Of course," she smiled, eyes crinkling. "But only if you take my gift, too."

"If you insist," the man sighed, knowing that arguing would waste time; he would lose the fight anyways. "I need my compass, the map of Raizakar Kingdom, and my spare gloves." She pulled them out from somewhere under her stand after rummaging for just a few moments, handing them over along with the small pendant on a silver chain.

"I don't know when I'll be back," Dagger told her. "You'd better be here when I get back."

"Oh, I won't keel over in the meantime. You know I'm tough as rocks," Agatha chortled, eyes twinkling. Dagger didn't actually know how old she was, but she looked to be well over eighty. In such a large city with so many slum areas, it was rare to see someone like her last so long.

"Please be safe," he told her seriously, bowing respectfully before turning to go.

"You too, Dagger," Agatha told him, all joking gone. "This journey will test your limits. Be careful, my friend."

The man nodded over his shoulder, their eyes meeting, before he disappeared in the shadows, off to his next stop.

Reappearing in the shade of a dirty building, Dagger checked around. The second storage he kept in an area of the slums on the west side of the capital, where he kept his extra funds. Some was money, some was jewels, all of it was buried under a house that had nearly become one with the wild again. The door wasn't even visible, vines and weeds obscuring any way in.

All the houses around here looked the same; ten years ago, this area had been swept with plague, thousands dead in days. It had started in the south slums and spread to the west, which the Queen had blocked off and barricaded for safety. Declaring it a public emergency, she ordered the Imperial Guard to set fire to the two districts. Even those healthy weren't allowed out, everyone stuck to die. It was a tragedy that permeated through time.

Even years later, very few people had the nerve to walk through the streets. The broken pieces of skeletons and the eerie silence were a stark reminder of the tragedy that had happened here.

Shadow stepping into the building, Dagger ripped up the floor in the corner, pulling out a pouch hefty with coins. He left the jewels tucked inside and replaced the broken floorboards; not that anyone could get in the house anyways. Satisfied, he put the coins in the inner pocket of his cloak and headed out to his last stop.

The last space was an abandoned cathedral in the southern slums. This area had also been quarantined and subsequently abandoned, though there were more beggars that frequented the area. A few had even begun to move into some of the remaining houses. The old prayer hall for the god, Otios, had been abandoned before that, though, the sacredness and importance fading as the religion gave way to the Kingdom's ideologies and new teachings.

Quiet as usual, Dagger checked to make sure no one was sleeping between the benches. He passed the crumbling stone seats, moss and lichen reclaiming them. Birds rustled in the eaves, cooing sleepily at his intrusion. Reaching the raised stage in the front, Dagger stopped in front of the stone image of a dragon, intricately carved and still a masterpiece, despite the passage of time. Gripping the sides tightly and hefting, he pulled the carved slab to the side, revealing a hall and several crates of dried foods. He took out four days' worth of dried fruit, nuts, and meats, before sealing it carefully and securely. Glancing around at the high walls and broken windows one more time, Dagger tucked the food into his travel pack and let the shadows absorb him, leaving the ancient relic empty once more.